Twice in a Blue Moon by Christina Lauren

5*

When 18-year-old Tate and 21-year-old Sam meet while on vacation in London, it’s love at first sight. Not only is there physical attraction, but there is a soul-bearing closeness between them that allows Tate to let her guard down, sharing that she is the long-lost daughter of famous actor Ian Butler. So, when the paparazzi descend on her hotel, making it clear that Sam has sold her story, the heartbreak is devastating. Rather than disappear again, she dives head-first into an acting career, as a way to get to know her father, to escape from the pain of Sam’s betrayal, and to haunt him whenever he sees her on-screen.

Fast forward 14 years, and Tate is set to star in her 7th feature film, working with her father for the first time. It’s the kind of film that has award-winner all over it, and it’s a part that speaks to her heart. So, when she walks on set and sees Sam after all those years, it messes with both her heart and head. Unbeknownst to her, he is the screenwriter and the love story is between his grandmother Roberta and step-grandfather Luther, the same man who accompanied Sam to London. She has trouble reconciling the boy who sold her out with the man who could write such a sensitive story, but, as they are forced to work together, she softens enough to allow him to tell her why he did it.

“Can you believe me, though?” he asks quiets. “That the worst thing I ever did was for the best reason I ever had?”
She’s never again opened herself up to love, but will his explanation be enough for her to forgive him and to take a second chance with him?

Christina Lauren have, once again, written a romance that makes you fall in love with the well-drawn characters. The emotions are palpable, the storyline complex and rich, and the resolution heart-warming. This one is another winner!

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

Don't You Forget About Me by Mhairi McFarlane

3*

Although billed as a rom-com, this story belongs in the women’s lit genre, being more a journey of self-discovery than a second-chance romance. Georgina Horspool is having a bad day. First, she’s fired from her waitressing job at a crappy trattoria after taking the fall for her boss’s lousy food, then she walks in on her boyfriend having sex with his assistant. In desperation, she accepts a job at a newly-opened pub only to find that the co-owner is Lucas McCarthy, her first love from high school who she hasn’t seen in 12 years. For a girl who was voted “Most Likely to Go Far” in high school, it’s a mystery why, at 30, she is so underachieving. Her family sees her as a failure and Lucas doesn’t even remember her. The ex-boyfriend, a self-absorbed prick who fancies himself a great stand-up comic, gaslights and harasses her by using their relationship to promote his career. The one positive in her life is her group of friends, reminiscent of the dynamic in “Bridget Jones’ Diary.”

When Georgina hears about a writing competition taking place at the pub with the theme of “Sharing Your Shame,” she decides to enter as a way of kickstarting her writing career. In the final week, after confronting her ex and quitting her job when Lucas rejects her, admitting that he remembered her all along, she shares her “Worst Day at School”: the night of the prom when she made the mistake of going off with the Golden Boy and losing not only her innocence but also the boy she loves. It’s only when she’s finally able to share her story with her friends and family for the first time that she’s recognizes how that night derailed her life.

Aside from the lack of romance up until the final pages, the other major problem is the plethora of British references and slang that make it hard to understand much of Georgie’s internal monologue (ex., “…after my quitting the Kilner jar hipster hellmouth” and “Oh, I’m psychically disintegrating like wet bog roll draped around a tree for a student prank, I should see a counselor.”) Although sprinkled with humor, the story covers some heavy topics (sexual assault, emotional abuse, etc.) and disappoints with its lack of backstory details concerning Luke and Georgina’s relationship. If you go into it with eyes wide open, it’s a decent story, but still lacks the humor of Sophie Kinsella’s books to which it’s been compared.

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

All the Flowers in Paris by Sarah Jio

5*

Like one of its final lines, Sarah Jio’s beautiful and haunting time-slip novel is “tragic and heart-breaking but also redemptive and triumphant.” Caroline Williams is an American woman in modern-day Paris who suffers from amnesia due to an accident. After she is released from the hospital, she meets Victor, the chef at Bistro Jeanty, and begins to fall in love with him as he helps guide her through her slowly-emerging, painful memories. She has random glimpses of a past that includes a child. This is also the story of Céline, a young widow during the Nazi occupation who works in her family’s florist shop and cares for her young daughter Cosi. She’s in love with her childhood friend, Luc Jeanty, but when he leaves for a few weeks, the Nazis take her half-Jewish father and daughter away and she is forced to live with a cruel and sadistic Nazi officer who continually rapes her. (Both her neighbors and Luc’s mother turned them in.) Her daughter escapes from the truck carrying her away, and is hidden under the floorboards for almost a year before Paris is liberated.

Caroline, who is living in the same apartment where Céline was imprisoned, finds a box containing letters written by Celine to Luc. With the help of a graduate student who is doing research on Celine and a Bistro Jeanty patron and the building’s doorman (both of whom suffered losses in the war), Celine’s full story emerges. Like all great time-slip novels, there are distinct parallels between the dual storylines. In this case, it’s about two ferocious moms who will do anything to protect their daughters. Both female protagonists suffer devastating losses, and it’s an artifact from Celine’s time during the war that enables Caroline to emerge from her amnesia and grief to rejoin the living and accept love. In the words of Celine’s daughter Cosi, written in her childhood journal, “I think that the most important things in life are thankfulness, forgiveness, and love.” Very highly recommended.

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

The Downstairs Girls by Stacey Lee

4.5*

Jo never knew her parents, but her adopted father Old Gin raised her from infancy in a subterranean room used by the Underground Railroad (since Chinese weren’t allowed to own or rent property). She uses the lessons Old Gin taught (academics, strength, patience, etc.) to find her place in a society that, at best, shuns her and, at worst, threatens her. Despite this, she perseveres and stands up for herself, first by going back to work for a spoiled, nasty society debutante, then by writing an anonymous column for a progressive paper. As she works to uncover the mysteries of a letter and clothing left behind by someone named Shang as well as why Old Gin involves himself with a notorious criminal named Billy Riggs, she discovers the truth about her parents and information about her employer and others that she uses to her advantage.

This stunning historical YA novel touches on a number of social issues including feminism (suffragettes), racism, and the plight of Chinese in late 19th-century Atlanta at the start of Jim Crow. These are all witnessed and narrated by Jo, a strong, intelligent, charming, and quick-witted Asian teen who is trying to navigate her way in a society that is determined to keep her down in a time period not often featured in teen fiction. There is also the beginnings of an interracial relationship which was illegal at the time.

The one concern is that her outspoken manner and the way she challenges people in power (whether rich or dangerous) would probably not have gone unchallenged at the time, and would have put her and those who cared about her in danger. It’s also questionable whether there would have been so many people willing to risk their livelihoods or reputations to protect and defend her. Despite this, it’s still an extraordinary piece of historical fiction. Highly recommended.

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

The Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay Adams

4*

Romance books sell more than any other genre, yet they’re often seen as guilty pleasures or dirty little secrets. As Del says in this book, “...toxic masculinity permeates even the most mundane things in life. If masses of women like something, our society automatically begins to mock them. Just like romance novels. If women like them, they must be a joke, right?” Yet, it’s these same books that this group of high-powered men use as self-help manuals to learn how women think, how toxic masculinity can destroy relationships, and how to shed it to win back their wives and girlfriends. The premise of a romance book club for men is laudable for its unique approach although it’s never explained how the group formed, they don’t hold regular meetings, and only half of the members appear throughout the book. Inexplicably, one of them is Braden Mack, a single flirt whose sole purpose seems to be to throw snarky and annoying roadblocks in Gavin’s path. Aside from the club, however, the story follows a standard romantic trope of a couple (Gavin and his wife Thea) who aren’t honest with each other and who will destroy their marriage if they don’t revisit their past (“backstory”) to acknowledge the baggage that stands in their way. It’s a fun and often frustrating read, and romance readers will enjoy the spin.

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

Maybe This Time by Jane Mansell

5*

On her first visit to her father and Marcus’s new home in the Cotswolds, Mimi meets Cal when she thinks he’s attacking a sheep. In the ensuing few months, she fantasizes about him, so is disappointed to find that he’s married and a father. Thus begins a tumultuous four years, full of tragedy, heartbreak, bad relationships, and missed opportunities. Will the time ever be right for these two to admit how they feel about each other or will fate conspire to keep them apart?

Once again, Mansell has woven a story with a range of human emotions, seemingly star-crossed lovers, quirky and charming secondary characters, and an idyllic English village that begs the readers to move right in. This is one of her best books yet and both her fans and others who enjoy Sophie Kinsella and Jenny Colgan will want to read this one pronto. If you haven’t had the pleasure of a Mansell book, start with this. Highly recommended!


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