Genre: Contemporary Romance

#BookReview Bend Toward the Sun @kisscrafter @smpromance @StMartinsPress #JenDevon #BendTowardtheSun #SMPRomance #SMPInfluencers #StMartinsPress

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#BookReview Bend Toward the Sun @kisscrafter @smpromance @StMartinsPress #JenDevon #BendTowardtheSun #SMPRomance #SMPInfluencers #StMartinsPress Title: Bend Toward the Sun

Author: Jen Devon

Published by: St. Martin's Griffin on Aug. 9, 2022

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 384

Format: ARC, Paperback

Source: St. Martin's Press

Book Rating: 10/10

Two imperfect people. One year under the sun. A love story you won’t ever forget.

Rowan McKinnon doesn’t believe in love. With a botany PhD, two best friends who embrace her social quirkiness, and some occasional no-strings sex, she has everything she needs. But she hides deep wounds from the past—from a negligent mother, and a fiancé who treated her like a pawn in a game. When an academic setback leads Rowan to take on the restoration of an abandoned vineyard, she relishes the opportunity to restore the grapes to their former glory.

She does not expect to meet a man like Harrison Brady.

An obstetrician profoundly struggling after losing a patient, Harry no longer believes he is capable of keeping people safe. Reeling, Harry leaves Los Angeles to emotionally recover at his parents’ new vineyard in Pennsylvania.

He does not expect to meet a woman like Rowan McKinnon.

As their combative banter gives way to a simmering tension, sunlight begins to crack through the darkness smothering Harry’s soul. He’s compelled to explore the undeniable pull between them. And after a lifetime of protecting herself from feeling anything, for anyone, Rowan tries to keep things casual.

But even she can’t ignore their explosive connection.

Review:

Alluring, intimate, and sweet!

Bend Toward the Sun is a heart-tugging, enchanting tale that takes you into the lives of two main characters. Rowan, a young woman who is thoughtful and hardworking but much more comfortable surrounded by plants than other people, and Harry, a caring obstetrician who is struggling to overcome a professional loss that has left him traumatized and emotionally astray.

The writing is heartfelt and tender. The characters are supportive, layered, and loving. And the plot is a touching tale of family, friendship, self-discovery, happiness, taking chances, growth, healing, tender moments, light drama, community, and new beginnings.

Overall, Bend Toward the Sun is an uplifting, absorbing, magical debut by Devon that was so much more than I ever expected and one which I undoubtedly highly recommend.

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 Jen Devon

Jen Devon wrote her first romance when she was eight. Now she writes vivid, cinematic love stories about imperfect people finding their perfect match. A former biology academic and lecturer, she currently works in the tech industry and dreams of writing full-time. She’s an avid gardener, photographer, and boardgamer, a thrift store enthusiast and unapologetic nerd. She’s a mom of six (three kids, three rescue mutts) and lives in central Ohio with her engineer husband. Bend Toward the Sun is her first book.

Photo Credit: Maya D Photography

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#BookReview Husband Material by Alexis Hall @RaincoastBooks @SourcebooksCasa #AlexisHall #HusbandMaterial #LondonCalling #SourcebooksCasa

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#BookReview Husband Material by Alexis Hall @RaincoastBooks @SourcebooksCasa #AlexisHall #HusbandMaterial #LondonCalling #SourcebooksCasa Title: Husband Material

Author: Alexis Hall

Series: London Calling #2

Published by: Sourcebooks Casablanca on Aug. 2, 2022

Genres: Contemporary Romance, LGBTQIA

Pages: 432

Format: Paperback

Source: Raincoast Books

Book Rating: 9/10

Wanted:
One (very real) husband
Nowhere near perfect but desperately trying his best

In BOYFRIEND MATERIAL, Luc and Oliver met, pretended to fall in love, fell in love for real, dealt with heartbreak and disappointment and family and friends…and somehow figured out a way to make it work. Now it seems like everyone around them is getting married, and Luc’s feeling the social pressure to propose. But it’ll take more than four weddings, a funeral, and a bowl full of special curry to get these two from I don’t know what I’m doing to I do.

Good thing Oliver is such perfect HUSBAND MATERIAL.

Review:

Sweet, charming, and outrageously entertaining!

Husband Material is an amusing, spirited tale that takes us back into the life of Luc O’Donnell and Oliver Blackwood as their two-year relationship is put to the test during a stressful, emotional season of exes, friends, and co-worker weddings and an unexpected family death.

The writing is clever and witty. The characters are supportive, patient, and multilayered. And the plot is a push-pull tale full of life, love, familial responsibility, workplace comedy, tender moments, hilarious mishaps, sharp banter, pressure, expectations, grief, closure, friendship, acceptance, and swoon-worthy romance.

As some of you may remember, Boyfriend Material was one of my top reads of 2020, so when I heard Hall would be writing a second book about these much-loved characters, I was beyond ecstatic, and he didn’t disappoint. Husband Material is another dramatic, humorous, romantic tale that confirms that Luc and Oliver have definitely found contented, committed domesticity together and is the perfect way to wrap up this duology I highly recommend.

 

This book is available now.

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

               

 

 

Thank you to Raincoast Books & Sourcebooks Casablanca for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Alexis Hall

Alexis Hall lives in a crumbling gothic manor that he inherited in mysterious circumstances. He is a genial host provided you swear that you will under no circumstances venture into the west wing.

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#BookReview The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie by Rachel Linden @uplitreads @BerkleyPub #themagicoflemondroppie #rachellinden #uplitreadscampaign

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#BookReview The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie by Rachel Linden @uplitreads @BerkleyPub #themagicoflemondroppie #rachellinden #uplitreadscampaign Title: The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie

Author: Rachel Linden

Published by: Berkley Books on Aug. 2, 2022

Genres: Contemporary Romance, Women's Fiction

Pages: 352

Format: Paperback

Source: Uplit Reads

Book Rating: 10/10

An uplifting novel about a heartbroken young pie maker who is granted a magical second chance to live the life she didn’t choose. . . . from the bestselling author of The Enlightenment of Bees.

Lolly Blanchard’s life only seems to give her lemons. Ten years ago, after her mother’s tragic death, she broke up with her first love and abandoned her dream of opening a restaurant in order to keep her family’s struggling Seattle diner afloat and care for her younger sister and grieving father. Now, a decade later, she dutifully whips up the diner’s famous lemon meringue pies each morning while still pining for all she’s lost.

As Lolly’s thirty-third birthday approaches, her quirky great-aunt gives her a mysterious gift–three lemon drops, each of which allows her to live a single day in a life that might have been hers. What if her mom hadn’t passed away? What if she had opened her own restaurant in England? What if she hadn’t broken up with the only man she’s ever loved? Surprising and empowering, each experience helps Lolly let go of her regrets and realize the key to transforming her life lies not in redoing her past but in having the courage to embrace her present.

Review:

Charming, hopeful, and tender!

The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie is a touching, uplifting tale that takes you into the life of Lolly Blanchard, a young woman who gave up her own dreams ten years ago to come home and run the family diner and help take care of her younger sister after her mother died, as she embarks on a journey to complete at least one of her teenage goals before her upcoming thirty-third birthday of living in another country, owning her own restaurant, falling in love, helping her family be happy forever, or owning her own horse with a little help from three magic lemon drops courtesy of her Aunt Gert which will transport her to another time and place and allow her to live another life for one day.

The prose is heartfelt and smooth. The characters are multilayered, genuine, and conflicted. And the plot is an absorbing tale about life, loss, love, grief, family, friendship, relationship dynamics, introspection, heartbreak, and hope, all interwoven with a thread of magical realism.

Overall, The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie is a beautifully written, must-read book that tugs at the heartstrings, makes you think of all those what ifs, and reminds you that life is complicated, love is powerful and everlasting, and things often happen for a reason.

This novel is available now.

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

            

 

 

 

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

 

About Rachel Linden

Rachel’s taste for adventure and interest in people first led her to a career as an international worker with a faith-based aid organization, and her experiences living and traveling in more than fifty countries around the globe continue to provide excellent grist for her stories. She loves writing novels that combine so many of her favorite things – strong women facing big challenges, food, travel, and second chances at love. Rachel enjoys crafting bittersweet stories of struggles and triumphs infused with a touch of magical realism and with ultimately happy, or at least very hopeful, endings.

Currently Rachel lives with her husband and children on a sweet little island near Seattle. When she’s not dreaming up a new story, she enjoys camping with her family in their pop top campervan, exploring the beauty of the Pacific Northwest, eating sushi, and having grand adventures in far flung places.

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#BookReview The Hookup Plan by Farrah Rochon @ReadForeverPub @GrandCentralPub #ReadForever #ReadForever2022 #FarrahRochon #TheHookupPlan #TheBoyfriendProject

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#BookReview The Hookup Plan by Farrah Rochon @ReadForeverPub @GrandCentralPub #ReadForever #ReadForever2022 #FarrahRochon #TheHookupPlan #TheBoyfriendProject Title: The Hookup Plan

Author: Farrah Rochon

Series: The Boyfriend Project #3

Published by: Forever on Aug. 2, 2022

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 368

Format: Paperback

Source: Forever

Book Rating: 9/10

Strong female friendships and a snappy enemies-to-lovers theme take center stage in this highly anticipated romantic comedy from the USA Today bestselling author of The Dating Playbook.

Successful pediatric surgeon London Kelley just needs to find some balance and de-stress. According to her friends Samiah and Taylor, what London really needs is a casual hookup. A night of fun with no strings. But no one—least of all London—expected it to go down at her high school reunion with Drew Sullivan, millionaire, owner of delicious abs, and oh yes, her archnemesis.

Now London is certain the road to hell is paved with good sex. Because she’s found out the real reason Drew’s back in Austin: to decide whether her beloved hospital remains open. Worse, Drew is doing everything he can to show her that he’s a decent guy who actually cares. But London’s not falling for it. Because while sleeping with the enemy is one thing, falling for him is definitely not part of the plan.

Review:

Sassy, charming, and sweetly romantic!

The Hookup Plan is a heartwarming, amusing, enemies-to-lovers romance that transports you to Austin, Texas and into the lives of London Kelly, an intelligent pediatric surgeon who is juggling the end of her residency, offers from across the country in far more prestigious facilities, and a temporary arrangement that sees her falling into bed with her adversary from high school, and Drew Sullivan, a successful businessman who has his work cut out for him between coming to grips with the guilt over his mother’s death, auditing a hospital in need of serious financial help, and convincing his high school crush to give him a chance to woo her out of the bedroom as well as in.

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

Overall, The Hookup Plan is the third and final story in the Boyfriend Project series, and even though it’s a little bittersweet to say goodbye to these three strong, independent women we’ve come to know and love over these past three novels, it is nevertheless a superb ending to a fabulous series that I highly recommend and will undoubtedly miss.

 

This book is available now.

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

            

 

 

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

 

About Farrah Rochon

USA Today bestselling author Farrah Rochon hails from a small town just west of New Orleans. She has garnered much acclaim for her Holmes Brothers, New York Sabers, Bayou Dreams and Moments in Maplesville series. When she is not writing in her favorite coffee shop, Farrah spends most of her time reading, cooking, traveling the world, visiting Walt Disney World, and catching her favorite Broadway shows. An admitted sports fanatic, Farrah feeds her addiction to football by watching New Orleans Saints games on Sunday afternoons.

Photography by Tamara Roybiskie.

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#BookReview Paradise Girls by Sandy Gingras @smpromance @StMartinsPress #ParadiseGirls #SandyGingras #smpromance #SMPInfluencers #StMartinsPress

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#BookReview Paradise Girls by Sandy Gingras @smpromance @StMartinsPress #ParadiseGirls #SandyGingras #smpromance #SMPInfluencers #StMartinsPress Title: Paradise Girls

Author: Sandy Gingras

Published by: St. Martin's Griffin on Jul. 5, 2022

Genres: Contemporary Romance, Women's Fiction

Pages: 320

Format: Paperback

Source: St. Martin's Press

Book Rating: 8/10

Sandy Gingras’s Paradise Girls features a broken engagement. A ruined vacation in paradise. One adorable little girl. The perfect recipe for the chance of a lifetime…

Mary Valley is in a funk. She’s a writer for home magazines, but she’s lost touch with what home means. Her life seems meaningless. The last house she wrote about was a gazillion-dollar mansion with a moat! Plus, she’s estranged from her daughter, CC and granddaughter, Larkin and mired in a dead-end relationship with her boss.

Daniel is a man adrift since his son Timmy was killed in Afghanistan. He’s living on a houseboat in Florida with Timmy’s three-legged dog, Tripod and taking tourists out on fishing charters. But his life is on the edge. He’s painting his houseboat black, and he can’t stop thinking about “getting lost at sea.”

When Mary’s boss tells her he’s spending Christmas with his ex, she books a trip with her family to The Low Key Inn, a hotel on the edge of the Everglades. But things go wrong from the get-go. CC bails out of the vacation, and Mary is stuck with an unhappy Larkin. The hotel is dated and down-on-its-luck, and perhaps its owner is a witch. Then Mary meets Daniel, casts a hook into his head and wrecks his boat.

This is the story of how wounded people can help each other heal, how lost people can help each other find their way home. How life can become a love story…

Review:

Sweet, heartwarming, and tender!

Paradise Girls is an optimistic, engaging novel that takes us into the lives of three main characters. Mary, a kind-hearted young grandmother who, after her recent breakup with the man she thought she would spend the rest of her life with, decides to embark on a little getaway to regroup and discover what she truly desires. Daniel, a divorced father who, after losing his only son in Afghanistan, decides to lead a simpler life involving a houseboat and his late son’s three-legged dog, Tripod. And Ollie, a widow who is just beginning to struggle with her love for a dilapidated inn and her need for something more.

The prose is sweet and reflective. The characters are caring, supportive, and generous. And the plot is a compelling tale of life, loss, family, friendship, generosity, self-discovery, support, consideration, happiness, taking chances, companionship, new love, and the intricacies of mother-daughter relationships.

Overall, Paradise Girls is a cosy, charming, uplifting debut by Gingras with its small-town charm, endearing characters, heartfelt storyline, and reminder of how important it is at any age to find that place that truly feels like home.

 

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 Sandy Gingras

Sandy Gingras is the author and illustrator of over twenty gift books. She’s also published fiction, poetry and narrative non-fiction, and she won the Debut Dagger Award for mystery writing in 2012, for her story Beached. She’s designed hundreds of products for national stationery companies and owns two retail stores of her own. She lives on an island six miles out to sea in a happy cottage on the bay with her husband and a dog named Turtle. Paradise Girls is her debut novel.

Photo Credit: Sandy Gingras

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#BookReview Sugar and Salt by Susan Wiggs @susanwiggs @uplitreads @WmMorrowBooks #sugarandsalt #susanwiggs #uplitreadscampaign

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#BookReview Sugar and Salt by Susan Wiggs @susanwiggs @uplitreads @WmMorrowBooks #sugarandsalt #susanwiggs #uplitreadscampaign Title: Sugar and Salt

Author: Susan Wiggs

Published by: William Morrow on Jul. 26, 2022

Genres: Contemporary Romance, Women's Fiction

Pages: 368

Format: Paperback

Source: Uplit Reads

Book Rating: 10/10

The New York Times bestselling author of The Lost and Found Bookstore returns to Perdita Street with a can’t-miss tale of friendship, hardship, redemption, and love between a San Francisco baker and a barbecue master from Texas.

Jerome “Sugar” Barnes learned the art of baking in his grandma’s bakery, also called Sugar, on historic Perdita Street in San Francisco. He supplies baked goods to the Lost and Found Bookshop across the street.

When the restaurant that shares his commercial kitchen loses its longtime tenant, a newcomer moves in: Margot Salton, a barbecue master from Texas.

Margot isn’t exactly on the run, but she needs a fresh start. She’s taken care of herself her whole life, pulling herself up by her fingernails to recover from trauma, and her dream has been to open a restaurant somewhere far, far from Texas. The shared kitchen with Jerome Sugar’s bakery is the perfect setup: a state-of-the-art kitchen and a vibrant neighborhood popular with tourists and locals.

Margot instantly takes to Jerome’s grandmother, the lively, opinionated Ida, and the older woman proves to be a good mentor. Margot thinks Jerome is gorgeous, and despite their different backgrounds their attraction is powerful–even though Jerome worries that Margot will simply move on from him once she’s found some peace and stability. But just as she starts to relax into a happy new future, Margot’s past in Texas comes back to haunt her…

Review:

Emotional, sweet, and heart-wrenching!

Sugar and Salt is a raw, compelling tale that takes you on a journey into the life of Margot Salton as she struggles to juggle a new rewarding endeavour, a handsome, kindhearted man whom she’s wary of loving and a devastating past littered with injustice, violence and heartbreak.

The prose is sensitive and tender. The characters are vulnerable, scarred, and strong. And the plot is a moving tale of life, loss, friendship, family, trust, shame, self-blame, sexual assault, finding love, moving on, and the intricacies of the Texas legal system.

Overall, Sugar and Salt is a timely, affecting, heart-tugging tale by Wiggs that is a little darker than I originally expected, packs a real emotional punch, and ultimately does an exceptional job of highlighting the psychological and emotional devastation caused by rape and the cultural stigmatization that regrettably still surrounds it.

This novel is available now.

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

            

 

 

 

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

 

About Susan Wiggs

Susan Wiggs's life is all about family, friends…and fiction. She lives at the water's edge on an island in Puget Sound, and in good weather, she commutes to her writers' group in a 21-foot motorboat. She’s been featured in the national media, including NPR, PRI, and USA Today, has given programs for the US Embassies in Buenos Aires and Montevideo, and is a popular speaker locally, nationally, internationally, and on the high seas.

From the very start, her writings have illuminated the everyday dramas of ordinary people facing extraordinary circumstances. Her books celebrate the power of love, the timeless bonds of family and the fascinating nuances of human nature. Today, she is an international best-selling, award-winning author, with millions of copies of her books in print in numerous countries and languages. According to Publishers Weekly, Wiggs writes with "refreshingly honest emotion," and the Salem Statesman Journal adds that she is "one of our best observers of stories of the heart [who] knows how to capture emotion on virtually every page of every book." Booklist characterizes her books as "real and true and unforgettable."

Her novels have appeared in the #1 spot on the New York Times Bestseller List, and have captured readers’ hearts around the globe with translations into more than 20 languages and 30 countries. She is a three-time winner of the RITA Award,. Her recent novel, The Apple Orchard, is currently being made into a film, and The Lakeshore Chronicles has been optioned for adaptation into a series.

The author is a former teacher, a Harvard graduate, an avid hiker, an amateur photographer, a good skier and terrible golfer, yet her favorite form of exercise is curling up with a good book. She lives on an island in Puget Sound, where she divides her time between sleeping and waking.

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#BookReview The Godparent Trap by Rachel Van Dyken @HBGCanada @readforeverpub @grandcentralpub #ReadForever #ReadForeverPub #ReadForever2022 #TheGodparentTrap #RachelVanDyken #HBGCanada

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#BookReview The Godparent Trap by Rachel Van Dyken @HBGCanada @readforeverpub @grandcentralpub #ReadForever #ReadForeverPub #ReadForever2022 #TheGodparentTrap #RachelVanDyken #HBGCanada Title: The Godparent Trap

Author: Rachel Van Dyken

Published by: Forever on Jul. 19, 2022

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 352

Format: Paperback

Source: HBG Canada

Book Rating: 9/10

Life’s Too Short meets The Unhoneymooners in this sparkling, steamy, and swoon-worthy novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Rachel Van Dyken, in which two sworn enemies must share house, home—and maybe their hearts—when they become co-parents after a sudden loss.

Colby’s living her best life: as a popular food blogger, she gets to fulfill her dreams of exploring the globe. But her world comes crashing down when a tragic accident leaves her co-guardian of her best friend’s two adorable children. Not only does she need to put down roots—fast—but she’ll be sharing custody with the one man she can’t stand sharing a continent with, let alone a house.  

Accountant-extraordinaire Rip values rules and plans. But when he loses his sister and his best friend and becomes an insta-guardian all in one night, Rip sees his organized life imploding. What he really doesn’t need is his sister’s irresponsible, flighty—albeit kind and gorgeous—best friend making it worse.

Rip doesn’t trust Colby to take their new responsibilities seriously, while Colby can’t believe Rip thinks children will thrive under his rigid control. Yet soon Rip and Colby discover they need each other more than they hate each other. Could it be possible that following their hearts is just what their new little family needs?

Review:

Heartwarming, engaging, and fun!

The Godparent Trap is a sweet, heartfelt story that takes you into the lives of Colby and Rip, two people with completely different personalities who must learn to cope with the tragic loss of a best friend and a sibling, their new status as guardians of two small children, and a budding relationship that will require a lot of patience, compromise, understanding, and trust.

The writing is light and tender. The characters are flawed, honest, and committed. And the plot told from alternating perspectives unravels effortlessly into an enchanting, push-pull tale about life, loss, grief, friendship, family, responsibility, parenthood, communication, happiness, and love.

Overall, The Godparent Trap is an effortless, uplifting, delightful tale by Van Dyken that reminds us that life is truly precious and should always be lived to the fullest and is absolutely perfect for anyone who loves their contemporary romance with a lot of heart, hope, and humour.

 

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from the following link.

                 

 

 

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

 

About Rachel Van Dyken

Rachel Van Dyken is the #1 New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Todaybestselling author of over 90 books ranging from contemporary romance to paranormal. With over four million copies sold, she's been featured in Forbes, US Weekly, and USA Today. Her books have been translated in more than 15 countries. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, adorable sons, naked cat, and two dogs.

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#BookReview When It Falls Apart by Catherine Bybee @catherinebybee @ThomasAllenLTD @AmazonPub #WhenItFallsApart #TheDAngelos #CatherineBybee #Montlake

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#BookReview When It Falls Apart by Catherine Bybee @catherinebybee @ThomasAllenLTD @AmazonPub #WhenItFallsApart #TheDAngelos #CatherineBybee #Montlake Title: When It Falls Apart

Author: Catherine Bybee

Series: The D'Angelos #1

Published by: Montlake Romance on Jun. 21, 2022

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 364

Format: Paperback

Source: Thomas Allen & Son

Book Rating: 9/10

From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Catherine Bybee comes a bittersweet romance about the power of love in the face of heartbreak and loss.

Brooke Turner has always had a complicated relationship with her father. But when his health takes a turn for the worse, she drops everything to care for him. He’s her dad, after all, and he needs her. What Brooke doesn’t anticipate is the unraveling of her long-term relationship and a cross-country move to San Diego’s Little Italy.

Luca D’Angelo is the oldest of three children and a single father to a young daughter. When his mother rents the top floor of their house to Brooke, he’s angry. Who is this beautiful stranger with no ties to the neighborhood? Can she be trusted in such close proximity to his family?

As Luca learns of Brooke’s difficult journey with her ailing father, his heart softens. And Brooke, who witnesses Luca’s struggle as a single parent, develops feelings for him, too. But when it all falls apart, will love heal their wounded hearts?

Review:

Heartwarming, hopeful, and amusing!

When It Falls Apart is an uplifting, charming tale set in the colourful Little Italy neighbourhood of San Diego that takes you into the lives of two main characters. Brooke Turner, a young online marketer who needs to relocate after a recent breakup and another setback in her father’s health that requires him to live in an assisted living program she will be struggling to afford, and Luca D’Angelo, a single father who spends all his time raising his daughter and running his family’s restaurant.

The prose is sweet and light. The characters are kind, considerate, and hardworking. And the plot is a delightfully absorbing blend of family, friendship, self-discovery, awkward situations, tender moments, parenthood, support, love, community, and new beginnings.

Overall, When It Falls Apart is a heartfelt, romantic, engaging tale by Bybee that is a wonderful start to The D’Angelos series and an enticing introduction to this loud, big-hearted Italian family I can’t wait to read more about.

This novel is available now.

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

        

 

 

Thank you to Thomas Allen & Son for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Catherine Bybee

Catherine Bybee is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author of twenty-five books that have collectively sold more than three million copies and have been translated into twelve languages. Raised in Washington State, Bybee moved to Southern California in hopes of becoming a movie star. After growing bored with waiting tables, she returned to school and became a registered nurse, spending most of her career in urban emergency rooms. She now writes full-time and has penned the Not Quite series, the Weekday Brides series, and the Most Likely To series.

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#BookReview The Wedding Season by Katy Birchall @smpromance @KatyBirchall @StMartinsPress #TheWeddingSeason #KatyBirchall #smpromance #SMPInfluencers

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#BookReview The Wedding Season by Katy Birchall @smpromance @KatyBirchall @StMartinsPress #TheWeddingSeason #KatyBirchall #smpromance #SMPInfluencers Title: The Wedding Season

Author: Katy Birchall

Published by: St. Martin's Griffin on May 3, 2022

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 384

Format: Paperback

Source: St. Martin's Press

Book Rating: 8.5/10

Freya Scott is getting married. Her wedding to Matthew, her long-term boyfriend, is the first of eight in her calendar this year, and as someone who prides herself on being meticulously organized, Freya is intent on making it the perfect day to remember.

But when Matthew calls things off hours before they walk down the aisle, Freya’s entire life plan goes up in smoke. Humiliated and heartbroken, the last thing she wants is to attend a summer of other peoples’ nuptials on her own.

Fortunately, her friends have an idea: together they devise a series of outrageous challenges for Freya to complete at each event, designed to distract her from Matthew and what might have been. From getting stuck in an old church bathroom and needing to be rescued by the vicar to making out with a barman at a French chateau, Freya realizes that despite herself, she might just be having fun.

By the time the final wedding arrives, she will discover that the road to a happy ending sometimes has unexpected detours, that “I do” is only the beginning––and that perhaps her own love story isn’t over just yet.

Review:

Cute, amusing, and highly entertaining!

The Wedding Season is a lighthearted, feel-good tale that takes you into the life of Freya Scott, a young woman who, after recently being jilted at the altar, endeavours to tackle a wedding season survival task list created by her two best friends that will challenge her to be more, do more, and perhaps provide an opportunity for a meet-cute with a man she could never have dreamed of liking but who is actually absolutely perfect for her.

The prose is flirty and fun. The characters are friendly, lovable, and sweet. And the plot is an engaging, push-pull tale of family, friendship, tricky situations, playful banter, embarrassing moments, humorous hijinks, self-discovery, happiness, romance, and love.

Overall, The Wedding Season is another charming, smart, enjoyable tale by Birchall that I thoroughly enjoyed and which, in my opinion, is the perfect choice for anyone who loves romcoms that have 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 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.

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#BookReview Maggie Moves On by Lucy Score @readforeverpub @grandcentralpub #ReadForever #ReadForeverPub #ReadForever2022 #MaggieMovesOn #LucyScore

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#BookReview Maggie Moves On by Lucy Score @readforeverpub @grandcentralpub #ReadForever #ReadForeverPub #ReadForever2022 #MaggieMovesOn #LucyScore Title: Maggie Moves On

Author: Lucy Score

Published by: Forever on Jun. 21, 2022

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 416

Format: ARC, Paperback

Source: Forever

Book Rating: 10/10

Can these opposites turn up the heat… without burning down the house?

House-flipping sensation and YouTube star Maggie Nichols can’t wait to dig into her next challenge. Arriving in tiny Kinship, Idaho, with only a cot and a coffeemaker, Maggie is prepared to restore a crumbling Victorian mansion in four months or less. She has her to-do lists, her blueprints, and her team. What she doesn’t have is time for sexy, laid-back landscaper Silas Wright.

The man takes flirtation to a whole new level. And he does it shirtless…sometimes pants-less. He and his service school-dropout dog are impressively persistent. But she’s not interested in putting down roots. Not when fans tune in to watch her travel the country turning dilapidated houses into dream homes. A short-term fling on the other hand could fit nicely into her calendar. After all, Maggie remembers what fun is like. Vaguely.

As their summer gets downright steamy, Silas manages to demolish the emotional walls she’s spent years building, sending Maggie into a panic. He’s the wrench in her carefully constructed plans. With the end of the project looming, she has a decision to make. But how can she stay when her entire career is built on moving on?

Review:

Amusing, absorbing, and incredibly romantic!

Maggie Moves On is an alluring, heartwarming tale that takes you into the life of the successful, house-flipping YouTuber Maggie Nichols as she juggles the biggest renovation she’s ever tackled, a business partner that’s ready to settle down, and a sexy, persistent landscaper who’s always available to share a smile and lend a hand.

The writing is warm and fluid. The characters, including the hardworking, sassy Maggie, the flirty, deliciously handsome Silas, and the adorable four-legged Kevin, are unique, fun-loving, and endearing. And the plot is an uplifting, lighthearted tale about life, love, family, friendship, tension, attraction, self-discovery, reconnecting with the past, special moments, community, and finding a place to call home.

Maggie Moves On was one of my most anticipated reads of 2022, and it didn’t disappoint. I purposely didn’t read any reviews for this book as I wanted it to be a complete surprise, and boy am I happy I didn’t because I loved it! How much did I love this book? Well, let’s just say if I had to be stranded on a deserted island with only one book, I’d want it to be this one. It’s funny, sweet, sexy, and downright swoony, and if Lucy Score was granting wishes, I’d be asking for each supporting character to be getting their own book.

This book is available now.

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

            

 

 

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

 

About Lucy Score

Lucy Score is a Wall Street Journal and national bestselling author. Small-town contemporary romcoms are her lady jam, and she enjoys delivering the feels with a huge side of happily ever after. Her books have been translated into several languages, making readers around the world snort-laugh, swoon, and sob. Lucy lives in Pennsylvania with the devastatingly handsome Mr. Lucy and their horrible cat. In her spare time, she enjoys sleeping, drinking dirty martinis, and reading all the romance novels in the universe.

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