With a nod to both Ghosts of Girlfriends Past and Groundhog Day, Jio has spun a delightful, emotional, illuminating timeslip novel about a woman who, in the process of living a day with each of the choices she could have made with various men from her past, is also given the opportunity to reflect on her dissatisfaction with her current life. The day after her latest relationship ends with Coldplay tickets instead of a proposal, Lena runs to the comfort of her Aunt Rosie’s arms, the woman who raised her after her mentally ill mother died when she was just 12, following a life of instability, lack of plans, and occasional abandonment. Before falling asleep, she comes to the realization that, due to her chaotic childhood, she fears the unknown and clings to her rigid life and career plans as a result.
The following morning, she wakes up in Paris, married to a sophisticated Frenchman she’d met years before at a mutual friend's wedding. Over the next nine days, she finds herself waking to 9 other ghosts from her past (including a farmer, past boyfriends and crushes, near-strangers, etc.). In the process, she is forced to reevaluate her views on motherhood, infidelity, desirable qualities in a romantic partner and more. When she finally breaks free from this time loop, will she have discovered enough about herself to be open to a true love relationship? You’ll have to read it and see. Highly recommended.
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.
I love a romance that elicits a range of emotions. PS: I Hate You is a perfect example. I laughed (a lot), I cried, I got angry and frustrated, I swooned, and I felt relief. This beautiful, steamy, multi-trope romance includes enemies to lovers, second chance, brother’s best friend, forced proximity, and road trip. It’s definitely a wild ride and one you’ll probably want to read all in one sitting.
At its core, it’s a hard-fought romance, an exploration of grief, and a range of loving relationships (mf, sibling, and friendship). It begins at the funeral of Maddie’s brother Josh who died of cancer just shy of 30. She hasn’t been home for seven years, since her youthful crush and brother’s best friend Dom broke her heart. So, the last thing that she wants is for him to discover her in a coat closet where’s she’s fallen into a box half-full of toilet paper rolls. Unfortunately, he’s as handsome as ever and her heart clearly hasn’t gotten the message that she hates him. When Dom, as executor, passes out letters from Josh to those closest to him, Maddie is devastated to find that Josh has not only written one letter jointly to Dom and her, but that his dying wish is that they visit eight states together that he, as a world-traveling photographer, never got the chance to see. His instructions are to find the geographical coordinates in a certain order, read a new letter at each location, fulfill location-specific tasks, scatter some of his ashes, and take a joint selfie. It’s pretty obvious that he has ulterior motives, but it’ll take nearly two years, a lot of snarky comments from Maddie, requests from Josh that pull both of them out of their comfort zones, and some forced proximity before the walls Maddie has built start to crumble and they finally begin to discuss the past.
This would have been a 5* read for me, but Maddie’s immaturity and rude behavior were really off-putting. Yes, she has scars from her neglectful, cruel and abusive parents and grandmother and deep-seated abandonment issues, but Dom is so thoughtful and protective, that you can’t help rooting for him (even if you don’t know his reasons for breaking her heart years before). Author Connolly puts some trigger warnings at the beginning, and it’s important to read them because there are some heavy issues. Overall, however, there’s so much to love about this book that I highly recommend it.
I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Berkley through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.
This YA abduction thriller is reminiscent of Stephen King’s Misery, but with a psychotic teen girl, Nora, who develops a parasocial relationship with Shea, a TikTok influencer/dancer instead of a middle-aged woman angry with the ending of her favorite novelist’s series. It’s a harsh look at influence culture, and how internet fame corrupts the creators as their follower count rises and their focus turns towards monetization and away from the fans who helped them grow their brand. Sadly, when an emotionally and mentally unstable follower convinces herself that her idol needs her help, the price of fame becomes too high.
Author Corrigan’s wise decision to use a dual POV enables readers to see into Nora’s mind and the experiences in her young life that have fostered her delusions. We also see how, despite her fear, Shea uses her time in captivity to reflect on how far her internet fame and sponsorships have taken her away from the joy she used to get from sharing her love of dance with her audience and how exposing even small parts of her life make her vulnerable. The message is an important one for today’s teens and tweens if there are librarians who can guide them to this worthwhile book because it’s not one they might easily find on their own. Recommended.
4*
I enjoyed this fake relationship, slow burn, closed door romance. Set in Seattle in the fall, it has a bit of a Cinderella vibe, but instead of a wicked stepmother and stepsisters, Lexi has a mother who has been mired in profound grief and depression after losing her soulmate three years before. After her father died, Lexi quit college just a few credits shy of graduation and has been working 2 jobs while taking care of her agoraphobic mom and paying off her father’s debts. On the day that two of her high school friends show up at the restaurant where she does a poor job of waitressing, seeming to be celebrating the success that has eluded Lexi, she sits down at Will’s table to hide. Since Will’s been flirting with her his entire meal, he welcomes the intrusion and plays along when she says that she’s there with “her boyfriend.” When they’re both invited to a party by one of the friends, they’re introduced as being engaged and the lie gets picked up on social media, thanks to Will’s status as one of Seattle’s most eligible business leaders. Of course, as so often happens with this trope, he wants his status-conscious mother to stop her matchmaking, and Lexi doesn’t want to admit what she perceives as her failure to thrive.
So, although there’s no new ground broken here, it’s just a lovely book with a perfect book boyfriend - handsome, kind, successful, and a man who sees the best in Lexi, propping her up when she doesn’t believe in herself. Other than Will’s classist parents, everyone else is delightful, from Lexi’s best friend Maisie to Will’s supportive and friendly sisters and best friend, Ethan. If you’re looking for a sweet romance low on the angst, check this one out. Recommended.
I received a complimentary ARC of this book from St, Martin’s Griffin through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.
Alexandria Bellefleur’s queer romances are always a pleasure to read. Truly, Madly, Deeply (not to be confused with the fabulous Alan Rickman movie) is a very sweet enemies-to-lovers romance between queer historical romance author Truly and family (divorce) lawyer Colin, whose meet-cute takes place when they spar about relationship advice on his sister’s top-rated podcast. The chemistry between them, masked by flirty bickering and sexual innuendo, is really hot and the sex is steamy and raw. However, it’s Colin’s kindness, devotion, and protectiveness towards Truly and the way she both challenges and defends him that make this such a special love story.
This is a slow burn, somewhat enemies-to-lovers romance featuring two bisexual characters (although there is a discussion between them where Truly questions whether she can legitimately call herself that if she’s never acted on it with any woman). Honestly, the only things that keep it from a 5* rating are the overabundant scenes where Truly and her musical theater-loving parents talk about serious stuff using song titles and lyrics. It was cute at first, but then became absurd. I also started getting annoyed by how many times (six) Bellefleur mentions Colin’s moles. Otherwise, I definitely recommend reading it.
I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Avon Books through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.
(release date: 6/25/24)
Contemporary, creative retelling of Disney’s Rapunzel movie, Tangled.
In Tangled Up in You, the writing duo Christina Lauren spins a backstory of how Rapunzel (Ren) ended up isolated from society for years until the fateful meeting with Flynn (Fitz). I love Ren’s wide-eyed innocence and inherent goodness and how bad boy Fitz, despite his desperate need to protect himself and trust no one, can’t help but want to be a better man for her. The use of a road trip with forced proximity in a variety of hotel rooms is a great plot device, giving the couple plenty of time to get to know each other through endless days of driving with stops at famous tourist traps along the way. (The biker bar scene is especially endearing.) Yes, Ren is seeing a world she only knew from books after her sheltered childhood, but Fitz is also viewing everything through a new lens, and it is actually Ren who is rescuing him.
I haven’t read any of the other books in the Meant to Be series, but I’m so glad Disney placed this story in Christina Lauren’s very capable hands. They have shown their readers that, although fairy tales are just make-believe, it is possible to have a happily-ever-after following heartbreak. Every great story has its roots in reality, and I love the characters and story they created to bring Rapunzel characters to life. Highly recommended clean romance for both teens and adults who need reminding that happy endings can exist.
I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Hyperion Avenue through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.
