Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

#BookReview Never Planned on You by Lindsay Hameroff @YouHadMeAtHEA @StMartinsPress #LindsayHameroff #NeverPlannedOnYou #YouHadMeAtHEA #SMPInfluencers #StMartinsPress

#BookReview Never Planned on You by Lindsay Hameroff @YouHadMeAtHEA @StMartinsPress #LindsayHameroff #NeverPlannedOnYou #YouHadMeAtHEA #SMPInfluencers #StMartinsPress Title: Never Planned on You

Author: Lindsay Hameroff

Published by: St. Martin's Griffin on Feb. 18, 2025

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 304

Format: Paperback

Source: St. Martin's Press

Book Rating: 8.5/10

A glittering, laugh-out-loud second chance romance that reminds us true love is sometimes the one thing you never planned on.

Ali Rubin has a reputation for spontaneity. Like that time she made a drunken bet in London that led to matching tattoos with a stranger. Her joie de vivre is one of her best qualities; she lives every day to the fullest and follows her dreams wherever they take her. And now, they’re taking her from her career as a chef in New York City back home to Baltimore, where she’s interning as a wedding planner.

Despite the occasional fantasy about her British tattoo twin, Ali never expected to see Graham again. So no one is more surprised than she is when he turns up in Baltimore, ordering a latte at her favorite cafe. When they reconnect during an enchanting evening together, Ali can’t help but wonder if Graham might be someone special.

At the same time, she’s desperate to succeed in her new career and prove that she isn’t the family flake. When she gets a job planning a high profile wedding at a historic hotel, it seems like things are finally falling into place. That is, until Graham turns out to be the groom.

Graham’s family owns the once-grand, now struggling Black-Eyed Susan, and he’s returned to Baltimore to help his grandmother get it back on its feet. He’s certain that hosting a wedding at the hotel is just the publicity boost it needs. Ali’s boss agrees, and promises Ali a full-time gig if the affair goes off without a hitch. Unfortunately, Ali and Graham can’t seem to ignore their rekindled chemistry, especially when it’s revealed that Graham and his fiancée are planning a marriage of convenience. Still, staying away from each other is the best thing they can do, since giving in to their growing feelings might cost them everything.

Because when it comes to love, all bets are off.


Review:

Sassy, engaging, and fun!

Never Planned on You is a flirty, feel-good tale about the hardworking, impulsive Ali who, after deciding to embark on a one-night stand involving matching tattoos before heading home to Baltimore from London, finds her world turned upside down when the bridegroom of her latest job turns out to be none other than the one man she never thought she’d see again but whom she’s never actually forgotten.

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, Never Planned on You is a charming, touching, delightful tale by Hameroff that I thoroughly enjoyed and which, in my opinion, is a great choice for anyone who loves a good romcom with a whole lot of hope, humour, and heart.

 

This book is available now.

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Thank you to You Had Me at HEA – St. Martin’s Press for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Lindsay Hameroff

Lindsay Hameroff is a writer, humorist, and former English teacher raised in Baltimore, MD and based in Harrisburg, PA. Her writing has been featured in McSweeney’s Internet Tendency, The Belladonna, Weekly Humorist, and other outlets. She also co-edits Frazzled, a parenting humor site. Till There Was You is her first novel.

Photo Credit: Leslie Gilbert

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

#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.

#BookReview Right Where We Left Us by Jen Devon @kisscrafter @smpromance @StMartinsPress #JenDevon #RightWhereWeLeftUs #SMPRomance #SMPInfluencers #StMartinsPress

#BookReview Right Where We Left Us by Jen Devon @kisscrafter @smpromance @StMartinsPress #JenDevon #RightWhereWeLeftUs #SMPRomance #SMPInfluencers #StMartinsPress Title: Right Where We Left Us

Author: Jen Devon

Published by: St. Martin's Griffin on Jun. 18, 2024

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 368

Format: Paperback

Source: St. Martin's Press

Book Rating: 8.5/10

Temperance Jean Madigan and Duncan Brady have never gotten it right. After one radiant, secret summer together when they were eighteen, they’ve been on-again off-again ever since. Now, despite red-hot chemistry and TJ’s closeness with Duncan’s family, they’re virtually strangers, only capable of adversarial banter, awkward small talk―and the occasional messy hookup.

When a wedding at the Brady’s vineyard lands TJ there for the summer, their mutual avoidance strategies prove impossible. The last thing TJ wants is to be under those angsty, heated glances Duncan thinks he hides. And for Duncan, having fiery TJ constantly close is the ultimate distraction that he absolutely can’t afford. When forced proximity begins to chip away at their armor, buried tensions resurface, old wounds urge confrontation, and once-in-a-lifetime love demands one last chance to finally get it right.


Review:

Big-hearted, sweet, and engaging!

Right Where We Left Us is an emotive, second-chance romance between the driven, successful Temperance and the dependable, hardworking Duncan as they discover that beneath all the miscommunication and past secrets is a deeply-rooted friendship, sizzling attraction and unconditional love that is still smouldering and certainly worth fighting for.

The writing is fluid and warm. The characters are caring, hesitant, and appealing. And the plot is a push-pull tale of relationship dynamics, familial expectations, introspection, acceptance, forgiveness, friendship, love, romance, and new beginnings.

Overall, Right Where We Left Us is a charming, rich, tender tale by Devon with characters I couldn’t help but root for, a storyline with a nice mix of drama and passion, and a happy-ever-after ending that left me with a smile.

 

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

#BookReview Given Our History by Kristyn J. Miller @KristynJMiller @smpromance @StMartinsPress #KristynJMiller #GivenOurHistory #smpromance #smpinfluencers

#BookReview Given Our History by Kristyn J. Miller @KristynJMiller @smpromance @StMartinsPress #KristynJMiller #GivenOurHistory #smpromance #smpinfluencers Title: Given Our History

Author: Kristyn J. Miller

Published by: St. Martin's Griffin on Aug. 27, 2024

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 320

Format: Paperback

Source: St. Martin's Press

Book Rating: 8/10

Assistant professor Clara Fernsby is nothing if not driven. She’s wanted to teach history since she was fourteen, and she hasn’t let anything stand in her way—not even the love of her life. And it all paid off in the end, because she landed a well-paid position at a private liberal arts college fresh out of grad school, and this year, she’s finally up for tenure.

When Theodore Harrison is brought on for the fall semester as a visiting scholar, it’s an unwelcome blast from Clara’s past. She hasn’t spoken to Teddy since a falling out ten years ago. Now that he’s here, she’s reminded of their shared history at every autumns spent at a sleepaway camp in the Blue Ridge Mountains, where she traded battered books and burned CDs with a quiet, dark-haired boy—and fell in love with him.

That boy might’ve been her best friend, but the man teaching HIST-322 is a total stranger. But as they spend evenings working on a shared project and brainstorming over drinks at a college bar, Clara realizes she’s at risk of falling all over again. Given their history, she knows there’s every chance he’s not interested. But history’s all down to interpretation, and this time around, she’s got no intentions of repeating it.


Review:

Cute, hopeful, and romantic!

Given Our History is a playful, lighthearted, second-chance romance featuring the intelligent, handsome Theodore Harrison, who broke his best friend’s heart when he never seemed to be interested in being anything more, and the spirited, driven Clara Fernsby, who is too busy trying to obtain her professorship and keep her life moving forward to ever open herself up for more heartache from the visiting scholar who once upon a time owned her heart.

The prose is fluid and warm. The characters are lovable, kind, and empathetic. And the plot is an uplifting, engaging tale about life, love, family, friendship, awkward situations, tender moments, self-discovery, happiness, community, and new beginnings. 

Overall, Given Our History is a heartwarming, entertaining, enjoyable treat by Miller with oodles of endearing characters and small-town charm.

 

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 Kristyn J. Miller

KRISTYN J. MILLER is the author of Seven Rules for Breaking Hearts and other novels. A lifelong history nerd with a background in museum work, she finally earned her M.A. in history and museum studies at University of New Hampshire in 2023. In between novels, she spends her free time wandering peat bogs, sampling craft beers, and restoring her old colonial house in rural Maine with her husband.

Photo Credit: George H. Miller IV

#BookReview That Prince is Mine by Jayci Lee @smpromance @StMartinsPress #ThatPrinceIsMine #JayciLee #smpromance

#BookReview That Prince is Mine by Jayci Lee @smpromance @StMartinsPress #ThatPrinceIsMine #JayciLee #smpromance Title: That Prince is Mine

Author: Jayci Lee

Published by: St. Martin's Griffin on Jul. 30, 2024

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 400

Format: Paperback

Source: St. Martin's Press

Book Rating: 8/10

A love-averse Korean royal court cuisine instructor in search of a perfect-on-paper husband is waylaid from her practical, heartbreak-proof plan when she meets a gorgeous professor—and prince in disguise—who will do anything to prove to her that love and happily ever after can be theirs.

Emma Yoon runs a small business as a culinary instructor in Los Angeles teaching Korean royal court cuisine to young ladies striving to marry into the exclusive upper crust Korean families. She has built her business alongside her renowned Korean matchmaker godmother, which brings her one step closer to her dream of opening up a culinary school on her own. But when her godmother’s fellow matchmakers decide to meddle in Emma’s love life in a bid to sabotage her godmother, and indirectly push Emma’s dream out of her reach, she must go on a series of arranged first dates and find herself the perfect-on-paper husband to help save both, her godmother’s reputation and her dream–even if she’s not ready for love. But when she meets Michel Aubert, a professor at USC, after a series of disastrous first dates, she wonders if she might reevaluate her position on love.

Prince Michel Aubert is bound by duty and responsibility to his country, but an arranged marriage is the last thing he wants. If he is going to spend the rest of his life in service of his people, then he at least wants someone he loves and trusts by his side while doing it. He needs to find a woman who loves him for who he is before his engagement to his handpicked bride is announced. Emma Yoon might be just the woman he is looking for.


Review:

Amusing, heartwarming, and spicy!

That Prince is Mine is a sweet, engaging tale that mixes the independent, devoted Emma, who is more than content spending her days trying to turn her Korean cooking classes into a full-blown culinary school, with the confident, respected Michel Chevalier, who is determined to make the next three months he’s been given to work in America seriously in order to find someone who actually owns his heart before he returns home to take over his role as crown prince of Rouleme and marry the woman he’s been promised to since childhood.

The prose is fluid and smooth. The characters are caring, supportive, and endearing. And the plot is a push-pull tale of relationship dynamics, familial expectations, introspection, acceptance, friendship, responsibilities, love, romance, and new beginnings.

Overall, That Prince is Mine is a charming, tender, lighthearted tale by Lee that has characters you can’t help but root for, a storyline with a nice mix of passion and drama, and a happy-ever-after ending that leaves you with a smile.

 

This book is available now. 

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

       

 

 

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

 

About Jayci Lee

JAYCI LEE writes poignant, sexy, and laugh-out-loud romance every free second she can scavenge and is semi-retired from her fifteen-year career as a defense litigator. She loves food, wine, and travelling, and incidentally so do her characters. Jayci lives in sunny California with her tall-dark-and-handsome husband, two amazing boys with boundless energy, and a fluffy rescue whose cuteness is a major distraction.

Photograph by Nichanh Nicole Photography.

#BookReview Rules for Second Chances by Maggie North @mnorthauthor @smpromance @StMartinsPress #MaggieNorth #RulesForSecondChances #smpromance #smpinfluencers

#BookReview Rules for Second Chances by Maggie North @mnorthauthor @smpromance @StMartinsPress #MaggieNorth #RulesForSecondChances #smpromance #smpinfluencers Title: Rules for Second Chances

Author: Maggie North

Published by: St. Martin's Griffin on Jun. 25, 2024

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 352

Format: Paperback

Source: St. Martin's Press

Book Rating: 8/10

Brimming with heart and heat, Rules for Second Chances explores the hardest relationship question of all: can true love happen twice…with the same person?

Liz Lewis has tried everything to be what people want. But she’s always been labeled different from everyone else in the boisterous world of wilderness expeditions—that is, if anyone notices her at all. Her marriage to popular adventure guide Tobin Renner-Lewis is a sinkhole of toxic positivity where she’s the only one saying no. In a mountain resort town built around excitement, introverted Liz gets…spreadsheets.

When she gets mistaken for a server at her own thirtieth birthday party and her last line of communication with Tobin finally snaps, Liz vows to stop playing a minor character in her own life. The (incredibly well-researched and scientific) plan? A crash course in confidence…via improv comedy class.

The catch? She’s terrible at it, and the only person willing to practice with her is a certain extroverted wilderness guide who seems dead set on saving their marriage one bonkers improv scenario at a time. But as Liz and Tobin get closer (…again), she’s forced to confront all the reasons they didn’t work the first time, along with her growing suspicion that there might be more to her social awkwardness than anyone realized. Liz has just eight weeks to learn improv’s most important lesson—”yes, and”—or she’ll have to choose between the love she always wanted and the dreams that got away.


Review:

Romantic, hopeful, and sweet!

Rules for Second Chances is a charming second-chance romance that takes you into the life of the introverted, timid Liz Lewis who, on her thirtieth birthday, suddenly decides to shake up her humdrum existence by stepping away from her marriage, taking steps to obtain the career she’s always wanted, and enrolling in some improv classes to finally gain the confidence she so sorely lacks.

The writing is sweet and smooth. The characters are kind, caring, and endearing. And the plot is a touching tale of family, friendship, self-discovery, happiness, healing, taking chances, growth, revelations, tender moments, light drama, promises, selflessness, dreams, and new beginnings.

Overall, Rules for Second Chances is a tender, heartfelt, uplifting read by North that did a lovely job of mixing some heart-tugging dilemmas with more than a dab of lighthearted fun.

 

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 Maggie North

MAGGIE NORTH lives in Ottawa, Canada with the man she met in ninth grade, their kid, and a rotating cast of hypoallergenic aquarium friends. Her hobbies include long-distance open water swimming, saving the world, and being relentlessly Canadian. She enjoys being autistic a lot more since she received her diagnosis as an adult. Rules for Second Chances is her first novel.

Photo Credit: Lindsey Gibeau

#BookReview The Seaside Sisters by Pamela Kelley @PamelaMKelley @smpromance @StMartinsPress #TheSeasideSisters #PamelaKelley #StMartinsPress #smpromance #SMPInfluencers

#BookReview The Seaside Sisters by Pamela Kelley @PamelaMKelley @smpromance @StMartinsPress #TheSeasideSisters #PamelaKelley #StMartinsPress #smpromance #SMPInfluencers Title: The Seaside Sisters

Author: Pamela M. Kelly

Published by: St. Martin's Griffin on Jun. 4, 2024

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 320

Format: Paperback

Source: St. Martin's Press

Book Rating: 8.5/10

One summer can change everything.

Brooklyn-based Hannah is a bestselling author struggling to write her second book after personal losses. Her older sister, Sara, still lives in Chatham, Cape Cod, where they grew up, and is married with four children. Once a dedicated librarian, Sara dreams of reviving her love affair with literature, but instead, she is stuck with too many family responsibilities and a fizzling marriage.

When Hannah gets the chance to retreat to her aunt’s oceanfront house in Chatham for the summer, it seems like just the thing to get her creative juices flowing. And she’ll be able to spend more time with Sara, who is eager to find her way back into the workforce, to do something rewarding and book-related. The pair will spend the summer making friends, rekindling romance― especially Spencer, an old acquaintance from high school-turned very hot grump― and opening themselves up to the magic of books and the beach.

Perfect for fans of Mary Kay Andrews, Susan Mallery and Brenda Novak, The Seaside Sisters will delight and charm you as easily as an ocean breeze.


Review:

Quaint, tender, and sweet!

The Seaside Sisters is a lighthearted, engaging tale that takes you on a journey to Cape Cod and into the lives of two sisters; Hannah, a successful writer who, since the loss of her mother, is struggling to pen her next tale, and Sara, a married mother of four boys who is ready for just a little bit more in her life than laundry, carpooling, and taking care of those she loves.

The prose is light and smooth. The characters are hesitant, determined, and multilayered. And the plot is a heartfelt, hopeful tale full of life, love, family, friendship, community, self-discovery, embracing change, taking chances, and finding happiness.

Overall, The Seaside Sisters is another charming, absorbing, heartwarming tale by Kelley with characters I couldn’t help but root for and an ending that left me more than a little satisfied.

 

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 Pamela M. Kelly

Pamela Kelley is a USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of women's fiction, family sagas, and suspense, such as The Restaurant and The Hotel. Readers often describe her books as feel-good reads with people you'd want as friends. She lives in a historic seaside town near Cape Cod. She has always been an avid reader of women's fiction, romance, mysteries, thrillers and cook books. There's also a good chance you might get hungry when you read her books as she is a foodie, and occasionally shares a recipe or two.

#BookReview Brooklyn by Tracy Brown @IAmTracyBrown @StMartinsPress #BrooklynTheBook #TracyBrown #StMartinsPress #SMPInfluencers

#BookReview Brooklyn by Tracy Brown @IAmTracyBrown @StMartinsPress #BrooklynTheBook #TracyBrown #StMartinsPress #SMPInfluencers Title: Brooklyn

Author: Tracy Brown

Published by: St. Martin's Griffin on Feb. 27, 2024

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 320

Format: Paperback

Source: St. Martin's Press

Book Rating: 9/10

Tracy Brown crafts a tale about a master manipulator and serial survivor, who will scorch earth to get what she wants. The question isn’t who murdered her; the question is who wouldn’t?

Brooklyn Melody James has finally gotten the punishment she deserves after leaving a web of lies, heartache, and betrayal behind her. As her life slips away, Brooklyn remembers the events that shaped her into the cold, calculating creature she became.

Brooklyn learned the art of hustling from her parents who used the church to get money. Idolizing her father and despising her mother, Brooklyn’s determined to be the type of woman who makes her own rules. When her back’s up against the wall, she sacrifices her family, takes the burnt offering that remains, and runs away. In NYC, young Brooklyn charms her way into the inner circle of hustlers and stick-up kids, learning tricks along the way. She catches the eye of a major player in the drug game, Hassan, and they have a breathless love affair. Brooklyn becomes integrated into his operation, earning the trust of Hassan and his associates. But when she gets the keys to the kingdom, driven by unfettered ambition and a ruthless desire to survive, Brooklyn snatches the pot of gold, leaving bitter retribution promises behind her.

From DC to Maryland, Brooklyn burns bridges and breaks hearts. What she doesn’t realize is that someone is prepared to end her reign of terror. As she faces her killer and her fate, Brooklyn’s stunned that justice comes from the least likely place.


Review:

Brisk, tight, and immersive!

Brooklyn is a gritty, absorbing tale that takes you on a journey into the life of Brooklyn Melody James, a young woman whose life spirals out of control when her selfishness and ambition lead her to destroy every caring relationship she ever has while simultaneously leaving a slew of hurt, angry people in her wake who are just waiting for her to get her own back.

The prose is crisp and tense. The characters are self-assured, brazen, and ruthless. And the plot is a fast-paced, captivating tale of life, love, loss, family, friendship, deception, lies, drama, manipulation, jealousy, secrets, revelations, tragedy, vengeance, and betrayal.

The sudden passing of Tracy Brown in May of last year was a tremendous loss for the literary world, and it was an honour to be able to read her final novel. Brooklyn is a dark, cunning, enthralling page-turner that I devoured in one sitting and was an excellent reminder that life is truly what you make it.

 

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 Tracy Brown

Tracy Brown is the Essence bestselling author of Boss; White Lines, White Lines II: Sunny, White Lines III: All Falls Down, Aftermath, Snapped, Twisted, Criminal Minded, Black and Dime Piece. She passed away two days after turning in Brooklyn—her final, and arguably best, book. The African Americans on the Move Book Club bestowed their Urban Classic Honor Award on Tracy's White Lines series in celebration of her legacy and impact on the literary world.

Photo Credit: Ashley Williams

#BookReview Second Duke’s the Charm by Kate Bateman @katebateman @smpromance #SecondDukesTheCharm #KateBateman #HerMajestysRebels #SMPRomance #SMPInfluencers

#BookReview Second Duke’s the Charm by Kate Bateman @katebateman @smpromance #SecondDukesTheCharm #KateBateman #HerMajestysRebels #SMPRomance #SMPInfluencers Title: Second Duke's the Charm

Author: Kate Bateman

Series: Her Majesty’s Rebels #1

Published by: St. Martin's Griffin on Dec. 26, 2023

Genres: Historical Romance

Pages: 314

Format: Paperback

Source: St. Martin's Press

Book Rating: 8/10

Meet Her Majesty’s Rebels: three brilliant women who run King & Co., London’s most exclusive investigative agency…

The wedding-night death of her much older husband left Tess Townsend the Dowager Duchess of Wansford—and still a virgin. Now she and her two best friends investigate London’s most scandalous crimes, and while Tess longs to experience physical pleasure for herself, she can’t risk losing her treasured independence…

Cynical shipping magnate Justin Thornton never expected to inherit a dukedom, but he’ll do his duty. When the ravishing woman he kissed at a party turns out to be the Dowager Duchess, Justin sees an obvious solution: a marriage of convenience that will suit them both.

But the passion that sparks between them is anything but convenient. As Tess works on a new case at the request of Queen Charlotte, her increasingly suspicious behavior makes Justin question her motives—and her past. The infuriating woman clearly can’t be trusted, but Justin doesn’t believe in love, so there’s absolutely no danger of him falling for his own wife…is there?


Review:

Enticing, amusing, and entertaining!

Second Duke’s the Charm is a heartwarming, playful romp that sweeps you away to London during 1816 and into the lives of the independent, spirited widow, Tess Townsend and the dashingly handsome, newly appointed Duke of Wansford, Justin Thornton, as they navigate a sensual meeting, undeniable attraction, a marriage of convenience, a mission for the Queen, and strange, suspicious behaviour that could ruin it all.

The prose is smooth and light. The characters are passionate, secretive, and hardworking. And the plot is an enchanting mix of friendship, family, societal expectations, tricky situations, tender moments, desire, and romance.

Overall, Second Duke’s the Charm is a charming, seductive, delightful tale by Bateman that’s without a doubt a promising, enjoyable start for this new Her Majesty’s Rebels series.

 

This novel is available now.

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

            

 

 

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

 

About Kate Bateman

Kate Bateman, (also writing as K. C. Bateman), is the #1 bestselling author of Regency, Victorian, and Renaissance historical romance. Her Renaissance romp, The Devil To Pay, is a Romance Writer’s of America 2019 RITA® Finalist and her Regency-set A Counterfeit Heart (Secrets & Spies series) won the 2018 Book Buyer’s Best contest for Best Historical Romance.
Kate wrote her first historical romance in response to a $1 bet with her husband who rashly claimed she’d ‘never finish the thing.’ She gleefully proved him wrong. Her books feature her favourite intelligent heroines, (badasses in bodices!) wickedly inappropriate banter, and heroes you want to both strangle and kiss.
When not travelling to exotic locations ‘for research’, Kate leads a not-so-secret double life as a fine art appraiser and on-screen antiques expert for several TV shows in the UK, each of which has up to 2.5 million viewers. Before writing romance, Kate was director and valuer at her own UK Auction House, Batemans in Stamford, Lincolnshire. She currently splits her time between Illinois and her native England and writes despite three inexhaustible children and that husband . . . who still owes her that dollar.

Photograph courtesy of Author's Website.

#BookReview Love, Naturally by Sophie Sullivan @smpromance @StMartinsPress #SophieSullivan #LoveNaturally #smpromance #smpinfluencers

#BookReview Love, Naturally by Sophie Sullivan @smpromance @StMartinsPress #SophieSullivan #LoveNaturally #smpromance #smpinfluencers Title: Love, Naturally

Author: Sophie Sullivan

Published by: St. Martin's Griffin on Jan. 16, 2024

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 320

Format: Paperback

Source: St. Martin's Press

Book Rating: 8/10

Presley Ayers is not the woman you bring on a camping trip. An accomplished concierge at an exclusive hotel in Great Falls, MI, she knows more about the top ten places for champagne and caviar than she does about the best hiking boots to go stomping around near Lake Michigan. But when she surprises her boyfriend of eight months with a vacation to the Get Lost Lodge and he dumps her instead, Presley decides to rough it solo and take the trip herself.

When Beckett Keller helps the gorgeous woman off the rickety boat and onto Lodge territory, it’s clear she’s made a mistake. She doesn’t like hiking, fishing, or nature in general, so why did she go on this trip?―but he’s got other things on his mind. A crumbling lodge, and his own plans and dreams that are forever deferred―so he doesn’t have time for Ms. Fish-Out-of-Water. But neither Beckett or Presley can help that inexplicable draw they feel towards each other. He’s all rough stubble and plaid shirts, while she’s all high heels and brand-name athleisurewear.

But you know what they say about opposites.

A charming opposites-attract romance, Love, Naturally is for anyone who ever stepped outside their comfort zone and found that all the best things can happen when you take a chance.


Review:

Sweet, heartfelt, and fun!

Love, Naturally is a lovely, character-driven rom-com that sweeps you away to Get Lost Lodge and into the lives of the easy-going, kind Presley and the hardworking, considerate Beckett as they discover that opposites do attract, and there may actually be more to their relationship than just fake dating, surface feelings, and a short-term fling.

The prose is fluid and smooth. The characters are helpful, attentive, and charismatic. And the plot is an engaging mix of friendship, family, light drama, tender moments, humorous situations, snappy dialogue, introspection, support, sizzling romance, and new beginnings.

Overall, Love, Naturally is an amusing, captivating, charming novel by Sullivan that was a delight to read with its irresistible characters and heartwarming storyline.

 

This book is available now.

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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.