Happy Friday (and last day of my 20s)!

Happy Friday everyone! I hope you've all had a fantastic week.

On a personal note (not that I've been going on about it all week...HA), today is officially the last day of my 20s, and my 30s start tomorrow! I honestly can't believe where my 20s went, a bit emotional to say the least...ha. BUT, at the same time, I know I've accomplished a lot during this decade, and I'm hopeful for the next! It's not quite the 30th that I'd imagined, but I'm sure it's the same for a lot of people. It'll be unique, but I am grateful to be having it at home with some of my family 😊

And back to this week! I've read a few interesting books this week. I don't like to comment on all of them that I read here as some of them I just wouldn't recommend, and I don't like talking badly about things. I read one last night that I picked up just before midnight as a lull to sleep, and ended up finishing it about 3:30am. It was a great novel and I just couldn't wait to see what happened next, but at the same time, it was actually quite emotional and had some hard moments to read through. I would recommend it as a great read, but I don't think it would be one that I would pick up again, simply because it did have such tough moments to get through. Beautifully written, but emotionally difficult at parts.

So what have I been reading this week? I was really excited to see the new release from best-selling romance author Tara Sivec's newest series, Summersweet Island, with Kiss My Putt. Then I had to go back and re-read some of best-selling romance author R.S. Grey's older books, Hotshot Doc. Both are absolutely great reads, and thoroughly recommended. Click on the pictures below to check out my reviews.

                          

I also increased my book browsing and have a look at what I'm most excited for releasing this month here.

Hope you all have a great weekend!

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August Releases!

Happy Wednesday everyone!

I'll admit that I haven't managed to fit this post in yet, but we're officially in a new month! Which means, more book releases. So, what am I excited to read this month?

1. Kiss My Cupcake by Helena Hunting (11th August)

Blaire Calloway has planned every Instagram-worthy moment of her cupcake and cocktails shop launch down to the tiniest detail. What she didn't plan on? Ronan Knight and his old-school sports bar next door opening on the very same day. He may be super swoony, but Blaire hasn't spent years obsessing over buttercream and bourbon to have him ruin her chance at success.

From axe throwing (his place) to frosting contests (hers), Blaire and Ronan are constantly trying to one-up each other in a battle to win new customers. But with every clash, there's also an undeniable chemistry. When an even bigger threat to their business comes to town, they're forced to call a temporary time-out on their own war and work together. And the more time Blaire spends getting to know the real Ronan, the more she wonders if it's possible to have her cupcake and eat it too.

Click here to purchase from Amazon.

2. The Wedding Date Disaster by Avery Flynn (25th August)

I can’t believe I have to go home to Nebraska for my sister’s wedding. I’m gonna need a wingman and a whole lot of vodka for this level of family interaction. At least my bestie agreed he’d man up and help. Too bad he had to catch a different flight than me. Then his plane got delayed. And finally—because bad things always happen in threes—instead of my best friend, his evil twin strolls out of the airport.

If you looked up doesn’t-deserve-to-be-that-confident, way-too-hot-for-his-own-good billionaire in the dictionary, you’d find a picture of Will Holt. He’s awful. Horrible. The worst—even if his butt looks phenomenal in those jeans. Ten times worse? My buffer was supposed to be there to keep me away from the million and one family events. But Satan’s spawn just grins and signs us up for every. Single. Thing.

Fine. “Cutthroat” Scrabble? I’m in. I can’t wait to take this guy down a notch. But somewhere between Pictionary and the teasing glint in his eyes, our bickering starts to feel like more than just a game…

Click here to purchase from Amazon, and click here to check out my review.

3. The Trouble with Quarterbacks by R.S. Grey (6th August)

CANDACE: KAT & YASMINE! DO NOT DALLY! Come straight home after work. Kat, don’t take the long route from the subway station just so you can pass by Cute Hot Dog Guy. This is important!

I’ve had THE BEST DAY. You won’t believe it. There I was in my preschool classroom, washing a bit of poo out of some soggy trousers, when this absolute babe came to collect his nephew from my class.

Truthfully, I thought I’d blacked out for a moment when I first saw him. He was a proper hunk with glorious brown hair, quite tall, and he had these arms. Are muscly arms supposed to turn me on? I’m panting just thinking about them.

Anyway, he told me he’s a professional foosball player. At least, I think that’s what he said. The tots can get quite loud near pick-up time.

Click here to purchase from Amazon.

4. The Anti-Boyfriend by Penelope Ward (31st August)

At first, my neighbor Deacon frustrated me. Sure, he was great-looking and friendly. But our walls were thin, and on occasion, he’d bring women to his place and keep me awake while he “entertained” them. As a single mother to an infant, I didn’t appreciate it. So, finally it was my turn.

When my daughter wouldn’t stop wailing one night, Mr. Manwhore came knocking on my door. Miraculously, at the sound of his voice, Sunny stopped crying. And when he held her…she eventually fell asleep in his arms. Deacon was rough on the exterior, but apparently on the inside? Mr. Single-and-Ready-to-Mingle was a baby whisperer.

After that night, we became friends. He’d go for coffee runs. Come over to chat. Normal friend stuff. But over time, our conversations ran deeper. We got closer. Until one night we crossed the line. Our friendship turned into a complicated mess. I’d gone and fallen for a guy who’d sworn off commitment and kids. I knew Deacon was starting to care for me too, even though Sunny and I didn’t fit into any plan he’d ever imagined for himself. He was wrong for me—so wrong that I’d dubbed him the “anti-boyfriend.” Then why did I wish more than anything that I could be the one woman to change him?

What are you looking forward to reading this month?

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Love Me Like You Do by Aimee Brown

A runaway bride. A handsome stranger. Two pasts to put behind them.

Parker is ready to marry the man of her dreams. But he isn't ready to marry her. When she's dumped moments before walking down the aisle, she didn't expect to run into the arms of a handsome stranger. The southern drawl, the dreamy eyes, she can't fall for another man after being left at the altar – can she?

When Liam agreed to go on yet another blind date, he didn't expect his escape would lead him to the emergency room with a runaway bride. She might have just been left at the altar, but he's immediately drawn to her fiery spirit, kind heart and beautiful smile. Liam's got a whole host of problems and a past that's haunting him, now can't be the time to fall in love, but Parker might just be the one to break down his barriers and let him live a little – if she'll let him in.

Will these two strangers allow serendipity to force them together, or will their fears keep them apart?

Thanks to NetGalley and Aria I was lucky enough to receive an advanced reading copy for Aimee Brown's upcoming romance novel, Love Me Like You Do, scheduled for release 17th September.

I've never read anything by Ms. Brown before, but was instantly drawn in by the description and it did not disappoint. Going through our three tests:

Did the cover match up to the novel? It's a no for me, but not in a bad way. Looking at this cover, I'll admit, I was a bit dubious about reading this book. Don't get me wrong, the cover is a nice design and I do love the colors, but for me it felt a bit light for the subject matter and a bit more serious than what I hoped the book would be. For me, the book far exceeded the cover and I was very happily surprised.

Second, does the book live up to its description? Most definitely, yes.

Finally, how was the formatting? There were a few mistakes in wrong words, words pushed together, paragraph formatting slightly out, but I'm sure this will remain in the ARC and will be corrected for the final edition.

To the story itself, I was blown away. I always love to feel fully invested in the books I read and continue reading, and this book definitely checked those boxes. It is light-hearted, comedic, but with depth and it just kept me wanting to read. The plot itself covers a variety of topics, but does so in a seamless manner that doesn't keep you thinking, well hang on, what happened to that plotline? Everything ties in together beautifully and doesn't make you feel that something was just thrown in for extra dramatic effect. Everything that was put into the book had a purpose and enhanced the story, not detracted.

Our characters meet-cute was perfect, and I loved the premise of fate and chance taking part in this love story. The characters continue meeting without expectation, randomly bumping into each other and it suits the plot perfectly. Both our main characters were well-fleshed out with plotlines aside from their romance, and it was just simply beautiful.

Spoilers ahead.

I was a little surprised with the depth that Ms. Brown went into with Parker's Mother, and for some readers who are triggered by mentions of suicide, please read with caution. I felt that it was handled in a good manner, but, still a surprise.

Even with that, the book still managed to mostly light-hearted and a joy to read, and one that I was so pleasantly surprised to have. Overall, a fantastic book, one of the best I've read this year, and one that I'm very grateful to have had the opportunity to read.

Rating: 4/5

Click here to pre-purchase from Amazon, available 17th September.

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Upcoming June Romance Releases

I honestly can't believe we're in almost in another month! 2020 is definitely flying by and while I'm not at my regular day job, I can honestly say that I'm loving the time that I'm able to spend dedicated to reading and this website!

This month we're getting some incredible releases, and while I've been lucky enough to read a few in advance, I can't wait for the others. Get yourselves ready for these great releases below!

1. Save the Date - Anne Marie Walker (2nd June)

Rebecca Halstead has never been a bridesmaid, but she can certainly relate to the expression “always a bridesmaid, never a bride.” As one of Chicago’s top wedding planners, Rebecca has had a front row seat to countless ceremonies, yet her own walk down the aisle has started to feel like nothing more than a little girl’s fantasy. She’s the wallflower who, thanks to a clean bill of health from her oncologist, wants to live life to the fullest. If only she knew how.

Brody Dixon hasn’t heard the word “no” since he was drafted by the NFL. With cover model looks and an arm that’s earned him two Super Bowl MVPs, Brody can have his pick of women. But as the next celebrity bachelor on American Sweetheart, both his agent and publicist want him to clean up his image before the show begins. If only he knew how.

Then fate, and an impulsive wager, bring these two opposites together until an unlikely alliance is formed. For the next two months, Brody will get a crash course in romance. In return, he agrees to help Rebecca break out of her carefully constructed shell. On paper it makes perfect sense. But as they struggle to teach each other, Brody and Rebecca just might discover that falling in love is the most important lesson of all.
Click here to purchase from Amazon.

3. Just Friends - Holly McCullogh (11th June)

Bea isn’t happy. Desperate for a change, she looks to her friends for inspiration. Every single one of them is paired off, perhaps that’s what she needs too.

So, she starts dating again. But everywhere she goes – amid the hilarious and scarring dates – there’s Peter. Good old, oddball Peter, her closest friend from university. He’s always been firmly in the friend zone but something’s happened lately – he seems taller, more handsome and suddenly making him smile is Bea’s favourite thing.

But how can Bea possibly risk their friendship? And how do you even go about taking someone out of the friend zone? What if Bea and Peter were only ever meant to be just friends…

Click here to purchase from Amazon.

4. Up Close & Personal - Kathryn Freeman (12th June)

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…

Don't miss my review here, and click here to purchase from Amazon!

5. Take A Hint, Dani Brown - Talia Hibbert (23rd June)

Danika Brown knows what she wants: professional success, academic renown and an occasional roll in the hay to relive all that career-driven tension. But romance? Been there, done that, burned the T-shirt. So Dani asks the universe for the perfect friend-with-benefits...

When brooding security guard Zafir Ansari rescues her from a workplace fire drill gone wrong, it's an obvious sign: PhD student Dani and ex-rugby player Zaf are destined to sleep together. But before she can explain that fact, a video of the heroic rescue goes viral. Now half the internet is shipping #DrRugbae - and Zaf is begging Dani to play along.

Dani's plan is simple: fake a relationship in public, seduce Zaf behind the scenes. But grumpy Zaf is secretly a romantic - and he's determined to corrupt Dani's stone-cold realism. With every fake date and midnight meeting, Dani's easy lay becomes more complex than her thesis. Has her wish backfired?

Or is the universe waiting for her to take a hint?

Click here to purchase from Amazon.

6. Wrong Bed, Right Brother - Rebecca Brooks (15th June)

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?

Don't miss my review here, and click here to purchase from Amazon!
 

7. A Royal Second Chance Summer Romance - Viv Royce (22nd June)

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...

8. Royal Bastard - Avery Flynn (8th June)

Brooke Chapman-Powell takes her position as the Earl of Englefield’s personal secretary very seriously. This job is what keeps her sister in her university for the deaf and the town from completely shutting down. But the earl’s dying, and they have only one hope. An American. From some place called Salvation, Virginia.

Now she’ll have to teach the in-all-likelihood-uncouth-and-lazy half American how to be a proper earl if they hope to save the village. God help them all.

Nick Vane has about two gazillion things that land higher on his to-do list than becoming an English earl. Things like naps. Hosting poker nights. Oh, and raking in the profits from his latest invention. Accepting the title his grandfather has denied him since birth? Doesn’t. Even. Register. But Miss Prim and Proper won’t give up, and before he knows what’s what, he’s on a plane to London.

He’s got too much pride to go down easily, and she’s got too much propriety to ever break the rules. They are as different as a cocktail fork and a bread knife...and the clash between them lands these two in the most unexpected positions.

Click here to purchase from Amazon.

Don't miss my review here, and click here to purchase from Amazon!

What are you waiting to read this month? Drop a comment and let us know!

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