Christmas Wishes and Irish Kisses by Debbie Johnson

 

5*

I always look forward to Debbie Johnson’s books, and this one didn’t disappoint. Life has been pretty rough for me these past few years, and this delightful second chance, childhood friends to lovers, small town romance was the pick-me-up I desperately needed. Liam and Ellie are both lovely people who never got the opportunity to turn their friendship into something more, letting 20+ years pass before they were reunited at Christmas in the small Cornish town where they grew up. Ellie is dealing with baggage she’s carried with her since she was uprooted from Cornwall and moved to the U.S., believing that her father didn’t want her. Liam, despite dealing with profound grief, has been busy raising his children and growing a profitable business empire. During the Christmas season, they’re thrown together on numerous occasions, and the spark that never fully ignited in their teens, roars to life with a couple of steamy kisses, but will they both be able to move beyond their pain and insecurities to acknowledge their feelings for each other? Read this charming Christmas tale to find out. Highly recommended.

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

The Love Wager (Mr. Wrong Number #2) by Lynn Painter

 

4*

I’m not usually an audiobook reader, but I chose that format for this book to fulfill a prompt in a reading challenge. I didn’t love the male narrator Zachary Webber’s voice (and liked it even less when I saw a hateful TikTok video he posted last fall). This is definitely better than Mr. Wrong Number, which featured MMC Jack Marshall’s younger sister Olivia and best friend Colin. I found Olivia very immature and whiney, and she was just as bad in this book. FMC Hallie and Jack meet at Olivia and Colin’s wedding in a meet (not so) cute when Jack’s girlfriend gets jealous thinking Jack is flirting with bartender Hallie and tosses a glass of chardonnay at her. Jack goes from almost proposing to dumping her, then ends up sleeping with Hallie. They don’t exchange contact information, but then discover each other on a dating app and decide they’ll be each other’s wingman while navigating the minefield that is online dating. To make it more interesting, they make a wager over who will find love first. However, when Hallie’s fledgling boyfriend breaks up with her just before her sister’s wedding, Jack offers to be her date and fake a relationship. Given the close friendship they’ve formed and the intense chemistry they have, it’s no surprise that things get complicated with just one bed.

There’s nothing unique about this romance, but it’s a fun read with witty banter and both friends-to-lovers and fake dating tropes. 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.

Promise Me Sunshine by Cara Bastone

5*

This is the second book I’ve read by Bastone (the first being Ready or Not), and I can’t wait to read more. This friends-to-lovers romance between Lenny and Miles is a touching and heartbreaking exploration of grief and the process of working through it to be able to live and love again. I absolutely love how Miles is so committed to helping Lenny navigate her grief journey (following the death of her best friend), using his own experiences to inform the way he both supports her and gently and patiently guides her through her depression.

“You are not betraying her [her friend Lou] by healing,” he whispers directly into my ear. “You are honoring her. You are learning to love her exactly as she is. As someone who isn’t here anymore … That’s who she is now. And this journey through grief … It’s what we do for the great loves of our lives.” In return, Lenny helps Miles build a relationship with his half-sister and niece, the only family he has left.

Lenny has what Miles refers to as “love-at-first-sight fantasies” which are really just her first reactions to men she sees, and hers toward Miles is initially positive, but quickly dashed when he opens his mouth. Yet, she soon realizes that he’s just socially awkward (perhaps autistic-coded) and his gruff exterior masks a kind, empathic man. He turns out to be the perfect book boyfriend, sensitive to her needs and totally supportive and protective.

Bastone is wonderful at building tension. This is a VERY slow burn, but the wait is worth it with a hilarious, but spicy love scene towards the end. Highly recommended.

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

 

Get Lost With You (Rock Bottom Love #2) by Sophie Sullivan

 

3*

Although I enjoyed this sweet, romantic story, it didn’t capture my attention. I’m a fan of the second chance, friends to lovers, brother’s best friend, and small town romance tropes, but I prefer a slower build-up of a relationship. This was almost Instalove, Levi and Jilly quickly realizing that the feelings they both secretly harbored for each other in their teens were all the more potent as adults. There was very little angst, tons of kissing with some very mild, totally non-descriptive steamy scenes, and a ridiculous 3rd act breakup that was quickly resolved. Levi is a wonderful book boyfriend, and Jilly’s 9-year-old daughter is a delightfully precocious character. Overall, though, there just wasn’t much happening in the book, so predictable but ultimately forgettable.

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.

Holiday Hideaway by Mary Kay Andrews

 

4*

Such a sweet Christmas short story! In less than 100 pages, Andrew’s has managed to pack in a temporary squatting situation, a painless breakup, and a budding friends-to-lovers romance full of witty banter and high school reminiscences. The setting, a Victorian New England shoreline cottage, is the icing on the cake. Recommended.

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

The Holiday Honeymoon Switch by Julia McKay

 

3*

This dual romance has vibes similar to the movie, The Holiday, but is about two best friends, not strangers, who swap holiday destinations. Holly, whose fiancé dumps her the night before their wedding, goes to an eco-cabin in upstate NY where Ivy was going to take her annual two-week art retreat while Ivy goes to Holly’s honeymoon resort in Hawaii only to find that the a’hole ex-fiancé is there with his new girlfriend. The hot bartender, Oliver, who resembles Ryan Gosling, finds her a place to stay and there’s an instant attraction. Meanwhile, Holly, who still hasn’t cried after the breakup of her 10-year relationship, meets the cabin’s owner, Aiden, who is, serendipitously, her former high school friendly rival who’s had a major glow-up, now resembling Henry Cavill.

The chapters alternate between Holly and Ivy (this nod to the holiday is mentioned more than once), and describe not only the different ways Christmas is celebrated in a small Hudson Valley town and on a breathtakingly beautiful Hawaiian island, but also how each female lead finds instalove when neither is looking for it. Although there are some mildly steamy scenes, there’s not really much obvious chemistry. It definitely has a Hallmark movie feel to it. In fact, the focus is just as much on the loving friendship between Holly and Ivy than the two romances. If you’re looking for a feel-good, low angst Christmas story, this is a good one to check out.

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.

We Three Kings by Kristen Bailey

 

5*

Last year, I read a beautiful Christmas romance called Five Gold Rings and wondered if Bailey’s newest book, We Three Kings, could ever begin to rival it. I’m happy to say it does. It’s also set in London, which I still maintain is the most beautiful city in which to celebrate the holiday. It’s also a workplace romance but features Maggie and her three male employees in the IT department of a London firm who have become friends in their four years together. So, it’s no surprise how torn she is when she’s told, at the start of Christmas break, that she’ll have to lay off (make redundant) one of these lovely men who are like family. The painful decision is complicated by the plans these three proposed when they learned she’d be spending Christmas alone, and she doesn’t have the heart to ruin them by revealing the sad news. Her new and budding feelings for Leo also compound her decision with the worry about crossing ethical lines as boss and employee. From attending awkward (probably autistic) Frank’s sister’s wedding as a fake girlfriend and then joining eccentric Jasper’s posh but dysfunctional family for a Christmas party and foiling a fox hunt (cue the adorable baby foxes) to visiting Leo’s warm and welcoming family for a raucous Christmas Eve and Day and participating in an annual donkey abduction, Maggie comes to love this trio of wonderful, quirky men as she learns more about their lives and the influences that have formed them into the true “kings” of men they are.

If you’re looking for a truly heartwarming and humorous Christmas story that is full of kindness, love, laughter, loyalty, fade-to-black romance, and a high degree of silliness, I highly encourage you to check this one out. I guarantee you will be absolutely charmed.

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

The Holiday Cottage by Sarah Morgan

4*

Sarah Morgan has written another heartwarming Christmas story. Set in both London and the Cotswolds, The Holiday Cottage is about finding family, forgiveness, a true home, and unconditional love and finally discovering the joy that is Christmas. I am a true Anglophile, so I appreciate how beautifully Morgan describes the charm of the fictional Winterbury including the sparkle of lights against the yellow stone shops and cottages, the Christmas market, and the wintry walks through the fields. The sweet friends-to-lovers romance between Imogen and Miles isn’t the central focus but adds another touching plot line to a story that’s full of emotion and second chances. I highly recommend adding The Holiday Cottage to your Christmas story collection.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Canary Street Press 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.

Learning Curve (Dickson U #1) by Max Monroe

 

4*

Since I expected this first book in the Billionaire Bad Boys next generation series to be as funny, irreverent and sexy as the original, I was surprised at how emotionally heavy it got. This isn’t a criticism, but more of a heads up that the writing duo Max Monroe seems to have taken a turn away from their lighthearted fare (which started with their last book, What I Should’ve Said). Yes, we still get the hijinx from Thatch and Cassie’s older son Ace and frequent appearances from all the billionaires and the Winslow brothers, but there are also some pretty serious topics including physical abuse, alcoholism, sexual harassment, and more.

Finn (much younger half-brother to the Winslow’s) is Ace Kelly’s freshman year roommate. With the same captivating personality, loyalty, and mischievousness as his dad Thatcher, it’s no surprise that they become fast friends. We also get to know Ace’s best friend Julia who is Kline and Georgia Brooks’ daughter (and, with all the hints dropped, probably the FMC in a future friends-to-lovers entry in the series), see Winnie Winslow and Wes Lancaster’s autistic daughter Lexi not give the Dickson U star quarterback, Blake Boden, the time of day (theirs is the next book in the series), and learn more about what became of the Winslow’s deadbeat dad who abandoned them all when they were kids.

Despite a curveball or two, I really enjoyed seeing all of the older generation as parents. Although they’re only 18 when the story opens, both Scottie and Finn had troubling childhoods that forced them to grow up too quickly. This hard fought maturity made it easy to believe that they could have a happily ever after. Highly recommended.

Once Smitten, Twice Shy (The Wilmot Sisters #3) by Chloe Liese

 

Expected release date: 1/28/25

5*

A beautiful, poignant, friends-to-lovers romance with witty banter full of double entendres, smoking chemistry, and honest vulnerability. In my opinion, this is the most romantic of Liese’s books, and she just keeps getting better at creating characters who are imperfect but perfectly suited for each other.

After escaping from an abusive relationship, Juliet heads to Scotland to heal her psychological wounds. In an adorable meet-cute, she is asked to dance by Will, who she assumes is a ginger-haired giant of a Highlander but turns out to be American. Although there’s an instant spark, she’s not ready for anything romantic. So, after a dance, she says goodbye, never expecting to see him again. Serendipitously, seven months later, she finds him asleep in her mother’s greenhouse, and it turns out he’s Orsino, the best friend of her childhood next-door neighbor and surrogate brother Christopher. Although there’s an obvious attraction and an ease between them, Juliet is fearful of getting involved with another of Christopher’s friends given her disastrous last relationship, and even though she’s ready to start looking for love again, she feels rusty. Will, who is in search of a wife who can be his partner in his family’s distillery and can perhaps come to love him, needs to learn how to flirt and romance a woman. So, the two agree to practice date each other. Over four weekends, what started out as practice begins to feel real, but will they be able to let go of their fears and insecurities?

Juliet, a self-proclaimed romance junkie who loves historical romances and aspires to write them herself, shares with Will that his plan to marry to carry on the family business reminds her of a Duke who doesn’t recognize that his sense of duty shows his capacity for love. As a part of their plan, she urges Will to read some historical romance to get a sense of what women look for in a partner. However, even without benefit of the books, for a shy, autistic guy, he has some really romantic and poetic dialogue with Juliet. When he serenades her underneath his balcony, you can almost hear the collective swoon that’s coming once this book releases in January 2025.

Like all her previous novels, the characters are dealing with disabilities. Juliet has celiac disease and mixed connective tissues disease which causes considerable pain. Will has autism, and struggles with conversation, reading other people’s expressions and meaning, and loud, crowded spaces. Since they both have relatives with similar disabilities, they have a natural empathy and understanding for the difficulties they face. The kindness, caring, and honesty they share is part of what makes this love story so enchanting.

If you’re a fan of the series, you’ll be happy to know that there are many, many scenes with the couples from Books 1 and 2 including Bea and Jamie’s wedding, which is such a treat. So, even though it’s a standalone, I encourage readers to start with Book 1 to get more of Juliet’s backstory. Since it’s not out until January, you have plenty of time. 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.

Slow Dance by Rainbow Rowell

 

3*

Slow Dance is a childhood friends-to-lovers, second chance love story, which is usually my vibe, but I just couldn’t get into it as I had hoped. There were several issues I had with the book. Part of the problem was that Rowell chose to constantly switch timelines, in no particular chronological order, which was made worse by the fact that she didn’t date the chapters, but rather used the word “before” for anytime prior to the present (which was randomly set in 2006). So, it could be when Shiloh and Cary were pre-teens or high schoolers or young adults or even just a month or so earlier than the previous chapter. Another problem was when they’d email each other, there was no clear indication (using different fonts or their names) whose words were whose. There were also a number of short, random chapters that gave some insight into their childhoods or the lives during the fourteen years they were apart, but they disrupted the flow of the narrative. I also didn’t feel there was much chemistry between Shiloh and Cary. I got the sense she is demisexual, and never had an interest in the act with her ex-husband but did with Cary. Even so, the intimate scenes were awkward to read.

On the plus side, I did enjoy their friendship and Shiloh’s precocious children. It was also interesting to read a romance where the main characters weren’t gorgeous human specimens. Shiloh is a hirsute Amazon and Cary, although he grew into his looks, is covered in moles and suffers with eczema. Overall, this is a romance that’s very realistic and not the kind that sweeps you away with swoon-worthy characters, steamy scenes, and grand gestures. It was enough to keep my attention but not a book I’d read again.

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.

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 Ex Vows by Jessica Joyce

5*

Possible spoilers ahead.

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I’m a sucker for second chance romances and childhood friends to lovers, so I wasn’t surprised that, when I finished this beautiful romance, my first thought was “Such a beautiful love story!” Having said that, after finishing the book, I decided to read some reviews and was very surprised to see how polarized they were. The vast majority of readers loved it, but those that awarded it either 1* or DNFed it made some valid points. I just don’t agree with them. I do get the comparisons to Henry’s Happy Place and People We Meet on Vacation and Lauren’s Love and Other Words, but I don’t see that as a detriment.

Harriet and Eli met at age 15 and the attraction was instantaneous although they didn’t act on it until their junior year in college when Eli transferred to Cal Poly and they shared their first kiss on her 21st birthday. After graduation, Eli convinced her to join him in New York when, fast forwarding two years, they broke up because he was a workaholic and, in her loneliness, she felt her only option was to move back home to San Francisco where her friends lived, especially their mutual best friend Adam. The story opens five years later when Adam, a hyper Type A worrier, is freaking out, convinced that his and Grace’s wedding is cursed, with the DJ out of commission, the wedding venue burnt to the ground, and more. As his best man and best woman, Eli and Harriet, who have barely spoken since their breakup (by mutual agreement, they’ve hidden their emotional distance from Adam), are pressed into service to work miracles in just over a week by finding alternative arrangements. So, against their better judgment, they drive up to Napa to Adam’s family’s vineyard and use the time they’re forced together to finally talk about what went wrong, why they didn’t fight for each other, and perhaps find a way forward.

Let me tell you, this dispassionate summary doesn’t begin to do this amazing love story justice. Author Joyce’s storytelling is beautifully poetic, complete with necessary angst when needed and a depth of emotion that made me alternate between laughter and tears more than once. In my opinion, Eli and Harriet were just too young and emotionally vulnerable to navigate a relationship when they both had quite a bit of baggage and lacked the proper communication skills needed to express their feelings. Yes, five years is a lot of time to let pass without having had proper closure, but it doesn’t take too long for readers to realize that they never stopped loving each other, even if they couldn’t see or admit it. The question is, will the combination of much-needed and long overdue therapy for Eli and the willingness on Harriet’s part to let go of the lists she lives by and to finally communicate her needs be enough for them to risk another try?

I’m not a fan of a single POV from the female MC but, for some reason, it wasn’t as noticeable in this story, perhaps because Joyce allowed Eli to express himself in the dialogue. As the story nears its end, there’s also an unveiling of sorts that is one of the most romantic things I’ve ever read. Yes, I cried! So, if you’re a fan of second chances and soulmates, you won’t want to miss this one. 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.

 

Business Casual (Lovelight #4) by B.K. Borison

 

4*

Minor spoilers

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I’ve enjoyed reading all the books in the Lovelight series, but this is definitely my favorite of the four. I’m a huge fan of the frenemies-to-lovers trope, and the relationship between Stella’s (Book 1) half-brother Charlie and Beckett’s (Book 2) youngest sister Nova is wonderful. Charlie is such a sweet cinnamon roll of a boyfriend, and his insecurities make him even more endearing. On the surface, it seems like opposites attract, but there’s just something about these two together that defies the stereotype. I really appreciate the dual POV because it gives readers the opportunity to really see into Charlie’s huge heart, very much in evidence with the relationships he builds with people like Caleb (Book 3) and Alex’s abuela, assorted townspeople, the owners of the farm ad and their significant others, and, most importantly, Nova’s family. He is so starved for affection, acceptance, and the embrace of a family he never had that it just really warmed my heart to see it come to fruition, providing a balance to his narcissist, hypocritical, and cruel father.

The couples from the first three books are very much present in this one, and the opening scene is of Luka and Stella’s (Book 1) wedding on the farm. It’s also where Charlie lures Nova to the dance floor where the spark between them catches fire. What starts as a one-night-stand ends up becoming a friends with benefits arrangement that they dub “business casual,” both of them knowing that New York-based Charlie, a frequent visitor to the small town of Inglewood, MD who is helping out at the farm while the newlyweds are on their honeymoon, will be returning home after a month.

It's very obvious, even before Charlie confirms it, that he has ADHD and that his father’s disdain during his childhood helped foster the low opinion he has of himself and drives his need to be the positive person who just wants to make everyone happy. However, Nova, who may also be autistic like Beckett and can be prickly, provides a figurative soft place for Charlie to land, so that he can be vulnerable and honest about his feelings. It’s not all heaviness between them, though, because Borison does a great job of balancing strong emotions with snarky banter and very sexy scenes.

Nova has her own insecurities as well. In previous books, we learned how protective and supportive Beckett is of his sister, but it’s very interesting to see how much his belief in her drives her need for perfection. The difficult but illuminating conversation the two eventually have is heart-wrenching but cathartic.

Although this can be read as a standalone, I recommend reading the other books in the series so that you have the back stories of the couples who feature so prominently in this one. 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.

 

 

 

15 Summers Later by RaeAnne Thayne

 

5*

Spoiler warning

 

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I’ve read many of RaeAnne Thayne’s books, and this is the best one yet due to its emotional complexity and harrowing tale of survival. Ava and Madi are sisters who, as teens, lost their mother in a car accident and, subsequently, their father to obsession and conspiracy theories. After he moved them to a prepper, survivalist compound in Idaho, their lives took a terrorizing turn, eventually forcing them to flee for their lives. Fast forward fifteen years, and Ava has written a best-selling memoir that throws both their lives into turmoil. Can Madi ever forgive Ava for exposing their startling history to public scrutiny, which forces her to revisit the horror daily, or will Ava lose both the sister and husband she loves?

 

Although the sister’s story is the central focus, the beautiful friends-to-lovers romance between Madi and Luke and the enduring, but fractured love between Ava and her husband Cullen are beautifully written as integral examples of how these two sisters lived through the worst experience and became strong, successful (on their own terms), kind and loving young women. Animal lovers will enjoy the frequent scenes involving Madi’s rescue animal sanctuary. If you’re looking for a heartwarming, clean romance with complex family relationships and survival against all odds, I highly recommend 15 Summers Later.

Trigger warnings: death, miscarriage, rape (off page), abuse, traumatic brain injury

 

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

A Love Like the Sun by Riss M. Neilson

5*

A Love Like the Sun is a beautiful, moving, friends-to-lovers romance set in Providence, RI between two 20-somethings who first met at age 13, bonding over being bullied for being poor and then over the loss of their parents at too young an age. They are each other’s champions, and the healthy need Issac and Laniah have for each other keeps them connected even when he moves to Los Angeles and becomes a major influencer and model with videos in which he talks about finding his soulmate while working on his mixed media art. Given how handsome and personable he is, it’s no wonder that his star rises to the point that he’s a paparazzi magnet and has millions of adoring fans. In the meantime, the natural homemade beauty care store Laniah and her mother opened three years ago is closing, so Issac announces on his platform that he and Laniah are dating, confident that it’ll help save their business and attract investors. Will these best friends be able to resist the growing spark between them and can Laniah handle the (often hostile) fandom and media attention?

Although I’m not a fan of the trope where one of the couple resists crossing the friends boundary for fear of being hurt in the future or, worse, makes a decision to end a relationship prematurely to protect their friend rather than letting them have agency, Neilson handles it well. Both Issac and Laniah have struggled with the grief over their parents’ deaths, and Laniah has health concerns that her doctor attributes to anxiety, making her feel like a hypochondriac (which Neilson expands on in her author’s note), but their love for and commitment to each other is solid if she can just get out of her own way. Fans of Kennedy Ryan and Tia Williams will love this! 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.

One Last Summer by Kate Spencer

 

3*

I really enjoyed Spencer’s last book, In a New York Minute, so I was excited to read this one. Although it’s a nice story, with good friends, and a second-chance, friends-to-lovers romance, it didn’t hold my attention and isn't memorable. Clara, after ending a 10-year relationship, has become a workaholic, blowing off the annual reunion with her friends from summer camp for the past four years. She had every intention of doing it for the 5th year until her boss at her marketing firm forced her to take a micro-sabbatical to deal with her burnout. Although she struggled with leaving work behind (and wasn’t terribly successful), reconnecting with Mack and her best girlfriend Sam helped her gain some much-needed perspective and realize that her priorities were mixed up. But will she be able to make the hard decisions necessary to change her life and put her relationships first?

I enjoyed how Mack and Clara (the narrator) bring out the best in each other all while verbally sparring (their love language, it seems) and competing in games they haven’t revisited in 20 years. Clara’s friendships with Mack and a very pregnant Sam are beautiful and a testament to the enduring nature of relationships formed in adolescence. The secondary characters (other friends from camp and the parental-like owners) serve to demonstrate how time changes people to some degree, but their essence remains the same. This romance is relatively low angst, communication between the two is easy, honest and mostly open, and sex scenes are mild. There are queer characters, and the New Hampshire camp location is used to good advantage. Overall, this is a fun, sweet romance but not a stand-out.


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.

Cole and Laila Are Just Friends by Bethany Turner

 

4*

This beautiful story about lifelong soulmates Cole and Laila takes slow burn, friends-to-lovers romance to a whole new level. I have never read a love story where two people are more open and honest with each other as well as being protective and, to their possible detriment, self-sacrificing.

When Cole’s curmudgeonly, stoic grandfather dies and he learns that the family restaurant he poured his heart into has been sold out from under him, it brings all of his fears of being unloved and undeserving to the surface. After all, he’s the adopted son of the man’s stepdaughter, so what is he owed? Laila, who has worked side-by-side with him for over a decade and has been his friend for nearly 40 years, knows the old man loved him but can’t explain how she knows. Yet, when Cole impulsively considers a job offer in New York City because he can’t handle the memories all around him, Laila agrees to accompany him on a visit, hoping to support him in making a decision but also selfishly hoping he’ll decide to remain in their small Colorado mountain town. While staying in their mutual friends’ Tribeca penthouse apartment, they’re finally forced to confront whether their feelings for each other are more than platonic and if they can have any future together if they’re thousands of miles apart. After they share a surprisingly passionate kiss (the description of which is one of the most beautiful I’ve ever read), they decide to spend her birthday acting as if they’re on a blind date and just getting to know each other, almost a test run of what could be if they’re brave enough to go there. The planning Cole puts into the long day, where he brings her to numerous locations featured in some of her favorite rom-com movies, is a testament to the deep love and affection he has for Laila and evidence of just how well they know each other.

Turner’s wise choice of a dual POV enables readers to see how deeply these two care about each other. It’s a totally clean romance with main characters just shy of forty, so a perfect choice for those looking for mature romances. .

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