Showing posts with label RomCom. Show all posts
Showing posts with label RomCom. Show all posts

Sunday 14 January 2024

Book Review: It's Probably You by Jayne Denker

 It's Probably You

by

Jayne Denker

Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Publication date: 3rd January 2024 
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Pages: 320
RRP: $32.99AU (paperback)
Source: Courtesy of the publisher
 

Review: It's Probably You 

It's Probably You is a funny, engaging and heartwarming enemies to lovers romance.
 
Gillian is comfortable with her life after 5 years divorced, but wouldn't say no to finding that someone special. After many disastrous dates via dating apps she's happy to work in her garden with her eye on winning the local gardening competition.
 
Noah has recently moved to town after a devastating break-up and decides the fixer-upper he has bought, sight unseen, is exactly what he needs to keep him busy. When he has an altercation with fiery neighbour Gillian, over a border hedge he removed, he knows she is trouble but he can't keep his mind off her.
 
I loved this sweet, slow-burn rom-com. It's probably You is filled with down-to-earth, relatable characters. Gillian is confident, smart, funny and sexy. We see Noah's confident side but not around Gillian. She undoes him and enjoys pushing his buttons.
I enjoyed the matchmaking trio of elderly women neighbours who weren't reticent in giving advice to Noah and eavesdropping whenever they got the chance. A vast array of supporting characters add plenty of humour and drama to the plot.
 
It's Probably You ticks all the boxes for the perfect beach read this summer. It is a sweet, slow-burn, closed-door, small town romance with a curvy female main character and an enemies to lovers trope. 
 
If you are after a book that will leave you smiling long after you have read the last page you can't go past It's Probably You by Jayne Denker
 
My rating 4 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Friday 20 October 2023

Book Review: Loving Lizzie March by Susannah Hardy

 Loving Lizzie March

by

Susannah Hardy

Publisher: Pan Macmillan Australia
Publication date: 29th June 2021
Genre: Rom-Com
Pages: 368
RRP: $32.99AU (trade paperback)
Source: Courtesy of the publisher
 

Review: Loving Lizzie March

I absolutely loved Lizzie March! She was such a ditz and a lot crazy.
Lizzie is desperate to find 'the one' but she always focuses on the wrong guys and rushes in to one night stands then goes all stalkerish calling them and following them.
 
Lizzie is all brazen and out-going on the outside but underneath she lacks self-confidence.
Her life goes from bad to worse before she gets a wake-up call from best friend Clem. Lizzie did make a terrible best friend, everything was always about her, and I was so glad when Clem finally stood up to her.

It was easy to feel empathy for Lizzie. She followed the old adage - know your dream and go for it - instead of just letting life happen she kept pushing for that perfect relationship.

Loving Lizzie March is a lighthearted rom-com that had me laughing quite often throughout the novel. I was glued to the pages wanting to know how Lizzie would turn her life around.
I enjoyed the character development of Lizzie and Clem's dedication to their friendship. It was clearly hard work for her but she was a true friend.

If you are after a story with a great balance of laughs, heartache and romance grab a copy of Loving Lizzie March and settle in for an entertaining read.

My rating 5 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
 
Trigger warning (spoiler ahead)
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Miscarriage

About the author

Originally an actor, Susannah Hardy completed a Bachelor of Arts at the University of NSW before running away to study acting in Paris. Back in Australia, her work has involved anything from film and television roles to being one of two singing/rollerblading Carmen Mirandas, Tutti & Frutti, and creating sketch comedy for Foxtel. During this time, Susannah discovered a passion for writing, and fourteen years ago, started working freelance, creating feature articles and copy for print and online publications. However, in between writing on parenting and home interiors, Susannah pursued her love of women's contemporary fiction, and now enjoys creating stories about the more comic side of life and love.

Susannah lives in Sydney's inner west with her husband, two young daughters and recently acquired puppy.

Wednesday 17 May 2023

Book Review: In a New York Minute by Kate Spencer

 In a New York Minute

by

Kate Spencer

Their love story has gone viral. But it hasn't even begun.... 
 
Publisher: Macmillan Australia

Publication date: 29th March 2022
 
Genre: Contemporary Romance / RomCom
 
Pages: 309
 
RRP: $26.99AU (paperback)
 
Source: Courtesy of the publisher
 

My review of In a New York Minute

I really enjoyed this lighthearted romcom. A meet-cute with a backdrop of New York City.

Just when she thinks she is on the way up and due for a promotion Franny is put off her job. Her life goes from bad to worse when her dress is caught in the subway door and tears wide open. Hayes is on the same train and seeing Franny is now a blubbering mess gives her his jacket to cover up. Franny is mortified when she finds out their encounter was videoed and is now trending on Instagram as #subwayQTs.
"The world's worst meet-cute had been turned into an adorable romantic comedy that everyone was talking about'
Franny hopes to never see the Hot Suit guy again but the universe has a different idea when they keep bumping into each other.
 
In a New York Minute was such a fun read. A slow burn romance with just the right amount of angst. 
Franny is vivacious and outgoing although she harbours insecurity and self-doubt . Hayes is awkward, methodical and a workaholic. This was a perfect opposites attract story!
 
I loved Franny's friends and it's so nice to read about females supporting each other and genuinely happy about each other's successes. Everyone needs friends like Cleo and Lola.
 
New York shines bright in this novel and Kate Spencer's love for the city radiates throughout the book. 
 
My rating 4 / 5  ⭐⭐⭐⭐
 
About the author
 
Kate Spencer is the co-host of the award-winning podcast Forever35 and author of the memoir The Dead Mom's Club. In a New York Minute is her first novel. She writes a bi-monthly column for In Style, and her written work has been published by the Washington Post, Rolling Stone, Esquire, Cosmopolitan, Buzzfeed, and numerous other places. Previously she worked as a senior editor and producer at VH1.
She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and two daughters.

 

 


Friday 5 May 2023

Book Review: New Beginnings in the Little Irish Village by Michelle Vernal

 New Beginnings in the Little Irish Village

by

Michelle Vernal

Publisher: Bookouture
 
Publication date: 4th may 2023
 
Genre: Romance (RomCom)
 
Pages: 305
 
RRP: $4.99AU (Kindle)
 
Source: eBook courtesy of the publisher
 

My review of New Beginnings in the Little Irish Village

New Beginnings in the Little Irish Village is such a fun story! I loved it from start to finish! It is a warmhearted romcom set in the small village of Emerald Bay where everyone knows your business and nobody seems to mind that it's that way.

Michelle Vernal has delivered a whole town of quirky and lovable characters. The story is just as much about the whole town as it is about the main character, Imogen Kelly, one of the five Kelly sisters.

Imogen, a highly successful Dublin interior designer, has returned home to Emerald Bay to complete an interior design project at Benmore House, the home of her first love Lachlan Leslie. A high school romance she still hasn't found closure with. Whilst at home surrounded by her family Imogen reflects on her own lifestyle choices and her current romance with a man 27years her senior.
 
New Beginnings in the Little Irish Village is a light read, a feel good story with plenty of humour at Imogen's expense. Imogen takes all the mishaps with good grace and is even able to have a laugh at herself, making her a very endearing character.

I really enjoyed this story about families, celebrations, reconnecting with your true self and new beginnings. I loved getting to know all the townsfolk of Emerald Bay and Imogen's large and loving family. I am looking forward to reading Christmas in the Little Irish Village and being back with them all again.

My rating 5 / 5   ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

About the author

Michelle Vernal is a New Zealand author who writes stories that will take you onto the page with her characters and make you feel part of their lives. She writes with humour and warmth, and her readers describe her books as unputdownable, feel good and funny. Her writing has been likened to Maeve Binchy but with a modern-day vernacular. In 2015 she was shortlisted for the Love Stories Award. In 2020 she won the Reader's Favorite Gold Medal Award for Chick lit, and in 2021 was shortlisted for the Page Turner Book Awards.
 
Follow the blog tour below
 

 

Wednesday 27 July 2022

Book Review: Bad Habits by Sarah Evans

 Bad Habits
by
Sarah Evans
 
 
Publication date: 1st September 2021
 
Genre: Crime / Humour
 
Series: D.I. Eve Rock #2
 
Pages: 264
 
RRP: $29.95AUD
 
Format read: paperback
 
Source: courtesy of the publisher
 
My review of Bad Habits
 
Grisly crime, romance and comedy all in one. And it works!
 
With D.I. Eve Rock Sarah Evans has created a likeable and complex character. She is sassy and full of spirit, very feminine but also likes the occasional cigar with her glass of wine.

Eve is currently on leave recovering from injuries sustained when her house and car were blown up and with no place to stay she is lodging at her mother Sister Immaculata's boarding school.
Eve can't stay away from the office for long, it's a good excuse to avoid Christmas lunch with her dysfunctional family, and she is soon back into the thick of it. New cases are mounting up; body parts found in a freezer, a major jewellery heist and an upmarket art gallery theft.
As the team start investigating the body count mounts and her mother, an ex sex-worker turned nun, has been acting very strangely. 
 
Bad Habits is a story rich in humour. Sarah Evans' writing is witty and entertaining. There is a lot going on and Eve is always in the midst of it. Eve Rock attracts trouble, it follows her around. This is the cause of lots of friendly ribbing between workmates, mostly at Eve's expense and she takes it all in her stride.
It's not all laughs, Bad Habits is a grisly tale of murder and butchery however the constant humour lightens an otherwise gruesome tale.
 
The multiple mysteries kept me turning the pages and the sweet romance between Eve and workmate D.I. Quinn Fox had me eager to see where it would go. Quinn is another likeable character, he seemed resigned to Eve's flightiness.
 
Bad Habits is the second book featuring D.I. Eve Rock and there is some backstory included making it read well as a standalone. It did leave me keen to read book 1, Operation Paradise.
 
A gruesomely good story for those that need lots of action in their books!
 
My rating 5 / 5  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 

 
About the author
 
Sarah Evans, an English ex-pat journalist and former home-schooling mum, is the author of a lifestyle / recipe book Seasons and Seasonings in a Teapot, romance and crime novels, novellas, short stories and poetry.
She gives author talks and teaches memoir, creative writing, poetry and song-writing. She lives on a 20-acre hobby farm in rural Western Australia with her family and a menagerie of fur and feather and has added granny duties to her repertoire.


 
 
 

Monday 28 March 2022

Book Review: Company Ink by E.L. Lewis

Company Ink
by
E. L. Lewis 
 
Publisher: Cherry Publishing - English

Publication date: 18th June 2021
 
Series: Ink Series #1
 
Genre: Romance
 
Pages: 357
 
RRP: $6.61AUD (Kindle price @ 28/3/22)
 
Format read: eBook
 
Source: courtesy of the publisher
 
My review
 
After Cassie loses her job in event management she is desperate for work, she has a serious shoe obsession that needs funding, so she takes a temporary job as a PA in a law firm. Cassie is immediately attracted to her boss, the charming Adrian, but she also feels some connection  with her other boss, the quietly brooding Blake.
 
Company Ink was a nice, fun story it just didn't have that 'I can't stop reading' factor. Cassie started out sassy and flirty, going after Adrian. She was smart and funny. Then, she just suddenly did a back flip and wanted commitment. Cassie's best friend is getting married and she sees this as her cue to stop playing the field and get serious.
 
Cassie initially comes across as shallow and insincere but as we get to know here she is devoted to her best friend Monique and her cousin Vanessa. She really is a chilled character and I could see why everyone loved her.
 
Both supporting males are charming and handsome and I found it hard to pick a favourite and I enjoyed the tension between Blake and Adrian. It was never clear who Cassie would pick and there were plenty of misunderstandings between the three to keep the story interesting.
 
Love triangles aren't really my romance reading preference. However, I found Company Ink to be a light, fun read perfect for a holiday or beach read.
 
My rating 3 / 5  ⭐⭐⭐
 
About the author
 
I took a creative writing class in high school and quickly fell in love with the craft, but it wasn’t until quarantine, ten years later, that I had the time to actually sit down and put all the ideas running rampant in my mind on paper.

For Company Ink, the title actually came before the plot and voila, an office romance was born! I knew I wanted to incorporate a love triangle in the book where both of the love interests complimented my protagonist’s personality – but in very different ways.

Often in love triangles, one love interest outweighs the other, and for Company Ink, I wanted to keep readers guessing and on the edge of their seats. Who will it be? Adrian or Blake? Readers should expect to experience severe whiplash while reading!
For Cassie’s character, I wanted to write a relatable heroine that was bold, confident and fun but also had flaws – a true modern woman. I wanted to portray the relationships between Cassie, Blake, and Adrian as symbiotic, where they help each other grow into better versions of themselves, step outside their comfort zones, and confront their fears.
 


Tuesday 19 October 2021

Blog Tour Book Review: Twelve Days to Save Christmas by Elizabeth Neep

Twelve Days to Save Christmas
by
Elizabeth Neep
 
On the first day of Christmas, my true love… dumped me.
 
 
 
Publisher: Bookouture
 

Publication date: 19th October 2021
 
 
Genre: Romantic Comedy / Chick Lit
 
 
Pages: 297
 
 
Format read: eBook
 
 
Source: Courtesy of the publisher via Netgalley
 
 
 

 
About the book

Poppy loves Christmas and always goes all out to make this magical time of the year extra special for her boyfriend George. But George is strangely not in the spirit this year. As Poppy wrestles him into her Christmas jumper built for two for a holiday snapshot, she finds out why.

He’s leaving her. And she only has twelve more days until he moves out.

Poppy is heartbroken. But she’s not going to give up on their five-year relationship without a fight. George is the love of her life, and his warm and stable family are worlds away from her own chaotic upbringing. And she is sure he still loves her too – she just needs to remind him of all the reasons why. Twelve days: twelve chances to get her man back and save Christmas.
 

 
 
 My review
 
Twelve days to Save Christmas is a fun, upbeat romance read. 

Poppy is a girl in love, totally devoted to her long term boyfriend George who is part of an up and coming boy band. I immediately warmed to Poppy she exudes fun and happiness and is fully supportive of George, buying him coffees, meeting him for lunch and attending all his gigs. When George breaks up with her saying she is too needy, Poppy sees this as a challenge; she has twelve days to make George remember just how much he loves her.

As Poppy distances herself from George to prove to him she is not needy she starts to make new friends and try new ventures like volunteering at a church based community centre and joining a choir. 

Poppy feels that her whole life is George. All her friends were his friends, his family is her only family. She is nobody without George.
"I don't know who I am without him." - Poppy (Twelve Days to Save Christmas)
 Anyone who has been dumped by the love of their life will certainly relate to Poppy and be cheering her on as she starts to discover and accept who she really is. The split with George forcing her to confront her past and start to make decisions and do things to please herself.

I enjoyed the way Elizabeth Neep included a nod to the Twelve Days of Christmas song throughout the story; in the song sung by the choir, in the chapter headings and in all the cute things Poppy did for George.

Twelve Days to Save Christmas is a heart-warming tale of finding your true self, finding friends in the most unlikeliest places and the real meaning of family.

This story screams big screen! It was very visual and I could see it all being played out as I read. If you love feel good stories that make you smile you will love Twelve Days to Save Christmas. I'm looking forward to reading more by this author.
 
My rating 5 / 5  🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄
 

 
About the author
 
Photo credit: Juliet Trickey
Elizabeth Neep was born in 1990 in Derbyshire and now lives in London Bridge. After studying Law at the University of Nottingham and the University of New South Wales, she worked in magazine journalism, most noticeably writing for dazed and Confused and PETRle. Elizabeth now works as a non-fiction Senior Commissioning Editor and writes and paints in her spare time.


 
 
 
 
 




Monday 20 September 2021

Book Review and Blog Tour: The Sound of Violet by Allen Wolf


 The Sound of Violet
by
Allen Wolf
 
Now a major motion picture
 
Publisher: Morning Star Publishing

Publication date: 21st September 2021
 
Genre: Romantic Comedy
 
Pages: 226
 
RRP: $10.80AU (Kindle edition)
          $ 7.96US (Kindle edition)
 
format read: eBook
 
Source: Courtesy of the publisher
 
About the book
 
 Desperate to find his soulmate, Shawn goes on one awkward date after another until he encounters the alluring Violet. He starts dating her, but his autism keeps him from realizing that she’s actually a prostitute.

Shawn thinks he’s found a possible wife while Violet thinks she’s discovered her ticket to a brand new life. This hilarious and dramatic award-winning story takes all kinds of twists and turns and has been adapted into a major motion picture.
 
My review
 
The Sound of Violet reminded me a lot of Muriel's Wedding, an Australian movie about a girl obsessed with the idea of getting married.
 
Shawn has wedding photos in his room, on his phone and around his desk at work. He is desperate to find 'the one'. His openness and lack of tact due to his neurodiversity   has all his dates running for the hils after an hour. Until he meets Violet, a sex worker. She knows Shawn doesn't understand what she does for a living but she is drawn to him as he is the only person who has ever been kind to her.

The Sound of Violet is a heart-breaking story of family breakdown but at the same time it also highlights the love of family through Shawn's garndmaother who would do anything to protect him and his brother Colin who teaches Shawn how to act in front of people.
When Shawn was around people he had to continually think about his words and his mannerisms. I can only imagine how hard it must have been for him in social situations.

Both Shawn and Violet had the common connection of people judging them before they got to know them.
Wolf highlights the real problem of human trafficking and how young girls are trpped into the sex-trade with no means of escape.

The writing is simplistic and the authors history with sceenplays is evident as the scenes and actions are highly visual. I could picture this on the screen as I was reading. It had a cinematic feel to it.

I was expecting The Sound of Violet to be a story about an autistic man looking for love but it was much more than that. It was a story about kindness, acceptance and healing. I can't wait to see it on the screen!

My rating  3.5 / 5    ⭐⭐⭐½

About the author


llen Wolf is an award-winning novelist, filmmaker, and game creator. He is also the host of the popular Navigating Hollywood podcast.

His debut novel “The Sound of Violet” has won multiple accolades and is described as “Entertaining, well-paced, and highly visual” by Kirkus Reviews. It is now a major motion picture. (www.TheSoundOfViolet.com)

He has won 39 awards for his games that are available as books, including You’re Pulling My Leg! and You’re Pulling My Leg! Junior. They’ve brought smiles to hundreds of thousands of people around the world.

As a filmmaker, Allen wrote, directed, and produced “In My Sleep,” which was released worldwide, won multiple film festivals, and is available on iTunes and Amazon Prime. Hollywood Reporter raved, “In My Sleep never rests, a credit to the tight, psychologically astute pacing of filmmaker Wolf.”

Allen graduated from New York University’s film school. He married his Persian princess, and they are raising two kids together. He enjoys traveling around the world and hearing other people’s life stories. Allen also cherishes spending time with his family, eating chocolate, and visiting Disneyland.
 
 

 
 

Sunday 12 September 2021

Book Review: The Trials of Adeline Turner by Angela Terry

The Trials of Adeline Turner
by
Angela Terry
 
Publisher: Girl Friday

Publication date: 19th October 2021
 
Genre: Romantic Comedy
 
Pages: 384
 
Format read: eBook
 
Source: Courtesy of the publisher via Netgalley
 
About the book
 
Thirty-three-year-old corporate attorney Adeline Turner has built her adult life around stability. Her professional life is thriving, but her personal life . . . not so much. Deep down she wants more, but finds it’s easier to brush aside her dreams and hide behind her billable hours. That is until a new client and a chance encounter with her high-school crush have her taking leaps she never planned. Suddenly unadventurous, nose-to-the-grindstone Adeline finds herself moving across the country from her predictable life in Chicago to San Francisco, falling into messy romantic situations, and trying to unravel an office-sabotage plot before it ruins her career.

Without the safety net of her old life in Chicago, Addie must become her own advocate and learn that people aren’t always who they seem. Which makes her wonder if the key to having the future she desires lies in uncovering the truth of the past.
 
My review
 
The Trials of Adeline Turner is a light and easy Rom-Com
The story follows the very likeable thirty-three year old Adeline as she navigates her life. Thinking that if she wants to find 'the one' she needs to get out and date. After joining a dating app she goes on a few not so great dates but when she does start seeing someone seriously she always seems to be the one not committing. 
 
Adeline is a career driven woman but would also like to find that special someone. Adeline goes through many ups and downs as she reconnects with her high school crush, is sabotaged at work right when she was due for a promotion, reaches out to the mother she  hasn't seen for twenty-one years and realises 'the one' might be the person right in front of you.
 
I really enjoyed reading The Trials of Adeline Turner and following Adeline's growth and reconciliation with her past. The story line was rather predictable but isn't that what you want from a romance read? Happy endings guaranteed!
 
My rating 3.5 / 5  ⭐⭐⭐½
 

About the author
 
photo credit Goodreads

Angela Terry is an attorney who formerly practiced intellectual property law at large firms in Chicago and San Francisco. She resides in San Francisco with her husband and two cats, and enjoys throwing novel-themed dinner parties for her women's fiction book club. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Wednesday 1 September 2021

Book Review: Love, in Theory by Elodie Cheesman

 Love, in Theory
by
Elodie Cheesman

There's an algorithm for everything else, so why not love?
 

Publisher: Pan Macmillan Australia
 
Publication date: 25th May 2021
 
Genre: Contemporary fiction
 
Pages: 352
 
RRP: $32.99AUD
 
Format read: Paperback
 
Source: courtesy of the publisher
 
 About the book

When 24-year-old lawyer Romy learns that she is at her 'optimal stopping point' (the mathematically designated point at which one should select the next 'best person' who comes along in order to have the best chance at happily ever after), she knows it's time to get serious about her love life.

Ruthlessly rational, with a belief in data over destiny, Romy knows that reliability and consistency are dependable options, while passion and lust are transitory and only bring pain and disillusionment.

That's why sensible Hans the engineer is the right choice, as opposed to graphic designer James who exhibits the kind of behaviour that has got her into trouble before. Isn't he?
 
My review
 
Love, in Theory follows 24 year old law student Romy as she struggles to find 'the one'.
 
I enjoyed the snippets of  the employment law cases that Romy worked on and how Cheesman put a humorous spin on them.
Romy's mother tells her about a dating theory she had read about based on algorithms, called the optimal stopping theory. Romy goes on Tinder date after Tinder date until she meets Hans who is somewhat staid and very unlike the fun, spontaneous James, but Romy isn't after fireworks, she's after stability. It's clearly a matter of head over heart.

I loved all the mentions of sights and bars around Sydney and being my hometown it was easy to imagine Romy and her friends there. Love, in Theory is a light read, a fun rom-com and I read it at a time when I needed something light, cheery and with a happy ending. In this way it certainly delivered. I will have to say though I think the story would be better appreciated by the under thirties.

Elodie Cheesman has written a delightful debut about the conundrum of dating in the modern era and the old adage of whether to follow your heart or your head.

My rating 3 / 5     ⭐⭐⭐

About the author


Elodie Cheesman grew up in Canberra. She studied law at the University of Sydney and the University of Oxford, and was an Associate to the Honourable Chief Justice Susan Kiefel AC at the High Court of Australia. She works as a lawyer in Sydney. Love, in Theory is her first novel.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Challenges Entered: Australian Women Writers Challenge AWW2021
 
                                   Aussie Author Challenge #Aussieauthor21

Tuesday 25 February 2020

Book Review: Lovestruck by Bronwyn Sell #BRPreview

Lovestruck
by
Bronwyn Sell 


Publisher: Harper Collins Australia 
Imprint: HQ Fiction - AU
Publication date: 24th February 2020
Genre:  Contemporary Fiction / RomCom
Pages: 512
RRP: $29.99
Format read: Uncorrected ARC 
Source: Courtesy of the publisher via Better Reading

When a romantically challenged family gather at their Whitsundays resort for their first wedding in decades, Amy 'stuck in the friend zone' Lowery realises that her single tango-dancing mum and besotted groom-to-be dad have hotter love lives than she does.

But when she locks eyes with an alluring stranger, The Pull in her chest is undeniable. And the look in Josh Brennan's eyes definitely says 'more than friends' - but not in the way she hopes.

Loner Josh is ecstatic to meet his witty stepsister-to-be and stoked that the union of their two dads comes with the lively (if chaotic) family he's always wanted. No way will he admit to an inconvenient attraction to his insta-sister - not even to himself.

Elsewhere on the island, resident nice guy Harry is absolutely not going to fall for smart and sexy jilted bride Sophia, who is locked in the honeymoon villa trying to kickstart Operation Get Your Life Together. But a harmless flirtation never hurt anyone - right?

Throw in some sharp-witted siblings, a bevy of naval officers and a meddlesome gran determined to see at least one of her descendants happily wed, and the scene is set for a perfect storm that will leave no heart unscathed...


Lovestruck is a fun and witty RomCom with a large cast of quirky characters.

Gran owns the resort and also plays chief matchmaker to her three daughters and eight grown grandchildren. Cousins Amy and Harry plus newcomer Josh, who is soon to become Amy’s step-brother, and jilted bride Sophia are the main characters however the others make quite a few appearances and tell their romance woes also.

I found it hard to connect with some of the characters. Amy was always down on herself and Sophia came across as a bit fickle. One minute she is the dumped bride, inconsolable, then straight away she is falling for Harry.

I thoroughly enjoyed the setting location of the Whitsundays and Sells’ vivid descriptions highlighted the beauty of the area.

I loved the concept of the story and I know you need anguish for a good romance story but with two separate couples ruling the plot the ongoing anguish was too much for me.

Overall this book was fun and easy to read and devoted romance fans will find a lot to love in this book.

🌟🌟🌟 


My rating   3/5

Photo credit: Nicola Topping
 
Bronwyn Sell is many things—novelist, journalist, travel writer, bestselling non-fiction author, yogi, theatre nerd, soccer mum, wife, lover of wines in the sun with friends, perpetually terrified taker of creative risks—but at heart she's an eternal romantic and optimist who is happiest playing with words and imaginary friends.

Her journalism and travel writing have won national awards in her native New Zealand. Her romantic thrillers (under pen-name Brynn Kelly) were published in the US, earning critical acclaim and a RITA Award™, the most coveted trophy in the romance genre.


 

 

Friday 11 October 2019

Book Review: Our Stop by Laura Jane Williams #BRPreview

Our Stop
by
Laura Jane Williams


What if you almost missed the love of your life?

Publisher: Harper Collins
Imprint: Avon
Publication date: 16th December 2019 ANZ
Genre: Romance/ Contemporary (RomCom)
Pages: 368
Format read: B-Format uncorrected paperback
Source: Courtesy of the publisher via Better Reading


Nadia gets the 7.30 train every morning without fail. Well, except if she oversleeps or wakes up at her friend Emma’s after too much wine.
 
Daniel really does get the 7.30 train every morning, which is easy because he hasn’t been able to sleep properly since his dad died.
 
One morning, Nadia’s eye catches sight of a post in the daily paper:

To the cute girl with the coffee stains on her dress. I’m the guy who’s always standing near the doors… Drink sometime?

So begins a not-quite-romance of near-misses, true love, and the power of the written word.



I really enjoyed this light and witty RomCom.


Twenty-nine year old Nadia has had a few hard relationships and is disillusioned with love. Will she ever find her perfect guy? Her life was a bit of a muddle but she had a new plan and she will become a beacon of organisation and the rest will fall in place.
On the first day of her new plan she sees an advert in the ‘Love Connections’ column in the paper talking about “the cute blonde girl on the 7:30 train.” Could this be her?

Daniel is a romantic at heart but he lacks confidence. Vowing not to remain the underdog he places an advert on the ‘Love Connections’ column hoping to get the attention of the cute blonde girl on his morning train.

It was fun to read their ads back and forward and see them have a few near misses as their paths crossed and almost crossed several times.

An important part of the story is friendship and looking out for each other. Nadia has her best friends Emma and Gaby who give support and encouragement but even best friends sometimes have minor fall-outs.

Williams covers issues like gaslighting, consent and toxic relationships without sounding too preachy. Lots of laugh out loud moments, as both Nadia and Daniel traverse the minefield that is dating, kept me invested and lightened the tone of the sometimes heavy topics.

If you enjoyed The Book Ninja by Ali Berg & Michelle Kalus you will love Our Stop.


                          🌟🌟🌟🌟.5


My rating   4.5/5




Laura Jane Williams is a writer from Derbyshire, England. Her work has been translated into ten languages in over 15 countries - and counting. She is 33.

Laura’s first book, memoir BECOMING, was an instant cult hit exploring her twenty-something heartbreak and finding peace with imperfection. This was followed by ICE CREAM FOR BREAKFAST, based on her thirty-something experience of overcoming millennial burnout through embracing her playful inner child. Her third book is OUR STOP, a novel about almost missing the love of your life, that Laura claims made her see love through a new, more hopeful paradigm.
She has just finished writing book four, non-fiction audiobook The Life Diet, and is about to start in on number five – a romp of a story that she lovingly thinks of as ‘Mamma Mia meets Kitchen Confidential’.