second chance

In A Second

Happy Saturday! In A Second released this week, thank you to the author for the ARC. 

Ohhhhh boy did I love this. You may have heard my talk about my love of In A Jam (or not, I’ve been very subtle hehe) but this is a worthy successor and if you know me you know what high praise that is. 

Audrey and Jude had such a delicious second chance romance. It has so many elements I love- fake engagement, road trip, forced proximity, only one bed, devoted single dad. It’s more than a list of tropes though, it’s a deep and emotional story of these two love birds finding their way back together after her family drove them apart years ago.

I truly loved them both, together and separately. Their journey is not an easy one, they really have to work through their past and present-day troubles. They both make mistakes, especially Jude, but in a way that felt so realistic to me. The journey is also not a short one but I love a long book that keeps me invested in all 500ish pages. I would have gladly read another 500 pages of their love.

I also of course loved revisiting the other characters from this series and broader world. I love that the author’s books have me like Charlie Day in front of his serial killer board. I do think you could read this as a standalone, though I of course recommend reading In A Jam as well  😉

Tis The Season For A Cowboy

Tis The Season For A Cowboy is out today! Thank you to the author for the ARC. 

I enjoyed this angsty and heartfelt second chance Christmas romance!

If there’s one thing I enjoy in a wintery romance it’s a snowed in/forced proximity trope, and add in a divorced couple stuck together in the cabin they once owned together at Christmas? Yes. Please. 

Hank had pined for his wife the whole time they were separated, so he was willing to do what it took to win her back during their Christmas together. I love a yearning MMC! 

There are definitely some triggers here as part of the angst so be careful to check trigger warnings, but overall if you are looking for an angsty second chance Christmas novella, definitely check this one out. 

I’d say if you loved Kandi Steiner’s The Christmas Blanket this would be right up your alley! 

Secret Haven

Secret Haven is out now! Thank you to the author for the gorgeous trope ARC.

Oh, my heart. Love love loved this! Definitely my favorite of the series and a top all time fave from the author. 

This is book six in the series, and the clues have been laid out through the series for this couple. Man, did I love them! We’ve seen the connection between them but I loved getting to know their real backstory. The love, the sacrifice, the yearning, all chef’s kiss perfection.

I don’t want to say too much because some of the elements of the book surprised me and I want the same for you but I will say I just loved everything about how this story unfolded. And as always, I did not properly guess who the bad guy(s) was/were and especially not the why. 

I loved this whole series but Catherine really saved the best for last here! Love! 

Left of Forever

Happy Tuesday! Left of Forever is out now, thank you to the publisher for the ARC. 

Oh man did I love this book with my whole heart.

We got a glimpse of Wren and Ellis’s relationship in Savor It and I knew we were in for a treat with this second chance romance (you can read it as a standalone though!) but it blew my already high expectations out of the water.

It was a tender second chance story, between a couple who met when they were young, had a baby while they were still young, and tried to make a marriage work despite the odds being against them. Though things didn’t work out as planned with their marriage,there was obviously so much love and affection between them. 

I loved the careful way Ellis worked to win Wren back. He was thoughtful and considerate, and his love for his wife shined through his every action. I just really loved him as a character. I also really loved Wren, she was strong and competent and did her best at life. 

Their journey was at times heartbreaking, but also heartwarming. I really really enjoyed this! Easily one of my favorite books of the year. 

Dream On, Ramona Riley

I’m a big fan of Ashley Herring Blake’s writing so I was so excited when @berkleyromance sent this one my way! Thank you for the free book! #BerkleyPartner #Berkley #BerkleyBookstagram

This is one is perfect for anyone looking for:

-Spicy, small town, sapphic romance

-they’re both bisexual

-Celebrity x normal person

-Opposites attract

-sorta second chance

I will be honest, I’m not a big fan of celebrity romance in general so I can’t say this is my favorite by the author, but I think that’s just a me thing.  I did think it was well written, I enjoyed that it was very spicy, and I always love a small town romance!

Code Word Romance

This was such a fun listen! Thank you to @PRHAudio for the ALC #PRHAudioPartner .

I love a destination romance, and add in action & adventure and I was hooked. It’s a second chance romance, but wasn’t really angsty or emotional which kept the story pretty light and fun. 

If you’re looking for a fast paced, exciting romance without a lot of angst, I definitely recommend checking it out. It would be a perfect beach or airplane read when you just want something fun

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! 

Penn

Happy Thursday! Penn by Jennifer Millikin is out today, I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. 

The Princess Bride is my favorite movie, so when I saw the author was coming out with a series loosely based on it I just had to read it! This would be Westley and Buttercup’s story, though we are also getting stories based on Inigo, Fezzik, and Humperdinck (???) too! 

Even if you haven’t seen or read The Princess Bride, this was still a cute small town romance, between two childhood friends who were separated in their teens but are brought back into each other’s lives as adults and just can’t stay away from each other.

Penn is in town to sell his late mother’s house, only he’s doing so under an assumed name so he doesn’t have to face his past. He’s a former SEAL who’s time in the Navy (like a pirate hehe) ended after an injury, and the physical therapist he finds in town just so happens to be his former best friend Daisy (like Buttercup!)  who he has always loved. The only problem? Daisy is engaged to the town prince, only she’s not in love with him. 

The relationship between Penn and Daisy was heartwarming, the connection just jumped off the pages and I loved the added angst of her being engaged to someone else. It’s definitely a slowwwww burn but it pays off by the end. It feels a bit like a fairytale, which makes sense given its inspiration. 

There are quite a few references and parallels to The Princess Bride and I thought it was so fun to find them!  But truly they are more like easter eggs so again if you haven’t seen it you’ll be fine.  

Out of the Woods

Out of the Woods is out now! Thank you Dell Romance for the ARC. 

This was a gorgeously written, tender, soft hug of a book.

We met Sarah and Caleb in Out On A Limb, where they appeared to be a perfect happy couple. They were childhood sweethearts who got married as teens, and now in her 30s, Sarah is questioning her life and whether she has anything to show for herself outside of being Caleb’s wife and has grown to resent her situation. Her best friend recommends a marriage retreat in the form of a hiking expedition with a group of strangers, and Sarah is just desperate enough to take her up on it.

Sarah is a great character, it’s a single POV from her so we get to learn all about her and what shaped her into the person she is today. She’s a bit lost and adrift, not sure what she wants from life but she knows she can’t stay stagnant where she is.

It’s technically a “marriage in crisis” story but that’s really only from Sarah. Caleb, sweet Caleb, loves his life and his wife and will do anything to keep her even if it means a week long hiking trip with strangers. I just really, really, loved him and his big heart. 

I really enjoyed their journey and all the quirky characters they were on the trip with. I also especially loved that this couple was childfree by choice, which was reaffirmed multiple times throughout the book. Their HEA looked different than we normally see in romance and I LOVED it.

Since this is really one woman’s journey to self acceptance, I think this was women’s fiction rather than romance, but nonetheless I swooned, I cried, I laughed.

What an excellent book!