#BookReview Save Me by Mona Kasten @BerkleyRomance @PenguinRandomCA #SaveMe #MonaKasten #Berkley #BerkleyPartner #PenguinReads

#BookReview Save Me by Mona Kasten @BerkleyRomance @PenguinRandomCA #SaveMe #MonaKasten #Berkley #BerkleyPartner #PenguinReads Title: Save Me

Author: Mona Kasten

Series: Maxton Hall #1

Published by: Berkley on Jul. 1, 2025

Genres: Contemporary Romance, Young Adult

Pages: 368

Format: Paperback

Source: Berkley Publishing

Book Rating: 8.5/10

They come from different worlds, and yet they are meant for each other.

Money, glamour, luxury, power—Ruby Bell couldn’t be less interested in these things if she tried. After being awarded a scholarship to one of England’s most prestigious and expensive private schools, Maxton Hall, all she wants is to keep her head down, work hard, and get accepted to Oxford. She keeps her distance from everyone, especially the arrogant, rich, and extremely handsome James Beaufort, ringleader of the school’s party boys.

When Ruby discovers a scandalous secret about the Beauforts, she is suddenly on James’s radar. It only gets worse when James is forced to work with her to plan the school’s annual gala. Yet the more time they spend together, the more they realize they share much more than they thought.

Falling for James Beaufort was never part of her plan, yet Ruby can’t help but let her feelings sweep her away. But James must make a decision for will he choose what’s expected of him, or what he feels for her?


Review:

Captivating, spicy, and entertaining!

Save Me is an angsty, seductive tale that transports you to Maxton Hall, an elite private school for rich delinquent teens that has all the usual fare, entitled students, unrelenting bullies, sexual promiscuity, forbidden romance, naughty behaviour, innumerably delicious scandals, and a few hardworking scholarship students.

The writing is steamy and fun. The characters are rebellious, self-indulgent, and secretive. And the plot is a passionate, promiscuous, coming-of-age tale full of familial troubles, teenage angst, palpable attraction, witty banter, excessive indulgence, romance, friendship, heartbreak, and love.

Overall, Save Me is a wildly addictive, salacious, engaging novel by Kasten that immersed me so thoroughly in the decadence, lifestyle, drama, luxuries, and scandalous behaviour of the characters I didn’t want to put it down. It’s a true guilty pleasure that has undoubtedly not only left me craving for more but already counting down the days until I can get my hands on the second book in the series Save You, which is releasing on September 2, 2025.

 

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

         

 

 

Thank you to Berkley Romance for this free copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Mona Kasten

Mona Kasten studied library and information management before devoting herself entirely to writing. She lives in Hamburg with her family and cats as well as an infinite number of books, loves caffeine in any form, long walks in the woods and days when she can only write.

#BookReview It’s a Love Story by Annabel Monaghan @PenguinRandomCA #ItsALoveStory #AnnabelMonaghan #Putnam #PenguinReads

#BookReview It’s a Love Story by Annabel Monaghan @PenguinRandomCA #ItsALoveStory #AnnabelMonaghan #Putnam #PenguinReads Title: It's a Love Story

Author: Annabel Monaghan

Published by: G.P. Putnam's Sons on May 27, 2025

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 368

Format: Paperback

Source: Penguin Random House Canada

Book Rating: 9/10

From the USA Today bestselling author of Nora Goes Off Script, a novel about a former adolescent TV punchline who has left her awkwardness in the rearview mirror thanks to a fake-it-till-you-make-it mantra that has her on the cusp of success, until she tells a lie that sets her on a crash-course with her past, spending a week in Long Island with the last man she thinks might make her believe in love.

Rules for a love story: There are none. It’s all a lie.

Jane Jackson knows that true love is a lie. Laughter is the only truth—you can’t fake a belly laugh. Jane should know, she spent her adolescence as “Poor Janey Jakes,” the barbecue-sauce-in-her-braces punchline on America’s fifth-favorite sitcom. Now she’s a Creative Executive at Clearwater Studios and she’s living by a new mantra: Fake it till you make it.

Except, she might have faked it too far. Desperate to get her first project greenlit and riled up by pompous cinematographer and one-time crush Dan Finnegan, she opened her mouth and a big fat fib fell out. She claimed that Jack Quinlan, hottest popstar of the moment, has promised to write an original song for the soundtrack. Jack may have been her first kiss—and greatest source of shame—but she hasn’t spoken to him in twenty years.

Now, Jane must turn to the last man she’d ever want to owe: Dan Finnegan. Because Jack is playing a festival in Dan’s hometown on Long Island, and Dan has an in. A week in close quarters with Dan while facing down her past is Jane’s idea of hell, but Dan just might surprise her. While covering up her lie, can they find something true?


Review:

Amusing, tender, and sweet!

It’s a Love Story is a charming, uplifting tale that takes you into the lives of two main characters. Jane Jackson, a former child actor turned studio executive struggling to get her first movie made, and Dan Finnegan, a cinematographer with a big family who may seem from afar to be a little arrogant but who actually has a huge heart of gold.

The writing is touching and light. The characters are charismatic, genuine, and endearing. And the plot is an engaging mix of heart, humour, friendship, attraction, chemistry, relationship drama, heartfelt moments, romance, and movie-making.

Overall, It’s a Love Story is another heartwarming, witty, delightful tale by Monaghan that has all the elements I’ve come to know and enjoy in her novels, including a fierce heroine, an attentive alpha male, and a swoony storyline.

 

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

         

 

 

Thank you to Penguin Canada for this free copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Annabel Monaghan

Annabel Monaghan is the USA Today bestselling and Library Reads Hall of Fame author of Summer Romance, Same Time Next Summer, and Nora Goes Off Script, as well as two young adult novels and Does This Volvo Make My Butt Look Big?, a selection of laugh-out-loud columns that appeared in The Huffington Post, The Week, and The Rye Record. She lives in Connecticut with her family. Her novels have been translated into twenty languages.

Photo by Alison Rodilosso.

#BookReview Worth Fighting For by Jesse Q. Sutanto @BookSparks #WorthFightingFor #JesseQSutanto #MeantToBeSeries #BookSparks #SRC2025

#BookReview Worth Fighting For by Jesse Q. Sutanto @BookSparks #WorthFightingFor #JesseQSutanto #MeantToBeSeries #BookSparks #SRC2025 Title: Worth Fighting For

Author: Jesse Q. Sutanto

Series: Meant to Be #5

Published by: Hyperion Avenue on Jun. 3, 2025

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 320

Format: Paperback

Source: BookSparks

Book Rating: 8/10

Mulan is reimagined as a contemporary romance about family expectations, mistaken identity, and high stakes mergers—of both business and the heart.

As the right hand of her father’s hedge fund company, Fa Mulan knows what it takes to succeed as a woman in a man’s work twice as hard, be twice as smart, and burp twice as loud as any of the other finance bros she works with. So when her father unexpectedly falls ill in the middle of a critical acquisition, she is determined to see it through. There’s just one the family company in question is known for its ultra masculine whiskey brand, and the brood of old-fashioned aunts, uncles, and cousins who run it—lead by the dedicated but overworked Shang—will only trust Mulan’s father, Fa Zhou, with the future of their business.

Rather than fail the deal and her father, Mulan pretends she’s Fa Zhou. Since they’ve only corresponded over email, how hard could it be to keep things moving in his absence?

But the email leads to a face-to-face meeting, which leads to an invitation to a week long retreat at Shang’s family ranch. One meeting she can handle, but a whole week of cattle wrangling, axe-throwing, and learning proper butchering techniques, all while trying to convince Shang’s dubious family that this young woman is the powerful hedge fund CEO they’ve been negotiating with? Not so much—especially as she finds it harder and harder to ignore the undeniable spark between her and Shang.

Can she keep her head in the game and make her father proud, all while trying not to fall into a trough, or in love with Shang?


Review:

Fresh, uplifting, and fun!

Worth Fighting For is a charming, engaging tale that takes you to California and into the life of the intelligent, hardworking Fa Mulan as she decides to do whatever she must, even pretend to be her father, in order to secure the important acquisition he was working on before he fell ill.

The writing style is witty and sweet. The characters are amusing, determined, and supportive. And the plot is a smart, engaging tale full of tricky moments, awkward situations, quirky mishaps, delicious chemistry, snappy banter, romantic drama, tension, chauvinism, friendship, and self-reflection.

Overall, Worth Fighting For is an enjoyable, entertaining, modern retelling of Disney’s Mulan by Sutanto that’s a lighthearted, breezy read with its endearing characters, heartfelt moments, contemporary storyline, and ending that leaves you with a smile.

 

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

         

 

 

 

Thank you to BookSparks for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Jesse Q. Sutanto

Jesse Q. Sutanto is a USA Today bestselling author. She has won an Edgar® Award, a Libby Award, an Audies Award, and the Comedy Women in Print Award. She is best known for her novels Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers and the Dial A for Aunties series. The film rights to Dial A for Aunties was bought by Netflix at auction. Jesse lives in Indonesia with her husband and two daughters.

#BookReview Beach House Rules by Kristy Woodson Harvey @kristywharvey @BookSparks #BeachHouseRules #KristyWoodsonHarvey #BookSparks #SRC2025

#BookReview Beach House Rules by Kristy Woodson Harvey @kristywharvey @BookSparks #BeachHouseRules #KristyWoodsonHarvey #BookSparks #SRC2025 Title: Beach House Rules

Author: Kristy Woodson Harvey

Published by: Gallery Books on May 27, 2025

Genres: Contemporary Romance, Women's Fiction

Pages: 368

Format: Hardcover

Source: BookSparks

Book Rating: 9/10

When Charlotte Sitterly’s husband is arrested for a white-collar crime, she and her daughter Iris are locked out of their house by the FBI and—what’s potentially even worse—thrust into the spotlight of @JuniperShoresSocialite, the town’s snarky anonymous Instagram account. Cut off from her bank accounts and feeling desperate, Charlotte takes up an acquaintance’s offer to stay at a beachfront former bed-and-breakfast that’s home to a community of single mothers and draws plenty of gossip in the small coastal North Carolina town.

Charlotte and Iris find solace and are surprised by how much fun they’re having with the other families despite their circumstances. But when the women discover a secret link between them, it changes everything they thought they knew about the unconventional family they’ve created and leaves them wondering whether their coming together was a coincidence at all. Will the skeletons in the mommune closets help Charlotte and Iris reclaim their place in the Juniper Shores community—or shatter the sisterhood forever?

“Perfect for fans of Elin Hilderbrand and Jennifer Weiner” (Country Living), Beach House Rules is a charming exploration of the joy of friendship, the true meaning of family, and reclaiming the power to reshape our own destiny.


Review:

Heartwarming, evocative, and compelling!

Beach House Rules is a sweet, touching tale that takes you into the life of Charlotte Sitterly, a mother of one daughter who must learn how to survive, take risks, be true to herself, follow her heart, and try not to lose sight of her own wants, needs, and dreams while standing by her husband after he is arrested for a white-collar crime.

The writing is genuine and sincere. The characters are troubled, supportive, and endearing. And the plot is an absorbing tale about life, loss, heartbreak, forgiveness, selflessness, family, courage, loyalty, kindness, happiness, self-love, female friendships and new beginnings.

Overall, Beach House Rules is an uplifting, tender, alluring tale by Harvey that I absolutely adored, and which, as always, after I finish any of her novels, has left me already looking forward to whatever she publishes next.

 

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

         

 

 

 

Thank you to BookSparks for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Kristy Woodson Harvey

Kristy Woodson Harvey is the USA TODAY bestselling author of six novels, including Feels Like Falling, The Peachtree Bluff series, and Under the Southern Sky. A Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s school of journalism, her writing has appeared in numerous online and print publications including Southern Living, Traditional Home, USA TODAY, Domino, and O. Henry. Kristy is the winner of the Lucy Bramlette Patterson Award for Excellence in Creative Writing and a finalist for the Southern Book Prize. Her work has been optioned for film and television, and her books have received numerous accolades including Southern Living’s Most Anticipated Beach Reads, Parade’s Big Fiction Reads, and Entertainment Weekly’s Spring Reading Picks. Kristy is the co-creator and co-host of the weekly web show and podcast Friends & Fiction. She blogs with her mom Beth Woodson on Design Chic, and loves connecting with fans on KristyWoodsonHarvey.com. She lives on the North Carolina coast with her husband and son where she is (always!) working on her next novel.

Photo by Jay Ackerman.

#BookReview One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune @CarleyFortune @PenguinCanada #OneGoldenSummer #CarleyFortune #PenguinReads #PenguinCanada

#BookReview One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune @CarleyFortune @PenguinCanada #OneGoldenSummer #CarleyFortune #PenguinReads #PenguinCanada Title: One Golden Summer

Author: Carley Fortune

Published by: Viking on May 6, 2025

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 400

Format: Paperback

Source: Penguin Random House

Book Rating: 10/10

I never anticipated Charlie Florek.

Good things happen at the lake. That’s what Alice’s grandmother says, and it’s true. Alice spent just one summer at a cottage with Nan when she was seventeen—it’s where she took that photo, the one of three grinning teenagers in a yellow speedboat, the image that changed her life.

Now Alice lives behind a lens. As a photographer, she’s most comfortable on the sidelines, letting other people shine. Lately though, she’s been itching for something more, and when Nan falls and breaks her hip, Alice comes up with a plan for them both: another summer in that magical place, Barry’s Bay. But as soon as they settle in, their peace is disrupted by the roar of a familiar yellow boat, and the man driving it.

Charlie Florek was nineteen when Alice took his photo from afar. Now he’s all grown up—a shameless flirt, who manages to make Nan laugh and Alice long to be seventeen again, when life was simpler, when taking pictures was just for fun. Sun-slanted days and warm nights out on the lake with Charlie are a balm for Alice’s soul, but when she looks up and sees his piercing green gaze directly on her, she begins to worry for her heart.

Because Alice sees people—that’s why she is so good at what she does—but she’s never met someone who looks and sees her right back.


Review:

Enchanting, tender, and sentimental!

One Golden Summer is a beautiful, heartwarming, affecting story that sweeps you away to Barry’s Bay and into an immersive tale where friendships are developed, memories are cherished, secrets are unearthed, lives are remembered, and love is forged and savoured.

The prose is rich and vivid. The characters are helpful, dependable, and loyal. And the plot is a heartfelt, delightful mix of friendship, family, introspection, love, support, secrets, heartbreak, community, new beginnings, and special summer moments.

Overall, One Golden Summer is a fresh, sophisticated, addictive novel with irresistible characters that I devoured from start to finish. I’m a huge fan of Carley Fortune, and this novel didn’t disappoint. It enthralled, captivated, and amused me, and I highly recommend it be on top of everyone’s summer 2025 TBR pile.

 

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

         

 

 

Thank you to Penguin Canada for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Carley Fortune

CARLEY FORTUNE is the New York Times and #1 Globe and Mail bestselling au­thor of Every Summer After and Meet Me at the Lake. She’s also an award-winning Canadian journalist who has worked as an editor for Refinery29, The Globe and Mail, Chatelaine, and Toronto Life. She lives in Toronto with her husband and two sons.

Photo by Jenna Marie Wakani

#BookReview Just Beachy by Wendy Wax @BerkleyRomance @PenguinRandomCA #JustBeachy #WendyWax #Berkley #BerkleyPartner #PenguinReads

#BookReview Just Beachy by Wendy Wax @BerkleyRomance @PenguinRandomCA #JustBeachy #WendyWax #Berkley #BerkleyPartner #PenguinReads Title: Just Beachy

Author: Wendy Wax

Published by: Berkley on Jun. 3, 2025

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 304

Format: Paperback

Source: Berkley Publishing

Book Rating: 7.5/10

After losing her long-time acting gig on the hit show Murder 101, Sydney Ryan decides she needs a break from Hollywood politics. She heads to Treasure Island, Florida where her grandmother has been visiting and now refuses to leave. Sydney’s plan to lay low for a bit quickly goes awry though, as she is swept up in her grandmother’s now flourishing social life—Grand not only bought a new house in Casas de Flores, she’s also helping her neighbor Myra open a bookstore in Pass-a-Grille. But when someone breaks into Grand’s house repeatedly Sydney realizes her grandmother is keeping something from her.
 
Determined to ferret out the truth and protect her grandmother, Sydney enlists the help of the Ten Beach Road ladies and Luke, a local police officer who was once her high school crush. While Sydney puts her television crime solving skills to the test, she decides to act on the sizzling chemistry between her and Luke. And as Sydney spends more sunsets toasting to true friends and new romance, she begins to wonder if the sun is setting on her time in Hollywood and if this town could be the dawn of a new chapter.


Review:

Spirited, enticing, and witty!

Just Beachy is an amusing, engaging tale featuring the unmoored actress Sydney Ryan who, after being dumped from her long-running series, heads to Florida to hang out with her grandmother, only to discover that something sinister is going on and she may need some help from her old high school flame to figure out exactly what it is.

The prose is light and sweet. The characters are intelligent, relentless, and impulsive. And the plot is a flirty, entertaining blend of friendship, family, chemistry, attraction, tricky situations, self-discovery, family, intrigue, happiness, and romance.

Overall, Just Beachy is a charming, humorous, breezy tale by Wax that did a wonderful job of mixing a sliver of mystery with some lighthearted, romantic fun.

 

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

         

 

 

Thank you to Berkley Romance for this free copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Wendy Wax

Wendy Wax, a former broadcaster, is the author of sixteen novels and two novellas, including The Break-Up Book Club, My Ex–Best Friend’s Wedding, Best Beach Ever, One Good Thing, Sunshine Beach, A Week at the Lake, While We Were Watching Downton Abbey, The House on Mermaid Point, Ocean Beach, and Ten Beach Road. The mother of two grown sons, she has left the suburbs of Atlanta for an in-town high-rise, that is eerily similar to the fictional high-rise she created in her 2013 release, While We Were Watching Downton Abbey.

Photo by Joanna Souza

#BookReview Things Left Unsaid by Sara Jafari @StMartinsPress #ThingsLeftUnsaid #SaraJafari #StMartinsPress #SMPInfluencers

#BookReview Things Left Unsaid by Sara Jafari @StMartinsPress #ThingsLeftUnsaid #SaraJafari #StMartinsPress #SMPInfluencers Title: Things Left Unsaid

Author: Sara Jafari

Published by: St. Martin's Press on Apr. 15, 2025

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 320

Format: Hardcover

Source: St. Martin's Press

Book Rating: 8/10

When twenty-six year old Shirin Bayat bumps into Kian at a house party in London, she is taken aback by the immediate feelings that resurface. It’s been a decade since they were close friends at school, before painful events pulled them apart, suddenly and seemingly forever. Ever since, Shirin has lived with the aching weight of things left unsaid between them.

Now they’re back in each other’s lives, at a time when Shirin needs someone she can trust the most. Feeling stuck in a sea of slippery friendships and deeply burned out by her publishing job, Kian is a bright light amongst a sea of gray. There’s nothing worse than losing the person you trust most with your deepest secrets and desires, and Shirin and Kian are determined to hold tightly to each other.

But of course, life often has other plans. Will it be different this time around, or are Shirin and Kian destined to fall apart once more?


Review:

Evocative, angsty, and heartfelt!

Things Left Unsaid is a heartwarming, touching story that immerses you in a tale about confronting the past, taking risks, being true to one’s self, following your heart, and the importance of never losing sight of your own wants, needs, and dreams.

The writing is raw and impassioned. The characters are flawed, troubled, and endearing, And the plot is an engaging tale about life, heartbreak, forgiveness, friendship, family, courage, past hurts, secrets, happiness, and unconditional love.

Overall, Things Left Unsaid is an uplifting, emotive, alluring story by Jafari that reminds us that everyone who enters our lives, no matter the length of time, shapes and defines us.

 

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

         

 

 

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Sara Jafari

Sara Jafari is a London-based British Iranian author of the novels The Mismatch and Things Left Unsaid. She is a contributor to I Will Not Be Erased and the romance anthology Who’s Loving You. Jafari also works as an editor and runs TOKEN magazine, which showcases writing and artwork by underrepresented writers and artists.

Photo Credit: Melissa Legarda

#BookReview Falling Overboard by Sariah Wilson @sariahwilson @FireflyDist @AmazonPub #FallingOverboard #SariahWilson #Montlake #FireflyDist

#BookReview Falling Overboard by Sariah Wilson @sariahwilson @FireflyDist @AmazonPub #FallingOverboard #SariahWilson #Montlake #FireflyDist Title: Falling Overboard

Author: Sariah Wilson

Published by: Montlake Romance on Mar. 18, 2025

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 383

Format: Paperback

Source: Firefly Distributed Lines

Book Rating: 8/10

Lucky Salerno’s dream is to own a bakery. To earn enough money to achieve it, she has secured a lucrative job as chief stewardess on a superyacht cruising the Mediterranean. Aboard the ship, there’s one unbreakable no hookups among the crew. No problem. The last thing Lucky has time for is a man. Then she meets Hunter Smith, the gorgeous new deckhand sharing her cabin. Is the universe trying to test her willpower?

Who needs the drama that comes with a relationship? Not Hunter. Who can ignore a witty, beautiful bunkmate like Lucky? Also not Hunter. There’s something just as enticing for a tantalizing mystery behind Hunter’s piercing blue eyes she can’t wait to solve. But at what risk?

As they get to know each other, a secret romance buds at sea, and Lucky has to choose. Abide by the rules to make her career dreams come true, or pursue her love for Hunter—another dream that’s just as near to her heart.


Review:

Amusing, tender, and romantic!

Falling Overboard is a sweet, captivating tale featuring the hardworking, dependable Lucky and the handsome, enigmatic Hunter as they discover while working on the open sea that there may be a lot more to their relationship than instant attraction, forced proximity, and strict rules that might just have to be broken.

The writing is light and fun. The characters are endearing, guarded, and reliable. And the plot is a charming mix of life, love, friendship, family, light drama, self-discovery, and responsibilities.

Overall, Falling Overboard is another cute, cosy, entertaining tale by Wilson that was an absolute delight to read.

 

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

     

 

 

Thank you to Firefly Distributed Lines for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Sariah Wilson

USA Today bestselling author Sariah Wilson has never jumped out of an airplane, never climbed Mt. Everest, and is not a former CIA operative. She has, however, been madly, passionately in love with her soulmate and is a fervent believer in happily ever afters—which is why she writes romance. She grew up in southern California, graduated from Brigham Young University (go Cougars!) with a semi-useless degree in history, and is the oldest of nine (yes, nine) children . She currently lives with the aforementioned soulmate and their four children in Utah, along with two cats named Pixel and Callie, who do not get along. (The cats, not the children. Although the children sometimes have their issues, too.)

Photo courtesy of Author's Website.

#BookReview Wandering Wild by Lynette Noni @BlackstoneAudio #LynetteNoni #WanderingWild #BlackstonePublishing #BlackstoneInsiders

#BookReview Wandering Wild by Lynette Noni @BlackstoneAudio #LynetteNoni #WanderingWild #BlackstonePublishing #BlackstoneInsiders Title: Wandering Wild

Author: Lynette Noni

Published by: Blackstone Publishing on May 20, 2025

Genres: Contemporary Romance, Young Adult

Pages: 304

Format: ARC, Paperback

Source: Blackstone Publishing

Book Rating: 8.5/10

She hates him. He needs her. Can they survive when all they have is each other?

Zander Rune was the darling of Hollywood until he fell from glory and was labelled a problematic bad boy. His public image needs fixingfastor he’ll lose the role of a lifetime, and all his dreams with it.

Charlie Hart is a regular teenage girl who despises everything Zander represents. But thanks to her scheming best friend and an ill-timed social media competition, Charlie finds herself pretending to be Zander’s biggest fan on a four-day reality TV adventure led by renowned survivalist Rykon Hawke.

When their trip goes horribly wrong, Charlie and Zander are left stranded in the wilderness. No Rykon, no film crew, no rescue. The only way they’ll survive is if they trust each other. But in order to do so, both will have to let go of the ghosts of their pasts, and just maybe find themselvesand one anotherin the process.


Review:

Sweet, tender, and light!

Wandering Wild is a bighearted, charming tale that takes you on a journey into the lives of a young movie star and the best friend of one of his biggest fans as, in order to help fix his reputation and solidify his next movie contract, they must learn to rely on each other to survive the Australian wilderness for four days.

The writing is witty and smooth. The characters are hesitant, charming, and supportive. And the plot is an engaging, lovely blend of heart, hope, humour, and emotion.

Overall, Wandering Wild is, ultimately, a story about life, friendship, family, coming-of-age, self-discovery, tragedy, loss, grief, heartbreak, awkward situations, embarrassing moments, dreams, secrets, and the joys of falling in love. It’s a cute, heartwarming, entertaining novel by Noni that’s also a true love letter to the Australian Blue Mountains.

 

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

        

 

 

Thank you to Blackstone Publishing for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Lynette Noni

Australian author Lynette Noni studied journalism, academic writing, and human behaviour at university before venturing into the world of fiction. She is the #1 bestselling and award-winning author of The Prison Healer series, The Medoran Chronicles, and the Whisper duology. To date, her books have sold more than one million copies in over 20 countries across the globe.

#BookReview Problematic Summer Romance @PenguinRandomCA @BerkleyRomance #NotInLoveSeries #ProblematicSummerRomance #AliHazelwood #Berkley #BerkleyPartner #PenguinReads

#BookReview Problematic Summer Romance @PenguinRandomCA @BerkleyRomance #NotInLoveSeries #ProblematicSummerRomance #AliHazelwood #Berkley #BerkleyPartner #PenguinReads Title: Problematic Summer Romance

Author: Ali Hazelwood

Series: Not in Love #2

Published by: Berkley on May 27, 2025

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 416

Format: Paperback

Source: Berkley Publishing

Book Rating: 10/10

What is wrong meets what feels right in this romance set in Italy by the New York Timesbestselling author of Deep End.

Maya Killgore is twenty-three and still in the process of figuring out her life.

Conor Harkness is thirty-eight, and Maya cannot stop thinking about him.

It’s such a cliché, it almost makes her heart implode: older man and younger woman; successful biotech guy and struggling grad student; brother’s best friend and the girl he never even knew existed. As Conor loves to remind her, the power dynamic is too imbalanced. Any relationship between them would be problematic in too many ways to count, and Maya should just get over him. After all, he has made it clear that he wants her gone from his life.

But not everything is as it seems—and clichés sometimes become plot twists.

When Maya’s brother decides to get married in Taormina, she and Conor end up stuck together in a romantic Sicilian villa for over a week. There, on the beautiful Ionian coast, between ancient ruins, delicious foods, and natural caves, Maya realizes that Conor might be hiding something from her. And as the destination wedding begins to erupt out of control, she decides that a summer fling might be just what she needs—even if it’s a problematic one.


Review:

Sultry, entertaining, and sweet!

Problematic Summer Romance is a passionate, charming tale that mixes the feisty, intelligent Maya, who’s determined once and for all to show her brother’s best friend she’s the perfect one for him, and the delectable, successful Conor, who still won’t allow himself to act on his feelings for his best friend’s little sister because of the fifteen-year age gap.

The writing is titillating and crisp. The characters, including all the supporting characters, are fun-loving and engaging. And the plot sweeps you away into a sassy, push-pull storyline filled with life, loss, witty banter, shameless flirting, sizzling chemistry, friendship, family, romance, light drama, and responsibilities.

Overall, Problematic Summer Romance is a fabulous read to kick off summer 2025. I loved the characters, I loved the storyline, and I loved the swoon-worthy happy-ever-after ending!

 

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Thank you to Berkley Romance for this free copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Ali Hazelwood

Ali Hazelwood is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Love, Theoretically and The Love Hypothesis, as well as a writer of peer-reviewed articles about brain science, in which no one makes out and the ever after is not always happy. Originally from Italy, she lived in Germany and Japan before moving to the US to pursue a PhD in neuroscience. When Ali is not at work, she can be found running, eating cake pops, or watching sci-fi movies with her three feline overlords (and her slightly-less-feline husband).

Photo by Justin Murphy / Out of the Attic Photography.