Title: F-Stop
Author: Eliza Gordon
Series: Revelation Cove
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Summary: Francesca “Frankie” Hawes has felt one click short of a full roll her entire life. Her dad and brother—both world-class photographers—can’t be expected to file paperwork, manage clients, or book their own dental cleanings. So Frankie does it for them. But when they ask her to step in and shoot the Meyer-Nelson wedding in secluded Revelation Cove, BC, they go one bridezilla too far.
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Summary:
One year. Nine events. Nine chances to . . . Fall in love?
Weddings. Funerals. Barbecues. New Year’s Eve parties. Name the occasion, and Sophie Evans will be there. Well, she has to be there. Sophie works for the local florist, so she can be found at every big event in her small hometown, arranging bouquets and managing family dramas.
Enter Andrew Hart. The son of the fancy new chef in town, Andrew is suddenly required to attend all the same events as Sophie. Entitled, arrogant, preppy Andrew. Sophie just wants to get her job done and finish up her sketches so she can apply to design school. But every time she turns around, there is Andrew, getting in her way and making her life more complicated. Until one day she wonders if maybe complicated isn’t so bad after all…
Genre: Contemporary Romance, LGBTQIA+
Release Date: May 14th, 2019
Received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Summary:
A big-hearted romantic comedy in which First Son Alex falls in love with Prince Henry of Wales after an incident of international proportions forces them to pretend to be best friends…
First Son Alex Claremont-Diaz is the closest thing to a prince this side of the Atlantic. With his intrepid sister and the Veep’s genius granddaughter, they’re the White House Trio, a beautiful millennial marketing strategy for his mother, President Ellen Claremont. International socialite duties do have downsides—namely, when photos of a confrontation with his longtime nemesis Prince Henry at a royal wedding leak to the tabloids and threaten American/British relations.
The plan for damage control: staging a fake friendship between the First Son and the Prince. Alex is busy enough handling his mother’s bloodthirsty opponents and his own political ambitions without an uptight royal slowing him down. But beneath Henry’s Prince Charming veneer, there’s a soft-hearted eccentric with a dry sense of humor and more than one ghost haunting him.
As President Claremont kicks off her reelection bid, Alex finds himself hurtling into a secret relationship with Henry that could derail the campaign and upend two nations. And Henry throws everything into question for Alex, an impulsive, charming guy who thought he knew everything: What is worth the sacrifice? How do you do all the good you can do? And, most importantly, how will history remember you?
My Scattered Thoughts:
How much do I love this book? Oh, let me count the ways.
Alex is one snarky, snarky boy. I love it. He is full of humour, and yes angst and I do enjoy his character quite a lot. He is not flawless, in fact he is never even thought of as infallible and there were a few moments I was horridly embarrassed for him.
Henry. Oh loveable, secretly nerdy Henry ❤ He is so awkward. It is so amazing, and he’s funny, and a bit tragic.
This book is good. It’s liberal, angry, and seeking justice even as it weaves a romantic tale around our two lovely main characters.
It’s mushy at times, heart-wrenching at others, but through it all I just felt good whilst I was reading it. I was also reluctant to leave it behind, wanting to slow my pace almost as much as I was desperate to get to the end.
Title: What If It’s Us?
Author(s): Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera
Genre: LGBTQIA+, YA, Romance
Summary:
Arthur is only in New York for the summer, but if Broadway has taught him anything, it’s that the universe can deliver a showstopping romance when you least expect it.
Ben thinks the universe needs to mind its business. If the universe had his back, he wouldn’t be on his way to the post office carrying a box of his ex-boyfriend’s things.
But when Arthur and Ben meet-cute at the post office, what exactly does the universe have in store for them?
Maybe nothing. After all, they get separated.
Maybe everything. After all, they get reunited.
But what if they can’t quite nail a first date . . . or a second first date . . . or a third?
What if Arthur tries too hard to make it work . . . and Ben doesn’t try hard enough?
What if life really isn’t like a Broadway play?
But what if it is?
Continue reading “Review: What If It’s Us by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera”
“Annabeth Albert delivers another charmer with Better Not Pout. A sweet and sexy holiday read that finds a grumpy St. Nick charmed by a do-gooder elf and his snowy town. Better Not Pout will warm your heart and soul this holiday season.”
— Layla Reyne, author of the Agents Irish and Whiskey and Trouble Brewing series
“Better Not Pout was charming, sweet, and sexy all at once! I love everything Annabeth Albert writes and this was no exception.” — Cat Sebastian, author of The Soldier’s Scoundrel, The Ruin of a Rake, and The Regency Imposters series
Better Not Pout by Annabeth Albert
Publisher:
Carina Press (Harlequin)
Release Date (Print & Ebook):
Ebook: Monday November 12, 2018
Print (mmp): Tuesday November 27, 2018
Length (Print & Ebook):
Ebook: 288
Print (mmp): 288
Subgenre: Contemporary Romance, Male/Male Romance, Holiday Romance, Military Romance
Order at:
Book Synopsis:
One hard-nosed military police officer.
One overly enthusiastic elf.
One poorly timed snowstorm.
Is it a recipe for disaster? Or a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for holiday romance?
Teddy MacNally loves Christmas and everything that goes along with it. When he plays an elf for his charity’s events, he never expects to be paired with a Scrooge masquerading as Santa Claus. His new mission: make the holiday-hating soldier believe he was born to say ho-ho-ho.
Sergeant Major Nicholas Nowicki doesn’t do Santa, but he’s army to his blood. When his CO asks an unusual favor, Nick of course obliges. The elf to his Kris Kringle? Tempting. Too tempting—Nick’s only in town for another month, and Teddy’s too young, too cheerful and too nice for a one-night stand.
The slow, sexy make-out sessions while Teddy and Nick are alone and snowbound, though, feel like anything but a quick hookup. As a stress-free holiday fling turns into Christmas all year round, Teddy can’t imagine his life without Nick. And Nick’s days on the base may be coming to a close, but he doesn’t plan on leaving anything, or anyone, behind.
***
Annabeth Albert says that, “BETTER NOT POUT is a male/male holiday romance featuring endearing characters with a fun, flirty plot that will remind readers of their favorite holiday rom-coms.”
Excerpt:
Not that this cranky Santa seemed particularly enamored of him or easy to get to know, but Teddy was determined to give the guy a pleasant day, especially after the disastrous start. Not that he’d call it a disaster—any time he got a glimpse of a muscled ass that spectacular was a win—but Nick’s discomfort had been almost palpable. And yeah, he seemed to be rather attached to his rank and title, but Teddy simply wasn’t that formal. Commander Grace had always insisted that they call her Miriam, and he was on a first name basis with plenty of other military personnel.
“So the first stop is the old Lee barn,” he said. “That’s outside of town, then we’ll work our way back to the resource center with a few other stops.”
“Are people really going to be able to guess one barn from another?” Nick sounded highly skeptical.
“Oh yeah. The Lee barn is part of a historic estate and it’s open for tours during daylight hours.”
“But after dark…” Rhonda laughed knowingly. “The estate is a favorite make-out spot for teenagers, and no amount of chase off from the police can stop them. Everyone will recognize the barn, but no one will want to cop to why. That’s why it’s perfect.”
“I see. Watch the road, MacNally. Posted limit is fifty-five. You don’t need a ticket.”
“We’re good.” Teddy tried not to show his irritation at the rebuke. He supposed he could have compromised and let Nick drive himself to the sites, but as usual Teddy had had a plan and didn’t want to deviate from it, even if it meant putting up with the backseat driving. “And it’s Teddy. There are so many MacNallys in and around Mineral Spirits that you’ll get twenty heads swiveling if you call for MacNally.”
Review:
This book is so good, and cute, and lovely, and wonderful and definitely provides some warmth in the holiday season.
Teddy is like the holiday spirit in the form of an actual person, and I wouldn’t have him any other way. I love that he is such a good person, and it’s just so great to have a character like him, who is flawed but inherently good.
Nowicki is also a good person, he just doesn’t want anyone to know it but it does get revealed piece by piece in reading this book. It’s a good novel, especially at this time of year, and in the climate we’re in where everything seems to be going wrong.
It’s a comfort to see something go right.
Title: Building Forever
Author: Kelly Jensen
Genre: LGBTQIA+ Romance
Summary:
Charlie King is doing fine. Sure, he’s a widower raising a teenage daughter who just got her first boyfriend, his book series isn’t writing itself, and he has a crush on his new neighbor — the guy next door. But everything’s just fine.
Simon Lynley is doing better. He moved to Bethlehem to fall out of love and rebuild his career. An affair with his neighbor isn’t part of the plan, but the attraction between them is too hard to ignore.
But when Simon’s ex follows him to Pennsylvania seeking reconciliation, and Charlie’s life starts to feel like a video on repeat, everything comes apart. Charlie worries that he’s failing as a father, and Simon is a distraction he can’t afford. Meanwhile Simon doesn’t know if he could survive being left again, and he hasn’t come all this way to make the same mistakes. But despite their fears, it’s only together that they’ll find the strength to slay old foes and build the forever they’ve been waiting for.
My Thoughts:
Loooove is in the aaaaiiiir!
The love between the two main characters in this book. My love for the two main characters and the plot, and the author and everything.
Simon is a character who I just want to wrap in blankets and hug him so so so tight because he needs to learn how to open up. He needs love! Better love than stupid Brian provided him with.
And Charlie, oh wonderful father, wonderful writer Charlie who needs to look around him every so often and not into the past. He needs to learn how to look forward.
This book hurts, but it’s so good all at the same time and none of this review makes sense and I almost don’t care but you seriously just need to pick it up and read it. Go to your local bookstore, your local library and give it a read. You will thank me for bathing you in some wonderful warmth in the incoming holiday season, with all the cold weather upon us.
So good.
Titles: Admiring Ash; Begging Ben; and Challenging Chance
Author: Anyta Sunday
Genre: Romance; LGBTQIA+
Series: Love Letters
Series Summary:
Feisty. Nerdy. Sexy. Secretive.
Greenville has them all.
A small town with big hearts, Greenville awakens at the mercy of Millionaire Row, the wealthy neighborhood across the tracks from Poplar Low.
Bad-tempered boys meet cheeky lovers.
Colliding worlds spark a fire of emotion. Heat rages. Hearts mend. Love is lost. And found.
Love Letters are playful, sexy, contemporary M/M stories that can be read as standalones.
Welcome to Greenville. Come for the sexy boys. Stay for the HEA.
—————————————————————————-
Admiring Ash
A is for Ash Heartford.
Adorable, strong, and independent.
Abandoned by his parents and attached to only person—his little sister.
Attracted to River, the sultry man who saunters onto his doorstep with startling news.
Always yearning for more River, yet afraid to let him in.
Should he play it safe, or claim his legacy and risk losing his heart?
A is for Admiring Ash.
Excerpt:
Who was this River? What was he doing here, unless . . .
Ash narrowed his eyes. Attractive and charming. Hadn’t his sister mentioned she was crushing on a local college guy? “Oh, fuck me. You’ve knocked up my sister, haven’t you?”
All playfulness evaporated as Ash catalogued River from head to toe. Would Ash be spending the next twenty years raising a kid that resembled this man? Would that kid grow up—like all the Heartfords—addicted to love? Raising fatherless children? Obsessed with falling for men, believing, every time that this one was the one?
He’d hoped he and Danielle would kick the tradition.
He almost punched the stunningly sculpted man in the mouth.
Review:
Admiring Ash is the first book in this new series from Anyta Sunday and it does not disappoint.
Ash is a bitter sweetheart, that is the only thing I could think of to describe him as, and yet I love him so much. He’s been through so much and yet he tries so hard for his little sister which is definitely a story-line I can get behind. He has hope though, even if he doesn’t quite know it yet.
River is a ray of sunshine and I love him so much. His insistence that Ash open up to the possibility of more in his life than just the thought of chasing money is what makes this book so filled with warmth.
This one is another winner for sure and you should check it out here.
Continue reading “Three for the Price of One: Love Letters A-C by Anyta Sunday”
