Playing House by Ruby Lang

3*

Playing House, the first book in the Uptown series by Ruby Lang, is a short novella featuring two urban planners in New York City. In just about 100 pages, there isn’t much time to develop a complete love story, but it’s a fun read nonetheless. Fay and Oliver, who have been casual acquaintances for years, run into each other at an open house. Fay is being harassed by a stranger, so she latches into Oliver when he walks in and they’re mistaken as a couple by the realtor. They continue this ruse as they attend more open houses together, all the while starting to develop romantic feelings for each other. After divorcing a year before, Fay is just getting back into dating while Oliver is struggling with his feelings of inadequacy since losing his job and having to move in with his successful younger brother. He’s working freelance and is waiting to hear if he’ll get an interview with Fay’s small firm. However, he fails to mention it to her because he fears she’ll think he’s only using her to get a job. She has trust issues, so it’s not a big surprise what happens next. There isn’t much character development given the brevity of the story, but it’s a cute and sexy read for what it is. Hopefully we’ll get more of their story in Book 2.


I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Carina Press through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Once Upon a Bad Boy by Melonie Johnson

3*

Once Upon a Bad Boy (Sometimes in Love #3) is Sadie’s story. After years struggling to be taken seriously as an actress, with critics chalking up her Emmy-winning role on a soap opera to her rich family’s influence rather than her talent, she’s finally won the part of a lifetime as the gutsy heroine in a major action flick. So, the last thing she needs is a major distraction in the form of her teenage love, Bo Ibarra. Unfortunately, he’s the stunt coordinator for the film and there’s no escaping him. On the night of their senior prom, he ended their relationship without explanation, telling her he didn’t want to see her again. For ten years, she mentally boxed up her pain and avoided following news of him. Now it’ll take all of her self-control to fight the attraction that is still there and avoid exposing the secret from her past. This second-chance romance wasn’t as well-written as the first two books in the series. The chemistry wasn’t as strong and Sadie, who is supposedly a tough, self-confident woman, is way too forgiving of Bo, first for the way he ended their teen relationship and then for his reaction when her secret is revealed. Compared with Logan in Book 1 and Theo in Book 2, Bo is lacking in charm and genuine passion for his love interest. It’s still a great series to follow, but here’s hoping the next book recaptures the magic of the first two.


I received a complimentary ARC of this book from St. Martin’s Press through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Things You Save in a Fire by Katherine Center

5*

Possible spoilers:

Cassie Hanwell is a stellar, tough-as-nails firefighter and paramedic with the progressive and modern Austin Fire Dept. After a moment of passionate, righteous anger, she puts her job in jeopardy when she refuses to apologize. When her estranged mother asks Cassie to move east to help her after she loses sight in one eye, she agrees because taking a job in a chauvinistic, old-school Massachusetts firehouse is her only hope of salvaging her career. She is counseled by her female fire chief in Texas to be better than the men, to not show emotion, and to not date a fellow firefighter if she hopes to be accepted as one of the guys. This won’t be a problem because she doesn’t believe in love and her job is her life. However, her resolve is tested when she begins to fall for the sweet, kind-hearted rookie, Owen Callaghan, who faints at the sight of blood and bakes cookies in his free time.

On her 16th birthday, Cassie’s mother moved away and she was raped by the boy she had a crush on. In the decade since, she has walled herself off from emotion and focused on routine, order, and safety. She has survived, but the price has been loneliness. As she begrudgingly spends more time with her mother whose health continues to decline and acknowledges that she feels safe with Owen, she begins to realize how much she has lost by pushing away the people she loves. Ultimately, this is a book about forgiveness, feminism, and toxic masculinity, and how destructive and lonely it is to hang onto anger. This is one woman’s journey to rediscover love after devastating loss and betrayal. It speaks to how talented author Center is that she has managed to infuse humor and a sweet romance into a story that could easily have been darkly dramatic. Highly recommended for fans of Susan Wiggs and Kristan Higgins.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from St. Martin’s Press through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Smitten by the Brit by Melonie Johnson

4*

Smitten by the Brit, the 2nd book in Johnson’s Sometimes in Love series, is the much-anticipated love story between Theo Wharton, Duke of Emberton, and Bonnie Blythe who readers met in Getting Hot with the Scot. As friends of the first book’s protagonists Logan and Cassie, they first meet on a river cruise in London. It’s obvious from the start that there’s an attraction, but Bonnie is engaged to her long-time boyfriend Gabe back home in Chicago. As this book opens, Bonnie discovers Gabe in bed with his advisor’s assistant, so she impulsively accepts a summer professorship at Cambridge where she inevitably runs into Theo, unaware that he’s a Duke. Between her trust issues and his bitchy mother who continually reminds him of his obligation to marry for money to keep their ancestral estate and family from financial ruin, the path to love is anything but smooth. Will Theo’s sense of obligation be stronger than his love for Bonnie? Johnson’s sophomore effort is just as delightful as her debut with the same cast of characters along with Theo’s family. In addition, there’s the beauty of Scotland and England, steamy sex scenes, and enough misunderstandings to keep readers guessing whether this star-crossed couple will be able to have their happily-ever-after. This one will appeal to romance readers who love a bit of aristocracy in the mix.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from St. Martin’s Paperbacks through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Sunshine Over Bluebell Castle by Sarah Bennett

4*

In the second book of the Bennett’s Bluebell Castle series about a set of triplets who are struggling to restore the family’s ancestral castle and open parts of it to the paying public, we get Igraine’s (Iggy’s) story. Her passion is landscaping, so she has taken on the overwhelming task of recreating the gardens using the original plans. With money and time in short supply, especially with opening day only four months away, Iggy is going to need help and she knows just the man for the job: award-winning celebrity gardener and bad boy, Will Talbot. However, when she calls to ask him if he’ll take the job, she catches him at an inopportune time and he rudely turns her down. So when he turns up a few days later (running from a sticky situation and intrigued by the photos she’s sent him), she rudely wants to kick him out the door. Will she be able to put her animosity aside long enough for him to work his magic on the gardens and perhaps on her as well?

There are so many wonderful aspects to recommend this story: the relationship between the triplets, Tristan’s optimism (can’t wait for his story in book 3), the slow-burning, sexy (but not steamy) relationship between Iggy and Will, their vision for the gardens and how they work together to bring it to life, the story behind Will’s decision to become a gardener which got him off a path of destruction, and even the intriguing visit by their bitchy absentee mother, Helena. On the flip side, there’s prickly Iggy’s mistrust of Will (twice judging him guilty without giving him a chance to explain) and the vicious attacks from Helena who proves, once again, that there isn’t a maternal bone in her body…or any goodness. No matter how Bennett makes readers feel about her characters, there’s no doubt that her writing elicits strong feelings. Definitely recommend this series to readers who like sweet romances with a bit of sexy.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from HQ Digital through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Dine with Me by Layla Reyne

5*

Beautiful gay romance between a cancer-stricken top chef who would rather die than lose his tastebuds and a young doctor who answers the ad to accompany him on a 2-week foodie extravaganza. Just when he thinks his life is over following a throat cancer diagnosis, Miller meets Clancy, a young doctor about to join his father’s plastic surgery practice in LA. The tasting trip is his parents’ congratulatory gift to him, but the true gift is the love that blooms in the face of impending tragedy. Will Clancy, whose passion is actually oncology, be able to convince Miller that it’s worth taking the chance to live and that his value as a compassionate friend and family member is just as important as his ability to create art through his cooking?

This book is a gift to foodies with its lavish descriptions of the meals they enjoy on their journey and proof that love, in all its glorious variety, can blossom when you least expect it. Strong cast of supporting characters including Sloan, Miller’s best friend and ex-wife, his other best friend and renowned chef, Greg, and Clancy’s parents. Sexy scenes, but not overly graphic, this is a highly recommended purchase for public and college libraries.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Carina Press through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

The Time of Our Lives by Portia Macintosh

3*

This is billed as a romance, but it’s really more of an ensemble piece with an under-developed second-chance romance. Ten years after graduation, our heroine Luca is invited to the wedding of her best guy friend from college. Lo and behold, Tom, the guy who broke her heart is the groom’s best man and one of the bridesmaids is the women he broke her heart for…and the sister of the bride. Although there is witty banter and a nice combination of relationship issues with the supporting characters, the book has a number of problems that make it just an okay read, not a stand-out. The major issue is the low self-esteem of the female lead, Luca. She even admits that she’s one of those women who apologizes for everything. She is hanging on to a 10-year-old crush when nothing ever came of the college relationship but friendship. Tom took up with another woman and stayed with her for years despite a very rocky relationship. He rejected Luca twice, yet she’s willing to give him a 3rd try…after the guy she’s ready to hook up with turns out to be married and Tom gives her a lame excuse for why he stayed with Cleo after realizing his mistake. The author’s choice of using chapter-to- chapter flashbacks also disrupts the flow of the story. Conclusion: Boring story with an odd, preachy ending.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from HQ Digital through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Warhead by Jeff Henigson

5*

At 15, Jeff Henigson was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor. Thirty years later, he has written his story in the voice of his 15/16-year-old self, made possible by the diaries he began writing shortly before receiving the devastating news and with the recollections of friends and family. Warhead isn’t just another teen cancer story, however. It is a testament to his strength and maturity, a glimpse into the impact of the Cold War arms race on a sensitive teenager, and a sad commentary on life with a cold, distant father whose love and approval he was so desperate to earn.

Following months of surgery, chemo and radiation, Jeff joined a teen support group for the opportunity to talk and socialize with fellow cancer patients. Monique, a leukemia sufferer who became a dear friend, suggested that Jeff make a wish to the Starlight Foundation, something that would bring him joy. Instead, he requested a trip to the Soviet Union in the hopes of meeting with Mikhail Gorbachev to discuss nuclear disarmament because this was a topic that both he and his father were passionate about. The foundation arranged for Jeff to join the Youth Ambassadors with the hope that a meeting could be arranged. However, rather than supporting his wish, his father was adamantly against him taking additional time away from his studies. Jeff’s argument was that he might very likely not be around to even graduate. So, once he received a clean bill of health, he was cleared to travel. Little did he anticipate that his story would have such a profound impact on young people in both the USSR and at home.

As the current upper school librarian at his alma mater, Polytechnic School in Pasadena, CA, it was my pleasure recently to attend a reading and reception with Jeff. He went into some detail about his cancer struggle, the depression he fell into (that is not emphasized in the book), and the impact of the trip, but it was his strained relationship with his father that really caught my attention. When an audience member asked if he’d found joy as a result of his wish, he said that he had not given that his primary motivation was to earn his father’s approval. He also talked about the current precarious state of our world and how, although the Cold War is over, the lessons of history haven’t been learned. I am eager to see how young adults, the target audience for this book, will respond to his touching story. Although it’s a YA book, adults will find it compelling as well. I highly recommend that high schools and libraries that cater to teens purchase this book and that teachers, counselors, and anyone else who works with teens use it as a springboard for discussions ranging from mental health to stewardship of the Earth.


I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Delacorte Press through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

The Golden Hour by Beatriz Williams

2*

Spoilers ahead.


As a huge fan of Williams’ books, it pains me to have to review this one so poorly. I’m so thankful that this wasn’t the first of her novels I’ve read because it might otherwise have been the last. If you’re reading this review and haven’t read others, please give her another try, perhaps starting with The Summer Wives. Williams is an excellent writer who just needed better editing this time around.

Unfortunately, I found The Golden Hour exceedingly difficult to follow, about 100+ pages too long, and very depressing. I was very tempted not to finish it. There was way too much repetition and the story got lost in the overly-descriptive text. Generally, I love time-slip novels, but the choice of using two voices (Lulu telling her own story in an overly-familiar way, as if taking the reader into her confidence, and an unknown narrator telling Elfriede’s), combined with the multiple time periods, was just too confusing. To explain, there was Lulu in Nassau and then later in London and then Elfriede in 3 different time periods (none of them chronological).

The choice of using the Duke and Duchess of Windsor was an intriguing one, but the mystery was too heavy on innuendo and too light on solid clues. Even when the story reached its conclusion (the one satisfying part of the book), there were too many unanswered questions. What was in the envelopes Lulu delivered to the Windsors that made her and Thorpe accuse them of treason? When Lulu and Thorpe confess to each other, why does he respond “Christ in heaven, what a miracle”? Who was behind Thorpe’s capture? Why was Freddie framed? Who was Harold Christie and did he kill Sir Harry Oakes and for what reason? Why did Miami police investigate rather than British Intelligence? Was Thorpe in Nassau to spy on the Windsors because there was suspicion that they were Nazi sympathizers or collaborators? Was the entire story built around the public image the Windsors wanted to project (thus why they hired gossip columnist Lulu to write flattering fluff pieces about them), one they would protect at all costs, even murder?

In her other books, Williams cleverly connects two parallel stories, but, in this one, the only apparent connection is the genetic one between Lulu’s lover Benedict Thorpe and Elfriede, Thorpe’s mother. As for Elfriede’s relationship with Wilfred Thorpe, the biggest frustration for me was that he chose not to tell her about why he was spending so much time in Paris, even though it would have laid her suspicions of his infidelity to rest. Their tragic love was just all so heart-breaking and, to me, unnecessarily cruel. As I mentioned, it’s only in the last few pages that I was able to take a relaxed breath, but not before I found myself cursing Williams for her choices. Despite this, I still look forward to her next book.


I received a complimentary ARC of this book from William Morrow through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Lady Sophie's Christmas Wish by Grace Burrowes

5*

Lady Sophie Windham, beautiful, independent, and, at 27, nearing spinsterhood, is stuck at the family's London mansion with an abandoned baby while a fierce snowstorm rages. Luckily for her, a handsome and kind stranger, Wilhelm "Vim" Charpentier, Baron Sindal, arrives at her door and helps feed and change the baby. There’s just something so appealing about a man who loves and takes care of babies. The concept of a 19th century aristocrat changing nappies is pretty unrealistic, but who cares? At first, he mistakes her for a servant, so the social proprieties are ignored and they are able to act on the passion that flares between them. Then, all too soon, her 3 brothers arrive to take her to the ducal estate in Kent and her true identity is revealed. Given that Vim has nursed a 10-year grudge against her father, the going gets very rough until they work through their issues and can be together. Like any good Regency romance, there are misunderstandings, temporary heartbreak, and family dynamics at work, but the resolution is the sweeter for it.

My only disappointment in reading this book is that it’s the last in the series for me (originally published in 2011 and recently reissued). It's been such a treat reading about the large, loving Windham family. I read them out of order, and I definitely saved the best for last. Burrowes is one of the best contemporary authors of historical romances, so if you are a fan of the genre and haven't treated yourself to one of her books, I highly recommend beginning with the two novellas that started the Windham saga, The Courtship and The Duke and His Duchess. You won’t be disappointed!

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Sourcebooks Casablanca through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

The Bride Test by Helen Hoang

5*

In this equally charming and sexy successor to The Kiss Quotient, Hoang again features a lead character with Asperger’s Syndrome whose funny internal thoughts keep readers laughing. As the book opens, we are re-introduced to Khai (the cousin of Michael from the first book) at a wake for his 16-year-old cousin Andy, his best (only) friend who died in a motorcycle accident. Autism makes it difficult for him to show emotion (including crying) or tolerate touching, so he’s accused of not caring. All his young brain registers is that, if he can’t grieve, then he can’t love either. Ten years later, he’s so firmly convinced of this that his interfering mother finally takes matters into her own hands to ensure that he gets married and gives her grandchildren. She heads to Vietnam and devises a bride test to find a woman worthy of her son who won’t just want him for his money. There she meets My (Esme), a single mother who was abandoned by her daughter’s father when she got pregnant (just as her own American father abandoned her mother), and promptly offers her a chance to spend a summer in American getting to know Khai and hopefully convincing him that she is a woman he’d want to marry.

Despite the wacky way they are thrown together, the relationship between Esme and Khai is beautiful and full of humor, and they both blossom with the care and concern they show each other. Although Khai struggles with the disruption Esme brings to his well-ordered life, she is committed to being indispensable to him so that she’ll be able to remain in the U.S. and have her family join her. When Khai helps Esme look for the father she’s never known, their bond strengthens, but he continues to believe he is unloveable despite his actions to the contrary. Will Esme eventually pass the bride’s test and be the woman who gets through to Khai or will she end up back in Vietnam after the summer? Pick up this wonderful book and find out! Readers who have fallen in love with The Kiss Quotient may have a third book to look forward to…perhaps with Khai’s older brother Quan? Here’s hoping!


I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Berkley Publishing Group through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

How Not to Die Alone by Richard Roper

3*

Andrew is a 40-something UK government employment whose job it is to go into the homes of deceased people who died alone (and, in many cases, weren’t found for days, weeks or even months) to look for any evidence of family or friends and finances to cover the cost of the funeral. If that weren’t depressing enough, he’s also living a lie: that he has a wife and kids at home in a lovely townhouse. His reality is that he lives alone in a shabby walk-up flat with only his model trains, fellow online enthusiasts, and Ella Fitzgerald recordings for company. When new employee Peggy joins him on his visits, a friendship develops with stirrings of romantic feelings, but Andrew will need to decide if he will perpetuate the lie or risk losing Peggy’s affection by telling the truth.

This is truly a dark comedy with gallows humor and central themes of death, PTSD, loneliness, emotional abuse, and deceit. Although depression makes it exceedingly difficult, Andrew learns that there are potential friends all around if he is willing and able to reach out to them. The ending was rather abrupt, and the mystery of Andrew’s downstairs female neighbor with the lovely perfume is inconclusive which will leave readers to wonder why she’s even present in the book. Triggers: depression, death, and PTSD.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from G. P. Putnam's Sons through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

You'd Be MIne by Erin Hahn

4*

Clay Coolidge is a bad boy of country music, drinking, sleeping around, and fighting too much, mostly to mask his feelings of abandonment and grief. He needs to clean up his image before his fledgling career is derailed, so the record label wants him to convince Annie Mathers to join his tour. Annie’s parents were country music royalty, but the dark side of the industry led to their tragic deaths. She’s determined to avoid a volatile relationship like theirs, so she’s very hesitant being Clay’s opening act on the summer fair circuit, even if it will help her career. Although this is billed as a YA romance, it’s a very slow burn with the main emphasis on country music and friendship. For much of the book, it was hard to warm up to Clay because he continued to sleep with his casual hook-up even after being blown away by his first kiss with Annie. He teases her, then pulls away several times, but he has some heavy emotional baggage that masks his goodness. It’s hard to watch this young man spiral. In contrast, Annie is very mature, sweet and focused on her goals. Hahn’s debut novel is extremely well-written and packs an emotional punch with heart and humor, much of it provided by friends of the main protagonists. Even if you’re not a fan of country music, pick this one up.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Wednesday Books through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman

5*

Nina Hill, die-hard bookworm and trivia champ, lives a relatively solitary life in Los Angeles surrounded by books both at home and at work. Her favorite friend is her cat Phil with whom she has two-sided conversations, a consequence of her over-active imagination and loneliness. It’s not difficult to see that her need for structure and extreme social anxiety are the result of abandonment, first by the father she never knew and then by her successful, globe-trotting mother who left parenting to a nanny. Her “anxiety was like her anti-superpower, the one that came out unbidden in a crisis.” So what’s she to do when, on the cusp of her 30th birthday, she learns that her father has died and left her an inheritance and a motley group of relatives? Add to the mix a trivia adversary, who occupies too much of her thoughts and whose presence seems to cancel out her anxiety, and her carefully constructed life starts pulling apart at the seams. Is the possibility of belonging and loving worth the risk or will she push everyone away to keep safe in her cocoon?

Waxman uses a third-person narrator who invites readers into Nina’s quirky, humorous thoughts and life accompanied by a cornucopia of wacky friends, family and the unique character of the City of LA. It’s a thoroughly engaging story with many LOL moments and a sweet romance, too. Highly recommended.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Berkley Publishing Group through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Review of One Summer Weekend by Shannon Stacey

4*

Short and sweet and everything a friends-to-lovers romance should be! When Noah’s lie to his boss about Carly being his girlfriend catches up with him, he has no choice but to convince her to go to his boss’s weekend wedding with him. Although Carly’s cousin Zoe warns her that her life is about to resemble the romance novels Zoe is so fond of, Carly just laughs at the absurdity of it all…until their faked kiss results in real attraction. Can their What happens on the Cape stays on the Cape promise to each other stick or is Carly in for a mountain of heartbreak if she falls for commitment phobic Noah? Pick up One Summer Weekend and find out. Perfect for fans of Noelle Adams.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Carina Press through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.