Contemporary | Stacy Alesi's BookBitch.com™

DO I KNOW YOU? by Emily Wibberley & Austin Siegemund-Broka

January 27, 2023

From the publisher:

One of..
Amazon’s Best Romances of January · Buzzfeed’s Romance Books To Look Out For In 2023

When a couple starts to feel like they’re married to a stranger, a flirtatious game of pretend becomes the spark they need to reignite their relationship.

Eliza and Graham are anticipating an anything-but-sexy, weeklong getaway to celebrate their five-year anniversary. Nestled on the Northern California coastline, the resort prides itself on being a destination for those in love and those looking to find it. For Eliza and Graham, it might as well be a vacation with a roommate.

When a well-meaning guest mistakes Eliza and Graham for being single and introduces them at the hotel bar, they don’t correct him. Suddenly, they’re pretending to be perfect strangers and it’s unexpectedly…fun? Eliza and Graham find themselves flirting like it’s their first date, and waiting with butterflies in their stomach for the other to text back.

Everyone at the retreat can sense the electric chemistry between Eliza and Graham’s alter egos. But when their scintillating game of roleplaying ends, will they still feel the heat?
https://amzn.to/3WKcqwa

This was a very different kind of romance as the main characters are already married. They both love one another, but as they get ready to celebrate their fifth wedding anniversary, they both are feeling the distance between them. When they are gifted with a week-long stay at a beautiful resort, they head out for the long drive.

Graham is a corporate lawyer who enjoys his work. Eliza is an audiobook narrator, an actor, who loves her job. The drive to the resort is fairly quiet and not very comfortable as these two have some serious communication problems. Eliza is hoping that this trip will help with that.

When they arrive, they discover they had accidentally been booked into two different rooms. Graham is shocked when Eliza says they’ll keep both of them. He takes the upgraded luxury suite and she takes the basic hotel room, then they decide to meet up in the bar for happy hour.

Graham is confused, he doesn’t understand why Eliza is doing this but goes along with it. He meets another guest at the hotel. David is there for a singles workshop for the week and provides Graham with a wingman and a new friend. The next thing you know, Graham and Eliza are pretending not to know one another, and a roleplaying game begins.

They spend the week getting to know one another all over again, in hopes they will be able to rekindle their romance. It was refreshing to see a couple who truly love one another work on their marriage without any infidelity or other drama entering their lives. Anyone who has been married for any length of time knows that marriages are not static – they have their ups and downs. It’s the commitment to one another and the love for one another that keeps things going here and I enjoyed seeing them find their way back to one another.

The book alternates chapters between Graham and Eliza, so we always know what the other is thinking. This is not a quick read – it is a long, slow process to get them where they need to be for their happily ever after, and I liked that it wasn’t a quick fix. I enjoyed this book written by a husband and wife writing team, which I thought unusual, especially for a romance. This one gets my recommendation.

1/2023 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

DO I KNOW YOU? by Emily Wibberley & Austin Siegemund-Broka. Berkley (January 24, 2023). ISBN:‎ 978-0593201954. 352p.

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Spotlight Review: EXES AND O’S by Amy Lea

January 17, 2023

The Influencer Series, Book 2

From the publisher:

A romance novel-obsessed social media influencer revisits her exes on her hunt for true love in this romantic comedy from the author of Set On You.

Romance book connoisseur Tara Chen has had her heart broken ten times by ten different men—all of whom dumped her because of her “stage-five clinger” tendencies. Nevertheless, Tara is determined to find The One. The only problem? Classic meet-cutes are dead, thanks to modern dating apps. So Tara decides to revisit her exes in hopes of securing her very own trope-worthy second-chance romance.

Boston firefighter Trevor Metcalfe will be the first to rush into a burning building but the last to rush into a relationship. Love just isn’t his thing. When his new roommate Tara enlists him to help her reconnect with her exes, he reluctantly agrees. But Tara’s journey is leading him to discover his own new chapter.

The more time they spend together, the more Tara realizes Trevor seems to be the only one who appreciates her authentic, dramatic self. To claim their happily ever after, can Tara and Trevor read between the lines of their growing connection?

One of Amazon’s Best Romances of January · A January LibraryReads Pick · One of Buzzfeed’s Romance Books To Look Out For In 2023

“The resulting romance is as sensitive and swoony as it is self-aware, playfully engaging popular romance tropes. This is a winner.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Lea’s follow-up to Set on You (2022) is a hilarious, relatable exploration of life and love, filled to brimming with soft moments, small gestures, and a clear love of the romance genre itself…A comically delightful romance about how the best love stories are found where you least expect them.”—Kirkus (starred review)
https://amzn.to/3QN9OfL

This was my first book from this author, but I will be looking for her first book, Set on You for sure. This one reads fine as a standalone; I didn’t realize it was even part of a series. What this book really is is an homage to the romance genre, and I loved that!

Tara is a romance book YouTube/TikTok influencer. She loves all kinds of romance, and even though her romances haven’t worked out, she is eternally positive that the right “one” is out there, just waiting for her. When her roommate gets engaged, she ends up swapping apartments with the fiance – he moves in, and she moves into his old apartment with his old roommate.

This is one the funniest meet-cutes ever! Tara is moving in while Trevor, her new roommate, is at work – he’s a firefighter and they work opposite shifts. Or so she thinks. Instead, she opens the door to find him banging someone on the kitchen counter. She ends up hiding in the bathroom and once he gets rid of the girl, they talk through the door until she feels like she can comfortably come out. Turns out that Trevor is a bit of a man whore with no interest whatsoever in any kind of relationship. He’s all about the one night stand – something that Tara has never had. As she points out, she doesn’t sleep with a man unless she knows his middle name.

Tara and Trevor are firmly in the friend zone, despite how attracted to him that she is. Tara is still recovering from a bad breakup; she was engaged to a doctor in the hospital where she is a nurse, but he dumps her shortly before the wedding. It’s taken her months to get over it, especially because there is no avoiding him. And of course, he’s already seeing someone else.

One of Tara’s favorite romance tropes is the second chance romance. In fact, her grandmother just got married to her childhood sweetheart, giving Tara the idea that maybe she should revisit her exes and see if anything can be rekindled. Trevor becomes her confidant and wingman, and he stops bringing random women home. They hang out a lot, watch TV and share meals and confidences. She learns about his background and why he is so gun shy of any kind of relationship. He bails her out of one bad date after another, and her feelings for him continue to grow. When he finally admits that he has feelings for her, too, they both find their happy ever after.

This was a really fun, fast, unputdownable and thoroughly enjoyable read. There are a lot of laughs, a bit of heat, and the characters truly come to life on the page. If you love rom-coms, don’t miss this one!

1/2023 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

EXES AND O’S by Amy Lea. Berkley (January 10, 2023). ISBN:‎ 978-0593336595. 400p.

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Spotlight Review: HIGHLY SUSPICIOUS AND UNFAIRLY CUTE by Talia Hibbert

January 10, 2023

From the publisher:

From the New York Times bestselling author of the Brown Sisters trilogy, comes a laugh-out-loud story about a quirky content creator and a clean-cut athlete testing their abilities to survive the great outdoors—and each other.

Bradley Graeme is pretty much perfect. He’s a star football player, manages his OCD well (enough), and comes out on top in all his classes . . . except the ones he shares with his ex-best friend, Celine.

Celine Bangura is conspiracy-theory-obsessed. Social media followers eat up her takes on everything from UFOs to holiday overconsumption—yet, she’s still not cool enough for the popular kids’ table. Which is why Brad abandoned her for the in-crowd years ago. (At least, that’s how Celine sees it.)

These days, there’s nothing between them other than petty insults and academic rivalry. So when Celine signs up for a survival course in the woods, she’s surprised to find Brad right beside her.

Forced to work as a team for the chance to win a grand prize, these two teens must trudge through not just mud and dirt but their messy past. And as this adventure brings them closer together, they begin to remember the good bits of their history. But has too much time passed . . . or just enough to spark a whole new kind of relationship?

“A zippy rom-com with strong characterization, bursting with Gen Z–approved verbal sparring and stolen kisses.” —Kirkus Reviews

“A great addition to any library’s YA shelves, especially where there’s a gap in the collection for love stories featuring Black teens.”—David Roberts, School Library Journal
https://amzn.to/3ZepM6q

I loved all of Hibbert’s books, so when this book start showing up on all the “2023 romances not to be missed” lists, I was all in. This book is firmly set in young adult (YA) territory, not something I read very often. I haven’t been a YA for more years than I care to think about! But my love for this author won out, and I’m very glad I read it.

Celine and Brad are our main protagonists in this friends-to-enemies-to-lovers romance. And they happen to be Black, and both have some mental health issues. Brad has been struggling with OCD but through therapy has learned how to manage it. For the most part. Celine has some self-esteem issues, yet comes across as really full of herself, the know-it-all of the school. Luckily, her grades reflect that, but deep inside she knows she’s different, and not necessarily in a good way.

Their mothers are best friends, and Celine and Brad were as well until they got to high school. Football (soccer) star Brad becomes one of the most popular kids, and Celine feels like he is leaving her behind. They are either ignoring one another or sniping at one another, there is no in-between with them. Until they both apply for this very prestigious scholarship program.

Brad wants the scholarship because that will give him the freedom to live on his own, without having to deal with a roommate. His OCD is best managed when he doesn’t have to deal with other people’s messes. Celine wants the scholarship because one of the sponsors is the law firm where the father who abandoned her works, and she wants to rub his face in her success.

This scholarship competition involves two camping trips where all the students will be constantly observed and graded on their teamwork and leadership skills. The top three scores win full rides to the college of their choice. And just having gone through the process – it is limited to only 20 participants – can give these students a formidable leg up, both in their college choices and careers that lie ahead. But both Celine and Brad know that sniping at each other is going to cause them both to lose, so a truce is declared. As they work together, they both start remembering why they were such good friends and eventually, their fake friendship becomes real again. And then it becomes something more.

I am no judge as to what teens or 20-somethings like in a book, so all I can say is that I loved it. The story was completely absorbing, and I couldn’t help but care about Celine and Brad. I wanted them to find their happy ending, even though they were so young and still had their whole lives ahead of them. It all rang true to me, especially the way they both struggled to find the courage to say “I love you.” I met my husband when I was 17, and he was 19, and here we are 40+ years later, so I believe that you can find your person at any age if you’re lucky!

1/2023 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

HIGHLY SUSPICIOUS AND UNFAIRLY CUTE by Talia Hibbert. Joy Revolution (January 3, 2023). ISBN:‎ 978-0593482353. 336p.

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JUST LIKE MAGIC by Sarah Hogle

December 16, 2022

From the publisher:

The holidays were never her thing, until she accidentally conjures the Holiday Spirit…before her very eyes.

Bettie Hughes once knew the comfort of luxury, flaunting a collection of designer purses and an enviable dream home in Hawaii. That was before she lost all her money. Long obsessed with her public image, Bettie boasts an extravagant lifestyle on social media. But the reality is Bettie is broke and squatting in Colorado, and her family has no idea.

Christmas, with its pressure to meet familial expectations, is looming when Bettie plays a vinyl record of “All I Want for Christmas Is You” backward and accidentally conjures up Hall, the Holiday Spirit, in the form of a charming and handsome (if offbeat) man. Once the shock wears off, Bettie knows she’s stumbled upon the greatest gift: a chance to make all her holiday wishes come true, plus a ready-made fiancé.

But as some of Bettie’s wishes lose their charm, she finds herself thrown off-kilter by Hall’s sweet nature. Suddenly, grumpy Bettie is finding her heart merry and light. But the happier she gets, the shorter Hall’s time on earth grows. Can Bettie channel the Christmas spirit and learn to live with goodwill toward all men? Or will her selfish ways return as soon as the holidays are over?

One of PopSugar‘s Best Books of 2022
One of Country Living’s Best Christmas Romances 2022
One of PopSugar’s Best New Holiday Romances 2022
One of Buzzfeed’s Best Romance Novels 2022
https://amzn.to/3PxfYA4

If you can’t have a bit of magic at the holidays, when can you? Hall is some sort of spirit, the Holiday Spirit to be exact, come to earth in beautiful male human form to help Bettie get her holiday spirit back. She measures less than 2 on the holiday spirit scale, and he needs to get her back up towards 10 again. Unfortunately, I didn’t like Bettie so I didn’t really care if she had holiday spirit or not.

But don’t worry! Bettie learns to be a better person because of Hall, but I had to slog through almost half of the book before I started enjoying it. Honestly, the only reason I didn’t put it down was because Caitlin (a former reviewer here) recommended it. She also warned me it was slow going in the beginning, but because I read on a Kindle, and the Kindle provides stats as you go, it wasn’t until I had read 44% of the book that I started to like it. By the end, I understood why so many people are raving about it.

Bettie comes from a family of super successful people, starting with her grandmother, a retired movie star, and her namesake. Bettie is a social media influencer with millions of followers. She was also super successful until most of her money was blown by her crazy, out-of-control spending and the rest stolen by the people around her. She is pretty much flat broke, homeless, and feeling vindictive. She is squatting in a house where the owner had died several months earlier. She keeps waiting for someone to show up and kick her out, but her luck is holding.

When she accidentally spills something on Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas” record and plays it backwards, Hall appears, her Holiday Spirit guide, if you will. She can ask him for anything and if she adds the magic words, “make my wish come true” he has to do it. Within reason. Apparently, there is “legislation” regarding holiday spirits that involve all sorts of rules. Nonetheless, he helps her get revenge on some people, conjures her up her own home, and goes with her as her fiancé to her family home for Christmas. She is wearing Elizabeth Taylor’s engagement ring, since she wished for it.

As Bettie and Hall spend time together and she sees how is able to charm her entire family of self-centered miscreants, Bettie’s own behavior starts changing for the better. Actually, her whole family is changing because of Hall. Bettie is full of the holiday spirit by Christmas Eve, and sometime during the night Hall disappears. His work here is done – except there are so many more things he wants to try, human/Earth-type things, and he really misses Bettie, and she really misses him.

There is some magic involved in getting Bettie & Hall to their happy ending. I loved the second half of the book enough to recommend it. If you like some holiday magic in your romance, this is the book for you.

12/2022 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

JUST LIKE MAGIC by Sarah Hogle. G.P. Putnam’s Sons (October 4, 2022). ISBN:‎ 978-0593539859. 368p.

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Spotlight Review: THE CHRISTMAS Wish by Lindsey Kelk

December 13, 2022

From the publisher:

Can a little Christmas magic mend a broken heart?

Newly single lawyer Gwen Baker is hoping that a family Christmas―countryside, a mountain of food and festive films―will salve the sting of her career hanging by a thread and her heart being trampled on. Because everyone else has their life sorted: even Dev, her boy-next-door crush, is now a tall, dark and handsome stranger with a fiancée. She can’t help wishing her future was clearer.

Then Gwen wakes up to discover it’s Christmas day all over again. Like Groundhog Day but with eggnog. And family arguments. On repeat.

As she figures out how to escape her own particular Christmas hell, Dev is the one bright spot. He might be all grown-up but underneath he’s just as kind and funny as she remembers.

Maybe, just maybe, her heart can be mended after all.

But how do you fall in love with someone who can’t remember you from one day to the next?
https://amzn.to/3hb7YrK

Groundhog Day is one of my favorite movies; we watch it every February! So I was happy and a tiny bit scared to read this Christmas version. What if I hated it?? But I am happy to say that I worried for nothing. I loved this book!

This is a very British romcom, full of quirky characters, foods I had to look up (Hobnob is a cookie, I learned,) and a wonderful family that celebrates Christmas together every year, despite the fights and feuds. Gwen is the youngest daughter and as such, has always felt competitive with her older sister, Cerys. Cerys is beautiful, a lawyer like their father. and married to a misogynistic man. Gwen is also a lawyer, working for one of the top law firms in London, making her father very proud. Except she hates her job, and after a client put his hands on her, she clocked him and ended up basically suspended for two weeks. Her boyfriend of a few years just dumped her after admitting to having an affair with his receptionist, so Gwen is struggling, to say the least.

Christmas is always hectic at home, but one crazy thing after another happens, and when Gwen wakes up the next day, she is shocked to find out it is Christmas day. Again. And it keeps happening. Gwen is convinced that one of the family made a Christmas wish on the sixpence her mother baked into the Christmas pudding, but no one is admitting to getting it. She decides the only way to get out of this time loop is to make sure everyone’s wishes come true.

The only bright spot in all of this is that in trying to find out their wishes, Gwen also learns a lot about her family. Plus all the craziness is laugh-out-loud funny. It also gives Gwen time to reconnect with Dev, the boy next door that she had a massive crush on all through high school. They lost touch and hadn’t seen one another in about ten years. Rumor has it that he’s engaged, so Gwen is determined to keep her distance and not be the other woman, but it’s not going to be easy.

This book is such a fun read that I don’t want to give anything away. If you are looking for a Christmas romance that will have you laughing and smiling all the way through it, then this is the book for you. It certainly was for me – I loved it!

12/2022 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

THE CHRISTMAS Wish by Lindsey Kelk. HarperFiction (November 15, 2022). ISBN:‎ 978-0008544645. 352p.

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A CALIFORNIA CHRISTMAS by Brenda Novak

December 9, 2022

Silver Springs, Book 7

From the publisher:

Spend the holidays in Silver Springs, where the greatest gift of all is the love you never expected.

Up-and-coming TV anchor Emery Bliss can’t imagine anything more humiliating than the sex tape her ex revenge-posted online. That is, until it causes her to lose her job on top of her self-esteem. Seeking solace—and anonymity—in Silver Springs, Emery isn’t looking to get involved with another man any time soon. But when she’s thrown back into contact with Dallas Turner, she sees something that his many detractors have missed.

Being home for the holidays and his adoptive mother’s wedding isn’t where mountain climber Dallas feels most comfortable. Thanks to his troubled childhood, he’d rather be on a rock face alone than trying to connect with people. Emery, however, makes him want to overcome his past…somehow.

Both Emery and Dallas had been planning on a quiet, solitary Christmas, but the sparks between them are lighting a fire strong enough to last—possibly forever.
https://amzn.to/3W5sd9b

With this book, I think I am all caught up on this series, which is good, but also makes me sad. Hopefully, there will be more – I’m not ready to leave Silver Springs behind.

Emery’s co-anchor and boyfriend doesn’t react very well when she dumps him for being a controlling jerk. He has a secret sex tape with her that he releases online – revenge porn, especially difficult for someone in the public eye. Emery is devastated that he could do something like that to her, but he denies it. Instead, he blames his housemate. But he would have no reason to tape them (he’s gay) or leak the tape, but there’s really nothing to be done.

Then things go from bad to worse when she is fired from the TV station where she thought she would be launching her career. The boyfriend gets fired, too, but then rehired a short time later. Emery is livid and eventually hires a lawyer to sue the station for wrongful termination. Meanwhile, she goes home to Silver Springs for some solitude while she considers her next move.

Dallas is a world-renowned mountain climber, taking risks that most people don’t. He has been climbing for years, but finally has a sponsor, so the money is pouring in now. He goes home for Christmas, to the New Horizons school that his mom runs. He was one of the troubled boys she adopted, and he feels honored to help her out by teaching the boys to climb.

When Dallas and Emery meet up, the chemistry is palpable, but she doesn’t know what her future will bring, and he is bound to be alone, climbing his mountains. They have a lot to conquer to find their happy ending, but in Novak’s hands, a happy ending is guaranteed. Another terrific holiday romance from one of my favorite authors!

Silver Springs series in order:

12/2022 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

A CALIFORNIA CHRISTMAS by Brenda Novak. MIRA; Original edition (October 13, 2020). ISBN:‎ 978-0778310129. 368p.

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KEEP ME WARM AT CHRISTMAS by Brenda Novak

December 9, 2022

Silver Springs, Book 10

From the publisher:

Maybe this Christmas can thaw his frozen heart—and heal hers.

Hollywood starlet Tia Beckett knows one moment can change your life. Her career had been on the fast track before a near-fatal accident left her with a debilitating facial scar. Certain her A-lister dreams are over, she agrees to house-sit at her producer’s secluded estate in Silver Springs. It’s the escape from the limelight Tia’s been craving, until she discovers she’s not the only houseguest for the holidays. And her handsome new roomie is impossible to ignore.

Artist Seth Turner has good reason to keep his distance. Losing his wife after only a few years of marriage has left a deep scar, even if he is still happy to spend a semester teaching art classes at the New Horizons Boys Ranch for troubled teens. Despite nursing her own wounds, Tia finds her curiosity piqued by enigmatic Seth, whom she recognizes as something of a kindred soul. Maybe spending Christmas together could be another game changer for both of them—this time, for good.
https://amzn.to/3Hlf2Nk

I love Brenda Novak and I love this series, and somehow I missed this book! If I haven’t read it, it’s new to me and I’m always happy to find a new book to love! In a way, I feel lucky that I missed this when it came out, because this season I get to read THREE Brenda Novak Christmas romances! I started with Christmas in Silver Springs, now this one, and up next, A California Christmas. Life is good!

Seth and Tia are two scarred individuals; both have emotional scars, but Tia’s stems from a horrific car accident that has left her with bad scarring on half her face. That would make anyone unhappy, but Tia is an actress who recently had her first big break, a starring role in a movie that is generating lots of Oscar buzz. But with her looks gone, she knows her career is over, almost before it started. She is being hounded by the paparazzi, all gunning for a picture of her damaged face, so when the producer of her film offers up his home in Silver Springs if she would agree to water the plants and take care of his bird, she jumps at the chance to hide. And off she goes.

Seth grew up with some serious issues, and that landed him at New Horizons, a school for troubled boys where the owner eventually adopts him. He becomes one of eight boys that she has adopted, all troubled, and she gives them the love and guidance that was lacking in their lives. Turns out Seth has a real talent for art, and his career takes off when he is a young man. He married the love of his life, but a few years later, she dies, leaving him bereft. It’s been a few years, but he is still married in his heart, certain he will never meet anyone else, and nor does he want to.

Tia and Seth recognize the trauma they each have faced and eventually form a tentative, somewhat friendly relationship. And then it becomes more. But can they both overcome their tragedies and find a future together? At Christmastime, anything is possible!

I loved these characters and it is always a joy to be back in Silver Springs. These books stand alone pretty well, but I think maybe start with the first one to get the backstory, then move on to any of the others. I have been jumping around and still have another one to go, but I have loved all of these books. If you like romances with some substance, then this series is perfect for you. It was for me.

Silver Springs series in order:

11/2022 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

KEEP ME WARM AT CHRISTMAS by Brenda Novak. MIRA; Original edition (September 28, 2021). ISBN:‎ 978-0778311256. 416p.

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SHIP WRECKED by Olivia Dade

December 9, 2022

From the publisher:

After All the Feels and Spoiler Alert, Olivia Dade once again delivers a warm and wonderful romantic comedy about two co-stars who once had an incredible one-night stand—and after years of filming on the same remote island, are finally ready to yield to temptation again…

Maria’s one-night-stand—the thick-thighed, sexy Viking of a man she left without a word or a note—just reappeared. Apparently, Peter’s her surly Gods of the Gates co-star, and they’re about to spend the next six years filming on a desolate Irish island together. She still wants him…but he now wants nothing to do with her.

Peter knows this role could finally transform him from a forgettable character actor into a leading man. He also knows a failed relationship with Maria could poison the set, and he won’t sabotage his career for a woman who’s already walked away from him once. Given time, maybe they can be cooperative colleagues or friends—possibly even best friends—but not lovers again. No matter how much he aches for her.

For years, they don’t touch off-camera. But on their last night of filming, their mutual restraint finally shatters, and all their pent-up desire explodes into renewed passion. Too bad they still don’t have a future together, since Peter’s going back to Hollywood, while Maria’s returning to her native Sweden. She thinks she needs more than he can give her, but he’s determined to change her mind, and he’s spent the last six years waiting. Watching. Wanting.

His shipwrecked Swede doesn’t stand a chance.

“a smart, stellar contemporary… A banger of a finish, and an absolute joy.” — New York Times Book Review

“a sexy, funny, heartwarming enemies-to-friends-to-lovers romance… The story pulls readers in with well-developed, likable characters, and an unputdownable plot.” — Library Journal (starred review)

“Dade returns with another superbly entertaining, boldly sensual love story that unabashedly champions body positivity and delivers a cast of unforgettable characters, including a heroine who knows her own self-worth and isn’t afraid to fight for what she wants in life. Combine this with wit-infused writing and some love scenes hot enough to keep any Viking couple warm during those cold winter nights, and the result is another impactful romantic triumph from Dade.” — Booklist
https://amzn.to/3Vdm8rf

Can a career-driven man make room in his heart and home for a woman who may be stronger than he is? Why yes, yes he can, only the timing has to be just right. Peter and Maria meet one night in a sauna and the attraction is undeniable. They end up in bed together, but when Peter wakes up the next morning, Maria is gone. She didn’t leave a note, he doesn’t even know her last name or why she even left. He really wanted to see more of her, but that ship has sailed. Until he goes to audition for a leading role in a hit Game of Thrones type series.

Peter lands the part and his co-star and love interest is none other than Maria. Both of these characters describe themselves as tall and fat, so they are surprised the network is going with them. Maria is smart enough to know that she needs safeguards in her contract to prevent the studio from forcing her to lose weight, and when that does come up moving into the second season, she stands her ground. Peter, on the other hand, is willing to do whatever the studio wants to keep his job. Luckily for him, Maria prevails.

Since they are working so closely together on a deserted island off of Ireland, with a small crew, for a six-year gig, they form a friendship. Peter is so career-focused that he knows he has to keep his hands off Maria, as much as he wants her because it could ruin the TV show. But on the last night of filming, he makes his move. Being best friends throughout the six years of the series was great, but once the sex becomes part of their relationship, you know these two are going to be happy forever. Except…

Maria moves into Peter’s home in an exclusive part of Los Angeles. But when he is offered the lead on a CSI-type show, he accepts, even though it will mean he will be away from Maria for months on end for the three years of his contract. She is smart and strong enough to know that she will not be happy under those circumstances, so she leaves him and goes back home to Sweden to spend time with her very close-knit family.

That should be the end of things, but of course, it isn’t – this is a romance, after all! And it’s a really good one with well-developed characters who learn and grow and eventually find their happy ending, but not before there is a lot of angst, laughs, and some steamy sex. Dade delivers another terrific romance that is in a class by itself; the lovers-to-enemies-to-friends-to-lovers romance. Don’t miss it!

12/2022 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

SHIP WRECKED by Olivia Dade. Avon (November 15, 2022). ISBN:‎ 978-0063215870. 416p.

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Spotlight Review: WELL TRAVELED by Jen DeLuca

December 6, 2022

Well Met, Book 4

From the publisher:

One of Amazon’s Best Romances of December
An Indie Next Pick
A December LibraryReads Pick

The Renaissance Faire is on the move, and Lulu and Dex are along for the ride, in the next utterly charming rom-com from Jen DeLuca.

A high-powered attorney from a success-oriented family, Louisa “Lulu” Malone lives to work, and everything seems to be going right, until the day she realizes it’s all wrong. Lulu’s cousin Mitch introduced her to the world of Renaissance Faires, and when she spies one at a time just when she needs an escape, she leaps into the welcoming environment of turkey legs, taverns, and tarot readers. The only drawback? Dex MacLean: a guitarist with a killer smile, the Casanova of the Faire… and her traveling companion for the summer.

Dex has never had to work for much in his life, and why should he? Touring with his brothers as The Dueling Kilts is going great, and he always finds a woman at every Faire. But when Lulu proves indifferent to his many plaid charms and a shake-up threatens the fate of the band, Dex must confront something he never has before: his future.

Forced to spend days and nights together on the road, Lulu’s interest in the kilted bad boy grows as he shows her a side of himself no one else has seen. The stresses of her old lifestyle fade away as she learns to trust her intuition and follow her heart instead of her head. But when her time on the road is over, will Lulu go with her gut, or are she and Dex destined for separate paths?
https://amzn.to/3VxcKi5

This is one of my favorite series, and it’s not because I love Renaissance Faires; in fact, I’ve never been to one. I used to know a guy who worked in one, traveling all over the west coast for a few years, until he got a real job. And I love the Gilmore Girls, and there is a RenFaire connection there (which I just rewatched for the hundredth time!) But honestly, I give all the credit for my delight in RenFaires to the author, Jen DeLuca. While I probably still won’t go to one, I love her books that are set there.

Louisa is an attorney who has been busting her butt to make partner for five years now. She has watched one white guy after another, usually with way less experience than she has, move up the ladder. One of the founding partners is a woman, but the one case she worked on with her didn’t lead anywhere. She is sent to North Carolina to take a deposition and her boss is driving her crazy for this interview that really won’t have any bearing on the case. She has a day to kill and there is a Renaissance Faire in town. Her cousin runs the one in the small town in Maryland where she lives, so she is familiar.

At her wit’s end after several phone calls from her boss, she finally confronts him and he admits that they are promoting a guy who has half the experience she has. She quits her job and hangs up on her boss. Infuriated, she ends up throwing her phone into a tub of water where the “laundry girls” are working, one of the shows at the RenFaire. Stacey happens to be there, and Louisa knows her from her cousin’s RenFaire. Stacey gives her the hug she needs and suggests she take some time off from the real world, and hang with her at the Faire. Louisa agrees, and her life changes immediately.

For one thing, she doesn’t have a phone. She is unplugged and off the grid, and finds she likes hanging with Stacey, her boyfriend and all their friends. Except for Dex. He is a musician with the Dueling Kilts and hooks up with a new girl at every faire. Everyone warns her away from him. But once he gets the message that she’s not going to be one of his girls, he finds that he likes just hanging out and talking with her. And she likes hanging out with him.

Dex and Lulu, the nickname she is known by her family, become friends. And then they become more than friends. But when a fantastic job offer falls into her lap, she knows that it is time to go. She can’t ask Dex to leave the Faire, and she can’t keep traveling with them. But because this is a romance, and DeLuca is so good at this, with some angst and a twist, they do get their happy ending.

I don’t think these books need to be read in order, they all stand alone. But you get to know these characters and they overlap throughout the series, making it a bit more fun for the reader who has read them all. That said, you can easily start here and if you love this as much as I did, you can go back and read the rest.

The series in order:

1. Well Met

2. Well Played

3. Well Matched

4. Well Traveled

12/2022 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

WELL TRAVELED by Jen DeLuca. Berkley (December 6, 2022). ISBN:‎ 978-0593200469. 336p.

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MARRYING THE KETCHUPS by Jennifer Close

December 2, 2022

From the publisher:

An irresistible comedy of manners about three generations of a Chicago restaurant family and the deep-fried, beer-battered, cream cheese-frosted love that feeds them all—from the best-selling author of Girls in White Dresses

Here are the three things the Sullivan family knows to be true: the Chicago Cubs will always be the underdogs; historical progress is inevitable; and their grandfather, Bud, founder of JP Sullivan’s, will always make the best burgers in Oak Park. But when, over the course of three strange months, the Cubs win the World Series, Trump is elected president, and Bud drops dead, suddenly everyone in the family finds themselves doubting all they hold dear.

Take Gretchen for example, lead singer for a ’90s cover band who has been flirting with fame for a decade but is beginning to wonder if she’s too old to be chasing a childish dream. Or Jane, Gretchen’s older sister, who is starting to suspect that her fitness-obsessed husband who hides the screen of his phone isn’t always “working late.” And then there’s Teddy, their steadfast, unfailingly good cousin, nursing heartbreak and confusion because the guy who dumped him keeps showing up for lunch at JP Sullivan’s where Teddy is the manager. How can any of them be expected to make the right decisions when the world feels sideways—and the bartender at JP Sullivan’s makes such strong cocktails?

Outrageously funny and wickedly astute, Marrying the Ketchups is a delicious confection by one of our most beloved authors.

“Close…drops readers smack into Oak Park, a leafy Chicago suburb, and lets them hear the hiss of fryers hitting hot oil and catch an ice-cold Old Style sliding across the bar… Close lets each character’s unique personality shine. Fans of Tracey Lange’s We Are the Brennans and Taylor Jenkins Reid’s Malibu Rising will fall in love with these maddening, loving, stubborn relatives. Setting nostalgia against progress, tradition against rebirth, Close outlines the cousins’ grief and personal growth as they work with, and against, one another.” —Booklist, starred review

“[An] amusing, engaging novel about life, death, and the restorative power of a grilled cheese sandwich… Well-drawn characters always keep you interested in what happens next. Close navigates their entanglements and dissolutions with wry humor: She understands the difficulties and distractions of modern romance. As Jane, Gretchen, and Teddy struggle to find their footing, the close-knit Oak Park neighborhood is changing, too. But is that so terrible? Like marrying the ketchups, a long-standing kitchen task now deemed unsanitary, traditions can adapt to a new world order. Just like the Sullivans. An entertaining family story with realistic, interesting characters.” —Kirkus
https://amzn.to/3FqJbtt

I’ve had this book for quite a while (it came out in April) and it’s another that was lost on my Kindle. Then two good friends recommended it so I dug it up. I struggled with this book, it took me about a week to get through it, and when I turned the last page, my first thought was “what a stupid book.” I’m sorry, but that’s my truth.

There are a lot of characters, none of which is a main character or protagonist as a few vie for that title. The big events that define the book – the Cubs winning the World Series, Trump getting elected, and the family patriarch dying, are really on the periphery of this story. The Sullivan family owns a bar/restaurant and that is the thing that ties them together. I just never felt invested in these characters or their lives, and without that, I struggled.

This is literary fiction, and the writing is fine if not a bit dull, and the story is definitely character driven without a whole lot of plot. I wasn’t always a fan of the choices these characters made and I never really felt like I got to know these people. There are some funny moments, which were enjoyable. And for readers who don’t understand the title reference, for years restaurants that served (usually) Heinz ketchup via a bottle on the table, would, at the end of the day, combine half empty bottles and refill the rest so they would have full bottles on every table. Apparently, this is not the most sanitary practice, so I’m not sure if restaurants still do that or not.

Regular readers of this site know that I struggle with negative reviews. I’ve reached the point in my life where if I hate a book, I put it down and don’t finish it or review it. I didn’t hate this book, it just felt mediocre to me. All in all, not my favorite.

11/2022 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

MARRYING THE KETCHUPS by Jennifer Close. Knopf (April 26, 2022). ISBN:‎ 978-0525658870. 320p.

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