Category: Contemporary Romance

#BookReview Get Lost with You by Sophie Sullivan @smpromance @StMartinsPress #SophieSullivan #GetLostWithYou #RockBottomLoveSeries #smpromance #smpinfluencers

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#BookReview Get Lost with You by Sophie Sullivan @smpromance @StMartinsPress #SophieSullivan #GetLostWithYou #RockBottomLoveSeries #smpromance #smpinfluencers Title: Get Lost with You

Author: Sophie Sullivan

Series: Rock Bottom Love #2

Published by: St. Martin's Griffin on Feb. 11, 2025

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 304

Format: Paperback

Source: St. Martin's Press

Book Rating: 8/10

Jillian Keller took the long route to her best life, but is now happily settled in her hometown of Smile, raising her little girl alone while helping her brother run Get Lost Lodge. A lover of structure and routine, she doesn’t need anything, or anyone, disrupting her carefully curated life.

After chasing and achieving his culinary dreams, Levi Bright realizes he’s still missing something. Something he can’t find in a big city. Returning home to Smile, he intends to build a different future for himself that includes mending fences with his dad, reconnecting with friends, and creating elevated comfort food for a town he loves.

When Levi and Jilly run into each other one day in Smile, once requited feelings that never had a chance to bloom as teens flare between them immediately. Jaded from her past, Jilly is cautious and convinced that she can handle being just friends, as the two have to work closely together to prepare for Get Lost’s official summer opening, spending time together, camping, laughing, kayaking, and reminiscing. But when her brother hires sweet, funny, ridiculously hot Levi as the new chef at the lodge, and she and Ollie are getting more attached, things are moving more quickly than she anticipated–and Jilly has been hurt before. If she wants to be head over heels in love, she’ll have to learn that the past doesn’t always repeat itself. Sometimes, it just leads you where you’re meant to be.

Review:

Engaging, heartfelt, and fun!

Get Lost with You is an alluring, tender romance that transports you to the idyllic town of Smile and into the lives of the reliable, handsome Levi and the hardworking, single mother Jilly as they discover that even though they’ve known each other platonically for years, there may be a little something more underneath that’s worth taking a chance on.

The writing is light and playful. The characters are supportive, kind, and genuine. And the plot is an entertaining, amusing mix of friendship, family, community, responsibilities, parenthood, snappy banter, undeniable chemistry, tricky moments, small-town drama, and unconditional love.

Overall, Get Lost with You is another sweet, uplifting, satisfying addition to the Rock Bottom Love series by Sullivan that touches on the importance of healing, friendship, self-discovery, and finding happiness.

 

This book is available now.

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

         

 

 

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

 

About Sophie Sullivan

SOPHIE SULLIVAN is a Canadian author as well as a cookie-eating, Diet Pepsi-drinking, Disney enthusiast who loves reading and writing romance in almost equal measure. She writes around her day job as a teacher and spends her spare time with her sweet family watching reruns of Friends. TEN RULES FOR FAKING IT is her romcom debut novel, but she's had plenty of practice writing happily ever after as her alter ego, Jody Holford.

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#BookReview First-Time Caller by B.K. Borison @BerkleyRomance @PenguinRandomCA #FirstTimeCaller #HeartstringsSeries #BKBorison #Berkley #BerkleyPartner #PenguinReads

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#BookReview First-Time Caller by B.K. Borison @BerkleyRomance @PenguinRandomCA #FirstTimeCaller #HeartstringsSeries #BKBorison #Berkley #BerkleyPartner #PenguinReads Title: First-Time Caller

Author: B.K. Borison

Series: Heartstrings #1

Published by: Berkley on Feb. 11, 2025

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 448

Format: Paperback

Source: Berkley Publishing

Book Rating: 9/10

A hopeless romantic meets a jaded radio host in this cozy, Sleepless in Seattle-inspired love story from beloved author B.K. Borison.

Aiden Valentine has a secret: he’s fallen out of love with love. And as the host of Baltimore’s romance hotline, that’s a bit of a problem. But when a young girl calls in to the station asking for dating advice for her mom, the interview goes viral, thrusting Aiden and Heartstrings into the limelight.

Lucie Stone thought she was doing just fine. She has a good job; an incredible family; and a smart, slightly devious kid. But when all of Baltimore is suddenly scrutinizing her love life-or lack thereof—she begins to question if she’s as happy as she thought. Maybe a little more romance wouldn’t be such a bad thing.

Everyone wants Lucie to find her happy ending… even the handsome, temperamental man calling the shots. But when sparks start to fly behind the scenes, Lucie must make the final call between the radio-sponsored happily ever after or the man in the headphones next to her.

Review:

Sweet, touching, and romantic!

First-Time Caller is a tender, insightful tale that takes you into the life of the disillusioned Baltimore romance radio host Aiden as he struggles to juggle a disheartening career, philophobia stemming from childhood trauma, a new addition to his late-night show, and the budding attraction he feels for Lucie, a caller who has her heart set on finding magic.

The writing is smooth and genuine. The characters are lonely, quirky, and supportive. And the plot is a captivating, touching blend of introspection, friendship, self-depreciating humour, awkward situations, sweet moments, dating woes, misunderstandings, patience, intimacy, and unconditional love.

Overall, First-Time Caller is a charming, heartwarming, spirited tale by Borison that had just the right amount of emotion, angst, and passion to make this an easy, lighthearted, enjoyable read that I highly recommend and absolutely adore.

 

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 B.K. Borison

B.K. Borison is the author of cozy, contemporary romances featuring emotionally vulnerable characters and swoon-worthy settings. When she’s not daydreaming about fictional characters doing fictional things, she’s at home with her family, more than likely buying books she doesn’t have room for. Lovelight Farms was her debut novel.

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#BookReview The Boyfriend Hypothesis by Susannah Nix @PGCBooks @panmacmillan #TheBoyfriendHypothesis #ChemistryLessonsSeries #SusannahNix #PGCBooks

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#BookReview The Boyfriend Hypothesis by Susannah Nix @PGCBooks @panmacmillan #TheBoyfriendHypothesis #ChemistryLessonsSeries #SusannahNix #PGCBooks Title: The Boyfriend Hypothesis

Author: Susannah Nix

Series: Chemistry Lessons #3

Published by: Pan Macmillan on Jan. 7, 2025

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 293

Format: Paperback

Source: Publishers Group Canada

Book Rating: 8/10

After four lousy boyfriends in a row, chemical engineer Penny Popplestone swears off men until she can figure out why they keep cheating on her. But her no-men resolution hits a snag when the mysterious and superhumanly hot barista at her favorite coffee shop strikes up a friendship with her.

Penny strives to keep things platonic, but when Caleb gives her the kiss of her life, she realizes he wants to be more than just friends. Tired of always being “good little Penny,” she throws caution to the wind and pursues a no-strings fling with the hottie barista. It’s not like they have anything in common beyond scorching physical chemistry, so what does she have to lose?

Only her heart.

Now, this fanfic-reading, plus-size heroine faces an unsolvable problem. What do you do when being apart is unbearable…but being together is impossible?

Advanced Physical Chemistry is the third in a series of standalone rom-coms featuring geeky heroines who work in STEM fields.

Review:

Heartfelt, light, and fun!

The Boyfriend Hypothesis is a tender, passionate rom-com featuring the kind, intelligent Penny who, after finally deciding to swear off finding Mr. Right, decides to have a no-strings fling with the quiet barista at her favourite coffee shop, the sexy, charismatic Caleb, who may turn out to be more of a forever guy than either of them ever expected.

The prose is sweet and spirited. The characters are charming, independent, and reliable. And the plot is a push-pull tale of instant attraction, witty banter, palpable chemistry, friendship, family, light drama, and unconditional love.

Overall, The Boyfriend Hypothesis is a cute, heartwarming, entertaining tale by Nix that’s a great addition to the Chemistry Lessons series with its amusing characters, heartfelt moments, and happy-ever-after ending.

 

This novel is available now.

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

         

 

  

 

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

 

About Susannah Nix

Susannah Nix is an Award-winning and USA Today bestselling author of rom-coms and contemporary romances who lives in Texas with her husband. On the rare occasions she's not writing, she can be found reading, knitting, lifting weights, drinking wine, or obsessively watching Ted Lasso on repeat to stave off existential angst.

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#BookReview Under Loch and Key by Lana Ferguson @BerkleyRomance @PenguinRandomCA #UnderLochAndKey #LanaFerguson #Berkley #BerkleyPartner #PenguinReads

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#BookReview Under Loch and Key by Lana Ferguson @BerkleyRomance @PenguinRandomCA #UnderLochAndKey #LanaFerguson #Berkley #BerkleyPartner #PenguinReads Title: Under Loch and Key

Author: Lana Ferguson

Published by: Berkley on Dec. 3, 2024

Genres: Contemporary Romance, Paranormal Romance

Pages: 416

Format: Paperback

Source: Berkley Publishing

Book Rating: 8/10

A woman discovers that not all monsters are her enemy—the opposite, in fact—in this new paranormal romance by Lana Ferguson, author of The Fake Mate.

Keyanna “Key” MacKay is used to secrets. Raised by a single father who never divulged his past, it’s only after his death that she finds herself thrust into the world he’d always refused to speak of. With just a childhood bedtime story about a monster that saved her father’s life and the name of her estranged grandmother to go off of, Key has no idea what she’ll find in Scotland. But repeating her father’s mistakes and being rescued by a gorgeous, angry Scotsman—who thinks she’s an idiot—is definitely the last thing she expects.

Lachlan Greer has his own secrets to keep, especially from the bonnie lass he pulls to safety from the slippery shore—a lass with captivating eyes and the last name he’s been taught not to trust. He’s looking for answers as well, and Key’s presence on the grounds they both now occupy presents a real problem. It’s even more troublesome when he gets a front row seat to the lukewarm welcome Key receives from her family; the strange powers she begins to develop; and the fierce determination she brings to every obstacle in her path. Things he shouldn’t care about, and someone he definitely doesn’t find wildly attractive.

When their secrets collide, it becomes clear that Lachlan could hold the answers Keyanna is after—and that she might also be the key to uncovering his. Up against time, mystery, and a centuries old curse, they’ll quickly discover that magic might not only be in fairy tales, and that love can be a real loch-mess.

Review:

Quirky, amusing, and sweet!

Under Loch and Key is a cute, sentimental romance that takes you into the life of Keyanna MacKay, a grieving young woman who finds herself accidentally becoming part of an ancient curse involving a water-loving monster when she heads to her father’s hometown in Scotland to spread his ashes and finally meet the family she never knew she had.

The writing is light and playful. The characters are fierce, feisty, and dependable. And the plot is an engaging tale full of danger, temptation, mystique, chemistry, history, attraction, traditions, witty banter, humorous mishaps, and the supernatural.

Overall, Under Loch and Key is a humorous, charming, unique tale by Ferguson that is a good choice for anyone who loves a little adventure, a dab of romance, and a whole slew of paranormal, unconventional 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 Lana Ferguson

Lana Ferguson is a sex-positive nerd whose works never shy from spice or sass. A faded Fabio book cover found its way into her hands at fifteen, and she’s never been the same since. When she isn’t writing, you can find her randomly singing show tunes, arguing over which Batman is superior, and subjecting her friends to the extended editions of The Lord of the Rings. Lana lives mostly in her own head but can sometimes be found chasing her corgi through the coppice of the great American outdoors.

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#BookReview Deep End by Ali Hazelwood @BerkleyRomance @PenguinRandomCA #DeepEnd #AliHazelwood #Berkley #BerkleyPartner #PenguinReads

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#BookReview Deep End by Ali Hazelwood @BerkleyRomance @PenguinRandomCA #DeepEnd #AliHazelwood #Berkley #BerkleyPartner #PenguinReads Title: Deep End

Author: Ali Hazelwood

Published by: Berkley on Feb, 4, 2025

Genres: Contemporary Romance, New Adult

Pages: 464

Format: ARC, eBook

Source: Berkley Publishing

Book Rating: 9/10

A competitive diver and an ace swimmer jump into forbidden waters in this steamy college romance from the New York Times bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis.

Scarlett Vandermeer is swimming upstream. A Junior at Stanford and a student-athlete who specializes in platform diving, Scarlett prefers to keep her head down, concentrating on getting into med school and on recovering from the injury that almost ended her career. She has no time for relationships—at least, that’s what she tells herself.

Swim captain, world champion, all-around aquatics golden boy, Lukas Blomqvist thrives on discipline. It’s how he wins gold medals and breaks records: complete focus, with every stroke. On the surface, Lukas and Scarlett have nothing in common. Until a well-guarded secret slips out, and everything changes.

So they start an arrangement. And as the pressure leading to the Olympics heats up, so does their relationship. It was supposed to be just a temporary, mutually satisfying fling. But when staying away from Lukas becomes impossible, Scarlett realizes that her heart might be treading into dangerous water…

Review:

Lighthearted, charming, and angsty!

Deep End is a sweet, steamy, sexy sports romance featuring the intelligent, focused Scarlett, who is struggling to recover from a tragic accident that almost ended her diving career, and the hot, successful Lukas, who may have finally found the one girl who not only likes the kinky things that he likes but makes him want more.

The writing is honest and emotive. The characters are warm, supportive, and endearing. And the plot is an alluring blend of friendship, family, drama, emotion, attraction, heat, insecurities, self-discovery, happiness, competition, taking chances, tender moments, mental health, romance, and the pressures of being a varsity athlete.

Overall, Deep End is another addictive, salacious, delectable STEM treat by Hazelwood that left me delightfully satisfied and yearning for a whole lot more. 

 

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 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.

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#BookReview Only in Your Dreams by Ellie K. Wilde @SimonSchusterCA #OnlyInYourDreams #EllieKWilde #OakwoodBaySeries #SimonSchusterCA

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#BookReview Only in Your Dreams by Ellie K. Wilde @SimonSchusterCA #OnlyInYourDreams #EllieKWilde #OakwoodBaySeries #SimonSchusterCA Title: Only in Your Dreams

Author: Ellie K. Wilde

Series: Oakwood Bay #1

Published by: Simon & Schuster Canada on Jan. 21, 2025

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 432

Format: ARC, Paperback

Source: Simon & Schuster Canada

Book Rating: 8.5/10

If he can prove he loved her then, and he loves her still, this time might be different.

Ten years after one of the most heartbreaking nights of her life, Melody Woods is back in her small hometown of Oakwood Bay, broke, jaded, and unceremoniously dumped by her big-city boyfriend. To top it all off, her twin brother, Parker, is pushing her to take his spot on a camping trip with the one guy she’s spent a decade avoiding.

For college football coach Zac Porter, his best friend’s twin sister, Melody, has always been off-limits. And after fumbling his chance ten years ago, a devastated Zac was sure he’d lost Melody for good. So, when Melody shows up at the campsite instead of Parker, Zac realizes that now is the time to prove to her that they were always meant to be, no matter how long it takes to make up for his teenage self’s mistake.

Reeling from the truth of her last relationship, Melody plans to stay in town just long enough to get back on her feet. Then, she’s gone again. Meanwhile, Zac is facing an uphill battle to coach his team to its first winning game in years, to show Melody how she deserves to be loved, and to keep Parker from ever finding out. Maybe then, being with her will be more than just a dream.

Review:

Sultry, entertaining, and sweet!

Only in Your Dreams is a passionate, charming tale that mixes the weary, disheartened Melody who, after a disastrous breakup and a return to her hometown, is determined to put all her time and effort into picking herself back up while doing her best to stay away from the man who broke her heart ten years ago, and the delectable, dependable Zac who has finally decided he’s waited long enough and is finally willing to take the risk and act on his feelings for his best friend’s twin sister.

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 witty banter, shameless flirting, sizzling chemistry, friendship, family, introspection, romance, and light drama.

Overall, Only in Your Dreams is a fabulous read to kick off the new year. I enjoyed the characters, I enjoyed the storyline, and I swooned over the happy-ever-after ending!

 

This novel is available now.

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

             

 

 

 

Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Ellie K. Wilde

Ellie K. Wilde dreams up love stories with a lot of heart and the kind of spice that makes your knees shake. She writes male leads with big personalities and sweet, cinnamon roll insides, and women who discover they’re just as tough as they wish they were. Happily-ever-afters only.

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#BookReview Spiral by Bal Khabra @authorbalkhabra @BerkleyRomance @PenguinRandomCA #BalKhabra #Spiral #OffTheIceSeries #Berkley #BerkleyPartner #PenguinReads

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#BookReview Spiral by Bal Khabra @authorbalkhabra @BerkleyRomance @PenguinRandomCA #BalKhabra #Spiral #OffTheIceSeries #Berkley #BerkleyPartner #PenguinReads Title: Spiral

Author: Bal Khabra

Series: Off the Ice #2

Published by: Berkley on Jan. 28, 2025

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 368

Format: Paperback

Source: Berkley Publishing, Penguin Random House Canada

Book Rating: 8/10

He’s on edge while she’s en pointe in this fake-dating sports romance from the author of the smash hit Collide.

Elias Westbrook, a newly drafted hockey player for the Toronto Thunder, is facing the challenges of fame and media scrutiny. With a growing fan base and too many expectations on his shoulders, he’s struggling to make his first career goal. The tabloids are reporting on his every move, including which woman he was last seen with, but all he wants to do is escape the spotlight.

Enter from stage left Sage Beaumont, an aspiring ballerina with dreams of joining the Aurora Ballet Theatre, but her lack of popularity online leaves her at a major disadvantage for securing the lead role. When Sage finds herself with the perfect opportunity to make her dreams come true by fake dating Elias, she takes her shot.

Soon enough, the flimsy fake-dating rules they set in place fall away in the face of their sizzling connection. But before things spiral out of control, Sage and Elias will have to decide if they’re willing to take the leap together or if they’ll call it quits.

Review:

Amusing, seductive, and sassy!

Spiral is a sweet, playful rom-com featuring the considerate, hunky Elias whose life is in turmoil due to the media’s relentless fascination with him and the ongoing stress of a looming trade if he can’t ever get that elusive first goal and the independent, selfless Sage who is struggling to get that one audition which would finally allow her to live beyond pay cheque to pay cheque.

The writing is light and sultry. The characters, including the supporting characters, are charming, flawed and fun. And the plot is an enchanting, tender tale filled with smouldering chemistry, sizzling tension, heartfelt emotion, witty banter, friendship, support, understanding, compromise, communication, delicious romance, and hockey.

Overall, Spiral is an alluring, sensitive, passionate addition to the Off the Ice series by Khabra that had characters I couldn’t help but root for and a happy-ever-after ending that left me once again eager for more. 

 

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 and Penguin Random House Canada for this free copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Bal Khabra

Bal Khabra is a Canadian writer and book lover. Before she decided to jump into the romance pool, she spent her time gushing about books on social media. When inspiration strikes, she is found filling her notes app with ideas for romance novels. She loves reading about love, watching movies about love, and now, writing about it herself. There really isn’t much else that gets her heart fluttering the way HEAs do. She fell in love with writing and hopes to continue living out her romance author dreams.

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#BookReview The Favorites by Layne Fargo @PenguinRandomCA #TheFavorites #LayneFargo #PenguinReads

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#BookReview The Favorites by Layne Fargo @PenguinRandomCA #TheFavorites #LayneFargo #PenguinReads Title: The Favorites

Author: Layne Fargo

Published by: Random House on Jan. 14, 2025

Genres: Contemporary Romance, General Fiction

Pages: 448

Format: Paperback

Source: Penguin Random House Canada

Book Rating: 10/10

She might not have a famous name, funding, or her family’s support, but Katarina Shaw has always known that she was destined to become an Olympic skater. When she meets Heath Rocha, a lonely kid stuck in the foster care system, their instant connection makes them a formidable duo on the ice. Clinging to skating—and each other—to escape their turbulent lives, Kat and Heath go from childhood sweethearts to champion ice dancers, captivating the world with their scorching chemistry, rebellious style, and roller-coaster relationship.

Until a shocking incident at the Olympic Games brings their partnership to a sudden end.

As the ten-year anniversary of their final skate approaches, an unauthorized documentary reignites the public obsession with Shaw and Rocha, claiming to uncover the “real story” through interviews with their closest friends and fiercest rivals. Kat wants nothing to do with the documentary, but she can’t stand the thought of someone else defining her legacy. So, after a decade of silence, she’s telling her story: from the childhood tragedies that created her all-consuming bond with Heath to the clash of desires that tore them apart. Sensational rumors have haunted their every step for years, but the truth may be even more shocking than the headlines.

Review:

Multilayered, dramatic, and gripping!

The Favorites is an absorbing, passionate tale that sweeps you away into the cutthroat world of figure skating and the unauthorized documentary of the tumultuous, intimate relationship and lives of Olympic figure skaters Katarina Shaw and Heath Rocha ten years after their final skate.

The prose is intricate and raw. The characters are flawed, genuine, and well-developed. And the plot, using a mix of narration and interviews, intertwines and unravels seamlessly into an immersive tale about life, loss, love, family, manipulation, obsession, desire, dreams, betrayal, competition, gossip, glitz, glamour, fame, and ruthless ambition.

Overall, The Favorites is a seductive, scandalous, intoxicating tale by Fargo that I absolutely devoured. It had just the right amount of intensity, angst, romance, and passion to keep me invested from start to finish and will definitely hold a spot as one of my favourite reads of the year!

 

This novel is available now.

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

        

 

 

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

 

About Layne Fargo

Layne Fargo has a background in theater, women’s studies, and library science, so it’s only fitting that she now writes deliciously dramatic, unapologetically feminist stories for a living. She’s the author of psychological thrillers They Never Learn and Temper, as well as co-author on the bestselling Young Rich Widows series, and her work has been translated into over a dozen languages. Layne lives in Chicago with her partner, their pets, and an ever-expanding collection of books she’s definitely going to read before she dies.

Photo by Katharine Hannah Photography

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#BookReview The Rival by Emma Lord @dilemmalord @WednesdayBooks @StMartinsPress #EmmaLord #TheRival #WednesdayBooks #SMPInfluencers

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#BookReview The Rival by Emma Lord @dilemmalord @WednesdayBooks @StMartinsPress #EmmaLord #TheRival #WednesdayBooks #SMPInfluencers Title: The Rival

Author: Emma Lord

Published by: Wednesday Books on Jan. 21, 2025

Genres: Contemporary Romance, Young Adult

Pages: 320

Format: Paperback

Source: St. Martin's Press

Book Rating: 8.5/10

Rivals-to-lovers gets an academic send-up in this charming and irresistible romantic comedy from Emma Lord, New York Times bestselling author of Tweet Cute and Begin Again!

At long last, Sadie has vanquished her lifelong academic rival — her irritatingly charming, whip smart next door neighbor, Seb — by getting the coveted, only spot to her dream college. Or at least, so she thinks. When Seb is unexpectedly pulled off the waitlist and admitted, Sadie has to compete with him all over again, this time to get a spot on the school’s famous zine. Now not only is she dealing with the mayhem of the lovable, chaotic family she hid her writing talents from, as well as her own self doubt, but she has to come to terms with some less-than-resentful feelings for Seb that are popping up along the way.

But the longer they compete, the more Sadie and Seb notice flaws in the school’s system that are much bigger than any competition between them. Somehow the two of them have to band together even as they’re trying to crush each other, only to discover they may have met their match in more ways than one.

Review:

Engaging, charming, and fun!

The Rival is an amusing, feel-good, enemies-to-lovers romance that takes you into the lives of both Sebastian Adams, a young man who isn’t quite sure of what he wants to do in life but knows he who wants to do it with, and the driven, reliable Sadie Brighton who may finally have got into the school of her dreams and the opportunity to write for the Maple Ridge University zine with the unfortunate twist of having the one boy who has been wreaking havoc on her life since birth also there.

The writing is humorous and light. The characters are hardworking, passionate, and lively. And the plot is a push-pull tale full of tricky situations, tender moments, humorous hijinks, school-place drama, self-discovery, witty banter, friendship, expectations, chemistry, and love.

Overall, The Rival is another sweet, spirited, highly entertaining read by Lord with characters I couldn’t help but root for and a happy-ever-after ending that left me smiling, smitten, and more than satisfied.

 

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 – Wednesday Books for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Emma Lord

Emma Lord (she/her) is a digital media editor and writer living in New York City, where she spends whatever time she isn't writing either running or belting show tunes in community theater. She graduated from the University of Virginia with a major in psychology and a minor in how to tilt your computer screen so nobody will notice you updating your fan fiction from the back row. She was raised on glitter, a whole lot of love, and copious amounts of grilled cheese. Her books include Tweet Cute, You Have a Match, and When You Get the Chance.

Photo Credit: Clinton B. Photography

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#BookReview Once Smitten, Twice Shy by Chloe Liese @BerkleyRomance @PenguinRandomCA #OnceSmittenTwiceShy #TheWilmotSisters #ChloeLiese #Berkley #BerkleyPartner #PenguinReads

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#BookReview Once Smitten, Twice Shy by Chloe Liese @BerkleyRomance @PenguinRandomCA #OnceSmittenTwiceShy #TheWilmotSisters #ChloeLiese #Berkley #BerkleyPartner #PenguinReads Title: Once Smitten, Twice Shy

Author: Chloe Liese

Series: The Wilmot Sisters #3

Published by: Berkley on Jan. 14, 2025

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 384

Format: Paperback

Source: Berkley Publishing

Book Rating: 8.5/10

Star-crossed lovers learn that practicing romance leads to the perfect happy ending in this steamy reimagining of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night.

Since heartbreak entered the scene, Juliet Wilmot, once a hopeless romantic, has sworn off love. But when she’s presented with the chance to revisit romance—purely for practice—with the gorgeous, off-limits guy she keeps serendipitously running into, it feels like a sign from the universe.
 
Quiet, shy Will Orsino knows happily-ever-after isn’t on his horizon. Problem is, for the sake of the family business, marriage is.  Resigned to the inevitable, but with no confidence he can woo a wife, he can hardly say no when fate hands him the alluring, unattainable woman he keeps crossing paths with, offering to help him learn the ropes of romance.
 
Neither of them looking for love, Jules and Will agree they’re the perfect pair to practice romance. Except that practicing to perfection leads to an irresistible attraction. Their once smitten hearts, though still twice shy, might have happily-ever-after written in the stars for them, after all.

Review:

Lighthearted, sensitive, and cute!

Once Smitten, Twice Shy is a tender, feel-good tale that takes you into the life of the kind, heartbroken Juliet, who has finally decided that love is just not in the cards for her until she meets the ruggedly handsome, socially awkward Will and their agreement to practice romance together quickly turns into something more.

The prose is smooth and sweet. The characters are wary, lovable, and unique. And the plot is an engaging, push-pull tale of family, friendship, tricky situations, playful banter, heartfelt moments, humorous hijinks, self-discovery, happiness, neurodivergence, chronic pain, romance, and love.

Overall, Once Smitten, Twice Shy is a charming, touching, delightful tale by Liese that I thoroughly enjoyed and which, in my opinion, is the perfect choice for anyone who loves their romcoms with a whole lot of heart, humour, and hope.

 

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 Chloe Liese

Chloe Liese writes romances reflecting her belief that everyone deserves a love story. Her stories pack a punch of heat, heart, and humor, and often feature characters who are neurodivergent like herself. When not dreaming up her next book, Chloe spends her time wandering in nature, playing soccer, and most happily at home with her family and mischievous cats.

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