ContemporaryRomance – A Take from Two Cities

BEYOND THE THISTLES by Samantha Young

He’s a brooding bodyguard. She’s a single mom on the run. And in a town this small, they can’t hide from their fierce attraction…

It’s been a long time since Walker Ironside left behind Scotland and the memories that haunt him. Yet after years of traveling the world as a bodyguard, Walker misses his homeland enough to return. To a village in the Scottish Highlands that plays host to an exclusive members-only club, Ardnoch Estate. If not happy, Walker is content working with the elite security at the club and maintaining his bachelor lifestyle. What he doesn’t need is distraction in the form of the enticing but too-young newcomer, single mother Sloane Harrow.

Sloane never imagined she’d get pregnant at sixteen. Or that a decade later she’d escape from California with her daughter, Callie, to start over in the Scottish Highlands. Hidden and safe from Callie’s dangerous father, Sloane is satisfied with their new lives. Her daughter is happy. Sloane has a stable job, a quaint cottage, a passion for baking that might just be turning into a business, and a huge crush on brooding security guard Walker Ironside. Unfortunately, the grumpy Scot seems immune to Sloane’s charm, but she can’t help but try to seduce him with cupcakes and baked treats whenever the opportunity arises.

However, when someone arrives in Ardnoch intent on destroying Sloane’s life, Walker is the first to step forward to protect her and Callie. Even if it means giving into temptation and awakening his own demons. Because in doing so, Walker faces failing not only to shield Sloane from her past, but to safeguard her against his own.

Title : Beyond The Thistles
Author : Samantha Young
Series : The Highland Series #1
Format : eARC
Page Count : 383
Genre : Contemporary Romance
Publisher : Self Published
Release Date : May 2, 2023

Reviewer : Micky
Rating : ★ ★ ★ ★

Micky’s 4 star review

Headlines:
I want to live in Ardnoch
Quiet grump, soft centre
Guilt and redemption

As if there was any doubt I’d be up for this off-shoot series of the Adair Family, I’ll confirm right now that more from the highland village of Ardnoch where the rich and famous come to chill is a favourite place to read about. The rich and famous are rarely at the fore, it’s the normal residents that have our attention.

Sloane and Walker were great MCs and carried the story well with gruff dialogue, grumpy sunshine characterisation and a slow opening up of more. There were some intense storylines centred mostly around Sloane that brought that suspense element to this highland retreat readers have come to expect (content warnings below). That said Walker had a story in his background too.

The connection with Sloane and Walker was slow burn but kindling a roaring heat, I felt invested in these two and sometimes frustrated with Walker. The dynamic with Callie and Walker was a sweet addition to the sense of family.

The pacing for this read was a little different, I liked how Samantha Young flipped the suspense to parts of the story I didn’t expect then snuck back in with more; it kept me on my reader toes.

My parting thought…poor Hayden AGAIN!

Thank you to the author for the review copy.

Content warnings: sexual assault, sexual violence

HAPPY PLACE by Emily Henry – double review!

Two exes. One pact.
Could this holiday change everything?

Harriet and Wyn are the perfect couple – they go together like bread and butter, gin and tonic, Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds.

Every year for the past decade, they have run away from their lives to drink far too much wine and soak up the sea air with their favourite people in the world.

Except this year, they are lying through their teeth. Harriet and Wyn broke up six months ago. And they still haven’t told anyone.

But this is the last time they’ll all be together here. The cottage is for sale, and since they can’t bear to break their best friends’ hearts, they’ll fake it for one more week.

But how can you pretend to be in love – and get away with it – in front of the people who know you best?

Brimming with characters you can’t help but fall for and off-the-charts chemistry, HAPPY PLACE is Emily Henry doing what she does best!

Title : Happy Place
Author : Emily Henry
Format : Physical ARC / eBook (overdrive)
Page Count : 400
Genre : Contemporary Romance
Publisher : Viking Books / Berkley
Release Date : April 27, 2023 / April 25, 2023

Reviewer : Micky / Hollis
Rating : ★ ★ ★ ★ / ★ ★ ★ ★

Micky’s 4.5 star review

Headlines:
Angsty tension
Everything isn’t fine
People pleasing

I really like what Emily Henry did with this novel, we started with the difficult and pretty much stayed there for a lot of the book. This was one hell of an angsty read, the type where you close the book to breathe a bit and then get the courage to open it again.

The story immersed the reader in found family but that family was hitting the dysfunctional buttons pretty hard for all sorts of reasons. I feel like this bunch of friends had grown and changed but they felt the need to pretend they were still as they were a decade ago. Sabrina was a tough one to like but the others were easier to bond with.

The MCs Harriet and Wyn were truly likeable but fathoming what the heck was going on with these two was difficult. I could figuratively feel the unease in Harriet about a bunch of things, Wyn included. There was a bucket load of baggage from family, childhood and pressurised expectations. Harriet was all about the people pleasing but she lacked insight into herself.

I devoured this book over two days and there was so much substance to pick over. I love that Emily Henry doesn’t write to a personal formula. This offering felt quite different to her other romances but equally as great. Don’t expect ease and laughter, brace for tension and angst. Highly recommended.

“Love means constantly saying you’re sorry, and then doing better.”

Thank you to Viking Books for the review copy.

Hollis’ 4 star review

Second-chance romance is rarely my cup of tea. Mostly because the author does too good a job convincing me the couple was right to break up the first time. Or I’m not sold the connection is enough to weather future conflicts and go through everything all over again. But here we are. Henry has convinced me otherwise.

And she did it twice. Because she had me falling in love with these two as they fell in love the first time. And aching as I hoped they would find their way back to each other, desperate to know what really had gone wrong, and if it was fixable. Because sometimes it’s not. Sometimes all the love in the world doesn’t equal a happy ending.

I used to think of love [..] as something so delicate it couldn’t be caught without being snuffed out. Now I know better. I know the flame may gutter and flare with the wind, but it will always be there.

But it wasn’t only the romance that inspired tears. The friend group, reading about this collection of people who had found each other, grown up together, and maybe were clinging too hard in the face of growing apart, it was all so so real. Picking up old traditions, trying to carry on even when so much was changing, the friction that results in some of that, oh. It resonated. And I’m sure other thirty-sometimes will feel that, too.

[..] even when something breaks, the making of it still matters.

As were the conversations are jobs, careers, lifegoals. Sometimes ones ambitions change, sometimes there are none to be had, and success isn’t in having an important job but being happy with yourself at the end of the day. And while it won’t come as any surprise based on the title, this book dealt a lot with happiness. What it represents, what it means, and how to find it.

I think this is the most heartfelt and romantic of all Henry’s books (so far!) but don’t worry there are plenty of laughs alongside some great banter. Also, longing. I think I used the word “aching” in this review already but it’s worth mentioning again because I ached. They ached. We all ached. I spent the last whoevenknowshowmany percent dripping tears and I cannot wait to relive this one. I want to take the time and start from the beginning, work my way through all her romances, and I always say these things and never do it but oh do I want to. I hope I make the time.

Obviously, highly recommend this one. And also, thank you for making my dreams come true and making it pink. Please make the next one green. Also also, can I just say, I’m so glad whatever mojo in the universe which has lead to two of my other most anticipateds falling flat did not impact this one. We have a win. Thank goodness.

MILES EVER AFTER by TL Swan

Miles Ever After.

The book of magical endings, featuring extended epilogues for the following,

The Stopover
The Takeover
The Casanova
The Do Over

Title : Miles Ever After
Author : TL Swan
Series : The Miles High Club 5
Format : eBook
Page Count : 236
Genre : Contemporary Romance
Publisher : Indie
Release Date : March 16, 2023

Reviewer : Micky
Rating : ★ ★ ★ ★

Micky’s 4 star review

Headlines:
Epilogues with depth
Tied up with a bow

Okay, this final installment in the series is for fans. It’s an unapologetic collection of extended HEAs for the four Miles brothers. Did I think Swan could pull off a book full of this? Honestly, I wasn’t sure because I felt we had wrap up on all the stories. But. The book delivered some meaty storylines, happiness and humps in the road that just took you furhter with each couple.

Claire and Tristan were my favourite couple of the series and their extended story didn’t disappoint mostly because of those three boys. I laughed so much at this one.

I shouldn’t have got cosy because next story I blubbed two or three times while Swan extricated my heart from my chest and then administered resuscitation.

I didn’t think I really needed this book but it brings a richness to the end. Yes, you might feel a little full with the sweet on finishing but whatever, fiction can fill me full anytime.

EXES AND O’S by Amy Lea

A romance novel–obsessed social media influencer revisits her exes on her hunt for true love in this romantic comedy from the author of Set On You.

Romance-novel connoisseur Tara Chen has had her heart broken ten times by ten different men–all of whom dumped her because of her “stage-five clinger” tendencies. Nevertheless, Tara is determined to find The One. The only problem? Classic meet-cutes are dead thanks to modern dating apps. So Tara decides to revisit her exes in hopes of securing her very own trope-worthy second-chance romance.

Boston firefighter Trevor Metcalfe will be the first to rush into a burning building but the last to rush into a relationship. Love just isn’t his thing. When his new roommate Tara enlists him to help her reconnect with her exes, he reluctantly agrees. But Tara’s journey is leading him to discover his own new chapter.

The more time they spend together, the more Tara realizes Trevor seems to be the only one who appreciates her authentic, dramatic self. To claim their happily-ever-after, can Tara and Trevor read between the lines of their growing connection?

Title : Exes and O’s
Author : Amy Lea
Series : The Influencer #2
Format : eARC/Physical
Page Count : 398
Genre : Contemporary Romance
Publisher : Viking Books
Release Date : January 10, 2023

Reviewer : Micky
Rating : ★ ★ ★ ★

Micky’s 4 star review

Headlines:
The humble guy
The clinger
Bookstagramming and plants

There was so much to just enjoy in this second book in The Influencer series. For me, this was a stronger read than book one. Getting to know Tara as a main character, even though we’d met her before in book one, revealed a rather desperate side to her need to be partnered. She knew this about herself but didn’t seem one iota in control of the level 10 desperation.

Tara moved in with Trevor to give Scotty and Crystal their space and a pairing two very different roommates. Trevor was in the no-commitment club and Tara was planning baby names for the yet to be named partner’s offspring. The friendship between these two made for a beautiful read. Bookstagramming and plants were part of the evolving connection as were romantic tropes. The story made me laugh…a lot and while Tara had moments of annoyance, Trevor pulled me through.

I loved how Tara got Trevor to open up and the eventual succumbing to something more was pretty satisfying to read. It felt somewhat slow-burning, it was built over time and it felt authentic.

Exes and O’s has me anticipating whatever book three will be.

Thank you to Viking Books for the review copy.

FINAL OFFER by Lauren Asher

Callahan
I’m the Kane brother everyone gossips about behind closed doors.
Trust fund brat. Washed-up athlete. High-functioning alcoholic.
No one knows the real me but her.
Lana Castillo—my childhood best friend and the only woman I ever loved.
When I broke her heart six years ago, I promised to never return to Lake Wisteria.
I kept my word until my grandfather’s will changed everything.
To receive my inheritance, I was tasked with spending a summer at the family lake house before selling it.
The request was simple in theory until my entire plan blew up on the very first day.
Turns out Lana doesn’t just live at the house, but she claims to own it, too.

Alana
Falling in love with Callahan Kane was a mistake.
He told me so before destroying my heart and our friendship six summers ago.
When he promised never to come back, I foolishly believed him.
But then Cal showed up again, intending to sell his grandfather’s lake house.
The biggest flaw in his plan?
My name is on the deed.

Title : Final Offer
Author : Lauren Asher
Series : Dreamland Billionaires #3
Format : eARC
Page Count : 594
Genre : Contemporary Romance
Publisher : Piatkus
Release Date : January 31, 2023

Reviewer : Micky
Rating : ★ ★ ★ .5

Micky’s 3.5 star review

Headlines:
Addiction
Trust
Second chances

“I don’t deserve you.”
“Then become the man who does.

I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to round up on this one, but honestly, while I enjoyed this overall, the whole nature of the issues in this book were difficult to read. Cal, the final brother, wasn’t someone I’d particuarly taken to in the other books and while I did warm a little to him, he hit luke-warm. I’ve addressed some of what I struggled with under a spoiler tag on my Goodreads review.

Lana was an okay character, I liked her but I didn’t love her. I didn’t like some of her decisions but realistically, she was doing her best as a single mum with lots of outside pressures. Cami was the star of the show for me; her personality shone through.

It’s a pretty long read and I’m not sure it needed to meander so much but I did enjoy the closure and epilogues, especially the other brothers extended HEAs.

Thank you to Piatkus Books for the gifted eARC.

END OF STORY by Kylie Scott

New York Times bestselling sensation Kylie Scott’s sexy, smart and unconventional opposites-attract love story looks at what happens when fate refuses to give up on what’s meant to be…

When Susie inherits her beloved aunt’s house, the last person she expects to help renovate it is Lars – her ex’s best friend. The same man who witnessed their humiliating public breakup six months ago. She isn’t exactly eager to have anyone around whose alliance is with the enemy but beggars can’t be choosers and the sooner the repairs are done, the sooner she can get back to embracing singledom.

Things go from awkward to unbelievable when Lars discovers a divorce certificate hidden in a wall and dated ten years in the future – with both their names on it. It couldn’t possibly be real…could it? As Susie and Lars work to unravel the document’s origins, the impossibility of a spark between them suddenly doesn’t seem so far-fetched. But would a relationship between them be doomed before it’s even begun?

Title : End of Story
Author : Kylie Scott
Format : eARC
Page Count : 313
Genre : Contemporary Romance
Publisher : Piatkus Books
Release Date : February 14, 2023

Reviewer : Micky
Rating : ★ ★ ★ ★

Micky’s 4 star review

Headlines:
A message from the future
Ex problems
Hot damn these two

It’s no secret that I’m a Kylie Scott fan and End of Story demonstrates why so well. This romance is all ease but with plot depth and the right amount of steam. I flew through this book and didn’t want to put it down.

Susie the FMC inherited a house from a close family member and the contractor who came to work on her house was the best friend of her vile ex. Lars was a pretty great guy but he seemed a bit of a light weight in terms of romance at first. There was more to him than that first glance.

Susie was a strong, relatable heroine. She had a tough shell, she didn’t tolerate any BS from anyone. She was the kind of friend you wish for, all loyalty and goodness and inside her heart was huge and soft. Add in a cat called Kat and the appearance of something from outside our time and this became a great hook for the book to be orientated around. The plot was perfect weekend reading material, nothing too heavy but meaty enough.

Scott has released a prequel novella that came at the back of the arc for me, so I’m presuming it will for the finished copy. The prequel filled some gaps in but I wouldn’t have bought it.

Thank you Piatkus Books for the review copy.

MISTAKES WERE MADE by Meryl Wilsner

From the critically acclaimed author of Something To Talk About comes a sharp and sexy rom-com about a college senior who accidentally hooks up with her best friend’s mom.

When Cassie Klein goes to an off-campus bar to escape her school’s Family Weekend, she isn’t looking for a hookup—it just happens. Buying a drink for a stranger turns into what should be an uncomplicated, amazing one-night stand. But then the next morning rolls around and her friend drags her along to meet her mom—the hot, older woman Cassie slept with.

Erin Bennett came to Family Weekend to get closer to her daughter, not have a one-night stand with a college senior. In her defense, she hadn’t known Cassie was a student when they’d met. To make things worse, Erin’s daughter brings Cassie to breakfast the next morning. And despite Erin’s better judgement—how could sleeping with your daughter’s friend be anything but bad?—she and Cassie get along in the day just as well as they did last night.

What should have been a one-time fling quickly proves impossible to ignore, and soon Cassie and Erin are sneaking around. Worst of all, they start to realize they have something real. But is being honest about the love between them worth the cost?

Title : Mistakes Were Made
Author : Meryl Wilsner
Format : eARC
Page Count : 352
Genre : Romance/LGBTQIAP+
Publisher : Kathering Tegan Books
Release Date : October 11, 2022

Reviewer : Micky
Rating : ★ ★ ★

Micky’s 3 star review

Headlines:
Age-gap and incredibly messy love
Steamy

The characters and the plot of Mistakes Were Made centred on a significant age gap between two bisexual women, in additon, that connection in the form of having a thing with your best friends’s mom…right at the beginning, I thought oh hell. Suffice it to say, the title seems a little understated.

As the situation at the core of the story played out, I wanted to be on board with it but it felt somewhat icky to me from beginning to end. The one night, then affair with your best friend’s mom, got me so uncomfortable. I felt that Parker’s feelings were never really considered as they should have been by the MCs and that made me overall sad at the plot and a reluctant bystander to the ensuing drama. The resolution felt unrealistic to me.

Having read and enjoyed Wilsner’s debut, it was a bit of a suprise how steamy this read was. Her last book really wasn’t. I was mostly on board with that element but the scenes felt a little too frequent at times compared to plot development that might support the steam.

Overall, I could have got on board with the age gap much easily without the triangular connection. I’ll definitely seek out Wilsner’s next book and hope for a less messy context.

Thank you to Piatkus Books for the eARC.

SHIP WRECKED by Olivia Dade – double review!

After All the Feels and Spoiler Alert, Olivia Dade once again delivers a warm and wonderful romantic comedy about two co-stars who once had an incredible one-night stand—and after years of filming on the same remote island, are finally ready to yield to temptation again…

Maria’s one-night-stand—the thick-thighed, sexy Viking of a man she left without a word or a note—just reappeared. Apparently, Peter’s her surly Gods of the Gates co-star, and they’re about to spend the next six years filming on a desolate Irish island together. She still wants him…but he now wants nothing to do with her.

Peter knows this role could finally transform him from a forgettable character actor into a leading man. He also knows a failed relationship with Maria could poison the set, and he won’t sabotage his career for a woman who’s already walked away from him once. Given time, maybe they can be cooperative colleagues or friends—possibly even best friends—but not lovers again. No matter how much he aches for her.

For years, they don’t touch off-camera. But on their last night of filming, their mutual restraint finally shatters, and all their pent-up desire explodes into renewed passion. Too bad they still don’t have a future together, since Peter’s going back to Hollywood, while Maria’s returning to her native Sweden. She thinks she needs more than he can give her, but he’s determined to change her mind, and he’s spent the last six years waiting. Watching. Wanting.

His shipwrecked Swede doesn’t stand a chance.

Title : Ship Wrecked
Author : Olivia Dade
Series : Spoiler Alert (book three)
Format : eBook (overdrive)
Page Count : 413
Genre : contemporary romance
Publisher : Avon
Release Date : November 15, 2022

Reviewer : Hollis / Micky
Rating : ★ ★ ★ / ★ ★ ★ ★

Hollis’ 3 star review

This series has been a wild ride for me. We started strong, took a hard left into mostly nope, but then we are ending (right? it felt like the end!) on a mostly better note.. which I’m happy about.

I’ll admit, though, this started off rough. But not literally. Chapter one? Hoo boy hot. Chapter two? My reaction to the Peter’s behaviour was the buzziest of buzzkills. Eventually we get the reasons why but his defrosting was tough. Meanwhile Maria was delightful always. My only real issue was her quick pivot on her feelings for Peter out of nowhere offpage.

Naturally I hated the third act conflict but that’s mostly because it felt a miscommunication-adjacent and I hate that trope.

I’m definitely here (again, always!) for all the positive rep. But the highlight, as always, was the snarky commentary around this not-GoT but definitely GoT show at the centre of the plot. It’s incredibly satisfying. It’s also a little fanfic-y in of itself for all the people who were real-life shipping two characters who were mostly, sorta, embodied by Peter and Maria. Basically all the homages to everything around the show and actors were (chefs kiss) the best.

Having said that, once again, I’m hear to warn you away from playing drinking games; this time the keywords had to go with goats, herring, and other over-used bits used for increasingly lackluster and tired banter the longer it all went on.

But when the romance was in the transition from pining to confessions and then actually together? Delightful. The pre and post bits? I could leave them. The group chat threads? Hysterical. So, yes, equal parts fun and not fun. All that to say, I will definitely make an effort to dive into Dade’s backlist and continue to pick up whatever she does next.

Micky’s 4 star review

Headlines:
On set complications
A love told over years
Scandi humour

The GOT/Gods of the Gates has never worked so well in this series as this book. The characters that Peter and Maria were inhabiting were fantastic but IRL, they were a blast to read. I went from like to serious Peter side-eye to warm to heart eyes.

I appreciated that this was a slow-burn romance told over years without it feeling too long to wait to see things reach a conclusion. The build-up was everything and the time the characters spent on set was my favourite part of the book. That meant that the second half of the book was a little less exciting to me.

I enjoyed Maria as a character immensely, she was sunny but realistic. Her body positivity was infectious and inspiring. Peter was a introverted grump at times but her sunshine made him eventually sunny(ish).

For me, this was a welcome addition to the series and I enjoyed the cameos of the previous characters.

SOMETHING WILDER by Christina Lauren

Growing up the daughter of notorious treasure hunter and absentee father Duke Wilder left Lily without much patience for the profession…or much money in the bank. But Lily is nothing if not resourceful, and now uses Duke’s coveted hand-drawn maps to guide tourists on fake treasure hunts through the red rock canyons of Utah. It pays the bills but doesn’t leave enough to fulfill her dream of buying back the beloved ranch her father sold years ago, and definitely not enough to deal with the sight of the man she once loved walking back into her life with a motley crew of friends ready to hit the trails. Frankly, Lily would like to take him out into the wilderness—and leave him there.

Leo Grady knew mirages were a thing in the desert, but they’d barely left civilization when the silhouette of his greatest regret comes into focus in the flickering light of the campfire. Ready to leave the past behind him, Leo wants nothing more than to reconnect with his first and only love. Unfortunately, Lily Wilder is all business, drawing a clear line in the sand: it’s never going to happen.

But when the trip goes horribly and hilariously wrong, the group wonders if maybe the legend of the hidden treasure wasn’t a gimmick after all. There’s a chance to right the wrongs—of Duke’s past and their own—but only if Leo and Lily can confront their history and work together. Alone under the stars in the isolated and dangerous mazes of the Canyonlands, Leo and Lily must decide whether they’ll risk their lives and hearts on the adventure of a lifetime.

Title : Something Wilder
Author : Christina Lauren
Format : Physical
Page Count : 366
Genre : Contemporary Romance
Publisher : Piatkus Books
Release Date : May 17, 2022

Reviewer : Micky
Rating : ★ ★ ★.5

Micky’s 3.5 star review

Headlines:
Romancing the stone vibe
Second chances in the desert
Riddles and challenges

This book was so utterly different to any Christina Lauren book I’ve read and I’ve read almost all of them and yet it had similarities in style. The author notes at the end explain these differences well. If you are aware of the 1980s/1990s films in the Romancing the Stone series or even Raiders of the Lost Ark, this book captures some of that kind of feel. There were some twists, unexpected happenings, chases, near-death experiences and of course romance. It made for an utterly fun read.

At the heart of this story was a bitter split between young lovers 10 years ago and their meeting again in the now. Lily and Leo were an interesting pair but I could totally see why they had originally fit together and also why they separated. I did cheer for them.

The side characters in this story were crucial, they were on a trail through the desert, guided by Lily (for fun…) but there was some nastiness plotting in the background. I did not expect a lot of where this story went. The romance was there but on the backburner and I guess I didn’t get the feels quite as much for this particular story, but I did enjoy the read overall.

Thank you to Piatkus books for the finished copy for review.

BY ANY OTHER NAME by Lauren Kate

From No.1 New York Times bestselling author Lauren Kate comes the perfect New York-set, enemies-to-lovers romance, perfect for fans of Emily Henry, Kate Clayborn and Nora Ephron!

One summer to write the biggest love story of the year . . .
But will it be theirs?

Noa Calloway is THE bestselling author of sweeping love stories. Love stories that careful editor Lanie has shaped her life around. Noa’s writing makes her feel seen and understood like nothing else.

So she’s more than a little shocked to find out that her beloved, reclusive, author is actually Noah Ross – a distractingly handsome man – and not at all the glamorous middle-aged woman she’d imagined.

Even worse – Noah has writer’s block. With her job on the line, Lanie has to work with him to spark the crucial inspiration Noah needs to write his next heart-stopping romance.

Yet as they show each other all their favourite spots in New York City – Lanie can’t help but wonder if the man by her side, and the author that stole her heart, might actually not be so different after all . . .

Title : By Any Other Name
Author : Lauren Kate
Format : Physical
Page Count : 288
Genre : Contemporary Romance
Publisher : Piatkus
Release Date : March 1, 2022

Reviewer : Micky
Rating : ★ ★ ★ ★.5

Micky’s 4.5 star review

Headlines:
Literally literary
Bloody lovely
Friends to more

I don’t want to give too much away about the plot of this book but if you avoid the blurb (and I recommend that you do), there’s a nice twist early on that sets a great context for this book. By Any Other Name was just such a warm and lovely read, low to zero on spice but full of connection and chemistry.

The main character of Laine was an editor for a publisher, involved in a big name romance writer. Everything about her job and personal life intersected. She had relationship complications and a pet tortoise…what more does a woman need?

The relationship connection in this book was a lovely build of true connection over time. I believed how they interacted on emails, texts and in real life. I loved them together and their potential for more. How the publishing world and books grounded the narrative brought an nice insight into the story.

Friends over email. Antagonists in person.

This was a low angst, just what I needed, kind of read. This one is perfect for a weekend or a day and honestly, I’d love to read more like this from Lauren Kate.

Stop gazing at his meet-cuticles.

Thank you to Piatkus Books, Little Brown UK for the review copy.