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.

REVIEW: Runaway Groomsman by Meghan Quinn

Title: Runaway Groomsman
Author: Meghan Quinn
Narrator: Samantha Brentmoor and Alastair Haynesbridge
Publisher: Montlake
Publication Date: October 2022
Genre: Chick-Lit / Contemporary Romance
Buy the Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: From USA Today and Amazon Charts bestselling author Meghan Quinn comes a heartfelt romantic comedy about new beginnings and finding the romanticized happily ever after in the most unlikely of places.

Hollywood screenwriter Sawyer Walsh knows a good love story when he sees it. But when it comes to real life romance, he’s a mess. That’s how he finds himself standing at the altar…as his ex-girlfriend ties the knot with his very famous best friend. The pressure, the resentment, the media coverage―it’s all too much―and before he knows exactly what he’s doing, he’s making a run for it, leaving a shocked congregation and flashing cameras in his wake.

Needing to lie low amid the media fallout, Sawyer lands in the charming town of Canoodle, California, where he crosses paths with Fallon Long, who runs the Canoodle Cove Cabins, a family-owned business and Sawyer’s new short-term residence. Overwhelmed with renovations and her long list of responsibilities, Fallon is struggling to make ends meet while attempting to bring the cabins back to their original glory. So when Sawyer arrives, she is grateful for the income but immediately writes him off as just another vapid Hollywood hack, until he begins to prove her wrong at every turn.

As Fallon comes closer to saving the family business, an undeniable bond forms between her and the handsome screenwriter. But the pressures of her family obligations and Sawyer’s notoriety might prove to be too much for anyone to handle. Could Canoodle be the setting for a new romance―or is true love just a Hollywood cliché?

My Thoughts: This book was absolutely adorable but also sad and sentimental. The story pulled me in immediately and the characters were memorable. I even loved that the town this story is set in is called Canoodle. We first meet Sawyer Walsh at the wedding of his ex-girlfriend. She’s the ex because she cheated on Sawyer with his best friend and somehow he has been encouraged by the movie studio he works for to be a groomsman. It doesn’t go well and his middle finger salute is captured on camera and goes viral.

He ends up in Canoodle where he is recognized by Fallon, a woman he went on a blind date with several months ago. He has no recollection of her or the date but she remembers him and doesn’t think very highly of him based on that date. He decides to stay on while trying to come up with another screenplay pitch for the studio.

I loved these characters. Though Fallon and Sawyer’s first meeting was less than memorable, she doesn’t hold it against him too long and their chemistry is blatantly obvious. Of course, they are going to end up together but the getting there was so much fun to watch. The supporting characters were just as engaging and interesting. My favorite was Fallon’s grandfather, Sully, who suffers from Alzheimer’s. The author did a wonderful job illustrating the frustration and sorrow this awful disease carries and I felt so much empathy for Fallon who gave up her nursing career in Palm Springs to move in with her grandfather and help him run his vacation cabin campground. I also loved Fallon’s Dad’s and her best friend, Jaz.

I paired the reading of this book with the audiobook narrated by Samantha Brentmoor and Alastair Haynesbridge. Their performance was perfect, they brought the personalities of all the characters to life which gave me a sense of knowing them. The more audiobooks I listen to, the more I really like multiple narrators. The story flowed smoothly and I loved having the chapters alternating between the points of view of Fallon and Sawyer.

My Final Verdict: Readers who look for romance novels that bring tears through laughter and deliver warm fuzzies will enjoy this story. I haven’t read many of this author’s books but she is an author to be on the lookout for.

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

REVIEW: The Day I Lost You by Ruth Mancini

Title: The Day I Lost You
Author: Ruth Mancini
Publisher: Random House UK, Cornerstone
Publication Date: December 2025 (US)
Genre: Mystery / Thriller
Buy the Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: ”I need to report a crime. My baby has been stolen.”

All Lauren wants is a new life in Spain. She’s suffered an unimaginable loss, but at last she has found a home in the pretty seaside town of Mantilla de Mar. Everyone deserves a new start, and Lauren needs to put her past firmly behind her.

Hope has an interesting career as a therapist, an attractive husband, a dream home in the countryside - and, finally, the baby she always longed for. Sam. Her beautiful boy.

But Sam has gone missing.

So when the police tell her that a woman has been found in Spain with a child matching Sam’s description, Hope thinks that her nightmare might be coming to an end.

But Lauren is insisting Sam is her baby. She even has his passport and birth certificate to prove it.

So what really happened to Baby Sam? And who still has secrets to hide?

One child. Two mothers. And a past that won’t let them go.

My Thoughts: So, just on the description alone, the reader is led to believe that this story is about a kidnapping but it is so much more than that. Upon first meeting Lauren, the reader understands quickly that she has taken this child and left the country but the why is so convoluted and twisty that it took me until nearly the end of the book before everything came together. Readers who enjoy slow burning plots will rub their hands together in anticipatory glee.

The biggest challenge for me was who I was going to give my empathy to in this story. I felt that Lauren had a lot of emotional and possibly mental illness issues and though I did feel sorry for her and never cast her in the role of villain, I did not condone her actions. The author leads the reader, perhaps purposely, into believing there is a relationship between Lauren and the parents, Hope and Drew. A surrogate agreement gone bad or an affair. I spent a lot of time asking myself just who are the baby’s real parents? I also felt sorry for Hope and Drew. Having their child taken would be a nightmare in living color and the agony these two go through was heartbreaking to see.

The author skillfully throws in some major twists in the story taking the reader into the past to give the reader a better understanding of who these characters are. As the story begins to wind down, the author throws in more twists that shocked me to the core.

After these major revelations, I felt let down with the ending. Even though the author wraps up the story efficiently, the ending was extremely anticlimactic for me. I kept swiping on my Kindle thinking there had to be more. This was my first time reading this author. I have a couple more of her titles waiting to be read that I am looking forward to.

My Final Verdict: Even though I was anticipating an explosive ending, I thoroughly enjoyed this story and was riveted with tension dreading the worst and hoping for the best. Readers of domestic thrillers, mysteries and suspense novels will love the nail-biting anxiety they will likely feel as they read this intense but heartbreaking story of loss and redemption.

Thank you to the publisher, Random House UK, Cornerstone, who provided an advance reader copy of this book via NetGalley.

REVIEW: A Ghostly Gift by Angie Fox

Title: A Ghostly Gift (Southern Ghost Hunter Mysteries #1.5)
Author: Angie Fox
Narrator: Tavia Gilbert
Publisher: Moose Island Books
Publication Date: January 2020
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Buy the Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: Verity Long doesn't want to see ghosts, and she'd rather not let anyone know her little secret, either. But when a restless spirit stirs up trouble in her friend's resale shop, Verity and her very new, very dead gangster friend team up to learn what is really happening.

They discover an age-old secret and must learn the truth behind a mysterious disappearance…before it's too late.

My Thoughts: The next installment of the Southern Ghost Hunter Mysteries is a very short novella with Verity and Frankie investigating some paranormal disturbances at a vintage resale shop. Verity isn’t sure if working with ghosts is something she wants or is cut out for. Her boyfriend, Ellis would likely have a problem with it. So, she doesn’t tell him and even Frankie isn’t that enthusiastic about this assignment either.

During her initial investigation, Verity meets the ghost of a WWII soldier who is looking for the woman he planned to marry when he returned from the war. Unfortunately, he never returned and he cannot find her on either the immortal plane of existence or on Earth. He is desperate for Verity to find her and tell her he always loved her and still does. The ring he gave to her has been sold to the resale shop and he wants Verity to give it back to her.

This story was very short and I paired the reading with the audio which was narrated by Tavia Gilbert. As with the first book in this series, she does an excellent job bringing all the personalities of the various characters to life. This story is packed full of action despite its short length and the only issue I had with this story is that Lucy, Verity’s pet skunk, does not make an appearance.

My Final Verdict: This story got me a little misty eyed and I always love a happily ever after, even for ghosts. I highly recommend this book to fans of cozy mysteries and ghosts

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

REVIEW: Jane in Love by Rachel Givney

Title: Jane in Love
Author: Rachel Givney
Narrator: Billie Fulford Brown
Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication Date: October 2020
Genre: Contemporary Romance / Time Travel Romance
Buy the Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: A charming, romantic debut novel in which Jane Austen, heralded author, ends up time-traveling almost 200 years in the future. There she finds the love she's written about and the destiny she's dreamed of...but is it worth her legacy?

Bath, England, 1803. At 28, Jane Austen prefers walking and reading to balls and assemblies; she dreams of someday publishing her carefully crafted stories. Already on the shelf and in grave danger of becoming a spinster, Jane goes searching for a radical solution—and as a result, seemingly by accident, time-travels. She lands in...

Bath, England, present day. The film set of Northanger Abbey. Sofia Wentworth is a Hollywood actress starring in a new period film, an attempt to reinvent her flagging career and, secretly, an attempt to reinvent her failing marriage. When Sofia meets Jane, she marvels at the young actress who can’t seem to "break character," even off set. And Jane—acquainting herself with the horseless steel carriages and seriously shocking fashion of the twenty-first century— meets Sofia, a woman unlike anyone she’s ever met before. Then she meets Fred, Sofia’s brother, who has the audacity to be handsome, clever, and kind-hearted.

What happens when Jane, against her better judgement, falls in love with Fred? And when Sofia learns the truth about her new friend Jane? And worst of all, if Jane stays with Fred, will she ever achieve her dream, the one she's now seen come true?

My Thoughts: As exciting as the concept of time travel sounds, the consequences of altering the past and thereby changing the future are just too horrific to contemplate. The world would suffer an immense loss if Jane Austen never wrote and was never published. I thoroughly enjoyed this cautionary tale of how this could happen should Jane Austen find herself over two hundred years in the future.

The world knows the biography of Jane Austen, a woman born way before her time in a period where women had no rights, no voice and earning an independent wage was unthinkable for any woman of genteel or moral breeding. In Jane’s day, women not only were expected to marry (and marry well), but anything beyond that and society was scandalized. Unfortunately for Jane, at nearly thirty years of age and no marriage prospects on the horizon, despairs of ever finding a husband and having a family. She fears she will become a spinster and burden to her family. When Jane is given an opportunity to find her one true love, the last thing she expects is to travel over two hundred years into the future.

Unfortunately for Jane, she has traveled into the future before she drafts her novels so the longer she stays in the present, the more risk she faces of erasing her work and, ultimately, her legacy from history.

I loved this story and seeing the world through Jane’s eyes. Her shock at the changes she sees in Bath were realistic and I felt immense empathy for her as she tries to navigate modern London on the tube and escalators attempting to find a way back home. Her rapt fascination with all of the modern conveniences surrounding her was refreshing to behold. I also loved the supporting characters of Sofia Wentworth and her brother, Fred. Their willingness to help a stranger and their acceptance of Jane’s circumstances and her true identity were heartwarming.

This is my first time reading this author, I really loved her voice, and her description of Jane felt accurate. I am now deeply interested in reading more from this author as well as Jane Austen’s books. I paired the reading of this book with the audiobook format. The audio performance by Billie Fulford Brown was exceptional and gave me a lot of insight into Jane’s character and personality as well as the dilemma she faces with the difficult decision she has to make of whether she should stay or return to 1803.

My Final Verdict: In theory, time travel sounds exciting but the reality is dangerous and should only ever be attempted with great caution. I highly recommend this story to fans of time travel, who I believe will thoroughly enjoy this story as well as fans of Jane Austen and readers of historical and contemporary romance.

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

REVIEW: How to Mend a Broken Heart by Anna Mansell

Title: How to Mend a Broken Heart
Author: Anna Mansell
Publisher: Bookouture
Publication Date: March 2017
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Buy the Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: When Rhys is called to the hospital to meet Susan, a woman he barely knows, he is compelled to help her. Still grieving the loss of his brother months earlier, Rhys knows all too well the feeling of loneliness.

There are years between them, but Rhys is the only person Susan will respond to, and when she asks him to bring her most treasured possession, a book of fairytales, he is intrigued.

Hidden in the book is a clue to Susan’s past, and the painful regrets she carries with her. And as Rhys starts to unearth Susan’s secrets, he finds that his own grief begins to heal too...

Together, Susan and Rhys must learn to live again. Can they help each other to find happiness and finally mend their broken hearts?

How to Mend a Broken Heart is a heart-wrenching and absorbing story about second chances, forgiveness, and making every second count.

My Thoughts: This book may trigger some readers as the topics of suicide, depression, adoption and loss are a part of the story. This story made me feel all the feels learning about Rhys and his grief over losing his brother, meeting Susan and the life she lived and the loneliness she has felt throughout her life and Kat, struggling with the loss of her long term relationship and insecurity in her skills as a newly promoted ward nurse at the hospital where Susan is brought after her accident. I felt immense empathy for these characters and how this story would play out.

Rhys’s connection to Susan was confusing in the beginning as it appears she is a former customer of his plumbing business. She has no other family member or friend listed in her address book other than Rhys. His confusion about being called felt realistic and his reaction and sense of wanting to help was heartwarming to see.

Through the majority of this story, Susan is nonverbal and the only person she demonstrates a reaction to is Rhys. I felt a lot of confusion about this character and wondered what happened to her in her life that has made her isolate herself. As the story continues and more was revealed, it broke my heart and I cried numerous times.

I admired Kat, the nurse overseeing Susan’s care at the hospital. I felt an immediate connection to her. She is healing from a breakup of her five year relationship and feels immense uncertainty in her ability to perform at the new expected level that comes with her pending promotion. She also demonstrates an immense compassion for all of her patients. Her concern for Susan exceeds what would normally be considered as just doing her job.

I loved these characters and felt like I was walking alongside them rooting for them and crying at the pain and loss they have been given. This story flowed at a wonderful pace and I love this author’s voice. This was my first experience with this author and I am looking forward to reading more from her.

My Final Verdict: A book that tells a moving story with characters that a reader can connect with and empathize with cannot be recommended highly enough. In addition to readers who enjoy women’s fiction, this story will appeal to fans of general fiction and contemporary romance as well.

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

REVIEW: Brunch and Other Obligations by Suzanne Nugent

Title: Brunch and Other Obligations
Author: Suzanne Nugent
Narrator: Janina Edwards
Publisher: She Writes Press
Publication Date: May 2020
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Buy the Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: The only thing reclusive bookworm Nora, high-powered attorney Christina, and supermom-in-training Leanne ever had in common was their best friend, Molly. When Molly dies, she leaves mysterious gifts and cryptic notes for each of her grieving best friends, along with one final request: that these three mismatched frenemies have brunch together every month for a year.

Filled with heart wrenching scenes and witty prose, Brunch and Other Obligations explores the intricate dynamics of girlhood acquaintances who are forced to reconnect as women. This upbeat novel reminds readers that there’s hope for getting through the hard times in life―with a lot of patience, humor, and a standing brunch date.

My Thoughts: If you go by the description of this book, like I did, you would expect this book to have mandatory tissues at the ready. Though this book gave me a few moments of the feels, I was quite surprised at how witty this story actually was and easy to relate to. We all have that friend in our lives that we consider our best friend even though she may be friends with other women who also consider her their best friend. The tricky part is you know these other friends, but having a mutual best friend does not make you friends with them. In fact, you barely tolerate each other.

The story begins on the heels of the death of Molly, best friend of three other women, Nora, Leanne and Christina. These women have all known each other forever but Molly’s friendship is the only thing they have in common. After Molly’s funeral, they gather at the home of Molly’s parents where they are each given an item that Molly treasured to take and keep. They are also instructed that they are to meet every month for brunch for a year and this is where I really thought the story got interesting. These women have nothing in common so the expected awkwardness and drawn-out silences run rampant and they can only talk about Molly so much before that subject runs its course too.

The chapters are broken up between the three women and their individual points of view where the reader gets the opportunity to know each of them better. Nora is reclusive and avoids contact with others as much as possible. Christina is struggling with her mother’s Alzheimer’s and Leanne is desperate to start a family. Their brunch dates also gave me a lot of understanding into Molly’s personality.

The author does a great job of drawing characters all struggling with the loss of their best friend while being thrust into uncomfortable situations and managing their own lives and struggles. This was my first time reading this author and I will be looking for more of her work. I paired the reading of this book with the audio format and Janina Edwards’s narration was excellently performed. Her performance gave me a lot of insight into the lives of these women which helped me to get to know them better.

My Final Verdict: Overall, I found this book very enjoyable and was probably just as surprised as they were when they started to become friends. I highly recommend this book to readers who enjoy women’s fiction and relationship driven stories.

Thank you to the publisher, She Writes Press, who provided an advance reader copy of this book via NetGalley.

REVIEW: The Grace Kelly Dress by Brenda Janowitz

Title: The Grace Kelly Dress
Author: Brenda Janowitz
Narrator: Cassandra Campbell
Publisher: Harlequin – Graydon House Books
Publication Date: March 2020
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Buy the Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: Two years after Grace Kelly’s royal wedding, her iconic dress is still all the rage in Paris—and one replica, and the secrets it carries, will inspire three generations of women to forge their own paths in life and in love in this beguiling new novel from Brenda Janowitz.

Paris, 1958: Rose, a seamstress at a fashionable atelier, has been entrusted with sewing a Grace Kelly-lookalike gown for a wealthy bride-to-be. But when, against better judgment, she finds herself falling in love with the bride's handsome brother, Rose must make an impossible choice—one that could put all she's worked for at risk: love, security, and of course, the dress.

Sixty years later, tech CEO Rachel, who goes by the childhood nickname "Rocky," has inherited the dress for her upcoming wedding in New York City. But there's just one problem: Rocky doesn't want to wear it. A family heirloom dating back to the 1950s, the dress just isn't her. Rocky knows this admission will break her mother Joan's heart. But what she doesn't know is why Joan insists on the dress—or the heartbreaking secret that changed her mother's life decades before, as she herself prepared to wear it.

As the lives of these three women come together in surprising ways, the revelation of the dress's history collides with long-buried family heartaches. And in the lead-up to Rocky's wedding, they'll have to confront the past before they can embrace the beautiful possibilities of the future.

My Thoughts: This was a beautifully crafted story. A wedding dress inspired by Grace Kelly’s wedding dress is the central character that touches the lives of three women who will wear it. The chapters rotate between Paris in 1958, to Long Island in 1982 and Brooklyn in 2020. Each time period focuses on the seamstress who made the dress in Paris in 1958, the bride in 1982 and her daughter also a bride in 2020. The author does a brilliant job creating characters I immediately felt a connection to and liked. I also really enjoyed that the author adds a bit of mystery as to who the bride in 1958 is as well as who the bride marries in 1982. I do wish, though, that the reader was given more detail about the grooms and what happens to them.

I love this author’s voice and attention to detail that enhances the story instead of confusing the reader. I also loved all three time periods. This story is full of wonderful supporting characters from each time period so picking a favorite character and setting was impossible. This book also got me in the feels many times and I was rooting for all three women to achieve their dreams and goals.

I paired the reading of this book with the audiobook format and loved the narration performance by Cassandra Campbell. Her French accents for Rose and the characters in Paris was flawless and beautiful to hear. The characters and the story came to life so flawlessly, I was easily transported into the story.

My Final Verdict: If you are new to this author’s work, then The Grace Kelly Dress is a great place to start. I’ve been a fan of this author for nearly twenty years and I know I’m in good hands when I pick up one of her books. I highly recommend this book to fans of contemporary romance and women’s fiction.

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

REVIEW: Murder, Magic and What We Wore by Kelly Jones

Title: Murder, Magic and What We Wore
Author: Kelly Jones
Publisher: Random House Children’s
Publication Date: September 2017
Genre: Cozy Mystery / Young Adult
Buy the Book: Amazon | BN

Description: The year is 1818, the city is London, and our heroine, 16-year-old Annis Whitworth, has just learned that her father is dead and all his money is missing. And so, of course, she decides to become a spy.

Annis always suspected that her father was a spy, so following in his footsteps to unmask his killer makes perfect sense. Alas, it does not make sense to England’s current spymasters—not even when Annis reveals that she has the rare magical ability to sew glamours: garments that can disguise the wearer completely.

Well, if the spies are too pigheaded to take on a young woman of quality, then Annis will take them on.

She’ll follow the clues her father left behind and discover what befell him.

She’ll prove she can sew an impenetrable disguise.

She’ll earn a living without stooping to become a—shudder—governess.

It can’t be any harder than navigating the London social season, can it?

My Thoughts: Although this book is marketed for the young adult or teen audience, it never crossed my mind that the protagonist is only sixteen years old. I suppose in Regency England, being sixteen years old is practically an adult but it never occurred to me until I finished this book who its target audience is.

Don’t let that stop you from reading this utterly charming tale of a young woman who finds out that not only her father was murdered but he was also a spy. She also discovers that her father was very close to exposing a plot so heinous and foul that those who are actively working to bring Napolean Bonaparte back from exile have no issue getting rid of anyone who gets in their way, even a young girl. To make matters worse, Annis and her aunt learn they are destitute as her father’s money has also disappeared. To solve their financial dilemma, Annis decides she will become a spy too, only the War Office doesn’t take her seriously even though she has the rare talent of sewing glamours into garments, which can be useful for a spy, as it will disguise them completely.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story and, like Annis, was quite surprised at the turn of events in this story. Keeping up with who could be trusted, whether they be a spy or a typical cad, could turn into a full time job and some much needed lessons in knife wielding and throwing comes at an opportune time. I admired Annis and her aunt, Cassia, for their ability to think quickly on their feet to try to solve their financial crisis while trying to keep their situation on the down low.

The big villain reveal wasn’t as much of a surprise as other events in the story and that is why I hope this author will write more as this story ends with many loose threads and hints of further adventures awaiting Annis, her aunt and their housemaid, Millie.

My Final Verdict: Overall, this story was very enjoyable and I highly recommend it to fans of cozy mysteries, historical settings and madcap adventures.

Thank you to the publisher, Random House Children’s, who provided an advance reader copy of this book via NetGalley.

REVIEW: A Familiar Stranger by A.R. Torre

Title: A Familiar Stranger
Author: A.R. Torre
Narrator: Christina Traister, Chris Ciulla, Patrick Lawlor, Leon Nixon
Publisher: Brilliance Audio
Publication Date: September 2022
Genre: Mystery / Thriller
Buy the Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: Such a quiet and ordinary wife and mother. Who will even notice what she’s done?

Lillian Smith leads an unexceptional life, writing obituaries and killing time with her inattentive husband and disconnected son. Then she meets David, a handsome stranger, in a coffee shop. Lured into an affair, she invents a new persona, one without strings, deadlines, or brooding husbands.

Lillian has never felt so reckless, unpredictable, or wanted. But as her affair with David intensifies, she withdraws from everything that’s real, even her closest friend. When evidence of her life as a secret lover finds its way onto her son’s social media, she risks ruining much more than her marriage or reputation.

As lies beget lies, Lillian’s two worlds spiral dangerously out of control. And betrayals run deeper than she imagines. Because Lillian isn’t the only one leading a double life.

My Thoughts: I have to start this review by saying that I thought this was book was going to be another run of the mill adulterous spouse story and that somebody dies. My least favorite plot device is adultery so I wasn’t holding out a lot of hope that this book would be any different or that it would make me feel anything other than contempt for the cheating cheaters.

A Familiar Stranger is the first book I have read by this author and the story blew all of my preconceived notions out of the water. Yes, there is adultery and both Lillian and her husband, Mike, are equally guilty, but this story goes way beyond a small matter of adultery. This story opens up a whole other avenue of sinister dealings below the surface that the reader is completely unprepared for. Let me just say that lies and secrets can destroy a marriage and lives much worse than adultery can.

The author creates some very unique and interesting characters in this book. I wasn’t able to relate or empathize with most of them, but they were multi-layered and surprised me numerous times. I absolutely did not agree with either Lillian or Mike and thought they were both despicable characters. Lillian is unstable, needy and manipulative. Mike is sinister and untrustworthy. How they managed to stay married for nearly twenty years shocked and surprised me. Lillian’s best friend Sam was an interesting character and he surprised me as well. If I had to pick a character that I had any empathy for it would be Lillian’s teenage son, Jacob. He is the one most traumatized by his parents and their deceit so I felt bad for him. Several additional supporting characters added much more to the story.

I chose the audiobook format for this story and the narration performed by Christina Traister, Chris Ciulla, Patrick Lawlor and Leon Nixon was exceptional. These characters were brought to life for me with the performances and they felt genuine and sincere. The narration was performed so seamlessly, I had a difficult time putting the book down and it was so easy to picture it in my mind as though I were standing in the room watching the events unfold.

Knowing almost immediately that there is a death had me on pins and needles and when it is revealed not only who died, but how and why added to the suspense of this story. Stories like this are why I love to read. It’s not often that an author can draft a story that will shock the reader to the core but will also have the reader’s attention so riveted to the events transpiring in the story, it comes as a little bit of a surprise to the reader when the story ends. This author is such an author and I hope that this is the level of reading entertainment I can expect when I read the rest of her work.

My Final Verdict: Overall, this story was simply amazing and I highly recommend it to readers who enjoy mysteries and thrillers as well as stories that shock and surprise the reader while leaving them wanting more.

REVIEW: No More Bad Dates by Kate O'Keeffe

Title: No More Bad Dates (High Tea #1)
Author: Kate O’Keeffe
Narrator: Tialhi Martin
Publisher: Kate O’Keeffe
Publication Date: September 2019
Genre: Contemporary Romance / Women’s Fiction
Buy the Book: Amazon | Audible

Description: Twenty-five-year-old Sophie McCarthy’s career is virtually nonexistent, her family expects her to “do something important” with her life, and she’s totally sick of dating the wrong guys: the self-absorbed, the arrogant, the borderline criminally insane.

After she’s unceremoniously dumped during the vows at her boss’s wedding, she and her two equally disappointed-in-love best friends agree to help each other find decent guys to date. Together, they form the No More Bad Dates Pact: stop dating the wrong guys and start dating the right ones—weirdos and jerks need not apply.

When Sophie’s roommate Jason Christie—a.k.a. doctor-in-training and serial nurse-dater—joins the pact, he vows to weed out the bad ones for her. But with his rejection of every guy Sophie meets, she begins to wonder if he’s got an ulterior motive. And anyway, why does she always have so much more fun with Jason than with the guys she’s actually trying to date?

While desperately seeking her “happy for now,” could Sophie stumble into her “happily ever after?”

The High Tea series is a spin-off of Kate O'Keeffe's bestselling Cozy Cottage Café series. Escape to New Zealand in this fun, feel-good chick lit series!

My Thoughts: First time reading this author and I found this story to be completely charming with relatable characters. This story is a spin-off of the author’s Cozy Cottage Café series so characters from that series are present but I didn’t feel lost or that I needed to read that series first.

I really liked Sophie and her friends and empathized with her frustration with bad dates. I am probably in the minority here, but I didn’t see how a pact and the vetting process would ensure that Sophie dates only good guys. Even after passing the approval process, Sophie found that the guys weren’t that great, at least not for her. To each his own, I guess, but I have to side with Sophie that living the mermaid lifestyle or being hand-fed like a baby is just too twisted and bizarre.

In the end, Sophie finds herself having feelings for her roommate, Jason, so no vetting or approval really needed to be done, obviously. I can only wonder if either of them had the courage to confess their feelings sooner if it would have worked out as well as it did. Though I was totally rooting for Jason, I was intrigued about the Clark Kent lookalike.

I paired my reading of this book with the audio format narrated by Tialhi Martin. Her performance brought the characters personalities to life without making them sound or feel like cardboard. I enjoyed meeting all of the secondary characters, Sophie’s family and prospective dates and though I liked some more than others, I could see myself enjoying spending time with them. I also shared Sophie’s frustration and irritation with her siblings getting on her case about her career choices.

My Final Verdict: Overall, I really enjoyed this book and would like to read the rest of the series to see how Darcy and Erin do with the no more bad dates pact. I highly recommend this book to readers of contemporary romance, chick-lit and women’s fiction.

Thank you to the author, Kate O’Keeffe who provided an advance reader copy of this book via NetGalley.