Review: Who Needs Mistletoe?

Surprise! Laura Chapman has a new book! And it's her second of the year! AND it's a Christmas story! In case you couldn't tell by all the exclamation points, I'm pretty excited about this. You should be too because Who Needs Mistletoe? is a perfect holiday treat.

Here's the synopsis:

Charlie London has finally made it. She’s the lead singer of a rising-the-charts band. She’s casually dating Hollywood’s golden boy. And she has a publicist who works very hard to make sure everyone knows all of this. But when her band is bumped from a televised holiday concert—and her boyfriend is photographed canoodling with a co-star—just days before Christmas, Charlie’s perfectly crafted world is crumbling apart. She impulsively hops a flight to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, so she can bring her boyfriend in line and get her career back on track. Her plan seems to be working until a winter storm leaves her stranded en route.
Guitarist Flint Randal has been crazy about Charlie from the moment she walked in to audition for their band three years ago. Knowing her strict policy against dating a bandmate, he’s kept his feelings in check. Until now. When grounded planes send them on a cross-country road trip—alone—Flint sees his chance to finally prove that her one-and-only has been there all along.
As detours and disasters plague their journey, Charlie and Flint grow closer. Will the magic of the holiday season—and the promise of true love—bring them together at last? Or will the siren call of fame get in the way? 

If you're a lover of romance novels, particularly Christmas ones, chances are you've read some iteration of "boy and girl are heading somewhere for Christmas. boy and girl get stranded at airport. boy and girl decide to drive to destination. boy and girl encounter many obstacles along the way. boy and girl fall in love and live happily ever after." I sure have. The joy of Chapman and her writing is that even though the trope is common, the story is totally fresh. I liked that Charlie and Flint knew each other well and just needed that time together to get to know each other more without touring and the band getting in the way.

And, oh, as they get to know each other even more. The feels! Their relationship is almost picture perfect. The small snag being Charlie is technically dating someone else and has no idea Flint is in love with her. Being a romance, you know they'll figure out those snags and get together by the end. The journey getting there though? Oh, so great. Both literally and figuratively. They had so much fun on their road trip - I loved their undercover busking - and you could see their feelings growing. Deeper on Flint's account, and closer to the surface for Charlie.

Chapman manages to insert just enough Christmas magic in this story without it going overboard - or leaving the reader wishing for more. She also focuses on what's most important about the holiday. It's not the gifts and the shopping and the parties. It's the time you spend with the ones you love, whether that's friends, family, or bandmates you're secretly head over heels for. Family in particular plays a large part in this Christmas story and it warmed my heart.

I highly recommend snuggling in with Who Needs Mistletoe? this holiday season. Laura Chapman has written a novella that will pair perfectly with your fluffy blankets, fuzzy socks, hot tea (or spiked hot chocolate), and, if you're lucky like me, a fireplace. Chapman has written yet another winner (which is not at all surprising to me because I love everything she writes) and I hope you love it just as much as I did.

*An e-copy of this novella was provided by the author in exchange for a review as part of a release blitz. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: Country Heaven

When I read a romance novel, I want there to be substance. I don't need a whole lot (I like romances because they're light and entertaining) but I do need an engaging story. I normally turn to romance queen Nora Roberts when I want a fix but I think I have a new author to check out. I really enjoyed reading Country Heaven by Ava Miles. And, bonus, this book is part of a series so there are so many more of her novels for me to read! Yay!

Here's the synopsis:

When famous-and infamous-country singer Rye Crenshaw saunters into the diner where she cooks, Tory Simmons is certain she's got him pegged. He's a bad boy who indulges himself in all things, women included. But while she couldn't care less about country music or arrogant men, Rye makes her an offer she can't refuse when he asks her to be his private chef on his multi-city concert tour. The job is the answer to all her prayers: it will clear out her debt and finance the fresh start she desperately needs. Rye is certain his sassy new cook is the last woman who'd ever tempt him, but spending time with the wholesome girl next door will do wonders for his damaged public image, whether she likes being forced into the spotlight or not. Her food also happens to be the best he's ever eaten, both comforting and seductive. But spending time with Tory on the road shows him a new side to her-one that's as impossible to resist as her food. And when an emergency in his family whisks him home, he does the one thing he's never risked: he lets a woman into his heart... Soon the emotions Rye faked for the tabloids become all too real, but will the country heaven he's found in Tory's arms survive in the real world? 

Technically, Country Heaven is part of Miles' Dare River series. I didn't realize that when I requested the book from NetGalley and when I did realize it I was kind of annoyed. I'm a "read the series in order" kind of girl, after all. But, this book can stand alone. Which is probably why it's not linked to the series on Goodreads. So, my thought is, if you really like the sound of this one, read it, and if you like it (and I think you will), go back to the beginning and read Nora Roberts Land. That's my plan!

I really liked the country music angle in this book. I'm, happily, finding that country is showing up in books slightly more often than it used to and I love that. Country music is becoming a bit more mainstream and I think that's now being mirrored in books. If you're not a country fan like me (even Tory isn't a country fan!) don't let that stop you from reading the book. Yes, Rye is a mega star in country music but it's not like you actually have to listen to his music (but how cool would that be?).

Speaking of Rye, he was totally swoon-worthy. I could totally see how Tory would immediately find his face and body attractive but was turned off by his personality. The way he was acting, and it really was acting, was so off putting and it was great to see Tory call him on it. The fact that there wasn't an immediate emotional attraction made this romance more realistic. Tory doesn't really start falling for Rye until she sees the real man when they're visiting his family. I really liked how their romance and Rye's personal journey grew at the same sort of pace. I'm really happy with the happily ever after in this book!

Like I said, this romance novel had something more going on than just the romance. While Tory had some things to sort out in her life, I liked reading about Rye's life more. He had such a crazy background with his family drama and it was interesting to read about how he fixed the relationships with his family. I despised his mom and I applaud Tory for how she handled herself when they were visiting. If the family story hadn't been part of the overall novel, I definitely would not have liked it as much.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading Country Heaven. Ava Miles wrote the type of romance novel I love to read and I cannot wait to check out some of her others. If you're a romance fan, check out her books! And if you already knew about them...why didn't you tell me sooner?

Happy reading :)

*An eARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

Review: American Honey

New Adult has become the latest trend in the book world. These stories feature protagonists who are in their late teens/early twenties, are out of high school, and are trying to navigate the real world. Right now these books seem to be stuck on sexy, angst-ridden stories and, while some of those stories can be good, I'm sort of tired of the norm. Enter American Honey, Nancy Scrofano's latest novel. This is the kind of New Adult title I want to read!

Here's the synopsis:

After graduating high school, Olivia “Ollie” McKenna leaves her small town roots in Summerville, Georgia, to pursue her dream of becoming a professional singer. With her best friend and older sister in tow, wholesome Ollie travels to the big city to compete in singing contest Atlanta Idol. There she meets nineteen-year-old Jack Bradley, a fellow country singer who quickly becomes a close friend. The connection between them is magnetic and an opportunity to sing together could change their lives forever. But what about Ollie's mama's fear of the music business? She's been burned by the lures of the bright lights before and doesn't want Ollie anywhere near that world. And Ollie's growing feelings for Jack as more than just a pal could ruin everything. Despite her own doubts, Ollie is determined to win. Can she make her dream come true or will she return to her hometown empty-handed and brokenhearted?

I've been craving stories about characters who are out of high school but still haven't figured out their lives for awhile now. This is why I was so excited when New Adult became a thing. However, like I said, these books all seem to follow a similar format - at least the ones that are getting all the attention - and they aren't doing a whole lot for me. I was so happy when Nancy told me she was writing a NA novel that was going to be more contemporary and chick lit-like in feel. I think she did a really great job in capturing the emotional ups and downs Ollie would have been feeling. She's at a very sensitive point in time - she should be leaving the nest and following her own dreams but she still feels like she needs her mama's approval for everything. The feelings Ollie had really came through the writing and I was very happy about that.

The best part about this book was reading about Ollie and Jack's journey into the music business. I may not watch singing competition shows but that didn't stop me from thoroughly enjoying this part of the story. Every time Ollie and Jack moved on to the next round, the stress and emotions were heightened and Scrofano did a great job of making sure I was feeling those emotions as well. I was totally rooting for them and was really happy with the way their careers ended up.

There were a few things that kept me from absolutely loving this novel, unfortunately. I felt like the musical/career portion of the story was so strong but all the other, smaller, storylines just didn't measure up. Or even add up. I felt like there were too many little plot holes and not enough explanation. This feeling is probably magnified because I didn't really like the ending. There were way too many loose strings and I needed more of them tied up. I honestly turned the last page and said, "Seriously?" I found it very odd that Scrofano chose to end it when and how she did. Having a few more scenes before the final one would have made it almost perfect. (Update: I've learned that American Honey will be the first in a series so that explains the really unresolved ending. Phew! And yay! more books about Ollie and Jack!)

I really wanted Ollie and Jack to get together, romantically. I appreciated the "Will they? Won't they?"...to an extent. I needed proper resolution and I don't feel like I got it. Of course, I think this is one of those personal opinion things. I can handle vague endings, sometimes, but this was a time when I wanted to know for sure how they were feeling and what they were going to do about it. It was still really sweet to read as the two tried to work out their feelings for each other.

While I didn't love American Honey as much as I'd hoped, I still enjoyed reading Nancy Scrofano's latest novel. Country music fans, American Idol fans, and chick lit fans will all enjoy this book. Make sure you check back on Friday for my Q&A with Nancy!

And for those of you who, like me, didn't realize that American Honey is an actual song (by Lady Antebellum), here's the video. Enjoy!

*A copy of this novel was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.*