Tag Archive for: romance

Reviews: HELLO STRANGER & THE SUMMER OF SONGBIRDS

July 10, 2023/21 Comments/by Suzanne

Hello Stranger Goodreads

Author: Katherine Center

Publication Date: July 11, 2023

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio

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

Katherine Center has done it again! Her new novel Hello Stranger was one of my most anticipated reads of 2023 and I’m thrilled to share that it not only met my very high expectations, but it actually exceeded them.

Hello Stranger follows the protagonist Sadie Montgomery. Sadie is a gifted portrait artist and when we meet her, she has just placed as a finalist in a prestigious portrait painting competition. She is beyond ecstatic until she is quite literally blindsided by a life changing event and finds herself in the hospital diagnosed with “face blindness.” The doctors hope her condition is temporary, but there’s no way of knowing how long it will last. If Sadie’s career involves painting faces for a living, how is she supposed to do her job and how is she supposed to paint her competition entries. Needless to say, Sadie is distraught.

What always draws me to Center’s books is how strong her heroines are in the face of adversity. No matter how big of an obstacle they face, there’s always a sense of perseverance and hopefulness and we see this with Sadie as she sets out to cope with her situation and try everything in her power to get those portraits painted. I’m not very familiar with face blindness, but I thought Center did a wonderful job of handling the condition with respect and sensitivity, while at the same time, infusing Sadie’s journey with her signature warmth and humor.

Another area where I really appreciated Center’s humor revolved around Sadie’s complicated relationship with her father, her stepmother and her evil stepsister, Parker. There’s a nice balance between dramatic moments and humorous ones as Sadie interacts with them, especially Parker, who loves to torment Sadie on a regular basis anyway, but being able to prank her without being recognized is just too irresistible for her.

While much of the story focuses on Sadie’s journey as she copes with face blindness, there is also a romantic element. Even though Sadie cannot see their faces, she finds herself attracted to two very different men she encounters while looking for distractions from her situation. One is her new neighbor, an obnoxious yet endearing guy named Joe, and the other is the veterinarian who saved her beloved dog, Peanut’s, life. The timing is of course terrible because she has more important things to worry about than her love life, but she cannot deny that she’s attracted to both men. I loved watching Sadie navigate her way through this love triangle she didn’t expect to find herself in and was more than satisfied with how this aspect of the story plays out.

Filled with relatable and realistic characters, witty dialogue and a storyline that is both heartwarming and humorous, Katherine Center has another winner on her hands with Hello Stranger. It’s easily one of my favorite reads of the year so far. 5 STARS

Note: I read an advancer’s reader’s copy and listened to an advanced listening copy. The audio was an absolute delight, and Patti Murin’s narration is *chef’s kiss*.

The Summer of Songbirds Goodreads

Author: Kristy Woodson Harvey

Publication Date: July 11, 2023

Publisher: Gallery Books

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

I probably say this every time Kristy Woodson Harvey has a new book published, but I think her latest, The Summer of Songbirds, is my new favorite from her.

The story follows four women who come together to try to save the summer camp that made them into the women they are today. June Moore owns Camp Holly Springs and has been welcoming girls there for over 30 years. While it was a fun summer haven for the girls, over the years it has also become a haven for June to hide away from the world and her troubles. June’s niece Daphne and her two best friends, Lanier and Mary Stuart, met at Camp Holly Springs. The bond that formed between these three during their summers at the camp has only strengthened over the years and they are now like sisters to one another. When they learn that the camp is in trouble, it’s all hands on deck and what starts as a mission to save their childhood happy place ends up becoming an adventure that will change their lives forever.

The bond of friendship between Lanier, Daphne and Mary Stuart was the major highlight of this book for me. From the time they were children, these women have been there for each other through thick and thin, and they truly take care of one another. Each of them is going through something throughout the course of the book and while the friendships are mostly beautiful and supportive, there’s also real talk when it’s needed, particularly when it comes to telling someone something they’d rather not hear. I really appreciated how authentically KWH portrays these friendships. It felt like I was reading about my own best friends and I just loved that!

The theme of second chances and forgiveness is also very prominent in The Summer of Songbirds. Daphne, Lanier and Mary Stuart value their friendship enough that they will always try to do what it takes to repair their friendship if things go wrong between them. Then there’s also the matter of second chances in love. Lanier met her first love through Camp Holly Springs, while Daphne met her first love through Lanier. Being back at the camp and seeing their first loves again makes both women realize that those feelings are still there and wonder if second chances are in the cards for them. I was fully invested in both of these romances as well and really enjoyed watching them reconnect while at the same time, revisiting the memories from their summers together at camp.

I don’t want to say anything else because you really have to experience it yourself, but it really is a beautiful story all around. Filled with nostalgic summer camp vibes, amazing female friendships, and more than one second chance romance, The Summer of Songbirds is the perfect beach read! 5 STARS

Romance Reviews: BUSINESS OR PLEASURE & IN THE WEEDS

July 6, 2023/18 Comments/by Suzanne

Business or Pleasure Goodreads

Author: Rachel Lynn Solomon

Publication Date: July 4, 2023

Publisher: Berkley

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

I’m a huge fan of Rachel Lynn Solomon’s novels. She just never misses when it comes to delivering heartwarming romances filled with humor and relatable characters, and I knew within the first few pages of Business or Pleasure that I was going to love it.

Chandler is a celebrity ghostwriter. She would rather be writing her own books, but she’s not ready. When she attends a signing for one of the books she wrote and the celebrity she worked with doesn’t even recognize her, Chandler heads to the nearest bar to drink away her frustration. While there, she hooks up with a charming man named Finn, but what starts out as a sexy one-night stand, ends up being the worst sex Chandler has ever had.

Then as if things weren’t awkward enough, she learns the celebrity she’ll next be working with is none other than Finn, who is an actor on a cult classic werewolf TV show.

I adored watching Chandler and Finn as they are forced to be together for months while they work on Finn’s memoir. They try so hard to keep things professional even though there are clearly some feelings there, and I just loved watching them grow closer and closer in spite of themselves. There’s of course plenty of witty banter and fun moments that kept me thoroughly entertained.

One highlight for me was how Chandler addresses her previous sexual encounter with Finn. She decides she’s not doing women anywhere a favor by letting Finn think he’s doing a good job in bed and so she tells him the truth. Finn strikes a deal with Chandler to teach him some tips on how to help better satisfy his partners. I loved how Solomon writes these spicy scenes, with Chandler & Finn having very open discussions about sex & the art of pleasuring a woman. I loved how this new aspect of their relationship makes it even more challenging to keep things professional.

Other highlights included the wonderful Jewish rep, OCD rep, & the he falls first & forced proximity tropes.

Rachel Lynn Solomon definitely has another winner on her hands with Business or Pleasure! 5 STARS

In the Weeds (Lovelight) Goodreads

Author: B.K. Borison

Publication Date: July 4, 2023 (reissue)

Publisher: Berkley

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

In the Weeds is the second book in B.K. Borison’s Lovelight romance series and it is a sweet and steamy delight! The first book in the series, Lovelight Farms, was one of my favorite holiday reads this past Christmas. I just adored the small town setting, the family-owned Christmas tree farm, and all of the quirky townsfolk, so I couldn’t wait to return to this world and visit Lovelight Farms during a season other than Christmas.

In the Weeds follows Evie and Beckett. Evie is a popular, no nonsense social media influencer, while Beckett is a grumpy tattooed farmer. Don’t let his grumpy exterior fool you though because on the inside Beckett is the gooiest of cinnamon rolls and a kitten rescuer, to boot. We meet Evie and Beckett briefly in the first book and it’s clear there is major chemistry and also something unresolved between them. It turns out that the two of them had a steamy one night stand that was so good, they extended it to a several night stand.

Beckett has been pining for Evie ever since, which is adorable by the way, and when Evie unexpectedly shows up at Lovelight Farms, he’s really hoping there’s a second chance in the cards for them. Evie is there for other reasons though. She has become burnt out and unhappy with her career and is looking for a reset. She wants to “find her happy” and the last place she remembers being truly happy was when she visited the tiny town of Inglewild and Lovelight Farms.

I really enjoyed this book. I loved Evie and Beckett together and found myself rooting for them to make the most of the second chance they’ve been given. Their scenes together are a mix of fun, sweet, and positively swoony moments and I was fully invested in every page of their slow burn journey.

In the Weeds is the perfect follow-up to Lovelight Farms. It was everything I hoped it would be and more! Highly recommended for fans of second chance and/or grumpy sunshine/opposites attract romances, small town vibes and close knit family vibes. 4.5 STARS

Reviews: CIAO FOR NOW and SAME TIME NEXT SUMMER

June 12, 2023/10 Comments/by Suzanne

Happy Monday everyone! I hope you all were able to enjoy the weekend and, most importantly, spend some quality time reading good books. Today I’m back to share my thoughts on what I think are going to be two very popular beach reads this summer. Between their sunny and vibrant covers and their promise of romance and happily ever afters, I think readers are going to find them irresistible. I know I did!

Ciao For Now: A Romantic Comedy Goodreads

Author: Kate Bromley

Publication Date: June 6, 2023

Publisher: Graydon House

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

In Kate Bromley’s new rom com Ciao for Now, Violet Luciano, a talented student of fashion design, has landed the opportunity of a lifetime. She gets to spend a month in Rome, Italy, interning at a popular fashion house and competing against two of her fellow classmates for the chance to secure a job at a major label back home in NYC. Violet knows this experience will change her life, but she has no idea how much!

What’s the opposite of a meet cute, a meet ugly? Almost as soon as Violet lands in Rome, she manages to trip and fall in a cafe, crash landing on a sexy man, crushing his laptop and dousing him in coffee. He is clearly not impressed and Violet can’t wait to get away from him, but guess what? Turns out he’s Matteo, the grumpy son of the professor who is hosting the students from New York so they’re staying in the same place. 😂

This was such a fun read! I love the enemies to lovers and forced proximity tropes so I had a blast following Violet and Matteo as they awkwardly navigated their way around each other, only to, of course since it’s a romance, eventually develop feelings other than hate for one another. I loved both characters and thought they had amazing chemistry.

I also loved hanging out with Violet and her endearing classmates as they interned in the fashion world. I don’t know much about fashion but it was fun exploring that world with them and watching them design pieces for their contest.

One of my favorite parts about the story though was that Violet is somewhat older than her classmates and has returned to school to find her passion. Her journey to Rome is also a journey of self discovery.

This is my third time reading Kate Bromley and I have yet to be disappointed. If you like rom coms, Italian settings, fashion design, and journeys of self discovery, you’ll definitely want to check out Ciao for Now! 4 STARS

Same Time Next Summer Goodreads

Author: Annabel Monaghan

Publication Date: June 6, 2023

Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons

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

Oh, how I do love a second chance romance! Annabel Monaghan’s new novel Same Time Next Summer features my favorite kind too – childhood sweethearts who are reunited after years apart. The nostalgic vibes and the sweet flashbacks showing a first love in bloom are just pure catnip for me.

Same Time Next Summer follows Sam, a young woman who has returned to her parent’s Long Island beach house to start planning her wedding. On the surface, Sam’s life seems perfect. Her fiancé is a handsome doctor and she has the perfect job. But the more we get to witness Sam in action, the more it becomes clear that things aren’t nearly as perfect as they seem. There’s trouble with her job, and her doctor fiancé isn’t quite the catch he should be. When Sam runs into Wyatt, her childhood sweetheart who she hasn’t seen in almost 14 years, it becomes clear that Sam has just been going through the motions both personally and professionally.

Monaghan does a wonderful job of alternating between past and present so we can witness the moving story of Sam and Wyatt when they first met, became friends, and then fell in love and then see them reconnect as adults and realize that they still have very strong feelings for one another. It made me sad to see what initially drove them apart but the bond between them is so strong that I felt confident that if Sam were to choose him, they could have a happily ever after.

The romance is lovely, but this is a story that features more than just a second chance at love. Sam’s return home, and everything she experiences while there, serves as a wake up call and a second chance for Sam to have the life she has always wanted professionally as well as personally. This creates a perfect balance between romance and women’s fiction. As someone who loves both rom coms and romances that have a little more meat to them, I loved the extra layers Sam’s personal journey added to the story.

Featuring a poignant second chance romance as well as a moving journey of personal discovery, Same Time Next Summer is a read that will appeal to so many readers. And with its vibrant beachy setting and nostalgic summer vibes, it’s the perfect book to toss in your beach bag this summer! 4 STARS

Reviews: MRS. NASH’S ASHES & MARRYING OFF MORGAN MCBRIDE

June 6, 2023/17 Comments/by Suzanne

Don’t mind me, I’m still playing catch up on my reviews. I thought I was done with May releases but then remembered I hadn’t share my thoughts on these two lovelies yet. Anyway, these really are the last of my May releases and I’ll be back to share some June releases later this week.

Reviews: MRS. NASH’S ASHES & MARRYING OFF MORGAN MCBRIDE

Mrs. Nash's Ashes Goodreads

Author: Sarah Adler

Publication Date: May 23, 2023

Publisher: Berkley Romance

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

As soon as I read the synopsis for Sarah Adler’s debut romance Mrs. Nash’s Ashes and saw it described as “A starry-eyed romantic, a cynical writer, and (the ashes of) an elderly woman take the road trip of a lifetime that just might upend everything they believe about true love,” I knew this was my kind of book. I love road trip books and grumpy-sunshine romances, and I also love quirky twists like someone’s ashes going along for the ride. This book had the added bonus of a dual timeline and second romance featured as a story within the story, which just made this read all the more special.

When the story opens, Millicent Watts-Cohen (Millie) is on a mission to keep a promise to Mrs. Nash, her elderly best friend who has recently passed away. Millie had promised to reunite Mrs. Nash with Elsie, the woman she fell in love with nearly 80 years ago. Mrs. Nash of course dies before Millie is able to find Elsie, but once she locates her and realizes that Elsie is in hospice care, Millie is determined to give these ladies a symbolic happily ever after. When we meet Millie, she is at the airport preparing to fly to Elsie in Key West with three tablespoons of Mrs. Nash’s Ashes in her bag.

A technological glitch causes all the flights to be grounded, so Millie, with no time to waste, agrees to catch a ride to Miami with Hollis Hollenback, whose flight was also grounded but who has a car. Their journey starts off rather awkwardly since Millie knows Hollis through her ex and because Millie can’t believe what a grump Hollis is. Thankfully the more time they spend in the car together, the more comfortable they get around each other and the more Millie is able to bring out Hollis’ cinnamon roll side. The more she is able to coax out that cinnamon roll side, the more Hollis becomes invested in making sure Millie gets to Elsie in time and it soon becomes all too clear that these two are starting to have feelings for one another. Their road trip is full of both hilarious and heartfelt moments, including a side trip to a tiny town where Millie ends up serving as Grand Marshal in a Broccoli parade, haha!

As hilarious and entertaining as Millie and Hollis’ road trip adventure is, I also love that it’s perfectly balanced with chapters that take us back in time to where Mrs. Nash and Elsie first meet and fall in love. Their chapters are just so beautiful and heartfelt, but are also tinged with sadness since it’s nearly impossible for them to have a future together because of the time period they are living in. My heart broke for the two women and it made perfect sense to me why Millie was so determined to reunite them in whatever small way she could.

Mrs. Nash’s Ashes just has so many wonderful layers to it. There’s a strong romcom element, but there’s an equally strong more dramatic one, but then there’s also an element of grief and loss. It’s truly a special book with a little something for every reader. 4.5 STARS

Marrying Off Morgan McBride Goodreads

Author: Amy Barry

Publication Date: May 30, 2023

Publisher: Berkley Romance

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

Set in Buck’s Creek, Montana in the 1880s, Marrying Off Morgan McBride is the second installment in Amy Barry’s The McBrides of Montana series, a historical romance series that focuses on the four McBride brothers finding love. There’s just one catch to that – none of the brothers are actively looking for wives. Junebug, their 14-year old sister, has decided she’s tired of being the one to do all of the cooking and cleaning and so she gets the idea that if she secretly sends out advertisements for mail order brides, then maybe she’ll get lucky and her brothers will get married and then she’ll have some help around the house!

This series is such a good time! It might be a historical romance, but Junebug is definitely the star of the show and it is hilarious to watch her pull the strings and orchestrate everything that happens between her brothers and their potential love interests. Junebug’s shenanigans had me chuckling all the way through the first two books in the series. I especially love how she writes these advertisements making her brothers sound like the absolute worst, that way any prospective wife will be pleasantly surprised when she actually comes to Buck’s Creek to meet them.

In this second book in the series, Junebug sets her sights on marrying off her gruff, oldest brother, Morgan. Junebug adores Morgan because since their mom died and their dad ran off years ago, Morgan has been like a father to Junebug. Junebug knows that Morgan is dying to hit the trail and get back to his life as a cowboy and is hoping to secretly find him a wife so that he won’t leave her. And it wouldn’t hurt if this wife happened to be a good cook and an even better baker of pies, haha.

I really enjoyed all the characters in this book. It was fun to see all of the quirky townsfolk again, and I especially love Pip, the woman who answers Junebug’s ad. All her life Pip has been led to believe that she’s not pretty enough or feminine enough to land a husband and had just about given up hope until she saw Junebug’s ad and its cooking requirements. Pip may not be a lot of things, but she is a fabulous cook so this gives her the confidence to head to Buck’s Creek and a new life. I loved watching Pip strike out on her own in search of happiness rather than just let herself be confined to spinsterhood and taking care of her parents who clearly don’t appreciate her. Pip’s chaperone on this trip, Granny Colfax, is also a hoot who could give Junebug a run for her money in the shenanigans department.

There’s obviously a romance as well, and it’s a slow burn one. I really enjoyed watching Pip and Morgan get to know one another. Morgan is pretty determined to send her away so as to discourage Junebug from continuing with her matchmaking antics, but he has to admit that Pip gets under his skin from the moment he laid eyes on her. I liked how Pip was able to get past Morgan’s gruff exterior to reveal the big hearted man beneath. She gets him to open up about emotions he has kept bottled up for years so as not to worry his siblings, namely the guilt and sense of failure he feels regarding his mother’s death.

If you enjoy historical romance with a hefty side of laugh out loud humor, be sure to check out this series. You won’t be disappointed. 4 STARS.

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