Tag Archive for: book review

Reviews: THE LAST WORD and PRETEND YOU’RE MINE

May 8, 2023/6 Comments/by Suzanne

Happy Monday all! I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. The weather was great here on Saturday so I did a little yard work, but Sunday it rained most of the day so I read and start getting caught up on my blog hopping. Today I’m back with two new reviews from authors who are fast becoming auto-buy authors for me, Katy Birchall and Lucy Score.

Reviews: THE LAST WORD and PRETEND YOU’RE MINE

The Last Word Goodreads

Author: Katy Birchall

Publication Date: May 2, 2023

Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

The Last Word by Katy Birchall is a fun new enemies/rivals-to-lovers romance. I just love Birchall’s humor and the way she writes her characters, and I’m also a huge fan of the enemies/rivals to lovers trope so I couldn’t wait to dive into this book.

The story follows Harper and Ryan, two journalists who crossed paths years ago when they were interns for the same publication. There was definitely chemistry between them back then but Ryan ultimately betrays her, and they haven’t spoken since. When we meet Harper, she is fully focused on her career as a successful and well-respected Celebrity Editor for a newspaper magazine. Life is good with the exception of her sexist boss. Not only does the man seem to go out of his way to be rude to her, but he also takes every opportunity to stifle her career growth. As if all of that wasn’t bad enough, now he has gone and hired Ryan to be his new Features Editor.

Needless to say, sparks fly as soon as Ryan and Harper are forced to work together. Constant bickering and disagreements eventually give way to a tentative partnership, and of course my favorite part of an enemies to lovers story – when the main characters realize that maybe they don’t hate each other after all and the trajectory of their relationship changes. I always love those moments and Birchall handles them well here.

Harper is a fantastic character. I love how she’s a real go-getter even in the face of blatant sexism that has her other colleagues shaking their heads. Harper is amazing at her job and is the go-to person when celebrities want someone who they can trust to respectfully and professionally handle their stories. Even though I went into this book craving a fun rom com, I really enjoyed Harper’s personal/professional journey as she fully comes into her own and takes the reins of her career. It took me a little longer to warm up to Ryan just because I was Team Harper all the way, but once we are finally allowed to learn the details of what happened all those years ago, my heart fully melted toward him.

The Last Word is the third book from Katy Birchall I’ve read and it definitely will not be my last! 4 STARS

Pretend You're Mine (Benevolence, 1) Goodreads

Author: Lucy Score

Publication Date: May 9, 2023 (First published, October 26, 2015)

Publisher: Bloom Books

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

I’m pretty late to the Lucy Score party and have been playing catch up on all of her popular romance novels. When I saw that Bloom Books was reissuing her Benevolence series with gorgeous new covers, I decided it was a good time to snag a copy of the first book in the series, Pretend You’re Mine. And boy did this story hook me — I read it cover to cover in one day!

Luke Garrison is beloved by everyone in the town of Benevolence. He’s a hometown hero whose life has been touched by tragedy. He has no interest in building a life with someone and thus fully devotes himself to his business and to serving his country through the National Guard. When Harper Wilde comes barreling into his life, he has no idea that his life will never be the same.

When we meet Harper, she has just caught her boyfriend in bed with another woman. Furious, she grabs her car keys, and nothing else, and just starts driving. She runs out of gas in Benevolence and while she’s trying to figure out what to do next, she witnesses a man assaulting a woman in the parking lot and without thinking, rushes over and actually jumps right on the man’s back. The man she went after has a reputation for being abusive, so Harper becomes a bit of a hero in the town herself for taking him on. Luke witnessed the incident in the parking lot and immediately made it his business to look after Harper, even reluctantly allowing her to stay at his place and temporarily work as his office manager once she confesses that she has nothing but a set of car keys to her name at the moment.

Pretend You’re Mine features so many of my favorite tropes. In addition to the small town romance, it also features forced proximity, only one bed, and even some fake dating. The fake dating aspect was probably my favorite because Harper agrees to go along with it to give Luke some peace from his well-meaning, but very meddlesome, family. Luke’s family is so sweet and loving, and I love how quickly they all fell in love with Harper and made her feel like she was part of the family. Since we learn early on that Harper’s life was also marred by tragedy that left her in the foster system, that made the Garrison family’s love for her all the more touching.

With its mix of sexy, steamy moments and full-on rom com antics, Pretend You’re Mine kept me thoroughly entertained, although I will admit that it also frustrated me at times. Luke was especially frustrating in that he was practically paralyzed from moving forward in his personal life because he felt like he was betraying the memory of someone else he cared about. He sent Harper so many mixed signals that at times, I just wanted to shake him. Even though I occasionally wanted to throttle Luke, I was still rooting for him to sort himself out and not lose Harper and I can’t wait to dive into the next book in the series and see what the folks of Benevolence get up to next. 4 STARS.

Reviews: BEAR WITH ME NOW & JASMINE AND JAKE ROCK THE BOAT

May 1, 2023/8 Comments/by Suzanne

Hey everyone! I hope everyone had a great weekend. It was gloomy and rainy here all weekend so I spent most of it napping and reading. Today I’m back to share my thoughts on two April releases from Berkley Romance. One is a solid debut, while the other is another entertaining read from an author I’ve been enjoying the past couple of years.

Reviews: BEAR WITH ME NOW & JASMINE AND JAKE ROCK THE BOAT

Bear With Me Now Goodreads

Author: Katie Shepard

Publication Date: April 25, 2023

Publisher: Berkley Romance

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Bear With Me Now is Katie Shepard’s debut novel. and it’s one wild ride!

When we first meet Teagan, he has just been released from the hospital after suffering a severe panic attack. His sister Sloane thinks some quality time out in nature is just the thing to help Teagan clear his head and so takes him to a wilderness retreat in Montana. Teagan immediately decides he isn’t comfortable with group therapy and instead decides to wander off and enjoy a solitary hike. It is here where he is nearly eaten by a bear and where he is saved from this fate by the most beautiful woman he has ever seen, who just happens to be the retreat’s handywoman, Darcy.

Darcy and Teagan hit it off right away and he starts spending most of his time working out in nature on the grounds with her. There are lots of rom-com worthy moments as they get to know each other better, including plenty of witty banter that often had me laughing out loud.

The novel has plenty of serious moments too though as it explores Teagan’s panic disorder, including what is causing his panic attacks as well as the embarrassment he feels about them. Somehow everyone at the retreat thinks Teagan is in rehab for alcoholism, for example, and instead of setting the record straight, he instead decides to hide the truth from them all, including Darcy. The lie spirals to the extent that he actually hires Darcy to come home to NYC with him as his sober companion. While their personal relationship heats up here, it becomes clear that Teagan’s lie is unsustainable. I was not a big fan of the deception anyway so I was rooting for him to come clean to Darcy before he wrecked everything between them.

Both Teagan and Darcy are immensely likeable characters, and I liked how Shepard allowed their vulnerabilities to shine through, making them all the more realistic and relatable. While Teagan is struggling with his mental health, Darcy is also struggling to get her life on track, thanks to her parents wrecking her credit, her ex stealing her car, and most importantly, thanks to dyslexia making it nearly impossible for her to finish her college degree and land her dream job as a park ranger. I loved that the bond Teagan and Darcy forged was strong enough that they each were more focused on helping the other in spite of their own problems.

With its blend of heartfelt and hilarious moments, Bear With Me Now is a fantastic debut and I look forward to reading more from Katie Shepard. 3.5 STARS

Jasmine and Jake Rock the Boat Goodreads

Author: Sonya Lalli

Publication Date: April 18, 2023

Publisher: Berkley Romance

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

I’m always in the mood for a good enemies to lovers story and Sonya Lalli did not let me down with her latest contemporary romance, Jasmine and Jake Rock the Boat.

When we first meet Jasmine, her life is kind of a mess. She has just broken up with her loser boyfriend for the third time and has moved in with a friend. She has a good job but somehow still has no money, and as much as she would love to have a close relationship with her parents, that situation is a mess too. Her parents, as well as most of their South Asian community, view Jasmine as a bad girl and openly criticize her life choices and her “old maid” status since she is over 30 and has yet to land a husband. In what can only have been a moment of insanity, Jasmine agrees to go on an Alaskan cruise with her parents and dozens of others from their community, not realizing that it’s actually a cruise for seniors and that she’ll be surrounded by meddling Aunties and Uncles at every turn. The only other person even close to her age on the trip is Jake, a handsome but arrogant young man who is traveling with his dad.

Lalli gets me invested in this couple immediately by revealing that Jake and Jasmine have history. Jasmine actually used to babysit Jake when they were younger. Now Jake is all grown up and he is clearly attracted to his former babysitter. Reverse age gap romance anyone? Jasmine finds Jake to be incredibly annoying and tries to avoid him as much as possible at first, but being stuck on a ship, their paths cross way more than she would like. Although they are initially reluctant to hang out, they soon realize that they enjoy each other’s company and have more in common than they thought. I thought their scenes together were really sweet and that they made a pretty great team.

What I really enjoyed about this story is that even though it’s technically a romance, there’s still a pretty major personal journey for Jasmine. While Jasmine can admit that she really is attracted to Jake, she fights the idea of getting into a relationship with him. She has too much going on in her own life and really needs to sort herself out rather than just jump from one man to the next. Jasmine’s journey on this cruise is more about finding herself and redefining her relationship with her parents and her community than it is about finding love, and I loved the growth she experienced throughout the story.

Full of heart, wonderful character development, and a sweet slow burn enemies to lovers romance, Jasmine and Jake Rock the Boat makes for a delightful read. 4 STARS

Reviews: THE CUBAN HEIRESS and THE GOLDEN DOVES

April 17, 2023/8 Comments/by Suzanne

Happy Monday all! Work deadlines kept me busy and away from the blog for much of last week, but as of today, our first big deadline of the year has passed. Woo hoo! Anyway, I hope to get back to more regular posting and blog hopping this week. Today I’m back to share my thoughts on a couple of excellent historical fiction novels that are releasing in April from two of my favorite authors.

Reviews: THE CUBAN HEIRESS and THE GOLDEN DOVES

Author: Chanel Cleeton

Publication Date: April 11, 2023

Publisher: Berkley

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Set in 1934, Chanel Cleeton’s latest historical fiction novel, The Cuban Heiress, is a riveting tale that takes place aboard a luxury cruise ship, the SS Morro Castle, during a round trip from New York to Havana, Cuba.

The story is loosely based on the real-life SS Morro Castle disaster where the luxury cruise ship caught fire and ran aground on a beach in Asbury Park, New Jersey. But that historical event is more of a side element in Cleeton’s novel. Her story instead focuses on several seemingly unrelated passengers aboard this ship whose lives end up intertwined in ways that will truly surprise readers. First, there’s Catherine, who, for some reason, is pretending to be an heiress, and who is on the ship with her fiancé and his young daughter. Then there’s the mysterious Elena, a young woman who has been presumed dead but is clearly not as she can frequently be found lurking in the shadows aboard the ship. As if those characters aren’t intriguing enough on their own, there’s also a charming jewel thief named Henry aboard, as well as Julio, who is smuggling guns into and refugees out of Cuba.

I was enthralled from start to finish as Cleeton slowly weaves together the threads that intertwined the lives of these fascinatingly deceptive characters. The story is steeped in danger, suspense, romance, betrayals, and revenge, with plenty of twists and turns to keep you on the edge of your seat. In many ways, it reads more like a thriller than a historical fiction novel. But, that said, while it doesn’t contain quite as much history as I’ve grown used to from Cleeton’s novels, The Cuban Heiress is still an immensely satisfying read that I would recommend to fans of both historical fiction and thrillers. 4 STARS.

The Golden Doves Goodreads

Author: Martha Hall Kelly

Publication Date: April 18, 2023

Publisher: Ballantine Books

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

With her latest novel, The Golden Doves, Martha Hall Kelly takes her readers back to WWII and follows two former female spies who are willing to risk everything to bring a fugitive Nazi scientist to justice.

American Josie Anderson and a Parisian named Arlette LaRue are two young women working in the French resistance during the war. They are so good at stealing Nazi secrets that they earn the title “Golden Doves” and are hailed by Allied Forces while being hunted by the Gestapo. Eventually their luck runs out and they are arrested and sent to Ravensbruck concentration camp. Josie and Arlette witness unbelievably horrific events on a regular basis at the camp and they also both experience devastating personal losses that will haunt them long after they are released from the camp – Josie’s mother is cruelly experimented on by a Nazi scientist and dies there, while Arlette’s infant son is stolen from her. A decade later, the opportunity presents itself for Josie to exact revenge on the scientist who tortured her mother, and Arlette suddenly has a fresh lead on where her son might have been taken.

I was completely engrossed in Josie’s and Arlette’s mission to finally hold this scientist accountable and to hopefully find Arlette’s son. Their adventure read like a thriller, filled with endless twists and turns and danger around every corner and I zoomed through the book, rooting for them to get justice for Josie’s mother and all the other women who were victimized at Ravensbruck.

As always though, what continually draws me to WWII historical fiction is my desire to learn everything that I wasn’t taught in history class. In this case, Martha Hall Kelly, through her extensive research, taught me how so many Nazi fugitives, particularly scientists, were allowed to escape justice and how my own country played an active role in their escape because they were so desperate to keep the knowledge and expertise the Nazi scientists possessed from getting into the hands of the Russians. I was shocked and truly appalled to learn this and don’t even get me started on what I learned about the Catholic Church’s involvement.

Inspired by true events, The Golden Doves is both a gripping and moving survivor’s tale and an eye opening lesson in WWII and post WWII history. 4.5 STARS

Romance Reviews: THE PLUS ONE & THE NANNY

April 3, 2023/7 Comments/by Suzanne

Happy Monday everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful weekend and that your April reading month is off to a great start. I have a lot of ARCs to review this month, which wasn’t great planning on my part since April is also a huge deadline month for me at work, but we’ll see how it goes. Today I’m sharing reviews for two really great romance reads. One is from an author I’ve been enjoying for a while now, and the other is a wonderful debut.

Romance Reviews: THE PLUS ONE & THE NANNY

The Plus One (A Brush with Love, #3) Goodreads

Author: Mazey Eddings

Publication Date: April 4, 2023

Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

The Plus One is the third book in Mazey Eddings’ A Brush with Love series and like its predecessors, this book features complex, well drawn characters who are dealing with relatable real life issues, working on their mental health, and who just happen to stumble upon love when they least expect it.

When we meet Indira, she has just caught her boyfriend in a sticky situation involving another woman and a jar of peanut butter. Disgusted, Indira grabs her stuff and storms out. She decides to move in with her brother Colin, who is busy planning his wedding. Indira figures she can help him with the planning while she regroups and starts looking for a place of her own. She doesn’t realize until she arrives on Colin’s doorstep that Colin’s best friend, and Indira’s archnemesis, Jude is also in town and is staying there. Needless to say, Indira is not very excited. At first anyway…

I love a good enemies-to-lovers, forced proximity story so I was practically giddy as Indira and Jude were forced to awkwardly interact on a regular basis. I also immediately became invested in both characters finding their way to some kind of happy ending since it’s obvious that both of them are dealing with some heavy stuff. Indira is a psychiatrist who is questioning her ability to effectively help her patients, while her own mental health isn’t where she thinks it should be, thanks to her cheating ex. Jude is a doctor who has spent the past several years traveling the globe to treat patients in need in war torn areas that are facing humanitarian crises. When Jude and Indira reunite, Jude is practically a shell of himself and is clearly suffering from PTSD because of all that he has seen on the job. I loved that their shared history, even if they were sworn enemies in the past, gave them both the comfort they needed to cope while all of the pre-wedding shenanigans were taking place. They even agree to fake date so people will leave them alone, which I particularly enjoyed since it gave them even more time to get reacquainted and realize their feelings for one another go well beyond hate at this point.

While The Plus One is the third book in the A Brush With Love series, it will definitely work as a standalone, although I personally recommend reading the other two books since we reunite with beloved characters since they’re all part of the same friend group. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys heartfelt romances that feature tropes like friends to lovers, forced proximity, fake dating, and brother’s best friend and I also recommend it to anyone who enjoys stories that normalize people seeking help when they are struggling with their mental health. 4 STARS

The Nanny Goodreads

Author: Lana Ferguson

Publication Date: April 11, 2023

Publisher: Berkley Books

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Don’t let the cute cartoon cover on this one fool you – if you’re looking for a heartfelt romance that knows how to bring the heat, look no further than The Nanny by Lana Ferguson!

Cassie is a young woman trying to put herself through college. She has no support from her family, so in an effort to make money in a way that fits into her busy school schedule, Cassie starts an OnlyFans account (or a “boobycam” as her hilarious elderly neighbor calls it). When she gets too close to one of her anonymous fans, Cassie pulls the plug on her account. She struggles to find and keep a job after OnlyFans until she finally lands a gig as a live-in nanny.

Aiden is an executive chef at a popular local restaurant. He loves his job but it makes raising his 9-year-old daughter, Sophie, a challenging endeavor, especially since Sophie excels in running off nannies if she doesn’t like them. Aiden is desperate for help and when Cassie applies for the job, he practically begs her to take it.

Aiden and Cassie are clearly attracted to each other from their first in person meeting. The more Aiden watches Cassie try to win over Sophie, the more he cares about her, while the more Cassie watches Aiden trying to be the best dad he can for Sophie, the more she cares about him too. As the two grow closer and things start to really heat up between them, Aiden tells a story that Cassie has heard before…on OnlyFans!…and she realizes that Aiden is actually the fan that she grew too close to when she was on that site. Awkward!

I really enjoyed how all of the elements of this story came together, from the super steamy scenes between Cassie and Aiden to the more innocent and adorable family moments between Aiden, Cassie, and Sophie. I was just so invested in the three of them becoming a family and was on the edge of my seat waiting to see how things would play out once Aiden finally realized that he and Cassie have a very intimate history together.

I highly recommend The Nanny to anyone who enjoys romances that feature forced proximity, workplace romances, sizzling bedroom scenes, with a healthy side of family moments to round things out. 4 STARS

Reviews: A WITCH’S GUIDE TO FAKE DATING A DEMON & OFF THE MAP

March 6, 2023/27 Comments/by Suzanne

Hey everyone! I’m back today to share two reads that were both just so much fun. If you like witchy rom-coms and road trip books, you’re definitely going to want to check out both of these.

Reviews: A WITCH’S GUIDE TO FAKE DATING A DEMON & OFF THE MAP

A Witch's Guide to Fake Dating a Demon Goodreads

Author: Sarah Hawley

Publication Date: March 7, 2023

Publisher: Berkley

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

As a fan of all books with witchy vibes, I knew I had to read Sarah Hawley’s new romcom A Witch’s Guide to Fake Dating a Demon. I mean, who can resist that fun title?! Well, I’m happy to report that the story itself is every bit as fun as the title and had me laughing out loud from start to finish.

The story follows Mariel Spark, a young witch who is prophesied to be the most powerful witch seen for centuries. There’s just one problem – Mariel is a train wreck when it comes to actually using her magic. If she tries to cast a spell, you’re going to want to duck and cover because it’s probably going to be a disaster. Mariel’s mother seems to thrive on pointing out what a failure and a disappointment she is, which only adds to Mariel’s frustration and makes her spell casting even worse. While Mariel’s spell mishaps are hilarious, Mariel is still a very sympathetic character because her mother is just the worst. It is during one of these spell mishaps that Mariel accidentally does something that will forever change her life – she summons a soul-bargaining demon, Ozroth the Ruthless.

Ozroth the Ruthless, as his name implies, is a legend in the demon world when it comes to bargaining for mortal souls. Only here’s the thing, Ozroth the Ruthless isn’t exactly ruthless anymore. He had a mishap of his own during a bargaining session with a warlock and now Ozroth has a mortal soul in his body. That soul has not only made it more difficult for him to trick mortals into giving him their souls, but it also makes him catch feelings easier, which has all but destroyed his reputation for being ruthless. When Ozroth lands in Mariel’s kitchen, he finds himself in quite a predicament. He can’t leave her side until he secures her soul, but since Mariel accidentally conjured him, she has zero interest in giving up her soul, which leaves them at a hilarious impasse.

This might be the most unique use of the forced proximity trope and I loved every page of it! The chemistry between Mariel and Ozroth was fantastic, even though neither one wanted to admit that they were starting to catch feelings for each other, and their banter as Ozroth tried and failed repeatedly to get Mariel to give him her soul had me just cackling away, as did their attempts to hide Ozroth’s demon identity, both with comical costumes and by pretending to be boyfriend and girlfriend. As funny as they were together though, what actually captured my heart here was that they were each the main one who saw the other’s personal worth. Ozroth saw Mariel for so much more than a failed spell caster, while Mariel saw Ozroth as so much more than a failed soul bargainer. The connection that blossomed between them as they try to build each other up just warmed my heart and had me very invested in them finding a way to break this deal so that they could willingly be together.

I would recommend A Witch’s Guide to Fake Dating a Demon to anyone who enjoys paranormal romances and anyone who loves their rom-coms to be heartwarming, a little steamy, and laugh out loud hilarious 4.5 STARS

Off the Map Goodreads

Author: Trish Doller

Publication Date: March 7, 2023

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Griffin

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

I’m a sucker for a good road trip book so I was thrilled to learn that Trish Doller’s new novel Off the Map would feature a road trip across Ireland. As if that wasn’t irresistible enough on its own, I was sold as soon as I saw that cover with the couple sitting on top of an upside down SUV, literally promising me a wild ride!

Off the Map follows Carla Black, who has traveled from Florida to Ireland to attend her best friend’s wedding. Readers of Doller’s Beck Sisters series will recognize Carla’s best friend and her fiancé right away, Anna and Keane from Float Plan. Once Carla arrives in Dublin, the plan is for her to meet up with Keane’s brother Eamon, who will drive her across the country to the wedding destination. That plan goes a bit off the rails, however, when Carla and Eamon hit it off better than anyone else could have anticipated and their trip across the country takes quite an unexpected and possibly life changing turn.

Carla is a bit of a free spirit and has been traveling around the world on her own for the better part of a decade now. She returns to Florida to work just long enough to save up enough money to bulk up her travel funds and then heads out again. Carla doesn’t do relationships and she never goes home. What I love about Doller’s characters though is that they’re complicated and messy. It turns out that Carla doesn’t go home, not because she doesn’t want to, but rather because her beloved dad, who has dementia, has asked her not to. He wants her out there living her life to the fullest, not watching him slowly forget who she is over time. So she’s out there on her own, trying to keep her promise to him. I loved Carla’s free spirit, but it definitely broke my heart to learn the real reason behind her extensive traveling.

Eamon is just as complicated and equally as lovable as Carla. He is struggling because he feels like his life has just stalled out. He makes digital maps so other people can travel, but yet he has been nowhere himself. He is also tired of always being the responsible one in his family and really just wants to cut loose and go on an adventure. Meeting up with Carla turns out to be just the right person at the right time as she encourages him to throw caution to the wind and show her around Ireland rather than driving straight to meet his family.

I really adored this journey for both characters. There were of course lots of fun, shenanigans, and sexy, steamy moments to be had along the way, but the best part was the conversation. Carla and Eamon opened up to each other about their hopes, dreams, fears, and so much more. I enjoyed watching them grow close and I loved that they were each able to get some things off their chests that it seemed like they had been holding in for a long time.

Off the Map is the perfect read for anyone who enjoys humorous romantic adventure stories balanced with weightier, more emotional topics like dementia and loss. 4 STARS

Review: ON THE SAVAGE SIDE by Tiffany McDaniel

February 24, 2023/12 Comments/by Suzanne

On the Savage Side by Tiffany McDaniel

Published by Knopf Publishing Group on February 14, 2023
Genres: Fiction, Literary Fiction, Mystery, Thriller
Pages: 464
Source: Netgalley
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository | Bookshop
Goodreads

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

On the Savage Side by Tiffany McDaniel is not for the faint of heart. Set in an Ohio small town and inspired by the real-life unsolved murders of six women known as the Chillicothe Six, On the Savage Side explores how heroin addiction can rip apart a family and a community and how predators are lurking everywhere, just waiting to snatch up the pieces. It’s both a disturbing and haunting story, probably one of the darkest I’ve ever read.

The story follows Arcade and Daffodil (Arc and Daffy), twin sisters who are born to heroin-addicted parents. As their parents struggle with their addiction, life is pretty rough for the family, and when their dad dies from an overdose when the girls are six years old, things go from bad to worse. The one bright spot in their lives is their beloved grandmother, Mamaw Milkweed, who showers the girls with love and affection and teaches them the lesson that life has both a savage side and a beautiful side and that the key to life is to make the savage side beautiful. Mamaw Milkweed uses the underside of a crochet square she is working on to illustrate her point, tidying up the dangling strings to make both sides of the square beautiful. Arc and Daffy take this message to heart, and using their vivid imaginations, they try to find the beautiful side of every savage thing they witness in their young lives. Some of the loveliest moments of the book are those scenes between the girls and their grandmother, and those moments where the girls are weaving together imaginative stories to try to make life seem a little less horrific.

McDaniel makes it so easy to fall in love with Arc and Daffy and to mourn the loss of their innocence as their mother sinks further and further into her addiction with each passing year, even turning to prostitution to help pay for drugs. It’s absolutely heartbreaking when the girls start to follow in their mother’s footsteps, both in terms of drug use and prostitution. When a serial killer starts dumping the bodies of young women into the local river, the story takes on an even more ominous tone. I loved that Arc makes a vow to keep her sister safe – their bond is another one of the beautiful moments in the book – but at the same time, I couldn’t help but feel like the odds were stacked against them, especially when their town is filled with predatory, sadistic men, any of whom seemed like a likely suspect, and no one in the town seemed all that invested in finding out who the killer is.

The story is filled with twists and turns and I don’t want to give any of those away, so I’m going to pivot from the plot to talk about the writing. This may be one of the darkest stories I’ve ever read, but it’s also one of the most beautifully written. I loved the balance between the beautiful and the ugly moments of the story, and found McDaniel’s storytelling to be truly captivating and downright poetic at times. In particular, there are several chapters sprinkled throughout where the river itself becomes a character in the story, describing the women’s bodies as they are dumped into the water.

Filled with just about every trigger warning imaginable, from drug abuse and sexual abuse all the way to animal cruelty, On the Savage Side won’t be for everyone. But if you like a haunting and emotional read that takes a raw and unflinching look at a dark subject matter, On the Savage Side is a must-read. I know it’s a book I won’t be forgetting about anytime soon.

Romance Reviews: BEST SERVED HOT & THE NEIGHBOR FAVOR

February 20, 2023/18 Comments/by Suzanne

Hey everyone! I hope your Monday is off to a good start. My family and I are all getting over a nasty stomach bug, so I’m feeling fortunate to wake up today feeling much better than I have been. About the only good thing that came with not feeling well was that I could just lay around and read and no one gave me grief about it, haha. Today I’m sharing my thoughts on two of the fun romances I read while I was recovering.

Romance Reviews: BEST SERVED HOT & THE NEIGHBOR FAVOR

Best Served Hot Goodreads

Author: Amanda Elliot

Publication Date: February 21, 2023

Publisher: Berkley

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

In Amanda Elliot’s new novel Best Served Hot, Julie Zimmerman dreams of becoming a restaurant reviewer for a major newspaper. Right now, however, she’s working as an executive assistant and only has an unpaid side gig as a food influencer on Instagram. She applies for a restaurant critic position at the prestigious New York Scroll, but loses out to rich society guy, Bennett Richard Macalester Wright. Julie hates everything about Bennett, from his obnoxious name all the way to his haughty attitude toward social media influencers and followers. When a public argument between them on this subject goes viral, Bennett’s boss loves the chemistry between Julie and Bennett and decides it would be fun to have a collaboration between the two of them, an old guard (print journalism) vs. new guard (social media) approach to reviewing the same restaurants. Julie is torn between being appalled at having to spend time with Bennett, while at the same time, knowing that this could bring her a lot of exposure and open doors for her.

I love a good rivals to lovers story and am also a fan of the forced proximity trope, so Best Served Hot was right up my alley. I loved the chemistry between Julie and Bennett, especially the transition from those early awkward, borderline hostile scenes, to those moments when Julie realizes that maybe hanging out with Bennett and eating delicious foods isn’t the worst way she could be spending her time and that maybe he isn’t as pompous and entitled as she originally judged him to be. I also just really liked watching them work together, how different their styles were, and how they actually learned from each other.

The vibrant food descriptions were of course a hit with me and practically had me drooling on my kindle, and I also loved the entire cast of secondary characters, especially Jada, another foodie social media influencer who reaches out to Julie during her competition with Bennett, and Alice, Julie’s bestie and a talented coder who has grown frustrated working with obnoxious, arrogant men. I loved the sense of community and sisterhood between these ladies. Emerson Leigh, a rich girl who is oblivious of her privilege but who also has a heart of gold, also turns out to be a gem of a character.

If you enjoy foodie romances as much as I do, you’ll definitely want to check out Best Served Hot! 4 STARS

The Neighbor Favor Goodreads

Author: Kristina Forest

Publication Date: February 28, 2023

Publisher: Berkley

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

I absolutely adored The Neighbor Favor by Kristina Forest. Is there an actual trope for bookish characters and bookish settings? Because, if not, there really should be!

Lily Greene is a lifelong book lover who works in publishing. She’s not quite where she wants to be, which is to work as a children’s book editor, but she’s trying to get there. One day she decides to email her favorite fantasy author, N.R. Strickland, and they begin a months’ long correspondence that becomes the highlight of Lily’s days. They have wonderful conversations and really open up to one another, to the extent that it has Lily imagining what life could be like if she were to meet him in person, a new friendship or possibly more? That is until he abruptly ghosts her and deletes his email account with no explanation. Shocked and a bit heartbroken, Lily moves on with her life.

I loved Lily. She of course scored points with me immediately by virtue of being a book lover, but I also just really admired her determination to keep going after her dream job, as well as her perseverance when it came to taking control of her love life. Up until N.R. Strickland (or Strick as she called him) ghosted her, Lily had been caving in to her sisters’ endless attempts to set her up her dates that went nowhere, but after getting burned by Strick, she decides it’s time to bring her sisters’ meddlesome matchmaking efforts to a halt. I also very much related to her social awkwardness and loved that this awkwardness is what actually ends up driving the plot of the story because in order to find a date, she turns to her new neighbor, the sexy and charming Nick Brown. He’s not looking to date anyone but is happy to help Lily find someone and get her sisters out of her hair. Unbeknownst to Lily, her new neighbor is actually N.R. Strickland.

I honestly wanted to hate Nick for ghosting Lily, but the more we get to know him, he has very real reasons for doing what he did even if he went about it the wrong way. I went from wanting to hate him to very much wanting him and Lily to see that they were perfect for each other. I also enjoyed getting the glimpses into Nick’s journey as a reclusive author trying to complete a sequel to his best-selling fantasy novel, which also happens to be Lily’s all time favorite book.

The chemistry between Nick and Lily is wonderful and I enjoyed all of their scenes, from fun and silly ones trying to buy Nick furniture at IKEA to more poignant and heartfelt ones as Lily tries to help Nick deal with some long-standing issues he has with his father. And don’t even get me started on the adorable bookish dates they go on. Be still my book loving heart!

This was my first time reading a novel from Kristina Forest and I very much look forward to reading more from her because The Neighbor Favor was just a pure delight! 4.5 STARS

Reviews: NOT YOUR EX’S HEXES & JUST MY TYPE

February 6, 2023/18 Comments/by Suzanne

Happy Monday, everyone! I hope you all had a nice weekend. It was freezing here so I pretty much stayed inside and read all weekend. Today I’m back to share my thoughts on two books that will hit bookstore shelves this week. If you’re looking for some fun and romantic reads as we close in on Valentine’s Day, you’re going to want to check out both of these!

Reviews: NOT YOUR EX’S HEXES & JUST MY TYPE

Not Your Ex's Hexes (Supernatural Singles, #2) Goodreads

Author: April Asher

Publication Date: February 7, 2023

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, St Martin’s Griffin

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

The only thing better than having lots of great witchy reads to devour during spooky season is having lots of great witchy reads to enjoy throughout the entire year. I’m especially loving the witchy rom com trend and so couldn’t resist requesting a review copy of Not Your Ex’s Hexes, the latest installment in April Asher’s Supernatural Singles series.

Not Your Ex’s Hexes is a sexy, magical, grumpy-sunshine delight! It follows Rose Maxwell, a sassy, headstrong witch who, after having recently stepped down from the Supernatural Council, is now trying to find her path in life. All she knows at this point is that she is not looking for love. Sex, yes. Love, no. She goes to a bar and sets her sights on Damian Adams, a sexy half-demon who is the perfect candidate for a one-night stand. Once her sexual needs have been attended to, the next item on Rose’s to-do list is to rescue some abused horses she saw in a field. What Rose doesn’t learn until she is caught by the police, is that the abused horses had actually already been rescued. The field she saw them in was part of an animal sanctuary that is run by none other than Damian Adams, her one-night stand who also happens to be a veterinarian. To make matters even more awkward, Rose is sentenced to community service at the sanctuary so she’ll have to work in close quarters with Damian.

You guys, this was such a fun read! I loved both Rose and Damian. Rose is smart, sassy, and just brimming with energy and enthusiasm, especially when she learns the sanctuary is in financial trouble. She makes coming up with ways to save the sanctuary her mission in life, even if she drives Damian crazy in the process. Damian is a sexy, broody guy who is very much trying to keep his inner demon at bay. He may be grumpy and gruff on the outside, but deep down, he’s really just an animal-rescuing cinnamon roll. Like Rose, Damian is also not looking for love, primarily because he was hexed by a former girlfriend and literally cannot let himself fall in love or he will lose his soul. Damian is attracted to Rose though so when she suggests the two of them engage in a no-strings continuation of their one-night stand, Damian readily agrees. Will the two of them be able to keep things casual? If they can’t, what about Damian’s curse?

Filled with sexy, steamy scenes, magical hijinks, demon hunting, and an array of adorable rescue animals, Not Your Ex’s Hexes has a little something for everyone! 4.5 STARS.

Just My Type Goodreads

Author: Falon Ballard

Publication Date: February 7, 2023

Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

I’m a sucker for a good second chance romance and Falon Ballard delivers a great one with her latest novel, Just My Type, which follows two high school sweethearts who are reunited under contentious circumstances.

While they were dating in high school, Lana and Seth had big plans for the future, all of which revolved around them attending the same university and moving in together. When their plans fell through, Seth breaks up with Lana because he doesn’t want to hold her back from her dreams of becoming a journalist. When Seth then goes on to reject Lana at their high school reunion a few years later, Lana is embarrassed and hopes that she’ll never see Seth again. When Seth later takes a job as a journalist at the same media outlet Lana works for, Lana is in utter disbelief, especially when her boss, sensing the tension and still simmering chemistry between them and smelling a potential ratings explosion, puts forth a writing challenge for the two of them, a series of relationship advice articles. Whoever’s writings are the most popular with their audience will win a highly coveted spot as a columnist where they can write about whatever they want.

The competition was such a fun backdrop for Lana and Seth to work through their own personal relationship issues – Lana bounces from one relationship to another, while Seth apparently can’t commit to anyone, as well as to work through their issues with one another. I loved that one element of the competition involved them choosing relationship-related activities for each other to take part in, and that another caveat of the competition forced them to occasionally team up on these activities. It was such a great use of the forced proximity trope to get Lana and Seth talking again and to eventually work their way up to talking about their past, what happened after high school and especially what happened at that reunion. Some of the conversations were painful and emotional, but they were necessary and the more that was revealed about what happened, the more I became invested in the two of them finding their way back to each other, especially since it was clear the love was still there.

I enjoyed the balance of humor with the more emotional moments in this story. There’s a wonderful secondary cast of journalists and their often hilarious group chats are interspersed throughout, providing a bit of comic relief. I also loved that we actually got to read each of the articles Seth and Lana were writing. The author did a great job of incorporating all of these elements into Just My Type, creating an entertaining and moving read that I didn’t want to end. 4 STARS

Reviews: EXES & O’s and THE BACKUP PLAN

January 9, 2023/23 Comments/by Suzanne

Hey everyone! Today I’m back to share reviews from two authors who were new-to-me in 2022, Amy Lea and Jill Shalvis. I enjoyed my first time reading them so much that I couldn’t wait to get my hands on their newest releases. I’m thrilled to report that I’m still just as enamored with their writing as I was last year.

Exes and O's (The Influencer, #2) Goodreads

Author: Amy Lea

Publication Date: January 10, 2023

Publisher: Berkley

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Exes & O’s is the second book in Amy Lea’s The Influencer series. I really enjoyed the first book in the series, which featured a fitness influencer, but as soon as I saw the Exes & O’s features a romance book reviewer as its protagonist, I knew I was going to love it!

Tara Chen is all about romance. She loves to read romance novels, and she has her own Bookstagram account where she reviews books and goes live to talk about her favorite romance tropes. Tara is practically a living, breathing heart eye emoji, but although she loves everything about love and romance, has had little to no luck in her own personal life. She has had her heart broken ten times and each time, she was the one getting dumped, and was often told it was because she was too clingy.

Even with all her bad luck in the romance department, Tara remains convinced her one true love is out there. She just has to find him. Tara is a bit gun shy about putting herself out there with total strangers, however, and decides a second chance romance with one of her exes is the way to go. She begins to seek out each of her exes, documenting her progress on her Bookstagram account. As she embarks on this new adventure, Tara is also in the process of moving in with a new roommate, thanks to her last breakup leaving her homeless. Unlike Tara, her new roommate Trevor, a sexy firefighter from Boston, has no interest in love and romance. Even with his dislike of romance, Trevor can’t resist Tara’s charms and soon finds himself enlisted to help Tara find her second chance romance.

Oh my goodness, guys, this story was freaking adorable! I truly adored Tara. She wears her heart on her sleeve and is just so precious. I loved both her passion for romance and her passion for all things junk food, both of which led to some pretty hilarious moments between herself and Trevor. My heart also broke for her because she was so unlucky in love and almost all of her exes sounded like complete jerks. I practically screamed at the book when she announced her plan to try to reconnect with one of them because OMG, they already broke her heart once. Why would she let them get close enough to do it again?

As much as I adored Tara, I think I loved Trevor even more. He may be the grump to Tara’s sunshine, but it becomes pretty obvious within a few days of them living together that he is actually a cinnamon roll who would do absolutely anything to put a smile on Tara’s face. The two of them were just so cute together and their scenes were filled with fun and sexy banter. I was rooting for Tara to ditch her exes plan and jump Trevor’s bones from almost the beginning and so were Tara’s Bookstagram followers when he accidentally appears in one of her livestreams, haha!

The journey to Tara’s true love is definitely a slow burn one, but the pay off is worth the wait and the ending was so sweet, it had me crying happy tears. Exes & O’s was the perfect sweet and swoony rom-com to kick off my 2023 reading year with, and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys the friends to lovers and grumpy/sunshine romances. 4.5 STARS

The Backup Plan (Sunrise Cove, #3) Goodreads

Author: Jill Shalvis

Publication Date: January 17, 2023

Publisher: Avon and Harper Voyager

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

The Backup Plan is the third book in Jill Shalvis’ Sunrise Cove series, and as much as I enjoyed the first two books, I think this one is my favorite. It’s a heartwarming story about love and loss, family and friendships, and above all, about forgiveness and second chances.

The story follows Alice, Lauren, and Knox, who all grew up around the same time in Sunrise Cove. Alice and Lauren were best friends who became estranged after Will, Alice’s brother and Lauren’s then boyfriend, was killed in a car accident. While Lauren stayed in Sunrise Cove, Alice left, vowing to never return. Knox, while not involved in any of the drama surrounding Alice and Lauren, has emotional baggage of his own related to Sunrise Cove and he, like Alice, left with no plans to return. Knox also happens to be the guy Alice had a not-so-secret crush on when she was a teenager. It has been years since they have all seen each other but when the three of them co-inherit an inn, courtesy of a woman named Eleanor, an awkward reunion is thrust upon them and they each must face ghosts from their past as they come together to renovate and reopen the inn.

Everything about this story captivated me, especially the emotional and awkward moments between Lauren and Alice. The tension between the two of them is palpable throughout the story, as each of them remembers how they used to be as close as sisters, and because they know they’re going to have to eventually confront each other and talk about what happened to drive them apart. Knox is often caught in the middle, doing what he can to try to diffuse the tension between the two women. He also has awkward feelings of his own that he’s dealing with, however, namely that he very much reciprocates the crush Alice had on him back in the day. Now is not the time for romance though…or is it?

As much as I loved getting to know Alice, Lauren, and Knox firsthand, I also loved getting to see them through the eyes of Eleanor. We never actually meet Eleanor, as she is already deceased when the story opens, but she is truly the driving force behind the story. Eleanor was a childless woman who was practically a second mother to both Alice and Knox, while Lauren was the grand niece she loved but never got to know because Lauren’s father cut Eleanor out of their lives. Through a series of email drafts she has left behind on an iPad, Eleanor slowly reveals to Alice, Lauren, and Knox why she left each of them a portion of the inn, why they were so important to her, and why she thought they needed each other.

It’s not all heavy emotion and drama though. The story also has some downright hilarious moments as Alice, Lauren, and Knox work to get the inn into shape in time for a grand reopening Eleanor had set into motion before her death. I lost track of how many times I laughed out loud at the three of them and their antics.

If you’re looking for an engrossing story filled with both heart and humor, you’re going to want to add The Backup Plan to your TBR. 4 STARS

Review: THE WILDERWOMEN by Ruth Emmie Lang

December 5, 2022/6 Comments/by Suzanne

The Wilderwomen by Ruth Emmie Lang

Published by St. Martin's Press on November 15, 2022
Genres: Fantasy, Fiction
Pages: 336
Source: Netgalley
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository | Bookshop
Goodreads

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

The Wilderwomen by Ruth Emmie Lang follows Zadie and Finn, two sisters who possess unique magical gifts. Zadie is able to see into the future and sense things that are coming, while Finn is able to somehow detect echoes of memories of others who have been wherever she happens to be at the moment. Somehow, even with these abilities, both sisters are blindsided when their mother, Nora, abruptly leaves their home and disappears.

Fast forward five years and Zadie and Finn have become estranged from one another and there’s still no sign of their mother, that is, until Finn stumbles across a memory echo that she is convinced belongs to her mother. She reaches out to Zadie and after some coaxing, convinces Zadie that she can retrace their mother’s steps using her memories and finally figure out what happened to her. The sisters embark on a road trip that will change their lives in more ways than they can possibly imagine.

The relationship between Zadie and Finn was by far the highlight of the book for me. It’s clear they need each other in spite of having grown so far apart without their mother there for guidance. And it’s also clear that the absence of their mother and the constant wondering about why she just left them has really kept them from truly moving on and living their lives to the fullest. I loved watching Zadie and Finn reconnect as they worked together to retrace their mother’s steps. No matter how far apart they’ve grown, the bond of sisterhood is still there. Similarly, I also enjoyed the coming of age aspect of the story as we watch each sister grow and figure out their place in the world as they’re on this journey.

Another highlight for me was Lang’s beautiful writing. It reminded so much of Alice Hoffman’s writing, very lyrical and atmospheric, almost weaving a spell around me as I was reading. Her descriptions of the girls’ abilities were so vivid that it was easy to picture exactly what the girls were sensing every step of the way.

The only thing that didn’t quite work for me was the ending. For me it felt a bit rushed and like all of the loose ends were tied up a bit too neatly. In some ways I was content with how it ended, but in others, not so much. I found myself with unanswered questions, particularly with respect to the why behind Nora’s disappearance and the why behind the sister’s abilities. I found myself flipping back through the pages to see if I had missed something.

Even with my issues with the ending, however, I still found The Wilderwomen to be a lovely read overall. It’s a wonderful story for readers who enjoy stories about family, sisterhood, and magic. 3.5 STARS

About Ruth Emmie Lang

Ruth Emmie Lang was born in Glasgow, Scotland and has the red hair to prove it. When she was four years old, she immigrated to Ohio where she stills lives today. She has since lost her Scottish accent, but still has the hair. Ruth lives with her husband and son on two wooded acres in the Cleveland area. Her first novel, Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstance, was a finalist for the Ohioana Book Award.

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