Love Songs Suck

I believe this is my first read by Becky Monson, and I'll be adding her to my trusted authors list. 

We have a bit of a love triangle here as our girl, Lou, is engaged. But her groom-to-be is kind of a jerk/wet blanket so really I was rooting for Finn the whole time. The one who treats her right. 

Great slow burn with respect to our engaged girl, and a fake relationship to boot. 

Prep the midnight read munchies. You'll be up late to finish this one. 

AMAZON

“Louella,” he says my name and . . . yep. A tingle just went down my spine. It’s just the way he says it, the way it rolls off his tongue, like his lips are meant to say it.

After growing up in Nashville with two musician parents, I promised myself one thing—I would never, ever fall in love with anyone who had anything to do with the music scene. I will take my stable, albeit boring, accountant boyfriend, thank you very much, and live securely ever after. At least that was the plan. Who knew one ridiculous party where boy band sensation Finn Thatcher showed up would turn my life completely upside down.

How dare he write a song about me. A song that went straight to number one. A song that messes everything up with his band. And who gets the blame for that? That’s right, me. I’m the new Yoko Ono. The only way to fix it is to, well . . . give the world what it wants—a love story. We are talking the whole freaking fairy tale. Nothing says true love like a fake relationship. But what if it’s not so fake? What if I want the happily ever after? Or am I just another love song to Finn?

Love Songs Suck is a slow burn rock star romance, with a dash of fake dating, some forced proximity, and late night song writing sessions.

Insta Kiss

This is my first read by Jen Atkinson, and I'll be back for more. 

Poor Beth. She really gets the wrong end of the stick and then seeks revenge, all the while falling for her new pen pal and boss. 

Great chemistry. Great kisses. Great new book boyfriend. 

Nicely paced and crafted. You'll set aside important repsonsibilities to read it. 

AMAZON

I’ve kissed a few guys. Okay, many, many guys. But on my terms. One kiss, that’s all they get. That’s the rule. And then I set them loose.

Bethany Barns has one goal—to hate Tate Wilhelm. It should be easy, considering he stole her job, and she now has to answer to him as the boss. Her plan to make his life utterly miserable is on track. Except for that little mistletoe incident at their work Christmas party, mission ruin Tate Wilhelm is in full swing. Besides, you can’t blame that kiss on Beth. She was stressed and sad, and there was mistletoe for heaven’s sake!

Tate may be new to Seattle but he isn’t new to the newspaper game. Sure, his last paper was a smaller one, but that doesn’t diminish the fact that he is a killer editor and an ideal boss. His employees love him. He knows them, their lives and circumstances; and they all love him for it. Well, all of his employees with one exception. Beth Barns cannot stand the sight of him. She kisses him—one magnificent kiss, by the way—and then she shows nothing but disdain for him. None of it makes sense.

Tate just needs to prove to Beth that they can be friends. She doesn’t need to be embarrassed about that mistletoe kiss, and he’ll be the best boss she’s ever had. That’s the plan. However, the plan doesn’t involve falling for the woman. But Tate can’t deny his attraction to Beth's witty humor. She's a beautiful, red-headed, ball of fire. Sure, he's going to get burned, but he still wants to try kissing those lips again.

Convincing Beth that they should be friends—let alone more—is proving difficult. But Tate isn’t giving up. She’ll see. It’ll all work out. That is if Beth will stop seething every time she looks his way.

 

The Night Gardener

My book club chose this novel and I'm happy with the selection. I wouldn't have discovered this book otherwise. 

This is a quick read with lots of twists that will keep you guessing until the end. Lots of imagination threaded through reality. Love seeing the story unfold through the character's Irish eyes. Good voice and pacing. 

I would read more by Mr. Auxier after this introduction. Great for middle grade and up.

AMAZON

A New York Times bestseller, The Night Gardener is a Victorian ghost story with shades of Washington Irving and Henry James. More than just a spooky tale, it’s also a moral fable about human greed and the power of storytelling.
The Night Gardener follows two abandoned Irish siblings who travel to work as servants at a creepy, crumbling English manor house. But the house and its family are not quite what they seem. Soon the children are confronted by a mysterious spectre and an ancient curse that threatens their very lives. With Auxier’s exquisite command of language, The Night Gardener is a mesmerizing read and a classic in the making.

I'm Not Charlotte Lucas

Kasey Stockton does a masterful job of tying in all the P&P references to this novel. 

Love the parallels and nuances. The super hunky hero. The flaws they each have and the differences to overcome and the super chemistry between them is off the charts. 

All the feels. Intoxicating kisses. Satisfying ending. 

AMAZON

"Stockton’s fans will delight in this." -Publishers Weekly

Northern California girl Charlotte “Charlie” Lucas has two great loves: Diet Coke and Pride and Prejudice. But her passion for Regency classics is tempered by a very real fear: Charlie is terrified of having to endure the fate of her namesake—spinsterhood. Despite her best attempts to maintain a modern sensibility, she can’t say no when an elderly neighbor asks Charlie to attend a charity ball with her grandson. Blind date or not, Charlie is powerless to resist the allure of a real-life ball. Soon it’s clear that she will struggle to resist the charms of her blind date too.

Liam Connell is every bit the swoon-worthy leading man, straight out of Charlie’s daydreams. But he’s completely unattainable—his last girlfriend was a gorgeous actress and a far cry from Charlie’s world. So after a magical evening with Liam, Charlie is ready to get back to reality, even if her best option right now is a former boyfriend who wants to give it another shot. Unfortunately, despite imagining she’ll never see Liam again, he seems to be everywhere. How is a lady to move past a fantasy when life suddenly seems to be imitating fiction to an alarming degree?

How to Kiss a Movie Star

Jenny Proctor builds a fun romcom that keeps you turning pages. 

I loved how wonderfully clueless our heroine was about the Hollywood star who's property she was tresspassing on. 

Yet, there is immediate chemistry from the meet cute and beyond. 

Lots of cuteness and crazy to ensue as the fake relationship turns real. 

All the good feels. Clean romance. Just kisses. Really good kisses. 

AMAZON

He’s Hollywood’s biggest star. She wouldn’t know him from the pizza delivery guy.

I’m a wildlife biologist in a tiny mountain town, not some kind of law-breaking celebrity stalker. At least not on purpose.

It was an accident when I wandered onto the property of one of Hollywood’s hottest movie stars. Five minutes ago, I'd never even heard of Flint Hawthorne. I definitely didn’t know he lives in Silver Creek.

When I’m detained for trespassing, the last thing I expect is to trade my handcuffs for a designer gown. All I wanted was permission to conduct my research on a remote corner of his estate.

Now I’m walking the red carpet of a Hollywood movie premiere as Flint’s (very fake) girlfriend.

At least, the relationship is supposed to be fake. But the way he slips his arm around me, his breath tickling my ear, the chemistry feels like something real.

The trouble is, I’m not really built to handle his fast-paced celebrity life. Most days, I prefer the company of squirrels to people. I should be glad we’re only pretending.

I’m just not sure my heart got the memo.

Meals that Heal

Yes, I acquired another cookbook. 

But, I'm really excited about this one. 

We have several people in our home that deal with chronic issues that can be affected both positive and negative by diet. 

And I'm all for doing what I can to help everyone feel as good as they can. 

I read the book cover to cover before starting to use the recipes. 

I really like her approach with the 80/20 set up.

It's more life sustainable and practical for everyday living. 

It is less restrictive than other anti-inflammatory cookbooks I've use too. 

And she is all for shortcuts!

I'll be cooking these recipes for years to come. 

AMAZON

100+ delicious, quick, and easy anti-inflammatory recipes to make for the whole family—all ready in 30 minutes or less!

“The real key to eating healthy for all ages—is reducing inflammatory foods and increasing certain nutrients. My challenge became how to make anti-inflammatory meals easy, quick, and most importantly, taste good,” writes Carolyn Williams in her bestselling cookbook, Meals that Heal, the FIRST anti-inflammatory book written by a James Beard Award­–winning registered dietician—and the FIRST multi-purpose book on the market for those who want to make changes before they have a condition.

With more than 100 quick and tasty recipes featuring natural, healthy ingredients that have researched-backed abilities to cool inflammation, balance gut health, and detox the body, Meals that Heal will show you how to prevent future diseases, as well as heal or improve most conditions by making a few simple changes to your diet.

On Deck for Love

Rebecca Talley does a wonderful job of getting romantic at sea. 

There's lots of cuteness happening when two people find unexpected love and fight their feelings as being due to circumstances rather than being real and valid. 

Wonderful hijinks from friends and family and the unexpected revelation that one character's been the nemisis for the other for decades. 

Solid writing. Clean romance. Just kisses. Set sail. 

AMAZON

An ambitious personal trainer, a successful attorney, and the memory of a middle school bully that comes between them on a singles cruise.

Meg Summers was bullied about her weight when she was a kid. Now, as an adult, she’s passionate about fitness and health. Just before the launch of her online business, 4FHealth.com, she reluctantly agrees to accompany her BFF, Shayla, on a singles cruise. Meg plans to dodge all the shipboard losers by staying in her stateroom and putting the finishing touches on her website.

Drew McDermott has one goal on this singles cruise: find a woman for his heartbroken brother, Joey. Drew plans to bide his time during the cruise, then return to his successful—albeit unfulfilling—career as an attorney in Dallas. Shortly after the mandatory safety meeting aboard the ship, Meg meets Drew and sparks fly.

When Shayla and Joey hit it off, Meg finds herself spending time with Drew instead of working on her website. Despite her better judgment, she begins falling for him—hard—until a shocking discovery dredges up painful memories from her childhood and changes everything.

Will this revelation doom Meg’s blossoming relationship with Drew or will she be able to move past it?