G. Bianco, 2019
 Get ready to fall in love with a new series by beloved historical romance author, Amelia Grey. Set to come out on March 28th, Yours Truly, The Duke is the first book in the Say I Do Series and if you love marriage of convenience with adorable kids, then you’re going to love this one! Fredericka Hale needs a husband, and fast. She’s been caring for her deceased sister’s three young children, and now a childless cousin has petitioned the court for custody. Fredericka is powerless to stop her, but having a husband might sway the ruling. The last thing Fredericka wants is a hurried-up marriage to a man she doesn’t know—much less love, but she’ll do it for the children. So when the handsome Duke of Wyatthaven shows up with a proposal, she accepts. He'll help her, and in return, they’ll lead separate lives. But distance cannot keep them from their powerful attraction. At the top of his game in London, the Duke of Wyatthaven has no interest in marriage. However, if Wyatt doesn’t marry by week’s end, he’ll lose a sizable inheritance from his grandmother. When Wyatt’s solicitor finds Miss Fredericka Hale, Wyatt considers this little hiccup solved. Miss Hale is lovely, and intelligent. Most importantly, she prefers country life to London, so he’s free to continue his life as usual. But when circumstances force Fredericka and the children to show up at the duke’s door, Wyatt can’t deny he’s always been under her spell. Will the duke give up his bachelor lifestyle and give into the fiery passion growing between them? This might be one of my favorite historical romance reads ever! I adored the new family element in this book and the way Fredericka and Wyatt realize their feelings for one another. The marriage-of-convenience trope was so well-written in this book and I loved the way two people living their separate lives grew to change their lifestyles a bit to open up and accept the other. The children in this book were fabulous characters as well and the topics such as childhood custody, grieving family members, and dealing with past ghosts and trauma were all present and interwoven perfectly into the story. While this book is on the mild side of steamy, we do get some action that would make any London Lady fan themselves. Overall, I adored this series and cannot wait to read the rest of this series when it comes out and explore some of Grey’s backlist! *I received an ARC from St. Martin’s Press in exchange for my honest opinion. 
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 Get ready to get bit by the travel bug while reading Trish Doller’s newest novel Off the Map, which comes out on March 7th. Centered around an adventurous main character and a love interest looking for a change in his life, readers will not really learn that it’s about the journey and not the destination. Carla Black’s life motto is “here for a good time, not for a long time.” She’s been traveling the world on her own in her vintage Jeep Wrangler for nearly a decade, stopping only long enough to replenish her adventure fund. She doesn’t do love and she doesn’t ever go home. Eamon Sullivan is a modern-day cartographer who creates digital maps. His work helps people find their way, but he’s the one who’s lost his sense of direction. He’s unhappy at work, recently dumped, and his one big dream is stalled out—literally. Fate throws them together when Carla arrives in Dublin for her best friend’s wedding and Eamon is tasked with picking her up from the airport. But what should be a simple drive across Ireland quickly becomes complicated with chemistry-filled detours, unexpected feelings, and a chance at love - if only they choose it. At first, I thought this book would be just a fun adventure romcom with a few steamy scenes, but this book turned out to be so much more. While Carla and Eamon are an adorable couple that have an insta-love relationship, this book is more about Carla and how her lifestyle and upbringing make her who she is and what she wants her future to look like. And despite the insta-love factor, Carla and Eamon do go on a journey in discovering more about themselves through their love for one another. Aside from the romantic love, Carla’s love of travel and her relationship with her father, Biggie, also play a big part in this novel and are so heartwarming to read about. Doller highlighting not just romantic love, but also familial and self-love just adds an extra layer of depth to the plot. Plus seeing cameos of Anna and Keane (from her first book Float Plan) was super fun to see! This book will not only serve as a fun romance read, but will also remind you that life is what you make of it and that connections and memories can be found anywhere in the world. *I received an ARC from St. Martin’s Press in exchange for my honest opinion.  If you’re looking for a good new adult hockey romance then look no further!! Thursday, February 23rd marks publication day for Freezing the Puck by Lasariona McMaster and it is the sports romance you’re gonna fall in love with! Justin thought he’d left his past in Minnesota when he moved to Iowa to play for the Cedar Rapids Raccoons. On the ice, he’s a pro at blocking shots, but Savannah Bowen has slipped behind all his defenses and made a home in his heart. He has no intention of revisiting the past, but when she’s damn near everywhere he goes, he’s a goner. For Savannah, it doesn’t matter that Justin Ashe is seven feet tall and sexy as sin, or that she’s had a crush on him for years. He cheated on her best friend in high school, and that makes him off limits. She can’t be with him, but damn, it’s impossible to stay away from him. He’s supposed to be her enemy, but the more she sees of him, the blurrier the lines get. Lasairiona McMasters starts her new series off on a high note! This hockey romance is deliciously steamy, but also super sweet. Savannah and Justin both have rocky pasts and with Savannah’s preconceived notions about Justin, their romance seems unlikely in the beginning. However, the predictability of a good romcom comes through and watching these two learn about each other, fall in love, and rely on one another through tough times is so endearing. Add in main characters who both love steamy romance books and sexy hockey players galore, there’s not much to hate about this book! If you want a good sports romance series to get into, then this is the book for you! I cannot wait for McMaster to continue this new series and to meet the rest of the Cedar Rapids Raccoons! *I received an ARC from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.   From the author of the bestselling Getting His Game Back comes a new romcom that mixes politics and romance. On February 7th, dive into Gia de Cadanet’s Romeo and Juliet-esque style book Not the Plan. After nearly a decade of experience in state politics, Isadora Maris is damn good at her job. Aggressive lobbyists and stonewalling senators are no match for her diplomacy and her unflappable commitment to her principles. If all goes according to her meticulous plan, she’ll soon be managing her boss’s successful campaign for U.S. representative and finally land her dream role: congressional aide in Washington, D.C., where she can really make a difference. But Isadora’s cool professionalism is knocked off-kilter when she meets Karim Sarda. Karim is gorgeous and brilliant and seems to share many of her ideals. So why is he working for the California senate’s most detestable scumbag? Given their bosses’ fierce political rivalry, Isadora finds she can’t risk tarnishing her reputation by flirting with the enemy, and she’s been betrayed enough times to want to keep people at a distance. So she deems Karim off-limits—no matter how flustered she feels whenever he enters the room. Karim knows that struggle all too well: Still processing the wounds from his failed marriage, he’s ready for a fresh start. But Karim can’t hide his attraction to Isadora’s commanding presence. Her strength is captivating, even as he recognizes something fragile beneath its surface. When Karim and Isadora succumb to their undeniable chemistry, their initial desire blossoms into something more—something real. But if Karim’s boss takes control of the California senate, everything Isadora worked for could be destroyed. Will workplace politics shatter their chance at love? I really liked the way this book explored dealing with toxic people in your life and how there are different forms of PTSD and mental illnesses out there. Similar to her previous book, de Cadenet wasn’t afraid to tackle the tough subjects. On top of some heavier topics, Isadora and Karim were an amazing pairing to watch grow into their relationship and learn to trust and love themselves through their love for one another. Their romance (and their steamy scenes) were amazing and any romance lover will fall in love with this career-driven couple. If you like workplace romances with Romeo and Juliet vibes (just with a Happily Ever After) then I definitely recommend this book! *I received an ARC from Random House in exchange for my honest opinion.  DNF @ 33% Fallon Monroe, mother of one, self-help book junkie, and budding chocolatier, has always relied on her mom friends in the Chicago suburbs to get her through the trials of adulthood. So when her bestie Beatrice inexplicably starts ghosting her and takes all their mutual friends with her, Fallon’s left wondering how everything went so wrong. Pushing down a lifetime of insecurities, Fallon doubles down and decides to win them back. First, she hosts an epic Mexican fiesta that goes epically wrong. Then she joins a friendship app but discovers a disturbing secret about one of her new friends. Just when she’s about to throw in the towel on the whole friendship mess, Fallon reads a recently unearthed letter she’d refused to deal with decades earlier—and reading it forces her to finally face the deep-seated fears she’d desperately tried to bury. Now, looking at her friendships through fresh eyes, she must decide between hanging on and letting go. The only positive thing about this book, which comes out on February 7th, was that the chapters flew by quickly, but I just didn’t have the patience to read about a 39 year old hot mess of a mom that is desperate to stay friends with her toxic mom friend. I live my own life by the philosophy that if someone doesn’t want to be friends with me, then I don’t want to be friends with them. Therefore, I could not understand why Fallon would try so hard to kiss Beatrice’s butt when she was being so outwardly rude to her after so many years of friendship. I also hate miscommunication and that’s basically the theme of this entire book. My main thought was “If I have to read this whole book where she's just going to desperately try and keep this woman as a friend then I'm gonna tap out.” So I did. However, I think the main contributing factor to my not liking this book is that I'm not a mom nor am I in my late 30s/early 40s so Fallon wasn’t really relatable to me. I really couldn’t understand her motivations and some of the little plot points that were probably supposed to be funny were actually cringey and juvenile. While this book might appeal to some people, the portion of the book I did read was not for me. *I received an ARC from Crooked Lane Books/Alcove Press in exchange for my honest opinion.   In her debut novel, So, This Is Christmas, readers fell in love with Finley and Arthur, but what happens once Christmas break ends? In Tracy Andreen’s sequel, So, This Is Love, we see this new couple navigate their new relationship, as well as high school drama, during the most romantic time of year. Finley and Arthur are back at boarding school and neither quite knows where the other stands--are they a couple? Are they not a couple? What does one magical Christmas Eve kiss in Oklahoma mean for their relationship status? This confusion isn't helped by the re-entry of old enemies into their school lives, especially ones that may or may not be crushing on Arthur. Finley is at a loss when navigating the complexities of her new (maybe) relationship, which could very well turn into love. . . if she doesn't blow it. Just like its predecessor, this book was adorable! This YA romance novel follows Finley and Arthur after they return to school from Christmas Break and how they navigate their new feelings for one another. I was at first surprised to hear that this sequel was coming out, but I’m ultimately so glad it did that I have my fingers crossed that a third book might be in the works! It was everyone you could want from a coming of age novel: romance, high school drama, new friendships, and forging your own path in life. Plus this book is set around Valentine’s Day which is just adorable! So I definitely recommend adding this book to your 2023 TBR (in case you didn't get to squeeze it in at the end of 2022 since it came out on December 20th)! *I received an ARC from Penguin Teen in exchange for my honest opinion.  Bestselling author Kate Clayborn returns to the romance scene with her newest novel, Georgie, All Along, which came out yesterday (January 24th)! Clayborn shows readers that sometimes living in the present is all that matters and how finding love can be the best unplanned chapter of life. Longtime personal assistant Georgie Mulcahy has made a career out of putting others before herself. When an unexpected upheaval sends her away from her hectic job in L.A. and back to her hometown, Georgie must confront an uncomfortable truth: her own wants and needs have always been a disconcertingly blank page. But then Georgie comes across a “friendfic” diary she wrote as a teenager, filled with possibilities she once imagined. To an overwhelmed Georgie, the diary’s simple, small-scale ideas are a lifeline—a guidebook for getting started on a new path. But Georgie’s plans hit a snag when she comes face to face with an unexpected roommate—Levi Fanning, onetime town troublemaker and current town hermit. But this quiet, grouchy man is more than just his reputation, and he offers to help Georgie with her quest. As the two make their way through her wishlist, Georgie begins to realize that what she truly wants might not be in the pages of her diary after all, but right by her side—if only they can both find a way to let go of the pasts that hold them back. This book was good, but not amazing… I found the premise to be cute, but the execution just wasn’t there in the beginning. Georgie seemed too childish and insecure and Levi was too brooding for my liking. The plot and romance was simultaneously dragged out, yet abrupt, and I wasn’t really too invested in the characters. Eventually, I got to the end of the book and enjoyed the way the story wrapped up, but getting there just took a bit too much for me. Overall, it’s a pretty good story and the messages about being yourself and not having to prove yourself or seek validation from others are great, it’s not my favorite romance, nor my favorite Kate Clayborn novel. *I received an ARC from Kensington Books in exchange for my honest opinion.   Even though One Duke Down by Anna Bennett doesn’t come out until tomorrow (January 24th), I’m gonna talk about it now because it deserves all the hype! This second book in Bennett’s Rogues to Lovers Series just proves how deliciously fun historical romance novels can be! Poppy Summers is determined to keep her family’s fishing business afloat. Her poor widowed father is ill and her brother has moved to London, leaving her little time to pursue her own dreams. But she’ll do anything for her family. So, the last thing Poppy expects or wants to find tangled in her fishing nets is a dangerously attractive man. Andrew Keane, the Duke of Hawking, came to the seaside resort of Bellehaven Bay to escape his life in London. Unfortunately, someone in Bellehaven wants to kill him―and he intends to find out who. He asks Poppy to tend to his injuries and hide him, reasoning it will be easier to find his attacker if they assume Keane is dead. She wants no part of the scheme but can’t refuse the generous sum he offers in exchange. As they work together to solve the puzzle of his would-be murderer, they form an attachment. Though Poppy’s past gives her every reason to mistrust someone like Keane, the seawalls around her heart crumble in the storm of their passion. But when clues hint at the prime suspect in Keane’s attempted murder, Poppy must decide where her loyalties lie. I adored this book (which shouldn’t be too much of a surprise since we all know I’m a sucker for a hot duke)! Just like the previous book in this series (Girls Before Earls), this small town historical romance was so well written and very engaging. Poppy and Keane were both such amazing characters and their romance was so easy to fall in love with! This book had a bit more adventure and action which made the plot even more binge-worthy. But add in an adorable romance with some steamy scenes and tender-hearted romance and you have a recipe for a fabulous story! Fans of Bridgerton will fall in love with this book and I sincerely hope we get a third book in this series! *I received an ARC from St. Martin’s Press in exchange for my honest opinion.  Mark your calendars for Tuesday, January 24th, because that’s when Make A Wish by Helena Hunting (aka the last book in the Spark House Series) comes out and it is the adorable and heartwarming romance that you need to read right now! Ever have a defining life moment you wish you could do over? Harley Spark has one. The time she almost kissed the widowed father of the toddler she nannied for. It was so bad they moved across the state and she never saw them again. Fast forward seven years and she’s totally over it. At least she thinks she is. Until Gavin Rhodes and his adorable now nine-year-old daughter, Peyton, reappear at a princess-themed birthday party hosted by Spark House, Harley’s family’s event hotel. Despite trying to avoid the awkwardness of the situation, she can’t help but notice how unbearably sexy he looks in a tutu. Except Gavin seems oblivious to her inner turmoil. So much so that he suggests they get together for lunch. For Peyton’s sake, of course. It’s the perfect opportunity to heal old wounds. Or it could just reopen them. This is one of those times Harley wishes she could see the future… I think this was my favorite book of the series! Warning: the waterworks will be flowing while reading this book. Peyton is just too sweet and adorable of a character and the bittersweet tragedy that brings Harley and Gavin together is definitely tear-jerking at times. But overall, this book is a great single parent age-gap romance that kind of borders on being a second-chance romance also. Plus the cameos of the rest of the Spark family is really fun to read about. However, this book would be just as enjoyable if you didn’t read the first two books. I’m sad to see the Spark Sisters’ stories end, but this age gap/single dad/second-chance romance is such a great conclusion to this series! I highly recommend checking it out as a standalone or as the end of a trilogy. *I received an ARC from St. Martin's Press in exchange for my honest opinion.  Sophie Sullivan’s newest book, and the last book in The Jansen Brothers Series, comes out on January 17th and the title pretty much sums up what the book is about! A Guide To Being Just Friends showcases the epitome of the friends-to-lovers trope and how trust and friendship can lead to something more. Hailey Sharp has a one-track mind. Get By the Cup salad shop off the ground. Do literally everything possible to make it a success. Repeat. With a head full of entrepreneurial ideas and a bad ex in her rearview, her one and only focus is living life the way she wants to. No distractions. Wes Jansen never did understand the fuss about relationships. With a string of lackluster first dates and the pain from his parents’ angry divorce following him around, he’d much rather find someone who he likes, but won’t love. Companionship, not passion, is the name of the game. When Hailey and Wes find each other in a disastrous meet cute that wasn’t even intended for them, they embarrassingly go their separate ways. But when Wes finds Hailey to apologize for his behavior, they strike up a friendship. Because that’s all this can be. Hailey doesn’t want any distractions. Wes doesn’t want to fall in love. What could possibly go wrong? This book was a cute read and friends-to-lovers romances are always adorable if you ask me. That being said, I kind of felt like the romance got dragged out a bit too long (too many descriptions of salads maybe?) and the third act break up was a bit abrupt in my opinion. However, I still enjoyed this book. I just think I liked the previous one better! Besides that, Hailey’s determination to be successful in her small business and Wes’s drive to be impactful in his community were both fun journeys to read about. I just wish they would’ve accepted their feelings for one another a little sooner! If you liked closed door romances, then this is a good book to read, but it wasn’t my favorite of the series. *I received an ARC from St. Martin’s Press in exchange for my honest opinion. |
AuthorHi! My name is Elisa and my bookshelf is quite literally overflowing! Join me in my journey of reading as many books as humanly possible! Archives
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