Source: St. Martin's Press

#BookReview Climbing in Heels by Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas @StMartinsPress #ClimbingInHeels #ElaineGoldsmithThomas #StMartinsPress #SMPInfluencers

categories: 8/10, Book Review, Historical Fiction
#BookReview Climbing in Heels by Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas @StMartinsPress #ClimbingInHeels #ElaineGoldsmithThomas #StMartinsPress #SMPInfluencers Title: Climbing in Heels

Author: Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas

Published by: St. Martin's Press on Apr. 29, 2025

Genres: Historical Fiction

Pages: 384

Format: ARC, Paperback

Source: St. Martin's Press

Book Rating: 8/10

Climbing in Heels, Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas’s debut novel, is a fictional tale of the rise of three secretaries at the hottest agency in 1980’s Hollywood, giving you a glimpse into the boys-will-be-boys club and the women who wanted a seat at a table where they were expected to serve. It’s the story of friendship, betrayal, survival, standing up when they pass you by, and saying I won’t go when they want you gone. And it’s also a story about how some of those women became very much like the monsters who trained them.

Meet Beanie Rosen, the fast-talking and even faster-thinking Valley girl who knows where she wants to go, and doesn’t care if she doesn’t look the part.

Mercedes Baxter, who learned early on how to leverage the monied friends of her monied friends’ parents until she found a foothold in Hollywood.

And Ella Gaddy, a sexy free-spirit anti-debutante from a white-glove Kentucky home who shakes up any room she walks into.

Read Climbing in Heels and watch these women meet, meld, fight, strategize and climb their way into your heart.

A rollicking tale of sex, drugs, and power – in heels.

Review:

Addictive, salacious, and entertaining!

Climbing in Heels is an immersive, provocative tale that takes you into the lives of the rich, glamorous, and famous, as well as the not-so-important people of 1980s Hollywood and reminds us that not everything is always as it seems and amongst all the designer clothes and extravagant mansions there’s also an abundance of sex, power, ambition, temptation, rivalry, jealousy, and deception.

The writing is effortless and fun. The characters are self-obsessed, relentless, and driven. And the plot is a captivating mix of life, love, fame, fortune, secrets, despicable behaviours, friendship, drama, and the intricacies of movie-making.

Overall, Climbing in Heels is an exciting, seductive, amusing tale by Goldsmith-Thomas that highlights her impressive behind-the-scenes knowledge of the motion picture industry.

 

This novel is available now.

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

         

 

 

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

 

About Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas

ELAINE GOLDSMITH THOMAS began her career at the William Morris Agency and rose by the late 1980’s to become the Senior Vice President of the WMA, and later the Senior Vice President of ICM, guiding the careers of, among others, Julia Roberts, Jennifer Lopez, Nicholas Cage, and Madonna. More recently, she has produced a broad, successful slate of films and television series including Maid in Manhattan, Mona Lisa Smile, Hustlers, Marry Me, Emily in Paris, The Fosters and many others.

Photo Credit: Ian Buiosi

Instagram

#BookReview Tough Luck by Sandra Dallas @StMartinsPress #ToughLuckNovel #SandraDallas #StMartinsPress #SMPInfluencers

categories: 8.5/10, Book Review, Historical Fiction
#BookReview Tough Luck by Sandra Dallas @StMartinsPress #ToughLuckNovel #SandraDallas #StMartinsPress #SMPInfluencers Title: Tough Luck

Author: Sandra Dallas

Published by: St. Martin's Press on Aug. 29, 2025

Genres: Historical Fiction

Pages: 288

Format: Hardcover

Source: St. Martin's Press

Book Rating: 8.5/10

In this homage to True Grit, a young woman makes a perilous journey west in 1863 in search of her gold-mining father.

After their mother dies, Haidie Richards and her younger brother, Boots, are put to work in an orphanage. Their father left four years earlier to find a gold mine in Colorado Territory, and since then he’s sent only three letters. Still, Haidie is certain that he is alive, has struck gold, and will soon send for them.

But patience is not one of Haidie’s virtues and soon she and her brother make a break for it. Boots and Haidie, disguised as a boy, embark on a dangerous journey deep into Western territory. Along the way, Haidie learns fast not only how to handle mules, oxen, and greedy men, but also that you are better off in a community. Hers includes a card shark, independent “spinster” sisters, and a very fierce dog. Once she arrives in Colorado and finds out the truth about her father, Haidie will need all her new friends for a get-even plot worthy of The Sting.

Filled with vivid period detail, colorful characters, and the irreverent voice of our scrappy heroine, Tough Luck celebrates both the tenacity of youth and the persistence of the heart in the great American West.

Review:

Heart-tugging, uplifting, and evocative!

Tough Luck is an absorbing tale set in 1863 that takes you into the life of Haidie Richards, a fourteen-year-old-girl who, after her mother dies and her older brother decides to sell the farm, escapes the orphanage with her little brother and does whatever she has to in order to make her way to Denver to find their estranged father who left years ago in search of riches in the west.

The prose is rich and expressive. The characters are strong, courageous, and resilient. And the plot is a tender tale of life, loss, heartbreak, determination, hardship, hope, secrets, survival, love, and friendship.

Overall, Tough Luck is an atmospheric, hopeful, captivating tale by Dallas that transports you to another time and place and immerses you so thoroughly into the feelings, personalities, and lives of the characters you can’t help but root for them.

 

This novel is now available in paperback.

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 Sandra Dallas

Sandra Dallas, dubbed “a quintessential American voice” in Vogue Magazine, is the author of over a dozen novels, including Prayers for Sale and Tallgrass, many translated into a dozen languages and optioned for films. Six-time winner of the Willa Award and four-time winner of the Spur Award, Dallas was a Business Week reporter for 25 years covering the Rocky Mountain region, and began writing fiction in 1990. She has two daughters and lives with her husband in Denver and Georgetown, Colorado.

Photo Credit: Povy Kendal Atchison.

Website | Facebook | Goodreads

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

categories: 8.5/10, Book Review, Contemporary Romance
#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.

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

         

 

 

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

Website | Facebook | Instagram

#BookReview The Queens of Crime by Marie Benedict @StMartinsPress #TheQueensofCrime #MarieBenedict #StMartinsPress #SMPInfluencers

categories: 8.5/10, Book Review, Historical Fiction, Mystery/Thriller
#BookReview The Queens of Crime by Marie Benedict @StMartinsPress #TheQueensofCrime #MarieBenedict #StMartinsPress #SMPInfluencers Title: The Queens of Crime

Author: Marie Benedict

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

Genres: Historical Fiction, Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 320

Format: Hardcover

Source: St. Martin's Press

Book Rating: 8.5/10

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Mystery of Mrs. Christie—a thrilling story of the five greatest women writers of the Golden Age of Mystery and their bid to solve a real-life murder.

London, 1930. The five greatest women crime writers have banded together to form a secret society with a single goal: to show they are no longer willing to be treated as second class citizens by their male counterparts in the legendary Detection Club. Led by the formidable Dorothy L. Sayers, the group includes Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham and Baroness Emma Orczy. They call themselves the Queens of Crime. Their plan? Solve an actual murder, that of a young woman found strangled in a park in France who may have connections leading to the highest levels of the British establishment.

May Daniels, a young English nurse on an excursion to France with her friend, seemed to vanish into thin air as they prepared to board a ferry home. Months later, her body is found in the nearby woods. The murder has all the hallmarks of a locked room mystery for which these authors are famous: how did her killer manage to sneak her body out of a crowded train station without anyone noticing? If, as the police believe, the cause of death is manual strangulation, why is there is an extraordinary amount of blood at the crime scene? What is the meaning of a heartbreaking secret letter seeming to implicate an unnamed paramour? Determined to solve the highly publicized murder, the Queens of Crime embark on their own investigation, discovering they’re stronger together. But soon the killer targets Dorothy Sayers herself, threatening to expose a dark secret in her past that she would do anything to keep hidden.

Inspired by a true story in Sayers’ own life, New York Times bestselling author Marie Benedict brings to life the lengths to which five talented women writers will go to be taken seriously in the male-dominated world of letters as they unpuzzle a mystery torn from the pages of their own novels.

Review:

Mysterious, atmospheric, and entertaining!

The Queens of Crime is a menacing, action-packed tale that takes you back to London during 1930 and into the lives of five of the most successful female crime writers of the time, including Dorothy L. Sayers and Agatha Christie, as they join together to solve the murder of a young British nurse who vanished without a trace one day while on holiday with a friend in France.

The prose is descriptive and light. The characters are independent, intelligent, and intuitive. And the plot is a well-paced, captivating tale full of red herrings, amateur sleuthing, dangerous endeavours, deduction, secrets, deception, and female friendships.

Overall, The Queens of Crime is a cosy, enjoyable, satisfying tale by Benedict inspired by real-life historical figures that I devoured from start to finish and is the perfect choice for anyone who prefers their mysteries set in historical times.

 

This novel is available now.

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

         

 

 

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

 

About Marie Benedict

Marie Benedict is a lawyer with more than ten years' experience as a litigator at two of the country's premier law firms and Fortune 500 companies. She is a magna cum laude graduate of Boston College with a focus on history and a cum laude graduate of the Boston University School of Law. She is the author of New York Times bestseller The Only Woman in the Room, Carnegie's Maid, The Other Einstein, and Lady Clementine. She lives in Pittsburgh with her family.

Photograph courtesy of Author's Goodreads Page.

Website | Facebook | Instagram

#BookReview The Snowbirds by Christina Clancy @christi_clancy @StMartinsPress #TheSnowbirds #ChristinaClancy #StMartinsPress #SMPInfluencers

categories: 8/10, Book Review, Contemporary Romance, Mystery/Thriller
#BookReview The Snowbirds by Christina Clancy @christi_clancy @StMartinsPress #TheSnowbirds #ChristinaClancy #StMartinsPress #SMPInfluencers Title: The Snowbirds

Author: Christina Clancy

Published by: St. Martin's Press on Feb. 4, 2025

Genres: Contemporary Romance, Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 304

Format: Hardcover

Source: St. Martin's Press

Book Rating: 8/10

Kim and Grant are at a turning point. A couple for thirty years, their “separate but together” partnership is running up against the realities of late middle age: Grant’s mother has died, the college where he taught philosophy was shuttered, and their twin girls are grown and gone. Escaping the bitter cold of a Midwestern winter for the hot desert sun of Palm Springs seems as good a solution as any to the more intractable problems they face.

When they arrive at Le Desert, a quirky condo community where everyone knows everyone’s business, Kim immediately embraces the opportunity to make new friends and explore a more adventurous side of her personality. Meanwhile, Grant struggles to find his footing in this unfamiliar landscape, leaving Kim to wonder if their relationship can survive the snowbird season. But when Grant goes missing on a hike in the Palm Springs mountains, Kim is forced to consider two terrifying outcomes: either Grant is truly lost, or this time he’s really left her.

Is it ever too late to become the person we wanted to be—and is there still time to change into someone better? The exhilarating, but often confusing transitions of midlife are pitched against the promise and glamour of Palm Springs in this tender, honest story of what it takes to commit to someone for a lifetime. With compassion and humor, Clancy explores the redemptive power of finding ourselves, and of being found.

Review:

Slow-burning, reflective, and sentimental!

The Snowbirds is an honest, compelling tale that takes you into the life of Kim who, after thirty years and two kids with her partner Grant, is struggling with how she sees the rest of her life unfolding until Grant disappears one day on a hike and the reality of a life without him makes her reassess what she really wants.

The writing is rich and smooth. The characters are independent, discontent, and flawed. And the plot, using a past/present style, is an intriguing tale about life, love, family, friendship, parenthood, independence, introspection, marital tension, and new beginnings.

Overall, The Snowbirds is a simmering, insightful, mysterious tale by Clancy that reminds us that life is unpredictable and full of curve balls, and it’s how we approach and handle these highs and lows and ups and downs that truly make all the difference.

 

This novel is available now.

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

         

 

 

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

 

About Christina Clancy

CHRISTINA CLANCY is the author of The Second Home. Her writing has appeared in the New York Times, The Washington Post, The Chicago Tribune, The Sun Magazine and in various literary journals, including Glimmer Train, Pleiades and Hobart. She holds a PhD in Creative Writing from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and lives in Madison, WI with her family.

Photo by James Bartelt.

Website | Instagram

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

categories: 8/10, Book Review, Contemporary Romance
#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.

Website | Facebook | Instagram

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

categories: 8.5/10, Book Review, Contemporary Romance, Young Adult
#BookReview The Rival by Emma Lord @dilemmalord @WednesdayBooks @StMartinsPress #EmmaLord #TheRival #WednesdayBooks #SMPInfluencers Title: The Rival

Author: Emma Lord

Published by: Wednesday Books on Jan. 21, 2025

Genres: Contemporary Romance, Young Adult

Pages: 320

Format: Paperback

Source: St. Martin's Press

Book Rating: 8.5/10

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

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

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

Review:

Engaging, charming, and fun!

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

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

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

 

This novel is available now.

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

         

 

 

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

 

About Emma Lord

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

Photo Credit: Clinton B. Photography

Website | Facebook | Goodreads | Instagram

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

categories: 8.5/10, Book Review, Contemporary Romance
#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

Website | Facebook | Goodreads | Instagram

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

categories: 8/10, Book Review, Contemporary Romance
#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

Website | Facebook | Goodreads | Instagram

#BookReview The Housekeeper’s Secret by Iona Grey @iona_grey @StMartinsPress #TheHousekeepersSecret #IonaGrey #StMartinsPress #SMPInfluencers

categories: 8/10, Book Review, Historical Fiction
#BookReview The Housekeeper’s Secret by Iona Grey @iona_grey @StMartinsPress #TheHousekeepersSecret #IonaGrey #StMartinsPress #SMPInfluencers Title: The Housekeeper's Secret

Author: Iona Grey

Published by: St. Martin's Press on Aug. 13, 2024

Genres: Historical Fiction

Pages: 368

Format: ARC, Paperback

Source: St. Martin's Press

Book Rating: 8/10

Duty, desire, and deception reside under one roof.

Standing in the remote windswept moors of Northern England, Coldwell Hall is the perfect place to hide. For the past five years, Kate Furniss has maintained her professional mask so carefully that she almost believes she is the character she has created: Coldwell’s respectable housekeeper.

It is the summer of 1911 that brings new faces above and below the stairs of Coldwell Hall―including the handsome and mysterious new footman, Jem Arden. Just as the house’s shuttered rooms open, so does Kate’s guarded heart to a love affair that is as intense as it is forbidden. But Kate can feel her control slipping as Jem harbors secrets of his own.

Told in alternating timelines from the last sun-drenched summer of the Edwardian Age to the mud-filled trenches of WWI, The Housekeeper’s Secret opens its door to a world of romance, the truths we hold onto, and the past we must let go.

Review:

Compelling, intense, and absorbing!

The Housekeeper’s Secret is a passionate, captivating tale set in England during the early 1900s that takes you into the life of Kate Furniss, a young housekeeper who, after fleeing an abusive husband and changing her name, finds her world turned upside down again when a handsome new footman arrives at Coldwell Hall who seems to be driven by secrets of his own. 

The prose is rich and vivid. The characters are determined, vulnerable, and brave. And the plot, told through a mixture of letters and narration, is an intriguing blend of life, loss, secrets, surprises, heartbreak, betrayal, survival, danger, grief, war, friendship, violence, and forbidden love.

Overall, The Housekeeper’s Secret is an insightful, enticing, atmospheric tale by Grey that transports you to another time and place and immerses you so thoroughly into the feelings, lives, and personalities of the characters you can’t help but be fully engrossed and completely invested throughout.

 

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 providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Iona Grey

Iona Grey has a degree in English Literature and Language from Manchester University, an obsession with history and an enduring fascination with the lives of women in the twentieth century. She lives in the rural North West of England with her husband and three daughters. She is the award-winning author of Letters to the Lost, and her new book The Glittering Hour is on sale October 17 2019 (UK) and December 10, 2019 (US).

Goodreads | Instagram