Saved by the Rockstar

I'm a long time fan of Ms. Pennington and this read doesn't disappoint. 

Great theme, conflict, pacing, and the burn between Julie and Ryland...you'll need some ice cream for that. ;) 

I saw the twist coming but that didn't take away from it. 

A solid read that will have you wanting to ignore bits of your life to sneak in a few more pages. 

AMAZON

One man won't let her fall.
Another won't let her go.

Julie is a famous author who avoids the limelight. Her only interaction with the outside world is her weekly vlog where she connects with her fans. When she raves about the rock star who has inspired her writing, he actually responds. For the first time, she considers stepping out of the safe world she’s created for herself.

Ryland loves his music and performing, but not the fake women who come along with it. When his little sister shows him the vlog of her favorite author, he’s intrigued by how genuine and warm she is. As he pursues Julie, he’s forced to evaluate the direction of his life.

Ryland wants to meet in person, but as much as Julie wants to, it forces her to face the anxiety that has held her back all these years. With as much courage as she can muster, Julie steps into the world she’s been hiding from. Unfortunately, her anxiety isn’t the only threat to their happily-ever-after. 

Make Believe Husband

Ms. Holt does an excellent job of setting up the conflicts. 

Crushes. Brothers. Fake relationship. 

Great fun to watch these two fall for each other while trying to not let anyone know they've developed real feelings. 

AMAZON
The marriage is fake, but the feelings are real.

In the aftermath of his father's passing, Atlanta Falcons star running back Jax Green finds himself back in his hometown. He's attracting the attention from all the single women in town, but the only one he wants is Stacey Murphy. Stacey was just his best friend's annoying little sister when they were growing up, but now he sees her through new eyes and can't help but be smitten.

Stacey always had big dreams, but if she's honest, her life has been pretty boring lately. When her high school crush returns home, even dreamier than she remembered, her feelings quickly resurface. She thinks she'll never be more than the kid sister to him, but they start spending time together and she hatches a plan to help him get the space he needs: fake marriage. She's surpised when Jax takes her up on it.

Is this a crazy plan... or a perfect one?

Go Set a Watchman

If possible, listen to the audiobook narration with Reese Witherspoon. I did, and she really made the book come alive, especially considering this book was written in a different time and words are used that aren't used in present day. 

Helped me to see a different side of grown up Scout, and how the events of To Kill a Mockingbird shaped her and her family. 

Be aware that there are offensive words in here but keep them in context of the time period. 

Worth a listen/read. 

AMAZON

A landmark novel by Harper Lee, set two decades after her beloved Pulitzer Prize–winning masterpiece, To Kill a Mockingbird.

Twenty-six-year-old Jean Louise Finch—“Scout”—returns home to Maycomb, Alabama from New York City to visit her aging father, Atticus. Set against the backdrop of the civil rights tensions and political turmoil that were transforming the South, Jean Louise’s homecoming turns bittersweet when she learns disturbing truths about her close-knit family, the town, and the people dearest to her. Memories from her childhood flood back, and her values and assumptions are thrown into doubt. Featuring many of the iconic characters from To Kill a Mockingbird, Go Set a Watchman perfectly captures a young woman, and a world, in painful yet necessary transition out of the illusions of the past—a journey that can only be guided by one’s own conscience.

Written in the mid-1950s, Go Set a Watchman imparts a fuller, richer understanding and appreciation of the late Harper Lee. Here is an unforgettable novel of wisdom, humanity, passion, humor, and effortless precision—a profoundly affecting work of art that is both wonderfully evocative of another era and relevant to our own times. It not only confirms the enduring brilliance of To Kill a Mockingbird, but also serves as its essential companion, adding depth, context, and new meaning to an American classic. 

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?