A Show for Two by Tashie BhuiyanYoung Adult May 10, 2022, by Inkyard Press Review by Melanie I don’t read a whole lot of YA but Tashia Bhuiyan’s voice really speaks to me and she is quickly becoming an auto-read author for me. I adored her debut, Counting Down with You (you can read my review here), and this book, while dealing with topics that seem a bit heavier than the previous book, is also delightful and romantic. As Tashie explains in her author’s note at the end of the book, Continue Reading
Review: Kiss Hard by Nalini Singh
Kiss Hard by Nalini SinghHard Play #4Contemporary RomanceMay 3, 2022, by TKA Distribution Review by Melanie Well, this was a delightful surprise from one of my very favorite authors, an unexpected contemporary romance announced less than a month prior to its release. Fun fact: I actually discovered Nalini through her contemporaries first! Back when I was under the misguided impression that PNR wasn’t really my jam, I started reading her contemporaries and immediately fell in love with Continue Reading
Review: Partner Track by Cat Wynn
Partner Track by Cat WynnContemporary Romance April 26, 2022, by Carina Press Review by Melanie I’m going to be perfectly honest here, when I finished this book, I was really torn as to how I felt about it and wasn’t sure I could actually write a proper review about it. After spending some time thinking about it, I’ve come to some conclusions regarding my feelings toward this book. The reason I was initially so torn about this book is that for the first 88% of the book, I really Continue Reading
Review: Tanked by Mia Hopkins
Tanked by Mia HopkinsContemporary RomanceApril 26, 2022, by Little Stone Press Review by Melanie To say that I was waiting with great anticipation for the third and final installment of Mia Hopkins’ Eastside Brewery series would be a bit of an understatement. It had been 3 years since book 2 had come out and after having read the final book, I can honestly say it was more than worth the wait. Tanked is the story of the youngest Rosas brother, Angel Rosas. We only get the barest Continue Reading
Scenic Sunday: Trashed by Mia Hopkins
Last week’s Scenic Sunday highlighted scenes from Thirsty and this week, I’m taking a look back at Trashed, the 2nd book in the Eastside Brewery series. Trashed focuses on the middle Rosas brother, Eddie, who we meet briefly at the end of Thirsty. If the main theme of Sal’s story was about redemption and reinvention, then Eddie’s story is all about rebirth and rejection - that is, rejection of what’s in the past and instead, choosing to look forward. I highlighted the hell out of this book Continue Reading
Scenic Sunday: Thirsty by Mia Hopkins
In anticipation of the upcoming release of the 3rd Eastside Brewery book, Tanked on April 26th, I thought it would be fun to revisit the first 2 books in the series for our Scenic Sundays. First up is Thirsty, which I originally read in 2019 and then again earlier this month to refresh my memory of the series before I read Tanked. I loved this book 3 years ago and I love this book now. Tender and heartbreaking, it’s a story about second chances and redemption, about learning to forgive Continue Reading
Review: With Love from Rose Bend by Naima Simone
With Love from Rose Bend by Naima SimoneRose Bend #3Contemporary Romance March 29, 2022, by HQN Books Review by Melanie I don’t know if this is the final book in this series but if it is, Naima Simone is ending on a very high note, capturing all the small town charm typically found in Hallmark movies and imbuing the series with her traditional brand of gut wrenching emotions and incredibly high heat and sexual tension. Leo, who helps run her family’s inn, and Owen, retired Continue Reading
Scenic Sunday: Going Nowhere Fast by Kati Wilde
I first read this book in 2017 and have recommended this book approximately 5,000 times…give or take a few. It’s hands down my favorite contemporary grovel novel I’ve EVER read and until I read this book, I was laboring under the misconception that I didn’t care for enemies-to-lovers as a trope. Not only is that a big bold-faced lie, enemies-to-lovers is actually one of my all time favorite tropes in romance and this book was the first time I realized that. Aspen and Bram are like oil and Continue Reading
Review: Gouda Friends by Cathy Yardley
Gouda Friends by Cathy YardleyContemporary Romance March 22, 2022, by Montlake ARC Review by Melanie This was one of the CUTEST contemporary romances I’ve read in a long time. Cathy Yardley is a new to me author but I will most definitely be checking out her backlist because based on this novel, her voice just really worked for me. This is the second book I’m reviewing for Smexy that has identical themes in that the book focuses quite a bit on FMCs personal journey as a Continue Reading
Review: Sadie on a Plate by Amanda Elliot
Sadie on a Plate by Amanda ElliotContemporary Romance/Romantic FictionMarch 15, 2022, by BerkleyARC Review by Melanie The first line of the blurb of Sadie on a Plate reads as follows: A chef’s journey to success leads to discovering the perfect recipe for love in this delicious romantic comedy. It’s a cutesy opener to introduce the theme of the book, a pun on the fact that it’s about a chef. Here’s the problem though. While the book did make me laugh in parts, thereby earning the Continue Reading