His Curvy Friend: a friends to lovers romance

His Curvy Friend by Mary E Thompson is the first book in the Book Boyfriends Wanted series. Ian has been stuck in the friend zone for years. But he wanted for the right moment to make his move and he knows it’s coming. Blake is stinging from a recent breakup. Her ex-boyfriend broke up with her because he thought she was in love with her best friend’s older brother. A claim she thought was ridiculous, even though she thought often about the time she walked in on him just out of the shower. Water running down his chest. His hair slicked back from his face and that stormy look in his eyes. But no, she didn’t have a thing for him! When an online dating site pairs Ian and Blake together, it becomes his opportunity to show a side of him she has never seen before, the side that wanted forever with her. Can he convince her that he sees her for her? 

I love books that feature people of all body shapes and abilities and I looked forward to His Curvy Friend. Unfortunately, it was a let down from the opening chapter. First, Blake makes the statement along the lines that all curvy girls get sweaty easily. As a curvy girl myself, I scoffed and a big NO escaped my lips. Second, there was a huge information dump in the first chapter and it was confusing on who was who and what was going on. Third, I simply didn’t buy Ian and Blake’s friendship, much less their romance. They were both supposed to be in their 30s and yet, I thought they were easily in their teens and immature. Blake was in a constant “woe is me” pity party. While I understand intrusive thoughts, it was so repetitive I wanted to scream at her to do something about it!  Overall, I did not enjoy His Curvy Friend and I will not be continuing the series.

His Curvy Friend is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

The Rom-Commers: grumpy-sunshine, enemies to lovers romance

The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center is a romantic comedy on the page. Emma Wheeler desperately longs to be a successful screenwriter. She writes romantic comedies and good ones that win contests but she is also the sole caretaker of her father who needs full time care. When a long time friend calls with an opportunity to re-write a script with the famous screenwriter Charlie Yates, she feels it's too good to be true. As her younger sister takes over the caretaking duties, Emma moves to LA for six weeks. However, when she arrives, Emma quickly learns that she is not wanted. Charlie Yates doesn’t want to write with anyone and doesn’t really care about this script, it was just a means to an end. And worst, he doesn’t believe in love. Emma isn’t going to give up. She is going to fight for herself, for rom-coms and love. She is determined to change Charlie’s mind about love. Of course, life is often stranger than fiction. Will their script come true? 

Katherine Center is an auto-buy author for me. Her stories are often fun, filled with laughs and great moments. The Rom-Commers is no different. It is so good! I laughed. I cried. I grinned from ear to ear as I could not put it down! It is a grumpy-sunshine, enemies to lovers romance with humor and drama. Are these characters perfect? No, Charlie and Emma are deeply wounded people with pasts that Ms. Center does not sugarcoat or gloss over and do not have easy or simple solutions. No one wants to read characters who are perfect. We want to see characters who change and grow throughout the story and end up changed for the better. Real life people are flawed and yet still lovable which are the type of characters Ms Center writes. The story goes through the highs and lows of falling in love. I loved The Rom-Commers and I closed the book with a sigh and a happy heart. I highly, highly recommend The Rom-Commers! 

The Rom-Commers is available in hardcover, eBook and audiobook

Say You Swear: a college romance, a love triangle and a tragic accident that threatens to tear everything apart

Say You Swear by Meagan Brady is the first book in the Boys of Avix series. Arianna Johnson dreams of a college romance. As she and her twin brother, Mason, and their group of friends gather for the summer before their first semester, Arianna is filled with hope. She dreamt for years of what college would be like: the late night studying, parties and a college romance. While she always imagined it would be one particular guy, Chase, one of her brother’s best friends, a guy who never gave her any indication he felt the same, Ari wasn’t expecting him. Noah Riley is a college senior, captain of the football team and her brother’s teammate. As they hang out as friends, Ari and Noah find themselves being pulled to each other and the romance of her dreams begins. Until a tragic accident takes it all away and Ari must fight to find her way back to Noah. 

I first discovered Say You Swear through a Facebook Reel and I immediately put the book on my wishlist. I recently was able to read it and it was not what I expected. First, I say I loved the story between Ari and Noah. They were a great couple. I didn’t care for the drama around the love triangle between Ari, Noah and another guy; however, I did understand it as I have seen it in real life. So it’s not like it is not in the realm of possibilities. Second, it is a very long book for a romance, almost 600 pages but I read it within three days, so it held my attention. Third, my only complaint is that the beginnings of each chapter were printed over a picture of a couple on the beach and it made the text very hard to read. Overall, I enjoyed it and I recommend Say You Swear. 

Say You Swear is available in paperback (with alternate covers), eBook and audiobook

Moonlight, Murder and Small Town Secrets: a fun southern cozy mystery

Moonlight, Murder and Small Town Secrets by KC Hart is the first book in the Katy Cross Cozy Mystery series. By day, Katy Cross is a home health nurse. By night, she is the lead guitarist for her band, The Moonlighters. As she and the band prepared to play at the annual Peanut Patch Festival, she discovers a body during the mic check. As the investigation begins and a suspect is named, Katy is determined to investigate as well, compelled to snoop around. Katy sees that something doesn’t add up with the suspect and the evidence against him as the small town rumor mill is in full swing. When a second body is discovered, she knows the real killer is still out there. Will she be able to discover who the killer is before more lives are lost? 

Moonlight, Murder and Small Town Secrets is my first book by KC Hart and I was not disappointed. It was a fun cozy mystery with lots of laughs, intrigue and southern charm. It was an easy to read, fast paced story which kept me engaged and reading. I loved the southern charm of the town and the characters. I could even hear their accents in my head as I read, which is unique and added to the fun of the story. I also enjoyed all the characters as Katy’s friends eagerly help with her sleuthing. The identity of the killer was a complete surprise and the motive was interesting as well. The story had a great ending. If you are a fan of cozy mysteries with amateur sleuths and small towns, I highly recommend Moonlight, Murder and Small Town Secrets. 

Moonlight, Murder and Small Town Secrets is available in paperback and eBook

Shelterwood: a story of survival, justice served and righting wrongs

Shelterwood by Lisa Wingate is a dual timeline story set in Oklahoma. 1909, eleven-year-old Olive August Radley knows that her stepfather has ill intentions toward the two Choctaw girls who live with her family. When the older girl disappears, Ollie takes the younger girl and flees into the woods. Together they set out on a perilous journey to the rugged Winding Stair Mountains, trying to avoid the outlaws, treasure hunters and desperate men along the way. Eighty-one years later, Valerie Boren O’dell is a law enforcement ranger who arrives at the Horsethief Trail National Park, seeking a quiet place as she tries to balance her career and single parenthood. She quickly learns about a local controversy over the park’s opening, a teenage hiker goes missing and a long hidden burial site of three children was discovered deep in a cave. Val soon learns the tragic and deadly history of the area as she tries to uncover the truth. 

Lisa Wingate has made a name for herself as a writer of emotional and often forgotten stories in history. Shelterwood traces the story of children abandoned by the law, the conflicts over the land and its riches and the long battle to see wrongs righted and justice done. I love Lisa Wingate books and Shelterwood sounded compelling and interesting; however, it was a chore to read. It wasn’t hard to read because of the subject matter which was indeed a heavy topic but important to discuss. There was a bit of confusion of who the characters were and their relationship to the two main characters: Ollie and Val. The back and forth between timelines, which usually doesn’t bother me, took me out of the story and it was hard to readjust for the new chapter. Overall, I didn’t enjoy it as much as I have other Lisa Wingate books. However, if the book interests you, I recommend giving it a try. 

Shelterwood is available in hardcover, paperback, eBook and audiobook

The Seaside Sisters: two sisters and a summer that could change their lives forever

The Seaside Sisters by Pamela M. Kelley is a story of two sisters and one summer that changes everything. Hannah Brewster just hit the New York Times bestseller’s list with her debut novel. While she is rejoicing, she is also panicking as she is struggling to write her follow up novel and the clock is ticking. Sara Ellis is Hannah’s older sister and lives in their hometown. Once a dedicated librarian, she feels trapped in a lukewarm marriage and four rambunctious boys and dreams of getting back to work. After a panic attack due to stress brings Hannah home to Chatham, she hopes staying in the seaside town will get the creative juices flowing. Sara hopes the summer brings an opportunity to get back into the workforce and possibly reignite the flame in her marriage. With the healing magic of books and the beach, will the summer be filled with friends and rekindled romance? 

After enjoying The Bookshop by the Bay, I looked forward to The Seaside Sisters as it takes place in Chatham. I was intrigued by the opening chapter as Hannah is having her panic attack and the sisters are dealing with their mother’s recent death. However, the story felt flat as the events converged in Chatham and nothing much happened. The writing wasn’t as engaging or flowing as The Bookshop by the Bay. I had a hard time relating to Hannah and Sara. I enjoy characters who are writers and seeing their process; however, Hannah wasn’t an engaging character. As a married stay at home mom, I found it very hard to relate to Sara. Overall, the story was okay but lackluster. The romance was not swoon worthy. The conflicts in the plot had no real action. However, if you are a fan of Pamela M. Kelley, you may enjoy The Seaside Sisters. 

The Seaside Sisters is available in hardcover, paperback, eBook and audiobook

Looking for Smoke: a story of murder, mystery and a stark reality for Native women

Looking for Smoke by KA Cobell is a young adult fiction of murder, mystery and a very real situation plaguing young Native women. Mara Racette recently moved to the Blackfeet Reservation with her parents and is on the outside looking in. When Loren Arnoux includes her in a traditional Blackfeet giveaway to honor her missing sister, Rayanne, Mara thinks she is finally making friends. However, when Samantha White Tail, another girl from the giveaway, is found murdered, everyone who was a part of the giveaway becomes a person of interest. Each one may have had a motive. From Mara and Loren to Brody Clark, the class clown, and tough guy Eli First Kill, each with a deep mistrust of each, take the matter into their own hands to clear their names. Can they discover the truth? Is one of them a murderer?

I love stories about Native Indigenous people and their culture and struggles. So when the opportunity to read Looking for Smoke came up, I jumped at it. In a powerful debut novel, Ms. Cobell weaved a story of loss, betrayal and mystery that was engaging with a shocking twist and surprise that had my jaw on the floor! Weaved through the story is the very real nightmare of missing and murdered native women. The statistics the author discussed at the end of the book were heartbreaking and horrifying! The characters were complex and the growth throughout the story was great. The imagery and the descriptions of the festivals and rituals were breathtaking. I could not put this story down and read well into the night. I am looking forward to reading more stories by KA Cobell. I highly, highly recommend Looking for Smoke. 

Looking for Smoke will be available in hardcover, eBook and audiobook on June 4, 2024