Sunshine Valley, Book 1

From the publisher:

From a USA Today bestselling author comes a heartwarming romance about a city girl who finds herself widowed in a quirky small town and the new target of the town’s relentless matchmaking Widows Club.

Head-over-heels in love, Lola Williams gave up everything to marry Randy, including a promising career in New York City. Now, after one year of marriage and one year of widowhood, Lola finds herself stranded in Sunshine, Colorado, reeling from the revelation that Randy had secrets she never could have imagined. She swears she’s done with love forever but the matchmaking ladies of the Sunshine Valley Widows Club have different plans…

Sheriff Drew Taylor also knows what it feels like to be unlucky in love. So when Lola comes to him for help uncovering Randy’s hidden life, Drew finds himself saying yes against his better judgment – especially with the Widows Club eyeing them both. Soon enough, Lola is upending Drew’s peaceful, predictable world…and he kind of likes it! But will this big-city girl ever give her heart to a small-town guy again?

I love finding new authors, and this author was new to me but not for long – I’m going to be reading some of her older books soon. This one was really good.

I always enjoy books set in small towns. I’ve never lived anywhere like that, so I find it interesting. This small town is run by a group of widows and they are matchmakers. Lola and Drew make a great couple, only they don’t know it yet. Lola is a young widow trying to find out more about her husband and Drew is the perfect man to help her.

There are a lot of laughs and some very sweet, poignant moments as well. Sex is more implied than graphic. I couldn’t help but root for these characters to find their happily ever after. Luckily, this is the first book of a series and I am looking forward to the next book for sure!

5/2021 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

CAN’T HURRY LOVE by Melinda Curtis. Forever; Reissue edition (March 31, 2020). ISBN: 978-1538733417. 512 pages.

Kindle

From the publisher:

The Unhoneymooners meets The Hating Game in this witty, clever, and swoonworthy novel following a workaholic marketing manager who is forced to go on a cruise with her arch-nemesis when they’re up for the same promotion.

Between taking night classes for her MBA and her demanding day job at a cruise line, marketing manager Henley Evans barely has time for herself, let alone family, friends, or dating. But when she’s shortlisted for the promotion of her dreams, all her sacrifices finally seem worth it.

The only problem? Graeme Crawford-Collins, the remote social media manager and the bane of her existence, is also up for the position. Although they’ve never met in person, their epic email battles are the stuff of office legend.

Their boss tasks each of them with drafting a proposal on how to boost bookings in the Galápagos—best proposal wins the promotion. There’s just one catch: they have to go on a company cruise to the Galápagos Islands…together. But when the two meet on the ship, Henley is shocked to discover that the real Graeme is nothing like she imagined. As they explore the Islands together, she soon finds the line between loathing and liking thinner than a postcard.

With her career dreams in her sights and a growing attraction to the competition, Henley begins questioning her life choices. Because what’s the point of working all the time if you never actually live?

Perfect for fans of Christina Lauren and Sally Thorne, Shipped is a fresh and engaging rom-com that celebrates the power of second chances and the magic of new beginnings.

I am always excited when I find a new author to add to my ‘must read’ list. The enemies-to-lovers trope is at the forefront of this really cute romance. Although they’ve never actually met, Henley and Graeme really hate each other, all via email. When their boss offers up a chance for promotion, they both want it, even if it means taking a cruise to the Galapagos together. The company wants a new campaign to improve their cruise business and Henley and Graeme have lots of ideas. It’s totally believable and these characters are so well developed, we can’t help but root for them both.

The setting – both the cruise ship and the Galapagos are unusual, exotic, and add another layer to the story. But it’s the chemistry between these two characters that really heat up the novel and totally sucked me in. The secondary characters add a lot of humor as well. Lots of laughs, plenty of charm, and a sizzling hot romance make for a terrific read that actually lives up to its hype. Don’t miss it – I almost did as it got lost in my to-be-read pile, but I am so glad I found it.

5/2021 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

SHIPPED by Angie Hockman. Gallery Books; Reprint edition (January 19, 2021). ISBN: 978-1982151591. 336 pages.

Kindle

Audible

From the publisher:

Public radio co-hosts navigate mixed signals in Rachel Lynn Solomon’s sparkling romantic comedy debut.
 
Shay Goldstein has been a producer at her Seattle public radio station for nearly a decade, and she can’t imagine working anywhere else. But lately it’s been a constant clash between her and her newest colleague, Dominic Yun, who’s fresh off a journalism master’s program and convinced he knows everything about public radio. 
 
When the struggling station needs a new concept, Shay proposes a show that her boss green-lights with excitement. On The Ex Talk, two exes will deliver relationship advice live, on air. Their boss decides Shay and Dominic are the perfect co-hosts, given how much they already despise each other. Neither loves the idea of lying to listeners, but it’s this or unemployment. Their audience gets invested fast, and it’s not long before The Ex Talk becomes a must-listen in Seattle and climbs podcast charts.  
 
As the show gets bigger, so does their deception, especially when Shay and Dominic start to fall for each other. In an industry that values truth, getting caught could mean the end of more than just their careers.

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

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

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

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

5/2021 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

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

Kindle

Audible

BLOG TOUR!

From the publisher:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

5/2021 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

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

Kindle

Audible

From the publisher:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

4/2021 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

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

Kindle

Audible

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

Kindle

Audible

From the publisher:

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

A GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK CLUB PICK

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

4/2021 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

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

Kindle

Audible

From the publisher:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

4/2021 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

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

Kindle

Audible