Review: A Curse of Blood and Stone

If you’re a regular reader of the blog, you know I don’t read fantasy too often. What I do read often is every single book K.A. Tucker writes! The second novel of her Fate and Flame series, A Curse of Blood and Stone, is published today and I completely devoured it!

Here’s the book’s description:

From jewelry thief to interloper to queen-in-waiting, Romeria flees Cirilea a traitor to all. But the yawning distance between her and Zander troubles her more than any king’s bounty on her head. While Zander may have escaped by her side, he seeks to regain his throne, and no immortal will ever welcome her as Islor’s queen. She fears it won’t be long before Zander abandons her as everyone else she’s ever loved has.
Zander sacrificed his crown to save Romeria’s life, yet he dreads what her existence means for the future of his realm. As Ybaris’s plan to destroy Islor unfurls, a more insidious threat, orchestrated by rival fates, lurks beneath the surface. He can offer his allies no honest explanation for why he protects the Ybarisan princess and takes counsel from Queen Neilina’s caster, leading those closest to doubt his wisdom—and his allegiance.
As their company aims for the Venhorn Mountains, steered by prophecy, Romeria is desperate to wield her newfound abilities to undo Princess Romeria’s treachery before the kingdom tears itself apart. But with the mortal rebellion swelling, bolstered by the gift of Ybaris’s poison, it may already be too late.

It had been over a year since I read A Fate of Wrath and Flame so there were a few details of the world Tucker had built that I had completely forgotten. I was a bit worried at first, to be honest, that I had so many gaps in my memory. But I kept reading and all the necessary particulars came rushing back and I was immediately sucked back into Romeria and Zander’s story. I’m already jealous of the people who haven’t discovered this series yet and can read these two back-to-back. But be warned – you’ll feel just like I do right now. Which is impatient (already) for the next book in the series!

I don’t consider myself an expert on the fantasy genre so there may be things that aren’t “done” in that world but, to me, this book did what a fantasy should. It swept me away to a whole other world and introduced me to rules and creatures that we would never encounter. There were a few times when I found it difficult to wrap my head around who was what kind of creature and what curse affected who, but I tried not to focus on the nitty gritty details when I was confused and just went with it.

Tucker, being the kind of writer she is, not only built an intriguing fantasy world but created characters that I love reading about. Romeria and Zander each narrate alternating-ish chapters, both telling their story in the first person. Romeria has the bulk of the chapters with Zander’s many chapters filling in blanks and providing more tension and depth to the novel. There are two other chapters from two different characters that also let the reader know what else is happening elsewhere. You’d think that would all be confusing but it’s really not!

This is a fantasy romance (romance fantasy? Romantic fantasy?) so the love story between Romeria and Zander is just as important as the battle they’re preparing for in the world they’re in. The couple aren’t exactly a couple at the start of the novel and I wondered if they’d be able to work through the outside forces at play that were trying to keep them apart. Which is kind of amusing since one of the outside sources was a prophecy (prophecy? That might not be the exact word Tucker chose) that said the two were destined to be together. Minor spoiler (but, duh, it’s a romance): the pair do make up their differences which allowed for a few sexy scenes between them. *fans self*

I was completely hooked on A Curse of Blood and Stone from the first page and only got more sucked in as I read K.A. Tucker’s latest novel. I’m so glad there’s more to come in this series but it’s going to be tough to wait for the next installment!

Buy the Book
Amazon * Apple Books * Nook * Kobo * Audiobook: Releasing October 25th!

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About the Author
K.A. Tucker is the internationally bestselling author of the Ten Tiny Breaths and Burying Water series, He Will Be My Ruin, Until It Fades, Keep Her Safe, The Simple Wild, Be the Girl, and Say You Still Love Me. Her books have been featured in national publications including USA Today, Globe & Mail, Suspense Magazine, Publisher's Weekly, Oprah Mag, and First for Women.
She currently resides in a quaint town outside of Toronto.

Connect with the Author

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My review of A Fate of Wrath and Flame 

*An egalley of this novel was provided by the author via Valentine PR for the purpose of a review for a blog and Instagram tour. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: The Honeybee Emeralds

I have to give a huge shoutout to my friend Heather from The Maritime Reader for putting The Honeybee Emeralds on my radar. I had been struggling with picking a new audiobook and she let me know that an advanced listening copy of Amy Tector’s novel was available to request on NetGalley. I am so, so, so glad she did because I loved this book. It had everything I like all rolled into one amazing package. Gah, so good!

Here’s the book’s description:

Alice Ahmadi has never been certain of where she belongs. When she discovers a famed emerald necklace while interning at a struggling Parisian magazine, she is plunged into a glittering world of diamonds and emeralds, courtesans and spies, and the long-buried secrets surrounding the necklace and its glamorous former owners.
When Alice realizes the mysterious Honeybee Emeralds could be her chance to save the magazine, she recruits her friends Lily and Daphne to form the “Fellowship of the Necklace.” Together, they set out to uncover the romantic history of the gems. Through diaries, letters, and investigations through the winding streets and iconic historic landmarks of Paris, the trio begins to unravel more than just the secrets of the necklace’s obsolete past. Along the way, Lily and Daphne’s relationships are challenged, tempered, and changed. Lily faces her long-standing attraction to a friend, who has achieved the writing success that eluded her. Daphne confronts her failing relationship with her husband, while also facing simmering problems in her friendship with Lily. And, at last, Alice finds her place in the world—although one mystery still remains: how did the Honeybee Emeralds go from the neck of American singer Josephine Baker during the Roaring Twenties to the basement of a Parisian magazine?

I mentioned at the top that this story had everything I like. There was a mystery, a historical element, and a hint of romance. And the fact that the mystery surrounded a piece of artwork (because, yes, the craftsmanship of the necklace made it a work of art)? Oh, yes. I was into it. And even with all of that going on, the story worked! I felt that Tector handled each thread masterfully and I never felt like there was too much stuffed into one story.

The story is told from multiple perspectives, which I loved. Alice, Lily, and Daphne all have chapters of their own. There are a few historical sections as well that help explain the necklace’s background without giving too much away too soon. And sometimes the reader gets in the head of the magazine’s long time office manager, too. (I can’t, for the life of me, remember her name and I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t be able to spell it properly anyway. *face palm*) Each woman is so very different but they manage to connect with each other and learn from one another.

The narrator, Lameece Issaq, was great. I was a bit put off by some of her accents but eventually I got over it (and it’s possible that some of the issues were because I was listening to this audiobook at 2x speed which can distort things a little). There was the odd time I felt like she hadn’t quite come out of one accent before going into another when characters were speaking to each other. But there were a lot of accents to master – Alice was from Yorkshire, Daphne, Lily, and Jacob were American (thankfully without strong accents), Luc and the office manager were French, and Alexander was Icelandic. But Issaq’s voice while reading the rest of the story, dialogue aside, was a delight and I probably could have listened to her all day.

Both Heather and I love reading Canadian authors so that’s part of what drew us to this book. The story may not be set in our fine country but I’m here for supporting Canadian authors, especially ones I may not have heard of before. And now that I have read Tector’s work? I cannot wait for her next book.

I wouldn’t really know where to begin if asked to describe The Honeybee Emeralds. But I would say that I highly recommend Amy Tector’s novel. I enjoyed every second of it and it is, so far, on my list of top three favourite books of 2022!

*An advanced audio listening copy was provided by the publisher, Dreamscape Media, via NetGalley in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.* 

Cover Reveal: Escaping Christmas

It shouldn't be a secret that I've loved Marie Landry's novels for a long time. They always make me so happy! So I'm really excited to share the cover for her upcoming novel, Escaping Christmas! Yes, she has another book coming out this year! Yay! 

Here's the book's description:

What happens when the so-called Queen of Christmas feels more like Scrooge? In actress Josslyn Hazelwood’s case, she decides to escape it all: the heartache and mess of her very public divorce, the press, and, most of all, the holidays and everything that comes with them. Spending a few weeks in the small town of Honeywell Hollow as “just Joss” is exactly what she needs.
Liam Doherty is happy to help Joss test her BFF’s theory that the best way to get over someone is to get under someone else. Her no-strings-attached holiday fling soon becomes more entangled than a string of Christmas lights, and she finds herself not only caught up in a whirlwind romance with Liam, but also getting sucked into the festive fun of Honeywell.
Joss knows she’s falling for both Liam and Honeywell, but the ghost of Christmas Past is determined to visit this Scrooge after all. No matter how much she tries to escape her past and Christmas, she’s forced to confront them both before she can appreciate the gifts of Christmas Present.

It sounds like just the kind of magical and romantic Christmas tale I love.

Ready for the cover?

I AM IN LOVE. Just absolutely swooning over here.

Escaping Christmas is releasing on November 22 so get those preorders in. Especially because it will cost a little bit less for you if you do! The ebook is available for pre-order on Kindle (for just $2.99!), Kobo, Apple Books, and Nook. Paperbacks will be available during release week (if not sooner).

And for those who love to know just what you're getting into when it comes to you romances, here are your tropes: contemporary romance, holiday fling, Christmas romance, small town romance, celebrity romance, Canadian romance, steamy romance.

I cannot wait to dive into this one!

Cover Reveal: A Very Perry Wedding

Do you remember last Christmas when I was telling everyone and their sister that they should buy and read Marie Landry's novella, A Very Perry Christmas? I absolutely loved it and many, many others did too. Landry is back with a full novel about another Perry sibling and, my friends, you are going to adore it. I was lucky enough to beta read a manuscript last month and I devoured the story and cannot wait for all of you to read it! Today, I'm sharing the cover of the upcoming A Very Perry Wedding (publishing on September 22, 2021) and I'm so excited!

Here's the book's description:

Willow Stewart’s lifelong dreams are coming true. She’s opened a café in her hometown, and it’s thriving. Sure, maybe she doesn’t have much of a life outside of work and she’s almost completely broke, but she’s taking off weekends—plural—to celebrate her best friend’s upcoming wedding and that’s progress, right
She’s also flirting with Jasper Perry, the brother of the groom, whenever he’s within ten feet. And, even though Jasper is a bit stiff and overly formal, she’s pretty sure he’s flirting with her too. He’s also showing her a side of himself he doesn’t seem to show many other people. The only problem is, Jasper's life and job are in Toronto, and that’s a place and a lifestyle Willow gave up and has never looked back. Will she have to give up Jasper too?

The fall vibes are strong in this one which I totally appreciated (even though I'm a bit of a grump when it comes to fall because it means a gross and cold Canadian winter is approaching). Books like these are helpful when trying to reform a grump like me! It's just so much fun and really romantic and lovely. 

Ready for the cover? *drum roll*

Isn't it adorable? It totally suits the mood of the book and matches A Very Perry Christmas. All you fall lovers are feeling so warm and cozy right now, aren't you?

You can pre-order the book right now on Kindle, Kobo, Apple Books, and Nook, and the paperback will be available during release week.

If you're not ready to pre-order, make sure you add A Very Perry Wedding to your Goodreads!

Review: Ladies of the House

I'm a Jane Austen fan who enjoys reading (and watching) adaptations of Austen's work. Not everyone does, and that's OK. (I'm more forgiving of adaptations in general than some readers, I find.) So, I figured I'd have a good time reading Lauren Edmondson's debut novel, Ladies of the House, which is a modern day retelling of Sense and Sensibility. I was wrong. I had a great time reading it. It might be my love of Austen influencing me but I absolutely adored this book from start to finish.

Here's the description:

No surprise is a good surprise. At least according to thirty-four-year-old Daisy Richardson. So when it’s revealed in dramatic fashion that her esteemed father had been involved in a public scandal before his untimely death, Daisy’s life becomes complicated—and fast.
For one, the Richardsons must now sell the family home in Georgetown they can no longer afford, and Daisy’s mother is holding on with an iron grip. Her younger sister, Wallis, is ready to move on to bigger and better things but falls fast and hard for the most inconvenient person possible. And then there’s Atlas, Daisy’s best friend. She’s always wished they could be more, but now he’s writing an exposé on the one subject she’s been desperate to avoid: her father.
Daisy’s plan is to maintain a low profile as she works to keep her family intact amid social exile, public shaming, and quickly dwindling savings. But the spotlight always seems to find the Richardsons, and when another twist in the scandal comes to light, Daisy must confront the consequences of her continued silence and summon the courage to stand up and accept the power of her own voice.

Like with any adaptation, Edmondson cut some characters and combined others. Some storylines were removed and adjusted to fit the flow of a modern story. It's been a few years since I've read Sense and Sensibility (and about as long since watching Emma Thompson's excellent movie adaptation), so I could only really recall the broad strokes of Austen's novel anyway. And those were the strokes that Edmonson made sure to make. Her Willoughby was perfection and Beau (aka Colonel Brandon) was wicked smart and an absolute sweetheart, just as he should be. The relationship between the sisters (only two - no youngest sister to be found in this story) and their mother was much better and healthier than I think Austen had ever written - but I loved that. Give me a great sister story and I'm happy - even happier when they get along well with their mother. There was a great scene in this story when Daisy and her mother, Cricket, wander around the National Gallery of Art. She says that she'd forgotten her mother was her ideal museum companion, since her father didn't care and her sister, Wallis, always zoomed through. I can't remember the last time I would have been at an art museum with my mom, certainly not as an adult, but the scene struck me so deeply and I wished the world wasn't locked down so I could go on an art adventure with my mom.

Speaking of the National Gallery of Art, there were a few scenes sprinkled throughout the story that would appeal to those wishing to do a bit of armchair traveling. The majority of the Washington, D.C. the reader gets is very political (which I enjoyed a lot) but there are a few moments where the reader, if they've visited the city like I have, will recognize attractions and be able to exactly picture the setting. 

The story, separate of all things Austen, is a gem. It is smart and amazingly feminist. I loved that Daisy was just a year older than me and absolutely killing it on the Hill. (Equally great was that the story wasn't super bogged down in politics.) I also freaking adored that she took no bullshit from Blake (aka Willoughby) at the end of the novel when he was trying to wrangle an apology out of her simply because his white frat boy self thought he deserved one. The epilogue gave me chills and I think I'm going to have to reread it a couple more times because of how powerful I felt it was. (No quotes here because 1. it's the epilogue and therefore the very end of the book and 2. I only have an advanced copy and can't confirm the finished text.) Wallis and Daisy had such a great sisterly relationship and I wished I could be their friend. 

You don't have to be a fan of Jane Austen to love Lauren Edmondson's debut novel - though Janeites will enjoy the nods to Sense and Sensibility. Ladies of the House is smart, entertaining, heartwarming, and feminist. I loved reading it and I think a lot of others will too. I can't wait to read what she writes next.

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

Blog Tour: Marion Lane and the Midnight Murder

A thing I learned in (late) 2020 is that I'm more of a mystery fan than thriller so it was with that in mind that I thought I'd like to read Marion Lane and the Midnight Murder by T.A. Willberg. I thought right and quite enjoyed Willberg's debut novel.

Here's the synopsis:

The letter was short. A name, a time, a place.

Marion Lane and the Midnight Murder plunges readers into the heart of London, to the secret tunnels that exist far beneath the city streets. There, a mysterious group of detectives recruited for Miss Brickett’s Investigations & Inquiries use their cunning and gadgets to solve crimes that have stumped Scotland Yard.

Late one night in April 1958, a filing assistant at Miss Brickett’s receives a letter of warning, detailing a name, a time, and a place. She goes to investigate but finds the room empty. At the stroke of midnight, she is murdered by a killer she can’t see―her death the only sign she wasn’t alone. It becomes chillingly clear that the person responsible must also work for Miss Brickett’s, making everyone a suspect.

Marion Lane, a first-year Inquirer-in-training, finds herself drawn ever deeper into the investigation. When her friend and colleague is framed for the crime, to clear his name she must sort through the hidden alliances at Miss Brickett’s and secrets dating back to WWII. Masterful, clever and deliciously suspenseful, Marion Lane and the Midnight Murder is a fresh take on the Agatha Christie-style locked-room murder mystery, with an exciting new heroine detective.

The world Willberg created is quite like our own but unlike it all at once. Miss Brickett's is not a detective agency that you would ever find anywhere else (at least, that's what civilians like us would have been told). The agents (known as Inquirers) at Miss Brickett's have gadgets that wouldn't seem out of place in a fantasy novel except they're not at all magical. Just very clever devices that use mechanics and science to work. It was pretty neat but also pulled me out of the story every once and awhile as everything else was so normal that my mind didn't really want to comprehend what I was reading. A negative? No, not really. It was just...odd.

I often forgot that it was set in 1958 and I'm not sure it being set in the past really did all that much. Of course, having the story take place not long after WWII did explain a number of things and why some people would have chosen to work for an agency that, for the majority of people, doesn't exist. So much of the novel takes place in the underground world of the agency that you don't really get to see London during that timeframe.

While I definitely liked Marion immediately, I feel like the reader doesn't quite get to know her enough through the course of the story. She, understandably, holds people at arm's length and that meant the reader isn't fully let into her life either. And her friendship with Bill was supposed to be so obviously solid but I hardly know a thing about him either. That said, I looked past it because I did like her and I did care about her, almost as soon as I met her. She's intriguing, I think, and I liked that she was the heroine of the story (and not, say, Bill). 

The murder referenced in the title was, as murders go, not a very nice one. It throws the agency into absolute chaos but no one is being officially told anything so rumours abound and productivity is low. The pace of the mystery is the star of this novel as I was highly invested and kept turning the pages to find out what the next clue would be. I was a teeny bit disappointed that the reveal was one of those instances where the villain tells their tale instead of getting to work of disposing of everyone and then ends up caught, but overall I was surprised and delighted (if one can be delighted with a murder mystery) at how Willberg constructed and revealed the whodunnit.

I have a feeling Willberg has set this up to be a series. The mystery was wrapped up but things still felt a wee bit unfinished so I hope that means we'll see more of Marion in the future. (Note: I've just read the author bio, below, and yes - it looks like the plan is for this to be a series!)

I'm really happy to have read Marion Lane and the Midnight Murder as T.A. Willberg's debut novel was not like any mystery I've read before. I'm excited to read what comes next and also to read more mysteries in 2021.

Buy the novel:
Harlequin * Indiebound * Bookshop * Amazon * Barnes & Noble  * Indigo
Books-A-Million * Target * Walmart * Google * iBooks * Libro.Fm * Kobo

Connect with the Author
Website * Twitter * Facebook * Instagram

About the Author
T.A. Willberg was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, and holds a chiropractic masters degree from Durban University of Technology. MARION LANE AND THE MIDNIGHT MURDER is her debut novel and launch of her detective series. She currently lives in Malta with her partner.

*An egalley of this novel was provided by the publisher, Park Row Books/HarperCollins, via NetGalley for exchange for review consideration for the purpose of a blog tour. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: A Lady's Guide to Mischief and Mayhem

Romance mixed with historical fiction and mystery is how I'd describe A Lady's Guide to Mischief and Mayhem, the latest book (and first in a new series) by Manda Collins. Sounds pretty intriguing, right? And with a really fun cover to boot! I liked this one but definitely didn't love it. It was fun but there was something...lacking.

Here's the synopsis:

England, 1865 : As one of England's most notorious newspaper columnists, Lady Katherine Bascomb believes knowledge is power. And she's determined to inform and educate the ladies of London on the nefarious-and deadly-criminals who are praying on the fairer sex. When her reporting leads to the arrest of a notorious killer, however, Katherine flees to a country house party to escape her newfound notoriety-only to witness a murder on her very first night. And when the lead detective accuses Katherine of inflaming-rather than informing-the public with her column, she vows to prove him wrong.
Detective Inspector Andrew Eversham's refusal to compromise his investigations nearly cost him his own career, and he blames Katherine. To avoid bad publicity, his superiors are pressuring him to solve cases quickly rather than correctly. When he discovers she's the key witness in a new crime, he's determined to prevent the beautiful widow from once again wreaking havoc on his case. Yet as Katherine proves surprisingly insightful and Andrew impresses Katherine with his lethal competency, both are forced to admit the fire between them is more flirtatious than furious. But to explore the passion between them, they'll need to catch a killer.

I loved the idea of this novel. The actual practice of it? It let me down a little. I was reading an egalley so I acknowledge there could be changes but I can't check them against a finished copy since wandering around a bookstore is not encouraged right now. I felt like there were a number of scenes where Collins repeated herself and others where they seemed to be out of order. For instance, right near the beginning of the novel we meet Eversham's boss Darrow. There's a scene where the two men talk and Eversham goes about his day. But then, a chapter or so later, they're back together and that's when the reader gets some backstory on Darrow. I didn't find it necessary to begin with and it was a weird spot to have it.

Lady Katherine, or Kate as she's better known by her friends, is very much a feminist which I appreciated. What was awkward was that it seemed like Collins was going out of her way to make sure the reader knew without any doubt that Kate was feminist. Like, I get it. She wants to make sure women have a voice. She runs her own newspaper. She's not afraid to discuss topics that were not "ladylike". I love all of that and maybe it's my modern sensibilities that made it stand out so much. It was also irksome that she was of noble birth and all these rich people were commenting on society when they have no clue what it's like for the average person, like those people who were getting murdered right under their noses. There were comments on classism and racism as well that drew parallels to what we're dealing with right now. And, while I appreciated them, it just didn't quite fit into the story. It felt like they were shoehorned into the plot and dialogue and it was jarring for me.

I liked the characters but I don't really feel like we got to know them very well. I was convinced for awhile that Caro couldn't be trusted because she was a new friend even though she and Kate were acting like they've been best friends since they were young. I was also irked that 1. It took forever to learn about how bad Kate's marriage had been and 2. It was her friend Val who told Eversham, and the reader, about it, not Kate.

The mystery was really intriguing and probably the best part of the plot. It kept me guessing and I really wasn't sure who the murder (or was it murderers, plural?) was going to be. I did have an idea early on, and was right, but that didn't keep me from being interested in, and anxiously waiting for, the reveal and (hopeful) capture of the killer. There were also way more layers to the murders than I could have guessed and that helped make it even more interesting. 

All in all, A Lady's Guide to Mischief and Mayhem was fine. Manda Collins' novel didn't thrill me and I probably won't pick up the next in the series but it entertained me enough while reading it. I'm sure there are many a reader out there who would love it more than I did.

*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.*

Cover Reveal: A Very Perry Christmas

I've been reading Marie Landry's novels for awhile now and they're always such a delight. In fact, I've beta read most of her recent releases and it's always so tough to keep quiet about the story until it's close to being published because I always want to talk about it with someone immediately! I just read A Very Perry Christmas over the weekend and, friends, I am SO excited for all of you to read it. It's a perfect Christmas novella that's full of the love and magic we always try to find during the holiday season.

Today I'm thrilled to take part in the cover reveal for A Very Perry Christmas. I'm hoping you'll all be as excited as I am when you see it and hear what the book is all about!

First, here's the synopsis:

Gwen's Christmas with the Perrys is turning into a holiday to remember...for all the wrong reasons.

Hot chocolate by the fire. Christmas carols. Stolen kisses in the snow. When Gwen's boyfriend Evan invites her to spend Christmas with his family, she pictures a perfect Hallmark holiday scene, complete with all the happy sighs and swoons.

But between Evan's brother who schedules the family’s every move, his sister who’s never met a mirror she didn’t like, and the amorous newlyweds who flaunt their sexcapades, Gwen finds herself dodging the Perrys like it's her job. The more Evan's family brings their own brand of chaos to Christmas, the more Gwen wonders if she's in over her head, and if the Christmas of her dreams is going to turn into a nightmare.

A Very Perry Christmas will be released on November 16th, 2020 but you can pre-order it now for just $2.99 on Kindle, Kobo, iBooks, and Nook. Pre-order details are here.

Ready for the cover?

Isn't it so cute?

While you're waiting for this book to publish (and you should all be waiting because it really is a delightful Christmas story), check out Marie's other novels that take place in the same town (no need to read them in order!): Mistletoe Kiss, Only You , Maybe You, and Hung Up on You. 

I hope you get your own copy of A Very Perry Christmas and love it as much as I did!

Review: Beach Read

I'm sure you've been seeing Beach Read by Emily Henry everywhere. I sure have. I first heard about it well before it's publication date (which was this past May) when a few bloggers I know in the US got advance copies. They were raving about it and, since I trust their opinions when it comes to contemporary titles, I knew I had to get my hands on it. Plus, just look at that cover! These days, an illustrated cover like that almost always contains a story I absolutely adore. And, luckily for me, the recommendations and cover did not let me down. I really, really enjoyed this book.

Here's the synopsis:

A romance writer who no longer believes in love and a literary writer stuck in a rut engage in a summer-long challenge that may just upend everything they believe about happily ever afters.

Augustus Everett is an acclaimed author of literary fiction. January Andrews writes bestselling romance. When she pens a happily ever after, he kills off his entire cast.

They're polar opposites.

In fact, the only thing they have in common is that for the next three months, they're living in neighboring beach houses, broke, and bogged down with writer's block.

Until, one hazy evening, one thing leads to another and they strike a deal designed to force them out of their creative ruts: Augustus will spend the summer writing something happy, and January will pen the next Great American Novel. She'll take him on field trips worthy of any rom-com montage, and he'll take her to interview surviving members of a backwoods death cult (obviously). Everyone will finish a book and no one will fall in love. Really.

One of the things I liked best about this book was how deep it went. I'm sure most people expected a typical "beach read" with it's title (more on that later) but Gus and January's lives were not all sunshine, rainbows, and beach days. There's bantering and flirting - two of my favourite things to read about - but there's also really serious family issues and professional problems too. Waiting for January and Gus to figure out that they're in love and totally belong together is only a small part of the story (a really fun part, don't get me wrong) and that's part of what made this book stick with me.

Let's get into the whole beach read thing here for a second. Because I like to take every opportunity I have to remind people that All. Books. Are. Beach. Books. Everyone has different tastes. That's why there are countless books published every year. So to call a story like Henry's a "beach book" because it isn't literary or written by a man is insulting to Henry and all other authors like her. I totally get that people want stories that are maybe slightly less taxing/emotionally difficult and contain more humour when they're on vacation but I think the nuances in books like Beach Read get lost in the label of vacay/pool/beach book. Long rant short: read whatever you want, whenever you want, wherever you want. 

Back to the story! I really liked the writer's block/author aspect of Henry's novel. Well, reading about writers in novels in general is one of my favourites so it's really no surprise this one thrilled me. I also really liked the writing "journey" (if we want to be cliched and call it such) January goes on. She loves her romances - loves writing them, loves reading them, loves talking about them - and has no shame in it (see above rant for why I especially loved that). But she feels stuck. And I think that's totally fair. I imagine when you're a writer, or in any creative profession, you don't want to be doing the same thing that's expected all the time. (I mean, it's fine if you do. To each their own, etc.) And to feel like you're not allowed to write something a little different? Frustrating. So I liked that January pushed herself and realized how she could take her love of romance and add a little something extra to it. 

I wasn't completely sold on Gus. Or maybe it's more that I didn't feel like I got to know quite enough about him. The reader does get some of his backstory and I really did like him as a person (and as a partner for January) but he didn't pop off the page as much as January did. 

I had fun the entire time I was reading Beach Read. (Except, perhaps, when January was dealing with the issues with her dad and when they were researching the cult.) I loved reading as January and Gus wrote notes and held them up to each other (talk about swoon). I loved their writing "dates" (they wouldn't call them dates to start but we all know that's what they were). I loved that it was a little bit of a second chance romance (I'm a sucker for that trope even when they didn't technically date in the past). It was just all so great and exactly what I needed to be reading at the time. 

Emily Henry has written a novel that's so thoroughly enjoyable. Beach Read is clever, with wicked smart and funny main characters, and it doesn't shy away from the tough issues either. It'll make you laugh and think and probably desperately wish you were at a beach house of your own instead of dealing with a pandemic. Just me? But seriously, friends, read this one. I think you'll love it too!

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

Review: Faker

Confession: I read my ARC of Faker way back in October of last year, which was when Sarah Smith's debut novel was published. Life happened, one thing led to another, and here we are way too many months later and I'm finally getting around to reviewing it!

Here's the synopsis:

Debut author Sarah Smith nails this fun and sexy multicultural romance where two office foes hammer out their differences to build a love that will last...

Emmie Echavarre is a professional faker. She has to be to survive as one of the few female employees at Nuts & Bolts, a power tool company staffed predominantly by gruff, burly men. From nine to five, Monday through Friday, she's tough as nails--the complete opposite of her easy-going real self.

One thing she doesn't have to fake? Her disdain for coworker Tate Rasmussen. Tate has been hostile to her since the day they met. Emmie's friendly greetings and repeated attempts to get to know him failed to garner anything more than scowls and terse one-word answers. Too bad she can't stop staring at his Thor-like biceps...

When Emmie and Tate are forced to work together on a charity construction project, things get...heated. Emmie's beginning to see that beneath Tate's chiseled exterior lies a soft heart, but it will take more than a few kind words to erase the past and convince her that what they have is real.

I think I've mentioned it before but enemies to lovers is not my favourite trope. I just find it hard to wrap my head around it. I know hate and love are both very strong emotions but if you are spending so much time disliking someone I'm just not sure what can happen to realize that, actually, just kidding, you'd like to make out with them now. Sometimes though, as was the case with Faker, it's really been a miscommunication that's led to the dislike between characters. If Emmie and Tate had just talked to each other, maybe things would have been different at the start. Actually, that's not strictly true. Tate was acting like a knob and needed to get his shit sorted out and then should have talked more openly with Emmie. 

I liked Emmie from the get go. She was funny and clever and smart and a joy to read. I could really understand why she had to put on a tough exterior at work since she was surrounded by a bunch of men who didn't always think she could handle the job sites. (Any other women have this problem? It's not just in male dominated workplaces either, is it? Harrumph.) 

Tate, on the other hand, was harder to get a read on. I was sure there was some sort of miscommunication happening and he wasn't the asshole that he seemed to be. It was super frustrating as he acted so rudely to Emmie for absolutely no reason - she never gave him a single reason to dislike her - and he had to work hard to convince Emmie and me that he wasn't the jerk that we thought he was and actually did have genuine feelings for Emmie. He almost lost me (and Emmie) near the end-ish though with the disaster that was the high school reunion. Honesty, people. It can help, a lot.

While I was reading Faker I was having a great time. It made me laugh and swoon and I adored Emmie. But when I think back on Sarah Smith's debut novel, I'm a bit less excited about it. (And no, that's not just because I read it a million years ago.) It's fine but not groundbreaking. That said, I've just learned she has a new book coming out later this year and I'm interested to see what that one will be like. Faker was fun but I'd file this one under borrow rather than buy.

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

Review: The Heir Affair

It's been over five years since I read Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan's novel The Royal We. I've read hundreds of books since so it's no surprise that I had forgotten many of the plot points from the first book. I did, however, remember absolutely adoring it and know it was one of my favourite books from 2015. The Heir Affair is the long-awaited sequel and one of my most anticipated reads of 2020. I'm not sure it lived up to the hype I had given it but I still really enjoyed the time I spent reading it.

Here's the synopsis:

Making it up the aisle was the easy part: After marrying the heir to the throne, Rebecca “Bex” Porter must survive her own scandals as she adjusts to life in the glamorous British royal family, in this “highly anticipated” follow-up to The Royal We, the “fun and dishy” bestseller and NYT Summer Reading List pick inspired by Will and Kate’s romance (People).

After a scandalous secret turns their fairy-tale wedding into a nightmare, Rebecca “Bex” Porter and her husband Prince Nicholas are in self-imposed exile. The public is angry. The Queen is even angrier. And the press is salivating. Cutting themselves off from friends and family, and escaping the world’s judgmental eyes, feels like the best way to protect their fragile, all-consuming romance.

But when a crisis forces the new Duke and Duchess back to London, the Band-Aid they’d placed over their problems starts to peel at the edges. Now, as old family secrets and new ones threaten to derail her new royal life, Bex has to face the emotional wreckage she and Nick left behind: with the Queen, with the world, and with Nick’s brother Freddie, whose sins may not be so easily forgotten — nor forgiven.

I admit I was under the impression that this novel was Freddie's story. He's the "spare" (the Harry in the authors' royal family) and played a large role in Nick and Bex's lives in the first book. However. The sequel is not told from Freddie's point of view. We're still firmly in the life of Nick and Bex and she tells the story to the reader in first person POV. This wasn't a problem, of course, I like Bex. I just had to quickly adjust my thinking of how this novel was going to go.

And go it does. It clocks in at over 460 pages, just about 10 pages longer than the first book, which I recall being ginormous. It meant I spent a good chunk of a summer Friday afternoon reading the book and still wasn't close to being finished (it's a good time when you get sprung from work early, especially right now). Normally I'm all for a book being long because it means I have more time to spend with the story and the characters. But...I would like it if there weren't tangents that took away from the main story or if the extra pages had been spent tying up some loose ends I think should have been tied. (There's a potential for a third book but given the second one took five years to get to us, I don't know if we'll get a third any time soon.) While I like the large cast of supporting characters and quite enjoyed the spoof on the Great British Bake Off  (or Great British Baking Show as it's known to those in North America), I kind of think that whole part of the book took away from the rest of the story. I think it was to give a fan favourite secondary character their own time to shine but it didn't fully work for me.

The other thing that didn't quite work for me was the big revelation at the end of the novel. Obviously I am not going to tell you what that is because spoilers but it felt extremely far-fetched. Granted, it played with the idea that we really don't know what goes on in the private lives of the British Royal Family. Things are hushed up and we, the peasants general public, will never, ever hear about them. But the way the story line unfolded? I was just kind of like...wtf is even happening and how can they be agreeing to this and be ok with that? If you've read it, you know what I've talking about and I am here for a deep dive conversation if anyone else needs/wants to talk it out.

Other than those things I wasn't super fussy about, the rest of the book was as entertaining, dramatic (in both the best and most bonkers ways - the latter being a positive because I enjoy bonkers when it's done well), heart-wrenching, funny, and clever. 

There were times I was (literally) laughing out loud and times I felt as tied up in knots and anxious as the characters felt. Cocks and Morgan know how to write to get the emotions their characters are feeling off the page and directly into the readers' hearts. 

I absolutely loved that Bex turns Queen Eleanor into a Cubs fan the year they won the World Series. First, it's a hilarious coincidence, and one they reference, that of course the team breaks the curse the year a monarch decides to cheer for them. Second, I just love when baseball is featured in novels especially when it's a female character who's the fan. Third, it's just a whole lovely and hilarious section of the plot that works to elevate and strengthen a few relationships and I adored it.

I also have to point out how amusing it was to have Bex and Nick visit Canada as well as having Eleanor reading a copy of The Globe and Mail, one of our national newspapers. Oh, and the reference to our Prime Minister's hair. It's especially full of life right now given the pandemic! We don't often get to have Canada in such mainstream books so it's always nice to see a slice of my country in my reading material.

If you want a book with all of the feelings in a giant package, The Heir Affair is for you. Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan give readers a new royal story that has every emotion imaginable and a cast of characters who are full of flaws but have, for the most part, good hearts. I'm glad the authors were finally able to give us this sequel and I hope we get another novel sooner rather than later.

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

Review: Frankly in Love

If you're a long time reader of the blog (thank you!) or notice what books I'm posting about on social media, you may know that I don't often read YA books these days. So, when I was sent a copy of David Yoon's debut novel Frankly in Love, I didn't immediately read it. But when I did start it? Oh. Oh, I loved it.

Here's the synopsis:

High school senior Frank Li is a Limbo--his term for Korean-American kids who find themselves caught between their parents’ traditional expectations and their own Southern California upbringing. His parents have one rule when it comes to romance--“Date Korean”--which proves complicated when Frank falls for Brit Means, who is smart, beautiful--and white. Fellow Limbo Joy Song is in a similar predicament, and so they make a pact: they’ll pretend to date each other in order to gain their freedom. Frank thinks it’s the perfect plan, but in the end, Frank and Joy’s fake-dating maneuver leaves him wondering if he ever really understood love--or himself--at all.

When I do make an exception with my reading and pick up a YA novel, I want it to be contemporary. I've done the fantasy and post-apocalyptic but, for me, reading contemporary (with heavy romantic undertones) is where I'm happiest. (Honestly, that's true for adult titles as well.) Yoon's novel delivered just the kind of teenage story I love reading. It was smart and exasperating (I'm in my early 30s, so, yes, there's a bit of frustration to be expected, and kind of welcome, when reading about teenagers.) It was sweet and real. There was swooning and there was heartbreak. It was glorious.

The other thing that I appreciate so much about Yoon's novel is it's something I never saw as a teenager myself. If books like this were being published back in the late 1990s/early 2000s, I wasn't seeing them. I was a white, straight teenage girl living in a very white small town. I wouldn't really have known to seek out stories like this even if my small library (where I worked and I read almost every single teen book in that place) carried them. Adult me is so pleased to have read this story now and is also thrilled that teenagers today have so many more options available to them and can see themselves reflected in the books they're reading.

OK, I feel like I've talked more about me than the book. Which is fine for a blog but not so great for, you know, a book review blog. So. The story. Is wonderful. I loved the fake dating (even though my heart hurt a bit for the reason behind the lying to the parents) because there were so many ways it could go wrong but also so very right. I loved the friendships in the story too. Frank with the other Limbos, particularly Joy, with his best friend Q (I hope Q features heavily in the next Frankly in Love book), and with his sister. And just the whole story and the direction it took at the end. It's a bit unexpected but also completely expected and perfect.

I felt that Yoon was able to capture Frank's teenagerness really well. I don't know if he pulled a lot of it from his own teenage experience but Frank was so real and so...Teenage Boy. I mean, I've never been one and it's been a long time since I've spent any time with one (though my nephew is turning 13 this year so...) but it felt genuine - which I always appreciate.

I said I didn't immediately read this one but holy man did I ever fall head over heels in love with the cover right away. It's stunning. And the hardcover has blue edged pages. Ugh. Gorgeous.

I'll say the same thing I always do when I read a great contemporary YA novel: Frankly in Love is a book for all ages. Put whatever misconceptions you have about reading a book about teenagers out of your head and embrace the beauty that is David Yoon's novel. It'll be good for you in so many ways.

*A copy of this novel was provided by the publisher, Penguin Teen/Penguin Random House Canada, in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Blog Tour: The Summer Set

I wasn't a theatre kid in school - way too shy and introverted for that. Nor am I huge on watching live theatre - though I try to watch them when I can. Other than this year, I've been to the Shaw Festival, the well-known theatre in the next town over, once a summer for seven or eight years with multiple visits in the past two years. All that to say, the world Aimee Agresti created in her latest novel The Summer Set was pretty foreign to me. But I think that worked really well but I imagine it would be even better for those who are or have been in the theatre world. I didn't fall head over heels with this book but it entertained me all the way through and it's one I'll probably keep thinking about for awhile.

Here's the synopsis:

The real drama happens backstage in this juicy novel about an idyllic summer theater where hot stars, has-beens and hopefuls chase roles—and each other.
Charlie Savoy was once Hollywood’s hottest A-lister. Now, ten years later, she's pushing forty, exiled from the film world and back at the summer Shakespeare theater that launched her career—and where her old flame, Nick, is the artistic director.
It’s not exactly her first choice. But as parts are cast and rehearsals begin, Charlie is surprised to find herself getting her groove back, bonding with celebrity actors, forging unexpected new friendships and even reigniting her spark with Nick, who still seems to bring out the best in her despite their complicated history.
Until Charlie’s old rival, Hollywood’s current it girl, is brought in to attract theater donors, threatening to undo everything she’s built. As the drama amps up both on the stage and behind the curtains, Charlie must put on the show of a lifetime to fight for the second chance she deserves in career and in love.

I had some issues with the way the story was actually written. It was kind of choppy and there were a lot of teeny offshoots that went absolutely nowhere or didn't have enough explanation or resolution. The one that comes to mind first were the videos the four main characters make at the end of the novel. Maybe I missed something, but it was suggested, they were filmed, and then the impact of them was just sort of...lost. The personal impact I got, sort of and only for one single character, but the reason they were made was more professional and I didn't really get that. The novel also ended a lot more abruptly than I would have liked. I don't need every single little detail wrapped up (though I much prefer it, I'll be honest) but it felt a bit unfinished to me and that I missed out on how things would go for all the characters. There were a few other little things that kind of gave me whiplash and kept me from rating this one higher but they were more technical than emotional, if that makes sense. I still liked reading this one.

I also think the book description is misleading. The arrival of Charlie's rival is a blip in the overall storyline. I also think it's important to note that the novel is told from four different perspectives, all in third person. Nick and Charlie are the veterans, the director and actor who have been around the block and are at the theatre to mentor the apprentices for the summer. Then there are Sierra and Ethan, both acting apprentices at the Chamberlain. I really liked that there were four of them telling their versions of the summer from their own perspective. And it was neat to see who Agresti chose to tell which part of the story, because there were no overlaps. Each perspective moves the story forward in time. You'd think it could get confusing but I loved it.

You may also think this story might veer too far off into gossip-y kind of fluff but Agresti kept all of the drama and all of the depth. Sure, there are divas and actors storming off set, and one amusing scene where someone's gorgeous face gets ever so slightly maimed from an errant sword, but even through all of that, you see the characters as real people who are all just trying to do the best they can. Sierra and Ethan are in college and their whole lives are before them and they're trying to do what makes their hearts happiest, which is acting. They're taking a leap of faith and hope that, by the end of the summer, they'll get noticed. (By agents and others in the theatre world but also, subconsciously, they want the other to notice them romantically...it's very sweet.) Whereas Nick and Charlie have not been able to have success, professionally or romantically, since they split so many years before and this summer should, ideally,  be a way for them to wake up and realize what makes them great is the other.

The setting was an absolute delight. A small town in the summer with a gorgeous mountain range as a backdrop, plus a lake, and all the theatre shenanigans. Just...oh, I loved it. And I love the cover too! So gorgeous.

The Summer Set was a really lovely novel, even with the issues I had with the writing. Aimee Agresti has published a story that is full of heart - and drama - and I enjoyed the time I spent reading it.

Where to buy The Summer Set: 

Harlequin * Barnes & Noble * Amazon * Books-A-Million * Powell’s * Indigo * Kobo

Connect with Aimee:

Website * Twitter * Instagram * Facebook * Goodreads

About Aimee

Aimee Agresti is the author of Campaign Widows and The Gilded Wings trilogy for young adults. A former staff writer for Us Weekly, she penned the magazine's coffee table book Inside Hollywood. Aimee's work has also appeared in People, Premiere, DC magazine, Capitol File, the Washington Post, Washingtonian, the Washington City Paper, Boston magazine, Women’s Health and the New York Observer, and she has made countless TV and radio appearances, dishing about celebrities on the likes of Access Hollywood, Entertainment Tonight, E!, The Insider, Extra, VH1, MSNBC, Fox News Channel and HLN. Aimee graduated from Northwestern University with a degree in journalism and lives with her husband and two sons in the Washington, DC, area.

*An e-galley of this novel was provided by the publisher, Graydon House/HarperCollins Canada, in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: Big Summer

It's been awhile since I've read a Jennifer Weiner novel. I used to read everything but in the last few years, there have been so many other books to read that I somehow missed a couple. I decided this year that I just had to read Big Summer. I am patting myself on the back for that decision. It was an amazing read and one I think all of you should pick up this year.

Here's the synopsis:

Six years after the fight that ended their friendship, Daphne Berg is shocked when Drue Cavanaugh walks back into her life, looking as lovely and successful as ever, with a massive favor to ask. Daphne hasn’t spoken one word to Drue in all this time—she doesn’t even hate-follow her ex-best friend on social media—so when Drue asks if she will be her maid-of-honor at the society wedding of the summer, Daphne is rightfully speechless.
Drue was always the one who had everything—except the ability to hold onto friends. Meanwhile, Daphne’s no longer the same self-effacing sidekick she was back in high school. She’s built a life that she loves, including a growing career as a plus-size Instagram influencer. Letting glamorous, seductive Drue back into her life is risky, but it comes with an invitation to spend a weekend in a waterfront Cape Cod mansion. When Drue begs and pleads and dangles the prospect of cute single guys, Daphne finds herself powerless as ever to resist her friend’s siren song.
A sparkling novel about the complexities of female friendship, the pitfalls of living out loud and online, and the resilience of the human heart, Big Summer is a witty, moving story about family, friendship, and figuring out what matters most.

I'll say right off the bat that there's a twist to this novel that I did NOT see coming. I will say nothing more because I think it's important that you're also blind to it so be warned if you come across other reviews where they start going in depth into certain aspects of the story.

You may have noticed that I've already been flailing about this book on social media but only rated it four stars on Goodreads. I don't have a great answer for why I couldn't give this wonderful book five stars. If I was allowed a half star on the site, you better believe I'd give it. There were a couple of small things that ultimately don't matter but threw off the flow of the story for me and when the flow is wrong, well, it's hard for me to love it. Most of these things dealt with timelines and social media. I had a really hard time figuring out how old the characters were supposed to be (usually not important but in a story like this a character who is 25 is very different to one who is 20 or 35). What didn't help was references to social media in the flashbacks. In one instance, Daphne mentions how on her first day at a new school in grade six her mom was probably posting pictures to her Facebook page. Except...that could not have happened. Yes, Facebook was around then but not for the average user. I don't know why this bothered me so much but it did. Also, the prologue really, really threw me off for a good chunk of the book.

The majority of Part One (there are multiple parts to the novel), was told in flashbacks and it was used to help get the story story set up. You had to understand all of the players before you could really get their motivations. And even then there were some surprises.

Weiner doesn't shy away from the complexities of friendships and how high school can have a lasting impact on some people. The relationship Daphne, Drue, and Darshi (Daphne's roommate and best friend) had at school was one I am sure many females can relate to. Daphne felt privileged that someone like her was being noticed by the popular girls. Drue knew the power she had over people and sometimes played with them, yet could also realize how important her friendship with Daphne was (but that didn't stop her from being a total witch). Darshi, for her part, was the loyal friend who was there for Daphne but was unwilling to put up with Drue's bullshit when she came back around - which was fair but also hard for Daphne to deal with. No one is perfect. That's the reminder that Weiner gives us and it makes me so, so thankful that high school was a relative breeze for me compared to those girls.

I liked Daphne. Really, really liked her. I loved that she was going after what she really wanted - being a plus-size influencer - and was having a great time doing it. She seemed like a fantastic woman that I would love to have drinks with and get to know even more. Personally, I don't know what it's like to be overweight. I mention this because Weiner created a character that everyone can identify with. And, you kind of learn a lesson from it too. She challenges your perspectives and, for me, puts a very real voice that I normally would never hear into my head. It's so necessary and so well done.

Jennifer Weiner has delivered yet another must-read with her latest novel, Big Summer. It's well written, relevant, and full of characters who are real and complicated. Daphne's story will keep you hooked - and surprised - the entire time you're reading it and I think it's one everyone should add to their reading list this summer.

*An e-galley of this novel was provided by the publisher, Simon & Schuster Canada, via NetGalley in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: Get a Life, Chloe Brown

You might have been seeing Get a Life, Chloe Brown everywhere late last year. It was a romcom that a lot of people were loving because Chloe Brown wasn't your typical romcom heroine and everyone, myself included, was here for it. Talia Hibbert created a character who was so much fun to read about and who you couldn't help rooting for.

Here's the synopsis:

Chloe Brown is a chronically ill computer geek with a goal, a plan, and a list. After almost—but not quite—dying, she’s come up with seven directives to help her “Get a Life”, and she’s already completed the first: finally moving out of her glamorous family’s mansion. The next items?
• Enjoy a drunken night out.
• Ride a motorcycle.
• Go camping.
• Have meaningless but thoroughly enjoyable sex.
• Travel the world with nothing but hand luggage.
• And... do something bad.
But it’s not easy being bad, even when you’ve written step-by-step guidelines on how to do it correctly. What Chloe needs is a teacher, and she knows just the man for the job.
Redford ‘Red’ Morgan is a handyman with tattoos, a motorcycle, and more sex appeal than ten-thousand Hollywood heartthrobs. He’s also an artist who paints at night and hides his work in the light of day, which Chloe knows because she spies on him occasionally. Just the teeniest, tiniest bit.
But when she enlists Red in her mission to rebel, she learns things about him that no spy session could teach her. Like why he clearly resents Chloe’s wealthy background. And why he never shows his art to anyone. And what really lies beneath his rough exterior…

Chloe is an absolute delight. She's smart and sassy and so incredibly strong. She's also built up a lot of emotional walls because it's easier to do that than really let anyone, other than her family, into her life. Red really sees her and sees through her defense mechanisms and it was so wonderful to read as they start to trust each other and learn more about who the other really is, deep down.

While I called this book a romcom off the top, it deals with a lot of heavy issues that sometimes make it far more dramatic than comedic. Hibbert balances things beautifully and keeps the story from becoming too heavy without making light of some serious issues. The romance part though? Very much present and the steam factor is off the charts.

Good news for those who like the sounds of Hibbert's writing, she's turned this into a series where each book will focus on a different Brown sister. Next up will be Take a Hint, Dani Brown which is set to be published in June.

And this cover! I am a fan of the illustration covers that are really big right now and this one just makes me so happy.

Get a Life, Chloe Brown is one of those books that's really hard to describe why it's good or why I liked it so much. It just is and I did. It's uplifting but real. It's funny and sexy. It's sweet and dramatic. It ticks all the boxes so I definitely think you should pick up a copy of Talia Hibbert's novel. And then maybe preorder the next book in the series.

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

Blog Tour: Wild at Heart

K.A. Tucker introduced readers to Calla, a city girl if there ever was one, and Jonah, an Alaskan bush pilot and very much not a city boy, almost two years ago. Some people didn't like Calla. They thought she was stuck up or clueless or rude - or all of the above and more. Those people tended not to like The Simple Wild. Me? I loved the book. It was one of my favourites of 2018 and one I still recommend to many people. Calla isn't perfect because no one is. But the story Tucker created? Well, that was close to perfection. It's no surprise I am beyond thrilled that she chose to self-publish Wild at Heart so readers can continue on Calla and Jonah's journey and remember why and how we all fell in love with them and their story.

Here's the synopsis:

Calla Fletcher returns to Toronto a different person, struggling to find direction and still very much in love with the rugged bush pilot she left behind. When Jonah arrives on her doorstep with a proposition she can’t dismiss, she takes the leap and rushes back to Alaska to begin their exciting future together.
But Calla soon learns that even the best intentions can lead to broken promises, and that compromise comes with a hefty price—a log cabin in interior rural Alaska that feels as isolating as the western tundra.
With Jonah gone more than he’s home, one neighbor who insists on transforming her into a true Alaskan, and another who seems more likely to shoot her than come to her aid, Calla grapples with forging her own path. In a world with roaming wildlife that has her constantly watching over her shoulder and harsh conditions that stretch far beyond the cold, dark, winter months, just stepping outside her front door can be daunting.
This is not the future Calla had in mind, leaving her to fear that perhaps she is doomed to follow in her mother’s fleeing footsteps after all. 

Sequels can be tricky. Especially when they weren't exactly planned. I'm speaking as a reader and I imagine it's even harder for the author. When I finished The Simple Wild I figured that was it. I loved it and of course didn't want it to end but I thought that was all I was going to get. I was excited, and a bit nervous, when I found out Tucker would be writing a sequel. I couldn't wait to get back to these characters and find out what they were up to and where their lives would go next. But what if I didn't like this one as much? What if I realize I didn't like the first one as much as I thought I did? These are thoughts of a reader who thinks too much, yes, I know. I didn't need to worry though. Tucker's sequel is wonderful and angsty and emotional, just as I'd hoped it would be.

A delayed warning regarding spoilers: if you have not read The Simple Wild but want to and do not like spoilers, I would suggest you go read the book and then come back here. I won't give spoilers for Wild at Heart but as it comes directly after another book, well, I'm sure something could get spoiled for someone.

Calla and Jonah both have personalities that are not for everyone. What I love about both characters though is the other side of them that's kind of deeply buried and only shown to those closest to them. It takes time for them to trust others, I think, and that makes them both come across as prickly or stubborn or just plain rude. I liked that this book allowed the reader to really see the softer, if you want to call it that, side of them both. They're way more vulnerable in this book because they've made a massive life choice after an equally massive life change, with Wren, Calla's father and Jonah's father figure, dying at the end of the first book. That would be hard enough to get through when you're not uprooting your life and moving to the other side of the country and, in fact, to another country, as Calla does.

This book is emotional in all the right ways. I mean, yes, I was close to tears at some points but that's just because Tucker is such a damn good writer that I was feeling as anxious, lonely, frustrated, and scared as Calla was (Jonah was feeling some of those things too but Calla is the focus of the book). But even with all of those feelings, Calla still knew she was in the right place. She had to figure out how to make the best of the situation - and needed some harsh words to see that - but being with Jonah was ultimately the most important thing.

This is a romance, sure, but it's so much more than that. It's about what makes these two people tick and how they work as a couple. So, I really liked how much family played a part in this story and how family can be different than traditionally assumed. Family was important in The Simple Wild too but both Calla and Jonah realize throughout the second novel that family is integral to their happiness so I really hoped they could figure out a way to work that into their lives by the end of the book.

This isn't just a emotional, angst-filled story. There are lots of light-hearted moments (and some steamy ones too!) that really give a well-rounded look at Calla and Jonah's lives. There's a fainting goat and his raccoon sidekick, as well as an incident involving a truck and a moose that gets compared to an episode of Schitt's Creek by one of the new characters introduced in this book. I think great novels include the good, the bad, and the ugly and Tucker always comes through with all the best and messiest parts of life in her stories.

The setting is a character as well. I've never been to Alaska (though my sister has, including to the North Pole, one of the towns Jonah flies Calla over) but I feel like Tucker was able to really capture the setting and how it would feel to live there. I grew up in a small town, not like Toronto where Calla grew up, so I might have a better transition but I know I would struggle, even with the views they had from their house (oh, to live on a lake...).

I don't know how much of this rambling review tells you about Wild at Heart but know this: K.A. Tucker has written yet another stunning novel that you're going to be completely obsessed with while you're reading it (and probably awhile after too...the book hangover is real with this one). I highly recommend you read this book, and The Simple Wild too if you haven't yet.

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*An egalley of this novel was provided via NetGalley by Social Butterfly PR in exchange for a review for the purpose of a blog tour. All opinions are honest and my own.*