Unromance by Erin Connor

 

4*

Author Erin Connor has given us a delightful romance where life imitates art…or vice versa. Each chapter begins with the name and description of a romantic trope or element, such as “Meet-Cute,” “Just Once, To Get It Out of Our Systems,” “Miscommunication,” and “The Grand Gesture,” which then plays out on the page. Sawyer is a romance writer with a severe creative block and Mason is an actor who is also a hopeful romantic who falls in love too fast, only to see it fall apart after the wrap party. In a bit of serendipity (which is actually one movie that ISN'T mentioned in this story that borrows from several classic romances), they meet up and agree to help each other. He’ll provide inspiration to help her get over her writer’s block and she’ll “unromance” his notions about love by having a series of stereotypical dates gone wrong. However, in the best romantic traditions, those pesky feelings get in the way.

Although I’m not a fan of third person narration or third act break-ups, I still thoroughly enjoyed this debut novel. Mason is the perfect cinnamon roll boyfriend (in a gorgeous package), Sawyer writes my favorite genre, and there’s loads of laughter, friendship, and steamy scenes. The secondary characters aren’t very fleshed out, but there’s so much to enjoy in the central romance that there’s really no need for a supporting cast. I look forward to reading Connor’s future books. 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 Three Lives of Cate Kay by Kate Fagan

 

4.5*

This is a really solid, character-driven story, reminiscent of Daisy Jones and the Six, except that the many people who influenced Annie/Cass/Cate’s life tell their own story for a multi-narrated “memoir” rather than being interviewed. In this case, Cate is an author who uses her writing to make amends, process her feelings about the women she’s loved, and finally realize what will ultimately fill the black hole that is her life. In the process, the story serves as an exposé of Hollywood and how both writers’ and actors’ managers hold immense control over the celebrities they handle, sometimes using it for good, but often for self-serving reasons. Cate is a sympathetic character who made a desperately bad decision, but created something memorable from her catharsis. The secondary characters are fully-realized, perhaps because we get to see them from more than one perspective.

My only slight criticism is that the ending seemed abrupt, but that’s more because I like stories tied up in pretty little bows and that’s not how life works. Although there is a sapphic romance element, it’s not the book’s primary focus which is ultimately about ambition, guilt, loneliness, love in various iterations, the power and pitfalls of celebrity, hiding in plain sight, forgiveness, and redemption. A solid work of women’s fiction I highly recommend.

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

The Wrong Lady Meets Lord Right by Suzanne Allain

 

4*

The Wrong Lady Meets Lord Right is reminiscent of some of Shakespeare’s comedies as if read aloud by Bridgerton’s Lady Whistledown. It’s a fun romp through the English Regency period, complete with cousins Lady Isabelle (Issie) and Arabella Grant (Bella), who look very much alike and agree to switch identities so that anxiety-ridden Issie can avoid her first season on the marriage mart. What neither of them anticipates is that they’ll fall in love and risk losing the objects of their affection when their deceit is revealed.

As with her previous book, Mr. Malcolm’s List, Allain pokes innocent fun at the haute ton’s ideas about marriage and the convoluted rules of primogeniture. If you’re looking for a fun, low angst, historically researched, clean romance, this fits the bill well. 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.

This Book Won't Burn by Samira Ahmed

5*

This is a timely and extremely uncomfortable book to read, and that’s what makes it so powerful. In a time when Fascism seems to be winning in our country and book banning is sharply on the rise, it’s so important for our teens to have a story like this that lays bare the extremism, racism, anti-LGBTQ language and violence perpetuated by the white supremacists who have been empowered by our country’s leaders. It speaks to how protest can begin with just one voice, one brave person committed to freedom and fairness by speaking out against the ugliness that has been exposed.

As a librarian, it hurts my heart to read a fictionalized account of what challenges our young citizens are being exposed to under the guise of “protecting our children.” Noor Khan is a role model for standing up for what is right, even if it puts her and her loved ones in harm’s way. If I were still working at the high school level, I’d not only buy multiples of this book, but would also work with students and colleagues to host an event to discuss the topic and actions students can take to fight against these bans. Highly recommended.

 

PS: I Hate You by Lauren Connolly

 

4*

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.

 

Statistically Speaking by Debbie Johnson

 

4*

Debbie Johnson can always be counted on to write heartwarming, sensitive stories, laced with closed door romance, that plumb the depths of emotion and the human experience. In Statistically Speaking, we meet Gemma Jones at age 16, in the process of birthing a baby girl that she’s putting up for adoption. She’s mature enough to understand that she’s not able to raise a child herself, just as her own mother wasn’t. The one thing she leaves for Baby is a long letter, telling her a bit about her life and giving reassurances that she loves her, but wants her to have a chance at a good, loving, and safe childhood.

Fast forward almost 18 years, and we’re seeing Gemma all grown up but still carrying emotional scars from her neglectful childhood and her never-ending doubt about the decision she made. After an adulthood marked by a need to escape relationships of any kind, she starts to meet people who care about her without exception and who just might be worth breaking down the walls she’s built up to protect herself. There’s handsome, lovely Karim, her teacher colleague and perfect book boyfriend, surrogate mom feisty and irreverent Margie, new friend Erin, and Katie, Erin’s daughter and Gemma’s student who bears a striking resemblance to her and shares a birthday with the baby she let go off. Statistically speaking, the odds are very slim that she’s her daughter, but the heart isn’t always logical. You’ll need to read the book to find out more.

This is very much a character-driven novel and Johnson has done a wonderful job developing both Gemma and her chosen family. The pacing is a bit slow at times, but Gemma’s reawakening is a pleasure to behold. Her thoughtful depiction of adoption from the perspective of birth mother, adoptive mother and child is illuminating for those of us who don’t have first-hand experience with it, too. I highly recommend this fine piece of women’s fiction.

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.

Love Requires Chocolate by Ravynn Stringfield

 

4*

If you like Emily in Paris, you’ll enjoy this delightful and sweet young adult romance. Whitney Curry is in her favorite city for the first semester of her junior year. Her well-documented plan (she’s a list maker) is to visit all of the tourist spots while also researching and writing her senior project on Josephine Baker. What’s not on the list is falling for a local boy, especially her grumpy French tutor Thierry. He insists that the best way to learn about the city and gain fluency is to get away from the tourist traps and go where the locals go which, serendipitously, includes him teaching her how to make chocolates at his stepfather’s shop. (Yes, it’s on her list!)

As they spend weeks together, her outsized personality (which I felt was really annoying at the beginning) draws smiles and hard-earned laughter from Thierry, and, in turn, he encourages her spontaneity. As Whitney writes, directs and ultimately stars in a one-act play, she discovers the one thing that was missing: Josephine Baker didn’t just entertain; she also loved her adopted city, her adopted children, and the numerous men in her life. They weren’t a distraction, but rather enhanced her performances and her life which was a lesson Whitney learned to heartily embrace.

Teen romance lovers should thoroughly enjoy this charming and romantic romp through the city of lights. Recommended.

I Will Follow by Eireann Corrigan

 

4*


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.

The Jewel of the Isle by Kerry Rea

 

5*

The Jewel of the Isle, reminiscent of one of my favorite movies, Romancing the Stone, is the third book I’ve read by Rea and all three are deserving of their 5* rating. She does such a fabulous job of crafting characters you can’t help rooting for and creating a plot that is full of surprises.

This friends-to-lovers, opposites attract, Instalove romance is more than you’d expect. Rea starts out introducing Emily and Ryder, who have both recently lost loved ones and who are struggling with misplaced guilt. However, from the moment Ryder makes a daring, yet foolhardy, leap onto a departing ferry bound for Isle Royale National Park, the action never stops. Emily, an ER doctor, is determined to complete her late father’s bucket list, fighting her natural fear of risk and the outdoors and, after her boyfriend dumps her, she hires what she thinks is an experienced tour guide to accompany her. Unfortunately, Ryder was the marketing brains behind the business he ran with his late brother and knows as little as she does about surviving in the wild. I literally laughed so hard that I teared up three times in the beginning chapters with this hapless duo and their hysterical banter, but never expected the thrilling, yet murderous action adventure to come. As they face down a bull moose, a pack of wolves, and an evil professor and his henchmen, they come to realize that the need to protect those they love trumps any fear or perceived incompetence they assumed about themselves.

I highly recommend this spicy, endearing romance that keeps you on the edge of your seat while still providing levity.

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

Only the Beautiful by Susan Meissner

 

5*

Damn, this woman writes incredible stories! This isn’t an easy book to read, but it is so timely and important. In dual timelines beginning in the late 1930s as the Nazis consolidated their power, Meissner tells the tragic story of a young orphan with synesthesia who, after becoming pregnant, is forced into a California system that dehumanizes her and strips her of all autonomy. Rosie Maras’s inner strength is admirable, especially in light of the horrendous way she is treated by the medical profession and a social service program that should support our most vulnerable citizens. It is also the story of Helen Calvert, the sister of Rosie’s legal guardian, who befriended Rosie when she was a child. Helen is a nanny to an Austrian family, and it’s the youngest child, Brigitta, who captures Helen’s heart with her sunny, loving personality despite the severe disabilities she was born with. Rather than return to California as war looms, she remains with the Maier family until an unspeakable tragedy tears them apart. When Helen finally returns to the States in 1949, she learns of Rosie’s plight and is compelled to right the wrongs perpetuated against her. It’s both a way to atone for her mistakes and to create a chosen family.

Until reading this book, I had no idea that the U.S. had a eugenics program that included the forced sterilization of over 60,000 people, including both women and men. While reading, I did a small bit of research and found that the Nazis modeled their T4 genocide program on the U.S. This shameful part of U.S. history is bound to repeat itself if we don’t vote out the Fascist, white supremacist politicians who are currently stripping women of their reproductive rights, supposedly sterilizing illegal immigrants in Southern detention centers, and attacking the LGBTQ community. It’s a slippery slope from where we are now to where the Nazis were by the end of the war, and it’s admirable how Meissner has shone a spotlight on the atrocities currently being perpetuated on American soil without politicizing it or drawing overt comparisons between Nazi Germany and recent legislation and fomenting violence against marginalized groups in America. It’s a simultaneously heartwarming and heartbreaking story that not so subtly reminds us not to let our guard down. Very highly recommended!

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.