Book Review: "Kiss Slay Replay" by Rachel Harrison

Over the last few years, I’ve become a huge fan of Rachel Harrison’s books, despite the fact that I don’t read much horror. But her upcoming book, Kiss Slay Replay, may be my most favorite yet. Thanks so much to Berkley and NetGalley for the advance copy!

Being a wedding guest can definitely be stressful, even when your best friends are getting married. Willa is dreading her friends’ wedding because she recently ended her own engagement, and her ex will be there, too. She knows that breaking up with Ravi was the right thing, but why is she so conflicted?

Despite her misgivings, she drives up to the wedding. It’s being held at a posh summer camp-turned-wedding venue, and it’s absolutely gorgeous. All of her best friends are there and they quickly fall into old behaviors and routines. And then she finds out that Ravi has brought a date to the wedding.

Before she can completely spiral, she meets Danny, an old friend of the groom’s. They flirt and mess around a bit, and plan for more—but then a masked killer comes out of the woods and starts murdering everyone. Willa and Danny try to rescue people but nearly everyone has been killed—and then the killer comes after them. And just as she gets killed…

…she wakes up in her apartment, having had the craziest nightmare. But it turns out it’s the morning of the wedding again. She’s freaked out but knows she has to try and save her friends this time. No luck, however. She’s fallen into some type of murderous time loop, and each time she relives the wedding, the killing gets more and more brutal. Can she escape and stay alive?

This is definitely bloody and more than a bit disturbing. But apart from the horror, this is a poignant look at how our lives take different paths from our friends, and what do you do when things don’t go the way you planned? I loved this.

The book will publish 9/1.

Book Review: "Phoebe Berman's Gonna Lose It" by Brooke Avelar

I believe the last few years have seen more phenomenal debut novels than ever before. I love reading books from my auto-buy authors, but I get so excited when the book I’m loving is a debut. Add this one to the list—it was great!!

“There were approximately one hundred and fifty boys in my grade at Manhasset Central Middle School. By the time I turned twelve, I had been in love with at least one hundred and twenty-five of them. If I didn’t have a crush, I didn’t see the point of getting out of bed in the morning.”

Phoebe is in love with love. She’s been reading romances since she was young, hiding the smuttier ones under her bed. In seventh grade she was more than ready for her first kiss—but the expectation led to anxiety, which led to, well, a disastrous reaction. Since that moment, getting close to a guy makes her so nervous that she usually cancels dates.

But now, a month from her 30th birthday, Phoebe is still a virgin. She’s determined to change that, so being the overly organized teacher that she is, she puts together a checklist on losing her virginity in 30 days. (And she laminates it.)

As she starts making her plans, she unexpectedly winds up with three potential suitors. There’s Finn, the hot new 4th grade teacher; Matthew, a former high school classmate with whom she competes in Wordle and Words with Friends; and then there’s her roommate, Jonathan, who has been one of her best friends since college. Will one of these men help her achieve her goal?

This was a fun book, with lots of banter between the characters. And while Phoebe’s plight is definitely amusing, I loved the way this book dealt with her anxiety and other mental health issues. As Brooke Averick says in her author’s note, we rarely see this side of a character in a romance, and I’m so glad that we did!

Book Review: "Star Shipped" by Cat Sebastian

Over the last few years, Cat Sebastian has become one of my favorite romance writers. Her last two books, We Could Be So Good and You Should Be So Lucky, both made my year-end best-of lists, so I was really excited to read this, her first contemporary romance.

Simon and Charlie are two of the stars of a long-running sci-fi show. They have terrific onscreen chemistry, which is interesting considering they can’t stand each other in real life. Simon is talented, and has awards to prove it; Charlie came to show fresh from a reality show. Each has the uncanny ability to make the other one mad.

Charlie is definitely a golden retriever; he’s tremendously good-looking, is tremendously social, and is well-liked by cast and crew. But Simon, on the other hand, is a black cat. He comes across as cold and often condescending. Not all of it is intentional, though. Simon has been dealing with anxiety issues for a number of years, not to mention OCD.

Simon has finally made the decision not to renew his contract. He’s very excited, as he plans to go to New York and do some experimental theater. He also can’t wait to be rid of Charlie. However, when the media starts hinting there is tension between the two men, they decide to embody a very public friendship.

They start to realize they enjoy each other’s company more than they thought. When Charlie needs to go out of town for a family emergency, Simon goes with him, and little by little, the walls between them come down. But if Simon goes to New York, what does that mean for this burgeoning relationship?

I loved this book for so many reasons. This is such a beautiful love story between two people who are so skittish about being vulnerable, and who desperately need to be needed. The banter between them is playful and a little sarcastic at times, the steam is quite steamy, and the mental health representation is so fantastic.

Book Review: "You Had Me at Happy Hour" by Timothy Janovsky

My second book in a week featuring a bartender/mixologist…this is the best way to experience cocktails without a hangover!

Julien is a certified sommelier working in a bar/restaurant owned by his aunt and uncle. He dreams of becoming a master sommelier, which will help him write his ticket out of small-town Bethlehem, PA.

In an effort to attract more business to the restaurant, Julien’s aunt and uncle decide to hire Greg, a tremendously handsome mixologist who had gained some notoriety on TikTok. They believe with Greg’s cocktail-making skills and Julien’s expertise about wine, a huge flow of customers should be imminent.

But after Greg and Julien’s initial meeting fizzles awkwardly and their subsequent interactions go awry, business is flowing…away from the restaurant. So the two are tasked with creating new happy hours at the restaurant which can feature fun cocktails and excellent wine. That means they have to overcome whatever issues they have with one another and work together. Or else.

Of course, the awkwardness hides the strong mutual attraction between the two at first, but it’s not long before their feelings for each other intensify. But with Julien’s OCD and Greg’s anxiety and ED issues, the road to casual sex isn’t as smooth as it should be. And as their relationship heads towards love, both panic in their own ways.

I’ve read all of Timothy Janovsky’s books and this may be my favorite. I loved how he balanced the banter and the incredible steam with the serious emotional issues both Julien and Greg were dealing with. It turned what could have been a typical M/M rom-com into something more complex, and I loved it.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Afterglow Books by Harlequin for the advance copy. The book will publish 7/23.

Book Review: "Last Call at the Local" by Sarah Grunder Ruiz

I've never been to Ireland, but it's definitely on my travel bucket list, and I tend to love reading books set there. But that's not the only reason I loved Sarah Grunder Ruiz's newest book, Last Call at the Local. I've definitely been a fan of her first two books, Love, Lists, and Fancy Ships and Luck and Last Resorts, so I had high hopes for this one—and it definitely delivered.

Much to the disappointment of her parents, Raine dropped out of medical school after 2+ years and headed to Europe to work as a traveling musician. The busking life gives Raine a freedom she's never had before, and she truly loves performing (although she doesn't have the courage to perform any of her original music). But at times, her ADHD gets the best of her, and when she spends the day in the Irish city of Cobh, she makes a crucial mistake that leaves her with very little money and unable to perform.

She can't believe that her only option is to call her parents and ask for the money to fly home to Boston. The thought of having to return home and face her parents' disapproval has her on the verge of depression, but she knows she has no choice. She takes refuge in a pub, The Local, where she she figures she'll spend her last few dollars on a pint of Guinness and prepare herself. And then she finds herself flirting with handsome, tattooed Jack, who seems to be a regular at the pub.

Raine can't help but enjoy talking to Jack, even though her mind keeps wandering back to the mess she's in. But when he asks what she thinks of the pub, she is a little too honest. And then she finds out he owns the pub with his brother. But Jack isn't insulted by her comments, he's inspired—and he offers her a job as an entertainment coordinator, so she can help turn her vision for the pub into reality.

Ever since he inherited the pub from his father, Jack has wanted to make it different than the one he grew up in. However, he struggles with OCD, including intrusive thoughts which often paralyze him, so making progress has been difficult. But if Raine can stick around, maybe she can make change happen. And it doesn't hurt that he's really attracted to her.

Can both Jack and Raine keep control of their minds in order to turn The Local into the pub of their dreams? And will their hearts behave? This book is charming, funny, and emotional, and it really captures the struggles of living with ADHD and OCD. If you've read Ruiz's previous books, you'll see some familiar characters, but this could easily be read as a stand-alone.

Book Review: "Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute" by Talia Hibbert

If they’re going to succeed, they’re going to have to make peace with their childhood best-friend-turned-nemesis, and maybe even themselves.

Celine has a plan for success which includes studying law at Cambridge, acing her exams, and getting an offer from a leading law firm. But first, she needs an “A” in philosophy, which should be easy—but she has to share a class with Brad.

Brad and Celine were best friends growing up—their mothers were also best friends. But as Brad became interested in sports and started to become popular, he wanted to have other friends too, although those friends might not appreciate Celine’s quirkiness or disdain for most people. So they parted ways, but not until both said hurtful things.

Of course, fate keeps throwing them together. As much as they resent each other, they also are drawn to one another. And when Celine decides to compete in a grueling outdoor expedition in order to set her on the right path to her future, her aggravation that Brad is there too dissipates when they start teaming up. Can they rekindle their friendship—or perhaps turn it into something more?

I’m a huge fan of Hibbert’s. Her Brown Sisters series was sexy, emotional, and funny, and I love the way she creates neurodiverse characters and characters dealing with other physical and emotional challenges. She did a great job portraying Brad’s OCD and his bisexuality, and captured the craziness of high school well.

Book Review: "Too Good to Be True" by Carola Lovering

Carola Lovering's newest book, Too Good to Be True, is a twisty domestic thriller that keeps you guessing!

Skye Starling has finally found happiness. After suffering through some horrible relationships and dealing with her OCD, she met a handsome older man, Burke Michaels, who loves her for all that she is and isn’t put off by her compulsions.

Despite the fact that they’ve been together less than a year, and despite the concerns and warnings expressed by Skye's best friend and her father, Skye and Burke first move in together and then get engaged. But Burke isn’t who he says he is, as letters to his therapist reveal the secrets Burke is hiding.

Juxtaposed with Skye’s story and Burke’s letters is a narrative from 30 years earlier following Heather, a poor teenager whose life is turned around by a wealthy woman when she begins babysitting for the family. The woman convinces Heather she is worth more than her ne’er-do-well boyfriend and a lack of belief in her future.

The book is full of twists—some surprising and some very evident (at least to me)—so it’s best you go into the book not knowing much. (The plot summary in the book itself gives a little more away than I did.)

Apart from one twist that surprised me, I felt a lot of the plot was fairly predictable. But Lovering knows how to tell a story, so I was completely hooked and needed to know what was going to happen here.

I’m fairly tough on thrillers so I’m kind of cynical about surprise twists. But Too Good to Be True was a compelling thriller, and having enjoyed Lovering’s last book (Tell Me Lies), I’m definitely a fan of her writing.