I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author.
SYNOPSIS
An ambitious wedding planner must work with her grumpy florist ex, whose heart she broke, on the most high-profile wedding of her career, in this spicy and emotional romance from popular fanfic author Julie Soto.
He loves me; he loves me not…
Ama Torres loves being a wedding planner. But with a mother who has been married more times than you can count on your fingers, Ama has decided that marriage is not the route for her. But weddings? Weddings are amazing. As a small business owner, she knows how to match her clients with the perfect vendor to give them the wedding of their dreams. Well, almost perfect…
Elliot hates being a florist, most of the time. When his father left him the flower shop, he considered it a burden, but he’s stuck with it. Just like how he’s stuck with the way he proposed to Ama, his main collaborator and girlfriend (or was she?) two years ago. But flowers have grown on him, just like Ama did. And flowers can’t run off and never speak to him again, like Ama did.
When Ama is hired to plan a celebrity wedding that will bring her business national exposure, there’s a catch: Elliot is already contracted to design the flowers. Things are not helped by the two brides, who see the obvious chemistry between Ama and Elliot and are determined to set them up, not knowing their complicated history. Add in a meddling ex-boss, and a reality TV film crew documenting every step of the wedding prep, and Ama and Elliot’s hearts are not only in jeopardy again, but this time, their livelihoods are too.
REVIEW
In Forget Me Not expect to find: -grumpy/sunshine -second chance romance -dual storyline with flashbacks + present time -spicy scenes 🌶️ -angst & pining 🥹
Ama Torres is busy living her best life running her own wedding planner business in the greater Sacramento area. She doesn’t do long term anything and is focused on making her business better than ever. When a celebrity couple asks for Ama to plan their wedding, Ama is ecstatic! This is her chance to put her name on the map. Only one teeny tiny problem stands in her way – she’s going to have to work alongside florist Elliot Bloom – her ex boyfriend who she hasn’t talked to in years. Will these two be able to put aside their differences and work together?
I haven’t read a book in one sitting in a very long time, but as soon as I started Forget Me Not I couldn’t stop reading. The chemistry between Ama and Elliot was off the charts. I loved the subtle way Ama just inserted herself into Elliot’s life, even though he wasn’t looking for a friendship. Elliot was so grumpy and grumbly and yet he had such a soft spot for Ama. Their slow turn from friends to lovers was so sweet and their fallout was equally as devastating.
Julie Soto knows how to write spicy scenes 👀🔥. The scenes between Ama and Elliot had me melting 🫠. The intimacy between Ama and Elliot was always present and the tension and chemistry build up was perfection!
My only small gripe is that I wish that maybe there was more communication between Ama and Elliot in the present. But even still, based on feels alone and the fact that I could not put this book down – this was an easy five star romance!
I also had an opportunity to listen to the audiobook and really enjoyed it. Both Callie Dalton and Teddy Hamilton did a wonderful job brining Ama and Elliot to life! I alternated between the physical book and the audiobook and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this audiobook!
If you’re looking for an angsty, swoony, second chance romance I highly recommend Forget Me Not.
p.s. I grew up in the Sacramento area my whole life and love how many local places I recognized reading Forget Me Not. Thank you, Julie for highlighting this amazing city ❤️
I have been loving The Gilded Age Heiresses series by Harper St. George! I am so excited to finally get the chance to read Camille’s story. If there’s a trope that is up there as one of my favorites – it’s definitely a fake relationship. When Camille offers a fake engagement + the benefits of that arrangement both of them are bound to be burned 🔥🔥🔥. I plan on reading The Duchess Takes a Husband soon and will update my blog post with a review!
SYNOPSIS
A scandalous arrangement between a London rogue and an American duchess leads to lavish stakes.
Despite her illustrious title, Camille, Duchess of Hereford, remains what she has always been—a pariah. Though her title means she’s technically accepted by London Society, the rebellious widow with her burgeoning interest in the suffrage movement and her American ways isn’t exactly high on every hostess’s guest list. But Camille starts to wonder if being an outcast is not without its perks when the tantalizing answer to her secret fear appears in the shape of Jacob Thorne, the illegitimate son of an earl and co-owner of London’s infamous Montague Club.
Jacob is used to making deals with his club members—he’s just not accustomed to them being beautiful women. Nor have the terms ever been so sweetly seductive as Camille’s shocking proposition. To finally buy his own club and gain the crucial backing of investors, Camille offers Jacob the respectability of a fake engagement with a duchess. In return, the tempting widow has one condition: she wants Jacob to show her if it’s possible for her to experience pleasure in bed.
The lure of such a bargain proves too delicious to resist, drawing the enterprising rogue and the wallflower duchess into a scandalous game and an even more dangerous gamble of the heart.
It was absolutely none of her business, but she couldn’t help but wonder if Lilian and Thorne were lovers. He had lovers. Camille knew that. She had been a member of the club for a few months, and in that time she had seen any number of women arrive by the ladies-only entrance and greet him very warmly. Sometimes he’d offer his arm, other times he’d slide his hand around their waist and disappear with them into parts unknown and she wouldn’t see him again that night. She couldn’t say with reasonable certainty that he slept with all of them, but it was a fair bet that he’d bedded a few.
“How many women members are there?” Camille hadn’t thought to ask when she’d filled out her registration form and paid the rather expensive dues. She’d joined because Hereford would have been appalled, not because she’d been trying to prove a larger point about equality of the sexes.
“A dozen, give or take, not nearly enough. I have to hurry off, but I would love to chat more. Will you be here another evening this week?”
Camille opened and closed her mouth when she realized she didn’t know what to say. If Thorne rejected her proposition, then she couldn’t imagine showing her face here again, but she didn’t want to miss the chance of making a new friend. She didn’t have many of those. Since coming to London over three years ago, she’d become that American because she could never seem to live up to the expectations of being Hereford’s duchess. It had become the done thing to invite her to events only to sneer at her behind her back. Fellow American heiresses the Crenshaw sisters, August and Violet, were her friends, but they were both happily married now and starting families of their own.
“Perhaps we could have tea one afternoon?” she offered.
Lilian’s smile was genuine when she said, “I would like that very much.”
They exchanged goodbyes and Camille was left alone. She didn’t bother practicing her smile again because it could quickly become a procrastination tactic. Either he was attracted to her and he said yes, or he wasn’t and he said no. Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, she rose and brushed out invisible wrinkles on her skirts. She wore an emerald-green gown cut the slightest bit lower than modest and in the natural shape that emphasized the flare of her hips, selected precisely because she thought it showed off her figure to the best advantage.
Pushing open the paneled mahogany door, she made her way down the wide corridor to the gaming room. It was nearly ten o’clock in the evening, which meant Thorne was probably there talking with patrons or dealing cards. He owned Montague Club along with his half brother, Christian Halston, Earl of Leigh, and their friend Evan Sterling, Duke of Rothschild. Both men were married to the Crenshaw sisters, so Camille had met him socially a handful of times. While she had always been charmed by his handsomeness in those social settings, it wasn’t until she had joined Montague Club that she’d found herself viewing him differently . . . as someone she might want to get to know in an entirely more intimate way.
The double doors that led to the main gaming room were thrown wide open, revealing a dimly lit but richly appointed setting. Gilded sconces topped with frosted globes were set at regular intervals giving off flickering gaslight that was immediately absorbed by the dark wood paneling, creating playful shadows and an aura of intimacy. Aubusson rugs in dark reds, greens, and gold matched the sofas and overstuffed chairs set in small groupings near the fireplaces on either end of the space. Rosewood gaming tables topped with green baize were scattered throughout the middle of the room. It was a slow night, so only a few had men playing at them, while the rest sat empty.
As usual, the table where Jacob Thorne stood dealing cards was busy. He was well-liked and the club members seemed to gravitate toward him. He was as sinfully handsome as his half brother, Christian, but not nearly as forbidding. They were both tall and filled out a frock coat nicely, but where Christian’s smile seemed to hold an edge of cynicism, Thorne’s was more open and friendly. That was partly why she had decided to approach him with her indecent proposition. He was kind and trustworthy. She didn’t think he would laugh at her or brag to his friends, but even more than that, he was the only man who had turned her head in a long time. Since her parents had introduced her to Hereford. Once she had met her future husband and reluctantly agreed to the marriage, she hadn’t viewed men in the same way. She’d begun to despair that she ever would again, but something about Thorne had her looking twice.
She studied him as she made her way around the tables to reach him. He was dressed as well as the men he entertained with nothing about him to indicate he owned the club and they were customers. His clothing was bespoke like theirs and had probably come from the same tailor. He was the son of an earl after all, though born outside of wedlock. He had been raised by his father, and that aristocratic arrogance showed on his face and in his mannerisms, except he wore it more naturally than many. It wasn’t conceit with him, so much as grace and charm.
His well-formed lips parted in a smile as he dealt another hand of vingt-un and made a joke she couldn’t hear. The men at the table laughed as they added to their bets. Thorne picked up the deck of cards with a skill born from years of practice and tossed another card onto each stack. His hands were strong but graceful with long fingers and clipped nails. If all went to plan, he could be touching her with those very hands soon. She paused as a flush warmed her face, but it was too late. He’d caught sight of her.
“Your Grace.” He smiled as the other three men greeted her in turn. “Have you come to join us?” he asked, his voice rich and smooth.
She swallowed and willed the butterflies in her stomach to cease their antics. She’d talked to him many times since joining his club, and tonight didn’t have to be any different. Only it was. Fighting past her nerves, she took the chair at the end of the crescent-shaped table. “Yes, but I’m afraid I’ve never played the game before.”
“Not to worry, Your Grace. We’ll teach you, won’t we, gentlemen?”
They murmured their agreement. A footman came forward almost immediately, bearing a small tumbler of her favorite whisky on ice. The service here was remarkable. Accepting it with a smile, she spent the next several minutes watching the men play as Thorne went over the rules. The game seemed easy enough; one simply tried to get the sum of their cards to add up to twenty-one without going over. It wasn’t complicated. Finally, Thorne dealt her in, and she promptly lost the first two hands.
“Too aggressive,” he warned her with a shake of his head when she asked for another card on the third round. The gaslight played in his thick, black hair, and she wondered if it would be as soft as it looked.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.
I had been seeing Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros all over my social media and wasn’t quite sure what to expect with this fantasy romance that also involved…dragons(!!). I’ve been reading a lot of fantasy romance for the past year and was really excited to dive into Fourth Wing when the publisher sent me an advance reader copy.
I started this book and while it took a while to get into it (as most fantasy romances do), I really ended up falling in love with the characters. Violet & Xaden had that explosive enemies-to-lovers chemistry that I love! They didn’t “hate each” other for a minute before falling in love – and the way they antagonized each other was pure perfection. I’m a sucker for nicknames, so the fact that Xaden calls Violet Violence was perfect!
The romance, the dragons (love the dragons), the academy, the suspense and the found family aspect of Fourth Wing really made it a stand out fantasy romance read for me! I’m so excited for the next book in the series Iron Flame to be released later this year.
SYNOPSIS
Enter the brutal and elite world of a war college for dragon riders from USA Today bestselling author Rebecca Yarros
Twenty-year-old Violet Sorrengail was supposed to enter the Scribe Quadrant, living a quiet life among books and history. Now, the commanding general—also known as her tough-as-talons mother—has ordered Violet to join the hundreds of candidates striving to become the elite of Navarre: dragon riders.
But when you’re smaller than everyone else and your body is brittle, death is only a heartbeat away…because dragons don’t bond to “fragile” humans. They incinerate them.
With fewer dragons willing to bond than cadets, most would kill Violet to better their own chances of success. The rest would kill her just for being her mother’s daughter—like Xaden Riorson, the most powerful and ruthless wingleader in the Riders Quadrant.
She’ll need every edge her wits can give her just to see the next sunrise.
Yet, with every day that passes, the war outside grows more deadly, the kingdom’s protective wards are failing, and the death toll continues to rise. Even worse, Violet begins to suspect leadership is hiding a terrible secret.
Friends, enemies, lovers. Everyone at Basgiath War College has an agenda—because once you enter, there are only two ways out: graduate or die.
REVIEW
In Fourth Wing expect to find: -enemies to lovers -who did this to you -slow burn -dragons -spicy -angsty/swoony
Violet Sorrengail has been training her whole life to become a Scribe where she would live a life among the scholars. It would have been a peaceful life for her, but her mother (the commanding general) has decided that Violet will study instead to become a dragon rider. Everyone seems out for themselves and Violet doesn’t consider anyone a friend – especially Wingleader Xaden Riorson. Violet doesn’t want anything to do with this life, but she has one mantra that she chants I will not die today.
That’s really about all I’m going to say without giving anything away 😬.
I went in not knowing much about Fourth Wing and ended up enjoying every part of this romantic fantasy. The enemies-to-lovers component felt like a true enemies-to-lovers romance and I loved that Xaden and Violet didn’t pretend to hate each other for a minute and then fall head first in love. They had a lot to work through and it wasn’t easy. Their angsty/swoony/spicy romance was *chefs kiss.* I loved the banter and chemistry between these two. I’ve already gone back to read my favorite parts and I seem to love them more and more.
And the dragons! I haven’t read many romances with dragons, but safe to say I’m definitely a fan.
I can’t wait for the next book in the series!! Highly highly recommend Fourth Wing if you love fantasy romance.
Links to order the books mentioned above:
Disclosure: The links below are affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize the purchase
Fern Brookbanks wants nothing more than to live her life in the big city away from lakeside resort her mother runs. Fern ends up meeting an artist – Will – at the coffee shop she works at. They end up hitting it off and have an amazing night together. Will and Fern made a pact to meet again the following year. Fern was left waiting and Will never showed…
It’s a decade later and Fern is now running her late mother’s lakeside resort. She’s not quite sure what she wants to do with the resort, but she never expected to see her Will as the financial consultant her mother hired to help with the resort. Will this second chance be a way for Will and Fern to find their way back together or will it only complicate things further?
SYNOPSIS
Fern Brookbanks has wasted far too much of her adult life thinking about Will Baxter. She spent just twenty-four hours in her early twenties with the aggravatingly attractive, idealistic artist, a chance encounter that spiraled into a daylong adventure in Toronto. The timing was wrong, but their connection was undeniable: they shared every secret, every dream, and made a pact to meet one year later. Fern showed up. Will didn’t.
At thirty-two, Fern’s life doesn’t look at all how she once imagined it would. Instead of living in the city, Fern’s back home, running her mother’s Muskoka lakeside resort–something she vowed never to do. The place is in disarray, her ex-boyfriend’s the manager, and Fern doesn’t know where to begin.
She needs a plan–a lifeline. To her surprise, it comes in the form of Will, who arrives nine years too late, with a suitcase in tow and an offer to help on his lips. Will may be the only person who understands what Fern’s going through. But how could she possibly trust this expensive-suit wearing mirage who seems nothing like the young man she met all those years ago. Will is hiding something, and Fern’s not sure she wants to know what it is.
But ten years ago, Will Baxter rescued Fern. Can she do the same for him?
A random connection sends two strangers on a daylong adventure where they make a promise one keeps and the other breaks, with life-changing effects, in this breathtaking new novel from the New York Times and #1 Globe and Mail bestselling author of Every Summer After.
I have been loving reading fantasy romance lately and when I saw the Crowns of Nyaxia series all over social media, I decided to pick up these books. It helps that the entire series is available on Kindle Unlimited. This series had the perfect amount of suspense, angst, romance and a thread of grief woven throughout. I am so happy to have discovered this author and can’t wait to read more of her books!
Potential spoilers if you continue to read the reviews.
Disclosure: The links below are affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize the purchase.
Read this duet if you like: -drama & suspense -a snarky hero & heroine -touch her and I’ll unalive you -prophecies -vampire + human romance
**perfect for fans of Sarah J Maas and Jennifer L Armentrout
Oraya is the adopted daughter of the vampire King, Vincent. It has been her fathers greatest desire for Oraya to truly become his daughter, not in name but also in blood. The only way for Oraya to achieve this is to enter the Kejari so that when she wins she can ask the goddess Nyaxia to bond herself to her father.
Oraya is determined to win the competition, but her competitors are fierce. No one as fierce as Raihn Ashraj. Oraya and Raihn ultimately form a tentative relationship. They will become allies for the duration of the competition. They both know that if they were to end up the only two left to battle – one of them will have to die.
But what happens when they start to get close…and their feelings for one another become muddled. Both Oraya and Raihn must face some hard truths and determine which one of them will be left the victor of the competition.
Gah, how I loooooved this book! Raihn and Oraya together were perfect! I loved their banter, their chemistry and how these two ended up caring so much for one another. The Serpent and the Wings of Night is a slooooooooooow, but Carissa Broadbent knows how to bring the heat!
One of my favorite parts of this book was Oraya’s relationship with her father Vincent. They didn’t always have an easy relationship, but Vincent’s love for Oraya is present throughout the entire book if you’re looking close enough.
This book made me laugh, had my heart racing during the competition and also shedding so many tears into my pillow. If you’re looking for a book that you won’t be able to put down once you pick it up – grab The Serpent and the Wings of Night.
After reading the first book in the series The Serpent and the Wings of Night, I immediately moved on to The Ashes and the Star-Cursed King. Both of these books are *chefs kiss* perfect!
Expect to find: -angst (so much angst) -themes of grief -enemies to lovers/second chance -political intrigue
**spoilers** . . . . . One of the main themes in the second book in the Crowns of Nyaxia duet is grief. Grief for humanity, grief of a loved one, grief for not knowing things about yourself until it was too late.
Oraya is grieving the death of her father, while being kept prisoner in her own home. Raihn is now the king after Oraya asked Nyaxia to make it so he won the Kejari. He doesn’t want anything to do with the kingdom, but his people are relying on him. Oraya and Raihn are often left at a crossroads. They are both the heir to the crown; and their armies are fighting on opposite sides of one another. How could they ever move past this?
The angst, the longing, the grief…I seriously had tears in my eyes sooo many times while reading The Ashes and the Star-Cursed King. Carissa Broadbent has such a beautiful way with prose and I was always left feeling too much on behalf of these characters. I felt what Oraya was going through, but also Raihn’s anguish at having to hurt Oraya. These two are not perfect and I love that they never pretend to be.
Once again The Ashes and the Star-Cursed King was a very slow burn and I loved ever moment of it. Oraya and Raihn never stopped caring for one another, no matter what obstacles were thrown their way. And Raihn – gah! he’s definitely my newest favorite book boyfriend.
This series is up there as one of my favorite books that I’ve read this year for sure! I highly highly recommend you pick up this duet! I can’t wait to read more from Carissa Broadbent.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.
SYNOPSIS
A woman discovers the father of the child she is nannying may be her biggest (Only)Fan in this steamy contemporary romance by Lana Ferguson.
After losing her job and being on the brink of eviction, Cassie Evans finds herself with two choices: get a new job (and fast) or fire up her long-untouched OnlyFans account. But there are no jobs to be found, and as for OnlyFans. . . . Well, there are reasons she can’t go back. Just when all hope seems lost, an ad for a live-in nanny position seems the solution to all her problems. It’s almost too perfect—until she meets her would-be employer.
Aiden Reid, executive chef and DILF extraordinaire is far from the stuffy single dad Cassie was imagining. She is shocked when he tells her she’s the most qualified applicant he’s met in weeks, practically begging her to take the job. With hands that make her hindbrain howl and eyes that scream sex, the idea of living under the same roof as Aiden feels dangerous, but with no other option, she decides to stay with him and his adorably tenacious daughter, Sophie.
Cassie soon discovers that Aiden is not a stranger at all, but instead someone who is very familiar with her—or at least, her body. She finds herself at a loss for what to do, given that he doesn’t remember her. As their relationship heats to temperatures hotter than any kitchen Aiden has ever worked in, Cassie struggles with telling Aiden the truth, and the more terrifying possibility—losing the best chance at happiness she’s ever had.
REVIEW
Cassie needs a job and a place to stay ASAP. She’s working on her degree as an occupational therapist and just lost her job. At one point in time Cassie did have an OnlyFans account, but she deleted it after she got too attached to a client and doesn’t plan to fire it up again anytime soon. So when Cassie answers an ad for a live in nanny and manages to get the job – she’s ecstatic! So what if her boss, Aiden is hot. Cassie can manage to keep her hands and thoughts to herself while she’s strictly professional. Except the more time Aiden and Cassie start spending together, the more mutual attraction grows. And when Cassie discovers that she knew Aiden or rather A during her brief stint on OnlyFans, will she be able to keep their relationship strictly platonic or risk blowing everything up by opening up to Aiden.
Okay, first of all The Nanny was 🔥🔥🔥. I loved the flashbacks in between chapters between Cici and A (that would be Aiden and Cassie). Their interactions when they were on OnlyFans were so HOT. And when Cassie discovers that Aiden is actually A – ahhh I loved that moment. And Aiden was such a sweet cinnamon roll but oof does he know how to bring the dirty talk 🫠. Their chemistry was undeniable and I loved their sweet and flirty banter.
I loved each and every secondary character in this book. For being a person who’s not really a fan of single parent tropes, I loved the relationship that Aiden had with his daughter Sophie. Sophie was going through a lot of grief after the loss of her mother and I loved that Cassie gives her space to come around and truly wants what is best for her and Aiden. I also really enjoyed the relationship that Cassie had with her neighbor Wanda. Their interactions truly made me laugh out loud! They were funny, but also sweet and relevant to the storyline.
The Nanny completely surprised me and in the best way! Overall I would give this book between 4 and 4.5 stars! Can’t wait to read the next book by Lana Ferguson.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Valentine PR
SYNOPSIS
He was my boyfriend’s best friend—and the bane of my existence. I wanted to hate Luke Taylor. I did hate him. I just never hated him enough.
Now, a decade later, tragedy has brought us back to the place where it all happened—my best times, and my worst.
Our lives have changed, but that pull between us is just as strong as ever.
Only this time, it’s more dangerous too.
REVIEW
In The Summer We Fell expect to find: -who did this to you -second chance romance -love triangle -angsty/pining -dual timeline
I finished this book 2 days ago and yet I still can’t stop thinking about it. I love an angsty and swoony romance and gah the angst in The Summer We Fell hurt my heart so good.
Juliet met Luke 10 years ago when she was living with her then boyfriend, Danny and his family. Luke was Danny’s best friend and immediately the disdain and dislike for Juliet was evident. These two were at each others throats more often than not. But they also understood one another better than they ever would have imagined.
Soon Luke and Juliet formed a tentative relationship that slowly blossomed into something else. But tragedy struck and these two were separated for 7 long years. Now they are reunited and don’t know where they’ll go from here. The passion is still there between these two but so is the hurt and anger that’s been festering for years now. Will they find a way to make their relationship work?
I am a *huge* fan of Elizabeth O’Roark. She writes the best angst and I feel like enemies-to-loves is her forte. So really it should come as no surprise that the enemies-to-lovers banter as well as the angst and pining was evident from the first page of this book. I started and finished The Summer We Fell in a matter of a day.
If you’re looking for an angsty, swoony, enemies-to-lovers, messy romance I would suggest you pick up The Summer We Fell by Elizabeth O’Roark. I give this book 4.5 stars.
cw: rape, domestic & verbal abuse, depression, mention of drug use
After loving the first book in the Hex series, Go Hex Yourself, I am so excited to read Penny’s story in What the Hex!
Penny is so eager and excited to become a familiar to a witch. Only one small problem – no one is hiring familiars at the moment. When an opportunity presents itself to apprentice for a forbidden warlock – Penny takes the chance! Willem Sauer is a banned warlock, but needs a familiar to help with the limited magic he can practice.
These two don’t immediately get along, but when someone starts targeting Penny – they must work together. Will their forced proximity bring them closer together while they try to keep Penny safe?
SYNOPSIS
Enemies-to-lovers has never been more enchanting in this witchy romantic comedy from the New York Times bestselling author of Go Hex Yourself .
Penny Roundtree wants nothing more than to be a familiar to a witch. She’s been a member of the Society of Familiars ever since she was old enough to join the Fam. There’s just a small problem—no one’s hiring. Witches and warlocks are so long-lived that there are far more familiars available than witches to train them. So when an unorthodox arrangement to apprentice under the table to a forbidden warlock presents itself, she takes it.
Willem Sauer is banned from having a familiar due to past transgressions, thereby limiting his magic-casting abilities. Unfortunately for the surly, Prussian warlock, he has no choice but to work with enthusiastic Penny as a familiar. They immediately clash like dried roan horsehair and honeycomb gathered by moonlight (it’s a terrible spell combination, ask anyone).
Casting spells has delightful perks Penny never could have dreamed of, but also greater dangers. Someone is targeting Penny. Willem and Penny must work together to catch their enemy, and if their ploy requires a little kissing on the side, who is to question the rules of magic?
EXCERPT
WHAT THE HEX – Excerpt
PENNY
There’s nothing better than a well-established routine.
I love knowing what to expect. I love everyone playing their individual part, and watching it all come together. Maybe that’s me romanticizing even the mundane aspects of life, but the best kind of progress happens when the system works like a well-oiled machine. That’s why I don’t mind the weekly meeting of the Society of Familiars. Some people might find it boring, but I love it.
Well, most nights I love it. The current president of our society is . . . a bit difficult to listen to for long periods of time, if I’m being honest. I stifle a yawn as Derek Chapman bangs a gavel on the meeting table and then drones on. “Any other news to discuss before the society?”
It’s silent.
“Anyone? Anyone?”
I glance out at the gathered audience. There are twenty people here tonight. There should be all fifty of our local members out there, but a lot of them lose faith and stop attending, or they come around just enough to renew their dues and then disappear again for another year. I’m doing my best to make coming to society meetings more fun, but sometimes it feels like an uphill battle since no one else is putting in effort. I don’t blame them for feeling down about things. It’s hard to keep being positive when year after year, there’s no opportunity to apprentice. But I believe in positivity, and I’m sure our situation will change at some point. We just have to keep on.
“Anyone?” Derek drones out again.
Derek doesn’t think he’s part of the problem with the Fam, as we call the Society of Familiars. It’s an ironic name, because none of us are actually familiars. We’re the pool of candidates in waiting to become familiars. We’re here because we have the bloodlines and the inclination, and we’re just waiting for a witch or a warlock to come along with an opening for an apprentice. Until that glorious moment happens, all we have is the Fam.
And Derek isn’t exactly a dynamic leader. He’s dry and boring. He reads in a monotone from manuals instead of learning the information and speaking about it from the heart. He hyperfixates on tiny things about the society, like dues and attendance, and focuses less on the people themselves and what they bring to the group. As a result, our attendance numbers keep dwindling. You don’t have to attend all the meetings to be in the society, of course, but as someone that loves to be part of the group, it’s hard for me to watch everyone peel away under Derek’s lead.
“This is your opportunity to speak up,” Derek continues in the same colorless voice. He rubs his nose rather wetly, examines his fingers, and then peers out at the group. “Might I remind you that attendance and joyful participation will be considered by some warlocks and witches as a sign of enthusiasm.”
Ugh. Please. There’s a hierarchy to our group. Names are put on the list in order of how long we’ve been waiting and rarely get shuffled. The warlock or witch then pulls from the top candidates. It doesn’t have anything to do with “joyful participation.” That’s just Derek being, well, Derek.
I raise my hand and bounce to my feet, clutching my notes. Time to save the day. “I just wanted to say to please remember to bring your cookies for next week’s baking swap! All cookies, cupcakes, and brownies are welcome, but remember that if you use known allergens or rare spell components in your baking, to please label your goods accordingly.” I glance around the room, smiling at everyone as warmly as I can. “I also wanted to get volunteers for the car-wash fundraiser for Abby this weekend, and a reminder that several of us are going out for drinks after this. Everyone is of course invited!”
“Thank you, Penny,” Derek replies, his monotone drowning the shot of fun I just tried to inject. “Any other familiar business?”
No one speaks up. There’s a polite cough in the back.
“Then I’d like to close the meeting-” Derek begins, lifting his gavel like he’s a judge.
“Wait.” Someone in the audience stands up. It’s Cody, a good friend of mine. We’re about the same age and in the same situation-as in, we’re both from a long line of familiars, and yet we have no one to serve. “When are we opening up membership again?”
I look over at Derek, who frowns. “We’re not.”
In the audience, Cody looks unhappy with this bit of information. “Why not?”
Derek blinks. He’s elderly, and for a moment, I wonder if he’s forgotten where he’s at, and my heart squeezes with pity. Poor old thing. But then he turns to me, a hint of confusion on his face. “Why not?”
I have to answer? I stammer for a moment, then try to frame it in as positive a light as possible. “Right now we’re focusing on our existing members to give them the best opportunity for familiarship possible.”
“So in other words, we’re not letting in new people because it’d make things too competitive?” Cody crosses his arms, his pose challenging. “Doesn’t that seem a little unfair?”
I look over at Derek, but he’s still watching me, so I bite back a sigh of frustration and keep a bright smile on my face. I shouldn’t be surprised that Derek is making me do part of his job. I kinda end up doing it anyhow. “Membership being open or closed is voted upon at the annual meeting. If everyone feels really strongly about opening up for new applicants, we can take a vote then. Or you can send a formal request to have it added to a future agenda-“
Cody waves a disgusted hand at me and sits back down.
Oh. Well then. I keep smiling and look over at Derek. I guess it’d be impolite to point out that not only did Derek propose that we close enrollment, but he’s supposed to be the one enforcing it, not me. Then again, if he’s having trouble remembering where he’s at, I guess I shouldn’t be surprised he’s forgetting this, too.
Derek bangs the gavel. “Business concluded for this evening. See you all next week.”
“Drinks at the Alehouse around the corner,” I call out cheerily. At least now it’s time for my favorite part of meeting nights. “We’d love to see you guys there!”
Despite my warm invitation, less than half the group migrates over to the Alehouse. I buy a few rounds of drinks to encourage people to stick around, and sip my amaretto sour as my friends talk about nothing in particular. Darcy is complaining about her job at a bookstore, and Megan just broke up with her boyfriend. Nathan asks if my job is hiring, but he always asks that. We’re never hiring for my part of the job, unfortunately. There’s a guy that works weekends at the front, but for spell component fulfillment? It’s just me. I get why he asks, though. Of all of us in the Society of Familiars, I’m the only one that has regular contact with any witches or warlocks. The rest of them just sit back and . . . wait.
I head for the bar once my drink is gone, ready to order another round. To my surprise, I run into Derek. He’s sitting at the bar instead of with the rest of us, and I feel a twinge of pity. I put a hand on his back and tap it to let him know of my presence. “I didn’t know you were here! Why didn’t you join us?”
He waves an irritated hand at me. “No one wants to sit with an old man like me.”
Oh dear. Derek’s words are slurred. I frown at the cluster of empty beer glasses in front of him. “You’re not old,” I say cheerfully. “You’re just distinguished.”
“I’m seventy-eight.” He leans over toward me. “And I never, not once, served a witch.”
“Because you’ve made your life all about the Society of Familiars, right?” Derek moved here recently from out of state, and ever since, he’s been determined to be involved in our local group. I’m thrilled that someone’s showing interest other than me, but I just wish he were a more dynamic leader.
But Derek just shakes his head. “No one wants an old familiar. I’m never gonna get to serve.” He peers over at me through beer-glazed eyes. “You’re gonna age out soon, too.”
That stings. Ouch. “I just turned thirty. There’s plenty of time for me yet.”
“Yes, but there’s always someone younger,” Derek says in a lofty voice. “You’re like me. The society is gonna be your life.” He nods sagely and then taps my arm. “Play your cards right and you can be where I am someday.”
I smile politely and grab the tray of drinks from the bartender the moment he sets them on the bar, practically flinging down my tip. Somehow, I manage to keep smiling as I make my way over to the table again, even though Derek’s words are ringing in my ears like a death knell.
The society is gonna be your life.
Do I even want that? I’m here because I want to learn witchcraft. I’m here because I want to serve as a familiar. I want to grow in my own power and live hundreds and hundreds of years, and I can do that only if a witch or warlock takes me under their wing and teaches me. But the problem is that because most witches are so long lived, they don’t like swapping out apprentices. They don’t like change. So anyone that apprentices can expect to be serving for a few decades at least before being taught to go out on their own.
Lily wants nothing more than to become an editor in children’s fiction, but she finds herself stuck in nonfiction. Lily finds solace when she ends up corresponding with her favorite fantasy author. She thinks their friendship is something special until he ghosts her.
When Lily meets her new neighbor Nick, she’s unexpectedly drawn to him. But Nick is keeping a secret from her. He’s the fantasy author she was corresponding with. He has his reasons for using a pen name and keeping people from getting to close. But how long will he hide this secret from her before it escalate out of control?
I am so excited to start reading The Neighbor Favor by Kristina Forest. Girl next door + friends to lovers + love interests who are in the book publishing world and they send anonymous letters to one another…swoon!
SYNOPSIS
In this heart-fluttering romance by Kristina Forest, a shy bookworm enlists her charming neighbor to help her score a date, not knowing he’s the obscure author she’s been corresponding with.
Shy, bookish, and admittedly awkward, Lily Greene has always felt inadequate compared to the rest of her accomplished family, who strive for Black excellence. She dreams of becoming an editor of children’s books but has been frustratingly stuck in the nonfiction division for years without a promotion in sight. Lily finds escapism in her correspondences with her favorite fantasy author, and what begins as two lonely people connecting over e-mail turns into a tentative friendship and possibly something else Lily won’t let herself entertain–until he ghosts her.
Months later, still crushed but determined to take charge of her life, Lily seeks a date to her sister’s wedding. And the perfect person to help her is Nick Brown, her charming, attractive new neighbor, whom she feels drawn to for unexplainable reasons. Little does she know that Nick is an author–her favorite fantasy author.
Nick, who has his reasons for using a pen name and for pushing people away, soon realizes that the beautiful, quiet woman from down the hall is the same Lily he fell in love with over e-mail months ago. Unwilling to complicate things even more between them, he agrees to set her up with someone else, though this simple favor between two neighbors is anything but–not when he can’t get her off his mind.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.
SYNOPSIS
A couple who broke up months ago make a pact to pretend to still be together for their annual weeklong vacation with their best friends in this glittering and wise new novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Emily Henry.
Harriet and Wyn have been the perfect couple since they met in college—they go together like salt and pepper, honey and tea, lobster and rolls. Except, now—for reasons they’re still not discussing—they don’t.
They broke up six months ago. And still haven’t told their best friends.
Which is how they find themselves sharing the largest bedroom at the Maine cottage that has been their friend group’s yearly getaway for the last decade. Their annual respite from the world, where for one vibrant, blue week they leave behind their daily lives; have copious amounts of cheese, wine, and seafood; and soak up the salty coastal air with the people who understand them most.
Only this year, Harriet and Wyn are lying through their teeth while trying not to notice how desperately they still want each other. Because the cottage is for sale and this is the last week they’ll all have together in this place. They can’t stand to break their friends’ hearts, and so they’ll play their parts. Harriet will be the driven surgical resident who never starts a fight, and Wyn will be the laid-back charmer who never lets the cracks show. It’s a flawless plan (if you look at it from a great distance and through a pair of sunscreen-smeared sunglasses). After years of being in love, how hard can it be to fake it for one week…in front of those who know you best?
REVIEW
In Happy Place you can expect to find: -angst…so much angst and longing 🥹 -found family -evolution of friendships -fake relationship (kinda)
This book, ugh. I’m pretty sure I had tears in my eyes at like 10% of the book, but I wouldn’t expect anything less with Emily Henry. After being together for 8 years, Wyn and Harriet have decided to end their relationship and simultaneously call of their engagement. It’s been a hard 5 months since their breakup, but Harriet is set on moving on. Only one problem – neither Harriet or Wyn have told their core group of friends that their relationship is over. When Harriet realizes that Wyn will also be at the summer house in Maine that they vacation at every year, with their entire group of friends in the same spot, it gets super messy super fast. Wyn and Harriet decide to pretend like they’re still in their relationship for the sake of their friends. How long will these two be able to fake still being in love before they end up hurting each other again?
I LOVE a second chance romance and the angstier the better. Emily Henry definitely delivered with Happy Place 🥲. I loved the back and forth timeline with when Harriet met Wyn and their eventual pulling apart as a couple. The giddiness and butterflies you feel when a relationship first starts vs the bitterness and hurt when one ends – I felt both of these emotions so acutely 😭 I had tears streaming down my face so many times while reading this book.
I also loved the core group of friends and their relationships with one another. While they started off so carefree and fun (typically how it is in college), they got more complex as lives got busier, messier and took these friends to different parts of the country as well as different parts of their lives. This happens so often in real life – when you’re friends with someone and think you know them so well only to drift apart and think how well do I really know this person now?
Emily Henry has a way with words and so many sentences of Happy Place are highlighted on my tablet. I already can’t wait to go back and reread this lovely book 🥰
If angsty, swoony, second chance romance is your thing – add Happy Place to your tbr.
Ranking Emily Henry books (they’re all 5 stars) 1. People We Meet on Vacation 2. Book Lovers 3. Happy Place 4. Beach Read *subject to change at any moment
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