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.

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Parental Guidance by Avery Flynn

All I want is to play hockey on the Ice Knights, instead, I’m in a viral video for all the wrong reasons and my mom—yes, my mom—has taken over my dating apps. Then, when I think it can’t get any worse, the fates deliver Zara Ambrose, a five-feet-nothing redhead with more freckles than inches and who’d rather be anywhere other than on a date with me.

Now a bet with her friends and my PR nightmare have us both stuck in this go-on-five-dates-with-the-same-person hell situation. But if we band together, we can get the whole thing over with and go on with our lives. It’s perfect! No feelings. No future. No fuc— *ahem* fun. No naked fun.

What could go wrong? Nothing—as long as I remember the rules. Don’t notice the way she looks in a dress. Don’t react when she does that little shivery sigh thing whenever we touch. Don’t think about the fact that she’s never had a toe-curling orgasm that wasn’t self-delivered and just how badly I want to change that.

Five dates—that’s it—and then we go our separate ways. At least, that was the plan...

I'll confess that at the moment I'm on a bit of an Avery Flynn kick, I just can't put them down! This was no exception, started, and finished, the same day.

One of the things that I love most about Ms. Flynn's novels is the ease at which the novel sweeps you in. A rarity in today's modern romantic comedy novels, this series is written from the third person, something this reader thoroughly enjoys and appreciates. More than that though, she really builds her secondary cast, not just focusing on the main characters, resulting in a well-rounded novel, and I'll be honest, keeps me hooked for wanting to read further books in the series.

The romance itself is hot, steamy, believable, and something that I would definitely be happy for. Both our hero and heroine are loveable characters and the romance progression is done extremely well. As mentioned earlier, the supporting cast is phenomenal and I love the links between her series, and definitely can't wait for the next instalment.

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

Click here to purchase from Amazon.

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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

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

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

'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!

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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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Happy Monday!

I can't believe it's Monday again, but here we are! Hope you all had a fantastic weekend, and let's see what's upcoming for us this week. We've got some new releases coming this week:

                                          

And, the merchandise store has officially launched, thanks to teespring! Get some great new products with the official logo and spread your love of romance novels with choices from tote bags, mugs, stickers, fleece blankets and more. Find it either through the link above, or click the new Shop page in the menu. Let me know what new products you'd like to see!

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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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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!

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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.

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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…

Click here to purchase from Amazon.

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?

Click here to purchase from Amazon.

 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!

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Welcome to Gone With The Books!

I've always been an avid bookworm, loving reading at an early age, progressing to working in my school library, and then working at an actual bookstore while at university. After graduating, I moved to a crazy life at sea, and after acquiring an e-reader, restarted my love of reading. I am a bit of a speed reader and typically read a novel in one sitting - about 3 hours - particularly if the book is phenomenal. I'll confess that I mainly read Young Adult and Romance novels (more romance if I'm completely honest). Why? Because generally with both, I'm guaranteed a happy ending, and who doesn't want that?

At the end of last year, I came home from a contract early with a labral tear in my hip and required to sit on my butt for about two months to rest, and then coronavirus came into being, forcing me home a little bit longer. Everything combined and this blog was born, dedicated to my love of reading, and to hopefully share with you all some fantastic novels. This is dedicated to sharing the love of reading, and please feel free to share any novels you'd recommend!

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