Tag Archives: contemporary

Jan1

When Stars Collide by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

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When Stars Collide by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

Phillips. Susan Elizabeth. When Stars Collide (Chicago Stars #9). William Morrow/Custom House, 2021. ISBN 9780062973085

***

Opera superstar Olivia Shore and Heisman trophy winner Thad Owens are catapulted together on a marketing tour as brand ambassadors for luxury watch Marchand Timepieces: a month-long itinerary of radio interviews, dinners with account executives, photo shoots and press conferences culminating in a gala event. He perceives her as a stuck-up diva, which she thinks he’s an animalistic jock. Both are style icons and trendsetters, and have the skill to speak in sound bites and insert commercials for a product smoothly into any conversation about their respective careers. Olivia’s disdain and discomfort around Thad is based on a false accusation from early in his career. When she gets the story straight and tries to apologize, Thad is slow to accept and takes a little delight in dragging her out to a dive bar, when the paparazzi snaps a photo and starts a dating rumor. A grudging respect emerges, then friendship, with attraction simmering underneath all the while. There is more to Olivia than meets the eye; she has a stalker of some kind, and unraveling this mystery and keeping her safe becomes Thad’s welcome responsibility.

I didn’t find the characters highly relatable at first, but they became more and more complex and interesting as the story spun out. I’m not generally a fan of suspense, but the high drama worked with the personalities at play. I did enjoy the details of high society lifestyle; food, fashion, and travel; the sports allusions; the vocal instruction and opera details.

I received a free advance reader’s review copy of #WhenStarsCollide from #NetGalley.

Jan1

It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey

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It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey

Tessa Bailey. It Happened One Summer (Bellinger Sisters, #1). Avon/Harper Voyager, 2021. ISBN 9780063045651 $15.99.

****
I have to confess, I was fresh off binge-watching Schitt’s Creek when I read this description for this book, which sounded a little like Alexis’s situation: an influencer socialite has everything, loses it, and has to rediscover herself and her values. Freshly dumped and accused of being vapid, Piper breaks into a hotel’s rooftop pool for an after-hours party with 200 of her closest acquaintances and followers. Her sister breaks her out of jail, but at home she has to face the wrath of her wealthy step-father, who cuts her off and sends her to her parents’ small port town to run their late father’s dive bar. Sunshiney socialite Piper is a fish out of water…but finds her calling with ideas to improve the No Name bar, falling for a local grumpy crab fisherman during the process. There is real character growth, soul-searching, and relationship building with the local community, the grandmother she didn’t realize she had, and stronger bonds forged with her younger sister Hannah as well.

Bailey writes funny, steamy romps with real heart. There is a strong sense of place, supporting characters are fully fleshed out personalities, and the sex is spicy. Chapters are from the point of view of both Brendan and Piper, and we also get to see Hannah’s burgeoning friendship with skipper Fox. She gets her own dreams–and own man–in the excellent sequel Hook, Line and Sinker.

I received a free advance reader’s review copy of #ItHappenedOneSummer from #NetGalley.

Dec26

The Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston

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The Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston

Poston, Ashley. The Dead Romantics. Berkley, 2022. 368 pp. ISBN 9780593336489 $17.00

*****

Ghost writer Florence is beyond deadline for the last of four contracted books, and has a new editor to content with; she has to explain to Benji Andor that she cannot write a romance novel when she no longer believes in romance. Her ex, also a writer, horribly betrayed her by taking stories she told him and loosely fictionalizing them into his next bestseller-and she’s getting zero credit. The stories are about the ghosts she sees. Like her father, a mortician, they appear and often want her help, though she’s mostly been ignoring them since leaving home. The new editor shows up at an open mic night, and so does Florence’s ex–and she kisses Benji, then abandons him when she get a call from home to come home–her father has died. Imagine her surprise when Benjo shows up the next day at her door at the Day family funeral home: as a ghost.

There is so much to love about this delightful novel, and it’s one of the best books I read this year. I don’t want to give away the brilliant plot twists. My favorite books balance angst, awkwardness, and the stars aligning. The Dead Romantics has all that and is gothy and still sweet, atmospheric, and unique. It’s about coming home, resolving relationships, and finding love.

I received a free advance reader’s review copy of #TheDeadRomantics from #NetGalley, and loved it so much I bought my own copy which I made my kids wrap up and put under our Christmas tree (happy Hanukkah/Merry Christmas to me!).

Oct16

A Merry Little Meet Cute by Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone

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A Merry Little Meet Cute by Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone

Murphy, Julie and Sierra Simone. A Merry Little Meet Cute. Avon, 2022. 432 pp. ISBN 978-0063222571. $21.99

*****

When plus-sized adult film star Bianca von Honey and former bad-boy Nolan Shaw, a boy band member turned actor, get cast opposite one another in a Hallmark movie-esque time travel rom com, she’s under orders to not reveal her porn industry connection, and he’s under orders to maintain a squeaky-clean image for rebranding. Bee keeps her composure when she meets the fantasy-inspiring man whose photos are still taped all over the walls and ceiling of her childhood bedroom, and Nolan pretends not to recognize Bee as the alt-porn star who has been not only feeding his spank bank for three years, but hides his super-fan top-tier support of her members-only ClosedDoor (think OnlyFans) account. The chemistry seems to be there, but she thinks the funny look on his face when they meet is because he thinks she’s fat (he doesn’t).

No one except Bee knows Teddy Ray Fletcher, producer of the film under the newly minted Fletcher Productions, is also Uncle Ray Ray, budget porn mogul. Due to an unfortunate accident that takes out several original crew members, Teddy substitutes behind the scenes crew members gleaned from the adult film industry for hair, wardrobe, and gaffer. Mums the word, because no one can know the streams have been crossed, or the family-friendly Hope network will drop the Duke the Halls project and Teddy will be out a lot of much needed cash.

BrillIantly plotted, inclusive, diverse, sweet and raunchy, the narrative is fucking hilarious and full of quick comebacks, racy references, cultural allusions and laugh-out-loud funny moments. It’s entirely likely authors Murphy and Simone alternated the chapters as Bee and Nolan, but the voices and narrative, while different, are cohesive. I have sense that Murphy brings along the YA drama and angsty, pop culture allusions and movie-making know how, while Simone adds in the romance and historical aspects to create a really seamless whole; when Bee and Nolan are arguing over which BBQ reigns supreme (Texas or Kansas), the authors might be making their own preferences known, but it works.

Characters were multifaceted and diverse in background, ethnicity and sexuality, all normalized and embraced. Most of the Christmas romances I read exist in a vacuum of other religions and cultures not existing, but A Merry Little Meet cute references multiple Jewish-adjacent characters, which was refreshing and affirming. This holiday romance novel also deals positively with mental illness, sex work and slut-shaming, body positivity and fat shaming and feminism.

I received a free advance reader’s review copy of #MerryLittleMeetCute from #NetGalley.

Oct10

Do I Know You? by Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka

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Do I Know You? by Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka

Wibberley, Emily and Austin Siegemund-Broka. Do I Know You? Berkley, 2023. 352 pp. ISBN 9780593201954 $17.00

***

Is it a second chance romance when the couple is question is already married and still together? After five years, Graham is withdrawing and vibrant Eliza, an audiobook narrator, isn’t sure why. When his parents gift them a second honeymoon getaway at a romantic resort that is also hosting a dating seminar the same weekend, Eliza books her own room to get a little space. Assumed single and introduced to one another at the bar by another well-meaning stranger, the two decide to take on a little role-playing in the hopes of rekindling their romance.

My initial thought was that there might be some sexy pretend-to-go-home with a stranger games, but authors Wibberley and Siegemund-Broka do not take the easy way out in this angsty tale of longing. Told in alternating points of view, we learn of Eliza and Graham’s insecurities, hurts and baggage as they fake date, reconcile and try to heal their marriage. The writing is deep and introspective and the resolution satisfying, but I didn’t like it as much as The Roughest Draft, which knocked the narrative, plot, pacing, sexual tension and characterizations out of the park.

I received a free advance reader’s review copy of #DoIKnowYou from #NetGalley.

Sep26

Kiss Her Once for Me by Alison Cochrun

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Kiss Her Once for Me by Alison Cochrun

Cochrun, Alison. Kiss Her Once for Me. 368 pp. Atria Books, 2022. ISBN 978-1982191139 $17.99

*****

I feel the same about LGBTQIA+ romance as I do about science fiction novels: as long as the plot is engaging, the setting is strong, the characters compelling (and their names pronounceable), I’m in, even though I don’t self-identify as a science fiction fanatic or queer. I selected this from NetGalley’s offerings months ago, tugged in by the twisty premise of demisexual girl gets fake engaged for money to her ex’s brother. I felt like I just wasn’t in the mood for a queer romance, or a holiday story, and avoiding cracking open my ARC until there were only about three days left on the ticking clock of the review window. I could not put this one down and finished it just in time.

Told in flashbacks that describe a webcomic series based on a perfect romantic snow day with a mysterious Jack one a year ago, and Ellie’s present day dilemma (should she confess the terms of the engagement to Jack? Disclose to Andrew Jack is the manic pixie dream butch from last Christmas?), the only thing that could make this more perfect is if the described comic sections were actual panels…or if the entire book was a graphic novel, hint, hint, @SimonAndSchuster, get on it already!

Ellie is an empathetic character. An animation school grad who got her dream job and then got let go for not being able to cut it, she landed at a coffee-shop with a terrible boss where Instagramming foam creations on lattes is her artistic outlet. Denied a promotion and facing eviction because her terrible! mother is exhorting her as payback for RAISING her, a wealthy investment banker/hedge fund type overhears her plight, takes her on a date, and suggests they catch two birds with one stone and get engaged to solve her financial troubles and allow him access to his inheritance that will only be unlocked if he marries. Ellie drunkenly agrees, and Andrew whisks her off to spend the holidays at his family’s cabin (read: mansion) to introduce her to his relatives and solidify the relationship. His sister Jacqueline/Jack turns out to be the beautiful butch baker from last year’s Powell’s excursion. In a side plot, her best friend–trans tattooed kindergarten teacher Dylan–was Andrew’s super-sekrit hookup last year when Jack was skipping the family festivities and hooking up with Ellie.

The characters are three-dimensional and pop off the page, and they are also delightfully messy and unexpected. Andrew and Jack’s Korean-Americanism is a subtle undercurrent. The rich widowed grandmothers are best buds with an it’s five o’clock somewhere attitude, and in spite of their imbibing, are more astute than they initially let on. Only Andrew and Jack’s father is stereotypical, with a piece on the side and outdated, unsupportive, critical attitudes. Pop culture is a strong secondary character in the novel, with Alexa playlists popping up to provide the perfect pop music soundtrack. Cochrun pays homage to Taylor Swift, Celine Dion, Fun Home, and While You Were Sleeping. Portland has a life of its, with its lack of snow planning, coffee culture, and queer pride.

It’s difficult not to contrast Kiss Her Once for Me with Not The Plan, which I read in the same week. Both couples have a keyword that means time to tell the truth; “honesty game?” works for Jack and Ellie in a way “blunt, honest?” does not for Isa and Karim. The slow burn and careful respect is hot with Jack and Ellie, and plodding and wooden with Isa and Karim. The detailed sex scenes in Kiss Her Once For Me incorporate sensory detail and delicacy, emotion and acceptance, and make unsexy parts sexy, instead of focusing just on erogenous zones. Bodies in Not The Plan are described in gym-honed terms, firm and perfect, while in Kiss Her Once for Me the imperfections are adualated: stretch marks and soft bellies and hairy legs are celebrated as “so fucking perfect.”

Ironically, what makes Kiss Her Once for Me a 5 star (perfect!) book is how it celebrates messy, looking at failures as falls you can pick yourself back up after. “It’s not a failure to let people see you imperfections, it’s vulnerability,” says the best friend who seems to have her shit together but failed her bar exam. Words to take to heart.

I received a free advance reader’s review copy of #KissHerOnceForMe from #NetGalley

Sep19

The Do Over by Suzanne Parker

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The Do Over by Suzanne Parker

Parker, Suzanne. The Do Over. Avon, 2023. 384 pp. ISBN ‎ 978-0063216051 $16.99

***

On the verge of landing an executive position, Lily Lee, start-up consultant and empowering author, discovers she has failed her background check due to being a few credits shy of her diploma. She will need to return to Carlthorpe College, not just to make up a class, but to meet graduation requirements that have changed in the last ten years. This oversight also threatens her personal integrity and second book deal. Insult to injury is bumping into her college boyfriend Jacob Cho (the one that broke her heart, natch!) who is now a T.A. for one of her required computer science courses–unless she can get off the waitlist for statistics.

In the midst of the drama, Lily gets the opportunity to try things she missed out on and re-experience a frat party (attending doesn’t improve with age) and stocking up on road trip and dorm snacks, but adding to her stress is her first book simultaneously getting criticized, mansplained AND borderline plagiarized by a white dude intent on creating a series of feminist business books with his sister to both bury Lily’s work and use her for an “urban” edge.

Lily’s Korean ancestry helps to round out her characterization in terms of her relationship with (and expectations of) her family. Dialogue is sprinkled with Korean terms and she references favorite Korean dishes. I recognize it is not the job of the author to educate this white girl on banchan and translations, but I appreciated the effort and level of detail that Park went to.

Also appreciated are the details of Lily’s anxiety, which manifested in college, and which she still goes to somes lengths to downplay or hide until pressed. Luckily, relief comes in the form of a ride-or-die bestie, Mia, who keeps showing up on campus for support; her new roomie; Beth, a baker with a case of extreme positivity; and a puppy-ish group of young Asian students who form a study group. Lily is able to be real and honest and is accepted when she discloses her stressors and coping mechanisms, and coming clean about her mental health helps to direct her next work in progress.

The romance feels less central to the plot than Lily’s coming of age: standing up to the dean that could have prevented the credits mishap, disclosing her anxiety, confronting a privileged male, rethinking her career goals, and reframing her work. Amends with Jake happen too, but way late in the book, and not until after the two violate Title IX by falling into bed together (she was going to drop his class, then doesn’t) and then deciding to keep it professional. To my disappointment, sexy scenes are kept behind firmly closed (and locked) doors.

What stopped this from being a four-star book for me was that it was billed as a second-romance and there is a HEA, but I wanted more Jake and more steam. The author (or editor’s) choice to flashback to his devotion even as they are breaking up, in the form a promise no matter what Jake will always pick up when Lily calls, is placed way too close to her actually needing him to follow through on that promise. In another flashback, her reaction to his needing to follow through on the events that lead to her separation are immature. His apology for it ten years later seems unnecessary. He (immaturely) asks her to no be mad, to be happy — you cannot tell other people how to feel. At thirty-two, these characters should be a little more evolved.

One last bone to pick: the reference to women as females as though they are biological specimens is a personal pet peeve. It’s great Lily is the first lady to be a intern with the prestigious company Solv, but multiple times throughout the book there are references to humans as female (and not just by the statistician protagonist) that made me squirm and made the book feel dated in a time when we are evolving from gender as biology and sex as binary to a spectrum. Since I read this in ARC, it’s not too late to fix it.

I received a free advance reader’s review copy of #TheDoOver from #NetGalley.

Sep14

Ship Wrecked by Olivia Dade

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<em>Ship Wrecked</em> by Olivia Dade

Dade, Olivia. Ship Wrecked. Avon, 2022. 416pp. ISBN 978-0063215870 $17.00

*****
I might have squeed when this one showed up in my NetGalley queue. Dade, author of a series of Guardians of the Gates themes stories based on a fictional epic (and possibly epically bad) fantasy television series, their stars, and their love interests, has done it again. I might or might not but definitely did read it three times even through my TBR pile is through the roof.

Ship Wrecked focuses on the story of Maria, a Swedish actress brimming with insults, jarred herring and body positivity, and her Viking-esque also full-bodied co-star Peter. Their meet-cute is a one-night stand that starts in a sauna and ends with Maria sneaking out the next morning… only to bump into Peter in the casting session. Having been left before, and never quite measuring up to his father’s dreams for him (hint: not acting) makes the rejection sting all the more and he plays it cool. Their talent and chemistry land them the roles that launch them into superstardom. Over multiple seasons of a shipwrecked story arc that leaves them filming remotely with a skeleton crew, Maria wins Peter over to friendship, not realizing his slow burn for her. When filming is finally over, and they are free to risk a crash and burn they give in to their passions, expecting geography will separate them, but an unexpected press tour forces them to stay in proximity, but meet one another’s families as well, waaay too early into a typical romance, but somehow, just right for their six-year friendship.

Dade’s male characters are real and flawed, and always have something to overcome: Marcus’s dyslexia, Alex’s ADHD and anxiety. For Peter, it’s a social ineptness that leaves his unable to make small talk or form friendships. Outgoing Maria seems to see through his surly mask and without taking on his emotional load, facilitates the crew forming a sort of family while on location, and helps Peter open up and make connections. He makes the mistake of not sticking up for her once, and then finds ways to keep her safe during some dangerous and dramatic filming moments. While they fundamentally disagree on the value of their job, it is cynical (or savvy) Maria who recognizes the choice to cast fat actors may have been to have them dramatically lose weight for their storyline, and she flat out refuses. And to be clear, she has her own hangups and issues and needs to resolve them. When Peter gets offered a job filming on location in another country, will Maria be forced to abandon her dreams to follow him, or to abandon her love to pursue her own path?

This warm, funny, sexy novel also dips into themes of abandonment (her adoption in late childhood, the death of his mother and rejection from his former fiance) and details the making of a television series. Body issues are dealt with handily–not jus challenged, but denounced–Maria refuses to starve herself or shave for the gig, no matter what the producers want, and is armed with an iron-clad contract, suitcases full of snacks, and a social media following for support.

One of my favorite part of these books is the reintroduction of past characters through their group chat thread. The exchanges are delightful and true to form and Dade manages to both remain true to the characterizations and move their stories forward. Bonus: the cover art is by the same artist as the previous two books, and is just perfect. Also: Why isn’t this series called Guardians of the Gates?

I received a free advance reader’s review copy of #ShipWrecked from #NetGalley.

Mar5

Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez

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Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez

Jimenez, Abby. Part of Your World. Forever, 2022. ISBN 978-1538704370 400 pp. $15.99

****

In this opposites-attract romance, Dr. Alexis Montgomery, fresh off an abusive relationship and still coping with the mean ex who won’t leave their shared home, meets and falls for grilled cheese making, baby goat fostering, tattooed carpenter who runs a B&B in Wakan in a tourist village two hours away. The scandal? Daniel is only 28 to her 38, and she is a shoe-in for chief of medicine Royaume Northwestern Hospital, where a Montgomery has not only been on staff, but involved, for 125 years. Her world is mansions, designer duds, and staff; Daniel’s is an inherited house hand-built by his grandfather, flannel, and DIY.

Alexis does a lot of angsting over the right thing to do, slowly growing less superficial. Daniel is nothing but sweet and mature –and maybe a bit too perfect to be believed. He’s got his own legacy of sorts: mayor of the little town, he’s the guy who takes care of everyone and everything. The tension is not in the will they/won’t they have sex, but will they/won’t they realize it’s a LOT more than just sex.

Jimenez uses humor very effectively. In one memorable scene, breakfast is disrupted by Daniel’s doggo bringing a gift of a not-dead-yet squirrel to the party and hilarity ensues. Alexis’s brother Derek has run off with a famous pop star, and since there is an NDA, Alexis is listening to her new sister-in-law’s complete oeuvre one album at a time, which seem to correspond with her own moods and the phasing of her relationship. at their second meeting, Daniel reveals there is a $100 bet for who can take her home, this becomes another in-joke. And on a memorable date, Daniel arranges for a showing at the drive through of The Princess Bride, and they quote lines to one another throughout the novel.

I have to admit, with the “fairy tale” description, red-headed heroine and title straight out of The Little Mermaid, I had to adjust my expectations. The cover reflects the city girl/country boy theme and the format: the story is told in alternating points of view, chapter by chapter. Domestic abuse is a strong theme and while it comes with no trigger warnings, a list of resources at the back is relevant and helpful.

I received an advance reader’s review copy of #PartOfYourWorld via #NetGalley

Feb1

How to Marry Keanu Reeves in 90 Days by K.M. Jackson

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How to Marry Keanu Reeves in 90 Days by K.M. Jackson

Jackson, K.M. How to Marry Keanu Reeves in 90 Days. Forever, 2021. ISBN 978-1538703502 336 pp. $15.99

***

What a fun romp of a book! While I am not personally a Keanu Reeves mega-fan of his acting work, Speed was awesome, he is very pretty to look at, and lives his life in a very cool, down-low, non-celebrity kind of way, so I definitely related to Bethany Lu’s crush. Okay, obsession; she is certain Keanu is The One for her and is devastated to find out he’s engaged to be married in 90 days! With the help of her best friend, can she stop the wedding, meet her soulmate, and convince him to marry her instead? And still complete the required pieces for her upcoming art show and not sell out to The Man who comes offering a too good to be true deal?

Bethany comes with some baggage that may be the reason behind her focus on the unattainable and avoidance of a real relationship: she lost her brother tragically, and Cole’s best friend–economics professor True –has become one of her best friends too BUT she refuses to acknowledge their simmering attraction. And True (aptly named!) nobly accompanies Lu to a variety of locations to try to track down the celebrity crush of the woman he’s in love with.

Told in alternating points of view, the fast paced story takes us from New York to New Mexico, Las Vegas and California, amusement parks, bungee jumping, and with close brushes with celebrities. The Black protagonist doesn’t shy away from racial issues and brings her voices concerns about Black artists and their work being undervalued by those who don’t understand the ancestral legacy. She also stands up to someone who makes a pass at her really well.

Clever chapter headings (Break Point, Much Ado, Rush Rush, A Walk in the Clouds) become an homage to Keanu’s body of work, and alongside plot points like a hard and fast deadline, surfing, and a vineyard, all serve as Easter egg for Keanu fans. And the banter-y language, pop-culture droppings, and gently poking at the NYC restaurant scene are highlights of the writing.

I received an advance reader’s review copy of #HowToMarryKeanuReevesIn90Days from #NetGalley.