Tag Archive for: romance

Reviews: THE COMEBACK SUMMER & THE TRUE LOVE EXPERIMENT

May 15, 2023/14 Comments/by Suzanne

Happy Monday all! I hope your week is off to a great start. Today I’m back to share my thoughts on two of my highly anticipated reads of the spring. Also, here’s a fun coincidence…I didn’t even notice until I went to draft this post that both of these books have something in common. They are both written by author duos writing under pen names.

Reviews: THE COMEBACK SUMMER & THE TRUE LOVE EXPERIMENT

The Comeback Summer Goodreads

Author: Ali Brady

Publication Date: May 9, 2023

Publisher: Berkley

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

I love a good sister story and with their newest novel The Comeback Summer, writer duo Ali Brady really knocked it out of the park! It’s smart, fun, and heartfelt and just had me cheering the sisters on every step of the way.

The story follows Hannah and Libby, who have taken over their late grandmother’s PR firm but are really struggling to make a go of it. If they lose any more clients, they will seriously be in danger of going out of business. Lou, a wildly popular self-help guru, is looking for a new PR firm to represent her but says she will consider Hannah and Libby for the job, but only if they are willing to complete her 12 week “Crush Your Comfort Zone” program. Even though both sisters inwardly cringe at the idea of completing the program, Lou would be a big enough client to save the business, so they reluctantly agree. Lou goes on to customize a challenge for each sister, to help them combat their biggest fears. Hannah, whose comfort zone is numbers, struggles to make small talk to strangers, is tasked with going on 12 first dates. Libby, whose comfort zone is curling up with her cat and a good romance novel, is tasked with a 12 week training program to get her into good enough shape to compete in the annual “Down and Dirty” obstacle course race.

This truly was such a wonderful read! I loved watching the sisters in action and was equally invested in both Hannah and Libby. I really enjoyed how much the story focused not just on their efforts to crush their comfort zones, but also on the dynamics of their relationship as siblings. The authors did a wonderful job of realistically portraying the ups and downs of a self help journey, as well as the natural ups and downs that any relationship experiences. I loved how much personal growth both Libby and Hannah experience and how much they learn about themselves and about each other throughout the process.

There are romantic relationships for each sister as well and I thoroughly enjoyed those. For Hannah, it’s a second chance romance and for Libby, it’s a relationship that happens when she least expects it. While I adored both of their love interests and was cheering them on, I really have to say that it was the beautiful exploration of the theme of sisterhood that made me fall in love with The Comeback Summer. 4.5 STARS

The True Love Experiment Goodreads

Author: Christina Lauren

Publication Date: May 16, 2023

Publisher: Gallery Books

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

Snarky, sexy romance novelist Felicity “Fizzy” Chen was one of my favorite secondary characters from Christina Lauren’s novel The Soulmate Equation. She was one of those fabulous characters who stole every scene she was in and so I was thrilled to hear we would be getting her story in The True Love Experiment.

When we meet Fizzy in this book, however, she’s struggling a bit in the love department and it is spilling over into her professional life, giving her major writer’s block. She would do just about anything to give her personal life a much needed kick in the pants so she can meet her publisher’s deadline.

Enter Connor Prince, single dad and producer of nature documentaries. Connor’s boss wants to pivot from documentaries to reality TV and although Connor is not thrilled, he wants to stay with this company since it means he can live in San Diego where his daughter lives and see her more. Connor has been tasked with coming up with an idea for a reality TV dating series and a chance meeting with Fizzy gives him a perfect idea…if she’ll agree to it. Fizzy at first refuses, but then says she’ll do it, if he meets all her demands, including a hilarious list of hero archetypes that Connor must pull from in order to find acceptable dating candidates for Fizzy.

The chemistry between Fizzy and Connor is absolutely off the charts! It was pretty clear from their first meeting but only becomes more intense the more they work together and interact. I loved how hard Connor worked to find dating prospects that he truly thought would be great boyfriends for Fizzy, but then it was so freaking adorable how jealous he got behind the scenes if she actually seemed to like any of them. The reality TV show was also well done and a lot of fun to read about. I also loved that there was a forbidden love element to the story as well since Connor is technically Fizzy’s boss. It really added some juicy layers of sexual tension that kept me turning those pages to see what would happen between them.

I also adored being back in this world and seeing River, Jess, and Juno again. I thought it was an especially nice touch having the DNA technology from The Soulmate Equation play a part in Connor’s show. With my love for the first book and for all of its characters, especially Fizzy, The True Love Experiment was, no surprise, one of my most anticipated reads of the year and I’m thrilled to report it was everything I hoped it would be and more! 4.5 STARS

Reviews: THE LAST WORD and PRETEND YOU’RE MINE

May 8, 2023/6 Comments/by Suzanne

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

Reviews: THE LAST WORD and PRETEND YOU’RE MINE

The Last Word Goodreads

Author: Katy Birchall

Publication Date: May 2, 2023

Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pretend You're Mine (Benevolence, 1) Goodreads

Author: Lucy Score

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

Publisher: Bloom Books

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

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

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

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

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

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

Romance Reviews: PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT & MEET ME AT THE LAKE

May 5, 2023/12 Comments/by Suzanne

Happy Friday, everyone! It has been a hectic week for me with the end of the school year fast approaching, but I’m planning for a relaxing weekend with nothing but blog hopping and reading on my agenda. Today I’m back to share my thoughts on another couple of romance novels that were highly anticipated reads for me. I’m so excited that so far none of the books I’ve hyped up in my own head have let me down and my winning streak continues with these two. 🙂

Romance Reviews: PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT & MEET ME AT THE LAKE

Practice Makes Perfect Goodreads

Author: Sarah Adams

Publication Date: May 2, 2023

Publisher: Random House, Ballantine, Dell

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

Sarah Adams’ new small town romance novel, Practice Makes Perfect, is sugar and spice and everything nice!

You guys, I don’t know that I have ever loved a fictional setting more than the tiny town of Rome, Kentucky and its wonderful cast of quirky characters. I adored them in the author’s last book, When in Rome, and couldn’t wait to visit them again in this new book. One of my favorite parts of When in Rome was Noah’s close relationship with his sisters, so I was thrilled that this new book would focus on one of them.

Annie Walker is a shy, romance reading, bookworm, who also runs the town’s flower shop. She is the epitome of the “girl next door” and her sweet personality has led the townsfolk and her siblings to nickname her Angel Annie. While the nickname is meant as a term of endearment, it makes Annie feel like she always has to behave in a certain way so as not to disappoint anyone.

When we first meet Annie, she is on a mission to meet her perfect match, a proper respectable husband whose life will mesh nicely with her own. Unfortunately, having had little experience with men, Annie is awkward around most men her age, and according to her most recent date, she’s also downright boring. Annie knows all she needs is some practice with dating and flirting, and so she turns to the one man, who surprisingly enough, doesn’t make her nervous at all, Will Griffin, the sexy, tattooed bodyguard of Noah’s wife, Amelia, who also happens to be the town’s resident pop star.

In many ways, Will really is perfect for the job. He’s a serial dater with no interest in a real relationship, so there’s no danger of either of them forming an attachment to the other. He also clearly has plenty of experience, and the fact that Annie is comfortable around him is a bonus. There’s just one problem – Will is secretly attracted to Annie and if anyone could make him rethink his decision to be in a relationship, it’s definitely her. He can’t resist Annie’s charms though and so he agrees to mentor and fake date her.

I can’t even express how much I love the chemistry between Will and Annie. Their “lessons” were just so adorable and sexy, and I especially loved how Will sees Annie in a way that no one else in the town or even her own family sees her. As much as I enjoyed watching the romantic relationship blossom between them, it was the emotional connection between them, and especially Will’s encouragement of Annie to be who and what she wants to be that really took this story to the next level for me.

Highly recommended for fans of small town, opposites attract romances! 4.5 STARS

Meet Me at the Lake Goodreads

Author: Carley Fortune

Publication Date: May 2, 2023

Publisher: Berkley Romance

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

Carley Fortune’s new novel, Meet Me at the Lake, is a second chance romance that follows Fern and Will. 22 year old Fern meets Will while she is working at a shop in Toronto. Will is a budding artist who has been hired by Fern’s boss to paint a mural in the shop. Fern and Will hit it off and end up spending an amazing day together seeing the sights in Toronto and getting to know one another. Both of them are leaving Toronto soon, but they feel such a strong connection that they vow to meet up in exactly one year in Muskoka, Canada, at the resort Fern’s family owns. One year later, however, Will is a no-show, and Fern is devastated.

Fast forward ten years and the untimely death of Fern’s mom has left Fern as the new owner of the now struggling resort. Fern is still mourning the loss of her mother and getting used to the idea that she now has to run the resort. As if she doesn’t have enough on her plate, she is utterly shocked when Will of all people comes strolling in. He tells Fern that her mother had hired him as a consultant to help her turn things around at the resort. Needless to say, Fern’s emotions are in complete turmoil at the thought of Will reappearing in her life after ghosting her all those years ago.

I have to say right now that I was a little worried going into this novel after the extreme hype that surrounded Fortune’s debut, Every Summer After, but I actually enjoyed Meet Me at the Lake even more. The storytelling and character development are spectacular in both novels, but something about the subject matter in this one just resonated with me more. I especially loved how the story is presented in a dual time line with scenes from Will and Fern navigating their present day awkward situation balanced out with flashbacks from their one amazing day together 10 years earlier. Even though I don’t normally buy into insta-love, Fortune brings that day to life in such a way that I could easily understand why Fern thought she and Will had such a special connection. The picture Fortune paints quickly had me invested in Fern and Will, and although I was initially furious that Will seemingly threw away that connection, my heart broke for him once he finally revealed why he didn’t meet Fern that day and I was really rooting for the two of them to find their way back to each other.

Carley Fortune truly has a gift for making her readers become emotionally invested in her characters. She broke my heart into a million pieces and then slowly put the pieces back together again as I followed Will and Fern’s journey, and that’s the kind of story that is going to stick with me. With Meet me on the Lake, Carley Fortune has cemented her status as an auto-buy author for me and I can’t wait to read more from her. 4.5 STARS

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

May 1, 2023/8 Comments/by Suzanne

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

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

Bear With Me Now Goodreads

Author: Katie Shepard

Publication Date: April 25, 2023

Publisher: Berkley Romance

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jasmine and Jake Rock the Boat Goodreads

Author: Sonya Lalli

Publication Date: April 18, 2023

Publisher: Berkley Romance

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

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

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

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

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

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

Reviews: YOURS TRULY and HAPPY PLACE

April 24, 2023/12 Comments/by Suzanne

Happy Monday all! I’m back today to share my thoughts on two of my most anticipated romance reads of the entire year, both of which just happen to be releasing in April. Both of them are receiving a lot of hype, which made me a little nervous going in, but for me anyway, they both more than lived up to all that hype.

Yours Truly (Part of Your World, #2) Goodreads

Author: Abby Jimenez

Publication Date: April 11, 2023

Publisher: Forever

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

Abby Jimenez’s novel Part of Your World was one of my favorite reads last year. I adored it so much that I immediately went on to binge her earlier series, The Friend Zone, which I also loved. My favorite part about Jimenez’s writing is the way she writes her characters. They’re always just so real and relatable. With her latest novel, Yours Truly, the second installment in the Part of Your World series, Jimenez has given me two of my favorite fictional characters ever, including a new favorite book boyfriend!

The story follows Brianna Ortiz, an ER doctor who is dealing with some pretty major life stressors when we first meet her. She is finalizing a divorce from her cheating spouse, her younger brother has renal disease and desperately needs a kidney, and the promotion she has wanted for as long as she can remember, is about to be stolen out from under her by Jacob Maddox, another ER doctor who has just transferred to the hospital where she works.

What Brianna doesn’t know is that Jacob isn’t actually her rival at all. Jacob recently discovered that his girlfriend was cheating on him with his own brother. He has started this new job in hopes of getting a fresh start and so that he can focus on his mental health, particularly his social anxiety. Jimenez does a beautiful job exploring Jacob’s anxiety, both by showing us how it impacts his life and also by showing us how he copes with it. As someone who also suffers from social anxiety, I felt seen and understood as I was reading Jacob’s story.

I honestly can’t even begin to express how hard I fell for both of these characters! Jacob is the epitome of the soft, vulnerable cinnamon roll and I just wanted to give him the biggest hug every time he felt anxious. I fell head over heels for him when, after the two of them get off to a rocky start, Jacob decides to write Brianna a letter. When he confides to her about his social anxiety, Brianna immediately decides to write back to him rather than confronting him in person, recognizing and respecting that he needs that space. This leads to the most adorable penpal relationship and I found myself grinning every time either of them received a new letter in their lockers. The letters are so sweet and earnest, with a hint of flirty banter, and I loved watching them become more open as they got to know each other. When they actually started hanging out together, I thought my heart would explode with joy and by the time I reached the end, I actually gave the book a hug, which I have never done before, haha!

This book also has all my favorite tropes so I was in heaven the entire time I was getting to know Brianna and Jacob and rooting for them to get together. If you like rivals-to-friends-to-lovers, workplace romance, fake dating, this is the book for you. And as if all of that isn’t enough, the book also features a potty-mouthed scene stealing parrot and a three-legged dog named Lieutenant Dan.

Yours Truly is charming and witty, and it absolutely stole my heart. It’s my favorite read of the year so far and I fully expect it to show up on my Best of 2023 list at year’s end. 5 STARS

Happy Place Goodreads

Author: Emily Henry

Publication Date: April 25, 2023

Publisher: Berkley

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

Emily Henry is just one of those authors who never disappoints. Her latest novel, Happy Place, is one of my most anticipated reads of 2023 and I’m thrilled to report that it not only exceeded my very high expectations, but it’s also my new favorite read from Henry.

The story follows Harriet and Wyn, who have recently ended their years long relationship. The break-up is awkward enough in its own right, but the awkwardness is compounded by the fact that Harriet and Wyn are part of a close knit friend group that dates back to their college years. Harriet and Wyn have been putting off telling their friends for fear of “breaking up the band,” so to speak. This is all fine and good until they head to Maine for the group’s annual vacation getaway. When they learn that the family home they have always stayed at is being sold and that this may be the group’s last trip together, Harriet and Wyn decide it’s easier to just pretend they are still together rather than wreck their friends’ final trip together. It’s only a week, so how hard can it be?

One of my favorite aspects of the story was how Henry incorporates flashbacks from Harriet and Wyn’s past into the story. I loved seeing how they met and became friends and how that relationship blossomed into something more. Seeing how perfect they were for each other made it all the more bittersweet knowing that they were no longer together. It also made me that much more emotionally invested in learning what went wrong between them and if there was any path to a second chance.

While Harriet and Wyn’s relationship definitely drew me into this book, what really took the story to the next level for me was Henry’s moving portrayal of the entire friendship group. There’s a major nostalgic vibe as this group of friends both relives some of their best memories as friends from over the years, but there’s also a sense of fear of the unknown and of drifting apart as their lives are pushing them in different directions. I loved how realistic and poignant that aspect of the story was and how it really allowed for some wonderful character development. I think it’s something that will resonate with many readers. I know it resonated deeply with me.

Filled with Emily Henry’s signature banter as well as heartfelt emotional moments, Henry’s Happy Place is perfect for romance readers who enjoy tropes like second chance romance and forced proximity, as well as for anyone who enjoys a beautifully written story about friendship. 5 STARS

Romance Reviews: THE PLUS ONE & THE NANNY

April 3, 2023/7 Comments/by Suzanne

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

Romance Reviews: THE PLUS ONE & THE NANNY

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

Author: Mazey Eddings

Publication Date: April 4, 2023

Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin

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

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

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

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

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

The Nanny Goodreads

Author: Lana Ferguson

Publication Date: April 11, 2023

Publisher: Berkley Books

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Romance Reviews: BEST SERVED HOT & THE NEIGHBOR FAVOR

February 20, 2023/18 Comments/by Suzanne

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

Romance Reviews: BEST SERVED HOT & THE NEIGHBOR FAVOR

Best Served Hot Goodreads

Author: Amanda Elliot

Publication Date: February 21, 2023

Publisher: Berkley

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

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

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

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

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

The Neighbor Favor Goodreads

Author: Kristina Forest

Publication Date: February 28, 2023

Publisher: Berkley

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

February 6, 2023/18 Comments/by Suzanne

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

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

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

Author: April Asher

Publication Date: February 7, 2023

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

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

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

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

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

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

Just My Type Goodreads

Author: Falon Ballard

Publication Date: February 7, 2023

Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons

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

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

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

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

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

Reviews: ASTRID PARKER DOESN’T FAIL & THE KEY TO MY HEART

December 12, 2022/20 Comments/by Suzanne

Hey everyone, I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. Sorry I fell off the face of the earth again. Work stayed unexpectedly busy this week and then I got bogged down with holiday planning and basically forgot all about the blog. I started playing catch up last night though so if I haven’t stopped by to comment on your posts yet, I’ll be there soon! Today I’m back to review the latest releases from two authors I really enjoy. Ashley Herring Blake is an author I first encountered through her YA novels and I just fell in love with the unforgettable characters she creates. I’m now loving her adult romance series just as much as I adored her YA novels. Lia Louis is an author I just started reading last year and she quickly became a favorite after I read and fell in love with both Dear Emmie Blue and Eight Perfect Hours. She just writes those books that tug at your heartstrings and have you reaching for the tissues. Anyway, I’m thrilled to be able to share my thoughts on both of their latest endeavors.

Reviews: ASTRID PARKER DOESN’T FAIL & THE KEY TO MY HEART

Astrid Parker Doesn't Fail (Bright Falls, #2) Goodreads

Author: Ashley Herring Blake

Publication Date: November 22, 2022

Publisher: Berkley

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

Astrid Parker Doesn’t Fail is the second installment in Ashley Herring Blake’s Bright Falls romance series. When I first met Astrid Parker in the first installment, I’ll freely admit that I couldn’t stand her. Blake worked her magic though and had me loving Astrid by the end and wanting to know more about her.

When the story opens, Astrid has taken over her overbearing mother’s successful interior design business. She is struggling to make a go of it though and, desperate to bring in new business, Astrid agrees to be the designer for the renovation of Everwood Inn, a once successful, but now dated, inn located in town. Not only will she serve as the lead designer, but the entire renovation is being featured on Innside America, a popular home improvement reality TV series.

I’ve really been enjoying the trend of incorporating reality TV series into romance books, and its use here was a winner for me as well, as Astrid’s love interest is closely tied to this renovation project. Jordan Everwood not only grew up at Everwood Inn, but she is also serving as the lead carpenter on the project. Jordan is not overly excited about this renovation because she finds Astrid’s designs impersonal and devoid of any of the charm that makes the inn such a special place. Some of the funniest moments in the book stem from Jordan plotting to sabotage Astrid’s designs. Talk about sparks flying! It was so much fun watching their relationship evolve from being at odds over everything to finally coming together to make things happen.

What I especially loved about Astrid Parker Doesn’t Fail though is that not only did I get to know Astrid better, but Astrid also learns so many things about herself. She realizes that most of her struggles to take over her mother’s business stem from the fact that she actually has no passion for interior design and has only taken over the business because it was expected of her. I enjoyed this journey for Astrid as she slowly realizes that if she wants to be happy and successful in life, she has to strike out on her own and figure out what she’s truly passionate about.

Astrid’s journey of self-discovery doesn’t stop with her career and with stepping out of her mom’s shoes though. Her journey is also one of sexual awakening. When she and Jordan first literally run into one another, Astrid doesn’t really understand the feelings she is experiencing because she has always considered herself solely attracted to men. Once she realizes she truly is attracted to Jordan, she reflects back over her life and realizes she has always been bisexual. I thought Blake did a wonderful job portraying this aspect of Astrid’s personal journey in a very realistic way.

I loved the balance between the hilarious moments, witty banter, and steam that I come to expect from rom-coms coupled with the more serious elements of self discovery that Astrid experiences. It was also just great fun to be back in this world and to see Delilah and the rest of Astrid’s friend group again. Astrid Parker Doesn’t Fail is definitely a solid installment in the Bright Falls series. 4 STARS

The Key to My Heart Goodreads

Author: Lia Louis

Publication Date: December 6, 2022

Publisher: Atria/Emily Bestler Books

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

The Key to My Heart is the third book I’ve read from Lia Louis and I think it’s my new favorite!

When we meet Natalie Fincher, she is just going through the motions from day to day. Life has lost all meaning to her since she lost her beloved husband unexpectedly just over two years ago. She goes to work and she sees her friends enough to keep them from worrying about her too much. They all think she has been grieving long enough and should be ready to move on. I really loved how the author highlights how personal the grieving process really is and that there’s no set moment when a person should be ready to just get on with their lives. I also felt tremendous sympathy for Natalie because she was struggling so much. It was heartbreaking to see her just going through the motions and to learn that she has all but given up one of her life’s passions, playing piano, because she’s so lost in her grief.

Aside from loving Natalie, one of the big highlights of the book for me was when someone discovers Natalie has been anonymously playing at a London train station’s public piano and they start leaving sheet music on the piano for her to find. They leave it anonymously and it’s always one of her deceased husband’s favorite songs. I loved the little element of mystery that this added to the story and couldn’t wait to find out who was doing it and why. It also gave Natalie a much needed distraction as she continues to process her grief.

Aside from the poignant grief story and the intriguing sheet music mystery, I was also a huge fan of the “found family” that surrounds Natalie and helps her start to find her path forward. By the end of the story, Tom, Shauna, and several others who helped Natalie along the way, captured my heart just as much as Natalie did.

The Key to My Heart is a beautifully written story that is both heartbreaking and heartwarming as it explores grief and loss and whether it’s possible to find love and joy in life again after losing your soulmate. 4.5 STARS

Reviews: THE DO-OVER and PRIDE AND PROTEST

November 21, 2022/8 Comments/by Suzanne

Happy Monday and early Happy Thanksgiving wishes to all who will be celebrating this week! I’ll have a couple more posts this week and then I’ll be taking the rest of the week to start preparing for the small meal we’ll have at my house, followed by traveling to my mom’s house this weekend for another celebration. Today I’m sharing reviews for two great new books that hit shelves last week, one by one of my favorite authors, Lynn Painter, and the other by a new-to-me author, Nikki Payne, who I definitely want to read more from now. 🙂

Reviews: THE DO-OVER and PRIDE AND PROTEST

The Do-Over Goodreads

Author: Lynn Painter

Publication Date: November 15, 2022

Publisher: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers

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

Lynn Painter is quickly becoming one of my favorite romance authors. I just love the lovable and relatable characters she creates and I’m an especially big fan of the laugh out loud humor that she infuses her stories with. For those reasons, The Do-Over was already a must-read for me, but throw in the fact that it’s also a time loop story, and I couldn’t pick up my copy fast enough!

The story follows Emilie Hornby, a high school student who has just had the absolute worst Valentine’s Day ever. Between crashing her car into the truck of her aloof lab partner, Nick, and watching her boyfriend Josh cheat on her with another girl, Emilie is just done with this day and heads to her grandma’s house for a sympathetic ear, some ice cream to cheer her up, and a sleepover. Imagine her surprise and horror when she wakes up the next morning in her own bed and it’s Valentine’s Day all over again! After it happens a third time, Emilie starts trying to do little things here and there to break the cycle.

I really enjoyed Emilie’s character. She learns a lot of things about herself while she’s trying to figure out how to escape the time loop, particularly that she’s too much of a people pleaser and needs to learn to stand up for herself more. I think that’s a lesson that a lot of us can relate to, myself included, so I was particularly invested in watching Emilie’s growth in this area. I also loved that the lesson and the subsequent growth came in the form of a hilarious “Day of No Consequences” (or the DONC as Emilie dubs it) where Emilie sets out to please no one but herself and thus shenanigans ensue.

In addition to the DONC, one of the biggest highlights of the book for me was Emilie’s evolving relationship with her lab partner, Nick. I loved watching how Emilie tries different tactics every day of the time loop to try to engage with him more and get him to open up to her. They had wonderful chemistry, even when dealing with the aftermath of a car accident on repeat, and I loved that Nick, who is clearly so much better for Emilie than cheating Josh, plays a huge role in the DONC and in Emilie’s journey of personal growth. Nick’s scenes with Emilie added a more in-depth and sometimes poignant element to an otherwise hilarious story and I was 100% there for it.

Hilarious and heartfelt, Lynn Painter’s The Do-Over is sure to please all of the rom-com fans out there. 4.5 STARS

Pride and Protest Goodreads

Author: Nikki Payne

Publication Date: November 15, 2022

Publisher: Berkley

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

Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice is one of my all-time favorite romance novels, so I’m always eager to read modern retellings that offer a fresh take on this beloved classic. In Pride and Protest, Nikki Payne does just that. Payne sets her story in a poor neighborhood in Washington, D.C. and her version of Lizzie Bennett, Liza B., lives in that neighborhood with her family. Payne’s version of Mr. Darcy, Dorsey Fitzgerald, is the wealthy CEO of a property development company who is set on gentrifying the neighborhood and forcing out poor families.

I found myself immediately invested with both of the main characters. Liza is a young woman who is a staunch advocate for her community and has no interest in playing nice with the man she sees as threatening the security of those she loves. I loved her passion for her community and that she used her voice and her platform as a DJ to bring attention to their plight. Going up against the big developers puts her in the underdog position and I’ll always cheer for the underdog. I also loved Dorsey though because even though he and Liza butt heads right from the start, it’s clear that there’s way more to him than meets the eye and I immediately wanted to know more about him.

Just as with the original classic, the heart of Pride and Protest of course revolves around Liza and Dorsey getting past the hostilities and hurt feelings of their first encounter and realizing that they have more in common than they realized and that they could be exactly what the other needs. I always enjoy this kind of journey and Payne writes this one so well. As much as I enjoyed the sparks when they first went head-to-head in the beginning, I enjoyed that journey from enemies to lovers even more. It’s a slow burn for sure, but the payoff is worth it.

My favorite part of a retelling is the way an author is able to create a fresh new story, while at the same time paying proper homage to the original and Payne succeeds here as well. Most of her characters parallel characters from the original, familiar enough that fans of Pride and Prejudice will recognize them, but they’re still well drawn and layered enough to stand on their own. Liza’s mom, Bev, and her sister, Janae, were especially well done, and I enjoyed both characters immensely.

If you’re in the mood for a fresh take on a timeless classic, you’ll want to check out Pride and Protest! 4 STARS