Category Archives: Donna’s Reviews

Review: CODE OF CONDUCT: An SBG Novella by P.A. DePaul

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CODE OF CONDUCT: An SBG Novella (SBG Series Book 3) by P.A. DePaul

Publication Date: January 16, 2024

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Synopsis

IMG_1674Can a computer wizard write a code that apprehends criminals and attracts the woman who captured his heart?

Tech genius Ted Byrnes spends his days assisting a lethal black ops squad. Their missions are usually global, but Ted uncovers a national identity theft ring has infiltrated the small town he calls home. Instead of remaining behind the scenes, he takes the lead.

Doreen McKenna is a struggling widow attempting to raise her ten-year-old genius-IQ son. For four years, she’s pushed aside her own needs to focus on her son. Working long days as the office manager in a doctor’s office, the highlights of her week revolve around grocery shopping and taking her son to the bookstore…until she’s approached by a man in the fiction section whose intellect and looks have her suppressed desires rising to the surface.

Ted has narrowed the source of the identity theft ring and needs Doreen’s help. Working together, they devise a plan to expose the criminals, but what’s written on paper doesn’t always happen in real life. Their attraction escalates alongside the danger. Apprehending the ring may break all the codes of conduct . . .

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Donna review 4.5 stars

This is book three in the SBG series. It can be read alone, but why deprive yourself.  This story is about the loveable computer tech in the SweetBriar Group, a black ops team for the US. I adored how Ted broke out from working behind the scenes to his first operation. What a hoot! He is clearly out of his depth. And once he met Doreen, his attraction to her sent it all into overdrive. Doreen is a widow raising a young genius. She is strong but stuck in a bad situation. I’m generally not a fan of insta-love, but their mutual attraction seemed to fit into the story.

The storyline fits into today’s issues with hacking and identity theft. It also included enough action to keep me pinned to the pages. I have to add that I absolutely love the camaraderie of the SBG team. I think that’s what pulled me into the series in the first place. I want to be a part of it all. I wish this book could have been a full novel because it moved so fast and over too quickly. If you’ve not read the first two books, I encourage you to do so. I can’t wait for April and the next installment in this series.

*Review copy provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

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Buy Links

Kindle | Series Link 

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About the Author

P. A. DePaul is a Publishers Weekly Bestselling and award-winning author.

Her books are full of action, suspense, and romance.

As a hybrid author, she has books traditionally and independently published. Her traditional publishers include Berkley, a Penguin Random House imprint, and Harlequin Books.

She loves connecting with readers! You can find her on these social media and book sites: Website, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, GoodReads, Amazon.

Review: FISH OUT OF WATER by Katie Ruggle

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FISH OUT OF WATER by Katie Ruggle

Publication Date: February 14, 2024

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Synopsis

IMG_1443WHY DATE A MOUNTAIN MAN? Because he knows how to pitch a tent.

When Dahlia Weathersby’s sister disappears on what should have been a simple day hike, Dahlia immediately heads deep into the Colorado Rockies to find her. Knowing she’ll never survive the mountains alone, she convinces the local hermit—adorably grouchy survival expert Winston Dane—to be her guide. All it takes is a good helping of Dahlia’s charm…and just the teeniest bit of blackmail…before she’s got all six-foot-something of him wrapped around her finger. But even with her very own mountain man in tow, things aren’t going to be easy. There are:

  • Long hikes through gorgeous wilderness? Check.
  • Bears? Check.
  • A single shared sleeping bag? Check.
  • Enough sparks to set the Rockies ablaze? Check, check, check.

With everything the wilderness has to throw at them, it’ll take more than charm and some city girl ingenuity to make this trek anything but a disaster waiting to happen…and an adventure she’ll never forget.

The Rocky Mountains get unBEARably hot in Katie Ruggle’s brand-new romance packed with adventure, action, tall dark & scruffy heroes, and a sense of quirky humor that will be your next perfect escape.

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As usual, Katie Ruggle’s writing has flown me away from reality. This quick read was a light romantic suspense novel filled with humor. Dahlia’s quirky comments reminded me of my own thought processes that aren’t always understood by others. Poor Winston didn’t stand a chance. He may come off as a cold taciturn mountain man, but to me there were enough glimpses of his true nature coming through to explain the attraction. The romance was sweet and understandable, culminating into a gentle and sexy encounter. Some small things in the story confused me and made me shake my head. The biggest thing is the basic storyline. It is so much like her “Gone Too Deep” novel. (One of my favorite books) That did not stop me from enjoying this story, however. I’m glad she’s back and look forward to more adventures.

*Review copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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Buy Links

Kindle | Paperback

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About the Author
imageWhen she’s not writing, Katie Ruggle rides horses, shoots guns, and travels to warm places where she can SCUBA dive. Graduating from the Police Academy, Katie received her ice-rescue certification and can attest that the reservoirs in the Colorado mountains really are that cold. While she still misses her off-grid, solar- and wind-powered house in the Rocky Mountains, she now lives in Rochester, Minnesota near her family.

Website | Facebook | Twitter

Review: HOUSEBROKE by Jaci Burton

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HOUSEBROKE by Jaci Burton

Publication Date: December 12, 2023

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Synopsis

IMG_0910A millionaire and a woman who thinks he’s a house flipper are stuck living in a house together with a menagerie of rescue dogs as roommates, in this heartfelt romantic comedy from New York Times bestselling author Jaci Burton.

After her ex took all their money and bailed, Hazel Bristow is left broke and homeless. A kind friend whose home is on the market lets Hazel and her foster dogs stay there until it sells. It’s the perfect setup, until her friend forgets to tell Hazel she’s sold the house.

Linc Kennedy is shocked to find Hazel and her pups squatting in the house he just bought, but after some negotiating—she offers to cook amazing meals for him in return for a paycheck—he agrees to let her remain while he’s renovating the place. Linc tells Hazel he’s an investor who renovates homes for fun—he just leaves out the part about being wealthy.

Hazel’s intrigued by Linc. He’s funny, sweet, ridiculously hot, and loves dogs almost as much as she does. But her track record with men? Not great. She worries her trust meter isn’t in working order.

Linc’s never met anyone like the quirky beauty who puts everyone’s needs—human and canine—before her own. He didn’t tell her about his wealth because he’s been burned by women who only wanted him for his money. But with Hazel, he’s never felt more like himself. Now he has to figure out how to tell her the truth without losing her. Because Linc realizes what he feels for her isn’t puppy love—it’s true love.

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Donna 4 stars

This was an enjoyable, light romance. The forced proximity trope was cute and blended the future story together nicely. It wasn’t insta-love between Linc and Hazel, but they were just perfect for each other, didn’t fight the attraction, thus the relationship blossomed quickly into a hot romance. Add foster dogs to the mix, and you have a fun book to get lost in. I also enjoyed the banter and interaction with Linc’s family. I wish they were around more, but glad I had a taste of their relationship. I do have to say that Hazel’s actions during the climax of the story made me groan. It was forced as an almost “I have to have some drama here” situation. It could have been something different to add to the feel of the book instead of detracting. Overall, it is a light and enjoyable story.

*Review copy provided by Penguin Random House in exchange for an honest review.

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Buy Links

Kindle | Paperback

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About the Author Jaci Burton Bio PicAfter spending too many years to count in the high stress business world, New York Times and USA Today Bestelling Author Jaci Burton is happy to be living her dream of writing passionate romance. She has written over forty-five novels and is contracted to write ten more. Jaci has a Bachelor of Science degree in Business that she is thrilled not to be using in the corporate environment anymore. She grew up in Missouri but migrated to California, where she lived for thirteen years, but now makes her home in Oklahoma with her husband and five dogs. She enjoys being outdoors in the summer and she and her husband are avid Harley riders.

Jaci writes in multiple genres, from erotic romance to romantic suspense to contemporary romance. She has won the RT Book Reviews Reviewers Choice Award, and has been nominated for the award four times. She has been a finalist in the Bookseller’s Best and National Reader’s Choice Awards, and has won The Romance Studio’s CAPA Award four times.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

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Review: DO YOUR WORST by Rosie Danan

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DO YOUR WORST by Rosie Danan

Publication Date: November 14, 2023

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Synopsis

saveSparks fly when an occult expert and a disgraced archeologist become enemies-with-benefits in this steamy romance from “go-to author” Rosie Danan (The New York Times Book Review).

Riley Rhodes finally has the chance to turn her family’s knack for the supernatural into a legitimate business when she’s hired to break the curse on an infamous Scottish castle. Used to working alone in her alienating occupation, she’s pleasantly surprised to meet a handsome stranger upon arrival—until he tries to get her fired.

Fresh off a professional scandal, Clark Edgeware can’t allow a self-proclaimed “curse breaker” to threaten his last chance for redemption. After he fails to get Riley kicked off his survey site, he vows to avoid her. Unfortunately for him, she vows to get even.

Riley expects the curse to do her dirty work by driving Clark away, but instead, they keep finding themselves in close proximity. Too close. Turns out, the only thing they do better than fight is fool around. If they’re not careful, by the end of all this, more than the castle will end up in ruins.

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Donna review 4.5 stars

I enjoyed this story. A contemporary Rom-com with paranormal undertones was rather fun. The curse breaking aspect was like an archaeology mystery. Which worked quite well with the archaeologist in residence and setting up the angst between them. Riley was the curse breaker and Clark the archaeologist. Pulling in the ancient myths and legends surrounding a castle in the Scottish Highlands, had both scrambling for answers and dismissing the other’s work. I don’t always like the enemies to lovers trope because they tend to drag on too long for me. This came close to that but saved itself as part of the story. At some points their actions seemed rather cruel, so I was glad when that got resolved. The romance was hot and sexy due to their mutual insta-lust. The enemy vow didn’t stand a chance.

Overall, it was a fun quick read that made me smile. I do hope this becomes a series so I can see what happens next.

*Review copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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Buy Links

Kindle | Paperback

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About the Author

Rosie Danan is the award-winning, bestselling author of The Roommate, The Intimacy Experiment, and Do Your Worst. Her work has been optioned for film as well as translated into nine different languages and counting. The New York Times describes her writing as “warmly funny and gorgeously sexy.”

When not working on her next book, Rosie enjoys jogging slowly to fast music, petting other people’s dogs, and competing against herself in rounds of Chopped using the miscellaneous ingredients occupying her fridge.

Review: DARK MEMORY by Christine Feehan

IMG_7473DARK MEMORY (A Carpathian Novel Book 37) by Christine Feehan

Publication Date: October 3, 2023

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Synopsis

IMG_7471Experience a connection that defies death in this captivating novel in Christine Feehan’s #1 New York Times bestselling Carpathian series.

Safia Meziane has trained since birth to protect her tribe, the family she holds so dear. All along she told herself the legends she was raised with were simply that. But now, she must call upon all of her skills to fight what lies ahead. Evil has come to their small town on the coast of Algeria, evil that Safia can feel but cannot see.

She is terrified she will not be able to protect the ones she loves. As her family’s “chosen one,” she has always believed she would face this task alone—until her family reveals she has been promised to a warrior who will join her. An outsider. A Carpathian…

Petru Cioban is one of the oldest Carpathians in existence, and he has spent all that time without the soothing presence of his lifemate. For two thousand years he has waited for this woman to be reborn, only to find her in the sights of a monster he has fought before, a vampire risen again to finish a battle started centuries ago.

Now, Petru must face his greatest enemy and his greatest shame. He has no hope that Safia will forgive his betrayal once the memories of her past life return to her. But he will not make the same mistake again, even if he has to sacrifice everything for the woman who has claimed his immortal soul.

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I got lost in this tale from the start. I loved the Algerian aspect and family customs so easily incorporated into the storyline. Safia came alive as the family and tribe’s demon slayer and protector. Those around her aided in describing her character and strength just by their interaction with her, making me become invested in all the tribe’s future. Petru is the usual ancient Carpathian. He had a few different nuances because of his and Safia’s history, but his character was not as rounded out as hers. I enjoyed their lover’s banter as the relationship progressed. Nice sexiness intertwined with the danger and evil surrounding them.

The story itself was fast paced and quite riveting. Safia’s way of fighting demons and vampires had new aspects that made it interesting. Lilith and her demon horde had their work cut out for them when facing Safia and Petru’s people. I cannot wait for the next installment. The hints about it sounded quite enticing.

*Review copy provided by Penguin in exchange for an honest review.

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Buy Links

Kindle | Hardback

Amazon Series Link

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image#1 New York Times bestselling author Christine Feehan has over 40 novels published, including four series. Each of her four series has hit #1 on the NY Times. Her debut novel Dark Prince received 3 of the 9 Paranormal Excellence Awards in Romantic Literature for 1999. Since then she has been published by Leisure Books, Pocket Books, and currently is writing for Berkley/Jove. She also has earned 7 more PEARL awards.

She is pleased to have made numerous bestseller lists including the New York Times, Publishers Weekly, USA Today, Bookscan, B. Daltons, Amazon, Barnes and Nobles, Waldenbooks, Ingrams, Borders, Rhapsody Book Club, Washington Post, and Walmart. She has received numerous honors throughout her career including being a nominee for the RWA’s RITA. She has received a Career Achievement Award from Romantic Times and the Borders 2008 Lifetime Achievement Award.

She has been published in multiple languages and in many formats, including large print, palm pilot, e-book, and hardcover. In October of 2007 her first manga comic, Dark Hunger was released in stores. This was the first ever manga comic released by Berkley Publishing and it made #11 on Publisher’s Weekly Bestseller’s List. Her ground-breaking book trailer commercials have been shown on TV and in the movie theaters. She has been featured on local TV, appeared on the The Montel Williams Show, and her book Dark Legend was featured on the cover of Romantic Times Magazine.

Christine Feehan has also appeared at numerous writers’ conventions and book signings including: Romantic Times Convention, Get Caught Reading at Sea Cruise, Celebrate Romance Conference, Emerald City Conference, and numerous Romance Writers of America Conferences.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest

Review: SHADOW DANCE by Christine Feehan

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SHADOW DANCE (A Shadow Riders Novel Book 8) by Christine Feehan

Publication Date: August 22, 2023

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Synopsis

IMG_6910Tensions and passions rise in the city that never sleeps in this propulsive novel in #1 New York Times bestselling author Christine Feehan’s Shadow Riders series.

As the head of the New York City Shadow Riders and his branch of the Ferraro family, Geno bears the weight of dual responsibilities on his broad shoulders. There’s nothing more important to Geno than protecting his territory and his famiglia. So when his own parents become the latest victims in a string of vicious murders, Geno is ready to go scorched earth. He thinks he has the assassin in his sights, but he’s unprepared for the firestorm their connection ignites….

Amaranthe Aubert’s lithe dancer’s body conceals a spine of steel. Even held captive and faced with the threat of lethal interrogation, she’s not about to cave under pressure. She had nothing to do with the murders, no matter what the ruthless man in front of her believes. But before Amara knows what’s happening, Geno connects to her in the shadows, stripping her bare of all artifice. Now, she has no way to hide her true reason for being in New York—and nowhere to run from the man who’s very presence steals the very breath from her lungs….

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I enjoyed the introduction to the New York Ferraros. They are fierce, loyal, dangerous, and yet share a lighthearted camaraderie that tempers their dangerous personalities. It did take me a little bit to warm up to Geno and Amaranthe, so the insta-love once their shadows merged didn’t mesh with me. Thankfully that changed as their attraction and mutual respect blossomed into a loving and romantic dance. I particularly enjoyed watching Geno struggle with his need to shelter her while respecting her innate abilities that rivaled his. They made quite the couple. The storyline was compelling and had my heart racing a few times. I liked that the Chicago Ferraros were there to help round out this new direction of the Riders. I look forward to the next installment!

*Review copy provided by Penguin in exchange for an honest review.

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Buy Links

Kindle | Paperback

Amazon Series Link

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image#1 New York Times bestselling author Christine Feehan has over 40 novels published, including four series. Each of her four series has hit #1 on the NY Times. Her debut novel Dark Prince received 3 of the 9 Paranormal Excellence Awards in Romantic Literature for 1999. Since then she has been published by Leisure Books, Pocket Books, and currently is writing for Berkley/Jove. She also has earned 7 more PEARL awards.

She is pleased to have made numerous bestseller lists including the New York Times, Publishers Weekly, USA Today, Bookscan, B. Daltons, Amazon, Barnes and Nobles, Waldenbooks, Ingrams, Borders, Rhapsody Book Club, Washington Post, and Walmart. She has received numerous honors throughout her career including being a nominee for the RWA’s RITA. She has received a Career Achievement Award from Romantic Times and the Borders 2008 Lifetime Achievement Award.

She has been published in multiple languages and in many formats, including large print, palm pilot, e-book, and hardcover. In October of 2007 her first manga comic, Dark Hunger was released in stores. This was the first ever manga comic released by Berkley Publishing and it made #11 on Publisher’s Weekly Bestseller’s List. Her ground-breaking book trailer commercials have been shown on TV and in the movie theaters. She has been featured on local TV, appeared on the The Montel Williams Show, and her book Dark Legend was featured on the cover of Romantic Times Magazine.

Christine Feehan has also appeared at numerous writers’ conventions and book signings including: Romantic Times Convention, Get Caught Reading at Sea Cruise, Celebrate Romance Conference, Emerald City Conference, and numerous Romance Writers of America Conferences.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest

#GhostlyGame #NetGalley

Review: BUSINESS OR PLEASURE by Rachel Lynn Solomon

IMG_5929BUSINESS OR PLEASURE by Rachel Lynn Solomon

Publication Date: July 4, 2023

Genre: Romantic Comedy

Synopsis

IMG_5922A ghostwriter and a struggling actor help each other on the page and in the bedroom in this steamy romantic comedy from the New York Times bestselling author of The Ex Talk.

Chandler Cohen has never felt more like the ghost in “ghostwriter” until she attends a signing for a book she wrote—and the author doesn’t even recognize her. The evening turns more promising when she meets a charming man at the bar and immediately connects with him. But when all their sexual tension culminates in a spectacularly awkward hookup, she decides this is one night better off forgotten.

Unfortunately, that’s easier said than done. Her next project is ghostwriting a memoir for Finn Walsh, a C-list actor best known for playing a lovable nerd on a cult classic werewolf show who now makes a living appearing at fan conventions across the country. Chandler knows him better from their one-night stand of hilarious mishaps.

Chandler’s determined to keep their partnership as professional as possible, but when she admits to Finn their night together wasn’t as mind-blowing as he thought it was, he’s distraught. He intrigues her enough that they strike a deal: when they’re not working on his book, Chandler will school Finn in the art of satisfaction. As they grow closer both in and out of the bedroom, they must figure out which is more important, business or pleasure—or if there’s a way for them to have both.

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I thoroughly enjoyed this sexy little contemporary romance. For me it was refreshing and new in several ways. Each of them had vulnerabilities and issues I could relate to, which made me invested in their future. I adored Finn. He wasn’t the stereotypical alpha male, but instead a bit of a nerd (Lord of the Rings fan which made me love him more.) and a bit unsure of himself. Chandler had her own hidden insecurities that made her the perfect one to understand Finn. I loved how they dealt with issues – honestly and maturely. Especially about Finn’s poor performance in the bedroom. It was refreshing to not deal with angst, tantrums, or drama. The book didn’t need that to drive the story. This novel dealt with OCD and self-doubt, but in a way that was not preachy. It was real, humorous, sexy, and fun.

*Review copy provided by Penguin Random House in exchange for an honest review.

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Buy Links

Kindle | Paperback

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About the Author

Rachel Lynn Solomon is the New York Times bestselling author of The Ex Talk, Today Tonight Tomorrow, and other romantic comedies for teens and adults. Her next book, Business or Pleasure, will be published in July 2023. Originally from Seattle, she’s currently navigating expat life in Amsterdam, where she can often be found exploring the city, collecting stationery, and working up the courage to knit her first sweater. Connect with her on Instagram @rlynn_solomon or online at rachelsolomonbooks.com.

Review: LOVE, THEORETICALLY by Ali Hazelwood

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LOVE, THEORETICALLY by Ali Hazelwood

Publication Date: June 13, 2023

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Synopsis

IMG_7474Rival physicists collide in a vortex of academic feuds and fake dating shenanigans in this delightfully STEMinist romcom from the New York Times bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis and Love on the Brain.

The many lives of theoretical physicist Elsie Hannaway have finally caught up with her. By day, she’s an adjunct professor, toiling away at grading labs and teaching thermodynamics in the hopes of landing tenure. By other day, Elsie makes up for her non-existent paycheck by offering her services as a fake girlfriend, tapping into her expertly honed people-pleasing skills to embody whichever version of herself the client needs.

Honestly, it’s a pretty sweet gig—until her carefully constructed Elsie-verse comes crashing down. Because Jack Smith, the annoyingly attractive and arrogant older brother of her favorite client, turns out to be the cold-hearted experimental physicist who ruined her mentor’s career and undermined the reputation of theorists everywhere. And he’s the same Jack Smith who rules over the physics department at MIT, standing right between Elsie and her dream job.

Elsie is prepared for an all-out war of scholarly sabotage but…those long, penetrating looks? Not having to be anything other than her true self when she’s with him? Will falling into an experimentalist’s orbit finally tempt her to put her most guarded theories on love into practice?

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If you like quick banter and fast, rambling inner thoughts – then this book is for you. Elsie is a genius yet has such an inferiority complex that it makes her quite the people pleaser. This in turn does her no favors in life. I loved her quick wit and laughed at some of her inner thoughts. However, her need to please seemed a bit extreme and not consistent with her level of intelligence. Her blindness to other’s treatment frustrated me, especially her mentor. Jack is also a physicist that at first came across as controlled and brooding. It didn’t take long to see he was a rather caring person and up to the task of pulling Elsie out of her self-imposed misery. The storyline was filled with a bit too much science and academia for me, but that is a personal opinion. I just seemed to get lost in it all and found myself skimming a few places that dragged. It is a verbally fast paced book, (If that makes sense), that had me smiling quite a few times.

*Review copy provided by Penguin in exchange for an honest review.

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Buy Links
Kindle | Paperback

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About the Author

Ali Hazelwood is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Love, Theoretically and The Love Hypothesis, as well as a writer of peer-reviewed articles about brain science, in which no one makes out and the ever after is not always happy. Originally from Italy, she lived in Germany and Japan before moving to the US to pursue a PhD in neuroscience. When Ali is not at work, she can be found running, eating cake pops, or watching sci-fi movies with her three feline overlords (and her slightly-less-feline husband).

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Review: MRS. NASH’S ASHES by Sarah Adler

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MRS. NASH’S ASHES by Sarah Adler

Publication Date: May 23, 2023

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Synopsis

IMG_5531A starry-eyed romantic, a cynical writer, and (the ashes of) an elderly woman take the road trip of a lifetime that just might upend everything they believe about true love.

Millicent Watts-Cohen is on a mission. When she promised her elderly best friend that she’d reunite her with the woman she fell in love with nearly eighty years ago, she never imagined that would mean traveling from D.C. to Key West with three tablespoons of Mrs. Nash’s remains in her backpack. But Millie’s determined to give her friend a symbolic happily-ever-after, before it’s (really) too late—and hopefully reassure herself of love’s lasting power in the process.

She just didn’t expect to have a living travel companion.

After a computer glitch grounds flights, Millie is forced to catch a ride with Hollis Hollenbeck, an also-stranded acquaintance from her ex’s MFA program. Hollis certainly does not believe in happily-ever-afters—symbolic or otherwise—and makes it quite clear that he can’t fathom Millie’s plan ending well for anyone.

But as they contend with peculiar bed-and-breakfasts, unusual small-town festivals, and deer with a death wish, Millie begins to suspect that her reluctant travel partner might enjoy her company more than he lets on. Because for someone who supposedly doesn’t share her views on romance, Hollis sure is becoming invested in the success of their journey. And the closer they get to their destination, the more Millie has to admit that maybe this trip isn’t just about Mrs. Nash’s love story after all—maybe it’s also about her own.

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I can’t believe this is Sarah Adler’s debut novel. I loved it! I’ll admit I wasn’t sure at first, but Millie was just too delightful not to fall in love with. Her quirky behavior never became stupid or forced on the page, it was just fun. Hollis was the perfect counterpoint to her. The author effortlessly portrayed his reluctant romantic hiding behind snippy behavior. It was a joy to watch their relationship blossom amid quick and witty banter. And my-oh-my, that romance turned nice and steamy.

Amid the storyline there were some flashbacks to Mrs. Nash’s life and love. Normally I do not like flashback scenes as they tend to pull me from the story. That being said – It was done effortlessly and blended perfectly into the story. I got two love stories in one. Overall, the book was a fun and emotional journey that will stay with me. Sarah Adler is now on my list of favorite authors.

*Review copy provided by Penguin in exchange for an honest review.

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Buy Links

Kindle | Paperback

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Sarah Adler writes romantic comedies about lovable weirdos finding their happily ever afters. She lives in Maryland with her husband and daughter and spends an inordinate amount of her time yelling at her mischievous cat to stop opening the kitchen cabinets. Mrs. Nash’s Ashes is her debut novel.

You can find her at sarahadlerwrites.com, or on Twitter (@sarahaadler) and Instagram (@sarahadlerwrites).

Review: SUMMER READING by Jenn McKinlay

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SUMMER READING by Jenn McKinlay

Publication Date: May 16, 2023

Genre: Contemporary Romance

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When a woman who’d rather do anything than read meets a swoon-worthy bookworm, sparks fly, making for one hot-summer fling in New York Times bestselling author Jenn McKinlay’s new rom-com.

For Samantha Gale, a summer on Martha’s Vineyard at her family’s tiny cottage was supposed to be about resurrecting her career as a chef, until she’s tasked with chaperoning her half-brother, Tyler. The teenage brainiac is spending his summer at the local library in a robotics competition, and there’s no place Sam, who has dyslexia, likes less than the library. And because the universe hates her, the library’s interim director turns out to be the hot-reader guy whose book she accidentally destroyed on the ferry ride to the island.

Bennett Reynolds is on a quest to find his father, whose identity he’s never known. He’s taken the temporary job on the island to research the summer his mother spent there when she got pregnant with him. Ben tells himself he isn’t interested in a relationship right now. Yet as soon as Sam knocks his book into the ocean, he can’t stop thinking about her.

An irresistible attraction blossoms when Ben inspires Sam to create the cookbook she’s always dreamed about and she jumps all in on helping him find his father, and soon they realize their summer fling may heat up into a happily ever after.

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This book turned out to be a delightful story. At first, I wasn’t sure about Sam, and it took a little bit for me to get to know her. The writing almost made her defined by her dyslexia and not who she was as a person. Her personality did come through after a bit, and I found that I liked and could relate to her. Ben was almost too good to be true, so his immediate attraction to her was confusing. It was a pleasure to read how their personalities came through and the relationship grew. I also loved watching Sam’s relationship with her brother evolve. That made me smile as much as the romance part of the book. I have to say that I think the book was a bit wordy, but the story is a true feel-good escape and nice introduction to Martha’s Vineyard. I do believe the next book will be about Sam’s Friend, Em. I liked her and look forward to what Ms. McKinlay has in store for her.

*Review copy provided by Penguin in exchange for an honest review.

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Jenn is the New York Times, USA Today, and Publisher’s Weekly bestselling author of several mystery and romantic comedy series. She lives in sunny Arizona in a house that is overrun with kids, pets, and her husband’s guitars.

Visit her website at: www.jennmckinlay.com

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