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SNOWED IN FOR CHRISTMAS by Jaqueline Snowe

November 10, 2023

From the publisher:

Fans of Christina Lauren and Maggie Knox will adore this fun and festive romcom featuring a grumpy/sunshine duo who find themselves stuck together over the holidays, where the weather outside is frightful—but inside, things are heating up in this sexy holiday story.

Sorority mom Becca Fairfield is used to guys not taking her seriously. She’s too blond, too quirky, or Just. Too. Much. So she’s ditched dating to focus on her job and a house filled with drama and plenty of tea. Now with the holidays and a major blizzard on her doorstep, Becca has everything she needs to survive the next two weeks on her own. Hot cocoa, plenty of books . . . and the memory of a steamy kiss with a certain sexy, grumposaurus next-door neighbor to keep her warm.

Only Becca’s seriously underestimated this Snowpocalypse. So when the power goes out and Harrison Cooper—football coach, master crank, and the guy who acted mega-awkward after said steamy kiss—offers her shelter, it only makes sense to accept. They’ll just be Blizzard Buddies. Hang out, stay safe, and maybe indulge in a little R-rated cuddling. Becca knows that Harrison isn’t the dating kind, and what happens during the storm lasts only as long as the storm. But are they keeping warm . . . or playing with fire?

“A superbly satisfying holiday romance with lots of witty banter, adorable protagonists, and expertly choreographed romantic moments.”―Booklist

“Snowe’s grumpy/sunshine pairing delves beyond stereotypes and offers up a sweet story of growth and understanding, interspersed with plenty of hot moments.”―Library Journal
https://amzn.to/3ucfGYE

This is such a fun holiday read! Becca is a house mother in a sorority house, and she loves her job, the girls, and all the peccadillos they get into. She doesn’t have much of a social life since her date with the coach next door. It was a great date followed by a great kiss, and then he ghosted her – not easy to do since he lives a few yards away. Nonetheless, they haven’t spoken since that night.

As the holidays draw near, the girls are all packed up and heading home for the holidays. Becca is staying and keeping things in order at the sorority house, except a blizzard is heading their way. When Harrison, the coach next door, offers her shelter in the storm, Becca gratefully accepts. They lose power almost immediately, but Harrison has cut up enough wood to see them through the storm if they huddle in front of the fireplace.

As they spend more time together, their attraction comes rearing back. Becca is scared of getting hurt again, but eventually, they talk about what happened and why, and decide to be “blizzard buddies” and have some fun during the storm. Afterward, everyone will go back to their neutral corners. But best laid plans and all that lead to a very happy ending, and make this a super fun, sexy Christmas read. Snowe is turning into an author not to be missed!

11/2023 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

SNOWED IN FOR CHRISTMAS by Jaqueline Snowe. Forever (October 3, 2023). ISBN: 978-1538739815. 336p.

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LET’S GET QUIZZICAL by Kelly Ohlert

November 3, 2023

From the publisher:

For fans of Lyssa Kay Adams and Jen DeLuca comes this fresh, funny take on second chances that proves love is anything but trivial.

For family-focused Charlotte, the chance to compete on her favorite trivia game show is a dream come true—the prize money could ensure the best care for her aging grandmother. But when she arrives on set, who does she see among the other contestants? Eli, her high school first love, at least until their shattering breakup. He has his own reasons for competing, not least of which is the stress of multiple jobs, college courses, and a father who has had multiple run-ins with the law.

When the casting department pairs them on a team, both Charlotte and Eli are determined to grit their teeth and make the best of it. That’s easier said than done, of course, and before long a national audience is breathlessly watching them bicker and air years-old grudges. Far from being angry, the program’s producers are ecstatic—the ratings are positively soaring.

As they compete together over several episodes of the show, Charlotte and Eli begin to suspect that old wounds might actually heal. Touring L.A. in their free time has given them the opportunity to get to know each other again—and reawakened feelings that are hard to resist. Until the show’s producers throw a wrench in their hopeful plans that will compromise everything Charlotte and Eli have worked so hard for.

Kelly Ohlert’s warm, witty second novel proves that the best thing to know is always your own heart.

“A whip-smart second-chance romance . . . Readers will be hooked.” —Publishers Weekly

“[A] clever and charming second-chance romance . . . Perfect for fans of rom-coms looking for a story with lots of heart and fun.” —Library Journal
https://amzn.to/3QD87TS

This author was new to me, but I can’t help picking up any book based on the trivia game show world. I’m a lifelong Jeopardy! fan, so I was all in. Unfortunately – or maybe fortunately for the plot of this book – the game show here is a world away from my beloved favorite.

Charlotte and Eli were high school sweethearts, but he ghosted her and she never knew why. He broke her heart, and even though many years have passed, she’s never felt anything like that for anyone else. Her family moved an hour away from the town where she went to school, and life went on.

Charlotte grew up with her parents and was especially close with her grandmother, a single mother when that was really looked down upon. The missing grandfather turned out to have a wife and another family, so when he learned about the baby, he chose the family he already had. This affected Charlotte’s grandmother throughout her life, and the lives of her family as well. She was all about honesty to a fault; no white lies, no prevaricating of any kind. It’s not as easy as one would assume to be 100% honest all the time.

The other thing Charlotte enjoyed with her family was watching the Game Show channel, with trivia games a family favorite. Charlotte had applied to be a contestant, but as the months passed by, she gave up on her dream. Until she got the phone call.

The way this trivia game works is that there are six competitors in a speed round. The last two left standing form a partnership, and compete each week with the latest partners until they lose.

Eli is still living with his father, who has spent most of his life in and out of prison. They are barely holding on with his father working two jobs and Eli working as a personal trainer. They are one major catastrophe away from losing their home or their cars and well, everything. So when Eli gets the call to be on the gameshow, he is hoping he wins enough money to put a new roof on the house and maybe allow his father to cut back to one job.

Of course, Eli and Charlotte are on the same game show and yes, the last two standing. They form a partnership to compete for the money. Unfortunately, when Charlotte sees him, she sees red. Their obvious connection and her dislike of her new partner are great for ratings, which the show desperately needs or it will be canceled. The producer is a slimeball and sees the potential here, especially as Eli and Charlotte move ahead in the game and it appears in their relationship. He offers them a deal; he will provide the answers and they can keep winning, thus helping the ratings and possibly securing him the emcee job. Charlotte is furious, but Eli is tempted – he really needs the money. But he won’t disappoint Charlotte again, so they both refuse.

Things get complicated after that, but as Eli and Charlotte get closer, she is able to finally forgive him for their bad breakup. But what she doesn’t know is that the producer has blackmailed Eli into taking the answers; he threatens to have Eli’s father put back in jail while he’s still on probation. And he follows through.

This is a second-chance romance with an enemies-to-lovers trope, and I enjoyed it. I hated the intimation that cheating is still going on in the game show world, but I am secure in the knowledge that Jeopardy! is not part of that world. This book had some laughs and some drama for sure, but what I think I enjoyed most was seeing the growth of these characters, especially Eli. And I loved all the trivia sprinkled throughout.

11/2023 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

LET’S GET QUIZZICAL by Kelly Ohlert. Alcove Press (October 17, 2023). ISBN: 978-1639105052. 288p.

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EVERY DAY IS CHRISTMAS by Karen Schaler

October 13, 2023

A Heartwarming, Feel Good Christmas Romance Novel

From the publisher:

From Karen Schaler, the Emmy Award-winning writer of Christmas movies for Hallmark, Netflix, and Lifetime, and beloved Christmas romance novels, comes this powerful new Christmas romance for 2023, a heartfelt holiday love story about second chances and believing anything is possible at Christmas…

A shrewd money manager at the top of her game, Alexis Taylor is a proud workaholic who “humbugs” Christmas and love. The only holiday tradition Alexis embraces is always breaking up with her boyfriends right before Christmas.

But this Christmas, everything changes when Alexis gets a holiday visit of a lifetime. As Alexis’s past, present, and future collide, she’s forced to risk the one thing money can’t buy…her heart.

Inspired by Karen Schaler’s treasured Christmas movie Every Day is Christmas, this heartwarming Christmas romance about redemption, forgiveness, family, and second chances is written with Karen’s signature warmth and humor, celebrating the power of true love and Christmas miracles.

Bonus Content: Includes exclusive Christmas recipes, holiday activities, and pictures from the movie set.
https://amzn.to/46jZgvB

I am completely in awe of Schaler – she has written many, many Christmas movies for Hallmark, Lifetime, Netflix and I don’t know where else, and given them new life as novels. I never saw this movie (it was on Lifetime,) so I can’t compare, but I enjoyed the book.

This story is based on Dicken’s A Christmas Carol, but brought firmly into the 21st century. Our Scrooge is Alexis Taylor, a self-made millionaire who owns and runs her eponymously named finance company. By any standard, she is uber-wealthy and successful. She owns her own office building, with her company occupying the top floor, in one of Atlanta’s most prestigious neighborhoods, and lives in the penthouse apartment of a very fancy building. What she doesn’t have is family – her parents were killed in an accident on Christmas Eve, twenty years earlier. She’s been on her own ever since.

When Alexis lost her parents, she lost everything – they died in debt, and she had to sell everything they owned to pay it off. It also put her own very expensive Ivy League education on hold. Eventually, she went to community college and worked her way through before starting her own company. Now she has everything she has ever wanted. Or so she thinks.

When Alexis gets her year-end report, she sees that they did not meet their goals for the year. She immediately walks into the unauthorized Christmas party her staff is having and lets them all know they need to get back to work immediately, and to plan on working Christmas day through the new year – no time off for anyone. Then, she rescinds all their year-end bonuses.

Alexis has very few people in her life that she can count on. Her driver, Justin, has been with her for many years and has always been kind and supportive of her. Her COO, Jeff, is the same – and he’s the one who keeps the staff working there, despite her wicked witch energy. And after she cancels Christmas for her staff, she realizes it is time to break up with her boyfriend.

Alexis is beautiful but so anti-Christmas that the minute a boyfriend brings it up, they are history. This latest one seems to actually get it. Instead of trying to persuade her to love Christmas, he plans a vacation to Bali, where he plans to propose. But Alexis isn’t aware of the proposal, and she has to let him know she isn’t going on any vacation but rather working through Christmas. She also dumps him, as is her custom.

The Ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future are her parents, a really interesting choice. As Alexis learns about her life and how hollow it truly is, she realizes that she must make drastic changes. Immediately.

The romance is here, but I don’t want to spoil it. My only complaint was the many paragraphs of lyrics of very popular, often classic, Christmas songs – it just felt like page filler. Other than “O Christmas Tree” AKA “O Tannebaum” – I learned that there are lots of different lyrics to that song. I had no idea! (Wikipedia lists several versions if you’re curious.) This is a fast, fun holiday read, as are all of Schaler’s books. This one had me laughing out loud and crying now and then – perfect Christmas fodder. 🎄

10/2023 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

EVERY DAY IS CHRISTMAS by Karen Schaler. Hawktale Publishing (October 10, 2023). ISBN: 979-8988543510. 314p.

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THE WAKE-UP CALL by Beth O’Leary

October 6, 2023

From the publisher:

Two hotel receptionists—and arch-rivals—find a collection of old wedding rings and compete to return them to their owners, discovering their own love story along the way.

It’s the busiest season of the year, and Forest Manor Hotel is quite literally falling apart. So when Izzy and Lucas are given the same shift on the hotel’s front desk, they have no choice but to put their differences aside and see it through.

The hotel won’t stay afloat beyond Christmas without some sort of miracle. But when Izzy returns a guest’s lost wedding ring, the reward convinces management that this might be the way to fix everything. With four rings still sitting in the lost & found, the race is on for Izzy and Lucas to save their beloved hotel—and their jobs.

As their bitter rivalry turns into something much more complicated, Izzy and Lucas begin to wonder if there’s more at stake here than the hotel’s future. Can the two of them make it through the season with their hearts intact?

“O’Leary returns with a humorous and poignant rom-com set at a boutique hotel in southern England…Add in some charming supporting characters and stakes that feel high but believable, and the result is exactly the cute contemporary romp that O’Leary’s fans have come to expect.”―Publishers Weekly

“O’Leary’s is full of heart, humor, and a sprinkle of holiday magic. While this will easily find a spot on holiday displays, it will also appeal to readers who love enemies-to-lovers storylines with supporting characters who shine.”―Library Journal
https://amzn.to/3rBfjpR

I’ve read all of O’Leary’s book, and I love them. That said, when I looked at my previous reviews, a pattern has emerged. All of her books start out slowly, and this one does as well. But I stuck with it, and enjoyed the reward.

Izzy and Lucas work the front desk – and wherever else they are needed – at a small hotel in England. The owners are terrible at the business end of things, but have turned their staff into a family. Except a year earlier, at the hotel Christmas party, Izzy gave Lucas a card, telling him how much she liked him. It was a very brave thing to do, so when he opened the card and laughed, and then kissed Izzy’s roommate under the mistletoe, Izzy lost it. Lucas became her arch nemesis, and that’s where this story starts.

Over the course of a year, they work together and torture each other as only competitive co-workers can. But then something starts to change. Izzy’s feelings for Lucas have never gone away, she only buried them as best as she could. And Lucas is developing feelings for Izzy, but both of them know to avoid one another as much as possible, despite their attraction.

Best laid plans and all that – of course they end up sleeping together, again and again. They are at crossed points. Izzy wants a not-friends-with-benefits situation, and Lucas wants Izzy to really see him as the good person he truly is. It’s complicated, to say the least, but no worries, a happy ending is reached.

There are a lot of laughs – the things they do to one up each other are often hilarious, but I think the poignancy of this story was the real hook for me. A lovely Christmas read – I hope you’ll give it a try!

10/2023 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

THE WAKE-UP CALL by Beth O’Leary. Berkley (September 26, 2023). ISBN: 978-0593640128. 368p.

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GHOSTED by Sarah Ready

September 29, 2023

Ghosted, Book 1

From the publisher:

Jillian Nejat is the only dating and relationship expert on the planet who is incapable of speaking to men. If they’re living, if they’re breathing, it’s game over.

With her bank account at zero, her career a dumpster fire, and her dating life in a ten-year slump, she moves into a tiny, dirt-cheap NYC apartment.

Unfortunately, the apartment is already occupied.

Daniel (no-last-name) is a sexy, shirtless, six-pack wielding heartthrob who is also…dead.

He isn’t living. He isn’t breathing. He’s a ghost. He’s also the only man on the planet that Jillian can talk to.

Soon, Daniel’s convinced that it’s his afterlife mission to resurrect Jillian’s love life. He knows, if he helps her fall in love then he can move on. Jillian agrees. The last thing she needs is a Lothario ghost haunting her living room.

But then, one practice date leads to another, one confession leads to more, and suddenly Jillian fears she’s falling for the one man she can never love.
https://amzn.to/467032L

I rarely read a romance that can be called paranormal, but when a good friend recommends it, I’m going to give it a try. I was so glad I did – I loved this book!

Jillian has a serious issue with talking to men – she gets completely tongue-tied and super quiet. She can barely order a coffee from a male barista. She has a close family, as well as Fran, their next-door-neighbor who loves Jillian and is determined to see her happily married. To that end, she is constantly setting her up on blind dates, well over a hundred of them, all to no avail. Jillian is waiting for someone to see through her awkwardness to the real person inside. In fact, she writes a dating and relationship advice column for an only news magazine. The small staff are her only friends, and they’ve worked together for almost ten years. Jillian started as an intern while in college and turned that internship into a writing job. Unfortunately, her advice sucks and her editor is getting tired of all the cancellations and nasty comments.

Jillian finds an apartment online, a studio with a loft bedroom and she grabs it, sight unseen. The neighborhood is good and fairly close to her job. Her family helps her move in, but when they get there, they are shocked by the decor. Every surface is mirrored, including the kitchen cabinets, but it does have beautiful wood floors. Jillian insists she will be fine, her parents and Fran take off, her dad leaving her an aluminum baseball bat by the door for security.

When she is alone, Jillian is shocked to hear a man’s voice. She turns around and finds this gorgeous, half-dressed man standing in her apartment. She tries hitting him with the bat but it goes right through him. He disappears and reappears at will. Turns out Jillian is sharing her new apartment with a ghost.

The ghost’s name is Daniel, and he doesn’t have much memory of his life. He doesn’t know how he died, other than he was on top of a woman and felt a lot of pain. He tells her she must save him, and he is going to save her. A relationship is formed.

Daniel comes and goes from her life, and is able to show up for her where he is needed. He gets her to talk to him while pretending to talk to other men, the barista, her blind dates. The only problem is that he is the only man that she has ever felt this comfortable with, and they fall in love. Until he ghosts her. Yep, he disappears.

A few weeks later, Jillian is meeting Fran at a museum, but she sees Daniel at the top of the stairs. She goes flying to him, jumps into his arms, and kisses him. Then she realizes she can actually feel him. And that he has no idea who she is.

This other-worldly romance has everything I love in a romance; it’s unputdownable with great characters, lots of hurdles, an interesting setting, and a happy ending. In fact, the author offers an additional epilogue if you sign up for her newsletter, which I immediately did. I can’t wait for the sequel!

9/2023 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

GHOSTED by Sarah Ready. W. W. Crown (September 26, 2023). ISBN: 978-1954007611. 490p.

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Spotlight Review: LOVE ME DO by Lindsey Kelk

September 19, 2023

From the publisher:

She’s written the perfect romance . . . for someone else

Greetings card copywriter Phoebe Chapman knows a good romantic line or two – and it makes her a fantastic Cupid.

So when she lands in the Hollywood Hills – a place that proves film stars, golden beaches and secret waterfalls don’t just exist in the movies – she can’t resist playing matchmaker for her handsome neighbour, carpenter Ren.

But you can’t hide from love in La La Land.

And isn’t there something a little bit hot about Ren, her own leading man next door?
https://amzn.to/45QrnCm

This is a sort of modern-day Cyrano de Bergerac or more to the point, the updated film version, Roxanne.

If you’re not familiar, Phoebe is the wordsmith behind the scenes, in this case helping her friend, Bel, convince her oh-so-hot neighbor, Ren, that she is the one for him. The only problem is that Phoebe is strongly attracted to Ren as well, and Bel isn’t really her friend. It’s a bit complicated, but Phoebe is in Los Angeles on a two week vacation from her home in the UK, ostensibly visiting her super successful sister, but said sister leaves town almost immediately on a business trip. Bel is her personal trainer, who doesn’t know she is gone and shows up anyway. Bel proceeds to adopt Phoebe as her new best friend, and it is a terrific friendship for sure, despite Phoebe’s attraction to Ren. Still with me?

Phoebe writes Ren a love letter, an actual pen-to-paper letter, but signs it Bel. He immediately falls for the writer, not knowing that Phoebe actually did the writing. It’s much more understandable/believable reading the book! There are lots of outings around the L.A. area, and a lot of laughs along the way.

Kelk has a great sense of humor, and I have enjoyed all of her books. This one is a bit of a rush seeing that Phoebe is only in town for two weeks, but no worries, it is all believable in this writer’s hands. She invited me into her world, and I had a blast! Suspend your disbelief and go along for the ride, you won’t regret it. Highly recommend!

9/2023 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

LOVE ME DO by Lindsey Kelk. HarperCollins (September 5, 2023). ISBN: 978-0008619329. 384p.

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THE LONG GAME by Elena Armas

September 15, 2023

From the publisher:

A disgraced soccer exec reluctantly enlists the help of a retired soccer star in coaching a children’s team in this small-town love story in the vein of Ted Lasso and It Happened One Summer —from the New York Times bestselling author of The Spanish Love Deception.

Adalyn Reyes has spent years perfecting her daily routine: wake up at dawn, drive to the Miami Flames FC offices, try her hardest to leave a mark, go home, and repeat.

But her routine is disrupted when a video of her in an altercation with the team’s mascot goes viral. Rather than fire her, the team’s owner—who happens to be her father—sends Adalyn to middle-of-nowhere North Carolina, where she’s tasked with turning around the struggling local soccer team, the Green Warriors, as a way to redeem herself. Her plans crumble upon discovering that the players wear tutus to practice (impractical), keep pet goats (messy), and are terrified of Adalyn (counterproductive), and are nine-year-old kids.

To make things worse, also in town is Cameron Caldani, goalkeeping prodigy whose presence is somewhat of a mystery. Cam is the perfect candidate to help Adalyn, but after one very unfortunate first encounter involving a rooster, Cam’s leg, and Adalyn’s bumper, he’s also set on running her out of town. But banishment is not an option for Adalyn. Not again. Helping this ragtag children’s team is her road to redemption, and she is playing the long game. With or without Cam’s help.
https://amzn.to/466pe54

This book was a….long read. It took me days to get through it. I liked it enough to stick with it, but it was definitely slow going. This was my first read from this author.

The characters were well-developed, but their chemistry was unexplored for most of the book. I just felt like I was waiting for something to happen.

The best parts of the book were the kids and the animals. The setting was a small town in North Carolina, and one of the running gags was that Adalyn insisted on wearing her Florida clothes and heels, despite the dropping temperatures of late fall.

Both main characters had interesting backstories, but again, it took too long to piece it all out. Maybe it was me? If you’ve read it, I’d love to hear from you!

9/2023 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

THE LONG GAME by Elena Armas. Atria Books (September 5, 2023). ISBN: 978-1668011300. 384p.

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THE ROOMMATE PACT by Allison Ashley

September 8, 2023

From the publisher:

All of the fun, none of the heartache…as long as they stick to the agreement.

The proposition is simple: if ER nurse Claire Harper and her roommate, firefighter Graham Scott, are still single by the time they’re forty, they’ll take the proverbial plunge together…as friends with benefits. Maybe it’s the wine, but in the moment, Claire figures the pact is a safe-enough deal, considering she hasn’t had much luck in love and he’s in no rush to settle down. Like, at all. Besides, there’s no way she could ever really fall for Graham and his thrill-seeking ways. Not after what happened to her father…

Just as things begin to heat up way before the proposed deadline, Graham’s injured in a serious rock climbing accident—and he needs Claire’s help to heal. She’ll do whatever it takes to nurse him back to health…even if it means moving in to Graham’s bed and putting up with his little dog, who hates her. But with this no-strings arrangement taking a complicated turn, keeping “for now” from turning into “forever” isn’t as easy as they’d planned.

“Claire and Graham’s chemistry jumps off the page…Friends-to-lovers fans are sure to be pleased.” —Publishers Weekly
https://amzn.to/3swBkpK

This was my first read from this author, and it was really good! I was surprised to learn it is the second book of the series, so I will have to go back and read the first book, Would You Rather.

This books turns the time-honored tradition of “if we’re still single by 40, we’ll get married,” into if we’re still single, we’ll hook up; a friends with benefits situation. The friends are Claire, an emergency room nurse, and Graham, a firefighter. Graham is also a thrill seeker – when he’s not fighting fires, he’s off rock climbing and participating in any kind of risky, dangerous outdoor sport. They share an apartment with another roommate and Graham’s little dog, who seems to hate Claire.

Claire lost her father fairly young, and she is averse to any kind of risk-taking because of that. That’s why she won’t agree to marrying Graham. But when he is seriously injured in a rock climbing accident, she immediately jumps into her caretaker role, even though the dog doesn’t want her around. As they spend time together, Graham realizes he is falling in love with Claire, and as much as Claire is attracted to Graham, she is more afraid of losing him to another accident and refuses to get more involved. She may be guarding her heart, but the heart wants what it wants, and rest assured, Claire & Graham find their happily every after.

If you are a fan of first responders, (and really who isn’t?!) and sassy dogs, this is your book. There were a lot of laughs in this sweet rom-com, and it was a very enjoyable read.

8/2023 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

THE ROOMMATE PACT by Allison Ashley. MIRA; Original edition (August 1, 2023). ISBN: 978-0778334248. 320p.

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Spotlight Review: THE BREAKAWAY by Jennifer Weiner

August 29, 2023

From the publisher:

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Weiner comes a warmhearted and empowering new novel about love, family, friendship, secrets, and a life-changing journey.

Thirty-three-year-old Abby Stern has made it to a happy place. True, she still has gig jobs instead of a career, and the apartment where she’s lived since college still looks like she’s just moved in. But she’s got good friends, her bike, and her bicycling club in Philadelphia. She’s at peace with her plus-size body—at least, most of the time—and she’s on track to marry Mark Medoff, her childhood summer sweetheart, a man she met at the weight-loss camp that her perpetually dieting mother forced her to attend. Fifteen years after her final summer at Camp Golden Hills, when Abby reconnects with a half-his-size Mark, it feels like the happy ending she’s always wanted.

Yet Abby can’t escape the feeling that something isn’t right…or the memories of one thrilling night she spent with a man named Sebastian two years previously. When Abby gets a last-minute invitation to lead a cycling trip from NYC to Niagara Falls, she’s happy to have time away from Mark, a chance to reflect and make up her mind.

But things get complicated fast. First, Abby spots a familiar face in the group—Sebastian, the one-night stand she thought she’d never see again. Sebastian is a serial dater who lives a hundred miles away. In spite of their undeniable chemistry, Abby is determined to keep her distance. Then there’s a surprise last-minute addition to the trip: her mother, Eileen, the woman Abby blames for a lifetime of body shaming and insecurities she’s still trying to undo.

Over two weeks and more than seven hundred miles, strangers become friends, hidden truths come to light, a teenage girl with a secret unites the riders in unexpected ways…and Abby is forced to reconsider everything she believes about herself, her mother, and the nature of love.

Incredibly fun . . . A lovely, compulsively readable story about finding your path and believing in your own worth.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“This is a winning combination of a light read with serious emotional depth, the very mix Weiner’s many fans have come to expect from her. Weiner’s annual summer release is a welcome (and highly anticipated) treat for readers of relatable relationship fiction.” —Booklist, starred review

“Charming…lively banter reels the reader in…this breezy outing goes down easy.” —Publishers Weekly

“What do women get to do with their bodies? may be the central question of “The Breakaway,” and Weiner answers it brilliantly…sexy and suspenseful and so much fun”—New York Times
https://amzn.to/3LmFKq3

I was working for Borders Books & Music when Weiner’s first book, Good in Bed, came out and I was smitten. That has turned into a deeper love for her writing over 20+ books, and I’m happy to say that I absolutely loved The Breakaway! I even loved the movie based on In Her Shoes, and let’s face it, it’s rare when a movie does justice to a book.

Abby is in her early thirties but still trying to find herself. She’s walking dogs to pay the rent and has been in a two-year relationship with Mark, a Jewish doctor, and now he wants her to move in with him. They met at fat camp, and he was her first love, so everything should be great, right? It kind of is, but Abby feels a little overwhelmed about moving in with him. He’s a good man, he’s kind, he’s crazy about her, all the good things, but Abby feels like maybe there should be more. And then she feels guilty for thinking that.

Mark had surgery to get the weight off, and now he’s half the size he used to be. He’s determined to stay thin, too, by eating all lean protein and running six miles a day, no matter what. On the other hand, Abby is fairly comfortable in her body, which her doctor calls obese, and she just calls fat. She loves to ride her bike and belongs to a bicycle club in Philadelphia. When one of her friends begs her to lead a two-week bike trip through New York State on the Empire State Trail, she decides it’s the perfect way to get out of her head and think about her future.

Two years earlier, before she was in a committed relationship with Mark, she went barhopping for a friend’s bachelorette party. She met Sebastian at a club and spent the most memorable, fulfilling night of her life with him. But he lives in NY, she lives in Phillie, and she snuck out at dawn before either of them could exchange any info. So, it is no great surprise that one of the two single men on the bike ride is Sebastian.

Weiner never takes the easy way in any of her books. Relationships are complicated, people are complicated, and such is the case here. I loved Abby and wanted her to be happy – one of Weiner’s gifts is getting us so involved with her characters that you just can’t put down the book, and you can’t stop thinking about it when you finally do. This was a book that tempted me to call in sick to work just so I could finish it! But, ugh, I am way too responsible to do that. Unfortunately, it did keep me up half the night, and I was very happy when I finally turned that last page. That’s the best possible outcome from reading a book, don’t you think?

8/2023 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

THE BREAKAWAY by Jennifer Weiner. Atria Books (August 29, 2023). ISBN:‎ 978-1668033425. 400p.

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Posted by Stacy Alesi

THE SWEETEST REVENGE by Lizzy Dent

August 25, 2023

From the publisher:

Bridesmaids meets Emily in Paris—in London—in this hilarious and heartfelt story of one handsome neighbor, one no-good ex, and the summer Amy Duffy makes the comeback of her life.

Her past is a mess. But her present is about to get delicious.

Amy is more than one disastrous night of drunken revenge on her boss/ex-boyfriend’s Audi—the night that tanked her rising TV producer career and led to a hasty move to London for a fresh start. She is thirty years of awesomeness. At least, that’s what Amy tells herself every morning before trekking to her mediocre job making trailers at a failing British TV channel.

Two years later, she’s finally starting to believe it. Sparks are flying between her and Jake, her handsome new downstairs neighbor, and there’s a competition at work that just might get her career back on track while bringing her and Jake even closer. But then, in a twisted turn of fate, the ex-boyfriend who wrecked her life is hired as her new boss and past and present are about to epically, hilariously collide.
https://amzn.to/3QRIdMo

Amy was on the fast track as a television development producer until her boyfriend/boss gave her some bad news. Instead of going to her cousin’s wedding and standing up for her as a bridesmaid, Amy gets drunk at a local watering hole and gets her revenge on the now ex’s car. Someone videos the whole thing, it goes viral, and Amy is humiliated and out of a job. She escapes across the pond and lands a job several rungs below where she was, but at least she has an income.

Amy’s co-workers are all abuzz with the latest reality TV show, Fantasy Island, and she’s hooked, too. Then a bombshell drops at work; her new interim boss is none other than her ex. She takes off from the office only to bump into Jake Jones, her new neighbor. Amy doesn’t know Jake; she just knows him as the guy who humiliated himself on Fantasy Island and got kicked off and has all his packages delivered to her apartment for some reason. She has a bit of experience with public humiliation herself, not that she is going to share that with Jake.

When her ex announces a contest at work to come up with a new reality TV show, Amy teams up with Jake, a writer, to put together something that will get her back on top. But can she trust her ex? Would you?

I enjoyed this light-hearted romp through England and the very happy ending. The language is a bit coarse, so if that sort of thing bothers you, look elsewhere for your next read. But you will be missing out!

8/2023 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

THE SWEETEST REVENGE by Lizzy Dent. G.P. Putnam’s Sons (July 25, 2023). ISBN: 978-0593545478. 368p.