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BookBitch Diary: May 1, 2024

May 1, 2024

As we head into summer – yes, spring is almost over already, at least in Florida – my thoughts turn to beach reads. To some people, that means romances set at the beach, the most literal definition, I guess. To others, it means gripping, compulsively readable thrillers. My personal reading habits have changed over the years.

I started reading thrillers when they first became an alternative to the more traditional mysteries, back in the 1970’s; books like The Boys from Brazil, The Day of the Jackal, The Bourne Identity, The Matarese Circle, and so many more. I loved those books and couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. The genre kept growing; John Grisham became the king of the legal thriller, and Patricia Highsmith proved women could write thrillers, too. Now it feels like there are more women writing thrillers than men.

Then America changed, became a divided nation, and starting in 2016, every day was a shit show. I needed to escape, escape from the world I was living in, escape into books that guaranteed me a happy ending. I turned to romance.

I had a brief fling with romances when I was in college, but every time I finished a book, I’d want to throw it at my boyfriend. He was a great guy – hell, I married him – but he was only a romantic hero on occasion, otherwise known as real life. For the sake of my relationship, I stopped reading romance and turned back to thrillers.

Now I read mostly romance – I still need those happy endings – but I also read thrillers. I’d rather read the book than see the movie, and many of them are made into movies. I don’t read them every day like I used to, maybe more like one or two a month? And I read women’s fiction/domestic fiction, and historical fiction. An occasional – very occasional – fantasy or the newest genre, romantasy, and even more rarely, sci-fi. Once in a while, I’ll pick up some nonfiction besides cookbooks, which I still like to read (and cook from!)

I’ve had some serious eye issues over the years, and I rarely read a book a day anymore. The eye issues have slowed me down some. But I do read several books a week, and that makes me happy – and I’m looking forward to all the great new beach reads that are heading our way in the next couple of months, starting with my favorite, the absolute Queen of the Beach Read, Mary Kay Andrews. Her newest, Summers at the Saint, comes out May 7, and you can preorder it now. I hope you do – she is the best way to start summer!

Book News

How to shop in used bookstores: 14 tips from a bibliophile

Bring a flashlight and expect to get dirty. Michael Dirda, a used-bookstore connoisseur, shares his shopping tricks.

Google Books Is Indexing AI-Generated Garbage

Google Books is indexing low quality, AI-generated books that will turn up in search results, and could possibly impact Google Ngram viewer, an important tool used by researchers to track language use throughout history.

The moon’s forever library and its landing site. Credit: NASA / Goddard / Arizona State University

There’s a library on the moon now. It might last billions of years.

From ‘Dune’ to Dogecoin, the first true backup of human civilization contains a few surprises.

Food News

We Need to Talk About Trader Joe’s

Behind the bubbly cashiers in Hawaiian shirts, craveable snacks, and bargain-basement prices are questionable business practices that have many food brands crying foul at the company’s blatant and aggressive copycat culture.

I’m not sure what to think about this. I love Trader Joe’s, and I’m sorry they are doing this sort of corporate espionage to create store-branded products. On the other hand, some of these small businesses couldn’t possibly scale up to be a viable vendor for a nationwide chain of grocery stores. Maybe they should just pay some of these artisans an hourly rate for consulting instead of what they are accused of doing here. I’d love to know your thoughts about this – please leave a comment!

Red velvet cake is ‘the color of joy.’ Here’s how it rose into America’s dessert canon.

Other News

It’s a girl!

My son and daughter-in-law were expecting next week, but the little rascal fooled them by making an early appearance. Her big brother is over the moon, as are we! We are thrilled to welcome Sylvie Maya to the family. I can’t wait to meet her in person!

As always, thanks for reading, and stay safe.

Thanks to The New York Times and The Washington Post for allowing me to “gift” my readers with free access to these articles, a lovely perk for subscribers.

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Spotlight Review: EFFIE OLSEN’S SUMMER SPECIAL by Rochelle Bilow

April 30, 2024

From the publisher:

These childhood best friends swore they’d never speak again. But a surprise summer reunion changes everything when it gives them the chance to turn up the heat.

Effie Olsen thought she’d never live on the tiny Maine island where she grew up, but she’s returning from sixteen years as a professional chef in far-flung countries for one summer and one summer only. Her hometown boasts one of the best restaurants in the US, and lucky for her, Brown Butter needs a sous chef. Effie’s eager for a chance at redemption after her last job went up in flames, but reluctant to set down roots in a place that reminds her of the ghosts of her past.

Until, that is, she runs into Ernie Callahan, her onetime best friend who now works in the very same restaurant. Early morning swims and late-night games of truth or dare with Ernie remind her of what she’s been missing while traveling the world. He knows her better than anyone, and it doesn’t hurt that his smile lights her up brighter than the lighthouses dotting the craggy coastline.

But their restaurant has a secret that’s bursting at the seams, and if Effie doesn’t keep it, her job will vanish into the foggy Maine air. As summer draws to a close, her dream job and the perfect guy are both within reach. Her salty seaside hometown might be the key to Effie’s sweet ending…if she can learn to let her heart lead the way in time.

“A much less intense version of The Bear, but with all the same familial bonds and restaurant drama. Bilow, a classically trained chef and food writer, serves up a full dish of romance, humor, and meaty plot, with a perfect portion of sexiness on the side.”—Library Journal (starred review)

“Bilow’s sweet and summery sophomore outing delivers a tender second-chance romance…Bilow slowly turns up the heat on the central romance as the protagonists try and fail to stifle their feelings. Readers will have no trouble seeing that these two belong together.”—Publisher’s Weekly
https://amzn.to/3UrJj1U

The Brown Butter restaurant on a tiny island off the Maine Coast has earned one Michelin star. It’s a completely local, farm to table type restaurant, with all the ingredients sourced from the island and Maine itself. Or is it?

Effie left the tiny island as soon as she graduated high school, then went to culinary school and traveled the world, working in a variety of restaurants. She finally landed her dream job as head chef at a fine dining restaurant in San Francisco, but she is completely overwhelmed by all her new responsibilities. Six months in, she gets fired. Completely broke, her father buys her a ticket home, and she moves back into her childhood bedroom. She gets a lucky break when the Brown Butter is in need of a sous chef. She applies and gets the job. After the interview, she goes drinking with Jarrod, the head chef who hired her, and wakes up the next morning half-naked with no memory of the previous night. Jarrod reassures her that nothing happened. Wandering his apartment above the restaurant, she is surprised to see he has a deep freezer. When she opens it, it is full of monkfish. That was my first inkling that trouble was afoot.

Turns out that Jarrod is a nightmare of a boss. He is rude, condescending, and misogynistic, and those are his better qualities. Screaming at the staff is his favorite pastime, or maybe it’s hitting on the wait staff. Effie had only planned to stay for the summer and get back on her feet, so she tries not to get involved. But she can’t help herself. She then gains more insight into what is really happening in the restaurant when Jarrod shows off some Italian truffles. When she questions how they are going to serve a product from Italy in their 100% locally sourced restaurant, he bites her head off and she backs down. That is just the beginning of that issue, however.

One of her co-workers is Ernie, whom she grew up with. They were best friends for most of her life, but as high school graduation approaches, Ernie tells Effie that he loves her, and she freaks out. The friendship is ruined, and they don’t speak for the next sixteen years until Effie moves back. To her surprise, Ernie is as kind to her as he ever was, and he’s grown up to be a really good-looking man. Her attraction surprises her, but as they learn to be friends again, she keeps that in check. They decide to spend their Mondays off together, revisiting many of the places they loved in their youth. Things start getting a bit flirtatious, but Ernie knows she is leaving at the end of the summer. It took him years to get over her when she left the first time, and he has no desire to revisit that kind of pain again.

This is a second chance, small-town, friends-to-lovers romance, and the restaurant setting was just a bonus for me. Apparently, the author is a trained chef and food writer, so the kitchen stuff really rings true. Fans of the TV series, The Bear, will love that aspect; I know I did. This was a compelling romance with great characters I couldn’t help but root for. I missed this author’s first couple of books, but I will be hunting them down. Don’t miss this one!

4/2024 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

EFFIE OLSEN’S SUMMER SPECIAL by Rochelle Bilow. Berkley (April 30, 2024). ISBN: 978-0593547908. 384p.

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JUST FOR SUMMER by Abby Jimenez

April 26, 2024

From the publisher:

Instant #1 New York Times bestseller and a Good Morning America Book Club Pick!

Justin has a curse, and thanks to a Reddit thread, it’s now all over the internet. Every woman he dates goes on to find their soul mate the second they break up. When a woman slides into his DMs with the same problem, they come up with a plan: They’ll date each other and break up. Their curses will cancel each other’s out, and they’ll both go on to find the love of their lives. It’s a bonkers idea… and it just might work.

Emma hadn’t planned that her next assignment as a traveling nurse would be in Minnesota, but she and her best friend agree that dating Justin is too good of an opportunity to pass up, especially when they get to rent an adorable cottage on a private island on Lake Minnetonka.

It’s supposed to be a quick fling, just for the summer. But when Emma’s toxic mother shows up and Justin has to assume guardianship of his three siblings, they’re suddenly navigating a lot more than they expected–including catching real feelings for each other. What if this time Fate has actually brought the perfect pair together?

“An emotional tour de force.” ―Publishers Weekly, starred review

“With a perfect sense of literary aplomb and an abundance of deliciously sharp wit, Jimenez continues on an extraordinary upward trajectory with another gorgeously crafted contemporary romance. From moments of irresistible comic charm (a date with rescue kittens from the Bitty Kitty Brigade) to a compelling and compassionate story line that deftly and delicately deals with the impact of trauma on a person’s emotional and physical well-being, Jimenez expertly balances humor and heart in this sublimely satisfying love story.”―Booklist, starred review

This witty, emotion-filled novel from Jimenez isn’t one to just read, it’s one to sink into.―Library Journal, starred review
https://amzn.to/3UdDmFu

Jimenez’s latest may be her best yet, and that’s really saying something. Our main character, Emma, has dealt with so much trauma in her life, mostly from her mother abandoning her over and over again. Eventually, she ends up in foster care and lucks out. Her foster sister, Maddy, becomes her best friend and while Maddy’s moms want to adopt Emma, she is holding out in hopes of her mother coming back.

Over the years, her mother reappears in her life when she needs money, than vanishes again. Emma has no one to rely on besides herself and Maddy. They both become nurses, and they work as traveling nurses. They take short contracts, 6-8 weeks or so, and travel the country that way. Everything Emma owns fits into two suitcases and that’s just how she likes it.

Then, in a weird coincidence, she reads about a man whose ex-girlfriends always find the love of their lives after they break up. He becomes an internet meme and it turns out that Emma has had the same experiences. She messages him, and they start talking and find they really enjoy each other. Emma persuades Maddy to switch their next trip to Hawaii for Minneapolis, so she can meet Justin. They decide to date four times and break up, thereby forcing fate to lead them to their perfect partners. Except, of course, they are perfect for one another. But they both have a lot of baggage to sort through.

Justin lost his father several years earlier, and his mother has recently been convicted of embezzlement and will be leaving for prison shortly. He has three much younger siblings and has taken on guardianship while his mother is away. On the other hand, Emma never dates men with children, it is one of her firm and fast rules. But all the rules seem to fly out the window with this man.

In a horrible turn of events, it turns out their landlord is Neil, the head of surgery at the hospital where they will be working. The women are told he is really awful to the nursing staff. And to complicate things further, Emma’s mom, Amber, shows up and, in the blink of an eye, has moved in with Neil and is back to ignoring Emma. Maddy knows just how bad Emma’s mom can be, and they try to warn Neil but he his happy with her. For now.

Eventually, everything converges into one big dramatic mess, and it seems impossible for anyone to get out unscathed. But just when it seemed like an impossibility for anyone to get a happy ending, Justin and Emma find theirs.

This was such an emotional read. I loved these characters and the way they fit together was just inspiring. There is an author’s note at the end about writing a character with mental illness, and personally, I think she really nailed it here. I loved this book.

4/2024 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

JUST FOR SUMMER by Abby Jimenez. Forever (April 2, 2024). ISBN: 978-1538704431. 432p.

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PART OF YOUR WORLD by Abby Jimenez

April 26, 2024

From the publisher:

A refreshingly modern fairy tale and instant New York Times bestseller that Love Hypothesis author Ali Hazelwood hails as “an uplifting, feel-good, romantic read.”

After a wild bet, gourmet grilled-cheese sandwich, and cuddle with a baby goat, Alexis Montgomery has had her world turned upside down. The cause: Daniel Grant, a ridiculously hot carpenter who’s ten years younger than her and as casual as they come—the complete opposite of sophisticated city-girl Alexis. And yet their chemistry is undeniable.

While her ultra-wealthy parents want her to carry on the family legacy of world-renowned surgeons, Alexis doesn’t need glory or fame. She’s fine with being a “mere” ER doctor. And every minute she spends with Daniel and the tight-knit town where he lives, she’s discovering just what’s really important. Yet letting their relationship become anything more than a short-term fling would mean turning her back on her family and giving up the opportunity to help thousands of people.

Bringing Daniel into her world is impossible, and yet she can’t just give up the joy she’s found with him either. With so many differences between them, how can Alexis possibly choose between her world and his?

“The perfect embodiment of romantic joy… This book is an emotional experience that will tick all the boxes for passionate romance fans. A must-read.”―Kirkus, Starred Review

A “layered, soul-stirring romance… Jimenez dexterously tackles class difference and shades her endearing side characters with as much care as her lovable leads. The result is an emotional roller coaster centered on love as a source of empowerment.”―Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

This “flawlessly written contemporary romance is another perfectly calibrated synthesis of richly nuanced characters, blazing sexual chemistry, and sizzling wit deftly infused into an empowering story line …while also offering a subtle wink and nod to the enduring charm of Disney fairy tales.”―Booklist, Starred Review

Book of the Month Club Best Book of the Year finalist

Goodreads Choice Awards finalist

BookPage Magazine Best Books of the Year

Booklist Best Romances of the Year

SheReads Romance Book of the Year Award nomination

https://amzn.to/4dckAag

I cannot believe I missed this book! I’ve read all of her books, including the second book in this series, Yours Truly, and loved it so I’m not sure why I didn’t go back and find this one. It was on my Kindle – I wouldn’t have had to look too hard. The third book in the series, Just for the Summer, just came out (review to follow) and that was the impetus that led me here, to Part of Your World. Better late than never – this is one terrific read.

Alexis is on her way home from a funeral when she swerves to miss a raccoon and ends up in a ditch. She is in the middle of nowhere, a small, rural town two hours from her home in Minneapolis. Luckily, a guy in a truck stops to help, and he tows her out of the ditch. She decides to stop and get something to eat, but this is a seasonal town, and season is over. Nothing is open except a bar featuring lots of golden brown fried food, which she is not in the mood for. Her hero, Daniel, offers to make her something to eat, so she follows him home, where he has a rescue dog in desperate need of training and a baby goat wearing pajamas. Alexis is charmed, and his grilled cheese is delicious.

Alexis is not the type to have a one night stand, as in she’s never had one. But she is coming out of a bad breakup; Daniel is sweet and kind and so good-looking and the complete opposite of her ex. They end up in bed, and she finds out why people do crazy things for great sex, but panics and takes off in the middle of the night.

Daniel is a carpenter and an innkeeper. Alexis is the progeny of Minneapolis’s power couple – both her parents are world-renowned surgeons, as is her twin brother. While Alexis graduated top of her class from Stanford, she is merely an ER doctor, which makes her a failure in her parents’ eyes. The only thing that redeems her is her chief of surgery boyfriend, Neil. Turns out he has been emotionally abusive for most of the seven years they’ve been together, and when he cheats on her, that is the final straw, and she breaks up with him. Her father is incensed and insists they go to couples therapy, but Alexis is done. Her twin will take up the mantle of the latest generation of world-class doctors, and she will do what she loves – help people.

But then her brother informs the family that he has married a pop star and they are living in Cambodia and creating a nonprofit there. That leaves Alexis in charge of the family legacy at the hospital, and her parents think she is failing. Meanwhile, she can’t stop thinking about Daniel.

Alexis escapes her life and goes back to visit Daniel. One thing leads to another and they are seeing each other regularly, talking on the phone daily, and really enjoying one another. Except she always goes to see him, he never gets to visit her world. Alexis decides this is a fling – if her parents wouldn’t accept a rock star daughter-in-law, they certainly will never accept a carpenter. Not to mention that he is ten years younger than she is. But every time she tried to end it, she can’t help but go back to him. They are in love, and she is fighting it every step of the way.

It all comes to a head when she is named chief of the ER, slightly redeeming her to her parents. Daniel shows up with flowers to congratulate her, and her family is aghast by this young, tattooed man in a t-shirt. He leaves, and that is the end. Or is it?

This was a one day read for me, I really loved it. Can’t wait to start Just for the Summer!

On a more personal note, I really related to this relationship. My father was a very wealthy businessman, and he and his wife were snobs of the worst kind. They never approved of my husband, the son of a police officer and a housewife, who came from a different religion, and a very middle-class existence. Except that I did as well; for all his money, I grew up with my single mom who got $100 a month in child support, while my stepbrother and stepsisters reaped the benefits and the money. I cut ties with them more than thirty years ago, and I’ve been very happy and secure in the knowledge that I did what was best for me. Plus I got my happily ever after!

4/2024 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

PART OF YOUR WORLD by Abby Jimenez. Forever (April 19, 2022). ISBN: 978-0593723678. 368p.

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Spotlight Review: FUNNY STORY by Emily Henry

April 23, 2024

From the publisher:

Named a Most Anticipated book of 2024 by TIME ∙ The New York Times ∙ Goodreads ∙ Entertainment Weekly ∙ Today.com ∙ Paste ∙ SheReads ∙ BookPage ∙ Woman’s World ∙ The Nerd Daily and more!

A shimmering, joyful new novel about a pair of opposites with the wrong thing in common, from #1 New York Times bestselling author Emily Henry.

Daphne always loved the way her fiancé Peter told their story. How they met (on a blustery day), fell in love (over an errant hat), and moved back to his lakeside hometown to begin their life together. He really was good at telling it…right up until the moment he realized he was actually in love with his childhood best friend Petra.

Which is how Daphne begins her new story: Stranded in beautiful Waning Bay, Michigan, without friends or family but with a dream job as a children’s librarian (that barely pays the bills), and proposing to be roommates with the only person who could possibly understand her predicament: Petra’s ex, Miles Nowak.

Scruffy and chaotic—with a penchant for taking solace in the sounds of heart break love ballads —Miles is exactly the opposite of practical, buttoned up Daphne, whose coworkers know so little about her they have a running bet that she’s either FBI or in witness protection. The roommates mainly avoid one another, until one day, while drowning their sorrows, they form a tenuous friendship and a plan. If said plan also involves posting deliberately misleading photos of their summer adventures together, well, who could blame them?

But it’s all just for show, of course, because there’s no way Daphne would actually start her new chapter by falling in love with her ex-fiancé’s new fiancée’s ex…right?

https://amzn.to/4b3yREp

I’ve been a fan of Henry’s since her first book, and she never disappoints. This book takes a crazy situation, makes it crazier, and then somehow it’s all normal after all. This writer has mad skills!

Daphne and Peter are engaged, but when his “best friend” Petra shows up after the bachelor party, Peter doesn’t hesitate for a second. He dumps Daphne and takes off with Petra, his best friend who now decides she wants to be his girlfriend. Except Daphne moved to this small Michigan town for Peter, and she has a great job that she loves as a children’s librarian and Peter gives her a week to move out. She ends up asking Petra’s ex, Miles, if he has room for her, and he does. They are both heartbroken and quickly become friends.

When Daphne and Miles are invited to Petra and Peter’s wedding, they decide to go together. One thing leads to another and Daphne ends up telling Peter that she and Miles are dating. The next thing you know, they really are dating. Everyone gets their happily ever after, but it’s the journey that makes this read so memorable.

Fans of romance subgenres like fake dating, forced proximity, small town romances, and steamy romances have all that to look forward to! Once again Henry gives us a romance with a surprising amount of heart and depth before we get to the happy ending. Highly recommend!

Enjoy this short interview, courtesy of the New York Times —

4/2024 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

FUNNY STORY by Emily Henry. Berkley (April 23, 2024). ISBN: 978-0593441282. 400p.

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THE RULE BOOK by Sarah Adams

April 19, 2024

From the publisher:

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • College exes break all the rules when they reunite years later in this enemies to lovers, second-chance romance, the highly anticipated companion novel to the TikTok sensation The Cheat Sheet—from the New York Times bestselling author of Practice Makes Perfect.

“A really fun, chemistry-filled sports romance you don’t want to miss!”—Hannah Grace, author of Icebreaker

Nora Mackenzie’s entire career lies in the hands of famous NFL tight end Derek Pender, who also happens to be her extremely hot college ex-boyfriend. Nora didn’t end things as gracefully as she could have back then, and now it has come back to haunt her. Derek is her first client as an official full-time sports agent and he’s holding a grudge.

Derek has set his sights on a little friendly revenge. If Nora Mackenzie, the first girl to ever break his heart, wants to be his agent, oh, he’ll let her be his agent. The plan is simple: make Nora’s life absolutely miserable. But if Derek knows anything about the woman he once loved—she won’t quit easily.

Instead of giving in, Nora starts a scheme of her own. But then a wild night in Vegas leads to Nora and Derek in bed the next morning married. With their rule book out the window, could this new relationship save their careers or spark the romance of a lifetime?

“Adams dazzles in her latest, a saucy second-chance rom-com.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Readers “will love Adams’s newest laugh-out-loud and heartwarming tale.”—Library Journal
https://amzn.to/44c6lyc

This book is my happy place – a fast-paced, second-chance romance set in the world of professional sports, football to be exact, with lots of laughs and a bit of heat to keep things interesting.

Nora and Derek met and fell in love in college, but just when he thought things were going great, she dumped him and he has no idea why. All he knows is that his heart is broken, and even though he becomes a star tight end in the NFL with all the women a man could want, his heart just isn’t into it.

Nora was brought up by a fiercely independent single mom who taught her to follow her dreams, not some man’s. Nora broke up with Derek because she was afraid she wouldn’t be able to strike out on her own. She dreams of becoming a sports agent, definitely a man’s world, and her dream is on the precipice of coming true. She works for a misogynistic boss, along side several neanderthal men, but her immediate supervisor is a tough as nails woman. She hires Nora as an intern, which then turns into a full time job and then finally she is offered her own client – her first! But of course it turns out to be Derek. Nora is afraid to tell her boss that they have a past because opportunities like this don’t come up. Derek’s previous agent with the same firm has retired, and he is told that Mac will be his new agent. When he meets her and realizes that Mac is the girl who broke his heart, he figures it’s his turn for revenge.

Derek runs Nora ragged, making her do all his personal errands and treating her like the hired help. She grits her teeth and gets through it, working around the clock to do his bidding plus the actual work she needs to do as his agent. Derek is coming off a bad injury, and there are rumours that he is going to be replaced by the rookie who filled in when he got hurt.

Lots of balls in the air, but things take a turn when Nora and Derek end up in Las Vegas, get drunk together, and yeah, get married. Derek may treat her like his personal servant, but he still loves her and doesn’t want to see her get fired over a drunken mistake. They decide to stay married and well, you can figure out the rest.

I thoroughly enjoyed this laugh-out-loud romcom, with a bit of heat and lots of sweetness! I am a football fan so that worked for me, as did these characters who just came alive on the page. Another terrific read from one of my favorite authors.

4/2024 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

THE RULE BOOK by Sarah Adams. Dell (April 2, 2024). ISBN: 978-0593723678. 368p.

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Spotlight Review: TOURIST SEASON by Brenda Novak

April 16, 2024

From the publisher:

A great new beach read from the New York Times bestselling author of The Bookstore on The Beach

A summer by the ocean promises new beginnings—until old secrets resurface.

Ismay Chalmers is ready for a relaxing summer reconnecting with her fiancé at his family’s luxurious beachfront cottage. But before Remy can join her, a hurricane bears down on Mariners Island. Alone in the large house, Ismay makes a disturbing discovery in Remy’s childhood closet. She’s not sure what to make of it, but is relieved when the property’s caretaker, Bo, checks in on her.

Bo’s home is damaged, so they temporarily shelter together, and Ismay is comforted by his quiet strength. But the unannounced arrival of a family member puts Bo back at his place and changes Ismay’s summer into something other than what she wants—or ever expected. With so many reasons to feel unsettled, Ismay finds herself turning to Bo, who gives her more than a sense of security; there’s something about him that makes her feel alive, stirring her to wonder what life might be like if she chose a different path…

As Ismay grows closer to Bo, she begins to hope the reclusive caretaker might eventually let down his guard. But when she finds out that he has secrets, too, she begins to question how well she knows any of the men in her life—and how well she can trust her own heart.

“While this novel is full of romance, Novak elevates mystery elements that will appeal to readers of Colleen Hoover.” —Booklist
https://amzn.to/3vZHCjL

This is a true case of “you can’t judge a book by its cover.” If you are looking for a sweet beach read, look elsewhere.

Ismay and Remy have been together for three years, but Ismay realizes something is off. After she completes her law degree, she agrees to spend a month with Remy at his parents’ beach house on Mariners Island. Remy is in medical school and is in the process of completing his exams, so Ismay goes to Mariners by herself.

The house is lovely, but that first night there is a freak hurricane. The power is out, but there is a caretaker, Bo, who lives in a cottage on the grounds. His cottage suffers serious damage when a tree falls onto the roof, making the cottage uninhabitable and even dangerous. He checks on Ismay to find that the generator hasn’t kicked in, so he fixes that for her. In turn, she invites him to stay in the main house until his cottage can be repaired. The storm rages on for another day, followed by a storm of a different kind – Remy’s twin brother shows up.

Ismay moves into Remy’s old bedroom, and discovers what appears to be a trophy bag of sorts hidden behind the wall of his closet. There is some jewelry, several pairs of women’s underwear, and an old photo of a young woman. It really shakes her up, and she isn’t sure how to broach Remy about it, especially as he is so far away. But she does, and shortly thereafter it goes missing. Since Remy’s twin is the only other person there, Ismay is sure he took it, but she has no idea why or what it’s about.

There is a definite creepiness factor in this story which I wasn’t expecting, but it sure helped keep those pages turning. Bo and Ismay grow close, but she is still engaged to Remy so it goes no further than friends who are majorly attracted to one another. But Bo has a secret as well, and when all these secrets start unraveling, so does Remy and Ismay’s relationship.

This book really is the quintessential beach read, part thriller/mystery, part romance, and it really delivers on both. It may be early for the beach, but grab it anyway!

4/2024 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

TOURIST SEASON by Brenda Novak. MIRA; Original edition (April 2, 2024). ISBN: 978-0778305408. 400p.

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2 Comments | Book Reviews, Crime Fiction, Fiction, Romance | Tagged: Contemporary, Romantic Suspense | Permalink
Posted by Stacy Alesi

WHAT IS LOVE? by Jen Comfort

April 12, 2024

From the publisher:

Head and heart collide in a story of polar-opposite rivals that’s anything but trivial in this game show romance from Midnight Duet author Jen Comfort.

Answer: From the Latin word for crossroads, this is knowledge so common as to be obscure, the pursuit of which engages millions daily. Question: What is trivia?

Trivia is the magic in the mundane, the connection in the commonplace, and Maxine Hart’s second-favorite pastime. A self-proclaimed Brooklyn street rat and a high school dropout, Maxine has never been a fan of formal education, but thanks to her ADHD “superpowers,” she’s a glutton for knowledge—and a good fight. And when Maxine enters the trivia game show Answers!, her brilliance, coupled with her penchant for big bets, devastates her competition. Even record-holding, 76-time-winner Teddy Ferguson.

Or was it their kiss the night before they faced off that threw the buttoned-up professor off his game?

Now, Maxine and Teddy cross paths again in a high-stakes tournament against all-time Answers! winners, including undefeated champion Hercules McKnight. With nothing in common but an insatiable appetite for knowledge and a desire to win, Maxine offers Teddy a deal: combine their strengths to shore up their weaknesses. She’ll push his tolerance for risk and improve his buzzer speed, if he’ll find creative ways to fill in the gaps in her education.

Except neither one of them foresaw just how scintillating learning could be…

“Sensual, funny, and heartwarming, this brings the goods.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“A sizzling and smart rivals-to-lovers romance…” —Kirkus Reviews

“Comfort goes ‘to the Max’ with her plot choices, bold and hilarious banter, and full-on smoldering sexual tension, featuring two completely opposite yet perfect for each other trivia nerds. Patrons will want to buzz in early to get their hands on this wonderfully campy rom-com.” —Library Journal (starred review)
https://amzn.to/4arx0ZV

I was really expecting to love this book – the reviews were uniformly good, and I’ve been a Jeopardy fan since the Art Fleming days. I did end up enjoying it, but I had to struggle through the first half. I kept putting it down and looking for something else to read, and that is never a good sign. But eventually I got into it and raced through the second half of the book, which I enjoyed. I especially loved the little Jeopardy! easter eggs, like the name of the announcer, “Gilbert Johnson.”

The basic premise is enemies-to-lovers with an added twist – they are competitors in a game show called Answers, which is the author’s legal dodge to skirt using Jeopardy!, which I’m sure would have had some consequences. Each chapter is titled with a category, an answer, then a question, and that was a fun surprise. But the book was really about these characters; Theodore, a buttoned-up, conservative, bow-tie-wearing, Oxford-educated man, and the woman who broke his 76-game winning streak, Maxine, a high school dropout who suffers from ADHD. They have distinctly different playing styles, but that isn’t the biggest issue. From the moment Theodore laid eyes on Maxine, he was smitten, and that distracted him enough to make things more difficult.

They’ve both been approached about a tournament of champions type event, and have several weeks to prepare. The show is bringing back one of their first big winners, and no one has ever come close to catching him so Maxine and Teddy are intrigued. Teddy has some bad history with him, too, and that factors into it as well.

When Maxine shows up at Teddy’s house looking like she’s moving in, he is initially horrified. But she determines that the two of them can take down the former champion – she needs help filling in her knowledge gaps like geography, and he needs help getting faster on the buzzer and making less conservative bets. Sex seems to help both of them get to their goals.

I loved the ending of this book even though it required a complete suspension of disbelief, which I sometimes find annoying, but not here. This is a sexy, funny story set in a game show that I love, and the happy ending make the struggle to get there worthwhile. If you’re a Jeopardy fan, give it a try!

Note: Amazon.com offered this book for free as part of their Prime monthly Kindle giveaways. They are also the publisher.

4/2024 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

WHAT IS LOVE? by Jen Comfort. Montlake (April 1, 2024). ISBN: 978-1662516443. 351p.

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SET ON YOU by Amy Lea

April 12, 2024

The Influencer Series, Book 1

From the publisher:

One of…
Amazon’s Best Romances of 2022
Bustle’s Most Anticipated Books of May
Goodreads’ Most Anticipated May Romances
SheReads’ Best Romance Books Coming in 2022

A gym nemesis pushes a fitness influencer to the max in Amy Lea’s steamy debut romantic comedy.

Curvy fitness influencer Crystal Chen built her career shattering gym stereotypes and mostly ignoring the trolls. After her recent breakup, she has little stamina left for men, instead finding solace in the gym – her place of power and positivity.

Enter firefighter Scott Ritchie, the smug new gym patron who routinely steals her favorite squat rack. Sparks fly as these ultra-competitive foes battle for gym domination. But after a series of escalating jabs, the last thing they expect is to run into each other at their grandparents’ engagement party.

In the lead up to their grandparents’ wedding, Crystal discovers there’s a soft heart under Scott’s muscled exterior. Bonding over family, fitness, and cheesy pick-up lines, they just might have found her swolemate. But when a photo of them goes viral, savage internet trolls put their budding relationship to the ultimate test of strength.

“Lea’s steamy debut romance features well-developed, likeable characters with slow-build chemistry…Hand this one to fans of Helen Hoang and Talia Hibbert.”—Library Journal

“Lea debuts with a heartwarming rom-com centered on body positivity…Lea’s prose is clear, witty, and powerful, delivering an ode to all those who struggle with self-acceptance…Lea is a writer to watch.”—Publishers Weekly

“Lea’s debut romance is a terrific rom-com that offers an essential message about accepting oneself, and it is a pleasure to read…Fans of Jennifer Weiner may enjoy this, and all who read it will look forward to more romance from Lea.”—Booklist
https://amzn.to/43RMLHp

I started reading this series last year with Exes and O’s and the third book, The Catch, came out earlier this year so I figured it was time to find the first book in the series, and I’m glad I did! Even if I didn’t understand half of the gym talk.

Yes, most of this book is set in a gym, which is not my native habitat, to say the least. The main character, Crystal, is half Asian and curvy, and she is a social media influencer in the realm of body positivity. Her family can’t understand how she makes a living that way, but she is very successful, and that means lots of followers. And when there are lots of followers, there are lots of comments and while the positive outweighs the negative, sometimes it is hard not to take the criticism to heart.

When a rather fit young man takes her squat rack (whatever that is) even though she left her stuff on it, she is incensed, and he becomes the “squat rack thief” in her mind. They butt heads all over the gym and this continues for weeks, until they find themselves alone in the gym one day. Crystal is sure the squat rack thief has taken her phone, and she follows him into the men’s locker room to get it back. She doesn’t get her phone back, but she does get a makeout session that leaves her breathless.

Crystal is very close with her family, and when her widowed grandmother brings a man to meet the family, Crystal is very happy for her. Until the grandfather-to-be’s grandson shows up. He is none other than squat rack thief, only now he has a name, Scott Richie. He is a firefighter and he’s built like he belongs on the firefighters’ calendar. They have to get along for the family’s sake, difficult as it may be. But it becomes even more difficult when they start spending time together.

Crystal and Scott are trying to things quiet until after the wedding, but she can’t resist posting a picture online of the two of them at the beach. The vitriol that she takes after that picture goes viral is really upsetting, and Crystal pushed Scott away to try and figure how to move forward.

A health scare in the family brings them back together, but they have a lot to work out before they can really be a couple again. Fortunately, there is a happy ending but as usual, it’s the journey that is the most fun. This book stands alone as do all the books in this series, so they do not need to be read in order – but they should be read! This is a fast, fun read with a little more depth than a lot of romcoms, and it’s the emotional pull that really makes this a worthwhile read.

4/2024 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

SET ON YOU by Amy Lea. Berkley (May 10, 2022). ISBN: 978-0593336571. 384p.

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Spotlight Review: EXPIRATION DATES by Rebecca Serle

April 9, 2024

From the publisher:

From the New York Times bestselling author of In Five Years and One Italian Summer comes a love story that will define a generation.

Being single is like playing the lottery. There’s always the chance that with one piece of paper you could win it all.

Daphne Bell believes the universe has a plan for her. Every time she meets a new man, she receives a slip of paper with his name and a number on it—the exact amount of time they will be together. The papers told her she’d spend three days with Martin in Paris; five weeks with Noah in San Francisco; and three months with Hugo, her ex-boyfriend turned best friend. Daphne has been receiving the numbered papers for over twenty years, always wondering when there might be one without an expiration. Finally, the night of a blind date at her favorite Los Angeles restaurant, there’s only a name: Jake.

But as Jake and Daphne’s story unfolds, Daphne finds herself doubting the paper’s prediction, and wrestling with what it means to be both committed and truthful. Because Daphne knows things Jake doesn’t, information that—if he found out—would break his heart.

Told with her signature warmth and insight into matters of the heart, Rebecca Serle has finally set her sights on romantic love. The result is a gripping, emotional, passionate, and (yes) heartbreaking novel about what it means to be single, what it means to find love, and ultimately how we define each of them for ourselves. Expiration Dates is the one fans have been waiting for.

“Daphne’s sometimes heart-wrenching, often heartwarming search for meaningful relationships, both romantic and platonic, is sure to inspire.”—Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)

“Serle’s compulsively readable prose will attract fans of Jennifer Weiner and Emily Henry.”—Booklist

“Serle provides an interesting conceit and a healthy dose of wit that readers will appreciate. An entertaining love story with moments of depth.” —Kirkus
https://amzn.to/3PRLF8G

Serle always writes smart, interesting books, and she did it again with her latest. Daphne is a millennial with an unusual dating life, going all the way back to her childhood. She lives in Los Angeles, which almost becomes another character in the book. She works as an assistant to a movie producer and enjoys her work.

But Daphne has a secret – she receives a slip of paper, a letter, or a postcard with the man’s name and the time frame every time she goes out with a new man. That’s it. That time frame turns out to be the expiration date of the relationship. The only exception is at first, Hugo. They break up at the time on the note, but they remain friends, and Hugo is the only one Daphne has told about these notes.

When a friend offers to fix her up on a blind date, Daphne gets her usual note but this time all it says is “Jake.” There’s nothing else, no number of days, so does that mean he is the one? Will they stay together forever?

This book isn’t your typical romcom, so there is another expiration date that we don’t find out about until much later in the book. Jake is a kind man, but honestly, there was no chemistry between them. But Daphne couldn’t find fault with him and things develop as one would assume. But there is a twist coming, and it wasn’t as shocking as I suspect it was meant to be, but it did take the story in a different direction in an emotional way. All in all, this was a short, fast read and a good one. These characters will be staying with me for a while, and I always enjoy a touch of magical realism in a romance. This was very well done, and I highly recommend!

4/2024 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

EXPIRATION DATES by Rebecca Serle. Atria Books (March 19, 2024). ISBN: 978-1982166823. 272p.

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