Review: Love, Lies, and Cherry Pie

It is a truth universally acknowledged that I will enjoy a book *that* much more when there’s a nod to Jane Austen (it’s also a truth that I will absolutely always overuse that opening). I hadn’t realized there was a hint of Pride and Prejudice in Jackie Lau’s latest novel before I started it but, not surprisingly, I was totally into it. Love, Lies, and Cherry Pie is by no means a P&P adaptation but it does take some of the best parts of Austen’s most well-known novel and uses them to make a modern rom com that was an absolute joy to read.

Here’s the book’s description:
Mark Chan this. Mark Chan that.

Writer and barista Emily Hung is tired of hearing about the great Mark Chan, the son of her parents’ friends. You’d think he single-handedly stopped climate change and ended child poverty from the way her mother raves about him. But in reality, he’s just a boring, sweater-vest-wearing engineer, and when they’re forced together at Emily’s sister’s wedding, it’s obvious he thinks he’s too good for her.
But now that Emily is her family’s last single daughter, her mother is fixated on getting her married and she has her sights on Mark. There’s only one solution, clearly : convince Mark to be in a fake relationship with her long enough to put an end to her mom’s meddling. He reluctantly agrees.
Unfortunately, lying isn’t enough. Family friends keep popping up at their supposed dates—including a bubble tea shop and cake-decorating class—so they’ll have to spend more time together to make their relationship look real. With each fake date, though, Emily realizes that Mark’s not quite what she assumed and maybe that argyle sweater isn’t so ugly after all…

You may not have read Pride and Prejudice but I think there’s a better chance you’ve probably watched Bridget Jones’ Diary (bonus points if you’ve read both novels and watched the movies). Bridget is also a nod to P&P and is one of the most fun adaptations of Austen’s work. Lau’s felt like that too - right down to the main male character being named Mark and having a penchant for sweaters - and it was much fun.

Like Elizabeth and Darcy, Emily and Mark got off on the wrong foot. Way wrong. Luckily, they eventually realized how boneheaded they had been (Emily especially) and actually communicated with each other. About fake dating and lying to their families, but communicating nonetheless! It was really enjoyable to watch them put their guards down and start to become friends - and something more.

I always, always struggle when a main character’s family and/or friends tries to force them into being in a relationship. That there’s no way they could be happy without someone special in their life. I can handle some of it because the family really does mean well and it really is coming from a place of love. But when the family refuses to take no for an answer? And won’t listen to the main character, who they claim to love so much that they want them to be happy? That’s when I get frustrated. And I know it wouldn’t be a romance book without conflict and a couple getting together but…it can be really hard for me to read a MC being ignored by those who claim to love them that they’re forced to lie or do other ridiculous things just to please their family. As an aside to the whole family thing - I did NOT buy the excuse for Emily’s eldest sister’s behaviour. I was so irritated at her and the reasoning behind it was not good enough and there were no consequences for how she was behaving towards Emily.

The first third or so of the novel was told from Emily’s perspective but then it starts to switch back and forth between Mark and Emily. I do like when romances have dual perspectives but it had been solely Emily’s POV for so long that it was kind of jarring to finally get Mark’s thoughts - as appreciated as they were to get a better sense of him and how he was feeling about the whole fake dating thing.

I really liked that Emily was an author and Lau showcased how tough it can be to become (and stay) published. It shouldn’t be a surprise that I liked the bookish element of this novel but I find that Lau was a lot more honest and realistic than other rom com authors are when their main characters are writers. As much as I hated that Emily had to keep justifying her job and how she spends her time to her friends and family, it seemed more honest that way. But the way Mark was so supportive of her writing and was protective of her time? Swoon.

Oh, and bonus! The novel is set in Toronto. Three cheers for romances taking place in Canada!

Love, Lies, and Cherry Pie was so much fun to read. I was entertained by Jackie Lau’s novel from start to finish. I wouldn’t call this a super memorable novel or the best rom com I’ve ever read but it was fun and I enjoyed it - and that’s all that matters when it comes to reading!

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

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: It Happened One Christmas

2023 gifted us with not one but two novels from Chantel Guertin, one of my favourite authors. Not only that, but I’m always happy when a favourite author writes a holiday novel! So, I was really looking forward to It Happened One Christmas, which was published in October. Life being Life, I just finally read it over the weekend and, while I wasn’t blown away, I was still infused with so much holiday cheer by the end of the story.

Here’s the book’s description:

Will magic happen under the mistletoe?
All year long, Zoey Andrews lives and breathes Christmas--not just because she loves everything about the festive season, but because, as the director of countless Christmas movies, she's perpetually (and happily) surrounded by 24/7 holiday cheer. And this year Christmas has come early: After years of making other people's movies, Zoey finally has the chance to make her own. There's just one thing standing in her way of that: Benoît Deschamps, the sexy, bearded, grouchy and utterly frustrating, plaid shacket-wearing tree-farm-owner-slash-mayor who refuses to grant Zoey the permit to film in Chelsea, the cozy and snowy Quebec hamlet at the center of her screenplay.
With just four days left before Christmas, Zoey must change Ben's mind, but not before an unscripted ice storm leaves them stranded in the middle of nowhere, with nothing--no food, no phone, no electricity--except . . . each other.
Will Ben's chilly resolve shatter Zoey's Christmas movie wish? Or will Zoey be able to melt through his stubbornness--and maybe even his heart?

Let’s start with what didn’t warm my holiday loving heart. I think I am completely over stories about out of town folks coming into a small town, wanting to change something or wanting to get something out of the town. Now, I know Zoey knew what she was doing when it comes to scouting and was a trustworthy person. I know she would fairly compensate the town. But I just think I’m tired of the same old story and it was hard to set that tired trope aside and focus on the uniqueness to Guertin’s story.

I mentioned above how Zoey was trustworthy so points to Guertin for creating a heroine that, while frustrating at times, was someone I was rooting for. I did like her. I questioned her choices in fashion and relationships and insistence on nostalgia from one single vacation when she was a kid, but I really did want a Happily Ever After for her.

Now, what about the swoons? I have complicated feelings about the romance even though I was wholeheartedly into Zoey and Ben getting together by the end of the novel. I loved their initial meet cute. Wasn’t so much a fan of their interactions about the film permit. But once they were thrown together during la tempête de verglas? Oh, yes. I mean, I wasn’t happy Zoey was out in the ice storm and was kinda sorta the reason she and Ben stayed on the road. But Guertin made it so clear that they were a team and they worked so well. There was sexual chemistry, sure, but they were building the framework for a good relationship. I dig it.

Did you catch the French up there? The novel is set in small town Quebec and I very much enjoyed reading about some of the Quebecois traditions and trying to figure out what Ben and the other townsfolk were saying en français before they translated for Zoey. I don’t live in Quebec but some of the things mentioned were very deeply Canadian, no matter what province you live in. I loved it.

It Happened One Christmas may not have been a huge winner for me but if you want a festive read, Chantel Guertin’s latest novel is one to check out. Despite the ice storm in the storyline, you’ll feel the warm, holiday spirit by the time you’re done.

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

Review: Three Holidays and a Wedding

I’m calling it: Three Holidays and a Wedding is my favourite holiday read of 2023. Now, I haven’t read that many yet (and I’m woefully behind, as usual, on my holiday review books) but this one, co-written by Uzma Jalaluddin and Marissa Stapley, two of my favourite authors, was an absolute delight and I enjoyed every second reading it.

Here’s the book’s description:

Three times the holiday magic. Three times the chaos.
As strangers and seatmates Maryam Aziz and Anna Gibson fly to Toronto over the holidays—Maryam to her sister’s impromptu wedding, and Anna to meet her boyfriend’s wealthy family for the first time—neither expect that severe turbulence will scare them into confessing their deepest hopes and fears to one another. At least they’ll never see each other again. And the love of Maryam’s life, Saif, wasn’t sitting two rows behind them hearing it all. Oops.
An emergency landing finds Anna, Saif, Maryam, and her sister’s entire bridal party snowbound at the quirky Snow Falls Inn in a picture-perfect town, where fate has Anna’s actor-crush filming a holiday romance. As Maryam finds the courage to open her heart to Saif, and Anna feels the magic of being snowbound with an unexpected new love—both women soon realize there’s no place they’d rather be for the holidays.

The premise of this one is perfectly bonkers which made it the best kind of holiday rom com. There are not one, not two, but three major holidays converging, a plane being rerouted and, oh, there’s a movie being filmed in town, too! Jalaluddin and Stapley work their magic, though, and make something that could be cheesy and over-the-top, completely wonderful. I was smiling constantly while reading this story and was completely invested in the characters’ lives.

The book takes place in December 2000 when Ramadan, Hanukkah, and Christmas all fell within a few days of each other. You may think that 2000 wasn’t that long ago and I mostly forgot that the book took place *gasp* 23 years ago. But there were the odd moments when I realized how much things had changed since then - which I loved! Anna only had a flip phone and her charger had been lost with her luggage so she couldn’t get in touch with her boyfriend in Toronto. That would never happen these days. Nor would someone pull out a bunch of CDs for a mehndi ceremony in 2023. I really liked the little mentions of days gone by!

I loved how the holidays came together and how Hanukkah and Ramadan took centre stage, with Christmas almost being an afterthought. It was refreshing. I celebrate Christmas but there’s no religious reason for that. I just enjoyed that a big guy in a red suit brought me and my sisters presents and we had an excuse to decorate the house and eat lots of treats. I enjoyed feeling part of both Anna and Maryam’s celebrations as they shared traditions and discovered just how important family and their holidays really were to them. (And that maybe family didn’t have to be related by blood.)

Maryam and Anna were such great characters to get to know. They were real (and therefore flawed) but such wonderful people. And their love interests probably didn’t deserve them because these ladies were so great. (But the boys were ok too - we can keep them!) The romantic relationships they embark on were secondary to the women figuring out what they wanted to be doing with their lives. Becoming snowbound in Snow Falls allowed them to really analyze their current circumstances and think about their futures. I was so proud of their growth and loved reading it.

If you buy just one holiday read this year, make it Three Holidays and a Wedding (and I highly recommend you buy yourself your very own copy). Uzma Jalauddin and Marissa Stapley have completely nailed it and I loved reading this holiday rom com. I hope these authors pair up again for another novel in the future.

*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: What Would Jane Austen Do?

Happy Austen August! I’ve had a lot of fun reading Jane Austen’s novels and any that are inspired by or adaptations of her novels every August since 2020 with my friend Victoria. When I had the chance to take part in a blog tour this month for Linda Corbett’s new novel, What Would Jane Austen Do?, well, it felt like I had no choice but to jump at it! This novel was an absolute delight and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it!

Here’s the book’s description:

It's a truth often acknowledged that when a journalist and Jane Austen fan girl ends up living next door to a cynical but handsome crime writer, romantic sparks will fly!
When Maddy Shaw is told her Dear Jane column has been cancelled she has no choice but to look outside of London’s rental market. That is until she’s left an idyllic country home by the black sheep of the family, long-not-so-lost Cousin Nigel.
But of course, there’s a stipulation… and not only is Maddy made chair of the committee for the annual village literary festival, she also has to put up with bestselling crime author –and romance sceptic – Cameron Massey as her new neighbor.
When Maddy challenges Cameron to write romantic fiction, which he claims is so easy to do, sparks fly both on and off the page…

There’s an argument to be made that Austen’s Pride and Prejudice was one of the first novels to employ the enemies to lovers trope. You may know it’s not a trope I love as I can’t always understand how the couple ends up being attracted to each other. Elizabeth and Darcy aren’t so much enemies as…two prejudiced individuals who don’t take the time to really get to know the other before forming a less than flattering opinion of them. Corbett has her characters acting in quite the same manner. Maddy and Cameron don’t really know each other so there’s no hate but they each assume things about the other based only on a short interaction. But the fun is in reading as they realize their misconceptions and work to actually get to know each other. And, surprise, fall in love!

The premise of this rom com was just bonkers enough to allow for drama and intrigue but not so far-fetched to have me rolling my eyes at the coincidence of it all. Or maybe I was extra indulgent because I read the book while on vacation. *shrugs* Whatever the reason, it was much fun to read as Maddy realized she had suddenly inherited a house - and a literary festival - from a cousin she had never met before.

I liked that Maddy was given a solid BFF in Alice, even though the pair spend the majority of the novel apart. It allowed the reader to know that Maddy had someone in her corner, rooting for her unconditionally, while also allowing her to get to know the folks in her new town. It’s a small thing but, thinking back, it was impactful. Having a best friend (or two) makes a world of difference in a girl’s life!

Speaking of Maddy’s new friends, the townsfolk of Cotlington were TOO FUN. They were a perfect mix of kind and quirky, each managing to steal the show during their scenes but without taking over the whole story. They, and the town, provided a wonderful burst of colour (sometimes literally with Sam and her love of pink) as Maddy worked to figure out what her life was going to look like.

I have a few minor quibbles with the book - mostly to do with how things were wrapped up, or not. There’s a storyline with a celebrity ghost hunter that I feel was fun and helped with the story but I’m left with a ton of questions. What happened with the payment and the deductions? Was Randall really going to just expose Cameron and then move on and present at the festival like nothing had happened? And what about Sam’s feelings for him and someone else’s feelings for Sam? I also wasn’t totally sold on Maddy’s journalistic leanings and how the story she did about Cameron was published. No journalist is going to allow the subject (or their agent) the chance to read the article before it is published. Or maybe they would with famous people. But the average journalist absolutely does not and I didn’t love that implication.

While this novel is not at all a retelling of any of Jane Austen’s novels, I liked that Corbett sprinkled the book with references to Austen’s books, including quotes at the start of each chapter. I loved Maddy’s love for the author - and definitely wish I had a few of her Austen-esque shirts!

What Would Jane Austen Do? was so incredibly fun to read. Linda Corbett’s novel is a must read for those who like sweet romances with a dash of Jane Austen, a sprinkling of small town charm, and a pinch of bookish adventures.

About the Author
Linda Corbett lives in Surrey with her husband Andrew and three permanently hungry guinea pigs. As well as being an author, Linda is treasurer and fundraiser for Shine Surrey – a volunteer-led charity that supports individuals and families living with spina bifida and hydrocephalus. For many years she also wrote a regular column for Link, a disability magazine, illustrating the humorous aspects of life with a complex disability and she is a passionate advocate of disability representation in fiction. Love You From A-Z was her first published novel.

Connect with the Author
Website * Twitter * Facebook * Instagram * Goodreads

*A copy of this novel was provided by Austenprose via NetGalley for the purpose of a review as part of a blog tour. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: Miss Matched

You all know I love reading Canadian authors. And I love me some romance. So when I came across Miss Matched by Wendy Million, it didn’t take much to convince me I should read it. Plus, it was a second chance romance and those always have the potential to be fun and angsty. Alas, I did not enjoy Miss Matched. The romance didn’t make sense and I was far too distracted by the con of a dating service to find any reason to care about the story. And I hate that!

Here’s the book’s description:

When matchmaking software pairs a woman with her worst ex, she gets a unique second chance to connect with the love of her life.
After years of bad dates, Tayla Murphy has decided it’s finally time she found her ideal partner, so she pays a hefty fee for a cutting-edge “soulmate” matching service. But the infallible algorithm must have a serious glitch, because it pairs her with the one man on Earth she never wants to see Simon―the man who left her heart in pieces when he broke off their engagement six years ago. Tayla would rather cut her losses, but if she’s going to move forward with her life, she needs the money back.
Then Simon shows up on her doorstep, promising Tayla he can get her a refund by showing the service that the match was wrong. But he wants her to really prove they aren’t meant to be―by dating him for the next month. Even though he thinks the service is a fraud, Simon has been desperate for a second chance with Tayla ever since he messed up their shot at happily-ever-after. They still have an amazing connection, but a lot has happened in the time they were apart. So is this a mismatch or a perfect match?

I admit that I was judging Tayla right off the hop for spending all of her life savings on a dating service. Is it because I’m happily coupled up that I can’t understand what someone would do to find their one true love? Sure, I suppose that could be part of it. Million didn’t say how much it cost or how much Tayla was actually putting into the purchase but the way it was described, I had to assume it was a freaking ton of money and I just thought that was so incredibly irresponsible of Tayla.

I also just could NOT buy Tayla and Simon’s previous break up. It made absolutely NO sense and I thought Simon was a total asshole. He barely redeemed himself in my eyes which does not make for a good romance. I could tell he wasn’t actually a dick but he pulled such a dick move that I just had to assume he was one. It can be really hard to pull off a second chance romance well and I don’t think Million achieved it - at least not for me.

And the whole matchmaking service? And that Tayla and Simon were trying to dupe them and expose them? I just…couldn’t. Sure, I wanted them to win. Down with mega corporations that are stealing money from unsuspecting people (especially women)! But even that storyline was confusing and immensely unsatisfying.

I take no pleasure at all in writing this review. I wanted to like Miss Matched. I even saw Wendy Million at this year’s Word on the Street festival and was even more excited than I was before so to be let down so much by the book makes me really sad. I might try reading whatever she writes next but it’ll be a library borrow for sure.

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

Review: Tastes Like Shakkar

One of my work colleagues had been raving about Dating Dr. Dil (I work in a library - we do a lot of raving about books) so I finally listened to it earlier this year and thoroughly enjoyed it. So, when I had the chance to read an advanced copy of the second book in Nisha Sharma’s If Shakespeare Was an Auntie series, I jumped at it. I don’t know much about Shakespeare but I do know Tastes Like Shakkar was another great read and one I’d highly recommend to romance lovers.

Here’s the book’s description:

Bobbi Kaur is determined to plan a celebration to remember for her best friend’s wedding. But she has two problems that are getting in her way:
1. The egotistical, and irritatingly sexy, chef Benjamin “Bunty” Padda is supposed to help her with the menu since he’s the groom’s best friend, and
2. Someone is trying to sabotage the wedding.
With aspirations of taking over her family’s event planning business, Bobbi knows that one misstep in managing the Kareena Mann and Prem Verma (#Vermann) party, along with the other weddings on her plate, will only give her uncle another reason not to promote her. That means Kareena’s big day and Bobbi's future career are on the line.
Bunty will do anything for his best friend, even though he has his hands full in finding a new location for his next restaurant while also playing mediator between his brother and father, the celebrated Naan King. When Prem asks Bunty to help with the wedding menu, he agrees, especially since it puts him in close proximity to the delicious Bobbi Kaur. When a mystery shaadi saboteur starts leaving threatening notes, and cancelling cake orders, Bunty and Bobbi have no choice but to call a truce and face the volatile attraction they have for each other.
Through masquerade fundraisers and a joint bachelor-bachelorette trip to Vegas, this chef and wedding planner explore their growing connection all while trying to plan a wedding at Messina Vineyards in a time crunch. But once the shaadi saboteur is caught and the wedding is over, will their love story have a happily ever after
With the return of the meddling aunties (who are scary good at finding information) and a lot of hilarity and hijinks, Bobbi and Bunty’s romance is an event you don’t want to miss.

Those who love enemies to lovers will really enjoy this book. I’m hit and miss with that trope but this one still worked for me. Did I have trouble understanding why Bobbi and Bunty were constantly needling each other instead of working their shit out for the sake of their best friends? Yes, I most definitely did. Could I still tell that the pair would be really great for each other, romantically? Oh, yes. Bobbi and Bunty started to recognize that themselves once they actually started talking to each other (shocking, right?) and reading as the romance heated up was a delight *fans self* (Related: there’s light and explicit bondage sex scenes in this one. They’re done really well but I think it warrants preparation before reading.)

I love that Sharma doesn’t hold back on showcasing her culture and she doesn’t over explain for the reader who isn’t South Asian. I did a lot of Googling! I’d much rather search for a term than have the story reference something and then awkwardly explain it to the (White) reader. By looking things up, I actually learned more while reading and I appreciated that.

It wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows, though. As much as I enjoyed this book, I hated the third act break up. It was so dumb and I was mad at Bobbi and Bunty for being so stupid (Bunty especially). You can’t have a relationship if you don’t talk to each other and if you’re not honest with yourself about what you want, either. Bunty had to decide how he wanted his family and professional lives to work out before he could get his romantic life sorted and he was being a typical boy about it all. Bobbi, for her part, needed to realize that it’s OK to ask for help, whether that’s from your best friends (of which she has two amazing ones) or your partner. And the reader knows that Bobbi and Bunty will make great partners so it was especially frustrating to see them act like boneheads before eventually getting their Happily Ever After.

As an introvert with a small family, the wedding hoopla was exhausting to me BUT it made for the absolute best storyline. I always say romances that have weddings at the centre of them are great because there’s so much built in drama so there doesn’t really need to be any additional nonsense added. And it’s kinda fun to read about a huge wedding celebration full of people who love each other (sort of - there was that whole wedding sabotage issue…) and feel like you’re a part of it.

Speaking of feeling like you’re a part of it, I really loved that there was some overlap in the Bobbi and Kareena’s storylines. We already knew from Dating Dr. Dil that Bobbi and Bunty had met but we hadn’t had their perspective. This book gives us that and we also get to hang out with Kareena and Prem again during the lead up to the wedding. I’m sometimes annoyed with the romance series that are so clearly laid out to feature different friends in each book but this one? I adore how Sharma has set it up. And I cannot wait for the next one!

Romance readers need to pick up Nisha Sharma’s books. Start with Dating Dr. Dil and then you can enjoy Tastes Like Shakkar to its full potential. Sharma has written a romance with a lot of sweetness (sugar is in the title, after all) but with a healthy dose of spice that makes for a well-balanced read. You’ll love the characters and love watching them fall in love. I’m ready for book three now!

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

Review: Someone Just Like You

Someone Just Like You is Meredith Schorr’s second published book and to say I was excited for it is an understatement. As I said in my review of As Seen on TV (here), I’ve been reading Schorr’s books for years (she’d self-published and worked with small presses before being published with Forever) and she’s always been a favourite. Her latest is perfect for all the rom-com lovers out there who are looking for a new book to devour this summer.

Here’s the book’s description:

New Yorker Molly Blum knows everything about her lifelong nemesis, Jude Stark. With their families so close, they should have been best friends. Instead, she thinks he’s a too-charming slacker, and he thinks she’s allergic to fun. After years of one-upping each other’s pranks (chocolate-dipped cat treats are not as delicious as they appear), one high school joke went too far, and they stopped speaking completely. But now that they’re supposed to help plan a massive party for their parents—together—there’s no better time to resume their war.
And it is on. Only somewhere between all the sniping and harmless hijinks, a reluctant friendship develops, along with an unexpected spark of sexual tension. It might have to do with the fact that she’s been dating Jude-lookalikes and he’s been dating Molly doppelgangers. Or the fact that neither of them is nearly as horrible as they thought. All Molly and Jude know is that they’ve mastered the art of hating each other. Falling in love, on the other hand, is a whole new battlefield.

Molly and Jude are far from perfect. The story’s told from Molly’s point of view but you can get a really good sense of Jude based on her stories and what she shares about their past. I couldn’t really get behind their hatred of each other, how it started, and how long it lasted. The pair are 27 at the start of the novel and, to paraphrase Molly’s mom, their prank war wasn’t a cute look for them. They had their moments of realizing how ridiculous they were being and things were a lot smoother once they figured out their animosity seemed to be covering up years of pent up lust. Enemies to lovers isn’t always a favourite trope of mine but the history between Molly and Jude had me convinced they really were meant to be together. As Nani tells Molly, she needs Jude so she can loosen up, and he needs her because she helps keep him on track. She just has to let go a little of her plans and he has to stop acting like a teenage boy. You know. Easy stuff!

The pace of the novel worked really well. I knew when Schorr was going to hit the highlights of a typical rom-com (including, yes, the third-act breakup) but I wasn’t at all bothered by it. It showed that Schorr knows her stuff and knows how to write a rom-com that readers will be satisfied with from the first page to the last.

There’s a solid cast of secondary characters without it getting too overwhelming. I loved that the families grew up together and were all still so close, both within their own units but with each other too. Jude has two roommates who are clearly good for him and Molly’s best friend Esther is perfection. (You know, as perfect as a human can be which actually means that she’s not “perfect.”) There’s a lot of love surrounding both Molly and Jude and that made me happy.

I really enjoyed reading Someone Just Like You. I think readers will be more than pleased with Meredith Schorr’s second novel - I know I liked it more than the last. It’s the rom-com you need if you want to laugh, cringe, and swoon while reading this - perhaps poolside?

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

Review: 24 Hours in Italy

Traveling the world through a book will never get old and I loved experiencing Italy while reading Romi Moondi’s latest book, 24 Hours in Italy. It picks up just about where 24 Hours in Paris left off (review here) and I really enjoyed getting back together with Mira and Jake and seeing if their romance could finally stick this time around.

Here’s the book’s description:

Two years have passed since Mira and Jake missed their flight and spent a magical 24 hours together in Paris. Sparks flew. Romance bloomed. But life got in the way. When they’re reunited for another whirlwind adventure, will they connect in the same way?
Mira’s living her best life, having started a new chapter by taking a leave from her high pressure corporate position to spend time in Italy. Surrounded by amazing scenery, fantastic food and wine, and endearing locals, her life is nearly perfect—except for the thoughts of what might've been with Jake.
While Jake’s career has never been better, the move to California has been less than perfect. Still, he’s got high hopes that seeing Mira at their friends’ destination wedding can right past wrongs. Except travel has never been his strong suit, and his reunion with Mira is punctuated by another, more recent heartbreak.
When the pair collide again on the gorgeous Amalfi coast, the spark they felt in Paris is reignited, but their quest for a happy ending will surely be as rocky as the Italian coastline.

I don’t know if it’s because I, like Mira, am an elder millennial, but Jake is a pretty great book boyfriend. *fans self* I’ll get into it more below but Mira was the one who destroyed their relationship so any less-than-ideal behaviour on Jake’s part while they were together in Italy was, in my opinion, totally justified. I really loved how much you could tell that he did care for her. He was also just trying to protect himself and you can’t blame the guy. On the flipside, you can also tell that Mira is just as head over heels for Jake as he is for her. Their relationship isn’t perfect but there’s an ease there than most couples can only dream of. The everyday experiences (though I’m not sure you could call their 24 hour escapades “everyday”) the pair have are just as magical and impactful as the Big Moments can be. Not to mention the sexual chemistry between the two! It’s impossible not to root for them (a double negative Mira would be proud of and Jake would be exasperated about) and that’s part of what makes this rom com so delightful.

All that said…I know it would have been difficult for Mira and Jake to have stayed together doing the long distance thing after just 24 hours together in Paris. But the way they fell apart? I couldn’t buy it. I can understand to a point that Mira was dealing with a lot but she was acting more like a mid-twentysomething than a mid-thirtysomething and I guess I just expected more from her. Which I admit is kind of ridiculous and unfair because, hello, I quit a job during a global pandemic to go back to school at the age of 34. But I had a plan. (And I’m happy to say it’s worked out remarkably well.) Maybe I just wanted her to figure out what she wanted and stop blaming outside forces because I knew she was smart and driven, just a bit…aimless. I wanted her to stop being scared and just freaking talk to Jake. He wasn’t blameless either - he could have tried a bit harder - but Mira was definitely the one blowing up the relationship and I wasn’t sure how they’d come back from that. (But don’t worry - this is a romance!)

The other thing that kind of nagged at me was the side story of Eloise and Dembe. They’re the reason Mira and Jake have been thrown together once more as the pair was having their second wedding on the Amalfi coast. There was some sort of drama there and I found it took away from the overall story. I like the couple, don’t get me wrong, but I didn’t need Eloise being an idiotic drama queen and not trusting her husband (to be) and worrying so much about the “perfect” day.

But boy was I glad Eloise and Dembe decided to have their second wedding along the coast - somewhere I’ve neve been and don’t know if I’ll ever get to. It really felt like Moondi knew the area and loved it. Experiencing the area alongside Jake and Mira was so lovely. And had me craving sunshine and everything lemon! I could perfectly picture everything and that’s a credit to Moondi’s talent and care for the country.

24 Hours in Italy is stronger than Romi Moondi’s last novel and I can’t wait to see her grow even more as an author. She writes rom coms that have an equal balance of romance and comedy with a heap of reality tossed in - nothing seems fake or manufactured just for the sake of the storyline, it’s so refreshing. Just as refreshing as traveling through Italy while reading. Check out this book if you’re in the mood to “see” Italy while rooting for a couple you can’t help but love.

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

Review: A Spinster’s Guide to Danger and Dukes

Historical rom coms with a dash of mystery and intrigue was not a genre mashup I thought I needed but here we are, loving every one I read. Manda Collins’ series (Ladies Most Scandalous) has been so damn enjoyable to read and A Spinster’s Guide to Danger and Dukes, released back in March, was no exception. It was a delight!

Here’s the book’s description:

England, 1867: Miss Poppy Delamare is living a lie. To escape an odious betrothal, she fled to London where she’s been hiding as the unassuming secretary Flora Deaver. However, when her beloved sister is accused of murder, Poppy cannot leave her to the wolves. Only a most unexpected—and unwelcome—collision interrupts her journey home . . .
Despite a rather dismal first meeting, Joshua Fielding, the Duke of Langham, has no intention of abandoning a lady in need. But he’s not above asking a favor. A fake betrothal will give Poppy and her sister the power of the dukedom and protect Langham from the society misses intent on becoming his duchess.
Yet the longer the ruse goes on, the more Poppy and Langham realize how false their first impressions were—and the less pretend their engagement feels. But before Langham can propose in truth, their search reveals a tangled web of lies and betrayals. With time running out, can Poppy and Langham find the real culprit—before Poppy becomes the next victim?

You could tell in the first two books (and especially the second) in this series that Poppy (known as Flora) was hiding something. I don’t think I would have guessed what it was though so that was a, well, I don’t want to say it was a nice surprise because the life she was running from did not sound like a nice one. But I liked that Collins was able to surprise me with the information about Poppy’s past.

The fake engagement trope can be a lot of fun to read - or extremely vexing. Thankfully, Collins’ story is the former. Granted, I couldn’t quite see how pretending to be betrothed to the duke would benefit Poppy but I was happy to go along for what was sure to be an entertaining and very bumpy ride. Langham, a man (and a duke at that), would naturally emerge from a broken engagement with his honour still intact. My concern was for Poppy. Even though the duke’s powers should help her sister, I knew that if the engagement was called off or even called into question, she would be judged by the ton and would definitely be found wanting. But she was a smart lady so if she thought a fake engagement could help, well who was I to stop her? (Not that I could, of course. She’s, you know, a fictional character.)

The mystery and hijinks in this story kept me guessing the whole way through and I definitely couldn’t have predicted the ending. I love that Collins can not only combine a frothy historical romance with a cleverly laid out mystery but combine it so well. Of all the recent historical mystery rom coms I’ve read, this was probably the one with the most sinister of mysteries. It was almost over the top but somehow, it worked! (And yes, I’m sure all that seems incredibly vague but I’m not about to give out any spoilers!)

I’m not sure if A Spinster's Guide to Danger and Dukes will be the last in this series - I hope it won’t be. But if Manda Collins has decided this is it for her Ladies Most Scandalous series, well, I guess I’ll just have to read whatever she writes next! I might even dive into her backlist sometime soon. This series is a fun one and you should pick it up if you’re looking for rom coms that are a little different than you’re used to - I think you’ll really like them too!

*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.*  

Review: The Fiancée Farce

I fell in love with Alexandria Bellefleur and her writing when I first read her novel Written in the Stars (review) back in 2020. I jumped at the chance to read her latest novel, The Fiancée Farce, and I think it might be my new favourite of hers (or at the very least tied with Hang the Moon! (review)). I loved everything about it!

Here’s the book’s description:

Tansy Adams’ greatest love is her family’s bookstore, passed down from her late father. But when it comes to actual romance… Tansy can’t get past the first chapter. Tired of her stepfamily’s questions about her love life, Tansy invents Gemma, a fake girlfriend inspired by the stunning cover model on a bestselling book. They’ll never actually meet, so what’s the harm in a little fib? Yet when real-life Gemma crosses Tansy’s path, her white lie nearly implodes.
Gemma van Dalen is a wild child, the outcast of her wealthy family, and now the latest heir to Van Dalen Publishing. But the title comes with one tiny condition: she must be married in order to inherit. When Gemma discovers a beautiful stranger has been pretending to date her for months, she decides to take the charade one step further—and announces their engagement.
Gemma needs a wife to meet the terms of her grandfather’s will and Tansy needs money to save her struggling bookstore. A marriage could be mutually beneficial, if they can fool everyone into thinking it’s a love match. Unexpected sparks fly as Tansy and Gemma play the role of affectionate fiancées, and suddenly the line between convenient arrangement and real feelings begins to blur. But the scheming Van Dalen family won’t give up the company without a fight, and Gemma and Tansy’s newfound happiness might get caught in the fallout…

Fake dating (or fake engagement) tropes are, well, kind of ridiculous. How anyone ever expects them to work is beyond me but, damn, if I don’t love reading them. Stakes are high (would you agree to fake date someone if they weren’t?) and the tension is delicious. When will they realize they’re actually into each other? Will they have to come clean about it being a fake arrangement? Oh, the suspense!

Tansy and Gemma were absolute delights to read about. Each woman has their own chapters and I really enjoyed having a dual POV. Bellefleur’s done dual POV in all the other books of hers I’ve read and it really adds something special to the story because she does it so well. Both women are far more nuanced than you’d first expect and I love how the reader learns more and more about them as the story unfolds.

I had all the feelings while reading this one. There were swoony moments and there were steamy moments all balanced in an absolutely magical way. It wasn’t just the romance-y or lust-y feelings that came through the pages either. Neither woman has an ideal family life - found family is big in this book - and there were a few heartbreaking moments in this story as well. Knowing Tansy and Gemma had each other to lean on was so important - and so wonderful.

Plus, how great is it when one of the main characters runs a bookstore? I love bookish touches like that in novels and I know I’m not the only one. And the additional nod to romances with Gemma’s past as a romance novel cover model was too much fun. It made for a GREAT meet cute!

It’s always really hard to review a book I adored and The Fiancée Farce is no different. I loved Alexandria Bellefleur’s latest novel and I think all romance readers need to pick this one up. It’s funny, smart, sexy, and so well written. I absolutely cannot wait for the next book from Bellefleur!

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

Review: Hazel Fine Sings Along

Many, many moons ago, I discovered a novel titled Arranged by a Canadian author by the name of Catherine McKenzie. I loved it. So very much. I continued to read everything McKenzie wrote, even when she started writing more thrillers, which, as you know, aren’t always my cup of tea. Imagine my immense delight when I find out that she was writing a rom com under the pseudonym Katie Wicks. Yippee! Hazel Fine Sings Along was published earlier this month and I really enjoyed it!

Here’s the book’s description:

When your voice is all that matters―sing loud.
As Hazel Fine steps out of her crummy hotel room into the bright LA sunshine, she knows she’s got one, and only one, chance. Her audition for the massive talent show, The Sing Along, could change her life forever. She has the skills, what she needs now is a bit of luck.
Soon Hazel finds herself alongside fifteen other contestants who all have the same superstardom. There’s the beautiful Hollywood golden child, Bella. The bright, bubbly country singer, Zoey. The extraordinarily handsome surfer/influencer, Benji. And Hazel, who has more to hide than her past. She’s got the chops, but can she handle the pressure without self-combusting?
Add in an undeniable attraction to the show’s talented yet brooding musical director, Nick, and the lecherous tactics of one of the judges, Hazel soon finds herself in over her head. But with her guitar strapped to her shoulder, she’s going to sing her heart out―and maybe open herself up to love at the same time. Who says you can’t have it all . . .

This novel is, at its core, a romance. I knew there would be a Happily Ever After (more about that later) but there’s so much more to this story than just will they-won’t they. Romances are so much better when they have some substance to them, which this one does. Maybe that could potentially be attributed to the thrillers that Wicks writes as McKenzie. They’re wildly different genres but I feel like a good story means more than just a love story or a suspenseful act etc. In this romance, there’s a thread of Me Too and how there are still issues within the entertainment industry. Wicks does a great job of showing all the nuances involved when someone comes forward with allegations of abuse and I thought it was quite well done and realistic.

The secondary characters in this book really help round out the story. I hadn’t realized how much I appreciated them until I listened to an online chat between Wicks and Romance by the Book last week. Wicks said that, while Bella is the “villain” in Hazel’s story, the whole narrative could have been flipped on its head and, if told from Bella’s point of view, Hazel would be the villain and you’d be rooting for Bella the entire time. It was a really interesting way to put it and made me appreciate all the characters - and the way Wicks wrote them - so much more.

OK. I gotta mention the rabbit. I was thrilled to be introduced to Checkers the rabbit because I’m a rabbit owner myself. I know what it’s like to have a small, furry creature who loves to chew things and poop everywhere (truthfully, Tonks is very good about using her litter box but she’s an old girl now and sometimes I find myself asking her, “Why is there a poop over here?”). I know how to care for a rabbit. So, I was very concerned for Checkers on a number of occasions and, honestly, don’t know if the poor guy would have survived. Is it dumb that this affected me so much that I was almost shouting at the book for Hazel to do something differently? Perhaps. I was rooting for Hazel but I was also very much Team Checkers!

I don’t watch singing competitions but I really enjoyed that part of the story (which is good because it’s a huge part of the book!). It added the drama needed for the book instead of forcing drama between the love interests that doesn’t need to be there.

Now, about those love interests! Nick was very swoon-worthy and it took awhile for Hazel to realize that and that, duh, he totally has feelings for her. She had trouble reading him, not because she didn’t understand him, I don’t think, but because he was keeping himself very guarded. As was she. She had a big secret and wasn’t looking to open herself up to scrutiny. That makes it hard to get a relationship started, especially when the plan was to win a singing competition, not get a boyfriend. The tension between the two was delightful and I was rooting for them to end up together every step of the way. I absolutely love how Wicks wrapped up their story.

Hazel Fine Sings Along was an immensely enjoyable rom com romp that is a must read for anyone who enjoys their romances with laughs and drama. This debut from Katie Wicks is a solid one and I cannot wait for her next!

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

Review: Jana Goes Wild

Farah Heron has become an auto-read author for me. Her adult rom coms are so freaking wonderful (I have yet to read her YA books!) so I was so very excited to read Jana Goes Wild. It was fun and real and I enjoyed reading it but it won’t crack the favourites list.

Here’s the book’s description:

Jana Suleiman has never really fit in—everyone always sees her as too aloof, too cool, too perfect. The one time she stepped out of her comfort zone she ended up with a broken heart and a baby on the way. Aaaand lesson learned . Now she’s a bridesmaid for a destination wedding in Serengeti National Park, and almost everyone she knows will be there. Her five-year-old daughter. Her mom. Her friends. Even her potential new boss. And of course (because who doesn’t love surprises!) her gorgeous-but-not-to-be-trusted ex.
Fortunately, Anil Malek is a great dad, even if Jana hasn’t quite forgiven him for lying to her all those years ago. Determined to show he has no effect on her whatsoever, she and the bridesmaids concoct a go-wild list to get Jana through the week. Sing karaoke? Sure. Perform their high school dance routine in front of strangers? Okay. But the more she lets down her guard, the less protection she has against her attraction to Anil. And Jana soon realizes it’s one thing to walk on the wild side . . . and quite another to fall for her ex all over again.

Because I love Heron’s books so much, I didn’t even read the description before requesting the egalley. I also didn’t read it before starting it. The latter was a bit of a mistake. I hadn’t realized this was going to be a romance featuring parents and that’s a storyline that just does not work for me. It’s totally and completely a personal thing so if I do end up reading a book by an author I love, I try to prepare myself before diving in. And because I didn’t, I think it was even harder to get into the story. That said, I recognize how fantastic it is to get rom coms that feature parents. They deserve love too. I just don’t want to be a parent and my bias gets in the way sometimes.

I also don’t know if it was my silly brain or the fact that I wasn’t able to really tuck into the book for long chunks of time but it took me awhile to get into this one. I found it pretty long and even though I remembered Jana from Kamila Knows Best, I wasn’t really getting the Main Character Energy from her. I cared about her, don’t get me wrong, and I was totally rooting for a Happily Ever After for her and Anil. But it was a struggle to get really invested. Her issues seemed to be so very much in her head. They weren’t totally unwarranted, of course. Anil hurt her immensely and those around her were total assholes when she was pregnant with their daughter. I also think she had some anxiety that wasn’t ever addressed in the story - it was just sort of dealt with by saying she was an introvert and couldn’t “people” too much. I think it was more than just simply being an introvert. She refused to let go of the (again, justified) hurt even though Anil had gone above and beyond to prove that he regretted his mistake. I also think she thought people talked about her far more than they actually did. It seemed like she was self-centred but it was her past trauma and her anxiety that was making her come across that way. It all just didn’t really work (for me) for the tension and the issues that needed to be created for a rom com.

Getting to “travel” to Tanzania was super cool. I don’t think I’ll ever do a safari so I appreciated getting to experience it through reading this book. I also appreciated that Jana and Anil both worked in development and cared about making a difference and were conscious of their (and the wedding party’s) tourism and both the positive and negative impacts of it. That all said…holy man, the escapades in Tanzania really seemed to drag. I lost track of time and it felt like they were there for a month or more.

The best parts of the story were when the whole “hashtag Bridal Brigade” were together. I felt a bit bad because I am also an introvert and preferring some of the more vivacious characters to Jana felt incredibly disloyal (but omg when she was talking to someone and said, quite derisively, “you people” meaning extroverts, let me tell you, I cackled!). Heron writes relationships - both romantic and friendship - so extremely well and it was the friendship relationships in this one that shone. (Again, as much as I wanted an HEA for Jana and Anil.)

I know it likely seems like I really, really didn’t like this book. But honestly, I didn’t dislike it. I did have fun reading Jana Goes Wild but I think my expectations for Farah Heron are so high that I just expected more from it. I’ll absolutely keep reading Heron’s books and am already looking forward to what she writes next.

*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.* 

Review: The Rom-Com Agenda

I love rom coms (this should shock exactly no one). So, when a novel has rom com in the title? I’m intrigued. I cozied up with Jayne Denker’s The Rom-Com Agenda this winter (it was published on January 10) aaaand…it was fine. It was cute and kept me entertained enough but ultimately? It was just ok.

Here’s the book’s description:

You know how the story's supposed to go... but love makes its own plans.
STEP 1: Find yourself
Leah Keegan is used to being alone, especially after taking care of her sick foster mother for the past year. But now there’s nothing keeping her in the sweet town of Willow Cove. It’s time to move on. Again.
STEP 2: Win back the one who got away
Eli Masterson thought he and Victoria were meant to be together until she decided to jet off to Rome for a year. Eli is determined to win her back. But how?
STEP 3: Become a romantic hero
Changing Eli’s physical appearance is easy, but to turn Eli into the sophisticated-yet-vulnerable ideal man, his girl pals force him to watch classic rom-coms. And take notes.
STEP 4: Fall in love?
Inadvertently drawn into the makeover scheme, Leah ends up being Eli’s guide through the wild world of meet-cutes and grand gestures. Even though she believes Eli doesn’t need to change a thing about himself. Even though she just might be falling for Eli . . . and Eli falling for her.

A thing I learned (or maybe confirmed?) when reading this book was…I don’t like makeover stories. Usually the person getting the makeover doesn’t actually need it. They’re just trying to change to suit the desires of someone who does not even a little bit deserve them. Maybe it’s just because I’m not in their position but can’t these people see that if someone doesn’t like them for them then…the hell with them? You are good enough. You don’t need to change your clothes or work out more or become more sophisticated. You are great just as you are. That is what I wanted to tell Eli. Also that he was a total idiot and I wasn’t entirely sure Leah deserved him. But Leah was also kind of a knob and her excuses for not wanting to get involved in a relationship were weak. All in all, this was not a great way to start a rom com.

I did enjoy the whole “watch rom coms so you understand women” thing. Even though everyone should realize that rom coms are not at all realistic. If you’re trying to have a romance that you saw in a movie, you’re in trouble. That’s not real life. That is, however, a really great way to hang out with someone you’re interested in but aren’t really sure how to pursue so the tension starts to heat up and that’s fun. I did think the movie watching was going to be a bigger part of the book but it wasn’t, really. Or at least, it wasn’t as I expected. The absolute best part? They had Eli watching Bull Durham which is the best baseball movie. Yes. I said it and I stand by that decision.

I think my favourite things about this book were the big group of friends the reader's introduced to and the setting. Small towns are fun and this one, which is usually busy in the tourist season but pares down to just the locals in the winter, was fun to get to know. The bit at the beginning with the friends realizing that Leah works everywhere was too funny. While some of the friends had their own issues (and I’m sure we’ll see them in future books) and were a bit too zealous in their makeover plans, they were, at their hearts, amazing friends. I was happy to see that and was thrilled when they took Leah under their wing without making it obvious that they thought she needed friends (even though she really did).

All in all, The Rom-Com Agenda was cute and fun but Jayne Denker’s latest book won’t stick with me for too long. Pick it up if you want to meet a fun cast of characters, feel some nostalgia with the rom com movies mentioned, and get a Happily Ever After.

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

Review: You’re a Mean One, Matthew Prince

As soon as I heard the title of Timothy Janovsky’s latest novel, I was intrigued. How could I not be with a title like You’re a Mean One, Matthew Prince? It just screams, “Pick me up and read me!” I didn’t know it was also telling me I was going to love it but that’s what happened. This might be my favourite Christmas read of the season!

Here’s the book’s description:

Bring a little joy to the world?
Not today, Santa.
Matthew Prince is young, rich, and thoroughly spoiled. So what if his parents barely remember he exists and the press is totally obsessed with him? He’s on top of the world. But one major PR misstep later, and Matthew is cut off and shipped away to spend the holidays in his grandparents’ charming small town hellscape. Population: who cares?
It’s bad enough he’s stuck in some festive winter wonderland—it’s even worse that he has to share space with Hector Martinez, an obnoxiously attractive local who’s unimpressed with anything and everything Matthew does.
Just when it looks like the holiday season is bringing nothing but heated squabbles, the charity gala loses its coordinator and Matthew steps in as a saintly act to get home early on good behavior…with Hector as his maddening plus-one. But even a Grinch can’t resist the unexpected joy of found family, and in the end, the forced proximity and infectious holiday cheer might be enough to make a lonely Prince’s heart grow three sizes this year.

Enemies to lovers romances are really tough for me but I keep giving them a try because everyone once and awhile a rom com like this comes along and I remember how excellent that trope can be. Neither character really dislikes the other, it’s the circumstances that have them all twisted up and once they move past that, well, then sparks can fly! And fly they did. *fans self*

I’m not going to be the first to compare this read to Schitt’s Creek and I likely won’t be the last, but I’ll do it anyway. If you loved that show, you’ll really enjoy this book. Matthew had so many David moments which resulted in a lot of cringing and laughing. Hector isn’t quite like Patrick but he’s a perfect match for Matthew. It’s not just the two main characters who gave off Schitt’s Creek vibes but the whole town. The name of the town has totally flown out of my head, naturally. It’s a more thriving town than Schitt’s Creek is with a successful college and there’s no motel, just a B&B that was all booked up – no room at the inn! But there’s a coffee shop with the best barista in town (and an all-around stand-up woman) and there’s a mix of wacky and loveable everywhere you look. Schitt’s Creek with a dash of Stars Hollow, perhaps.

Matthew and Hector are both quite young, so they act like you’d expect of young men – focused on the immediate needs and wants and not fully being able to see the big picture. Some may think the romance was a bit insta-lovey but I didn’t find that to bother me. It’s a Christmas rom com. What else would I have expected? It was because of their youthfulness, I think, that the third act break up played out the way it did. Personally, I was pissed at how it turned out and I was Very Angry at a certain character (neither Matthew nor Hector). I was reading a romance so I knew it would all work out in the end, but I found myself wondering how on earth things would get patched up. I was rewarded with a really lovely Happily Ever After, which pleased me greatly!

The Christmas aspect of this novel was present without being overwhelming and I had no problem with this story billing itself as a Christmas rom com. There’s a lot of festive spirit including a Christmas tree farm visit and an outdoor light festival. There was also an emphasis on the importance of family, whether that’s blood family or chosen family and that was a really nice touch too. Matthew already had a big heart, just one that he hid, but I’m sure it grew three sizes over the course of the novel. (OK, I just re-read the book's description and it makes the same Grinch reference so just pretend I made it first, alright?)

I really very much enjoyed You’re a Mean One, Matthew Prince and think others will have a lot of fun with Timothy Janovsky’s novel as well. It was full of laughs, heart, and Christmas spirit and I definitely recommend it!

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

Review: All I Want for Christmas

It pains me so very much to say this but…All I Want for Christmas was not a winner for me. It hurts because I love authors Karma Brown and Marissa Stapley who, together, make up Maggie Knox, the author of the holiday rom com in question. I know you can’t win ‘em all but this one? Not liking this one really hurt.

Here’s the book’s description:

True love wasn't on their holiday wish list.
When Sadie and Max are selected as contestants on the famed reality singing show Starmaker, each thinks they've finally gotten their big Nashville break. But then they're paired up for duet week and stun the world with their romantic onstage chemistry. With fans going wild for #Saxie the network demands that they remain a duo on and offstage, or exit the competition. Faking a relationship until their final performance in the Starmaker holiday special shouldn't be too hard, except for one small problem--Sadie and Max can't stand each other.
But with their dreams just within reach, they agree to the ruse. Will their fake relationship be exposed before they can win? Or will an unexpected trip to Banff spark real feelings by the Christmas finale?

My biggest problem with this book was I just could not buy Sadie and Max as a couple. At all. They didn’t have any chemistry and just kept being so incredibly awful to one another. I couldn’t buy Max’s “excuse” and he never did win me over as a suitable rom com hero. Enemies to lovers is a tricky trope for me so that may have been part of my aggravation, but I really couldn’t see why the two of them would have worked as a couple – even for the short term.

I also hated that Sadie kept details from Max. There was no reason for her to keep the info to herself, even allowing for other strong emotions. (I’m trying to be vague here so I don’t ruin a plot point so bear with me.) It was like she just couldn’t be bothered sharing any part of herself with Max and how does that make for a good relationship?

The story really did start off strong and I hoped I was in for a delightfully festive and cheesy read. The pacing quickly threw me off and things went downhill from there. I don’t think I loved the time jump from when the show wrapped up to a year later when we met back up with the characters. There had to be a lot of explaining about what went on during that year and I got a bit bored and lost. Not to mention, again, that there was no connection that I could see between the main characters.

I’m sure there are readers who will love All I Want for Christmas by Maggie Knox. I hope there are. It’s hard when you have really high hopes for a book and so many things let you down. Ah well. Onto the next read, right?

*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: A Merry Little Meet Cute

I was so incredibly excited about Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone’s Christmas book, A Merry Little Meet Cute, that I actually read it really close to its publication date. Which was, um, September 20. And here we are in *checks calendar* December and I’m finally writing about it. Oops. I’ve been shouting about to everyone who will listen though (and even some who won’t…) because I found this holiday offering so entertaining!

Here's the book’s description:

Bee Hobbes (aka Bianca Von Honey) has a successful career as a plus-size adult film star. With a huge following and two supportive moms, Bee couldn’t ask for more. But when Bee’s favorite producer casts her to star in a Christmas movie he’s making for the squeaky-clean Hope Channel, Bee’s career is about to take a more family-friendly direction.
Forced to keep her work as Bianca under wraps, Bee quickly learns this is a task a lot easier said than done. Though it all becomes worthwhile when she discovers her co-star is none other than childhood crush Nolan Shaw, an ex-boy band member in desperate need of career rehab. Nolan’s promised his bulldog manager to keep it zipped up on set, and he will if it means he’ll be able to provide a more stable living situation for his sister and mom.
But things heat up quickly in Christmas Notch, Vermont, when Nolan recognizes his new co-star from her ClosedDoors account (oh yeah, he’s a member). Now Bee and Nolan are sneaking off for quickies on set, keeping their new relationship a secret from the Hope Channel’s execs. Things only get trickier when the reporter who torpedoed Nolan’s singing career comes snooping around—and takes an instant interest in mysterious newcomer Bee.
And if Bee and Nolan can’t keep their off-camera romance behind the scenes, then this merry little meet cute might end up on the cutting room floor.

Personally, I’ve been describing this book as a sex-positive, fat-positive, holiday rom com with A LOT OF STEAM. It’s light on the actual Christmas celebrations and heavy on the sexy times. Prepare your reading mood appropriately.

Is this book perfect? Oh, definitely not. I didn’t get a good enough sense of Nolan and the two characters’ voices just didn’t quite seem distinct enough. The whole premise is laughable if you think about it too much (so I suggest you don’t – that’s part of the fun). But it’s so damn entertaining that you can’t help but love it, at least a little. That’s why I’ve been recommending it to so many people. It’s fun and a really great escape for a hectic time of year.

What also helped was I really liked both Bee and Nolan. They were great main characters, and I was deeply invested in their lives – both together and as separate people. Murphy and Simone created two people who were flawed, who had to fight against their circumstances, and were just such a joy to read about.

Anyone who enjoys festive-lite reads that are smart, funny, and sexy must pick up A Merry Little Meet Cute. Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone have created a novel that’s delightful and fun but also full of heart and important topics. The novel doesn’t take itself seriously but it’s not a joke, either. It’s so much fun and perfect for curling up with this holiday season.

*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: As Seen On TV

I was so so so SO excited when I learned Meredith Schorr would be publishing a new book and with Forever, no less, one of my favourite publishers. I’ve known Meredith for years and have loved her work so to have her traditionally published rom com, As Seen on TV, in my hot little hands was a thrill. And it was such a enjoyable read, too!

Here's the book’s description:

Emerging journalist Adina Gellar is done with dating in New York City. If she’s learned anything from made-for-TV romance movies, it’s that she’ll find love in a small town—the kind with harvest festivals, delightful but quirky characters, and scores of delectable single dudes. So when a big-city real estate magnate targets tiny Pleasant Hollow for development, Adi knows she’s found the perfect story—one that will earn her a position at a coveted online magazine, so she can finally start adulting for real . . . and maybe even find her dream man in the process.
Only Pleasant Hollow isn’t exactly “pleasant.” There’s no charming bakery, no quaint seasonal festivals, and the residents are more ambivalent than welcoming. The only upside is Finn Adams, who’s more mouthwatering than the homemade cherry pie Adi can’t seem to find—even if he does work for the company she’d hoped to bring down. Suddenly Adi has to wonder if maybe TV got it all wrong after all. But will following her heart mean losing her chance to break into the big time?

OK – tough things out of the way first. I have to say that I wanted to love this one more than I did. Does it mean it was bad? NO. It just means my expectations were SKY HIGH. It was tough to swallow when Adi drove me nuts with her incredibly naïve views on small towns, as I grew up in a small-ish town. That said…I did really like that the story was a twist on the Hallmark movies we’ve all watched. The small town isn’t always the place to find a Happily Ever After!

There was a bit of a nostalgic feel to this book, even though it’s very much a contemporary set rom com with a young heroine. It felt like the rom coms of many years ago, you know the classic ones that we all rewatch over and over again. There was a lot of heart and a lot of cringeworthy moments with laughs along the way and all wrapped up with a Happily Ever After bow. It was delightful.

Schorr created an amazing cast of characters with this book. Even with Adi’s questionable thoughts about small towns and how to be a journalist (my partner is a reporter so I’ve had a front row seat on the profession for a long time), I still loved her. I wanted to hang out with her and really get to know her better, which is something I always look for in my rom coms. And Finn!? Yes, please. I shouldn’t be surprised that Schorr wrote such a fabulous hero because the love interest in her self-published Blogger Girl series is just as wonderful. Adi’s best friend, Kate, and Adi’s mom were amazing side characters and I loved how strong all the relationships were between the women. So good.

Meredith Schorr’s new novel is perfect for fans who love old school rom coms. As Seen on TV is full of love and laughs and will leave romance readers feeling satisfied.

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

Review: How to Love Your Neighbor

I had unintentionally missed reading How to Love Your Neighbor back when it was first released in January (can I blame a new school semester?). But once I got into Sophie Sullivan’s novel, I didn’t want to stop reading! It was a super fun read.

Here’s the book’s description:

Interior Design School? Check. Cute house to fix up? Check.
Sexy, grumpy neighbor who is going to get in the way of your plans? Check. Unfortunately.
Grace Travis has it all figured out. In between finishing school and working a million odd jobs, she’ll get her degree and her dream job. Most importantly, she’ll have a place to belong, something her harsh mother could never make. When an opportunity to fix up—and live in—a little house on the beach comes along, Grace is all in. Until her biggest roadblock moves in next door.
Noah Jansen knows how to make a deal. As a real estate developer, he knows when he's found something special. Something he could even call home. Provided he can expand by taking over the house next door--the house with the combative and beautiful woman living in it.
With the rules for being neighborly going out the window, Grace and Noah are in an all-out feud. But sometimes, your nemesis can show you that home is always where the heart is.

This wasn’t a perfect read, though, so I’ll get some of that out of the way first. Grace and Noah both had some serious parental issues. Grace’s mom wasn’t very maternal so Grace left home at 18. Her mom is toxic and continues to reach out for money. Noah, on the other hand, has an overbearing father who clearly wants to control all his children. Those are some deep problems to deal with but it sometimes seemed like it was just a plot point to check off. Like – how terrible can these parents be and how much drama can they cause for the couple before they’re able to rise above their upbringing and rule the day together forever for the rest of their lives? I just didn’t think it added enough to the overall story and every time their parents were mentioned, it kind of pulled me out of the book.

Noah was a bit of an ass when he and Grace first met but he was self-aware enough to (eventually) realize how his actions were affecting her. The book’s description paints this as more of an enemies-to-lovers kind of story. And they were, technically, enemies but simply because of logistics. Noah wanted the house. Grace owned the house. It was completely business, not personal. (But that wasn’t something Grace could wrap her head around, which I get.) So, I was able to get behind the enemies-to-lovers, a trope that’s usually not my cup of tea.

Noah and Grace were lovely humans, once you got to know them. They each have a certain, hard exterior they put up to keep themselves from getting hurt but they don’t realize the full extent of those walls until they start spending more time together. I was totally rooting for them and found their banter too adorable.

I hadn’t realized that this book is part of a series about Noah and his brothers so I’m definitely going to go back to read Ten Rules for Faking It and I’m really looking forward to A Guide to Being Just Friends as well.

And I just loved the design part of this story! It gave me all the best HGTV vibes and it was too fun to read as Grace designed Noah’s house.

How to Love Your Neighbor was a lot of fun to read. Sophie Sullivan’s novel is a great choice for a summer weekend (or evening…or anytime, really!) if you’re looking for a sweet and entertaining romance.

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