(ARC) Meet Cute - Helena Hunting

Kailyn Flowers was always calm, rational, and controlled-until she ended up sprawled all over Daxton Hughes, the former actor she totally crushed on as a teenager. Then she did the unthinkable: She became a mortifying fangirl in five seconds flat, which may or may not have included professing her undying love. And oddly, he didn’t run away. In fact, their meet cute led to a friendship she never saw coming. Of course, she never saw his betrayal coming, either…

Now Dax needs her help. As guardian to his thirteen-year-old sister, he’s in way over his head. And though Kailyn hasn’t forgiven Dax, she isn’t heartless enough to make him fend for himself, either. Soon their friendly meetings turn into flirty dinner dates, and Kailyn can feel their chemistry is as explosive as ever. But how can she possibly let down her guard again to a guy who has heartbreak written all over him?

While this book has already been published, I was fortunate enough to receive an extended free preview, and I can definitely say I'll be purchasing the full version. Having never read anything by Ms. Hunting, I was drawn in by a great blurb and front cover, and was instantly hooked.

While the story should always be the main feature of any novel, there are also factors that affect your enjoyment of the book, with one of the biggest being formatting. Formatting can make or break a novel, affecting the flow and reader's enjoyment. The formatting of this ebook was smooth and a fantastic flow, causing me to read all of it in one sitting. As soon as I was finished the book, I searched for it on scribd to continue, and while unfortunately not available, I will be searching for it nearby.

To the story itself, I instantly was drawn to both the hero and heroine, both written in an engaging and human way. Without giving too much away, I was slightly discouraged by the continued meet-cute with death bringing our leads together, which seems to be quite common across the romance theme, and something not entirely necessary to bring our leads together. However, for the sake of this plot line, it was needed. 

In the short 40 page preview I was given, there was comedy, romance, and drama and I simply can't wait to read more. 

Rating: 4/5

Click here to purchase from Amazon.

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Butterface (Hartigan Series Book 1) by Avery Flynn

It’s true. I’m not what most people would call “pretty” and, well, high school was rough. Fast forward ten years and life is good…Until a bunch of jerks think it’s hilarious to put the “butterface” (AKA me) on a wedding Kiss Cam with the hottest guy ever—and that old humiliation hits hard. I recognize him immediately. The sexiest cop in Waterbury and totally out of my league. But then he kisses me. And we totally forget the room, the crowd, everything. Then he tells everyone we’ve been dating for months.

Soon everything starts to feel too real, from adorable fights over “necessary” tools to fix my broken porch to surviving a free-for-all dinner with his six siblings to picking up where our last kiss left off. But there’s something he’s not telling me about why he’s really hanging around, and I’m pretty sure it has to do with my mob-connected brothers. Because this is not a make-over story, and Cinderella is only a fairy tale…

I'll confess that I accidentally read this series completely out of order, but after thoroughly loving the book I started with, I decided to go back to the beginning. After discovering Ms. Flynn back at the end of 2020, I've quickly read through most of her recent novels, loving the flow, characters and storylines. On that note, if anyone knows of any other great romance hockey series, definitely drop me a line and let me know!

I do have the benefit of hindsight with this series and I will say that this wasn't my favourite of the set (it's Tomboy, and it's been re-read twice), but it was still a strong novel. As mentioned above, you just can't help but like Ms. Flynn's characters. She does an excellent job of not only drawing you into the plotline and main characters, but also building a strong cast of secondary characters that you want to see more of (and thankfully results in more books in the series). It's the same with this novel, and you quickly grow to like all the characters, both major and minor. I did find that this was lighter than her other novels in the series, but there is still a good cast.

I will still confess though that I was a little confused with our heroine, Gina, and I'm still a little uncertain of her nickname, 'Butterface.' I did find in this novel that there wasn't too much of a physical description, other than her nose, but I wasn't entirely sure what was so wrong with her physical appearance. Given that this seemed quite relevant to the novel, I was a little confused, but it's not something that detracts from the novel, it just left me somewhat confused.

The plot itself wasn't similar enough to the rest of her series to make it a cut and paste copy, but reading all three novels, there are definite similarities enough to know that Ms. Flynn is following a similar formula in this series, but they are still very enjoyable and keep you entranced and reading. I did enjoy the chemistry between the characters, and this is a light-hearted romance, with nothing too heavy, that keeps you reading and definitely excited for the rest of the series.

Rating: 3.5/5

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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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The Bride & The Beast - Teresa Medeiros

Dear Reader,

I'd been prowling the crumbling ruins of Castle Weyrcraig for so long that I could no longer remember if I was man or beast. Then one stormy night the superstitious Highlanders of Ballybliss decided to leave a helpless virgin bound to a stake in the castle courtyard to satisfy my insatiable appetites.

My demands might strike terror in the hearts of men, but this bold beauty dared to defy me. After she informed me that she didn't believe in dragons, I had no choice but to make her my prisoner--or risk being exposed to those I had sought to deceive with my dangerous masquerade.

Soon I found myself stealing into the moonlit tower just to watch her sleep. Little does she know that beneath this beast's gruff exterior beats the passionate heart of a man. Gwendolyn Wilder may not believe in dragons, but I intend to use all my sensual wiles to teach her to believe in something even more magical--true love.

Eternally yours,

The Dragon of Weyrcraig

I will start by saying that I fell in love with Teresa Medeiros when I was a teenager and that her books are something to be treasured and re-read over and over. This book is no exception.

Set in Scotland in the 1700s, the reader is instantly drawn into the beauty and romance of the highlands, and the romance writing of time gone by, where the reader is sucked into the story and it's one remembered for years to come. I can't count how many times I've re-read this novel, but it stands out as a truly memorable novel - something rare in this day. All characters, minor and major, make you cheer for them and sigh with them.

One thing that I love about Ms. Medeiros' writing is how easy it is to become completely absorbed. Her writing keeps you itching for more (generally resulting in completing each novel in one sitting), along with being beautifully paced. We aren't instantly thrown into a romance between our characters (combined with an excellent plot), and the slow-build is perfectly paced. Not only does she focus on the romance between our characters, but also adds an intriguing plot that combined with the romance, result in the perfect novel.

There aren't enough good things I can say about this novel, but one that I strongly encourage anyone that is a fan of romance to read.

Rating: 5/5

Click here to purchase from Amazon.

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Fix Her Up (Hot & Hammered 1) by Tessa Bailey

Georgette Castle’s family runs the best home renovation business in town, but she picked balloons instead of blueprints and they haven’t taken her seriously since. Frankly, she’s over it. Georgie loves planning children’s birthday parties and making people laugh, just not at her own expense. She’s determined to fix herself up into a Woman of the World... whatever that means.

Living her best life means facing the truth: Georgie hasn’t been on a date since, well, ever. Nobody’s asking the town clown out for a night of hot sex, that’s for sure. Maybe if people think she’s having a steamy love affair, they’ll acknowledge she’s not just the “little sister” who paints faces for a living. And who better to help demolish that image than the resident sports star and tabloid favorite?

Travis Ford was major league baseball’s hottest rookie when an injury ended his career. Now he’s flipping houses to keep busy and trying to forget his glory days. But he can’t even cross the street without someone recapping his greatest hits. Or making a joke about his… bat. And then there's Georgie, his best friend’s sister, who is not a kid anymore. When she proposes a wild scheme—that they pretend to date, to shock her family and help him land a new job—he agrees. What’s the harm? It’s not like it’s real. But the girl Travis used to tease is now a funny, full-of-life woman and there’s nothing fake about how much he wants her...

The first novel in the Hot & Hammered series, and my first novel from this author, I can't wait to read the next instalment. As a quick short summary - a great, slow build, hot and heavy romance.

The novel starts somewhat slowly, but throws you right into the situation and our leads. It seems more and more that the characters we read are getting younger in age - or, is that just as I'm growing older? - but unlike many contemporary romances, this novel is in the third person, which is a definite bonus for this reader.

I was a little skeptical of our heroine, I'll admit it's the first time I've ever read about a main character being in the clown profession, but still I pressed on, and I'm glad I did. Our spunky heroine continues to grow during the novel, and while this book at it's core is a romance novel, it also has messages about empowerment and that romance isn't the be all and end all of life. I was cheering for our hero, although I will note that there I were a few comments from him that I viewed as problematic, regarding some aspects of sleeping with our female lead.

The supporting cast were also fully formed characters and had interesting storylines, not just there to progress our two leads. The romance itself was formed well, and while a light and fluffy romance, also had down and dirty romantic scenes.

Overall, a great read, and a great first instalment of the new series.

Click here to purchase from Amazon.

Rating: 3.5/5

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(ARC) Wrong Bed, Right Brother - Rebecca Brooks

I’ve been crushing on my coworker for months. And now he’s moving… across the country. I’ve got one shot to make my move. We’re all holed up in this amazing house upstate and tonight I’m going to sneak into his room and finally Make. Something. Happen.

So I go for it. I climb into Luke’s bed and the kissing is so much better than I imagined. Why did we wait so long to feel this? I moan his name and Bam! He jumps out of bed. WTF? It isn’t Luke. It’s his twin, Noah. I don’t even like Noah. And he certainly doesn’t like me.

This will NEVER happen again...until the next day against the barn door. Why can’t I stop seeing him? It will never work. We're complete opposites. Enemies with benefits is a thing, right?

But what happens when I start to want more?

I've always been a big fan of Entangled Publishing and am always eager to read their new releases, and this was no exception. Thanks to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing, I did receive an Advanced Reading Copy of Ms. Brooks Wrong Bed, Right Brother, the fourth in the Accidental Love series, and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

I can't really recall reading a book like this before where we're so quickly launched into the story, and the instant heat between two characters, but it worked really well. Accidentally ending up in the wrong bed of the twin brother that she wanted to seduce, we're quickly brought into the simmering attraction between Amanda and Noah, and it is steamy.

I will say that both characters react rather well to finding the wrong person, and then coming back from the attraction, the romance is then built between our leads. I do feel that our female character did more growing than our male lead, and she probably gave him a few more opportunities than I would have done (especially after a certain text was sent), but life isn't perfect. I was intrigued to see some life lessons included in the novel and definite character growth - however I will say that despite our hero and heroine's change of mind at the end, I still don't like his twin, Luke. Some things can't be unsaid.

I did like the character growth that our leads went through, but I think we saw that more for our heroine than our hero. I would have liked to have seen more information about the relationship Amanda had with her mother, and Noah had with his (due to some mentions in the story), but it was still full without.

A definite steamy interesting plotline, and a great summer read!

Rating: 3/5

Click here to purchase from Amazon, available 15th June.

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(ARC) - Shy Queen in The Royal Spotlight - Natalie Anderson

She didn’t see her own beauty…

Then he unmasked it!

Royal assistant Hester knows playboy Prince Alek is totally out of her league. Shockingly, out of the blue, he proposes a marriage of convenience! In return, she’ll have millions to help disadvantaged women. Warily, Hester agrees…

To retain the throne he’s sacrificed everything for, Alek must choose a bride. It’s Hester’s quiet discretion that catches his attention…until their unstoppable chemistry reveals her startling beauty and inner fire. Alek sees the queen that Hester could truly become—but the real question is, can she?

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Romance, I received this novel the day after it came out (19th May release date) and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

One of my first forays into the world of romance novels was the Harlequin Presents series, started when I was 16 or so, and quickly fell in love. I tend to find that now, I either read 10 day after day and nothing else, or leave them for a few months and come back to them, and Natalie Anderson has always been one of my favourites.

We're quickly thrown into the plotline and characters, and some familiar tropes, but dissimilar enough to not make me feel like I'm reading the same book again. I found the line that our male-lead straddled intriguing with his internal reflection over whether the makeover the female-lead goes through is what results in his attraction, or is it something more. I was a bit underwhelmed by our heroine's changes of heart throughout, it didn't seem quite enough build-up, but it was interesting.

I do usually really like Harlequin novels, but I did find this one just a little sad for my liking. I usually like my romance novels to be overwhelmingly happy, and yes, there are obstacles to overcome, but nothing that really detracts from the happy arc. With this novel, I felt that the sadness that the characters both bring detracted from my enjoyment of the book and did make me a little sad.

Overall, an interesting novel and a good read that flowed, but just a little sad for my liking.

Rating: 3/5

Click here to purchase from Amazon, available 28th May.

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Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot

‘You’re not Mia Thermopolis any more, honey,’ Dad said. ‘You’re Amelia Mignonette Grimaldi Thermopolis Renaldo. Princess of Genovia.’

A PRINCESS?? ME??? Yeah. Right.

One minute Mia’s a totally normal Manhattan 14-year-old. Next minute she’s heir to the throne of Genovia, being trailed by a trigger-happy bodyguard, taking princess lessons with her bonkers old grandmere, and having a makeover with someone called Paolo. Well, her dad can lecture her till he’s royal-blue in the face, but no way is Mia going to turn herself into a style-queen. And they think she’s moving to Genovia? Er, hello?

So far I've reviewed adult romance novels, but it's time to do some expanding into YA romance, into one of my top 10 favourite (if not my favourite) book series. I've always been a big fan of Ms. Cabot's writing, but there truly aren't enough good things that I can say about this book series.

This book stands out from 99% of all other books simply due to the format of it's writing, mostly written through diary format, occasionally following other forms of written media including notes to other characters. Rather than losing information from this format, it actually gives more insight for the characters, and it just truly brings the emotions to life, making this one of the most poignant series for me. I've re-read this series too many times to count, and as I've aged, I find new nuances to smile about, and lessons to be learned. Princess Mia (book 9 of the series), particularly deals with depression and losing people close to us, and Ms. Cabot handles this phenomenally well, and it's always been a constant re-read for myself.

Mia starts this book as a 14 year old adolescent, and we end the series with her being a full-fledged adult, and this growth brings her first romance, love, heartbreak, and navigating life's up and downs. Love threads through the overall series, encompassing platonic, familial, and romantic love, and still manages to make you laugh and cry. This is truly a series like no other, and purely just a phenomenally written series.

Rating: 5/5

Click here here to purchase from Amazon.

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(ARC) Crazy About Her Impossible Boss by Ally Blake

A man in a million…There’s only one problem: he’s her boss!

Single mom Lucinda Starling has lost faith in love or happy-ever-afters. She must protect the important things: her young son and her job working for entrepreneur Angus Wolfe! Her commitment phobe boss must never know she’s crazy about him! Until one evening at a conference he looks at her like she’s the only woman in the world… Dare she risk all and be tempted by Angus?

When reading Harlequin romance novels, I find that I either read 20 back to back, or leave them for a few months without reading one, there's little in between.

I picked up Ms. Blake's book, tempted by the cover (as always, despite the old adage), and by an intriguing description. As this was given to me as advanced reading copy, I was prepared for some formatting and grammatical issues, as this is not the final copy. While this is an advanced copy, I was perturbed by the formatting, leaving many words hyphenated at the end of the line, pulling the reader out of the story with the interrupted flow. Some mistakes were also present with spelling and flow again, leaving some awkward phrasing. Hopefully both of these issues will be corrected in the final proof.

To the story itself, Ms. Blake has an interesting premise and one that is typically enjoyable to this reader, but this time it did fall slightly flat. While description is always appreciated and necessary to the reader, at times there was just too much description that did not add to the story, and detracted the reader's attention from the plot point to describe something less important. Some descriptions were also slightly off in their tone, leading the reader to lose the thread of the story and focus on lengthy description. Sometimes there was also simply too much description and not enough action to move the story along.

The characters themselves kept my attention and the heroine was likeable, along with the supporting cast, but I found myself slightly annoyed with the hero and some of his actions, and would think some of his actions may not come off as well off the novel pages.

Overall, an interesting, quick read, with some edges to smooth and soften from the author, and some issues to address with the formatting of the file.

Rating: 3.5/5

Click here to buy from Amazon.

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