Love and Other Side Effects by Deidra Duncan

 

4*

Grief is a powerful thing, and this bittersweet romance is flooded with it. Luckily for Joss, Asher’s steadfastness, kindness, and friendship keep her from drowning in it, although her metaphorical walls are a mile high and nearly insurmountable. This lovely and frequently hilarious story by Duncan strikes a good balance between romance, humor and grief, but the path to love is a very twisted one, with many heartbreaking scenes. Joss’s denialism does start to get tedious, but Mother Nature has a wicked way of leveling the playing field. Asher is a “beautiful unicorn” of a man who has his own insecurities which he hides well behind his charm and affability. Joss's and his friendship is enviable, although I frequently wanted to shake some sense into both of them. Overall, though, I really enjoyed their story and recommend it to fans of Katherine Center, Kate Clayborn, Abby Jimenez and Christina Lauren.

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

Not in Love by Ali Hazelwood

 

5*

I loved this story. Two emotionally-damaged people who have been betrayed by negligent, abusive parents and unscrupulous bosses, find a connection and acceptance that neither expected. Although, on the surface, their goals seem to be working against each other, the growing feelings they have for each other can’t be denied. I love how Hazelwood portrayed Rue’s autism and Eli’s innate understanding of her neurodivergency and needs. He’s the perfect book boyfriend who not only accepts her uniqueness, but also gives her the support and protection she’s never had. I also enjoyed Rue’s relationship with her best friend, Tisha.

If you enjoy frenemies to lovers romances with an element of mystery mixed with corporate greed, you’ll enjoy this latest offering from Hazelwood. Highly recommended.

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

The Next Best Fling (Librarians in Love #1) by Gabriella Gamez

 

2*

I found this book really tedious and repetitive and was tempted to not finish it several times. I’m not a fan of the miscommunication trope, and with all of the main characters lying through most of the story, I was bombarded with it. Overall, I felt that they were all immature, especially with the excessive drinking, and I just couldn’t buy into the premise of pining for 8+ years with unrequited love. Marcela’s love interest and Theo’s younger brother Ben is a manipulative, narcissistic jerk whose actions traumatized Theo and whose controlling interference in Marcela’s love life (which she, sadly, allowed) kept her emotionally tethered to him. His fiancé Alice wasn’t much better, in my opinion, although her actions were just selfish. The fake relationship between Marcela and Theo made sense, in theory, but they were lacking the chemistry to take it to the next level and spent too long clinging to their crushes, especially Marcela when this blinders for Ben were coming off. They also didn’t really seem to have anything in common, her a librarian who doesn’t care for football and him an ex-NFL player who doesn’t read. Overall, just a miss for me. Not recommended.

 

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

 

 

 

The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center

 

5*

Katherine Center can always be depended on to give us beautiful, closed-door romances with a bit of angst. The Rom-Commers is no exception. She tackles everything from sacrifice in the name of love, abandonment issues, grief, and misplaced guilt to the worthiness of the romantic comedy genre and the challenges of working in the film industry in Los Angeles.

Emma was a promising screenwriter who sacrificed probable success and ten years of her life to take care of her younger sister and her father who suffered a traumatic brain injury when she was a teen. She’s earned a living writing freelance movie reviews, but her former high school boyfriend-turned-talent manager continues to send her job prospects. When the opportunity to work as a ghostwriter for her favorite screenwriter Charlie Yates is offered, it’s a chance she is loath to pass up. He’s famous for “guy” films but is being forced to write a romantic comedy in order to get the green light for his next gangster film. He, like so many other “serious” writers, disdains the genre and, not surprisingly, is no good at writing them. Lucky for him, Emma’s an expert and she refuses to let him ruin “his career, the romantic comedy genre as a whole, and all our lives with this nuclear-waste-fueled dumpster fire of a screenplay.” If she can just get past his curmudgeonly appearance and grumpy demeanor (that makes him seem 20 years older than he is) and break down the walls he has built after being abandoned by both his mother and ex-wife, then she might be able to teach him a thing or two about what makes for a successful romance, that love is real (and not just in the movies), and that sacrifice and risk are worth it if you find the right person.

There’s so much to love about this story: the witty banter and snark (especially the frozen veggies on the bruised tailbone scene); the way Emma challenges Charlie, first by being brutally honest about how bad his first rom-com screenplay is and then by forcing him into immersion research on romance (something he’s committed to in his previous movies but resists for what he considers not worth the effort); the fact that she has a virtual museum of movies kisses on her laptop for Charlie to view with her, but still thinks real-life experience is better; how Emma and Charlie’s relationship is so obviously classic rom-com material, including everything from line dancing to literally falling into each other (which Emma insisted wasn’t the least bit romantic until it happened to her); and, finally, Emma’s take on happily-ever-after: “We act like ‘and they lived happily ever after’ is trying to con us into thinking that nothing bad ever happened to anyone ever again. But that’s never the way I read those words. I read them as ‘and they built a life together, and looked after each other, and made the absolute best of their lives.’" For fans of Center’s The Bodyguard, there is even a cameo from Jack Stapleton who is slated to star in the film. This is rom-com gold for fans of Christina Lauren and Abby Jimenez. Highly recommended!

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.

Nice Work, Nora November

 

3*

Although this book ends on a high note, I struggled with it because it was really depressing and not just because Nora herself suffered with mental illness. After reading the synopsis, I’d expected an “uplifting and heartwarming” story, and it wasn’t. I’d describe it as sad and highly dysfunctional with a few pages of hope and renewal at the end. From the moment Nora wakes up from a coma after her near-death experience of drowning, it’s obvious that her family puts the D in dysfunction. Her ethically-challenged father, a personal injury lawyer, is both emotionally and physically abusive, her mother is in major denial and lives to criticize and gaslight her, her younger sister has lost all faith in her after being disappointed too many times when Nora’s depression caused her to break promises, and her cousin Gus is a lonely, sad alcoholic who also doesn’t trust her.

As Nora goes through rehab and therapy, she re-evaluates her life Before (capitalized in the book) the drowning and decides that she needs to make some major changes, including trying to recapture some of what she lost. She creates a reverse bucket list that includes trying to find Jack, the man she met during a robbery hostage situation who she thinks may be The One, and tending to her late grandfather’s community garden plot that she let go wild while her mental health was spiraling. I didn’t understand London’s choice to have Nora fail at everything she tried, unless it was to highlight how easy it is to slip back into depression and self-doubt. One of the only highlights of the story is the group of senior citizen thespians she meets who knew her grandfather. They provide the only bit of comic relief in the book and are instrumental in helping Nora navigate her After life. There are also many deathbed vignettes of Jack’s hospice patients which were really interesting and set the stage for how kind and empathetic he is. I wouldn’t classify this as a romance, although there was an element of it, but women’s fiction instead.

As someone who has suffered from chronic depression and lost my father way too young, it was somewhat triggering to read Nora’s story, especially the joy she felt seeing her late grandfather while in the coma. So, I think it’s important to share trigger warnings. If you don’t want any spoilers, stop reading here.

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Depression, abuse, suicide, death, grief, alcoholism

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

What You Wish For by Katherine Center

4*

All about letting go of fear that prevents us from loving and experiencing joy.

Sam, a private school librarian, has epilepsy and, as a result, had a very tough childhood. As an adult, it’s mostly under control, but the damage to her self-esteem is evident. She, by her own admission, purposely fights to find joy, but can’t let go of the ghosts of the past.

Duncan, who Sam has loved for years, comes back into her life a changed man...and not for the better. The charming, magnetic free spirit (“human mood-enhancer” per Sam) is gone, replaced by a buttoned-up, rigid man who, as new principal, wants to turn their beloved school into a prison, all in the name of keeping the children safe. Sam is determined to find out what’s happened to him and, when she does, she’s forced to look at her own life and acknowledge the comparisons between their stories that have had such a profoundly sad impact on their lives.

Despite the heavy topics discussed, the love story between them is redemptive and very touching. Center, author of Things You Save in a Fire, has gifted us with another heartwarming story that leaves us feeling optimistic at a time when we could all use some joy in our lives. The only thing that would have made it better would be a dual POV so we’d be privy to Duncan’s thoughts. Highly recommended!

 

 

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.