Weekly Round-Up!

It's hard to believe we're almost at the end of June, and almost half the way through the year! We've had some fantastic novels released this year and still more yet to come.

I absolutely cannot wait for Avery Flynn's newest novel in her Ice Knight's series, Loud Mouth, releasing this Monday, 22nd June, watch out for it!

If you haven't read the other books in the series it doesn't hurt, they are standalone novels, but honestly, highly recommended. Ms. Flynn's Hartigan series exist in the same universe as the Ice Knights, and they're like Peanut Butter & Chocolate, yes, independently they're both great, but together? Cue heart eyes.

I'd recommend starting off with the Hartigan series with Butterface (you can check out my review here) and that way you can get a full introduction, and I will let you know that my favourite of the series is Tomboy, it's utter perfection. Then the Ice Knight series starts off with Parental Guidance, also utter perfection. Honestly, the perfect series to lose yourself in at the moment.

So what have I been up to this week? Well, I'll confess that I am having a hard time getting into new books at the moment. I picked up a really interesting romance book that I'd been excited about and without spoiling which book it was, I was horrified to be reading mid-book and find out that the hero accidentally killed his sister when he was younger and it describes in light detail how she'd accidentally been locked in a trunk. Added into the fact the heroine had just been almost sexually assaulted, I quickly and unfortunately put this down. I've also read another two books that I was really excited for and they just fell flat. I'm not sure if it was because I was too excited to read them and they fell flat, or they genuinely were flat, but maybe something I'll have to pick up.

But onto what I've actually been posting this week. I've started posting films to cheer you up and lift your spirits at the weekend. If you've missed it, check it out here, and don't miss the film recommendation this Saturday!

I've also had a quick review of the best books I've read so far this year here, and two great books that I've reviewed (click the cover to be taken to the review).

                            

I may have also mentioned that I'm a bit stuck for book recommendations at the moment, so please let me know what fantastic books you're currently reading!

Have a fantastic weekend and happy reading!

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(ARC) The Friend Zone - Abby Jimenez

Kristen Petersen doesn’t do drama, will fight to the death for her friends, and has no room in her life for guys who just don’t get her. She’s also keeping a big secret: facing a medically necessary procedure that will make it impossible for her to have children. Planning her best friend’s wedding is bittersweet for Kristen — especially when she meets the best man, Josh Copeland. He’s funny, sexy, never offended by her mile-wide streak of sarcasm, and always one chicken enchilada ahead of her hangry. Even her dog, Stuntman Mike, adores him. 

The only catch: Josh wants a big family someday. Kristen knows he’d be better off with someone else, but as their attraction grows, it’s harder and harder to keep him at arm’s length. 

The Friend Zone will have you laughing one moment and grabbing for tissues the next as it tackles the realities of infertility and loss with wit, heart, and a lot of sass. 

I was lucky enough to receive an extended preview for The Friend Zone. Compared to the last few years, today's romance novels are receiving more simplistic, but appealing designs, and this is no exception. While this was an extended preview and not the final draft, the formatting was slightly annoying to read, line spacing just far enough out that it pulled slightly from the flow, along with a few errors in italicization, but I'm sure these will be cleaned up for the publication. 

 Written back and forth between our hero and heroine in first person, as many romance novels do nowadays, the novel does draw you in and does provide an interesting read. Our heroine does seem a little rough around the ages, with some interesting comments. Sometimes our heroine's don't need to be rough to be tough, but every woman is unique and different, and kudos to all for different portrayals. Chemistry between our leads is already underway, with our hero already proving his moral strength. 

The extended preview does set the book up nicely, with a few big items already underway - a rival for affections, fertility issues, a car accident - and I'm intrigued to see how these progress.  

Rating: 3.5/5 

Click here to purchase from Amazon. 

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