Fiction | Stacy Alesi's BookBitch.com™

THIS BIRD HAS FLOWN by Susanna Hoffs

April 28, 2023

From the publisher:

A delightfully funny and steamy debut novel about music, fate, redemption, and love from beloved songwriter and Bangles co-founder Susanna Hoffs that is “part British romcom, part Jane Eyre, and one hundred percent enjoyable” (Tom Perrotta).

“A total knockout . . . The smart, ferocious rock-star redemption romance you didn’t know you needed.” —New York Times Book Review

Jane Start is thirty-three, broke, and recently single. Ten years prior, she had a hit song—written by world-famous superstar Jonesy—but Jane hasn’t had a breakout since. Now she’s living out of four garbage bags at her parents’ house, reduced to performing to Karaoke tracks in Las Vegas. Rock bottom.

But when her longtime manager Pippa sends Jane to London to regroup, she’s seated next to an intriguing stranger on the flight—the other Tom Hardy, an elegantly handsome Oxford professor of literature. Jane is instantly smitten by Tom, and soon, truly inspired. But it’s not Jane’s past alone that haunts her second chance at stardom, and at love. Is Tom all that he seems? And can Jane emerge from the shadow of Jonesy’s earlier hit, and into the light of her own?

In turns deeply sexy, riotously funny, and utterly joyful, This Bird Has Flown explores love, passion, and the ghosts of our past, and offers a glimpse inside the music business that could only come from beloved songwriter Susanna Hoffs.

“Clever and entertaining . . . with an insider’s feel for the mixed blessings of pop fame.” —Los Angeles Times

“A sweet and tender romance—and a valentine to music.” —NPR

“In this sexy, page-turning treat, Susanna Hoffs writes as engagingly as she sings.” —Helen Fielding
https://amzn.to/3Vkehc7

The old adage, “write what you know” proves out here in this debut novel from Susanna Hoffs. If the name is familiar, that’s because she co-founded The Bangles, with monster hits like Manic Monday and Walk Like an Egyptian. (And they did a guest spot on the Gilmore Girls!) I always find it interesting that creative people in one field are also creative in others, like Tony Bennett and his painting, and now Susanna Hoffs and her debut novel.

The main character is Jane Start, who had a one hit wonder a decade earlier of a cover she did of a little known song from a huge star, Jonesy. She is on her way to England to meet with her best friend/manager, Pippa. But first she has to get through this flight – Jane is not a fan of flying. When her seatmate, Tom, realizes the issue, he is there for her, holding her hand. The more they talk, the more Jane finds herself totally into this Brit, and he seems pretty into her as well. Tom is a professor at Oxford and doesn’t really have a clue who she is, which Jane likes.

Jane doesn’t hear from him for a couple of weeks, but when she does, things start moving very fast – she moves in with him a couple of weeks later. Then Pippa tells Jane that Jonesy wants her to sing on the opening night of his new tour, Jane is almost paralyzed with fear. It’s been too long since she performed in a venue like that. And when Jonesy keeps putting off the rehearsal and there’s no sound check, she really is freaking out.

Meanwhile, Jane is getting to know some of his colleagues at Oxford, and finds out about his former girlfriend, who apparently was perfect. But she doesn’t want to discuss her past relationships, so things get a bit muddled and jealously rears its ugly head. Jane ends things with Tom, but he doesn’t give up that easily. Eventually they find their happy ending, just when I was ready to give up on them!

This was a fascinating look at the inside of the music industry, and a terrific romance as well. Highly recommend – don’t miss it!

5/2023 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

THIS BIRD HAS FLOWN by Susanna Hoffs. Little, Brown and Company (April 4, 2023). ISBN:‎ 978-0316409315. 368p.

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THE BACHELOR CONTRACT by Victoria James

April 28, 2023

From the publisher:

New mom May Peterson can’t believe she’s back in her hometown. She has eight weeks to fix up, and sell, her childhood home. Just enough to say hello to her best friend and goodbye to her painful past. But in the warm, tightly-knit community of Maple Hill, it’s impossible to avoid anyone—especially the cute “boy next door.” And while May is definitely over the idea of love, his irresistible smile still makes her toes curl…

When they were kids, Austin Merrick only ever saw May as his sister’s best friend. Over time, they’d become friends, sharing late-night chats over cheddar popcorn. Now May Peterson has returned with an adorable baby that quickly wraps him around her little finger. But after seeing the damage a broken heart can do, Austin and his brother made an agreement: to never, ever fall in love. No marriage. No kids. Ever.

Now they’re working together to fix up her old home, and sparks of attraction are making it almost impossible to keep to their no-romance rules. But when it comes to love, hearts never play by the rules…especially when it comes to finding “the one.”
https://amzn.to/3nbyNz4

This author was new to me and I really enjoyed this book. I must admit I was surprised to find out it was only 260 pages – the author did a really good job of character development and plotting, especially for such a short book. It was a sweet and sexy second-chance romance, and I really enjoyed it.

May never wanted to come back to the small town of Maple Hill. She was bullied in high school, and humiliated herself by admitting she had feelings for her best friend’s older brother, Austin. But she’s inherited a house that needs some fixing up to get it ready to sell. She decides to give it six weeks. Austin’s family’s construction company is happy to take on the reno for her. But that puts her in constant contact with Austin.

May had given up on love and adopted a baby. She was an adopted child herself, but her parents were not great, to say the least. She is determined to give her baby all the love she never got. But the more time she spends in Maple Hill with Austin and his family, the harder it will be to leave.

You can pretty much guess how the happy ending goes, and it was a very enjoyable read getting there. If you want a fast, fun read with all the feels, pick up a copy of this terrific book.

THE BACHELOR CONTRACT by Victoria James. Entangled: Amara (April 17, 2023). ISBN:‎ 979-8391410676. 260p.

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Spotlight Review: HAPPY PLACE by Emily Henry

April 25, 2023

From the publisher:

A couple who broke up months ago pretend to still be together for their annual weeklong vacation with their best friends in this glittering and wise new novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Emily Henry.

Harriet and Wyn have been the perfect couple since they met in college—they go together like salt and pepper, honey and tea, lobster and rolls. Except, now—for reasons they’re still not discussing—they don’t.

They broke up five months ago. And still haven’t told their best friends.

Which is how they find themselves sharing a bedroom at the Maine cottage that has been their friend group’s yearly getaway for the last decade. Their annual respite from the world, where for one vibrant, blissful week they leave behind their daily lives; have copious amounts of cheese, wine, and seafood; and soak up the salty coastal air with the people who understand them most.

Only this year, Harriet and Wyn are lying through their teeth while trying not to notice how desperately they still want each other. Because the cottage is for sale and this is the last week they’ll all have together in this place. They can’t stand to break their friends’ hearts, and so they’ll play their parts. Harriet will be the driven surgical resident who never starts a fight, and Wyn will be the laid-back charmer who never lets the cracks show. It’s a flawless plan (if you look at it from a great distance and through a pair of sunscreen-smeared sunglasses). After years of being in love, how hard can it be to fake it for one week…in front of those who know you best?

Named a Most Anticipated Book of 2023 by BuzzFeed ∙ Paste Magazine ∙ Elle ∙ Southern Living ∙ SheReads ∙ Culturess ∙ Medium ∙ Her Campus ∙ Readers Digest ∙ Zibby Mag and more!

“Once again, Henry dazzles and delights by brilliantly deploying her considerable skills in comic timing and crafting characters with relatable, realistically messy lives. Effortlessly toggling between the present-day fauxmance playing out between her protagonists and the origins of their love a decade earlier, Happy Place is a romance that delivers on both style and substance.” —Booklist (starred review)

“A wistfully nostalgic look at endings, beginnings, and loving the people who will always have your back.”—Kirkus Reviews

“This sexy and profoundly romantic novel will satisfy fans of best-selling Henry’s thrilling trademark mix of witty banter and intensely emotional storylines.”—Library Journal (starred review)

“Exes must pretend they’re still together in this delightful Summery rom-com from bestseller Henry…This has the makings of a rom-com classic.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
https://amzn.to/40WPFIl

I’ve read Henry’s last few books, and all were excellent, but I think may be her best yet. It’s certainly her most emotional read to date.

Harriet and Wyn have been together for years, and got engaged several months prior to the start of the book. They have a group of friends they are close to; in fact, that’s how they met – Harriet’s best friend and Wyn’s best friends were roommates, and along with two other couples, they have been meeting at this beach house in Maine every summer for years. But the house is being sold, so their two best friends plan a last week-long party, culminating with their wedding.

What Harriet and Wyn haven’t told their friends is that several months earlier, they broke up. Harriet was devastated; she only got a four-minute phone call and a box of her stuff delivered a few days later. She ends up blocking him on her phone just so she can stop checking it every few minutes to see if he has changed his mind.

They met in college and moved to San Francisco when Harriet scored an internship in neurosurgery there. Wyn barely got through college and is working in a bookstore. Then Wyn’s dad dies suddenly, and Wyn is devasted and depressed for months. When his mom falls ill with Parkinson’s disease, Wyn moves home to Montana to care for her. Harriet & Wyn figure they’ll do long distance for a year or so until his sister finishes college and can come home to help out their mom. But not everything goes according to plan, and he dumps her. When the invitation to the last week at the house in Maine comes, their friends refuse to take no for an answer. They both agree to go and, as always, share a room – but this time, instead of the room with two single beds, they get the room with one big bed. Harriet is far from over him, but she doesn’t realize that Wyn isn’t over her, either. This week they are forced to spend together with their best friends will prove to be challenging in a myriad of ways.

I loved the relationship between all six of these friends and how they formed their own family, especially as several of them come from unhappy homes. We learn their backstories and see how they coupled up. There is some humor throughout the book but more drama and angst, and I was so caught up in their lives that I could not put this book down. This is an engrossing romance with enough ups and downs and emotional entanglements to make me incredibly anxious until the requisite happy ending – I couldn’t figure out how they would work it out until they showed me. Another excellent read from a terrific author!

4/2023 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

HAPPY PLACE by Emily Henry.‎ Berkley (April 25, 2023). ISBN:‎ 978-0593441275. 400 p.

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THE MATCHMAKER by Catherine Walsh

April 21, 2023

From the publisher:

Katie Collins has barely ever left her tiny Irish village of Ennisbawn. Why would she? With its tightknit community, friendly local pub, surrounded by glistening lakes and perfectly mysterious forests, it’s a place of peaceful beauty.

Or it was peaceful. Until Callum Dempsey turned up. Part of a hot-shot (and, Katie has to admit, hot is annoyingly apt for him…) development team with zero eye for beauty or charm, he’s not only building a hideous hotel just outside the village, he’s also just announced a plan to knock down Ennisbawn’s only remaining pub. To make way for a view from the golf course.

It’s the final blow to the village and the last straw for Katie, who refuses to let her home-from-home disappear. The pub is her life – her job, but also her last connection to her parents, who had met at Ennisbawn’s once-famous matchmaking festival that was held in the grounds.

But, after being laughed off the building site in her best flannel pyjamas for demanding the builders leave, Katie decides enough is enough and hatches a plan. She’s going to revive the matchmaking festival, save the pub, and single-handedly bring the town back to life again.

She might even help her two best friends find love as well. Since, heck, what’s another project when you’re taking on the world’s hottest, evilest man?

But what Ireland’s newest matchmaker doesn’t know is that even when someone’s really not your type on paper, love might be a little bit more than just a formula…

A gorgeously escapist and utterly hilarious small town romcom perfect for fans of Emily Henry, Sophie Kinsella and Christina Lauren.
https://amzn.to/3ZO9UXh

I’ve read a couple of Walsh’s books, and she is now firmly in the “must read” category. I loved the setting of this new book, a small village in Ireland. Katie is a bartender in the only pub in town, but that is about to change.

Someone has bought up all the land surrounding this village, and they are trying to buy the rest of it. The plan is a huge hotel and resort, and the story opens with construction underway, which means lots of loud trucks rumbling past Katie’s house way too early in the morning to suit her. Her late night job means she is not getting much sleep, and she finally cracks. She goes marching down to the construction site in her pajamas (!) to tell off the boss. Callum is the site supervisor, but he reports to Jack. She tells them both off and much to her surprise, the next day no trucks wake her up.

Turns out it was Callum who redirected the trucks to another entrance. The big boss, Jack is more interested in creating pretty brochures and making propaganda videos. Callum keeps showing up where Katie is, and eventually she softens towards him. Then she gets some really bad news from her boss at the pub; there is some weird kind of covenant on the property, and that means the pub is now being sold to the developer. Katie is incensed and decides to take matters into her own hands.

This small town used to be known for their matchmaking festival each year, but it has dwindled to pretty much nonexistent. The only thing remaining is the wishing well behind the pub. Katie starts corralling her friends and neighbors into helping create a big festival, in hopes of drumming up support to keep the pub from being torn down.

Callum and Katie form a friendship, but he wants more. She feels like she is too busy to get more involved, but the more he helps her, the warmer her feelings grow towards him. Eventually, Callum and Katie realize that this is a relationship worth keeping.

This is an enemies-to-lovers, slow burn kind of romance with a bit of steam and a lot of laughs. I really enjoyed this romcom, and if you like these kinds of small town romances, please pick up a copy! It’s a good read, entertaining, and the characters really drew me in. This was a one night read for me, and thoroughly enjoyed it.

4/2023 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

PS: Listen to a sample here:

THE MATCHMAKER by Catherine Walsh. Bookouture (April 18, 2023). ISBN:‎ 978-1803149165. 346p.

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Spotlight Review: LOYALTY by Lisa Scottoline

April 18, 2023

From the publisher:

#1 bestselling author Lisa Scottoline presents Loyalty, an emotional, action-packed epic of love and justice, set during the rise of the Mafia in Sicily.

Loyalty can save a soul—or destroy one.

    Franco Fiorvanti is a handsome lemon grower toiling on the estate of a baron. He dreams of owning his own grove, but the rigid class system of Sicily thwarts his ambition. Determined to secure a better future, Franco will do anything to prove his loyalty to the baron. But when the baron asks him to kidnap a little boy named Dante, Franco makes a decision that will change his life—and even the history of Sicily—forever.

    Gaetano Catalano is an idealistic young lawyer whose devotion to justice is tantamount to a calling. He’s a member of the Beati Paoli, a real-life secret society of aristocrats who investigate crime in Palermo, a city riddled with graft. Gaetano sets out to find the boy and punish the kidnapper, but his mission leads him to a darker place than he had ever imagined.

    Meanwhile, Mafalda Pancari is a new mother rejoicing at the birth of her daughter, Lucia, when disaster strikes. And Alfredo D’Antonio is a reclusive goatherd under constant threat of being discovered as a Jew. How the lives of these unforgettable characters collide makes Loyalty an epic tale of good versus evil, as the story twists and turns to its monumental showdown.

    Readers will be transported to the dramatic and ruggedly beautiful island of Sicily, the jewel of the Mediterranean, where lush lemon groves and mouth-watering cuisine contrast with a turbulent history of colonization and corruption. Scottoline brings her decades of thriller writing to historical fiction, creating in Loyalty a singular novel that no reader will be able to put down.

“Scottoline brings nineteenth-century Sicily alive in this historical thriller…Every scene is a full sensory experience, as Scottoline weaves lemon-scented breezes, the ocean’s sounds, and sun-baked piazza stones into a timeless, tragedy-strewn story of love, power, and redemption. History fans will appreciate the novel’s well-researched foundation, especially concerning the origins of the Sicilian Mafia and early mental-health institutions.” —Booklist (starred)

“Scottoline brings her characters to life, instilling them with wit and intellect as they navigate the corruption of Sicily’s law enforcement. Historical crime fiction fans will be riveted.” —Publishers Weekly
https://amzn.to/3KfQULR

I love Lisa Scottoline – she is an incredible writer and a truly special human being. Many years ago, I was assigned her book Killer Smile for review at Library Journal. I loved that book and gave it a starred review. I was working for the Palm Beach County Library System at the time when one of my co-workers came running up to me to say I had a phone call, and it was Lisa Scottoline. Everyone was jumping up and down with excitement! We’d never had a New York Times bestselling author call our library, and everyone followed me to the back so I could take the call. Lisa called to thank me for my review, which had never happened before (or since!) I had never met her, but I did several years later at a library convention. And she remembered me! It was just the most surreal experience. I’ve met her several times since then, and she did a standing-room-only book talk for my library. A truly remarkable human being I am proud to call a friend.

With that out of the way, yes I can still do an unbiased review of her books, mostly because as I pointed out when I started this review, she is an incredible writer. She takes complicated stories like this one and makes them not only engrossing reading, but seriously unputdownable. I dreamt about these characters during the two nights I spent reading this book.

The publisher provided a good synopsis, and I don’t want to muddy the waters except to say that these characters propel the story and will be staying with me for a long time. Sicily is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been, and Scottoline brings that beauty to the page in addition to all the drama – but it’s the drama that is at the heart of this story. Book groups will find a lot to discuss here as well.

I hope you’ll read it and love it as much as I did.

4/2023 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

LOYALTY by Lisa Scottoline.‎ G.P. Putnam’s Sons (March 28, 2023). ISBN:‎ 978-0525539803. 432 p.

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MY HEART WILL FIND YOU by Jude Deveraux

April 14, 2023

From the publisher:

Their love refused to stay quiet, echoing across time…

When the world is brought to a standstill in the early days of a global pandemic, Etta Wilmont finds herself suddenly stranded in Kansas City. Desperate to secure a roof over her head, Etta crosses paths with Henry Logan, a lonely older man in need of a caretaker. His invitation for Etta to stay with him seems to be the solution to both their problems—and maybe the spontaneous adventure Etta’s life has been missing.

As Etta and Henry settle into a companionable living arrangement, Etta indulges in Henry’s library. The compelling historical accounts of life in the Midwest soon inspire vivid dreams of Kansas City in the 1870s, dreams in which she’s a mail-order bride, married to a handsome but guarded rancher named Maxwell Lawton.

Haunted by the story unfolding in her mind, Etta realizes her dreams of the past and the familiar faces featured within are starting to have an impact on the present, altering her current reality. Perhaps these dreams are Etta’s chance to finally claim something for herself after so much time spent caring for others. More than anything, Etta wonders if the captivating man she’s falling for while she sleeps might be real, might be out there—true love waiting to be found and which would change both their lives forever.
https://amzn.to/3KDjhVt

Time travel is the closest to sci-fi that I get anymore and this was interesting. It begins in March, 2020 when the whole world pretty much shut down due to Covid. Henrietta, AKA Etta, has a layover in Kansas City on her way to visit her sister. Then all flights are canceled, there are no more cars to rent, and no rooms at the airport hotel. Another passenger offers her a ride, and she thinks it will be easier to find a hotel away from the airport, so she accepts. But everything is booked, and when her ride unceremoniously dumps her on the streets of a Kansas City suburb, she starts walking, hoping to find a hotel nearby. Instead, she meets Henry.

Every house on the street is shuttered and quiet, but Henry is outside, ready to have some cookies and lemonade. He invites Etta to join him, and she does. Henry is an older gentleman with some health issues, and his children have hired someone to stay with him and take care of him, but due to the pandemic, she never shows up. He offers Etta the job, and out of options, she takes it.

The house is beautiful, but Henry stays in the pool house behind the main house as he can’t walk up and down the stairs. That leaves Etta alone in the house, so she feels safe. As they get to know one another, Etta learns that Henry is a historian and has a tremendous library, which Etta is enjoying. As they talk about their families and the history of the area, that leads Etta to dream about it – or is it a dream?

Etta finds herself getting married to Max in 1871 Kansas. He’s super good-looking, so she goes along with it until he says something about her being old and plain, and she mouths off to him. He gets angry and starts driving their wagon like a lunatic, causing her to get bruises all over her body. When they finally get to his home, she meets his sister, who has a deformed foot, and Max takes care of her. Turns out he is the second largest landowner in the area and was supposed to marry Cornelia, as her father wants his land. But they fight like cats and dogs, and he can’t abide the thought of marrying her, so a mail-order bride it is for him. He just didn’t expect anyone like Etta.

When Etta wakes up from her dream, she finds her body aching and bruised, and figures she must have been sleepwalking into walls or something. She tells Henry about her dream, he is completely fascinated and decides to write a novel based on it. But then another dream comes, this one much longer and more involved. When she awakens, Henry wants every detail, and Etta realizes that she is changing history with her actions in the dream. She and Max have made up and are now truly man and wife, and she is deeply in love and doesn’t want to leave him. But dreams don’t give us the option of staying in them…or do they?

As Etta moves back and forth between her two worlds, she meets the same people in both places. There are a lot of characters but as the story progresses, the characters become more recognizable in both worlds. I don’t want to give the ending away, so I’ll just say that there is a happy ending and it was a bit of a surprise. I would have liked a bit more at the end as it seemed sort of abrupt. The historical parts were fascinating, and the time during the pandemic felt familiar. All in all this was an enjoyable, engrossing read.

4/2023 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

MY HEART WILL FIND YOU by Jude Deveraux. MIRA; Original edition (April 11, 2023). ISBN:‎ 978-0778333487. 352p.

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ONE NIGHT IN FOXBROOKE by Evie Alexander

April 14, 2023

A short and steamy second-chance romcom that’s out of this world!

From the author:

They’ve got one night for a second chance at love…

When chef Ben ‘Kenobi’ Walker gets the call to help save a VIP dinner at Foxbrooke Manor, he doesn’t expect to run into old flame Leia Perry. She’s all grown up and even more attractive than when they were teenagers – but she hasn’t forgotten what happened ten years ago, and she definitely hasn’t forgiven him.

Hard-working Leia may be named after a princess but she’s still waiting for her prince. Ben was her brother’s best friend, her first kiss and her first love. But he was also a liar — their kiss was nothing but a bet.

Now forced to work together under pressure, sparks fly. Will one night give Ben the second chance he needs to prove himself and win back Leia’s heart? Or will fate strike back and their love be lost in a galaxy far far away?

One Night in Foxbrooke is a short and sizzling second-chance romantic comedy with no cheating, no cliffhanger and a guaranteed happy-ever-after that’s out of this world!
https://amzn.to/40UNkO0

I’m so happy that Alexander is starting another series, and this looks like it’s going to be a good one! This is an ebook only introduction to the series, a very short novella at 56 pages, but let me tell you, this author has the chops to pull it off. My regular readers know that I am not a fan of the novella, mostly because there generally just isn’t enough time for me to care about the characters and what happens to them. That is not the case here. At this point, I’ll read anything Alexander writes, from her full-length novels to novellas to her grocery list!

If you have any fondness at all for Star Wars, you will appreciate that the main character’s name is Leia. Her brother’s best friend, Ben Walker, calls her Princess, while his nickname is Kenobi. But that’s as much sci-fi as is in this story – this is a straight up, second chance, sexy romcom with British humor (humour?) that I love – and I can’t wait to see what happens next!

If you are looking for a super fast, fun, sexy read, this is your book! I loved it.

4/2023 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

ONE NIGHT IN FOXBROOKE by Evie Alexander. Emlin Press (April 14, 2023). ASIN:‎ B0BXJTW7D1. 56p.

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Spotlight Review: ROMANTIC COMEDY by Curtis Sittenfeld

April 11, 2023

From the publisher:

Sally Milz is a sketch writer for The Night Owls, a late-night live comedy show that airs every Saturday. With a couple of heartbreaks under her belt, she’s long abandoned the search for love, settling instead for the occasional hook-up, career success, and a close relationship with her stepfather to round out a satisfying life.

But when Sally’s friend and fellow writer Danny Horst begins dating Annabel, a glamorous actress who guest-hosted the show, he joins the not-so-exclusive group of talented but average-looking and even dorky men at the show—and in society at large—who’ve gotten romantically involved with incredibly beautiful and accomplished women. Sally channels her annoyance into a sketch called the Danny Horst Rule, poking fun at this phenomenon while underscoring how unlikely it is that the reverse would ever happen for a woman.

Enter Noah Brewster, a pop music sensation with a reputation for dating models, who signed on as both host and musical guest for this week’s show. Dazzled by his charms, Sally hits it off with Noah instantly, and as they collaborate on one sketch after another, she begins to wonder if there might actually be sparks flying. But this isn’t a romantic comedy—it’s real life. And in real life, someone like him would never date someone like her . . . right?

With her keen observations and trademark ability to bring complex women to life on the page, Curtis Sittenfeld explores the neurosis-inducing and heart-fluttering wonder of love, while slyly dissecting the social rituals of romance and gender relations in the modern age.

REESE’S BOOK CLUB PICK • A comedy writer thinks she’s sworn off love, until a dreamy pop star flips the script on all her assumptions—a “smart, sophisticated, and fun” (Oprah Daily) novel from the New York Times bestselling author of Eligible, Rodham, and Prep.

“Delightful . . . The woman narrating Romantic Comedy is hyper-aware of the conventions of romantic comedy, and she knows full well that real life is no fairy tale. But could it be this time?”—The Washington Post

“A love letter to the prototypical rom-com . . . Sittenfeld’s work exists in the dissection and comprehension of female desire: what we want, what we absolutely don’t and, maybe paramount, what we’re even allowed to have. . . . A fizzy ride.”—The New York Times Book Review

“Sittenfeld’s meta-romance is an utterly perfect version of itself, a self-aware and pandemic-informed love story that’s no less romantic for being either. . . . Fans will flock to this pure-fun, feminist romp.”—Booklist (starred review)
https://amzn.to/438jSFV

If you’ve never read Sittenfeld, it’s high time you started, and this is as good a place as any to begin. She writes smart, literary but always engaging stories that are interesting, worthwhile, and discussion worthy. So let’s discuss this book.

If you aren’t familiar with the publishing industry, let me just say that there is a thick dividing line, more like a solid brick wall, between literary fiction and genre fiction (romance, mystery, sci-fi, etc.) For instance, most of the romances that I read that are published by Penguin Random House are published under the Berkley imprint. This book is not; it’s under the Random House imprint, an unusual place to find romance. But because this is Sittenfeld, it’s entirely appropriate – despite the title. But enough about that. On to the book!

Sally Milz is a writer for a Saturday Night Live (SNL) clone called The Night Owls (TNO). If you follow pop culture at all then you are probably aware of the Colin Jost – Scarlett Johansson marriage and the short-lived romance of Pete Davidson & Ariana Grande. All those romances between, let’s say schlubby, not especially good-looking but funny men and beautiful, extremely talented, powerful women are at the heart of this story.

Noah Brewster is a ripped, extremely good-looking man who has been a pop music sensation for over twenty years. He is invited to both guest host the show as well as perform as the musical guest. He arrives on Monday to start working with the writers and cast, and surprisingly, he has his own idea for a sketch – and it’s good. He is told to ask Sally to help him with it, and they spend a very agreeable afternoon working together.

Sally has an idea for a sketch she calls the Danny Horst Rule. Danny is another writer on the show, and he anchors the “news” desk segment. He is not especially good-looking but is funny and smart. He is involved with a Scarlett Johansson-type actress, and theirs is an on-again, off-again romance that plays out in the tabloids. Sally’s idea is that while the male writers/actors on the show can hook up with beautiful, uber-successful women, it doesn’t work the opposite way. No average-looking female writer is going to date a gorgeous, successful celebrity. She suggests the sketch to Noah, but he isn’t comfortable with it.

The week they spend together on the show makes Sally feel like they have a connection, but she is leery of it (see the Danny Horst Rule.) At the after-party after the show, they spend some time together talking in a bar, but then Sally becomes her own worst enemy and says something about Noah’s reputation for dating supermodels, and he is truly offended. After she pisses off Noah, they don’t speak again for a couple of years.

Now we are in the pandemic, and everyone is home and bored and not knowing what is going to happen next. Sally gets an email from Noah, and the next thing you know, they are emailing back and forth several times a day for almost two weeks. They graduate to phone calls, and then Noah invites Sally to visit him at his California estate. She goes, but with a lot of trepidation. Is he feeling the same way she is? She scrutinizes every line he’s written, while she doesn’t know that he is doing exactly the same thing.

The book is written in three chapters; the first is the week of the show, the second is the email relationship, and the third is the in-person visit. There is a lot of behind-the-scenes type info in the first chapter, and since I have been watching SNL every Saturday night since its inception, I found it all fascinating. The diva hosts are not invited back, while the hosts that are fun and collegial make regular appearances (the 5 timers club). There were some interesting tidbits about Nigel (the Lorne Michaels of the book) and all that goes on in producing a live show week after week. I cannot say for certain that this is based on research or if she totally made it all up, but it felt real to me.

I love a good epistolary novel, so the email chapter really worked for me. It’s a tiny bit voyeuristic and very revealing of the characters’ motivations and personalities. We can easily see how Sally is always getting in her own way, and at times it was frustrating – I wanted to sit her down and say just stop it!

The visit during the pandemic felt like the shortest chapter in the book, and we definitely get the happy ending that is expected in a romantic comedy. That Sittenfeld chose to title her book this way felt like she was creating a significant crack in the divide between literary and genre fiction, and as someone who reads it all, that alone is a triumph. Put this on your must-read list and bring it to your book club; they will thank you for it. I do believe this is the first book I’ve read this year that I can say with certainty will be on my best books of 2023 list – I loved it.

PS: If you want more Sittenfeld recommendations, my favorites are Prep, Eligible, and American Wife.

4/2023 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

ROMANTIC COMEDY by Curtis Sittenfeld.‎ Random House (April 4, 2023). ISBN:‎ 978-0399590948. 320 p.

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THE DO-OVER by Suzanne Park

April 7, 2023

From the publisher:

From the author of the “genuinely funny” and “delightful” Loathe at First Sight (NPR) and “cinematic, charming” So We Meet Again (Emily Henry), a fun rom-com about a young Korean-American woman having to return to college after discovering she’s a few credits shy of completing her degree—only to find one of her TAs is her old college boyfriend.

Bestselling author Lily Lee is on a short deadline to deliver her new career guide How to Land the Perfect Job, and she’s been interviewing at all the top companies around town. But when she’s offered a coveted position at her dream company, the employer’s background check reveals she never actually finished her college degree. Unbelievably, her worst nightmare has come true.

Lily returns to her alma mater to relive her senior year of college, after walking across the stage at graduation a decade earlier. Just as she starts getting used to the idea of being a student again, things get even more weird and chaotic when she discovers her computer science TA is her old college boyfriend, Jake Cho.

As Lily and Jake reconnect, she sees that her late-blooming ex has done well for himself: the handsome, charming grad student appears to have his life together, while Lily’s on the brink of losing her reputation and her book deal.

Told in present day with glimpses of the past, The Do-Over is a delightfully warm and hopeful story about second chances in life and love, and how the future might not be a straight line, but we still end up exactly where we’re supposed to be.

“Park’s (So We Meet Again) latest does an excellent job of navigating topics of anxiety, self-doubt, nepotism, and misogyny through an enjoyable second-chance romance with great characters. This book is an essential read and highly recommended.” — Library Journal (starred review)

“Park’s pitch-perfect comedic timing and knack for creating heartstrings-tugging moments make this thoughtful romance really shine. This is a winner.” — Publishers Weekly

“The story is rooted in complex, relatable issues that are sure to have readers rooting for Lily the whole way through. A story of second chances in life more than love.” — Kirkus Reviews

“It’s a fun and sexy book, as Park (So We Meet Again, 2021) ties in mental-health issues with a strong female protagonist and of course a little bit of love. A fast read full of funny moments among friends, tense moments between rivals, and romantic moments between old lovers.” — Booklist
https://amzn.to/3KkTCAU

This was such a fun read! As someone who took about 30 years to complete my bachelor’s degree, I could definitely relate to returning to college years after leaving. In this case, Lily walked the stage, was handed what she thought was her diploma, and moved on with her grown-up life. Until she found out that her advisor gave her some very bad advice her senior year, leaving her half a dozen credits short of actually graduating. Lily had a super successful business book published and how has a second book deal on the line. She sneaks back into college to finish up her remaining credits and earn that degree, not telling her publisher what’s happened. She would prefer her publisher, and everyone else, not know about this, but there is no hiding, as she is eventually found out.

Lily manages to secure off campus housing with a roommate who is an amazing baker and turns into a good friend. Meanwhile, her best friend since her original college days keeps popping up to hang out on campus. When Lily walks into one of her required courses, a computer programming class, she is shocked to find her old college boyfriend, Jake, is the teaching assistant in her class. And he has grown up into a fine specimen of a man.

As Lily works hard to complete her classes, she falls back into a relationship with Jake but much like the first time around, he ghosts her. Not sure if she is more mad at him or herself, Lily throws herself even more into her classwork. When she finds out she is up for a possible internship with one of the top tech companies in the world, she is thrilled, even though it would take her on a different career path. When it leaks that she has returned to college, the internet weighs in as they always do, and Lily is in big trouble.

Eventually, everything works out for the best, and Lily gets her happy ending. I loved spending time with these characters and watching Lily and Jake grow. I loved that ten years after college, Lily is still reinventing herself with a second chance at a different career as well as in love. Park has turned into a must read author for me – and I hope for you, as well.

4/2023 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

THE DO-OVER by Suzanne Park. Avon (April 4, 2023). ISBN:‎ 978-0063216051. 368p.

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WEDDING GAMES by Evie Alexander

April 7, 2023

The Kinloch Series, Book 5

From the publisher:

Enjoy this steamy Scottish romcom series by award-winning romantic comedy author Evie Alexander…

Say “I do” to Scotland’s wedding of the year!

Wedding bells are finally ringing for Rory and Zoe! But setting a date and saying yes to the dress is a lot more complicated when their mothers are mortal enemies and Rory’s stepfather is a Hollywood star with a death wish.

And if their families weren’t complicated enough, their friends are determined to make the bachelor and bachelorette parties ones they will remember forever – or desperately try to forget…

A castle, a cast of thousands, a superstar who’s lost the plot, and an unlikely stripper. Can Rory and Zoe unravel the tangles in time to tie the knot, or is eloping the only answer?

Get your glad rags on and hold onto your hats as it’s time to unleash matrimonial madness!

Wedding Games is a steamy, laugh-out-loud, grumpy sunshine, steamy, small town romantic comedy novella, with all your favorite characters from the Kinloch series and a guaranteed happily-ever-after! It can be read as a standalone but is best enjoyed after the other books in the Kinloch series.
https://amzn.to/40Gr3DB

This is one of the rare series that I’ve actually read in order, since the beginning. That’s mostly due to Evie Alexander being so proactive in getting her books reviewed. Other authors should take note!

This is obviously the last book of the series, and while it certainly can be enjoyed as a standalone, it is more meaningful when read in order. There is not a whole lot of plot here; it’s basically the days leading up to the last wedding in this series.

Rory and Zoe have been dancing around their romance almost since the beginning of the series – from what I can remember! The big day is fast approaching and they are both just over the moon happy. Until the small wedding Rory wanted balloons into the society wedding his mother – and his station as the Earl of Kinloch – demands. There is the requisite bachelor party, the hen do (bachelorette party,) and of course, the rehearsal dinner. Whatever can go awry does, but it is all over-the-top funny and everything I’ve come to expect in this series.

If you haven’t read any of the books in this series, then this probably isn’t the book for you. But if you’ve read at least one of the earlier books, go for it! But only if you want something with all the good feels – sweet, sexy, romantic. and hilarious. I’m sad to see this series end, but there is a novella, One Night in Foxbrooke, coming out next week that introduces a new series, so I’m happy. Watch for the review soon!

4/2023 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

WEDDING GAMES by Evie Alexander. Emlin Press (March 25, 2023). ISBN:‎ 978-1914473197. 156p.