Mini Book Reviews: April 2021

Shipped
Angie Hockman

Release Date: January 19, 2021

Book Description:

The Unhoneymooners meets The Hating Game in this witty, clever, and swoonworthy novel following a workaholic marketing manager who is forced to go on a cruise with her arch-nemesis when they’re up for the same promotion.

Between taking night classes for her MBA and her demanding day job at a cruise line, marketing manager Henley Evans barely has time for herself, let alone family, friends, or dating. But when she’s shortlisted for the promotion of her dreams, all her sacrifices finally seem worth it.
The only problem? Graeme Crawford-Collins, the remote social media manager and the bane of her existence, is also up for the position. Although they’ve never met in person, their epic email battles are the stuff of office legend.

Their boss tasks each of them with drafting a proposal on how to boost bookings in the Galápagos - best proposal wins the promotion. There’s just one catch: They have to go on a company cruise to the Galápagos Islands...together. But when the two meet on the ship, Henley is shocked to discover that the real Graeme is nothing like she imagined. As they explore the Islands together, she soon finds the line between loathing and liking thinner than a postcard.

With her career dreams in her sights and a growing attraction to the competition, Henley begins questioning her life choices. Because what’s the point of working all the time if you never actually live?
Perfect for fans of Christina Lauren and Sally Thorne, Shipped is a fresh and engaging rom-com that celebrates the power of second chances and the magic of new beginnings.

Amazon US | Goodreads

Review:

5 stars

Great read and it's wonderful on audio as well - Inés del Castillo does a great job as narrator! 

This book really had strong The Hating Game vibes, which I also loved. 

It’s been awhile… :)

Life has a way of getting busy. Priorities change so do views and interests. And then there are the everyday to-dos, endless projects, a myriad of wishes and wants. Things tend to get away from you (or rather me). I certainly don’t have the time or the freedom (or maybe even a wish) to blog as I used to some years ago (as you can tell, it’s been a few years since I did this last). I’m also not the same voracious reader that I once was. Still an adventurous cook though. Thankfully that comes in handy when one is mostly stuck at home.

2020 was not a good year for reading. Even though we were stuck home most of the year I found it hard to keep reading – something that I love(d) to do. These days I find audiobooks more my style. Nonetheless there are always at least a dozen books on my nightstand waiting for the spur-of-the-moment all-nighter or (who am I kidding?) at least five minutes for me to get a few pages in.

In the words of Sarah Jessica Parker’s Carrie: “and just like that” I thought to dust off my writing skills. Perhaps share a few good reads from the past few years and maybe some great recipes and ideas too. This is by no means to be a regular thing, but hopefully the mood strikes more than this one time. ;) So here are some books/series and authors that I’ve been reading and listening to:

Romance

 

Love and Other Words (2018)

Josh and Hazel's Guide to Not Dating (2018)
The Unhoneymooners (2019)
In a Holidaze (2020)
The Soulmate Equation (2021)

By Christina Lauren – I’ve been slowly making my way through CLo’s back catalog ever since I read Love and Other Words, which is such a touching and sweet story. From Macy and Elliot to Josh and Hazel, and others – there is humor, love, family… gah! These novels give me all the right feels. Also, I just scored an early copy of The Soulmate Equation from Goodreads and am so excited to dive in! If you are a fan of romance, I highly recommend you check out at least one of this writing duo’s novels.

The Happy Ever After Playlist (2020) – Dreamy and romantic! Highly recommend it on audio as Zachary Webber and Erin Mallon do an excellent job as Jason and Sloan.
The Friend Zone Series
By Abby Jimenez

Cover Reveal: Tied

Hi guys! Today I’m taking part in the cover reveal of the fourth book in the Tangled series by Emma Chase – Tied. So check out the lovely cover and add it to your to-read list!

Tied (Tangled #4)
Emma Chase

Release Date: October 7, 2014

Book Description:
In the fourth sexy romance by the New York Times bestselling author of Tangled

and Twisted, Drew and Kate can’t wait to tie the knot—if they can survive the pre-
wedding festivities.

For most of my life, I never imagined I’d get married. But Kate did the impossible: she changed me. I think we can all agree I was pretty frigging awesome before, but now I’m even better.

The road to this day wasn’t all rainbows and boners. There were mistakes and
misunderstandings worthy of a Greek tragedy. But Kate and I made it through with our inexhaustible lust, boundless admiration, and everlasting love for one another intact.

That being said, there were some unexpected incidents in Vegas last weekend that could have been a problem. It was kind of…my final test.

I know what you’re thinking—what the hell did you do this time? Relax. Let’s not judge, or call for my castration, until you’ve heard the whole story.

And hold on tight, because you’re in for a wild ride. Did you expect anything less?

Amazon US | Goodreads | Barnes & Noble

Book Review: Neanderthal Seeks Human

Neanderthal Seeks Human (Knitting in the City #1)
Penny Reid

Release Date: March 14, 2013

Book Description:
This is a full-length, 110k word novel and is the first book in the Knitting in the City series.

There are three things you need to know about Janie Morris: 1) She is incapable of engaging in a conversation without volunteering TMTI (Too Much Trivial Information), especially when she is unnerved, 2) No one unnerves her more than Quinn Sullivan, and 3) She doesn't know how to knit.

After losing her boyfriend, apartment, and job in the same day, Janie Morris can't help wondering what new torment fate has in store. To her utter mortification, Quinn Sullivan- aka Sir McHotpants- witnesses it all then keeps turning up like a pair of shoes you lust after but can't afford. The last thing she expects is for Quinn- the focus of her slightly, albeit harmless, stalkerish tendencies- to make her an offer she can't refuse.

Amazon US | Goodreads

Review:
Fun, quirky, romantic and totally adorable!

Neanderthal Seeks Human has been on my to-read list for quite some time now and since I had a long weekend planed I eyed my opportunity to finally read and have a proper introduction with Janie and Quinn. Now, I admit, I’ve read second and third books of the series previously (I know! It is so improper of me, but fortunately Penny Reid’s books work as standalone(s) too *score!*) and I’ve since become quite a fangirl of hers, so I expected nothing less than a delightful reading experience, which was exactly what I got.

Release Day Launch: Love Hacked

Today I’m excited to celebrate release of Penny Reid’s newest novel – Love Hacked. And if you haven’t had a chance to check out Penny’s books before, you are totally missing out because her books are smart, funny, sexy, and all in all fabulous. So add Love Hacked to your to-read list and head on over to Nocturnal Book Reviews for a joint review of Love Hacked by Karina and I.

Love Hacked (Knitting in the City #3)
Penny Reid

Release Date: March 11, 2014

Book Description:
There are three things you need to know about Sandra Fielding: 1) She makes all her first dates cry, 2) She hasn't been kissed in over two years, and 3) She knows how to knit.

Sandra has difficulty removing her psychotherapist hat. Of her last 30 dates, 29 have ended the same way: the man sobbing uncontrollably. After one such disaster, Sandra--near desperation and maybe a little tipsy--gives in to a seemingly harmless encounter with her hot waiter, Alex. Argumentative, secretive, and hostile Alex may be the opposite of everything Sandra knows is right for her. But now, the girl who has spent all her life helping others change for the better, must find a way to cope with falling for someone who refuses to change at all.

This is a full-length, 110k word novel and is the third book in the Knitting in the City series. All books in the series can be read as a standalone.

Amazon US | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Author Spotlight: Christine S. Feldman

Hi guys! Because Valentine’s Day is fast approaching and there is nothing like a sweet romance to set the mood here is a little glimpse at Christine S. Feldman’s newest novella – Playing Cupid! Enjoy and don’t forget to add it to your TBR list!

Playing Cupid (Heavenly Bites Novellas #3)
Christine S. Feldman

Release Date: January 31, 2014

Book Description:
Much as she loves her meddling matchmaker of a grandmother, free-spirited Aimee Beasley is tired of dodging the dull and downright tiresome dates the older woman keeps trying to arrange for her. So when she notices her beloved Gran preening in the presence of a distinguished elderly gentleman who’s been visiting their apartment building, Aimee is delighted at the prospect of turning the tables on her.

But her plans to match her grandmother up with the gentleman in time for Valentine’s Day hit a snag when Aimee realizes he’s the uncle of their downstairs neighbor, a stodgy thirty-something history professor named Doyle with whom she butts heads on a regular basis. She’ll need to find a way to make nice and enlist his help, or her plan to see her long-widowed Gran happily matched again will never work.

For Gran’s sake, she’s determined to find a way. In the process, she starts to realize that her cranky downstairs neighbor has a softer side she never suspected existed.

And when it comes to romantic heroes, history professors may not have gotten a fair shake…

Amazon | Goodreads | Barnes & Noble

Excerpt:

Aimee Beasley held the door open to their apartment building’s lobby for her beloved and bespectacled Gram as the older woman listed the many wonderful qualities possessed by her pharmacist, starting with his full head of hair and ending with his detailed knowledge of the common side effects of every medication known to humankind.  It was a surprisingly long list, so either Gram had spent a great deal of time compiling it, or she had simply made half of it up.  Either way, her dedication to her cause was admirable.

“So?” said Gram, expectant and finally pausing to draw breath as she peered at her granddaughter through tortoiseshell glasses that seemed to dwarf her face.

Aimee shook her head.

“But he’s such a nice young man—” her grandmother protested.

Book Review: Friends Without Benefits

Friends Without Benefits (Knitting in the City #2)
Penny Reid

Release Date: September 29, 2013

Book Description:
Friends Without Benefits can be read as a standalone, is a full length 120k word novel, and is book#2 in the Knitting in the City Series.

There are three things you need to know about Elizabeth Finney: 1) She suffers from severe sarcastic syndrome, especially when she's unnerved, 2) No one unnerves her like Nico Manganiello, and 3) She knows how to knit.

Elizabeth Finney is almost always right about everything: the musical merits of boy bands are undervalued by society, “benefits” with human Ken dolls are better without friendship, and the sun has set on her once-in-a-lifetime chance for true love. But when Elizabeth’s plans for benefits without friendship are disarmed by the irritatingly charismatic and chauvinistic Nico Manganiello- her former nemesis- she finds herself struggling to maintain the electric fence around her heart while avoiding electrocution or, worse, falling in love.

Amazon US | Goodreads

Review:
You guys! This was such a sweet romance, full of antics and sincerity, insecurities, imperfections, smart and witty dialogue, and some very lovable characters. I have to admit I didn’t read the first in Penny Reid’s Knitting in the City series but fortunately Friends Without Benefits can be enjoyed as a standalone [I love it when authors do that!] nonetheless you can be sure I’ll be reading other books by the author very soon. 

Penny Reid delivers a sexy, laugh-out-loud funny romcom that will cheer you up and make you wish that you were part of this knitting group. Heck, even being absolutely incapable of the simplest mending job let alone knitting I still would want to be part of this group and friends with these fabulous ladies. They were smart, honest, supportive, pushy at all the right moments, and absolutely hilarious. I laughed, I almost cried, and I definitely awed, because humor and love are always a winning combination in my opinion and they are perfectly in balance here.

Author Spotlight & Giveaway: Diane Alberts {Blog Tour}

It’s the first Friday of the New Year so what are you reading? How about a nice New Year romance from the lovely Diane Alberts? Check out her new novel – Kiss Me at Midnight and enter for a chance to win Take a Chance series bundle. See the Rafflecopter giveaway below.

Happy New Year!

Kiss Me at Midnight
Diane Alberts

Release Date: December 30, 2013

Book Description:
Her New Year’s resolution was seduction…

Doctor Ashley Hanes has one mission and one mission only—end her annoyingly long dry streak and ring in the New Year with a bang. Literally. When her long lost and oh-so-sexy ex-best friend, Ethan Pierce, shows up as if he hadn’t broken her heart all those years ago, suddenly she doesn’t want to bring home just any man. She wants Ethan.

What should have been one night of blow-your-mind make-up sex quickly turns into another. And another.

Before long, Ashley thinks maybe she and Ethan should reunite for good. If only the elusive bachelor will stop running from his tortured past and trust a future in Ashley’s arms…

Amazon US | Goodreads | Barnes & Noble

Author Spotlight: Christine S. Feldman

Hi guys! A little treat to start your Monday: a preview of the new novella from Christine S. Feldman – Pastels & Jingle Bells. Enjoy and don’t forget to add it to your TBR list!

Pastels & Jingle Bells (Heavenly Bites Novella #1)
Christine S. Feldman

Release Date: November 1, 2013

Book Description:
Trish Ackerly never expected to cross paths with Ian Rafferty again, but when she spots the former bully of her childhood years through her bakery window, she thinks she may just have been given the best Christmas gift ever:  the opportunity to finally give Ian the comeuppance he deserves.

But clearly she does not have a knack for this whole revenge thing, because before she can make good on her plans, Trish gets inadvertently drawn into Ian’s life in an unexpected way that lets her see just how different the man is from the boy he used to be.  In fact, much to her astonishment, she actually starts to like the guy.

A lot.

Trouble is, Ian doesn’t know who she really is, and explaining it to him is going to be a little difficult now—which is bad news, because Trish is starting to realize that all she really wants for Christmas this year…is Ian.

Amazon US | Goodreads | Barnes & Noble

Excerpt:

It was probably inviting the worst kind of karma to be contemplating murder during the holiday season of all times, but that didn’t phase Trish Ackerly in the slightest as she stared through her bakery’s storefront window in shock.

It was him.  Ian Rafferty, bane of her junior high school existence.  She’d know that face anywhere, despite the changes in it.  Sure, he was a couple of feet taller now and certainly broader shouldered, but as he glanced away from the winter scene she had painted on the window only yesterday and at a passing car that whizzed by much too fast on the busy city street, the profile he presented to her confirmed it.  Yes, it was him.  That same nose, the odd little scar above his eye, the familiar way he quirked his lips…

Cover Reveal: Have Gown, Will Wed

Hi guys! It’s Friday and I’m excited to help unveil the cover for Killian McRae’s new novel, Have Gown, Will Wed, which will be out later this month. Head on over to Killian’s website and read the excerpt. It sounds like a really fun contemporary romance novel, so check it out and don’t forget to add it to your TBR list.

Victoria, xoxo

Have Gown, Will Wed
Killian McRae

Release Date: September 25, 2013

Book Description:
Back in college, the bras-before-bros sisterhood decided to live for achievement in the boardroom, not the bedroom. Rosalind Betters embraced that philosophy, pursuing her career and little else. But when her last single friend, Kamakshi, announces her engagement in of all things, an arranged marriage, Rosalind reevaluates the merits of matrimony. In her typical gung ho fashion, she names a date, books a venue, hires a caterer, and picks out a dress, all before finding a groom. Taking a lesson from Kamakshi and too busy to do otherwise, Rosalind hires San Francisco's best headhunter, Xavier Hommes, to find her better half for her. 

At first, Xavier thinks Rosalind is one of the eccentric personalities for which the city is famous. As the search starts, however, Xavier finds himself hating his task for reasons he never would have suspected. If Rosalind really wants a man who will make her happy, she need look no further. As W-Day approaches and Rosalind starts falling for someone Xavier himself headhunted, he walks the line between professionalism and passion, trying to decide if competing to become Mr. Betters is worth the risk to his commission, his reputation, and Rosalind's happiness.

Goodreads