Romance

Review of The Strawberry Patch Pancake House by Laurie Gilmore

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Synopsis:
As a world-renowned chef, single dad Archer never planned on moving to a small town, let alone running a pancake restaurant. But Dream Harbor needs a new chef, and Archer needs a community to help raise his daughter, Olive.

Iris has never managed to hold down a job for more than a few months. So when it’s suggested that Archer is looking for a live-in nanny, she almost runs in the opposite direction.

Now, Iris finds herself in a whole new world. One where her gorgeous new boss lives right across the hall and likes to cook topless… Keeping everything strictly professional should be easy, right?

Review:
“I’m pretty sure half of dealing with kids is just tricking them into doing stuff.” (Page 81)

I absolutely loved this book. A quick, simple, fun read I found that this was the first in the series that had the perfect spice as well. There was a great message of what life can be like when you try to be perfect versus when you’re trying to find something sustainable/some balance. Iris and Archer were absolutely perfect together. It’s fun, flirty, and honestly one of the best single dad books I’ve read. Usually single dad isn’t really my style, but this book hit in all the right places: both in finding one’s self, and letting yourself become part of a community.

The only complaint have is the name at the very end… so many options that could have kept with the tradition.

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯

Review of The Wild Side; A Small Town Friends-to-Lovers Romance by Cassie-Ann L. Miller

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Synopsis:
That marriage pact I made with my grumpy, off-limits best friend. That was totally a joke…Right?

It was a heat-of-the-moment agreement scribbled onto the back of a crinkled gas station receipt nine years ago.
“If neither of us are married by age 30, we’ll marry each other.”

Haha! So funny!

Cash moved to a city 500 miles away. Building his billion-dollar empire. Making a name for himself.
Me? I stayed in our gossipy hometown. Working a simple job. Living a simple life.
And we never discussed the marriage pact again.

But I just turned the big three-oh.
And Cash showed up at my door, in the middle of a freaking rainstorm.
Tall, muscled and soaking wet.
With a birthday cake in his hand and a daring smirk that says he means business.

Holy plot twist! Didn’t see that coming!

Now the small town rumor mill is in overdrive.
Cash is dissolving my defences with those sexy half-smiles he saves just for me.
And my brain is exploding with what ifs…

What if we give this a shot?
What if we’re crazy enough to try?
What if we’re good together?

We’ve always been ‘just friends’. We’re experts at playing it safe.
But his skin on my skin leaves me reeling. His oh-so-fiery kisses melt my excuses.
I know our decade-plus friendship is on the line. But I’m aching to see Cash’s wild side.

Review:
I wanted to love this book. It sounded good. The characters clearly liked each other. Unfortunately, there were too many times that they kept pulling themselves back from what they had wanted for so long that their desire almost began to seem as if it were unrequited as neither was willing to actually say how they felt. When the slow burn finally seemed like they were on their way to understanding and moving forward, there was another bump. The spice itself had some very odd prose. The other characters, and friend/family connections were great and well done; especially the grandmother! I did love the last few chapters and how the book ended, but honestly, I had stopped part way through this book to read another then came back just to see how it ended.

Star rating: ✯✯✯
Spice rating: 🌶️

Review of Nocticadia by Keri Lake

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Synopsis:
A dark, atmospheric tale of deadly secrets and forbidden love.
Mortui vivos docent.
The dead teach the living.

After watching my mother succumb to a mysterious illness, I promised myself two things. I’d find the cure for what ravaged her. And leave the godforsaken city where she abandoned me.

Four years later, I receive an acceptance letter from Dracadia University, one of the oldest, most prestigious schools in the country. Nestled on a secluded island off the coast of Maine, it’s rumored to be haunted by the souls of the mental patients exiled there centuries before. Those whose bones are said to make up the island’s white sandy shores.

And restless ghosts aren’t even its most daunting peculiarity.

Devryck Bramwell, known on campus as Doctor Death, is a brilliant pathologist in charge of the midnight lab. He’s also my devastatingly handsome professor, who seems to loathe tenacious first-years, like me. Except, his dark and enigmatic gaze tells me all the ways he’d devour me if given the chance, and his stolen kisses burn my lips with forbidden jealousy.

I crave his authority.
He aches for redemption.
Together, we’re toxic. Delicious fodder for the prying eyes hellbent on exhuming the rotted skeletons of our pasts.

For the dead have much to teach, and it’s only a matter of time before Dracadia’s most depraved secret is resurrected.

Nocticadia is a standalone dark academia gothic romance.

Review:
“What separates monsters from good men is only a matter of perspective.” (page 80)

This book is one of the absolute best dark romances I’ve read. Diving headfirst into Lilia’s life, there’s drama, there’s the unknown, and there’s a girl who had to grow up too fast. I wish all dark academia books were similar to this one; for this is so much greater than the others I have read, they cannot even be compared. This book is long, but not an epic though I certainly wouldn’t let that deter you because there was always something going on that made it nearly impossible for me to set this book down. I was absolutely enthralled and couldn’t wait to read the “freebie” novella Phobia afterwards (which you can get at the end of the novel).

There are certainly some trigger warnings associated with this book, and this type of taboo isn’t going to be for everyone. There is a lot more drama and behind the scenes politics than one might think at the beginning of the novel. One thing that certainly made this book stand apart in the dark academia genre would be that Lilia is old enough to be in college; older than an average freshman. She also has seen things, and while she might not be overtly experienced romantically, she isn’t some brand new to society hermit looking for connections wherever they find her; she has a particularly goal, and she doesn’t want to let anything stand in her way from understanding and continuing to fight against letting what happened to her mother happen to other people.

Every time I thought, okay, this is it, there were A LOT of hidden secrets and such; BAM, another twist is revealed. This book is perfection, and I am not sure I’ll ever find an equivalent dark academia to this ever again. There’s such tension, so many stakes, and undeniable connections. If you like dark romance, or dark academia, I dare you to take a chance on this book.

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯
Spice rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

Review of Midnight in Austenland by Shannon Hale

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Synopsis:
When Charlotte Kinder treats herself to a two-week vacation at Austenland, she happily leaves behind her ex-husband and his delightful new wife, her ever-grateful children, and all the rest of her real life in America. She dons a bonnet and stays at a country manor house that provides an immersive Austen experience, complete with gentleman actors who cater to the guests’ Austen fantasies.

Everyone at Pembrook Park is playing a role, but increasingly, Charlotte isn’t sure where roles end and reality begins. And as the parlor games turn a little bit menacing, she finds she needs more than a good corset to keep herself safe. Is the brooding Mr. Mallery as sinister as he seems? What is Miss Gardenside’s mysterious ailment? Was that an actual dead body in the secret attic room? And-perhaps of the most lasting importance-could the stirrings in Charlotte’s heart be a sign of real-life love?

Review:
I did not realize just how enthralling I would find this book, and accidentally ended up reading late into the night to read to the end. I wasn’t sure that I would love this book, having started it previously and abandoned it, but I found once I was a few paragraphs in I was easily hooked. This book had all the regency and romance of the original Austenland, but with a huge mystery that left me needing to read to the very end. Warning: this book makes you want to keep reading and do nothing else until you reach the conclusion.

The book shifts between days in Austenland and days in the past in Charlotte’s past, finally catching up in the end to the modern day. I thought it was really unique to tell the backstory in such a manner, so that we were experiencing it with Charlotte as she considered things herself while on her vacation. Her gumption, change, and confidence are inspiring for anyone who finds that they have allowed themselves and their lives to move too far from what they wanted, or have allowed themselves to be too cowed by others that they shouldn’t have.

I loved how Charlotte fell into the mystery and wanted to just focus on that instead of letting the outside world and her real life problems fill her mind. I also adored how well everyone developed the characters are, and getting to see another side to Miss Charming that hadn’t been present in the original Austenland.

I highly recommend this book if you like the regency time period, Jane Austen, mysteries and a hint of romance.

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯

Review of The Devil Made Me Brew It by Sarah Piper

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Synopsis:
Lucifer meets Practical Magic in this opposites attract witchy rom-com brimming with sass, spice, and small-town charm!

What’s a broke tea witch to do when she’s about to lose her beloved café?

No idea, but chugging magic mojitos and drunk-summoning the Devil was definitely the wrong call.

Now, I’m stuck with the house guest from Hell—literally—and we couldn’t be more opposite: a homebody who brews healing teas and reads romance novels to her cats versus a sexy-as-sin playboy with a pitchfork tattoo on his butt and a fondness for public day-drinking. In the nude. Ergo, the pitchfork discovery.

Infuriating!

I’ve tried to send the Dark Prince packing, but the spell won’t let him leave—not until he unlocks my so-called “heart’s desire.”

Well. My only desire is to clear my debt and save the café, which would be a lot easier if I wasn’t so distracted by his stupidly charming British accent.

Or the smile that keeps incinerating perfectly innocent panties.

Or the spellbinding, toe-curling, never-should’ve-happened kiss at the Wayward Bay Halloween Ball that has me believing in a different kind of magic:

Love.

So maybe the real question is… What’s a broke tea witch to do when she’s about to lose her café and her heart?

Review:
I absolutely adored this book from the beginning. It was a bit cheesy, and definitely a “witch and devil could be in a Hallmark movie”, but there was no pretending it was anything but–even the characters joke about how everything is falling together too well, too perfectly and that was exactly what I was in the mood for and needed when I read this book. This is a quick easy cozy romantasy with high stakes but showcasing a wonderful found family and love. There was a great, perfect amount of spice between the two main characters, and their relationship never really felt forced but growing gradually as they got to know each other. There were a few times that I wondered what, exactly, Devlin saw in his “mushroom” girl since she didn’t seem to have any self confidence. I think that, perhaps, a lot of it may have had to do with the fact she wasn’t instantly willing to throw herself at him, but that isn’t necessarily explicitly stated. I definitely hadn’t seen the twist ending of what was going on in the town, and that made this read all the better! This book very much had Lucifer vibes, but I as I haven’t read or watched Practical Magic (I know, a travesty!) I cannot comment on whether or not it was reminiscent of that.

All in all I loved this book, it was a cozy modern romantasy, that made me want to start brewing my own tea instead of just picking one of the dozens of blends in my cupboard. Kudos to my husband for trying my first attempted brew of honeysuckle and jasmine green tea–did you know you’re supposed to brew honeysuckle for 10 minutes?!

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯

Review of The Musician and the Monster by Megan Van Dyke

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Synopsis:
Music says things words never can. I love you. I miss you. I’m sorry I killed you.

Every night, Ceridwen Kinsley plays music on her rooftop for the spirit of her dead mother. A peaceful if odd ritual, until she witnesses a murder by something not quite human. The monstrous encounter earns her notoriety within the city and a visit from the reclusive Lord Protector Drystan Winterbourne.

Charged with protecting the backwater city of Teneboure by the king, Drystan is failing at his task, and he can’t afford another slip up. But when fate and the very monster he means to conquer bring Ceridwen to his notice, he seizes the opportunity and presents her with an offer: play music for him at his manor in exchange for the money her impoverished family desperately needs. Music eases the strain of his magic, and who better to hire than the woman whose tunes he secretly listens to at night?

At first, Ceridwen is put off by Drystan’s unkempt appearance and harsh demeanor, not to mention the odd ailment that plagues him. But as he embraces her passion for music and she draws the recluse out of his lonely tower, the two develop an unlikely attachment. Class lines begin to blur as fearful indifference shifts to unexpected desire.

However, the monster prowling the night isn’t their only enemy, and as terrible secrets come to light, even true love may not be enough to save them.

This retelling of Beauty and the Beast incorporates themes and motifs from Phantom of the Opera, and is set in a Bridgerton-esque world but with magic and strong gothic vibes. It should appeal to fans of romantic and atmospheric retellings and fairy tales by authors such as Hannah Whitten, Tessonja Odette, and Stephanie Garber.

Review:
“Music is the strongest form of magic.” (Loc 44 in the kindle edition of the book)

I was drawn to this as an avid Beauty and the Beast and Phantom of the Opera fan. I did like that Ceridwen plays the flute, though I am uncertain of whether or not the author has actually played before. There were several instances where it seemed as if the practical application of playing a woodwind instrument wasn’t considered, and there was definitely a missed opportunity for Ceridwen to mess up by going too high or low with notes when upset and needing to settle herself. I loved that this story gave our “beast” a hobby– that’s something I haven’t seen before, whereas usually the “phantom” has a musical hobby. It was quite interesting how music could reach Drystan in ways that nothing else could.

“Though he’d long enjoyed music, he’d never made a study of it himself. Though there, locked in an embrace with the woman he loved, he suddenly understood how two distinct melodies could come together to form something even more magical.” (page 326)

In some ways I thought that the evil was a bit overdone, but overall there were stakes, there’s a sweet love story, and an escape to a slightly gothic gaslamp setting. I didn’t particularly find the romantic scenes that enthralling, but perhaps they could be your cup of tea.

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯

Review of Enchanted to Meet You by Meg Cabot

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Synopsis:
It’s Magic When You Meet Your Match

In her teenage years, lovelorn Jessica Gold cast a spell that went disastrously wrong, and brought her all the wrong kind of attention—as well as a lifetime ban from the World Council of Witches.

So no one is more surprised than Jess when, fifteen years later, tall, handsome WCW member Derrick Winters shows up in her quaint little village of West Harbor and claims that Jess is the Chosen One.

She’s the Chosen One

Not chosen by West Harbor’s snobby elite to style them for the town’s tricentennial ball—though Jess owns the chicest clothing boutique in town. And not chosen finally to be on the WCW, either—not that Jess would have said yes, anyway, since she’s done with any organization that tries to dictate what makes a “true” witch.

No, Jess has been chosen to help save West Harbor itself . . .

As Summer Ends, Her Power Grows

But just when Jess is beginning to think that she and Derrick might have a certain magic of their own—and not of the supernatural variety—Jess learns he may not be who she thought he was. 

And suddenly Jess finds herself having to make another kind of choice: trust Derrick and work with him to combat the sinister force battling to bring down West Harbor, or use her gift as she always has: to keep herself, and her heart, safe.

Can she work her magic in time?

Review:
I started reading this book while sitting in the hospital waiting room with my cat Abby(who is featured on the website banner). It was the absolute perfect thing to take away worries and bring you to a completely other, though entirely realistic, place. There were so many things I adored about this book that I actually bought a hardcover as soon as I finished reading it on kindle.

The book starts off completely immersive, bringing forth vivid imagery and locking you in place with a timeline that seems completely plausible about when girls do things. There were lots of sweet little witchy “suggestions” from Goody Fletcher’s book in the beginning of the chapters which I thought was very cute. There were definitely times reading that I wondered why there wasn’t more threefold law taking place with a certain annoying blonde character, but in the end, I quite enjoyed the book and would highly recommend it to anyone who loves modern romantasy.

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯

**I finished this book in February, however, due to Abby’s hospitalization, many things (book reviews included) were pushed off.

Review of A Heart of Desire and Deceit by Elayna R. Gallea

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Synopsis:
How does one pick up the pieces of their life after it has been obliterated by the person they mistakingly trusted?

Ryker Waterborn’s heart is broken, and his wife is a killer. Their marriage is a sham, built on a foundation of murder, lies, and deceit. They’re broken. Destroyed. Yet, even after hearing her confession, Ryker cannot leave Brynleigh in the Pit.

In an act of foolish love, he makes a deal to set Brynleigh free. All she has to do is go back to her Maker and find evidence that Jelisette de la Point is a traitor.

That’s easier said than done, but Brynleigh is left with no choice. She can either accept the deal or rot behind bars. Worse than all that is her relationship with Ryker.

Once, she thought they’d get a happy ending. Now, an ocean divides them.

She broke the rules and fell in love, but is love powerful enough to save them?

This is the second half of Ryker and Brynleigh’s duet, and should be read after A Game of Love and Betrayal.

Review:
Oh my goodness. There were so many JUST TALK TO EACH OTHER ALREADY moments in this book! I am very glad we got to see both Brynleigh and Ryker’s perspectives throughout this or it would have been completely maddening. While I expected a bit of resistance at the end, I hadn’t expected what actually happened, but it also seemed like a bit of a let down with how fast everything happened–almost as if things were too easy for Ryker and Brynleigh.

Personally, I really enjoyed Ryker and all of the “how you act reflects on me” moments, as that’s something I heard often growing up.

I quite liked the ending, though I am not certain I’d read this book duology again.

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯

Review of A Game of Love and Betrayal By Elayna R. Gallea

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Synopsis:
He requires a wife. She needs to kill him. All’s fair in pursuit of love and revenge.

What’s a vampire to do when the fae who made her an orphan is searching for a wife?

Make him choose her and end his life on their wedding night, of course.

Brynleigh has been carefully planning this for years. Her plan is simple: date Ryker Waterborn, the Fae Representative’s son, make him fall in love with her, and kill him after they say, “I do.”

Unfortunately, it won’t be that easy. She won’t be the only one going after Ryker’s hand. Far from it. Two dozen men and women are competing in the Choosing, each searching for their perfect partner. The catch? It’s a blind selection process, and contestants won’t see each other until they have made their choice.

Nothing will stand between Brynleigh and her revenge, not even a competition for love.

A Game of Love and Betrayal is the first book in The Choosing Chronicles, a captivating enemies-to-lovers, new adult urban high fantasy romance.

Review:
I did truly like this book, but I’m not sure that the synopsis really explains it that well. Ryker is honestly looking for a wife and Brynleigh, well, she’s looking for something different entirely. It took me a bit to get into this book because it starts with Brynleigh in a very unique situation. From the very beginning, in the first chapter, we are told how hard it is for vampires to break away from their Maker, so it makes sense that Brynleigh does her best to appease hers. It becomes clear very early on that Brynleigh and Ryker are two very different people. The televised/blind aspect of this competition made it quite unique.

Both Brynleigh and Ryker both have trauma from their past that effects them more than one usually sees in a fae/vampire romance. If you’re looking for a morally grey female, this is it. As for this being enemies-to-lovers… somewhat from one side.

*This book ends on an ABSOLUTEY HORRIBLE cliffhanger, so be prepared to get book 2 immediately

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯

Review of Beautiful Villain by Rebecca Kenney

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Synopsis:
Daisy is a recent college grad looking to get her feet back under her after a nasty breakup with her uber-controlling ex. When her cousin Nick convinces her to come to a lavish party being thrown by some mysterious new money showoff, she never expects to find the boy she loved and lost years ago…or to discover that Gatsby made his millions selling immortality to the highest bidder.

Daisy Finnegan is looking forward to the endless golden freedom of summer. No more college, no more pressure, no more worries. But when her cousin goes missing at an exclusive house party, Daisy is all too ready to confront the mysterious host…only to discover the wealthy recluse is Jay Gatsby, her childhood sweetheart—now sinfully hot and impossible to deny.

She could never resist him, and it isn’t long before she’s entangled in a web of wealth and lies and obsession, culminating in a shocking act of violence that shatters the summer haze and threatens to drown them all.

But it isn’t until Gatsby is shot through the heart—and survives—that Daisy discovers the truth of how he clawed his way up in the world: by selling the secret of immortality to the highest bidder. Now with her friends’ lives at stake, her own dizzying new powers still volatile, and an unimaginable threat closing in, Daisy will have to face an impossible choice: Side with the man who claimed her body and soul? Or with the monsters who would see him lost to her forever?

Review:
“He’s still a hopeless romantic, if that’s what you mean. An impossible idealist.” (page 97)

I could hardly put this book down! Filled with pop culture but not enough to draw you away from the story, this book constantly had action, well developed characters, and breathtaking love. This is a retelling of The Great Gatsby and it was better than I could have ever imagined. Both Gatsby and Daisy are given depth, but the story shifts to fit in with our modern times, with a sprinkle of supernatural. I absolutely adored how the Gatsby/Nick/Myrtle/Daisy/Tom connection worked and that while Nick doesn’t remain the narrator, he is given more depth, backstory and love than the original story had.

This story, while featuring all the original Gatsby characters, gives Daisy a bit more depth and deals with the issue of how it feels to not know what you want out of life, to feel adrift, and like all you’ve done is try to please your parents. I adore how Jay stays a hopeless romantic, but isn’t overly pressing/forceful in trying to get what he wants, and doesn’t give off the hopeless and basic character he appeared as in the original novel. Jay does love Daisy and while he may have moved there and done so much for her, he’s also built a life, a family, and deep scientific advances and research that keep him involved/working outside of just trying to impress/romance her.

If that isn’t enough to hook you, there’s also a dual supernatural element that makes this story pop in a way that regular fiction doesn’t. It’s a brilliant retelling, with spice, supernatural, well developed characters, and I highly recommend it both on it’s own, and for those of us who thought that Jay really should have gotten the girl.

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯