The Break-Up Pact by Emma Lord

 

4*

I’ve enjoyed Emma Lord’s young adult romances, so I was excited to read her first adult novel. I’m happy to report that it’s just as swoonworthy, sweet and emotionally complex but with an added element of spice. In The Break-Up Pact, she strikes the perfect balance between a second chance at love between soulmates and the profound effect grief has on the family and friends of the lost loved one. Although it’s written from the FMC June’s viewpoint, readers get a very good sense of MMC Levi’s thoughts and feelings, not just through the dialogue but also Lord’s thorough descriptions of facial expressions and physical movements, whether it’s dancing together, competitive foot races, the emotional reaction to hand-holding, or the variety of kisses they share.

As a tea and beach enthusiast, I really love that one of the primary settings is June’s small-town tea and scone cafe. It’s almost a character in itself, especially as it relates to June’s grief over losing her sister and her struggle to keep it open while trying to honor her sister’s legacy. I also enjoyed reading about Levi’s fledging writing career. One main thread that runs throughout is toxic exes and how the awful combination of gaslighting, social media, and internet trolls can take its toll on its victims. It’s not heavy but is a timely way to set up their love story. Share this with fans of Abby Jimenez, Katherine Center, and Christina Lauren. Highly 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.

Can’t Help Falling In Love by Sophie Sullivan

 

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.

The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston

 

5*

This is Poston’s sophomore adult novel and, like The Dead Romantics, she has crafted a beautiful love story that defies convention, time and space. She breathes life into her characters with lyrical dialogue, a vulnerability and honesty between them, and a willingness to suspend disbelief in order to get to the right time and place to be together. It has a similar premise as the movie, The Lake House, but is not quite so intense.

Although it is a romance, there is magical realism in the form of an apartment that has infrequent and unpredictable time slips, one in which Clementine’s Aunt Analea meets Vera, the love of her life, and another when Clementine first meets Iwan, the talented chef visiting NYC in the hopes of landing a dishwashing job in the restaurant his grandfather, an amateur chef, brought him to as a child and where he hopes to climb the ranks to top chef, making his grandfather proud. Little does she realize that he is seven years behind her in time.

The central theme is about following your passion, whether it’s in a vocation or in a person, and being open to change, because life isn’t stagnant, and love means embracing and supporting your partner’s growth and loving yourself enough to walk away from the life you thought you should want to discover new things about yourself and the passions that drive you. I enjoyed all of the lyrical prose, especially when Iwan was romanticizing food and his idea of “the perfect meal” and how serendipitous the path to romance is. 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.

Haunted Ever After (Boneyard Key #1) by Jen DeLuca

 

 4*

I always enjoy a good ghost story, and this book has them in spades. In a haunted Florida village called Boneyard Key, founded after The Great Storm of 1897, many members of the original families decided to stick around, and until Cassie came to town, there were only a select few who could sense their presence. I find it interesting how DeLuca imbues her spectral guests with different characteristics, no one-size-fits-all. Although none of them can be seen, they make their presence known in other ways. Cassie’s resident ghost, Sarah, communicates using magnetic poetry on the refrigerator and Nick’s ghost, Elmer, through text messages and, for lack of a better description, brainwaves. There is also the beach bum who accepts the open beer bottles and follows on silent footsteps. For the most part, they’re all benevolent, but there’s a bit of a mystery whenever Nick tries to enter Cassie’s house.

The romance between Cassie and Nick is a very slow burn, mostly thanks to nosy ghosts. Eventually, there’s a bit of spice, but I found the chemistry between them a little tepid. Thankfully, there’s very little baggage and angst, and it’s a refreshing change to have two MCs who don’t really fight the attraction. If you’re looking for a lighthearted, low stakes, small town romance with a heavy helping of the paranormal, you’ll enjoy Haunted Ever After. 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.

Just One Taste by Lizzy Dent

 

3.5*

I’d give this 4*, but it didn’t capture my attention at first and I didn’t agree with Olive’s decision to sell her late father Nicky’s London restaurant or the abrupt way she shared it with Leo, the sous chef who was like a son to Nicky. As I read further, Olive’s thoughts about the restaurant, which she inherited when he died suddenly, began to shift, and I started warming up to the story. Amidst the stunning regions of Italy that Olive and Leo visited as inspiration to finish her father’s cookbook (Catania, Tuscany, and Liguria), the feelings between them began to grow. It was refreshing to read a love story between two kind and caring people that didn’t come with a heaping pile of angst or a mess due to miscommunication. Leo definitely had ideas about how to fix the dated restaurant and tired menu, and when Olive was receptive to hearing them, he shared, but he never put any pressure on her to decide to keep the restaurant if it wasn’t what was best for her. As his aunt said, he takes care of the people he loves and, unlike her father who put the restaurant before his family, Olive began to trust that Leo wouldn’t repeat her father’s mistakes.

 

In summary, this slow burn romance is a foodie’s dream and a love letter to the sights, tastes and smells of Italy. It might not be a book that keeps you up all night reading, but like a leisurely meal under the Tuscan sun, it’ll leave you feeling satiated and satisfied that all is right in Olive and Leo’s world. Recommended.

 

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.

 

 

 

The Secrets of the Little Greek Taverna by Erin Palmisano

4*

If you like Chocolát and Like Water for Chocolate, you’ll thoroughly enjoy this debut novel with a vein of magical realism running through it. A few generations back, a group of women in the village of Potamia on the small Greek island of Naxos drank from an elusive spring and magical things began to happen. This is the story of their female descendants.

Although she doesn’t believe in fate, American Marjory (Jory) finds herself in Potamia after a brochure with a beautiful wooden yacht calls to her. There she meets Cressida, a young widow who owns the guesthouse and taverna (that never opened following her husband’s tragic death) who has a gift for imbuing her baked goods with whatever emotion she’s feeling at the time, her older neighbor Mago who sews stunning garments and other pieces based on the color waves that speak to her and guide her hand, the surly, but beautiful Nefeli who has a sixth sense that allows her to anticipate future events (although she’s incapable of seeing the truth in her own marriage), and a bevy of friendly and quirky villagers who add color and a certain mystique. In this story, this group of women, with help from Jory who travels when inspiration strikes and creates a sense of home wherever she lands, form an unexpected friendship and work together to finally open the taverna and guesthouse. And then there’s the mysterious Shane, the handsome, charming American Jory meets and instantly feels a “sizzle” with.

Over the course of one summer, Cressida moves beyond her profound grief, Mago faces her fears and embraces her future, Nefeli reaches her breaking point, and Jory learns the true meaning of home and wrestles with her instinct to leave. Although the closed door romance between Jory and Shane is the primary one, the focus is on the unlikely female friendships and the over-riding sense of “home.” Personally, I would have preferred multiple narrators (Cressida, Jory, and Mago) rather than third person since, many times, the narrative became bogged down with descriptions, but this was a minor flaw in an otherwise delightful, delicious tale.

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

Effie Olsen's Summer Special by Rochelle Bilow

 

3*

This long-time friends-to-lovers, small town romance will appeal to foodies. It is a second-chance romance, but even more of an exposé on farm-to-table restaurant culture, toxic and sexually-abusive male chefs, and how much harder it is for a woman to find success in the high-end restaurant world. Effie Olsen has been in the business for 16 years, ever since leaving home (an island off the coast of Maine) and finishing culinary school, and in all that time, she hasn’t stayed in any one place for too long. When she is let go from her latest executive chef job in San Francisco, she begrudgingly moves back home, intending to only stay the summer and never expecting that the home she couldn’t get away from fast enough may be just the place she needs.

My biggest frustration with this book and reason for the 3* rating is Effie and her insistence that she must leave at the end of the summer, despite her growing feelings for her childhood friend, Ernie, and her admission that her life as an itinerant chef has left her unhappy and unfulfilled. I’ve never enjoyed the trope of a main character resisting love because they want to preserve a friendship, yet giving into their attraction while also giving the love interest false hope. Friendship is the best basis for a loving relationship, so when the chemistry is strong, how is that a bad thing? In this case, Effie’s indecisiveness and getting Ernie’s hopes up were just too off-putting for me. If this trope doesn’t bother you and you’re a fan of small town, friends-to-lovers romances, give it a try.

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

Last Call at the Local by Sarah Grunder Ruiz

 

5*

In the 3^rd book of the Love, Lists and Fancy Ships series, we’re introduced to Jack Dunne, brother of Ollie from book 2, and Raine Hart, a med school dropout and musician who was busking her way around Europe until she had her equipment stolen (including the prized Gibson guitar from her grandfather) right out from under her in colorful, picturesque Cobh, Ireland. Left with only the clothes on her back, her phone and passport, and the spare change in her pockets, she stops into the Local pub for a pint. Shortly after, she meets the charming, handsome Jack and the attraction is instantaneous. After asking her opinion about what the pub needs to draw more traffic and listening to her constructively critical suggestions, he reveals that he’s co-owner and that he wants to offer her a job as their new events coordinator. It’s a temporary arrangement, only until she can earn enough to replace her equipment and revamp the pub. Of course, that’s more than enough time for them to give into their growing feelings for each other. 

 

What elevates this heartwarming romance over other friends-to-lovers offerings are the challenges both main characters face. Jack, after years of physical abuse from his father, suffers from intrusive thoughts due to OCD and that, combined with having to move home to take over the pub following his death, caused him to give up his tattooing career. Raine has ADHD and has always felt she was a disappointment to her doctor parents, especially after she quit medical school to become a full-time itinerant musician. Neither one of them is confident in their talent, but they bond over their mental health issues, see in each other what they fail to see in themselves, and lovingly accept what makes them different. Ruiz has chosen a dual POV which enables her to use her characters’ own voices to describe what goes on in their brains that keeps them from trusting themselves to be in a relationship and sharing their talents. 

 

Although this is only Ruiz’s third book, she has already established herself as a thoughtful writer who tackles everything from grief to mental illness with sensitivity, makes liberal use of humorous banter, and treats her characters with dignity. Fans of Chloe Liese and Talia Hibbert will love her books. Highly recommended.

 

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Berkley Romance 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.