Tag Archive for: book reviews

Reviews: FOR THE LOVE OF THE BARD & A THOUSAND MILES

July 1, 2022/21 Comments/by Suzanne

Happy Friday everyone! I’ve had a crazy busy week but I’ll finally be catching up on my blog hopping today. Today I’m sharing two very entertaining second chance romances with you. One is a fabulous road trip read, while the other is an ode to the Bard himself.

Reviews: FOR THE LOVE OF THE BARD & A THOUSAND MILES

For the Love of the Bard Goodreads

Author: Jessica Martin

Publication Date: June 28, 2022

Publisher: Berkley Books

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

I’m a huge Shakespeare fan, so Jessica Martin’s new contemporary romance For the Love of the Bard was a must-read for me. Aside from all of the Shakespeare love, the story also features a small town setting, a second chance romance, and a fabulous dog named Puck, all things that are basically catnip for me. For the Love of the Bard doesn’t disappoint either. I spent most of the book smiling and chuckling to myself and was ultimately bummed when I reached the last page because I wanted to spend more time in this setting with these characters.

The story follows Miranda Barnes, a literary agent and author, who returns to her hometown for the summer in hopes of finding some inspiration to finish her next novel. Miranda fully expects to hole up in the attic at her parent’s house and write all summer, but her mom has other ideas. Each year their town hosts a popular Shakespeare festival, and this year is the centennial year and Miranda’s mom is the event planner. She recruits Miranda to direct one of the plays they will be putting on as part of the celebration. Miranda reluctantly agrees but immediately finds herself face to face with someone she had hoped never to see again – Adam, the high school flame who ditched her on prom night. Will Miranda finally get to confront Adam and get some closure about what happened that night so many years ago?

I had so much fun reading this book! Miranda’s hometown of Bard’s Rest, in particular, delighted me. If you’re a Gilmore Girls fan, imagine Stars Hollow but where every building, street, etc. is named using a Shakespearean reference and all the residents are Shakespeare enthusiasts who want to be part of the festival. It was so charming and quaint, and I just wanted it to be a real place so that I could visit it and geek out on all the Shakespearean references.

I was also a big fan of Miranda. Even though the book is advertised as a romance and there’s definitely plenty to keep readers entertained with respect to Miranda and Adam’s will they or won’t they vibe, it’s Miranda’s journey and her relationship with her family, especially her sisters, that captivated me. It was interesting to watch the different dynamics between Miranda and each of them as they try to navigate some personal drama regarding their mom’s health. In addition to the family drama, Miranda is also dealing with fan pressure. Her fans were very vocal about not liking the direction her last book went in, so she’s under tremendous pressure to write a new installment that will satisfy everyone. I was very engrossed by what turns out to be a very personal journey of self-discovery for Miranda as she discovers who she really wants to be as an author.

For the Love of the Bard is a charming story about love, family, community, and most of all, it’s about second chances and finding yourself. If you enjoy stories that features those elements and you’re a Shakespeare fan as well, I highly recommend this one. 4.5 STARS

A Thousand Miles Goodreads

Author: Bridget Morrisey

Publication Date: June 21, 2022

Publisher: Berkley Books

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

I love a good second chance romance and I’m also a fan of books that feature road trips so when I saw that A Thousand Miles by Bridget Morrisey featured both, I knew I had to read it. The story follows Dee and Ben, two former best friends who had a falling out and haven’t spoken to each other for ten years. One night Ben shows up unexpectedly on Dee’s doorstep simply stating “a promise is a promise.” The promise in question is to recreate the 1,000 mile road trip to Colorado that the two of them completed their senior year before their falling out. Even though she’s still angry and confused about what happened ten years ago, Dee agrees to take the trip, hoping for answers and to reconnect because as upset as she is, she has missed Ben more than she wants to admit.

I really enjoyed this book. Ben and Dee’s road trip was so entertaining, and I loved the whole nostalgic vibe that surrounded it as they went to all of the same places they went the first time around. I liked the contrast between the memories of when they were best friends versus experiencing the same things now but with so much awkwardness and tension between them. It’s a fun trip for them, but there is also a lot of angst as those memories of their fight are still hovering between them.

I also thought both Ben and Dee were fantastic characters. I loved their friendship, particularly as they slowly rekindled it, and was fully invested in learning what happened ten years ago and hoping they could move beyond it. It was also pretty clear that they have more than just friendly feelings toward one another, which gave me another reason to be invested in their future.

The entertainment factor doesn’t just come from Dee and Ben’s road trip though. Dee hosts a popular podcast called “Did I Forget to Tell You?” where she and her cohost share personal stories about their pasts, both the highs and especially the lows. Transcripts of some of the episodes where Dee discusses her troubled relationship with Ben (or Name Redacted as she refers to him) are sprinkled throughout the book. I loved the added in-depth look at Dee’s life and personality that those excerpts provided. You can tell just how much the falling out with Ben has dominated her thoughts over the years.

A Thousand Miles is a delightful and insightful story about love, friendship, and second chances. I highly recommend it to anyone who is looking for a fun but angsty summer read and especially to those who are fans of road trip books. 4 STARS.

Reviews: FLYING SOLO and HOW TO FAKE IT IN HOLLYWOOD

June 27, 2022/14 Comments/by Suzanne

Hey everyone! I hope you’re all doing well. I’m back today with more reviews. This time it’s a new book from the author of Evvie Drake Starts Over, followed by an exciting Hollywood-based debut from Ava Wilder.

Reviews: FLYING SOLO and HOW TO FAKE IT IN HOLLYWOOD

Flying Solo Goodreads

Author: Linda Holmes

Publication Date: June 14, 2022

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine

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

Linda Holmes’ new novel Flying Solo follows Laurie Sassalyn, a soon to be 40-year-old woman, who has just called off her wedding and returned to her Maine hometown because her beloved great-aunt Dot has passed away. Laurie has been tasked with handling Dot’s estate and what starts out as a few weeks of sorting through boxes of photos and souvenirs from Dot’s travels over the years, unexpectedly turns into a journey of self-discovery and a second chance at love for Laurie. The catalyst for all of this? Surprisingly, a hand carved wooden duck decoy that Laurie finds wrapped in a blanket and stored in a trunk. Convinced that the duck has some significance, Laurie sets out to see if her hunch is correct. As she begins her research on the wooden duck, she ends up at the library and comes face to face with her former high school boyfriend, Nick Cooper, who is now the town librarian. It’s clear the two still have chemistry and some unfinished business, but is Laurie ready for love?

I enjoyed this story quite a bit. I’m a sucker for a good second chance romance so I was excited as soon as Laurie and Nick reconnected and it was clear the feelings were still there. Both Laurie and Nick are such likeable characters, and I loved the banter between them. I also loved how realistic the dialogue between them felt as they grew closer and tried to navigate the logistics of a possible long-distance relationship since Laurie has no intention of staying in Maine. The conversations between them felt so authentic that I could easily imagine a real couple in a similar situation having the same conversations.

One area where the story fell a little flat for me, however, was the duck subplot. While on the one hand, it was fun to follow Laurie as she searched for what made the duck so important to Dot and to learn more about Dot’s life by extension, after a while, it felt like the duck mystery was in the way of Laurie and Nick’s story, which was what I was most invested in.

Flying Solo was still a very solid read for me though and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to anyone who enjoys second chance romances and journeys of self discovery. 3.5 STARS

How to Fake It in Hollywood Goodreads

Author: Ava Wilder

Publication Date: June 14, 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.

Ava Wilder’s debut novel How to Fake it in Hollywood is one of those books that you definitely cannot judge by its cover. I went in expecting a light-hearted flirty romance, and instead, I found myself immersed in a moving, emotional and sometimes painful story that centers on grief and loss. I love a good angsty read, so even though I was surprised, I was not disappointed.

I was drawn to this story by the promise of the fake relationship trope, and again, I was not disappointed. Grey Brooks is an actress who, even though she had success as a teen in a long-running soap, is now struggling to really kick her career into high gear. Her publicist comes up with a scheme to put Grey in the spotlight – to fake a love affair with Ethan Atkins, a former but now disgraced Hollywood heartthrob who is looking to make a comeback. Both Grey and Ethan are desperate enough to agree to meet in person to discuss the idea, and after some initial head butting and trading of barbs, they both agree to give fake dating a try.

I loved both of these characters so much. Grey is feisty and scrappy and even though she’s a bit star struck by Ethan at first, she doesn’t hesitate to put him in his place when it’s warranted. Ethan is a little prickly at first, but as I got to know more about him and what he has been going through, particularly the death of his best friend and writing partner, my heart just broke for him. Ethan is struggling with grief, depression, addiction, and he just desperately wants to get his act together, especially so that he can spend more time with his daughter and secure more visitation with her than he has been allowed since he started spiraling.

The story was fun in terms of watching Grey and Ethan try to navigate the early stages of their fake relationship, especially when they were out in public. There are definitely some hiccups along the way for them, but I really loved it once they realize their chemistry with one another is way more than just acting. The real action takes place when they are together in private and they start to support and care about one another. I was really rooting for them to become a real couple and was glued to the pages each time their budding relationship was threatened, first by paparazzi invading their privacy and then again by the media, when a reporter tries to get a rise out of Ethan about the death of his friend.

How to Fake It in Hollywood does have some steamy, sexy, and fun moments, but overall it is a story filled with depth and emotion, and with richly developed characters that will tug at your heartstrings. 4 STARS

Reviews: MEANT TO BE and OUT OF THE CLEAR BLUE SKY

June 13, 2022/13 Comments/by Suzanne

Hey everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. I got a bit sporadic again last week with my blogging because my son had surgery to repair a fractured/dislocated shoulder on Thursday. He’s doing well, although not excited to be in a sling all summer, and we’re all a bit tired from our travels, our stay at the hospital, and from the run-the-clock post-op care since he got home late Friday. I did manage to get a few reviews written this weekend as he has slept, so today I’ll be sharing my thoughts on novels from two of my favorite authors, Emily Giffin and Kristan Higgins. No surprise, but neither of them disappointed. Side note: how adorable are those covers?

Reviews: MEANT TO BE and OUT OF THE CLEAR BLUE SKY

Meant to Be Goodreads

Author: Emily Giffin

Publication Date: May 31, 2022

Publisher: Ballatine Books

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

Emily Giffin’s latest novel Meant to Be is a captivating romance that is loosely inspired by the Kennedys, specifically John F. Kennedy Jr and Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy. It’s the story of two people from very different worlds who are both trying to find their place in the world and, in the process, manage to find each other. Can their love overcome all the obstacles that stand in their way?

Meant to Be follows Cate and Joe. Joe, or Joseph S. Kingsley, III, comes from a family that is practically American royalty. His father was devoted to public service, first in the military, then in politics, and then in the space program, where he was tragically killed in an accident. Everyone in the country, including Joe’s mother, expects him to pick up his dad’s mantle and carry on with the Kingsley legacy. Joe doesn’t know how he feels about this and has a tendency to behave recklessly as he’s trying to figure out what he wants out of life.

Cate comes from a poor background, having spent her early years living in a tiny apartment with just her mom and a revolving door of men. Cate hates living this way and when she is a teenager, she finds her ticket out of poverty when she has the good fortune to be discovered by a modeling agency. When she meets Joe while on the beach doing a photoshoot, their attraction is instant. Cate wants to keep the relationship secret because if word gets out about her poor background, it’s all over for them since she doesn’t believe there’s a place for her in Joe’s world.

Giffin does an amazing job using Joe and his family to capture America’s obsession with the Kennedys and “Camelot” while at the same time creating a wholly fresh and engrossing love story of these two young people who just want to be together in spite of the pressures of class and society. Both Cate and Joe are just so well drawn. I loved the complicated dynamic of their relationship, the realistic angle as to whether their love is strong enough to withstand what would happen if Cate’s past were to be exposed. I was completely rapt by Cate and Joe’s story that I couldn’t put the book down and actually found myself sobbing by a huge unexpected twist at the end.

Meant to Be is a beautifully written story that will capture your heart, emotionally wreck you, and still manage to leave you feeling hopeful. 4 STARS

Out of the Clear Blue Sky Goodreads

Author: Kristan Higgins

Publication Date: June 7, 2022

Publisher: Berkley Books

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

I was hooked on Kristan Higgins’ new novel Out of the Clear Blue Sky from the very first moment we meet the protagonist Lillie Silva, who is in the process of sedating a skunk so that she can sneak it into her ex-husband’s new house. I immediately admired Lillie’s spunk and resourcefulness and, most importantly, was instantly invested in finding out what had driven her to do such a thing.

Lillie had been under the impression that she and Brad had a great life and a happy marriage. Their only child is about to go off to college and Lillie is busy planning a wonderful European vacation for just herself and Brad. She is therefore blindsided when, on the night of their son’s high school graduation, Brad announces that he wants a divorce, that he deserves to find joy for himself and that he is in love with someone else. Lillie is further blindsided when it turns out Brad’s new woman is Melissa, a newcomer to town whom Lillie actually introduced to Brad. Needless to say, Lillie is both shocked and seriously ticked off that Brad has just turned her life upside down.

What I love about Higgins’ novels is that her characters are always so realistic and well drawn. They’re full of flaws, just like us, and they find themselves in situations that are easy to relate to. In Lillie’s case, she’s dealing with Brad’s betrayal, being an empty nester once her son goes off to college, and she also has the added challenge of how she can afford to live on just her salary. Lillie’s journey is also very realistic in the sense that it takes time for her to work past the anger and pettiness she feels toward Brad (the skunk and other assorted hilarious pranks that I won’t spoil), before she comes out on the other side ready to move forward and heal. I was cheering for her every step of the way, laughing out loud at some of her more petty moments, but ultimately rooting for her to find her own joy and show Brad what he was missing out on.

This novel was also fascinating it the sense that it’s a dual POV and the other POV we get is not from Brad, but instead from Melissa, the other woman. Melissa is a seemingly irredeemable character who ended up surprising me in the end. I can’t decide if I liked her or not, but I will say that her journey is an interesting one that kept me glued to the pages even when I wanted to shake her.

If you enjoy stories about second chances and new beginnings, with a hilarious side of revenge thrown in the mix, Out of the Clear Blue Sky is the book for you! 4.5 STARS

Reviews: STARRY-EYED LOVE & SEE YOU YESTERDAY

May 24, 2022/20 Comments/by Suzanne

Hey everyone! I know today is usually Top Ten Tuesday but I wasn’t feeling this week’s topic and I’m behind on reviews, so I decided to use this slot to play catch up. Today I’m sharing my thoughts to two new releases that I really enjoyed, one from a new-to-me author, Helena Hunting, and one from an auto-buy author, Rachel Lynn Solomon.

Reviews: STARRY-EYED LOVE & SEE YOU YESTERDAY

Starry-Eyed Love (Spark House, #2) Goodreads

Author: Helena Hunting

Publication Date: May 10, 2022

Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin

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

Starry-Eyed Love is the second book in Helena Hunting’s contemporary romance series, Spark House, a series that follows three sisters who run a small boutique hotel together.

London Spark is the focus of this second installment, and I loved her from the opening scene when we encounter her and her two sisters, Avery and Harley at a bar together. London has just broken up with her boyfriend and the sisters are celebrating her newly single status. London is ready to focus her attention on the family business and has no interest in dating right now, so when a handsome stranger at the bar flirts with her, she tells him she’s not available. Little does she know at the time, but that man, Jackson Holt, is about to change her life in more ways than one.

I really loved the chemistry between London and Jackson right from that first meeting and was actually disappointed when she blew him off. Color me tickled then when London is invited to a meeting to discuss bringing Spark House on board as a partner for a huge environmentally friendly initiative. If you guessed Jackson Holt is the founder of this initiative, you would be correct. This of course forces London in close proximity to Jackson, whether she likes it or not, and things take off from there. London and Jackson are a great match on pretty much every level and there are plenty of flirty sexy moments between them, but I’ll say now to prepare yourself for a slow burn since they do have a working relationship and there are some angsty moments as they try to figure out how to navigate the professional and the personal.

As much as I enjoyed London and Jackson’s story, I was also a big fan of the relationship between the sisters. They are experiencing some growing pains as the hotel expands and so even though they adore each other, there is still the occasional tension. London, in particular, is in an awkward position. She has somehow landed in the position of business administrator, so she is responsible for bringing in new clientele and planning events. This isn’t her wheelhouse at all, as she is more of a creative type, and as much as she wants to help her sisters with the business and doesn’t want to create drama, this particular job and the way Avery is pushing her and refusing to hire outside help, is running her ragged. I loved how realistically Hunting portrays these relationships, especially the angst and tension, as London comes to terms with the idea that the only way out involves confronting Avery. Hunting hits that perfect and very relatable balance of “I love you more than anything but something has got to give.”

Starry-Eyed Love was my first time reading something from Helena Hunting but it definitely won’t be my last because this book was just such a delight – equal parts charming, and funny, and with a delicious side of drama and angst to spice things up. 4 STARS

See You Yesterday Goodreads

Author: Rachel Lynn Solomon

Publication Date: May 17, 2022

Publisher: Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing

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

I love Rachel Lynn Solomon’s books and I love stories that feature time traveling or time loops, so you can imagine how excited I was to learn that Solomon’s latest YA novel See You Yesterday features a Groundhog’s Day style romance. I couldn’t hit that request button on Netgalley fast enough and I’m thrilled to share that this book was everything I hoped it would be and more!

The story follows Barrett Bloom, a college freshman who is really hoping this year will be a fresh start for her after a pretty rough senior year of high school. Instead of being a fresh start, however, her first day of classes is an absolute nightmare. She learns that she’s stuck rooming with an old friend she had a falling out with in high school. Then, an obnoxious know-it-all embarrasses her in Physics class, and she goes on to completely blow her interview to be on the school newspaper, and then as if all that isn’t bad enough, she goes to a frat party that night and accidentally sets the place on fire. All she wants to do is crawl in bed and pretend this day never happened. Instead, however, she wakes up and it’s the first day of classes all over again. Needless to say, Barrett is perplexed by this, especially when it keeps happening. After another encounter with Miles, the annoying guy from her Physics class, Barrett soon learns that Miles has also been similarly trapped and has been repeating the same day for over two months now. The two of them set out on an interesting quest to try to fix their timelines and free themselves from this endless loop.

I loved this story so much! Barrett and Miles are adorable together even when they’re plucking each other’s nerves. Their relationship also slowly transforms as they explore all avenues to freedom – researching at the library, trying to right wrongs from their pasts, trying to find closure from events where they’ve left loose ends, etc. While nothing they try works, what does happen is that the two of them get to know each other and grow close, first as friends but then as more than friends. I loved this so much for them because they’re both so lonely and out of sorts, even before being trapped in the loop. It was lovely to see them connect with each other and also so much fun to watch some of the antics they would come up with to pass the time while they’re stuck. There’s also tremendous growth for Barrett as she finally conquers some demons from her past and is able to move forward.

There’s also the huge question of what happens to Miles and Barrett if and when they finally come unstuck from time. Will they still be a couple, will they still know each other? Or will they go back to being alone? If you want to know the answer to those questions, you’ll have to check out See You Yesterday. You won’t regret it! 4.5 STARS

Reviews: THIS MAY END BADLY & GO HEX YOURSELF

April 18, 2022/24 Comments/by Suzanne

I hope everyone who was celebrating this weekend had a wonderful holiday weekend. Huge apologies from me for not blog hopping most of last week. I think busy season at work finally caught up to me and I pretty much crashed and burned every evening after I signed off from work and even though I planned to play catch up with blogging on Saturday, I ended up napping most of that day as well. Today is deadline day though so hopefully I’ll be back to my normal blogging habits this week. I will try my best to play catch up but may end up having to just start fresh this week since I’ve just missed so many posts. Anyway, I’m back today with a couple of reads I managed to fit in last week in spite of the crazy busy schedule. These were mostly read while sitting in the parking lot at my son’s soccer practices, lol.

Reviews: THIS MAY END BADLY & GO HEX YOURSELF

This May End Badly Goodreads

Author: Samantha Markum

Publication Date: April 12, 2022

Publisher: Wednesday Books

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

I love a good boarding school story so I couldn’t resist requesting Samantha Markum’s debut YA contemporary novel, This May End Badly, which is set at Weston, a prestigious all girls boarding school. I was especially intrigued by the premise that there is an equally prestigious all boys boarding school, Winfield Academy right across the street and that the two schools have a century-long rivalry that is ongoing. I was hooked on the story from the opening pages, which centers on epic beginning-of-the-school year pranks the students from each school play on each other.

As entertaining as I found the pranks, however, I will admit that I got off to a very rough start with the protagonist, Doe. She’s the prank mastermind at Weston and she is also obsessed with Three, a boy at Winfield that she considers to be her arch nemesis. Even though she’s a senior and should be applying to colleges and preparing for her future, she is completely obsessed with escalating the prank wars between the schools and even more obsessed with getting under Three’s skin in any way she can, especially once it’s announced that the two schools will be merging into one next year and Doe suspects that Three’s family had something to do with it. I could understand her frustration that Weston, which has been her safe haven since her parents divorced, would basically cease to exist after the merger, but in the early chapters of the book, she just came off as immature and obnoxious. I read a couple of reviews on Goodreads that advised being patient with Doe, that she would eventually grow and learn from her mistakes, and I was glad I stuck it out because there really is tremendous character growth with Doe.

Even though I struggled a bit with Doe in the beginning, the same cannot be said of her friend group. I adored these young women. They were so much fun when it came to helping Doe with the pranks, but it wasn’t all fun and games for them either. They truly cared about Doe and were not afraid to step in and give her tough love when she needed it, when it was clear she had lost her way and was crossing lines she shouldn’t be crossing. These girls are friendship goals!

I’m also a big fan of the fake dating trope so I was really into the plot line where Doe fake-dates Three’s cousin and fellow Winfield Academy student, Wells. I did think it was a bit odd that Doe chose to fake date Wells just to annoy Three, but the reason aside, Wells and Doe were so cute and sweet together. I loved their banter and loved it even more when their feelings for one another started to change so that it became more about them and less about annoying Three.

The ending of the novel is also fabulous, particularly in the way it brings those rival schools and their pranking super powers together for a very worthy cause. I found myself very proud of all of these kids by the time I finished reading. If you’re interested in reading a book about friendship, falling in love, and standing up for what you believe in, you should give This May End Badly a try. 3.5 STARS

Go Hex Yourself Goodreads

Author: Jessica Clare

Publication Date: April 19, 2022

Publisher: Berkley Books

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

I’ve been enjoying all of the witchy rom-coms that have come out recently and Go Hex Yourself by Jessica Clare is the latest addition to this fun trend. It features two of my favorite romance tropes, enemies to lovers and grumpy/sunshine so I hoped it would be a perfect fit for me. I’m thrilled to report I was not disappointed!

The story follows Reggie Johnson, a young woman who answers a newspaper ad and thinks she’s going to be working as a design assistant for Spellcraft: The Magicking, her favorite card game. When she is led into a lab instead of an office and her new employer, an elderly woman named Dru, starts talking about casting spells and creating potions, Reggie begins to suspect that her new job might not be exactly what she thought it was. Reggie is skeptical that magic is real, that is until someone curses Dru with a sleeping spell. Reggie is forced to work with Dru’s nephew, Ben, a sexy but surly warlock who has been nothing but rude to her ever since she first arrived on the job.

I really adored Reggie right from the start. She’s very much an underdog character and those always have my heart. She’s in debt up to her ears, thanks to her awful parents, who do shady things like sign up for endless credit cards in Reggie’s name and then not paying the bills, ruining Reggie’s credit in the process. Reggie has a big heart and loves them anyway, but at the same time, is disheartened that they keep taking advantage of her. Overall, Reggie is a spunky and resilient character but I did like seeing this more vulnerable side of her when it came to her parents.

I also really enjoyed both Dru and Ben. Dru comes across as a bit silly and possibly senile when Reggie first meets her, but it soon becomes clear that she’s quite a character and that there’s way more than meets the eye when it comes to her. Every time Reggie and Dru interacted, I could practically picture Dru with a little twinkle of mischief in her eyes. She’s a pretty lovable character. Ben, while not quite as lovable early on in the book, grew on me quickly as we started to get more chapters from his perspective. It becomes clear that he is not nearly as surly and grumpy as he first seems and that he is mostly misunderstood. Like Reggie, he has also been shaped by heartbreaking experiences with his parents.

While I found the witchy aspect of the book entertaining and intriguing, especially the curses and the fact the witches in the book were inspired by Roman times, and then of course, the hilarious magical cast of secondary characters, what really kept me thoroughly invested in the story was watching Reggie and Ben finally start to bond and open up to one another while they’re working to uncurse Dru. What develops between them is special and it was just lovely to watch. Fans who like a bit of steam in their romance reads will also not be disappointed.

If you’re enjoying the witchy rom-com trend as much as I am, you’ll definitely want to check out Go Hex Yourself. 4 STARS.

Romance Reviews: HOOK, LINE AND SINKER & MR. WRONG NUMBER

February 18, 2022/7 Comments/by Suzanne

Happy Friday! I’m back today to share reviews for two of my most anticipated romance reads of the year. I actually have a couple more February ARCs to read and review, but my inner mood reader just wouldn’t wait for these two any longer. So happy to report that both of these reads lived up to my very high expectations, which is always nice. 🙂

Romance Reviews: HOOK, LINE AND SINKER & MR. WRONG NUMBER

Hook, Line, and Sinker (Bellinger Sisters, #2) Goodreads

Author: Tessa Bailey

Publication Date: March 1, 2022

Publisher: Avon Books

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

Tessa Bailey’s new novel Hook, Line and Sinker is the follow-up to last year’s popular romance, It Happened One Summer. The main characters of this installment are Hannah Bellinger and Fox Thornton, who we met in the first book. It was pretty clear in that first book that the two of them were attracted to one another, and I loved both characters so I was very excited to head back to the small coastal town of Westport, Washington to see what, if anything, might develop between them. I was also hoping for a few glimpses of Hannah’s sister, Piper, and her significant other, Brendan, our sunshine/grumpy duo from the first book and was not disappointed.

What I found most intriguing about Hannah and Fox is how truly vulnerable they both are. On the surface, Fox seemingly prides himself on being a ladies’ man and his reputation precedes him everywhere he goes. The more we get to know Fox though, the more we see that Fox is actually quite uncomfortable with his reputation. It has almost beaten him down to the point that he feels like he has nothing to offer any woman he actually cares about. He’s also attracted to Hannah but has been warned by pretty much everyone in Westport to stay away from her, that’s she’s too sweet for a player like him. He therefore settles for a friendship with her.

Hannah also has some insecurities. She is passionate about music and would love to pursue a career putting together soundtracks for films, but she just doesn’t feel she has what it takes. As she tells Fox, she’s just not “leading lady” material and will always be in the background. Fox knows about her passion for music because it was at a vinyl album convention that the two of them first bonded and he makes it his mission to get her to see that she can do anything she puts her mind to. Hannah treasures his friendship and support, and they grow even closer when Hannah, who is planning to stay with her sister when she comes to Westport, ends up staying with Fox instead due to some logistical issues. Temporarily living together is all it takes for their friendship to grow into something more and I enjoyed watching them navigate the waters between friendship and more than friendship.

It takes a while for Fox and Hannah to get to where I wanted them to be, but I found their friendship to be very endearing so the slow burn didn’t bother me at all. They always have a great time together, but they are also there for each other when it counts, offering emotional and moral support as they each set out to figure themselves out and what they’re actually capable of. Just as Fox makes it his mission to give Hannah the boost she needs, she does the same for him, making it her mission to prove to him that he is so much more than just a ladies’ man with a handsome face.

Bottom line, Hook, Line, and Sinker is a slow burn romance that is worth the wait. 4 STARS

Mr. Wrong Number Goodreads

Author: Lynn Painter

Publication Date: March 1, 2022

Publisher: Berkley

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

Lynn Painter’s novel Better Than the Movies was one of my favorite YA reads last year, but I think she has really outdone herself with Mr. Wrong Number, her new adult rom-com.

The story follows Olivia Marshall, a young woman who has a streak of bad luck a mile long. She was cheated on and then dumped by her longtime boyfriend, she loses her job, and in a freak accident involving a bucket of burning love letters and a runaway possum, she manages to burn her apartment down and has to temporarily move in with her brother and his roommate, whom she loathes. Olivia feels like she has pretty much hit rock bottom, but then life throws an unexpected twist at her in the form of a steamy text from a random wrong number. With nothing else better to do, Olivia strikes up a conversation with Mr. Wrong Number and their exchanges form the basis of the hottest, most entertaining relationship she has ever had.

I adored Olivia. She’s hilarious, sarcastic, down to earth, and just so relatable. I love that she’s able to laugh at herself even when she’s dealt a terrible hand and that she’s even able to take her bad luck and spin it into a writing gig for herself. Her text exchanges with Mr. Wrong Number also kept me in stitches. Without even having met, the two of them obviously had major chemistry.

I also quite enjoyed the relationship between Olivia and Colin Beck, the roommate she loathes. Olivia’s hatred of him springs from a childhood of him mocking and teasing her. Olivia soon realizes that Colin isn’t that obnoxious boy anymore. He has in fact grown up into a sexy beast with abs to die for, and he’s actually quite thoughtful and kind-hearted. I loved watching the two of them realize they’re attracted to one another and then proceed to fight that attraction every step of the way. Colin, in particular, tries hard to fight his growing attraction to her because she’s his best friend’s little sister, but then everything goes off the rails for him, when to his horror, he spots Olivia’s phone one night and realizes she’s the Miss Misdial he has been sexting with for weeks! What’s he supposed to do now?!

I don’t want to give anything away but what a ride! The shenanigans, the miscommunication, it’s the perfect blend of high drama and humor as we journey to the end to see if there’s the possibility of a happy ending for Mr. Wrong Number and Miss Misdial. I loved every page of this book and devoured it in a day. I honestly can’t remember the last time I’ve laughed out loud so many times while reading a book – Mr. Wrong Number was pure joy for me and left me all the more eager to read more from Lynn Painter. 5 STARS

Reviews: ONE NIGHT ON THE ISLAND & THE UNSINKABLE GRETA JAMES

February 14, 2022/26 Comments/by Suzanne

Hey everyone! I hope you all had a nice weekend. Did anyone watch the Super Bowl? I had it on as background noise while I was blogging but wasn’t really rooting for anyone this year. It’s hard to believe that we’re already halfway through February and that Valentine’s Day is upon us, but here we are. Today I’m sharing reviews for two outstanding books that I was fortunate enough to read last week. I was having a busy, draining week because of work so it was lovely to have two 5 star reads round out my week for the better. One Night on the Island is the third novel I’ve read from Josie Silver, and Jennifer E. Smith is a new-to-me author.

Reviews: ONE NIGHT ON THE ISLAND & THE UNSINKABLE GRETA JAMES

One Night on the Island Goodreads

Author: Josie Silver

Publication Date: February 15, 2022

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine

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

Josie Silver is the queen of writing beautiful, heartfelt stories and her latest novel, One Night on the Island, is exactly that. It features a young woman named Cleo, who writes a popular dating column for a British publication. Her column follows her as she searches for her soulmate. Thus far her journey has been entertaining but unsuccessful, and now that she is about to turn 30, her boss thinks now would be a great time for Cleo to do something special for her column to mark the occasion. The boss’ idea of something special is to send Cleo to Salvation, a remote island in Ireland, on a mini sabbatical of sorts, where she can relax, re-energize, and basically fall in love with herself. The culmination of this journey would be a self-coupling ceremony where she marries herself, to signify that she’s at peace with herself and happy she’s single.

Cleo isn’t completely sold on the self-coupling idea but decides time for self-care in a remote location might not be such a bad thing. That is, until she discovers that the cabin she is supposed to be staying in has been double-booked and there’s no where else to stay on the tiny island. Great…how is she supposed to embark on a journey of self-reflection and self-love with an unwanted roommate, especially when that roommate is a handsome American photographer named Mac who gets under Cleo’s skin from the first moment they meet?

I really loved the chemistry between Cleo and Mac. There are some hilarious moments between them as they verbally sparred over who was most entitled to stay in the cabin and when they resort to drawing a chalk line through the center of the cabin to carve out space for themselves. But it’s not all humor between these two. Mac is separated from his wife, on the verge of divorce, and is missing his kids like crazy. He’s pretty heartbroken and has no idea what his future is going to look like. He has, on the surface, come to Salvation to photograph the island for an exhibit, but he’s also there to do some soul searching. In spite of their initial animosity toward one another, Cleo and Mac begin to talk and realize that their reasons for being on the island aren’t so different. I really loved once they made it to this part of their relationship and began to grow closer.

While Cleo and Mac and their growing relationship definitely stole my heart, I was also completely enamored with all of the residents of Salvation. They’re basically one big extended family and they welcomed Mac and Cleo with open arms. The sense of community and how they were all there for one another just made my heart swell.

I have to admit that I was a little nervous that the self-coupling aspect of the story would be a little hokey, but Silver pulls it off flawlessly and it ended up being one of the most moving and magical moments of the whole book for me. The rugged terrain of Ireland didn’t hurt either, adding so much atmosphere and beauty to the moment.

If you enjoy heartwarming books that feature both a romance as well as an intimate personal journey for its characters, I highly recommend One Night on the Island. 5 STARS

The Unsinkable Greta James Goodreads

Author: Jennifer E. Smith

Publication Date: March 1, 2022

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine

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

The Unsinkable Greta James is the first novel I’ve read from Jennifer E. Smith and boy does it pack an emotional punch! It follows successful indie musician Greta James as she takes a week-long Alaskan cruise with her estranged father. The cruise was meant to be a 40^th wedding anniversary trip for Greta’s parents, but Greta’s mom passed away unexpectedly. When her father announced he was going on the cruise anyway because the trip meant so much to his wife, Greta reluctantly agrees to accompany him so that he won’t be alone with his grief.

The complicated dynamics of the relationship between Greta and her dad captivated me from the start. It’s clear that they love each other immensely and would do anything for each other, as is evidenced by Greta agreeing to be stuck on a ship with her dad for a week. But, that said, it’s equally clear that the relationship is very strained and that much of the strain is due to Greta’s dad not approving of her career in music. I immediately became invested in them mending their relationship, especially seeing how much they were both hurting over the loss of Greta’s mom. Whether they realize it or not, they need each other more than ever before.

Greta’s journey in this book isn’t just about repairing her relationship with her dad though. It’s also a journey of healing for herself. Her mom was her biggest fan, attending her rock concerts and holding up a sign that read “Greta’s Mom” on it. Knowing that she would never again see her mom’s face and sign in the crowd again emotionally wrecked her and she actually breaks down on stage in the middle of her first performance after her mom’s death. The moment went viral and she received a lot of bad press over it, to the point where she doesn’t even know if she has a career anymore. She’s at a crossroads and trying to figure out how she can move forward.

I adored Greta and was 100% in her corner as she navigates her way through the minefield of pain and grief that surrounds her. I became especially enamored with her when a teenage girl recognizes her on the ship and tells her that she plays guitar like Greta and wants to be just like her. They share several scenes throughout the book and it’s so sweet to see Greta take the time to mentor this girl even with the weight of the world on her shoulders.

The Unsinkable Greta James is one of the most moving books I’ve read in a while. It’s a sad but hopeful story and it really made me think a lot about the importance of family and the power of healing. I will also freely admit that I cried my eyes out several times, especially as I approached the final heartwarming moments of this beautiful story. It’s one that is going to stick with me for a while, no doubt about it. 5 STARS

Reviews: WITH LOVE FROM LONDON & COUNT YOUR LUCKY STARS

February 7, 2022/14 Comments/by Suzanne

Happy Monday all! I hope everyone had a nice weekend. Mine was pretty quiet. I did a few chores, read a little, and took a least a couple of accidental naps, lol. Work has had me super busy so I guess my body was telling me it needed to recharge. Anyway, I’ll be blog hopping today to catch up on what I missed while I was napping. Today I’m sharing two wonderful reads that I enjoyed this week. One came out last week and the other comes out this week so if they sound good to you, you won’t have long to wait to pick up a copy. 🙂

Reviews: WITH LOVE FROM LONDON & COUNT YOUR LUCKY STARS

With Love from London Goodreads

Author: Sarah Jio

Publication Date: February 8, 2022

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine

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

Based on the number of tears I cried by the time I got to the end of Sarah Jio’s new novel, With Love from London, I think it’s safe to say this book is going to end up on my Best of 2022 list. Happy tears, sad tears, angry tears – I cried them all.

The story follows Valentina Baker, a librarian who is at a crossroads in her life. She is recently divorced and has inherited a bookshop in London from her estranged mother, Eloise. Valentina hasn’t seen her mother since she was 12 and her mother abandoned her to move to London, so it’s bittersweet news to hear that her mother is gone and there’s no chance for a reconciliation or even an explanation as to why she left her child and never tried to contact her again. As Valentina heads to London to settle her mother’s affairs and decide what to do about the bookshop, she also decides it’s time to learn more about who her mother was and why she left. Unbeknownst to Valentina, Eloise has put together a special scavenger hunt for her that will allow her to learn everything she wants to know.

What I especially adored about this book is that we are given both Valentina’s and Eloise’s perspective. Even though I started out thinking what an awful, coldhearted woman Eloise must have been, as soon as I started learning her story and why she did what she did, my heart just broke for her and I just felt so angry on her behalf. We learn the truth about why Eloise left before Valentina does and that lends a sense of urgency. I desperately wanted Valentina to hurry up and solve all the clues so that she knew the truth about her mother and how much she truly did love her. In that sense, both Eloise’s and Valentina’s stories were equally compelling and engaging.

It was a given that I would love the quaint London bookshop setting and I just knew that Valentina would have second thoughts about selling the building as soon as she laid eyes on what her mother had created. The bookshop is also where the scavenger hunt begins and what a special hunt it is. It takes Valentina all around the local community so that she meets and befriends so many wonderful people who knew and loved her mother. I’m a sucker for books that feature found families and that’s exactly what Valentina finds in London. All of the characters she meets are great too – from her mom’s stern but loveable best friend Millie, to the fun and quirky tenant who lives above the bookshop, and so many more. They all immediately treat her like the family she never really had, which really makes her question whether or not she really even wants to return to her old life, where she was just lonely and unhappy.

There is a bit of romance in the book, but for me, With Love from London is more about Valentina’s journey to know her mother than anything else. It’s a beautifully written story about the unbreakable bond that is mother-daughter love. 5 STARS

Count Your Lucky Stars (Written in the Stars, #3) Goodreads

Author: Alexandria Bellefleur

Publication Date: February 1, 2022

Publisher: Avon and Harper Voyager

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

Nothing makes my heart sing more than a second chance romance so I couldn’t resist requesting Alexandria Bellefleur’s latest novel, Count Your Lucky Stars, as soon as I saw that it’s a contemporary romance about two former best friends who might be the key to each other’s second chance at love. I’m so glad I did too! To sum it up in 3 words, this book was sweet, swoony, and steamy!

Margot Cooper has sworn off relationships. Casual hookups are great, but no thanks to anything that involves love and a commitment. Margot has been fine with that for a while, but now that everyone in her friend group seems to have found their special someone, she feels more and more like she’s on the outside looking in. Those feelings intensify as the wedding plans for her friends Brendan and Annie are in full swing and love and romance are in the air 24/7.

When Margot comes face to face with Brendan’s wedding planner, however, her world gets turned upside down. The wedding planner is none other than Olivia Grant, Margot’s childhood best friend and first love. They haven’t seen each other in a decade, but the moment their eyes meet, it’s clear the feelings and the chemistry are still there. The only question is whether Margot will be brave enough to give love another chance.

I really loved watching Margot and Olivia rediscover each other. They’ve been out of touch for so long, and Olivia is recently divorced so, like Margot, she’s feeling vulnerable when it comes to love. The progression of their relationship felt very natural as we learn about their history together and watch them get reacquainted. I especially loved the change in Margot, who we meet in the earlier books in the series. She typically comes across as snarky, blunt, and downright hilarious so it was fun to finally see her softer side come out with Olivia.

While Count Your Lucky Stars could probably be read as a standalone, I highly recommend reading the first two books in the series before diving into this latest installment as those books introduce everyone in Margot’s friend group and how each of them ended up with their special someone. Reading the books in order had me completely invested in every character in the friend group, which made Count Your Lucky Stars all the more special for me. The writing is wonderful, the characters are lovable and their romances are all so moving. I flew through all three books in less than a week. I don’t know if there will be more books in the Written in the Stars series, but if not, I think Count Your Lucky Stars is a very satisfying conclusion. 4 STARS

Reviews: FINLAY DONOVAN KNOCKS ‘EM DEAD & GOOD GIRL COMPLEX

January 31, 2022/24 Comments/by Suzanne

I’m back today with some of my final January reads. I don’t know about you all, but my 2022 reading year is off to a great start. So far I’ve enjoyed everything I’ve read and have no DNFs. Today’s review post is unofficially the “Elle” edition since both author’s first names are Elle (I didn’t even notice that until I started putting this together, lol).

Reviews: FINLAY DONOVAN KNOCKS ‘EM DEAD & GOOD GIRL COMPLEX

Finlay Donovan Knocks 'Em Dead (Finlay Donovan, #2) Goodreads

Author: Elle Cosimano

Publication Date: February 1, 2022

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books

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

Finlay Donovan Knocks ‘Em Dead is the second book in Elle Cosimano’s new series “Finlay Donovan” which follows the misadventures of author and divorced single mother, Finlay Donovan. For those who haven’t read the first book yet, Finlay finds herself accidentally hired as an assassin when a woman overhears her and her agent discussing the plot of the thriller she is writing. The woman thinks Finlay is the perfect person to “off” her husband and practically starts throwing money at her. Finlay could really use the cash, and thus begins a surprisingly hilarious journey into murder-for-hire, organized crime, and all the while, Finlay is still trying to write her book.

This latest book opens with Finlay learning that someone out there actually wants to murder her ex-husband. As much as she hates Stephen, she doesn’t want her kids to lose their Dad and so she makes it her mission to find out who is responsible and convince them to call off the hit. This sends her on a dangerous yet surprisingly comical adventure, full of twists and turns, that takes her, amongst other places, way closer to the Russian mob than she would ever wish to be.

It’s hard to talk about details from the story without spoilers and I definitely don’t want to spoil the plot as it pertains to her ex-husband. I’ll just say that I adore Finlay. She’s sarcastic and funny, quirky as heck and very resourceful, and she has clearly learned a lot from writing her crime thrillers. It impresses me how she and her roommate/nanny, Vero, constantly get themselves into dangerous and often ridiculous predicaments, but somehow always manage to get themselves right back out of trouble. I’m also a big fan of Vero and was pleased that we got to learn a bit more about her in this book.

Finlay Donovan Knocks ‘Em Dead is well-plotted and fast-paced, so much so that I flew through the book in just a couple of sittings. The Finlay Donovan series may involve serious topics like murder-for-hire and organized crime, but it’s truly one of the funniest and most entertaining series I’ve ever read. I really hope there will be more books in this series because I need more of Finlay and Vero. What a team they are! 4.5 STARS

Good Girl Complex Goodreads

Author: Elle Kennedy

Publication Date: February 1, 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.

Good Girl Complex is the first installment in a new contemporary romance series by Elle Kennedy. I tend to gravitate to books with small town and/or university settings and this book has both. I also typically enjoy romances that feature the good girl/bad boy dynamic so Good Girl Complex just seemed like it would be a great fit for me.

Local bad boy Cooper Hartley is tired of the rich “clones” who invade Avalon Bay to attend college every year and act like they own the community and everyone in it. One night, at the bar where he works, he witnesses one of them forcing himself on a waitress. When the clone won’t take no for an answer, Cooper intervenes and ends up punching the guy. Rich boy whines to the owner and gets Cooper fired, which only fuels Cooper’s hatred of this guy and everyone like him. Cooper learns the guy has a girlfriend and decides he’s going to steal her right out from under the guy’s nose. Cooper’s quest for revenge doesn’t go exactly as planned, however, because when he meets the girlfriend, whose name is Mackenzie (Mac), he realizes that she’s not at all like her boyfriend and his kind, and Cooper wants to be friends, maybe even more than friends, with her. But can any kind of relationship survive between them if the truth about his revenge plot comes out?

I loved both Mac and Cooper right away so it was very easy to become invested in their journey. Both characters are flawed and come across as very realistic and relatable because of those flaws. Yes, Mac comes from money, but she is also an entrepreneur and a self-made millionaire. It’s an impressive accomplishment, particularly for someone her age, so it shocked me to learn that neither her parents nor her boyfriend Preston support her in this endeavor. They have her life mapped out for her and there’s no room on that map for anything that doesn’t revolve around her mother’s charity work and becoming Preston’s wife. Mac has always just gone along with what they’ve dictated, not wanting to upset anyone. But when she meets Cooper and they start talking, Mac suddenly realizes there’s more to life than pleasing everyone else. It’s a true awakening for her.

I also loved that as much as Cooper teaches Mac about being her own person and not letting anyone hold her back, Cooper also learns a lot along the way, particularly about passing judgment on an entire group of people just because he has had a few bad experiences. I also love that there’s so much more to him than his bad boy reputation and that he and Mac aren’t very different from one another, despite their different backgrounds. I enjoyed watching them interact – whether they’re being sassy, supportive, or sexy, their chemistry was off the charts. They made such a great couple that I was truly on the edge of my seat waiting for the truth about the revenge plot to smack them both in the face and hoping that they could survive it when it did.

Good Girl Complex is a great start to Elle Kennedy’s new series and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys watching characters figure out who they’re meant to be as well as who they’re meant to be with. 4 STARS

Reviews: SOMETHING FABULOUS & GETTING HIS GAME BACK

January 28, 2022/12 Comments/by Suzanne

Happy Friday all! I’m so ready for the weekend but first I want to share reviews for a couple of romances that come out this week that you’re going to want to add to your TBR. One is from a recent favorite author of mine, while this other is a wonderful debut.

Reviews: SOMETHING FABULOUS & GETTING HIS GAME BACK

Something Fabulous Goodreads

Author: Alexis Hall

Publication Date: January 25, 2022

Publisher: Montlake

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

I’m a relatively new fan of Alexis Hall’s, having read and loved two of his most recent novels, Boyfriend Material and Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake. He has such a knack for creating lovable characters and putting them in hilarious predicaments that I couldn’t wait to get my hands on his latest book, Something Fabulous. Something Fabulous is a Regency romance but it’s not like any Regency romance I’ve ever read. I honestly don’t know that I’ve ever laughed so hard while reading a book. On Goodreads, Hall describes the book as such: “It’s a big gay regency romp about an overly dramatic beautiful rainbow sunshine unicorn and an overly dramatic demisexual grumpy duke, going on a cross-country chase.” That description is spot-on and I can’t improve upon it.

I’m all about a good grumpy-sunshine romance so I was enamored with the two main characters as soon as they were introduced. Valentine Layton is an ultra-reserved Duke who is intent on doing his duty at all costs, even if it means marrying Arabella Tarleton, a woman he really has no romantic interest in, just to carry out his father’s wishes. Valentine comes across as a stuffed shirt who could really use a good roll in the hay, and it becomes obvious early on that it’s not Arabella who gets under Valentine’s skin, it’s her twin brother, Bonaventure or “Bonny,” who is just as much of a ray of sunshine as his nickname makes him sound and who pretty obviously has a massive crush on Valentine. Valentine initially thinks Bonny is a pain in the rear but the two of them are forced to work together to find Arabella, who is so repulsed by the idea of a marriage of convenience with a man she doesn’t love, she runs away in the middle of the night.

I don’t want to spoil what happens when Bonny and Valentine embark on this cross-country chase, but let me just tell you, hilarity ensues. Basically, they’re one step behind Arabella throughout the chase and she plants outrageous lies about Valentine everywhere she has been, so that trouble is waiting for him every time he stops somewhere she stopped and inquires about her. There were a couple of times I laughed so hard I had tears in my eyes.

There are also some tender moments and some super steamy ones as Bonny and Valentine finally start to acknowledge their feelings for one another. I loved watching the two of them grow closer. The banter is still there so most of these scenes are still quite funny, but they’re also pretty touching as well. There are also a few more serious moments as Valentine reflects on his own sexuality, what is socially expected of a man in his position versus what he realizes he actually wants for his life.

Something Fabulous is not exactly what I was expecting going in, but I still thought it was a very entertaining read. The humor is silly and over the top at times, think Monty Python or The Princess Bride when you start reading and you’ll have a pretty good feel for the overall tone of the book. If you’re looking for a read that is pure escapism in its silliest form, grab yourself a copy of Something Fabulous. 4 STARS

Getting His Game Back Goodreads

Author: Gia de Cadenet

Publication Date: January 25, 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.

Getting His Game Back is a contemporary romance and it’s also Gia de Cadenet’s debut novel. Based on the cover, I was expecting a rom-com, but while it does have some humorous moments, this is a more serious love story that tackles some pretty big topics, like mental health, the challenges interracial couples can face, and even gender stereotypes.

It follows Khalil Sarda, a young man who has been dealing with depression and seeing a therapist. He’s feeling much better than he did a year ago and is hoping to leave his depression in the past as he focuses on his chain of barbershops and thinks about dating again. A self-professed ladies’ man, Khalil thinks the dating will be the easiest part of his recovery, that is, until Vanessa Noble walks into his shop and sets his heart aflutter. Vanessa is a career-driven Black woman working in the male-dominated tech industry. She has no time for romance because she’s too busy stomping on every stereotype that gets thrown at her. That is, until fate and a fire at her favorite hair salon, sends her running to Khalil’s shop because she desperately needs her hair done prior to a huge presentation. Vanessa has no interest in dating anyone who isn’t Black because of some bad past experiences, but after chatting with Khalil, she has to admit the temptation is there.

I really enjoyed watching Khalil and Vanessa get to know one another. Both characters are so likeable and they’ve both been burned by past relationships, so I liked that hint of vulnerability we see as they consider the possibility of romance with one another. I especially liked the frank discussions they have with one another about interracial couples. Even though he looks white, Khalil is actually French-Algerian and the product of an interracial relationship himself so he knows firsthand the challenges Vanessa speaks of and the microaggressions that have been directed toward her. I also thought the author did a wonderful job exploring Khalil’s depression and the impact depression can have on a person and on all their relationships. I loved the respect and support Vanessa and Khalil showed one another, and I especially loved that Vanessa doesn’t let Khalil push her away when his depression resurfaces and threatens their relationship. They’re a team in every sense of the word, and I was 100% invested in their relationship and hoping they would find their way to a happy ending together.

While not the rom-com I was expecting, Getting His Game Back is still a satisfying read and a wonderful love story that I highly recommend to anyone who enjoys romances that explore weightier topics. 4 STARS.