Review: The Player Next Door

I am a happy, happy reader when K.A. Tucker releases a new book. Her latest is The Player Next Door and this remarkably fun and sexy romance did not let me down. It was pretty much exactly what I needed to be reading and the only downside I found to it was that it had to end and I could never go back to reading it for the first time. 

Here's the synopsis:

Scarlet Reed has returned to Polson Falls, convinced that twelve years away is long enough to shed her humiliating childhood identity as the town harlot's daughter. With a teaching job secured and an adorable fixer-upper to call home, things in her life are finally looking up.

That is, until she finds out that Shane Beckett lives next door.

Shane Beckett, the handsome and charismatic high school star quarterback who smashed her heart. The lying, cheating player who was supposed to be long gone, living the pro football dream and fooling women into thinking he's Prince Charming. Shane Beckett, who is as attractive as ever and flashing his dimples at her as if he has done no wrong.

Scarlet makes it abundantly clear that old wounds have not been forgotten. Neighbors they may be, but friends they most certainly are not. She won't allow herself to fall for the single father and firefighter again, no matter how many apologies he offers, how many times he rushes to her aid, or how hard he makes her heart pound.

But as she spends more time with him, she begins to fear that maybe she's wrong. Maybe Shane has changed.

And maybe this time she's the one playing herself—out of a chance at true happiness.

I grew up in a small town. It wasn't quite as small as Polson Falls but it sure as hell felt like it. So reading as Scarlet moved back and had to confront some of the people she thought she'd left behind forever? It really, really resonated with me. Now, my experience in my hometown was just fine. I didn't have any mean girls after me nor any embarrassing family members (I did have family members I wished didn't exist but that's a whole other therapy session review). I was just bored as hell. I left for university and haven't lived there for more than summers since. Now that I'm older (just a few years older than Scarlet), I can sort of see the appeal to the smaller towns but I don't think you'll catch me moving back anytime soon. My point? If you also grew up (or currently live) in a small town, you'll love how Tucker captures the setting of this novel. And if you're a city dweller? Know that this is the real deal.

Tucker's stories are kind of all over the map in terms of genres. Some are more suspenseful with murder and dangerous individuals lurking around every corner. Others are dramatic with serious issues like single parenthood, a death of a parent, or learning a friend is on the spectrum. But they all have a romantic element woven throughout. Which is always welcome (you all know I'm a big fan of love stories) and always well done. I like to recommend her books to those who say they don't typically read romance (usually after I've gone on a lengthy monologue about how romance novels and readers are stigmatized and stereotyped) because hers are stories that feature realistic people doing their thing and living life. Life that happens to include a romance because that's the case in real life. There are careers and friends and lessons to be learned, but there's a romantic relationship happening too. It's wonderful.

And the romance in The Player Next Door? Well, it's pretty front and centre in this story and it is steamy. Scarlet and Shane had to overcome a lot before they could get back together. There was a loss of trust because Shane was such a bonehead in high school. You might think, "that was over a decade ago and Scarlet needs to let that shit go" and, well, you're not wrong. But when someone hurts you that deeply and you've never been able to figure out why? It's going to be hard to listen to reason. Scarlet makes Shane work for it and once he is finally able to get his side of the story out, she decides to forgive him. Then the sexy times can start. You may want a fan nearby. 

The characters Tucker writes are always so well developed and so interesting. You're able to feel like you can step right into the story and become friends with these people. Especially in this story. I would love to be able to go out for drinks at the local restaurant with Scarlet and her friends and just hang out. Tucker's characters are never perfect - which I like because perfect characters are boring. Plus, none of us are perfect so why should we expect the characters in the books we read to be so? I don't even care if I can't fully connect or understand a character. Scarlet is a teacher and Shane is a father. Both of those things involve children and make me want to run away screaming. But that doesn't mean I'm not going to read the book just because I can't fully understand their motivations. (Er, I may be using this review to rant on people who have issues with other books and other characters and "not being able to connect" which I find utter BS...unless it's a poorly written character.) What I'm trying to get at, in the world's most rambling way, is every character Tucker writes is as layered and interesting as the people you're going to meet in your real life and that is part of what makes all of her novels so very good. 

The Player Next Door is a novel you're going to want to add to your To Be Read list immediately. K.A. Tucker's latest is fun and dramatic and sweet and sexy. It is a light-hearted escape for you during these bonkers times but it isn't an empty story. There's a really great heart and soul to it that will leave you feeling incredibly satisfied by the time it's done.

About K.A. Tucker

K.A. Tucker writes captivating stories with an edge. 

She is the USA Today bestselling author of 17 books, including the Causal Enchantment, Ten Tiny Breaths and Burying Water series, He Will Be My Ruin, Until It Fades, Keep Her Safe, and The Simple Wild. Her books have been featured in national publications including USA Today, Globe & Mail, Suspense Magazine, First for Women, and Publisher's Weekly. She has been nominated for the Goodreads Choice Award for Best Romance 2013 for TEN TINY BREATHS and Best Romance 2018 for THE SIMPLE WILD. Her novels have been translated into 16 languages.

K.A. Tucker currently resides in a quaint town outside of Toronto with her family.

Connect with K.A. Tucker

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*A copy of this novel was provided by the author via Valentine PR in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: Twice in a Blue Moon

I think a few blue moons have passed since I read Christina Lauren's novel Twice in a Blue Moon. I read it back in October, just before it was published, and have even read (and reviewed!) their latest novel, The Honey-Don't List, since then. Somehow, I just missed talking about this novel that I devoured in one day.

Here's the synopsis:

Sam Brandis was Tate Jones’s first: Her first love. Her first everything. Including her first heartbreak.
During a whirlwind two-week vacation abroad, Sam and Tate fell for each other in only the way that first loves do: sharing all of their hopes, dreams, and deepest secrets along the way. Sam was the first, and only, person that Tate—the long-lost daughter of one of the world’s biggest film stars—ever revealed her identity to. So when it became clear her trust was misplaced, her world shattered for good.
Fourteen years later, Tate, now an up-and-coming actress, only thinks about her first love every once in a blue moon. When she steps onto the set of her first big break, he’s the last person she expects to see. Yet here Sam is, the same charming, confident man she knew, but even more alluring than she remembered. Forced to confront the man who betrayed her, Tate must ask herself if it’s possible to do the wrong thing for the right reason… and whether “once in a lifetime” can come around twice.

Now, a lot of people have said they didn't enjoy this one. There are various reasons, as there always are, but I really liked it. Maybe it was simply because I needed this kind of story at the time I was reading it.

One reason it could have appealed to me more is because I love a good second chance story. It's one of my favourite tropes and I enjoyed that this novel had the second chance happening way out in the middle of nowhere so they were kind of trapped with each other (but not totally alone, given they were on a film set).

I don't think I necessarily fell for the characters as hard as they fell for each other. Neither Tate nor Sam particularly stood out to me, especially when they were adults. I may have enjoyed their teenage love a bit more than their adult one. Perhaps because they were both so much...harder by the time they met again. I think I also just couldn't quite get over what Sam did to Tate.

I could, however, see that they still cared a lot for each other. There was a lot of hurt to get over on Tate's side but she was stubborn and didn't want to hear Sam's side of the story. Plus, she's a big star now and it was hard for her to look past that and focus on the movie they were making. Through all of that the reader can tell they belong together if they could just have an honest conversation about how scared they are and how much the other means to them.

While Twice in a Blue Moon won't stick with me forever, it was a delightful read. I'm still a big fan of Christina Lauren and am already looking forward to their next book.

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

Review: Say You Still Love Me

Fact: I will always love whatever K.A. Tucker writes. I've been reading her books for so long now that I can't imagine not falling in love with the characters and world she creates. That might make me a bit biased these days but it's the truth. She is, and always will be, one of my favourite authors (both because of the amazing books she writes and because she's such a lovely person). And because she's a favourite and an auto-read (and usually auto-buy but my wallet usually has more to say about it than I'd like), I knew I'd want to read Say You Still Love Me as soon as I heard about it. So much so that, confession time, I actually had no idea what the book was about before I dove in. And, oh boy, did I ever dive. I didn't want to put it down.

Here's the synopsis:

Life is a mixed bag for Piper Calloway.
On the one hand, she’s a twenty-nine-year-old VP at her dad’s multibillion-dollar real estate development firm, and living the high single life with her two best friends in a swanky downtown penthouse. On the other hand, she’s considered a pair of sexy legs in a male-dominated world and constantly has to prove her worth. Plus, she’s stuck seeing her narcissistic ex-fiancé—a fellow VP—on the other side of her glass office wall every day.
Things get exponentially more complicated for Piper when she runs into Kyle Miller—the handsome new security guard at Calloway Group Industries, and coincidentally the first love of her life.
The guy she hasn’t seen or heard from since they were summer camp counsellors together. The guy from the wrong side of the tracks. The guy who apparently doesn’t even remember her name.
Piper may be a high-powered businesswoman now, but she soon realizes that her schoolgirl crush is not only alive but stronger than ever, and crippling her concentration. What’s more, despite Kyle’s distant attitude, she’s convinced their reunion isn’t at all coincidental, and that his feelings for her still run deep. And she’s determined to make him admit to them, no matter the consequences.

Second chance romances are my favourite (yep, I'm a broken record and you'll continue to hear that from me until I can no longer flail about books) so Say You Still Love Me was right up my alley. What I liked about Tucker's approach to the trope was that the relationship began at summer camp (so, hello, perfect for summer) and it featured characters who were from two very different worlds.

The other thing Tucker did with this novel and the second chance trope was tell it in two time periods. There was a chapter in the present ("Now") and then a chapter from 2006 ("Then") when Piper and Kyle were both counsellors at summer camp. Each chapter moved forward in time and, slowly but surely, the story came together and all the little mysteries (what happened to their friend from camp? Why did they break up?) were solved.

Another of my all-time favourite authors is Sarah Dessen. She writes strictly contemporary YA novels (the only kind of YA I'll read these days and even then only from specific authors) and I've been reading them since I was about 15. Her books often take place in the summer because she sees the season as a transformative one where absolutely anything can happen. Once I got thinking about Tucker's latest and all of Dessen's books, I realized something. Say You Still Love Me is what would happen if Dessen's characters grew up and we got to see what they were up to years after a magical, life-changing summer. No wonder I loved it so much.

Three side notes. The first, I love this cover. Just love it. It reminds me of where I grew up and the docks and trees that are found all over the bay. The second is I'm fairly certain Tucker referenced one of her own books in a very sneaky fashion. Piper catches Kyle reading a thriller and its cover features a blurred person with their palm pressed against a pain of glass. Sound familiar? Third, Kyle changes his last name to Stewart, which was his mom's name. I did the same thing when I turned 18. And the name I changed it to? Stewart.

I'm not sure if this book will get bumped to the top of my favourite of Tucker's books - and I can't quite put my finger on why. I thought it was a unique story (yes, there were tropes but Tucker used them well and put her own spin on it) and the characters were interesting (I loved that Piper was smart and kicking ass in the corporate world) and had chemistry. It was still really, really good though and one I'd highly recommend for the second half of your summer (it takes place in part at summer camp, of course you want to read it in the summer).

Say You Still Love Me is yet another wonderful novel from K.A. Tucker. She knows how to write real, angsty, and interesting novels and I always look forward to them. I'm a bit jealous of all of you who haven't read this one yet because you have such a treat to look forward to. I, on the other hand, am already impatiently waiting for what Tucker writes next!

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

Review: Don't You Forget About Me

Somehow I had never read a Mhairi McFarlane book before picking up Don't You Forget About Me. And after reading it? I'm definitely going to be checking out her backlist. I even have a head-start as I own You Had Me At Hello. (So there's no excuse for me never having read her before.) This book was pretty much everything I look for in a rom-com and I absolutely loved reading it.

Here's the synopsis:

Sometimes you have to hit rock bottom to rise again…
If there’s one thing worse than being fired from the grottiest restaurant in town, it’s coming home early to find your boyfriend in bed with someone else.
Reeling from the indignity of a double dumping on the same day, Georgina snatches at the next job that she’s offered – barmaid in a newly opened pub, which just so happens to run by the boy she fell in love with at school: Lucas McCarthy. And whereas Georgina (voted Most Likely to Succeed in her school yearbook) has done nothing but dead-end jobs in the last twelve years, Lucas has not only grown into a broodingly handsome man, but also has turned into an actual grown-up with a business and a dog along the way.
Meeting Lucas again not only throws Georgina’s rackety present into sharp relief, but also brings a dark secret from her past bubbling to the surface. Only she knows the truth about what happened on the last day of school, and why she’s allowed it to chase her all these years…

I love a good second chance romance novel. I don't know what it is about that trope I love so much but love it I do. And when it's done well? It makes for the best reading experience. McFarlane does really, really great things with this trope. See, the reunion between Georgina and Lucas does not go well. From Georgina's perspective, it's quite embarrassing (which is the story of her life, I think). Here's her first love, someone she tried to get over because of pretty crap circumstances, and he...doesn't remember her? I, like I'm sure every other reader, was pretty certain that Lucas did remember her and was just pretending not to. But why? What happened all those years ago?

It's that question that takes a wee bit too long to be revealed. Normally I don't mind that there are secrets and such that keep being revealed over the course of the novel. But, in this case, I knew there had to have been a major reason that Lucas and Georgina broke up. Was it the same reason that has led Georgina to think she's not good enough for anything but menial, dead-end jobs or terrible boyfriends? Instead of having total relief at the revelation at the end of the book, I kind of found myself thinking, "about damn time I knew the whole truth." This isn't a deal-breaker by any means but it was a weird irritant that kept this book from being 5 stars.

What I did love about this book was how real it was. Georgina is not perfect. Not even close. It might be because she's a white, British woman but I would say she's like a more modern (and, dare I say it, better) Bridget Jones. Maybe I just think she's better because I was too young to fully identify with Bridget when I first read the book. I'm 32, just two years younger than Georgina, and I was in high school when I read Bridget Jones's Diary. Anyway, like Bridget or not, McFarlane has totally embraced this new wave of rom-coms (WHICH I LOVE) and has given us a character who has flaws and has no real interest fitting into some preconceived notion of what a thirty year old woman should be. And, for that, I love her. (Her being both Georgina and McFarlane.)

If you're a rom-com lover - or even just a fan of really great contemporary novels - you are going to want to pick up Don't You Forget About Me. I thoroughly enjoyed Mhairi McFarlane's latest novel and think you will too. Now, time to check out her other books!

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

Review: A Brand New Ending

Like most romance readers, I have tropes I enjoy and tropes I don't. A Brand New Ending, the second book in Jennifer Probst's Stay series, hit so many of the tropes I love and I so enjoyed my time spent reading it.

Here's the synopsis:

Ophelia Bishop was a lovestruck teenage girl when she and Kyle Kimpton chased their dreams to Hollywood. Kyle’s dreams came true. Ophelia’s did not. When Kyle chose his career over their relationship, Ophelia returned home to rural New York to run the family’s B & B—wiser, and more guarded against foolish fantasies. Now Kyle has come crashing back into her life, and all her defenses are down.
Kyle can’t think of a better place to write his latest screenplay than his hometown. After all, that was where he met the heart of his inspiration—his first love. He knows the damage he’s caused Ophelia, and he wants a chance to mend their relationship. If anyone can prove to Ophelia that happy ever afters aren’t only for the movies, it should be him.
As much as Ophelia’s changed, she still has feelings for Kyle. But her heart has been broken before, and she knows that Kyle could run back to Hollywood at any time. She gave up her dreams once, but maybe she can dare to change her own love story…one last time.

I have two favourite tropes and I can't decide between the two which I love more. Luckily, Probst gave them both to me. Small town and second-chance romances are my jam so it's no surprise I adored Ophelia and Kyle's story. These are also cliches that can, well, become just that if they're not done well. I already knew Probst would nail the small-town charm because I fell in love with the Robin's Nest B&B in the first book of the series, The Start of Something Good (you can check out my full review here if you missed it). Part of what made the setting so delightful in the first book was Ophelia's charm, which came through even though the first book was about her brother. In her story, you realize how big her heart really is. Sometimes those kinds of characters can be a pushover but Ophelia has spunk and I adored her. (It's also why her brother, Ethan, calls her Tinkerbell - she has the same sass as the fairy.) She's just such a wonderful person - and kudos to Probst for writing such great characters - that you cannot help but root for her and hope she gets the Happily Ever After she deserves.

And Kyle? Definitely deserves her. I would say he was mostly to blame for their relationship imploding (not to say Ophelia was innocent but he was in the wrong) but Probst, again, wrote him so well that you couldn't hate him. He had his reasons and they make sense when you remember he was a 20 year old guy trying to make a name for himself in Hollywood. That's not an easy thing to do. (I assume. Since I've never been a 20 year old guy nor have I even been to California.) Another thing that's not easy? Realizing when you're in the wrong and working your ass off to fix the problems you created. Kyle takes a little while to figure out why Ophelia was so hurt and why she left him but once he does? He works hard to make sure she realizes he's sorry and refuses to fall into the same trap again. Plus I just loved that he's a writer. (A third trope I enjoy!)

Kyle and Ophelia really fought their attraction. Actually. That's not strictly true. Ophelia fought it. Kyle was pretty open with his plan to seduce her. (Another thing I loved? He didn't push her in a skeezy way. He respects her so much.) But once she realized she still had some sort of feelings for him? Hoo boy. Fireworks. Probst knows how to write sweet and sexy. My favourite.

A Brand New Ending, which just published this week, was such a lovely read. Jennifer Probst has written a story full of heart, heat, and hope. It's the perfect book to pick up when you need a pick-me-up and will have you swooning and falling in love, just like the characters in this story.

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

Review: Holiday in the Hamptons

I received my ARC of Holiday in the Hamptons on August 11. I had the book finished on August 12 and I had a wedding that day. So, I suppose it's very fair to say I was really looking forward to the next installment in Sarah Morgan's From Manhattan With Love series. (And also very fair to say that I'm way behind with my blog reviews but major life events have gotten in the way.) This is a romance series I fell in love with when I read the first book, Sleepless in Manhattan (review here), and have been eagerly anticipating and then devouring each of the following books. 

Here's the synopsis:

Professional dog-walker Felicity Knight loves everything about New York...until her ex-husband starts working at her local vet clinic. She hasn't seen Seth Carlyle in ten years, but one glimpse of him--too gorgeous, and still too good for her--and Fliss's heart hurts like their whirlwind marriage ended yesterday. So when her grandmother in the Hamptons needs help for the summer, it seems the ideal way to escape her past.
Their relationship might have lasted only a few scorching months, but vet Seth knows Fliss--if she's run away to the Hamptons, it's because she still feels their connection and it terrifies her. He let her go once before, when he didn't know any better, but not this summer! With the help of his adorable dog, Lulu, and a sprinkling of beachside magic, Seth is determined to make Fliss see that he's never stopped loving her...

I know I've said it time and time again but I adore second chance romances. So, the fact that Fliss and Seth were reconnecting after so many years apart was a huge draw for me. The pair were so young when they first got together (and married) that I was excited to see how grown-up them would deal with a relationship. Not so well, in Fliss' case but that was to be expected based on her prickly personality.

I loved that Seth seemed like such a solid guy (but I guess that shouldn't be too surprising since it is a romance and the hero is almost always wonderful and swoonworthy). I think I appreciated that because I had sort of gotten to "know" Fliss over the past few books of this series and knew that she needed someone amazing who could tame her prickliness. You could tell that Fliss has a big heart hidden behind her less than warm personality - a lot of that is based on how she is with her siblings and the dogs she walks - and that makes you root for her Happily Ever After.

As the synopsis mentions, Fliss goes to the Hamptons to run away from her problems and to help her grandmother. Unfortunately, she's so insecure and unwilling to believe she is a great human being that she pretends to be her twin sister, Harriet (who she considers the "good twin"). Fliss' constant negative thoughts about herself kind of got to me and I wished she would realize that she has so much to offer the world. Seth could see that - and could actually, really see her and (this isn't really giving anything away) could tell that she wasn't Harriet. (Which I totally loved, by the way.) But he allowed her to pretend for awhile but finally pushed back when he knew the charade had gone on far enough. Fliss needed that push and Seth wasn't going to let her sell herself short.

Holiday in the Hamptons was really fun and sweet and I loved getting to know Fliss and Seth more. I wouldn't call this installment one of my favourites in the series...it wasn't bad by any means but I felt like there should/could have been more...well just more...between Fliss and Seth. Sarah Morgan still remains one of my favourite contemporary romance authors and I cannot wait to read Harriet's story, Moonlight Over Manhattan.

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

Top Ten Tuesday: All About Romance

Created by The Broke and the Bookish

Top Ten Tuesday is weekly meme created by the lovely folks at The Broke and the Bookish. They created it because they're "particularly fond of lists" and since I also enjoy lists, I've decided to participate in this fun feature. (Side note: I only did one TTT in 2016! And it was over a year ago! Crazy.)

Happy Valentine's Day, bookworms! Are you doing anything special today? Nothing planned for me. We're not into celebrating Valentine's Day so it's just another Tuesday in our house. Even though I'm not part of a typically romantic couple, I adore romances. I will read pretty much any book that has any hint of a romance - chick lit, women's fiction, literary fiction, historical fiction, and, of course, romances. Gimme 'em all. I'm interpreting today's TTT of All About Romance Tropes/Types as a list of my favourite tropes. I've included an example for each so you get a better idea of what I mean by the trope. Links lead to Goodreads. I only came up with eight because, to be honest, it was getting late on Monday night and I needed to get to bed! What are some of your favourite romance tropes?

Small Town
This is, hands down, one of my favourite tropes. I don't really know why because I wanted to get out of my own small hometown so badly but I guess there's just something about stories in teeny little towns to tug at my heart.

Example: I love Nora Roberts' Inn Boonsboro series and thought The Perfect Hope was the perfect way to wrap up the series. Bonus: you can actually visit the Inn and bookstore. Nora and her husband own them!

Second Chance
I think I love these stories so much because, like most people, I always wonder about what could have happened if life had gone one way instead of another. (To be clear, these days I wonder about more career related things than relationships gone wrong!)

Example: Jennifer Weiner puts her own (fantastic) spin on the second chance romances in Who Do You Love.

Classic Example: Persuasion by Jane Austen. And there have been so many books written that pay homage to this wonderful story, too!

Christmas
I absolutely adore Christmas and one of my favourite things about the holiday is reading all of the romances that have anything to do with Christmas. It does get annoying when "Christmas" gets slapped on a story that barely has a whiff of peppermint or evergreen. But...when there is the holiday spirit and a sweet romance? Oh, I'm a happy girl.

Example: The Most Wonderful Time of the Year is, well, simply wonderful. It has the Christmas spirit and it's by one of my favourite author/blogger/people, Marie Landry. Bonus: It also takes place in a small town and is a second chance romance.

Summer Vacation
This trope is only really applicable to YA novels. I think I have a fondness for them because I had quite a few summer romances in high school. There's just something magical about those few months off school when the weather is beautiful and you don't have a care in the world.

Example: Sarah Dessen wins all of the summer vacation stories. Yes, there are other, amazing authors, like Morgan Matson, but I've been reading Dessen for so long that summer vacation = her novels. Along for the Ride is my favourite summer story because it also takes place in a beach town.

Friends to Lovers
This trope can be overdone but when it's done right? I love it. One friend realizes they have feelings for the other but they don't know if the feelings are reciprocated. Such tension!

Example: Anne of the Island. There are so many great examples but...it's Anne and Gilbert. Swoon.

Boy/Girl Next Door
This kind of carries on from the friends to lovers but I just really like when two friends grow up together and end up realizing they're in love with each other.

YA Example: My Life with the Walter Boys was so much fun to read. I need more!

Athletes
Either I haven't found enough or there just aren't enough sportsing romances out there. Good ones, of course. I particularly need more with baseball or hockey or basketball. There are enough football books out there already. Anyway. I've played sports and enjoy watching them so I also really enjoy reading about athletes falling in love. And yes, I'm being a bit sexist when I think of these types of stories. Tall, strong, men with all sorts of other redeeming qualities on top of their athletic prowess? Yum.

Example: This was a really hard one to choose because the few I've read (there should be more!) are all so good. But my virtual bestie, Laura Chapman, has an awesome series about football (yes, I know what I just said) that everyone should read. Start with First & Goal.

Road Trip/Vacation
This is sort of the adult version of the summer vacation trope. I like reading about couples who are in a different place than they're used to and either fall in love or fall in love more deeply while they're vacationing.

Example: Karina Halle has written so many books that would suit for a lot of these tropes (without being cliche...important!) but one of my favourites of hers is Where Sea Meets Sky which brings a guy from BC to New Zealand because he's chasing after a girl.

Blog Tour: Dare to Take

I love a good, steamy, enjoyable romance every once and awhile. Actually, who am I kidding? I enjoy them as often as I can in between some of the other books I have to review. Because I've read two of Carly Phillips' Dare to Love books before, I knew I wanted to read Dare to Take, the latest (and possibly last...but don't quote me on that) in the series. It was exactly what I was looking for and I devoured it in one day.

Here's the synopsis:

A one-night stand.
A secret.
A mistake they tried to forget.
 On leave from the army, Tyler Dare is just looking for a little fun, but his sister's best friend is off limits. Yet unable to deny how sexy and alluring she is, he finds it all too easy to succumb to a night of passion and heat that ends the next morning in the worst way possible.
 There are just some guys you don't touch-- even someone as innocent and inexperienced as Ella Shaw knows that. But when her best friend's brother is up for grabs and willing, she can't resist. After all, she's wanted him for years...
 Now, Ella is stranded on a tropical island with a hurricane bearing down, and only Tyler can save her. It's his chance to make amends for the past and show the woman he's never forgotten that he's coming after her...in more ways than one.

I really liked Ella. She's a smart, strong woman who's fiercely independent and an amazing friend. That independence comes from a less than ideal childhood and is actually one of Ella's flaws. It's hard for her to accept help and accept the fact that some people, like Avery, her best friend, and Tyler, Avery's brother, want to help her and think the world of her. For most of the novel Ella is unable to let her issues go and that causes huge problems with Tyler, who wants nothing more than to make sure Ella is taken care of. The issues Ella had to work through made so much sense based on her past and, even though it was annoying when they created roadblocks in her relationship with Tyler, it was still easy to love her and hope for a picture perfect Happily Ever After.

Ella and Tyler had crazy chemistry and I loved reading and waiting for them to finally get together (again). It wasn't just chemistry between the sheets, either. (Though those scenes were definitely enjoyable.) Once the two started to put aside and work through their issues, you could tell they had a solid foundation for a relationship - which is probably why they both quickly realized that whatever they were doing was more than "just sex". 

The one thing I find awkward about companion series like this one are the sheer number of names and characters tossed around. Because Dare to Take is so late in the series, everyone else is already coupled up and having babies, adding even more names into the mix! There was also this odd character whose full name was mentioned and Ella had one conversation with and we never hear from again. As far as I could tell, the only reason Jillian Novak is brought into the story is because Ella needed someone who wasn't Avery to vent to about Tyler. I did wonder if she was a character in another of Phillips' novels. (A quick Google search returns nothing but it could be the character was named after Jill Shalvis and Brenda Novak - two other romance authors.) I also wasn't a huge fan of how the next series was introduced. It seemed to forced to have Kade show up in the epilogue the way he did. But maybe I'm just being super nitpicky and thinking too much about these things.

Dare to Take wasn't my favourite out of all the Carly Phillips novels I've read. Maybe it's because everything between Ella and Tyler seemed too easy or that the problems that came up were just based on stubbornness and not communicating. I can handle that in some romance novels but something about this one didn't quite work for me. I did enjoy reading it though, I promise. I didn't want to put it down and I think a big part of that is because it's a second chance romance - one of my favourite kinds of romance novel! I don't like to think of this as the final Dare to Love book so I might actually backtrack and start reading some of the earlier ones I missed!

*A copy of this novel was provided by Rockstar PR & Literary Agency for the purpose of a blog tour. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: Some Kind of Wonderful

Some Kind of Wonderful is the second book in author Sarah Morgan's Puffin Island series. While I hadn't read book one, First Time in Forever, I was still excited to check out this small town, second chance story. Two of my favourite tropes together in one romance novel? Sign. Me. Up.

Here's the synopsis:

USA TODAY bestselling author Sarah Morgan will sweep you away with her Puffin Island series! In a town where anything can happen, sometimes love can be found in the most unlikely place of all...
Her whole life, Puffin Islander Brittany Forrest has dreamed of adventure. And at the age of eighteen, she thought she'd found it in bad boy Zachary Flynn. But after just ten tempestuous, smoldering days, their whirlwind marriage went up in smoke, and Brittany resolved to put him out of her mind forever.
Zach knows he let Brittany down, but being back on Puffin Island and seeing Brittany again stirs up long-buried emotions. This daredevil pilot has never felt worthy of her, yet he can't stay away - even when he knows the chemistry between them will only complicate his life.
As long, hot summer days on the beach dissolve into sultry, starry nights, Brittany and Zach find that the sparks between them are more powerful than ever. Could it be that the second time around, their dreams of a happy-ever-after will finally come true?

There's a small chance I was expecting more out of this novel as I was just the teensiest bit disappointed when I finished it. Don't get me wrong...I enjoyed reading the book and I was happy spending the time doing so but...something irked me. I think it was a combination of a couple of things. The first was one of the things I was looking forward to about the book: the small town. It was small and therefore everyone knew everyone else's business. Brittany dealt with it because she knew, deep down, the townspeople meant well. I didn't have the benefit of living on Puffin Island my whole life so I didn't get that. I felt like Zach. It was a bit suffocating and, holy man, people were so judgmental and rude. Speaking of Zach...this was another small issue for me. He wasn't quite as well defined as I would have liked. I didn't mind so much at the start because he was holding so much back when Brittany came back to town. But by the end? I still didn't quite feel like he gave himself over to her totally. Maybe I just expected more of him :)

All that being said, the story was a sweet one. I mentioned before that I really like second chance romances. This one was interesting because there had been zero closure when Brittany and Zach's marriage fell apart and, when you meet them, you can tell they haven't been able to let go of what happened so many years ago. I looked forward to seeing how the pair dealt with unresolved feelings and issues. I was on Skylar's, one of Brittany's best friends, side and wanted the two to give into the physical feelings. Of course, I also wanted them to talk things out but sometimes you just gotta, well, you know. ;)

Speaking of Skylar, I really need to look into the next book in the Puffin Island series, Christmas Ever After, because it focuses on Skylar and Alec and I find them both really intriguing. Plus, I'm fairly certain part of the story takes place in London (a city I'm desperate to visit but have only ever experienced through books, TV, and movies!) before moving back to Puffin Island. Might have to read a holiday book in the spring!

Even with those few little things, I still liked Some Kind of Wonderful. I will continue to read Sarah Morgan's books (in fact, I may investigate her backlist when I'm in the mood for a sweet, good romance). You don't have to read the first book in the Puffin Island series but I think I would recommend it. There are enough references that make me wonder if I would have enjoyed the book more if I had started the characters' stories from the beginning.

*An eARC was provided by the publisher, Harlequin, via NetGalley in exchange for a review. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

I'm a very bad blogger. I should have had Marie Landry's book read last year before Christmas, instead of in January. Not only that but I should have written the review right away so it'd be ready to go for this holiday season because I should have known there would be issues and I'd have a broken laptop to contend with! Alas, here we are a few days before Christmas and I'm finally reviewing a few of the holiday themed books I've read this year. I may be delayed but I'm still going to tell you that you must read The Most Wonderful Time of the Year. I loved it! It's a novella so you definitely have time to read it before the big day. Plus, it's just 99 cents so you really can't say no to that.

Here's the synopsis:

Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year, right? At least that’s what twenty-year-old Ginny Bailey’s grandmother always told her, and Ginny believed it until Grama died. She even put on a brave face the following two Christmases, carrying on Grama’s traditions and decorating her house and café with Grama’s favorite decorations.
But Ginny can’t pretend any longer. When she finds out she’s going to be alone for the holidays this year, her Christmas spirit goes out the window, along with her luck. Everything that can go wrong does, and Ginny just wants to spend the holidays hiding under the covers...until Dean Riley comes back into her life. With their shared past, old feelings begin to resurface almost immediately, and Ginny thinks Dean might just be the Christmas miracle she’s been waiting for to help her remember why Christmas really is the most wonderful time of the year.

Unlike some books that take place at Christmastime, The Most Wonderful Time of the Year really does centre around the holiday. The magic of Christmas, not just the day, is really present, which I adore. As hard as it is for Ginny to celebrate the holiday without her Grama, she still goes all out and celebrates the holiday as her Grama would have wanted. Plus, the whole town is full of Christmas cheer - a little bit like Stars Hallow, in fact. Yay, small towns!

My heart hurt for Ginny. On top of having to spend yet another Christmas without her Grama, her parents (who were never really parents to her, having had her when they were just 18), decide to leave on a last minute vacation. That's what not to do when you've already abandoned your child once, fyi. I knew Ginny was strong but I worried that she'd struggle with the holiday even more. I really wanted to reach through the pages and give her a big hug!

I love Christmas books and I love second chance romances. Put the two together and you have one happy reader. I adored Ginny and Dean together and couldn't wait for them to figure out they needed to give a relationship another try. Their relationship is just so sweet and I loved reading as they figured out their rekindled feelings for each other.

I also love books where the heroine owns her own business. I'm not sure why (today's not the day for a psych analysis) but I do. Perhaps it's because she (usually) immediately comes across as a put together woman who is doing what she loves. That's not always the case but Ginny (who technically doesn't own the cafe yet) thrives in the cafe and has big dreams for it. When I first read about her plans to expand, I immediately wanted to hop into the pages of the book so I could help her reach her dreams.

Finally, can we just talk about this cover for a moment? I may have swooned the first time I saw it and I'm still in love with it today. The image is just so very pretty!

Like I said, The Most Wonderful Time of the Year is a novella so it won't take you very long to read. Go buy it for your ereader right now and you'll have it done before you open your stockings. Marie Landry is so talented! I really need to read more of her books, like, immediately!

*A copy of this novel was provided by the author in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: Sleeping with the Enemy

I expected Sleeping with the Enemy to be your typical romance novel. In a way, Tracy Solheim's latest book fit that bill. But there's more to it than a former couple being thrust together once again many years later (though that's one of my favourite tropes). There's another factor in play in this novel...someone intent on ruining the lives of these characters. That element added something extra to the story and made me like it that much more.

Here's the synopsis:

Dot-com millionaire Jay McManus is discovering that owning a pro football team like the Baltimore Blaze isn’t easy. An anonymous blogger is out to destroy his reputation, and now his team is being sued by its own cheerleaders. If Jay’s not careful, he could lose big—and not just financially.
Bridgett Janik’s brother may play for the Baltimore Blaze, but she’s not thrilled to be defending Jay McManus, the man who broke her heart. It’s bad enough she has to mingle with Jay during games, but working beside her former lover may be too much for her body—and her heart—to resist.
Jay’s determined not to let Bridgett slip away from him a second time. But, as the two follow the mysterious blogger’s trail, secrets—both past and present—are revealed, and Jay and Bridgett must decide if their relationship can be something more than just sleeping with the enemy.

Bridgett and Jay are both very strong characters. And by that I mean they're strong-willed, ambitious, tough, and so on. They both have demanding careers that they've let run their lives because they're too busy protecting their broken hearts (even though they insist they don't have hearts any longer, let alone broken ones). It was great to read about a woman who was high powered and respected in her industry and I think Solheim did a good job of balancing that career-mindedness with the romance. Her characters showed that you can have a career and personal relationships...even though so many of the characters were real humans and screwed up from time to time. It was refreshing.

I've read four sports related novels this year (plus two manuscripts) and all but one revolved around football. I like sports so I enjoy when novels are set in that kind of environment. Of course, I wish authors would branch out from football but I guess I'll take what I can get. (Side note: please recommend any books that feature baseball teams or players. Or hockey. I am Canadian, after all.) Anyway, the actual game of football doesn't have much to do with this novel. This book features the owner of the team so he's not actually playing the sport. I liked that it gave a behind the scenes look of a franchise.

While Sleeping with the Enemy is part of a series, you don't necessarily have to have read the rest of them. If the series interests you, though, I'd recommend starting from the beginning since past characters show up in this book and you'll know who ends up with who in each book (though these are romances so you'll have an idea anyway!). You'll also have a better grasp on all of the characters. That's one thing I didn't love about this book...it was hard to keep everyone straight. Names were dropped that I should have known but I didn't and I therefore didn't see the point of mentioning them. 

I can't let a review of a romance novel end without discussing the actual romance, now can I? I love a good second chance romance. I sometimes get annoyed when it's clear there was miscommunication between the love interests in the past and it's just due to stubbornness/fear that they haven't worked things out. In the case of Bridgett and Jay, there are elements in play that you don't even realize are elements. That's not a spoiler...you can tell there's more going on but you really don't know what it is. I liked that. Finally, the sex scenes are just steamy enough for this type of romance but be warned if you hate reading about sex or if you're looking for erotica. These two had crazy chemistry. ;)

Overall, Sleeping with the Enemy was a good romance read. It didn't blow me away but Tracy Solheim kept me interested and invested in the characters and story she created. Would I read more of her books? Yes, I probably would. I'm involved in the world of the Baltimore Blaze now and I wouldn't mind seeing what else those characters get up to.

One course complete for the Fall Reading Challenge!
Course: Scandal Studies 101
Department: Romance

*A copy of this novel was provided by the publisher via BookSparks as part of their Fall Reading Challenge. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: Before We Were Strangers

I've read Renee Carlino's work before and loved it (my review of Sweet Thing is here) so I was really looking forward to reading her latest, Before We Were Strangers. Did I love it as much as Sweet Thing? Not quite. Would I still recommend it? Absolutely.

Here's the synopsis:

From the USA TODAY bestselling author of Sweet Thing and Nowhere But Here comes a love story about a Craigslist “missed connection” post that gives two people a second chance at love fifteen years after they were separated in New York City.
To the Green-eyed Lovebird:
We met fifteen years ago, almost to the day, when I moved my stuff into the NYU dorm room next to yours at Senior House.
You called us fast friends. I like to think it was more.
We lived on nothing but the excitement of finding ourselves through music (you were obsessed with Jeff Buckley), photography (I couldn’t stop taking pictures of you), hanging out in Washington Square Park, and all the weird things we did to make money. I learned more about myself that year than any other.
Yet, somehow, it all fell apart. We lost touch the summer after graduation when I went to South America to work for National Geographic. When I came back, you were gone. A part of me still wonders if I pushed you too hard after the wedding…
I didn’t see you again until a month ago. It was a Wednesday. You were rocking back on your heels, balancing on that thick yellow line that runs along the subway platform, waiting for the F train. I didn’t know it was you until it was too late, and then you were gone. Again. You said my name; I saw it on your lips. I tried to will the train to stop, just so I could say hello.
After seeing you, all of the youthful feelings and memories came flooding back to me, and now I’ve spent the better part of a month wondering what your life is like. I might be totally out of my mind, but would you like to get a drink with me and catch up on the last decade and a half?
M

This novel seems to be promoted as New Adult. In a way, it is...but only half of the story really fits into the New Adult category. The novel takes place at two different points in time. In one, the past, Matt and Grace have just met in college. The other is present day, fifteen years later, which means they're in their early thirties - not exactly New Adult. Is this really a problem? No, but a lot of people use categories and genres to decide whether or not they'd like to read a particular book. I'm closer to my thirties than I am New Adult so it didn't bother me as much as it would someone who was expecting a true NA story.

Matt and Grace had a lot to work through once they reconnected. A lot. There were unanswered questions, which included a few where the other party had assumed the answer. This novel really showed that you should never assume you know what the other person is or was thinking and you should always talk things through when you finally have the chance. Of course, this is easy for me, the reader, to say! :) That was another little negative for me...I just didn't like how neither Matt nor Grace seemed to try very hard after they went their separate ways. There was almost too much drama surrounding it.

I liked that Carlino really kept me on my toes. I wasn't sure how things would work out between Matt and Grace. I really couldn't tell what would happen and the whole time I was hoping for a Happily Ever After (what can I say, I'm a sucker for happy endings). There were quite a few curve balls thrown into the story which I loved...even though it meant a lot of pain and heartache for the characters I had come to care about!

Second chance love stories are some of my favourites and, while Renee Carlino didn't hit it out of the park completely for me with this one, I did enjoy Before We Were Strangers. She's written two characters who are so real, and therefore flawed, who readers will love getting to know over the course of the novel. Do I think you should try this one if it piques your interest? Absolutely. But if there are other New Adult novels that you're looking at reading, maybe put this one on the to be read eventually, instead of immediately, list instead.

*An egalley of this copy was provided by Atria via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Cover Reveal: Butterfly Ginger

I'm really excited to take part in today's cover reveal (organized by Jen Halligan PR) for Stephanie Fournet's upcoming novel, Butterfly Ginger. As soon as I read what it's about I knew I wanted to get involved because it features one of my favourite subjects for romances and contemporary novels: a second chance love story!

Before I share the cover, here's what the book is all about:

Butterfly Ginger is the story of first love getting a second chance. The summer before freshman year, Nate Bradley and Blythe Barnes meet and fall hard. Even with plans to attend college in different cities, they’re convinced that nothing can tear them apart—until everything does. Now, six years later, life in South Louisiana is giving them the chance to put the pieces back together.

Now...here's the cover!

It's sweet, isn't it? Make sure you add the book to Goodreads! It will be published on November 3.

About the Author

Stephanie Fournet, author of Fall Semester, Legacy, and Butterfly Ginger, lives in Lafayette, Louisiana—not far from the Saint Streets where her novels are set. She shares her home with her husband John and her daughter Hannah, their needy dogs Gladys and Mabel, and an immortal blue finch named Baby Blue. When she isn’t writing romance novels, she is usually helping students get into college or running.  She loves hearing from fans, so look for her on Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, and and stephaniefournet.com.

Oh, and guess what! There's a giveaway! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blog Tour: Love Comes Home

I know I've mentioned it before on the blog but I'm a sucker for sweet, second chance love stories. Kristi Rose's new short story collection, Love Comes Home , delivered exactly what I love about those kind of stories! I smiled, laughed, and teared up as I read the five short stories included in this collection. It's a must-read for romance lovers!

I know there's a lot of text included in this post but make sure you scroll all the way to the bottom of the review...there's a giveaway included in this blog tour!

Here's the description of the anthology, courtesy of Goodreads:

A collection of five sweet, heartwarming contemporary romances about forgiveness, second chances, and loving through difficult times. 
Perfect length books to satisfy your need to read when time is limited. Great for carpool, waiting in line, running kids to practice or lounging on the beach.
Second Chances- Book 1: A fourteen year old heartbreak is the only thing that stands between a second chance at love and happiness for Cole Williams and Lorelei Parker. 
Once Again- Book 2: When old flame Grady Duke moves in next door to workaholic Evie Barker, she realizes there's more lacking in her life than down time. 
Reason to Stay- Book 3: Rising songwriter Shea Barker is driven toward one thing- her career. Until she meets sports writer Leo Marshall and discovers that maybe her lyrics aren’t the only place where love is found. 
He’s the One- Book 4: Melinda Bane is putting her eggs into the sperm bank basket. When a house fire puts her dreams on hold, her oldest friend Jared Calhoun just might have a solution.
Kiss Me Again- Book 5: Andee Swift's ten year marriage has lost its spark and, whether it’s costume play or couples therapy, she’ll do whatever it takes to reignite the flame. 

I think my favourite thing about this collection was how all the stories were connected. All the characters in the stories were either friends or knew each other from their small town of Lakeland. I liked finding out what the characters from the previous story were up to! That being said, I found the connections a wee bit lacking in book four, "He's the One", which featured Melinda. It seemed like she just popped out of nowhere and I couldn't quite see how she fit in. Truthfully, she didn't come out of nowhere as she was a part of Grady and Evie's story, but in that one she was someone I kind of didn't like. It took a lot to reconfigure my thoughts about her. This was really the only negative I had with the entire collection though, so, yay!

I liked that, even though all of the stories had a "second chance" theme, they all had a different storyline. It wasn't the same thing written five times with five different couples. How boring would that have been? Granted, books one and two did feature old flames but the situations were quite different, both then and now. All of the stories were fresh and kept me excited about reading the next one.

This collection is exactly the kind of romance I like to read (though I sometimes like reading ones that are a little steamier...this one is, well, tame for a lack of a better word). It was sweet and featured characters I really cared about. Even though the romantic relationship was the main point of each story, every character (both the heroines and heroes) had an interesting life and Rose made sure to share that. I don't like when the characters don't have any personality or a life outside of trying to land a partner so I was thrilled that each character was developed and interesting. It made me want to move to their small town to hang out with all of them!

Overall, Love Comes Home was a total winner for me. Kristi Rose has become one of my romance authors to watch. I think every other romance lover will enjoy this collection as well. The stories are a perfect length so you can read it in snippets over a week or devour the whole collection in one day. Perhaps by the pool before the summer is over?

Want to own a copy yourself? (Yeah, you do.) Here's where you can purchase Love Comes Home:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo | Goodreads

See what other bloggers had to say about this sweet romance collection. The list of other tour stops is here.

About the Author

Kristi Rose was raised in central Florida on boiled peanuts and iced tea. She’s been lucky enough to travel the world but now, a wife and mother, she's resigned to traveling to the grocery store. No matter where she is, she enjoys watching people and wondering about their story. That’s what Kristi likes to write. Stories about everyday people, the love that brings them together, and their journey getting there. Kristi is a member of RWA.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Goodreads

GIVEAWAY

Good luck! :)

Grand Prize: One signed ebook or paperback, two fun diner signs (pictured below), and $25 gift card of choice (US or FPO/APO address only). 
1st Prize: One digitally signed LOVE COMES HOME ebook, $15 gift card of choice  (international).

2nd Prize: One digitally signed LOVE COMES HOME ebook, and $10 gift card of choice (international)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*An eARC was provided by Jen Halligan PR for this blog tour in exchange for a review. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: Who Do You Love

I love Jennifer Weiner. I love her as an author, as a person, and as a hilarious go-to for Bachelor/Bachelorette snark. I do admit it's been a little while since I've read one of her books but when I heard about her latest, Who Do You Love , released earlier this month, I knew I had to read it right away.

Here's the synopsis:

Rachel Blum and Andy Landis are eight years old when they meet late one night in an ER waiting room. Born with a congenital heart defect, Rachel is a veteran of hospitals, and she's intrigued by the boy who shows up all alone with a broken arm. He tells her his name. She tells him a story. After Andy's taken back to the emergency room and Rachel's sent back to her bed, they think they'll never see each other again.
Rachel, the beloved, popular, and protected daughter of two doting parents, grows up wanting for nothing in a fancy Florida suburb. Andy grows up poor in Philadelphia with a single mom and a rare talent that will let him become one of the best runners of his generation.
Over the course of three decades, through high school and college, marriages and divorces, from the pinnacles of victory and the heartbreak of defeat, Andy and Rachel will find each other again and again, until they are finally given a chance to decide whether love can surmount difference and distance and if they've been running toward each other all along.
With honesty, wit, and clear-eyed observations about men and women, love and fate, and the truth about happy endings, Jennifer Weiner delivers two of her most memorable characters, and a love story you'll never forget.

Even if I wasn't in love with Weiner, I'd want to read this book. I love second chance love stories (something you'll hear me repeat a lot this month...apparently August had a theme!) and I was intrigued about Rachel and Andy and how their story would play out over the years. And, spoiler but no spoiler, it's kind of soul-crushing. They go through so much and I really wasn't sure how their story would end. Would it end completely or would it end with a new beginning? Oh, the feels!

I found it really interesting and refreshing (in the best possible ways) how Weiner wrote her main characters. Young Rachel (and even twenties Rachel) was not a very nice person. I mean, she was nice enough but she was part of the Mean Girls crowd in high school (there's one scene that made me cringe and I imagine would be even worse for anyone who was bullied or did the bullying. So well done but so sad too.) and was in a sorority in college. Young Andy had some struggles but it's adult Andy who becomes someone you can't see yourself looking up to or maybe even associating with. I found all of this interesting because, typically, Weiner writes likeable characters. And I have a feeling she wrote Rachel and Andy the way she did in a very deliberate way. Characters don't have to be likeable and, guess what literary world, chick lit and women's fiction can have characters who aren't particularly likeable. What matters is they are interesting, layered, complex human beings who you want to keep reading about. And they definitely were.

The way the story was told took some getting used to. Each chapter alternates perspectives and takes place in a different year. What this means is you get to see what's happening in each character's life yet you don't get overlapping points of view. I sometimes felt I had missed something (and, in a way, I did: a few years between characters/chapters) but somehow it all worked together. The best way I can describe it is it was almost like interconnected short stories. I actually can't imagine the story being told any other way.

Who Do You Love is a heartbreakingly romantic, well written, engaging novel. I really enjoyed Jennifer Weiner's latest and already can't wait for what she writes next. (So, it's a good thing I have some of her backlist to work through!)

*An ARC of this novel was provided by Simon & Schuster Canada in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*