8.5/10

#BookReview The Front Porch Club by Michelle Major @michelle_major1 @KayePublicity @HarlequinBooks #TheFrontPorchClub #MichelleMajor #CarolinaGirls

#BookReview The Front Porch Club by Michelle Major @michelle_major1 @KayePublicity @HarlequinBooks #TheFrontPorchClub #MichelleMajor #CarolinaGirls Title: The Front Porch Club

Author: Michelle Major

Series: Carolina Girls #5

Published by: Canary Street Press on May 23, 2023

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 384

Format: Paperback

Source: Kaye Publicity

Book Rating: 8.5/10

They have nothing in common—except a need to start over…

The drawback to having a picture-perfect life is that there’s nowhere to go but down—and Annalise Haverford is falling fast. Once, she was the self-proclaimed queen bee of Magnolia, North Carolina. Now her husband has been arrested for fraud, and she’s become an outcast in the shallow circles she used to rule. There’s only one affordable rental in town, and it’s owned by the woman Annalise got fired from a lucrative job.

Much as single mother Shauna Myer would like to refuse Annalise, who treated her like dirt on the bottom of her red-soled shoe, she needs that rent money. But when Shauna’s first love arrives in town, unraveling secrets she’d hoped to keep, Annalise becomes her unlikely defender. Meghan Banks, an elementary school art teacher whose quiet existence suddenly descends into chaos, is thrown an unexpected lifeline by Annalise, too.

As spring ripens into a sultry summer, the three spur each other on to share their fears and dreams, face new challenges, and seize second chances. Because no matter how turbulent life may be, it’s much easier to navigate those choppy waters when you’re buoyed by true friendship…­ 


Review:

Romantic, cozy, and engaging!

The Front Porch Club is an enchanting, heartwarming story set in the quaint town of Magnolia, North Carolina, that takes you into the lives of three unlikely friends, Shauna, Annalise, and Meghan, who together tackle all the highs and lows of life including single motherhood, new love, old love, career woes, taking chances, and new beginnings.

The prose is fluid and smooth. The characters are genuine, supportive, and reliable. And the plot is a tender, hopeful tale about life, love, family, parenthood, heartbreak, attraction, introspection, contentment, and small-town living.

Overall, The Front Porch Club is another sweet, uplifting, satisfying addition to the Carolina Girls series by Major that touches on the importance of healing, friendship, self-discovery, and finding happiness.

 

This novel is available now.

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

         

 

 

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

 

About Michelle Major

Michelle Major grew up in Ohio but dreamed of living in the mountains. Soon after graduating with a degree in Journalism, she pointed her car west and settled in Colorado. Her life and house are filled with one great husband, two beautiful kids, a few furry pets and several well-behaved reptiles. She’s grateful to have found her passion writing stories with happy endings.

Photograph courtesy of Author's Goodreads Page.

#BookReview Closer by Sea by Perry Chafe @perrychafe @SimonSchusterCA @ScribnerBooks #CloserbySea #PerryChafe #SimonSchusterCA

#BookReview Closer by Sea by Perry Chafe @perrychafe @SimonSchusterCA @ScribnerBooks #CloserbySea #PerryChafe #SimonSchusterCA Title: Closer by Sea

Author: Perry Chafe

Published by: Scribner on May 23, 2023

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 272

Format: ARC, Paperback

Source: Simon & Schuster Canada

Book Rating: 8.5/10

From the writer and producer of the hit TV shows Republic of Doyle and Son of a Critch , a poignant coming-of-age debut novel about the mysterious disappearance of a young girl and the fragility of childhood bonds, set against the backdrop of a small island community adapting to an ever-changing landscape.

In 1991, on a small, isolated island off the coast of Newfoundland, twelve-year-old Pierce Jacobs struggles to come to terms with the death of his father. It’s been three years since his dad, a fisherman, disappeared in the cold, unforgiving Atlantic, his body never recovered. Pierce is determined to save enough money to fix his father’s old boat and take it out to sea. But life on the island is quiet and hard. The local fishing industry is on the brink of collapse, threatening to take an ages-old way of life with it. The community is hit even harder when a young teen named Anna Tessier goes missing.

With the help of his three friends, Pierce sets out to find Anna, with whom he shared an unusual but special bond. They soon cross paths with Solomon Vickers, a mysterious, hermetic fisherman who may have something to do with the missing girl. Their search brings them into contact with unrelenting bullies, magnificent sea creatures, fierce storms, and glacial giants. But most of all, it brings them closer to the brutal reality of both the natural and the modern world.

Part coming-of-age story, part literary mystery, and part suspense thriller, Closer by Sea is a page-turning, poignant, and powerful novel about family, friendship, and community set at a pivotal time in modern Newfoundland history. It is an homage to a people and a place, and above all it captures that delicate and tender moment when the wonder of childhood innocence gives way to the harsh awakening of adult experience.


Review:

Atmospheric, mysterious, and immersive!

Closer by Sea is a captivating, poignant tale that sweeps you away to Perigo Island just off the coast of Newfoundland and into the life of twelve-year-old Pierce Jacobs as he spends one summer in 1991 hanging with friends, making a little extra money cutting out cod tongues and selling them to tourists, saving up everything he can to repair his late father’s fishing boat, coming to grips with the disappearance of a young girl he slightly knew, and secretly investigating the old, reclusive stranger he’s sure had something to do with why she seemingly vanished without a trace.

The prose is rich and expressive. The characters are inquisitive, fearless, and impulsive. And the plot is an astute, compelling tale about life, loss, friendship, family, secrets, curiosity, adventure, guilt, death, grief, marine life, mother nature, self-identity, and first crushes.

Overall, Closer by Sea is ultimately a beautifully written coming-of-age tale interwoven with a thread of mystery that does a remarkable job of delving into the complex dynamics that exist between childhood friends and is a wonderful reminder of just how complicated, challenging, memorable and emotional growing up can truly be, especially when doing so in a small island community where everyone knows everyone else.

 

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 Perry Chafe

Perry Chafe is a Canadian television writer, showrunner, producer, and songwriter. He is a cofounder and partner in Take the Shot Productions. Perry was the cocreator, showrunner, and head writer for the TV series Republic of Doyle, which ran for six seasons on the CBC, and an executive producer and writer for the Netflix/Discovery series Frontier, starring Jason Momoa. In addition, he was an executive producer and writer for Caught, a CBC limited series based on Lisa Moore’s award-winning novel of the same name. He is currently a writer and producer on the hugely successful CBC series Son of a Critch. Born and raised in the small fishing community of Petty Harbour, Newfoundland, he now lives in St. John’s, Newfoundland. Closer by Sea is his debut novel.

Photograph by Maureen Ennis

#BookReview No Two Persons by Erica Bauermeister @StMartinsPress #NoTwoPersons #EricaBauermeister #StMartinsPress #SMPInfluencers

#BookReview No Two Persons by Erica Bauermeister @StMartinsPress #NoTwoPersons #EricaBauermeister #StMartinsPress #SMPInfluencers Title: No Two Persons

Author: Erica Bauermeister

Published by: St. Martin's Press on May 2, 2023

Genres: General Fiction

Pages: 320

Format: Hardcover

Source: St. Martin's Press

Book Rating: 8.5/10

One book. Nine readers. Ten changed lives. New York Times bestselling author Erica Bauermeister’s No Two Persons is “a gloriously original celebration of fiction, and the ways it deepens our lives.”

That was the beauty of books, wasn’t it? They took you places you didn’t know you needed to go…

Alice has always wanted to be a writer. Her talent is innate, but her stories remain safe and detached, until a devastating event breaks her heart open, and she creates a stunning debut novel. Her words, in turn, find their way to readers, from a teenager hiding her homelessness, to a free diver pushing himself beyond endurance, an artist furious at the world around her, a bookseller in search of love, a widower rent by grief. Each one is drawn into Alice’s novel; each one discovers something different that alters their perspective, and presents new pathways forward for their lives.

Together, their stories reveal how books can affect us in the most beautiful and unexpected of ways—and how we are all more closely connected to one another than we might think.


Review:

Compelling, heart-tugging, and absorbing!

No Two Persons is a sensitive, thoughtful tale that takes you into the life of Alice Wein, a young writer who, after the tragic loss of her brother, writes a story that is so special it connects and impacts the lives of nine specific readers who have the opportunity to read it.

The writing is passionate and moving. The characters are stuck, wary, and wistful. And the plot, using a story within a story, sweeps you away into an engaging, touching, heartfelt tale about life, loss, friendship, family, heartbreak, tragedy, the magic of books, and love.

Overall, No Two Persons is a charming, immersive, original tale by Bauermeister that’s a beautiful love letter to books and the power they have to touch, heal, move, and provide hope to anyone lucky enough to read their pages.

 

This book 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 Erica Bauermeister

Erica Bauermeister is the author of the bestselling novel The School of Essential Ingredients, Joy for Beginners, and The Lost Art of Mixing. She is also the co-author of non-fiction works, 500 Great Books by Women: A Reader’s Guide and Let’s Hear It For the Girls: 375 Great Books for Readers 2-14.

She has a PhD in literature from the University of Washington, and has taught there and at Antioch University. She is a founding member of the Seattle7Writers and currently lives in Port Townsend, Washington.

Photo Credit: Susan Doupé

#BookReview The Boyfriend Candidate by Ashley Winstead @ashleywinstead @KayePublicity @HarlequinBooks #TheBoyfriendCandidate #AshleyWinstead #GraydonHouseBooks #KayePublicity

#BookReview The Boyfriend Candidate by Ashley Winstead @ashleywinstead @KayePublicity @HarlequinBooks #TheBoyfriendCandidate #AshleyWinstead #GraydonHouseBooks #KayePublicity Title: The Boyfriend Candidate

Author: Ashley Winstead

Published by: Graydon House on May 9, 2023

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 384

Format: Paperback

Source: Kaye Publicity

Book Rating: 8.5/10

A laugh-out-loud rom-com about learning to embrace living outside your comfort zone.

As a shy school librarian, Alexis Stone is comfortable keeping out of the spotlight. But when she’s dumped for being too meek—in bed!—the humiliation is a wake-up call. She decides she needs to change, and what better way to kick-start her new more adventurous life than with her first one-night stand?

Enter Logan, the gorgeous, foul-mouthed stranger she meets at a hotel bar. Logan is audacious and filterless, making him Alexis’s opposite—and boy, do opposites attract! Just as she’s about to fulfill her hookup wish, the hotel catches fire in a freak lightning storm—and in their rush to escape, Logan is discovered carrying her into the street, where people are waiting with cameras. Cameras Logan promptly—and shockingly—flees.

Alexis is bewildered until breaking news hits: pictures of her and Logan escaping the fire are all over the internet. It turns out Logan is none other than Logan Arthur, the hotshot politician challenging the Texas governor’s seat. The salacious images are poised to sink his career—and jeopardize Alexis’s job—until a solution is proposed: to squash the scandal, he and Alexis could pretend to be in a relationship until election day…in two months. What could possibly go wrong?


Review:

Clever, engaging, and sassy!

The Boyfriend Candidate is a flirty, feel-good tale about the hardworking, timid Alexis Stone who, after deciding to embark on a one-night stand after having her confidence shattered by an ex, finds her world turned upside down when her date turns out to be none other than Logan Arthur, the latest candidate for governor of Texas, and for the benefit of both their reputations and the political campaign agrees to fake date him until the election is over.

The prose is witty and sharp. The characters are focused, amusing, and driven. And the plot is a lighthearted, funny blend of life, love, introspection, friendship, secrets, deception, awkward situations, sweet moments and taking chances.

Overall, The Boyfriend Candidate is another charming, touching, delightful tale by Winstead that I thoroughly enjoyed and which, in my opinion, is the perfect choice for anyone who loves a good romcom that has a whole lot of hope, heart, and humour.

 

This book is available now.

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

 

         

 

 

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

 

About Ashley Winstead

Ashley Winstead holds a Ph.D. in contemporary American literature from Southern Methodist University and a B.A. in English and Art History from Vanderbilt University. She lives in Houston, TX, where she drinks red wine and dreams up novels.

Photo by Luis Noble.

#BookReview The Next Girl by Pip Drysdale @SimonSchusterCA #TheNextGirl #PipDrysdale #SimonSchusterCA

#BookReview The Next Girl by Pip Drysdale @SimonSchusterCA #TheNextGirl #PipDrysdale #SimonSchusterCA Title: The Next Girl

Author: Pip Drysdale

Published by: Simon & Schuster on May 2, 2023

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 368

Format: ARC, Paperback

Source: Simon & Schuster Canada

Book Rating: 8.5/10

For fans of The Perfect Girlfriend, The Flight Attendant, and Promising Young Woman, a compulsively readable suspense novel about a woman who will stop at nothing to expose the dark secrets of a powerful man—with shocking results.

A bad day at work. A drunken night. A rogue Instagram follow. That’s all it takes to ruin a life…but whose life will be ruined?

When Billie wakes up in a strange guy’s bed, her first thought What happened last night? She can’t even remember meeting him. And how the hell did she get to Coney Island?

Then reality bites and the memories flood in—the reason she was in that bar drinking to start with was because today she’s going to get fired. Yesterday, her law firm lost a high-profile assault Samuel Grange v Jane Delaney. And it looked like it was her fault.

It wasn’t.

Yet now Samuel Grange is free to drive off into the sunset in his Porsche and do it all again to another woman. And all Billie can think What about the next girl? And the one after that?

But there is nothing she can do to stop him.

Unless…She could expose the truth about him on her own. Then everyone would see what he is really like. She could make sure he’ll never be able to do it again.

The problem is, the only way to protect the next girl is to become the next girl.

And, well, that could be a little risky…even deadly.


Review:

Dark, tight, and complex!

The Next Girl is an intense, edgy thriller that takes you into the life of Billie Spencer-Tate, a young paralegal with a knack for losing her day job, who after losing her mother to suicide due to an online troll, spends the majority of her time and effort using her high-tech knowledge and social media skills to hunt down, identify, select, and hand out her own style of justice to those men who abuse, prey, and gaslight women, with her latest target being the arrogant, despicable, dangerous Dr. Samuel Grange who she is determined to expose.

The prose is taut and gritty. The characters are consumed, unpredictable, and secretive. And the plot builds quickly as it twists, turns, shocks, surprises, and unravels all the personalities, behaviours, relationships, and motivations within it.

Overall, The Next Girl, at its core, is a novel about secrets, manipulation, friendship, coercion, obsession, control, cunning behaviour, tragedy, violence, and vengeance. It’s a highly suspenseful, exceptionally clever tale by Drysdale that highlights everything is not always as it appears and is definitely one of the most gripping page-turners I’ve been lucky enough to read this year.

 

This novel is available in paperback 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 Pip Drysdale

Pip Drysdale is a writer, musician and actor who grew up in Africa and Australia. At 20 she moved to New York to study acting, worked in indie films and off-off Broadway theatre, started writing songs and made four records. After graduating with a BA in English, Pip moved to London where she played shows across Europe and started writing books. Her debut novel, The Sunday Girl, was a bestseller and has been published in the United States, Italy, Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The Strangers We Know was also a bestseller and is being developed for television. The Paris Affair is her third book.

Photo courtesy of Author's Goodreads Page.

#BookReview Adelaide by Genevieve Wheeler @geeewheeler @StMartinsPress #Adelaide #GenevieveWheeler #StMartinsPress #SMPInfluencers

#BookReview Adelaide by Genevieve Wheeler @geeewheeler @StMartinsPress #Adelaide #GenevieveWheeler #StMartinsPress #SMPInfluencers Title: Adelaide

Author: Genevieve Wheeler

Published by: St. Martin's Press on Apr. 18, 2023

Genres: Women's Fiction

Pages: 304

Format: Hardcover

Source: St. Martin's Press

Book Rating: 8.5/10

For twenty-six-year-old Adelaide Williams, an American living in dreamy London, meeting Rory Hughes was like a lightning bolt out of the blue: this charming Englishman was The One she wasn’t even looking for.

Is it enough?

Does he respond to texts? Honor his commitments? Make advance plans? Sometimes, rarely, and no, not at all. But when he shines his light on her, the world makes sense, and Adelaide is convinced that, in his heart, he’s fallen just as deeply as she has. Then, when Rory is rocked by an unexpected tragedy, Adelaide does everything in her power to hold him together—even if it means losing herself in the process.

When love asks too much of us, how do we find the strength to put ourselves first?

With unflinching honesty and heart, this relatable debut from a fresh new voice explores grief and mental health while capturing the timeless nature of what it’s like to be young and in love—with your friends, with your city, and with a person who cannot, will not, love you back.


Review:

Introspective, poignant, and timely!

Adelaide is a passionate, thoughtful tale that sweeps you away to London and into the life of the young American, Adelaide Williams, as she navigates her goals, dreams, expectations, and mental health, all while consistently giving her all to a love affair littered with disappointments, one-sided effort, lack of communication, and heartbreak.

The prose is sincere and evocative. The characters are kind, multi-layered, and vulnerable. And the tightly crafted, effortless plot unfolds in a back-and-forth style, unravelling all the actions, motivations, personalities, desires, needs, tragedy, and complex relationships within it.

Overall, Adelaide is a sensitive, fresh, reflective debut by Wheeler that does a remarkable job of highlighting all the universal struggles of growing up, acquiring self-confidence, battling depression, anxiety, and worthlessness, forging friendships, experiencing an all-consuming love that isn’t reciprocated, and ultimately realizing that everyone is entitled to always be loved fully.

 

This book 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 Genevieve Wheeler

Genevieve Wheeler is an American writer and communications manager. Her bylines have appeared in publications like VICE, Vogue Business, Teen Vogue, Elite Daily, and POPSUGAR, with her work and words cited in The New York Times, Vox, the BBC World Service, Cheddar News, Jezebel, and beyond. She holds an MA in marketing communications from the University of Westminster in London and a BS in Advertising from Boston University. She's currently based in London. Adelaide is her debut novel.

Photo Credit: Chelsea Lesser

#BookReview Simply Lies by David Baldacci @davidbaldacci @GrandCentralPub #DavidBaldacci #SimplyLies #GCPInsider

#BookReview Simply Lies by David Baldacci @davidbaldacci @GrandCentralPub #DavidBaldacci #SimplyLies #GCPInsider Title: Simply Lies

Author: David Baldacci

Published by: Grand Central Publishing on Apr. 18, 2023

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 432

Format: Hardcover

Source: Grand Central Publishing

Book Rating: 8.5/10

A twisting new psychological thriller in which two women—one a former detective, the other a dangerous con artist—go head-to-head in an electrifying game of cat and mouse.

Mickey Gibson, single mother and former detective, leads a hectic life similar to that of many moms: juggling the demands of her two small children with the tasks of her job working remotely for ProEye, a global investigation company that hunts down wealthy tax and credit cheats.

When Mickey gets a call from a colleague named Arlene Robinson, she thinks nothing of Arlene’s unusual request for her to go inventory the vacant home of an arms dealer who cheated ProEye’s clients and fled. That is, until she arrives at the mansion to discover a dead body in a secret room—and that nothing is as it seems.

Not only does the arms dealer not exist but the murder victim turns out to be Harry Lancaster, a man with mob ties who used to be in Witness Protection. What’s more, no one named Arlene Robinson works at ProEye.

In the blink of an eye, Gibson has become a prime suspect in a murder investigation—and now her job is also on the line until she proves that she was set up. Before long, Gibson is locked in a battle of wits with a brilliant woman with no name, a hidden past, and unknown motives—whose end game is as mysterious as it is deadly.


Review:

Captivating, intelligent, and well-crafted!

Simply Lies is an elaborately plotted, suspenseful tale that takes you into the life of Mickey Gibson, a former police officer, now data analyst and single mother of two whose monotonous life is suddenly turned upside down when she finds herself embroiled in the investigation of a murdered man with a dark, devious, dangerous past when she is deceptively sent out to inventory the contents of a vacant estate.

The writing is sharp and tight. The characters are persistent, resourceful, and multilayered. And the plot, including all the subplots, seamlessly intertwine and unravel into a gripping tale full of twists, turns, surprises, revelations, manipulation, abuse, vengeance, mischief, mayhem, and murder.

Overall, Simply Lies is an exceptionally menacing, intricately woven, highly entertaining mystery that has a nice amount of suspense, good character development, and great pace. It’s currently a standalone novel by Baldacci, but something tells me this could quickly turn out to be another must-read series I need to add to my list.

 

This book is available now.

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

             

 

 

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

 

About David Baldacci

David Baldacci is a global #1 bestselling author, and one of the world’s favorite storytellers. His books are published in over 45 languages and in more than 80 countries, with over 130 million worldwide sales. His works have been adapted for both feature film and television. David Baldacci is also the cofounder, along with his wife, of the Wish You Well Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting literacy efforts across America. Still a resident of his native Virginia, he invites you to visit him at DavidBaldacci.com and his foundation at WishYouWellFoundation.org.

Photograph by Allen Jones.

#BookReview The Last Word by Katy Birchall @smpromance @KatyBirchall @StMartinsPress #TheLastWordNovel #KatyBirchall #smpromance #SMPInfluencers

#BookReview The Last Word by Katy Birchall @smpromance @KatyBirchall @StMartinsPress #TheLastWordNovel #KatyBirchall #smpromance #SMPInfluencers Title: The Last Word

Author: Katy Birchall

Published by: St. Martin's Griffin on May 2, 2023

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 384

Format: ARC, eBook

Source: St. Martin's Press

Book Rating: 8.5/10

The Hating Game meets Beach Read in Katy Birchall’s enemies-to-lovers romcom The Last Word , about a young journalist who puts her career (and her heart) on the line when her former work nemesis is hired in her newsroom.

Harper Jenkins is at the top of her game. A brilliant, determined journalist with a well-known knack for getting tight-lipped Hollywood stars to open up to her, Harper loves her job as Celebrity Editor at a newspaper’s glossy weekend magazine and has the best contacts in the business.

But when her awful boss hires talented reporter Ryan to be the new Features Editor, Harper is furious. Because the two have met a decade ago, they were interns at the same publication, where they fell into a whirlwind romance…until Ryan betrayed Harper, and they never spoke again.

Thrown together in a busy newsroom, their dynamic is a disaster from the start. They can’t agree on anything and bicker constantly―Ryan can’t bear how chaotic and messy Harper is; Harper finds Ryan’s condescending nature infuriating. They clash over who’s writing what article, and fight over who’s going to which event.

Yet as they’re forced to spend more and more time together, Harper realizes she may have misjudged Ryan and can’t help but feel a spark growing between them. Long buried feelings start to resurface and, when they’re thrown together on a romantic press trip abroad, their chemistry comes to a head.

But all is fair in love and magazines, and with the news that layoffs across the department are imminent, Harper is left to who will get the last word?


Review:

Engaging, charming, and sassy!

The Last Word is an amusing, feel-good, enemies-to-lovers romance that takes you into the lives of both Harper Jenkins, a young woman who loves her job as a celebrity journalist and who is determined to prove to her family no matter what that it’s a worthy career, and the reserved, handsome Ryan Jansson who may finally have a shot at expressing his true feelings to the one woman he’s loved since he beat her out of a permanent position at an internship more than ten years ago.

The writing is humorous and light. The characters are hardworking, passionate, and stubborn. And the plot is a push-pull tale full of familial strife, workplace drama, tender moments, competitive rivalry, witty banter, expectations, friendship, chemistry, and love.

Overall, The Last Word is another sweet, spirited, highly entertaining read by Birchall 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 book is available May 2, 2023.

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 Katy Birchall

Katy is the author of several young adult novels including The It Girl series, the Hotel Royale series and Morgan Charmley: Teen Witch. She is the co-author of the middle grade Lightning Girl series and Star Switch with Alesha Dixon, and the Find the Girl teen series with YouTube stars Lucy and Lydia Connell. Katy was proud to be the author of a retelling of Jane Austen’s Emma for the Awesomely Austen series, a collection of Austen’s novels retold for younger readers. She has also written a non-fiction book, How to be a Princess: Real-Life Fairy Tales for Modern Heroines.

Katy lives in London with her partner, Ben, and her rescue dog, Bono.

Photo by Imogen Forte.

#BookReview Five First Chances by Sarah Jost @swissSarahUK @Sourcebooks @sbkslandmark #FiveFirstChances #SarahJost #bookmarkedbylandmark

#BookReview Five First Chances by Sarah Jost @swissSarahUK @Sourcebooks @sbkslandmark #FiveFirstChances #SarahJost #bookmarkedbylandmark Title: Five First Chances

Author: Sarah Jost

Published by: Sourcebooks Landmark on Apr. 18, 2023

Genres: Contemporary Romance, Women's Fiction

Pages: 400

Format: ARC, Paperback

Source: Sourcebooks Landmark

Book Rating: 8.5/10

What would you do if you had one more chance for the life of your dreams?

Lou feels like she is stuck on the wrong path: alone, in a city far from home, watching other people be happy. When the man she’s in love with announces his engagement to someone else, Lou is consumed by ‘what ifs’.

That’s when she finds herself slipping back in time to a night two years ago, where one small decision changed everything…

Suddenly, Lou has a chance to fix her mistakes. But as her choices lead her down roads she never could have imagined, she finds herself stuck in a time loop of her own making. And with each slip, Lou notices her life intersecting with one person again and again. A friend of a friend who once lived on the periphery, who is slowly becoming the one person who makes her feel like she might finally be on the right track.

Lou is about to realize that our greatest love stories aren’t always the ones we expected, but are the ones we choose to fight for.


Review:

Poignant, pensive, and moving!

Five First Chances is a heart-wrenching, time-loop tale that takes you into the life of Lou while she’s attending the wake of a casual acquaintance, when grief-stricken family members, a handful of vague memories, and thoughts of what-if leave her contemplative, curious, and exceptionally emotional until fate magically intervenes leaving her reliving the same two years over and over again in order to change, grow, reshape friendships, and discover everlasting love.

The writing is heartfelt and tender. The characters are strong, passionate, and endearing. And the plot is an absorbing, bittersweet tale of life, loss, family, friendship, kindness, honesty, acceptance, generosity, grief, romance, humour, introspection, and unconditional love.

Overall, Five First Chances is a reflective, emotional, promising debut by Jost that does a remarkable job of reminding us just how important it is to appreciate all those little things in life, the moments, the sunsets, and the shared smiles, while also highlighting the sheer power of love.

 

This book is available now.

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

        

 

 

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

 

About Sarah Jost

Sarah Jost is a Swiss national who has been living in the UK since 2008. She works as a Housemistress and French teacher at a girls’ school, which she considers an immersive course in character study. Sarah lives in Buckinghamshire with her partner Luke and their adorable and destructive puppy Winnie. Five First Chances is her debut.

#BookReview Off the Map by Trish Doller @TrishDoller @smpromance @StMartinsPress #OffTheMapNovel #TrishDoller #SMPRomance #SMPInfluencers

#BookReview Off the Map by Trish Doller @TrishDoller @smpromance @StMartinsPress #OffTheMapNovel #TrishDoller #SMPRomance #SMPInfluencers Title: Off the Map

Author: Trish Doller

Series: Beck Sisters #3

Published by: St. Martin's Griffin on Mar. 7, 2023

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 272

Format: Paperback

Source: St. Martin's Press

Book Rating: 8.5/10

On the road to love, you don’t need a GPS…

Carla Black’s life motto is “here for a good time, not for a long time.” She’s been travelling the world on her own in her vintage Jeep Wrangler for nearly a decade, stopping only long enough to replenish her adventure fund. She doesn’t do love and she doesn’t ever go home.

Eamon Sullivan is a modern-day cartographer who creates digital maps. His work helps people find their way, but he’s the one who’s lost his sense of direction. He’s unhappy at work, recently dumped, and his one big dream is stalled out—literally.

Fate throws them together when Carla arrives in Dublin for her best friend’s wedding and Eamon is tasked with picking her up from the airport. But what should be a simple drive across Ireland quickly becomes complicated with chemistry-filled detours, unexpected feelings, and a chance at love – if only they choose it.


Review:

Big-hearted, cheeky, and engaging!

Off the Map is a cute, charming, insta-love tale between the impulsive, spirited Carla, who is happy to treat life as one big adventure and the charismatic, dependable Eamon, who desperately needs someone to help him find his true north.

The writing is humorous and heartfelt. The characters are kind, supportive, and fun-loving. And the plot is a quick, easy, delightfully entertaining tale about family, friendship, tension, chemistry, self-discovery, tender moments, happiness, taking chances, and finding love.

Overall, Off the Map is an amusing, lighthearted, adorable tale by Doller that is the third book in the beloved Beck Sisters series and even though it can definitely be easily read as a standalone novel, as someone who absolutely loves this series, I would highly recommend you read them all.

 

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 Trish Doller

Trish Doller is a writer, traveler, and dog rescuer, but not necessarily in that order. She is the international bestselling author of Float Plan, The Suite Spot, and Off the Map. She has also written several YA novels, including the critically acclaimed Something Like Normal. When she's not writing, Trish loves sailing, camping, and avoiding housework. She lives in southwest Florida with an opinionated herding dog and an ex-pirate.

Photo Credit: Jesi Cason Photography

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