Every Summer After by Carley FortuneComing of Age FictionMay 10, 2022Berkley Review by Jen How much did I love Every Summer After by Carley Fortune? To the moon and back. This book was SO good! It gave first love chills, brought back sweet memories of growing up, and special summers spent by the water. For me it was the ocean, for our heroine it was the lake. At age 13, Persephone (Percy) and her family get a cottage and spend every summer by the lake. Next door is Sam and his Continue Reading
Melinda’s Mini Reviews: No Strings by Lucy Bexley & the Roxane Weary series by Kristen Lepionka
No Strings by Lucy BexleyLGBTQ Contemporary RomanceJan 11, 2022Purchased Review by Melinda No Strings by Lucy Bexley is genuinely one of the most charming and surprising books I’ve read! The cover may be one of the worst I’ve ever seen so I would never have picked it up without a friend telling me it was 5 stars for her. Elsie is a puppeteer on a kid's TV show that she basically created…but gets next to no credit OR money for. And when the head of the company dies, his daughter Jones Continue Reading
Review: My Killer Vacation by Tessa Bailey
My Killer Vacation by Tessa BaileyContemporary RomanceJune 6, 2022Self-Published Review by Iby I am admittedly a Tessa Bailey fan, especially her newer works. I love the banter and the steam - she has great dynamics between her main characters, and her books tend to be lighthearted and eminently enjoyable. When she said she was writing a murder mystery romance, I knew that I’d be all-in. The set-up: Careful, cautious second-grade teacher Taylor has saved for years to take a vacation in Continue Reading
Audio Review: The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill
The Woman in the Library by Sulari GentillSuspenseJune 7, 2022, by SourcebooksAudio ARC Review by Melinda I’m always looking for good thrillers, and I think they can be difficult to find. It takes someone really talented to build the suspense necessary to keep a reader invested in the plot, and then even more difficult to have a twist that no one sees coming. The Woman in the Library does the next to impossible and has high tension, a unique format, and is completely addictive. I Continue Reading
A Proposal They Can’t Refuse by Natalie Caña
A Proposal They Can’t Refuse by Natalie CañaContemporary Romance June 7, 2022, by MIRA Review by Melanie This book had a lot of elements to it that I really love in a romance novel so it’s absolutely no surprise to anyone that I adored this book. Complicated family dynamics, meddling grandfathers, and two MCs with a boatload of history between them form the cornerstone of this book where a Puerto Rican chef and an Irish American whiskey distiller butt heads even as they try to Continue Reading
Review: Eight Weeks in Paris by S.R. Lane
Eight Weeks in Paris by S.R. LaneLGBTQ/Contemporary RomanceJune 7, 2022 by Carina Adores Press Reviewed by Kate H. Eight Weeks in Paris will be on my best books of 2022 list, I already know it. This book takes place during the filming of a movie set in Paris during the early years of the 20th century. S.R. Lane’s debut novel is a romance between Nicholas Madden, an esteemed and serious movie actor and his costar Chris Lavalle, a French man whose experience lies in modeling, not Continue Reading
Audio Review: I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuiston
I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuistonLGBTQ+ Romance for TeensMay 3, 2022, Wednesday Books ARC Review by Jen This book was such a delight! I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuiston brought tears to my eyes in the very best way. I’ve had Red, White, and Royal Blue on Kindle, and while everyone loves it, and I want to read it, I just haven’t yet. Now, I will. Same author as this gem. Set in a small conservative town in AL, the story follows senior queer girl, Chloe Green Continue Reading
Angela’s Minis- All Fired Up by Dylan Newton and A Deal with the Devil by Elizabeth O’Roark
All Fired Up by Dylan NewtonContemporary RomanceMay 17, 2022, by ForeverARC Although it's not indicated on Goodreads or Amazon, this is actually a follow-up to this author's previous release, How Sweet It Is. If you're interested you can check out my review here. All Fired Up features Imani Lewis, best friend to Kate and publicist to Drake Matthews from the first book, and Zander Matthews, Drake's younger brother. The two hooked up at Kate and Drake's wedding and then haven't really Continue Reading
Review: Never Been Kissed by Timothy Janovsky
Never Been Kissed by Timothy JanovskyLGBTQIA Contemporary RomanceMay 3, 2022 by Sourcebooks Casablanca Review by Kate H. Wren Roland is about to graduate college. A passionate film buff, with two great best friends, Wren came out in the year before the book Never Been Kissed begins. His friends seem eager to help him socially, but Wren isn’t sure why his romantic and sexual experiences seem to be on a different timeline than everyone else. He’s 22 and he’s Continue Reading
Review: A Show for Two by Tashie Bhuiyan
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