*4

Adler has written another winning romance (actually two romances) using a dual timeline featuring a relationship in 1908 between a female ornithologist who fights hard to be taken seriously in a field where women aren’t welcome and a newspaper publisher and wildlife illustrator who helps her discover a rare goose. Cal’s and Annie’s romance picks up over 100 years later when his ex finds the goose in the attic of her new home and asks for his help in discovering its provenance. The lighthearted mystery is the wild goose chase they find themselves in, and the solution is a hoot (or should I say honk).

One of the highlights of the story are the funny and rather poetic analogies Cal uses to compare love to furniture. Annie is quirky and believes in repurposing antiques in disrepair for use by her modern clientele whereas Cal believes that antiques should be restored to their former glory. Their relationship is a combination of the two viewpoints and reflects their personalities.

Readers can always depend on Adler’s romances to have a unique premise (the opposite of formulaic). In Wild Goose Chase, she’s written yet another witty, engaging story that stands out in a field of contemporaries. Highly recommended.

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

Romantic Hero by Kirsty Greenwood

5*

Gertie always saw herself as half of a whole, not complete without a partner. First, it was her late sister, Josie, and then it was Henry who asked for a “break” from their four-year relationship. Without them, she has ceased to function properly which, as an author, means total writer’s block. When her retired neighbor gets fed up hearing her wailing through the wall, she stages an intervention in the form of a manifestation ceremony. What’s on Gertie’s list? It’s to get past her writer’s block and win Henry back. Who would have guessed that a villainous character from her book series, cowboy River Oakley, would be the answer to her problems?

Is River a hallucination, an actor sent by her agent, a criminal who has broken into her apartment, or a visitor from another dimension or parallel universe? You’ll have to read Romantic Hero to find out, but, regardless of where he comes from, he’s exactly who Gertie needs. She’s quite a doormat who has a problem saying no, who swallows her anger and grief rather than getting emotional, and who bends over backwards to be the person she thinks her “other half” needs. River is just the man to set her straight and build her confidence.

I love a bit of magical realism in my romances, so I was thrilled to learn that Greenwood’s follow-up to her wonderful The Love of My Afterlife also uses the trope. Romantic Hero is a fun story with plenty of steamy scenes and an MMC who defies the stereotypical role Gertie has assigned to him. The neighbor, Mrs. Casablancas, is a hoot, and Henry is a narcissist who gets his comeuppance. Add in an adorable dog and the London setting (my favorite city), and it’s a winning combination. Share this with fans of Sarah Ready and Ashley Poston. Highly recommended.

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

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.

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.

Under Your Spell by Laura Wood

 

5*

Delightful friends to lovers, forced proximity romance between two thirty-somethings, one a famous musician and the other a recently furloughed college professor and daughter of a rock legend suffering from Peter Pan Syndrome. Set in the England countryside, it’s all about the downside of fame and the loved ones who get figuratively trampled in the frenzy of paparazzi and rabid fans.

Thirty-three years ago, rockstar Ripp Harris managed to impregnate three women (only one of whom, Dee, the narrator’s mother, was his wife). When the truth came out, Dee bought a farm with the divorce proceedings and invited the other two soon-to-be moms to live with her, where they raised three beautiful daughters together. As the girls grew, they dubbed themselves The Weird Sisters and fancied themselves witches. When Clementine (Clemmie) experienced a devastating heartbreak at age 17, the breakup spell came to be. Fast forward fifteen years, and Clemmie, after losing her latest adjunct faculty post, has just been dumped by her long-time, live-in boyfriend who took all the furniture, stole her cat, and moved in with his pregnant girlfriend. What better excuse to cast another spell, cursing the ex, and then making three wishes to heal Clemmie’s broken heart: Serena, the record producer, wishes for hot sex, Clemmie wishes for a job doing what she loves, and Lil, the folk singer, wishes for a big, soulmate kind of love.

Within days, at the funeral of a close family friend, Clemmie can’t help but notice the handsome pallbearer, and is thrilled to fulfill Serena’s wish for her with the gorgeous man, Edward/Teddy. So, imagine her surprise when Serena convinces her to “babysit” megastar and rumored womanizer Theo Elliott (long overdue with his next album) for six weeks in a secluded home far from London, and she discovers he’s the same man she snuck out on but can’t get out of her mind. But after being rejected by her father and her teen love (also a musician), the last thing she’s going to do is make the mistake of loving a musician a third time.

I thoroughly enjoyed this delightful, steamy romance set in England and the honesty, care, and vulnerability that Clemmie and Theo share. Author Wood does a fantastic job of fleshing out her characters and giving readers a solid depiction of female support and empowerment between the three “sisters” and their mothers. I am thankful that Theo isn’t the stereotypical musician (as is Clemmie, as it turns out), and really enjoy his snarky, Type A assistant David who reminds me of Joel Kim Booster’s character in the show Loot. I’m not usually a fan of a single female character POV, but, in this case, readers get a good sense of who Theo is and how a highly-successful music career, that began as a boy band member in his teens, has negatively impacted his life.

The only minor issue I had was that her sisters, who obviously knew who Theo was, never clued her in. In her total rejection of all things musical, she avoided social media and current music, so being ignorant of who he was made sense, but Serena should have made the connection before offering her the job. Of course, there would have been no story in that case, so I let it slide. If you’re a fan of Christina Lauren, Emily Henry, and Abby Jimenez, you’ll love this book. Highly recommended!

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.

Happily Never After by Lynn Painter

 

5*

I absolutely loved this book! Lynn Painter has such a talent for infusing her characters’ dialogue with humor. As a result, her books are all feel-good romances that we need with so much wrong going on in the world. In Happily Never After, she employs the fake relationship trope…that isn’t.

Sophie meets Max, a architect/engineer, when he is hired by her best friend and maid of honor to object to her wedding to Stuart on the grounds that he’s cheating. (It’s a side gig he fell into by accident.) Since she didn’t actually love him, she’s able to work out her aggressions by lobbing Twinkies at his car from the balcony of the bridal suite. When Max comes to collect payment, they end up spending hours drinking and talking. A couple of weeks later, he calls out of the blue to remind her of her offer to be the Objectress to his Objector, thus starting a beautiful friendship fueled by “halting a lifetime of misery, one wedding at a time.” When her boss tells her she needs a better work-life balance if she’s going to recommend her for promotion and his father says he can’t retire until his mother is convinced he’s “taken care of” (i.e., in a committed relationship), they play up the “friendship” with cosy photos posted on social media and conveniently-timed FaceTime calls in front of witnesses that hint at a deeper relationship, while stressing they’re just friends. With Max believing in love but avoiding it after a painful break-up (figuring the risk is greater than the reward) and Sophie convinced it doesn’t exist at all (especially after being cheated on in every relationship she’s had), a friends with benefits scenario is awfully tempting. Will they be the exception to the rule and manage to not fall in love?

The chemistry between these two delightful characters is scorching, in large part because of the respect they have for each other, their honest communication, and the laughter and lightness they share. Max is the perfect book boyfriend, and Sophie is a smart, successful businesswoman who actually does manage to find time for a social life. To add even more levity to this delightful story, Painter introduces Larry and Rose, Sophie’s meddling, irreverent, geriatric roommates who move in to help with rent after she kicks Stuart out. They’re like cool, protective grandparents who live to embarrass her but who also dole out sage advice on her love life.

If you’re looking for a convincing, witty, light-hearted romance that doesn’t rely on tired tropes, you’ll love this book. 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.