second chance

The Co-Op

The Co-Op just re-released recently, thank you to the publisher for the early copy in exchange for a review. It sounds like it’s been re-written a bit so I’m not sure how it compares to the original!

This is a second chance marriage of convenience romance between two people who inherit a house together and have to rehab it in order to get it on the market. 

LaRynn and Deacon were great characters, they’re both big people with big personalities and big opinions. They have excellent banter and they’re kind of mean to each other (LaRynn especially, but Deacon likes that) which I really enjoyed, and it felt realistic especially with their history. I loved the setting and the construction details, though I really could have used more of those to be honest.

It was a very character driven story, these two are orbiting around each other in a close space with a lot of hurt feelings from the past, and it felt a bit slow at times for me because of this. That being said, again, it did feel realistic to me. Working through the past takes time, I’m just impatient!

Overall though I thought it was a great story, especially if you love character driven plots with a crap ton of banter!

Make The Season Bright

Make the Season Bright is out now! Thank you to Berkley Romance for the ARC.

I really enjoyed this second chance holiday romance!

Charlotte & Brighton were childhood friends to lovers to fiancées before Brighton ran away on their wedding day, leaving Charlotte at the altar. It’s five years later, the two have gone their separate ways, until they’re reunited at Christmas while staying at their respective friend’s (who happen to be sisters) house for the holiday (Surprise!)

It was like a queer hallmark movie, jam packed with snowy holiday activities, from cooking classes to skiing to looking at holiday lights. It also had a good bit of steam, awesome supporting characters, and I really enjoyed the setting.

I did like both characters, they’re both wonderfully flawed and I especially liked Charlotte’s closed off nature (I love a colder heroine, genuinely.) We got bits and pieces of their history that led to where they are today and I really enjoyed getting to know them.

I struggled a bit with the second chance portion, it’s hard for me to wrap my mind around forgiving someone who left me at the altar in front of all my friends and family. There’s a lot I can forgive but public humiliation isn’t something I think I could ever get over. But good thing it’s a book and it isn’t actually about me!! 

Overall though I thought this was a thoroughly enjoyable holiday romance that I definitely recommend, especially if you are looking for something (per the book) ‘cheery & queery’!  

Northern Twilight – Samantha Young

Northern Twilight is out today! Thank you the author for the ARC. 

I always love returning to Ardnoch! 

In this we get Lewis and Callie’s story, who we first met in their respective parents’ stories, and now it’s their turn to shine. This is a second chance romance, they were childhood friends to teenage lovers, but wanted different things post school. They reunite briefly and their one night stand results in an accidental pregnancy.

This was very much an “it’s always been you” kind of romance, you just knew these two were meant to be and I loved all the angst and longing this brought. They’ve had seven years apart, and neither managed to quite move on successfully so suddenly being back in each other’s lives is quite an adjustment – at least for Callie.  

Lewis was more all-in, and what’s not to love about a tatted, man bun wearing, motorcycle riding architect who knows what he wants (and has quite a dirty mouth on him!)

I loved how their relationship progressed and that we got flashbacks to where it all went wrong. It was sweet, it was steamy, there was some angst, and we got to revisit some of the other characters from previous books, so I loved it!

Bananapants – Penny Reid

Bananapants is out today! Thank you the author for the ARC.

Whew this book surprised me in the best way! It starts off very rom-commy, with lots of jokes and lightness, but eventually it hits you with all the emotion and you find yourself crying on a plane next to a stranger (that might just be me??) 

This features next-gen characters from the author’s Knitting In The City series, our FMC is Greg and Fiona’s daughter and the MMC is Janie and Quinn’s son, so our KITC favorites do show up here as supporting characters. 

Desmond, the MMC, has bipolar and ADHD, currently under control, but it has caused a lot of problems for him in the past. There’s exploration of how this affected his relationships, first with Ava, but also with his family and that’s what had my heart breaking. 

It was really interesting to read about, and I feel like I learned a lot. It did not shy away from the realities of living with mental illness so please check out the trigger warnings if needed. However, it also was a good message that everyone is deserving of love, regardless of what your brain tells you. 

Ava is a bit of a quirky girl, she’s a straight laced tax attorney but is quite naive about life. She never quite got over her childhood bestie leaving her and moving away at 15, and never managed to find that connection with someone else again. Though it’s never explicitly stated I think she’s demisexual and it was nice to read about that. 

I loved them together, they accidentally run into each other again after a decade apart and both immediately have big feelings again. Once Des realizes Ava might be into him too, the entire course of his life changes and I just love how all in he was. 

It was funny, it was tender, it was smart, it made me cry. I loved it! 

Crossroads

Crossroads is out today! Thank you to the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. 

She’s done it again! Devney Perry yet again has me packing my bags because I’ve decided to move to Montana, get a job at a resort, and find myself a cowboy. 

Crossroads brings us the story of Indya and West, a love story spanning years between these childhood friends who turn into so much more. Each summer, Indya and her parents visit West’s family’s ranch/resort in Montana and we follow as they grow up and fall in love. With dual timelines, the present day story brings us Indya’s return to the ranch with the bombshell news that she’s bought the ranch from West’s dad. 

The two butt heads as Indya makes changes to the resort and I was living for their banter and tension. They were immediately both drawn into each other again and it was just a delight. Their story packed a real emotional punch as well, there is a lot of grief and loss Indya especially has to work through but West does as well. 

I loved the setting, the side characters, and it sets up really well for book two which I’m already ready for! 

I loved this beautiful story! One thing about me is I take my bedtime very seriously and the fact that I stayed up until 1 am to read it, on a work night, basically in one sitting, tells you how much I really really loved it! It’s easily one of my favorite books by the author and definitely one of my favorite books of the year. 

I Wish I Knew Then

Like a cold glass of sweet tea on a warm summer’s day, I Wish I Knew Then is a refreshing and very southern treat.

Riley and Louise had a whirlwind summer relationship when they were 18, only for Riley to unceremoniously dump Lu at the end of summer. It’s ten years later and the two run into each other at their respective best friend’s wedding, and Riley decides not to let Lu get away this time. 

Riley was a man determined, he sacrificed for love once before and wouldn’t make that mistake again. Louise is fresh off a long term relationship and not so sure she’s ready to start something new, especially with the man who broke her heart ten years before. 

It’s a very sexy story, full of exploration and rekindled feelings, but it’s also a warm and cozy story about a small touristy southern town and the wedding the two were brought together for. It’s also brimming with food descriptions that had my mouth watering as is common with any Jessica Peterson. Oh, and butt stuff. 

It’s a fairly low angst story, just a sweet second story with a lot of spice. I enjoyed it a lot! 

Forget Me Not

Forget Me Not by Julie Soto releases tomorrow! Thank you to the publisher for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest review. 

Well this was an amazing debut!

It’s a second chance romance between Ama, an up & coming wedding planner, and Elliot, her ex boyfriend and the florist already contracted to do the wedding Ama has just signed on to plan. It’s a well known influencer’s wedding that could launch her wedding planning career, so she’s forced to work beside the man who she shares a history with, which is unraveled through flashbacks as the book progresses. 

Both characters were interesting and I liked Ama’s growth throughout the book, but the real winner for me here was Elliot. He comes across as grumpy and maybe a little rude but he’s so soft and gooey on the inside. He’s absolute book boyfriend material and I’m still swooning over the deliberate way he took care of Ama, even after she broke his heart. Also, he has a thigh tattoo. 

Look, I’m not a fan in general of dual timelines (I lose interest when the timeline changes and I never feel like we get enough of them together in the present day because so much time is spent in the past) but I did appreciate that the past chapters were told from Elliot’s POV. He’s an outwardly stoic character so it was a much needed insight into what he was thinking. 

The writing is light and funny but still emotional at times when it needed to be and it was honestly hard to believe this was a debut. There’s a good bit of steam, excellent supporting characters (I’m going to need Mar’s story next, thx), and a fun plot set around planning a splashy wedding. 

Overall this was a really great read! Especially if you like dual timelines!

Good As Gold

Good as Gold by Sarina Bowen is out today! I received an eARC in exchange for an honest review and loved it so much I ordered the paperback immediately. 

Man it’s good to be back in Vermont! Returning to this world felt like a warm hug. It doesn’t hurt that Matteo Rossi is one of my favorite heroes the author has ever written!

Matteo is the slightly mysterious brother who was missing from his sibling’s books, and he has returned home for a family wedding and to make amends for all the time he’s missed. Coincidentally, the girl he loved as a teen has recently divorced his former best friend and is looking to make a baby. What better dad than her old friend Matteo?

I actually loved this premise, I know a lot of people hate accidental pregnancy trope but this was the exact opposite of that. Leila was taking control of her life and trying to get what she’s always wanted. Matteo was willing to do anything to make Leila happy, even before things turned romantic between them.  These characters were slightly older than what we often see (they were around my age, I’m not calling them old) and I appreciated the maturity that came along with that.

Matteo and Leila were friends first, romantic second, and I really enjoyed their easy going respectful relationship. I liked how they progressed from friend to lovers and while I am not always a fan of flashbacks, they were used well here to explain the past relationship.

It was great to be back in Vermont and see some old favorites, and I’m excited for more! Nash’s story already has me intrigued. 

Dough You Love Me

What a sweet second chance romance!  Dough You Love Me? by Stacy Travis is a standalone in the Donner Bakery series and it releases tomorrow in KU! Have bread nearby when you read this one

Julia has returned home to Green Valley under unfortunate circumstances: her beloved grandma has died, and she has to sell the family home. Though she needs to return to her bread empire in California, she agrees to help out at the Donner Bakery while she’s in town to return to her love of bread making. The only problem is Shane, her former high school crush, is already the bread baker there. The two have to work side by side and it’s hard to ignore those old feelings.

There was some internalized ableism going on with Shane as a teen so if that’s a trigger for you I’d steer clear but after reading the author’s note I felt better about it. We’ve all felt not good enough or like an outsider, only for Shane one of his differences was fully visible for the world to see and that affected how he approached life. 

I really enjoyed the sweet relationship between them and how it all played out. It was a great story and I liked it a lot! Truly a great kickoff for this Smartypants season!

Heart of Gold

Happy Friday! Heart of Gold by Jenny Bunting released yesterday into KU and I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

And so the end of the Finch Family series has arrived. 

We get Emily’s story, the only Finch daughter and mother to Olive. It’s a second chance romance with Olive’s father, set ten years after they shared a torrid week together. Due to a series of miscommunications they lost touch and when Max re-enters her life, those old sparks kick right back up. The only problem? They’re both seeing other people. Oh, and Max has no idea Olive exists.

Their second chance romance is tender and slow burning as they reconnect a decade after they both inadvertently broke each other’s hearts. I loved watching Max and Olive connect and explore their similarities. Max is a sweet and kind hero, willing to do anything for Emily and Olive. Emily is a strong character who is understandably cautious about what’s happening after a decade apart. 

I loved seeing all the Finch couples existing together and I loved how the epilogue wraps up the series! You can find the complete Finch Family series in Kindle Unlimited.