Tag: romance

Book Review: How to Fall for a Scoundrel, by Kate Bateman  

Image belongs to St. Martin’s Press.

Title:  How to Fall for a Scoundrel  
Author:  Kate Bateman        
Genre: Romance        
Rating: 4 out of 5

As a founding member of King & Co., London’s most successful private investigation firm, studious Eleanor Law delights in secretly proving that women can solve crimes just as well as men. When a charming con man pretends to be her fictional boss, “Charles King,” Ellie knows he’s lying, but accepting the scoundrel’s offer of help might just be the key to cracking her new case and recovering a priceless manuscript.

“Henri Bonheur”—or “Harry” as he asks to be called—claims his criminal past is behind him, but a man who steals and seduces with such consummate ease can never be trusted. As the investigation draws them deeper into danger and desire, Ellie’s infuriated to realize she’s developed feelings for her law-breaking accomplice. How can she love the scoundrel when she doesn’t even know his real name? And what will happen when Harry’s past finally catches up with him?

This was a fun read! I liked the basic premise of the three girls secretly investigating crimes, and they were a ton of fun to read. Ellie and Henry were a lot of fun to read together, and I enjoyed their adventure.

Kate Bateman is from England. How to Fall for a Scoundrel is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review:  Ne’er Duke Well, by Alexandra Vasti

Image belongs to St. Martin’s Press.

Title:  Ne’er Duke Well
Author:  Alexandra Vasti       
Genre: Romance       
Rating: 4 out of 5

Peter Kent―newly inherited Duke of Stanhope and recently of New Orleans, Louisiana―must become respectable. Between his radical politics and the time he interrupted a minor royal wedding with a flock of sheep―not his fault!―he’s developed a scandalous reputation at odds with his goal of becoming guardian to his half siblings. For help, he turns to the cleverest and most managing woman of his acquaintance, Lady Selina Ravenscroft.

Selina is society’s most proper debutante, save one tiny secret: she runs an erotic circulating library for women. When Peter asks for her help, she suggests courtship and marriage to a lady of unimpeachable reputation. (Which is to say, definitely not herself.)

But matchmaking doesn’t go according to plan. Peter’s siblings run rampant on Bond Street. Selina ends up in the Serpentine. And worst of all, the scorching chemistry between Peter and Selina proves impossible to resist. For the disreputable duke and his unpredictable matchmaker, falling in love just might be the ultimate scandal.

I do like this author’s style and characters, and I enjoyed this read quite a bit. The voices of both Peter and Selina were funny and well-developed, and their antics made me laugh—unlike the society they live in. Boring. This is a spicy read with a lot of sweetness, perfect for a summer weekend.

Alexandra Vasti lives in New Orleans. Ne’er Duke Well is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review: The Fiance Dilemma, by Elena Armas   

Image belongs to Atria Books.

Title:  The Fiance Dilemma
Author: Elena Armas          
Genre:  Romance      
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Josie Moore has given the opposite sex—and love—plenty of chances. Four exactly, if you count all her failed engagements, and five if you include the absentee father who kept her existence a secret until very recently. So when her father decides to announce his retirement with a splashy magazine piece about the family, Josie realizes her romantic history is a complicated PR issue.

Matthew Flanagan is in the mud, literally. Not only has he been fired from his job, but also the tires of his car are stuck in the muck after taking a wrong turn as he enters Green Oak, North Carolina. So, he grabs a duffel with his essentials and goes in search of a place to crash until he gets his life back on track. But instead, he finds his best friend’s sister, Josie, greeting him as her fiancé.

What starts as a big messy misunderstanding quickly turns into an arrangement with Matthew playing a new role as doting fiancé. A fifth engagement—and a stunt, at that—makes Josie’s stomach turn, but every dilemma requires a choice between equally undesirable alternatives, and Matthew doesn’t seem to mind becoming one more number in a colorful list of grooms-that-never-were. Despite the ring on her finger, Josie knows this is only temporary, even if the rest of the small town believes that the fifth time’s the charm.

This book was so much fun! Josie’s voice was so funny to me, and the situations she landed herself in had me laughing out loud. I loved the chemistry between her and Matthew and enjoyed watching it grow. I thought her fear of marriage was a little…random and pointless, but it didn’t detract from my enjoyment of this book.

Elena Armas is a bestselling author. The Fiance Dilemma is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Atria Books in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review and Blog Tour: Second Tide’s the Charm, by Chandra Blumberg

Harlequin/Canary Street Press.

Title:  Second Tide’s the Charm
Author:  Chandra Blumberg       
Genre:   Romance     
Rating: 4 out of 5  

Love puts you in uncharted waters.

At first glance, Hope Evans just landed the perfect job: spending the summer on a shark research boat. Except as every marine biologist knows, it’s what’s going on beneath the surface that counts, and Hope’s new position comes with a big catch—the boat belongs to her ex-boyfriend, Adrian Hollis-Parker. For three years Hope’s been treading water, staying away from anything that reminds her of their past. It’s time to dive back into a job that could springboard her career—and maybe offer much-needed closure.

Since their split, Adrian has risen to internet fame as a shark expert with the launch of his YouTube channel to dispel myths and educate viewers about sharks. But success rings hollow without Hope. Embracing this new career trajectory was a risk, but working in cramped quarters with the woman he never stopped loving? That has the potential to backfire in heartbreaking ways.

Side by side, weathering storms of every kind, they’ll have to navigate the murky waters of past hurts…and hope it’s not too late to chart a new course…

This was a cute read! I enjoyed the scientific setting—and the ocean views—and found the shark details fascinating. I loved both Hope and Adrian, and the author did a great job showing their struggles, both alone and together. It was fun to watch them work things out, and I liked their chemistry.

Chandra Blumberg lives in Chicago. Second Tide’s the Charm is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Harlequin/Canary Street Press in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review:  Castle of the Cursed, by Romina Garber

Image belongs to St. Martin’s Press.

Title:   Castle of the Cursed
Author:   Romina Garber      
Genre:  Fantasy      
Rating:4 out of 5    

THE HOUSE IS ALWAYS HUNGRY…

After a mysterious attack claims the lives of her parents, all Estela has left is her determination to solve the case. Suffering from survivor’s guilt so intense that she might be losing her grip on reality, she accepts an invitation to live overseas with an estranged aunt at their ancestral Spanish castle, la Sombra.

Beneath its gothic façade, la Sombra harbors a trove of family secrets, and Estela begins to suspect her parents’ deaths may be linked to their past. Her investigation takes a supernatural turn when she crosses paths with a silver-eyed boy only she can see. Estela worries Sebastián is a hallucination, but he claims he’s been trapped in the castle. They grudgingly team up to find answers and as their investigation ignites, so does a romance, mistrust twined with every caress.

As the mysteries pile up, it feels to Estela like everyone in the tiny town of Oscuro is lying and that whoever was behind the attack has followed her to Spain. The deeper she ventures into la Sombra’s secrets, the more certain she becomes that the suspect she’s chasing has already found her . . . and they’re closer than she ever realized.

I feel like there was a lot going on in this novel:  romance, magic, a bit of scifi, a mystery, family drama, and a whole lot of darkness. I enjoyed the read, but it did feel a bit chaotic. I liked how the opening scene gave a glimpse into Estela’s life and relationship with her parents, which later turned out to be only the tip of the iceberg. This was a solid read, and I’d be interested in seeing more in this world with these characters.

Romina Garber is a bestselling author. Castle of the Cursed is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review:  That Prince is Mine, by Jayci Lee    

Image belongs to St. Martin’s Press.

Title:   That Prince is Mine
Author:  Jayci Lee       
Genre: Romance      
Rating: 4 out of 5

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.

This was a fun read! A prince in disguise, a girl who doesn’t believe in love, and lots of yummy-sounding food combine to keep the reader invested and entertained. Emma’s cynicism regarding love is understandable, and I enjoyed how she slowly became open to changing her mind about it. The secondary characters were a lot of fun here, and I’d be happy to read more about them.

Jayci Lee lives in California. That Prince is Mine is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review: Dashed, by Amanda Quain

Image belongs to St. Martin’s Press.

Title:   Dashed    
Author: Amanda Quain
Genre: YA   
Rating: 4 out of 5  

Margaret Dashwood lives her life according to plan, and it involves absolutely zero heartbreak, thank you very much. Five years ago, love tore her family apart, and since then, she’s kept her own heart as safe as possible. It hasn’t been easy, especially since her sister Marianne—the world’s biggest romantic—has conveniently forgotten that love burned her so badly she literally almost died. So when their oldest sister Elinor invites Margaret along for a Marianne-free summer cruise, she can’t wait to soak up every scheduled moment with sensible Elinor before heading off to college.

But just before they set sail, a newly-single Marianne announces that she’s crashing their vacation. Suddenly, Margaret’s itineraries are thrown overboard, and the ship’s cabin feels even tinier with her sister wailing about her breakup from the bottom bunk. The only solution? Find Marianne a dose of love to tide her over until they reach land.

With help from Elinor, her husband Edward, and Gabe—a distractingly handsome new friend on the crew—Margaret sets out to create a series of elaborate fake dates that will give Marianne the spontaneously curated summer romance of a lifetime. But between a chaotic sister, the growing storm of feelings between Margaret and Gabe, and an actual storm on the horizon, this summer is destined to go off course. Margaret will have to decide what’s more important—following the plan, or following her heart.

This was a cute read! I love Sense and Sensibility—of course—and I thought this was a fun update. The life-on-a-cruise-ship angle was fairly new to me, so that added a bit of fun, too. The Dashwood sisters had an interesting dynamic and backstory, and I enjoyed how Margaret discovered herself and who she was, not her sisters’ shadow.

Amanda Quain lives in Pennsylvania. Dashed is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review and Blog Tour:   The Backtrack, by Erin La Rosa   

Image belongs to Harlequin Trade.

Title: The Backtrack
Author:  Erin La Rosa     
Genre: Romance
Rating:  4 out of 5

Life, rewound …

Nearly twenty years ago, Sam Leto left her small hometown of Tybee Island, Georgia, to pursue her dreams of becoming a pilot. While she’d prefer to keep flying away from her painful childhood memories, her beloved grandmother Pearl decides it’s time to sell the family home. Reluctantly, Sam is summoned back to pack up the house.

The 2000s nostalgia from Sam’s old bedroom hits Fall Out Boy posters, drawers of roll-on body glitter and even her favorite CD player with a mixtape from her best friend, Damon Rocha. Damon was always a safe place and Sam often wonders what if her teenage self admitted her feelings for him back then…

Mysteriously, the CD player still works all these years later. And somehow it has the power to show Sam an alternate version of her life.

Song by song, Sam receives flashbacks from her past—senior prom, graduation, leaving home. But the memories aren’t as she remembers them; they show what could have been. Suddenly, Sam knows exactly what would have happened if she’d taken a chance with Damon—and she can’t help feeling she made a terrible mistake leaving Tybee all those years ago.

This was an interesting read to me. It did a great job of placing me in the early 2000s—that was a little unsettling, actually—and I really like both Sam and Damon and their alternates. Sam’s grandma was a hoot and she really had me laughing. I liked how well-done the setting felt, both in the present and the past, and that made this story a believable read for me.

Erin La Rosa lives in L.A. The Backtrack is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Harlequin Trade in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review: The Darkness Within Us, by Tricia Levenseller

Image belongs to Macmillan’s Children.

Title: The Darkness Within Us
Author:  Tricia Levenseller
Genre:  Fantasy
Rating:  4 out of 5

Chrysantha Stathos has won.

By hiding her intelligence and ambition behind the mask of a beautiful air-headed girl, she has gathered important secrets, earned her father’s constant care, and become a wealthy duchess—all by age nineteen. Now, she is only one elderly, dying duke away from having all the freedom, money, and safety she’s ever wanted.

Or so she thought.

Turns out her little sister somehow snatched the true victory away from her: Alessandra is wedding the Shadow King, the most powerful man in the world. Meanwhile, after the death of Chrysantha’s no-good, lecherous husband, a man claiming to be the duke’s estranged grandson turns up to inherit everything that should be hers.

Chrysantha is enraged. There is no way that she’s going to let some man take everything from her. Never mind that he’s extremely handsome and secretive and alluring with mysterious powers… No, Chrysantha wants Eryx Demos dead, and in the end, a Stathos girl always gets what she wants.

I loved the revolution Chrysantha’s sister seemed to be leading for women’s rights in this, although the relationship between the sisters was pretty terrible. Chrysantha was a good character:  I loved her determination, her wit, and her absolute refusal to lose. I enjoyed the enemies-to-lovers arc between her and Eryx, and I never quite figured out what was going on with him before the reveal.

Tricia Levenseller is from Oregon. The Darkness Within Us is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Macmillan Children’s in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review: Not You Again, by Ingrid Pierce  

Image belongs to Alcove Press.

Title: Not You Again  
Author: Ingrid Pierce  
Genre: Romance  
Rating:  4 out of 5

Wedding gown designer Andie Dresser is hanging on by a thread. Gaining a following on TikTok for her one-of-a-kind fairytale gowns has earned her a spot at Atlanta’s Fashion Week, but the time and upfront costs to design a full bridal line have stretched her to her limit. When her best friend suggests she sign up for a reality show with a potential $100,000 prize, she realizes the money could allow her to hire some desperately needed help. All she needs to do is marry a stranger—sight unseen—and opt for divorce at the end of filming. No big deal, right?

Architect Kit Watson just returned to Atlanta to help his loving but stubborn mother through a health crisis. However, she’ll only accept his help if he agrees to settle down, insisting he sign up for the matchmaking reality show that’s filming in the area. Willing to do anything for his mom, he finds himself at the altar—on camera—staring at Andie, the woman he abruptly left without explanation seven years ago.

In the blink of an eye, Kit and Andie tie the knot on TV for the world to see. Now, they must live together for eight weeks with cameras following their every move. But as the newlyweds reconnect and sift through their past, old feelings females spark…and old grudges cast a shadow over their “marriage”. With decision day looming, Andie must decide if forgiving Kit for his mistakes—past and present—is worth more than her dreams of success.

I enjoyed this second-chance romance! The reality show parts were annoying—I’m not a fan of reality TV—and I can’t imagine how much stress that would be! I liked Andie a lot, and I enjoyed how her relationship with Kit grew and changed as they dealt with the past and the challenges of the present. This is a sold read, perfect for a weekend binge.

Ingrid Pierce lives in Arizona. Not You Again is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Alcove Press in exchange for an honest review.)