Goodreads

Release date: September 18, 2024

Publisher: Boldwood

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Synopsis:

Welcome to the town of Starr’s Fall, where Autumn can feel like it goes on forever, and two people have a chance to fall in love… The leaves are falling, with a crispness to the air, along with the scents of coffee and pumpkin spice, past a half-empty street of shuttered storefronts and a bandstand that has seen better days…

Just like the whole town of Starr’s Fall, thinks Laurie Ellis – as she and her beloved dog Max head to collect the store keys. Maybe she has seen better days, too, but she’s certainly ready for a new start—and to leave her past behind. Still Laurie wonders whether she made a terrible mistake in coming to lovable but shabby Starr’s Fall. Will she even find customers for her pet store and bakery, never mind a community to welcome and accept her?

Not according to Joshua Reilly, the handsome but grumpy manager of the bookstore across the road, who claims he’s never heard of anything so ridiculous as a bakery for dogs.

But Laurie remains stubbornly undeterred. She’s starting over, right here. Not least because she has another secret reason for being here… one she isn’t telling anybody, at least not yet, as it involves her own tragic past.

What she doesn’t yet know is that a clue to the mystery is hidden deep in Joshua’s bookstore. And he doesn’t yet realize that Laurie herself might be the key to mending his own battered heart… for Laurie and Joshua and the whole town, it’s going to be a fall to remember.

Review:

I don’t know about you but I’m so ready for some cooler temperatures, yes I’m wishing summer away but I’m so over the heat. If you are feeling like you’re ready for fall this was a delightful little seasonal read that I enjoyed. I wanted the feeling of a cozy fall in a quaint town and that’s exactly what I got. Things aren’t exactly perfect in Starr’s Fall though and I appreciated that it wasn’t exactly your typical small town romance, it still delivered in its own unique way. Laurie was the sweetest character with some sad trauma in her past and I really like the journey the author took her on. Her relationship with Joshua was a slow burn and this one is closed door so just a little kissing which made this one really sweet and tender. Definitely recommended if you want a cute romance, fun fall activities and a charming and quirky small town.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads

Release date: September 3, 2024

Publisher: Dial Press

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Synopsis:

Is love on the small screen better than the real thing?

Brynn’s happy ending has gone up in flames. She’s newly divorced and living with a roommate – Josh – to afford her mortgage. At least she’s got Carson’s Cove to binge – her beloved 90s teenage soap.

So when a birthday cake shows up on her and Josh’s doorstep, Brynn makes a wish for her own happily-ever-after.

The next morning, she doesn’t wake up in her apartment. She’s in Carson’s Cove… and Josh is there too. Except they’re not Brynn and Josh; they’re the sweetheart and the bad boy.

Will they stick to the script, or will real love change the story forever?

A young divorcee finds herself in the ideal world of her favourite 90s nostalgia TV show, in this second-chance romantic comedy from the author of This Spells Love.

Review:

I was so charmed by the authors last book, This Spells Love and I was charmed once again with this one, just in a different manner. I’m loving the trend of more romances with magical realism being traditionally published, there’s something so whimsical and fun about them that provides a true escape for me, so I hope this is a trend that continues because it really works for me. If you were a fan of 90s teen soaps/dramas on TV like I was you will enjoy the nostalgia this one brought! The idea that Brynn gets to not only visit the fictional show and town that brought her so much comfort over the years, but that she may be able to change the ending? SO fun and such a cute concept that totally delighted me. There’s nothing here that’s too heavy, it’s light and fun but also has depth in the characters and a solid romance that I was rooting for.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads

Release date: August 27, 2024

Publisher: Boldwood

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Synopsis:

What happens when a getaway becomes the holiday from hell? 

Dean and Amber are on vacation in a secluded lakeside resort, hoping to fix the cracks in their marriage. Their only companions are the couple next door, Sophie, a beautiful redhead, and the mysterious Marc, who appears to be hiding something.

Before long Amber begins to suspect the couple aren’t who they say they are. Obsessed with uncovering the truth, she digs into the couple’s past.

As she struggles to rekindle her marriage while investigating the couple next door, Amber soon realises that she can’t trust anyone.

Just who is the enigmatic couple next door? And are some secrets better off staying buried?

Review:

This was one of those entertaining and fast paced reads that was enjoyable enough, as long as you don’t mind a far fetched plot, which I don’t. Amber gets a sense right off that the couple staying next door to them is hiding something and I found myself siding with her husband when he just wanted her to leave them alone, so it was a little hard for me to connect with her at the start. She is a determined woman though and once she really started digging into Marc and Sophie things got interesting and I found myself more engaged and connected to her. Things spiral and again, go a bit off the rails but I had fun with the direction the author took and thought for pure entertainment purposes this was a twisty and enjoyable read.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the author for my review copy.