THE EX TALK by Rachel Lynn Solomon

May 7, 2021

From the publisher:

Public radio co-hosts navigate mixed signals in Rachel Lynn Solomon’s sparkling romantic comedy debut.

Shay Goldstein has been a producer at her Seattle public radio station for nearly a decade, and she can’t imagine working anywhere else. But lately it’s been a constant clash between her and her newest colleague, Dominic Yun, who’s fresh off a journalism master’s program and convinced he knows everything about public radio.

When the struggling station needs a new concept, Shay proposes a show that her boss green-lights with excitement. On The Ex Talk, two exes will deliver relationship advice live, on air. Their boss decides Shay and Dominic are the perfect co-hosts, given how much they already despise each other. Neither loves the idea of lying to listeners, but it’s this or unemployment. Their audience gets invested fast, and it’s not long before The Ex Talk becomes a must-listen in Seattle and climbs podcast charts.

As the show gets bigger, so does their deception, especially when Shay and Dominic start to fall for each other. In an industry that values truth, getting caught could mean the end of more than just their careers.

Enemies to lovers. If that isn’t your thing, you can stop now. I happen to like that trope, and Solomon really ups the ante with the fact that these are journalists faking the news. Yep, you read that right. Now it’s not exactly news, but still it is public radio and there are definitely levels of expectation here of honesty. That is not delivered.

This radio station, like many public radio stations, struggles with financing. Layoffs are imminent and they need a hit show, something that get go national, to bring their station back from the brink. The Ex Talk seems like a really fun idea – get two exes to offer relationship advice. But instead of finding a couple post breakup, the the station manager decides that two of his producers would be great – they already hate each other.

Shay is proud of her work as a producer and never really tried to be an on air personality. Dominic is a bit of a know-it-all, fresh off his masters in journalism. They are constantly sniping at each other, which should make great radio and it does. The show takes off and is hugely popular. But then the unthinkable happens (at least to anyone who’s never read a romance) – they fall in love, fighting it every minute.

I really enjoyed this – lots of laughs and some smart dialogue, too.

5/2021 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

THE EX TALK by Rachel Lynn Solomon. Berkley (January 26, 2021). ISBN: 978-0593200124. 352 pages.

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THE NEWCOMER by Mary Kay Andrews

May 5, 2021

From the publisher:

Mary Kay Andrews, the New York Times bestselling author and Queen of the Beach Reads delivers her next page-turner for the summer with The Newcomer.

In trouble and on the run…

After she discovers her sister Tanya dead on the floor of her fashionable New York City townhouse, Letty Carnahan is certain she knows who did it: Tanya’s ex; sleazy real estate entrepreneur Evan Wingfield. Even in the grip of grief and panic Letty heeds her late sister’s warnings: “If anything bad happens to me―it’s Evan. Promise me you’ll take Maya and run. Promise me.”

With a trunkful of emotional baggage…

So Letty grabs her sister’s Mercedes and hits the road with her wailing four-year-old niece Maya. Letty is determined to out-run Evan and the law, but run to where? Tanya, a woman with a past shrouded in secrets, left behind a “go-bag” of cash and a big honking diamond ring―but only one clue: a faded magazine story about a sleepy mom-and-pop motel in a Florida beach town with the improbable name of Treasure Island. She sheds her old life and checks into an uncertain future at The Murmuring Surf Motel.

The No Vacancy sign is flashing & the sharks are circling…

And that’s the good news. Because The Surf, as the regulars call it, is the winter home of a close-knit flock of retirees and snowbirds who regard this odd-duck newcomer with suspicion and down-right hostility. As Letty settles into the motel’s former storage room, she tries to heal Maya’s heartache and unravel the key to her sister’s shady past, all while dodging the attention of the owner’s dangerously attractive son Joe, who just happens to be a local police detective. Can Letty find romance as well as a room at the inn―or will Joe betray her secrets and put her behind bars? With danger closing in, it’s a race to find the truth and right the wrongs of the past.

Forget the calendar; for me, summer officially begins with Mary Kay Andrews. In her early career, she wrote mysteries, then switched to contemporary romance. A few books ago, she starting combining those so the past few books have been romantic suspense, as is this one.

Set in the tiny hamlet of Treasure Island, Florida on the west coast, the story revolves around an old Florida motel, the Murmuring Surf Motel. This is more of a long term, seasonal rental type situation, where snowbirds come down for the season. Most of the guests at the motel are regulars, having stayed there season after season for decades.

The owner, Ava, lives on site with her teenage daughter who is getting ready to graduate high school. Her son Joe is a police detective, lives nearby helps out whenever he is needed at the motel. Joe is the one who finds Letty asleep in her car in the parking lot of the motel.

Even though the sign says “no vacancy”, Letty is hopeful that someone will be checking out. She really needs to stay there. Letty is on the lam; she found her murdered sister, Tanya, on the floor of her home. Letty grabbed her 4 year old niece, Maya, her sister’s “go bag” and hit the road. Tanya had warned Letty that if anything happened to her, it was Evan, her millionaire boyfriend and Maya’s baby daddy. She begged Letty to take the go bag and get Maya as far away as possible. An old magazine article was stuffed in the go bag, with the Murmuring Surf circled, so Letty heads down to Florida.

That’s where the story starts, and it gets a bit more complicated and dangerous as it progresses. Ava thinks Letty is good people, and Maya is adorable so she decides to help them out. She gives them an efficiency apartment that is being used as storage, and hires Letty to help out in the office. And detective Joe keeps sniffing around. His cop sense tells him something is up with this woman, but he is also attracted to her – an interesting dichotomy that luckily works out for the best.

This is a real page turner filled with quirky old folks, an interesting setting, and a sweet romance. I read it in one night. The perfect way to start my summer – bring on the rest of the beach reads!

5/2021 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

THE NEWCOMER by Mary Kay Andrews. St. Martin’s Press (May 4, 2021). ISBN 978-1250256966. 448 pages.

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IT HAD TO BE YOU by Georgia Clark

May 4, 2021

BLOG TOUR!

From the publisher:

The author of the “emotional, hilarious, and thought-provoking” (People) novel The Bucket List returns with a witty and heartfelt romantic comedy featuring a wedding planner, her unexpected business partner, and their coworkers in a series of linked love stories—perfect for fans of Christina Lauren and Casey McQuiston.

For the past twenty years, Liv and Eliot Goldenhorn have run In Love in New York, Brooklyn’s beloved wedding-planning business. When Eliot dies unexpectedly, he even more unexpectedly leaves half of the business to his younger, blonder girlfriend, Savannah.

Liv and Savannah are not a match made in heaven, to say the least. But what starts as a personal and professional nightmare transforms into something even savvy, cynical Liv Goldenhorn couldn’t begin to imagine.

It Had to Be You cleverly unites Liv, Savannah, and couples as diverse and unique as New York City itself, in a joyous Love-Actually-style braided narrative. The result is a smart, modern love story that truly speaks to our times. Second chances, secret romance, and steamy soul mates are front and center in this sexy, tender, and utterly charming rom-com.

When a book is compared to one of my favorite movies, “Love Actually,” I have to read it. Plus I love Georgia Clark, and I know I always like books from the Emily Bestler imprint at Simon & Schuster, so this was a win-win-win for me!

Liv is the center of this story. Married for years to Eliot, they have a young son who took years to conceive. The last few years of their marriage haven’t been great. They are business partners/wedding planners and while they work together well, they have definitely drifted apart in their private life. Then Eliot dies suddenly, and a young woman shows up with a new will. Eliot had been having an affair and left his half of the business to his girlfriend, Savannah.

To make matters worse, the day he died, they were running a wedding that turned into a disaster. The bride takes them to task on social media, and Liv just decides to hide in her house for a while. But eventually life pushes its way in, starting with Savannah who has promised free wedding planning to a social media influencer.

Liv and Savannah need to learn to work together. They also have vendors they work with – the florist, the caterer, a waitress, and the musicians. Lucky for us, all these characters embark on romances, and despite the number of characters and storylines, it was easy to follow. Clark is really great at character development, which is no easy feat with this many romances going on. But it works, and it works well. I really liked all these characters, and their stories were engaging and sexy and fun.

This is a terrific romcom, and I hated turning the last page. Don’t miss it!

5/2021 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

IT HAD TO BE YOU by Georgia Clark. Atria/Emily Bestler Books (May 4, 2021). ISBN: 978-1982133191. 384 pages.

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A WICKED BARGAIN FOR THE DUKE by Megan Frampton

May 2, 2021

Hazards of Dukes, Book 3

From the publisher:

The author of the “sparkling” and “steamy” (Entertainment Weekly) Never Kiss a Duke returns with the delightful third book in the Hazards of Dukes series as a rigid duke enters into marriage with a rebellious lady.

Thaddeus, the new Duke of Hasford, holds his new title reluctantly, but his sense of duty is strong. Task number one: find a wife and secure an heir. He thinks he’s found the perfect choice in Lady Jane Capel—until her sister Lavinia bursts onto the scene. Vivacious, rebellious, and strikingly beautiful, Lavinia is determined to keep him away from her shy, sweet sister. And she’s also determined not to think so much about his broad chest and strong thighs.

When Lady Lavinia and Thaddeus end up in the most compromising position, witnessed by Lavinia’s mother and nearly everyone at a party, they’re forced to get married to protect their reputations. With no love between them, but with an heir to conceive, they strike a bargain in bed. Only Lavinia demands passion, and Thaddeus complies, with both of them realizing this marriage of convenience may turn into much more…

The forced marriage is a popular trope in historical romances, especially among Dukes. They have to do the right thing, and Thaddeus knows he has no way out of it. While Lavinia realizes she is physically attracted to the Duke, he just finds her loud and too flamboyant to be a duchess, but he is also physically attracted to her. While her sister Jane might have been more what he was looking for, Lavinia wasn’t going to let that happen anyway. And turns out she was right.

There is a lot of passion between Lavinia and Thaddeus, but shockingly for any romance book, the sex isn’t perfect right out of the gate. Lavinia is a bit disappointed but thinks she can get what she wants by asking for it. So she does. Thaddeus is actually thrilled that she cares enough to ask for what she needs, and their sex life goes off like fireworks once he starts listening.

This was a very sexy book, but there are also some laughs along the way. Lavinia and Thaddeus have a lot of hurdles to overcome to get to their happily ever after, and the journey is a real page turner. If you like fun, sexy romances, don’t miss this one!

5/2021 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

A WICKED BARGAIN FOR THE DUKE by Megan Frampton. Avon (April 27, 2021). ISBN: 978-0063023086. 400 pages.

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DIAL A FOR AUNTIES by Jesse Q. Sutanto

April 27, 2021

From the publisher:

One of PopSugar’s “42 Books Everyone Will Be Talking About in 2021”!

What happens when you mix 1 (accidental) murder with 2 thousand wedding guests, and then toss in a possible curse on 3 generations of an immigrant Chinese-Indonesian family?

You get 4 meddling Asian aunties coming to the rescue!

When Meddelin Chan ends up accidentally killing her blind date, her meddlesome mother calls for her even more meddlesome aunties to help get rid of the body. Unfortunately, a dead body proves to be a lot more challenging to dispose of than one might anticipate, especially when it is inadvertently shipped in a cake cooler to the over-the-top billionaire wedding Meddy, her Ma, and aunties are working at an island resort on the California coastline. It’s the biggest job yet for the family wedding business—”Don’t leave your big day to chance, leave it to the Chans!”—and nothing, not even an unsavory corpse, will get in the way of her auntie’s perfect buttercream flowers.

But things go from inconvenient to downright torturous when Meddy’s great college love—and biggest heartbreak—makes a surprise appearance amid the wedding chaos. Is it possible to escape murder charges, charm her ex back into her life, and pull off a stunning wedding all in one weekend?

This is a top ten favorite on the April Library Reads list, and as far as I’m concerned, it should have been number one! Part mystery, part romance, part family drama, but mostly laugh-out-loud funny, this book hits it out of the park. And I’m super excited that Netflix is on board.

Meddy is the good girl in her family. There is a family curse where all the men leave, leaving her mom and her sisters to make up her family. Even her boy cousins have all moved away, but as much as Meddy wanted a different life, she just could not bring herself to leave her mom and her aunties, so she breaks up with the love of her life as he has been offered his dream job across the country. It just about kills Meddy, but she goes on with her life, settling into the family wedding planning business and trying not to think about the one who got away.

Her mom decides Meddy needs to meet someone so like all overly involved, well meaning moms, she sets up a fake profile for Meddy on a dating app, and pretends to be Meddy. There are red flags aplenty, but her mom, who is not a native English speaker never mind a keen reader of emojis, doesn’t realize what she’s done when she sets Meddy up on a blind date with a man she met online. It turns out he is as bad a guy as one could meet online, and Meddy accidentally kills him in self defense. I’m not spoiling anything here, this happens at the beginning of the book.

Meddy panics, dumps him in the trunk of her car, and takes him home to her mother, who calls in the aunties. These are the kind of relatives everyone should have, the kind who help you get rid of a body. But what ensues is just chaos, and it is hilarious. In between the insanity though, Meddy runs into the love of her life. Turns out he’s moved back and is now running the hotel where the family is running their biggest wedding yet.

Lots of over the top situations and slapstick humor, and it really works here. This book had me laughing out oud several times, and I I enjoyed every page. Honestly, it reminded me of the first few Stephanie Plum (Janet Evanovich) books only with a happy ending, and that is high praise! I also really liked learning about Chinese/Indonesian culture. This one is sure to make my best books of the year list – don’t miss it.

4/2021 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

DIAL A FOR AUNTIES by Jesse Q. Sutanto. Berkley (April 27, 2021). ISBN: 978-0593333037. 320 pages.

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3 Comments | Book Reviews, Fiction, Romance, Women's Fiction | Tagged: #ownvoices, Contemporary, multicultural, Mystery | Permalink
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ACT YOUR AGE, EVE BROWN by Talia Hibbert

April 24, 2021

The Brown Sisters, Book 3

From the publisher:

AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

In Talia Hibbert’s newest rom-com, the flightiest Brown sister crashes into the life of an uptight B&B owner and has him falling hard—literally.

Featured on Parade, PopSugar, Marie Claire, Oprah Mag, Bustle, Shondaland, CNN.com, Kirkus Magazine, Bookpage, USA Today, Bookish, Bookriot, and more!

Eve Brown is a certified hot mess. No matter how hard she strives to do right, her life always goes horribly wrong. So she’s given up trying. But when her personal brand of chaos ruins an expensive wedding (someone had to liberate those poor doves), her parents draw the line. It’s time for Eve to grow up and prove herself—even though she’s not entirely sure how…

Jacob Wayne is in control. Always. The bed and breakfast owner’s on a mission to dominate the hospitality industry and he expects nothing less than perfection. So when a purple-haired tornado of a woman turns up out of the blue to interview for his open chef position, he tells her the brutal truth: not a chance in hell. Then she hits him with her car—supposedly by accident. Yeah, right.

Now his arm is broken, his B&B is understaffed, and the dangerously unpredictable Eve is fluttering around, trying to help. Before long, she’s infiltrated his work, his kitchen—and his spare bedroom. Jacob hates everything about it. Or rather, he should. Sunny, chaotic Eve is his natural-born nemesis, but the longer these two enemies spend in close quarters, the more their animosity turns into something else. Like Eve, the heat between them is impossible to ignore… and it’s melting Jacob’s frosty exterior.

This has turned into one of my favorite series, but I’m afraid I’ve reached the end. I’m pretty sure there are only three sisters, and honestly it’s hard to say whether they’ve saved the best for last. I’ve loved all these books!

Eve may be a mess, but she knows she is the most “normal” one in the family. Her two sisters are on the autism spectrum, so she recognizes Jacob’s issues immediately and better yet, knows exactly how to treat him. But he’s not going to be that easy.

After Eve accidentally hits him with her car, giving him a broken arm and a nasty concussion, she feels guilty enough to stick around and help out. Jacob doesn’t really want her there but he doesn’t have any other options. To his shock, his customers love her, her food is amazing, and he can’t help but like her too, as much as he fights it.

Meanwhile she has pretty much dropped off the face of the earth to her family, which suits her just fine. She is determined to prove them wrong about her and her flightiness by sticking with this job, even if Jacob is fighting her at every turn.

I loved these characters so much and I especially loved how Eve grew and learned about herself. The romance – enemies to lovers – was great, but it was the story and these characters that really drew me in. These books do not have to be read in order, but I highly recommend reading them all – they are really terrific! Can’t wait to see what Hibbert does next.

4/2021 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

ACT YOUR AGE, EVE BROWN by Talia Hibbert. Avon (March 9, 2021). ISBN: 978-0062941275. 400 pages.

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SIRI, WHO AM I? by Sam Tschida

April 22, 2021

From the publisher:

Indie Next and Library Reads Pick
One of Cosmopolitan’s “Best New Books Coming Out in 2021”
One of POPSUGAR’s “Best New Books Coming Out in 2021”

A Millennial with amnesia uses her Instagram account to piece together her identity in this hilarious and whip-smart comedy about the ups and downs of influencer culture.

Mia might look like a Millennial but she was born yesterday. Emerging from a coma with short-term amnesia after an accident, Mia can’t remember her own name until the Siri assistant on her iPhone provides it. Based on her cool hairstyle (undercut with glamorous waves), dress (Prada), and signature lipstick (Chanel), she senses she’s wealthy, but the only way to know for sure is to retrace her steps once she leaves the hospital. Using Instagram and Uber, she arrives at the pink duplex she calls home in her posts but finds Max, a cute, off-duty postdoc supplementing his income with a house-sitting gig. He tells her the house belongs to JP, a billionaire with a chocolate empire. A few texts later, JP confirms her wildest dreams: they’re in love, Mia is living the good life, and he’ll be back that weekend.

But as Mia and Max work backward through her Instagram and across Los Angeles to learn more about her, they discover an ugly truth behind her perfect Instagram feed, and evidence that her head wound was no accident. Did Mia have it coming? And if so, is it too late for her to rewrite her story?

Amnesia! I haven’t read a good amnesia plot in a long time. While Mia leans who she is and where she lives from her phone (Siri is good for something after all!) she also doesn’t know how she ended up in the hospital, but it seems like there are a lot of people who would be happy to put her there. Let’s call this mystery adjacent. While there are a lot of unknowns, it is the romance that is at the heart of this fast moving story.

This also revolves around how social media rules our lives. Could you piece together your life from your social media accounts? I know I surely can! You don’t have to be a Kardashian to live your life online, and oversharing has become the norm and is exploited here for the humor. I love snark and Mia reminded me a bit of one of my favorite characters of film – Elle Woods from Legally Blonde. That combination of airhead and brains, beauty and kindness, yet apparently enough hostility in her life for her to end up with a traumatic head injury.

This was a thoroughly enjoyable read, and a pointed look at our culture. Nothing wrong with that!

4/2021 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

SIRI, WHO AM I? by Sam Tschida. Quirk Books (January 12, 2021). ISBN: 978-1683691686. 352 pages.

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THE KINDRED SPIRITS SUPPER CLUB by Amy E. Reichert

April 20, 2021

From the publisher:

Jobless and forced home to Wisconsin, journalist Sabrina Monroe can tolerate reunions with frenemies and kisses from old boyfriends, but not the literal ghosts that greet her in this heartwarming tale of the power of love and connection from acclaimed author Amy E. Reichert.

For Sabrina Monroe, moving back home to the Wisconsin Dells–the self-described Waterpark Capital of the World–means returning to the Monroe family curse: the women in her family can see spirits who come to them for help with unfinished business. But Sabrina’s always redirected the needy spirits to her mom, who’s much better suited for the job. The one exception has always been Molly, a bubbly rom-com loving ghost, who stuck by Sabrina’s side all through her lonely childhood.

Her personal life starts looking up when Ray, the new local restaurateur, invites Sabrina to his supper club, where he flirts with her over his famous Brandy Old-Fashioneds. He’s charming and handsome, but Sabrina tells herself she doesn’t have time for romance–she needs to focus on finding a job. Except the longer she’s in the Dells, the harder it is to resist her feelings for Ray. Who can turn down a cute guy with a fondness for rescue dogs and an obsession with perfecting his fried cheese curds recipe?

When the Dells starts to feel like home for the first time and with Ray in her corner, Sabrina begins to realize that she can make a difference and help others wherever she is.

I love Amy Reichert’s books, and this one was worth the wait.

Sabrina is a wonderful character, so well developed that I felt like I knew her. Besides having anxiety issues, Sabrina has a gift that runs in the family. At least among the women in the family. They can communicate with the dead. Ghosts. But only those who need help in getting their affairs in order before they leave forever. But a few of the ghosts don’t leave, they hang around. Especially Molly, who has been hanging around for over a hundred years and is, in fact, Sabrina’s best friend.

Sabrina grew up in the Dells, near Door County, Wisconsin. In fact, that is the only place her and her mom can connect with ghosts. Once that ability hit, around puberty, Sabrina became the town weirdo. Her nemesis bullied her all through high school and beyond. And, in fact, is her current boss. Sabrina tries her hardest to hold on to her job, she really needs it to pay off her college loans and other debt. She was determined to be a journalist until she eventually realized talking to strangers was not something she ever wanted to do.

The Dells have a newish resident who has taken over an old supper club and has turned it into a destination, not only for tourists but for the towns people. Ray’s family owned quite a bit of the area but his parents moved to NY and are in a highly successful real estate business, and they have no intention of losing him to the Dells. But when his uncle Harry gets sick, Ray moved in to take care of him and the supper club was born again. Ray finally felt like he found himself, and his place. Especially when he meets Sabrina.

Ray and Sabrina are a couple who just don’t know it yet. Ray has family issues, Sabrina has her own issues, and it seems like they are always at odds. Ray is a patient man, and he realizes that Sabrina is the one for him. It takes her a bit longer to figure it out, but it is so much fun to get there. I also loved the Wisconsin food facts and recipes. And while I’m still not 100% clear on what a supper club entails exactly, I definitely want to go to one!

All of Reichert’s books tend to focus on food, which probably explains why I enjoy them so much! I hated to turn the last page. I really hated it. I wanted to spend more time in the Dells, especially with Ray and Sabrina. Another winner from one of my favorite authors.

4/2021 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

THE KINDRED SPIRITS SUPPER CLUB by Amy E. Reichert. Berkley (April 20, 2021). ISBN: 978-0593197776. 352 pages.

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THIS TIME NEXT YEAR by Sophie Cousens

April 18, 2021

From the publisher:

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

A GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK CLUB PICK

Their lives began together, but their worlds couldn’t be more different. After thirty years of missed connections, they’re about to meet again…

Minnie Cooper knows two things with certainty: that her New Year’s birthday is unlucky, and that it’s all because of Quinn Hamilton, a man she’s never met. Their mothers gave birth to them at the same hospital just after midnight on New Year’s Day, but Quinn was given the cash prize for being the first baby born in London in 1990–and the name Minnie was meant to have, as well. With luck like that, it’s no wonder each of her birthdays has been more of a disaster than the one before.

When Minnie unexpectedly runs into Quinn at a New Year’s party on their mutual thirtieth birthday, she sees only more evidence that fortune has continued to favor him. The gorgeous, charming business owner truly seems to have it all–while Minnie’s on the brink of losing her pie-making company and her home. But if Quinn and Minnie are from different worlds, why do they keep bumping into each other? And why is it that each fraught encounter leaves them both wanting more?

A moving, joyful love story, This Time Next Year explores the way fate leads us to the people we least expect–no matter what the odds.

oard of Ethan’s new shul hired him with the hopes that his nontraditional background will attract more millennials to the faith. They’ve given him three months to turn things around or else they’ll close the doors of his synagogue for good.

Naomi and Ethan join forces to host a buzzy seminar series on Modern Intimacy, the perfect solution to their problems–until they discover a new one–their growing attraction to each other. They’ve built the syllabus for love’s latest experiment, but neither of them expected they’d be the ones putting it to the test.

I am sorry to say this book got lost in my towering to-be-read pile, but I am so happy I found it! Family history is the meet/cute of this quirky romance, and while not entirely original, who cares! Minnie is the loser of the New Year’s Eve birthday contest, losing out on a cash prize and the name she was supposed to have because Quinn was the big winner of both. And did I mention her last name is Cooper? Minnie Cooper?

Flash forward and Minnie and Quinn run into each other at a New Year’s Eve party. Again and again. The attraction is there but they each are in relationships with other people who are obviously not right for them. Obvious to the reader at first, but soon enough to the characters as well.

I like the latest trend of giving heroines a mental illness. Whoops, that doesn’t sound right, does it? But I mean it, and in this case Minnie suffers from sometimes debilitating anxiety, something that so many people suffer from, usually in silence and on their own. It is refreshing to see it out in the world, even in fiction. Minnie is a great character, very well developed, relatable, and so likeable. Quinn is easy to like – he’s gorgeous, rich, and most important, kind.

It may take them a while to get together, but the journey is so much fun! If you love romcoms, especially British ones, as much as I do, you won’t want to miss this one.

4/2021 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

THIS TIME NEXT YEAR by Sophie Cousens. G.P. Putnam’s Sons (December 1, 2020). ISBN: 978-0593191200. 352 pages.

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THE INTIMACY EXPERIMENT by Rosie Danan

April 16, 2021

From the publisher:

Naomi and Ethan will test the boundaries of love in this provocative romance from the author of the ground-breaking debut, The Roommate.

Naomi Grant has built her life around going against the grain. After the sex-positive start-up she cofounded becomes an international sensation, she wants to extend her educational platform to live lecturing. Unfortunately, despite her long list of qualifications, higher ed won’t hire her.

Ethan Cohen has recently received two honors: LA Mag nominated him as one of the city’s hottest bachelors and he became rabbi of his own synagogue. Low on both funds and congregants, the executive board of Ethan’s new shul hired him with the hopes that his nontraditional background will attract more millennials to the faith. They’ve given him three months to turn things around or else they’ll close the doors of his synagogue for good.

I loved Danan’s first book, The Roommate, so I was very excited for this one. And it came out as the number one book for April from Library Reads. And the male protagonist is a Rabbi! All in my wheelhouse for sure. But even so, this was just an okay read for me.

Naomi, nee Hannah Sturm, a nice Jewish girl gone porn star, is our heroine. Her porn days are pretty much behind her now that she has taken her notoriety and turned it into an uber-successful website called Shameless, where women (mostly) can go to learn about sexuality. Her next goal is to get a teaching gig but doors are being slammed in her face, until she meets Rabbi Ethan Cohen. He is the young newish Rabbi at a small Los Angeles synagogue. He has high hopes of bringing in young people into the synagogue, as almost all of his congregants are retirees. Their temple can’t compete with their big money neighbors, so Ethan decides to hire Naomi to teach a course on Intimacy.

The initial turnout is in single digits, but a word of mouth leads to slight growth but it’s when Naomi brings in her marketing guru that things really take off. There is a strong attraction between the Rabbi and Naomi, but she is convinced he needs a nice Jewish girl and she barely remembers anything since her bat mitzvah. Ethan can’t believe a worldly woman like Naomi could possibly be interested in a rabbi, and they are at crossed points despite their growing attraction. The synagogue elders are not thrilled about this development at all, and there is some pushback that eventually gets pretty serious.

I found the story slow moving and the romance tepid. I really wanted to like this more than I did, but apparently I’m in the minority and I’m fine with that. Would love to hear from anyone who reads it.

4/2021 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

THE INTIMACY EXPERIMENT by Rosie Danan. Berkley (April 6, 2021). ISBN: 978-0593101629. 336 pages.