Tag: British romance

REVIEW: Much Ado About You by Samantha Young

REVIEW: Much Ado About You by Samantha Young

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Berkley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Evie Starling has had it. After a two year break from dating, she finally connects with a guy online. For four weeks, they flirt and banter. Then, when they finally schedule an actual date, he stands her up.

If that wasn’t enough despair for one week, her work life implodes as well. In a crazy moment of bravery, Evie quits her job and books a four week stay in England. She’ll stay above a book store that she will also run while she is there. Four days in the shop will keep up her end of the bargain, leaving three days for her freelance work and sight seeing. This trip will be just the break she needs to forget about dating and men and just focus on herself for a while before returning to her life, friends and family in Chicago.

But Evie doesn’t count on the sexy local farmer and the endearing village community making her want to amend all her plans.

Review

This is lovely! I got such a kick out of the community in this book – and the way Evie was drawn in and the difference she made. The romance here is great, too. Roane and Evie are terrific together. But the larger community story is really what made this a fun read for me.

There’s a Hallmark-esque feel to this. At 80% completion, I knew the big moment was coming where it was all going to fall apart. And it did, in all the ways I expected. But while I expected it, I still enjoyed watching the story play out.

Contemporary romance fans and book lovers should be sure to check this one out. The premise with the vacation/book store piece was delightful. But I think it will be the full cast of characters that will appeal to readers. There are some really excellent moments with Evie and Roane and their community that will stick with me after reading this. (Language, sex, sexual references, LGBTQ+, racism, recovery)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read.

SATURDAY SMORGASBORD: The Twelve Dates of Christmas by Jenny Bayliss

SATURDAY SMORGASBORD: The Twelve Dates of Christmas by Jenny Bayliss

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and G.P. Putnam’s Sons in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. This book will release on October 13, 2020.]

Summary

After a dating dry spell, Kate Turner lets her best friend, Laura, talk her into signing up for the Twelve Dates of Christmas. It’s an event run by the Lightning Strikes dating site. The site plans the dates with 12 matches, and all of the food and drinks are included in the cost. It’s a great way for Kate to meet 12 men, and enjoy some out-of-the-ordinary activities during the holiday season.

Living in a small town means everyone knows Kate’s business. They all know she signed up, and the gossips are staying busy keeping everyone up to speed on every dating disaster. Every time her other best friend, Matt, calls it the Twelve Shags of Christmas, she wants to forget the whole thing. It’s a good thing Kate is such a good sport.

Over time, it becomes clear that there might be a relationship from Kate’s past that is getting in the way of her moving forward with a new relationship. When everything falls apart, she will have to decide if she’s going to fight for the life she has built or if she’s willing to leave it all behind to avoid more pain.

Review

The set up for this – with the twelve blind dates – reminded me of 10 Blind Dates, a YA book I loved last year. This isn’t a comedy like that one is, but the set up works well in both books. It allows the author to introduce a bunch of quirky characters and scenarios for the protagonist.

I liked Kate a lot. She’s confident and knows who she is. She doesn’t put up with any garbage from the dates. And she has an amazing sounding job. I loved how her family and friends support her.

The dates – both the men and the activities – were fun to read. Kate meets interesting people. The activities were varied and fit Kate’s personality – a snowy hike, salsa dancing, a cooking class, etc. And even when the events end in disaster, I always liked Kate as she dealt with the surprises and the disappointments.

I figured out where things were going by about page 10, but I enjoyed the journey to get there. There’s a lot of great food described here (the final copy of the book will have recipes), and tons of holiday elements to help readers get into the Christmas mood. Don’t miss this fun Christmas romance. (Language, off-page sex, LGBTQ+)

Rating: ♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥½=Good+

BONUS REVIEW: If I Never Met You by Mhairi McFarlane

BONUS REVIEW: If I Never Met You by Mhairi McFarlane

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and William Morrow Paperbacks in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Laurie and Dan have been together since they were teens. They’re each other’s first and only love. They work together; they live together. And after 18 years as a couple, it’s time to have a family. At least, that’s what Laurie thought. Dan, however, is thinking he wants something else. No only does he not want kids, but he doesn’t want to be with Laurie any more.

After the break up and clear evidence that, instead of pining over her and wanting her back, Dan has moved on, Laurie can’t escape the aggravating scenario. Everyone at work knows. It’s clear that Laurie and Dan are at the top of the gossips’ list of hot topics. And it’s only getting worse.

Jamie Carter has an interesting and cynical view of long term relationships. And it could cost him a big move at work. The partners find his cavalier, different-woman-every-weekend lifestyle unsettling. They’ve actually come out and said he needs to find someone steady and conventional.

When Laurie and Jamie spend a couple hours trapped in an elevator and then go for a drink afterwards, the idea strikes. If they pretend to have a relationship together, he gets the respectable match the partners want, and Laurie can rub Dan’s nose in her own “moving on.” Once they both get what they want, they “break up.” Everyone wins. What could possibly go wrong?

Review

When I started this, I wasn’t a fan. I didn’t care for Laurie or Dan, and we didn’t really get any time with Jamie until the book was 25% done. My expectations for this to be like other fake relationship books did not serve me well either. This isn’t like other fake relationship stories.

This is really more of a self-discovery, self-recovery story for Laurie. And once I realized that, I grew to like it. I enjoyed watching her puzzle out the break up with Dan. Where did it come from? What signs did she miss? What does the break up say about her as a woman and as a romantic partner?

The foreshadowing of the fall out over this fake relationship is blatant. When Laurie’s friend challenges her about the lying and asks how she reconciles a fake relationship at work with her general integrity, it was startling. It put me on edge (in a good way) waiting for things to fall apart. It gave a whole new sense of the story at that point.

I also enjoyed the fact that the fake relationship was not physical. It allowed Jamie and Laurie to process her break up. If this had had a lot of physical moments rather than emotional ones, I think I would have liked the story less.

The change in Jamie’s philosophy of relationships was abrupt for me. The author uses it for the plot well – Laurie doubts the change is real, adding to the conflict between them. But I didn’t feel we got as much of Jamie’s transformation over time as we do Laurie’s. It’s really more HER story than THEIR story.

If you enjoy the fake relationship trope, but you want it to play out in some new ways, don’t miss this one. (Language, sexual references, off-page sex)

Rating: ♥♥♥½

BONUS REVIEW: My Great Ex-Scape by Portia MacIntosh

BONUS REVIEW: My Great Ex-Scape by Portia MacIntosh

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Boldwood Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Thanks to some unexpected twists in an otherwise ordinary day, Rosie finds herself center state on the live quiz show One Big Question.  And she’s done an amazing job. She’s down to her final lifeline – calling someone from her speed dial – on the final question. That final question is about dinosaurs. And Rosie’s boyfriend is a paleobiologist!

When she calls to ask him the “big question,” he interrupts her and breaks up with her on live television. Stunned, she still asks the dinosaur question which he answers. In one moment, she loses her boyfriend, wins £50,000, and goes viral.

The next day isn’t much better. Her social media has blown up in awful ways. Her ex feels entitled to some of her winnings. And a catty co-worker is chomping at the bit to write a newspaper article about her shame. The one bright spot is the flower arrangement on her doorstep. The unsigned card says, “I love you. I should never have let you go. I want you back.”

Thinking maybe her future can be found in her past, Rosie decides to track down all her exes and see who sent the flowers. Maybe he’s someone she wants back, too.

Review

This has a great premise, and it’s well executed. I enjoyed Rosie. The journey back to past relationships has been done before, and I love the trope. I enjoyed how it played out in this book. I didn’t expect the bulk of this to focus on only two of her past relationships (the other 3 were addressed early on) and to take place on a cruise ship. But the cruise pieces were fantastic. I enjoy cruise stories. And there’s a great balance here with the travel experience and Rosie’s re-connections with her exes. The main story stayed the main story, but there were delightful – and some aggravating – side stories that kept me engaged in the journey.

The characters really made this story for me. The gay-best friend can feel cliched, but I liked Rosie’s relationship with Eli. He was a good “wing-man” at times and a sounding board for her as she processed her past and her present. Rosie’s parents on the cruise were a hoot! I adored them.

If you enjoy stories with fun, quirky characters, be sure to check this one out. There are some great lines and some laugh-out-loud moments. And at the time of this writing, the book is available for free to Kindle Unlimited subscribers. (Language, LGBTQ+)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥