 Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary e-ARC and the publisher for the complimentary hard copy. All opinions provided are my own.I just wondered what it would be like if someone like Kate Clayborn—who writes so gorgeously & so completely from the heart—hadn’t written books & they weren’t published… Especially when her books make me feel so full. So expansive (read the book to get this reference ;) ). Georgie, All Along is another exquisite portrayal of the best of people & of love. I think it’s also probably the funniest book of Kate Clayborn’s that I’ve read. Not only is Levi totally amazing—I want to hug him & go to his Bday party & drunkenly tell him how much I love him & also write embarrassing wishes regarding him up & down my arms in Sharpie —but Georgie—& her heart & her confusion & friendship—is also beloved to me. Have I ever been uncertain about what I want? About my future? Um yes. This is my favorite kind of romance in that not only is the central love story so wonderful & well-developed, the secondary characters & those relationships are too. Kate Clayborn is one of my fave writers of friendship & I absolutely love how she captures the one between Georgie & Bel, another opposites attract pairing that’s done so well. This book satisfies on every level & made me feel as if I were truly watching/observing/enjoying love in all forms. So if you haven’t read Kate Clayborn yet, please do. She is an author I recommend without reservation & her books are lovely & like Georgie says about Levi, “what I want, but better.” 5⭐️. Out now!CWs: Parental estrangement; parental neglect; parental “cruelty.” References to drug use & emotional abuse at alternative school.
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 Thanks to the author for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.Cat Sebastian books make me so happy. Daniel Cabot Puts Down Roots—Cat’s upcoming novella release out 11/15–is another soft, sweet, loving book that starts with mutual unspoken pining between friends & ends with them as lovers making a bigger life together. The 1970s New York vibes are strong, the communication is lovely (& so is the steam!), & there’s no third act breakup after they decide to be together (yes yes yes). If the thought of a pediatrician & music critic combo, neurodivergent rep, and so much care sound good to you, give this one a try. Thanks to the author for another lovely read. 4.5⭐️. Out 11/15. CW: please consult the author’s note for a detailed list of CWs.
 Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.Funny, occasionally silly, & filled with lots of science, Marie Curie, and cat adoration, Love on the Brain wears its nerdiness proudly and I love that. Then there are those hot scenes & a hero who is *very* clearly into the heroine & she has no clue. Really. She has no clue ;) . Ordinarily, I love that too. But in this case Bee’s cluelessness feels like a bit much, especially after the other lead, hunky engineer Levi Ward, tells our Bee over & over again that he’s never hated her & she keeps insisting again & again that he did & he does. Not to mention the other moments in the book when Bee is oblivious—like about a certain item she wears that would be confusing to a lot of people. In some ways this book & Hazelwood’s writing style give me Mariana Zapata vibes. Approachable, quirky heroine who doesn’t always see the writing on the wall but in this case some of the things about the heroine & the story itself lose their charm after a while. I will gladly take a STEM heroine, pining, & an opposites attract couple who actually are pretty similar (right?!), but I would have liked more subtlety from the story itself, especially on the miscommunication front. 3.5⭐️. Out now!CW: Her previous fiancé cheated on her with BFF. Sexism in the workplace.
 Hi and welcome to my Blog Blitz stop for Sangu Mandanna's The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches!  Summary.A warm and uplifting novel about an isolated witch whose opportunity to embrace a quirky new family—and a new love—changes the course of her life. As one of the few witches in Britain, Mika Moon knows she has to hide her magic, keep her head down, and stay away from other witches so their powers don’t mingle and draw attention. And as an orphan who lost her parents at a young age and was raised by strangers, she’s used to being alone and she follows the rules...with one exception: an online account, where she posts videos "pretending" to be a witch. She thinks no one will take it seriously. But someone does. An unexpected message arrives, begging her to travel to the remote and mysterious Nowhere House to teach three young witches how to control their magic. It breaks all of the rules, but Mika goes anyway, and is immediately tangled up in the lives and secrets of not only her three charges, but also an absent archaeologist, a retired actor, two long-suffering caretakers, and…Jamie. The handsome and prickly librarian of Nowhere House would do anything to protect the children, and as far as he’s concerned, a stranger like Mika is a threat. An irritatingly appealing threat. As Mika begins to find her place at Nowhere House, the thought of belonging somewhere begins to feel like a real possibility. But magic isn't the only danger in the world, and when peril comes knocking at their door, Mika will need to decide whether to risk everything to protect a found family she didn’t know she was looking for....  My Review.Sangu Mandanna's The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches is one of those books that makes me so happy to be a reader. It’s magic-filled & wonderful & the grumpy & the sunshine relationship at its core—not to mention the found family, the whimsy & the iron—had me squeeing. I love this book so much! In The Very Secret Society witch Mika Moon is hired by the residents of Nowhere House to be a magic teacher for three witch children. She takes on what seems like a huge task even though witches aren’t out in the open & aren’t supposed to be together out of set & infrequent social gatherings. In addition to the children, there are four other caretakers living at Nowhere House, including a striking & very grumpy librarian named James Kelly who is also amazing & gave me heart eyes. I will say that I fell in love with both leads because they’re both stunning. Mika’s funny & I love how she can laugh at herself, how brave and cheerful she is (without being annoying!). There’s a caretaking scene & just a sense of care running throughout the pages—I have every feeling that these leads have found true love and family & it makes my heart swell. This book is enthralling & I loved it from beginning to end. I can’t wait to add it to my shelves. 5⭐️. Out 08/23.  An excerpt.When the spellwork part of the meeting was complete, Primrose cleared her throat. "Finally, does anyone have any news they'd like to share?"
"It's okay to say it's time to gossip, Primrose," Mika said merrily. "We all know that's what comes after the spellwork." "Witches don't gossip," sniffed Primrose. This was patently untrue, however, because gossiping was precisely what they proceeded to do. "My ex-husband wanted to get back together last week," said Belinda Nkala, who was in her forties and never had time for anyone's nonsense. "When I turned him down, he informed me that I am apparently nothing without him. Then he left," she added calmly, "but I fear he's going to be suffering from an inexplicable itch in his groin for a few weeks." Several witches laughed, but Primrose set her lips in a thin line. "And have you been playing such petty tricks lately, Mika?" "Oh, for the love of fucking god, Primrose, what does this have to do with me?" "It's not an unreasonable question, precious. You do like to take risks." "For the millionth time," Mika said, irked beyond belief, "I post videos online pretending to be a witch. It's just a performance." Primrose raised her eyebrows. Mika raised hers right back. "Hundreds of people do the same thing, you know. The whole witch aesthetic is very popular!" "Witchcore," Hilda said, nodding wisely. "Not quite as popular as cottagecore or fairycore, but it's up there." Everyone stared at her. "I didn't know fairies were real!" shouted Agatha Jones, who was almost as old as Primrose and tended to believe all young people needed to be shouted at lest they miss the import of her pronouncements. "Whatever next!" "You see, Primrose?" said Mika, ignoring this interruption. "People call themselves witches all the time. I'm not putting myself or you or anyone else at risk. Nobody who watches my videos thinks I'm actually a witch." It was unfortunate for Mika, then, that at that precise moment, over five hundred miles away, in a big house in a quiet, windy corner of the Norfolk countryside, a skinny old man in a magnificent rainbow scarf and enormous fluffy slippers was saying exactly the opposite. “Absolutely not!” This came from Jamie, the scowling librarian, who was not in fact the skinny old man in the scarf and slippers. That was Ian. And the third person in the library was Lucie, the housekeeper, a chubby, round-cheeked woman in her fifties, who sighed as if she knew exactly how this argument was going to go. (She did know, and she was right.) Ian smoothed down the tail of his scarf and replied, in the deep voice that had charmed audiences in many a small theatre over his eighty-odd years, "Don't be difficult, dear. It doesn't become you." Jamie was unmoved by this criticism. "You can't seriously be considering bringing that"-and here he jabbed a finger at the dewy, sparkly face on the screen of Ian's phone-"into the house?" "Why not?" Ian asked. "Well, for one thing, there's no way she's a real witch," Jamie said irritably. This was not unusual. Most of the things Jamie said were said irritably. "What kind of witch would show off her magic on a platform with millions of viewers?" Mika would have been immensely gratified to hear this, had she been there, but it looked like her double bluff had not hoodwinked Ian. "She's a real witch," he insisted. "How the hell can you possibly know that?" "I have excellent observation skills. Just watch part of the video." Ian wiggled his phone like he was dangling a lollipop in front of a toddler. "A minute. That's all I ask." Jamie's glare stayed firmly in place, but he crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back against his desk to look over Ian's shoulder. Gleeful, Ian tapped the screen and the video started to play. Excerpted from The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna Copyright © 2022 by Sangu Mandanna. Excerpted by permission of Berkley. All rights reserved. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own. This book isn’t quite Assassin Lite but there are so many things that got to my heart nonetheless. 🌻 Like a deliberately annoying lead + the lead who gets exasperated by him. 🌻 A grumpy & the sunshine combo. 🌻 Forced proximity. 🌻 I have to trust you (even though I shouldn’t) if I want to survive. 🌻 Let’s make a home together. In N. R. Walker’s The Kite Harry & Asher are both assassins who go on the run together once they realize that hits have been put out on both of them. Neither man is quick to trust so that makes the inevitable walls coming down all the better. The steam had me fanning my cheeks, the caretaking scenes grabbed at my heart, & I was genuinely happy to see them at the end, forging a new, safe life separate from the violence of their past. Be warned: there’s a lot of violence in this one & lots of deaths, some committed by the leads. In an effort to establish their own safety Harry also threatens a villain’s family in front of the villain only & while I think he was bluffing I prefer my leads to make less threats against possibly innocent people please & thanks. But on the whole The Kite really satisfied. 4.5 ⭐️. Out now!
 Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.Anytime anyone is asking for recs in the Ilona Andrews-ish mode, I rush in shouting *Jessie Mihalik’s series.* Hunt the Stars was a fun introduction to the crew of Starlight’s Shadow & to the general tension that lingers post-intergalactic war & Eclipse the Moon, this upcoming release out 07/12, continues both of those trends with a sunshine & the grump story this time. Sunshiney data genius Kee has had feelings for grumpy Varro, a Valovan, since after he arrived on her ship in the last book. But he’s apparently resistant to her charms. So in an effort to remove herself from (supposedly) Unrequited Pining Central & also to get some much-needed data regarding the intergalactic threat they all used to work for, Kee stays on a planet by herself. Which prompts Varro to risk his own life if he isn’t also allowed off-ship by their Captain so that he can protect her. Me-ow. This story, with its confessions of mutual pining & feeling, with his multiple displays of protective feeling (including him sleeping outside of her room & the aforementioned threat of airwalking through space to chase after her!), does satisfy romantically on an emotional level. Their mutual care for the other comes in handy when his honor as a protector comes into question & the slow burn is always a nice touch! But I do wish that in addition to the romance that plays out on the pages they also established more of their past with the other. & with me 🥴😆. As it is, it just feels a little superficial to me, like a lost opportunity. This series has been entertaining & interesting. Check it out if you’re looking for something with high stakes & quite the (anticipatory) wait for spice! 4 ⭐️. Release date: 07/12.
 Thanks to the author for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own. 📖 Q: are you a true crime fan? I don’t read or watch a lot of it but I would like to check out I’ll be Gone in the Dark one day! Tessa Bailey is one of those authors I’m so grateful for. Mostly because she consistently delivers blisteringly hot romances with typically smooth heroes who are rendered BEWILDERED by the depth & power of their totally unexpected feelings for the heroine. Bewildered I say. My Killer Vacation offers both of those things in spades with second grade teacher Taylor going on a vacation with her brother, realizing someone at the beach house they’ve booked has been murdered, & encountering the bounty hunter / private investigator asked to check into the case, a hottie named Myles, as she tries to do her own murder solving. Though the narration was at times a little stiff for me—mostly in the beginning—& the mystery could have been a little tauter, this book delivers where it counts: it’s a sexy, escapist read that I enjoyed soo much (& honestly that counts extra right now). There’s one scene toward the beginning of Taylor & Myles’s acquaintance where he licks her stomach (!) & one memorable scene in a church. Plus more. Tessa adds to the sexual chemistry burning up the pages by giving me more of what I want: Myles is supposedly worrying about Taylor catching feelings after sex but instead after their first time she’s casual & he’s like WHAT, DIDNT THAT ROCK HER WORLD TOO? I eat that up. Not to mention the ending, which is just superb as far as gestures are concerned. This isn’t a total, unqualified 5 ⭐️ for me, especially if I consider it as a romance with a mystery. But it is sooo good & sooo fun to read—& I’m thankful to Tessa for delivering another book that put a smile in my lustful heart 😆—so after waffling a little it’s 4.5 ⭐️ from me! Release date: 06/06
 Thanks to Harlequin for the complimentary galley & the publisher and Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own. 📖 Q: are you a recipe collector? I usually save them on my phone & I’ve slowly started writing them down on pretty stationary & saving them in an old college binder 😆. Ruby Barrett’s The Romance Recipe (out 06/28!) really wowed me. It was a 5 ⭐️ read for me from beginning to end & I couldn’t wait to get this galley to add to my shelves (look at how cute & sensual the cover is!). If mutual pining, foodie romance, grumpy + the sunshine (but also the sunshine runs her kitchen thankyouverymuch) sounds good, definitely check this one out! Amy Chambers hired Sophie Brunet as head chef of her restaurant bc she was talented & semi-famous after being on a realty tv show—she’s also had feelings for her since seeing her on screen. Unbeknownst to Amy, Sophie—who recently realized that she’s bisexual & even more recently broke up with her fiancé—has feelings for her too. This is one of those books where everything just works together really well. From their mutual pining & appreciation to the moments when each reveals something hurtful, to the times when they cook together—& even including when they fight over the future of the business they both work at…everything made me feel like they were getting closer. Like it was a real emotional relationship each person is invested in. & then when you add to that the outrageously satisfying steam it’s charismatic & fill-in-your-yummy-food-adjective-of-choice. One hook-up takes place in a car 🤩. I’m so curious to see what Ruby Barrett writes next because this was a fantastic read. CWs: Grief regarding loss of parent. Reference to sexual harassment in the workplace. Toxic dad. Sophie’s former fiancé’s reaction to her realization that she’s bi is to say something about not letting the public know.
 Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own. 📖 Q: have you ever been to Paris? Eight Weeks in Paris by S.R. Lane is one of those books that I just fell into—it’s a blissful (& also angsty) Paris-set trope-fest that engaged me on every level & felt like Moulin Rouge meets French Kiss. Trope-wise, this is opposites attract, sunshine & the grumpy, coworkers, caretaking, stormed in, forced proximity. (Do you hear my heart going pitter patter?) Nicholas Madden is a “serious actor” who gives me Richard from Lucy Parker’s Act Like It vibes. He’s got a grumpy, temper-fueled, brilliant rep & he’s very invested in the current film he’s starring in with Chris Lavalle, a stunningly attractive man mostly known as a model & influencer. Including film scenes + real life scenes it’s easy to see the two becoming confused—something the book really makes clear—especially as both leads wrestle their feelings over the magnetism of their relationship & as Nicholas in particular considers what he might lose by publicly coming out. The writing & plot are sublime, the emotion is so stirring, & this is the kind of book I could read again & again bc there’s so much there. I wish I could have read more past HEA, especially since the big fight hurt me so bad 😆. 5 big ⭐️ for this one. Please check it out! Release date: 05/31.
 “‘What are you doing?’ he demanded, mostly because he couldn’t fucking wait to hear it. He wanted inside her confetti-strewn head every chance he got. It was the only foreign country he could remember wanting to visit.” Well if this book isn’t a gosh darn delight. Act Your Age, Eve Brown had me smiling & even LOLing on a family road trip; it’s winsome, quirky, & sexy & on a *totally* unrelated note I just bought some unnecessary glasses for my husband (jkjkjkjk). At the beginning of the novel Eve Brown is staring down another career that didn’t work out. Her stunned parents issue some tough love: Eve won’t receive any more trust money until she satisfies some employment conditions & she must find a new place to live. She takes off for the countryside where she meets rude, supremely starchy Jacob Wayne, owner of a Bed & Breakfast, at a job interview he’s hosting for a chef position. When Jacob follows her to offer her a chance to show off her skills—after initially blowing her off—she accidentally runs over him & yada yada yada, winds up with the chef job. If you’ve been reading the Brown Sister series you want to read this latest electric installment. & if you haven’t then you’ll want to read it too . It’s grumpy & the sunshine, starchy & the charmer, forced proximity, opposites attract fantastic-ness & I laughed internally & got other major feels all the way through. I love how Eve and Jacob find friends (& lovers) in each other, how neither one of them has to change to entice the other into tolerating or wanting them. A big hurrah! for Eve, who learns so much about herself (her awareness that she is on the autism spectrum like Jacob—and how we see his thoughts about it too—feels particularly lovely) & for Jacob, both of whom take brave steps toward each other. I felt like I could have used a little more time with Jacob’s breakthrough but really he is working toward it through the whole book & can you blame him for realizing how foolish he’s been almost right away? (<—talking to myself.) This book is a joy-filled (maybe it would be more accurate to say joy-inducing) ending to a great series. 5 ⭐️ |
About me.Give me that HEA, please.
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