Romance Reviews: MARLOWE BANKS, REDESIGNED & A COSMIC KIND OF LOVE

November 7, 2022/20 Comments/by Suzanne

Happy Monday everyone! After taking a short blog break late last week to be there for my mom for her surgery and post-op recovery, I’m back today with reviews for a couple of romances I read in the hospital waiting room that really helped me to pass the time. Both are from authors I read and enjoyed for the first time last year, so I was eager to get my hands on copies of their latest offerings. How fun are those vibrant covers?!

Romance Reviews: MARLOWE BANKS, REDESIGNED & A COSMIC KIND OF LOVE

Marlowe Banks, Redesigned Goodreads

Author: Jacqueline Firkins

Publication Date: October 25, 2022

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.

Marlowe Banks, Redesigned by Jacqueline Firkins follows Marlowe, a costume designer who works on Broadway and lives in New York City. When one of her costume designs is panned in a review, Marlowe’s self-esteem is sent on a downward spiral and she flees New York for L.A. to hide out for a while and lick her wounds. When we meet Marlowe, she is working as a production assistant/errand runner for a popular TV show, sorting a bin full of socks, and very much over-qualified for the job.

Marlowe captured my attention and my heart right from that opening scene and I wanted to know more about why she was so quick to give up her old life, not to mention her boyfriend, and move 3,000 miles away. Marlowe is a messy and flawed character, which of course makes her very relatable since we’re all a bit messy, and she’s also someone who needs to learn to stand up for herself and confront what is dragging her down rather than hiding from it, again something that makes her very easy to relate to. There are a lot of layers to Marlowe and the more Firkins allowed me to start peeling back those layers, the more invested I became in seeing Marlowe bounce back from what she perceives as a huge failure on her part. I couldn’t wait to see what, or who, would be the catalyst that helps her bounce back and reclaim her life. And oh boy, what a catalyst it was!

Angus Gordon is not only the rising star on the TV show where Marlowe works, but he’s also a Scottish hottie who makes everyone swoon when he’s around. Angus also has the reputation for being an arrogant bad boy, and when Marlowe accidentally crashes into him and spills coffee all over his shirt, she gets to experience firsthand why he has that reputation. When a costume mishap requires Marlowe to actually step into a scene as Angus’ potential love interest, the death glare Marlowe and Angus give each other somehow convinces the producers that Marlowe should actually be written into the show, and things take an even more awkward turn.

Just as with Marlowe, it soon becomes clear that there’s a lot more to Angus than meets the eye. He has created the bad boy persona as a way to shield himself from a lot of the pitfalls of fame and in many ways, he’s hiding just as much as Marlowe is. I loved the way Firkins has their relationship develop. Even though they start out as enemies, Angus ends up taking Marlowe under his wing and mentoring her to help her get comfortable on camera and working with him. This leads to a budding friendship as they slowly get to learn more about each other, which then immediately had me rooting for them to become more than friends as it became clear that they were great together, each helping the other to grow. I loved the journey for both of them.

Marlowe Banks, Redesigned is Jacqueline Firkins’ adult debut novel, and having been a fan of her YA novels, I was eager to get my hands on a copy. It’s a fun and moving story and if you’re a fan of slow burn romances and stories about second chances and picking yourself back up after failure has knocked you down, I think you’re going to love it! 4 STARS

A Cosmic Kind of Love Goodreads

Author: Samantha Young

Publication Date: October 18, 2022

Publisher: Berkley

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

Samantha Young’s Much Ado About You was one of my favorite romance reads from 2021, so I couldn’t wait to get my hands on a copy of her latest novel, A Cosmic Kind of Love. I was intrigued by the unique premise of an astronaut and an event planner falling for each other after secretly watching each other’s digital diary entries and couldn’t wait to see how Young would work her magic to bring this unlikely couple together.

The story follows Hallie Goodman, a successful event planner who is planning the wedding of Darcy, a New York socialite whose ex-boyfriend Chris happens to be an astronaut. While exchanging information about the wedding plans, Darcy accidentally forwards Hallie a folder full of personal videos that Chris had recorded for Darcy while he was on his last space mission. Even though she knows it’s wrong, once Hallie starts watching them, she can’t stop. She loves listening to his soothing voice as he describes what it’s like to be in space. He shows a vulnerable side of himself that Hallie finds herself very attracted to and she can’t stop thinking about him and rewatching the videos every chance she gets. She decides to record a video of herself to send to him, and although disappointed when it bounces back as undeliverable, she decides she likes to record her own personal thoughts in this way and continues to send them even if they’re not really going anywhere. Unbeknownst to Hallie, however, Chris is receiving them, and just as she was so drawn to his messages, he finds himself equally drawn to hers and begins trying to figure out how to meet her in person. Darcy’s wedding of course is the perfect opportunity…

I loved these two characters so much! They’re just so well drawn and complex, with layer upon layer that make them both seem so realistic. Hallie is a bit of an underdog, dealing with verbal abuse from parents and an ex who belittles her as a “party girl” because her job is to plan events. Her ex even goes so far as to tell her she isn’t good enough and that he’s embarrassed that she plans parties for a living. Chris is dealing with issues of his own, still trying to adjust to life back on Earth and trying to decide what he wants to do next, all the while dealing with an overly demanding father who constantly berates him for not having a clear direction for his life yet. It was impossible not to root for Hallie and Chris to find their way to each other, or at least to find their path forward and get away from the toxic relationships in their lives.

I also loved the premise of having the two of them meet in person for the first time while each already knew so much about the other because of those personal videos. Secretly knowing so much about each other added a quiet tension to their in-person meeting that really elevated the scene for me to so much more than your typical meet-cute in a romcom. The scenes where they each finally had to each confess they had watched the videos impacted me in the same way. I loved that they were able to be so open with one another and that a relationship between them brought them the love and support they had both been missing in their lives.

A Cosmic Kind of Love is the perfect blend between heartwarming, swoony romance and intense family drama that will not only have you rooting for the main characters to get together but also cheering for them both to finally tell off their toxic family members. 4 STARS

Reviews: RUNAWAY GROOMSMAN, PARTNERS IN CRIME, & BUILT TO LAST

October 31, 2022/24 Comments/by Suzanne

Hey everyone and Happy Monday! I hope you all had a great weekend and got plenty of quality reading time in. I did as I’m trying to catch up on the ARCs I got behind on thanks to my work deadlines. I’m slowly but surely working my way through them but still have a ways to go. Thankfully the novels I’m sharing my thoughts on today were all lovely reads, which makes playing catch up so much easier. That said, I also wanted to give folks a head’s up that I might be even more sporadic with blog hopping this week than I usually am. My mom is having surgery on Wednesday, so I’ll be traveling Tuesday night to be with her and I’m not sure how much I’ll be online until she’s back at home. I have a couple of posts scheduled for later in the week but it will probably be the weekend before I really get back into the swing of things.

Reviews: RUNAWAY GROOMSMAN, PARTNERS IN CRIME, & BUILT TO LAST

Runaway Groomsman Goodreads

Author: Meghan Quinn

Publication Date: October 11, 2022

Publisher: Montlake

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

Runaway Groomsman by Meghan Quinn follows Sawyer Castle, a Hollywood screenwriter who writes romance for a living. While he knows what a good on-screen romance looks like, his own love life is a disaster, so much so that when the story opens, we meet him while he’s standing at the altar watching his ex-girlfriend marry his ex-best friend. Not only did they have an affair behind his back, but they also had the nerve to ask him to be a groomsman at their wedding. Struck by the ridiculousness of the whole situation, Sawyer abruptly tells off the bride and groom and runs out of the church. Unfortunately for him, many media outlets were there to cover the big event and they all caught his escape act on camera. Needing a place to hide out for a while, Sawyer decides to stay in the tiny town of Canoodle, California, not knowing his life is about to change forever.

Fallon Long owns and runs Canoodle Cove Cabins, family-owned business, that she took over from her dad, Sully, who is suffering from Alzheimer’s Disease. When Sawyer checks in for a long-term stay, Fallon is struggling to make ends meet and is overwhelmed with the responsibilities of running the business, performing desperately needed renovations on the cabins and grounds, and with caring for her dad. She is grateful to have the income that Sawyer’s stay will provide, but beyond that, she assumes he’s just another shallow, ego driven celebrity, as does her hilarious best friend, Jazlyn, who teases him and calls him Julia (a nod to Julia Roberts and her film Runaway Bride) for the entire book. That is, until he makes it his mission to prove both Fallon and Jazlyn wrong.

I can’t even express how much I adored Fallon and Sawyer together. I loved their easy banter and their obvious attraction to one another, but I appreciated the slow burn nature of the story because Sawyer has his work cut out for him, trying to prove he’s not the crazy, jealous guy the media has portrayed him to be. I thought it was so sweet how Sawyer would sneak around, secretly renovating small parts of the property to help Fallon out. The renovations not only gave him a much needed sense of purpose, but he also just really enjoyed doing his part to alleviate some of Fallon’s worries so that she could focus on her dad.

As sweet as the blossoming romance between Fallon and Sawyer was, my absolute favorite part of this book was Sawyer’s relationship with Sully. It was heartbreaking to watch Sully when he would have bad days because of the Alzheimer’s but the way Sawyer went out of his way to treat Sully with respect and dignity and gently help him through some of his worst moments was just so touching and heartwarming.

Runaway Groomsman was such a fantastic read for me! It’s both heartwarming and hilarious, and it’s filled with a wonderful cast of characters that you will fall completely in love with. 4.5 STARS

Partners in Crime Goodreads

Author: Alisha Rai

Publication Date: October 18, 2022

Publisher: Avon and Harper Voyage

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

Partners in Crime by Alisha Rai was such a fun read for me. This was my first time reading romantic suspense and I quite enjoyed the blend of romance with a more action-packed, high adrenaline storyline.

The story follows Mira Chaudhary, a 35 year old accountant who is trying to break away from the dysfunctional antics of her family, and live life on her own terms. All Mira wants at this point in her life is to find a nice guy to settle down with, so she turns to an Indian matchmaking app in hopes of finding her perfect match. In the midst of her dating adventures, Mira learns that her aunt has died and that she needs to meet with her aunt’s attorney to discuss her inheritance. Imagine Mira’s surprise when she arrives at the attorney’s office, only to discover that the attorney is none other than Naveen Desai, Mira’s very sexy ex. Then, as if the situation isn’t awkward enough, Mira and Naveen are kidnapped from the parking lot. Even after they escape, tensions escalate both because it becomes a race against the clock to figure out what the kidnappers want and where it is, and also because there’s definitely unresolved sexual tension between Mira and Naveen.

I was thoroughly entertained, both by the prospect of a second chance romance as it becomes more and more clear that Mira and Naveen have feelings for one another, and by the high stakes action-packed kidnapping storyline. The kidnapping storyline is especially fun as Naveen and Mira are forced to work closely together and their adventure is filled with unexpected twists and turns, involving hackers, a stolen necklace, and seemingly endless secrets from Mira’s family’s past. I really liked both Mira and Naveen too. I admired the fact that Mira wanted to break away from her clearly screwed up family, and I also enjoyed the fact that Naveen wasn’t scared off by the troubles that obviously surrounded her family and instead, stuck by her side to help her get out of the mess her family has gotten her into. I don’t want to give anything else away about their adventures, but I’ll just say it’s a wild ride!

If you’re looking for a fun romance with an action-packed storyline that will keep you guessing and on the edge of your seat, be sure to check out Partners in Crime. 4 STARS

Built to Last Goodreads

Author: Erin Hahn

Publication Date: October 18, 2022

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 love second chance romances and I love home renovation shows, so I knew I had to read Erin Hahn’s new book Built to Last, which features both. And what a delightful read it was! The story follows Shelby Springfield and Cameron Riggs, two former child actors who also happen to be former childhood sweethearts.

Shelby, in particular, captured my heart right away. We learn that, after some pretty bad experiences including a public meltdown, Shelby chose to leave show business altogether and move home to Michigan. She has been working with her dad, who renovates and flips houses, and has found new purpose in her life restoring vintage furniture. For the past ten years, she has been building a new life for herself and trying to prove to herself and to everyone else that she isn’t that messed up little girl anymore. I really loved everything about Shelby, from her determination to move on from her past to her absolute passion when it comes to restoration.

The more I got to know Shelby, the more I wanted her to reunite with her childhood sweetheart, Cameron. Why? Because he really is a sweetheart in every way. While Cameron stayed in show business, he changed his focus and now travels the world making documentaries. No matter what Cameron has going on though, if Shelby calls him, Cameron comes running. Their connection just runs that deep, even if Cameron is afraid to admit to himself just how strongly he still feels for Shelby. But when the opportunity presents itself for Cameron to work with Shelby again, on a new reality TV home renovation show, neither Cameron nor Shelby feel they can say no, even if Shelby’s obnoxious ex, Lyle, is the showrunner.

Hahn does such a wonderful job weaving together the various threads of this story. I loved watching Cameron and Shelby work together and grow closer in the present, while also getting quite a few glimpses into what they were like together as child actors. I also thoroughly enjoyed watching them take on Lyle and his ridiculous shenanigans. Lyle is the character you’ll love to hate, for sure. In addition to Shelby’s relationship with Cameron though, I also absolutely adored her relationship with her Dad. They were just so sweet together and I loved how he helped to get her back on her feet after her meltdown and that she was so determined to do this new show to try to pay her Dad back for all of his help and support. This story just touched my heart on so many levels.

If you’re in the mood for a heartwarming second chance romance that also features plenty of entertaining scenes revolving around a reality TV show, as well as a lovely story about the importance of family, I highly recommend Built to Last! 4.5 STARS

Thriller Thursday Reviews: The Woman on the Bridge & Unforgivable

October 27, 2022/10 Comments/by Sharon

Sharon here with another addition of Thriller Thursday. This week I am happy to share my thoughts on a couple of psychological thrillers. Holly Seddon’s The Woman on the Bridge and Natalie Barelli’s Unforgivable. While these books were not scary or edge of my seat tension, they both did keep my anxiety level up.

Thriller Thursday Reviews: The Woman on the Bridge & Unforgivable

The Woman on the Bridge Goodreads

Author: Holly Seddon

Publication Date: July 7, 2022

Publisher: Orion

“A stranger in need – would you invite them into your home?” Between that first line in the synopsis and the book cover, I knew I had to read Holly Seddon’s latest book, The Woman on the Bridge. And I am so glad I did. Not only did this book keep me turning the pages, but it also increased my blood pressure. LOL!

Charlotte Wilderwood is driving through the dark countryside trying to figure out what to do after a fight with her oldest friend, Annie, when she approaches a bridge and sees a young woman in a wedding dress standing on top of the handrail. After talking the woman, whose name is Maggie, down and learning that she is fleeing an abusive relationship, Charlotte invites her to come back to her house until Maggie can figure out what to do. The two seem to have an instant bond and will do anything to protect each other. But Maggie may not be the best friend that Charlotte so desperately needs, and her life is about to be turned upside down.

This book is told from the POVs of Charlotte and Maggie in alternating chapters. I really liked how Seddon created these two characters. They were both flawed, and I was constantly going back and forth on if I liked them or not. One chapter I would have sympathy for both of them, then Charlotte would get on my nerves for being so trusting and Maggie would do something that made me not like her. I also really liked learning about their back stories. I cannot really say anything about that, but I will say the more I learned, the more I feared for Charlotte.

Holly Seddon does a great job of moving the story along.

The Woman on the Bridge was a fast paced read, that kept my anxiety up the whole time I was reading. I did figure a couple of things out and that just helped build the tension for me as I was waiting for things to happen. At the beginning of the book, I got a Strangers on a Train vibe, but then came the twists and turns that took it in another direction.

I really cannot say much about this book because I think anything I say will be a spoiler, but if you are looking for a psychological thriller that will keep your anxiety levels up and have you on the edge of your seat with a shocking ending, then I recommend The Woman on the Bridge. 4 stars

Unforgivable Goodreads

Author: Natalie Barelli

Publication Date: July 21, 2022

Publisher: Bookouture

I have read all of Natalie Barelli’s books and have enjoyed them all, some more than others, so I was excited to read her newest psychological thriller, Unforgivable. And while this was not up there with some of her other books I have read, I still enjoyed it.

Laura and Bronwyn were friends as teenagers but had a falling out. Now years later, Laura is engaged to Bronwyn’s ex-husband, Jack. Sounds like the beginning of a soap opera right? In some ways it sort of is but with a psychological twist and two crazy and paranoid woman thrown in. Lol!

Bronwyn walked out on her husband Jack and their four-year-old daughter, Charlie, three years ago and never looked back. She is living a lavished life in Italy with a handsome and rich Italian. After Bronwyn left, Laura stepped in to help Jack out and babysit Charlie. Laura loves Charlie and being her stepmother is the best thing that ever happened. Laura also loves Jack and cannot wait for them to be married. But Laura’s happy life is about to change because Bronwyn has come back to town. Laura fears that Bronwyn wants her old life back and those fears look like they may be true. But when Laura tries to raise her concerns, no one will listen to her, and she is just coming off as Jealous. Why is Bronwyn really back?

I have to say I did not care much for either Laura or Bronwyn. They both came across as crazy and they both had dark secrets that also made them very unreliable characters. I did like the fact that I felt I could not trust either of them though, because to me that just added more mystery to the book. I kept going back and forth on who I trusted. Bronwyn was so put together, but she had this conniving undertone about her. At times I was like, okay she is not so bad. But then some of the things she would do had me going “Oooh, Laura watch out for her. I don’t know what her end game is, but I can feel that it is not good.”

Laura started out as sane, but as the book progresses she starts to unravel and just becomes a mess. Not only does Laura have to deal with Bronwyn, but she is also an art curator and the gallery she works at had a valuable piece of art stolen, so now she has that to worry about as well. Laura also makes some very stupid actions (yes stupid lol) that are coming back to bite her in the butt.

Natalie Barelli did a great job of creating a story that slowly ramped up the craziness. And even though I did not care much for the characters in Unforgivable, I was still glued to the pages and couldn’t wait to find out how things were going to play out. There were also some twists at the end that I did not see coming. 3 ½ stars

Holiday Reviews: ONE LAST GIFT & ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS

October 24, 2022/15 Comments/by Suzanne

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend and that your week is off to a good start. My birthday was this weekend so mine was pretty good even if I have reached the age where I’m kind of done with getting older, haha. Anyway, today I’m back with the next round of my 2022 holiday ARCs that are already out in the world. It still feels weird to be reading Christmas books while I’m also still reading spooky season books, but every store I went to this weekend is already starting to put out their Christmas merchandise right alongside the Halloween candy so I guess it tracks that the holiday books would start hitting shelves too. Anyway, on to the books!

Holiday Reviews: ONE LAST GIFT & ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS

One Last Gift Goodreads

Author: Emily Stone

Publication Date: October 11, 2022

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine

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

One Last Gift by Emily Stone is a heart-wrenching yet ultimately uplifting story about love, loss, and how to move forward after the death of a loved one. Stone’s last novel Always, in December was one of my favorite reads last year so One Last Gift was a highly anticipated read for me this year.

The story follows Cassie and Sam, who are both mourning the unexpected death of Tom, who was Cassie’s big brother and Sam’s best friend. Cassie and Tom were extremely close because their parents died when they were kids and they basically raised each other. Cassie is absolutely devastated by Tom’s death and doesn’t know how she’ll be able to go on without him in her life. Sam is also devastated and overcome with guilt over his friend’s death, especially since the fatal accident took place on a trip Sam should have been on with him.

What makes their grief even worse is that Cassie and Sam can’t even turn to each other to mourn Tom’s death because their own relationship has been strained to the breaking point. Years ago, Sam was Cassie’s first crush and in recent years, she thought they had come to care for each other as more than friends. This leads her to make a move that Sam then awkwardly rejects, creating tension between them that they’ve never fully moved beyond. Cassie is angry and embarrassed, so when she learns that Sam should have been on the trip with Tom, she holds him responsible and lashes out at him. This part of the story just broke my heart for both of them because it’s pretty clear that they have feelings for one another, so it just hurt to see Cassie freeze Sam out and I longed for them to reunite and for Sam to redeem himself in Cassie’s eyes.

While the loss of Tom makes for a heartbreaking read, his last gift to Cassie is what makes it such an uplifting one. Tom had a long-standing tradition of creating a scavenger hunt for Cassie every Christmas. She would have to solve and follow all his clues in order to find her gift from him. It was great fun and Cassie looked forward to it every year. Even though Tom dies just before Christmas, it turns out he had created this year’s scavenger hunt for Cassie before he left. At first Cassie doesn’t want to do it, but once she finally feels like she’s ready, the hunt offers Cassie a way for her to have Tom in her life one more time and a way to finally process her loss and move forward, and to open her heart to the possibility of love where she least expects to find it.

One Last Gift is a beautiful and poignant story about love, loss and family that will have you reaching for the tissues along the way but that will ultimately leave you with a smile on your face. 4 STARS

All I Want for Christmas Goodreads

Author: Maggie Knox

Publication Date: October 4, 2022

Publisher: Penguin Group – G.P. Putnam’s Sons

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

All I Want for Christmas by Maggie Knox follows Sadie Hunter, an up and coming country music singer who has come to Nashville to participate in the popular Starmaker singing competition and hopefully finally get her big break. This is her second time coming to Nashville and Sadie has decided that if she doesn’t get her break with this contest, then it’s time to give up on her dream of singing professionally. I really enjoyed Sadie’s character. She’s a dreamer but she’s also a realist about her chances of winning. I especially loved her relationship with her grandmother, who is Sadie’s biggest fan and cheerleader. It was sweet to watch their interactions, and Gran’s unconditional support of Sadie’s dream.

I’m also always up for a good underdog story so I was immediately invested in having Sadie be successful in this endeavor, especially when it becomes clear that her primary competition comes in the form of Max Brody, who is nothing short of Nashville royalty and thus has contractually been guaranteed to make it through to the final round. I found Max a little tougher to love at first, just because of his entitled status, but he grew on me pretty quickly, especially when we finally get to see him behind the scenes interacting with his adorable little dog, Patsy Canine.

There was a lot to love in this book, especially when Sadie and Max are forced to work together as a duet and it becomes clear that the two of them have pretty amazing chemistry, both on and off stage, so much so that the show’s producers decide it would be fabulous for ratings to have the two of them pretend to date. I love a good fake dating story so I was totally on board for this ruse since I was hoping it would lead to more. I really enjoyed watching Max and Sadie get to know each other better. Most of my favorite scenes between them actually take place outside of Nashville. When Nashville gets to be too much for Max, he retreats to Banff, a snowy small town in Alberta, Canada. Sadie follows him because they have to write a Christmas song together and are on a tight deadline, and it’s here in this magical little town that the sparks really fly between them.

While I enjoyed the story overall, there were some things that somewhat hampered my enjoyment, the number one thing being miscommunication. It seemed like almost every scene between Max and Sadie ended up with some miscommunication that could have easily been avoided. There’s a huge moment in particular where Sadie decides to keep a secret from Max about her grandmother. It made no sense to me for her to keep the secret and it ended up sending her relationship with Max into a downward spiral because he assumed the worst. And speaking of assuming the worst, Max is the king of seeing something, jumping to incorrect conclusions based on no evidence whatsoever and making an ass out of himself. He does this on numerous occasions and it made me want to just slap him silly. I’m all for creating a bit of drama and tension and a “will they or won’t they be able to get through this?” vibe, but I got pretty tired of it here.

Even with my frustration with the miscommunication, however, I still enjoyed this story overall. If the premise of a reality singing competition being a catalyst for romance appeals to you, definitely check out All I Want for Christmas. 3 STARS

Holiday Reviews: ONCE UPON A DECEMBER & MEET ME UNDER THE MISTLETOE

October 21, 2022/24 Comments/by Suzanne

Happy Friday everyone! I know it’s still spooky season, but for some reason, all of my holiday ARCs also published this month so today I’m sharing my thoughts on my first holiday reads of 2022.

Holiday Reviews: ONCE UPON A DECEMBER & MEET ME UNDER THE MISTLETOE

Once Upon a December Goodreads

Author: Amy E. Reichert

Publication Date: October 4, 2022

Publisher: Berkley Books

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

Once Upon a December by Amy E. Reichert follows Astra Noel Snow, a young woman who is heartbroken after a nasty divorce and looking to make a fresh start. As you can imagine from her name, Astra is all about holiday spirit and what she’s most looking forward to is her annual trip to the Milwaukee Christmas Market with her best friends. She’s there to eat, drink and be merry with her squad and to flirt with Jack, the super cute baker who insists on saving her his best homemade kringle. What Astra doesn’t know at the time is that she has met Jack before, and on more than one occasion…

Jack Clausen works at the Julemarked, a one-of-a-kind Christmas market. It’s one of a kind because it’s always Christmas there, even once Christmas has come and gone everywhere else. The market exists in its own time and space, magically jumping from one December to the next every four weeks. Once the market leaves a city, the city’s residents immediately forget that it existed and it’s a joyous surprise for them whenever it returns. Jack has always loved living this magical existence, that is, until he develops feelings for Astra and becomes frustrated that he can only see her each time the Julemarked returns to Milwaukee and even then, she just doesn’t remember who he is. When the magical market arrives this holiday season, Jack decides it’s time to figure out if there’s any way he and Astra can truly have any kind of future together. If she knew the truth about the Julemarked, would she consider leaving her life and joining him there? Or could he bring himself to leave behind the only life he has ever known to be with her?

Sometime magical realism doesn’t work for me, but Reichert always gets it exactly right. I fell in love with the whole concept of the Julemarked and just loved the way Reichert brought it to life. I could practically taste the delicious kringle and the hot cocoa. The atmosphere reminded me of a Hallmark movie, as did all of the adorable dates between Astra and Jack, and as a huge Hallmark fan, that makes for a winning read for me. I also adored all of the fun and quirky characters, from Astra and her best friends all the way through to Jack and all of the residents of the Julemarked, who were rooting just as hard as I was for Jack to find a way to be with Astra.

Once Upon a December is truly a magical and heartwarming holiday read. I knew it would be after falling in love with Reichert’s last novel, The Kindred Spirits Supper Club, but she definitely exceeded my expectations with this new book. If you’re looking for a read that captures the magic of the holidays and that is sure to leave you with a smile on your face, look no further than Once Upon a December. 4 STARS

Meet Me Under the Mistletoe Goodreads

Author: Jenny Bayliss

Publication Date: September 27, 2022

Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons

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

Jenny Bayliss’ new holiday novel, Meet Me Under the Mistletoe, follows Elinor Novel, a bookshop owner, who heads to a castle in the English countryside for a wedding and a holiday reunion with her friends from boarding school. Elinor is reluctant to attend because there’s someone she doesn’t want to see – a certain someone she had a one-night stand with who turned out to be married. Elinor did not know he was married, and he of course didn’t offer up that bit of information. Her desire to see the rest of her friends wins out though and so she’s off to the country.

I really liked Elinor. Even though she went to boarding school and has a squad of rich friends that can afford to spend their holidays at fancy castles, Elinor feels that she has never really fit in with them because she only attended the school on scholarship. Her parents are working class and even with her boarding school education, Elinor doesn’t have a fancy flashy career like the rest of her schoolmates do. She has that underdog vibe that I always love so much. I found it very interesting to follow Elinor’s journey because reuniting with these friends takes her back to a place in her memory where she felt like she never quite fit in and was an imposter. Bayliss does a wonderful job of taking us through the full range of emotions Elinor experiences as she works out how she fits in with this group and what she wants out of life. I also adored the scenes where Elinor reconnects with Isaac, her childhood nemesis, who has grown up and is clearly no longer interested in being Elinor’s enemy. It was really sweet watching the two of them reconnect and reevaluate their relationship.

The story was sometimes hilarious, sometimes dramatic, but always entertaining. I particularly enjoyed the wedding preparation scenes, the random shenanigans surrounding the friends reuniting, as well as the more tension filled moments between Elinor and the married one-night stand. Most of my favorite scenes though actually took place between Elinor and Andrew, who she employs at her secondhand bookshop. He lovingly mocks Elinor because she loves books so much that she never actually wants to sell any of the books she acquires. They were just the most adorable book nerds!

The only downside to Meet Me Under the Mistletoe was that even though it’s meant to be a holiday read, there really isn’t that much holiday spirit in it. Nearly two-thirds of the book doesn’t mention Christmas at all, which surprised and disappointed me a bit. I honestly think I would have enjoyed the story so much more without the promise of a holiday element since that promise set up an expectation that wasn’t really met for me. It’s still a good solid read though. 3 STARS

Reviews: Bad Girl Reputation, Before I Do, & Mistakes Were Made

October 10, 2022/10 Comments/by Suzanne

Another week, another assortment of books to share my thoughts on with you. I know we’re in the midst of spooky season but most of my ARCs for this month ended up being romances and oddly enough, Christmas books. I’m holding off on the Christmas books at the moment because my inner mood reader just isn’t quite ready for them, but I imagine I’ll start sharing those reviews either later this week or early next week. Anyway, on to today’s reviews!

Reviews: Bad Girl Reputation, Before I Do, & Mistakes Were Made

Bad Girl Reputation Goodreads

Author: Elle Kennedy

Publication Date: October 4, 2022

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.

Bad Girl Reputation, the second book in Elle Kennedy’s Avalon Bay series, introduces us to Genevieve West and Evan Hartley, two long-time residents of the town. Genevieve, or Gen, is known for being a wild child, while Evan is the town party boy. Their reputation together as a couple also precedes them, as they’ve been into one another forever and their passion and chemistry are both off the charts. After a particularly embarrassing moment involving another woman’s husband, Gen decides it’s time to grow up and she abruptly leaves town and cuts off contact with Evan. One year later, when her mother dies and her dad asks her to come home and help settle her mom’s affairs, Gen comes face to face with Evan. The attraction is still there of course but can she possibly rekindle her relationship with Evan without spiraling right back into her bad girl habits?

I really enjoyed everything about this story. The growth of Gen throughout the book is just tremendous, and I felt so proud of her, especially since she had practically the whole town watching her and expecting the worst of her. I also loved her chemistry with Evan. They have not only an intense physical connection, but a strong emotional connection as well. All Evan wants is Gen and he’s willing to do anything to make her understand that. When he understands just how important it is to Gen to continue her journey of growth and maturity, he’s 100% on board with it and sets out to make similar changes in his own life. I just adored the idea of the bad boy and the bad girl both growing up together and was cheering them on every step of the way.

With its charming coastal smalltown setting, its fabulous cast of characters, and a wonderful second chance romance, Bad Girl Reputation is an entertaining read that is sure to please romance fans. 4 STARS

Before I Do Goodreads

Author: Sophie Cousens

Publication Date: October 11, 2022

Publisher: Penguin Group Putnam, G P Putnam’s Sons

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

Before I Do by Sophie Cousens is a moving romance that follows one woman’s journey of what happens when “the one who got away” unexpectedly turns up the night before she is set to marry another man. I loved the premise of the story and was immediately hooked as soon as I started reading because the story starts out with a bang and then takes us through the events that led up to the explosive opening scene.

Audrey and Fred meet in the most unexpected and adorable of ways, and after their initial meet cute, they end up spending a truly magical day together. They make plans to go on a real date, but then Fred doesn’t show. Audrey, convinced that she and Fred were destined to be together, is devastated. She moves on with her life though, meeting Josh, who is a sweetheart, and six years later, Audrey finds herself about to be married. A series of bad omens start to plague Audrey right before the wedding, including dead bats in the church and of course Fred suddenly appearing at the rehearsal dinner. These omens really start to create doubt in Audrey’s mind as to who she is meant to spend the rest of her life with.

Using a dual timeline approach, Before I Do takes us through Audrey’s past, starting with when she and Fred meet, moving on to when she and Josh connect, and then of course, to the present day where the wedding events are unfolding and the pressure is on Audrey to decide what to do. I really loved how Cousens used the dual timeline here since we got to know Audrey, Fred, and Josh really well and got to see how each of those relationships developed. I also loved that the way the characters are developed, both Fred and Josh come across as very likeable so it’s not easy to choose one to root for, especially once we learn why Fred was a no show for their date. It’s easy to see why Audrey is so muddled about what to do. She really does love Josh, but what if Fred really was her soulmate and this is destiny’s way of giving her a second chance?

Cousens also does a wonderful job exploring the troubled relationship between Audrey and her mom and the impact it has had on her own approach to other relationships. I loved the added depth this angle added to Audrey’s story since it shed so much light on her own motivations and thought processes when it came to relationships and made me that much more invested in her journey.

I don’t want to give away what Audrey chooses to do, so I’m going to stop now, but I highly recommend Before I Do to anyone who enjoys a multi-layered and unpredictable romance with a cast of well-developed, unforgettable characters that will tug at your heartstrings. 4 STARS

Mistakes Were Made Goodreads

Author: Meryl Wilsner

Publication Date: October 11, 2022

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 really enjoyed Meryl Wilsner’s debut romance Something to Talk About so I was eager to get my hands on a copy of her latest book, Mistakes Were Made. I was a little nervous that the plot, which centers on a college senior accidentally hooking up with her best friend’s mom, wouldn’t come across as believable, but I needn’t have worried. Wilsner does a phenomenal job of not only making it seem like a plausible romance, but it became one that I wholeheartedly found myself cheering on.

The story follows Cassie Klein, a college senior who goes to an off-campus bar in hopes of escaping her school’s Family Weekend activities since her family decided not to attend. Cassie isn’t looking to hook up with anyone, but when she sees a sexy older woman sitting at the bar, she can’t resist buying her a drink and see what, if anything, develops between them. What develops is a super steamy one-night stand that leaves both women satisfied, and Cassie ready to return to campus and face the rest of Family Weekend. Imagine her shock and horror then, when invited by her best friend Parker to come to breakfast and meet her mom, Cassie comes face to face with her one-night stand, who just happens to be Parker’s mother, Erin, who is of course equally horrified.

I really loved how the author developed this relationship and had her characters navigate the many obstacles that face them, the number one obstacle being not wanting to hurt Parker. Wilsner does a wonderful job portraying the awkwardness and the inner turmoil both Cassie and Erin experience because as much as they both try to hide it and deny it, they are clearly attracted to one another and have wonderful chemistry. I was right there with them alternating between “No, you absolutely cannot be together. Think about Parker!” to “But you’re so happy together. Maybe Parker would be okay with it?” As the title implies, mistakes were made and I really appreciated that aspect of it. It’s definitely a messy situation these women find themselves in, and I don’t think the relationship would have felt realistic if there weren’t mistakes made along the way.

If you’re in the mood for a sexy, steamy forbidden romance with a bit of family drama thrown into the mix, you’ll want to check out Mistakes Were Made. 4 STARS.

Reviews: WHEN IN ROME and WHERE WE END & BEGIN

October 7, 2022/7 Comments/by Suzanne

Happy Friday everyone! I’m back today to share my thoughts on two wonderful romances I read recently. Those who enjoy rom-coms will definitely want to check out the first one, while those who prefer more of a tearjerker read will want to check out the second.

Reviews: WHEN IN ROME and WHERE WE END & BEGIN

When in Rome Goodreads

Author: Sarah Adams

Publication Date: September 20, 2022

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Dell

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

I’ve been wanting to read something from Sarah Adams ever since her novel, The Cheat Sheet, generated so much hype on social media. I’m a big Audrey Hepburn fan too, so when I saw Hepburn and Roman Holiday mentioned in the synopsis for Adams’ new book, When in Rome, I couldn’t resist reading it.

Amelia Rose, or Rae Rose as she is known to her legions of fans, is a pop princess on the verge of burn out. Years of cultivating her onstage persona, obeying her manager’s every command, and following a rigorous tour schedule have taken their toll and Amelia desperately needs to get away from her life for a while. Inspired by Roman Holiday, her favorite Audrey Hepburn film, Amelia takes off in the middle of the night for a quick vacation before her next tour starts. Unlike Roman Holiday, however, Italy is not the destination. Amelia needs somewhere closer and more discrete so she heads to a different Rome…Rome, Kentucky. Luck is not on her side though as her car breaks down in the middle of nowhere just on the outskirts of Rome. Her rescuer appears in the unlikely form of a grumpy but sexy baker named Noah Wilder. Amelia has no idea how life changing this little trip to Rome is going to be.

This was such a fun read! I adored both Amelia and Noah and especially loved watching Amelia break through Noah’s gruff exterior to see what a sweet, big-hearted guy he really is under all that grumpiness. There are some laugh out loud moments, lots of flirty ones too, and so much witty banter that had me chuckling through chapter after chapter. Amelia and Noah are clearly attracted to one another, but neither is looking for a relationship. Then there’s the added twist that Amelia is only in town for a couple of weeks anyway and then she’s off on tour again for months. Neither wants to get into a relationship that is destined not to last, but it gets harder and harder to fight their attraction to one another. I loved how that tension and conflict contrasted with all the fun, flirty moments and added that extra layer of very realistic depth to the story.

All of the secondary characters in the book were fabulous too. Rome is a small quirky town filled with equally quirky characters. It was clear they all loved Noah and considered him family and equally clear that they were rooting for Noah and Amelia to get together just as much as I was. Noah also has sisters who live in town and they were also fabulous. I loved how Noah and his sisters have a standing “date” every Saturday night where they all get together, play games, and tease each other mercilessly. Their close-knit family just gave me warm fuzzies.

Overall, When in Rome was just an all around delightful read for me. If you’re in the mood for a fun and heart-warming small-town romance filled with lovable quirky characters, this is the book for you! 4 STARS.

Where We End & Begin Goodreads

Author: Jane Igharo

Publication Date: September 27, 2022

Publisher: Berkley Books

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

I loved Jane Igharo’s first two books so I couldn’t wait to get my hands on her latest one, Where We End & Begin and was especially excited to see it was a second chance romance since that’s one of my favorite tropes.

Set in Nigeria, the story follows Dunni and Obinna, high school sweethearts who are deeply in love but come from very different backgrounds. Dunni’s parents don’t think Obinna is good enough for their daughter and so, against Dunni’s wishes, they send her away to university in America and they tell Obinna to stay away from their daughter. Twelve years later, Dunni returns to Nigeria for a friend’s wedding and it is there that she and Obinna are finally reunited. Can they pick up where they left off or has too much happened since then for a second chance to even be possible?

The story is presented through two timelines, one in the past that shows us when Dunni and Obinna first met in school and fell in love, and then one in the present that shows them getting to know each other all over again as adults. I loved the contrast of the sweet, youthful scenes of a first love in bloom versus the intense and sensual moments of two former lovers rediscovering one another. Ultimately, both timelines converge in an emotional roller coaster as we learn not only the exact details from the past surrounding the cruel and heartless way Dunni and Obinna were separated, but devastating secrets are revealed that threaten to once again tear Dunni and Obinna apart. My heart just broke for these two over and over again.

Dunni and Obinna are very easy to root for. They are both very likeable as individuals, but they definitely shine as a couple. From the early days of their relationship to the chemistry they still clearly have as adults, there’s no doubt that they are meant to be together if they can overcome the obstacles that threaten them.

I also very much enjoy this author’s writing style. She fleshes out her characters and makes them feel so real, like I truly know them and their history, and I love the way she depicts the heart-wrenching scenes between Dunni and Obinna in such a way that they are intensely moving and realistic, but never melodramatic.

Where We End & Begin is an angsty, heartfelt romance that is perfect for fans of star-crossed lovers and second chance romances. 4 STARS

Thriller Thursday Reviews: The Children on the Hill & My Perfect Daughter

October 6, 2022/10 Comments/by Sharon

Happy Thriller Thursday! It’s me Sharon, here to share a couple of great reads to usher in spooky season. This week I am happy to share my thoughts on The Children on the Hill by Jennifer McMahon and My Perfect Daughter by Sarah A. Denzil. I have had both of these books on my shelf for months but kept putting them off. Why? I have no idea. LOL I am glad I finally decided to read them though because they were both awesome.

Thriller Thursday Reviews: The Children on the Hill & My Perfect Daughter

The Children on the Hill Goodreads

Author: Jennifer McMahon

Publication Date: April 26, 2022

Publisher: Gallery/Scout Press

I am kicking myself for leaving Jennifer McMahon’s newest book The Children on the Hill on my to read list for so long. This book was so good that I devoured it in a couple of days.

The story is told in alternating timelines. The first timeline is in 1978 and is told from the POV of thirteen-year-old Vi. Vi and her brother Eric live with their grandmother, a brilliant psychiatrist who works at the Hillside Inn, a private psychiatric hospital in a small town in Vermont. One day Gran brings home thirteen-year-old Iris to stay with them. Iris is skittish, doesn’t talk and is feral, and Gran has given Vi the job of taking care of Iris. Vi and Eric take an instant liking to Iris and with their help she is soon talking, and they let her into the Monster Club. Vi and Eric are monster hunters, because as Vi says “Monsters are everywhere.” They wrote a book that they call “The Book of Monsters” and list all the monsters they know and how to kill them. Vi has also made it her mission to find out where Iris came from, but she is not going to like the information she finds. Her whole world and the hospital are about to come crashing down.

The second timeline is in 2019 and this timeline is told from the POV of Lizzy Shelly. Lizzy is a monster hunter and has a podcast called Monsters Among Us. Lizzy travels all over the country investigating monster sightings. When she learns that a young girl has gone missing in a small town in Vermont after she came in contact with the town’s monster “Rattling Jane,” Lizzy heads to Vermont because she knows who this monster is and she is determined to stop her.

I enjoyed both timelines equally, which is a rarity for me since I normally have one that is my favorite. I loved getting to know Vi, Eric and Iris and just enjoyed watching them as they hunted monsters and also as they investigated who Iris was and where she came from. I also loved how the nostalgia from 1978 brought back memories of my childhood. I was also equally invested in Lizzy’s timeline and her determination to stop “Rattling Jane”. Lizzy had a bit of mystery about her as well, and I kept going back and forth on who I thought she was.

Aside from the two timelines, at the end of each chapter we also get excerpts from “The Book of Monsters” and “The Helping Hand of God: The True Story of the Hillside Inn” which is a book that was written in 1980 about all that happened at the Hillside Inn. Having the book unfold with the two timelines and the excerpts just added to the mystery and suspense.

I loved everything about this book. It was not super scary but had that creepy atmosphere that kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time I was reading. There were twists at the end of the book that literally had me saying “Holy Crap!” If you are looking for a good read for spooky season, I highly recommend The Children on the Hill. I don’t think you will be disappointed. 4 ½ stars

My Perfect Daughter Goodreads

Author: Sarah A. Denzil

Publication Date: January 14, 2022

Publisher: Sarah Dalton

I have read a few books by Sarah A. Denzil and while I liked them, they didn’t have that WOW! factor, so I kept putting off reading her new book My Perfect Daughter. Well, let me tell you, Sarah A. Denzil outdid herself on this book, and I am sorry that I did not read it sooner.

Zoe was out for a jog one day when she noticed five year-old Maddie alone on the side of a country road. Afraid for the child’s safety, Zoe brings Maddie back to her father unaware that she is about to step into her worst nightmare. Maddie was not on that road by chance, she was actually waiting for Zoe to come by so that she could lure her to her serial killer father. During her captivity Zoe bonded with Maddie and with Maddie’s help they were both able to escape. Zoe ended up adopting Maddie. Now eleven years later, Zoe is married and has another child. They are one big happy family. Or are they? Maddie still has issues from living with her serial killer father and seeing all he had done. She has been diagnosed with callous unemotional traits. Zoe has worked hard to ensure that Maddie knows she is loved and supported. Zoe has never really been afraid of Maddie, until a school bully dies and another girl is missing. Though she does not want to think Maddie could be responsible, a part of Zoe cannot help but wonder, is Maddie more like her father than she wants to admit?

This book is told in alternating timelines. The first timeline centers around when Zoe was being held captive and when she and Maddie escaped. This timeline does contain torture and abuse, though Denzil does not get very vivid in the details. When I was reading these parts, they felt like I was watching a horror movie or an episode of Criminal Minds. I loved Maddie in this timeline, she was this small child that even though she helped lure Zoe in, she wanted to help save her as well. They formed a special bond and I was so glad that Zoe didn’t just dump her once she was free.

The second timeline is present day, Maddie is now sixteen years old and I really felt for her in this timeline. She went through a lot when she was a child and it left emotional scars that will never go away. Due to these emotional scars she was a very unreliable character and I loved that. During this timeline we also have the mystery of what happened to the bully and the missing girl and who was responsible. Aside from Maddie being an unreliable character, there were also other characters in this timeline that were untrustworthy as well. I was all over the place on who I thought was telling the truth and who was lying.

My Perfect Daughter was a dark read, full of twists and turns that kept me guessing until the very end. Sarah A. Denzil does a great job of increasing the tension and suspense throughout the book. 4 stars

Reviews: SPELLS FOR FORGETTING & THE WITCH AND THE TSAR

October 3, 2022/14 Comments/by Suzanne

Hey everyone! Welcome to today’s episode of life has gotten in the way of my blogging again. Between trying to make a huge deadline at work this past Friday as well as being obsessed with where Hurricane Ian would go once it made landfall, blogging was the last thing on my mind so I have a lot of catching up to do this week. Today I’m back to share reviews for two pretty unusual books, considering what a romance kick I’ve been on. The first is a new favorite from an author I’ve been enjoying for a while now, and the second is a wonderful debut that I was drawn to because it’s inspired by Russian folklore and mythology.

Reviews: SPELLS FOR FORGETTING & THE WITCH AND THE TSAR

Spells for Forgetting Goodreads

Author: Adrienne Young

Publication Date: September 27, 2022

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Delacorte Press

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

Spells for Forgetting by Adrienne Young was truly the perfect book to start off my spooky season reads. Set on a remote and mysterious island that is steeped in folklore and magic, the story features a mystery surrounding an unsolved murder as well as a second chance at love for two individuals whose lives were deeply impacted by the murder.

Spells for Forgetting follows Emery Blackwood, a young woman whose life was turned upside down when her best friend Lily was murdered and her boyfriend, August Salt, is accused of killing her. Although August is never formally charged with murder, nearly everyone on the island assumes he is guilty and so he and his mom leave Saoirse Island and attempt to start a new life elsewhere. Emery is left behind to pick up the pieces of her own life. For the past fourteen years, she has done so by working at her family’s business, a tea shop that specializes in herbal tonics and tea leaf readings. Emery senses that something strange is about to happen and her suspicions are confirmed when all of the trees on the island suddenly change color in a single night. A few hours later, Emery learns that August has returned to the island. He has come home to bury his mother, and from the moment she sees him, Emery knows things will never be the same.

There’s so much to love about this story, but Young’s atmospheric writing is really the star of the show. She really brings the island of Saoirse to life to the extent that it feels like an actual character in the book. Surrounded by mist and with tourist life winding down as they head into the colder months, the island has an almost ominous and lonely vibe to it. The hints of magical realism further bring the island to life as it seems to sense the return of August and the trouble his return will bring.

Speaking of August, I really felt for him and for Emery. They were each other’s first love and, according to everyone who knew them, their relationship was a special one. I can’t even imagine how devastating it must have been to have their relationship torn apart like it was. It’s also clear that they both still have intense feelings for one another and that they won’t be able to stay away from each other even though everyone else on the island wants August gone immediately. I also felt sympathetic toward Emery once she decides it’s time to dig deeper and find out what really happened to Lily. She wants to clear August’s name once and for all but what if he’s not as innocent as she thinks he is?

I can’t say much about what Emery finds, but oh boy, does she really shake things up. It quickly becomes apparent that the island of Saoirse is full of secrets, lies, and betrayals. Pretty much everyone who lives there seems to be hiding something. I was on the edge of my seat watching Emery slowly unravel all of the secrets and lies until the truth of what happened to Lily is finally revealed. I also loved that there were enough twists and turns that I didn’t guess the big reveal either.

If you’re in the mood for an atmospheric story about first loves and unsolved murders, be sure to pick up a copy of Spells for Forgetting. You won’t regret it! 4.5 STARS

The Witch and the Tsar Goodreads

Author: Olesya Salnikova Gilmore

Publication Date: September 20, 2022

Publisher: Berkley Publishing Group, Ace

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

The Witch and the Tsar is Olesya Salnikova Gilmore’s debut novel and it is a wonderful read! Part historical fiction, part mythological retelling, the story takes us to medieval Russia where Ivan the Terrible rules and the country is on the brink of destruction. Ivan is of course the Tsar in the novel’s title, and the witch is none other than the legendary Baba Yaga.

The story centers around Yaga, who is half mortal, half goddess, and has been living alone in the forest for years, with only her animals and those who seek her out for her magical healing powers as companions. One such person who seeks her out is Anastasia, her long-time friend and the wife of the Tsar. Anastasia has fallen ill and worries that someone in Moscow is trying to hurt her. She begs Yaga to come out of exile and come to Moscow as her companion and protector. Yaga can’t refuse her friend but has no idea that she’s about to find herself caught in a struggle to save the people of Russia from Ivan the Terrible, who is apparently being influenced (and driven mad) by the dark influences, specifically the immortal Lady of Death. The Lady of Death hates Yaga because Yaga’s healing work is at such odds with her own need for the souls of the dead, which sets up a showdown of sorts between the two.

I don’t want to give any details of the plot away, but I just loved how the author has woven together actual events from Russian history alongside the mythological elements and Russian folklore to create an engaging and plausible tale as to why Ivan the Terrible goes mad. The plot is intricate and well thought out and I found myself very invested in the author’s version of the legendary Baba Yaga and the journey she finds herself on as the underdog in this story, not fitting in with the human world but not fitting in with the Gods either. As she fights to save the people of Russia, she learns so much about her own history, her magic, and her place in the world.

With The Witch and the Tsar, Gilmore has an impressive debut on her hands and I look forward to reading more from her. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys stories inspired by Russian folklore and mythology and to anyone who enjoys witchy reads. If you like witches, you’ll love Baba Yaga. 4 STARS

Romance Reviews: THE MAKE-UP TEST and DRUNK ON LOVE

September 26, 2022/14 Comments/by Suzanne

Hey everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. I had to work for most of this one, hence I’m behind with my blog hopping again. I hope to get caught up this week though. In the meantime, here are a couple of good romance books that I’ve read recently. Both are September releases, so if you like what I have to say, they are both available now!

Romance Reviews: THE MAKE-UP TEST and DRUNK ON LOVE

The Make-Up Test Goodreads

Author: Jenny L. Howe

Publication Date: September 13, 2022

Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin

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

The Make-Up Test by Jenny L. Howe follows what happens when Allison and Colin, two ex college sweethearts, not only find themselves in the same medieval literature Ph.D. program at Claymore University, but also battling for the same mentor, who only has room for one student in her schedule. Will it be a contentious and awkward battle as each student tries to achieve their academic goals, or will it be a second chance at love? Or perhaps a bit of both?

Allison is a fantastic heroine. She’s brilliant, plenty of grit and determination, and she’s also messy and flawed, which made her feel all the more real. Allison has a true passion for academia and has achieved most of her dreams without the support of her father, who just tells her that she’s overweight and wasting her time and money going to school. His lack of support weighs on her, but it makes her more determined than ever to get that Ph.D. Allison is also carrying around the baggage of what happened with Colin while they were together before. Allison wanted to win the Rising Star award because she just knew it would open doors to the best Ph.D. programs for her. She thought she was a shoe in for the award, only to lose out to Colin, who never told her he was even applying for it. Colin then added insult to injury by breaking up with her the very next week. Needless to say, Allison is not at all pleased to find out he has somehow ended up in her Ph.D. program and competing for the same coveted mentorship. I had tremendous sympathy for her because of what she was dealing with because of her dad and Colin. I love a good underdog story and Allison really fit the bill for me.

Colin, on the other hand, was a character that I found myself wanting to throttle occasionally. Hearing how things played out between he and Allison when they were dating really cast him in a negative light for me, and like Allison, I couldn’t fathom how he ended up in the same Ph.D. program. As I got to know Colin, however, he thankfully grew on me, especially as he gradually reveals the reasons behind some of his seemingly suspicious actions and as it becomes clear how much he really does care about Allison and that deep down, she still has feelings for him as well.

The Make-Up Test is an entertaining read from start to finish. There are frustrating moments, flirty moments, and of course dramatic and tense moments as Allison and Colin try to navigate both this new awkward environment they find themselves in, and as they also try to figure out how to move forward and address those unresolved feelings. I was fully invested in their story and also loved the message that it is possible for people to learn from past mistakes and to change and grow. 4 STARS

Drunk on Love Goodreads

Author: Jasmine Guillory

Publication Date: September 20, 2022

Publisher: Berkley Books

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

Drunk on Love is the latest romance from Jasmine Guillory and it is a delight! It follows Margot Noble, who co-owns a family winery with her brother. Margot goes out one night, looking to relieve some stress, and she meets a handsome stranger named Luke, who has just arrived in Napa Valley. Margot and Luke have major chemistry and one thing leads to another, culminating in a very sexy one-night stand between them. Imagine their surprise, when Margot goes to work the next morning, only to learn that Luke is the winery’s newest employee, hired by her brother. What could possibly go wrong?

I loved this story so much. Both Margot and Luke are just such easy characters to like. Luke had my heart when he immediately offered to quit his job so as not to make things super awkward for Margot. Margot similarly captured my heart when she refuses to let him do that because she thinks it’s unfair to him. I enjoyed their chemistry so much and all of those awkward moments as they tried to keep things professional between them when all they really wanted to do was jump each other’s bones, haha. I also really enjoyed the evolution of their relationship, both the professional dynamic and the personal one as they really did start to get to know each other.

In addition to enjoying the relationship between Luke and Margot, I also loved the added layers where each of these characters had personal journeys they were also working their way through. Margot and Elliot, her brother and co-owner, used to be super close when they were younger. Inheriting their uncle’s winery together, even though it was Elliot who had always worked there, created tension between them. Margot feels like she always has to prove that she belongs at, and is invested in, the winery, and it weighs on her constantly. Luke is also dealing with some emotional and professional baggage related to his last job, which was a Silicon Valley tech dream job turned nightmare. He has come to Napa to hide out for a while and regroup. I found both of their journeys equally compelling and was very invested in seeing how each of them would play out.

Drunk on Love is steamy and swoony but also filled with heartfelt and tender moments as well. The workplace romance trope is not typically a favorite of mine, but I really loved what Jasmine Guillory does with it here. 4 STARS