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Release date: November 5, 2019

Publisher: Berkley Romance

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Blurb:

The first rule of this book club:
You don’t talk about book club.

Nashville Legends second baseman Gavin Scott’s marriage is in major league trouble. He’s recently discovered a humiliating secret: his wife Thea has always faked the Big O. When he loses his cool at the revelation, it’s the final straw on their already strained relationship. Thea asks for a divorce, and Gavin realizes he’s let his pride and fear get the better of him. 

Welcome to the Bromance Book Club.

Distraught and desperate, Gavin finds help from an unlikely source: a secret romance book club made up of Nashville’s top alpha men. With the help of their current read, a steamy Regency titled Courting the Countess, the guys coach Gavin on saving his marriage. But it’ll take a lot more than flowery words and grand gestures for this hapless Romeo to find his inner hero and win back the trust of his wife. 

Review:

It’s not often that an author comes up with a truly unique premise (especially in a contemporary romance) but this one felt so new and fresh. The idea of a bunch of super manly dudes reading Regency romance novels cracks me up, but there was so much more to this one than just humor. It seems like most of the time authors follow the same tropes, and that’s fine, I love enemies to lovers, second chance romance, etc as well, but reading about a couple on the verge of a divorce was also another aspect that I really liked. I found myself relating to Thea and Gavin way more than usual simply because I’m also married with kids and know how hard the balance between being a mom AND a wife can be, it’s hard sometimes to step out of the mommy role and into the wife one and I loved that this was explored here. It felt really authentic in the way that it showed the not so pretty side to marriage and I appreciated that.

While you do hear from Thea often the bulk of this is good from Gavin’s perspective and I’m so here for that. Throw in the male members of the book club as well and there’s plenty of alpha male hotness and hilarity at play. This was also heartfelt and raw and at times sexy and spicy. Basically this had a little bit of everything and I loved it, so excited it’s the first in a series, bring on book two!

Overall rating: 4.5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads|Amazon

Release date: October 15, 2019

Publisher: Dial

Genre: Women’s Fiction

Blurb:

Tis the season for change and Becky Brandon (née Bloomwood) is embracing it, returning from the States to live in the charming village of Letherby and working with her best friend, Suze, in the gift shop of Suze’s stately home. Life is good, especially now that Becky takes time every day for mindfulness . . . which actually means listening to a meditation tape while hunting down online bargains. 

But Becky still adores the traditions of Christmas: Her parents host, carols play on repeat, her mother pretends she made the Christmas pudding, and the neighbors come ’round for sherry in their terrible holiday sweaters. Things are looking cheerier than ever, until Becky’s parents announce they’re moving to ultra-trendy Shoreditch—unable to resist the draw of craft beer and smashed avocados—and ask Becky if she’ll host this year. What could possibly go wrong? 

Her sister demands a vegan turkey, her husband  insists that he just wants aftershave—again, and little Minnie demands a very specific picnic hamper: Surely Becky can manage all this, as well as the surprise appearance of an old-boyfriend-turned-rock-star and his pushy new girlfriend, whose motives are far from clear. But as the countdown to Christmas begins and her big-hearted plans take an unexpected turn toward disaster, Becky starts to wonder if chaos will ensue, or if she’ll manage to bring comfort and joy to Christmas after all.

Review:

A new Becky Bloomwood novel is always cause for celebration for me, set it during the holidays and I’m even more excited and this one did not disappoint! I love that it’s easy to jump in and out of this series if you want, or if you’re like me you follow each book, but even if it’s been years since you’ve read a Becky book it’s like checking in with an old friend you haven’t seen for awhile but you pick up exactly where you left off, the ultimate in a comfort read for me.

It’s not a BB book if there isn’t chaos and mayhem and seeing as this is set amid the holiday rush you can imagine the mishaps that are possible. Becky never fails to make me laugh out loud and this was no exception, she’s so over the top and silly that you can’t stop yourself from liking her, or at the very least laughing at her. These books don’t take themselves seriously at all, they’re pure fun and entertainment and I always finish with a smile on my face. Recommended when you want something light, silly and hilarious.

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads|Amazon

Release date: October 22, 2019

Publisher: Lake Union

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Blurb:

Elise Watters seems to have it all—a blissful marriage, a gorgeous Victorian home surrounded by lush gardens, and a dream job running her late mother’s herbal boutique.

But on the eve of her first wedding anniversary, Elise makes a shocking discovery that turns her life upside down and casts doubt on everything she thought she knew—about her marriage, her friends, and even herself. As she treads into dangerous territory, Elise is forced to wonder: Is her whole future at stake? Or is paranoia getting the best of her?

If she is to believe what she sees, Elise has every reason to fear for her life… 

Review:

Talk about a one sitting, binge worthy read! Not only is this on the shorter side making it super easy to breeze through, it’s also incredibly pacey and engaging making it super hard to put down. Throw in a healthy dose of paranoia and a whole heap of secrets and this is one fun read, perfect for this time of year.

While this was definitely full of intrigue and suspense it was on the lighter side of the suspense world, nothing too dark or disturbing but still really juicy and entertaining. The drama was high here and at times a bit over the top, but I love that style and found it added to the story for me. I’ve been a fan of Banner’s books for awhile now and this one was similar in terms of style to The Twilight Wife for me so definitely grab this if you liked that one!

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads|Amazon

Release date: October 22, 2019

Publisher: Gallery

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Blurb:

Goodreads|Amazon

Release date: October 8, 2019

Publisher: Berkley Romance

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Blurb:

Emmie Echavarre is a professional faker. She has to be to survive as one of the few female employees at Nuts & Bolts, a power tool company staffed predominantly by gruff, burly men. From nine to five, Monday through Friday, she’s tough as nails–the complete opposite of her easy-going real self. 

One thing she doesn’t have to fake? Her disdain for coworker Tate Rasmussen. Tate has been hostile to her since the day they met. Emmie’s friendly greetings and repeated attempts to get to know him failed to garner anything more than scowls and terse one-word answers. Too bad she can’t stop staring at his Thor-like biceps…

When Emmie and Tate are forced to work together on a charity construction project, things get…heated. Emmie’s beginning to see that beneath Tate’s chiseled exterior lies a soft heart, but it will take more than a few kind words to erase the past and convince her that what they have is real. 

Review:

Can we all agree the cover for Faker is the cutest thing ever? Of course that’s what initially caught my eye, but despite the adorable cover the inside is equally cute, but it’s also much more than just a pretty cover. It’s also sweet and charming but it has plenty of depth, and while I wouldn’t necessarily call it serious, it does have its moments of introspection and it added something powerful to the story.

I love a good old enemies to lovers trope and this delivered! Emmie and Tate are coworkers who have never gotten along and even before they start dating their chemistry is off the charts and comes through in their bickering. Their sexual tension just builds throughout the book and the payoff was so worth it! This definitely had some steam and to balance out the sexiness were plenty of moments between these two as they shared parts of their background and histories with each other. Tate is a total introvert, he’s incredibly private and while Emmie seems more outgoing than him, she’s guarded as well. I just loved these two together and how they brought out the best in each other, it didn’t hurt that Tate pulled something seriously romantic moves in order to win Emmie over and he won me over in the end too!

Super impressive debut and one that I can definitely recommend, an easy and fast romance read that I loved spending a few hours with.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads|Amazon

Release date: October 1, 2019

Publisher: Howard Books/Atria

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Blurb:

Returning home to her family’s farm in the Midwest for her Christmas wedding was never Beth Dean’s plan. But it’s the only way her beloved grandmother will be able to attend. And even her New York City friends will find the family’s old barn elegant. But when her fiancé’s family want her to sign a pre-nup, her hopes for her future marriage may be crumbling even as the guests arrive. 

Beth’s childhood friend, Jen Fitzgerald, has always dreamed of starting a wedding planning business. And when Beth decides to have her wedding back home, it’s the perfect chance for Jen to show everyone what she can do. But when the caterer cancels and a blizzard comes in through the barn door, Jen wonders if she’s bit off more than she can chew—and how she’s going to get through the wedding while seeing her old flame, Jared, for the first time in years. 

Meanwhile, Beth’s friend Destiny is trying to put on a brave face while she wonders why she never left home to follow her dreams like Beth. The groom’s parents are brought face to face with the tensions in their own marriage as they argue over their son’s. And Sylvia, a native New Yorker, is wondering how long she can survive in a town that doesn’t even have a Starbucks, while unexpected sparks fly with Winston, a gruff local tree surgeon with a heart of gold. But when a surprise snowstorm blankets the area, keeping the guests together on the farm, everyone learns to put aside their differences and enjoy their unexpected Christmas blessings.

Review:

If a holiday book publishes today that means it’s not too early to be reading them, right?! What’s great about this one is that while it’s set right before Christmas Day it’s not actually super holiday heavy so you can easily read this a bit early and still enjoy it like I did. While the weather and the small town setting gave me cozy holiday vibes, the story itself focuses more on the wedding itself and the relationships between the various characters making it a great read for any time of the year.

There’s quite a bit going on here as there is a pretty large ensemble cast of characters and I adore books like that. Weddings seem to always bring out the drama and craziness and there was some of that at play here. Jen is trying to plan her first wedding and nothing seems to be going right, Beth is the bride and she’s having some future in law issues, Destiny is totally bogged down by motherhood and Sophie is visiting from New York and isn’t really sure what to think of a midwestern farm. Like I said, lots going on to keep things interesting and when you throw in some more secondary characters that add romance to make it a pretty entertaining read.

This was a fast and effortless read for me, the pages just flew by as I got totally sucked into the drama and lives of the characters. The only problem with reading this one before the holiday season starts is that I wish I had saved it to curl up with next to a fire and a pretty Christmas tree, it was sweet and cozy and totally lighthearted, totally what I want when I pick up this type of book.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.