Written in the Stars ARC Review

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Written in the Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Genre: Contemporary Romance F/F

Heat Rating: 🔥🔥

Release Date: November 10th

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!

Lord of Scoundrels Review

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Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Genre: Historical Romance

Series: Scoundrels #3

Heat Rating: 🔥🔥

Jessica Trent has traveled all the ways to Paris to specifically see Sebastian Ballister, Marquess of Dain. Jess’s brother has been cast under the spell of Dain and Jess is here to negotiate with the scoundrel. Dain doesn’t really care much for Jessica’s brother, but he’s willing to play the game just to aggravate Jess. When both of them are caught in a compromising position, Dain must do the honorable (maybe? he’s not always so honorable) thing and marry Jess. Will they survive their marriage before trying to wreak havoc on one another?

So many friends recommended that I read Lord of Scoundrels, and I can’t believe it took me so long to pick up this book!! I understand why it’s a classic and why it’s so beloved. I will admit that it took me a bit before I got into it. The prologue was quite long and didn’t really make much sense – but eventually I’m glad because it tied the whole story nicely.

The fiestiness of both Jess and Dain was so much fun to read! Dain was something else, but I loved how Jess was bold and strong and not letting Dain run roughshod over her. She brought out so much good in him. Jessica and Dain at times were curt, rude and did some bonkers stuff to one another, and yet I was still rooting for these two to get their HEA!

I did listen to the audiobook while concurrently reading the book and I enjoyed the narration by Kate Reading. She did an amazing job with both characters, especially when Dain was speaking in Italian.

Overall I throughly enjoyed Lord of Scoundrels!!!

A few favorite quotes:

“I don’t see how matters could become worse,” he muttered. “I am already besotted with a needle-tongued, conceited, provoking ape leader of a lady.”

You made me want you, he told her in his mother’s language. You’ve made me heartsick, lonely. You’ve made me crave what I vowed I would never need, never seek

“Oh, Dain, I do believe I shall swoon.” “Not now,” he said crossly. “I haven’t got time to pick you up. Get off me, Jess.”

How to Fail at Flirting ARC Review

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How to Fail at Flirting by Denise Williams

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Heat Rating: 🔥🔥

Release Date: December 1, 2020

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.

SYNOPSIS

One daring to-do list and a crash course in flirtation turn a Type A overachiever’s world upside down.

When her flailing department lands on the university’s chopping block, Professor Naya Turner’s friends convince her to shed her frumpy cardigan for an evening on the town. For one night her focus will stray from her demanding job and she’ll tackle a new kind of to-do list. When she meets a charming stranger in town on business, he presents the perfect opportunity to check off the items on her list. Let the guy buy her a drink. Check. Try something new. Check. A no-strings-attached hookup. Check…almost.

Jake makes her laugh and challenges Naya to rebuild her confidence, which was left toppled by her abusive ex-boyfriend. Soon she’s flirting with the chance at a more serious romantic relationship—except nothing can be that easy. The complicated strings around her dating Jake might destroy her career.

Naya has two options. She can protect her professional reputation and return to her old life or she can flirt with the unknown and stay with the person who makes her feel like she’s finally living again.

REVIEW

Naya Turner loves her job as faculty professor at the university. Besides her best friends (a married couple), she doesn’t get out much. Naya had an abusive ex-boyfriend and isn’t quite ready to jump back into the dating game quite yet. Her friends convince her to go out with them one evening and even make her a list of all the things that she should be doing. When her friends fail to show up at the club, Naya meets Jake. His dad jokes and funny sense of humor put her at ease. Will she take a chance on him?

I loved the mute cute between Jake and Naya. Their funny one-liners had me cracking up! And although I’m not a big fan of insta-love, I really enjoyed the relationship between Jake and Naya. But beyond what was supposed to be one-time hook up, Jake and Naya’s relationship becomes very complicated. Both Jake and Naya have had difficult relationships in the past and to move forward they have to address them. Not only that, but Jake is involved in the future of Naya’s job as professor, which raises all sorts of concerns for Naya.

Overall, I really enjoyed How to Fail at Flirting! Naya was abused by her ex and she had a had a lot of trauma because of it, but I love how she became more comfortable and confident as the storyline progressed. She sought that strength out from within her and I was here for it! Looking forward to reading more from Denise Williams.

CW: Domestic abuse – both physical and emotional

Second Chance on Cypress Lane ARC Review

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Second Chance on Cypress Lane by Reese Ryan

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Series: Holly Grove Island #1

Heat Rating: 🔥🔥

Release Date: December 1, 2020

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.

SYNOPSIS

In this heartwarming second-chance romance, a woman returns home and discovers that, when it comes to finding love, there’s no place like home.

When a romance gone wrong lands reporter Dakota Jones in the pages of the tabloids, her rising star crashes and burns. Instead of getting the weekend anchor job she’d been promised, she’s promptly shown the door. Which leaves her one option: return home to lick her wounds, eat lemon meringue pie, and plot her comeback while actively avoiding the man who once broke her heart.

Dexter Roberts made a huge mistake when he walked away from Dakota, and he’s regretted it ever since. So when Dakota returns to Holly Grove Island to regroup and decide what’s next, Dex can’t pass up the opportunity to win back the love of his life. Now he just needs to convince Dakota to give him a second chance.

REVIEW

Reporter Dakota Johnson has recently returned to her childhood home in Cypress Lane. She was caught up in a scandal, which has led her to lose her job. Not quite sure what to do next, she decides to spend some quality time with her father. Dakota and her father are still coming to terms with the loss of her mother a few years ago.

Dakota has generally avoided Cypress Lane and one of the main reasons is Dexter Roberts. Dexter and Dakota were high school sweethearts and Dakota thought they would be together forever, but Dexter ended up breaking her heart. Now they’re both constantly running into each other. How long can they stay away from one another?

I enjoyed getting to know the secondary characters and the small town vibe. While I did enjoy Second Chance on Cypress Lane, I do wish that I felt more of a connection between Dakota and Dexter. I wanted to feel a bit more angst between these two, especially given their history.

Second Chance on Cypress Lane was a sweet romance with a charming small town setting. I wish that I there was a similar town near me! If you’re looking for a sweet small town romance – grab your copy of Second Chance on Cypress Lane!

Cover Reveal – It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey

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It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey Coming July 13, 2021

Tessa Bailey is back with a Schitt’s Creek-inspired rom-com about a Hollywood “It Girl” who’s cut off from her wealthy family and exiled to a small Pacific Northwest beach town… where she butts heads with a surly, sexy local who thinks she doesn’t belong. 

Piper Bellinger is fashionable, influential, and her reputation as a wild child means the paparazzi are constantly on her heels. When too much champagne and an out-of-control rooftop party lands Piper in the slammer, her stepfather decides enough is enough. So he cuts her off, and sends Piper and her sister to learn some responsibility running their late father’s dive bar… in Washington.

Piper hasn’t even been in Westport for five minutes when she meets big, bearded sea captain Brendan, who thinks she won’t last a week outside of Beverly Hills. So what if Piper can’t do math, and the idea of sleeping in a shabby apartment with bunk beds gives her hives. How bad could it really be? She’s determined to show her stepfather—and the hot, grumpy local—that she’s more than a pretty face.

Except it’s a small town and everywhere she turns, she bumps into Brendan. The fun-loving socialite and the gruff fisherman are polar opposites, but there’s an undeniable attraction simmering between them. Piper doesn’t want any distractions, especially feelings for a man who sails off into the sunset for weeks at a time. Yet as she reconnects with her past and begins to feel at home in Westport, Piper starts to wonder if the cold, glamorous life she knew is what she truly wants. LA is calling her name, but Brendan—and this town full of memories—may have already caught her heart. 

PRE-ORDER LINKS:

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2HTB6SJ

Apple Books: https://apple.co/3kOc7yq

Kobo: https://bit.ly/368WUC7

Google: https://bit.ly/3jOvTsn

I am so excited to get another romance from the queen of stem Tessa Bailey! I fell in love with Tessa’s work after reading Fix Her Up last year and recommend it all the time. Can next summer just hurry up and get here already?!

October Reads

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I realize that I didn’t even update the blog for the books I read in September (whoops!). Probably because I hardly read in September. It was a really hard reading month for me and I know that a lot of us are feeling the same way!

October was really great though and I tried to read a lot of ARC’s for #ARCtober – a bookstagram challenge. I still haven’t gotten to two of my ARC’s, but they’re holiday romances and I figure I’ll get to them in November!

I ended up listening to quite a bit of audiobooks this month and I think that’s really helped me get me out of my slump. I listened to the first four books in the Billionaire’s of Manhattan series by Annika Martin and I would highly recommend the audiobooks!

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Little Lies by H Hunting

The Billionaire’s Wake-up-call Girl by Annika Martin

Shortcake by Lucy Watson

Breaking the Billionaire’s Rules by Annika Martin

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Home for the Holidays by Sara Richardson

The Rogue of Fifth Avenue by Joanna Shupe

Spoiler Alert by Olivia Dade

I Promise You by Ilsa Madden-Mills

Simmer Down by Sarah Smith

The Billionaire’s Fake Fiancée by Annika Martin

The Ex Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomon

Most Eligible Billionaire by Annika Martin

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Love is a Rogue by Lenora Bell

I received a complimentary copy of some of the books listed above by the author or publisher. All opinions are my own.

Love Is a Rogue ARC Review

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Love Is a Rogue by Lenora Bell

Love Is a Rogue by Lenora Bell

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Genre: Historical Romance

Heat Rating: 🔥🔥

Series: Wallflowers vs Rogues #1

Release Date: October 27, 2020

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.

Lady Beatrice Bentley wants nothing more than to have some peace and quiet while she writes her dictionary. She is an etymologist and has decided to leave London to her country estate – Thornhill House to write her book. While trying to work peacefully, she happens to cross paths with Samford Wright – the carpenter working on Thornhill House. Beatrice can’t stand Samford – he’s too loud, crass and all the lovely ladies at Thornhill House love him. Beatrice soon returns to London, never expecting to run into Wright again.

Beatrice and Samford’s paths cross once again when Beatrice finds that she is the owner of a bookshop her aunt left her and Samford comes on as her carpenter. Can these two keep their relationship strictly professional or will they end up mixing in some pleasure?

Love Is a Rogue had all of the things I am looking for in a romance – enemies-to-lovers, forced proximity and great friendships among the leads. While I truly enjoyed the friendship between Lady Beatrice and her girlfriends and Lady Beatrice’s love of books (hello bookworms everywhere), the chemistry between Beatrice and Samford was lacking for me. I wanted to root for them as a couple, but sadly I didn’t feel the spark between the two.

Cover Reveal – Roommate by Sarina Bowen

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Roommate Square.jpg

ROOMMATE BY SARINA BOWEN

COMING JANUARY 12, 2021

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 fresh-baked 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… 

PURCHASE LINKS

All Links in one spot: https://shor.by/roommate

Amazon: https://geni.us/Amazon-roommate 

Apple: https://geni.us/Apple-roommate

Kobo: https://geni.us/Kobo-roommate  

I’m so excited to read Sarina Bowen’s new stand alone MM romance and can’t wait for 2021!!

Review – Shortcake by Lucy Watson

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Shortcake by Lucy Watson

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Heat Rating: 🔥🔥

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author.

SYNOPSIS

Things Emelia Anderson would rather do than share a house with Benjamin Crawford:

1) Get strapped to a chair in a restaurant full of loud-chewers.

2) Parachute into the Australian Outback armed with only a blowdart.

3) Live her best life as an ice road trucker in the Alaskan Tundra.

Benjamin Crawford thinks Emelia conned his dying grandmother into leaving her half of an estate worth millions, so let’s just say he’s not her biggest fan either. Not even close.

Now they have to live together for the next thirty days while renovating the family home. Or the estate will transfer to the one person Ben hates more than Emelia, and she’ll have to move back to the one place she wants to forget more than Ben.

Did I mention Ben look likes man-candy and smells like testosterone? Not that Emelia notices. She spends a lot of time not noticing things about Ben.

REVIEW

Emilia’s life hasn’t always been easy. She’s a nurse by trade, but had been caregiver to Rose Crawford for the past few months. When Rose passes away, Emilia isn’t quite sure how to move on. Her relationship with Rose was special to Emmy and she treasures these past few months with her. When Emmy finds out that Rose left her half of her property – she can’t quite believe it. But there’s a stipulation – Emmy has to stay at the estate with Rose’s grandson Ben for a month while they renovate the house.

Emilia knew of sweet “Benny” through letters that she read to Rose. She doesn’t think this testosterone spewing, motorcycle riding alphahole is the same person who would write sweet letters to Rose. How will Emmy survive a month living with HIM?

I loved loved loved Shortcake so much! The chemistry between Ben and Emmy was off the charts and so so sexy! Shortcake had the slowest of slow burns filled with plenty of humor and angst, but for me it was all in the perfect doses. I do love me a grumpy + sunshine romance and Lucy Watson definitely delivered with Shortcake! Her writing skills are amazing and I was either constantly laughing or had a smile on my face.

If you’re looking for a slow-burn/enemies-to-lovers/fake relationship/forced proximity romance, please grab your copy of Shortcake! I hope that Lucy never stops writing and I can’t wait for Nicks’s book next (and hopefully Winston and Jesse after that)!!!

Little Lies ARC Review

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Little Lies by H. Hunting

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Heat Rating: 🔥🔥🔥

Release Date: November 16, 2020

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author.

SYNOPSIS

I don’t want you.
You mean nothing to me.
I never loved you.

I turned my words into swords.
And I cut her down. Shoved the blade in and watched her fall.

I said I’d never hurt her, and I did.

Years later, I’m faced with all the little lies, the untruths, the false realities, the damage I inflicted, when all I wanted was to indulge my obsession.

Lavender Waters is the princess in the tower. Even her name is the thing fairy tales are made of.

I used to be the one who saved her.
Over and over again.

But I don’t want to save her anymore.
I just want to pretend the lies are still the truth.

A standalone angsty new adult romance.

Heroine: Lavender Waters (Alex and Violet Waters’ youngest daughter, PUCKED and FOREVER PUCKED couple origin, Pucked Series )

Hero: Kodiak (Kody) Bowman (Rook and Lainey Bowman’s son, A LIE FOR A LIE couple origin, All In Series ) 

REVIEW

Little Lies follows the relationship between Kodiak (if you remember he’s Rook and Lainey’s son from A Lie for a Lie) and Lavendar (Alex and Violet’s daughter from Pucked). Lavendar and Kodiak have always been close from a young age, but as they got older they started relying on each other a little too much and their families decided it was best to put some space between the two.

Lavendar and Kodiak haven’t seen other for a few years now and they’re both going to school at the same college in Chicago. Not only are they going to the same school, but they’re also neighbors. This puts them in close proximity often. Both Lavendar and Kodiak have to keep their guard up around each other because there’s been so much history between the two. They don’t exactly have a great relationship with a lot of pent up anger on both sides. Will they eventually be able to reconcile their friendship or are they bound to be at odds?

I absolutely loved the Pucked and All In series by Helena Hunting, so when I found out she was writing a new adult book surrounding Lavendar and Kodiak I was ecstatic!! Little Lies was so so good and I ended up binge reading 60% of Little Lies in one sitting. I love an angsty romance and Little Lies definitely delivered. I also really loved the way Helena was able to incorporate the flashback scenes in the book – letting the reader know why Kodiak and Lavendar’s relationship is so tumultuous. And at the same time this book was pulling on my heartstrings and I was rooting for Lavendar and Kodiak to get together!

Little Lies can be read as a standalone but I would highly recommend reading the Pucked/All In series! I hope that Helena continues with this universe and we get the stories for Lavendar’s siblings as well as cousins (I definitely want a book for BJ & Maverick!).