The Charm Offensive - Alison Cochrun
Published: 7th September 2021
Source: Purchased
Genre: Contemporary Romance, LGBTQ+
My Rating:
In this witty and heartwarming romantic comedy—reminiscent of Red, White & Royal Blue and One to Watch—an awkward tech wunderkind on a reality dating show goes off-script when sparks fly with his producer.
Dev Deshpande has always believed in fairy tales. So it’s no wonder then that he’s spent his career crafting them on the long-running reality dating show Ever After. As the most successful producer in the franchise’s history, Dev always scripts the perfect love story for his contestants, even as his own love life crashes and burns. But then the show casts disgraced tech wunderkind Charlie Winshaw as its star.
Charlie is far from the romantic Prince Charming Ever After expects. He doesn’t believe in true love, and only agreed to the show as a last-ditch effort to rehabilitate his image. In front of the cameras, he’s a stiff, anxious mess with no idea how to date twenty women on national television. Behind the scenes, he’s cold, awkward, and emotionally closed-off.
As Dev fights to get Charlie to open up to the contestants on a whirlwind, worldwide tour, they begin to open up to each other, and Charlie realizes he has better chemistry with Dev than with any of his female co-stars. But even reality TV has a script, and in order to find to happily ever after, they’ll have to reconsider whose love story gets told.
I had been excited about reading The Charm Offensive ever since I saw the first blog review about it. It sounded right up my street as an interesting LGBTQ+ contemporary romance read. I was so excited I actually found myself putting off reading because that is what I do every time I get excited about a new book. Put off reading until I forget why I wanted to read.
Unfortunately, I ended up reading it when I wasn’t in the mood for it. I was hoping once I started I would find myself growing into the right mood for it as that does happen sometimes. That didn’t end up being the case and I dragged myself through reading it. As such, my rating doesn’t truly reflect the book but instead reflects my mood when reading it as I couldn’t enjoy it as much as I hoped. I want to acknowledge that although I didn’t enjoy this one as much as I hoped I adored it for so many of the important conversations it had and the complexities of these characters and the journey they went through. Part of my rating reflects that, because even though I wasn’t in the right mood for this book I can recognise it was good and it might have been an amazing book on another day.
The star of this book, for me, was Charlie. He was an adorable guy who hadn’t had the right people around him in the past to help him realise he was not the problem. He decided to go on a dating show for all of the wrong reasons, he had hoped it would help show he wasn’t crazy or difficult to be around. It was a chance to boost his profile and show himself as real person. He wasn’t looking for love but he ended up finding it anyway, just not with any of the women he was meant to be dating for the show. It was great to see the struggle he faced with his OCD and anxiety and how that he could be perceived as difficult but only because people didn’t understand. He was sweet and honestly never expected to find love as he had never felt sexual attraction before. Until Dev. In some ways it seemed like the mental and emotional struggles of this book would centre on him but Charlie had been through therapy and recognised the importance of his mental health and was trying to build healthy coping strategies into his life. He had good people in his corner so you worried for him but not too excessively. Charlie’s book was about him discovering his sexuality and being brave enough to accept and tell people about it. He had backed himself into a corner signing the contract to star in the show which meant he had to date these women despite the fact he had no interest in any of them, and most of them had no interest in him either. Dev was the one who went through an emotional journey and discovered his faults and acknowledged the mental health journey he needed to go on.
Dev was a sweetheart who believed in love and had rose coloured glasses about the show he worked on. He never meant to develop feelings for Charlie but he did. But really this book was about him accepting his mental health struggles and acknowledging he had depression and then learning how best to live with this. He very much ignored it and tried to push those who cared for him away when he was in a depressive episode as he didn’t seem to want them to associate that side of himself with who he was. That was obviously a terribly unhealthy coping strategy but Dev seemed unwilling to accept help from others and was a touch too independent and isolated despite viewing himself as a romantic and a man who was looking for love and a relationship. It was great seeing him at the end getting help and developing healthier strategies in his life to cope. And most importantly allowing others close to him and help him when he needed it. It was about him acknowledging fairy tales aren’t true and that love is not easy. It doesn’t follow a set narrative and you cannot control it.
Honestly, this book did so much well and I wish I’d DNFed and tried to read it again another day as I would have loved it if I’d been in the right mood for it. Instead, I struggled through and acknowledge the potential there without truly connecting with it which was sad.
Have you read The Charm Offensive, if so what did you think? And if you're a mood reader what was the last book you read and you knew you should like but just weren't in the right mood for it?
In the Middle of Somewhere (Middle of Somewhere #1) - Roan Parrish
Published: 10th July 2015Source: Purchased
Genre: Contemporary Romance, LGBTQ+
My Rating:
Daniel Mulligan is tough, snarky, and tattooed, hiding his self-consciousness behind sarcasm. Daniel has never fit in—not at home in Philadelphia with his auto mechanic father and brothers, and not at school where his Ivy League classmates looked down on him. Now, Daniel’s relieved to have a job at a small college in Holiday, Northern Michigan, but he’s a city boy through and through, and it’s clear that this small town is one more place he won’t fit in.
Rex Vale clings to routine to keep loneliness at bay: honing his muscular body, perfecting his recipes, and making custom furniture. Rex has lived in Holiday for years, but his shyness and imposing size have kept him from connecting with people.
When the two men meet, their chemistry is explosive, but Rex fears Daniel will be another in a long line of people to leave him, and Daniel has learned that letting anyone in can be a fatal weakness. Just as they begin to break down the walls keeping them apart, Daniel is called home to Philadelphia, where he discovers a secret that changes the way he understands everything.
In the Middle of Somewhere was a book I think I added to my TBR because it appeared on a romance recommendation list or something. It has been on my Kindle for so long so when I rolled the Romanceopoly prompt to read a romance with an M/M romance I chose it to give it a shot. I actually kind of thought I might DNF at first because it had been unread for so long, there surely had to be a reason for that right?
I found the start a little slow as we began with Daniel leaving a job interview in Michigan driving through the woods and getting into an accident where he subsequently met Rex for the first time. It then seemed to hop in time to him being back home in Philadelphia. It hopped again to him starting the job he interviewed for in Michigan. He meets Rex again and their instantly getting it on by a tree. The start just seemed to hop from place to place with little context for the change in time. I found it confusing and it really took my our of the book as I had to flick back and see if I missed something when i was reading. I liked the characters of Daniel and Rex though. Daniel was this intense guy who was an English professor and he's had it rough. He wass on edge a lot ready to fight and very untrusting of people and what they said and did. He was like that stray cat ready to scratch you at any sudden movements (can you tell I've recently got a cat and need to now reference cats in every day conversation?). And the most we really learnt about Rex at first was that he was this really large, strong guy who had quite an intimidating presence. He was a sweet cinnamon roll really but that comes later. He was quiet and reserved but he disn't play games, he was very open with most things. In a lot of ways they were opposites but you could instantly tell there was a spark between them and that interested me to see how Daniel would let his guard down and how Rex would speak a little more and help Daniel and himself move forward.
I think I got to the 50% mark and it was going to go either way in terms of me DNFing but at that point I'd gotten so far and I was interested but it seemed like it was going nowhere. They were having sex and occasionally discussing their relationship, I'm all for a low angst romance that doesn't put the characters through the ringer but I needed some kind of plot direction. Thankfully, the last half of the book had Daniel and Rex exploring their relationship more and they were discussing their feelings and revealing their vulnerabiilities. It became less about their physical connection and more the emotional side, which I was much more interested in. Rex revealed his dyslexia which had led to certain misunderstandings at the start of the relationship and Daniel fully recognised his own emotional constipation and inability to ask for help or demonstrate his feelings articulately which is funny considering he was an English professor.
I think Rex revealing his past and his dyslexia was the start of this book getting interesting as the characters became more human and real. Daniel then received shocking news from his family which led to him returning home for a few days with Rex and that exploration of his past and the environment he had grown up in helped again move their relationship forward. The great part was what I expected to be the third act break up for them, Daniel potentially moving away when he was told about a job back in Philadelphia, instead this brought the two of them together and led to them discussing what they wanted in the future as a couple and it was lovely.
I think I've read too many angsty romances as I expected far more conflict in this book and that just wasn't the case here. Instead, whilst there were stumbling blocks to get past their relationship itself was always solid. In fact, I finished the book contemplating reading the next book which centres around Daniel's brother, Colin, which is a big change from potentially DNFing. I just worry there will be higher angst in the next one as Colin has a lot of internalised homophobia to overcome.
The Spanish Love Deception - Elena Armas
Published: 23rd February 2021
Source: Purchased
Genre: Contemporary Romance
My Rating:
The first book I read in 2023 is to be my first review of the year and also my first review in who knows how long. Thank god my first read was such a winner because I’d hate to be posting with negativity when I’ve only just come back.
I admit I did start The Spanish Love Deception expecting to DNF so I suppose I started my year with a bit of a negative mindset but I was wrong. I’m always happy when that happens. I’d bought it a while back after it had appeared in my Twitter timeline and I’m sure I saw Nick raving about it. I mean, it’s fake dating so it was obviously an insta-buy for me in that way but the first time I attempted to read it last year I’d put it down as that first chapter did nothing for me. I figured it was a mood reading thing as I did buy it during the slump season of 2022. But, again, when I started it this year those first few chapters were rough and I had my doubts. Once things got going though I soon got what the hype was about. So I guess you could say there were a few pacing issues but honestly once you get invested in Lina and Aaron’s romance you won’t notice it.
As a romance novel told from a single POV, I did find I struggled a little with the character of Aaron. I loved him and it was obvious from the start he had feelings for Lina, she was one oblivious woman when it came to men, but I did feel he could have been developed slightly more from the beginning as he only became a fully fleshed human within the second part of the book. Until then he was a cardboard cutout of a romance hero. Maybe this was deliberate to show Lina also began to see him as a real person and not some fictional antagonist in her life but it meant I struggled to feel fully invested in this book until later on. That could have been a me issue, it just made me feel a little less invested in their romance and is probably why I struggled to get into the book. I did really enjoy the slow burn of this romance. Lina was always going to take a while to realise Aaron’s feelings for her were anything but pretend so it was fun seeing the ways she twisted things in her head to fit the narrative until she finally realised she was an idiot.
One thing which made me want to keep reading, despite the rough couple of chapters, was the casual sexism Lina had to suffer through at work. I’ve worked in an office for a while now and seen situations like this play out, not to the level seen in the book but those casual moments of sexism which make your blood boil. Like female members of staff being asked to make coffee for a group of managers when there were men in the room too and the manager's office was nearer to the kitchen and they could have done it then damn selves. It was infuriating seeing Alina go through that at the start and it definitely helped endear her to me because I wanted to see her do well. I admit I did want to see a bit more of her work situation than we got but since a lot of the book takes place in Spain I could see why that wouldn’t exactly fit well with the rest of the story.
This was a new to me, but this certainly won’t be the last book I read from her. Luckily for me, it took me so long to get to reading this release she has another book out already so that’s going on the shopping list. First, I need to try and get through a few more books but I can’t wait to read The American Roommate Experiment, fingers crossed it works just as well for me.
Have you read The Spanish Love Deception? I'm sure I'm the last one to get to it, what did you think? And what are your favourite fake relationship romances?
I Kissed Shara Wheeler – Casey McQuiston
Published: 12th May 2022
Source: Netgalley
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary Romance, LGBTQ+
My Rating:
From the bestselling New York Times bestselling author of Red, White and Royal Blue and One Last Stop comes a debut YA romantic comedy about chasing down what you want, only to find what you need . . .
'[A] razor-sharp, intensely compassionate, subversive, sweet, electrifyingly romantic knockout of a book.' Becky Albertalli, author of Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda
A month before graduating from Willowgrove Christian Academy, the principal’s perfect daughter, prom queen Shara Wheeler, kisses Chloe Green and vanishes.
On a furious hunt for answers, Chloe discovers she’s not the only one Shara kissed. There’s also Smith, Shara’s long-time sweetheart, and Rory, Shara’s bad-boy neighbour with a crush. Thrown into an unlikely alliance, Chloe, Smith and Rory follow Shara’s trail of annoyingly cryptic clues, and Chloe starts to suspect that there might be more to this small town – and to Shara – than she thought.
Fierce, funny, and frank, Casey McQuiston’s I Kissed Shara Wheeler is about breaking the rules, getting messy, and finding love in unexpected places.
I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This in no way affected my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
I hadn't seen anything about Casey McQuiston releasing a YA book but when I saw I Kissed Shara Wheeler up on Netgalley I couldn't help but submit a request for it. I'm glad I did but I didn't enjoy it as much as I hoped. This one was definitely a mood reading issue because I forced myself to read it ready to review in May.
As I said, mood reading definitely meant that it took me far longer to feel invested in this book. I did want to know more about Shara Wheeler's Gone Girl style disappearing act and find out what happened but it also felt a little tedious and made me completely dislike her by the time she came back. Although, I wasn't Chloe's biggest fan either so maybe it was right they ended up together as they definitely deserved each other. But the fact I didn't like the two by the end did mean I felt totally uninvested in their romance. I do believe it was deliberate making them both so difficult to like as Chloe herself said she liked unlikable characters and the romantic interest being someone awful in the books she read. There was definite intent there and it was good to see characters who weren't 100% likable being the main characters but it's not particularly what I like to read about.
There were plenty of things which were done well in this book though. The main one was the brilliant and diverse cast of characters. McQuiston is excellent when it comes to writing her characters, which is why I was surprised I didn't end up liking the MCs in this one. I'd felt more invested in Rory and Smith's relationship than anything else. I also felt horrible for Chloe's friends who she began to completely ignore in her obsessive quest to find out where Shara went. But the characters were all definitely complex, even the MCs. I do think the ending where they were all brought together at graduation did work and I liked how they all inhabited different social groups within school and Shara did manage to bring them together even though that wasn't completely the intent behind it all (or not the main one).
The other thing I was impressed by was how she wrote two characters who should be unlikeable, Chloe and Shara, and still made me feel invested in their stories. Shara was the most popular girl in school, she should have been a total mean girl (and she could be viewed in that way to some degree) but I still could see why Chloe was obsessed with her (the both of them went way too far in being invested in the others life. They were basically made for each other). And Chloe could often be a bad friend, she became totally focused on Shara to the let her friendships fall to one side as she pursued the mystery of Shara. I liked that it wasn’t ignored she behaved badly but instead her friends called her out on it and they overcame it all because they realised there were more important things happening. What I’m saying is McQuiston perfectly delivered complex characters who were dicks but also who were kind and caring and how often can you say an author does that without making you hate the character?
This, sadly, won’t be a favourite read for me. But I did enjoy myself once I finally got into the story. Sadly mood reading has a lot to answer for and I do wonder if I might have rated it a touch higher if I’d read it at the right time. but if you want a YA LGBTQ+ novel which has a diverse cast of characters then you should check this out.
Have you read this book, do you agree with my thoughts?
Battle Royal (Palace Insiders #1) – Lucy Parker
Published: 17th August 2021
Source: Purchased
Genre: Contemporary romance,
My Rating:
Ready.
Four years ago, Sylvie Fairchild charmed the world as a contestant on the hit baking show, Operation Cake. Her ingenious, colorful creations captivated viewers and intrigued all but one of the judges, Dominic De Vere, the hottest pastry chef in London. When her glittery unicorn cake went spectacularly sideways, Dominic was quick to vote her off the show. Since then, Sylvie has managed to use her fame to help fulfill her dream of opening a bakery, Sugar Fair. The toast of Instagram, Sugar Fair has captured the attention of the Operation Cake producers and a princess.
Set
Dominic is His Majesty the King's favorite baker, the go-to for sweet-toothed A-List celebrities, and a veritable British institution. He's brilliant, talented, hard-working. And an icy, starchy grouch. Learning that the irksome Sylvie will be joining him on the Operation Cake judging panel is enough to make the famously dour baker even more grim. Her fantastical baking is only slightly more troublesome than the fact that he can't stop thinking about her pink-streaked hair and irrepressible dimple.
Match
When Dominic and Sylvie learn they will be fighting for the once in a lifetime opportunity to bake a cake for the upcoming wedding of Princess Rose, the flour begins to fly as they're both determined to come out on top.
The bride adores Sylvie's quirky style. The palace wants Dominic's classic perfection.
In this royal battle, can there be room for two?
Battle Royal was one of my most anticipated reads in 2021 but the world had gone to shit (seriously, why is it you think it's as bad as it'll get and then it gets worse?). I spent a lot of last year and the year before in a reading slump and in the end, I didn't read this, or any of my other most anticipated reads, until long after their release. I was also absent from blogging so I didn't really see the reviews that came out for Battle Royal before I read it. I vaguely remember seeing people talk about it but the reviews didn't stick in my mind so I essentially got to go into this book blind just knowing there were cakes involved and it was written by one of my favourite authors, Lucy Parker. I’m glad I did it like that because I really went in with no expectations and just with the knowledge I’m reading something new from an author I know.
I know this was her first book with a different publisher and one thing which immediately stood out is there was a slightly different vibe to this book than the London Celebrities books. It was still obviously a Lucy Parker book but I think the steaminess levels were lower and it almost felt like this book should have been a spin off of the London Celebrities world but wasn’t. I weirdly expected to have one of her previous characters pop up but they never did, I did finish the book questioning if it had originally been planned to be a spin off but it really didn’t matter, just an idle thought on my part. Even though there was a slightly different feel to her previous books, it felt a bit tamer but it was still brilliant. You still got the same sass and banter between characters and one thing I always appreciate is that you are given a full cast of characters, even the secondary characters stand out and shine and no one fell flat. I definitely want to read more set in this cake baking version of London and cannot wait for the next book whenever that might be.
Anyway, I loved the idea of this book. Dominic was a judge on a baking show, a sort of far more shabby Great British Bake Off style show, and Sylvie was a former competitor on the show. They were opposites in so many ways, but especially in their banking style. Dominic was minimalist and classic with his cakes whilst Sylvie threw all the glitter and colour at her bakes and they sounded fabulous. Since being on the show Sylvie had established herself with her own store, opposite Dominic’s, but what she really needed was the contract for the cake for the upcoming royal wedding to really solidify her place in the baking world and continue to draw customers. The two were in competition straight away and I loved it. Then Sylvie gets to be a judge on the show she was previously a part of, I’m always a fan of characters being forced to spend more time together. There was a perfect balance of banter and competition to grab your attention and it made me genuinely believe they were falling for each other.
The big thing which worried me was that the royal family was featured as part of the story as I hate seeing royals in my romance (apart from Alyssa Cole’s Reluctant Royals), thankfully they were only secondary characters and they were well written but it was the biggest turn off for me here. Surprisingly, I ended up being really intrigued by the dynamic in the royal household and loved how the princess was a total rebel against the royal traditions. I’m looking forward to seeing more of them.
The biggest drawback is I wanted more of the romance. As I said, much less steamy than her London Celebrities series, which isn’t exactly sex on every page, and I felt like we were focusing on the side plots a lot rather than Sylvie and Dominic falling for one another. It was there and you got romance but I suppose that was the big thing I noticed and wished for more of. I’ll still end up rereading this one again… but maybe not as many times as I’ve read Pretty Face or Act Like It.
If, like me, you are a massive fan of baking shows, then this romance will definitely cause a few smiles and have you debating baking something delicious. Just prepare yourself for a slightly tamer romance which focuses a little more on other things than just the couple. It was brilliant and I really enjoyed it and I know there are more good things to come.
Have you read this book already, what did you think? And please tell me your favourite cake because writing this review made me rather peckish, I don’t even talk about cake and the book reminds me of it.
- I actually read a few books this year I want to chat about and it’ll be quicker doing it this way.
- I didn’t write notes for most of the books I want to review so it’ll be easier to have short reviews of the highlights than long reviews because I’ve forgotten all the details (this is where I need to apologise for being vague but I forgot stuff, ok).
If I Never Met You – Mhairi McFarlane
Published: 1st January 2020
Source: Netgalley & Purchased
Genre: Contemporary romance
My Rating:
If faking love is this easy... how do you know when it’s real?
When her partner of over a decade suddenly ends things, Laurie is left reeling—not only because they work at the same law firm and she has to see him every day. Her once perfect life is in shambles and the thought of dating again in the age of Tinder is nothing short of horrifying. When news of her ex’s pregnant girlfriend hits the office grapevine, taking the humiliation lying down is not an option. Then a chance encounter in a broken-down elevator with the office playboy opens up a new possibility.
Jamie Carter doesn’t believe in love, but he needs a respectable, steady girlfriend to impress their bosses. Laurie wants a hot new man to give the rumor mill something else to talk about. It’s the perfect proposition: a fauxmance played out on social media, with strategically staged photographs and a specific end date in mind. With the plan hatched, Laurie and Jamie begin to flaunt their new couple status, to the astonishment—and jealousy—of their friends and colleagues. But there’s a fine line between pretending to be in love and actually falling for your charming, handsome fake boyfriend...
Headliners (London Celebrities #5) – Lucy Parker
Published: 20th January 2020
Source: Netgalley & Purchased
Genre: Contemporary romance
My Rating:
Sparks fly when two feuding TV presenters are thrown together to host a live morning show in Lucy Parker’s latest enemies-to-lovers contemporary romance.
He might be the sexiest man in London, according to his fan site (which he definitely writes himself), but he’s also the most arrogant man she’s ever met.
She might have the longest legs he’s ever seen, but she also has the sharpest tongue.
For years, rival TV presenters Sabrina Carlton and Nick Davenport have traded barbs on their respective shows. The public can’t get enough of their feud, but after Nick airs Sabrina’s family scandals to all of Britain, the gloves are off. They can barely be in the same room together—but these longtime enemies are about to become the unlikeliest of cohosts.
With their reputations on the rocks, Sabrina and Nick have one last chance to save their careers. If they can resurrect a sinking morning show, they’ll still have a future in television. But with ratings at an all-time low and a Christmas Eve deadline to win back the nation’s favor, the clock is ticking—and someone on their staff doesn’t want them to succeed.
Small mishaps on set start adding up, and Sabrina and Nick find themselves—quelle horreur—working together to hunt down the saboteur…and discovering they might have more in common than they thought. When a fiery encounter is caught on camera, the public is convinced that the reluctant cohosts are secretly lusting after one another.
The public might not be wrong.
Their chemistry has always been explosive, but with hate turning to love, the stakes are rising and everything is on the line. Neither is sure if they can trust these new feelings…or if they’ll still have a job in the New Year.
The Bromance Book Club (Bromance Book Club #1) – Lyssa Kay Adams
Published: 5th November 2019
Source: Netgalley & Purchased
Genre: Contemporary romance
My Rating:
The first rule of book club: You don't talk about book club.
Nashville Legends second baseman Gavin Scott's marriage is in major league trouble. He’s recently discovered a humiliating secret: his wife Thea has always faked the Big O. When he loses his cool at the revelation, it’s the final straw on their already strained relationship. Thea asks for a divorce, and Gavin realizes he’s let his pride and fear get the better of him.
Welcome to the Bromance Book Club.
Distraught and desperate, Gavin finds help from an unlikely source: a secret romance book club made up of Nashville's top alpha men. With the help of their current read, a steamy Regency titled Courting the Countess, the guys coach Gavin on saving his marriage. But it'll take a lot more than flowery words and grand gestures for this hapless Romeo to find his inner hero and win back the trust of his wife.
This both has an excellent romance and celebrates the love of Gavin and Thea and why they should most definitely not give up on their marriage. But it also celebrates the brilliance that is the romance genre and the joy it brings to many a woman but also the fact they are strong feminist reads that are harshly judged simply because a large part of the female population enjoys them and if it's popular and consumed by women it must be bad (that is a whole other rant to have and one which other people have done far better than I ever could).
I was falling in love with Gavin from the first time he was stuttering and heartbroken over his wife asking for a divorce (yep, you read that right, divorce is on the table with this one so it’s a high stakes romance). He was far too easy to love. He was a husband head over heels for his wife. He was an excellent father who so obviously loved his daughters. And he was a man terrified of failing at his marriage and being unloved and losing the person he adored and would do anything for. I couldn't not like him. Thea was a harder sell. I understood her many hang-ups and why she was so adamant that she wanted a divorce after Gavin's numerous failures to be a good husband but her stubbornness and unwillingness to forgive made it slower for me to love her. She was hard and put up a wall and as you learn her backstory you realise where she’s coming from. Does it justify her being so harsh on Gavin? Maybe not, but you come to see until she tackles some of her past no matter what Gavin does she would never forgive him and take him back. I was dying for her to give him a second chance and it was so much fun to see her slowly breaking her walls down for Gavin and realising that she could move forward as a person and still keep her loving husband. The two things were not mutually exclusive. It took her a while to reach that realisation. They could both support each other on their career paths and her life didn't need to be left on hold any longer.
The secondary characters in this book were spectacular as well. I hated Mack right along with Gavin initially but as the book progressed I loved his sassy comments and just his whole character. He added lighter moments when things were getting a bit tense and this book wouldn't have been the same without him. and Gavin and Thea's daughters Ava and Amelia! I normally am very wary of kids in romance as they never feel real. Nothing felt more real than those pair throwing up after overeating at Thanksgiving.
I loved reading the dissection of romance novels by these menly men. Sports players are like the epitome of alpha male so seeing them breaking the stereotype with their book club was great and talking about romance novels so seriously just had me smiling. I had so many scenes highlighted from when the book club was meeting up because these guys together were the best.
I cannot say enough good things. I pre-ordered my ebook copy and I need to get me a paperback copy for my shelf too. This way I can force all of my friends to read this book too. It’s one which deserves to be shared. Now I just need to get around to reading the second book because it’s been waiting on my Kindle forever.
Final thoughts: where can I find me a man to read romance novels with in bed? Folks who read romance together stay together.
And those are my vague reviews. How many reviews do you prefer to see in these group book reviews by the way? I hate to do too few but I don’t want to overload you either? I am not very good about finding a happy medium with posts.
Source: Netgalley/Purchased
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
My Rating:
The thing is, the letters don't always tell me truths about myself. Sometimes they tell me truths about other people. And Reid Sutherland is - was - one of those people.In the last year, Meg Mackworth's beautiful hand-lettering skills have seen her rocket to social media fame, and now she has a booming business crafting stationery for the stars. But she has a secret: sometimes, she just can't resist hiding messages in her work. Slightly unprofessional, maybe - but harmless. Right?Analyst Reid Sutherland and his gorgeous fiancée had their future mapped out. Until he noticed a pattern in his wedding invitation that made him think twice.When Meg looks up from her desk one day and sees Reid standing in front of her with no wedding ring, holding the invitation she created, she thinks that her career is over.But her life may be about to begin . . .Escape into a beautiful world of craft and romance that will grab hold of your heart and never let go.
This book really made me want to sit down with my bullet journal and just get creative. The book just felt inspiring and I feel like it was the way it was written. I was in Meg's head and her creative thinking was catching. I wanted to write and draw and plan! I love a book inspiring you along with an awesome story. And it made me want to go out walking. To look at signs and see the lettering around me. It also made me want to drop a whole bunch of money on a flight to NYC (again). So, you know, inspirational. This book was inspiring and I just wish that level of inspiration had stayed with me for longer than a couple of weeks. I do still keep trying to walk about and noticing the things around me, though. So I guess this book changed me? We’ll see how long that lasts, though.
I did love how although Meg was quiet and averse to confrontation she did totally call out Reid when he cracked on with the potential mansplaining. And then later on you learn his ways aren't rude that's just his awkwardness coming through. It was so lovely seeing them both grow and come out of their shells and the twists and turns in each of their stories was wonderful to see. They were just these adorable awkward couple who had so much going on and it was nice to see a couple slowly coming out of their shell and once you realise they’re both crushing on each other and that’s why there’s something weird going on because they’re holding back from letting all of their feelings coming out. And then you later learn there’s more going on with Reid and that’s why he’s been reserved and almost shady.
Make Me Fall (Books & Brews #2) – Sara Rider
Published: 24th September 2018
Source: Purchased
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
My Rating:
Enemies make the worst neighbors, but the best lovers.
After losing her job, her home, and her friends in her divorce, Nora Pitts is determined not to make the same mistakes when she starts over in the small town of Shadow Creek, Washington. No more slaving away in the lab at the expense of her social life, and definitely no more men. Ever. But making friends in her thirties is so much harder than she anticipated. And when it comes to her gorgeous yet obnoxious neighbor, it’s a whole lot easier to make enemies.
Eli Hardin doesn’t have a lot of sympathy for his uptight neighbor, until he overhears her so-called new friends making fun of her un-datable status. Suddenly he finds himself volunteering for a date with a woman who’s been leaving angry hate-notes in his mailbox, and in way over his head. Because all it takes is one disastrous date with Nora for Eli to fall hard.
But falling for Eli isn’t something Nora’s ready for—not when he’s her complete opposite, and especially not when he turns out to be the best friend she’s made in Shadow Creek. But as her attraction and her feelings for Eli grow hotter, resisting him might just lead to heartbreak anyway.
Desire and the Deep Blue Sea (Love Unscripted #1) – Olivia Dade
Published: 18th July 2019
Source: Purchased
Genre: Romance, Contemporary, Novella
My Rating:
They're pretending. Until they aren't.
Thomas McKinney has never wanted a woman the way he wants Callie Adesso. Since she started working alongside him at the Colonial Marysburg Research Library, he's spent his desk shifts fumbling pencils, tripping over his own feet, and struggling to remember both the Dewey Decimal System and the existence of her inconvenient boyfriend. Now, however, Callie is suddenly single--and in need of a last-minute faux-boyfriend for an episode of HATV's Island Match. Thomas is more than happy to play the part...and in the process, convince Callie that a week together isn't nearly long enough.
Callie has never found a man as irritating as she finds Thomas. He may be brilliant, kind, and frustratingly handsome, but the absent-minded librarian also makes every workday an anxiety-inducing exercise in stress. Even seven days in paradise by his side won't change her opinion of him. Really. No matter how attentive he is. And gentle. And sexy.
One plane ride later, the two of them are spending long, hot days under the sun and on display, pretending to be in love for a television show. This may be a vacation, but it's also an act--as well as Thomas's last chance to persuade the woman of his dreams to include him in hers. And soon, the island heat isn't the only thing steaming up HATV's cameras...
Callie breaks up with her boyfriend right before she is due to go on a reality TV show where couples go on a romantic trip to three islands in the Caribbean before being treated to a luxury break when they choose their favourite. She really needs the holiday after the stress of starting a new job, the frustration of working with a co-worker who seems to more of a hindrance than a help, and she needed the break after the stress of being stuck in a relationship with someone she didn't love. She really needed that holiday, so what did she do to get it? She lied like any sensible woman would that she already had a new boyfriend and could he not go instead? Only problem? She doesn’t have a new boyfriend and idiotically she has already proposed the very coworker who she needs a break from being the boyfriend. Look, I never said Callie was always smart. But this is also a romance so you know it all works out in the end.
Published: 22nd April 2019
Source: Netgalley (but also purchased)
Genre: Romance, Contemporary
My Rating:
Freddy Carlton knows she should be focusing on her lines for The Austen Playbook, a live-action TV event where viewers choose the outcome of each scene, but her concentration’s been blown. The palatial estate housing the endeavor is now run by the rude (brilliant) critic who’s consistently slammed her performances of late. James “Griff” Ford-Griffin has a penchant for sarcasm, a majestic nose and all the sensitivity of a sledgehammer.
She can’t take her eyes off him.
Griff can hardly focus with a contagious joy fairy flitting about near him, especially when Freddy looks at him like that. His only concern right now should be on shutting down his younger brother’s well-intentioned (disastrous) schemes—or at the very least on the production (not this one) that might save his family home from the banks.
Instead all he can think of is soft skin and vibrant curls.
As he’s reluctantly dragged into her quest to rediscover her passion for the stage and Freddy is drawn into his research on a legendary theater star, the adage about appearances being deceiving proves abundantly true. It’s the unlikely start of something enormous…but a single revelation about the past could derail it all.
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