romance novel

Promise Me Sunshine

Promise Me Sunshine released earlier this month, thank you to the publisher for the ARC!

This was a beautifully written, tender story about a woman learning to live again after a devastating loss. 

Lenny’s best friend in the world, her person, passed away and her world is just absolutely rocked by it. She’s living in a cycle of temporary nanny gigs, afraid to make a commitment to anyone, and also afraid to return to her apartment she shared with her friend so she wanders the streets and sleeps on public transportation. She meets Miles, uncle to one of her charges, and he offers to help her work through her “live again” list, while she helps him bond with his niece. 

The grief was handled so beautifully – both characters have suffered losses but are at different stages in the grief cycle and I just thought the representation felt so real and authentic. They bonded over their grief but also helped each other work through it. Despite all the grief, there was still humor and a bit of romance throughout. 

The blurb says it’s a romance, and I’m not quite sure I agree with that – it definitely read more woman’s fiction to me, with a romance that kicks in ⅔ of the way in (at least for Lenny. Miles was obviously in love with her from the beginning)

It didn’t quite top Ready or Not for me, but I did like it a whole lot! 

Beautiful Exile

Happy Tuesday! Beautiful Exile is out today, thank you to the author for the ARC. 

I always love being back in Sparrow Falls!

This is Arden’s story, who’s been a bit of a mystery throughout the series, and it turns out she’s one of my favorite CC heroines ever! How can you not love a FMC who holds the MMC at knifepoint upon first meeting him?? 

It’s got everything I love and want in a Catherine Cowles book – small town, (found) family, underestimated but strong FMC, protective MMC, romance, suspense, Lolli,  and this time throw in a hilarious meet cute too!

Definitely check this one out if you’ve loved this series so far too!

Fan Service

Fan Service is out now! Thank you to @berkleyromance for the free book! #BerkleyPartner #Berkley #BerkleyBookstagram

This was a unique book! I really really loved the premise – a washed up actor seems to be following the path of his once beloved character on a long running tv show: turning into a werewolf. He doesn’t know who to turn to for help, so he finds the moderator of the fan page for his show, because no one knows more about his old character than her.

It started off so strong for me, it was laugh out loud funny and like I said the premise was so fun, but ultimately I was kind of bored and wanted more to happen. 

So overall it was funny but not a true winner for me personally. I’d still say check it out if you like a himbo MMC or loved 90s The WB/CW paranormal dramas!

Story of My Life

Happy Tuesday! Story of my Life is out now and it’s small town romcom perfection! I received an ARC, but all opinions are my own. 

Lucy Score came out swinging (with a dead fish) in the first addition to this new series. Honestly I am not always the hugest romcom lover anymore, but this one was romcom done right for me – full of humor, irreverence, and a whole buttload of heart. 

I loved the new in town, fish out of water vibes of city girl Hazel moving to small town Story Lake on a whim, starting over when life wasn’t going her way. She was a once popular romance author struggling with writer’s block, so when the hunky small town contractor working on the dilapidated house she bought starts to stir up some creativity in her, she asks him to keep inspiring her with a fake date, and maybe more. The banter between Hazel and Cam was hilarious, and boy were those two attracted to each other. 

I loved the romance but I also loved the supporting characters and side plot. The town was so fun and quirky, and I loved how they banned together to try to save their town. 

It felt like one part Schitt’s Creek, one part Hart of Dixie, with the close proximity, exasperated,   I-want-to-tear-your-clothes-off vibes of Nick and Jess from New Girl (all my favorite things.)

Definitely check it out if you are a fan of the author’s Blue Moon series, or just quirky small towns in general. 

I really just loved everything about this!

On Loverose Lane

Happy Thursday! On Loverose Lane is out today, thank you to the author for the ARC. 

It’s so great to be back in the On Dublin Street world! This is a next-gen story following our OG ODS couple’s daughter, though you can read it as a standalone.

It’s a second chance, fake dating romance between Beth, the CEO of her own successful company, and Callan, a popular footballer. They had a brief dalliance as teens that ended quickly, but Callan still has hurt feelings over it so he’s not happy to see he’s moved into an apartment building next to his old crush.  He’s even less happy when Beth ropes him into fake dating her to help her business. 

The banter between the two was hilarious, and Beth was not afraid to put Callan in his place. I love a FMC that takes no shit! It was at times emotional, though overall I found it heart warming and sexy, and while I loved the nods to the original series, it still felt young and fresh. The mental health/anxiety rep was great to read about as well. 

It felt like coming home! 

The Last Guy on Earth

Happy Tuesday! The Last Guy On Earth is out today, thank you to the author for the ARC.

I loved this! No one does hockey romance like Sarina, and it is always a joy to return to this world. 

This is a second chance romance with some forbidden vibes, between a hockey coach and the player transferred to his team. They played in the minors together years ago and had a burgeoning romance at the time, but their career took them in different directions until they’re suddenly dropped back into each other’s lives.

They had a lot of hurt feelings over the past, and I loved watching them work through those emotions while also trying to maintain a professional front. Both characters were really great, both separately and together. I really enjoyed all the secondary characters, and seeing our old friends from series past.

I just really loved it! 

Dream Girl Drama

Dream Girl Drama is out now! Thank you to the publisher for the ARC. 

This started like a fairy tale, with a great meet cute – very instalove but in a way that felt dreamy and meant to be, that is until later that night when Sig and Chloe find out their parents are engaged to be married. Suddenly, their fledgling relationship turns out to be very forbidden in their circle.

I really liked Sig a lot – he’s a typical Tessa Bailey hero, totally, completely, out of his mind, gone for his lady. He’s willing to do anything for Chloe, sacrificing everything to afford her the spoiled lifestyle in which she’s accustomed and ensure her safety and security.

If you’re in it for the regular Tessa vibes – laugh out loud humor, steam, obsessed hero, then this one definitely has it in spades. 

For me, the pining and longing were great, but ultimately, the entire plot hinged on this “forbidden” relationship that just wasn’t really that forbidden or taboo. A little weird? Maybe. It was a lot of drama about something that really wasn’t that dramatic. They could give a People magazine interview and clear the whole thing up in ten minutes. 

The hints for the next book do have me excited and I’m quite looking forward to their story, even if this one wasn’t a true winner for me!

All The Missing Pieces

All The Missing Pieces is out now! Thank you to the publisher for the ARC and the author for the ALC. 

There’s not much I like more than small town romantic suspense from Catherine Cowles!

This brings us Ridley and Colt’s story, which is a complete standalone. Ridley travels the country in her van, making a true crime podcast when she rolls into town to investigate a cold case that’s very close to Colt’s heart. He doesn’t appreciate her stirring up trouble in his town and reopening old wounds.

They started off very antagonistically which I love. I also love when opposites attract, so the straightlaced sheriff MMC facing off with (and eventually living with) the free wheeling FMC was a lot of fun. 

The mystery kept me guessing and I did not figure out who the “bad guy(s)” is/were in advance, which is the best. 

I loved it! I read it twice – first with my eyeballs, second with my ears as I tried to pick up on any clues I missed the first time. The audiobook was well done, especially the FMC (the MMC sounded a little old for the character for me but still great!)

Wyatt

Wyatt is out today! Thank you to the author for the ARC

This one is for the mutual pining lovers! This is a childhood friends to fake dating to lovers romance between Sally and Wyatt, who we met in Cash. 

I loved this! I’m not always a fan of friends to lovers but I thought this was really really well done. It felt realistic why neither would have made a move before now, and I loved watching their relationship grow and change as they finally did admit feelings. 

I loved both characters separately and together. Sally is driven and ambitious but still has space for her family, friends, and community. She’s a good girl, following the dream her father set out for her, but I loved that she finally stood up for what she wanted and found her own path. 

Wyatt is, on the surface, a bit of a class clown, always flirting and trying to make people laugh. He’s faced some loss in his life that makes him scared to commit, that is until he finally gets a chance with his dream girl Sally. Oh, did I love the way Wyatt loved Sally. He loved her in big ways and small ways and it just filled my heart with so much joy. He’s a man who is not afraid to show emotion, not afraid to make a grand gesture, not afraid to ask for help to win over his girl.

Together their relationship just felt meant to be – these two opposites sure had common ground in each other and I just thought it was a beautiful romance. It’s a romance that actually feels romantic but also has some very dirty (complementary) scenes that had me sweating – it was sweet and spicy in the best way. 

Overall, I just really really loved this addition to the Lucky River Ranch series and can’t wait for Sawyer!

Bourbon & Secrets

Happy Friday! Bourbon and Secrets is out today, thank you to the author for the ARC.

There is something so sexy about this series! The writing is lush, the characters are smart and confident, and the steamy scenes are spicyyyy. It’s not noir but I get those same slinky, sensual, vibes.

This is book two in the series, which features Lincoln, the middle Foxx brother and widowed single dad. He shares a slightly complicated past with our FMC Faye (including a little blackmail over events which ran her out of town five years ago) but she’s back under suspicious circumstances and the two just can’t seem to stay away from each other. 

They start off very antagonistically with lots of banter and jabs but it quickly turns into more, despite them both hiding a lot of secrets. I loved how their relationship changed and evolved and it was a delight to watch them fall.

Aside from the romance, which I loved, I also loved Faye’s relationships with Lincoln’s daughters and also her newly found friends in Hadley and Laney, who we met in book one. I also all around love the Foxx family, the distillery setting is just stunning, and I just really really love this series!