Category: book review

Ne’er Duke Well by Alexandra Vasti

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Griffin

Date of publication: July 23rd, 2024

Genre: Romance, Historical Romance, Historical Fiction, Historical Regency, Fiction, Adult, Regency Romance, Chick Lit

Purchase Links: Kindle | B&N | WorldCat

Goodreads Synopsis:

In this steamy Regency romp, Lady Selina is determined to find the Duke of Stanhope the perfect wife―the only problem is she’s starting to think that might be her.

Peter Kent―newly inherited Duke of Stanhope and recently of New Orleans, Louisiana―must become respectable. Between his radical politics and the time he interrupted a minor royal wedding with a flock of sheep―not his fault!―he’s developed a scandalous reputation at odds with his goal of becoming guardian to his half siblings. For help, he turns to the cleverest and most managing woman of his acquaintance, Lady Selina Ravenscroft.

Selina is society’s most proper debutante, save one tiny secret: she runs an erotic circulating library for women. When Peter asks for her help, she suggests courtship and marriage to a lady of unimpeachable reputation. (Which is to say, definitely not herself.)

But matchmaking doesn’t go according to plan. Peter’s siblings run rampant on Bond Street. Selina ends up in the Serpentine. And worst of all, the scorching chemistry between Peter and Selina proves impossible to resist. For the disreputable duke and his unpredictable matchmaker, falling in love just might be the ultimate scandal.

First Line

Peter suspected the project was doomed.

Important details about Ne’er Duke Well

Pace: Medium

POV: 3rd person (Peter, Selina)

Content/Trigger Guidance: Ne’er Duke Well contains themes of child death, grief, fatphobia, misogyny, death of parent, abandonment, domestic abuse, sexism, slavery, terminal illness*, vomit, medical content, death, pregnancy, death of a sibling, and sex worker shaming. Please read carefully if any of these triggers you.

  • Terminal Illness—Peter’s half-brother died of consumption (tuberculosis) as a child.

Language: Ne’er Duke contains no swearing but does contain language* that might offend some people.

  • There are examples of era-typical sexism and misogyny throughout the book.

Sexual Content: There is graphic consensual sexual content in Ne’er Duke Well.

Setting: Ne’er Duke Well is set in 1815 London, England.

My Review:

I will be honest with you all. When I read the blurb for Ne’er Duke Well, I almost didn’t accept the widget. I was drowning in ARCs and barely getting ahead with my reviews (I often do this to myself). What ultimately made me accept was that I love Regency romances. I am glad that I accepted because this book was a good read.

The plot for Ne’er Duke Well was medium-paced and centered around Selina and Peter. I liked that Selina and Peter knew each other before the book started. Their gradual falling into love seemed like an obvious next step instead of being forced upon them.

The plot for Ne’er Duke Well was a dual plotline. One branch followed Selina and her running of the erotic circulation library. The other branch followed Peter as he fought to become his half-sibling’s legal guardian. In the middle of the book, both storylines merge, and that is when the chaos starts to happen. I loved it!!

The storyline with Selina was well-written. The evolution of the erotic circulating library had good roots. Selina’s best friend had found herself pregnant a couple of years earlier, and she did not know how it had happened. Selina took it upon herself to try to educate the ladies of the ton with this library. And, surprisingly, it took off. I wish I could have gotten more glimpses into the material used because it seemed very pornographic (from what Selina read). Selina did her best to keep her ownership of the library secret, but secrets have a way of coming out, and oh boy, did Selina’s.

The storyline with Peter was also well-written. He wanted to get custody of his siblings but got in the way of himself. He was a little scandalous (he said and did things that the proper British ton didn’t like), but he was a good person. But, and this comes up later in the book, Peter does have his demons. Those demons come out in full force when Freddy (his brother) becomes deathly ill. I felt awful for that poor man; he was terrified and was willing to do anything to keep Freddy alive.

Ne’er Duke Well has strong and memorable secondary characters. These characters added much-needed depth (and, in some situations, levity) to both storylines.

As stated in the blurb, the romance angle of Ne’er Duke Well was steamy. The author gradually builds up the sexual tension between Selina and Peter. By the time their wedding night comes around, everything explodes. And it keeps exploding with every sex scene. While the sex scenes were good, the relationship between Selina and Peter caught my attention. They were true partners and stood by each other’s sides during two critical scenes in the book. Selina was even willing to go as far as to annul the marriage so Peter would have a better chance of gaining custody of his brother and sister.

The end of Ne’er Duke Well was an HEA. I liked how the author resolved both storylines. I hope she writes more books in this universe. I am keen to see how various characters find their matches.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Griffin, NetGalley, and Alexandra Vasti for allowing me to read and review this ARC of Ne’er Duke Well. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoy reading books similar to Ne’er Duke Well, then you will enjoy these books:

Other books by Alexandra Vasti

No Road Home by John Fram

Publisher: Atria Books

Date of publication: July 23rd, 2024

Genre: Horror, Mystery, Thriller, Fiction, LGBT, Mystery Thriller, Queer, Paranormal, Adult, Suspense

Purchase Links: Kindle | Audible | B&N | WorldCat

Goodreads Synopsis:

For years, single father Toby Tucker has done his best to keep his sensitive young son, Luca, safe from the bigotry of the world. But when Toby marries Alyssa Wright—the granddaughter of a famed televangelist known for his grandiose, Old Testament preaching—he can’t imagine the world of religion, wealth, and hate that he and Luca are about to enter.

A trip to the Wright family’s compound in sun-scorched Texas soon turns hellish when Toby realizes that Alyssa and the rest of her brood might have some very strange plans for Toby and his son. The situation only grows worse when a freak storm cuts off the roads and the family patriarch is found murdered, stabbed through the heart on the roof of the family’s mansion.

Suspicion immediately turns to Toby, but when his son starts describing a spectral figure in a black suit lurking around the house with unfinished business in mind, Toby realizes this family has more than murder to be afraid of. And as the Wrights close in on Luca, no one is prepared for the lengths Toby will go in the fight to clear his name and protect his son.

First Line:

The knife slides free, the door clicks closed and here, at last, is the rain.

Important details about No Road Home

Pace: Fast

POV: 3rd person (mainly Toby, with a couple of chapters from Luca and Julian’s POV)

Content/Trigger Guidance: No Road Home contains themes that include bullying, classism, conversion therapy, homelessness, incest, pedophilia, grooming, sexual assault, child abuse, cheating, infidelity, addiction, anxiety, depression, dissociation, alcohol consumption, drug abuse, overdose, infertility, pregnancy, blood, gore, chronic illness, dead body, loss of autonomy, medical treatment, physical illness, cancer, death of a parent, death of a sibling, grief, suffocation, confinement, knife violence, murder, attempted murder, physical assault, gun violence, and flood. Please read carefully if any of these triggers you.

Language: No Road Home contains explicit swearing and language that might offend some people.

Sexual Content: There is no sexual content on page in No Road Home.

Setting: No Road Home is set in Hebron, Texas.

My Review:

When I read the blurb for No Road Home, it caught my attention. I have a strange fascination for evangelical preachers. I don’t know why; they have always fascinated me. Anyway, when I saw that the family of such a preacher was going to be featured, I was super interested to see how messed up they were (and the book didn’t disappoint). With the main character being a man who is parenting a queer child, I was also very interested in seeing how that was going to play into this book. I wasn’t disappointed. No Road Home had me glued to it until the wee hours of the morning.

The main storyline in No Road Home is centered on Toby, his son Luca, and the hellish couple of days he spends with his new wife’s family in Texas. This storyline was twisted. Actually, it was not twisted; it was knotted. Much was happening with and around this family, and the author took his sweet time revealing everything. But the same thing can be applied to Toby. A lot was happening internally with him, and his internal issues added extra depth.

The book gets off to a slow start, but it doesn’t stay slow for long. After Jerome is found killed, everything just snowballs. Throughout the storyline, one surprise after another is revealed, and each reveal explains a little more about Toby and the Wright family. By the end of the book, this storyline was blazing fast.

The relationships in No Road Home did make the book. I liked seeing how the author defined each and changed each relationship. The one that stood out the most to me was Luca and Toby’s relationship. That was pure love. Toby was willing to do whatever it took to shield Luca from bigotry in any form. He was also willing to do whatever it took to make sure that he and Luca left the property. The other relationship that stood out was weirdly Jerome and Cora. I can’t get into that relationship without massive spoilers, but it was similar to Toby and Luca’s….except that Cora did everything for the wrong reasons.

No Road Home is huge on secrets. Every character in this book either had a secret or knew one. I was overwhelmed when the author started revealing everything because it seemed all done simultaneously.

There were quite a few mysteries with some huge twists. The author does a good job of keeping them all under wraps. My biggest one was Willow and her connection to Toby and the Wright family. That was one of the biggest twists in the book. The other twists paled in comparison but still took my breath away.

There is a paranormal angle to the book that interested me. At first, I thought what Luca was talking about was a type of imaginary friend. But the more Luca spoke about it, and what Toby found on the roof, the more I figured out not only who but also what Luca befriended (and, weirdly, who was shielding him from the family).

I have so much more to discuss, but doing so would mean revealing spoilers, and I don’t want to do that.

The end of No Road Home was quick. I liked how the author explained everything and left no storyline open. I rarely end a book like this feeling satisfied, but in this case, I did. Everyone in this book, except the victim, got what they deserved. Why except the victim? He should have been kept alive to face the music with everyone else.

Many thanks to Atria Books, NetGalley, and John Fram for allowing me to read and review this ARC of No Road Home. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoy reading books similar to No Road Home, then you will enjoy these books:

Other Books by John Fram

Mini-Reviews: The I Can’t Catch Up Version

As much as I hate to do this, I am making a post dedicated to the books I have read in the past month but haven’t reviewed. I cannot catch up with my reviews and keep falling further behind.

Just to be warned, this will be a lengthy post. So, I understand if you can’t or won’t read it. But I need to do this for my sanity (and my NetGalley rating).

This is the second P.J. Tracy book I have read, and she is quickly becoming one of my favorite mystery writers. City of Secrets was a well-written mystery that kept me on my toes. While I did guess what would happen and what would happen (to an extent), I was completely surprised by the ending. I am eagerly looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

I wasn’t sure if I would like The Slowest Burn when I started reading it. But that first chapter, when Ellie and Kiernan met in person, interested me. The deeper I got into the book and Kiernan and Ellie’s lives, the more attached I got. They each were dealing with so much: Kiernan with his addiction issues, ADHD, and that he will never measure up to what his parents want. For Ellie, it was dealing with her husband’s death and managing her mother-in-law’s grief. By the end of the book, I was alternately sobbing (Kiernan had the most beautiful things to say to Ellie) and laughing my ass off.

I am a huge Sound of Music fan but I never considered that the musical that I loved (well, still love) was based on something true. When I got the widget for Maria, I figured that this was going to be a creative interpretation of the film. Well, color me surprised when I did a quick Google search and found out that Maria Van Trapp was real, as were the events surrounding her escape. I shouldn’t have been surprised because writers have taken liberties with factual events since, well, forever. Reading this book was eye-opening; from Maria’s viewpoint and the viewpoint of the secretary, she told the “true” story, too.

I was very excited when I got the widget for this book. I love supernatural romances, and the blurb caught my interest. Well, that excitement turned to disappointment as I read the book. I didn’t like the characters, and the storyline alternated between one that could have been good (Cassie’s magic) and werewolf porn. If the author had chosen one, I would have been good (and yes, I am down for a good werewolf porn book). But she didn’t, and I couldn’t get into it.

I will admit I was a little hesitant to read this book. I love Shakespeare (I have read all the plays, can quote sonnets, etc.), and I wasn’t sure if I would like the author’s theory. But once I started reading the book (and googling while reading), I enjoyed it. Told from dual POVs (Melina and Elena), this is a wonderfully written book. Melina wasn’t likable, but I understand why she acted the way she did. Elena couldn’t make many choices in her life, and she fought for everything she got. The dual storyline complemented each other and showcased Melina’s strengths and weaknesses. This ended up being a delightful and eye-opening book.

I was interested in this book when I saw that it was centered around a road trip across the South and that the roadtrippers would visit significant Jewish historical sights. But it was more than that. It is a story about healing, letting go, and discovering that the one you were meant to be with is right in front of you the whole time. I loved it. The author explored Nia and Jade’s relationship (friendship to lovers). She also explored Nia and Jade’s friendship with Michal (the letters made me cry). And then there was Jade and Jonah’s (Jade’s brother and Michal’s boyfriend during her last cancer battle) very strained relationship. Add in some very interesting stops and a carsick dog, and I found this book delightful.

The Bitter Past is the first book in the Porter Beck series. Taking place in Nevada (in dual timelines), the book follows a KGB spy trying to infiltrate the nuclear program in the desert. It also follows, 60 years later, Sherriff Porter Beck’s investigation into a gruesome murder of a retired FBI agent. Each storyline was well written and kept me on my toes. The author tied the two storylines in an explosive reveal that I didn’t see coming.

Tehlor Kay Mejia is becoming one of my favorite queer authors. They write characters that have depth to them and that I, as a reader, can’t help but connect to. Cash Delgado is Living the Dream fits into that category. I loved watching Cash slowly start to realize that she was queer and that she had feelings for her best friend, Inez. She also had the most adorable daughter and an amazing community that closed ranks when a new bar came into town and threatened to close down the bar she worked at. I am eagerly awaiting her next book.

Shades of Mercy is the second book in the Porter Beck series. It takes place a few months after the events in The Bitter Past. Beck is brought into an investigation where his close friend had a prize bull killed by a drone that had been hacked. This book had it all. I did find the plotline a little over the top (the Chinese secret agent angle was a little over the top). But, it didn’t affect how I liked the book.

The Debutantes is a horror/mystery book that is set in New Orleans. It is centered around three debutantes who are looking into the disappearance of their friend and, by default, into the murder of another friend the past year. I was a little “meh” about this book for most of it. I did enjoy the storyline (the girls looking into Lily disappearance and Margot’s murder). But once it turned down the path of a powerful, secret, woman hating society that controls everything, I started to turn down the “meh” path. The ending was a very typical ending for this genre. But there was a neat twist that did take me by surprise.

Death by Misadventure is the 18th book in the Lady Emily Mystery. This is a dual storyline book with two very interesting storylines. The first storyline follows Lady Emily as she is invited to visit the mountain house of a friend of a friend in the Bavarian Alps. While there, the annoying husband of the hosts daughter is targeted by a series of mishaps. But, when the daughter is murdered and a snowstorm cutting off access to the nearest town, it is up to Lady Emily and her husband to solve the murder. In the other storyline, a talented young singer, Niels, becomes the close friend (and soon more) of the “Mad” King Ludwig. His time with King Ludwig is magical but Niels has responsibilities at home. There was a point in the book where I wondered how these two storylines were connected. My questions were answered at the end of the book. The author explains everything, in heartbreaking detail.

The Lost Story by Meg Shaffer

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Ballantine Books

Date of publication: July 16th, 2024

Genre: Fantasy, Fiction, Magical Realism, Adult, Books about Books, Mystery, Contemporary, Magic, Adult Fiction, LGBT

Purchase Links: Kindle | Audible | B&N | WorldCat

Goodreads Synopsis:

Inspired by C. S. Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia, this wild and wondrous novel is a fairy tale for grown-ups who still knock on the back of wardrobes—just in case—from the author of The Wishing Game.

As boys, best friends Jeremy Cox and Rafe Howell went missing in a vast West Virginia state forest, only to mysteriously reappear six months later with no explanation for where they’d gone or how they’d survived.

Fifteen years after their miraculous homecoming, Rafe is a reclusive artist who still bears scars inside and out but has no memory of what happened during those months. Meanwhile, Jeremy has become a famed missing persons’ investigator. With his uncanny abilities, he is the one person who can help vet tech Emilie Wendell find her sister, who vanished in the very same forest as Rafe and Jeremy.

Jeremy alone knows the fantastical truth about the disappearances, for while the rest of the world was searching for them, the two missing boys were in a magical realm filled with impossible beauty and terrible danger. He believes it is there that they will find Emilie’s sister. However, Jeremy has kept Rafe in the dark since their return for his own inscrutable reasons. But the time for burying secrets comes to an end as the quest for Emilie’s sister begins. The former lost boys must confront their shared past, no matter how traumatic the memories.

Alongside the headstrong Emilie, Rafe and Jeremy must return to the enchanted world they called home for six months—for only then can they get back everything and everyone they’ve lost.

First Line:

The drive from Emilie Wendall’s house in Milton, Ohio, to Bernhelm Forest outside Louisville took a good two and a half hours.

Important details about The Lost Story

Pace: Fast

POV: 1st person (The Narrator), 3rd person (Emilie, Rafe, Jeremy)

Content/Trigger Guidance: The Lost Story contains themes that include homophobia, child abuse, physical abuse, domestic abuse, kidnapping, violence, alcoholism, death of parent, death, emotional abuse, hate crime, mental illness, physical abuse, abandonment, violence, injury, injury detail, panic attack/disorders, grief, medical content, suicide, bullying, drug use, addiction, terminal illness, blood, war, cancer, and trafficking.

Language: The Lost Story contains mild swearing and language that might offend some people.

Sexual Content: There is mild sexual content in The Lost Story.

Setting: Dead Tired is set in West Virginia and the fictional country of Shanandoah.

My Review

I was very excited when I saw that Meg Shaffer had a new book coming out. I loved The Wishing Game and was very curious about The Lost Story. So, when Random House sent me a widget, I jumped on it. I didn’t even read the synopsis. I hit accept and then downloaded so fast that I think it might have confused my computer (there was a pause).

Because I was so excited about this book, I went into reading it with a little trepidation. I have been burned in the past by being excited and then the book not living up to my expectations. Well, The Lost Story did live up to my expectations and then some.

The main storyline of The Lost Story follows Emilie, Jeremy, and Rafe on their quest to find out what happened fifteen years earlier and what happened to Emilie’s older sister (she disappeared in the same forest a couple of years before the boys went missing). The storyline was well-written and well-fleshed out. But, I was getting frustrated by what I thought at the time was a lack of information or insight into Jeremy and Rafe’s past. That frustration lasted until they found Shanandoah again and Jeremy could explain everything to Rafe. And when I say everything, I mean everything. I’m not going to say much past that because of spoilers.

Every so often (usually when things get serious), the Narrator interrupts and explains situations or gives humorous outtakes of what is happening. Usually, I wouldn’t say I like the shift in POV or character, but in this case, it worked. I giggled over some of the things the Narrator said or alluded to. Of course, the Narrator’s identity is revealed at the end of the book; honestly, I wasn’t shocked at who it was. I had my suspicions, and the reveal confirmed them.

The Lost Story touches upon some heavy topics (suicide, drug use, child abuse) throughout the book. The author handled those topics with grace. I was also very thankful that only a little detail (other than what happened the night Jeremy and Rafe disappeared) was given.

The main characters brought so much to this book—Emilie, with her determination to hire Jeremy to look for her sister. Jeremy was the stable one whose line of work exposed him to the horrors of missing children, teens, and adults. And Rafe, well, he was damaged, and the author wasn’t afraid to show it.

The fantasy angle of the book was terrific. This book was inspired by The Chronicles of Narnia, and it showed. Everything in Shanandoah was vivid and looked like a child had created it. Because of how vividly the author described it, I would have been happy with just a book set in Shanandoah.

The romance/LGBTQ angle was perfect. I won’t go into it except to say that I loved how the author wrote the love story. It was heartbreaking, poignant, and heartwarming all at once.

The end of The Lost Story brought tears to my eyes. The author brought closure to many of the storylines but left some open. It made me wonder if another book would be written in this world, and the end certainly made it seem that way.

Many thanks to Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Ballantine Books, NetGalley, and Meg Shaffer for allowing me to read and review this ARC of The Lost Story. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoy reading books similar to The Lost Story, then you will enjoy these books:

Other books by Meg Shaffer

One Big Happy Family by Jamie Day

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Date of publication: July 16th, 2024

Genre: Thriller, Mystery, Mystery Thriller, Suspense, Fiction, Adult Fiction, Family, Contemporary

Purchase Links: Kindle | Audible | B&N | WorldCat

Goodreads Synopsis:

The newest, riveting summer suspense by the author of The Block Party, Jamie Day.

The Precipice is a legendary, family-owned hotel on the rocky coast of Maine. With the recent passing of their father, the Bishop sisters—Iris, Vicki, and Faith—have come for the weekend to claim it. But with a hurricane looming and each of the Bishop sisters harboring dangerous secrets, there’s murder in the air—and not everyone who checks into the Precipice will be checking out.

Each sister wants what is rightfully hers, and in the mix is the Precipe’s nineteen-year-old chambermaid Charley Kelley: smart, resilient, older than her years, and in desperate straits.

The arrival of the Bishop sisters could spell disaster for Charley. Will they close the hotel? Fire her? Discover her habit of pilfering from guests? Or even worse, learn that she’s using a guest room to hide a woman on the run.

With razor-sharp wit, heart, thrills, and twists, Jamie Day delivers a unique brand of SUMMERTIME SUSPENSE.

First Line:

The power flickers on and off, as if the hotel is taking a dying gasp.

Important details about One Big Happy Family

Pace: Fast

POV: 1st person (Charley), 3rd person (Iris, Vicki, Faith, Bree)

Content/Trigger Guidance: One Big Happy Family contains themes containing murder, drug abuse, drug use*, addiction, sexual assault, sexual harassment, mental illness, car accident, eating disorder, gun violence, infertility, infidelity, violence, dementia, death of a parent, cancer*, pregnancy, classism, dubious consent scenarios*, adoption, cheating, child abuse, foster care, anxiety & anxiety attacks, substance addiction, involuntary pregnancy, blood, dead bodies, death from falling, grief & loss depiction, blackmail, attempted murder, poisoning, and hurricane. Please read carefully if any of these triggers you.

  • Drug Use—Charley’s mother and Iris were both drug addicts. Charley’s mother died from an overdose, and Iris talked about how hard it was to stay sober.
  • Cancer—Bree’s mother died from cancer caused by HPV.
  • Dubious Consent Scenarios—Bree’s mother was pressured into having a sexual relationship with George. It is later explained that he did that to numerous maids.

Language: One Big Happy Family contains moderate swearing and language that might offend some people.

Sexual Content: There is mild sexual content in One Big Happy Familly. The nonconsensual sexual content was not graphic, but enough was left unsaid to paint a picture of what happened.

Setting: One Big Happy Family is set in Jonesport, Maine.

My Review:

I was very excited when I saw that Jamie Day was publishing a new book. I had read her debut novel, Block Party, and liked it. I couldn’t wait to jump right in and read it. After reading it, I liked the book but was disappointed by it.

My disappointment was with how flat this book felt to me. I was expecting a more fleshed-out book that had layers to it. Don’t get me wrong, this book had layers. But unraveling one layer and going to the next became exhausting to read.

Other than Charley, the other characters in the book weren’t as fleshed out as they should have been. The dynamic between the sisters seemed forced and a little over the top at times. They were also flat. The author attempted to give them depth (and of the three, Faith had the most depth, in my eyes), but it wasn’t enough. Even Oliver, who was on the spectrum or neurodivergent and spoke in rhymes, was flat.

Don’t get me wrong—the book wasn’t that bad, and I will discuss the good parts after this paragraph. However, the lack of depth in the storyline and characters did bring it down in my eyes. Also, remember that this is her second book, and I haven’t met an author yet whose second book does as well as their debut novels.

So, with that said, let’s move on to the good.

I enjoyed the storyline and the secondary storylines that supported it. I felt they were well written, and some details gave additional insight into how the Bishop sisters’ relationship evolved. Significant trauma in their home life influenced how they turned out as adults. I’m not making excuses for them, but I didn’t see anyone walking away from their home life and being an emotionally healthy, stable adult.

Charley’s backstory was awful. She lived through so much in her life. She was devoted to her Nana and worked herself to the bone to cover the nursing home’s rent. The scenes with Nana broke my heart. Dementia is not an easy thing to happen to your loved one, and the author did hit the nail on the head. There is a twist to her storyline that made me so upset and so angry for her. All I have to say is thank goodness for Bree. If Bree hadn’t done what she did (to repay Charley’s kindness), what was happening would still be going on, with Charley none the wiser.

The mystery angle of the book was terrific. The author had me all twisted in knots trying to figure out who killed Todd and Ms. Black. The author brings in a paranormal angle to the mystery with Holly and Oliver. But I found that a bit distracting. The author also layered the mysteries. It also added to the overall suspense and tension of the situation (stuck at the hotel due to a hurricane). Believe me when I say that all the secrets are revealed. I was surprised at the twist with Todd’s murder, but, at the same time, it made sense (considering what was revealed later on). But the biggest reveal happens at the end of the book. Not only did the author reveal who Ms. Black’s killer was, but she also revealed another colossal surprise that, honestly, I should have seen coming.

The end of One Big Happy Family was anticlimactic. I can’t tell you what happened (spoilers), but everything made me a little let down.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press, NetGalley, and Jamie Day for allowing me to read and review this ARC of One Big Happy Family. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoy reading books similar to One Big Happy Family, then you will enjoy these books:

Other books by Jamie Day

Rules for Second Chances by Maggie North

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Griffin

Date of publication: June 25th, 2024

Genre: Romance, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Fiction, Adult, Canada, Chick Lit, Women’s Fiction, Autism Spectrum Disorder

Purchase Links: Kindle | Audible | B&N | AbeBooks | WorldCat

Goodreads Synopsis:

Liz Lewis has tried everything to be what people want, but she’s always been labeled different in the boisterous world of wilderness expeditions. Her marriage to popular adventure guide Tobin Renner-Lewis is a sinkhole of toxic positivity where she’s the only one saying no.

When she gets mistaken for a server at her own thirtieth birthday party,Liz vows to stop playing a minor character in her own life. The (incredibly well-researched and scientific) plan? A crash course in confidence . . . via an improv comedy class. The catch? She’s terrible at it, and the only
person willing to practice with her is a certain extroverted wilderness guide who seems dead set on saving their marriage.

But as Liz and Tobin get closer again, she’s forced to confront all the reasons they didn’t work the first time, along with her growing suspicion that her social awkwardness might mean something deeper. Liz must learn improv’s most important lesson—“Yes, and”—or she’ll have to choose between the love she always wanted and the dreams that got away.

Brimming with heart and heat, Rules for Second Chances explores the hardest relationship question of all: can true love happen twice . . . with the same person?

First Line:

The first minute of my thirtieth birthday party is everyone I want it to be.

Important details about Rules for Second Chances

Pace: Medium

POV: 1st person (Liz)

Content/Trigger Guidance: Rules for Second Changes contains themes that include parental neglect, abandonment, anti-autistic bias, needles, medication, lost child, lost pet, childbirth, ableism, misogyny, sexism, gaslighting, toxic relationship, infidelity, emotional abuse, anxiety, anxiety attacks, depression, alcohol consumption, and animal injury. Please read carefully if these trigger you.

Language: Rules for Second Changes contains mild swearing and language that might offend some people.

Sexual Content: There is moderate sexual content in Rules for Second Chances.

Setting: Rules for Second Chances is set in Grey Tusk, British Columbia, Canada.

My Review

I was not expecting how this book would feel when I accepted the widget the publisher sent me. I had read the blurb and thought this would be quick and easy. Yeah, that wasn’t the case. Put it this way: I was a teary mess as the book ended. Since I read at night, that woke my husband up, and I tried to explain what set me off.

The main storyline for Rules for Second Chances is centered on Liz. When the book starts, Liz is hurrying to her thirtieth birthday party, which is thrown for her by her very popular, extroverted husband, Tobin. Liz loses her shit when a guest mistakes her for a server at her party. It pushes Liz to realize that she must take control of her life. And her way of doing that? Joining an improv class run by her husband’s best friend and asking Tobin for a divorce. Realizing she is terrible at improv, Liz decides to ask Tobin to help her practice. As she and Tobin grow closer, Liz begins to think that her social awkwardness might have a more profound meaning. Will she fold with pressure mounting at the wilderness guide company they both work for and in Liz’s personal life? Or will Liz roll with the punches, like improv has taught her? And most importantly, will she be able to save her marriage?

I started this book not liking Liz. The author didn’t give a lot of background to her. She worked with Tobin at the same wilderness guide company but was extremely socially awkward and insecure. But my dislike of her didn’t even last through the first chapter. The author made it almost painfully clear that Liz, for most of her life, was made to feel like she was a spectator in her own life. I loved seeing her character grow throughout the book. By the end of the book, she went from this mousy person who hated confrontation to this self-assured woman. It took Liz a lot of work to get where she was at the end of the book, but it was worth the journey.

Tobin was quickly my favorite character in Rules for Second Chances. He loved Liz and was willing to do anything to fix their marriage (the Little Mermaid scene will be forever etched into my brain). I liked that Tobin wasn’t as confident as he was made out to be. I also liked that he owned his mistakes and that, during one crucial scene, he was willing to let Liz go—because it would make her happy.

I did have characters I didn’t like, but I will touch on two because they were the most prevalent. I was not fond of Tobin’s father and Liz’s older sister. I was furious with both during different parts of the book. Tobin’s father was a piece of work (he was a piece of shit who managed to help ruin their wedding and an anniversary dinner). But Liz’s sister took home the award for the biggest asshole to date. She had her suspicions about Liz having autism, but instead of talking to Liz about it, she sat on it. It wasn’t in a normal conversation when she decided to tell Liz her suspicions. Instead, it was blurted out in an argument, which made it somewhat worse for Liz to hear. The author did attempt to have Liz’s sister redeem herself towards the end of the book. But Tobin’s father jetted and was only mentioned once or twice after that scene.

I loved the secondary storyline that revolved around the improv group and the self-help book. Those were some of the funniest scenes in the book, but they were also some of the most heartbreaking.

I liked how the author handled Liz’s journey through her autism diagnosis. The author’s forward explains that she wrote Liz’s character and autism journey to the best of her ability and that Liz doesn’t portray every adult autism diagnosis.

The end of Rules for Second Chances was terrific. I loved how the author ended things for Tobin and Liz. It was the perfect ending for this book!!

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Griffin, NetGalley, and Maggie North for allowing me to read and review this ARC of Rules for Second Chances. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoy reading books similar to Rules for Second Chances, then you will enjoy these books:

Ladykiller by Katherine Wood

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Bantam

Date of publication: July 9th, 2024

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Adult, Contemporary, Adult Fiction, Suspense

Purchase Links: Kindle | Audible | B&N | Kobo | WorldCat

Goodreads Synopsis:

When an heiress goes missing, her best friend races to unravel the secrets behind her disappearance using clues left behind in an explosive manuscript…

Gia and Abby have been best friends since they were girls, forever bonded by the tragedy that unfolded in Greece when they were eighteen. In the aftermath, bookish Abby threw herself into her studies while heiress Gia chronicled the events of that fateful summer in a salacious memoir.

Twelve years later, Gia is back in Greece for the summer with her shiny new husband and a motley crew of glamorous guests, preparing to sell the family estate in the wake of her father’s death. When Abby receives an invitation from Gia to celebrate her birthday in September beneath the Northern Lights, she’s thrilled to be granted the time off from her high-pressure job. But the day of her flight, she receives a mysterious, threatening email in her inbox, and when she and Gia’s brother Benny arrive at the Swedish resort, Gia isn’t there. After days of cryptic messages and unanswered calls, Abby and Benny are worried enough to fly to Greece to check on her.

Only, when they arrive, they find Gia’s beachfront estate eerily deserted, the sole clue to her whereabouts a manuscript she wrote detailing the events leading up to her disappearance. The pages reveal the dark truth about Gia’s provocative new marriage and the dirty secrets of the guests they entertained with fizzy champagne under the hot Mediterranean sun. As tensions rise, Gia feels less and less safe in her own home. But the pages end abruptly, leaving Abby and Benny with more questions than answers.

Where is Gia now? And, more importantly, will they find her before it’s too late?

First Line

The night before Hugo Torres’s funeral, a cheetah escaped it’s enclosure at the Bronx Zoo and devoured a warthog.

Ladykiller by Katherine Wood

Important details about Ladykiller

Pace: Fast

POV: 1st person (Abby and Gia)

Ladykiller contains themes of infidelity, toxic relationships, gaslighting, toxic friendship, alcohol, death, drug use, emotional abuse, blood, and the death of a parent. Please read carefully if any of these triggers you.

Language: Ladykiller contains moderate to explicit swearing and language that might offend some people.

Sexual Content: There is explicit sexual content in Ladykiller.

Setting: Ladykiller is set in Greece, Sweden, New York, and California. 

My Review:

Thrillers are one of my favorite genres to read (romance is my top genre), so I try to accept any and all requests that end up in my inbox. So, I didn’t hesitate when Random House sent me the invite for Ladykiller. I was taken in by the blurb and the cover (which is gorgeous). But now that I have finished the book, I am slightly disappointed.

There are two interconnected storylines in Ladykiller. The first centers on Gia and is told through a manuscript. The second storyline centers on Abby (and later Benny) and their search for Gia. Both storylines merge towards the end of the book. That merger and the events afterward made me go from really liking the book to feeling “meh” about it.

The storyline centered on Gia was interesting to read. The author provided a lot of information in those chapters of the manuscript. Gia came across as very trusting and, if I dare say it, a little naive. But that notion was blown away when she caught onto her husband’s duplicity. The end of her storyline was left up in the air, and I honestly didn’t know what to believe by the end of the book.

The storyline that centered on Abby was more straightforward than Gia’s. Abby seemed to be a straight shooter. But, after Sweden, there was something different about her. Her secrets ate her alive, and Greece was the center of everything. I found Abby boring. She wavered with her feelings for Benny. Her friendship with Gia was like a remora (right from the book), and I wish that she had taken the advice she was given.

As I said above, when the two storylines merge, I started to feel “meh” about the book. There was no lead into Gia’s disappearance nor clues as to where she could be. I also didn’t believe that everyone in that house disappeared without a trace or that the local authorities would let an outsider take over the investigation. I could have dealt with that and with not knowing who to believe. I would have been happy with the author’s half, no, and semi-explanations. But the epilogue made me go from “good book” to “meh.” It was too much.

The mystery angle of Ladykiller was truly that—a mystery. Because Gia was unreliable and her manuscript embellished, I had a hard time believing her story. I also had a hard time believing Abby’s story once both twists were revealed. Yes, there are two twists, and both I did see coming.

The end of Ladykiller was interesting. The author wrapped up one storyline but left the other storylines wide open. In a way, it is genius. I will never know what the real truth is, only what Abby precieves is the truth. And I don’t even believe that.

Many thanks to Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Bantam, NetGalley, and Katherine Wood for allowing me to read and review this ARC of Ladykiller. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoy reading books similar to Ladykiller, then you will enjoy these books:

Knife River by Justine Champine

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Random House, The Dial Press

Date of publication: May 28th, 2024

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Mystery Thriller, Fiction, LGBT, Suspense, Adult, Literary Fiction, Adult Fiction, Lesbian

Purchase Links: Kindle | Audible | B&N | Kobo | WorldCat

Goodreads Synopsis:

When Jess was thirteen her mother went for a walk and never returned. Jess and her older sister Liz never found out what happened. Instead, they did what they hoped their mother would do: survive. As soon as she was old enough, Jess fled their small town of Knife River, wandering from girlfriend to girlfriend like a ghost in her own life, aimless in her attempts to outrun grief and confusion. But one morning fifteen years later she gets the call she’s been bracing herself for: Her mother’s remains have been found.

First Line:

Her bones were discovered by a group of children playing in the woods.

Important details about Knife River

Pace: Slow

POV: 1st person (Jess)

Content/Trigger Guidance: Knife River contains themes that include alcoholism, murder, alcohol, gun violence, the death of a parent, cancer, bullying, cheating, infidelity, anxiety, anxiety attacks, depression, mental health, blood, disappearance of a loved one, and homophobia. Please read carefully if these trigger you.

Language: Knife River contains moderate swearing and language that might offend some people.

Sexual Content: There is moderate sexual content in Knife River.

Setting: Knife River is set in Knife River, New York.

My Review

When I read the blurb for Knife River, I was intrigued. I read it after some internal debate (because I always do that with these books) and am glad I did. This book is a poignant and heartbreaking look into life after a loved one disappears. It also explores what the family goes through when a victim is found.

The main storyline of Knife River follows Jess. Jess was thirteen when her mother disappeared. Her mother’s disappearance and her older sister raising her had a drastic impact on Jess. She drifted from one relationship to another and kept everyone (including family) at arm’s length. One day, she receives a phone call from her older sister that turns her world upside down. Her mother’s body had been found, and she needed a home. Jess is determined to understand why her mother disappeared and looks for answers. The deeper she digs, the more she uncovers about her mother; not all is good. The answers she seeks might be different from what she wants to hear.

Knife River is a slow book. The slowness grated on me in places, but I understood why the author chose to keep it at this pace. The book needed to be slow to understand Jess’s state of mind and her actions throughout the book.

Jess was not likable, but I couldn’t help but feel bad for her. Sometimes, she couldn’t get out of her own way and made things worse for herself. She also did and said things that made my eyebrows raise and made me wonder, “Why?” She was so damaged, and the author didn’t sugarcoat it.

The mystery of Jess’s mother’s disappearance was very well written. The author did a great job of showing what went into investigating a cold case and trying to find leads after fifteen years. She showed Jess and her sister’s frustration with the police when they stopped communicating with them about the case (of course, there was another reason why). I also liked Jess’s investigation and how she accidentally stumbled upon the truth of what happened. That was a massive twist to the disappearance. It was one that I didn’t see coming and took me completely by surprise.

The end of Knife River left me with more questions than answers. I was confused as to what happened with Jess and the girl she was sleeping with and why she just sat on the confession she got. But I did like that Jess and her sister had grown closer at the end of the book and, in a way, started healing from their mother’s disappearance.

Many thanks to Random House Publishing Group – Random House, The Dial Press, NetGalley, and Justine Champine for allowing me to read and review this ARC of Knife River. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoy reading books similar to Knife River, then you will enjoy these books:

All’s Fair in Love and War (Miss Prentice’s Protegee’s: Book 1) by Virginia Heath

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Griffin

Date of publication: May 28th, 2024

Genre: Romance, Historical Romance, Historical Fiction, Historical, Regency, Fiction, Adult, Regency Romance, Humor, British Literature

Series: Miss Prentice’s Protegee’s

All’s Fair in Love and War—Book 1

Purchase Links: Kindle | Audible | B&N | AbeBooks | WorldCat

Goodreads Synopsis:

A new Regency romp of a series, about governess who believes in cultivating joy in her charges, clashes with the children’s uncle who hired her, only to find herself falling in love.

When the flighty older sister of former naval captain, Henry Kincaid, decides on a whim to accompany her explorer husband on an expedition to Egypt, he finds himself unwittingly left in the lurch with her three unruly children and her giant, mad dog. With no clue how to manage the little rascals, a busy career at the Admiralty that requires all of his attention, and no idea when his sister is coming back, Harry has to hire an emergency governess to ensure that everything in his ordered house continues to run shipshape. In desperation, he goes to Miss Prentice’s School for Girls prepared to pay whatever it takes to get a governess quick sharp to bring order to the chaos.

Thanks to her miserable, strict upbringing, fledgling governess Georgina Rowe does not subscribe to the ethos that children should be seen and not heard. She believes childhood should be everything that hers wasn’t, filled with laughter, adventure, and discovery. Thankfully, the three Pendleton children she has been tasked with looking after are already delightfully bohemian and instantly embrace her unconventional educational ethos. Their staid, stickler-for-the-rules uncle, however, is another matter entirely…

First Line:

Georgie stared up at the strange building while her stepfather’s latest dour housekeeper supervised the unloading of her things from the back of the hackney.

Important details about All’s Fair in Love and War

Pace: Medium

POV: 3rd person (Henry and Georgina)

Series: All’s Fair in Love and War is the first book in Miss Prentice’s Protegees series.

Content/Trigger Guidance: All’s Fair in Love and War contains themes that include the death of a parent, child abuse, emotional abuse, animal cruelty, abandonment, classism, era-appropriate sexism & misogyny, anxiety, anxiety attacks, alcohol consumption, military service, military deployment, and conscription.

Language: All’s Fair in Love and War contains mild swearing and language that might offend some people.

Sexual Content: There is moderate sexual content in All’s Fair in Love and War.

Setting: All’s Fair in Love and War is set in London (Mayfair), Plymouth, and Cawsand, England.

My Review

When I started reading All’s Fair in Love and War, I badly needed a book that didn’t require me to think about what I read. The previous three books I had read before this one were heavy books, and I badly needed one that I could coast through. Thankfully, All’s Fair in Love and War let my overstimulated brain rest.

All’s Fair in Love and War is the first book in the Miss Prentice’s Protegee’s series. Since it is the first book, there will be no warning if it is a standalone. You can dive right into this book without having to worry about that.

The storyline of All’s Fair in Love and War follows Georgina and Henry. Georgina has been trained to be a governess at a prestigious school, where she is the founder’s protege. However, she has been having issues finding work because she does not adhere to conventional teaching or raising children. Because of her childhood, which was spent being shuttled from naval base to naval base by her stepfather, she abhors rules and believes that children should be seen and not kept in the classrooms or out of sight. These beliefs have cost her jobs. When Henry, a former naval captain on the fast track to becoming an Admiral, inquired at the agency about governesses after his sister left her three children with him, Georgina was presented and hired. Georgina and Henry’s relationship begins, both working and personal. The more time the two spend together, with and without the children, the closer they get.

Georgina (or Georgie) was way ahead of her time, education-wise, and I liked that. I do have a feeling that Georgie’s views on education and childrearing will upset some of the die-hard Regency readers (too modern), But, for me, it was refreshing. I liked seeing the children bloom under Georgie’s care. I was also surprised when it was revealed (by the children) that their mother taught them and that all of them were smart beyond their years. Georgie considered that in their lessons, and I loved seeing the children learning in an environment that enriched and supported them.

I liked Georgie. She wasn’t afraid to let people know her feelings and views. Her childhood (and the abandonment at Miss Prentice’s school) did scar her, but she refused to let it bring her down. She was authentically herself and stayed true to herself throughout the book.

I also liked Henry. He did come across as an uptight, rigid person at the beginning of the book. But, as his backstory was explained, I understood why he was that way. He was terrified of reliving his childhood with irresponsible parents. But, at the same time, he was also terrified not to live up to the standards that his grandfather and the Royal Navy beat into him. He was also a workaholic and was severely stressed out when Georgie and the children came into his life. He needed them, even if he wouldn’t admit that to himself. His character growth was fun, and I loved seeing him unwind. I also loved seeing him slowly realize there is more to life than work and promotions.

I can’t write this review without mentioning the children or the dogs. The children and Norbert (the dog) stole scenes when they were in them. I laughed at their shenanigans. I also agreed with Henry when he said that they were hellions. And Norbert, you have to read the book to understand my Norbert love (and I am including his son, too). Everyone should have a Norbert.

The romance angle of All’s Fair in Love and War was sweet and a little spicy. Henry fought, falling in love with Georgie. At a point in the book, I got a little frustrated with him because he was hung up on something that happened years earlier (being forced to break an engagement). I would be rich if I had a nickel for every eye roll I did when that woman’s name was mentioned. I liked that Georgie was more straightforward. Once she got to know Henry (saw past what he projected), she fell in love with the inner him.

Of course, there is sex in this book. Because of the chemistry and the build-up that the author did with Henry and Georgie, the sex was fantastic—a little vanilla but amazing.

The end of All’s Fair in Love and War was your typical HEA. I liked that everything worked out for Henry and Georgie. But I am curious about the next book and whether it will be anything like Henry and Georgie’s romance.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Griffin, NetGalley, and Virginia Heath for allowing me to read and review this ARC of All’s Fair in Love and War. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoy reading books similar to All’s Fair in Love and War, then you will enjoy these books:

Other books by Virginia Heath

The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Date of publication: June 11th, 2024

Genre: Romance, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Fiction, Chick-Lit, Adult, Adult Fiction, Family

Purchase Links: Kindle | Audible | B&N | AbeBooks | WorldCat

Goodreads Synopsis:

She’s rewriting his love story. But can she rewrite her own?

Emma Wheeler desperately longs to be a screenwriter. She’s spent her life studying, obsessing over, and writing romantic comedies―good ones! That win contests! But she’s also been the sole caretaker for her kind-hearted dad, who needs full-time care. Now, when she gets a chance to re-write a script for famous screenwriter Charlie Yates―The Charlie Yates! Her personal writing god!―it’s a break too big to pass up.

Emma’s younger sister steps in for caretaking duties, and Emma moves to L.A. for six weeks for the writing gig of a lifetime. But what is it they say? Don’t meet your heroes? Charlie Yates doesn’t want to write with anyone―much less “a failed, nobody screenwriter.” Worse, the romantic comedy he’s written is so terrible it might actually bring on the apocalypse. Plus! He doesn’t even care about the script―it’s just a means to get a different one green-lit. Oh, and he thinks love is an emotional Ponzi scheme.

But Emma’s not going down without a fight. She will stand up for herself, and for rom-coms, and for love itself. She will convince him that love stories matter―even if she has to kiss him senseless to do it. But . . . what if that kiss is accidentally amazing? What if real life turns out to be so much . . . more real than fiction? What if the love story they’re writing breaks all Emma’s rules―and comes true?

First Line

Logan Scott called just as I was making dinner, and I almost didn’t answer because my dad and I were singing along to ABBA’s greatest hits.

Important details about The Rom-Commers

Pace: Medium

POV: 1st person (Emma)

Content/Trigger Guidance: The Rom-Commers contains themes that include the death of a parent, cancer, grief, injury, injury detail, medical content, death, medical trauma, panic attacks, chronic illness, car accident, terminal illness, misogyny, blood, alcohol, vomit, toxic friendship, animal death, infertility, and toxic relationship. Please read carefully if any of these triggers you.

Language: The Rom-Commers contains mild swearing and language that might offend some people.

Sexual Content: There is semi-graphic sexual content in The Rom-Commers.

Setting: The Rom-Commers is set in Los Angeles, California, but the beginning and ending chapters are in Texas.

My Review:

Katherine Center is one of my favorite authors. I have read every book she has published in the last four or five years and enjoyed each. As soon as I see that she has a book coming out, I stalk it and pray that I get to read the ARC. When the publisher decides to send me the widget, I get super excited, and I can’t download the book fast enough. That is how it played out with The Rom-Commers. I did get a little worried, though. Books I have built up in my mind have a habit of not living up to the hype. That wasn’t the case with The Rom-Commers, thankfully. 

The Rom-Commer’s main storyline is centered around Emma. Emma is a socially awkward, slightly obnoxious, but sweet wanna-be screenwriter. When her father was seriously hurt and her mother was killed in a freak rock-climbing accident, Emma had to put her dreams on hold to take care of her father and sister. When her best friend offers her a job to rewrite a script for a famous screenwriter, she accepts. With her sister and father urging her, Emma sets out to LA. Once there, she is surprised that her best friend has forced her onto Charlie without warning. But when Charlie reads her revisions, he reluctantly agrees to the rewrite. The longer Emma stays with Charlie, the more she falls for him. But Charlie is a cynic. He does not believe in love. It isn’t until Emma leaves that he is forced to face his feelings.

I enjoyed The Rom-Commers. I don’t know anything about what goes into being a screenwriter, but the author did a great job of explaining it. She only went into great depth with some things, but she explained enough so I understood the basics.

I liked Emma. As I said above, she was a socially awkward, slightly obnoxious, but sweet girl. She had a whole lot of stuff dumped on her at an early age (she was in her mid-to-late teens when the accident happened). Plus, she had to almost single-handedly raise her younger sister while her father relearned to live with his disabilities. I liked that she was good at what she did and knew it.

I wasn’t a massive fan of Charlie for most of the book. He was surprised when Emma showed up with his manager out of the blue. I also get that he suffered from writer’s block, which contributed to his writing such a bad rom-com. But, everything after that, Charlie was being a jerk. The things he said about Emma were horrible (he didn’t know she overheard), and how he treated her was awful. But Charlie did redeem himself in my eyes. I’m not going into what he did, but let’s say that I was bawling my eyes out when Emma confronted him about everything.

The romance angle was slow. I felt that it was a one-step-forward/three-step-back progression. It didn’t help that Charlie didn’t believe in love and thought Emma (a rom-com addict) was ridiculous in her beliefs. There was a point in the book where I wanted to slap Charlie upside the head and shake some sense into him. But once Charlie’s Grinch heart grew three sizes too big, he realized what he had given up.

The end of The Rom-Commers felt rushed. It wasn’t my favorite ending, but it worked. I wish more attention had been paid to Charlie and Emma’s HEA. While I liked reading about everyone else, I didn’t think it was needed. It was that extra that made the ending rushed.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press, NetGalley, and Katherine Center for allowing me to read and review this ARC of The Rom-Commers. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoy reading books similar to The Rom-Commers, then you will enjoy these books:

Other books by Katherine Center