I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.
SYNOPSIS
Can they stop hating each other long enough to fall in love?
A commitment-phobe and a hopeless romantic clash over and over again–until heartbreak and unexpected chemistry bring them together in this clever enemies-to-friends-to-lovers debut romance.
When Ari and Josh first meet, the wrong kind of sparks fly. They hate each other. Instantly.
A free-spirited, struggling comedian who likes to keep things casual, Ari sublets, takes gigs, and she never sleeps over after hooking up. Born-and-bred Manhattanite Josh has ambitious plans: Take the culinary world by storm, find The One, and make her breakfast in his spotless kitchen. They have absolutely nothing in common . . . except that they happen to be sleeping with the same woman.
Ari and Josh never expect their paths to cross again. But years later, as they’re both reeling from ego-bruising breakups, a chance encounter leads to a surprising connection: friendship. Turns out, spending time with your former nemesis is fun when you’re too sad to hate each other–and too sad for hate sex.
As friends-without-benefits, they find comfort in late-night Netflix binges, swiping through each other’s online dating profiles, and bickering across boroughs. It’s better than romance. Until one night, the unspoken boundaries of their platonic relationship begin to blur. . . .
With sharp observations and sizzling chemistry, You, Again explores the dynamics of co-ed friendship in this sparkling romantic comedy of modern love in all its forms.
REVIEW
I started You, Again without knowing too much about it. A few book friends have been raving about it on social media, so I figured I’d have to move it up on my tbr. Once I started this book I could not stop reading it!
What you can expect to find in You Again -enemies to friends to lovers -he’s grumpy, she’s slightly less grumpy -bi rep -fated mates (they run into each other every few years) -disastrous meet cute -swoony & angsty
When Josh discovers that his grilfriend’s roommate – Ari – is occasionally sometimes a “friend with benefit”- when he comes over to make her dinner he immediately dislikes her. They bicker and fight the entire time Josh is making dinner.
Then starts their unfortunate run-ins with one another every few years. And their run ins eventually become a tentative friendship after both Josh and Ari are coming out of serious relationships. Ari is going through a divorce after her wife dumped her for someone else and Josh feels lost without someone to call his own.
There are so many things I loved about this book. The way Kate Goldbeck can make me laugh while also making my heart race in sweet/sexy/spicy scene. The way I connected with both characters and their group of friends. The fact that I felt the hurt, anger and loneliness in both Ari and Josh and yet I was SCREAMING for them to get together!
I have literal paragraphs highlighted because they resonated with me so profoundly. Obviously I can’t put into words how much I loved this book.
If there’s one book you need to add to your fall tbr, please let it be You, Again! I can’t wait to read whatever Kate Goldbeck writes next.
A heated rivalry at a winter destination in Florida?! Say no more! When Lauren and Asa have to work together to try to save theme park they both work at will they be able to put aside their differences? And what happens when they both start actually enjoying spending time together?
I love a good rom-com and I look forward to reading With Love, from ColdWorld especially after really enjoying Love in the Time of Serial Killers last year!
SYNOPSIS
She has a to-do list a mile long and falling for her coworker isn’t on it–yet somehow he’s become her top priority in this romantic comedy from the national bestselling author of Love in the Time of Serial Killers.
Lauren Fox is the bookkeeper for Cold World, a tourist destination that’s always a winter wonderland despite being located in humid Orlando, Florida. Sure, it’s ranked way below any of the trademarked amusement parks and maybe foot traffic could be better. But it’s a fun place to work, even if “fun” isn’t exactly Lauren’s middle name.
Her coworker Asa Williamson, on the other hand, is all about finding ways to enliven his days at Cold World–whether that means organizing the Secret Santa or teasing Lauren. When the owner asks Lauren and Asa to propose something (anything, really) to raise more revenue, their rivalry heats up as they compete to come up with the best idea. But the situation is more dire than they thought, and it might take these polar opposites working together to save the day. If Asa thought Lauren didn’t know how to enjoy herself, he’s surprised by how much he enjoys spending time together. And if Lauren thought Asa wasn’t serious about anything, she’s surprised by how seriously he seems to take her.
As Lauren and Asa work to save their beloved wintery spot, they realize the real attraction might be the heat generating between them.
Tropes you can expect to find in A Dash of Salt and Pepper : enemies-to-lovers, workplace romance, single dad and age gap! This is a perfect rom-com for foodie lovers.
When Xavier finds himself back in his home town of Harper’s Cove, Maine he doesn’t expect to be working as a prep chef for the hot single dad chef who doesn’t know how to operate his own kitchen. But soon these two find themselves heating up the kitchen – will they be able to make their relationship work?
SYNOPSIS
Sometimes two cooks in the kitchen are better than one in this swoony romantic comedy from the author of I’m So (Not) Over You.
Xavier Reynolds is doing less than stellar. He just got dumped, was passed over for a prestigious fellowship, and to top it all off he’s right back home in Harper’s Cove, Maine (population: 9,000). The last thing he wants to do is to work as a prep chef in the kitchen of the hip new restaurant in town, The Wharf. Especially since the hot, single-father chef who owns it can’t delegate to save his life.
Logan O’Hare doesn’t understand Xavier or why every word out of his mouth is dipped in sarcasm. Unfortunately, he has no choice but to hire him–he needs more help in the kitchen and his tween daughter, Anne, can only mince so many onions. It might be a recipe for disaster, but Logan doesn’t have many options besides Xavier.
Stuck between a stove and a hot place, Logan and Xavier discover an unexpected connection. But when the heat between them threatens to top the Scoville scale, they’ll have to decide if they can make their relationship work or if life has seasoned them too differently.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.
SYNOPSIS
Following Written in the Stars and Hang the Moon, national bestselling author Alexandria Bellefleur pens another steamy queer rom-com about former best friends who might be each other’s second chance at love…
Margot Cooper doesn’t do relationships. She tried and it blew up in her face, so she’ll stick with casual hookups, thank you very much. But now her entire crew has found “the one” and she’s beginning to feel like a fifth wheel. And then fate (the heartless bitch) intervenes. While touring a wedding venue with her engaged friends, Margot comes face-to-face with Olivia Grant—her childhood friend, her first love, her first… well, everything. It’s been ten years, but the moment they lock eyes, Margot’s cold, dead heart thumps in her chest.
Olivia must be hallucinating. In the decade since she last saw Margot, her life hasn’t gone exactly as planned. At almost thirty, she’s been married… and divorced. However, a wedding planner job in Seattle means a fresh start and a chance to follow her dreams. Never in a million years did she expect her important new client’s Best Woman would be the one that got away.
When a series of unfortunate events leaves Olivia without a place to stay, Margot offers up her spare room because she’s a Very Good Person. Obviously. It has nothing to do with the fact that Olivia is as beautiful as ever and the sparks between them still make Margot tingle. As they spend time in close quarters, Margot starts to question her no-strings stance. Olivia is everything she’s ever wanted, but Margot let her in once and it ended in disaster. Will history repeat itself or should she count her lucky stars that she gets a second chance with her first love?
REVIEW
Margot is happy and content with the way things are. But things are changing and changing rapidly in Margot’s happy circle of friends. Where once there was game nights and casual hangouts, now it’s turned into a couples thing and Margot is feeling like the fifth wheel.
Doesn’t help that THE blast from the past shows up as you guess it…her best friends wedding planner. Olivia is the one, the one that got away that Margot still thinks about. They were best friends and were always together. Until one sweet hook up turned them from friends to lovers briefly and then to merely acquaintances. Because of their one time hookup and the miscommunication after, they haven’t seen each other in over a decade. Olivia got married to her high school sweetheart, but she is divorced now and on her own. Margot and Olivia find each other working closer together than ever before – will be they able to mend their friendship and possibly turn it into something more?
I loved Olivia in the previous books of the Written in the Stars series. She is such a fun and outgoing person and I love her personality. I was so excited for her to get her own story in Count Your Lucky Stars. What happened to make these two best friends who were inseparable suddenly without their best friend. The journey of why these two lost touch was so bittersweet.
I really enjoyed the premise of this book. Second chance romance is such a favorite trope of mine and I love the angst and tension that it brings. However, I do feel like I wasn’t fully invested in these two characters as a couple. I wanted to feel more for why they were separated and sadly I didn’t get that in Count Your Lucky Stars. I understand that Margot as a character was going through a lot of changes with it feeling like losing her friends because they were all in relationships, but she seemed very insecure and that’s not the vibe I got from her in the first two books.
I had the opportunity to listen to an audiobook of Count Your Lucky Stars which was narrated by Lauren Sweet. I felt like Lauren did an absolute tremendous job narrating the voices for both Olivia and Margot. I was laughing out loud at a lot of the dialogue in the book and definitely made me enjoy the book!
Overall, I really enjoyed the Written in the Stars series! While I didn’t really click with the characters of Count Your Lucky Stars, so many friends really loved this book.
When Kian gets a text message from ex-boyfriend Hudson, he’s not quite sure what to expect. He definitely does not expect for Hudson to ask Kian to be his fake date to Georgia’s wedding of the season. Soon their fake dating starts to feel all too real – will they keep up the charade or move to make their relationship real? Really looking forward to reading this fake dating/second chance romance!
SYNOPSIS
It’s been months since aspiring journalist Kian Andrews has heard from his ex-boyfriend, Hudson Rivers, but an urgent text has them meeting at a café. Maybe Hudson wants to profusely apologize for the breakup. Or confess his undying love. . . But no, Hudson has a favor to ask–he wants Kian to pretend to be his boyfriend while his parents are in town, and Kian reluctantly agrees.
The dinner doesn’t go exactly as planned, and suddenly Kian is Hudson’s plus one to Georgia’s wedding of the season. Hudson comes from a wealthy family where reputation is everything, and he really can’t afford another mistake. If Kian goes, he’ll help Hudson preserve appearances and get the opportunity to rub shoulders with some of the biggest names in media. This could be the big career break Kian needs.
But their fake relationship is starting to feel like it might be more than a means to an end, and it’s time for both men to fact-check their feelings.
EXCERPT
I’M SO (NOT) OVER YOU by Kosoko Jackson
Berkley Trade Paperback Original | On sale February 22, 2022
Excerpt
Chapter One
The first rule, and only rule, of getting over your ex is not to answer your ex’s messages. This can be done in many different ways, depending on the person.
One, change his contact to read: DO NOT ANSWER.
Two, block his number.
Three, glue a horrible weave to your scalp, so you look and act like a completely different person.
Four, restart your life as the owner of a mom-and-pop shop in rural Indiana and call it a day. That’s one I’m particularly partial to.
All of those are good and valid options. Do what you need to do-no judgment.
And yet, somehow I found a way to break this simple rule. Not just break it, burst it wide open. Shatter it, if you will.
Because it’s one thing to open a text and answer it, but it’s another to decide to follow through with your ex’s request.
Look up Bad Idea on Google, and our helpful search engine will bring up, Did you mean: Kian Andrews’s choices whenever they involve Hudson Rivers?
My phone in my pocket vibrates once. My heart skips a beat. Maybe Hudson will cancel. Or maybe he’ll realize the past three months apart have been a mistake and he’s going to confess he’s still madly in love with me? Maybe . . .
Nope, just Divya.
DIVYA EVANS: Let the record show this is a horrible idea.
“Of course you’d say that,” I mutter, forgetting she can’t, you know, hear me. And she may be right, but that’s not the point.
When I got the text from Hudson a week ago, asking me to meet him at the Watering Hole, Divya was not amused. She scrunched her nose, like she tasted something rancid in the air, which wasn’t entirely off.
Because to her, that’s exactly what my relationship with Hudson was: rancid. Which, sure, everyone says that about their ex because it makes them feel better.
KIAN ANDREWS: You’ve said that-multiple times.
DIVYA EVANS: And yet, you still refuse to listen. Remind me, who is getting their law degree from Harvard?
KIAN ANDREWS: Wow . . . we went . . . 12 hours without you bringing up your Harvard degree. That’s a new record!
DIVYA EVANS: But seriously, K. This is a bad idea. Closure is not as good as you think it is.
As a lawyer-in-training, she should understand why I need to meet with Hudson: to process what happened, to close that chapter of my life, and to seal it shut with a glue made of truth. The memory of us breaking up is an open wound that never healed. It was a volatile separation, ending with me blocking him on every social media account possible and drinking myself into a stupor that made the two weeks after the breakup a blur.
Maybe that’s why Divya’s a prosecutor and not a defense attorney.
Another vibration, another text.
DIVYA EVANS: I’m only a few blocks away if you need me.
KIAN ANDREWS: What are the chances of that happening?
Pretty high, if I’m being honest. Divya has always been my rock, no matter what. Whether keeping me from embarrassing myself when I started crying in the club two weeks after my breakup, making sure I got my worthless self out of bed so I didn’t lose my partial scholarship, or even finding some men with absolute dump-truck asses to help me get over my head-over-heels obsession with Hudson, Divya has been that ride-or-die friend for me.
So it’s reasonable to assume that when I’m about to go through another major, traumatizing Hudson experience, Divya Evans is the big guns I have on speed dial. What’s that expression? Behind every great gay guy, there’s a badass woman?
Again, my phone pings. I pull it out of my pocket without looking, expecting another (well-deserved) quippy barb from Divya. But instead, an e-mail stares back at me.
I stare at the screen for so long, the colorful background of one of the many lighthouses on the North Carolina coast. I want to savor this moment. Hold on to it, keep it in its box, and put it on the top shelf somewhere out of the way. When I’m a famous journalist, with sources sliding into my DMs, begging me to write Pulitzer-winning stories, and I’m giving a guest lecture at Northeastern, they’ll ask me, How did you get started in this competitive, cutthroat business?
And I’ll say, I got my first job at Spotlight. Will Spotlight be around twelve years from now? Probably not. News websites cannibalize themselves like bacteria. But it’s the hottest place to work in journalism right now. Getting an Investigative Journalism Fellowship here would change my life. It’s like . . . do not pass Go; instead, get Park Place on your second turn.
I tap the screen, bringing it back to life. Still, the e-mail alert taunts me. Maybe it’s an interview request? Maybe my pitch on the lack of education programs in Appalachia and how it’s setting students back several grade levels that I spent all last week making really did impress them, and they are going to offer me a position sight unseen. That’s not unreasonable. It happens to white guys all the time. And I have good-no, fucking great credentials.
Like Divya says, they would be lucky to have me.
But at the same time, as my journalism professor said, Journalists are a dime a dozen. Why should they pick you over anyone else?
Which takes us back to Divya Evans, and her exact words: You’re a goddamn star, Kian Andrews.
I wish I had the same level of confidence as her. I do a good job faking it when I’m around her, at least I think I do. But now? Alone in this cafŽ? Doing something stupid like waiting for the boy who broke my heart-who is now seven minutes late-and staring at the e-mail that could change my career? That confident facade is pushed far back into the closet; a place I haven’t been since middle school.
And I promised I’d never go back there again.
Without overthinking it, I tap on the screen one more time, and then enter my passcode before I can change my mind. One more tap, and the e-mail fills the screen.
Dear Mr. Andrews,
Thank you for your application for the Investigative Journalism Fellowship at Spotlight’s Boston branch. At this time, we’ve decided-
“Shit.”
There’s no need to read any more. I could do a CTRL-F in my inbox, search for “we’ve decided,” and bring up more than a dozen results. This is no different, despite how badly I want it to be different.
I’m halfway through a text to Divya, informing her about the rejection from Spotlight, which will undoubtedly result in her replying with drinks on me tonight, when a baritone clearing of a throat behind me causes my fingers to stop. The deep voice cuts through the low sensual tones of the Esperanza Spalding cover artist serenading us in the Watering Hole, even if it is as out of place as a Black guy in Boston-aka Me.
But the voice is unmistakable. Even after a year of avoiding everything related to Hudson, the way he speaks effortlessly from the depths of his diaphragm still sends shivers down my spine. And the way his boyish grin plays off his chiseled jaw makes me want to melt.
“Kian?”
I do my best to turn slowly. Eagerness isn’t a good look on anyone, especially around your ex when you’re trying to act like you’ve moved on and are living your best single twentysomething life.
But my God does he look nice.
No, not nice.
Hot.
“Hey,” he says while smirking. “Thanks for coming.”
After returning home, Emmy discovers that the man she has been seeing has also been leading on her best friend Linden and dark magic badass Talia. Is Emmy up for revenge and what happens when she starts falling for Talia? I am looking forward to this paranormal F/F romance with plenty of smoke and magic.
SYNOPSIS
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina meets The L Word in this fresh, sizzling rom-com by Lana Harper.
Emmy Harlow is a witch but not a very powerful one—in part because she hasn’t been home to the magical town of Thistle Grove in years. Her self-imposed exile has a lot to do with a complicated family history and a desire to forge her own way in the world, and only the very tiniest bit to do with Gareth Blackmoore, heir to the most powerful magical family in town and casual breaker of hearts and destroyer of dreams.
But when a spellcasting tournament that her family serves as arbiters for approaches, it turns out the pull of tradition (or the truly impressive parental guilt trip that comes with it) is strong enough to bring Emmy back. She’s determined to do her familial duty; spend some quality time with her best friend, Linden Thorn; and get back to her real life in Chicago.
On her first night home, Emmy runs into Talia Avramov—an all-around badass adept in the darker magical arts—who is fresh off a bad breakup . . . with Gareth Blackmoore. Talia had let herself be charmed, only to discover that Gareth was also seeing Linden—unbeknownst to either of them. And now she and Linden want revenge. Only one question stands: Is Emmy in?
But most concerning of all: Why can’t she stop thinking about the terrifyingly competent, devastatingly gorgeous, wickedly charming Talia Avramov?
EXCERPT
As soon as I crossed the town line, I could feel Thistle Grove on my skin.
That I was in my shitty beater Toyota made no difference; maybe the town could sense one of its daughters coming home, even after almost five years away. A swell of raw magic coursed into the car, until the air around me nearly shimmered with potential, bright and buzzy and headier than a champagne cocktail. As if Thistle Grove’s own magical heart was pulsing eagerly toward me, welcoming me back. No hard feelings about my long absence, apparently.
Made one of us, I guess.
The onslaught of magic after my dry spell was so intoxicating that I hunched over the steering wheel, taking shallow breaths and wondering a little wildly whether you could overdose on magic after having gone cold turkey for so long. From the passenger seat, Jasper cast me a glinting, concerned glance from beneath his silvery fringe and shoved a clumsy paw onto my thigh.
“I’m okay, bud,” I murmured to him through a thick throat, reaching over to stroke his warm neck. “It’s just . . . a whole lot, you know?”
That was the thing about growing up with magic. Until you left it behind for good, you had no idea how incredible it felt just to be around it.
And it wasn’t only the air that seemed different. Through my spattered windshield, the night sky had changed, snapping into Ÿber-focus like a calibrated telescope. Above Hallows Hill, the unlikely little mountain the town huddled up against, a crescent moon hung like a freshly whetted sickle. Waning crescent, my witch brain whispered, already churning up the spells best cast in this phase. Its silhouette looked like it could carve glass, impossibly perfect and precise, the kind of moon you’d see in a dream. The constellations that surrounded it like a milky spill of jewels were arranged the same as on the other side of the town line but better somehow, more intentional, clear-cut and brilliant as a mosaic set with precious gems. So enticing, they made me want to pull the car over and tumble out, head hinged back and jaw agape, just to watch them glitter.
This fucking town. Always so damn extra.
With an effort, I resisted the temptation. But when the orchards that belonged to the Thorns appeared on my left, I gave in just enough to roll down my window.
The night air gusted against my face, smelling like an absolute of fall; woodsmoke and dying leaves and the faintest bracing hint of future snow. And right below that was the scent of Thistle Grove magic, which I’ve never come across anywhere else. Spicy and earthy, as if the lingering ghost of all the incense burned by three hundred years of witches had never quite blown away. A perpetual Halloween smell, the kind that gave you the good-creepy sort of tingles.
And fallen apples, of course. The Thorns’ rows and rows of Galas, Honeycrisps, and Pink Ladies, sweet and cidery and indescribably like home.
It all made the part of me that used to adore this place-oh, cut the shit, Emmy, the part of you that still does, the part that will never, ever stop-throb like first-love heartache. My eyes welled hot with sudden tears, and I knuckled them clear more violently than necessary, angry with myself for sinking into nostalgia so readily.
Sensing my mood plummeting, Jasper gave an aggrieved snort, tossing his regally mustachioed snout at me.
“I know, I know,” I groaned, dragging a hand over my face. “I promised not to get too in my feelings. I’m just tired, bud. From now on, it’ll be all business till we can get out of here.”
He huffed again, as if he knew me much too well to buy into my stoic crap. I might be back here only because Tradition Demands the Presence of the Harlow Scion, but nothing in Thistle Grove was ever that simple. Especially when it came to the heir of one of the founding families.
Ten minutes later, I pulled into my parents’ oak-lined residential neighborhood, rattling onto their cobbled driveway. My chest clenched at the sight of my childhood home, fisting tight around my heart. It was a perfectly nice house, though not all that impressive as founding family demesnes go. The Blackmoores had their palatial Tintagel estate, the Thorns had Honeycake Orchards, and the Avramovs the rambling Victorian warren of a mansion they insisted on calling The Bitters, because they thrived on such old-world melodrama.
And we, the Harlows, had . . . lo, a house.
A stately three-story colonial almost as old as the town itself-though you wouldn’t know it, to look at its magically weatherproofed exterior-Harlow House has never had a fancy name, thereby upholding the timeless Harlow legacy of being both the least pretentious and least relevant of the founding families. As always, a candle burned in every window; thirteen flames, for prosperity and protection. The flying owl weather vane spun idly in the night breeze, and the dreamcatcher windchimes hung by the front door clinked delicately against one another. A plume of smoke coiled from the brick chimney in a curlicued wisp before vanishing into the velvety dark above.
It looked like a storybook house belonging to your favorite no-nonsense witch-which, come to think of it, sounded like both my parents.
And it was all like I remembered, except that the thought of going inside made me feel painfully stripped of breath. There was an invisible moat of hurt surrounding my former home, years of unanswered questions. Restless water, teeming with the emotional equivalents of piranha and stinging jellyfish.
I couldn’t do much about the hurt, and “because Gareth Blackmoore ruined this town for me” still seemed like a shitty answer to the question all the others boiled down to, which was: Emmy, why haven’t you come home all this time?
So I turned the car off and just sat with my head bowed, listening to the ticks of the engine settling and Jasper’s low-grade whine, focusing on my breath. When I’d collected myself about as much as I was going to, I lurched out of the car on travel-stiff legs and let Jas out to baptize the quiet street, then hauled my battle-scarred suitcase and gigantic duffel bag out of the trunk. By the time he came loping back, I’d managed to wrestle everything up onto the columned porch with an admirable minimum of cursing.
I still had my key, but it seemed horribly rude and presumptuous to use it after a five-year absence, so I knocked instead. When the door swung open, I managed to flinch only a little, blinking at the warm light spilling from within.
Genre: Contemporary Romance/ Time Travel/ F/F Romance
Release Date: June 1, 2021
Publisher: St Martin’s Press
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and audiobook from LibroFM
SYNOPSIS
From the New York Times bestselling author of Red, White & Royal Blue comes a new romantic comedy that will stop readers in their tracks…
For cynical twenty-three-year-old August, moving to New York City is supposed to prove her right: that things like magic and cinematic love stories don’t exist, and the only smart way to go through life is alone. She can’t imagine how waiting tables at a 24-hour pancake diner and moving in with too many weird roommates could possibly change that. And there’s certainly no chance of her subway commute being anything more than a daily trudge through boredom and electrical failures.
But then, there’s this gorgeous girl on the train.
Jane. Dazzling, charming, mysterious, impossible Jane. Jane with her rough edges and swoopy hair and soft smile, showing up in a leather jacket to save August’s day when she needed it most. August’s subway crush becomes the best part of her day, but pretty soon, she discovers there’s one big problem: Jane doesn’t just look like an old school punk rocker. She’s literally displaced in time from the 1970s, and August is going to have to use everything she tried to leave in her own past to help her. Maybe it’s time to start believing in some things, after all.
Casey McQuiston’s One Last Stop is a magical, sexy, big-hearted romance where the impossible becomes possible as August does everything in her power to save the girl lost in time.
REVIEW
Twenty-three year old August has just moved to New York City to go to college. She’s somehow able to secure a room in an apartment she’ll share with three other roommates and she got a job at the diner around the corner (thanks to her new roommates). And yet, she doesn’t feel like there’s a place for her…she often feels alone.
That is until one day she meets a girl on the subway. This girl is fun and bright and August can’t help but gravitate towards her. Every time August takes the Q train she manages to see Jane! Soon August is finding every reason to get on the train so she can see Jane. But what starts off as August meeting her dream girl, turns into a race in time to try to help Jane get back to the 1970’s. Turns out Jane is from the past and has been stuck on the Q train since the 1970’s. Will August be able to help Jane piece together her past so she can help her get back? And what about their budding relationship?
One Last Stop started off really strong for me. I loved getting to know August, her roommates and of course Jane. Their friendship was tentative and sweet and so swoony. But somewhere around the halfway mark, the book started to drag for me. I just felt like there was so much going on and the romance was always there, and yet also it took the back seat a lot.
I switched between listening to the audiobook and reading One Last Stop. The audiobook, narrated by Natalie Naudus was fantastic. Natalie did a wonderful job with the various characters and accents. And while I truly enjoyed the audiobook, the story itself wasn’t as enjoyable as I had hoped.
The writing by Casey McQuiston was beautiful as usual. Definitely add One Last Stop to your TBR if you are looking for a F/F romance with time travel aspects (think Loki) with sweet supporting characters to round out the story!
I received a complimentary copy and audiobook of this book from the publisher and TLC Book Tours
SYNPOSIS
Critically acclaimed author Cat Sebastian makes her trade paperback debut in a stunning historical romance about a reluctantly reformed highwayman and the aristocrat who threatens to steal his heart.
Kit Webb has left his stand-and-deliver days behind him. But dreary days at his coffee shop have begun to make him pine for the heady rush of thievery. When a handsome yet arrogant aristocrat storms into his shop, Kit quickly realizes he may be unable to deny whatever this highborn man desires.
In order to save himself and a beloved friend, Percy, Lord Holland must go against every gentlemanly behavior he holds dear to gain what he needs most: a book that once belonged to his mother, a book his father never lets out of his sight and could be Percy’s savior. More comfortable in silk-filled ballrooms than coffee shops frequented by criminals, his attempts to hire the roughly hewn highwayman, formerly known as Gladhand Jack, proves equal parts frustrating and electrifying.
Kit refuses to participate in the robbery but agrees to teach Percy how to do the deed. Percy knows he has little choice but to submit and as the lessons in thievery begin, he discovers thievery isn’t the only crime he’s desperate to commit with Kit.
But when their careful plan goes dangerously wrong and shocking revelations threaten to tear them apart, can these stolen hearts withstand the impediments in their path?
REVIEW
Percy, Lord Holland finds himself in an usual predicament. He is being blackmailed and needs an item from his father. Not just any item, but a particular book that his father keeps on his person at all times. Percy and his father do not have a good relationship and Percy needs to find a way to get this book – at all costs!
Reformed highwayman Kit Webb now runs a coffee shop. He’s not exactly the nicest barista, but he makes do with what he has. When aristocrat Percy shows up at his coffee shop with a proposition, Kit’s first instinct is to turn him down. But the more he thinks about it the more it excites him. Maybe he can teach Percy his tips and tricks instead? Is this going to be a complete disaster? And them more time Percy and Kit spend together – their sizzling chemistry seems to only get stronger.
I adored The Queer Principles of Kit Webb. Percy and Kit were just so fun! I loved their banter, their sarcastic quips and their respective backstories. These two had more in common than they initially thought. Audiobook:
Story: 4.5 Narration: 5 Overall: 4.5
The audiobook for The Queer Principles of Kit Webb was narrated by Joel Leslie and I truly enjoyed this audiobook so much! I loved the way Joel was able to voice both Percy and Kit. The way he was able to convey humor, sadness or excitement was perfect! I hope to be able to listen to more audiobooks from Joel Leslie in the future!
If you’re looking for a M/M historical romance that is funny, romantic and tender I would definitely pick up The Queer Principles of Kit Webb! I can’t wait for the next book in the series.
I received a complimentary advanced listener copy from the author.
SYNOPSIS
Wanted: One roommate to share a 3-bedroom house, split the rent, and ideally not be the guy I can’t stop thinking about. I’m a man with too many secrets, so the last thing I need is a new roommate with a sexy smile and blue eyes that see right through me. Eight years ago, Roderick left town after high school. We’re not friends. I owe him nothing. But back then, I let one of my secrets slip, and he’s the only one who noticed. Part of me knows I should run far, far away. But the other part wants him to come upstairs and spend the night. But if I let him in, I could lose everything.
Seeking: A room to rent in town. I’m tidy, have no pets, and I will feed you homemade bread. I should probably add: Gay AF, and has no filter. It’s no wonder my new landlord is so wary of me. A smarter man would ignore those hot glances from Kieran Shipley. The broody lumberjack wants more from me than another homemade pretzel, but if I push my luck, I’ll end up back on the street. Too bad I’ve never been smart with my heart
REVIEW
Kieran Shipley is a man of a few words. He works at his cousin’s wife coffee shop during the day and has a desk job in the evenings. He’s content if not exactly happy at the moment. That is until one day Roderick comes blasting back in his life. Kieran and Roderick knew of each other in high school, but were never actually friends. Kieran’s not sure what to make of Roderick being back in town especially since he knows the one secret that Kieran has been hiding from his entire family.
Roderick has been burned by his boyfriend. He’s proud of being gay and had it enough with a boyfriend who wanted to keep him a secret. He’s moved back from Nashville to Vermont and luckily finds a job at the same coffee shop that Kieran works at. Roderick remembers Kieran from high school – only now Kieran is a sexy lumberjack that happens to offer Roderick a spare room to rent in his house. Can these two roomies keep their relationship platonic?
I really loved the relationship between Kieran and Roderick in Roommate. They were sweet and sexy and their chemistry was prevalent right from the beginning. Both Roderick and Kieran had their own issues that they were working through, but they were always there for each other when it counted the most.
I enjoyed being back in Vermont and visiting the Shipley gang again! While Roommate does have us visiting characters from the True North series, it is a true (M/M) standalone and reads as one.
Audiobook
Story: 4 Narration: 4.5 Overall: 4
I enjoyed the audiobook of Roommate narrated by Stephen Dexter and Teddy Hamilton. Teddy Hamilton is a favorite narrator and he was excellent portraying Roderick. This was my first audiobook listening to Stephen Dexter as a narrator, but he was great at portraying Kieran! Both of these narrators were excellent in portraying the different emotions their characters were feeling.
If you’re looking for a sexy, small town, forced-proximity M/M romance, pick up a copy of Roommate!
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.
SYNOPSIS
With nods to Bridget Jones and Pride and Prejudice, a charming #ownvoices queer rom-com debut about a free-spirited social media astrologer who agrees to fake a relationship with an uptight actuary until New Year’s Eve—with results not even the stars could predict!
After a disastrous blind date, Darcy Lowell is desperate to stop her well-meaning brother from playing matchmaker ever again. Love—and the inevitable heartbreak—is the last thing she wants. So she fibs and says her latest set up was a success. Darcy doesn’t expect her lie to bite her in the ass.
Elle Jones, one of the astrologers behind the popular Twitter account, Oh My Stars, dreams of finding her soul mate. But she knows it is most assuredly not Darcy… a no-nonsense stick-in-the-mud, who is way too analytical, punctual, and skeptical for someone as free-spirited as Elle. When Darcy’s brother—and Elle’s new business partner—expresses how happy he is that they hit it off, Elle is baffled. Was Darcy on the same date? Because… awkward.
When Darcy begs Elle to play along, she agrees to pretend they’re dating to save face. But with a few conditions: Darcy must help Elle navigate her own overbearing family over the holidays and their arrangement expires on New Year’s Eve. The last thing they expect is to develop real feelings during a fake relationship.
But maybe opposites can attract when true love is written in the stars?
REVIEW
Darcy hates it when her brother tries to set her up on blind dates, but decides to give it one last shot when he sets her up with Elle – someone he’s currently working with. Darcy and Elle have a horrible first date. It’s awkward, full of silences and there may have been a glass of spilled wine. Elle doesn’t ever plan on seeing Darcy again.
When Darcy’s brother, Brendon asks how her date went, Darcy tells a teensy tiny white lie and says it was great and that they hit it off. News comes back to Elle and she isn’t exactly thrilled. But in the end, Darcy and Elle decide that being each others fake dates might work out perfectly. They can be each others dates at family gatherings and their respective family’s would leave them alone.
I love a fake-dating romance and Written in the Stars was absolutely delightful. The chemistry between Elle and Darcy was so great. I loved all of their conversations. I love when a rom-com has cute text scenes and I LOVED all of the texting between the various characters in Written in the Stars. I had a grin on my face reading so many parts of this book.
Not only was the relationship between Elle and Darcy wonderful, but I also enjoyed the secondary characters including Margot and Brendon. The friendship between Elle and Margot was so special and relatable. It reminded me of me and my best friend and I loved that I was able to connect with their friendship.
This was my first F/F romance and I’m hoping to read more great romances like this one in the future. If you’re looking for a funny, sweet, swoony romance – grab Written in the Stars!
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