Showing posts with label romance novel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label romance novel. Show all posts

Hotshot Doc by R.S. Grey



Dr. Russell has a bad reputation around our hospital. The scrub techs say he’s cold-blooded, the nurses say he’s too cocky for his own good, and the residents say he’s the best surgeon in the world—really, just a swell guy!—on the off chance he’s within earshot. I try to avoid him and his temper at all costs. It’s just as easy to admire his sexy, grip-it-while-he’s-ravishing-you hair and chiseled jaw from a healthy distance, preferably from the other end of the hallway…half-hidden behind a plant.

Unfortunately, my plan crumbles when my trusty ol’ boss decides to swap his white coat for a Hawaiian shirt. His retirement leaves me with two terrible options: switch specialties and spend months retraining, or take an open position as Dr. Russell’s surgical assistant. That means I have to stand near him in the OR for hours on end and anticipate his every need without letting his biting words and bad attitude intimidate me. Oh, and as if that’s not difficult enough, my silly crush on him—the one I’ve tried to stomp on until it disappears—might just be reciprocated. It’s fine. I’m fine. I take my job seriously. There will be no smoldering bedroom eyes across the operating table, no angry almost-kisses in the supply closet. (Well, no more of those.)

What’s the phrase? An apple a day keeps the doctor away? Maybe I should go for a whole damn bushel.

Having only discovered that Ms. Grey existed as an author in mid-March 2020, I'll say that I'm even a little surprised with myself at how quickly I've gone through her works. Having read some  read a few of her novels that follow a similar format, I was a little dubious to keep going in the event that I'd be re-reading the same plotline, but I continue to be happily surprised with yet another new novel and plotline that kept me reading and finishing this novel within four hours.

Similar to some of her other novels, this book does have a medical setting, but this is something that adds to the story, and in no way detracts. While I do love romance novels, I don't simply like just reading romance, but want some substance to my book that keeps me intrigued, and gives me a believable story for how the romance blossomed, and this book does exactly that. While there are a few tropes that are used, again, they're not noticeably visible or over-used, and everything in the plot simply just makes you want to keep reading.

I'll confess at the start of the novel I was simply interested, but as I continued, I was quickly hooked. Our heroine doesn't attract your attention immediately, simply another character, but she quickly begins to grow on you. Likewise, our hero isn't someone that you immediately like from the start, but you begin to understand his actions and his choices as more of his story is revealed, and both combined simply just pull you into the story.

There are many positive things about Ms. Grey's books, but one of the things that I love most about her novels is the human aspect and element that she brings. While we tend to look at romance novels through a perfect lens of humanity, that no one needs the bathroom, or makes a silly choice, or is unreasonable, Ms. Grey doesn't shy away from these factors and uses them to enhance her novels. I find myself more and more in love with her stories simply due to these elements that make me want to read more.

Overall, a fantastic novel and I think my new favorite of her works.

Rating: 4.5/5

Click here to purchase from Amazon.

Boy Meets Girl by Meg Cabot


Boy Meets Girl by Meg Cabot
Meet Kate MacKenzie…idealistic office worker, reluctant deliverer of termination notices and queen of instant messaging. As sweet as sugar. Meet Mitch Hertzog…ever-smiling corporate lawyer, defender of the downtrodden and king of aborted dinner dates. Good enough to eat.

Meet Ida Lopez…cake, cookie and pastry-maker extraordinaire, purveyor of the dessert trolley and goddess of all things mouth-wateringly yummy. As nice as pie.

Together they must battle tyrants and despots to find truth, justice and the perfect double fudge pudding.

I've been a big fan of Ms. Cabot's work since I picked up the Princess Diaries, but for me, this is the book that truly launched her adult romantic fiction works. I have literally never laughed this hard at a book, and will admit that I have re-read this novel a few times, due to the sheer hilarity.

Written in one of the most unique formats I've ever seen, this novel is written entirely through emails from each of the characters, a few diary entries, and notes scribbled to each other, but is one of the most comprehensive novels I've read, and you can truly see our hero and heroine falling in love. If nothing else, read this book simply because of it's writing format!

There just truly aren't enough good things to say about this book. From it's unique writing style, I can say that these characters are truly unlike anything I've ever read and the romance is 100% believable and organic. All of the characters have unique characteristics and truly fleshed out, and a pleasure to read.

Overall, hands down, one of the best books I've ever read, and certainly a favourite.

Rating: 5/5

Click here to purchase from Amazon.

Top 6 Comedy Romance Novels


One of the things that I absolutely love about romance novels is how diverse the genre is. Do I want to read a romantic book written through text messages? Do I want to read a romance novel about a hockey player being set up by his mum on a dating site? Do I want to read a romance novel about two co-workers who hate each other? The answer is yes, and even better than that, there are books that fit those criteria perfectly!
I've read many romance novels but here are some of the ones that absolutely made me laugh out loud, and cause some awkward questions about what exactly I was reading. What are your favourite comedic romance novels?


1. The Hating Game - Sally Thorne

The Hating Game by Sally Thorne
Lucy Hutton and Joshua Templeman sit across from each other every day . . . and they hate each other.
Not dislike. Not begrudgingly tolerate. HATE. Lucy can't understand Joshua's joyless, uptight approach to his job and refusal to smile. Joshua is clearly baffled by Lucy's overly bright clothes, quirkiness, and desire to be liked.
Now they're up for the same promotion and Lucy, usually a determined people-pleaser, has had enough: it's time to take him down. But as the tension between Lucy and Joshua reaches its boiling point, it's clear that the real battle has only just begun . . .
Click here to purchase from Amazon.


2. The Unhoneymooners - Christina Lauren

The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren
Olive is always unlucky; her identical twin sister Ami, on the other hand, is probably the luckiest person in the world. While she's about to marry her dream man, Olive is forced to play nice with her nemesis: the best man, Ethan.
Yet Olive's luck may be on the turn . . . When the entire wedding - except for Olive and Ethan - gets food poisoning, there's an all-expenses-paid honeymoon in Hawaii up for grabs. Putting their mutual hatred aside, Olive and Ethan head for paradise. But when Olive runs into her future boss, the little white lie she tells him spirals out of control.
Forced to play loving newlyweds, she and Ethan find themselves in closer proximity than they ever expected. Soon, Olive finds that maybe she doesn't mind pretending. In fact, she's beginning to feel kind of . . . lucky.
Click here to purchase from Amazon.


3. Every Boy's Got One - Meg Cabot

Cartoonist Jane Harris is delighted by the prospect of her first-ever trip to Europe. But it's hate at first sight for Jane and Cal Langdon, and neither is too happy at the prospect of sharing a villa with one another for a week—not even in the beautiful and picturesque Marches countryside. But when Holly and Mark's wedding plans hit a major snag that only Jane and Cal can repair, the two find themselves having to put aside their mutual dislike for one another in order to get their best friends on the road to wedded bliss—and end up on a road themselves ... one neither of them ever expected.

Click here to purchase from Amazon.

4. The Foxe & The Hound - R.S. Grey

When your life is a hot mess at twenty, it’s cute. At twenty-seven…well, not so much. It’s just that my lofty dreams—making it as a real estate agent, paying rent on time, showering daily—have stayed just that: dreams. Oh, and love? I’ve decided love might be a little ambitious for me at the moment. Instead, I’ve settled for the two guys who will never leave me: Ben & Jerry.

That is, until Dr. Adam Foxe takes up residence as the town’s new vet. With his strong jaw, easy confidence, and form-fitting scrubs, it’s not long before every housewife in Hamilton is dragging neglected tomcats in for weekly checkups. Like everyone else, I’m intrigued. Even after I spoil my chance at a good first impression, he still offers me a proposition I can’t refuse: play his girlfriend at a family function and he’ll hire me as his real estate agent. Welcome to love in the 21st century.


Click here to purchase from Amazon.

5. Parental Guidance - Avery Flynn

It wasn't me. It was my team. But as almost co-captain I raised my hand to fix it. Never imagined they'd arrange a PR stunt to make me look like Mr. Right to someone my mom picks out on some new dating app. Then my salvation walks into the restaurant. Zara Ambrose. The five-foot-nothing redhead with more freckles than inches that I convinced to go on five dates with me for all the world to see.
She's got her own reasons for our set up--and her own rules. But somewhere between the couples' obstacle course, wrestling matches with her Great Dane, and fights over mashed potatoes, Zara went from means-to-an-end to something so much more. What happens when you start to fall for the one girl you can't have...on live TV?

Click here to purchase from Amazon.

6. Princess Diaries - Meg Cabot

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 fourteen-year-old. Next minute she's heir to the throne of Genovia, being trailed by a bodyguard, taking princess lessons with her uncontrollable 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?
Click here to purchase from Amazon.

What are your favourite romance novels that make you laugh out loud? Drop a comment and let us know!

Dirty Charmer by Emma Chase


Dirty Charmer by Emma Chase
Abigail Haddock is stunning, sensible, and some would say…stuffy. But it’s not really her fault. She was raised in one of Wessco’s oldest, most affluent, aristocratic families—“stuffy” is their middle name. So is successful. Abby’s working overtime to distinguish herself as a top-notch physician, just as her family legacy demands. She doesn’t have time for nonsense.

Tommy Sullivan’s all about nonsense. Sure, he’s an elite bodyguard with lethal skills and co-owner of the renowned, S&S Securities Firm—protector of the wealthy and titled. But he’s also rowdy, fun and thoroughly irresistible. Tommy knows how to have a good time, and he’s never seen someone more in need of a good time than Abby. The lass needs long, wet, filthy kisses—STAT—and he’s just the man for the job.

It doesn’t take long for a wildly sexy, sinfully satisfying, no-strings attached arrangement to turn into something more. Something sweet and addictive and real. But Tommy and Abby are too royally stubborn to admit it. Opposites attract, everyone knows that. But can their red-hot relationship last—can they love…for forever?

I first read Ms. Chase's novels on a 23+ hour plane journey, and it definitely clicked with me that if I was staying up reading her novels instead of falling asleep, there was something great about them. Since then, I have read through most of her series and thoroughly enjoyed all of them (although I will confess that I still haven’t made it through Tangled, something that is on my to-read list).

We've been seeing previews for Dirty Charmer for some time and I couldn't wait to read this as soon as it launched. I practiced excellent self-patience however, and finished the novel I was currently reading (Up Close & Personal), but couldn't resist and jumped into this straight after at 1:03am, and finished about 2:35am - I tried many times to put it down and go to sleep, but, I couldn't resist.

We've met Tommy, our male-lead before in the other Wessco novels, and the great thing about the way Ms. Chase writes her series, she also includes her secondary cast to the point that you're excited to read their story - these characters aren't just popping out of the blue, you're already invested in them. To this point, I was already excited to read Tommy's story and when it was finally in my hands, I just couldn't put it down.

While I loved reading the novel and finished it in a record amount of time, I don't think this one was my favourite in the series. Don't get me wrong, it was a great novel, but it just didn't quite resonate with me. It was a steamy, fantastically-flowing read, but aside from Tommy's sexual charisma and charm, I didn't feel like we had too much substance to him other than that. While there was love for his family and his sense of honour and duty to protect, and he's already been written as a good guy, it just felt like there was something more lacking, and similarly with Abigail. Both are written as interesting characters, but I didn't fall in love with either of them. Plus, I felt that most of the novel was written focusing on their incredible chemistry, and their romance was introduced late in the novel.

This was still a great read and a book that I did thoroughly enjoy, and one that I would recommend as a steamy summer read.

Rating: 3.5/5

Click here to purchase from Amazon.

(ARC) Wrong Bed, Right Brother - Rebecca Brooks

Wrong Bed, Right Brother by 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.

(ARC) A Royal Second Chance Summer - Viv Royce


A Royal Second Chance Summer by Viv Royce Prince Nicolas is looking for a priceless royal heirloom. Trying to stay under the radar, he keeps that he’s a prince secret—especially from the cute antiques dealer he asks to help him. The longer it takes, the more time they get to spend together, though no matter how attracted he is to Lizzie, love is certainly not an option for the heir to the crown of Belfort.

Lizzie Cates fled her family’s new-found fame and fortune because life in the spotlight wasn’t for her. She loves her small town, where the most exciting thing on the schedule is the car parade for the Fourth of July. That’s just how she likes it, until Nicolas comes along. Lizzie finds herself falling for the caring man who craves the country and small-town life as much as she does.

Except Nicolas has a secret that will shatter both their dreams...

I was lucky enough to receive an Advanced Reading Copy of Viv Royce's A Royal Second Chance Summer thanks to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing, scheduled for release June 2020. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I've started reading more and more books from Entangled Publishing, as I find they manage to perfectly hit the note between romance, plot, characters and storyline and fit exactly what I'm looking for, and this was no exception. I do also have to give a special nod to the fact that unlike most other romances I've read lately, this is actually written in the third person, something I am a strong fan of (it takes a great book for me to be able to read it in first-hand view)

This was the first time I've read one of Ms. Royce's books, and this particular is the third in this series, and I am intrigued to see the others. I've kept on having to re-write this review as I can't accurately describe what I'm feeling about this book, but what I can say is that it was just perfectly lyrical and smooth. Now, lyrical. What do I mean by that? It just flowed so smoothly. I never felt that I was being blindsided or interrupted by events in the story, it just happened so fluidly and naturally and there was no doubt in my mind that what was going to happen actually did happen.

We're quickly introduced to our leads, and while our heroine was definitely likeable and hit all the right notes, I think our hero didn't hit all those right notes. There were a few moments where I was giving a "Really?" to some of his actions, and willing him to be better. While this was a great novel, I was a little underwhelmed by the romance between our leads, quickly coming on without much interaction, but this was completely saved by the romance between the secondary characters.

I did really enjoy the story as a whole, but I did feel the leading romance to be a little light, and the ending a little bit too quick, but as I mention earlier, it just flowed so smoothly that it wasn't really a detraction. I felt like I was reading a slightly more adult version of the Harlequin teen novels published back in the day, and I didn't want to stop reading. The plotline was quite unique in a sense, and I wish the novel had been slightly longer to explore our heroine's family and her relationship with them a little more, as well as the leading romance.

Overall, a very interesting read and one of the smoothest flowing books I've read in a long time. A thoroughly enjoyable light-hearted read and perfect for summer.

Rating: 3.5/5

Click here to purchase from Amazon, available 22nd June 2020.

(ARC) Up Close & Personal - Kathryn Freeman


Up Close & Personal - Kathryn Freeman
British actor Zac Edwards is the latest heartthrob to hit the red carpets. Hot, talented and rich, he sends women wild…all except one.
Close protection officer Kat Parker hasn’t got time to play celebrity games.  She has one job: to protect Zac from the stalker that seems to be dogging his every move.
Zac might get her hot under her very starched collar, but Kat’s a professional – and sleeping with Zac is no way part of her remit…

I was lucky enough to receive an Advanced Reading Copy (ARC) of this novel, with thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK. Scheduled for release on 12 June 2020, watch for it coming to a bookstore near you soon!

If you read my last review, I laid out two tests that a book has to pass - does the cover appeal, and does the inside live up to the cover? I've added one more with this novel - is it formatted correctly? Test one - I like the cover, it's appealing, cute, and sets me in mind for a light-hearted novel with a generally used trope being gender-swapped, which is always interesting to read.

Test two - does the inside live up to the cover? I'm going to say not quite on this one - but not in a bad way, just, not what I was expecting. The categories for this novel are General Fiction (Adult), and Romance. Reading the blurb and seeing the cover, I would have expected this to be mainly romance, with a bit of mystery thrown in. However, I'll confess I couldn't read this late at night because I was getting so wound up with the suspense and mystery, and I honestly found it a bit spooky. That could be because I'm a gigantic fraidy-cat, I'll own up to that, but this book was suspenseful. Yes, there was romance added in, but rather than it being a usual 80% romance, 20% suspense (or something close to that) split, I found it was more 50-50, and as mentioned, I had a hard time reading this late at night as it was making me slightly unnerved.

Test three - unfortunately this book had a few formatting errors in a few chapters that were quite noticeable and quite detracting. I'm sure this will be corrected for the final release, but unfortunately it did affect the flow in those chapters and made it difficult to keep track of what was going on, and keep absorbed in the novel.

Our characters are both quite likeable people, and both have emotional baggage that they bring to this relationship, bringing interesting, and sad, twists and turns. It was a great plot, cleverly done, and the characters were flawed, adding a great sense of realism to the novel. As mentioned above, I would note this as a 50-50 suspense/mystery/romance (although again, please note that I am a self-confessed fraidy-cat), but still a great and interesting read.

Rating: 3.5/5

Click here to purchase from Amazon (available 12th June 2020).

(ARC) The Plus One Pact by Portia MacIntosh


What if your plus one could be the one...?

Cara has officially run out of men. Her most recent dates have gone from bad to worse, and when her dating app informs her there is no one left in her area to choose from, she is at a dead end.

But with a summer of events ahead of her, she needs to find a solution, fast; someone to keep her company at the never-ending weddings, family gatherings and gender reveal parties that she can’t face going to alone. So when she meets handsome, confident, Millsy on a night out she may be in luck. They could not be more different in personality, but he too has a summer of events ahead and is desperate to get his family off his back about finding a ‘nice girl’. What if they made a pact to help each other out and be a plus one for the summer? Just as friends of course...? 

I was lucky enough to receive an Advanced Reading Copy (ARC) of this novel, with thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books. After receiving it yesterday morning, it was promptly finished this morning at 1:21am (to be precise), because it had such a good flow and kept me guessing, that I didn't want to put it down.

Before requesting any ARC, my first test is the cover, does it appeal to me? I know you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but honestly, in the book world (but not in real life, definitely don't judge a book by its cover then), the cover tells you a lot about how good the book is. This novel had a very appealing cover, and thankfully the story inside lived up to the expectations.

The second test is the rest of it, and that's simply the novel itself. The notion of being a plus one to important events as friends has been around for some time, in both novels and films, but this one stood out by itself simply due to the fact that it wasn't a cookie-cutter plot-lift. Reading from one chapter to the next, I honestly couldn't figure out for some time who our leading lady was going to end up with. While typically in a romance novel the two characters mentioned on the blurb are going to end up together, there were so many side-twists and new information revealed that honestly, until about the last five or six chapters, who Cara was going to end up with wasn't clear, and I thoroughly enjoyed that.

While this is a light-hearted novel, it does cover some deeper subject matter, including the leading lady's concern about her appearance and her reasons for changing it, combined with her desire to find a partner, but not settle. Cara is a likeable character, but I found that the book was a little lighter on character development, but stronger in plot points. I would have liked to seen more character development of both our leading lady and man, rather than the realizations that occurred, which we're not always privy to prior to the change, but this is not done in a way that is overly distracting, just more of a niggle.

(Spoilers briefly ahead)
I was also a little perturbed with our leading lady's family decision to not only invite her ex-boyfriend to stay with them, but to stay in her old bedroom. The old relationship wasn't a good one, and I would hope that my family would have respected me enough not to do that. Neither of our families seemed to be perfectly on the ball, and that is real life, it's not always going to be perfect, which did add a good sense of realism here.

Overall, this was a light-hearted, fluffy romance that is perfect for a summer escape. Nothing too serious, and not simply a re-used plotline with different characters, this novel did keep me on my toes, guessing until the last quarter or less, who Cara was going to end up with. I do have to note as well that I did love the light nod to Bridget Jones, along with a few favorite tropes being utilized in a clever way. A poignant novel in parts, leading to some excellent quotes ready to go on my board, this was a great, light-hearted summer read.

Rating: 3.5/5

Click here to purchase from Amazon.

Weekly Round-Up


I can't believe it's Friday again! The weather is currently glorious outside, and many more books have been read this week. 

As I've said before, this website is for positivity and celebrating all those books that I've read and loved and want to share. I do read quite a few other books, but not all make it onto this list as I'll be honest, I stop reading them before I finish. Why is that? Well, one of my biggest turn-offs at the moment is reading a book that's had a recent death, and for some reason most of the deaths I'm currently seeing in the romance genre are those of a parent, and I'm really not sure why. Reading is an escapism for me and I love reading books that make me happy. Don't get me wrong, sometimes you have to have some rain to have sunshine, but is that really necessary to include death in the mix? I'm curious whether it's just me who stops reading a book because of this - let me know your thoughts.

In the world of romance, a new Netflix film arrived last night - The Wrong Missy. We were supposed to watch last night, but it'll most likely be moved to tomorrow. Give me a shout if you've seen it and recommend it.

Harlequin is celebrating Friday with us too with a sale, buy 3 books, get 2 more free by entering MAYB3G2 at checkout, only valid today May 15th until Midnight E.T.

We're four days away from the release of Emma Chase's Dirty Charmer, one that I've eagerly been awaiting. What read are you waiting for next?

Have a fantastic Friday and weekend!

The Beau & The Belle - R.S. Grey


The Beau & The Belle - R.S. Grey
Beau Fortier starred in most of my cringe-worthy teenage fantasies. I met him when I was a junior in high school, a time that revolved exclusively around bad hair, failed forays into flirting, and scientific inquiries into which brand of toilet paper worked best for stuffing bras. That is, until Beau moved into the small guest house just beyond my bedroom window.

A 24-year-old law student at Tulane, Beau was as mysterious to me as second base (both in baseball and in the bedroom). He was older. Intimidating. Hot. Boys my age had chicken legs and chubby cheeks. Beau had calloused hands and a jaw cut from steel. Our interactions were scarce—mostly involving slight stalking on my end—and yet deep down, I desperately hoped he saw me as more of a potential lover than a lovesick loser. Turns out, I was fooling myself. My fragile ego learned that lesson the hard way.

Now, ten years later, we’re both back in New Orleans, and guess who suddenly can’t take his eyes off little ol’ me. My old friend, Mr. Fortier. But things have changed. I’m older now—poised and confident. My ego wears a bulletproof vest. The butterflies that once filled my stomach have all perished. When I was a teenager, Beau warned me to guard my heart. Let’s hope he knows how to guard his.

I'm sure everyone is familiar with the adage, don't judge a book by its cover? Unfortunately I do, and I couldn't resist this cover. Added in that this is set in New Orleans, one of my favourite places? I just had to read it.

I will confess that I had to read this in two very separate sittings. Starting off, I was somewhat confused why I was reading a romance novel that's hero was in college, and heroine in high school, and had some trepidation about continuing. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for romance, but it has to be all good, legal, and consenting. I will admit that it did throw me a bit of a curveball to see the romance so young (although I did google to check, and 17 is the legal age of consent in New Orleans, but still, touch worrisome), but thankfully, our hero did keep his distance and there is a moment at the end of part one which I'm still slightly dubious about, but I was curious to keep going.

Thankfully part two meets our hero and heroine at an older age and nothing worrisome about the two engaging in a relationship. The setting is gorgeous - honestly, if you haven't been to New Orleans, I'd highly recommend going, especially at Christmas-time, it's stunning - and the pace was light-hearted with a good flow that keeps you pushing through 2:10am in the morning to finish at 3:30am.

There are many times in a romance novel that I look at the actions and tones of our characters and it's hard to imagine it happening in real life as it just seems so far removed from how I, or anyone I know, would act. But, Ms. Grey has an interesting take in her novels that I didn't find that happening. There are a few awkward parts from the actions of her characters in how they react, including an argument occurring between our leads, that I haven't seen occur in any other romance novel. I feel looking at his actions that he's wrong in how he acts, and he semi-confesses to knowing this, but still goes ahead with it. Most other romance novels try to put an argument that each thinks they're right, not acknowledging their own faults, and while the argument is flawed, it's the human element that adds to this novel. Acknowledging that romance characters aren't perfect and do make mistakes add to the genuine romance in this novel that even though we all want that happy ending, it doesn't need to be perfect with no faults. To err is human, to forgive, divine.

Overall, I really did enjoy this novel. As mentioned, I was a bit concerned about the beginning, but it did blossom into a genuine romance between our lead characters, with an element of humanity not often seen for this reader in other romance novels, which was a great, welcomed change.

Rating: 4/5

Click here to purchase from Amazon.

Welcome To The Bookshelf!



Well, it's safe to say that no one really expected that 2020 would be starting off on the foot we have, and it's important to be finding our joy where we can. For me, at the moment that's a mix of completing some online courses, painting (don't be too impressed, it's paint by the numbers), crocheting (again, a beginner, but I'm enjoying it), growing some vegetables, and reading. So, what am I looking forward to reading soon? Welcome to the bookshelf.

I'll confess, I'm on a little bit of an Avery Flynn kick at the moment. Her books follow a similar format, but can I stop reading them? No. I'll admit her earlier books are a little more serious, so I've been heavily enjoying her later works which are fluffy, steamy, and light-hearted, something everyone needs a bit of at the moment. So, starting off with her Hartigan series, I'm heading to read, 'Butterface.'

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…

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One of my favourite authors will always be Meg Cabot. I've loved her writing for 18 long years, and I highly doubt anything will ever change that. And right now, I need a bit of familiarity, so it's time for a re-read, and a very strong recommendation, for the Princess Diaries series.


‘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?

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 And it's time to add an Advanced Reading Copy to my list, kindly supplied by Netgalley. I haven't read novels from Ally Blake before, but I will confess to loving Harlequin Romance novels.

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?

Click here to purchase from Amazon.



What are you reading, or looking forward too? Drop me a comment and let me know!