Tag: Rom-Com

Pets of Park Avenue by Stefanie London is the second book in the Paws in the City series. It’s just as charming and fun as its predecessor, The Dachshund Wears Prada.

In fact, part of the fun is the continuation. Many rom-coms are stand-alone or non-continuous. It’s slightly more satisfying to see what happens “after the fact.” But I also like seeing characters from earlier books get their own due.

In this second-chance romance story, Scout needs the help of her estranged husband to get her out of a difficult (and hysterical) work problem.

As with any rom-com, you know that the couple is meant to be together. And they will probably end up together. But the fun is in the missteps and misunderstandings that occur along the way.

I like the dual POV method of telling the story. It gives the reader a better understanding of where each of the characters (Lane and Scout) is coming from. It also provides a holistic view of their takes on the events of the plot.

The plot itself is cute as well. Who doesn’t love pets and their quirks? Who couldn’t relate to a panic over a potential career-ending accident? Not to mention the challenge of swallowing one’s pride to save that from happening.

Scout is a self-described hot mess, but in some ways, I found her fairly normal. We are all a little bit “hot mess” at any given time. Although, there are a few instances where she is definitely right.

I wish there had been a bit more to the relationship between Lane and Scout. Everything seemed to boil down simply to “we were young, and it was Vegas.” There could have been more there.

But that’s nitpicky. This book has everything someone could want out of a rom-com. Stefanie London has hit on a great theme for a series, and I hope there are more books to come in the Pets of Park Avenue world.

I’m a sucker for a good ol’ fashioned rom com. The Sweet Spot by Monica Myers is just…well, it hits the spot!

There are the usuals that go along with your typical rom com.

Driven entrepreneur woman has been burned by previous relationships and throws herself into work. She also has no social life. She just can’t deal with that and enjoys what she does for a living (more on that in a second)

Playboy/cad man with a reputation (and a long line of exes) gets tired of dealing with the crazy. He realizes he maybe needs to start changing his ways.

The two characters meet cute (in this case, meet unique) and…there ya go.

There was a lot to like about this book. Both Erin and Nolan feel “real.” There aren’t any hidden aspects that make appearances at odd times. Actions and reactions are relatable.

Erin’s job, making erotic pastries, is meant to be shocking. But honestly, it’s been done before. I don’t like to mention other authors’ books in a review, so I won’t. But there is a particular series that is one of my all-time favorites, and the main character has this same job.

That’s not to say it isn’t still funny The author in this case goes a bit over the top with Erin’s baking skills. It’s just that it wasn’t as shocking to me as it might be to other readers.

The author also did a good job with the annoying exes of both characters. Experience? Intuition? And I really like Alana, Nolan’s assistant. She needs her own book.

The only thing that didn’t really work for me was how looooong everything took, only to feel very rushed at the end. There are reasons that both Erin and Nolan have reservations about each other (most are legit) but then they’re making snap decisions?

It just felt like there was something missing that bridged everything together to get to the resolution at the end.

Regardless, The Sweet Spot was an engaging rom com. I will continue to look for books by Monica Myers.  

I absolutely loved The Love of My Other Life by CJ Connolly. It’s a romantic comedy with a unique twist, and it should be at the top of your TBR list.

Are we as happy as we can be in our present lives? Is there a possibility that there is more than one type of happiness out there for us? Are some things inevitable, they just may occur under different circumstances in our lives?

The author addresses all of these questions and more through Josie. After a bike accident, she wakes up in a different life from the one she was in before the accident.

It’s still her life – she’s still Josie – but she is not the same Josie.

The author wisely breaks the plot up into sections between Josie and…well, Josie. And then goes back to…Josie before switching to Josie.

That may sound a bit confusing. It all makes sense in the context of the book as you read it. The sections have clear headings so it is easy to know whose timeline you’re in.

I also like how the first part of the book lays all of the groundwork before the author switches to the alternate timeline. It allows the reader to see things that Josie misses and sheds light on Josie’s choices.

The other characters in the book are interesting and contribute appropriately It is not too much. I especially like Rob. He is a stalwart and steady presence. But his revelations toward the end as everything comes to a head are eye-opening.

They put all of Josie’s choices under new scrutiny, which brings the story to a whole new depth of feeling.

Honestly, what I liked best about the book (aside from it being thoroughly engaging) were the questions that it asked and the points that it made about one’s life.

Are you happy because you tell yourself you are? Do you make your own happiness? What is contentment and how do you find it? Is it a “path not taken?” Or is it a “path not taken until it is time to take it?”

We all have those moments that we can look back on and see as turning points in our lives. But what is inevitable, and how do we know that everything that happens isn’t supposed to happen anyway – just on a different time schedule?

I know this review asks a lot of questions, but I loved how The Love of My Other Life was just THAT thought-provoking while still being an entertaining rom-com.

If you are looking for a solid book to round out your beach reads for the summer, look no further than this latest from CJ Connolly. 

Author Bio 

CJ Connolly is a writer based in Vancouver, Canada, but hailing originally from the UK. By day, CJ has a career in communications and journalism, with two decades of editing, writing, and marketing experience in the Vancouver and London media and tech industries.

She has also been the host of a real estate-focused talk radio show and has been seen many times reporting on TV and speaking on conference panels.

In her free time – in addition to writing contemporary romance novels – CJ is passionate about singing and is a member of a vocal group in Vancouver. Although she is happily child-free, the great loves of CJ’s life are her young nephews Oscar and Felix, who live much too far away in Munich, Germany. 

Marriage Unarranged by Ritu Bhathal is part rom-com, part travelogue, and mostly entertaining.

You can read the setup in the blurb or other reviews. It is typical romantic comedy fare. A cheater, a break-up, a re-awakening of self by the heroine…it’s all here.

What makes this book unique, however, is that the heroine is Indian. All the usual rom-com bits come with a healthy dose of traditional Indian expectations and responsibilities.

For example, Aashi makes the (not-so-) difficult decision to end her relationship (no spoiler). But her parents seem more embarrassed and concerned for her future, rather than her current situation. It’s a cultural thing.

The book became more interesting when Aashi, and her “entourage” arrived in India so she could “find herself.” (My words, not hers). I thought the author did a great job of describing the landscape and atmosphere.

However, there were moments that felt odd. Some of the descriptions of the people seemed to verge on stereotypes. And I mean both the UK and Indian perspectives.

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The UK characters seemed very whiny. Frankly, they were obnoxious when they got to India. It’s almost as if they had no clue what they were walking into. This is strange because the parents and families seemed traditional. So, they should have known what to expect?

Additionally, there were times when the people of India seemed more like caricatures than real people. Again, I don’t have a frame of reference. So, this is a complete outside point of view on it.

Stereotypes are born from reality, so maybe this is an accurate depiction? I can’t tell.

The writing is good, but the chapters are confusing at times. Instead of alternating views in different chapters, we would often get two or three narrators within a chapter. It seemed too busy.

This looks to be the first in a series from Ritu Bhathal. Hopefully, the writing evens out a little. Otherwise, Marriage Unarranged was a good rom-com. It could be interesting to see where the author goes next.    

Author Bio 

Ritu Bhathal was born in Birmingham in the mid-1970s to migrant parents, hailing from Kenya but of Indian origin. This colourful background has been a constant source of inspiration to her.

As a wife, mother, daughter, sister, and teacher, she has drawn inspiration from many avenues to create the poems that she writes.

Ritu is happily married and living in Kent, with her Hubby Dearest, and two children, not forgetting the fur baby Sonu Singh.