Stacy Alesi's BookBitch.com™

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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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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From the publisher:

You’ve Got Mail meets Abbott Elementary in this sweet, sexy romantic comedy for fans of Lynn Painter and Lyssa Kay Adams. 

School counselor Lucy Galindo has a secret.

To her coworkers, friends, and even family, she’s shy, sweet, and constantly struggling to hold off disaster (read: manage her anxiety and depression). But online? She’s bold, confident, and always knows what to say—it’s how she’s become the wildly popular @TheMissGuidedCounselor. It’s also why she keeps her identity anonymous. Her followers would never trust the real Lucy with their problems.

History teacher Aldrich Fletcher thought a new job would give him some relief from his drama-filled family. Instead, he’s dodging his ex-girlfriend and pining over his new co-worker—who only ever seems to see him at his worst. Thankfully, he can count on his online confidant for advice . . . until he discovers @TheMissGuidedCounselor is Lucy.

Now Fletcher has a secret too. And while Lucy can’t deny there’s something between them, she’s not sure she can trust him. Can they both find the courage to share the truth and step out from behind their screens?

“This sparkling debut marks Lepe as a writer to watch when it comes to modern rom-coms.”―Kirkus, Starred Review

“The romance plays out as a fresh, diverse twist on You’ve Got Mail . . . Fans of Abbott Elementary will be especially charmed.”―Publishers Weekly

“Unputdownable; will leave readers clamoring for more.”―Library Journal

https://amzn.to/3xaiCXh

I love reading debut novels, but I’ve been burned before by publicists creating “debuts” under a new name for a previously published author, so I’m just going to ignore that. This is a good read, and that’s the most important thing to know.

“You’ve Got Mail” is one of my favorite movies, and I enjoy “Abbott Elementary,” so this mashup of the two sounded promising; I’m happy to say it lived up to the hype. Lucy is a guidance counselor who truly loves her job, but with her depression and anxiety disorders, she feels like a fraud most of the time, except when she is posting on her anonymous Instagram account. Hiding behind a pseudonym, gives Lucy the courage of her convictions, and she offers great advice to her followers. One follower is also hiding behind a pseudonym, but he and Lucy become great internet penpals. Neither knows the others true identity, or where they live, or where they work. But they know other more intimate details of their lives.

Aldrich Fletcher is a new history teacher at the public high school where Lucy is a guidance counselor. He is also her secret penpal, and neither knows who the other is. He and Lucy have a hot meet-cute when she trips and spills tea down the front of his pants. On his first day at the new school. She compounds the problem when she tries wiping down the front of his pants, never a good idea to do to a stranger. Nevertheless, Fletcher finds her extremely attractive and the feelings are returned, except Lucy is pretty sure that he couldn’t possibly be interested in someone who is such a hot mess.

As Lucy and Fletcher get to know one another, they start sharing some of the past with one another. A new Instagram post from Lucy triggers Fletcher to realize who she is, but he’s afraid to let he know. Their relationship is tenuous at best, as both have a lot of baggage to work through.

This book delivered on the hype and was a thoroughly enjoyable, one-night read for me. I am looking forward to whatever Lepe puts out next.

4/2024 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

FLIRTY LITTLE SECRET by Jessica Lepe.  Forever (March 19, 2024). ISBN: 978-1538739341. 384p.

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From the publisher:

The rules of summer book club are simple:

• No sad books
• No pressure
• Yessssss, wine!

Besties Laurel and Paris are excited to welcome Cassie to the group. This year, the book club is all about fill-your-heart reads, an escape from the chaos of the everyday—running a business, raising a family, juggling a hundred to-dos. Even the dog is demanding (but the bestest boy).

Since Laurel’s divorce, she feels like the Worst Mom Ever. Her skepticism of men may have scarred her vulnerable daughters. Cassie has an unfortunate habit of falling for ridiculous man-boys who dump her once she fixes them. Paris knows good men exist. She’s still reeling after chasing off the only one brave enough—and foolish enough—to marry her.

Inspired by the heroines who risk everything for fulfillment, Laurel, Paris and Cassie begin to take chances—big chances—in life, in love. Facing an unwritten chapter can be terrifying. But it can be exhilarating, too, if only they can find the courage to change.

“Fans of Jill Shalvis and Robyn Carr won’t be able to put Mallery’s latest down. Readers who flock to Mallery’s heartfelt stories will be clamoring for her feel-good latest.” —Booklist

https://amzn.to/4am9c9l

Mallery writes about women, their friendships, their romances, and their lives and she does such a good job of it. She has found her niche for sure and I look forward to every one of her books.

Paris and Laurel are best friends and really have each other’s backs. Both are independent business women and Laurel has kids, too. Laurel owns a business where she buys used things like from thrift shops, fixes what needs fixing and resells the stuff. She has a store and an online presence as well, and she has grown the business tremendously. Paris owns a farm stand that draws customers from all around their small town.

Cassie moves to town and finds a job at the wine bar/bookstore, a terrific combination if I’ve ever heard one! Paris and Laurel have a book club, and they invite Cassie to join them. The three women quickly become good friends. They all have baggage they have to work through to find their happiness, but it’s the journey that makes this such a rewarding read. I loved how they each had an obstacle to overcome and how they had each other’s backs. Another terrific read from one of my favorite authors!

3/2024 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

THE SUMMER BOOK CLUB by Susan Mallery. Canary Street Press; Original edition (February 13, 2024). ISBN: 978-1335448668. 416p.

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From the publisher:

A steamy, opposites-attract romance with undeniable chemistry between a grumpy retired footballer and his fabulous and very sunshine-y ghostwriter.

When grumpy ex-footballer Alfie Harding gets badgered into selling his memoirs, he knows he’s never going to be able to write them. He hates revealing a single thing about himself, is allergic to most emotions, and can’t imagine doing a good job of putting pen to paper.

And so in walks curvy, cheery, cute as heck ghostwriter Mabel Willicker, who knows just how to sunshine and sass her way into getting every little detail out of Alfie. They banter and bicker their way to writing his life story, both of them sure they’ll never be anything other than at odds.

But after their business arrangement is mistaken for a budding romance, the pair have to pretend to be an item for a public who’s ravenous for more of this Cinderella story. Or at least, it feels like it’s pretend―until each slow burn step in their fake relationship sparks a heat neither can control. Now they just have to decide: is this sizzling chemistry just for show? Or something so real it might just give them their fairytale ending?

“Upbeat, engaging, witty, and funny, this book from Stein… will captivate readers.” Library Journal, starred

“This, children, is how the professionals do it… It’s the difference between seeing choreography laid out in footprints on the floor, and being swept away by the dance. ” – New York Times

https://amzn.to/3vaPhvb

The grumpy/sunshine trope is a fan favorite, and it is right there in the title – I couldn’t pass this one up! Alfie Harding is the grump (think Ted Lasso’s Roy Kent) – a newly retired footballer with quite the reputation, all based on rumors and innuendo. He is convinced to write a memoir, but he needs a ghostwriter for sure. He rejects a parade of them until he meets Mabel Willicker. Somehow, this cheery, plus-size, bright-as-sunshine woman makes an impact, and she lands the gig.

Alfie is reticent to reveal much of anything, but Mabel has her ways and before he realizes what’s happened, his book is underway. But when the public spots them together, a fake romance is born in order to keep the ghostwriter secret, at least to the public. But as usually happens with fake dating, real feelings start to develop.

The banter is quick and funny, the sex is steamy, and the pages just fly by in this heartwarming romance. The characters are so likeable, even the grump, that I couldn’t help but root for their happily ever after, and it is delivered. This author was new to me, but I will be reading more of her for sure!

3/2024 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

WHEN GRUMPY MET SUNSHINE by Charlotte Stein. Griffin (February 6, 2024). ISBN: 978-1250867933. 336p.

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Coyote Canyon, Book 3

From the Publisher:

When your life is chaotic, what’s one more complication?

Jane Tanner’s friends are settling down, while she’s been settling for less. She longs for adventure and the big city, but caring for her ailing grandfather means she’s shackled to her small town. She’s excited her vintage gift shop is  finally  up and running, but it’s not enough.

Longing to fulfill at least one dream—to become a mother before her biological clock ticks out—Jane drunkenly propositions the worst possible candidate for Dad . Kurt Elway is off-limits with a capital O . He’s a good friend, but he’s too young, too busy running his family’s ranch. Plus, he and Jane’s sister, Kate, used to date.  That kind of off-limits.

Unbeknownst to Jane, Kurt’s pining for her. When he’s fully on board to father her baby, she sees him in a new light. Then lingering baggage between Kate and Kurt suddenly surfaces and Jane is reminded of just how messy life is. But…so is parenting. Maybe it’s time to embrace the mess?

https://amzn.to/3SToAEu

This is the last book of the Coyote Canyon trilogy, and I’m sad it’s over. Talulah, Ellen, and Jane are good friends. All are independent business owners – Talulah owns a dessert diner, Ellen a well-digging business, and Jane has a vintage store, and all are trying to make a go of it in a small town. The first two books were about Talulah and Ellen; this time, it’s Jane’s turn.

Jane has been feeling out of sorts. All her friends are getting married and having babies, and she doesn’t even date. It’s not easy finding someone in such a small town. She really wants a family, and decides to go the single parent route and use a sperm donor. Once she has the baby, she thinks she might move away, to a bigger city.

Jane is friends with Kurt, who actually dated her younger sister a few times. He’s five years younger than she is, but one drunken evening, she asks if he would consider being her sperm donor. She’s thinking of artificial insemination, but Kurt has always had a crush on Jane, and he agrees, but to get her pregnant the old-fashioned way. There is a lot to consider, and if Jane does get pregnant, there will be even more issues to deal with.

Friends to lovers is a time-honored trope in romance, and Novak does a great job here, throwing up one roadblock after another until they reach their happy ending. I loved how Jane’s friends had her back, but also forced her to face reality. Great characters, a lovely small town, and enough angst to really keep those pages turning made this a terrific read. These books don’t have to be read in order, they all stand alone beautifully, but I liked having the background of the other characters here. This is another good read from Novak, who has become one of my favorite authors.

3/2024 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

THE MESSY LIFE OF JANE TANNER by Brenda Novak. Forever (June 7, 2022). ISBN: 978-1538754764. 352p.

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The Empyrean, Book 1

From the publisher:

Enter the brutal and elite world of a war college for dragon riders from New York Times bestselling author Rebecca Yarros

Twenty-year-old Violet Sorrengail was supposed to enter the Scribe Quadrant, living a quiet life among books and history. Now, the commanding general―also known as her tough-as-talons mother―has ordered Violet to join the hundreds of candidates striving to become the elite of Navarre: dragon riders.

But when you’re smaller than everyone else and your body is brittle, death is only a heartbeat away…because dragons don’t bond to “fragile” humans. They incinerate them.

With fewer dragons willing to bond than cadets, most would kill Violet to better their own chances of success. The rest would kill her just for being her mother’s daughter―like Xaden Riorson, the most powerful and ruthless wingleader in the Riders Quadrant.

She’ll need every edge her wits can give her just to see the next sunrise.

Yet, with every day that passes, the war outside grows more deadly, the kingdom’s protective wards are failing, and the death toll continues to rise. Even worse, Violet begins to suspect leadership is hiding a terrible secret.

Friends, enemies, lovers. Everyone at Basgiath War College has an agenda―because once you enter, there are only two ways out: graduate or die.

A #1 New York Times bestseller • Optioned for TV by Amazon Studios • Amazon Best Books of the Year, #4 • Apple Best Books of the Year 2023 • Barnes & Noble Best Fantasy Book of 2023 • NPR “Books We Love” 2023 • Audible Best Books of 2023 • Hudson Book of the Year • Google Play Best Books of 2023 • Indigo Best Books of 2023 • Waterstones Book of the Year finalist • Goodreads Choice Award, semi-finalist • Newsweek Staffers’ Favorite Books of 2023 • Paste Magazine’s Best Books of 2023

The Empyrean series is best enjoyed in order.
Reading Order:
Book #1 Fourth Wing
Book #2 Iron Flame

https://amzn.to/49OqVWN

I rarely read fantasy novels, and even though this one hit a lot of the best books of the year lists, I was happily ignoring it until my friend Judy recommended it. We don’t always love the same books, but neither of us reads much fantasy, so when she gave it a rave review, I decided to give it a try.

Yarros wrote romances for years before this book, but I never read any. This book falls into the “romantasy” genre, a mashup of romance and fantasy and her publisher loved it so much, they actually created a new imprint for this book, Red Tower Books. Entangled Publishing is a female-owned publisher and was strictly romance, and I’m pretty sure this is the biggest bestseller they’ve ever had – and I’m just thrilled for them.

I never read The Hunger Games or Twilight, but I did see some of the movies so I had an idea about this genre. Fourth Wing is set in a school for dragon riders, and the students either die or graduate. Our heroine, Violet, is one of three children. Her brother died fighting, her sister is a fierce dragon rider, and their mother is one of the top generals. It was her mother’s decision to place Violet in this school.

Violet’s father was a scribe, a kind of historian, and she had been planning to follow in his footsteps until her mother ended that dream. Her childhood best friend is around to keep an eye on her, but Violet has some physical issues that impede her progress. She’s tiny, for one thing, and has a disease that causes her bones and joints to break easily. She is seen as weak, but smart, and it’s her smarts that save her.

The head of her section is Xaden, whose parents were killed by Violet’s mother, and Violet’s brother was killed by Xaden’s family. Let’s just say there is no love lost between these two, except instead of killing Violet, Xaden keeps helping her. And much to Violet’s surprise, she finds herself strongly attracted to the dark and brooding warrior.

Yarros has created a harsh world for these young people to maneuver through, and the action moves the story along at a breakneck pace. I must admit to skimming some of the battles, but for the most part, I did enjoy this book. That said, I’m not sure if I’ll read the rest of the series. I really have to be in the mood for something like this. I can see book groups (who aren’t afraid of 500+ page tomes) having a lot of fun with this, and I’m hoping that Amazon Prime Video does it justice. I will watch, probably hiding from a lot of it. Readers who loved Twilight and The Hunger Games will devour this.

2/2024 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

FOURTH WING by Rebecca Yarros. Entangled: Red Tower Books (May 2, 2023). ISBN: 978-1649374042. 528p.

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From the publisher:

Fans of the Hallmark Channel and Gilmore Girls will adore this delightful rom‑com about a city girl who goes in search of small-town happiness, only to discover life—and love—are nothing like the TV movies.

Emerging journalist Adina Gellar is done with dating in New York City. If she’s learned anything from made-for-TV romance movies, it’s that she’ll find love in a small town—the kind with harvest festivals, delightful but quirky characters, and scores of delectable single dudes. So when a big-city real estate magnate targets tiny Pleasant Hollow for development, Adi knows she’s found the perfect story—one that will earn her a position at a coveted online magazine, so she can finally start adulting for real . . . and maybe even find her dream man in the process. 

Only Pleasant Hollow isn’t exactly “pleasant.” There’s no charming bakery, no quaint seasonal festivals, and the residents are more ambivalent than welcoming. The only upside is Finn Adams, who’s more mouthwatering than the homemade cherry pie Adi can’t seem to find—even if he does work for the company she’d hoped to bring down. Suddenly Adi has to wonder if maybe TV got it all wrong after all. But will following her heart mean losing her chance to break into the big time?

https://amzn.to/3SToAEu

They got me with the first sentence of the synopsis – I’m a huge Gilmore Girls fan, and while I’ve pretty much given up on Hallmark movies (not worth paying for,) I do enjoy them now and then. I was intrigued enough to check out this book, and I’m glad I did – even if I’m a bit late to the party. It came out in 2022!

Adi lives in the city – New York City – and while she loves living there, she hasn’t had much luck in the romance department. Struggling to pay the rent, she juggles different jobs but she really wants to be a journalist. She writes freelance but can’t afford to just do that, until one of the online magazines she writes for dangles a full time position over her head.

Adi comes up with a great premise for a story; she heard about a big developer moving into a small town in upstate New York. She proposes spending a week there to get the lowdown about how the people who live there feel about the big, bad developer moving in. Plus she’s hopeful she’ll meet some good-looking, small-town, fabulous guy who will sweep her off her feet.

Everything Adi knows about small towns is what she’s seen in Hallmark movies and from the Gilmore Girls, so her expectations are high. They are also quickly crushed as she arrived a bit early for check-in and the innkeeper not-so-politely tells her to come back later. She’s not greeted warmly at the local restaurant either, and when she smiles at people on the street, she gets dirty looks in return. And worst of all, the first good-looking guy she meets is running the new project in town – and he’s from NYC.

The town itself is nothing like Stars Hollow (Gilmore Girls). There are no quirky residents waiting to greet the newcomer. There are no celebrations or fairs or pie-eating contests. There are no bizarre town meetings. Everyone seems to mind their own business and no one seems interested in Adi’s ideas for turning this town into the one of her dreams.

Finn is a really nice guy, even if he isn’t from the small town. But he’s happy to help her with her article, shows her the plans for the project, and so forth. Adi quickly learns her article may not go the way Hallmark movies do when no one in town seems the least bit upset about the big, bad developer moving in. Adi is going to have to come up with another angle, and she is stumped.

Meanwhile, Finn is trying his best to be helpful and the more time they spend together, well, you know what happens. I have to say the publisher was spot on – this is a really fun read for anyone who enjoys Hallmark movies and the Gilmore Girls. I loved it!

2/2024 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

AS SEEN ON TV by Meredith Schorr. Forever (June 7, 2022). ISBN: 978-1538754764. 352p.

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