Book Review: "Thank You for Remembering" by Emily Harding

“Destiny is real—we just build it ourselves. And in that way, my grandmother was right after all. The magic isn’t what happens to us. It’s that we keep going anyway.”

When Marnie wakes up in the hospital, she has no idea why she’s there. But even worse, she quickly discovers that she has no memories of the last year of her life. She vaguely remembers moving to Boston with her boyfriend Matt, but that’s it.

It turns out Marnie had a traumatic brain injury, which is causing the memory loss. She’s surprised to learn that not only did she and her boyfriend break up and she has her own apartment, but apparently before her injury she got a horrible haircut. And now she has bangs…

She has no idea where she works (or if she even has a job), she can’t unlock her phone or access her ATM card, and apparently, there’s a mouse in her apartment. Luckily, her very handsome neighbor, Ben, helps her get readjusted. He shows her how to get to various places, and tolerates the emotional rollercoaster she finds herself on.

Marnie has apparently kept receipts and movie tickets from her time in Boston, so she tries to figure out what these keepsakes mean. And while her best friend insists it will all lead her back to Matt, she starts to realize that he might not be her happy ending after all. (Any guesses on who might be? 😉)

This was a really sweet and emotional book, and Emily Harding really did her research on how people can be affected by a brain injury. While the dreaded miscommunication trope popped up a few times, I loved the banter between her and Ben. I also found her journey to find her way to be really meaningful and moving.

Book Review: "Paper Ghosts" by Sarah Addison Allen

“Once upon a time, there was a family of witches. But witches, it turns out, are sometimes only women who have been hurt, and are determined not to be again.”

More and more, I realize how much I love magical realism in my books. Sarah Addison Allen is definitely a standout in creating worlds with just a dash or two of magic, but real issues as well.

In the 1970s, Willamena Wester lives in the North Carolina town her family founded. She’s raised by her grandmother and she’s never wanted for anything—except the freedom to be a little rebellious. But her grandmother, rumored to be a witch, knows everything Wills is thinking. All she wants Wills to do is follow the path she’s set for her.

But when a handsome young musician comes to town, his presence shakes everyone up, especially Wills. She falls for him but plans to keep her promise to her grandmother, until one fateful night changes everything.

Years later, following a tragedy, Wills’ son returns home with his young daughter Bailey in tow. Wills is determined to act completely different toward Bailey than her own grandmother did, but at times it’s hard to outrun the pain and regret of your past. And as Bailey grows, she learns many of the same painful lessons, but she’s determined to end the cycle.

I find Allen’s books so captivating, and the Southern settings are always magical in and of themselves. This is a book about fierce love, sacrifice, sorrow, and the choices we make when our backs are against the wall. At the same time, there was a bit of sweetness here too, which I also loved.

Book Review: "The Tide Between Us" by Cem Say

It’s fun to read the books that get lots of hype and publicity, the ones you see everyone else talking about. At the same time, I love stumbling upon a book I’ve never heard of and being taken by complete surprise.

The Tide Between Us definitely falls in the latter category. I’m not even sure how I found it. But this portrait of love, longing, and being truly seen honestly took my breath away. There were so many sentences, paragraphs even, that I highlighted while reading.

“Because you don’t know what missing someone feels like. You’ve never once let yourself do it. Everyone you ever lost, you skipped the missing and went straight to the wall. You built a whole personality out of not needing anyone, and you did it so well you forgot that need is just, a thing people feel. Ordinary people. Every day.”

Emre left Istanbul for an unnamed coastal town. He vowed that he would no longer wait to be seen, to be loved, and he would stop living his life in the margins of others’. At a cafe, he meets Julian, a charismatic older man. There is an immediate attraction but neither knows what their first move should be—if there should be one at all.

Julian has the ability to make people feel like they are the most important to him. But he can only sustain that for so long before he hurts them. His seven-year marriage to Marco is filled with moments of joy and pain, yet neither wants to ask questions they don’t want answers to. As Julian and Emre turn toward each other, both know the gravity of their choices and the inevitability of the end. But how do you distinguish love from feeling seen?

This was an exceptionally beautiful debut novel. The feelings these characters lay bare, the waves of joy, jealousy, pain, and love they experience were so poignant and yet so real. I cannot wait for Cem Say’s next book. I’m so glad I found this.

Book Review: "Hollywood, Ending" by John Green

As someone who stayed up until 2:00 am to finish The Fault in Our Stars the day it was released, I’ve been waiting for a new love story from John Green for a while. This is Green’s first foray into adult fiction, and it was so much more than I expected.

“I figured that in the night sky of my life, Kai Laramie would be one of those shooting stars that streaks across the sky but then burns up almost before you can even get excited.”

Kai and Juniper meet when both are cast in a new movie called Andy Warhol Never Gets Old. Juniper is a former child star who has exceptional talent but a bit of a reputation for being hard to direct. This is Kai’s first movie, and he cannot believe he’s gotten to this point.

Even though much of the moviegoing public doesn’t know who Andy Warhol is anymore, Kai and Juniper’s performances generate star-making buzz. The sky’s the limit for both of them, and they start falling in love. But then the moviemaking machine starts its manipulations, and threatens to destroy everything—including their burgeoning relationship.

“I do not want to want to be loved by strangers, but I do not want to want most of what I want.”

There are sentences, paragraphs in this book that took my breath away. This is an emotional book, with some possible triggers, but it’s an incredibly timely look at the price of fame and the way everyone feels like they own a piece of you. I really loved this.

Book Review: "The A-Listers" by Berlin Wick

Former child star Jace Wilder is going to be starring in one of the most highly anticipated movies of the year. Iron Horizon, based on the story of the rock band with the same name, is unlike anything Jace has ever done. His manager—as well as his controlling mother—are concerned the film might damage his reputation.

His costar in the movie is British actor Lennox Rome, who parlayed being a social media influencer into an acting career. The two actors have never met, but Lennox beat Jace for a film award despite being new to the industry, and they’ve been pitted against each other ever since.⁣

The film traces the band’s story from their start in high school to the two leads falling in love, which ultimately led to their failure. In order to do their story justice, Jace and Lennox must ensure their chemistry and camaraderie are completely authentic.

From the moment they meet, both men feel an unmistakable pull toward the other. But neither has been in a relationship with a man before, and neither really understands what their feelings for one another means. Yet as the tabloids circle, they have to worry about not only hurting their career, but each other as well.

I really enjoyed the chemistry between Jace and Lennox, and there is a lot of steam. However, Jace’s mother is so crazily manipulative, so it really took me out of the story whenever she popped up. I also dislike miscommunication as a trope, and that reared its head a few times in the book. But in the end, the romance outweighed the obstacles, and left me smiling.

Book Review: "Isn't He Romantic?" by Adib Khorram

I really love Adib Khorram’s books, particularly his Love on the Vine series, focused on three gay childhood friends living in Kansas City. This is the third and final (I’m guessing) book in the series, and I just love these characters! Thanks so much to Forever and NetGalley for the advance copy!!

Talk about a meet-cute! Arya is getting ready to leave a Napa Valley vineyard, where his company has held an event. It’s Ben’s family’s vineyard, and he is trying to avoid his ex-boyfriend when he runs into Arya. He asks Arya if he could kiss him, which turns into a steamy encounter amidst the vines. But in the morning, Arya is gone, without a goodbye.

The last thing Arya is expecting when he’s back home in Kansas City is to run into Ben, who has just moved to be a cellist with the Philharmonic. Not only that, but Ben is on a committee that is planning the Philharmonic’s annual ball, which Arya’s company is producing. They vow to keep things civil and try to be friends.

But when Ben’s ex moves to Kansas City to try and get him back, Ben tells him he’s already moved on—with Arya. The two agree to be fake boyfriends but make some strict rules—no sex and no falling in love. (Eye roll.)

The thing is, Arya doesn’t do relationships. He’s always been happy being his slutty self. With his 40th birthday approaching and his two best friends in serious relationships, he starts to wonder if he needs to change his perspective. But given the dysfunction of his parents’ marriage, how will he know what love is?

I love fake dating stories, and Arya and Ben are just adorable (and hot) together. I so enjoy the way Khorram infuses the characters’ Iranian heritage in these books. I feel like Arya, Ramin, and Farzan have become my friends, and I hope we’ll see them again. Definitely give this series a try—it’s funny, emotional, sweet, and quite steamy.

Book Review: "See You Next Tuesday" by Kate Stayman-London

I loved this book for several reasons, but one of them is that it reminded me of what it was like to be excited by a political candidate and be hopeful for the future. Lord knows we could use a lot of that in the U.S. right now!!

Nothing gets Anya more energized than working on a political campaign. She loves helping candidates she believes in, candidates she thinks would make a difference. When she meets Gabe, she is awestruck by his handsomeness, but his ego and what she sees as his lack of principles irritate her to no end.

They keep running into each other, either working in different roles on a campaign, or being brought together by mutual friends. There’s no doubt that they’re attracted to one another, but they can’t be around each other for long before they’re arguing again. They try to at least be friends, but one always makes the other one mad fairly quickly.

The book follows them through more than a decade of working on campaigns—local, state, and national. When they work together for a charismatic woman running for the U.S. Senate, they become friends, and both want more, but they’re too afraid to admit their feelings. Yet the two stand by each other through difficult personal times, and then they finally fall in love.

But when Anya and Gabe both get jobs working for Democratic presidential candidates, suddenly they’re rivals. Anya feels strongly that her candidate is the right one for the country. While Gabe might not feel the exact same way, he knows his candidate is more electable. Can they be opponents at the same time as being lovers?

I really enjoyed the way the book not only portrayed the frenzy, the highs, and the lows of political campaigns, but also how challenging it can be to hold onto yourself. I loved how the book explored grief and moving on, and while Anya could get a little self-righteous at times, I thought she and Gabe had great chemistry.

Book Review: "Ship Happens" by Mason Deaver

Breakups are never easy. Owen and Jacob’s relationship ended when Jacob got an offer to move to the UK and work on a research team. Owen, who isn’t great with traveling, couldn’t fathom moving to another country, no matter how much he loved Jacob. So he let him go.

A year has passed, and Owen is still hurt and angry. It would be easier to hate Jacob, but he misses him too much. Yet when Jacob returns to San Francisco for the holidays, his presence is almost too much to bear for Owen, although he’s left with a huge jumble of emotions.

Then their best friends surprise the group with a 7-day, all-expenses-paid Alaskan cruise as an opportunity to bond. Owen’s first thought is to pass—can he really stand being in such close proximity to Jacob for a week without going crazy? But he knows this is important to his friends, so he agrees to go.

They both try to be nice to each other, and there are times when the memories of what they used to be confront them. They agree that neither is good at being an ex, and Jacob proposes that they try to be friends. Isn’t that better than not having each other in their lives?

Owen feels a bit lost, that all of his friends are moving on with their lives while he is stagnating. On top of that, he’s never stopped loving Jacob, but knows that when the cruise is over, they’ll go back to their regular lives. Then what?

I really enjoyed Owen and Jacob’s relationship. You could tell how much they cared for one another, and particularly, how protective Jacob was of Owen. But I could understand the struggles they had deciding what to do with their feelings. I’ve been a fan of Mason Deaver’s since their debut, and I love how easily they can shift from YA to adult romance.

Book Review: "Philippa Flynn's Year of Panic and Piracy" by Jacqueline Firkins

Philippa Flynn is a history professor. She doesn’t love her job, especially the college bureaucracy and the treatment she gets as the only woman in the department. But she’s content to keep plodding away—until she nearly gets swallowed up by a sinkhole on the way to work one morning.

She sees the sinkhole as a sign that things in her life have to change, because you never know how much time you have left. So she quits her job, breaks her apartment lease, dumps the guy she’s been sleeping with, and plans to move into the dilapidated house on the water in Maine, which she inherited from her grandmother.

Her grandmother was a prolific writer of swashbuckling pirate romances. When she got sick, she started working with Dylan, another writer, to help her as her strength started to wane. Dylan has been living in the house for the last several years, although he and Philippa haven’t met in person. Imagine her surprise when she discovers that Dylan has been the cover model for her grandmother’s books!

Philippa hopes to pull her life together and come up with a plan. When she and Dylan find her grandmother’s plans for her next five books, they decide to tackle them together. But of course, they’ll have to separate fictional romance from the one happening to them in real life…

I enjoyed this book a lot. It’s definitely a bit of a slow-burn romance, but I was fine with that. My main issue was how absolutely horrible her parents—particularly her mother—were to Philippa. It hit a little too hard and I just wanted her to stand up for herself. But I enjoyed the chemistry between her and Dylan.

Book Review: "Well Versed" by Jen DeLuca

OMG!! I’m so happy that Jen DeLuca has taken us back to the Willow Creek Renaissance Faire with another book in her Well Met series! Reading this book really brought me so much joy. Thanks so much to Berkley Romance and NetGalley for the advance copy!

When she was a teenager, the Willow Creek Renaissance Faire was Caitlin’s favorite place to be. She loved working there each summer, singing and portraying the queen’s lady in waiting. But when she turned 18, she had her heart broken for the first time, and she no longer enjoyed any of the magic.

Now, six years later, she had to move back to Maryland after getting laid off from her job. She’s being pressed into service as the queen’s lady in waiting once again, as her aunt Emily is filling in for the queen this season. She just has to survive four weekends of wearing the same costume she did when she was in high school.

Returning to the Faire brings back lots of memories and helps her rekindle some friendships. But the last thing she’s expecting is to see Alex, one of the sword-wielding performers, who broke her teenage heart six years ago. His old act is gone, but he now performs Shakespeare on demand, and he’s even hotter than he was back then.

Caitlin is absolutely not going to let Alex derail her summer. But of course, they’re thrown together at every instance, so they start to become friends. Caitlin insists she will not fall for Alex again—but that’s easier said than done. But with them both going their separate ways after the summer, there’s no chance of them having a future, right? What if that’s exactly what they both want?

It was so great to return to these characters and see how they’ve been living their lives since the last book in the series was published. As always, DeLuca imbues her books with so much heart and humor, and I wish I could be there at the Faire. I hope we’ll get to return again!

The book publishes 9/22.

Book Review: "Bridget and Gabe Are Not Okay" by Lex Croucher

It’s time to return to Camelot for the sequel to Gwen & Art Are Not In Love. Thanks so much to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the advance copy!

All is not happy in Camelot. With the death of the king, his son Gabriel has (reluctantly) assumed the throne, and he’s so ill-at-ease that it’s starting to cause a crisis in the kingdom. And since he became king, Gabriel has ended his relationship with Arthur, despite how much he loves him.

Meanwhile, Gabe’s sister Gwendoline is also having a romantic crisis. Bridget, the only female knight in the kingdom, left several months ago and hasn’t responded to any of Gwen’s letters. Bridget, who has always been unshakable when a challenge arises, suddenly can’t win a joust.

In a move to engender goodwill among his subjects, King Gabriel convenes a new round table. He and his knights will travel throughout the kingdom, investigating the rumored sightings of the questing beast and the green knight, and determining whether the holy grail has been found. Of course, Gabe’s anxiety increases at every appearance he makes, and he’s rapidly coming unglued.

Can Gabe become the king he was born to be? Can Bridget recapture her jousting skills? And can love return to Gabe and Arthur, and Gwen and Bridget?

I really love these characters so it was great to have a sequel. This book is a lot more serious and less playful than its predecessor, dealing with grief and anxiety and recovery. But the found family and the romance at the book’s core warmed my heart and made me smile.

Book Review: "Meet Me in Paris" by Kristin Harmel

C’est magnifique!! I had a feeling when I picked up this book that it would leave me all kinds of emotional, but wow! This was sappy and beautiful and moving and just excellent.

“It’s in our nature as human beings to search for logical explanations for everything, but sometimes, all we need to do is find space in the quiet to listen to what our hearts are telling us.”

Julia has returned to Paris after nearly 30 years, bringing her daughter, Piper. Julia is dying, and wants this trip to be full of memories her daughter can cherish. Piper meets a handsome waiter and Julia surprises herself by falling for an American man, but how can she tell him she’s dying?

Jackson, a singer, had the biggest song of the 1990s. He’s in Paris to kick off a tour he hopes will revive his career, but he’s not counting on love, too. Ninety-nine-year-old Henry wrote Jackson’s big hit, inspired by his love for a French woman during WWII. He thought she died during the war, but he was wrong—so he’s returned to Paris to see if, despite her dementia, she remembers him at all.

Lou and George became friends as soldiers in Vietnam, and are in Paris for a tour for veterans. But there are secrets both have kept from one another. Shelby is on a trip with her two best friends, supposedly celebrating her divorce. However, celebrating is the last thing she wants to do, and when she meets Russ, a bar owner, she finally starts to see the woman she knows she is.

These stories, as well as a few others, unwind over several days. Kristin Harmel said she was inspired by Love Actually, so that was more than enough incentive for me! I was fully engaged in all of the stories, and just wish Lou and George’s story got as much page time. But this was such an amazing book.

Book Review: "Lost and Found" by Tarah DeWitt

Oh, Tarah DeWitt. Once again, I’m left in a puddle of tears after reading your latest book, feeling utterly overwhelmed by the love and joy and strength and recovery the characters carried. I know Spunes, Oregon is a fictional town, but I sure do wish I could go there!

“‘As someone who’s lost my fair share of people…the grief is never going to be gone, anyway. It’s like…’ He flips on his blinker before he makes a turn. ‘Like weight training. The weight itself never gets lighter. You just get more accustomed to lifting it.’”

Bea has been laid bare by the death of Merritt, her best friend since childhood. She is knocked further for a loop when she learns that Merritt had her eggs frozen before she began treatment for cancer, and has left the eggs to Bea in her will. While Bea has always wanted to be a mother, this isn’t how she imagined it, but how could she not try and fulfill one of Merritt’s dying wishes?

Determined to do all she can to have Merritt’s baby, she turns to her longtime friend, Silas. The two of them have nursed more than a crush on each other for years, but circumstances have never aligned. Silas, a firefighter, is still feeling vulnerable after a near-fatal accident, and he’s grappling with his own grief. But he’s all too willing to help Bea prepare for IVF.

Despite the strong chemistry between them, Silas and Bea vow to keep things on a friend level. But the lines get blurred more than a few times, and it’s not long before both have fallen completely for each other. However, both are so frightened of hurting the other—and getting hurt themselves—that they have to find a way to let their hearts be unguarded.

This is DeWitt’s third book in her Spunes series and it was so fantastic. It’s joyful and sad and funny and immensely steamy and utterly beautiful. The characters she creates are so vivid, you wish their stories wouldn’t end when the books do.

Book Review: "Bobby Merritt Meets His Match" by Lisa Henry and Sarah Honey

When I picked up the first book in Lisa Henry and Sarah Honey’s Goose Run series, I had no idea how much this small town and this group of friends would capture my heart. I’ve just read the 5th—and it seems the final—book in the series and I wish it was a real town I could visit!

This book features Bobby, who is the self-proclaimed mayor of Goose Run and the owner of at least half the businesses in town (so far). But while he’s been a featured character in the other four books, they never hinted that Bobby had a love that got away.

When Bobby was in college and law school, he was a scholarship student, treated condescendingly by many of his fellow students. But he had a secret relationship with Granger, one of his close friends, even though Granger was always quick to ensure Bobby knew this was just a youthful fling. And when Bobby dared express his true feelings, that was the last he saw Granger. Until 20+ years later, when Granger returns to Goose Run in the middle of the town’s Pride festival.

This book not only includes Bobby and Granger’s story, but it also features four short stories, each one focused on a different character we’ve gotten to know. This was a fitting farewell and it provided a bit more depth into each of the characters.

“And maybe our lives weren’t big or loud. Maybe they were just small, ordinary lives. But there was something magical in the smallness of them, in all the spaces where we could just sit and breathe, and feel the sun on our skin, and be together. Not much happened in a town like Goose Run, but on the other hand, miracles did.”

If you like sweet, steamy, and funny M/M romances set in a quirky small town, I’d encourage you to pick up one of the books in this series. You’ll be glad you stopped by, and you’ll probably want to stay, too!

Book Review: "Main Characters" by Bobby Palmer

This will definitely be one of my favorite books of the year. It’s so unlike anything I’ve read in many ways, yet it took complete hold of my heart.

Clara and Seb meet one day in a park while she is on her lunch break from work. She sees Seb sitting with his dog and the image captures her, so she draws them. She gives him the picture and then figures she’ll never see him again.

They see each other a few times. It’s clear they’re drawn to each other. Yet just when they start to get close, Clara disappears. But they’re brought together again about a year later, when Seb auditions for a movie she’s working on.

As Seb’s acting career waxes and wanes, Clara’s filmmaking career starts to take off. The two have the kind of love that their friends, even strangers envy. Until it disintegrates under the weight of so many things said and unsaid.

What sets this book apart from a typical romance is that it’s told not from Seb or Clara’s point of view, but from that of casual observers. From a barista who observes their first awkward encounter to passengers who eavesdrop on their conversations on buses and other public transportation, from people who work with Clara on her films to a real estate agent showing them apartments, each has a vantage point at a specific time and place.

This is a fantastic love story, but it’s also the story of friendship, family, grief, fear, want, and ambition. The push-and-pull of their relationship through the years did make me want to smack them both, but I absolutely loved this book.

Book Review: "The Romance Revival" by Christina Lauren

It’s always interesting when an author that’s well-known in a particular genre decides to try something new. That’s kind of the case with Christina Lauren’s new book, which mashes up romance with a bit of sci-fi and mystery. ⁣

⁣ Emery and Luca have been inseparable since he swept her off her feet at a wedding in Las Vegas. They married just a few months later, and they’re about to celebrate their third anniversary. ⁣

⁣ The thing is, Emery, who is a scientist, is a complete workaholic. She’s busy day and night, misses dates and dinners, and often feels miles away from Luca. And her work is top-secret, so she can’t even tell Luca the truth about what she’s doing. Being secretive is taking its toll, but she knows it’s just for a little while longer.

⁣ And then the unthinkable happens: Luca is killed in an accident as Emery looks on, helpless. She cannot lose him. So she injects him with a drug she’s been working on, in order to bring him back to life. It’s a complete risk and a violation of so many laws and ethics, but it works.⁣⁣

⁣⁣ Luca wakes up and is healing nicely. The one drawback is he has no memory of Emery or their life together. But this time, she’s determined not to waste a second. She hopes Luca will fall in love with her again—and she can turn over a new leaf in the process.⁣⁣

⁣⁣ The romance aspect of the book is top-notch. Luca and Emery have intense chemistry and the second chance they’re given is so lovely. But when the book shifts into mystery mode, I felt like it lost its appeal. The action sequences seemed formulaic and implausible, and I just wanted to read their love story. ⁣⁣

Book Review: "25 Days in Athens" by Jack Strange

Will and Ollie broke up more than three years ago, after Will rejected Ollie’s second marriage proposal. But even though they clearly wanted different things, Will still pines for Ollie and believes they are soulmates, despite the fact that Ollie has moved on.

Ollie’s announcement on social media that he and his boyfriend Alec have gotten engaged throws Will into a spiral. And then Will gets invited to their wedding in Athens. Why would Ollie invite him?

Even though he’s not sure it’s the right idea, Will decides to attend the wedding. But he plans to arrive in Athens earlier than others, so perhaps he can tell Ollie how he feels and maybe they can be reunited. No one thinks this is a good idea.

When he arrives in Athens, Will runs into Sam, his childhood best friend, who moved away years ago. They were once totally inseparable, and Will is pleasantly surprised to see that Sam grew up to be absolutely gorgeous. Reconnecting feels amazing, and there’s definitely some serious chemistry between them. But Will is in Greece to get Ollie back.

Sam agrees to be Will’s plus-one at the wedding, and they pretend to be a couple. But the closer the two of them get, the more Will considers telling Ollie how he still feels. Will he throw away a chance at happiness for a glimpse of what might have been?

The book was a mashup of some of my favorite romance tropes: friends to lovers, fake dating, and second chance. I loved the pairing of Will and Sam, and thought that the supporting characters were a lot of fun. And don’t get me started on the setting of the book!

Book Review: "Yes, Chef" by Grace Reilly

A grumpy/sunshine romance with a handsome, brooding, tattooed chef with abandonment issues? Plus lots of delicious-sounding food and ultra-steamy steam, too? I’m in!

Poppy’s family owns a major restaurant company, but her own job as a brand influencer is criticized for not being serious enough. She tries hard to please her family and make them respect her, but every effort seems to turn disastrous or, worse, publicly humiliating.

One night, at one of her family’s most renowned restaurants, she has a very public meltdown when her boyfriend breaks up with and denigrates her. At the same time, one of the restaurant’s chefs, Jack Hartman, causes an angry scene before quitting. Both Poppy and Jack commiserate in a bar and lick their wounds. They both need to run away.

Jack heads back to Diamond Bay, Florida, where he grew up. His recently deceased mentor left Jack his restaurant, where he worked as a teenager. He figures he can resurrect the restaurant, show off his prowess running his own place, and hopefully parlay that into a new job back in New York City. With nowhere else to go, Poppy follows Jack, hoping he can use her influencer skills to build a brand and buzz for this new restaurant.

Of course, despite their attraction to one another, they get along like oil and water until both realize they’re working toward the same goal. Plus, Jack has unresolved issues with his mentor’s memory as well as fearing failure, while Poppy just wants to prove herself to her parents once and for all.

Give me a book that takes place in a restaurant and you know I’ll be happy. The chemistry and banter between Poppy and Jack is top-notch, as are all of the supporting characters. I loved that the book dwelled on emotional issues and featured two love interests with ADHD. Such a great book!

Book Review: "The MASH Up" by Laura Marie Meyers

This was all kinds of adorable. Definitely put a smile on my face!

Ruby lives her life according to plans and rules. She doesn’t deviate from the path she’s set for herself, and luckily, her boyfriend is the exact same way. But her carefully choreographed plans go awry at her 35th birthday party, when her boyfriend tells her he’s moving to New York for a job opportunity. It’s the biggest risk he’s ever taken—and she can’t take it with him.

When she wakes up the next morning, she discovers that she’s living inside a game of M.A.S.H. that she played in 7th grade. She wears brightly colored clothes, drives a tie-dye jeep, and owns a roller-disco diner. It’s all exactly as she dreamed back then, before her life became regimented. The only part of her dream that hasn’t manifested itself is her “other half,” which is supposed to be Penn, her twin brother’s best friend.

In this version of her life (as in real life), Penn knows how to get on her every nerve. It’s been that way since they were kids. But has he always been this sexy? Or this annoying?

Having to live such a spontaneous life is very unsettling for Ruby. But she figures that the only way she’ll get back to the “real world” is to make Penn fall in love with her. What if, once that happens, she doesn’t want to leave? What if she realizes she likes this side of her—and Penn?

This was a really fun debut novel. Penn is definitely a crushworthy book boyfriend, and the banter between him and Ruby was top notch. I loved that this had a bit more emotional depth than a typical rom-com, and I think I want a tie-dye jeep!

Book Review: "Almost Life" by Kiran Millwood Hargrave

I will admit that this book started slowly for me, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to keep reading. But I persevered a little longer and was richly rewarded by this beautiful, emotional love story.

Erica and Laure met in 1978, on the steps of the Sacré-Coeur in Paris. Laure is French, a graduate student at the Sorbonne. She’s very cerebral and lives her life the way she wants, no matter what. Erica is enjoying the summer before returning to England to start university.

Both women feel a spark the moment they met. While Laure has had relationships with women before, the awakening of this desire surprises Erica. They fall quickly, knowing they only have the summer. Yet once they part, the longing, the emotions, the hurt all continue.

“It is the condition of the heartbroken to believe no one has felt as they have, ever in the history of the world.”

The book spans more than 30 years. It sees Laure and Erica together and apart, trying to wring everything from each encounter. It traces the strength of their love despite other lovers, marriages, and changes both personal and political. In addition to being a love story, this is a reflection on the changing culture and politics toward equality.

This book was a very emotional one for me. I was surprised at just how much it took hold of my heart. I love books that take place in Paris, as I could see the city in my mind’s eye. Don’t be put off by the slow start, as the story is so worth it.