Review: The Charm Offensive

I had heard of The Charm Offensive, Alison Cochrun's debut novel, well before it published on September 7. I thought it looked like fun but then I heard a lot of fellow bloggers and bookstagrammers absolutely buzzing about it. I wanted in! And, good news, I enjoyed it just as much as everyone else has. It had everything I look for in a rom com!

Here's the book's description:

Dev Deshpande has always believed in fairy tales. So it’s no wonder then that he’s spent his career crafting them on the long-running reality dating show Ever After. As the most successful producer in the franchise’s history, Dev always scripts the perfect love story for his contestants, even as his own love life crashes and burns. But then the show casts disgraced tech wunderkind Charlie Winshaw as its star.
Charlie is far from the romantic Prince Charming Ever After expects. He doesn’t believe in true love, and only agreed to the show as a last-ditch effort to rehabilitate his image. In front of the cameras, he’s a stiff, anxious mess with no idea how to date twenty women on national television. Behind the scenes, he’s cold, awkward, and emotionally closed-off.
As Dev fights to get Charlie to connect with the contestants on a whirlwind, worldwide tour, they begin to open up to each other, and Charlie realizes he has better chemistry with Dev than with any of his female co-stars. But even reality TV has a script, and in order to find to happily ever after, they’ll have to reconsider whose love story gets told. 

I think my happiness with this book was helped by the fact that I was in the mood for this kind of story when I read it. I needed something that was funny but also had a romance at the centre. Plus, this had a lot of depth to it that made for a really well balanced rom com read. 

This is the second rom com I've read in the last few months that has played on The Bachelor(ette) TV show and created their own dating reality show. Both novels (the other was If the Shoe Fits which I also adored. Review here.) treat the shows in a similar way. It's not really about finding true love. It's now about making a name for yourself and promoting your own brand or furthering a business agenda. There are some people, like Dev, who want to fall for the over the top romance of it all - the elaborate dates and so on - and it's hard for them to realize that the show is not real life and no one is as invested in the love story as they are. The book pokes a bit of fun at the people who watch the show but also acknowledges that shows like that are an entertaining escape for some people and there's not really anything too wrong with that. (Full disclosure: I used to watch The Bachelor and The Bachelorette but I gave it up many years ago for all the reasons you'd assume but if people still want to watch it, it doesn't bother me any.)

Reading as Charlie opened up to Dev was wonderful. You can tell that it is extremely difficult for him and also that there's A Reason Charlie decides to do so with Dev. He's closed off from so many people but there's something about Dev that he trusts. He doesn't realize it at first but we, the reader of the rom com (emphasis on rom) knows that it's more than a friendship connection there. And it's not just Charlie who's opening up and discovering some Major Things about himself. Dev is forced to realize some hard truths as well - things that he's been avoiding thinking about or doing anything about because it was too hard. So, yes, I suppose you could say that Charlie and Dev made each other better. But I think a more accurate way to put it is they were able to be more honest and more of their true selves with each other. And isn't that the best thing to ask for in a partner?

This book is funny, too! There were so many laugh out loud moments and I thought Cochrun started the book perfectly by setting up the reality TV dating scene and giving the reader a number of hilarious moments right off the bat. I loved how clever and quirky both Dev and Charlie were and their banter - when Charlie allowed himself to let loose - was great.

The Charm Offensive is a book to read for all rom com lovers. Especially if you like reading about couples that we haven't seen nearly enough of in mainstream fiction. Alison Cochrun's novel is an absolute delight and I hope many, many others discover that for themselves soon!

*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: The Bennet Women

There are so many great Jane Austen retellings out there and I am so thrilled about it. There's no way I'm ever going to be able to get to all of them but I'm really happy I was able to recently read The Bennet Women by Eden Appiah-Kubi. This debut novel was a modern spin on Pride and Prejudice and I couldn't get enough of it.

Here's the book's description:

Welcome to Bennet House, the only all-women’s dorm at prestigious Longbourn University, home to three close friends who are about to have an eventful year. EJ is an ambitious Black engineering student. Her best friend, Jamie, is a newly out trans woman studying French and theater. Tessa is a Filipina astronomy major with guy trouble. For them, Bennet House is more than a residence—it’s an oasis of feminism, femininity, and enlightenment. But as great as Longbourn is for academics, EJ knows it can be a wretched place to find love.
Yet the fall season is young and brimming with surprising possibilities. Jamie’s prospect is Lee Gregory, son of a Hollywood producer and a gentleman so charming he practically sparkles. That leaves EJ with Lee’s arrogant best friend, Will. For Jamie’s sake, EJ must put up with the disagreeable, distressingly handsome, not quite famous TV actor for as long as she can.
What of it? EJ has her eyes on a bigger prize, anyway: launching a spectacular engineering career in the “real world” she’s been hearing so much about. But what happens when all their lives become entwined in ways no one could have predicted—and EJ finds herself drawn to a man who’s not exactly a perfect fit for the future she has planned?

The novel follows the characters over the course of EJ and Jamie's final year at Longbourn. I liked how the story was laid out with it taking place over a calendar year and broken up based on important events. For example, it starts with the Fall Formal (aka the ball where Elizabeth and Darcy first meet) and then skips ahead to other significant parts of the story. The chapters and sections all vary in length so they're just as long or short as they need to be, which I really liked. 

The nods to Jane Austen's original story were fantastic. This is very much Appiah-Kubi's own story but she uses the plot points of Pride and Prejudice as her framework. I loved the little moments like when EJ (who I absolutely loved) shows up at the hospital when Jamie ends up there and she's covered in mud from a long hike in the woods, just like Elizabeth when she rushes to Jane's side after hearing she'd fallen ill on her way to see the Bingleys. Will is a fantastic modern day Darcy who shows off the snobby and heart of gold sides of his personality so well.

If I had to make one complaint, it would be that it very much felt like this novel was just EJ's story even with the chapters and perspectives from many of the other characters. Sometimes it was just one chapter, such as the case with Dia (the "Lydia" character). But with characters like Jamie, it was a bit different as it was like she was supposed to get as much attention as EJ but she got a bit overshadowed. It was great to get her perspective but I don't know if maybe there needed to be more from her or maybe even less? Then there was Tessa, who is mentioned along with the other two in the description but didn't feature nearly as much as I expected. I wouldn't call this a negative and it didn't take away from my reading enjoyment. I think it's important to note if you're not a fan of multiple perspectives because the uneven focus it might be more of a bother for you.

As someone who grew up in a really white small town and now lives in a fairly white city, I really appreciate reading novels like The Bennet Women that are diverse and very matter of fact about it. I know I'm always learning and novels always give me at least one little (or big) lightbulb moment that helps me approach the world around me in a better way. (Reading novels is great, of course, but that cannot be the only learning I do - and it's not.) In the case of this novel, it was when EJ and Jamie were talking about wanting to do a road trip across the country but the reality was, a black woman and a trans woman would not be welcome in a lot of states. This is something I knew, sort of, but having it laid out like that just hit a little bit harder and stuck with me.

The Bennet Women is one of those books I just want to shove at people and tell them to read it. It's smart and funny and, no surprise here, I loved that Eden Appiah-Kubi wrote a fantastic novel with nods to one of my favourite classics, Pride and Prejudice. It's a great read and I think you should pick it up soon!

*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.*

Cover Reveal: The Certainty of Chance

I've been reading Jacquelyn Middleton for a long time now and I'll pretty much read whatever she publishes no matter what it's about. Her latest novel is The Certainty of Chance and it promises to be a magical holiday read. I can't wait!

Today I'm so pleased to be sharing the cover of the upcoming novel, which publishes on October 14, 2021. I think the cover perfectly conveys the wonderful story I'm sure to find inside.

Here's what the novel is all about:

THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT DECEMBER…
Madeleine Joy is feeling more meh than merry. When an Icelandic volcano erupts six days before Christmas, hazardous ash congests European airspace, canceling flights indefinitely—including the thirtysomething's connection to Paris. Stranded alone in London, separated from her sister, and with the devastating one-year anniversary of her best friend’s tragic death just days away, Madeleine has never felt less festive. And as if things couldn’t get worse, the cute guy driving the cab to her hotel won’t shut up about carolers and tinsel…
Julian Halliwell is one of life’s sunny optimists. A former music journalist, he’s embraced his love for London by starting his own black cab business, enthusiastically ferrying passengers from one historic landmark to another. But life hasn’t always been easy for Julian. Having navigated several life-changing setbacks including a cruel betrayal by his former fiancée, Julian remains hopeful that he’ll meet somebody kind, who shares his love of music, his corgi named Winnie, and of course, the magic of Christmas time in London.
Despite being an unlikely match, fate seems determined to throw them together. But can the grieving American find joy again in a world where the lights have all but dimmed?
From Jacquelyn Middleton, the award-winning author of UNTIL THE LAST STAR FADES, comes a heartwarming Christmas story of love, loss, serendipity, and the belief that what’s meant for you won’t pass you by.

You're ready for the cover, aren't you? I don't blame you. Here...we...go!

It has me so so so excited for this book! And I hope you're just as excited.

Cover Designer: ThinkTank

Pre-order your copy
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About the Author
Jacquelyn Middleton is an award-winning author of love stories for hopeful romantics--'hopeful' because her novels are always full of optimism and a 'happy ever after' is important now more than ever before. But life is messy, relationships are messy, and her books aren't afraid to go there, too. If you enjoy character and relationship-driven stories about people dealing with the triumphs and disasters we all face, Jacquelyn's books are for you.
In 2019, she was named BEST CANADIAN AUTHOR at the RWA's Toronto Romance Writers 'Northern Hearts' Awards for UNTIL THE LAST STAR FADES. She is also the author of LONDON BELONGS TO ME, LONDON, CAN YOU WAIT? and SAY HELLO, KISS GOODBYE.
An own voices author, Jacquelyn has dealt with anxiety, panic attacks, and depression all her life, and is dedicated to depicting mental health challenges realistically and empathetically in her novels.
Jacquelyn's books have been featured by The Hollywood Reporter, NBC News, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Daily News, USA Today, Cosmo, Redbook, and the Huffington Post.
She lives in Toronto with her British husband and Japanese Spitz dog.

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Review: While We Were Dating

I've been reading Jasmine Guillory for years now and will likely continue to read her for years to come. She has a way of creating really great stories that I always enjoy reading. While We Were Dating was no exception and I had this one finished in one day!

Here's the book's description:

Ben Stephens has never bothered with serious relationships. He has plenty of casual dates to keep him busy, family drama he's trying to ignore and his advertising job to focus on. When Ben lands a huge ad campaign featuring movie star Anna Gardiner, however, it's hard to keep it purely professional. Anna is not just gorgeous and sexy, she's also down to earth and considerate, and he can't help flirting a little...
Anna Gardiner is on a mission: to make herself a household name, and this ad campaign will be a great distraction while she waits to hear if she's booked her next movie. However, she didn't expect Ben Stephens to be her biggest distraction. She knows mixing business with pleasure never works out, but why not indulge in a harmless flirtation?
But their lighthearted banter takes a turn for the serious when Ben helps Anna in a family emergency, and they reveal truths about themselves to each other, truths they've barely shared with those closest to them.
When the opportunity comes to turn their real-life fling into something more for the Hollywood spotlight, will Ben be content to play the background role in Anna's life and leave when the cameras stop rolling? Or could he be the leading man she needs to craft their own Hollywood ending?

I finished this one before bed so I was thinking about what I might write for my review as I was drifting off to sleep. I realized that I had a really enjoyable time reading this book but...that doesn't necessarily mean it was the best it could have been. Anna and Ben were good characters. Not only that, they were good people. So that was fantastic. But...I don't know if I got to know them as much as I expected to. So much of their characteristics were based on their jobs, their race, and their mental health. Don't get me wrong - these are all Very Important Things and I am THRILLED to see all of these things in rom coms. I just felt like I didn't really know them by the end of the book. It's not a major thing but it was something that kind of niggled at me when I thought back on the book.

That said, I really did have a lot of fun reading this book. Guillory is great at finding the perfect balance of humour and depth and a sweet romance with sexy scenes. Her characters are always genuinely good people which is something I look for in my contemporary reads. And the attraction between Ben and Anna was so fun and electric - it was easy to see they were meant to stay together. 

I appreciated that each character was open about their mental health and the highs and lows that they've had. We're starting to see these kinds of discussions more and more in books and I love it. I think it's really important to pay as much attention to our mental health as our physical health - especially after the last year and a half. 

Overall, I liked While We Were Dating but I didn't love it. I expect more from Jasmine Guillory, which may or may not be fair. I know she's capable of writing rom coms I absolutely adore so when she doesn't quite hit that mark, it's kind of disappointing. This one is definitely still worth a read but I'd recommend it as a borrow, not buy. It's lots of fun but it's not necessary to keep it on your bookshelf.

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

Review: The Heron's Cry

It was just about a year ago when I finally realized that I like mystery novels. I'm not sure why it took me so long, perhaps it was because of the bombardment of psychological/domestic thrillers that exploded in bookstores everywhere in recent years. Ann Cleeves' novel The Long Call was one that helped me have that lightbulb moment. It was the first in a new series and book two, The Heron's Cry, is out in the world today. 

Here's the book's description:

North Devon is enjoying a rare hot summer with tourists flocking to its coastline. Detective Matthew Venn is called out to a rural crime scene at the home of a group of artists. What he finds is an elaborately staged murder--Dr Nigel Yeo has been fatally stabbed with a shard of one of his glassblower daughter's broken vases.
Dr Yeo seems an unlikely murder victim. He's a good man, a public servant, beloved by his daughter. Matthew is unnerved, though, to find that she is a close friend of Jonathan, his husband.
Then another body is found--killed in a similar way. Matthew soon finds himself treading carefully through the lies that fester at the heart of his community and a case that is dangerously close to home.

From the start I found the writing to be a bit choppy with quick sentences and the like. There was something else niggling at me and I realized partway through what it was: it was reading more like a screenplay than a novel. And not in a good way. You know when you read a book and can perfectly picture it as a movie? That's fine. But with this one, it was like it was being written with the intention of becoming a show. And guess what? It is going to be a new series, just like Cleeves' other works (Shetland and Vera). I just went down a rabbit hole of searching the actors in the show and Venn actually looks pretty much exactly like I pictured - but isn't necessarily what was described (there's no grey hair, for example). Anyway. I feel like the hope was always for it to be a film or tv show and that's how it was written and that, apparently, is a bother to me. But will I watch it? Oh, 100%. 

But back to the second novel. It's told in third person with most of the story coming from Matthew's perspective. His officers, Jen and Ross, also have their own storylines, both within and outside of the case. Jen's made the most sense since she had seen the first victim at a party the night before he was killed. Ross's side storyline didn't seem to fit at all - it was just like Cleeves wanted to make sure the reader knew he had a life outside of work but it felt shoehorned into the story. Having them each work on the case gave the reader the chance to try to puzzle out the clues with each police officer. All three of them work in different ways, which is so interesting from both a character and a work ethic perspective.

Speaking of working out the clues - the reader isn't given the full insight into Jen's suspicions at the end. Which I kind of loved! I had absolutely no idea what she had connected and couldn't wait to see everything fall together at the end. The end was a little bit of an "evil villain wants to talk all about their accomplishments" scenario, which I don't find super realistic, but I was still reeling from finding out who the murderer was. 

The pace of the mystery was good. I never felt like things were being slowed down or that unnecessary details were thrown in. Even when seemingly unrelated information was brought up, I could see how, maybe, it might tie into the murder investigation. I definitely wanted to keep reading, and quickly, to see how it all ended.

I love the setting of this series too. It takes place in North Devon, somewhere I've never been and likely never will get to visit. But I love the English-ness of it. Perhaps even more so these days as I've been stuck in basically one region of my province for a year. Bring on the armchair travel! Even with a side of murder! (Not real murder, please and thank you.) 

The Heron's Cry didn't necessarily wow me but I was still super invested in Ann Cleeves' latest novel. Crime mysteries are so interesting to read, for me personally and in moderation, and I'll definitely be picking up the third book in the Two Rivers series as soon as it's released.

My review of The Long Call is here.

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

Review: Better than the Movies

Ah, nothing like a book about teenagers to remind you that it has been a long, long, long time since you were a teenager yourself. But I kind of enjoyed that feeling as I read Lynn Painter's Better than the Movies. I felt everything as deeply as if I was 18 again and I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book.

Here's the book's description:

Perpetual daydreamer Liz Buxbaum gave her heart to Michael a long time ago. But her cool, aloof forever crush never really saw her before he moved away. Now that he’s back in town, Liz will do whatever it takes to get on his radar—and maybe snag him as a prom date—even befriend Wes Bennet.
The annoyingly attractive next-door neighbor might seem like a prime candidate for romantic comedy fantasies, but Wes has only been a pain in Liz’s butt since they were kids. Pranks involving frogs and decapitated lawn gnomes do not a potential boyfriend make. Yet, somehow, Wes and Michael are hitting it off, which means Wes is Liz’s in.
But as Liz and Wes scheme to get Liz noticed by Michael so she can have her magical prom moment, she’s shocked to discover that she likes being around Wes. And as they continue to grow closer, she must reexamine everything she thought she knew about love—and rethink her own ideas of what Happily Ever After should look like.

This is the kind of novel Teenage Kaley would have devoured. As it was, Adult Kaley didn't want to put it down either. Painter hit all the right notes of cringey teenage drama, confusing feelings about relationships and growing up, and the sweetness of first loves. I don't know how we made it out of teenagerhood, to be honest. 

I don't love comparing novels but sometimes it's necessary. Liz gave me some Lara Jean (To All the Boys I've Loved Before) and Pippa (Leading Lines) vibes - which I was so here for. There's a bit of a sweetness and innocence to all three that I like for a couple of reasons. First, I was like that too as a teenager. Second, senior year of high school is the last time you really get to be a kid and that's super powerful and full of strong emotions, which is why we love these high school stories so much. So many of us wanted to grow up quickly but, now that we have, there's sometimes a wish that we could go back to when we just had to worry about school and who was crushing on us. As I said, I could see bits of myself in Liz but I was definitely in awe of how she embraced her personality. 

It was hard to read as Liz tried to navigate her senior year of high school without her mom. This is important and I wish the description had mentioned it: Liz's mom died in a car accident when she was in the fifth grade. She's having a really hard time with all of the "last" moments that high school has to offer and can't find a way to talk about it with her dad or best friend. (Side note: Liz is not innocent in the issues that come up with her BFF but I was not impressed with Joss as a best friend but I may have been expecting too much of a teenager.) I can't imagine how hard it would have been to have all these intense feelings as a teen and not know what to do with them.

I absolutely loved all the references to rom coms throughout the book. Did I think Liz was leaning too hard on these movies that her mom left for her? Yes. But grief works in different ways for different people. Each chapter begins with a quote from all sorts of romantic comedies which was too fun. I love the genre (quelle surprise) so understood why Liz was so obsessed but I also understood Wes and Liz's stepmom's feelings on the genre. Some are wildly unrealistic and you just can't suspend your beliefs to make it work. But others? They leave you with all the warm and fuzzies when the credits roll. And that's the kind of feeling Better than the Movies left me with as I closed the book. 

Better than the Movies is a must read for YA readers who love contemporary stories. It's funny and sweet and an absolute delight. Lynn Painter has created a heroine who readers will love and want to root for as she finds her way in the world and discovers that your first love might not be exactly what you expected.

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

Review: The Great Godden

After not reading a YA title in over a year, I've read three within a couple of weeks! The Great Godden was first up. Meg Rosoff's novel was published in April but I held onto it, knowing it would be a great summer read. I was right. It was an intense summer for the characters in the novel and I was really invested in how it would all turn out.

Here's the book's description:

This is the story of one family, one dreamy summer. . . . In a holiday house by the sea, our watchful narrator sees everything, including many things they shouldn't, as their brother and sisters, parents and older cousins fill hot days with wine and games and planning a wedding. Enter two brothers: irresistible, charming, languidly sexy Kit and surly, silent Hugo. Suddenly there's a serpent in this paradise -- and the consequences will be devastating.

It's kind of difficult to explain this one - it's kind of like a literary YA. There's plot and characters but it reads at a different...level, maybe, than your average teen book set during the summer. For one, you don't know the narrator's name or exact age. I'm pretty sure they were female and likely about 17, going into their final year of high school. It didn't bother me, exactly, but the curious part of my brain really wanted to know those details! It was also a pretty short novel so the information that was given was important (even though sometimes I was wondering why certain memories were brought up).

There's a lot of change for the narrator and their family, as well as their neighbours. Their younger neighbours are like a super cool aunt and uncle to the four siblings and they're finally tying the knot. That in itself would make for a lot of drama but the Godden brothers showing up throws off their usual summer balance and no one knows how to act or how things will turn out. 

I loved the feeling of summer in this book. It hits all the highs and lows of summers, especially those that are spent at a cottage (I assume, based on the few visits to cottages I've had in my life). There's the long drive out of the city (in this case, the city being London) and the exhaustion and excitement that brings. Then there's the arrival with the whole summer spread out before you with so many possibilities. But summer ticks along as it always does and suddenly there are only a few weeks left before having to go back to normal life. The drama in the story follows that same meandering path with the climax happening just before the end of summer.

I really had no idea how things would turn out. I'm actually pretty sure my jaw dropped when everything came to light. I was proud of how the other characters reacted in the midst of a total upheaval of their lives. Some of them were a bit judgey of a certain character before but when The Thing happened and it all came to light, they realized how wrong they were and worked to make it right. 

The Great Godden was unique and kept me really interested throughout the whole novel. Meg Rosoff is a talented writer and I enjoyed her summer-set YA novel and think a lot of others would as well.

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