Review: Here We Go Again

I didn’t think I’d get into a “rom com about death” but there was something about Alison Cochrun’s latest romance, Here We Go Again, that kept me intrigued. The emotional component of this one was off the charts but knowing I’d get a Happily Ever After at the end helped balance the negative feelings that came up while reading.

Here’s the book’s description:

A long time ago, Logan Maletis and Rosemary Hale used to be friends. They spent their childhood summers running through the woods, rebelling against their conservative small town, and dreaming of escaping. But then an incident the summer before high school turned them into bitter rivals. After graduation, they went ten years without speaking.
Now in their thirties, Logan and Rosemary find they aren’t quite living the lives of adventure they imagined for themselves. Still in their small town and working as teachers at their alma mater, they’re both stuck in old patterns. Uptight Rosemary chooses security and stability over all else, working constantly, and her most stable relationship is with her label maker. Chaotic and impulsive Logan has a long list of misguided ex-lovers and an apathetic shrug she uses to protect herself from anything real. And as hard as they try to avoid each other—and their complicated past—they keep crashing into each other. Including with their cars.
But when their beloved former English teacher and lifelong mentor tells them he has only a few months to live, they’re forced together once and for all to fulfill his last a cross-country road trip. Stuffed into the gayest van west of the Mississippi, the three embark on a life-changing summer trip—from Washington state to the Grand Canyon, from the Gulf Coast to coastal Maine—that will chart a new future and perhaps lead them back to one another.

I absolutely loved The Charm Offensive when I read it back in 2021 (review here). I somehow missed Kiss Her Once for Me but thought I’d give Cochrun’s latest book a try when I was gifted an egalley. The Charm Offensive still wins but Here We Go Again was still a good read.

I do have to say…it was a little tricky to really root for Logan and Rosemary. I’ve stopped reading romances before when the main love interests drive me bonkers. Why bother reading about a couple getting together for a HEA when I don’t care for either of their personalities? I, like many people, also struggle with miscommunication in romances (setting aside the fact that none of us are great communicators in real life). While this book doesn’t exactly have miscommunication in the traditional sense, I could tell right away that things would have been a LOT different for the two women if they had just been honest with each other, either when they were teens (which is a stretch, I know) or when Rosemary moved back to town a few years prior to the start of the novel. They both made huge assumptions of the other - not unlike Pride and Prejudice - and it grated at me ever so slightly. I got over it enough to keep reading the book, though, and I really think it had to do with the way Cochrun writes and the story she was telling.

While, at first, Logan and Rosemary didn’t make much sense, what did make sense was how much they cared about Joe, their former English teacher. The way Cochrun wrote the relationship between Joe and each of the women was…oh my word. I felt like I was grieving right alongside them. She wrote it so well and I could feel every moment of pain - and joy - that they were experiencing along their road trip.

Here We Go Again is a sapphic road trip rom com about death that will, not surprisingly, have you feeling all the feels. Alison Cochrun is a talented writer and I look forward to reading her next book - and going back into her backlist to catch up!

Content warnings: parental abandonment (before start of novel but addressed on the page), death, grief, cancer, hospice care, hospitals, reference to alcoholism

*An egalley was provided by the publisher, Simon & Schuster, via Edelweiss in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: Women of Good Fortune

I love a good heist story and I also loved Crazy Rich Asians so when I heard about Sophie Wan’s debut novel, Women of Good Fortune, I was immediately intrigued. A bride and her friends come up with a plan to steal all of the red envelopes of cash from what promises to be THE wedding of the season? I was in! The novel was so much fun to read and had more depth than I was expecting. It’s definitely one to check out!

Here’s the book’s description:

Lulu has always been taught that money is the ticket to a good life. So, when Shanghai’s most eligible bachelor surprises her with a proposal, the only acceptable answer is yes, even if the voice inside her head is saying no. His family’s fortune would solve all her parents’ financial woes, but Lulu isn’t in love or ready for marriage.
The only people she can confide in are her two best friends: career-minded Rina, who is tired of being passed over for promotion as her biological clock ticks away; and Jane, a sharp-tongued, luxury-chasing housewife desperate to divorce her husband and trade up. Each of them desires something different: freedom, time, beauty. None of them can get it without money.
Lulu’s wedding is their golden opportunity. The social event of the season, it means more than enough cash gifts to transform the women’s lives. To steal the money on the big day, all they’ll need is a trustworthy crew and a brilliant plan. But as the plot grows increasingly complicated and relationships are caught in the cross fire, the women are forced to face that having it all might come at a steep price…

The story is told over the year or so leading up to Lulu and Harv’s wedding and each chapter counts down so you know just how long the women have to plan their heist. The chapters also alternate so the reader has the chance to get to know each woman - Lulu, Jane, and Rina. I liked the format but didn’t love it because, though I felt it allowed the reader to understand the women a little better, I don’t know if we ever got the most fulsome picture of each character. But I did think the tension increased with the countdown, especially when the reader realizes there’s not much time left and it doesn’t seem like things are going to work out.

As is often the case in a multi-narrated novel, I felt myself drawn to one character more than the others. In this instance, it was Rina. Lulu felt too two-dimensional (which is kind of a point of the story, which is all I’ll say about that) and Jane was…well, I’m not sure. She was hyper-focused on wanting to change her face with plastic surgery but wasn’t realizing that she had a lot of mental work to do. Work that may actually allow her to avoid going under the knife. I’m not judging her - we can never know someone’s true feelings, not even a fictional someone - but I think I got too fixated on the fact that she needed help before she’d be truly happy. I think Rina was just a little bit more formed and that was part of why I looked forward to her chapters more than the other two.

I’m sure I’ve said before that I sometimes struggle with the family dynamics in stories, particularly when the characters are from a culture different than my own. I respect that all cultures are different and truly enjoy reading about all kinds of families. I can never know - and don’t expect to know - what it’s like to live in China and have elders that deserve a different kind of respect and care than I’m used to (being a White woman living in Canada). I always chafe at the idea that someone (especially women) have to follow certain rules and obey others instead of having the life they actually want. Marriage and children aren’t for everyone and I can’t help but feel pushing a woman towards those things is an extremely outdated way of looking at the world. I try hard to let go of my particular viewpoint when I read these books but sometimes it’s hard, as it was with this novel when I was so frustrated with how Lulu was being treated in the months leading up to the wedding.

I did not have high hopes for the heist, I gotta be honest. The women were doing a lot of planning, I’ll give them that, but the reason for stealing the money felt so personal that I worried their feelings would get in the way of a successful mission. I found myself flipping through the last few chapters faster than the others because I was on the edge of my seat wondering if they’d be able to pull it off.

Women of Good Fortune was a really great read. There were some parts that could have used more work but overall I felt Sophie Wan’s debut offering was a solid one that I think a lot of people will enjoy. I can’t wait to see what she writes next!

*An egalley of this novel was provided by HTP Books via NetGalley in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: This Could Be Us

Kennedy Ryan’s been on my radar for awhile but, like many authors, it’s taken some time to finally read her books. So many books, so little time, am I right? When Before I Let Go, the first in Ryan’s Skyland series, came out in 2022, I told myself I’d read it. Fast forward to the month before This Could Be Us is released and I finally got around to diving into Yasmen’s story. I loved it. I immediately picked up Soledad’s book - and I loved it too.

Here’s the book’s description:

Soledad Barnes has her life all planned out. Because, of course, she does. She plans everything. She designs everything. She fixes everything. She’s a domestic goddess who's never met a party she couldn't host or a charge she couldn't lead. The one with all the answers and the perfect vinaigrette for that summer salad. But none of her varied talents can save her when catastrophe strikes, and the life she built with the man who was supposed to be her forever, goes poof in a cloud of betrayal and disillusion.
But there is no time to pout or sulk, or even grieve the life she lost. She's too busy keeping a roof over her daughters' heads and food on the table. And in the process of saving them all, Soledad rediscovers herself. From the ashes of a life burned to the ground, something bold and new can rise.
But then an unlikely man enters the picture—the forbidden one, the one she shouldn't want but can't seem to resist. She's lost it all before and refuses to repeat her mistakes. Can she trust him? Can she trust herself?
After all she's lost . . .and found . . .can she be brave enough to make room for what could be?

I’m running a romance book club at the library I work at right now so I’m finding myself thinking about romances, why we love them, and what makes them romances vs any other kind of story, a whole lot more than I have before. After reading the first two Skyland books, I wondered, are these romance novels? There’s a Happily Ever After/For Now, absolutely, but that HEA doesn’t seem to be the main purpose of the story. Unless you’re thinking about the HEA the main characters have with themselves. I love the love stories in these books, but I was really there for the women and their process of learning to love themselves more than I was for them loving the men in their lives. Does it matter if I think it’s a romance or not? No. But we all know marketing matters and I’m always curious about how books are marketed.

I, like seemingly everyone in Soledad’s life, did not like her husband. But even I wouldn’t have guessed what went down. It was WILD and I could have felt like I was watching a movie (complete with a giant bowl of popcorn as I watched the chaos) but for the fact that I cared about Soledad and her girls so damn much. I hated what was happening to them which is partly due to the characters Ryan created and how she wrote them. (And partly because I'm not a monster and only monsters wouldn't feel moved by the situation they're in.)

I do, however, have some questions about some of Soledad’s choices but given I’m 1. Not a mother and 2. Haven’t been in her situation, I’m not here to judge. But I’m bringing it up because these thoughts pulled me out of the story Ryan created when I shouldn’t have been. I’ll continue being vague about what actually happened, but you can know that Soledad is left without (much) money so she has to try to land on her feet during a shitstorm while also earning money to look after her three daughters. While I can understand that she wanted to keep their lives as consistent as possible, I couldn’t understand why that meant she had to continue living in the same, giant, expensive house or pay for expensive gymnastic lessons and so on. Sorry, kids, sometimes life sucks and you don’t get to do all the things you used to. I just kept thinking that it would have been so much more financially responsible to sell the house instead of spending a ton of money on it when she was in such a precarious position.

I love the feeling of community I got with the first two Skyland books. I loved being a part of that group of friends and family. I enjoyed spending time with them and wanted only the best for every single person I met while reading (apart from Soledad’s no-good husband and his racist mother). That love I have makes it even harder that now I have to wait for Hendrix’s book after bingeing the first two!

This Could Be Us was a fantastic read and I loved being part of the world Kennedy Ryan has created with her Skyland series. You’ll have all the feelings while reading this one so keep the wine, and maybe the box of tissues, at hand while you read. I think you’re going to love it too!

*An egalley of this novel was provided by the Canadian distributor, HBG Canada, via NetGalley in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: A Love Song for Ricki Wilde

You know those books that you desperately want to finish because you want to know how it all wraps up but you also want the story to last forever because you know you’re not going to be ready to say goodbye? A Love Song for Ricki Wilde was one of those books for me. I absolutely adored Tia Williams’ latest novel and am so, so, so very glad I had the opportunity to read it.

Here’s the book’s description:

Leap years are a strange, enchanted time. And for some, even a single February can be life-changing.
Ricki Wilde has many talents, but being a Wilde isn’t one of them. As the impulsive, artistic daughter of a powerful Atlanta dynasty, she’s the opposite of her famous socialite sisters. Where they’re long-stemmed roses, she’s a dandelion: an adorable bloom that’s actually a weed, born to float wherever the wind blows. In her bones, Ricki knows that somewhere, a different, more exciting life awaits her.
When regal nonagenarian, Ms. Della, invites her to rent the bottom floor of her Harlem brownstone, Ricki jumps at the chance for a fresh beginning. She leaves behind her family, wealth, and chaotic romantic decisions to realize her dream of opening a flower shop. And just beneath the surface of her new neighborhood, the music, stories and dazzling drama of the Harlem Renaissance still simmers.
One evening in February as the heady, curiously off-season scent of night-blooming jasmine fills the air, Ricki encounters a handsome, deeply mysterious stranger who knocks her world off balance in the most unexpected way.
Set against the backdrop of modern Harlem and Renaissance glamour, A Love Song for Ricki Wilde is a swoon-worthy love story of two passionate artists drawn to the magic, romance, and opportunity of New York, and whose lives are uniquely and irreversibly linked.

I loved Ricki. I desperately wanted to be her friend. And visit her flower shop, Wilde Things, because it sounded like an amazing place to hang out in. I was sad that Ricki’s family couldn’t see how great she was but so happy that she created her own family with Ms. Della and Tuesday. I’m a big fan of the found family storyline. And Ms. Della! Oh, how I loved her too.

I’ve only been to New York City once and it was a very quick trip for a book conference/expo/event thingy so I didn’t have a whole lot of time to explore. I definitely didn’t get to Harlem. So, I loved being able to walk the streets with Ricki and learn about her new neighbourhood right alongside her. I especially loved that she was learning the history of the area and was able to find a really amazing way to feature the history and her flowers at the same time. Brilliant.

Speaking of the history, it was fun to see Harlem during its heyday in Breeze’s sections early on in the book. It sounded like an absolutely wild time to be alive. I’m going to have to seek out some historical fiction about the Harlem Renaissance now!

I don’t want to get too into it because it’s all part of the magic of this novel but there’s a hint of magic realism in this story. If you’re not able to set aside your realistic notions and open your mind, this may not be the book for you. But if you’re intrigued by a little mystery and Leap Year magic? Oh, you’re going to want to pick this one up. I wasn’t sure how Williams was going to bring everything together and I was surprised and delighted with how she did.

And the romance? Holy smokes, it was electric. Ricki and Ezra were magical together. (Yes, this review was brought to you by the word "magic.") It was a wee bit intense but that worked for a couple of reasons. First, they’re intense people who feel things deeply. Second, they’re soulmates and it can be a heady thing when you first meet your soulmate. Third, well, I can’t tell you that without giving things away. There was a slow burn that absolutely exploded when they finally gave into the attraction they were feeling for each other. I didn’t even notice the slowness because there was so much build up in the rest of the story that was well done and very necessary.

A Love Song for Ricki Wilde was an amazing novel and I loved the time I spent reading Tia Williams’ latest offering. It’s an enchanting romance, in all senses of the word, with Leap Year magic, fantastic writing, and strong characters all wrapped up in a love story. Check it out!

*A print copy of this novel was provided by the Canadian distributor, HBG Canada, in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: Today Tonight Forever

I requested Today Tonight Forever, Madeline Kay Sneed's second novel, on a bit of a whim. It sounded interesting but I knew absolutely nothing about her writing. I am so glad I took a chance on this book. I read it slowly and in small bits, mostly because life is, you know, life, but it's easily a book I could have curled up with on a weekend and devoured.

Here’s the book’s description:

When thirty-three-year-old Athena Matthias is asked, yet again, to be a bridesmaid, she’s not exactly enthusiastic about the idea. Still reeling from a messy divorce from her wife, she’s never felt less inclined to celebrate love. But Athena can't say no, especially to one of her oldest friends, and at least it's a destination wedding, which means three days of sun and sand.
As the wedding weekend commences on the gorgeous beaches of Watercolor, Florida, for the first time in ages, Athena finds herself surrounded by people who know and love her. There’s the bride, nervous about an old relationship; a groomsman grappling with a big mistake; Athena’s mother, ready to date again; and even a potential new romantic interest.
But just as Athena begins to feel herself opening up again, an unexpected guest from the past throws the entire wedding party into chaos. By the time the cake is cut and the ultimate betrayal is revealed, Athena must find the courage to forgive—both others and herself—and embrace the beauty of a chance to move forward.

The novel follows a number of characters who are at Daisy's wedding. It starts as Athena arrives in Watercolor on the day of the rehearsal and ends with her at the reception. In between, we get to see how many (many) characters are dealing with this happy event. It’s possible that some readers may think there were too many characters telling their story during Daisy’s wedding weekend. Personally, I really liked getting all of their perspectives. They all had different views on the wedding and had different emotions about it. (And there were a lot of emotions.) And when I say many characters, let me just break it down for you. We had chapters from Athena, Daisy, Leo (Athena's brother and Daisy's ex), Mollie (Athena and Leo's mom), Deacon (Daisy's brother and Athena's best friend), and Sydnee (Athena's ex-wife). Whew! But I really did enjoy all their perspectives and what they brought to the story.

I also really appreciated how Sneed wove in all of the characters’ perspectives to the narrative. There are only the tiniest of overlaps, where you get to experience a particular moment from multiple characters’ viewpoints. Otherwise, each character moves the story forward during the wedding weekend. It’s one of those things that seems simple but absolutely would not have been easy to do and it was, in my opinion, masterfully done by Sneed.

Weddings always bring a lot of drama to a story, which I love. This wedding was no different. There were exes and new flirtations. There were best friends who hadn’t been as present as they should be. There were family members who were trying to finally emerge from the deepest part of their grief. It was a lot but absolutely perfect for the story.

A wedding may be at the centre of this story but this is not a book about romantic love. We’re happy, of course, that Daisy has found the person she wants to spend the rest of her life with. But what holds the reader’s interest are the friendships and the familial relationships. The way Sneed writes these relationships got me right in the feels and I felt like I was right there in Watercolor with the wedding guests. I wanted to cheer them on, offer a shoulder to cry on, and buy them a glass of their favourite drink. As hard as some of the emotions were, it was so great to feel them right alongside the characters.

I really liked Today Tonight Forever and recommend you add Madeline Kay Sneed’s novel to your TBR. It’s full of characters you can’t help but care about and will hit you with every emotion under the sun but you’ll be left feeling hopeful. But also a little sad that you’ve finished such a great novel.

*An egalley was provided by the publisher, HTP Books, via NetGalley in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: Night Shift

My love of romance books and basketball collided in the steamiest, most enjoyable way in Night Shift by Annie Crown. Our heroine is a voracious reader who works at her college library. Our hero is the star of the basketball team. And sparks FLY between them. I loved this book!

Here's the book's description:

The bookworm and the basketball player are about to meet their match.
Kendall Holiday spends her Friday nights exactly where she wants to with her head buried in a spicy romance novel while she works the graveyard shift at her university's library. She knows she could join her friends for a weekend of drunken debauchery and college parties, but she likes her alone time, so she tells herself she isn't hiding when she gets lost in the pages of fictional love stories.
But that all changes when Vincent Knight, captain of the basketball team, turns up with an injured wrist, a sour mood, and a pressing need for poetry recommendations for a class he hates. Vincent is tall, smart-mouthed, and challenges Kendall like no one has before. Suddenly, she's falling headfirst into her very own romance novel—but it takes a lot more truth than tropes to get to a happy ever after in real life.

My November TBR list was out of control with books I had requested to review. I stumbled upon Crown's and said, no, Kaley. You don't need another book. But I couldn't stop thinking about it. I am SO glad I caved and Wattpad gifted me with an egalley. I would have been so sad if I had missed out on this book!

It's been awhile since I've read a really good, solid New Adult book. I define a New Adult novel as one that takes place during college/university or in the year after graduation. You know, when you're trying to figure out who you are and what kind of adult you might be. (Which, honestly, we all know takes a lot longer than four years!) I started university (gulp) eighteen years ago so it's been a hot minute since I've been on campus. But Crown hit all the emotions I remember feeling when I was a student and I felt it was so so well done. The house Kendall and her friends shared may not have looked like the place I stayed with my own friends but that's the house I was picturing as they studied and had fun. The campus, library, and street where the basketball house was? All based on my own memories and the university I was at. I don’t know if others would have that same kind of reaction but I personally loved the little walk down memory lane as I read Crown’s novel.

Kendall was a huge romance reader, which is always fun to see. Obviously a romance author is going to be pro romance novels but it's nice to see authors take a stand in their books. Romance isn’t something to be looked down upon and it’s about damn time us romance readers embraced that and stopped being or pretend to be embarrassed by our reading choices. Though, I must say, I’m with Kendall on some of the covers. I may not be embarrassed by my reading choices but I’m not a fan of some of the cover designs. They can be better. I also appreciated how Kendall talked about the difference between a hero in real life versus in novels. Just because you enjoy reading about Alpha Males taking charge doesn't mean you actually want to date one. It was a refreshing take!

Kendall and Vincent fall prey to the miscommunication trope, a widely hated trope, but what made it bearable, and dare I say enjoyable, was that Kendall’s roommate called her on it. Like, duh, girl, stop spiralling and just go TALK to the guy! Talking is scary, absolutely, but I liked reading as Kendall put on her Big Girl Pants and worked on the budding relationship before anything completely disastrous could occur.

There aren’t sexy time scenes on every page, by any means, and the ones that are there were ridiculously well done. They were steamy and respectful, which is hot as hell, especially when the characters are on the younger side and one of them is a virgin. Plus, how many bookworms out there have imagined having a makeout session in the library? Kendall got to have that and I was HERE for it!

Romance readers will want to read Night Shift. I devoured Annie Crown’s novel in a weekend and was still thinking about it days later. It was smart, funny, sweet, and spicy and I enjoyed it so much. I’ll definitely be looking into what Crown writes next!

*An egalley of this novel was provided by the publisher, Wattpad Books, via NetGalley. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: A New Season

If you’re a reader in need of a book that will make you laugh, think, feel, and laugh some more (all while being unapologetically Canadian), Terry Falls is your man. I have loved every book of his I’ve read and his latest, A New Season, was no exception. In fact, it may have just become my favourite of all his books. It was full of so much…*waves arms around*...life! It had humour, grief, and love of all kinds as well as some soul searching and travel thrown in for good measure. It was, if we want to get right down to basics, a damn good novel.

Here’s the book’s description:

Jack McMaster seemingly has it all. A beautiful house, a loving son of many talents (including cooking, which is great news for Jack, if not for his waistline), even a special bond with his buddies in his ball hockey league. But he's also learning to live with loss, leaving a gaping hole in his life--a life that will never be the same as before. Jack passes his days knowing he has the support of his family and his friends, but he can't shake the feeling that his life has gone gray, and that time is slipping by so quickly.
Then, a short and shocking video from an unexpected source gives him the gumption to make a change and maybe even haul himself out of his melancholia. Inspired by his lifelong fascination with 1920s Paris, Jack finally visits the City of Light, following in the footsteps of Hemingway and Fitzgerald, and wandering the Left Bank. Slowly, the colour seeps back into his life, aided by a chance encounter in a café that leads Jack into the art world, and a Paris mystery nearly a century old.
Full of sincerity and warmth, A New Season shows us all that sometimes, making a change in your life can save your life.

For a book about a man dealing with overwhelming grief, it’s quite funny. Which isn’t a surprise for anyone who’s read Fallis’ books before. His humour isn’t for everyone but I adore it. It’s quick and dry and there were many literal lol moments as I was reading this one (always interesting when one is reading in a full staff room on one’s lunch break). I wish I could include some of the most excellent quotes to give you an idea of how witty the book is but 1. I read an egalley so it’s always possible some things may change and 2. We’d be here all day while I tried to choose some of the best quotes. This book isn’t humorous in an obvious way - it’s not like those blockbuster comedies many of us love to watch - but it’s quieter and Fallis uses his humour at just the right moments.

OK, so this bit is hard to write without giving anything away and I really like that the book’s description gives you enough information to know what you’re reading but is still vague enough to keep the book’s secrets, well, secret. First, the book is set in the summer of 2022 when the world is emerging from major pandemic restrictions and I want you to beware of that if you’re sensitive to these storylines and/or lost someone due to COVID-19. Second, and this is the doozy, I have been wrestling with the idea that if this novel had been written by a woman, it could be categorized as a romance. Not a typical romance where the love story is the only real objective of the narrative, but my favourite kind of romance where there’s a whole lot of life happening for the main character but, at the end of the day, there’s going to be a Happily Ever After. I love Fallis’ work, that’s not what’s up for debate here. What is, however, is how books are marketed and how publishers treat books written by men and women differently. I think if this book had been written by, say, Theresa Fallis, the illustrated cover would look a whole lot different and we’d be having a totally different conversation. I’m not sure if I have a real point here - it’s just something that’s stuck in my brain as I considered the book and how I’d write this review and recommend it to others.

But putting the notion of this being considered a romance or contemporary fiction aside, this book is a love story. Or, perhaps more accurately, a love song. Jack is an amateur songwriter and guitar player - he enjoys it but knows he’s not good enough to make it professionally so he’s just had fun creating and playing for the past few decades. So, music and songs are a big deal to Jack and that’s why this book kind of feels more like a love song. He’s even written a couple of love songs that are included in the novel (which, yes, were written by Fallis). This book isn’t just a love song about love. It’s also an ode to friendship, family, Paris, and, yes, even ball hockey and the good buddies one makes playing it.

I loved that this book was a bit of an ode to Paris and the writers of the Lost Generation (Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald being the most famous). Jack is unapologetic about his love and (mild) obsession with the time and the writers and it was so lovely to see him go after his dream of living in Paris and walking the same streets as those authors he’d long admired. The extra little twist added in was such a delight and really elevated the story (why, yes, that is purposely vague).

A New Season is an uplifting book, even amongst all the grief, that shows it’s ok to live life after a tragedy and perhaps, it’s even more important to do so now after what we’ve all lived through. Terry Fallis has written a novel that is funny and heartwarming and will keep you entertained (and feeling all the feels) from the first page to the last.

*An egalley of this novel was provided by the publisher, McClelland & Stewart (an imprint of Penguin Random House Canada), via NetGalley in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: For Twice in My Life

Does anyone else have a sort of rule for the authors you read who were good but not great? Do you always give them one more chance? Are you more likely to give them a chance if they’re, say, Canadian like you, or if the description sounds just too good to pass up? I didn’t love Annette Christie’s The Rehearsals (review here) but I enjoyed it enough so when I had the chance to review For Twice in My Life, I thought, sure! Why not? Ultimately it was another just ok book but it kept me interested enough to feel good about seeing it through to the end.

Here’s the book’s description:

Can one little lie lead to a big second chance?
Layla's chaotic life transformed when she met Ian Barnett. Ambitious, committed, and thoughtful, Ian has been everything she'd dreamed of, and she knows he'd say the same of her. So when he breaks up with her out of the blue, Layla is stunned. What went wrong?
But then, Layla gets a call from the local hospital. Ian's had a biking accident. He's okay, but he needs someone--his someone--to get him home safely. As it becomes clear Ian doesn't remember he ended things, it also becomes clear that the accident has given him a new outlook on life . . . and Layla a second chance to get things right.
That is, until Ian's younger brother comes to town. Matt is restless, unpredictable, and threatens to upset the careful balance Layla and Ian have rebuilt. As things get more complicated both at home and at work, Layla realizes she might lose her chance at real love--and real happiness--if she doesn't come clean about the stories she's been telling: to Ian, to Matt, to her family, and most importantly, to herself.

I’m not particularly drawn to amnesia plots and I really don’t like when the reader knows that the main character is lying to the other so this novel and I got off on the wrong foot. It had to work hard for me to get over how Layla was behaving and I was able to sort of-kind of get past it. Mostly because I felt that Ian hadn’t had a good reason for breaking up with her and I felt Layla deserved an answer. I wasn’t sure if she (or I, for that matter) was going to get that answer but I was willing to put in the work to find out.

The tension between Layla and Matt (and Ian) was…intense. There was a ton of angst and anger between them and it was hard to figure out why. Matt and Ian didn’t have a great relationship so Layla wasn’t open to seeing Matt in the best light, which, honestly, was kind of annoying. She should have given him a fairer chance to be a friend and a brother. And then she shouldn’t have fought the attraction the two of them had so hard. I get that that’s incredibly awkward but let’s perhaps take a look at your life and realize where you’re happiest and with whom, shall we?

I didn’t love compulsive shopping as a coping mechanism with Confessions of a Shopaholic and I didn’t like it with Layla, especially when right off the bat there’s a hint that she had some serious financial troubles. That storyline felt like it took forever to fully be revealed and I just didn’t buy how self-sabotaging Layla was being. Her mom finally sets her right at the end of the book but my heart was kind of breaking that Layla constantly felt like she was a screw up and that she had to change herself to fit into the world around her. Sure, we all battle with confidence sometimes, some people more than others, but it was hard to read about someone who just clearly couldn't see that she has far more worth than she thinks.

Annette Christie writes really emotional stories full of characters who aren’t perfect. For Twice in My Life, the characters were real and, quite honestly, a bit of a mess, but their emotions (and boy, were there a lot of emotions) were so strong and that really came through the pages. I wanted to really like this one and am bummed that I found it only ok but I’ll keep an eye on what Christie writes next. Maybe I’ll have to give her just one more chance.

*An egalley and a finished copy of this novel were provided by the Canadian distributor, HBG Canada, in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: Pebble and Dove

Pebble & Dove, the latest novel from Amy Jones is, in a word, delightful. It’s an emotional family drama but it doesn’t take itself too seriously. Pebble, referenced in the title, is a manatee, after all. I enjoyed every minute I spent reading this book and was a little sad when I finished and had to say goodbye to all the characters I had come to know over the course of the novel.

Here’s the book’s description:

This is the story of a family falling apart, only to be brought back together again by an unlikely champion--a 1,000-pound aquatic mammal named Pebble.
Lauren's life is a mess. She has a storage unit full of candles she can't sell, a growing mountain of debt, and a teenage daughter, Dove, who barely speaks to her. Then her husband sends her a text that changes everything. Eager to escape her problems, she drives herself and Dove south to her late mother's rundown trailer in Florida. While keeping her eccentric new neighbours at Swaying Palms at bay, Lauren begins to untangle the truth about her estranged mother. How did world-famous portrait photographer Imogen Starr end up at Swaying Palms? And what happened to her fortune and her photographs?
Meanwhile, Dove has secrets of her own. A mysterious photograph leads her to discover the abandoned Flamingo Key Aquarium and Tackle, where she meets Pebble, the world's oldest manatee in captivity. It is Pebble, a former star attraction, and her devoted caretaker, Ray, who will hold the key to helping Lauren and Dove come to terms with Imogen's unexpected legacy.
Darkly funny and sharply observed, Pebble & Dove is a moving novel about the complicated relationship between mothers and daughters, and learning how to choose between what's worth saving and what needs to be let go.

The premise for this book is, quite frankly, ridiculous. There’s a once famous manatee that everyone (but Ray) has forgotten about. Imogen has died and no one is dealing with it well - if they even knew about it. There are secrets upon secrets that shouldn’t be secrets but no one in this family understands how to speak to each other and feelings have been hurt a hundred times over throughout the years. But it all works, which shows how talented Jones is. She can take a concept that is bananas and turn it into something that is funny, emotional, and heartwarming all at once.

Lauren caused a few problems for me. But in such a way that, when I really thought about it, I realized that, no, she’s not actually problematic. She’s deeply human. We just don’t often read about these kinds of characters. There’s nothing really wrong with her - she’s just trying to make the best out of the life she feels has been thrust upon her. She felt that her mother didn’t love her so she overcompensated in her own life - while still never having the important conversations she should have had with her mother or her daughter. It takes a lot to realize when you’re really not OK and I was really, really glad with how the book ended up for Lauren. Things are still broken but you can see the path out of it. Jones doesn’t wrap everything up in a neat little bow (what kind of life is that?) but she leaves the reader with hope.

Dove was my favourite character in this story. I hurt when she hurt and I was so mad that her parents were so wrapped up in their own stuff that they couldn’t see what was going on with her. She’s 14 - she’s dealing with a lot and she’s no longer a kid but she’s not an adult either. She still needs more guidance and obvious love (even if she rolls her eyes at it) and she just wasn’t getting it - even though her parents truly do love her to pieces. She has such a huge heart and she’s a smart kid and I was left with the overwhelming feeling that she was going to do some amazing things in her life. I loved that feeling.

The story is told from multiple perspectives with some time lapses. Lauren and Dove are the main narrators and their present day stories move the plot along. Ray is telling his wife a story of his work at the aquarium and with Pebble. And there are a few chapters from Imogen’s perspective that help connect some of the dots Lauren and Dove are finding during their stay (escape) in Florida. It may sound confusing but Jones manages it wonderfully and each section plays an important role in the overall story.

Pebble & Dove is a beautiful and wonderful story that’s funny in all the right spots (and even some wrong ones but that’s what makes it right). I’m reminded every time I read one of Amy Jones’ novels (this is the third of hers I’ve read and I think it’s my favourite) how talented she is. You should definitely pick up a copy of Pebble & Dove as soon as you can!

*A finished copy of this novel was provided by Penguin Canada as part of their Penguin Reads program in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: Meet Me at the Lake

I, like many romance readers, fell head over heels in love with Carley Fortune when her debut novel was published last year. Every Summer After was everything I didn’t know I needed and more (review here). It was one of those books I finished and immediately wanted to reread. So, not surprisingly, I was very, very much looking forward to reading Fortune’s sophomore novel, Meet Me at the Lake. There was a bit of worry too - would her second book live up to her first? Good news, my friends. It did. I loved everything about it.

Here’s the book’s description:

Fern Brookbanks has wasted far too much of her adult life thinking about Will Baxter. She spent just twenty-four hours in her early twenties with the aggravatingly attractive, idealistic artist, a chance encounter that spiraled into a daylong adventure in Toronto. The timing was wrong, but their connection was undeniable: they shared every secret, every dream, and made a pact to meet one year later. Fern showed up. Will didn't.
At thirty-two, Fern's life doesn't look at all how she once imagined it would. Instead of living in the city, Fern's back home, running her mother's Muskoka lakeside resort--something she vowed never to do. The place is in disarray, her ex-boyfriend's the manager, and Fern doesn't know where to begin.
She needs a plan--a lifeline. To her surprise, it comes in the form of Will, who arrives nine years too late, with a suitcase in tow and an offer to help on his lips. Will may be the only person who understands what Fern's going through. But how could she possibly trust this expensive-suit wearing mirage who seems nothing like the young man she met all those years ago. Will is hiding something, and Fern's not sure she wants to know what it is.
But ten years ago, Will Baxter rescued Fern. Can she do the same for him?

There are some similarities between Every Summer After and Meet Me at the Lake. Both books are dual timeline. They both take place by a lake. They’re both full of emotions that pack a huge punch. And each one has a second chance storyline (though I’d say that’s a loose description of the trope in MMATL). But Fern and Will’s story is all their own and just as good - if not better - than Percy and Sam’s. YES I SAID IT. I think I might like Meet Me at the Lake more!

Did anyone else read Just One Day by Gayle Forman back in the day? Meet Me at the Lake gave me a lot of the same vibes - in the best possible way. As much as it ripped my heart out, I loved that Fern and Will spent one perfect day together. The sparks were there as was the knowledge that they could have had a great relationship if circumstances had been a little kinder. So the present day timeline, when they were thrown together again ten years later, was…*chef’s kiss* Right up my alley.

The location of this book felt really familiar to me. The present day timeline is set in Muskoka and I grew up in that area with my hometown being about an hour and a half south-ish from Huntsville, a town mentioned in the book. I could picture the landscape that would have surrounded Brookbanks and know what hot summer days can feel like up there. While I have no desire to move back up to my hometown, there was an extra layer of comfort while reading a book set in Muskoka for this small town girl. 

This book is more than a romance, which I expected and appreciated. Family plays a huge part in the story (which is another slight similarity with ESA), especially the role of mothers. Fern has to come to terms with a life without her mother far sooner than she ever expected to. Her best friend is a new mother. And Will had some issues with his mother as well. Make sure you read Fortune's note at the end of the book. It adds even more to the story and I appreciated how honest and vulnerable she was sharing that story.

Meet Me at the Lake was a phenomenal sophomore novel from Carley Fortune. She’s now solidified herself as an auto-buy author and I already can’t wait to reread both this one and Every Summer After. You must read this book if you love stories with all kinds of emotions that are well-crafted and well-written that end with a realistic Happily Ever After. Trust me - you’re going to love it.

*An egalley of this novel was provided by the publisher, Penguin Random House Canada, via NetGalley in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: Paris Daillencourt Is About to Crumble

I’m a big fan of Great British Bake Off and I love when novels put their characters in similar competitions. It was partially for that reason that I read Alexis Hall’s Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake back in 2021 (review here). Unfortunately, I was really upset with one aspect of the plot and the rest of the book was soured. BUT. After reading more of Hall’s work, I thought I’d give the semi-connected series another go. And I’m glad I did as I enjoyed Paris Daillencourt Is About to Crumble.

Here’s the book’s description:

Paris Daillencourt is a recipe for disaster. Despite his passion for baking, his cat, and his classics degree, constant self-doubt and second-guessing have left him a curdled, directionless mess. So when his roommate enters him in Bake Expectations, the nation’s favourite baking show, Paris is sure he’ll be the first one sent home.
But not only does he win week one’s challenge—he meets fellow contestant Tariq Hassan. Sure, he’s the competition, but he’s also cute and kind, with more confidence than Paris could ever hope to have. Still, neither his growing romance with Tariq nor his own impressive bakes can keep Paris’s fear of failure from spoiling his happiness. And when the show’s vicious fanbase confirms his worst anxieties, Paris’s confidence is torn apart quicker than tear-and-share bread.
But if Paris can find the strength to face his past, his future, and the chorus of hecklers that live in his brain, he’ll realize it’s the sweet things in life that he really deserves.

Paris is, like some desserts, an acquired taste. He has pretty serious anxiety that he hasn’t addressed because he doesn’t know he needs to - he just thinks he is the way he is and that’s all there is to it. But he makes excuses for himself that I had no time for, especially after he started getting help. I’m not sure how much of the “omg I’m the worst ever” was part of the anxiety (Yes, I know it would be a huge part) but there were still some instances where I felt he should have behaved better. Perhaps I’m wrong. I don’t have anxiety like Paris so I can’t fully get into his head but I know it’s tough. I wish I could remember some of the specific examples but, alas, I read this one so long ago (oops). 

I loved the baking show aspects of the book, obviously, and that the book was divided up by each episode. It helped keep track of time in a fun way. It was always fun to see what the bakers were making each week and I always liked when the whole cast was hanging out together.

The romance in this one was a delight - even with all of the awkward and terrible moments. I respected Tariq so much and wish I could be more like him. He knew who he was and wasn’t about to apologize for not being a stereotypical British baker. Is it wrong to say I think he might have been too good for Paris? It might be, right? Whether they were truly right for each other, I don’t entirely know, but the romantic in me was expecting more of a romance novel and so I was rooting for a Happily Ever After between the two of them.

Paris Daillencourt Is About to Crumble was a cute read with funny moments but a lot of really heavy topics and topics that should be tackled in contemporary reads. Alexis Hall doesn’t always deliver a total winner to me but I continue to read his books because I appreciate his talent and humour and the ability to make me look at the world a little differently than I did when I started the book.

*An egalley of this novel was provided by Forever via NetGalley in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.* 

Review: Attribution

Attribution should have been a book that worked for me. Linda Moore’s novel, which was published back on October 11, 2022, had art and history with a dash of intrigue. All things I very much enjoy. But something just didn’t click and the novel, with such promise, ended up being a miss for me.

Here’s the book’s description:

Art historian Cate Adamson, still grieving the death of her brother and desperate to succeed, leaves her troubled parents in the Midwest to complete her doctorate in New York, only to find herself assigned to a misogynist advisor. She attempts to impress him until she discovers a hidden painting, possibly a Baroque masterpiece, in the university basement. Risking her career, financial disaster, and further alienation from her family, she flees to Spain with the painting to consult art experts.
Antonio, an impoverished duke, clings to the decaying legacy of the House of Olivares. When he meets Cate on the train to Seville, he joins her search, and together they uncover evidence in his five hundred-year old library to support the painting's provenance including a document about the artist's final years that will shock the titans of art history. But Cate vacillates about revealing the truth, fearful that it may destroy her career, her family's expectations, and her future with Antonio.

I wasn’t totally sure why this book didn’t work for me at the time I read it and I’m even less sure now, all these months later. I can tell my initial feelings were accurate and the fact that the story didn’t stick with me is telling. Sometimes I may not initially love a book but once I sit with it awhile, I find myself still thinking about it or finally understanding some of the nuances that I had missed when I was reading it. That was not the case with Attribution. I don’t want to say I’ve forgotten all of it, because I haven’t, but the story and the writing have not stayed with me.

I think, perhaps, part of my issue was with Cate herself. She didn’t make a ton of sense to me and I questioned almost every single one of her choices. She seemed scared but also impulsive and brave and her personality remained a mystery to me throughout the entire book. I know it’s easier to hide from grief but pushing her parents away wasn’t helping any of them. I also haven’t been trying to pursue a…ok, I actually forget what piece of paper Cate is trying to get in the book so let’s go with…PhD so I really don’t understand the cutthroat world of research and advisors and all that stuff. I also think any readers who aren’t involved in the art world themselves (like me) will be a bit confused at how that world works and why Cate’s career is in such jeopardy.

As I said at the start, this book should have worked for me. I love the idea of art history and missing art. Well, I don’t love that art is missing or was stolen but the uncovering process is thrilling to me. I love the hunt for provenance and restoring a piece of art to its rightful owners. I love looking at art (I could happily spend a day wandering through art galleries) and I love creating it (though I’m not an expert by any means). I should, then, love reading about art. And I did enjoy the thought and care that I could tell Moore put into the story. She understands art and that world. That love and passion did come through and I was glad of that.

I’ll end by saying I seem to be very much in the minority regarding my feelings about Attribution. The Goodreads page for Linda Moore’s novel gives it a very respectable 4.35 average rating. Could it be that I got too weighed down by nitpicky things and just couldn’t be as wowed by the story as others have been? Quite possibly. I’d say it’s still one to consider if you absolutely adore art history and art mystery!

*An egalley of this novel was provided by the publisher, She Writes Press, via NetGalley in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: The Messy Lives of Book People

Look at this cover! Is it any wonder I needed to read The Messy Lives of Book People? I hadn’t read any of Phaedra Patrick’s books before, but I was enchanted by the description, title, and, yes, the cover of her latest book. The story itself didn’t quite live up to my expectation but I enjoyed my time reading it.

Here’s the book’s description:

Have you ever wished you were someone else?
Mother of two Liv Green barely scrapes by as a maid to make ends meet, often finding escape in a good book while daydreaming of becoming a writer herself. So she can't believe her luck when she lands a job housekeeping for her personal hero, megabestselling author Essie Starling, a mysterious and intimidating recluse. The last thing Liv expected was to be the only person Essie talks to, which leads to a tenuous friendship.
But when Essie dies suddenly, a devastated Liv is astonished to learn of her last wish: for Liv to complete Essie's final novel. But to do so Liv will have to step into Essie's shoes, and as Liv begins to write, she uncovers secrets from the past that reveal a surprising connection between the two women--one that will change Liv's own story forever...

The older I get, the more I appreciate reading about characters who aren’t twentysomething women. I’m not a mother, of course, but I’m also not fresh out of school and making my way in the world on my own for the first time. So, I appreciated reading Liv’s story even more because it wasn’t her first rodeo either. She had lived but she still had so many life experiences and changes ahead of her.

The premise of this was really intriguing – a booklover working for her favourite author? Who then tasks her to finish her novel? I couldn’t help but wonder how I would have handled that. Probably not much better than Liv, to be honest. Still, I found myself wondering what the hell Liv was thinking with some of her decisions. There was maybe a little too much reliance on secrets and not fully communicating with other characters that made it hard for me to really get behind some of Liv’s actions. I couldn’t understand the reason for all the secrecy or why she was refusing to talk to those close to her – it’s was like in romances when SO MUCH could have been avoided if the love interests had just TALKED to each other. Conflict for the sake of conflict, you know?

One of the things that kept me reading was, in fact, those secrets. There were a few that were hidden to the reader and revealed at the end and holy man I didn’t see it coming. Was it a bit too convenient? Oh, maybe. But it worked with the rest of the story and how kind of sort of unbelievable it was.

The Messy Lives of Book People didn’t thrill me but I was delighted enough that I’ll be searching out Phaedra Patrick’s backlist and next novel.

*An ARC of this novel was provided by the publisher, HarperCollins Canada, in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: Bet on It

I may have requested Jodie Slaughter’s novel Bet on It because I needed an audiobook to read but I thought it sounded like a really lovely romance. As a white woman who does not have diagnosed anxiety, I enjoyed the different perspective the novel gave me. As an avid romance reader? Well, I didn’t particularly care about the rest of the story.

Here’s the book’s description:

The first time Aja Owens encounters the man of her dreams, she’s having a panic attack in the frozen foods section of the Piggly Wiggly. The second time, he’s being introduced to her as her favorite bingo buddy’s semi-estranged grandson. From there, all it takes is one game for her to realize that he’s definitely going to be a problem. And if there’s anything she already has a surplus of, it’s problems.
In Walker Abbott’s mind, there are only two worthwhile things in Greenbelt, South Carolina. The peach cobbler at his old favorite diner and his ailing grandmother. Dragging himself back after more than a decade away, he’s counting down the days until Gram heals and he can get back to his real life. Far away from the trauma inside of those city limits. Just when he thinks his plan is solid, enter Aja to shake everything up.
A hastily made bingo-based sex pact is supposed to keep this…thing between them from getting out of hand. Especially when submitting to their feelings means disrupting their carefully balanced lives. But emotions are just like bingo callers—they refuse to be ignored.

I didn’t really understand the bingo bet Aja and Walker made. It seemed like they were children trying to use bribes to get what they wanted but also stop them from having too much of what they wanted (sex, I mean sex)? They’re adults and I found the whole “bet” thing immature (and confusing). Of course I knew they’d end up falling for each other and using the bet as an excuse to keep themselves from getting hurt but I also knew it wouldn’t help and they’d end up together in a Happily Ever After moment. Usually, I don’t mind knowing the way a romance is going to go but I have to care about the journey to that HEA. I didn’t care here and it was unfortunate.

I also just didn’t quite get the chemistry between the two of them. Maybe I missed something important, but it just sort of seemed like there was some physical attraction and that was that. There was an emotional-ish connection as they both had mental health challenges (I want to say anxiety and panic attacks, and maybe depression and also PTSD but I didn’t make notes and don’t have a copy to check). I appreciated that part of the story but it felt separate to everything else somehow. It kind of felt like I was reading about the diagnoses, not human characters.

Also, I’d love to never have a woman’s thighs be mentioned so much ever again in any novel I read. I got it the first time Slaughter mentioned Aja’s legs. She wasn’t a teeny thing (and I loved that). But there was no need to bring it up non-stop, especially by Walker.

The novel was narrated by Angel Pean and I felt she did a good job (but, honestly, I could be wrong - I've put this book out of my mind quite a bit). But from what I remember, she helped me be as immersed as I could be with this story and I’ll definitely keep my eyes out for other books she narrates.

Bet on It should have been a fun romance with great representation from under-written points of view. Jodie Slaughter nailed the rep but the rest of the story? Not so much. Maybe I’ll read another from her, maybe I won’t. Life’s too short for “fine” books!

*An advanced listening copy (ALC) was provided by the publisher, Macmillan Audio, via NetGalley in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.* 

Review: One Good Thing

I stumbled upon Alexandra Potter’s Confessions of a Forty-Something F**k Up back in 2020 and absolutely loved it (review here). When I saw she had a new release coming this year, I knew I had to read it. One Good Thing was full of good things and I really, really enjoyed reading it.

Here’s the book’s description:

In life, nothing is certain. Just when you think you have it all figured out, something can happen to change the course of everything . . .
Liv Brooks is still in shock. Newly-divorced and facing an uncertain future, she impulsively swaps her London Life for the sweeping hills of the Yorkshire Dales, determined to make a fresh start. But fresh starts are harder than they look and feeling lost and lonely she decides to adopt Harry, an old dog from the local shelter, to keep her company.
But Liv soon discovers she isn’t the only one in need of a new beginning. On their daily walks around the village, they meet Valentine, an old man who suffers from loneliness who sits by the window and Stanley, a little boy who is scared of everyone, hides behind the garden gate and Maya, a teenager who is angry at everyone and everything. But slowly things start to change…

At 35, I’m still sort of the right age for most rom coms, but I have to come to grips with the fact that I am getting older and, with that, comes the appreciation of reading about older heroines. While I can’t recall if we ever learn exactly how old Liv is, I do know Liv has lived a good chunk of life and life has not been the most kind to her lately. We’re meeting her at pretty much the lowest point of that life as she’s buying a total fixer upper in the middle of nowhere after her divorce. But you just know that reading as she figures out this newly single life is going to be so rewarding. And it really was.

I was initially wary of all the different characters mentioned in the book’s description. I kind of just wanted Liv’s story and didn’t want all the confusion of other characters muddying the waters. However. The stories of Valentine, Stanley, and Maya are so important to Liv’s own story that it wouldn’t be the same novel without them. And, really, it still is Liv’s book. The other characters only have the odd chapter dedicated to them but it helps make the overall story stronger.

Another reviewer on Goodreads said that this book is a like a “snuggly blanket”, and I couldn’t agree more. Potter has written a book with all the feels that leaves the reader feeling warm and happy and so very comfortable. That’s not to say there aren’t hard moments in the book, because there definitely are. She runs into her ex at a party, her home renovations aren’t running smoothly, Valentine’s wife’s dementia is getting worse, and there are tricky family secrets that come to light. But Potter makes everything alright in the end, just as life should be. It’s lovely.

Alexandra Potter has become a must-read author for me. I really enjoyed One Good Thing and highly recommend it for anyone looking for a great read.

*An ARC of this novel was provided by the Canadian distributor, Publishers Group Canada, in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: The Witches of Moonshyne Manor

I hadn’t yet read Bianca Marais before this year, but I had heard from a few trusted book friends that her books were just too good. So, when I had the chance to review The Witches of Moonshyne Manor, which was being described as Golden Girls meets Practical Magic, I hopped on it. And I’m really glad I did! Marais’ latest novel, which published on August 23, is a great, feminist, well-written addition to plethora of witchy books being released lately.

Here's the book’s description:

A coven of modern-day witches. A magical heist-gone-wrong. A looming threat.
Five octogenarian witches gather as an angry mob threatens to demolish Moonshyne Manor. All eyes turn to the witch in charge, Queenie, who confesses they’ve fallen far behind on their mortgage payments. Still, there’s hope, since the imminent return of Ruby—one of the sisterhood who’s been gone for thirty-three years—will surely be their salvation.
But the mob is only the start of their troubles. One man is hellbent on avenging his family for the theft of a legacy he claims was rightfully his. In an act of desperation, Queenie makes a bargain with an evil far more powerful than anything they’ve ever faced. Then things take a turn for the worse when Ruby’s homecoming reveals a seemingly insurmountable obstacle instead of the solution to all their problems.
The witches are determined to save their home and themselves, but their aging powers are no match for increasingly malicious threats. Thankfully, they get a bit of help from Persephone, a feisty TikToker eager to smash the patriarchy. As the deadline to save the manor approaches, fractures among the sisterhood are revealed, and long-held secrets are exposed, culminating in a fiery confrontation with their enemies.

It did take me awhile to get really into this story. It was hard to keep track of each of the witches. They had their own personalities, but I read someone else’s review that said their “voices” weren’t distinctive enough in writing and I think I must agree. There were also a lot of secrets and pieces of information that was being kept from the reader that I didn’t really think was adding to the story in any way. Give me all the details and move on with telling me the current story. Once pieces fell into place, I was able to enjoy the story more and was completely invested in the ride and was desperately hoping the women would be able to save their home and their town.

I love reading magical, witchy books and part of it is seeing how the magic is described and performed. Each of the witches in this book had slightly different types of magic that they excelled at, and I loved it so much. Nothing was overly complicated (other than the game the witches play that even the name escapes me because that scene dragged on for far too long) and it all made sense – as much as magic and witches can make sense.

This novel is intensely feminist without really beating you over the head with it. Kind of how I hope I live my own life, but I don’t think I’m as vocal in my beliefs as these gals were. And that includes Persephone. I hope more teenagers are like this fictional one because that will bode well for humanity.

The Witches of Moonshyne Manor won’t be a book for everyone but I really enjoyed the novel Bianca Marais wrote. It was smart, funny, and magical which is what I ask from every witchy read I pick up. I’ll definitely be checking out what Marais writes next – and probably her backlist too!

*An egalley of this novel was provided by the publisher, HarperCollins, via NetGalley in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.* 

Review: 24 Hours in Paris

Full disclosure before we get rolling: I’ve known Romi Moondi/her work for over a decade, having read her indie books and helped plan an event that she was a featured author at back in 2013. I was so thrilled that she was finally being traditionally published because I knew she deserved it. Therefore, I was pretty pumped to read 24 Hours in Paris. I say this to explain there was a bit of bias and a whole lot of really high expectations going into reading this new rom com. While I can’t say that I loooved 24 Hours in Paris, I can say that it was funny, entertaining, and enjoyable.

Here’s the book’s description:

All bets are off in the City of Light . . . where life and love can change in less than a day
After calling off her engagement, Mira escapes on an all-expense paid business trip to Paris. Despite the delicious food and flowing wine, she can’t forget the ache of leaving her fiancé behind or the fact that she’s just blown up her personal life. And messing up simply isn’t Mira.
She’s used to being in control. Meticulously planning. But now she’s at the mercy of the travel gods, and they are not acting in her favor. Subways are missed. Trains don’t run. Flights are overbooked. And by the time she arrives at the airport to go home, there are no new flights to NYC until the next day. The worst part? She’s now stuck in Paris for twenty-four hours with her arrogant and insufferable co-worker Jake whose constant flirting and annoying optimism is more than she can handle.
But as they spend the next twenty-four hours in Paris, exploring the city in all its beauty, Mira realizes that she and Jake have more in common than they thought, and he may turn out to be the best thing she discovers in the City of Love.

One thing you must know about Moondi is that she is funny. I found myself laughing throughout this story and I just love how clever Moondi is and that, by extension, her characters are whip smart too. That was probably my favourite thing about both Mira and this book. Too many rom coms these days are light on the “com” – but not Moondi’s novel. (In fact, you might even argue it’s light on the “rom”.) I wish I had noted some of the particularly humorous quotes but, alas, I was enjoying my reading experience too much to stop and write anything down or take pictures! You’ll just have to read it to see what I mean!

A few other reviewers have noted something that I think bothered me but I wasn’t able to put my finger on exactly what it was. Mira had never been to Paris and yet moved around the city extremely effectively. Would it really have been that easy for her? It’s not a small city but I can’t recall a single moment where she was even remotely lost or struggling with the city. Other than, of course, the initial hullaballoo that led her to being “stuck” in the city for an extra day. And I know a lot of people in Paris speak English but Mira didn’t seem to have many language barrier issues at all either. It just didn’t ring very true to me and must have stuck with me more than I realized.

What 24 Hours in Paris does really well is inspire strong wanderlust. My goodness, I don’t think I’ve ever wanted to travel to Paris more than when I was reading Moondi’s novel. There were a few places I recognized as I read the book (recognized based almost entirely on other books and a few movies that I’ve watched based in the city) as well as several new spots that I’d love to visit someday. This part of the story was a balm during a time where travel has been really limited.

24 Hours in Paris isn’t just a romantic comedy. Romi Moondi’s novel is also a love letter to Paris. This is a book to read if you enjoy armchair traveling and characters who are funny and smart and may or may not fall in love by the time you get to the last page.

*An egalley was provided by the publisher, Wattpad, via NetGalley in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: Love on the Lake

I’ve lost count the number of Helena Hunting books I’ve read over the last couple years (after I finally started reading her books). She has so many! I’m always here for supporting Canadian romance authors so I started Hunting’s Lakeside series last year. My full review of book one, Love Next Door, is here), but the short version is: I enjoyed it but didn’t love it. I thought I should give Love on the Lake a chance just in case it hit the spot better than the first. And, well, it didn’t. Not really. It was a fine romance but left me feeling…meh. Which is never a feeling I want to have!

Here's the book’s description:

Teagan Firestone has always been the dutiful daughter, especially since her mom died. But as her father finally begins to move on, it’s her turn to do the same. Her destination: Pearl Lake, a close-knit community with an entrepreneurial spirit and secrets of its own.
One of them is Aaron Saunders, who dropped out of college to work construction for Pearl Lake’s upper class. He’s a mystery and has a playboy reputation—that is, until he meets Teagan. Neither of them is looking for love, but in a town this small, it’s hard not to let your heart get involved.
As their romance heats up, Aaron’s elusive past comes to light and Teagan is there for him, bringing them even closer together. But when Teagan is forced to face her own demons, her inability to accept the support of friends and family threatens the life she’s worked so hard to build.
Can Aaron love her, even when she can’t love herself?

I do love Pearl Lake and the setting Hunting has created for this series. I think that’s what I was originally drawn to and what convinced me to go back to the series again for book two. The small town was incredibly realistic, and I really appreciated that as I was reading the novel. People cared about their neighbours which sometimes bordered on nosiness. There’s both good and bad that comes with living in a small town like Pearl Lake and Hunting does a great job of showing off both, while managing to focus on the good more than the bad!

The rest of the story though? I’ll repeat what I said before: meh. Aaron and Teagan were fine. They were supposed to be multi-layered, complex individuals and I suppose they were but for some reason their complexity just seemed really forced. Aaron had a family secret that he was hiding from everyone which, fine, secrets are allowed but keeping it a secret and the trauma that came from it was just…I don’t know. It didn’t make sense. (Trauma can make people do things that don’t make “sense” to others, I get that, but I wasn’t feeling that in this case.) Then there was Teagan who was on all sorts of medication and did not AT ALL have healthy coping methods, so she started to spiral. I appreciate that mental health and all that goes with it is being explored more and more in contemporary novels, especially romances, but, again, something just didn’t work for me. Is it because I can’t fully understand what Teagan was going through? I don’t know…maybe? Or was it just that the writing was lacking something? It’s hard to say and has been bothering me since I read the book back in April.

I couldn’t remember how much I was supposed to have known about Aaron from the first book. I feel like perhaps I should have had a better idea of him and his backstory, but it definitely didn’t stick – if it was ever there to begin with. Because of that, I could not for the life of me understand the animosity he seemed to feel for Teagan. But even though they didn’t like each other, they were still hot for each other? I have a really hard time with enemies to lovers stories and it was unfortunate that this one included some of the elements from that trope. It didn’t help my initial enjoyment of the story.

All in all, Love on the Lake was not a winner for me. I didn’t love the characters, even though there was nothing really wrong with them. Something about them and the plot of this book just didn’t click and I, personally, need that when it comes to reading romances. I’m not sure if Helena Hunting is writing another in this series but I likely won’t be checking it out.

*A copy of this novel was provided by the Canadian distributor, Thomas Allen & Son, in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: Part of Your World

I’ve been hearing about Abby Jimenez’s books for a few years now but had never gotten around to reading one. So many books, so little time, am I right? I decided to finally read my first from her when I heard about Part of Your World and had a chance to get an early copy. I mean, how could I not be intrigued when there was mention of a baby goat?!? This was a really enjoyable rom com that was heavy on both romance and comedy but also heavy on the, well, heavy stuff too. It was pretty well balanced and I had a good time reading it.

Here’s the book’s description:

After a wild bet, gourmet grilled-cheese sandwich, and cuddle with a baby goat, Alexis Montgomery has had her world turned upside down. The cause: Daniel Grant, a ridiculously hot carpenter who’s ten years younger than her and as casual as they come—the complete opposite of sophisticated city-girl Alexis. And yet their chemistry is undeniable.
While her ultra-wealthy parents want her to carry on the family legacy of world-renowned surgeons, Alexis doesn’t need glory or fame. She’s fine with being a “mere” ER doctor. And every minute she spends with Daniel and the tight-knit town where he lives, she’s discovering just what’s really important. Yet letting their relationship become anything more than a short-term fling would mean turning her back on her family and giving up the opportunity to help thousands of people.
Bringing Daniel into her world is impossible, and yet she can’t just give up the joy she’s found with him either. With so many differences between them, how can Alexis possibly choose between her world and his?

The storyline with Alexis’s ex was really, really hard to read at times. Anyone with triggers with gaslighting and emotionally abusive relationships must take note. I hated how this smart, capable woman had been reduced to being so insecure because of her ex. His behaviour was appalling and it didn’t help that Alexis’s family and so-called friends still thought he was the best thing ever. He was careful to hide his behaviour, of course, but it was such a clear indication that most people in Alexis’s life didn’t care enough about her to realize that something was terribly wrong. I was so glad that she had Bri in her corner, at least.

Even knowing the issues she had had with her ex and the emotional trauma all that came with…I still had a hard time accepting Alexis’s reasons for not wanting to commit to Daniel. Not only that, she wasn’t fully up front with him. It was like she couldn’t see a chance with him and didn’t give him all of the information to make a decision for himself. I loved Alexis but I loved Daniel more and I wish she had shown him a little bit more respect when it came to their relationship.

The small town magic was too much fun. Jimenez made this a fairy tale with hints of magic popping up in town that made this story whimsical and helped balance out the heavier storylines.

Even though Alexis was hell bent on not allowing things to turn into a full blown relationship, the romance between she and Daniel was delightful. Their meet cute was awfully cute – with a dose of awkward too, which is always amusing in a rom com – and the sparks between them were immediately obvious. You couldn’t help but root for the two of them!

Part of Your World was an absolute delight. I laughed and swooned and cried and it was just the read I needed. This may have been the first book of Abby Jimenez’s that I read but I don’t think it’s going to be the last.

*An egalley of this novel was provided by the publisher, Forever, via NetGalley in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*