Book review: Together, Apart

 From Goodreads: A collection of original contemporary love stories set during life in lockdown by some of today's most popular YA authors.

Erin Craig "delivers" on a story about a new girl in town and the cute pizza delivery boy, Auriane Desombre captures our hearts with teens communicating through window signs, and Bill Konigsberg takes us along on daily walks with every step bringing us closer to love. There's flirting and romance from Rachael Lippincott, a tale of a determined girl with a mask-making business from Erin Hahn, and a music-inspired love connection from Sajni Patel. Brittney Morris turns enemies to lovers with the help of a balcony herb garden, Jennifer Yen writes an unconventional romance that starts outside a hospital, and Natasha Preston's teens discover each other--and their love story--in a storybook oak tree.

Romantic, realistic, sweet and uplifting, TOGETHER, APART is a collection of finding love in unexpected places during an unprecedented time . . . each with the one thing we all want: a guaranteed happy ending.

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My Thoughts:

This book was exactly the fun, lovely, delightful thing we need after so many months in a pandemic and no end in sight. These stories flow together so well and make the perfect collection. I found myself grinning from ear to ear from start to finish. I love how the book bookends with the stories by the Erins, they are honestly the perfect stories to start and end this collection.

This book would make the perfect holiday, or anytime, gift for yourself or someone you love. Maybe even throw in a cute matching mask.

I received a review copy from Netgalley but all opinions are my own.

Book Review - The Twelve Dogs of Christmas

 From Goodreads: A delightful holiday romance about a small-town single dad and an animal rescue owner as they try to find forever homes for a dozen lovable pups before Christmas.

Pine Hollow has everything Ally Gilmore could wish for in a holiday break: gently falling snow in a charming small town and time with her family. Then she learns some Grinch has pulled the funding for her family's rescue shelter, and now she has only four weeks to find new homes for a dozen dogs! But when she confronts her Scroogey councilman nemesis, Ally finds he's far more reasonable -- and handsome -- than she ever expected.


As the guardian of his dog-obsessed ten-year-old niece, Ben West doesn't have time to build a cuddly reputation. But he does feel guilty about the shelter closing. So he proposes a truce with Ally, agreeing to help her adopt out the pups. As the two spend more time together, the town's gossip is spreading faster than Santa's sleigh on Christmas Eve. And soon Ben is hoping he can convince Ally that Pine Hollow is her home for the holidays. . . and the whole year through.

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My Thoughts: This book is what it would be like if Gilmore Girls and a Hallmark Christmas movie got together and had a batch of puppies. This is the sweetest, cutest, more festive book I've read in a while. It's just perfection!

Ben and Ally are both great characters. They're written with warmth, understanding, and the perfect mix of being well-developed from the beginning but also having room to grow as they get to know each other and learn a few things about themselves. I was genuinely rooting for them as a couple and as individuals from the beginning. I just wanted them to be happy!

The other characters in Ben and Ally's lives and in town are fantastic too. I adored Astrid and Deenie and Elinor. They're all so fun! I'm really hoping we see more Deenie soon! Ally's grandparents are also fantastic and are written as such loving and caring people.

And the dogs! They may be the best part of the book! Lizzie did such a great job writing about all the dogs, giving them their own personalities and fun quirks and really showing how the humans loved them and how dogs can bring people together.

This book is an instant holiday romance classic for me. I can definitely see this being one I return to next Christmas, and I'm sure I'll love it just as much then!

The Twelve Dogs of Christmas comes out September 29th!

I received a review copy from the publisher but all opinions are my own.

Book Review - More Than Maybe

From Goodreads: Growing up under his punk rocker dad's spotlight, eighteen-year-old Luke Greenly knows fame and wants nothing to do with it. His real love isn't in front of a crowd, it's on the page. Hiding his gift and secretly hoarding songs in his bedroom at night, he prefers the anonymous comfort of the locally popular podcast he co-hosts with his outgoing and meddling, far-too-jealousy-inspiringly-happy-with-his-long-term-boyfriend twin brother, Cullen. But that’s not Luke’s only secret. He also has a major un-requited crush on music blogger, Vada Carsewell.

Vada's got a five year plan: secure a job at the Loud Lizard to learn from local legend (and her mom's boyfriend) Phil Josephs (check), take over Phil's music blog (double check), get accepted into Berkeley's prestigious music journalism program (check, check, check), manage Ann Arbor's summer concert series and secure a Rolling Stone internship. Luke Greenly is most definitely NOT on the list. So what if his self-deprecating charm and out-of-this-world music knowledge makes her dizzy? Or his brother just released a bootleg recording of Luke singing about some mystery girl on their podcast and she really, really wishes it was her?

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My Thoughts: Oh Erin Hahn, how do you capture music loving teens so well? I adored You'd Be Mine and was looking forward to More Than Maybe from the moment I heard the synopsis. It did not disappoint!

Vada and Luke are such perfectly written characters. They're complex but realistic, driven but still insecure, they feel real but still like characters you can aspire to. They're surrounded by side characters you genuinely end up caring about and spend so much time in a place I want to be. Someone take me to the Loud Lizard now!

Basically what I'm saying is this, if you love fun, real, authentic characters who love music, their people, and the dreams they've made for the future then this book is for you. Order it now and thank me later.

I received a review copy from the publisher but all thoughts are my own.

Book Review - Sunshine on Silver Lake

From Goodreads: Welcome back to Sweetwater Springs, North Carolina for a heartwarming second-chance romance between a quirky café owner and a handsome park ranger.

With summer just around the corner, Emma St. James is eagerly planning a 5K run at Sweetwater Springs National Park. But first she needs the help of one charming, rugged, and handsome park ranger. Her brief high school romance with Jack Hershey may have ended in heartbreak, but Emma can't deny that he still gives her butterflies. So when Jack responds to her request with an all-too-tempting plea to pretend to be his girlfriend for the summer, how can she say no?


Jack would do anything for his sister -- even pretend to give up his bachelor life to care for his nephew. Passing his days with his high school sweetheart guarantees one long, hot summer -- but only because every moment together leaves him wanting a real relationship. He can't imagine spending another season without Emma by his side. Can he convince her to give their love a second chance before the summer draws to a close?

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My Thoughts: It's so great to be back in Sweetwater Springs! Annie Rains has created such an amazing little town, filled with amazing characters you can't help but love. It was so great to get to dive deeper into Emma's life after seeing her as a supporting character in the other books in this series. It's nice to have a little bit of an idea of who someone is and then get to see them open up and show you their whole story. And it was fantastic getting to meet Jack and learn about the history between these two and get to watch them try to figure out how they wanted to navigate having each other in their lives while figuring out all of the other details of their lives.

Annie has another lovely, fun, sweet hit on her hands with this one!

I received a review copy from the publisher but all opinions are my own. 

Book Review - Crushing It

From Goodreads: "Relatable, funny, and charming."
--Elly Blake, New York Times bestselling author of Frostblood

In life, as in gaming, there's a way around every obstacle . . .

To pitch her new role-playing game at a European conference, developer Sierra Reid needs to overcome her terror of public speaking. What better practice than competing in a local bar's diary slam, regaling an audience with old journal entries about her completely humiliating college crush on gorgeous Tristan Spencer?

Until the moderator says, "Next up, Tristan Spencer . . ."

Sierra is mortified, but Tristan is flattered. Caught up in memories of her decade-old obsession as they reconnect, Sierra tries to dismiss her growing qualms about him. But it's not so easy to ignore her deepening friendship with Alfie, the cute, supportive bar owner. She and Alfie were college classmates too, and little by little, Sierra is starting to wonder if she's been focusing her moves on the wrong target all along, misreading every player's motivations.

Maybe the only winning strategy is to start playing by her heart . . .

My Thoughts: I'm so glad this book exists. It's so nice to have a female main character who has an interest outside what most female characters are into and to see her own it and it never be called into question by her friends and family. It's also nice to have a lead who embraces her quirky tendencies through her appearance and dress and to watch her really own that is so fun.

All of these characters are so well-written and detailed. They all just seem like a group you'd love to hang out with, preferably at the local bar. The settings were so well done I was easily able to picture where everyone was hanging out and and spending their days.

Sierra and Alfie and Aida and all of the others are just so terrifically written. I really enjoyed this story and that it didn't have a super obvious story arc. I was genuinely happy with where everyone ended up.

I received a review copy from NetGalley but all thoughts and opinions are my own. 

Check out the book on Goodreads -  https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48992395-crushing-it 

Purchase a copy today:

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3g2Y8SF

B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/crushing-it-lorelei-parker/1132868193

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/crushing-it-8

 

About Lorelei -

Bouncing all over the north throughout her childhood, Lorelei Parker grew up believing she was a Yankee. However, raised by transplanted Alabamans, she was destined to eventually wind up in the south. After graduating from Auburn University, she disappointed her entire family by defecting to SEC rival University of Florida and eventually settled as far north as central Virginia for grad school in French literature. After a major career shift and a brief detour through New York City, she now works as a computer programmer in Charlottesville. In her free time, when she isn't playing video games, she writes contemporary romantic comedy.

Author links:

https://www.facebook.com/loreleiparkerauthor/

https://twitter.com/loreleimparker

https://www.instagram.com/loreleimparker/

http://loreleiparker.com/

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19772668.Lorelei_Parker

Book Review - The Boyfriend Project

From Goodreads: Samiah Brooks never thought she would be "that" girl. But a live tweet of a horrific date just revealed the painful truth: she's been catfished by a three-timing jerk of a boyfriend. Suddenly Samiah — along with his two other "girlfriends," London and Taylor — have gone viral online. Now the three new besties are making a pact to spend the next six months investing in themselves. No men, no dating, and no worrying about their relationship status...

For once Samiah is putting herself first, and that includes finally developing the app she's always dreamed of creating. Which is the exact moment she meets the deliciously sexy, honey-eyed Daniel Collins at work. What are the chances? When it comes to love, there's no such thing as a coincidence. But is Daniel really boyfriend material or is he maybe just a little too good to be true?

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My Thoughts:  This book is absolutely delightful. Samiah and Daniel are amazing main characters. They have fantastic back stories, they're well-developed, interesting, and fun. I loved following their story and seeing how they handled everything, both together and how they worked through their growth on their own. These are the main characters we need more of!

I loved this book from the very start. I don't know how you couldn't with such a fantastic opening. And getting to meet London and Taylor so early on is perfect, it really sets everything up for Samiah and her progression throughout the book, since these two characters give her so much support and encouragement along the way. They really are squad goals.

I completely recommend picking this up ASAP. You are for sure going to want to know what all the hype is about - and you'll be happy to see for yourself that this completely lives up to the hype!

I received a copy of this book from Read Forever Pub and NetGalley but all opinions are my own.

Book Review - Summer on Honeysuckle Ridge

From Goodreads: Sparks fly between an L.A. career woman and a former Army Ranger in this delightful enemies-to-lovers romance from the USA Today bestselling queen of small-town love stories.

Welcome to Highland Falls, a small town where love is always in the air.

In just a few months Abby Everhart has gone from being a top LA media influencer to an unemployed divorcée living out of her car. So inheriting her great-aunt’s homestead comes at the perfect time. Abby heads to Highland Falls, North Carolina, to spruce up Honeysuckle Farm before putting it on the market for some much-needed cash. But instead of finding a charming getaway, she discovers a serious fixer-upper, complete with a leaky roof, overgrown yard, and a reclusive — albeit sexy — man living on the property.

Ex-Delta Force soldier Hunter MacKenzie has faced war and loss, but nothing has quite prepared him for an outgoing redhead who’s determined to turn his life upside down. Hunter doesn’t want to get involved with anyone, especially a city girl who plans to sell the only place he’s ever felt at home. But the sparks between them are undeniable. Spending time with Abby is easy. Convincing her to stay for good is another matter entirely.

From Goodreads

My Thoughts: I have to be honest: I didn't love Abby right away. My original impression was that she was yet another damsel in distress who is in over her head and has to be rescued. But the upside to this impression is that I got to know her alongside Hunter....and that was a lot of fun. It turns out Abby is an incredibly complex, deep character who just tries to project a certain image, which often ends up coming back to bite her....sometimes literally.

And Abby needs to be complex, because Hunter is a whole lot of layers and complexities, wrapped up in one handsome, rugged package. I immediately liked Hunter, I think it's because we get such a good look at him and his inner struggles right off the bat. He is a fantastic character, and he only gets better as you learn more about him.

Highland Falls is such a great setting. It's described so beautifully that you just want to go visit so you can take in the beauty and visit all of the wonderful businesses. And it's full of fantastic side characters who really help Abby and Hunter and really help move the story line along.

Summer on Honeysuckle Ridge is a fantastic summer read. I totally recommend it.

I received a review copy from Netgalley, but all opinions are my own.