Tag Archive for: contemporary romance

Romance Reviews: THE SPANISH LOVE DECEPTION & BY THE BOOK

May 2, 2022/26 Comments/by Suzanne

Hey everyone! I want to start off by apologizing in advance for the fact that I’m yet again behind on blog visits. The other person who does my job at work was on vacation all last week so I had to cover for her and it was a bit hectic. Add in soccer practice for my son, helping him prep for tomorrow’s AP exam, and then ending the week in pure frustration when I got a call from the school Principal because my son got caught doing something he shouldn’t have been doing, and there just wasn’t much motivation or energy left for blogging. I did a couple of posts on instagram and then just wanted to hide in a blanket fort coloring the rest of the weekend. Anyway, enough of my parenting/life woes, because I do have reviews to share today for two wonderful reads that I’ve enjoyed recently. How cute are those covers?

Romance Reviews: THE SPANISH LOVE DECEPTION & BY THE BOOK

The Spanish Love Deception Goodreads

Author: Elena Armas

Publication Date: February 23, 2021

Publisher: Atria Books

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

I was a little nervous going into Elena Armas’ debut contemporary romance, The Spanish Love Deception, because of all the hype surrounding it. I couldn’t resist the pull of an enemies-to-lovers romance that also featured fake dating and a fabulous trip to Spain though so I finally dove into it. I immediately wanted to kick my own butt for putting this book off for so long because it is an absolute delight!

I was hooked on this story from the very first scene. We meet the protagonist, Lina Martin, as she is lamenting to her best friend about needing a date for a family wedding she will be attending in Spain in four weeks. Lina’s coworker Aaron overhears their conversation and offers to be her date. While taking Aaron as her fake boyfriend would definitely get her family off her back about her “forever single” status, there’s just one problem – Lina and Aaron hate each other, or at least Lina hates Aaron anyway. In her mind, he’s always up in her business, offering opinions where they aren’t wanted, and just quite possibly the most annoying person she has ever met. Needless to say, the fireworks are off the charts whenever Lina and Aaron interact and I was practically screaming for her to say yes to him, just to see how the trip would play out, specifically if Aaron would make it back home alive, haha. At first, Lina says no, but out of sheer desperation, she caves and accepts Aaron’s offer. I was positively gleeful by this point waiting to see what would happen.

I adored Lina so much. She’s smart, sarcastic, and she is driven to be successful in her career. But she’s definitely not perfect, which made her so real and so relatable. She’s almost ridiculously stubborn when it comes to her feelings about Aaron too, which made for some very entertaining moments, especially since he’s practically standing in front of her with heart eyes. And oh my goodness, Aaron! Even though Lina thinks she hates him, he’s seriously book boyfriend material. I loved everything about the man. He’s smart, sexy, and kind and caring, and just so obviously into Lina. Watching the two of them grow closer and realize their feelings was definitely the highlight of the book for me. It’s a slow burn but Armas writes their growing relationship so well that it ended up being very easy for me to patiently wait because each step along the way is so satisfying.

The Spanish Love Deception is a wonderful new addition to the romance genre. I found it sexy and hilarious, and the ending left me with a big grin on my face. It’s perfect for enemies to lovers and fake dating fans. 4 STARS

By the Book (Meant to Be #2) Goodreads

Author: Jasmine Guillory

Publication Date: May 3, 2022

Publisher: Hyperion Avenue

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

Have you ever enjoyed a book so much that you actually breathed a contented sigh as you finished the last page? Well, that was exactly my experience with Jasmine Guillory’s latest novel By the Book. By the Book is a contemporary retelling of Beauty and the Beast that is set in the publishing industry. In some ways I felt like this novel was tailor made for me because I’m a sucker for bookish characters, books about books, and Beauty and the Beast is my favorite fairytale.

In Guillory’s reimagined version of the classic fairytale, Belle is now Isabelle. Isabelle works at Tale As Old As Time publishing house and she has aspirations of becoming an editorial assistant one day. In order to prove to her boss that she is worthy of such a promotion, Isabelle volunteers to take on one of their most problematic clients, Beau Towers, a rude and gruff young man who is supposed to be writing a memoir for them. Beau is months behind his deadline, has not submitted a single page, and doesn’t respond to correspondence from anyone at the publishing house. If you guessed that Beau is the Beast character, you would be correct. And if you guessed that sparks would fly between Beau and Isabelle from the first moment Isabelle shows up on his front door step, you would also be correct!

As with the classic tale, there are enemies to lovers and grumpy sunshine romantic vibes everywhere. It’s easy to see that there’s a lot more to Beau than first meets the eye, if only Isabelle can get him to open up, which she is very determined to do, at first for her career but later because she starts to see beyond his gruff exterior and likes what she sees for more personal reasons. I loved watching their relationship evolve from those hostile moments when they first met, to a tentative friendship and productive working relationship, and then to a more personal connection. I especially loved that most of their bonding took place through scenes that focused on the actual writing of the book, with Isabelle coaching Beau through passages he was having trouble putting on paper. Isabelle is an aspiring writer as well but she hasn’t touched her book in months because of some cruel feedback she received from a coworker. One of my favorite moments of the book is when Beau learns this and gives Isabelle her own advice and coaxes her to start writing again. It was just so sweet and they were adorable sitting there together each working on their own books.

By the Book feels fresh and new, yet with a comforting sense of familiarity with its many nods to the original fairytale. If you’re a contemporary romance fan who also loves Beauty and the Beast, you’ll definitely want to check out By the Book. 4 STARS

Blog Tour Review: Ramón and Julieta by Alana Quintana Albertson

February 4, 2022/14 Comments/by Suzanne

Ramón and Julieta by Alana Albertson, Alana Quintana Albertson

Published by Berkley Books on February 1, 2022
Genres: Contemporary Fiction, Romance, Retelling
Pages: 304
Source: Netgalley
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository
Goodreads

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

As you can probably tell from its name, Ramón and Julieta by Alana Quintana Albertson is a retelling of the Shakespearean tragedy Romeo and Juliet. Julieta Campos is a gifted chef who specializes in seafood based Mexican dishes. She and her mother own a restaurant in Barrios Logan. They have both sacrificed a lot to keep their restaurant open, but when Ramón Montez and his father, who own the Taco King fast food chain, buys up the entire street their restaurant is located on, they know their days as restaurant owners are numbered. It stings all the more because the fish taco recipe Ramón’s father used to build his Taco King empire is one he stole from Julieta’s mother years ago. Needless to say, the Campos hate the Montez.

Ramón and Julieta have no idea their families hate each other when they first meet at the local Dia de los Muertos celebration. Ramón helps Julieta properly honor her recently deceased father after she misses the official procession to the cemetery. Then he proceeds to serenade Julieta with romantic Mexican ballads. The chemistry between them is undeniable and they can’t wait to see each other again. That is, until Julieta realizes who Ramón is. Even though she has very strong feelings for Ramón and he feels the same attraction, how can they possibly be together when his father betrayed her mother? Not to mention the fact that he’s now her landlord and wants to turn her beautiful little restaurant and the other Mexican-American owned businesses on the block into Taco Kings and Starbucks.

I really loved Albertson’s contemporary romantic spin on the original Romeo and Juliet. The obstacles that threaten to tear Ramón and Julieta apart, while modern in nature, are still essentially the same obstacles Romeo and Juliet faced. If Ramón wants to be with Julieta, he cannot strip her beloved community of its culture, which means he must stand up to his father. If Julieta wants to be with Ramón, she has to convince her mother that Ramón is not like his father, but she also has to face the fact that she may lose her business because of his family, as well as the love of her community since they will brand her a traitor if she chooses him. They both have very tough decisions to make. Do they choose each other or do they remain loyal to their families?

What I also loved about this take on Romeo and Juliet was that aside from the drama surrounding the star-crossed lovers, there’s also a much lighter element to the story and that involves the Mexican food and the infusion of Mexican culture. I loved the author’s vivid descriptions of both the incredible sounding fish tacos Julieta was known for, and of the Dia de los Muertos festivities and costumes. She brought it to life in such a way that I felt like I was there and a part of the wonderful community vibe. She also had me seriously craving beer battered fish tacos, haha!

The big question though is that even though Ramón and Julieta is technically a contemporary romance, can a contemporary romance that is inspired by a Shakespearean tragedy have a happily ever after? You’ll have to pick up a copy of Ramón and Julieta if you want to find out!

About Alana Quintana Albertson

Alana Albertson is a multi-award winning author, current President of Romance Writers of America’s Contemporary Romance Chapter and the former President of both Romance Writers of America’s Young Adult and Chick Lit chapters. Alana Albertson holds a Masters of Education from Harvard University and a Bachelor of Arts in English from Stanford University. A recovering professional ballroom dancer, Alana currently writes contemporary romance, new adult and young adult fiction. She lives in San Diego, California, with her husband, two young sons, and four dogs. When she’s not spending her time playing with her sons, dancing, or saving dogs from high kill shelters through Pugs N Roses, the rescue she founded, she can be found watching episodes Homeland, Devious Maids, or Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Instagram

Review: THE ROUGHEST DRAFT by Emily Wibberley & Austin Siegemund-Broka

January 24, 2022/20 Comments/by Suzanne

The Roughest Draft by Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka
Also by this author: The Breakup Tour

Published by Berkley Books on January 25, 2022
Genres: Contemporary Fiction, Romance
Pages: 336
Source: Netgalley
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository
Goodreads

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

The Roughest Draft is a slow-burn contemporary romance from co-authors Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka. It follows another pair of cowriters, Katrina and Nathan, who, after penning a best-selling novel together, had a major falling out and haven’t spoken to each other in three years.

Neither Katrina nor Nathan have any desire to work together again, but unfortunately for them, their book deal was for two books so unless they want to pay back the advance, they need to make peace and write together one more time. Reluctantly, the pair agrees to move in together for a few months and get this second book written. They actually move into the same house they used the last time they wrote together so they are both surrounded by memories, both good and bad, and it’s all fireworks from there!

I will say up front that it does take a few chapters to really get a feel for just how much bad blood and hurt feelings there are between Katrina and Nathan. At first I was just sitting there like “OMG, why are they feeling so hostile toward one another? What could have possibly been so bad?” As the story begins to unfold, I became completely engrossed in learning the details about what happened and in seeing if they would be able to move forward and write together again without killing one another. Both characters are immensely likeable and their chemistry is undeniable, even when they’re sniping at one another. Think Emily Henry’s Beach Read but way angstier and that should give you a pretty good feel for this book.

The Roughest Draft was such a wonderful read for me. It just checked so many boxes. It’s filled with romance tropes I love like enemies to lovers (actually more like friends to enemies to lovers), second chance romance, and forced proximity. The story is presented to us from both Nathan and Katrina’s perspectives and through the use of dual timelines, which I always love when they’re used well. In this case, they are used to perfection: the present-day cowriting experience is presented parallel to the cowriting journey that went so wrong. I loved watching Nathan and Katrina trying to navigate in the present while simultaneously learning what happened in their past to create the present-day angst and awkwardness.

I also tend to really enjoy books that give us an inside look at writers and their process, and The Roughest Draft gives us that sneak peek at Nathan and Katrina’s cowriting process because while the two of them are unable to really talk about what happened between them, everything they’re feeling comes pouring out onto the pages as they write together. There’s so much passion and emotion flying between them I’m surprised they didn’t melt their keyboards!

If you’re in the mood for a slow-burn, angsty contemporary romance, you’re definitely going to want to add The Roughest Draft to your must-read list.

About Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka

Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka met and fell in love in high school. Austin went on to graduate magna cum laude from Harvard, while Emily graduated magna cum laude from Princeton. Together, they are the authors of Always Never Yours, If I’m Being Honest, Time of Our Lives, What’s Not to Love, The Roughest Draft, and Do I Know You? Now married, they live in Los Angeles, where they continue to take daily inspiration from their own love story.

Website | Twitter | Goodreads | Instagram

Romance Reviews: TO SIR, WITH LOVE & ONCE UPON A ROYAL SUMMER

June 28, 2021/24 Comments/by Suzanne

Happy Monday! Today I’m sharing my thoughts on two fantastic contemporary romances that I devoured this weekend. This was my first time reading a novel from Lauren Layne even though I’ve wanted to for ages, and this was my second novel from Teri Wilson, whose novel The Accidental Beauty Queen I fell in love with a couple of years ago. Also, how cute are these covers together? I just noticed they’re color-coordinated as I was putting this post together, lol.

Romance Reviews: TO SIR, WITH LOVE & ONCE UPON A ROYAL SUMMER

To Sir, with Love Goodreads

Author: Lauren Layne

Publication Date: June 29, 2021

Publisher: Gallery Books

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

I’ve been wanting to read one of Lauren Layne’s contemporary romances for a while now, and when I saw her latest book, To Sir, With Love, being compared to You’ve Got Mail, one of my favorite films, I knew this was the book for me.

The premise of the story is a fun one. Main characters, Gracie Cooper and Sebastian Andrews, meet on a dating app and really hit it off. They haven’t exchanged real names, only referring to themselves as Sir and Lady, and have not met in person, but they regularly correspond through the app and it’s clear they have great chemistry. There’s just one catch. Gracie and Sebastian do know each other in real life, and Gracie can’t stand Sebastian. She thinks he’s nothing more than a greedy corporate big shot who is trying to force her to sell her family’s struggling champagne business.

I had so much fun reading this story. I loved the contrast between the friendly and flirty messages Sir and Lady send to one another versus the outright sparks that fly between Gracie and Sebastian every time they interact. I also loved watching Gracie’s feelings toward Sebastian evolve as she gradually starts to realize he isn’t the monster she had made him out to be in her head. I love a good enemies to lovers story so I was completely invested in the changing status of their very entertaining relationship.

In addition to the relationship between Gracie and Sebastian and their alter egos, Sir and Lady, there’s also a big focus on family that I loved. Gracie’s two siblings feature prominently as they are also part owners of the family business, even though they’ve pretty much abandoned Gracie to run it alone while they live their own lives. There’s a bit of family drama around that, but I did love the bond between these siblings and how they’re able to come together and have an honest and supportive discussion about what to do when it becomes clear the store may not make it. There’s also a wonderful cast of secondary characters who work in the shop with them, as well as Gracie’s neighbor Keva, a quirky chef who pops in at all hours. They all add an extra layer of fun and humor to the story.

There’s also a very important message about the importance of living your own life and following your dreams and passions. Gracie didn’t want to let her father down since it was his dying wish that they keep the business in the family, but it was his passion, not hers. Gracie’s struggle with that is a struggle I think many readers will relate to.

I truly loved everything about To Sir, With Love, from its Manhattan setting to waiting with anticipation to see what would happen once Gracie and Sebastian realized their connection through the dating app. The reading experience was everything I hoped it would be and more and I look forward to reading more from Lauren Layne. 5 STARS

Once Upon a Royal Summer: A delightful royal romance from Hallmark Publishing Goodreads

Author: Teri Wilson

Publication Date: June 15, 2021

Publisher: Hallmark Publishing

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

The tagline on the cover of Teri Wilson’s new contemporary romance, Once Upon a Royal Summer, describes it as “A theme park princess. A real-life prince.” As a Disney fanatic and a romantic at heart, I couldn’t resist the story’s premise and its promise of a modern-day fairy tale. And boy does it deliver!

Wilson grabbed my attention and my heartstrings from the opening pages when we meet Lacey, who works at Once Upon a Time theme park in Florida as Princess Sweetpea. We learn that Lacey’s mom passed away when Lacey was seven and that one of the few joys she had during her mom’s many hospital stays were princesses who would come around and visit the children to keep their spirits up. Lacey remembers how special they made her feel and now she wants to pay that forward by doing her best to make special moments for as many children as she can. I had tremendous sympathy for her for losing her mom so young and I just loved how big-hearted she is.

Our real-life Prince Charming, Prince Henry of Bella-Moritz, is also a lovable character. Henry has brought his young daughter, Princess Rose, to Florida to celebrate her birthday and to let her have a few days where she can just be a normal little girl, without all the pressures of being a Royal, which have already started to bear down on her. When Lacey first meets Henry and Rose, she has no idea who they are. All she sees is a girl who loves princesses and a single dad doing his best to give his daughter the time of her life. Henry’s devotion to his daughter just melted my heart and I just knew from the moment we met him that he would be perfect for Lacey. I was so happy to see sparks between them as soon as they met.

After their initial meeting, Lacey is informed who Henry and Rose are and is charged with giving these VIP guests a magical vacation. I adored watching Lacey spend time with Rose. She brings out the best in her and also makes her happy in a way Henry hasn’t seen since Rose’s mom died. And she does the same with Henry. Henry and Lacey share so many sweet, romantic and flirty moments. At first neither of them can tell if it’s just the magic of the theme park or if there’s really something between them, but the answer soon becomes clear and I was loving every minute of it because I’m just such a sucker for the royal falling for a commoner trope!

There’s so much to love about this story beyond just Lacey, Rose, and Henry. I also really enjoyed the magical, romantic setting, which is split between the theme park and Henry’s charming kingdom of Bella-Moritz. It’s a picture-perfect backdrop for romance. I also loved the fabulous secondary characters, including Ava, Lacey’s best friend who works as Little Red Riding Hood at the theme park, and Ian, Prince Henry’s bodyguard, who is like an uncle to Princess Rose and who according to Ava, looks like a long-lost Hemsworth brother. The Queen is also a pretty great character as she struggles between what is “right and proper” for royals, but is also a caring mother and grandmother who just wants her son and granddaughter to be happy and loved.

If you’re into modern-day fairytales that will warm your heart and leave a smile on your face, I highly recommend Once Upon a Royal Summer. I devoured the story in less than a day so it’s a perfect choice to throw in your bag for a weekend at the beach or to read poolside. 4.5 STARS