Book Review: "Annie Knows Everything" by Rachel Wood

Rom-coms are all too often the cure for what ails me emotionally. Even when the main characters are in turmoil, I’m right there supporting them and tearing up when they realize they’re meant to be together.

Rachel Wood’s debut is sweet, fun, steamy, and so enjoyable. Annie is shocked when she gets laid off from her job in the middle of the week. (People usually get let go on Mondays or Fridays.) Luckily, her best friend works in HR, so Annie gets reassigned to the Data Strategy Team.

Annie’s reassignment is a surprise to the interim team lead, Connor, seeing as he never interviewed or signed off on her joining the team. Oh, and there’s also the issue that Annie really has no idea what data strategy is, and can’t write code to save her life. But somehow, she wins Connor over with her take-no-prisoners attitude and quickly becomes a valuable member of the team.

As she’s winning over Connor and her coworkers, she’s also dealing with some family tension. Her sister is engaged to the worst man in the world (or at least Canada) after they broke up once before. Can Annie keep her feelings about her soon-to-be brother-in-law to herself this time?

Amidst lots of adorable banter and some real wins, Annie and Connor fall for each other. Of course, boss/subordinate relationships aren’t the best idea, but just looking at the two of them, you know how they feel about each other. But Annie’s tendency to go for the nuclear option first proves hazardous both to her job and her relationship. Can she salvage either?

I honestly don’t care that rom-coms are predictable. The chemistry and the banter between Connor and Annie was absolutely wonderful, and I enjoyed the other guys on the Data Strategy team, too. This was just one of those books that put a smile on my face.

Book Review: "Don't Eat Your Human Boyfriend" by Lily Mayne

You know I can’t resist books with attention-grabbing titles like this! I was looking for a fun read after a few heavier books, and this sure fit the bill.

“I wanted to eat the new guy. And by ‘eat,’ I of course meant…you know….I also meant I literally wanted to eat the new guy. I contained multitudes.”

Elliot is an ethical ghoul. The thought of having to hunt down and kill humans for food disgusts him, so he’s spent the last 8 years working at Broth with a Bite, an outlet in a mall food court. He works in the “special” kitchen which serves food to people with the same nutritional needs. Those working in the regular kitchen have no idea what Elliot and his coworkers actually cook.

Then one day, a new guy starts working at Broth with a Bite, and Elliot can’t take his eyes off of him. Ricky is sweet and good-looking, with a great body and an infectious smile. And he smells sooo good. Elliot is smitten, and judging by how much Ricky blushes when Elliot is around, the feeling is mutual.

They start becoming good friends despite the fact that Ricky has no idea what the “special” kitchen serves, and probably doesn’t even know what a ghoul is. But when attraction and sex start turning to love, Elliot knows two things: he has to tell Ricky the truth, and he needs to keep his teeth to himself.

I’ve never read a romance with a ghoul in it, particularly a handsome and sensitive one. This was really fun. It was very steamy and sweet, and it was interesting how their stories were vastly different but more similar than they first thought.

Book Review: "Andromeda" by Therese Bohman, translated by Marlaine Delargy

I really don’t read much literary fiction because quite often, it makes me feel dumb and unsophisticated. I love beautiful storytelling and I love being moved by books, but for some reason, much of the literary fiction I’ve read left me wanting more.

Those thoughts were in the back of my mind when reading Andromeda, which was originally published in Swedish. This was definitely a character-driven book, although you don’t learn the main character’s name until halfway through. And even while the book spans a number of years, not much really happened.

A young woman takes her first steps into the world of publishing by becoming an intern at a well-known Swedish publisher. Her supervisor, Gunnar, is a venerated man, and she both admires and fears him.

Through the years, she picks up more and more responsibility and her relationship with Gunnar shifts and changes. Is it mutual respect? Embracing the power dynamic between them?

Maybe it’s because the book was translated from another language, but I found the writing really dry. I wanted something more from the plot, some drama, some powerful moment, but I didn’t get that. I think I’ll stick with the genres I enjoy.

Book Review: "Holmes is Missing" by James Patterson and Brian Sitts

Having devoured the first book in this series, Holmes, Marple & Poe, you can bet I snapped up the second book as soon as it hit stores! This really is a great series and now we’ll see how long it takes for Book 3 to come out.

Brendan Holmes, Margaret Marple, and Auguste Poe are best friends and private investigators who have become the talk of NYC after their success solving a few cases. (It doesn’t make them popular with the police, however.)

The latest case they become involved in deals with the kidnapping of six babies from the nursery of a NYC hospital. The families want to hire the trio to find their babies, but they’re not at full strength, as Holmes has been away dealing with a personal issue. And even though he agrees to help with this case, he makes it very clear he wants out of the business afterward.

As they try and figure out what happened, they discover that the kidnappings are related to other cases, both in the U.S. and the U.K. But what ties all of these incidents together, and what’s the motive behind them? It seems like it’s only a matter of time before more children are kidnapped.

Meanwhile, Holmes encounters an amateur detective who tells of a fascinating set of cases. But it’s not long before he realizes that the cases are real, and there’s more danger afoot, which could land closer to home. And Poe has problems of his own, mainly dealing with Police Detective Helene Grey.

I love these characters and how well they play off one another. Marple, in particular, proves to be a total badass in this book. There’s pulse-pounding action and great banter, and I couldn’t put this down.

Book Review: "Five Gold Rings" by Kristen Bailey

Oh, my heart. Given that We Three Kings is one of my favorite books this year, I decided to go backward and read Five Gold Rings now. (They're both standalones but this one was written first.) Loved this one, too, Kristen Bailey!!

“‘Nah, it’s just I know Christmas people. I thought you’d be more of a low-key Christmas dude. A sensible jumper and mulled wine kind of man.’”

“‘I’m novelty jumper, all the way. I Christmas hard.’”

Christmas is approaching and Eve is excited. She can’t wait to get home from a conference to see her boyfriend Chris and go shopping with him for the last few gifts they need to buy. But when she arrives home, she finds her boyfriend in the shower…with another woman.

Angry and devastated, Eve throws all of the gifts she got for Chris’ family out the window, and then escapes to the jewelry store where she works part-time. The owners call on Eve’s coworker, Joe, to help lift her spirits. Of course, Joe has more than a tiny crush on Eve, so he’s all too happy to help, although he doesn’t want to come across inappropriately.

There’s another crisis at the store: five rings were not delivered to their correct recipients, which means their events could be ruined. So Eve volunteers to distribute the rings and hopefully save the day, and Joe—fresh from his other job as a barely clothed elf—will serve as chauffeur and partner-in-crime. Can they keep Christmas from imploding?

I was hooked on this book from the first few sentences. I honestly loved everything—the characters and their stories, the banter, the holiday spirit, the emotion, all of it. I’m a Bailey fan for sure now!!

Book Review: "We Three Kings" by Kristen Bailey

Oh, my heart. I loved this book so much. This is my first book by Kristen Bailey and it definitely will not be my last!

Maggie is the head of the IT department for a financial services company. She loves her job, but what she loves the most is her three coworkers, Frank, Jasper, and Leo. They make every day fun, even when they have to deal with the idiocy of their colleagues and their IT challenges.

When they learn that Maggie is going to be alone over the Christmas holidays, each of them invites her to join them for a part. And just before she is set to go to Frank’s sister’s wedding, she is told by her company’s HR department that she has to lay one of her coworkers off. How can she make a decision like that and break up her team?

As she spends time with each of them, she learns more about what makes them tick. At the wedding of Frank’s sister, she realizes how his job and his colleagues are a respite from the constant disapproval of his mother and sisters. Spending time with Jasper’s family, she realizes the source of his sarcasm—and his happiness. And Leo—why is she just realizing how handsome and, well, desirable he is?

Maggie wrestles with the decision as sparks grow between her and Leo. But despite her anxiety, she and her friends make some wonderful memories—from being mistaken for a bridesmaid to cavorting with baby foxes and a donkey.

I loved the relationship between all of the coworkers, and the sparks between Maggie and Leo. I also enjoyed some of the supporting characters. It just was such a sweet, fun, romantic book.

Book Review: "Love Language" by Jax Calder

“If someone tells you that they want you, knowing you won’t understand, do they really mean it?”

The idea of concentrating on a heavier book while the election results flow in a manner I wasn’t quite expecting definitely seemed daunting. So I turned to an author whose books have brought me lots of joy lately, Jax Calder.

Ash has been sharing an office with Dominic for 3-1/2 years, even though Dominic is a coding wizard and should have an executive office all to himself. But the two squabble, poke fun at, and make each other laugh, intentionally and unintentionally. Every day comes with some banter, some silly insult.

To nearly all of their colleagues, Dominic is a moody, grumpy genius whose work is necessary to their company’s success. But some people think Ash must have Stockholm Syndrome, because even when they annoy each other, Ash keeps coming back for more. Could what his friends and colleagues think be true? Is he obsessed with Dominic?

But it takes a video of a colleague breakdancing at their company’s midwinter holiday party for Ash to realize how he feels about Dominic. Is it possible that he feels the same way? And if so, will taking the next step jeopardize the good thing they have?

I found this really sweet and fun. My only criticism—even though it is a novella—is that I wanted more, as everything just happened so quickly. But Calder knows how to capture my heart.

Book Review: "The Last Love Note" by Emma Grey

I held onto this book for a while because so many friends talked about how sad this was. I knew I needed to be in a place where a book like this wouldn’t leave me utterly bereft. And while this is certainly an emotional read, it’s full of beauty and hope all the same.

“How long is it reasonable to drag out your recovery from grief until you’re expected to get your act together again? Or maybe that’s where I’m going wrong. You don’t recover from it. There is no ‘healed’ moment. You just absorb it into your new life, somehow, and go from there.”

Cam was Kate’s first and only love. They’ve been together for years, sharing adventures and memories, and are the parents of a young son, Charlie. But shockingly, Cam became ill and died, leaving Kate to raise Charlie, and alone, navigate the future they were supposed to share.

Two years later, Kate is still dealing with her grief, which surfaces in the strangest of ways and situations. She’s working again and doing a stellar job, at least when she can fully pull herself together. She’s only 40; is this the life she has to look forward to?

When her first work trip is diverted by a storm, she’s left spending a few days in an Australian beach town. It’s there she realizes that her life doesn’t have to be defined by her grief, and if a second chance at happiness comes her way, it’s okay to pursue it.

There certainly are a good number of sad moments in this book, but also funny, sweet, and romantic ones, too. I really couldn’t get enough of this beautiful, moving story.

Book Review: "10 Things That Never Happened" by Alexis Hall

Ever read a romance and the weakest part of the story is the romance itself? Asking for a friend.⁣

⁣ Sam is the manager of a bed-and-bath store, Splashes & Snuggles. The store is struggling, thanks in large part to his motley crew of employees, who accidentally damage stock and alienate customers. But Sam is too nice of a guy to get rid of anyone, especially just before Christmas.⁣

⁣ The store’s owner, Jonathan—whom another employee refers to as “His Royal Dickishness”—summons Sam to his office to talk about the store’s performance. Sam figures this trip won’t be a good one, and just hopes he won’t lose his job or be forced to fire some of his employees.⁣

⁣ Shortly after Sam arrives, he sustains a concussion in an accident at the store where he meets Jonathan. Jonathan feels guilty and when he discovers that Sam has amnesia, he brings Sam to his home so he can take care of him until he recovers. And while Sam was just pretending to have amnesia to make Jonathan feel bad, now he needs to continue doing so.⁣

⁣ Of course, the more time the two spend together getting to really know one another, the more their adversarial relationship turns into something warmer…maybe even a little hot. But what will happen when the truth about Sam’s amnesia is revealed? Can love built on a lie actually survive?⁣

⁣ I loved the supporting characters in this book so much. I just felt like the actual romance was a little too quick and it didn’t seem believable to me. Sam and Jonathan never quite had the connection I was hoping for. But that isn’t going to stop me from reading Alexis Hall’s next book!⁣

Many thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for providing a complimentary copy of the book!

Book Review: "The Holiday Hookup" by Baylin Crow

My friend Phil recently featured a few queer holiday novellas and short stories on Bookstagram, and I had to snap a few of them up ASAP. I’m so glad I did!

In The Holiday Hookup, Finn is a workaholic and his coworker, Hunter, may be the laziest guy around, no matter how hot he is. Hunter is always flirting and laying on the sexual innuendo, and Finn is his regular target. As good as it might be to hook up with Hunter, Finn refuses to give in. (Although he sure could use it...)

But when Finn draws Hunter’s name in the office Secret Santa game, Hunter makes it clear what he wants: one night with Finn. Will that be enough for either of them? This is a steamy and cute story.

Book Review: "The Layover" by Lacie Waldon

Enemies-to-lovers? Forced proximity? Tropical locale? Yes, please! You get all of that and more in this debut rom-com from Lacie Waldon, The Layover.

Ava has been a flight attendant for 10 years. But this is her last flight—now that she’s engaged she doesn’t want to be gone all the time.

She’s looking forward to this flight, which includes a layover in Belize—it’s a nice farewell gift and a celebration of her engagement. And then she discovers he's on her flight—Jack Stone, the sexy pilot-turned-flight attendant. Her nemesis. The one person she truly humiliated herself in front of one night.

Of all the people…but Ava is determined to make it work. And when the Belize layover turns into a longer stay at a resort because of mechanical difficulties, she can’t believe she’s trapped with him. Why is it he doesn’t seem to understand why she hates him?

Rom-com fans, you know the drill. As Ava and Jack team up for a little matchmaking on behalf of their colleagues, she starts to realize that maybe he’s not the devil she’s always thought he was. Maybe the hyper-organized, routine life she’s about to embark on with her ego-driven fiancé isn’t the one she really wants after all?

As I’ve said before, part of the charm of rom-coms for me is their predictability. I love that you mostly know how The Layover will go, I love the enemies-to-lovers trope, and because Waldon is an actual flight attendant, it’s full of authentic details.

I’ll admit Ava is a bit annoying at the start with her hatred of Jack, and I felt like her emotional arc was a little rushed, but this was still such a fun, cute, romantic story. (And as if I didn’t already check out all the sexy male flight attendants?)