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.