Tag: romance

BONUS REVIEW: Puppy Christmas by Lucy Gilmore

BONUS REVIEW: Puppy Christmas by Lucy Gilmore

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Lila Vasquez and her sisters run a puppy training business for service dogs. And that’s why she’s wearing the pink poofy dress that makes her look like Glenda the Good Witch. “It’s a costume party,” her sisters said. But it was a classy black tie affair instead. One where Lily’s business, Puppy Promise, was partnering with the Auditory Guild to give a service puppy to a kid.

While Lila was trying to hide her embarrassing dress, she caught the attention of Emily Ford, a little girl at the party who thought Lila was a princess. After an awkward exchange with Emily’s dad – one that included a waltz to no music – Lila was happy to send the pair on their way so she could hide her humiliation and never have to see them again. But it turns out, Emily is the recipient of the puppy from Puppy Promise.

Lila’s work training Emily and her new service puppy means she is at the Ford’s house a lot. And Emily’s father has a way of making Lila feel things she has never felt in a relationship – or about herself – before. But when it looks like the Fords will be moving away, all of the progress made – for Emily and her dad, for the puppy, and for Lila – may turn out to be for nothing.

Review

This was darling! I am a sucker for stories with endearing kid and animal characters, and this has both. The adult characters are great, too. I loved Ford and his fascinating neighbors. Lila and her sisters are terrific, too. As soon as I finished this, I grabbed book one, Puppy Love, off my TBR shelves – it was also delightful. I thoroughly enjoyed both stories (so far) about these sisters and their puppy training business.

The premise for this is pretty typical – a Hallmark-esque meet cute and relationship disaster with a lovely Happily Ever After sort of ending. What sets this apart for me are the characters. Emily’s hearing loss and need for a puppy was fully integrated into the story, even though the main focus was the adult romance. The adults in the story – mainly Lila and Ford – are enchanting and flawed. And those flaws impact their individual decisions as well as the chemistry between them. The puppies throughout the book were adorable. And their impact on Emily and another kid in the story was terrific.

This was a delightful start-to-finish read for me, and the rest of the series is on my must-read list. (Language, sex)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Coming Home for Christmas by Rae Anne Thayne

REVIEW: Coming Home for Christmas by Rae Anne Thayne

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Seven years ago, consumed by unresolved grief and deep postpartum depression, Elizabeth fled from her home and her family, convinced it was the only way to protect them. She didn’t intend to disappear. In fact, within hours, her head had cleared enough that she wanted to go home and find real help. But a patch of ice on a quiet road changed everything.

Luke had mostly convinced himself that Elizabeth was dead. As depressed as she was, she likely took her own life. But he still held onto a shred of hope that some day she would come back home.

Luke endured years of whispers and outright accusations that he murdered Elizabeth. And the new town DA had decided to make her job permanent by filing charges against him. But Luke’s sister’s fiancé has found her. And Luke can’t afford to let her stay in hiding when his life is on the line. So he’s going to get Elizabeth, bring her home to clear his name, and send her back so he can finally move on with his life.

Review

This is a warm holiday story – Book 10 in the Haven Point series – to help you get in the mood for Christmas.

The dynamics between Luke and Elizabeth are complicated. It’s been 7 years – that’s a long time to wonder where she’s been. People in town have been cruel, assuming Luke must have hurt her. She left without a word or a note. He has every right to be angry. I found his part of the story completely believable.

I’m not sure the book made a convincing argument for why Elizabeth stayed gone after her memory returned. She snuck back into town to see the kids, so she obviously wanted a connection. (The book also didn’t satisfy my questions about how she would know WHEN exactly to come back to see the kids in their events. She lived in another state and had no contact with anyone from her old life.) Readers are expected to settle for the idea that she felt too much had happened for her to go back. I wasn’t convinced.

I thought the kids reactions were pretty realistic. And the depictions of Elizabeth’s condition after the accident were also handled well. I didn’t fall in love with any of these characters, though, so I never fell under the magic of the holiday or romantic parts of the story. It’s a solid Christmas tale with an interesting premise and a Happy For Now ending that many readers will enjoy. (Some language)

Rating: ♥♥♥½

REVIEW: Love on Lexington Avenue by Lauren Layne

REVIEW: Love on Lexington Avenue by Lauren Layne

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Claire, Naomi, and Audrey met the day of Claire’s husband’s funeral. It was also the day of Naomi’s lover’s funeral. And Audrey’s boyfriend’s funeral. All three funerals were for the same man. That was the day the Central Park Pact was set. The three women would help each other watch out for manipulative, cheating men.

A year later, and Naomi’s fallen in love with a great guy (Passion on Park Avenue – ♥♥♥♥½). But Claire is still trying to figure out this weird new life. It’s hard to be a grieving wife when you are best friends with your husband’s mistresses – and you know he died on a “date” with someone else. But that’s still what she is – a grieving widow. How does she move forward after such betrayal?

One way is a complete overhaul of the brownstone where she and her husband lived. Scott Turner is an in-demand builder. He usually does multi-million dollar office buildings and skyscrapers. But he’s back in the city for a little while and itching to do a project that lets him work in a different sort of space. He’s pretty sure Claire’s brownstone is NOT it, though. He plans to meet his buddy’s friend, look at her project, and turn her down. Scott refuses to work with stuffy socialites. But Claire is nothing like he expects.

Review

This series has been a delightful surprise! I picked up Passion on Park Avenue from the library so I could read it before reading this one, just so I would have the characters and context in my head. I read it in a day and loved it. I jumped this one ahead in my review schedule because I enjoyed the first book so much. I was not disappointed! I read this in one sitting as well.

I love these characters! They’re complicated and compelling. The cheating jerk has impacted each of these women in different ways. Add to that their personal stories and emotional baggage, and you’ve got characters I wanted to spend time with. They’re fascinating! Then add to that some interesting guys and excellent chemistry, and you’ve got a romance series I would happily read again and again.

If you enjoy contemporary romance, don’t miss this series! Book 3, Marriage on Madison Avenue, releases in January. That will be a must-read for me. And I’ll be checking out the author’s other work because I have adored the two books in this series so far. Highly recommend! (language, sex)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

REVIEW: Sidelined by Suzanne Baltsar

REVIEW: Sidelined by Suzanne Baltsar

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Charlie Gibb has been working in recruitment at Georgia Tech for five years. But no matter what she does – playing professional women’s football, assistant coaching special teams, or recruitment – she knows this is the best she will get at Georgia Tech. Too many people think she only has the job she does because her dad is the football coach. So she goes looking for another job. And she ends up head coach at Douglass High School in Minneapolis.

Connor McGuire has been with the Douglass team for eight years. When the coach retired, everyone assumed Connor, the offensive coordinator, would get the job. But Charlie got it instead. Connor knows the players and the parents. He’s put in the time. Who is this woman they chose over him?!

There’s a lot of push and pull between Connor and Charlie as Charlie develops her team and Connor discovers she might actually know what she’s talking about. Charlie’s own past causes her to keep impossibly high standards for herself both professionally and personally, making it hard to feel like she has found a home in Minneapolis.  Add to that the forces at work that want to push her off the team. When push comes to shove, will Connor stand with her or against her?

Review

This was great! I loved the football pieces and the character development in this. The feminist story line had some familiar themes, but they felt fresh in the context of this football story. It was great.

I liked Charlie and Connor as a couple, although it was often more antagonistic than warm between them. The larger circle of their friends, and Connor’s family, had a fun dynamic, too. I haven’t read the first book, Trouble Brewing, which includes some of these same characters, but that didn’t impact my enjoyment of this story on its own.

I enjoyed the wrap up of the conflicts central to the story. I especially enjoyed some encouragement Charlie gets in one part of the book to keep a bigger/wider perspective on her skills and experience. I thought it was a good reminder for anyone in a tough work situation.

Fans of The Playbook series or romance stories in general (and the enemies to lovers trope in specific) should check this one out! (Language, sex)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: The Right Swipe by Alisha Rai

REVIEW: The Right Swipe by Alisha Rai

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Rhiannon has worked her tail off building her dating app, Crush, into one of the top apps in the country. As a woman, she had a long list of bad dating experiences she wanted to screen out for herself and other women looking for someone with her app. And people responded. Now she has a chance to buy out the older style Matchmaker. It would give her a huge market share and help her serve folks who wanted to go with the personality profile style of dating AND the app-swiping folks who used Crush.

Samson Lima was a football player for awhile. And when that fell apart, he took care of his sick uncle for many years. Now, his aunt needs him. She’s the sole owner of Matchmaker now that her sister has passed away. The company needs an infusion of something fresh – and that’s Samson. He’s agreed to be a spokesperson for Matchmaker and also let them find him a match publicly to get some good publicity and show people what the process looks like.

Samson and Rhiannon are at an industry event when they run into each other. Again. Awhile ago, they matched up on Crush and spent a steamy evening together. Rhiannon broke her own rules for hook ups and agreed to a second date. When Samson didn’t show, she deleted the profile she had on the app. He was dead to her. She didn’t know his uncle’s health took a turn. When Samson got his feet under him again and remembered the broken date, he couldn’t find “Claire” on Crush anymore and had no way of apologizing for ghosting her. But judging from the daggers she glares at him, forgiveness is not going to come from Rhiannon any time soon.

Review

This was delightful! Samson and Rhi are fantastic characters. She has a history that keeps her wary and always on the offensive. He has been burned by people he thought of as family. They are both terrified to be vulnerable and trust others, which makes trying to build a relationship tricky.

Which is fine because Rhi doesn’t want a “relationship.” A physical connection is all she wants from Samson – and she tells herself she doesn’t even want that. But the chemistry between them is unavoidable. Their trust issues keep cropping up, though, and put a wedge between them again and again.

This is another football-adjacent story that addresses concussion issues. I enjoyed how the author worked the issue in without using active players. It felt different and worked in some additional dynamics that I enjoyed.  It never felt like it was tacked on to be timely or “relevant.”

The secondary characters were as delightful as Rhi and Samson. I would love for this to be a series like the Reluctant Royals series by Alyssa Cole or the Bluff Point series by Jenn McKinlay. In those series, a secondary character in one story becomes the protagonist in another. There are several secondary characters in this I would love to see star in their own book! *

I have been on a romantic comedy (rom-com) kick lately, and I’m loving it. This is a terrific entry in that genre. Don’t miss this one! (Language, sex)

*[I discovered this IS going to be a series!! This is book one in the Modern Love series. Book 2 – currently titled Girl Gone Viral – is scheduled to release in Spring 2020]

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

REVIEW: The Reluctant Royals series by Alyssa Cole

REVIEW: The Reluctant Royals series by Alyssa Cole

Posted on by Jaymie

A Princess in Theory

A grad school student doesn’t have time for scam emails telling her she’s betrothed to an African prince. But what if they aren’t a scam? Prince Thabiso has a chance to get to know Naledi thanks to a case of mistaken identity. And he likes what he learns. But there may be too much history between them and their families – not to mention his failure to tell her his true identity at first – for a relationship to work.

I loved this story! In some ways, it was typical with the secret identity which you know will come out and risk everything. But the characters were fresh and the science/disease piece of the story was fascinating. (Language, sex)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

 

A Duke by Default

Naledi’s best friend Portia has secured an internship with a sword maker in Scotland, but he’s abrasive and pushes her away every chance he gets. He doesn’t want her help for his armory. And he doesn’t want her to find out he’s the son of a duke! But Portia might turn out to be exactly what Tav needs – for his business AND his personal life.

I loved Portia! She’s really trying to do some work on her personality, and I loved ALL of it! It left me wanting more. My favorite of the three full-length books in the series. (Language, sex)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

 

Once Ghosted, Twice Shy (Novella)

Likotsi was in America while her boss, Prince Thabiso was wooing Naledi. And she enjoyed a romance of her own while there thanks to a dating app. But it didn’t last, and Likotsi left, brokenhearted. Now she’s back in New York, so of course she runs smack into the woman who broke her heart. Will the second meeting give them another chance at love or only more heartache?

This is the only piece in the series that I have not read yet.

 

Can’t Escape Love (Novella)

Portia’s younger sister, Regina, is a force to be reckoned with – both in life and in business. But the stress of her media enterprise is leaving her sleepless and exhausted. In the past, she had a live-streamer to listen to. His voice always soothed her and helped her sleep. But his archive has been deleted. If she can track him down, she’s prepared to do whatever it takes to get his voice back into her life. But she might discover the PERSON behind the voice is even better for her than the voice alone ever was.

Definitely read this one after A Duke by Default so you can avoid important spoilers. This is my favorite couple in the whole series. I absolutely adored this story and these characters. (Language, sex)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

 

A Prince on Paper

Naledi’s cousin Nya has been trying to shake off the trauma of her past and her controlling father. And a fake relationship with the step-prince of Liechtienbourg makes for the perfect distraction. But Nya’s past continues to stalk her, and Johan needs more help than just a fake fiancée. Their tenuous friendship might not survive their “engagement.”

I thoroughly enjoyed the psychological aspects to these particular characters, and really to the series as a whole.  There’s great character development (in every book) and the reader really gets to see where personal issues impact the romantic relationships. This one did not follow the same pattern as the first two full-length stories in the series, which I enjoyed – this felt fresh. (Language, sex, LGBTQ+ characters)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

REVIEW: Going Off Script by Jen Wilde

REVIEW: Going Off Script by Jen Wilde

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Bex is finally in LA. She has put everything towards this for the last few years. She’s saved money, put up with crummy jobs, and researched and applied for jobs and internships. She’s done everything she could conceive of to make this happen. And now she’s here. She has an internship on her favorite TV show, Silver Falls, a show about werewolves and those hunting them down. She’ll be in the writer’s room, learning everything she can to eventually break into TV writing and production.

The showrunner is supposed to be writing a script for an upcoming episode, and so far he’s produced nothing. And this episode needs to be BIG – it needs to turn things up a notch. So Bex writes a script. The showrunner probably won’t use it – he’s been a jerk since Bex showed up on the lot. But she can show some initiative and some of her ideas. Bex’s script shows the female lead of Silver Falls getting a new love interest. A female love interest.

Bex is still wrapping her mind around her own sexuality and trying to figure out how to come out to her family and friends. But she understands how to write this relationship. And she knows Silver Falls, so she knows how to write well for these characters.

The showrunner decides to use Bex’s script. But when he “straight-washes” her storyline, Bex will have to decide how much she is willing to risk to see her story – and characters who share her sexual identity – on television.

Review

This story really came alive for me when everything started to fall apart. When Bex and her friends – both on and off the show – band together to fight the system and the individuals who want to silence them, I couldn’t read fast enough to see how it would all play out. It was fantastic!

There’s a thread of the story that’s about Bex’s personal development – her sexuality, her upbringing in a home with lots of love but little money, and her decisions about what to do with her voice and her opportunities in LA and on Silver Falls. The other thread is the “we’re not going to take it any more” rebellion. For me, that was the stronger thread. Since both have to work together, of course both were good. But the rebellion left me cheering and talking back to the characters of the book. I love when the underdog fights back.

I’ve read several books lately with gay romantic story lines in an effort to build my understanding of people and groups outside my own frame of reference. It’s been intentional. I think my faith calls me to love everyone, and I can’t do that well if people who are racially or ethnically different from me, or those with a different sexual orientation feel “foreign” or “other.” I strongly believe that my empathy and compassion grows as I know and understand people who think or live differently from me – and reading helps me do that. It helps me make better book recommendations, too, when I read widely.

If you love Hollywood stories, don’t miss this one. Even more, if you like stories where the oppressed/maligned stand up for themselves, be sure to check this one out.  If you are curious to try a gay romance (F/F), this one is fairly mild as far as descriptions of the couple’s physical relationship go (kissing, descriptions of romantic feelings, and a physical encounter that takes place off-page) – pretty standard stuff for YA heterosexual romances. (Language)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Hope and Other Punch Lines by Julie Buxbaum

REVIEW: Hope and Other Punch Lines by Julie Buxbaum

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

For Abbi, it was her first birthday. She was celebrating at day care. She had a paper crown and a red balloon.

For the rest of the world, it was September 11, 2001.

Connie, Abbi’s favorite day care worker, carried her away from the World Trade Center. Someone caught a picture of them fleeing along with a handful of others as the first tower collapses. The photo goes viral. People have the photo framed in their homes or printed on clothes as a symbol of hope triumphing over evil. Everyone knows Abbi as “Baby Hope.”

Noah has been obsessed with the Baby Hope photo for years. But not because of Abbi. He goes to high school with her. But behind her, in the photo, is a guy in a University of Michigan hat and flannel shirt. A man who looks like Noah’s dad. While the story is that his dad died that day – while newborn Noah was in the hospital with a heart defect – the picture shows him – alive.

Review

This was everything I was hoping for when I first read the synopsis. Abbi and Noah are fabulous. They are my favorite sort of teens – honest, awkward, sincere, and sweet. Both carry the burden of 9/11, although in different ways. While for many people it’s remembered in a “where were you when” sort of way, 9/11 is a daily factor for these characters (and others in reality.).

The author weaves real factors from 9/11 into her fictional account, giving it extra weight. The stories characters tell about the aftermath – their gratitude, their grief – feel very real. And they are raw and heartbreaking at times. Yet the story as a whole maintains a hopeful tone. It’s really masterfully woven together.

Readers with personal ties to 9/11 could find this triggering for grief and/or trauma. Readers who are curious about 9/11 and the personal toll of the day and the aftermath will get a glimpse of that here. This is also a great story for anyone who loves teen romance, dual perspective storytelling or just terrific YA stories. Don’t miss this one!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: The Me I Used to Be by Jennifer Ryan

REVIEW: The Me I Used to Be by Jennifer Ryan

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

Four years ago, Evangeline was pulled over while hauling hay for the family ranch. She didn’t know there were stolen bottles of rare wine hidden in the hay. But after her arrest, she had some time to think and started putting the pieces together. It was clear someone she loved was moving the stolen wine. So she plead guilty and took the fall. And spent four years in prison for a crime she didn’t commit.

On her second attempt at parole, the arresting officer shows up to push through her application – her father has died and she’s needed at home. Overwhelmed with grief, she arrives home only to find her family turned against her. They blame her for everything – her father’s poor health, his drinking, his death, and the struggles at the ranch. Their anger lashes out at her over and over again. Her only hope for escape – because she certainly can’t tell them the truth – is to help the police take down the people ultimately responsible for the stolen wine – a crime that has continued for four years. If she helps, her record will be expunged and she’ll be free to take her prison-earned degree and set up a new life for herself – somewhere else.

Review

This was terrific! Part romance, part suspense, this is a family story while also being the story of Evangeline finding her place, her voice, and her “power” after everything she has been through.

When I think about the beginning of the novel from the perspective of the ending, I see how much Evangeline grows – how she settles into herself and her new life. She stands there and takes her family’s abuse early on. It was infuriating how awful they were to her, how hateful. And I felt that way even before I knew why she went to jail. I couldn’t sympathize with her because of the truth (yet), but I still knew their treatment of her was appalling. And Evangeline took every bit of it. She kept her head down and started working her plan to rebuild her life.

Once the truth comes out, the focus of the story shifts to the suspense. Who is really responsible for the crimes? How can Evangeline get to the truth so she can finally be free? And how can she keep herself safe while taking the bad guys down? I loved how all of this was handled.

Then Evangeline needs to deal with the fall out of everything that has happened. Her father’s will put her in charge of the future of the ranch. With her brothers pulling on her like she’s the rope in a tug of war, she has to decide who to listen to and how to proceed. And taking down the bad guys has repercussions, too. And the reader starts to wonder if there is any space in Evangeline’s life to get what SHE wants and needs – her business, her identity, and maybe even a relationship that gives her space to be herself and also feel seen and valued and loved.

This one is a home run! Don’t miss this – I highly recommend it! (Language, sex)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

REVIEW: When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon

REVIEW: When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Dimple has finished high school and she’s ready to head to Stanford in the fall. For the summer, though, she has her heart set on the app development program at Insomnia Con. Dimple is ready to build her future and experience life. And she has no interest in yielding to her parents’ expectations that she find the perfect Indian husband and settle down.

Rishi is going to be at MIT in the fall, but for the summer he is headed to Insomnia Con to meet Dimple. His parents think they will be perfect together. Rishi knows he has college to finish, but he is fully committed to a traditional Indian courtship, marriage and family.

Judging by the fact that Rishi ends up wearing Dimple’s iced coffee when he introduces himself, it seems safe to assume that Dimple knows nothing of their parents’ plans for them to meet at this summer program. How can Rishi get Dimple to see him as a romantic possibility after that awkward introduction?

Review

This was a treat from start to finish!! I adored Dimple and Rishi! They are smart and funny and so determined. Dimple is determined to live life on her terms. Rishi is determined to live up to his parents’ expectations. I loved that while each of them bent a little in order to build a friendship, they stayed true to their character and ideals throughout the story.

There’s a great thread in this about being true to yourself and embracing your gifts that I enjoyed. Both Dimple and Rishi had things they were passionate about. But one of them was completely sold out to that while the other was trying to run away from it for something more “acceptable.” The journey – and the outcome – were terrifically written!

I’ve been on a romcom reading binge lately, and this was a fantastic piece of that! I also read the companion book There’s Something About Sweetie, and it was also a great read. Highly recommend both books! (Off-page sex)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥