Dolly All the Time by Annabel Monaghan

 

5*

Every year, I eagerly anticipate Monaghan’s next romance because she has such a way of featuring mature main characters who approach love with open hearts and a degree of trepidation. (Who over the age of 30 isn’t carrying some baggage?) In Dolly All the Time, Dolly Brick and Stewart Whitfield don’t seem like the most likely couple. She’s a single mom who grew up as a townie and he’s the golden child of the wealthy family for whom the town is named. Dolly, who had to grow up too fast after her mother’s abandonment, has always put herself last, focusing her attention on her teenage son and her disabled brother, as well as helping out in the family fish market and doing necessary house repairs. Although her primary job is a kindergarten teacher, she holds down other odd jobs to ensure her son has a good life. Stewart is a workaholic who has a compulsive need to continue his family’s legacy, sacrificing a social life and any chance at love. After an adorable meet cute, he asks Dolly to fake a relationship with him to prove to his family that he is responsible and settled enough to run the company after his father’s retirement. What could possibly go wrong?

Stewart, despite his questionable choices in the third act, is the perfect book boyfriend. I love the way Monaghan built their relationship and gave Dolly such strength of character, even as she doubted she would ever fit into his world. Secondary characters like their family and Dolly’s friend Naomi are well-drawn and are an integral part of the romance-building. As someone who “summered” in Rhode Island, I appreciate the seaside setting as well. If you like mature romances with a hint of fairy tale, I highly recommend this delightful book.

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 Shippers by Katherine Center

5*

 

It’s a slam dunk when one of my favorite romance authors writes my favorite trope: childhood friends to lovers. In a nod to The Runaway Bride, Center weaves a story about Jojo, a woman who thinks she’s cursed to love only men who won’t love her back. As a result, she dumps them before they can dump her, including leaving the last one at the altar. In the hopes of breaking the curse, her sister Ashley concocts a scheme based on the idea that Jojo just needs to get the guy who gave her her first kiss, blindfolded, to fall in love with her while on Ashley’s weeklong wedding cruise. So why is Jojo more invested in renewing her friendship with Cooper than capturing Finn’s heart?

 

In Center’s author’s note, she talks about spoilers and argues that romance books always have a happily-ever-after but it’s the journey to love that’s there for readers to discover. So, enjoy the ride as mathematician Jojo applies her life’s work to the theory of love and tying up loose ends. Highly recommended.

 

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

 

Down with the Ship by Chloe Jory

 

4*

With a nod to Pride and Prejudice, Jory’s debut novel hits all the high points: grumpy male lead, classism, enemies-to-lovers, the relationship between sisters, and first world problems of the rich. She sets her story in Fiji, on a yacht owned by a billionaire media family, where Stella (an uptight, recently suspended PhD art history fellow) has joined her sister Jules, her fiancé Harry and his family for a two-week cruise. Imagine her surprise when she finds out the charming, handsome first mate who came to her rescue after being injured on the beach is actually the ship’s captain, who is none too happy to see her. Although they’re at odds with each other from the outset, the chill between them thaws as they face down killer sharks, discover a romantic bioluminescent lagoon, and escape near death falling down a cliff. In the process, Stella begins to question if she even likes the life and career she’s built, especially as it’s taken her far away from the art she enjoyed making for most of her pre-college life. As Caleb observes, it’s never too late to change the course of your life to find happiness with your chosen profession.

This lighthearted, adventurous romance makes a fantastic beach read with its gorgeous Fijian setting, many humorous moments, and just enough yearning and spice to make it interesting. An added bonus is Jory’s focus on conservation efforts to save the coral reefs. Fans of Katherine Center and Christina Lauren will thoroughly enjoy this. Highly recommended.

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

Into the Woods by Jenny Holiday

4*




If you read Holiday’s Canadian Boyfriend, you’ll already know Gretchen, Rory’s boss and best friend. Gretchen, on the eve of her 40th birthday, has built a successful dance school, but is eager to expand. At the same time, she’s decided to give up on dating and become a “crone.” On a whim, she agrees to fill in at a summer arts camp for teenagers, and not only finds a friend-with-benefits in rock star Teddy, but also begins to learn that she may be pursuing the wrong dream. However, she’s so determined to remain single that she rejects the evidence right in front of her.


This story is all about honest conversation, artistic expression, self-discovery, female empowerment, and finding your muse. The six artists-in-residence become an unlikely group of friends, and the way they discovers parts of themselves through their interaction with the teens and each other is heartwarming. If you’re looking for a mature romance with a perfect balance of vulnerability, humor, and parental baggage, you’ll love Into the Woods. Highly 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.

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.

Christmas Sweater Weather by Jaqueline Snowe

 

4*

On the way to her brother’s bachelor/bachelorette weekend at a resort a few hours north of Chicago, Charlotte Calhoun is pushed into a deep snowbank by a skidding 18-wheeler during a snowstorm. The last person she wants to rescue her is Hayden Porter, her brother’s best friend and her long-time crush who broke her heart three years before after she drunkenly kissed him and proclaimed her love. Yet, with mistletoe in abundance and being paired off to compete in crazy Christmas games, it is soon obvious that the attraction is not one-sided. As a single dad and busy college coach, Hayden is in no place for a relationship, but the sexual tension between the two is potent, and he’s tired of fighting his attraction. Now they just need to make sure her brother doesn’t find out because the Christmas-obsessed Calhoun family is too important to him to lose if things don’t work out between them.

Although it’s not technically a second chance romance, it plays out like one. For most of the book, Hayden is the perfect book boyfriend. However, I get really frustrated when guys put on the brakes, whether for legitimate reasons or not, without consulting their love interest. It’s insulting to the woman and implies a lack of trust when it’s really just their fears and insecurities winning out.

Other than the afore-mentioned frustration, I enjoyed this story with plenty of sexy banter, a smoking hot single dad, and a plethora of Christmas cheer. If you’re in the mood for a very steamy Christmas on steroids romance, check this one 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.

Close Knit by Jenny Colgan

 

3*

I have read many of Jenny Colgan’s books, but none in the past couple of years. Either I’ve forgotten her writing style or this story diverged from her norm. Part One was very difficult to get into, and I was tempted to stop reading because very little was happening, too many characters were introduced at once without enough description to make them come alive in my head, and the abundant use of Scottish colloquial words and phrases took me out of the story too many times, often without being able to find a definition (e.g., saltires, dreich, schtum, stocious, etc.). Although I loved her Mure series, it annoyed me that, in describing the fictional town of Carso on the northern rim of Scotland (Thurso perhaps?), she also made up names for all the outer islands and their landmarks. Since I love finding place names on maps and in photos, it was frustrating to realize I couldn’t find visuals for the Mermaid’s Spyglass, the golden beaches, and the village itself.

Fortunately, the perilous adventure in Part Two grabbed my attention and didn’t let go until the very end. It was wonderful seeing both Gertie and Struan, one with the reputation of being a meek daydreamer and the other a failed musician in the eyes of their community, defy all expectations by taking heroic measures to save lives. Although I guess this could loosely be called a clean romance, there was no development of one, just a brief kiss or two near the end. I would categorize it more as women’s fiction and adventure. My 3* rating is the average of 2* for Part One and 4* for Part Two.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Avon 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.

Birding with Benefits by Sarah T. Dubb

5*

Who knew birding could be so sexy? In this unique, mature romance, two 40-something strangers share an awkward but endearing meet-cute at the start of a birding (aka bird watching) competition in Tucson. Celeste, a middle-school literature teacher, was asked to partner with John, part-time woodworker and aspiring birding guide, by John’s friend Chris when he has to drop out. Celeste interpreted this to mean being his fake girlfriend to keep his ex at bay while John is just looking for a partner for the 6-week competition. Recently divorced, she’s on a path of self-discovery, so they agree to keep the fake relationship going for the duration while allowing her to try a new hobby. Neither is interested in a future together, but after a while, they realize that “birding with benefits” is a temptation they both want to give into. In the meantime, she draws him out of his shell with her enthusiasm and belief in his dream of turning his special interest into a vocation he’s passionate about, and he helps her learn to be still enough to see and hear the sights and sounds of the birds all around them. John appears autistic-coded, but it isn’t a focus of the story, just an explanation of how he views the world.

This is a lovely story that is a refreshing look at how love in the second half of your life is possible if you’re willing to shed the baggage from previous relationships and trust that partnering up doesn’t mean losing yourself. It’s a very slow burn, friends-to-lovers, dual POV romance between two kind, caring people who communicate honestly (talking through issues rather than building resentment) and slowly turn up the heat with well-chosen words and gentle touches. When their passion ignites, it’s steamy, but the focus remains on the competition and their shared experiences in their hikes through the southern Arizona mountains and desert. Dubb has done a wonderful job crafting characters and painting the landscape that they travel through. Celeste’s relationship with her teen daughter Morgan is an accurate portrayal of the natural distancing that can occur when a parent’s dreams conflict with their child’s own ideas for their future. There is quite a bit of LGBTQ representation in secondary characters as well. This is a great beach read! Fans of Emily Henry, Kate Clayborn, Christina Lauren, and Katherine Center will enjoy this. Highly recommended!

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

Savor It by Tarah DeWitt

 

4*

I gave this 4* instead of 5, only because I struggled to get into it. There’s not a lot of action or twists and turns, so I had to focus more on the dialogue. When I did, and thought about DeWitt’s choice of a dual POV, I was so thankful. This romance wouldn’t have been nearly as compelling and heartwarming if readers hadn’t been privy to Fisher’s thoughts. I can’t think of any love story I’ve read in the past few years that comes close to Sage and Fisher’s honesty and vulnerability. It is so refreshing to witness two people who have faced tragedy and its subsequent damage to the mind and soul, and who care enough to help each other overcome their personal challenges and navigate the way to a better, mentally healthier way of living.

Yet, despite this description sounding like this is an emotionally heavy story, it’s actually not. Over the summer they get to know each other, Sage and Fisher share a plethora of punny comments (many with sexual innuendo), bond over a bunch of unique and engaging adopted farm animals, cook and share some amazing meals (doesn’t hurt that he is an award-winning and 3 Michelin-starred chef), train for the small town’s annual festival competition, and create ephemeral sand labyrinths that the town is famous for and which are a metaphor for the impermanence of their relationship (before Fisher and his orphaned niece Indy return to New York City), but the enjoyment it can bring in the meantime.

Set is the fictional Spunes, OR, DeWitt mostly avoids the small town cliche of everyone being in everyone else’s business by focusing on the colorful and ever-evolving life on Sage’s hobby farm, Fisher’s struggle navigating his new role as parent to a hurting and angry teen, and the inherent goodness and selfless concern and caring of the two main characters. There’s plenty of steamy scenes between Sage and Fisher as well. 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.

At First Spite (Harlot's Bay #1) by Olivia Dade

 

4*

Spoiler alert

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At First Spite, the first book in Olivia Dade’s new Harlot’s Bay series, is set in a small, coastal Maryland town named for a lesbian couple who fled their oppressive homes and settled there in the 1690s. Over the centuries, it has become a haven for misfits. So, it’s no surprise that Dade features a lesbian couple who are friends and colleagues of the protagonists, a gruff baker with a soft center, an overwhelmed and out of his depth bookshop owner, and two people who, despite their respective traumas, find in each other a kindred spirit.

 

As the story opens, we find Athena Greydon at her engagement party to Johnny Vine who asked her to marry him just two months after their first meeting before they even got to know each other well. He’s promised her that, when she moves to Harlot’s Bay, she won’t have to find a new job because he’ll take care of her (promises that he’ll depend on his older brother Matthew’s generosity to keep). Feeling burned out after four years as a high school social studies teacher, her acceptance of his proposal may be due more to the promise of the comfort and shelter she seeks than any true love she may have for him. This is very evident to his older brother who makes it his mission to end the engagement, viewing Athena as too irresponsible and immature to be someone’s wife. After meeting her face-to-face for the first time at the party and forming an instant attraction before he even knows her name, it’s likely that his resistance to the engagement is no longer purely altruistic.

 

When Johnny heeds Matthew’s advice and calls off the engagement, Athena has already quit her job and sold her condo. So, she has no choice but to move into The Spite House, a 10’ wide townhouse built between the two brothers’ larger homes which she bought as a wedding present for Johnny, using up most of her savings. Little does she know that Matthew will be her next-door neighbor. Despite a series of harmless, petty pranks she plays against him, they slowly get to know each other (while Johnny is away on an extended solo honeymoon) and learn that they both suffered from misconceptions about each other’s lives and intentions. That’s why it was relatively easy for both Matthew and Athena to forgive each other, share their innermost thoughts, and offer emotional (and, in his case, financial) support while navigating their separate traumas. Given what caring and decent people they both are and the fact that she didn’t really know Johnny well, the cringe factor of a guy going after his younger brother’s ex-fiancée is muted.

 

Athena has two Masters’ degrees and dropped out of a PhD program before finishing, yet she finds herself at age 37 with no job, a spotty employment history, and a bad case of burnout and depression, unable to see herself and her career path as anything other than dismal failures. It takes Matthew, the uptight, grumpy pediatrician, to help her see that her depression is painting a false picture. He not only supports her in her darkest moments, but also shows her the way friends and loved ones view her. He offers a different perspective which carries more weight because she thought he hated her. Everyone deserves a Matthew in their life, someone who acknowledges your flaws, but loves you in spite of them. He’s definitely an A+ book boyfriend.

 

Athena’s story will resonate with readers who have suffered from depression and struggled to find a vocation that they are passionate about and can excel in. My one criticism is that she seems neurodivergent-coded (as does Matthew), so although his well-meaning justifications for her spotty job history may be accurate, they’re incomplete without acknowledging how her neurodivergency impacts her relationships and employment.

 

Of course, Matthew is also dealing with the trauma of his baby brother’s death when he was only 8 years old. After the tragedy, his parents’ relationship fell apart, and he was thrust into the paternal role of taking care of Johnny. As a result, he’s always sacrificed his own wants and needs by being caretaker for his brother and others in his life. One of the most beautiful parts of the story is when Athena reciprocates by helping Matthew navigate his own grief and path forward.

 

The only other criticism I have is the bizarre, erotic bestiality books featured throughout that make little sense and prove more of a distraction than a humorous element which, combined with a messy (albeit revelatory) first sex scene between Matthew and Athena, stifle any sense of passion. I just found them both cringey. Book 2 is set to feature Karl, the afore-mentioned angry baker, and the author of these books. Not sure I’m going to want to revisit the trope at any length.

 

Overall, though, this is one of Dade’s best books, so I highly recommend it.

 

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

 

Christmas with the Lords by Hannah Langdon

 

4*

Sweet friends-to-lovers, grumpy/sunshine, small town romance set in the English countryside of Dorset.

After being cruelly dumped by her boyfriend of 10 years and, at 38, facing the prospect of never fulfilling her dream of a husband and children, primary school teacher Penny decides to spend the Christmas holiday taking care of four-year-old twins. Shortly after she arrives, she meets their Uncle Lando, a handsome, grumpy, troubled man who spends his days whittling a nativity set in his studio. Like Penny, he’s running from a life that he thought was what he wanted, but turned out to be soul-destroying. They both have plans to leave what’s familiar and to escape, Penny to an international school position in India and Lando to a secluded cottage in Greece. However, as feelings start to grow and their arrogant, awful exes try to rekindle relationships for selfish reasons, these two insecure but kind souls have to decide if running away will really solve their problems or if they’re willing to risk following their hearts.

Despite the baggage they’re both carrying, Langdon doesn’t allow it to drag down the story. The antics of the eccentric Lord family are funny and endearing, the twins are adorable, and everyone from grandfather William to the twin’s mom Bunny to the surly but caring cook Pilar open their arms and hearts to Penny. If you’re looking for a heartwarming Christmas story that includes chosen family, a quaint English village, and a mature, slow burn romance, this is it!

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.

Teach Me by Olivia Dade

5*

What a refreshing change from the typical romance! Not only has Olivia Dade given us a fabulous couple of middle-aged protagonists in Rose and Martin, but Rose is also a plus-sized woman who Martin describes with positive, affirming words like gorgeous, statuesque, curvaceous, “regally tall”. Both of them are carrying a lot of baggage that makes getting to know each other challenging, but, despite their difficult childhoods and divorces, they become friends. A big reason is their respect for each other as dedicated teachers. Rose is determined to be cordial but cold to the new hire who has been assigned her favorite classes and is invading her classroom during her two planning periods to teach them. However, she hadn’t expected him to be so kind, sensitive, and respectful. In fact, Martin is nearly the perfect man: a loving father, champion of women and LGBTQ youth, a sexy nerd, and a phenomenal, caring teacher. His lesson on female Egyptian Pharaoh Hatshepsut, taught while Rose was there to observe, encapsulates his qualities. “She just watched Martin – who knew full well she was observing him that particular period – walk his high school class through a well-considered discussion of gender, power, and the historical erasure of women and the marginalized. Heard him declare with quiet passion that their stories mattered. That, by inference, her story mattered. That she mattered.” It’s no wonder that he makes her feel safe and protected even if she is perfectly capable of fighting her own battles. But will she be able to let go of the past to have a future with Martin? An excellent contemporary romance that focuses on issues very pertinent today in a way that doesn’t seem patronizing or tokenish and which pays homage to hard-working, devoted teachers. Book one of Dade’s new There's Something About Marysburg series. Highly recommended!


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