Tag: Contemporary Romance (Page 13 of 88)

BOOK REVIEWS: The Mistletoe Motive by Chloe Liese & Unwrapping His Package by Cameron Hart

December 30, 2023 / Jen / 1 Comment

The Mistletoe Motive by Chloe Liese
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
He loathes the holidays. She loves them. She’s full of festive cheer. He’s brimming with Bah, Humbugs. Besides unreasonably seasonable names, the only thing Jonathan Frost and Gabriella Di Natale have in common is a healthy dose of mutual contempt. Well, that and the same place of employment at the city’s most beloved independent bookstore, Bailey’s Bookshop. But when the store’s owners confess its dire financial state, Jonathan and Gabby discover another unfortunate commonality: the imminent threat of unemployment.

With the Baileys’ requests to minimize expenses, win new customers, and make record sales dancing in their heads, Jonathan and Gabby conclude—barring a financial Christmas miracle—one of them will soon be cut from the payroll. Neither are willing to step down from their position, so they strike a bargain: whoever has more sales in December gets to stay on in the new year; the loser will resign. With a lifetime's worth of festive tricks up her sleeve, Gabby should easily outsell her nemesis, except the unreadable Mr. Frost’s every move seems purely designed to throw her off her game.

As if that wasn’t bad enough, Gabby's deceptive ex won't quit pursuing her, and her anonymous online friend suggests they take a break. Worst of all, as the pressure mounts to save the bookshop and her job, Gabby meets a new, tender side of Jonathan. Is this the same man she's called her cold-hearted enemy?

Maybe he’s got a motive she just can’t figure out—or maybe Jonathan Frost isn’t as chilly as she once thought. Maybe Jonathan and Gabby already know—and love—each other in ways they never thought possible.

Review:

The Mistletoe Motive was an enemies to lovers that was filled with Christmas cheer. I loved how much holiday spirit was laced throughout the pages. And from the moment we met Jonathan Frost, aka Gabriella’s nemesis or so she says, you can completely tell he wants her from that first chapter! Johnathan was my favorite thing about this book and I adored how he protected her and how he could be a sexy, mystery. And while this book would typically be a huge hit for me, I just couldn’t connect to the characters or their romance. Even though I adored Jonathan. Plus it probably didn’t help that I kept thinking about two other books I absolutely adored so much more with two tropes in this book. For the workplace enemies to lovers, I kept thinking about how The Hating Game consumed my every thought while I was devouring that book. And the other trope about different forms of contact was in To Sir, With Love by Lauren Layne and that story was breathtakingly addictive. Those two books I devoured. This one I had to push myself to finish and kept putting it down. It was cute and steamy but I just couldn’t click with it. So here’s hoping if you end up picking up this book, you’ll end up loving it more then me!

Unwrapping His Package by by Cameron Hart
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
Indie: I trust my gut, the universe, and the healing power of sugar. I’ll admit I had my doubts in all three of those things when my sister wanted to move all the way here to Christmas, Michigan in the dead of winter. I’ve been scrambling to be the supportive sister after her messy divorce, but I’m exhausted. Just when I think I’m at my breaking point, I sense something. The universe is telling me it’ll all work out. I know my gut instinct is right when I see him. I instantly want to know everything about the tall, broad shouldered, blue-eyed man staring at me. I want to unwrap him layer by layer. All of him. Every single inch.

Walker: As a doctor, I trust my mind, science, and empirical evidence. Until I see her. The short, curvy minx stares right at me, her teal eyes gliding down my body. My chest tightens and I can’t catch my breath. I run through a list of symptoms and possible diagnoses, but nothing quite matches what I’m feeling. My condition only worsens the longer I look at her, yet I can’t bring myself to do anything else. Love at first sight isn’t possible, but one look at my pixie and I know she’s about to prove me wrong.

Review:

If you love erotica and insta love, then Unwrapping His Package is for you! With a virgin hero, an alpha male who had sensitive thoughts and a wintery setting, this book was setup for the perfect Christmas miracle story. Unfortunately, it was not for me.

“You’re perfect,” I murmur, skimming my hands up and down the sides of her torso, giving her the reassurance she needs. “Now let me unwrap my present.”

While I love novella stories, especially ones that are steamy and revolve around Christmas, this one made me roll my eyes quite a few times. From the moment Walker told Indie that he knew she was a virgin and nicknamed her pixie….ehhh it just didn’t do it for me. Indie was optimistic, I’ll give her that. Yet she fell under TSTL. It. Was. Painful. I read this with my local book club and one of my friends pointed out that if she was more intelligent it would have been hard for Walker to control her like he did so *shrugs*. I guess it all worked out for the best anyway. I did keep muttering that I hoped for Walker’s sake that Indie had a magical vagina, so she was worth the effort. And I guess he thought she did, but I didn’t feel like she did anything fabulous. So while Unwrapping His Package didn’t work for me, I did give it a few stars because of the steamy scenes. I just wish I would have felt something during those moments. There was an epilogue set five years in the future, so readers who fall in love with this book will be so happy when they get to that chapter!

BOOK REVIEW: How The Grump Saved Christmas by Claire Kingsley

December 29, 2023 / Jen / 1 Comment

How The Grump Saved Christmas by Claire Kingsley
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
Hardworking Isabelle Cook has a serious problem. Her family farm, site of Tilikum’s Christmas Village, is in trouble. Big trouble. And worst of all? The man trying to buy it is none other than the grumpiest, grinchiest man of them all—Elias Stoneheart.

That’s a big nope. She’s not letting him get involved. Not with his heart made of coal.

Elias Stoneheart is in the business of making money, not friends. Especially when his boss is promising a long-awaited promotion. All he has to do is convince one struggling family to sell their farm.

The problem? It’s Cook Family Farm. And Isabelle Cook is his ex.

He might have history with Isabelle, but this is just business. A Christmas-loving farm girl is not going to come between him and his ambition.

And Christmas? He hates it. Christmas Village needs to go.

But as Elias spends time in the small town, holiday spirit—and Isabelle—get under his skin. And she might be the only one who can melt the ice around his heart.

Author’s Note: a sassy farm girl takes on a grumpy businessman in this stand-alone small-town Christmas romance. Saucy banter, a guard donkey, plenty of holiday cheer, and a heartwarming happily ever after that will make you believe in the magic of Christmas.

Review:

How the Grump Saved Christmas was a second chance, grumpy sunshine adult romance that was a lot of fun! With a Christmas tree farm, snow, hot cocoa with whipped cream and holiday sprinkles and lots of holiday cheer, this romance book was the perfect book to read in December!

I’m dreaming of a white Christmas…
No, I wasn’t. I was dreaming of a cup of dark roast— the coffee here was exceptional— and the shot of Irish whiskey I was going to add to it that were going to get me through the rest of this nightmare of an afternoon.

Elias was such a cynic and a complete grump. In that first chapter alone he showed us what a jerk he could be. Especially when he took on the job to convince his ex’s family to sell their land so his company could build a data center. Not only would he get a promotion if the sale went through, but that ex wasn’t just any old ex. She was the woman he had wanted to marry. So I tried to find little clues here and there that he had a heart. You could see them if you looked closely….like when he threatened Damien that he would kill him if he bothered his assistant again haha. So when he came face to face with Isabelle again, I loved how she affected him. And how she slowly started to change him too!

My heart tried to do something. Start beating again, maybe. Whatever it was, it hurt and I did not like it.
Straightening my shoulders, I swallowed back the sensation. Forced it behind a wall of ice where it wouldn’t get in the way.
When she turned to face me, her eyes widening with surprise, I didn’t even flinch.
Despite the fact that she was still the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen.

This story alternated between the two of them and I adored Isabelle! She had a strong work ethic, loved her family, and adored the tiny town she lived in. Yet her parents’ farm was struggling. They were in so much debt, and while selling financially made sense, it hurt Isabelle’s heart to think about it. But thankfully she was surrounded by a strong community and the most amazing best friends. And an ex that was starting to remind her why she fell in love with him years ago in the first place.

There was no slow-motion retreat filled with angst. His cold eyes left mine and he turned around and walked away.

When we got to hear Elais’ backstory, oh my Santa, I hurt for his 11 year old self. I understood how he turned into what he was. But I still wanted to see him become the man I knew he could be! So I was elated that we still had so many moments of happiness with Elias. I was screaming during some of the moments with Isabelle’s parents. This story was so much fun while also touching on the emotional side!

“How do I look at her?”
She wiggled her eyebrows. “Like you want to jingle her bells.”
I groaned.

Small town romance, friendship and love made this Christmas story shine brightly! While there was steam on the pages, it wasn’t detailed. And the side characters could have easily held their own book. Cole was a farmhand who was such a good friend! And I adored Alice and her daughter Maddie! Their endings made me shed happy tears! I also Isabelle’s parents too! So with moments that will not only warm your heart but make you laugh out loud too, this book was a blast! This is my first book by Claire Kingsley, and I am looking forward to discovering more of her backlist books!

BOOK REVIEW: The Second Chance Year by Melissa Wiesner

December 28, 2023 / Jen / 2 Comments

The Second Chance Year by Melissa Wiesner
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
In this unforgettable story full of charm, wit—and just a bit of magic—a woman down on her luck is given a second chance at fixing her life and trying one year all over again. Perfect for readers of Josie Silver and Rebecca Serle.

Sadie Thatcher’s life has fallen apart in spectacular fashion. In one fell swoop, she managed to lose her job, her apartment, and her boyfriend—all thanks to her big mouth. So when a fortune teller offers her one wish, Sadie jumps at the chance to redo her awful year. Deep down, she doesn’t believe magic will fix her life, but taking a leap of faith, Sadie makes her wish, opens her eyes, and . . . nothing has changed. And then, in perhaps her dumbest move yet, she kisses her brother’s best friend, Jacob.

When Sadie wakes up the next morning, she’s in her former apartment with her former boyfriend, and her former boss is expecting her at work. Checking the date, she realizes it's January 1 . . . of last year. As Sadie navigates her second-chance year, she begins to see the red flags she missed in her relationship and in her career. Plus, she keeps running into Jacob, and she can’t stop thinking about their kiss . . . the one he has no idea ever happened. Suddenly, Sadie begins to wonder if her only mistake was wishing for a second chance.

Review:

The Second Chance Year was a brother’s best friend romance that asked the question, what if you made different choices? How would your life turn out? This was an adult romance story that was so easy to read and enjoy!

What if someone had looked into a crystal ball last December and warned me about the terrible year I was about to have? Would I have done something differently?

Sadie Thatcher was at the end of her horrible year. Her boyfriend broke up with her. She was fired from her job. And she was living at her brother’s best friend’s apartment, while her parents were demeaning her life decisions. When a New Year’s party sent her back to January 1st, of the worst year of her life, she thought she could change fate. And how things worked out. Little did Sadie know she was in for a huge life lesson!

He lets out a small laugh, shaking his head, and he seems almost bitter. “I’ve wanted the same thing all my life. But…” His expression darkens. “I’ve never had the courage to reach out and grab it.”

Jacob was my absolute favorite! He was a delicious marshmallow who was smart, kind and oh so thoughtful. In the past, I loved how he noticed little things about Sadie. And in Sadie’s New Year, he was still shy, but she saw so much more of him. I loved all of her extra moments with Jacob. How their relationship grew. How there were bumps along the way. And nothing was truly easy.

I never thought I’d wish to have that year back, instead of this one.

Sadie was so easy to like. She could be rough around the edges, but she stood up for those she cared for. And in trying to fix all of her wrongs in the past, it left her a different person. She was muted and that created situations to go completely sideways. So I loved how as the year went on, we spent a chapter or few in each month, that she saw things in a different light. That she grew as a person. And realized exactly who she wanted to be.

This friendship with Jacob is a second chance I’m truly grateful for.

Rounding out this story was her amazing brother, Owen, and I adored her friendships with Zoe and Mrs. Kaminski. There were also her parents, who I severely struggled with. And Xavier and her ex whom I have so many horrible thoughts about. But what stood out was that each character was unique and made a stamp on Sadie’s life.

It’s all coming together just like I wanted it to.

The Second Chance Year was a heartwarming, adult romance that analyzes ones choices. While it dealt with heavier topics of sexism, sexual harassment and even bullying, the characters in this story and their interaction and lives added so much lightness to the pages. So while I guessed how quite a few things played out, I still enjoyed this story. And I’ll be looking forward to future releases from Melissa Wiesner.

PS I want to know which Tom Petty song please. 🙂

*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book, provided by the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

BOOK REVIEW: Start Us Up (Park Avenue Promise #1) by Lexi Blake

December 2, 2023 / Jen / 2 Comments

Start Us Up by Lexi Blake
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
Three young women make a pact in high school—
to always be friends and to one day make it big in Manhattan.

She’s a high-tech boss who lost it all…

Ivy Jensen was the darling of the tech world, right up until her company fell apart completely after she trusted the wrong person. Her reputation in tatters, she finds herself back in the tiny apartment she grew up in, living with her mom. When a group of angel investors offer her a meeting, she knows she has to come up with the new big idea or her career is over.

He’s an up and coming coder…

Heath Marino has always been fascinated with writing code. He’s worked on a dozen games and apps and is considered one of the industry’s more eccentric talents. But now he’s back in New York to spend time with his grandmother. She was known as one of the city’s greatest matchmakers, and he wants to know why. Surely there’s some kind of code in his grandmother’s methods, and he’s going to find them.

When Ivy meets Heath it’s instant attraction, but she’s got a career to get back to and he just might be her on-ramp. It could be a perfect partnership or absolute heartbreak.

Review:

Start Us Up was an adult romance that was a wonderful blend of family, friendship, love and finding yourself. Ivy had been successful, but let her boyfriend destroy her business in the tech world out in California. Back home in New York, and living with her mom, she was trying to find herself again. What her next project would be. How she could fix her name. And how to find happiness again. She had two best friends from childhood that she was still close with, and a struggling relationship with her mother. This book dove deeply into the relationships in Ivy’s life. And with strong found family vibes, I enjoyed reading this story.

I realize I’ve spent the last year so focused on getting back to the top that I haven’t let myself want anything else.
I want him. I want everything he can give me.

My favorite person in this story was Heath. From their first interaction, I was intrigued by him. He was kind, caring, patient, and when Ivy decided to go into business with him, I loved their negotiations. But the moment I realized how much I loved him was when he stepped in to protect Ivy. And sneak a dog a little goodie to make her like him haha. Ivy and Heath had a lot in common. They both worked in the tech world, were loving people and fascinated in the AI project they were working on together. Also they both didn’t want to fail their families. On top of Heath, I liked Ivy. She was so relatable and easy to click with. Together, they felt like the perfect match.

He leans forward and kisses my forehead, the gesture making my heart squeeze.
“I…I’ve given you every reason to push me away.”
He winks. “And still I didn’t. And that’s why you should speciously consider door number three.”

The side characters in this book were definitely shining stars. Between Heath’s grandma and roommate who I both loved. To Ivy’s best friends who felt so real. To even Cece and Ivy’s mom. They rounded out the story so wonderfully. But I did struggle with two things. While tech fascinates me, those parts about work felt dull. And there was almost too much talk about feelings. Yet while there were some lags in this story, at the base of it was wonderful friendships, and a love story that had a little bit of steam. This was an interesting book to discuss with my book club, and I am interested in trying another book by Lexi Blake!

BOOK REVIEW: Wreck the Halls by Tessa Bailey

November 8, 2023 / Jen / 4 Comments

Wreck the Halls by Tessa Bailey
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
#1 New York Times bestselling author Tessa Bailey delivers a sexy, hilarious standalone holiday rom-com about the adult children of two former rock stars who team up to convince their estranged mothers to play a Christmas Eve concert…

Melody Gallard may be the daughter of music royalty, but her world is far from glamorous. She spends her days restoring old books and avoiding the limelight (one awkward tabloid photo was enough, thanks). But when a producer offers her a lot of money to reunite her mother’s band on live tv, Mel begins to wonder if it’s time to rattle the cage, shake up her quiet life… and see him again. The only other person who could wrangle the rock and roll divas.

Beat Dawkins, the lead singer’s son, is Melody’s opposite—the camera loves him, he could charm the pants off anyone, and his mom is not a potential cult leader. Still, they might have been best friends if not for the legendary feud that broke up the band. When they met as teenagers, Mel felt an instant spark, but it’s nothing compared to the wild, intense attraction that builds as they embark on a madcap mission to convince their mothers to perform one last show.

While dealing with rock star shenanigans, a 24-hour film crew, brawling Santas, and mobs of adoring fans, Mel starts to step out of her comfort zone. With Beat by her side, cheering her on, she’s never felt so understood. But Christmas Eve is fast approaching, and a decades-old scandal is poised to wreck everything—the Steel Birds reunion, their relationships with their mothers, and their newfound love.

Review:

Wreck the Halls was a friends to lovers, famous, romance set around the holidays that was so much fun! While this story took me till almost 30%, chapter 10, to be completely pulled in, once it did I was hooked! With laugh out loud scenes, spicy moments, and a heartfelt love story, I enjoyed reading this story.

The woman had her and she knew it. To be in the same room with Beat Dawkins again . . . She wasn’t strong enough to pass up the chance. Melody shifted in her boots and tried not to sound too eager. “What time?”

Melody and Beat were the children of rock star royalty. Both of their moms had been in a band decades ago, that transcended time and was now popular again. Yet their moms had a falling out before they were even born. So when Melody and Beat first met as teenagers, awww it was smile worthy. Paparazzi seemed to be kind to him and horrific to her, and Beat made Melody feel seen and lifted her up. Yet when we jumped to present day, Beat seemed to be in a world of trouble. He was being blackmailed. So when a producer offered him a lot of money, to partake in a reality show to bring his mother’s band back together again, he knew that was the answer to his problems. And that he would get to spend time around Melody again.

He leaned down, brushing his lips against her forehead in what seemed like an unconscious gesture.

I absolutely loved Beat! He was kind, thoughtful, protective and swoon worthy. He seemed to have a wonderful family life with his parents, and was busy helping out with their charity and fundraiser work. Yet Beat had a secret which made him keep everyone at arm’s length. And that secret bled into his sexual life. I was thinking that it had to be something kinky, but nope I was way off base. It was a little different and I wasn’t sure how to feel about it. But I was excited to see how Beat would learn to trust, especially when it came to Melody.

Touching her was like breathing.

Melody seemed to live a quiet life restoring books and seeing her mother once a year. But as she spend more time on the reality show, not only did Beat fall under her spell, but so did the world. I couldn’t stop smiling at how adorable and quirky Melody was. How relatable she could be. How easy she was to like. And I completely got how she was still crushing on Beat all those years later. How could she not?! But my favorite thing about Melody was feeling everything she did as the story unfolded. When she went to see her mother? I felt all the emotions. And I loved that we also got to watch her find her voice!

“I don’t know if I’m good for you, Mel.”
“Maybe. Maybe not.” Melody shifted her hips, slowly turning in his lap until she was facing the front of the plane. She looked back at him over her shoulder and gave a slow roll of her lower body, memorizing the way his eyes darkened. “Are you going to let us find out?”

Melody and Beat felt like kindred spirits. Neither of them had true friends that they let in, because they were always second guessing why they were around them. Was it really for who they were? Or was it because of who each of their mothers were? So I loved that they felt that instant connection to each other. That they could talk and understand each other so well. That their friendship was so easily formed. And how later that friendship started to cross the line. Beat and Melody together were hot and seductive, even if their intimate talking was a little cheesy at times. Yet they definitely had some emotional healing to do. Melody with her mother. And Beat with himself. And while the third part breakup was inevitable, I just wanted them to get back together again ASAP. So the grand gesture was perfect and made my heart so happy!

“Oh, darling.” Sympathy shone in his mother’s eyes. “Didn’t I mention? She’s not being subtle about her feelings, either. Friends shmends.”
“It’s complicated,” he said, hoarsely.
“Are you in love with her?” His heart answered for him, pounding behind his jugular.
“Yes.”
Tempered joy flooded Octavia’s expression. “Then perhaps you should uncomplicate it.”

While this book is set counting down till Christmas, it doesn’t have a lot of Christmas feels within the pages. Besides snow, snowball fights and I’m truly blanking on what else, this was just a wonderful winter book. On top of loving Melody and Beat, there were side characters that I loved too. Melody was the producer and she seemed like a true friend to Melody. I loved that she had a little side romance story going on for her too! This story closed with a wonderful happily for now, and I’m so glad I picked this book up!