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

The Fake Out: a hilarious rom-com that will have you smiling for days!

The Fake Out is the newest Sharon M Peterson rom-com. Mae Sampson is the librarian in the small town Two Harts, Texas. One night, after closing, she discovers a man asleep at a desk. She doesn’t recognize him which is unusual for a small town but the two have a bit of a fun banter after he wakes up and she shoos him out the door. When they run into each other again, she learns he is Chris Sterns, the handsome “world’s sexiest man” all-star NFL player. He has chosen Two Harts for some R&R and, somehow, ropes Mae into a two person book club. Despite begrudgingly agreeing, she can’t help but enjoy their banter. When a compromising video starts circulating and everything Chris has worked hard for is in jeopardy. He proposes a fake engagement to both their benefit: he needs damage control and she needs money for mounting medical bills. What could possibly go wrong? 

I absolutely loved Ms. Peterson’s debut novel, The Do-Over and I had to get The Fake Out. It delivers on the laugh out moments, the uplifting and inspirational moments and oh-so-sweet friends to lovers romance. I completely related with Mae, the bookish librarian who takes charge when her mom falls ill and her father left long ago. And Chris is a man with a big heart. I loved the banter between Mae and Chris and I think I grinned nonstop! One of my favorite moments is when Mae and Chris are in a bookshop and Mae thinks “Forget about firefighters. Hot guy plus books… where was that calendar?” Yeah, I’d buy that calendar! I could not put it down. I read while I made dinner. I read while I ate dinner. I read until I closed the final page with a grin and a sigh. The Fake Out is so good. I highly, highly recommend The Fake Out! 

The Fake Out is available in paperback, eBook, and audiobook

Play to Win: winning the lottery and a second chance at love

Play to Win by Jodie Slaughter is her latest rom-com as a winning lottery ticket becomes a life changing event and a second chance at love. Miriam “Miri” Butler has been stuck in a low wage job and living with her mother in a house that is barely standing. However, her life is about to change when a last minute decision is about to change her life forever. She buys a lotto ticket and discovers the next morning that she is the winner of a Mega Millions Lottery Jackpot. Miri soon realizes that her sudden bed of roses has a few thorns as she discovers her estranged husband has a right to some of the winnings. After eight years of silence, Leo Vaughn finds himself coming home to Greenbelt at Miri’s request. When she offers his own life changing amount with one caveat: a divorce. He realizes that he doesn’t want to lose her forever. 

I thoroughly enjoyed Ms Slaughter’s debut novel Bet on It and when the chance came to read her new novel, I jumped at the chance. Set in the same small town, Play to Win is a story of life-changing events and a second chance at love. Miri is determined to keep her windfall as secret as possible but as the residents notice the subtle changes in her spending, the rumors begin to fly. This story moved a bit too slowly for me and I was confused about what caused the estrangement between Miri and Leo. However, the sparks definitely flew when they were together! While I did not enjoy Play to Win as much as I enjoyed Bet On it, I enjoyed revisiting Greenbelt and its residents. I enjoyed seeing the rekindling of Miri and Leo’s relationship. It was a wonderful second chance romance. Overall, I enjoyed their story and recommend Play to Win. 

Play to Win will be available in July 11, 2023 in paperback, eBook, and audiobook

My top 5 favorite books from 2022

The end of the year is here! I usually do a post recapping my year. Well, this year was filled with fun activities and events. But it was also a year filled with books. I decided to look back on the books of 2022. I read many books across multiple genres and had some that have stuck in my mind long after I closed the final chapter. Some books were good. Some were great and some not so great. I chose my top 5 favorites. It was hard to choose five but here they are, in no particular order.

1. Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley

This young adult novel is a story about a young woman torn between two worlds, two cultures and where she fits in. Daunis Fontaine is feisty and ready to fight for herself and those she loves. It is a book to be read slowly as the author presents complex issues with honesty and without blaming one side or the other. As I mentioned before, it is a young adult novel; however, all readers, young and old, will enjoy and benefit from reading this amazing story. I highly recommend Firekeeper’s Daughter. 

Firekeeper’s Daughter is available in hardcover, paperback, eBook and audiobook

2. The Bodyguard by Katherine Center

Katherine Center is always good for a great story. This romantic comedy is a laugh out loud funny, witty and snarky conversation between Hannah, the unconventional bodyguard, and Jack, her superstar client. It is a heartfelt story with emotions, struggles and laughter. I enjoyed Hannah and Jack as individuals with their relatable struggles as well as together as a couple. I closed the book with a sigh of happiness and contentment. The Bodyguard is the first book in a long time that made me laugh, cry and cheer. Highly recommended! 

The Bodyguard is available in hardcover, eBook and audiobook

3. A Limited Run by Karen McQuestion

Recreating a beloved tv show for two million dollars sounds easy peasy, right? There is more to the billionaire’s request than just to recreate this beloved show. This story was gripping and compelling from beginning to end with twists and turns that keeps you guessing about the true motives behind the request. It is filled with suspense and intrigue without being frightening. It is a book that is hard to pin down to a genre. A Limited Run is part psychological thriller, part spy like intrigue and part human interest kind of story. 

A Limited Run is available in hardcover, eBook, and audiobook

4. Did Not Finish by Nicola Marsh

This romantic comedy has it all. It is funny, romantic and oh-so-steamy! I laughed. I grinned. I sighed the way only romance stories make one sigh. I could not put this book down! I enjoyed both Mia and Axel as they start as enemies and when a sudden snowstorm keeps them together, they can’t deny the sparks between them. I even enjoyed the silent but present Mr Darcy, a grumpy cat that will melt your heart. Did Not Finish is a great romantic comedy that will leave you wanting more! 

Did Not Finish is available in paperback, eBook, and audiobook

5. A Time-Travel Christmas by Karen McQuestion

A Time-Travel Christmas is a beautifully heartwarming novella filled with miracles and Christmas magic. It will give all the warm and fuzzy feelings for Christmas spirit and belief in the impossible. The time travel aspect wasn’t overly complicated, just a touch of Christmas magic. I loved all the characters with their strength, their feistiness and their cool head in the midst of a troubling situation. The little twist at the end adds to the miracle magic of the story. Fast-paced and engrossing, I turned the last page with a smile. 

A Time-Travel Christmas is available in paperback and eBook

There are many, many great books out there! These are just a few of my favorites from 2022. My reading list for 2023 is already full. Can you believe it? You’re probably thinking, “yes, yes I can!” I can’t wait to dive into the books on next year’s reading list and hoping to find more great reads to share with you. As always, thank you for taking the time to read my posts and learn about these wonderful reads this year. I hope you all have a great New Year’s and here's to great reads for 2023! 

Two Friends and a Funeral: friends to lovers rom com

Two Friends and a Funeral by Wendy Dalrymple is a friends to lovers rom-com. Amy Grimes has no intention of getting married. She is happy making her IT company thrive, traveling to exotic places and living life to the fullest. When her childhood friend, Owen Durant, approaches her with a plan. His uncle passed away and his will places Owen in an awkward situation: he must marry or forfeit his inheritance. Owen has the brilliant idea: a marriage of convenience, one just long enough to get his inheritance. Amy agrees and as the two get caught up in the wedding planning, they begin to find something inconvenient about marriage of convenience: their own mutual attraction. The attraction they have denied for years. Will their marriage of convenience become one for real? 

From the description, I was expecting a laugh-out-loud story filled with comedic situations. Unfortunately, it was not. The story felt rushed and fell flat. There was no real suspense. No real drama. Only one person was suspicious of their sudden engagement and rush to marry. However, nothing comes from their suspicions. It’s actually brushed aside fairly quickly. Why didn’t anyone question their sudden romantic relationship especially after the reading of the will? There wasn’t really any time to get to know Amy or Owen and their history. Even their transition from friends to lovers felt off. It wasn’t bad. It wasn’t great either. It just wasn’t the story I was expecting. The ending was the worst of all. All the build up for that?!?!? I did not enjoy Two Friends and a Funeral. 

Two Friends and a Funeral is available in paperback and eBook. 

The Bodyguard: hilarious rom-com with heart and soul

The Bodyguard by Katherine Center is a rom-com story of reversed roles, family secrets and finding love. Hannah Brooks doesn’t look like your typical bodyguard. At 5 foot 3, she easily looks more like a lovable kindergarten teacher than somebody who could body slam someone to the ground. But she can. She is an Executive Protection Agent, aka a bodyguard. She’s put in charge of the protection detail for Jack Stapleton, a superstar actor with a strange stalker. Jack is a household name despite being out of the spotlight for a few years. He is forced home to his family’s Texas ranch when his mom gets sick. However, he doesn’t want his family to know about the stalker or his protection detail. So to explain Hannah’s presence? She’s his girlfriend. No one thinks it’s believable, especially Hannah. But she goes along with it, telling herself it’s just another job. However, the more she spends time with Jack and his family, the more she wants it to be real. What could possibly go wrong? 

What a story! I love Katherine Center! She writes heartfelt stories with feelings, struggles and plenty of humor. The Bodyguard delivers on all fronts! I laughed. I cried. I grinned ear to ear! The story kept me on my toes with twists and turns that kept me guessing. Even the epilogue at the end had a few twists of its own. I related to Hannah quite a bit. She was an ordinary woman with no remarkable beauty, easily faded into the background. A plus for her job, not so much for her personal life. Until the right man comes along and shows her that she’s more than just ordinary. Jack was also a great character. The handsome superstar who has a downhome soul. I enjoyed the supporting characters as well, even the jerks we love to hate and cheer when they get their comeuppance. Overall, I highly enjoyed The Bodyguard. It’s the first book in the longest time that made me laugh, cry, and grin. I highly recommend The Bodyguard! 

The Bodyguard is available July 19, 2022 in hardcover, eBook, and audiobook

Abigail's Shop: an enemies to lovers romantic comedy

Abigail’s Shop by Rachel Herron is the first book in the Cypress Hollow Yarn series. Abigail Durant gets the shock of her life when an old friend, Eliza Carpenter, left her an inheritance. A cottage and a plot of land on her sheep ranch. Cade MacArthur, Eliza’s nephew, is the other heir who inherits the rest of the ranch. Cade is not happy with his aunt’s will and becomes grumpier than usual. Despite Cade’s grumpiness and hostility, Abigail is determined to turn her inheritance into a second chance. She dreams of opening a knitting shop where she can spin her own yard, teach a few classes and knit until her heart’s content. While they seem to be at odds, the chemistry between them is undeniable. Was Eliza matchmaking from beyond the grave? When the past Abigail thought she left behind follows her to Cypress Hollow, she must decide if she can trust Cade with her secrets as well as her heart. 

Abigail’s Shop is a fun, cute  enemies-to-lovers rom-com with a bit of suspense. I don’t know much about knitting but the book gives enough details to inform readers without bogging down the story with extensive details. Many reviews have complained that the plot is formulaic and while it did hit all the enemies-to-lovers points, it was still enjoyable. It is not a book to take too seriously but to sit back and enjoy. In my experience, most romances regardless of the trope are formulaic but that doesn't mean that they aren’t enjoyable. There are sex scenes that are common for a romance novel. It doesn’t get graphic or explicit. It’s more hot and heavy, then fades to black. Overall, Abigail’s Shop is a typical romance with drama, headbutting, undeniable attraction and a force that is trying to keep them apart. However, I thoroughly enjoyed Abigail’s Shop and look forward to reading the rest of the series. I recommend Abigail’s Shop. 

Abigail’s Shop is available in eBook