How to Choose a Guy in 10 Days: can one woman make over a man from Not to Hot?

How to Choose a Guy in 10 Days is the first book in the Chick Flick Club by Lila Monroe. Gemma Jones is in a competition for a promotion of a lifetime. As a stylist, she has to take a fashioned-backward guy and turn him into Mr GQ. Her problem? The man chosen for her is her hairy next-door neighbor she nicknamed Bigfoot. Zach Morrison has no interest in being Gemma’s dress doll. However, he does enjoy seeing Gemma get flustered; but after cashing out his tech start-up and going through a nasty break up, he just wants to wear sweatpants and lounge around. With a little push in the right direction, Gemma gets to work and finds a few surprises as Bigfoot transforms into Mr Hottie. As the walls come down, the sparks start to fly. Will Zach embrace a fresh start? Will Gemma win the promotion? 

One of my favorite rom-coms is How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (2003) with Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey. So when I came across a book which seemed to pay homage to this hilarious and romantic story, I was in. From the very beginning, this story had heart, great humor, sweet emotional moments and great steamy romantic scenes. I loved Gemma and Zach from the very beginning. I loved their chemistry and their banter. I enjoyed their supporting characters. Even their villains were great and added drama and conflict. Overall, I loved this story. It had its base in the rom-com movie; however, it had its own twists, turns and grand gestures. I am looking forward to reading the other books in this series. If you enjoy rom-com stories with heart and great humor, I highly recommend How to Choose a Guy in 10 Days. 

How to Choose a Guy in 10 Days is available in paperback and eBook

Detour to Harmony: a sweet clean romance in a small town

Detour to Harmony is the first book in the Harmony Ridge series by Megan Squires. Miles Callahan has decided that his country music days are over. The constant traveling, life on a tour bus isn’t a life for his four year old son. He decides to set down roots. His first stop is the small town of Harmony Ridge. It was supposed to be a quick bite to eat and then back on the road; however, the diner’s beautiful owner’s welcoming spirit had Miles dragging his feet to leave. Scarlett Harmony has taken over her father’s diner after his passing and wants to maintain his legacy of generosity through food and friendship. However, when the diner begins to falter and she worries she has a very difficult choice to make. Can she keep her restaurant from closing while also opening up her heart to the chance for a romance? Or will Miles be on his way as planned? 

Detour to Harmony is a sweet, clean romance with humor and emotional touching moments. I immediately liked Miles as a man who is willing to put aside a growing career for his son. I loved the immediate connection with Scarlett as she knew how to interact and engage with an active four year old. I loved the small town atmosphere of Harmony Ridge. The townspeople were relatable with a welcoming and friendly attitude. The drama was mild but grounded in real issues and concerns. I loved Miles and Scarlett’s romance. There were sweet moments, grand gestures and moments that will make you smile, especially with Miles’s son. The author definitely got a four year old’s antics and imagination to translate on the page. Overall, I enjoyed this story and I look forward to reading the other books in this series. If you enjoy sweet, clear romance, I highly recommend Detour to Harmony. 

Detour to Harmony is available in paperback and eBook

We Are Made Of Stars: a season of change is in the air as guests gather at an inn

We Are Made Of Stars by Rochelle B. Weinstein is a story of secrets, lies and second chances at an inn nestled in picturesque mountains. At the Via Ta Vie, owners Jean-Paul and Renee De La Rue are going through a season of change and for their guests as well. Hollywood celebrity couple, Leo and Penny, are celebrating their twenty-fifth anniversary while on the cusp of divorce. Lucy, a practical minded therapist, and her husband, Henry, an astronomer with his head in the stars, are also struggling with their marriage and divorce seems to be in the future. Their friends, Adam, a charismatic sports agent, and his former lawyer and current stay at home mom wife, Sienna, are desperate to find the cracks in their perfect facade. Adding to the group is Cassidy, a self-absorbed single mother and Rosalie, her sullen fifteen year old daughter. As the week progresses, betrayals, regrets and shocking truths are revealed where a heart can be broken or healed. 

I was so excited for this book as the title is absolutely beautiful and the opening chapter started off well. However, the story drags as each chapter changes point of views to one of the many characters. The only character I cared for was Rosalie. She is tired of being the responsible adult to her immature mother, and takes matters in her own hands to find the truth her mother has been hiding. I wish I could have reached through the pages and knocked some sense in the adults. The drama was a bit lackluster and the twist/secret reveal was a bit obvious and wasn’t as much of a surprise to me. Overall, I did not enjoy this story. This story was my second book by Ms Weinstein and the second one I didn’t care for, so it is obvious to me that her books aren’t for me. However, if you enjoy Ms Weinstein’s previous books, you may enjoy We Are Made Of Stars. 

We Are Made Of Stars is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

For the Chances We Take: an accidental pregnancy, suspense romance

For the Chances We Take is the first book in the Bryants and Walker Protection series by Ellie P Golden. Benjamin Walker and his team are working to shut down the drug cartel that terrorized a small town when he meets a beautiful baker, Izzie Turner.  Ben was her sexy protector, the man who made her feel complete and the aftermath of one event brings them together. He is a man who doesn’t have a problem taking risks or chances. He gambles often with life and usually comes out unscathed. However, one positive pregnancy test is a gamble he lost and has Ben fighting his feelings for Izzie and their baby. He doesn’t believe he is the man that Izzie and the baby need. He has too many demons. He has a mission and he cannot rest until it's done. Can Izzie’s love and acceptance help Ben fight his demons and be the man he needs to be? The man Izzie and their baby truly deserves? 

I was excited for this story. The opening prologue was promising; however, the promise quickly faltered as the first chapter was confusing and contained a glaring mistake that should have been caught in editing. Ben and his team are staking out a group who are talking about “horses.” Ben asks “heroine?” and the person he is with answers yes. I think the author meant heroin. While spell check would not have caught the error but an editor should have. There were so many characters introduced up front with relationships and connections between them not explained, leading to confusion. At one point, there is a text message exchange between Izzie and an Unknown number (who we learn is Ben), the exchange changed from Izzie and Unknown to Izzie and SexyBee without any indication that Izzie changed it. There are so much more and it is no surprise that I did not enjoy this story and will not be continuing the series. I do not recommend For The Chances We Take. 

For The Chances We Take is available in paperback and eBook

The Bookbinder's Secret: one book's secret and one woman's journey to discover it

The Bookbinder’s Secret by A.D. Bell is a story of how one book tells a secret and one woman’s journey to discover it. Lillian “Lily” Delaney is an apprentice to a master bookbinder in Oxford in 1901 and feels trapped. Trapped by her father’s failing bookshop. Trapped by still being an apprentice. When she is given a burned book by a book collector, where she finds something hidden binding, a letter speaking of love, fortune, and murder. Lilly is pulled into a mystery of young lovers, forbidden love, and discovers there are more books with more hidden secrets. She quickly becomes obsessed with the story and that obsession becomes dangerous. She discovers someone is looking for the same books and is ready to kill for them. As she searches, sinister forces are closing in and her life begins to fall apart, she must decide if the truth is worth her life. 

The Bookbinder’s Secret is a slow moving train at first as Lilly discovers the hidden letter. As she innocently searches for the truth, she doesn’t realize she is being watched until it is too late. The train speeds up and I was hooked as Lilly is determined to find the truth, find the individuals in the letter, solve the mystery and restore her life as best she can. I loved the look into bookbinding and the cutthroat business of book collecting. The pieces to the mystery were intriguing as well. There is a cast of unsavory characters whom Lilly must trust despite the danger she is in and the reveal of who is behind it all was a shocker! Overall, I enjoyed this story and when I closed the book I sat in awe at the twists and turns. If you enjoy historical fiction with a mystery, I highly recommend The Bookbinder’s Secret. 

The Bookbinder’s Secret is available in hardcover, eBook and audiobook

All Our Beautiful Goodbyes: a love story filled with tragedy but has a smidge of hope for a happily aver after

All Our Beautiful Goodbyes by Julianne MacLean is a story of a love that couldn’t find the right time to bloom. In 1946, World War II is over and Emma Clarkson dreamed of leaving her island home and attending university. Sable Island is the only home she has ever known and yet she dreams of life beyond the sand dunes and the herds of wild horses. When a shipwreck occurs off shore, the handsome British sea captain has Emma rethinking her dreams. She falls deeply in love with Oliver Harris; however it is a love that cannot be. Oliver returns to the sea and Emma vows to forget him and finds love again when a handsome veterinarian arrives on the island. In 1995, Joanna Griffin is mourning the death of her beloved grandmother and is shocked to learn that her grandfather once loved a young woman named Emma and she is determined to solve the mystery of her grandfather’s past and the events that have separated them. 

Julianne MacLean is a master at tragic stories with twists and turns, adding a smidge of hope for a happily over after. All Our Beautiful Goodbyes is such a tale. Set in the remote beauty of Sable Island, off the coast of Nova Scotia and known as the Graveyard of the Atlantic, readers will be sucked into the love story of Emma as falls in love and feels the pain of loss and the sting of betrayal. I didn’t know about Sable Island and its role as a rescue station, watching for shipwrecks and its current role as a sanctuary for the wild horses that call it home. Ms. MacLean’s description of the island really brought it to life, I could sense the coldness and isolation of the island. The story starts out a bit slow but it picks up as Emma starts her rollercoaster journey to chase her dreams. I kept turning pages, in the hopes she would get her happily ever after. Overall, I enjoyed this story. I recommend All Our Beautiful Goodbyes. 

All Our Beautiful Goodbyes is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

Why We Read: one reader's exploration of the power of books in our lives

Why We Read: On Bookworms, Libraries and Just One More Page before Lights Out by Shannon Reed. It has been asked of every bookworm: Why do you read so much? What is so great about ink and pages? Why are you crying so hard at a fictional story, for functional people? Shannon Reed, a longtime teacher, lifelong reader and a New Yorker contributor, writes to make the case as to why readers read in a collection of stories about reading for escape, reading to learn, to find love, and encounter new worlds are among the many, many reasons. She shares stories from her life as a reader, as a teacher, a student and later a professor. From the varied novels she cherished and the ones she didn’t, trips to libraries and introducing classic novels to a new generation, Ms Reed writes to take readers on a tour through the world of literature and celebrates the beloved books which bring comfort, tears and transformation. 

I was excited to read a book on books and bookworms, expecting a hilarious exploration of the joys of reading and the books that changed our lives in a “whip-smart, laugh-out-loud funny collection.” Unfortunately, that is not what I got. It wasn’t a deep dive into the transformative power of reading. Ms. Reed came across as condescending and smug as she writes. I feel that as an Academic overshadows her personal connection to books and her fellow bookworms. She had an “I know better” attitude. At one point, she talks about not writing to authors as they are busy writing and they don’t want to  interact with readers. I found this weird and untrue. Granted some authors may agree with this statement. However, many authors I have interacted with, online and in emails, love hearing from readers. Her humor fell flat for me. I didn’t laugh, I rolled my eyes, cringed at certain statements. I could see where she was trying to be funny but it wasn’t working for me. I do not recommend Why We Read. It should be titled Why I Read. 

Why We Read: On Bookworms, Libraries and Just One More Page before Lights Out

Is available in hardcover, paperback, eBook and audiobook