REVIEW: Swipe Right by Stephie Chapman

Title: Swipe Right
Author: Stephie Chapman
Narrator: Emma Carter
Publisher: Hera Books
Publication Date: May 2020
Genre: Chick-Lit / Contemporary Romance
Buy the Book: Amazon | Audible

Description: Love could be a click away... Or in the last place you expected.

When Fran meets Ollie, it’s eye roll at first sight. Who does he think he is – with his Ray-Bans, piss taking and artfully styled hair? Forced into working together at Viral Hive, the trendy media content agency, at first they butt heads, but soon realize that they could be BFFs. Fran’s happily settled with boyfriend Lucas, while Ollie is fully committed to girlfriend Lou.

But when Fran’s relationship crumbles, and Ollie sets off with Lou for a round-the-world trip, she decides to start an anonymous dating column, detailing all the perils of dating online – from the bloke who angrily demanded she share the bill when she refused his clumsy advances, to the one that ended their date by weeping into her cleavage – even if it seems that all the good (or even normal?) men are hiding. Maybe there aren’t plenty more fish in the sea?

But, on her dating journey of discovery, Fran’s about to learn that sometimes love can be where you least expect it… you just have to put down your phone.

My Thoughts: Swipe Right by new to me author Stephie Chapman was a fantastic story that leans heavily on two of my favorite story tropes, online dating and friendship to love. Fran and Ollie first meet when they are interviewing for the same job at a media content company. There’s chemistry, but they are in competition so nobody is more surprised than Fran when she is offered the job and learns that Ollie got the job too. This was my first clue that Fran and Ollie are two halves of one whole, their work mates refer to them as work spouses. Ollie and Fran are also in relationships with other people.

When Fran’s relationship implodes, she decides to start an online dating blog for work detailing all the good, bad and ugly of these dates, omitting names for privacy. This book quickly pulled me into the lives of Fran and Ollie. I loved seeing their friendship develop into more than just workplace camaraderie. Ollie is supportive of Fran’s online dating project but shows valid concern when some of the dates are less than pleasant. Fran tries to be supportive of Ollie’s relationship with the awful Lou but is struggling with her growing feelings for him.

When Ollie decides to leave his job at Viral Hive to go on a world tour with Lou, I think I was as heartbroken as Fran. Not only is she losing her work spouse but also the constructive interaction and collaboration they share on projects. In addition to Ollie and Fran, I also enjoyed meeting many of the supporting characters who bring a lot of charm and fun to the story. We spend so much of our lives at our jobs, it’s wonderful when you can work at a company that values your talent and input as well as working with people that you hit it off with and work effectively with as a team in support of one another.

The author does an amazing job of creating a story that flows smoothly and keeps the reader fully engaged with the characters and the events unfolding. I paired the reading of this book with the audiobook narrated by Emma Carter. Her performance enhanced my enjoyment of this book with the nuances into each character. I am looking forward to reading more from this author.

My Final Verdict: Readers have so many choices when picking a book that might appeal to them. For me online dating and friendship to love are themes I am usually drawn to and this book lived up to my expectations. I highly recommend this book to readers who enjoy these themes too as well as fans of chick-lit, contemporary romance and stories that give them warm fuzzies and make them smile.

Thank you to the publisher, Hera Books, who provided an advance reader copy of this book via NetGalley.

REVIEW: Love the Wine You're With by Kim Gruenenfelder

Title: Love the Wine You’re With
Author: Kim Gruenenfelder
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Publication Date: June 2017
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Buy the Book: Amazon | BN

Description: Three best friends decide to open a wine bar in Echo Park LA, where they encounter the trials and tribulations of dating, love, and life.

Jessie is finally about to realize her life-long goal of owning her own house, the first step to a wonderful marriage, kids, and life with her boyfriend of three years, Kevin; except after they find the perfect place, Kevin suddenly gets cold feet.

Nat is having a passionate affair with her gorgeous British boss Marc—unfortunately, he’s married. Now what?

Holly is an actress who still waits tables to pay the bills, and who is coping with the recent loss of her father. A particularly bad audition, where she snaps and tells off a big director, leads her to wonder what to do when you stop loving what you do. (And also what to do about her hot neighbor. Because, you know, hot neighbor.)

After each girl finishes a particularly awful workday, the three friends meet at their favorite wine bar, which has been sold by its owner for a huge profit and will close that night. In a moment of tipsy brazenness, Jessie suggests that the three of them open their own wine bar in the gentrifying Echo Park area of Los Angeles. An unapologetically girly place for good wine and good friends—which leads to a challenge for each woman: how do you fix a life that’s not actually broken, but needs an upgrade?

My Thoughts: I absolutely loved this story! What’s not to love? Best friends open a wine bar and I get to tag along with them as they navigate the ups and downs of owning their own business and making it a success while trying to manage personal relationships. It felt a little overwhelming for me but Nat, Jessie and Holly have a wonderful friendship that drives their determination. I especially loved how these women find themselves on unexpected ground with their personal relationships and the direction it goes.

I loved all three of these women and how fearless they were. Nat realizes her relationship with her married boss is a dead end and watching her struggle with doing the right thing and doing what her heart wants was difficult. I admired her courage to step out of her comfort zone and starting her life completely anew. Jessie is a hopeless romantic and after dating Kevin for several years, it should be obvious that the next step is getting married, starting a family and buying a home. After they make an offer, Kevin backs out of the deal and gets transferred out of the country. I loved that Jessie isn’t willing to throw common sense out of the window and settle on her dreams. I thought Holly was bold and brash and completely adorable. She’s struggling to make it as an actress and is tired of auditioning for directors who treat her as a faceless void. She goes off a director who has his nose buried in his phone the entire duration of her audition and finds herself asking why she is torturing herself for a chance on a bit part television show or commercial.

All three of these women bring a wonderful energy to the story and I couldn’t decide on which one of them I related to the most. The author illustrates these women and their personalities so vividly that I found myself relating to all of them and could see myself wanting to hang out with them. The story drew me in very quickly and I found it hard to put the book down as I was anxious to know what would happen next.

My Final Verdict: This is a perfect choice for readers of women’s fiction. Love, laughter and tears all wrapped around friendship…and wine. I highly recommend this book to readers of women’s fiction and stories that will make them smile, laugh and cry. I also recommend this book be read with a crisp white or possibly a smooth red.

Thank you to the publisher, St. Martin’s Press, who provided an advance reader copy of this book via NetGalley.

REVIEW: Virgins by Diana Gabaldon

Title: Virgins (Outlander #0.5)
Author: Diana Gabaldon
Narrator: Allan Scott-Douglas
Publisher: Recorded Books
Publication Date: April 2016
Genre: Historical Fiction
Buy the Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: Mourning the death of his father and gravely injured at the hands of the English, Jamie Fraser finds himself running with a band of mercenaries in the French countryside, where he reconnects with his old friend, Ian Murray. Both are nursing wounds, both have good reason to stay out of Scotland, and both are still virgins despite several opportunities to remedy that deplorable situation with ladies of easy virtue.

But Jamie's love life becomes infinitely more complicated - and dangerous - when fate brings the young men into the service of Dr. Hasdi, a Jewish gentleman who hires them to escort two priceless treasures to Paris. One is an old Torah; the other is the doctor's beautiful daughter, Rebekah, destined for an arranged marriage. Both Jamie and Ian are instantly drawn to the bride-to-be - but they might be more cautious if they had any idea who they're truly dealing with.

My Thoughts: I was already a fan of this series but was happy to see this short story that features Jamie and Ian long before Claire arrives on the scene. They are in France serving as soldiers for a mercenary group tasked with delivering a woman to Paris for an arranged marriage. As a fan of this series would expect, where Jamie Fraser is concerned, things usually do not go according to plan and Jamie’s ability to improvise and his talent for quick thinking serve him well in this story too.

This story also highlights the events surrounding the death of Jamie’s father and Jamie’s cruel treatment at the hands of Black Jack Randall, which reminded me all over again how much I loathe that man.

This story contains hard to witness scenes that this author illustrates brilliantly as well as the tongue in cheek humor displayed throughout this series. The narration was expertly performed by Allan Scott-Douglas with the beautiful brogue as well as accurate pronunciations of Gaelic words and phrases that I would absolutely butcher were I to say them.

My Final Verdict: This story is a prequel to the events of the rest of the series and is not required to enjoy the series, but fans of the series will still enjoy the reunion of Jamie and his dear friend, Ian and the adventure they find themselves on.

REVIEW: The Passengers by John Marrs

Title: The Passengers (Dark Future #2)
Author: John Marrs
Narrator: Clare Corbett, Roy McMillan, Tom Bateman, Shaheen Khan, Kristin Atherton, Patience Tomlinson
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Publication Date: August 2019
Genre: Thriller
Buy the Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: You're riding in your self-driving car when suddenly the doors lock, the route changes and you have lost all control. Then, a mysterious voice tells you, "You are going to die."

Just as self-driving cars become the trusted, safer norm, eight people find themselves in this terrifying situation, including a faded TV star, a pregnant young woman, an abused wife fleeing her husband, an illegal immigrant, a husband and wife, and a suicidal man.

From cameras hidden in their cars, their panic is broadcast to millions of people around the world. But the public will show their true colors when they are asked, "Which of these people should we save?...And who should we kill first?"

My Thoughts: Well, thank you John Marrs. Reading this book has clinched it for me. I will not be utilizing driverless vehicles now or in the future. This story was terrifying and riveting and also accurately describes the mindset of society in that we are glued to our electronic devices watching this horrific scene play out, being pulled in and unable to look away.

I honestly don’t know what disturbed me more…that eight vehicles could be hacked and the passengers inside are helpless to save themselves from certain death. Or…the government uses our personal information stored all over the cyber world to decide who is more valuable and worth saving should we find ourselves in a life threatening vehicle accident. Eight people all from different backgrounds, educations and lifestyles all make the decision to get into a driverless car one morning only to find their futures are now in the hands of a faceless voice telling them that they will be likely be dead in two and a half hours. I could only imagine the horror the passengers felt when they realized that they had no control over the vehicle, their phones did not work so they couldn’t call for help and the windows of the vehicles became opaque so people outside the car couldn’t see inside the vehicles.

John Marrs sets up this story brilliantly and expertly weaves a tale that draws in the reader as assuredly as the general public watching these events play out on social media. I couldn’t look away and as horrifying as the events are that play out, I had to know more. Who is behind this? Why are they doing this? Who will survive? The hacker is a master of manipulation and before I knew it, I started forming judgments and opinions on the passengers with the information I was being fed just like the characters in this story. This is fiction, right?

The story stands brilliantly on its own but I added audio narration and it only enhanced my enjoyment of the story. Six narrators expertly performing these characters added more depth and emotion to the story, which is amazing because when something is already fantastic, there isn’t much one can do to make it better. In addition, once the horror of the driverless cars is over, the story doesn’t end there. Finding out who is behind it all and why practically knocked me over with shock and surprise. I certainly hope this author gets plenty of quality sleep at night because he definitely needs it to keep his brain active with such riveting, intriguing and exciting stories.

My Final Verdict: I have to read everything this author writes. You should too. I highly recommend this book to readers who enjoy twisty and suspenseful thrillers. The kinds of stories that you don’t want to put down, the kinds of stories that knock you off your feet in shock and surprise. The kinds of stories that will leave you breathless in anticipation of what is coming up on the next page.

REVIEW: Opposites Attract by Camilla Isley

Title: Opposites Attract (First Comes Love #1)
Author: Camilla Isley
Narrator: Amy McFadden
Publisher: Pink Bloom Press
Publication Date: February 2021
Genre: Chick-Lit / Contemporary Romance / Romantic Comedy
Buy the Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: First law of magnetism: opposite poles attract.

Single mom Vivian has been burned by love once before, and her job as a divorce lawyer has presented enough evidence to convince her there are no good men left in New York City.

The worst offender is her new neighbor: Dr. Lucas Keller, a couple’s therapist whose piercing blue eyes and flawless dark hair are just as annoying as his bad temper.

But when Luke starts poaching Vivian’s clients by saving their marriages, she makes it her mission to force him out of the building to save her practice. But it’s Luke who gives her the perfect opportunity when he proposes an unexpected bet.

With their offices at stake, Vivian and Luke play the field of love in a fierce battle of wits that quickly turns hot and personal, especially when Vivian’s daughter gets involved. Now, taking down Luke has become more than business for Vivian. It’s become a pleasure—and soon, Vivian and Luke will realize how pointless it is to fight the laws of attraction.

My Thoughts: If you are looking for fun, romance and comedy in your reading, you really can’t go wrong with a novel penned by Camilla Isley. She is quickly becoming one of my favorites with stories that are engaging and fun with just enough sizzle to keep things interesting but without requiring the reader to hide the book and resort to black ops in order to read without being discovered. The characters are beyond adorable and are easy to engage with and have empathy for.

This story is such a story. The enemies to lovers trope seems to be a very popular theme for readers but until I read this book, not so much for me. However, I may have to rethink my position as the author brings two characters together who not only despise one another on first meeting, but their animosity is carried out to the point that a this town isn’t big enough for the both of us demeanor quickly comes to the surface. All of this hostility stems from a corner office space that they both want. She’s a divorce attorney and he’s a couple’s therapist, which adds more fuel to the fire as Luke inadvertently poaches a couple away from the divorce side of relationships and into reconciliation. If that isn’t enough of an insult to Vivian, Luke also becomes a therapist to her teenaged daughter, Tegan. This was a war that was a lot of fun to watch, especially when they let their guards down. Initially, I did not like Vivian. Her demeanor was cold and brittle and finding out she’s a divorce attorney explained a lot of her hostility towards men, but learning about her past and seeing her without her professional armor gave me a lot of insight into her true character.

I liked Luke right away and though he could have handled his first meeting with Vivian with much more finesse and charm than he does, he goes out of his way to try to be civil. I adored how he steps up for Vivian’s daughter and ultimately for Vivian without any expectation of praise or recompense. Major swoon worthy hero material here, ladies.

I paired the reading of this book with the audio format narrated by Amy McFadden. I thought her performance was stellar, but I wish a male narrator was present for Luke’s lines. This is the first book in a series and though I’m usually a stickler for reading a series in order, each book in the series can be read as a standalone.

My Final Verdict: This book was absolutely wonderful with the right blend of chemistry and laughter that made it hard to put down. I highly recommend this story to readers of romance, especially the stories that touch the heart while tickling the funny bone.

REVIEW: The Liz Taylor Ring by Brenda Janowitz

Title: The Liz Taylor Ring
Author: Brenda Janowitz
Narrator: Cassandra Campbell
Publisher: Harlequin Trade Publishing | Graydon House
Publication Date: February 2022
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Buy the Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: In 1978, Lizzie Morgan and Ritchie Schneider embark on a whirlwind romance on the bright beaches and glamorous yachts of Long Island. Over the years, their relationship has its share of ups and downs, including a nine-month hiatus that ends with a stunning eleven-carat ring—one that looks just like the diamond Richard Burton gifted Liz Taylor after their own separation. Like the famous couple, despite the drama that would unfold throughout the Schneiders’ marriage, the ring would be there as a symbol of their love…until it wasn't.

Decades later, when the lost ring unexpectedly resurfaces, the Schneiders’ three children gather under one roof for the first time in years, eager to get their hands on this beloved, expensive reminder of their departed parents. But determining the fate of the heirloom is no simple task, unearthing old wounds and heartaches the siblings can't ignore. And when the ring reveals a secret that challenges everything they thought they knew about their parents’ epic love story, they’ll have to decide whether to move forward as a family or let the ring break them once and for all.

My Thoughts: Readers who enjoy relationship driven stories will really enjoy this story about the Schneider family and the eleven carat ring Ritchie gifts Lizzie after they separate and get back together. Many years later, after Ritchie and Lizzie have both passed on, their children, Addie, Nathan and Courtney have come back into possession of the ring. Each of them want the ring for different reasons and they have to learn how to be a family again and put aside many years of estrangement and resentment before a decision about the ring can be made.

I really enjoyed meeting this family and observing their lives starting in the late 1960’s when Lizzie and Ritchie first meet, through their courtship and having children, to the problems in their relationship that cause them to separate, reconciling and then on to the lives of their now grown children and in the center of it all, bringing the story full circle is the ring that throughout the years had been lost, found, lost again and then found.

This author does a fantastic job of creating characters that are so unique and different as individuals but as a family brilliantly illustrates the dysfunction of hard feelings and resentment as well as second chances and forgiveness. I wasn’t sure if I would have any empathy for these people as they appear to be very materialistic in regard to the ring. By the time I finished the story, I felt a lot of compassion for all of them and was happy to see them embracing their family in spite of the struggles they have encountered. I also loved all of the references to Elizabeth Taylor and the similarities the author provides between the award winning actress and this fictional family.

I paired the reading of this story with the audiobook narrated by Cassandra Campbell. Her flawless performance brought these characters to life and gave me a better idea of their thoughts and personalities which helped me to understand their actions.

My Final Verdict: If you enjoy stories that are heavily focused on interpersonal relationships and the varying degrees and dynamics of communication and emotion, I highly recommend reading this story. At the very least, you will enjoy a story about family and relationships. You may even be inspired to watch some of Elizabeth Taylor’s movies.

Thank you to the publisher, Harlequin Trade Publishing | Graydon House, who provided an advance reader copy of this book via NetGalley.

REVIEW: Sins of the Heart by Eve Silver

Title: Sins of the Heart (The Sins #1)
Author: Eve Silver
Publisher: Romance Beckons
Publication Date: March 2017
Genre: Contemporary Romance / Fantasy
Buy the Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: Dagan Krayl, the Underworld's most powerful soul reaper, is the demigod son of the evil god Sutekh. He's on a mission to find his murdered brother's remains and resurrect him, but resurrection means that the secrets carried into death would be released and, with them, a war that could end gods and mankind alike.

Roxy Tam is searching for the same thing, but for completely different reasons. She means to make certain that the remains don’t fall into Sutekh’s hands, and that the soul reapers do not reanimate their fallen comrade. As a Daughter of Aset, Roxy is tasked with the protection of the human race, and if that means thwarting an all-powerful soul reaper and making certain his dead brother stays dead, so be it. But when Roxy sees Dagan face-to-face, she realizes that she has met him once before—a meeting that changed her life forever.

Neither Dagan nor Roxy expects to join forces for the sake of mankind. Or to have their loyalties tested as they struggle against treachery, betrayal and the potent desire that threatens to consume them both.

My Thoughts: This book offers everything readers who love fantasy or mythology look for. The Egyptian mythology in the background was interesting and I loved Dagan and Roxy. These two characters manage to first meet when Roxy is nineteen and is chained up and will likely to be murdered by a serial killer. Dagan is a soul reaper and he shows up to take the soul of the serial killer and saves Roxy. Saving her wasn’t his prime objective and he tells her to go find a life, a normal life that won’t put her in his path in the future. Eleven years later, Roxy is a Daughter of Aset, which makes her an enemy of Dagan.

They now have to join forces as the one behind the murder of his brother is also seeking the child who was meant to be sacrificed, that is if Roxy hadn’t rescued her and now has her hidden away.

This story was quite intense and graphic and there’s a lot of bloodshed. In the midst of the violence, the chemistry between Roxy and Dagan is white-hot. My only problem with this story is the cliffhanger ending and zero closure. If the rest of the series proves to be as intense as this first book, readers will not want to waste any time acquiring the next book. This is my first time reading the work of Eve Silver and I am looking forward to reading more.

My Final Verdict: This pulse-pounding story was riveting filled with non-stop action and spicy chemistry. I highly recommend this book to fans of the fantasy genre and the series should be read in order to understand the background of the characters.

Thank you to the publisher, Romance Beckons, who provided an advance reader copy of this book via NetGalley.