Tag: romance

Lovers and Liars by Amanda Eyre Ward

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The truth shall set you free…or will it ruin the most wonderful love stories of their lives? Secrets are never meant to come out…or are they? The burden of the keeper, but also for the who in the dark. Does it matter that they were kept because they loved the person? These are the questions posed and answered in this wonderfully funny, rite of late-life passage story about secrets, lies and loves both lost and found Lovers and Liars.

Sylvie is getting married! After a world-wind romance with a wealthy Englishman named Simon Rampling, she had decided to take the plunge again. Her first husband died tragically in a car accident years ago, and Sylvie has never stopped missing him. Even now, she feels guilty as if she is doing something wrong. But they have so much in common with Sylvie being a librarian and Simon an avid reader. Is this too good to be true? Well, if you ask her sisters they would say absolutely yes!

Her sister Cleo, who lives in New York and is an upscale lawyer has her doubts as well as fears about the situation, although she would never tell her sister. She herself has the boyfriend of anyone’s dreams, and yet for some reason she doesn’t feel very close to him anymore. At least that’s what she tells her best friend of many years, a man who she feels the most comfortable with. When she receives the wedding invitation being held at Simon’s castle, Mumberton, in England, she decides to do a little digging into his life. As any good sister would do. Except Cleo has kept a terrible secret from Sylvie for years so how good a sister is she really?

Sylvie’s other sister Emma has a wonderful husband and two terrific children. She owns a perfume business but carries the burden of a deep secret even her husband does not know. Still living in the small town they grew up in, and unable to forget her miserable childhood as well as being the nearest to their narcissistic mother, puts such a burden on her that all she wants to do is get away from this life! She realizes at some point she cannot hide from her present but also in order to heal stop hiding from her past. This wedding is all too much for her in so many ways. Her secrets will threaten everyone she loves dearly. She’s not sure they can afford to go to the wedding for so many reasons…

As they all reach the final destination for the weekend which is supposed to be the start of Sylvie and Simon’s life, they know they are supposed to be a family, but unfortunately havoc prevails as each of the women’s lives begins to unravel, including Sylvie’s. She’s not sure she can marry Simon. Now seems unfortunately the best time to sort out their secrets and lies and hope all can be forgiven. Will there even be a wedding?

Come along for the most enjoyable ride as the group tries to sort their lives out and become a family. Lovers And Liars is funny, warm and uplifting. RIP Flaco…

Thank you #NetGalley #BallentineBooks #LoversAndLiars #AmandaEyreWard for the advanced copy.

Chloe Baker’s Lost Date by Katie Wicks

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You will thank me after you fall in love with Chloe Baker! She’s an independent woman living in New York making it on her own with a great job. One problem, she can’t seem to find a date. Yes, things could be worse, but boy, she’d love some male compansionship!

So, when her best friend sets her up with Jack, an IT guy and they are supposed to meet at a coffee shop and he’s at first late, then very late but finally breezes in with an apology, they proceed to have coffee and talk and decide to see each other again. Well, again happens sooner than later as they bump into each other immediately that day and end up spending it with each other. They soon realize they not only have a great deal in common, but there is something much deeper going on with them.

But sometimes things come to an end sooner rather than later. After this date which ended with a kiss, Jack just ghosts her. So, with the determination of someone who feels they have lost a soulmate, Chloe decides she must search for him and discover the truth.

She finally does find Jack, but he’s not really who she thought he was. This relationship or non-relationship brings up memories from her childhood and her parents which she had suppressed for quite a while. Of course, she has had insecurities her whole life but thanks to Jack she never knew why. Confusion sets in. And she realizes she has been lied to.

But can they get past their first date and everything which happened later? Is he real? Or is he just another man who enjoys breaking hearts.

Chloe Baker’s Lost Date is a wonderfully funny, uplifting story which will keep you enchanted as they both learn about each other, life and love. Is love at first sight real? Depends on the name…

Thank you #NetGalley #WbyWattpadBooks #KatieWicks #ChloeBaker’sLostLove for the advanced copy.

Love, Lies and Cherry Pie by Jackie Lau

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From the author of Donut Fall in Love, Jackie Lau has written another wonderful, creative love story which is funny, heartwarming, and mouthwatering!

All Emily Hung’s mother wants is for her over thirty daughter to settle down and finally get married. Forget that Emily is a writer with one published book under her belt. Yes, it perhaps undersold a bit, but still… she is a writer and is working on her second novel. She’s doing great all by herself!

So, when Mrs. Hung plays matchmaker at her sister’s wedding no less, Emily decides to make the meeting as unpleasant as possible.

Enter Mark Chan, the unsuspecting, groom-to-be who realizes fairly soon this was not something Emily had agreed to. They say their goodbyes at the end of the night, and both think they will never see each other again. But Mrs. Hung has other plans! She tortures Emily to go on one date with Mark. Emily agrees.

But, once again, Emily is not having it and comes up with an idea. They will fake date (with pictures) so her mother will think they are together, but in reality, they can live peacefully and continue on with their separate lives.

What ends up happening is that the more time they spend together “fake dating”, the more they discover there may actually be a spark between them, and they begin to fall in love for real. But without realizing it, Mrs. Hung opened a long-closed can of worms with secrets from years ago and misunderstandings in the Hung family.

Now Emily finds herself having to heal old wounds while trying to make Mark understand what she really wants as she learns the importance of family and the importance of finding the person of your dreams. Can you really have it all?

Love, Lies, and Cherry Pie is a delightful, fun story with wonderful characters and terrific messaging. Oh, and there IS Cherry Pie!

Thank you #NetGalley #Atria/EmilyBestlerBooks #JackieLau #Love,Lies,andCherryPie for the advanced copy.

Love You, Mean It by Jilly Gagnon

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Love You, Mean It is an adorable rom-com story with a wonderful plot, relatable characters and an inspiring ending which is, no spoilers… happy and satisfying!

Ellie Greco works at her family’s place of business, Greco’s Deli. This was never her plan. She had been going to college to become a clothing designer but felt obligated to abandon her dream when her dad died, and she had to come home to take over for him. So, she put her own ambitions aside to help her family navigate this sad situation.

But suddenly she discovers her family business could be in danger. A huge chain gourmet store called Mangia is trying to move into a building very close to the Greco Deli. If this does happen, they will never be able to compete with them. As they try to consider their next move, her sister mentions Theo Taylor, a boy her sister had dated back in college whose father owns the building. She suggests perhaps Ellie plead her case with him.

Enter Theo who Ellie takes a dislike to immediately. Theo comes from a very wealthy family whose father is not very liked. But he’s the property owner of the building and she will do anything to salvage their life’s work.

At Ellie and Theo’s first meeting which does not go very well, something occurs which leads Theo to end up in the hospital. Ellie feels terrible and decides she needs to stay with Theo in order to make sure he’s okay. She tells all the hospital personnel that she is his fiancé. Theo wakes up and for a while does actually believe she is his finance.

But, after his recovery, he and Ellie decide to continue the charade in hopes that Theo’s father, thinking they are getting married and will become part of the family will do the right thing and cancel the deal.

But, of course, that’s not what happens, and Ellie and Theo find themselves in this awkward situation of having to pretend. Or…gulp…are they pretending? Humorous chaos ensues and they will certainly discover more about each other than they ever imagined.

Love You, Mean It is a lighthearted, uplifting read with wonderful messages about how life can change in an instant, but perhaps by believing in yourself you never have to let your dreams die.

Thank you #NetGalley #Dell #LoveYou,MeanIt #JillyGagnon for the advanced copy.

The Paris Novel by Ruth Reichl

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Ruth Reichl has had an amazing career in the food industry. The former editor of the late great Gourmet Magazine, and author of many non-fiction books, has now written a gloriously delightful story in The Paris Novel. It is uplifting, charming and magical and ripe for the picking!

When Stella’s mother Celia dies, she sadly is not very upset. Estranged from her and never having been pleased with her life choices, along with some terrible childhood memories, she barely has any feeling for the woman who raised her. Stella never knew who her father was and quite frankly was embarrassed by her mother’s lifestyle.

So, when Stella receives her inheritance from her mother, a one-way ticket to Paris, she immediately decides this is just Celia trying to control her from the grave. But when Stella’s boss convinces her to try and accept the ticket and maybe live outside of her very strict and routine oriented life, Stella agrees to go.

So as Stella arrives in France and is roaming the streets, she sees finds a vintage shop and sees a black Dior dress. She is somehow mesmerized by it. As she walks in the owner looks at her and say this dress has been waiting for you! And Stella does something she never would have ever done. She tries the dress on and buys it for an extraordinary amount of money. But…there’s something about this dress that makes her feel different.

And with that in mind, she goes to dinner with the dress on and has the most incredible experiences of her life eating oysters and enjoying a meal she never imagined existed. There, she meets an elderly gentleman named Jules who is a wealthy art collector who has lost his wife. He begins to tell her imaginative stories of his and his late wife’s lives. Stella is spellbound. They become friends and Jules begins taking her to place she never imagined going, eating at restaurants she had only heard about and looking at art she witnessed only in books.

Jules introduces her to the owner of a famous bookstore where writer’s and such work there, assist at the shop and sleep and eat for free. He calls then his “tumbleweeds”. There, she meets famous writers including some who knew her mother. She then begins to go down the rabbit whole of her mother’s life and even though she didn’t know she was really searching, discovers answers to questions she never even though about.

The Paris Novel is a one of kind extraordinary read. The reader is taken on a delicious journey of food, art, life and love. The backstory as to why Reichl wrote the book is just as incredible and heartwarming as the story itself.

Thank you #NetGalley #RandomHouse #RuthReichl #TheParisNovel for the advanced copy.

The Main Character by Jaclyn Goldis

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The Main Character is a soap-opera like page turner with secret after secret, mystery after mystery. Its characters, a group of friends and family who are not only flawed, but have underlying problems, some of which have never been spoken about. But a famous train ride will open the flood gates on those unspoken problems, and perhaps turn these pals against each other.

So, let’s begin:

Ginerva Ex is a best-selling author whose genre is to do a deep dive into someone’s life, interview their friends and family, discover the good the bad and the ugly of the person and create a main character out of their story and write a fictional account of what she has discovered. Unfortunately, her last two books did not sell very well and Ginerva has decided she perhaps needs someone who had already been in the spotlight.

Enter Rory, who was a television news anchor until she was let go recently. Unsure of what she will do next, Ginerva convinces her to be the next main character. Since Rory and Ginerva have had a history, Ginerva would only allow Rory to interview her each time one of her books was coming out, and was offering her an astronomical amount of money, she decides to say yes.

So, after three months of interviews with Ginerva, her brother Max who owns a company trying to create an Alzheimer drug, a condition her father unfortunately has, her best friend Caroline who now works for Max and others in her circle, the book is ready to be published and as a thank you Ginerva has decided to give Rory’s innermost group a vacation of a lifetime. The newly renovated Orient Express train is doing an Italian trip with stops.

But when the group finally gets together to board the train, she is shocked to see her ex-fiancé, Nate among the cast of characters. Confused and angry, she stuffs her feelings and tries to go with the flow and enjoy this incredible opportunity. What no one knows is Ginerva has planned this trip to expose all the dark secrets she has found that were hidden. She too has an agenda for this group.

Suddenly problems begin to occur. Rory is almost killed by a bolder, the book being published which they were all given copies all disappear, and the group begins to fight with each other.

But Rory finds a copy of the book and begins to read it. And she is stunned. What she begins to understand is that the no one is really who they say they are. This group of best friends since childhood have so many hidden agendas. What does she do now?

And then she discovers Ginerva’s hidden agenda… and her whole world explodes in front of her.

The Main Character is a juicy complex thriller with hidden secrets, unknown personality flaws and puzzles from the past that when pieced together will shock and astound. Trust me, it’s truly a killer of a book!

Thank you #Goodreads #Atria/EmilyBestlerBooks/TheMainCharacter#JaclynGoldis for the advanced copy.

Nosy Neighbors by Freya Sampson

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We all know someone who is nosy. But sometimes the snooper can take it to a different level. Sometimes it’s just that they are bored. Other times it could perhaps be for another reason no one knows about. In Nosy Neighbor we discover the many different types of being nosy. The book is funny, mysterious, heartwarming and surprising as a group of residents from different backgrounds who live in a complex and who are not too cordial with each other, all with secrets, must somehow join together and not only try and solve a crime but also save their residence before it’s too late.

The apartment complex is called Shelley House. It is an aged building and some of the occupants have been there for decades. But when a young woman with multi-colored hair named Kat sublets with one of the older tenants named Joseph, the biggest busy body of them all, Dorothy is disgusted and angered.

Dorothy, who was married but has lived alone in her apartment for many years keeps a daily diary of all the goings on and activities that occur during the day. This includes what is happening at the other resident’s apartments as well as what is happening outside of the building. She sist at her table, drinks tea and takes copious notes and keeps logs. She rarely speaks to any neighbor and if she does it’s to inform them of something more than likely against breaking rules…hers!

So when Kat moves in to Joseph’s apartment, she takes an immediate dislike to the young girl. But in Kat’s defense, she doesn’t really want to be there either, but she has some secret unfinished business she needs to attend to so she can put this town behind her forever.

But, when the owner of the building decides to evict the residence so he can tear down the building, Dorothy cannot and will not accept this. She decides to ignore it. Another tenant Joseph decides they must fight to keep their home safe. But as Joseph begins his campaign to stop the evictions, he is hurt in his apartment. At first, they thought due to his age he perhaps tripped, but it is soon discovered someone attacked him. He is hospitalized and Kat decides she must try and figure out who tried to hurt Joseph.

Dorothy unfortunately does not want to help Kat, but over time agrees to assist with Joseph’s dog, a Jack Russell who is miserable without him and takes care of him while Kat is at work. As time goes by, Dorothy and Kat will discover that even with their age gap, they have a great deal in common. They both have had great heartbreak and loss in their lives and that has changed them forever.

And with this blooming friendship, Dorothy’s snooping and Kat’s investigating come together and they discover not only what happened to Joseph, but also much, much more. Will it stop the evictions? Who really knows, but what they do discover is that the residents of Shelley House need each other and surprisingly understand each other.

And what about Kat? Why did she come back? What has she experienced to make her so angry and untrusting?

Out of hurt and anger sometimes can come forms of peace and acceptance in this charming, witty, reflective story in which a group of neighbors not only try to save their home, but also, their lives.

Thank you #NetGalley #Berkley #FreyaSampson #NosyNeighbors for the advanced copy.

The Perfect Guy Doesn’t Exist by Sophie Gonzales

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Sophie Gonzales has upped her writing game in The Perfect Guy Doesn’t Exist, with an adorable story which will satisfy a multitude of literary genres, including young adult, LGBT, romance, fantasy/science-fiction and of course, her wicked sense of humor.

Ivy Winslow is looking forward to the upcoming week. Her parents will be away, and she will have the house all to herself. Of course, as a young girl in high school, she is being guarded by her former best friend Mack’s parents who live across the street. But for the most part she eagerly looks forward to eating junk food and watching her favorite show with her only friend, Henry.

Sure, she misses her best friend Mack, who she spent almost every day with basically her whole life, but because of stupidness, jealousy and stubbornness on both girl’s part, they have stopped speaking. Yes, perhaps if Ivy was truly honest, she did have a bit of a crush on Mack, but she is sure it certainly was not reciprocated.

So, when Ivy goes to sleep that first night, she never would have imagined awaking to find a guy in her bedroom staring at her who says his name is Weston, but he looks identical to the main character of her favorite show, H-Mad. He seems to think they are in love and will live happily ever after. He has plans for the two of them. She has no idea what this is about and how this could have possibly happened. But Weston begins causing problems from the get-go.

With no one else to turn to, she finally tells Henry and gulp, yes Mack. She needs help trying to figure out how to get rid of Weston! At least by the time her parents get home! But Weston does not want to leave and will do anything in his power and yes, he does have powers to prevent Ivy and her friends from getting rid of him.

In reality what actually starts to occur is the three anti-friends decide to work together to get rid of Weston, and as they begin to get close to each other, open up to each other and discover you can leave your past issues behind forgive what has happened and what has been said, start anew with new friendships and even find confidence and yes, love. Poor Weston!

Thank you #NetGalley #WednesdayBooks #SophieGonzales #ThePerfectGuyDoesn’tExist for the advanced copy.

Not Your Crush’s Cauldron by April Asher

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Not Your Crush’s Cauldron is the third installment of Asher’s adorable series Supernatural Singles. As with the first two, it follows the life and non-existent love life of the third triplet sister in a witch family. It’s funny, sexy and imaginatively creative. It’s an easy, enjoyable read if you are looking for something soft and feel-good.

Olive Maxwell is a witch who is a serious professor. She is always embarrassed by her two sisters’ antics. Especially when it comes to their love lives. Olive has no time for a love life. She is too busy with work and her students to look for a partner. Plus, she feels as if compared to her two beautiful sisters, she can’t compare anyway. But with that said, she has recently moved into an apartment (as roommates, of course) with the most handsome, sexy man she has ever seen, Bax Donovan who works as a guardian angel.

Of course, she realizes he could never see her as anything other than the person he lives with as Olive sees her life as very routine oriented even to the clothes she wears on certain days. But that begins to change when she assigns a project to her students having them make a list of items they want to do which are totally out of their comfort zone. Then do them and write a paper on what happened. But after overhearing two co-workers discussing her, she decides she too will attempt the assignment as well. Her list is honest, uncomfortable and awkward. Some items even terrifying. But she decides to close her eyes and take the proverbial plunge.

In the meantime, Bax, who finds Olive to be an absolute angel and beautiful gets his next assignment. It is to watch and protect Olive. At first Bax thinks, what a piece of cake! Olive follows the rules and always stays out of trouble. Until he realizes what she is planning on doing and she could get herself into a great deal of trouble.

So now he must somehow watch her without her knowing what he is doing. But what ends up happening is the more they are together, the more he discovers how terrific and wonderful she is. But this cannot happen! He is her protector not her boyfriend. He begins to assist her on her crazy schemes and enjoys what is on her list. But the challenge soon becomes very difficult as he begins to fall in love, an absolute rule breaker in his line of work. He also starts to learn more about himself and whether this job is truly what makes him happy. All because of Olive!

And then unfortunately Olive finds out and an angry witch is someone who does not play!

Not Your Crush’s Cauldron is laugh out loud hysterical, with a great story in which someone who tries to go beyond their comfort zone to try new things without feeling embarrassed or afraid and starts to learn many life lessons. It’s about finding out things you never imagined not only about yourself, but about others. And having a whole new world open up in front of your eyes. It’s just a great romp!

Thank you #NetGalley #St.Martin’s/Griffin #AprilAsher #NotYourCrush’sCauldren for the advanced copy.

The Getaway List by Emma Lord

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Emma Lord’s newest Young Adult novel, The Getaway List is a heartwarming story about teenagers, their mothers and friendships. It’s a coming of age, rite of passage plot filled with all the angst which comes with growing up. It’s about two best friends, one of which moved away and how they attempt to reconnect on the same level as when they were younger. But they soon realize, their old selves are gone, and they must try and adjust to the new people they have become. But can they? As they try to find a balance between their new freedom, adult problems and still needing their moms in their lives, can they reconnect in a different way.

The day Riley graduated from high school was the day she decided to tell her mom she needed to spread her wings. Not being able to go to college the coming year, for reasons she doesn’t want to discuss, she makes the decision to go see her best friend Tom who now lives in New York City with his famous screenwriter mother. Since they moved a few years ago they have not seen each other, and their interactions have become less and less. So, Riley wants to get them back on track. Unfortunately, her mother feels that her being with Tom will only get her in trouble and forbids her to go. But, Riley, now feeling she is an adult and doesn’t need her mother’s permission goes against her wishes and ends up in New York.

What her mother doesn’t understand is that Riley and Tom had created a Getaway List of crazy things they wanted to do together. But then Tom moved, and they never had the chance to even start the list. So now, Riley wants to complete the list with Tom over a weekend.

But, when they get together, Riley finds they have become two different people than she remembers, although she sees a bit of the old Tom, he is more serious, adult-like. She realizes they have changed. They are not the same young kids with no problems who are just able to hang out and relax. Tom now has a job and with his mother away at the moment is responsible for an actual household.

But they decide to make the most of the time they have and start the list. Along the way, they get a bit of help from a couple of kids who they would have never even given the time of day. And as they all begin the list together, they begin to trust each other and tell their own pasts and fears and parental issues realizing they really aren’t any different from each other.

What happens is this group of semi-lost young adults discover the value of true friendships, family and feelings as their lives take on different directions and they contemplate what is next for them once the list is finished…if they can even finish it!

The Getaway List is a powerful story about learning to become an adult, the heartbreak and heartache of not being understood, and the importance of true friendship and honesty with oneself and others you love.

Thank you #NetGalley #WednesdayBooks #EmmaLord #TheGetawayList for the advanced copy.