Tag: Romantic Comedy

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Some Like it Greek by Sue Roberts – Books on Tour (Review)

Every once in awhile, amid the psych thrillers and historical fiction, you just need a book vacation. I have the perfect recommendation for you. Reading this was like taking a sunny vacation to Greece.

Anna has had a rough few months. After finding some documents that are memoirs from her dad’s time in Greece, she decides to follow in his footsteps, grabs her Dad’s neighbor Demi, and takes off on an adventure. How fortunate for us that we get to go along with her.

This book was pure escapism. There are no great lessons to learn or issues to overcome. Sure Anna has to make some tough decisions by the end, but isn’t that the way with any good vacation? Anybody who has had a lovely time somewhere feels that tug between wanting to stay and feeling the need to get back to real life.

Which one does Anna choose?

Like I’m going to tell you!! Read the book!

Amazon: https://bit.ly/2XYA7FF Apple: https://apple.co/3bsfipU
Kobo: https://bit.ly/2xVk69N Google: https://bit.ly/2WMA26C

I love this author’s writing style. It flows along, allowing the reader to be drawn into the story. Her descriptions of Italy and Greece were especially resonant because those are two of my favorite places in the world. The author captures them perfectly.

As I mentioned, there are no great mysteries here…just a very pleasant read with fun characters and beautiful scenery.

Sometimes that’s all a book needs to be a winner.

Author Bio:

Sue Roberts lives in Lancashire with her long term partner Derek and has had a lifelong love of writing, encouraged by winning a school writing competition at the age of 11.

She always assumed that ‘one day’ she would write a book, always having a busy household and a job, the idea remained firmly on the back burner but never forgotten.

The inspiration for her first novel came to her on a holiday to a Greek village. Her daughters had left home and suddenly the time had come to write that book! Twitter: https://twitter.com/suerobertsautho

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Cover Reveal: Revved to the Maxx by Melanie Moreland

Are you ready for this one?

It’s getting hotter on the street of Littleburn Canada…coming soon from Melanie Moreland

Cover Model: Nelson Lopes https://www.instagram.com/nelsonlopespt/
Cover Photographer: Eric D. Battershell https://www.facebook.com/ericbattershellphotography2018/
Cover Design –  Melissa Ringuette of Monark Design Services
https://www.facebook.com/monarkdesignservices/

Do you really need more convincing? Okay, fine. Here is a bit about the book

Maxx Reynolds needs help.
His shop, house, and life are all in a state of disarray.
In desperation, he turns to the internet to hire a new employee, thinking it will make his life easier.
What he expects is a fellow named Charly.
What he gets is a quirky, sassy, red-head name Charlynn who runs circles around him.
And she’s all woman.
He can’t stand her.
He can’t keep his hands off her either.
****
Brand new romantic comedy from NYT Bestselling author Melanie Moreland. This small-town is about to see fireworks when feisty Charly starts to organize more than Maxx’s life.

Preorder for 9.3.2020 ➤ http://mybook.to/RevvedToTheMaxx

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Books On Tour (Review): As Greek as it Gets by Sue Roberts

Among all of the psych thrillers and crime procedurals, it’s lovely to find a book that offers pure escapism, and a sunny vacation in Crete fits the bill perfectly.

Amazon: https://bit.ly/2SR9fos Apple Books: https://apple.co/3blKpDB
Kobo: https://bit.ly/3fDKlCz Google Play: https://bit.ly/35ROWwh

One of the things I liked the most about this book was that it was as light and airy as being on a Greek island. I know that sounds kind of odd, but the story just kind of rolls along smoothly. I don’t know if you can read in a relaxing manner, but that’s how I felt with this book.

The characters were likable (except for Alice’s mom; she was a pill). There were times that I thought that Max was too good to be true, and I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop. I won’t tell you if it did or not, but let’s just say that this book reaffirmed that not all male characters have to be jerks.

That’s not to say that he didn’t have his moments. He was a strong personality who practically leaped off the page. Alice was quite the opposite. But I loved this pairing because he was money-minded and a planner, and she was artistic and more go-with-the-flow. Opposites really do attract.

I don’t want to say any more about the plot, because I think it should be experienced. But I enjoyed how both Alice and Max resolved their issues by the end of the story. I felt that their actions and reactions were natural. Nothing felt forced. It all just felt real.

The author did a fantastic job of creating the atmosphere and conveying the beauty of Greece. I could almost feel the sun and see the beautiful blues of the ocean. I always want to go back, but this book made me really want to be able to visit there again. Since travel is impossible for the foreseeable future, I look forward to being able to revisit Greece in the author’s new book. I hope it’s soon!

Author Bio
I live in Lancashire with my long term partner Derek and have had a lifelong love of writing, encouraged by winning a school writing competition at the age of 11. I always assumed that ‘one day’ I would write a book, always having a busy household and a job, the idea remained firmly on the back burner but never forgotten. The inspiration for my first novel came to me on a holiday to a Greek village. My daughters had left home and suddenly the time had come to write that book!  Twitter: @SueRobertsautho

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Books On Tour (Review): The Spare Bedroom by Elizabeth Neep

Let’s get one thing straight right away: this is not your typical romantic comedy. All of the usual elements are there, but most of them are stood on their ear. It made for a unique and entertaining read.

Amazon: https://bit.ly/3aErBir
Apple books: https://apple.co/3aIB08X
Kobo: https://bit.ly/2Scsg4j
Google Play: https://bit.ly/2Y7r5qM

I thought the set-up was great. Jess and her ex, Sam, meet cute (or should I say, reunite cute) in Australia, half a world away from where they last saw each other. He is in a good space. She is not. Through a few misunderstandings and unfinished comments, she ends up in the guest room (the spare bedroom) in his apartment.

But there are many surprises to come. (You won’t find spoilers here though).

It’s difficult to put my finger on this one. I came into it expecting a romantic comedy, and as I mentioned, the aspects were there, but it wasn’t a typical one, which left me puzzled for a bit. As I thought about it, however, I realized it was much deeper than a RomCom. It was more about the journey that Jess had to take to growing up.

Let’s be honest, she spends a lot of the book being fairly unlikable. She only thinks of herself and how other things affect her. She’s immature, and frankly sometimes annoying. She misreads situations, lies, and takes people for granted. Not exactly somebody to root for.

Until she hits rock bottom. And she does it in pretty spectacular fashion. (Again, no spoilers).

She at first seemed spoiled and self-centered.  She doesn’t know when enough is enough when it comes to Sam. After her biggest mistake, she slowly starts to realize how wrong she was about so much, and that is where her growth truly begins. She actually reminded me of Rachel from the television show “Friends.”

Once I realized that this was Jess’ trajectory, I was able to look back at the rest of the book and cut her a little bit of slack. To me, that’s the mark of a good author; it’s not easy to change a reader’s mind about a main character like that.

I also liked that the author was unapologetic about Sam and Jamie. It was nice to see faith treated in a respectful way instead of as a disease.

I went into this book thinking one thing, thought something else throughout most of the book, and then ended thinking something completely different. That’s quite a journey for a “light” read.

Author Bio

Elizabeth Neep was born in 1990 in Derbyshire and now lives in London Bridge. After studying Law at the University of Nottingham and the University of New South Wales, she worked in magazine journalism, most noticeably writing for Dazed and Confused and PETRIe. Elizabeth now works as a non-fiction Senior Commissioning Editor and writes and paints in her spare time.

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Blog Tour (Review): Attracting Aubrey by Avery Flynn

I read a lot of different genres, but I realized that it had been a while since I read some lighthearted romances. This book, along with its companions (more on that later), was a perfect choice.

Download your copy today! 
Amazon: https://amzn.to/36wbySJ 
AppleBooks: https://apple.co/2FuY4KW 
Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/AttractingAubrey 
Nook: http://bit.ly/2tK1GWM 
Kobo: http://bit.ly/306Q3FQ 
Amazon Paperback: https://amzn.to/2UfZQYS

Aubrey and her four best friends from college go on a singles cruise together. For her, it’s a chance to get away from the bakery she runs. Little did she know that she would be wrapped up in some deceit and romance so quickly into the cruise.

Carter is a movie star who is taking the cruise as proof that he can disappear into his character and become unrecognizable. What happens when he gets pulled into Aubrey’s prank on her friend before the ship even sets sail?

I’m not going to give away the answer to that question. But I will say it is a simple set up in a fun location, with likable characters.

I liked Aubrey’s sass. She’s obviously the “bad girl” of the group, but she seemed like fun. I liked the interplay between her and Carter. The dialogue was snappy, and the chemistry was off the charts hot.

As someone who cruises a lot, I could nitpick quite a few details about the cruise itself, but that’s not the focus of the book. I understand that’s the situation that the characters were put in, and the authors had to make the best of it.

Note that I said authors (plural). There are five books in this…I am not sure what to call it. Not exactly an anthology, but not a series either. Different authors wrote each book, and each one focuses on one of the friends. As I read and review, I will link to each of them here: Kissing Kendall, Gaming Grace, Loving Liv. (Blog tours on differing dates, so links may take a while – there will be no review on Beguiling Benjamin).

If you’re looking for something for a brain break, give these books a try.

Instagram: http://bit.ly/2tQuAFa
Website: http://averyflynn.com
Bookbub: http://bit.ly/2t4AZfO 
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Stay up to date with Avery by joining her mailing list:
http://averyflynn.com/newsletter/

About Avery Flynn

USA Today bestselling romance author Avery Flynn has three slightly-wild children, loves a hockey-addicted husband and is desperately hoping someone invents the coffee IV drip.

She fell in love with romance while reading Johanna Lindsey’s Mallory books. It wasn’t long before Avery had read through all the romance offerings at her local library. Needing a romance fix, she turned to Harlequin’s four books a month home delivery service to ease the withdrawal symptoms. That worked for a short time, but it wasn’t long before the local book stores’ staff knew her by name.

Avery was a reader before she was a writer and hopes to always be both. She loves to write about smartass alpha heroes who are as good with a quip as they are with their *ahem* other God-given talents. Her heroines are feisty, fierce and fantastic. Brainy and brave, these ladies know how to stand on their own two feet and knock the bad guys off theirs.

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Books On Tour (Review): The Break Up by Tilly Tennant

Happy to be kicking off this blog tour. Sorry for the delay on the review. But here it is!

I actually like the original title for this book (A Cat Called Cupid) better because it highlights who the real star of this book is: Fluffy/Satchmo. As evidenced early on, there is nothing more comforting than a kitty purr. A cat’s nature is what makes this story work as a whole.

Amazon: https://geni.us/B08423K71C
Apple: https://apple.co/2G6oZxf
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2RAGGdF
Google: http://bit.ly/37gL9Zt

Oh, there are humans as well, and they are the main story. Lara has a typical rom-com shocker at the beginning, but the author doesn’t waste time with her moping around. In the second chapter, we are already a year later, and Lara has moved on – for the most part.  

She came across as extremely likable and realistic. While she starts a business that seems counter-intuitive (wedding planning), she seems to excel at it. But at the same time, she is not impervious to the feelings that come from her boyfriend/best friend issues. Her reactions were natural.

I had a harder time getting a handle on Theo….until his scene with Great Aunt Emma at Chloe’s wedding (and boy was Chloe a piece of work). That scene grabbed me in a way that few do. All at once, I had everything I needed to know about Theo. Nothing else that he said or did mattered. His treatment of Emma was it for me.

I liked the author’s style of writing. The history of locations and detailed descriptions gave the story depth and made it easier to picture the action. In fact, the best thing about a book like this was feeling like I was “reading a movie.” I especially like that in a rom-com over any other genre. This book definitely wins on that front.

But do yourself a favor and go pick up this new release today; it’s the perfect fix for any blues you may have.

Author Bio:

Tilly Tennant was born in Dorset, the oldest of four children, but now lives in Staffordshire with a family of her own. After years of dismal and disastrous jobs, including paper plate stacking, shop girl, newspaper promotions and waitressing (she never could carry a bowl of soup without spilling a bit), she decided to indulge her passion for the written word by embarking on a degree in English and creative writing. She wrote a novel in 2007 during her first summer break at university and has not stopped writing since. She also works as a freelance fiction editor, and considers herself very lucky that this enables her to read many wonderful books before the rest of the world gets them.

Hopelessly Devoted to Holden Finn was her debut novel; published in 2014 it was an Amazon bestseller in both the UK and Australia. In 2016 she signed to the hugely successful Bookouture and is currently working on her next Tilly Tennant novel. She also writes as Sharon Sant, where she explores the darker side of life, and Poppy Galbraith, where things get a little crazier.

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/TillyTennant/
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/TillyTenWriter
WEBSITE: www.tillytennant.com
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Blog Tour: The Boyfriend Blog

There are several books out there (and have been for a long time) that feature 20-something-year-old characters who think they know everything there is to know about life and romance. Of course they don’t, which is where the conflict in those books occurs.

However, there seems to be a growing trend of having a senior-citizen character (or a few of them) as guidance for the young lovers, and I could not applaud this facet more! I love when there is a feisty grandma type who slyly offers her wisdom to the characters, helping them down their path. Edna fits solely in this category, and I just loved her.

The other side of having senior citizens is that it gives dimension to the younger characters as well. I loved that both Aiden and Lizzie enjoyed the trivia at the senior center. That is something I would have done, and it made both of them even more relatable.

I also enjoyed Lizzie’s bad dates; there was one that was a particular doozy (loved the waiter’s part in it). I thought Aiden showed his true colors most when he was picking up the pieces of Lizzie’s most current lousy date. This was a lovely friends-to-lovers romance, and I would definitely recommend it.

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Books On Tour (Review): Out with the Ex, In with the New

I want to make one thing clear right away: I do not believe that I am the target demographic for this book.

I would like to think that I can read (and appreciate) across genres and age groups – I can usually find something relatable or some message that can be appreciated at any age.

I did like the many references to The Great British Bake Off. And I could sort of relate to Gemma’s job, as one of my first freelancing jobs was writing listicles and click articles just like the ones she describes. But I did that as a sideline and could not imagine hoping for that to be my sole earning potential.

And that’s why I don’t think I was the right audience for this book. Someone younger who is into the vlogging scene, who believes in the earning power of social media, and who can appreciate Gemma’s troubles would no doubt highly enjoy this book.

I was able to read it as long as I stayed remote from it (which is why there were a few parts that I enjoyed). But it did not suck me in with relatable characters and situations. That is by no means the fault of the author.

However, I was also greatly turned off by Gemma’s first day at work. I am quite tired of British authors throwing insults at the American President for no reason other than to try to make points. This passage had nothing to do with the plot and was unnecessary for character development. This is also something that a different demographic would probably also enjoy that perspective.

Honestly, as I mentioned at the beginning, I can usually read just about anything. But for some reason, this one just didn’t speak to me. I would recommend it, though, because there was some humor (the weird homeowners), and Gemma does persevere. I just couldn’t relate personally.

Author Bio

Sophie Ranald is the youngest of five sisters. She was born in Zimbabwe and lived in South Africa until an acute case of itchy feet brought her to London in her mid-20s. As an editor for a customer publishing agency, Sophie developed her fiction-writing skills describing holidays to places she’d never visited. In 2011, she decided to disregard all the good advice given to aspiring novelists and attempt to write full-time. After one false start, It Would Be Wrong to Steal My Sister’s Boyfriend (Wouldn’t It?) seemed to write itself. Her second, third and fourth novels followed. Sophie also writes for magazines and online about food, fashion, finance and running. She lives in south-east London with her amazing partner Hopi and Purrs, their adorable little cat. 

Website: sophieranald.com
 
Twitter: @SophieRanald
 https://twitter.com/SophieRanald
 
Facebook: www.facebook.com/SophieRanald

To find out about Sophie’s forthcoming releases and get access to free books and special offers, sign up to her newsletter at sophieranald.com

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NEW RELEASE: Crazy Rich Cajuns

IT’S HERE!!!! Be sure to come back on Wednesday, Oct. 2 for my stop on the Blog Tour with a full review!

CRC - RB banner

“You can always count on Erin Nicholas for fun, sexy contemporary romance.”―Melissa Foster, New York Times bestselling author

Crazy Rich Cajuns, an all-new sexy, small town, opposites attract rom com from New York Times bestselling author Erin Nicholas, is coming September 30th!

CrazyRichCajunsNoTat300

He wears suits and ties. He’ll one day inherit a fortune. He has a law degree. He shines his shoes, for God’s sake. What is she doing attracted to a guy like him? But she is. She so is.

She drives air boats on the bayou, drinks and cusses, and gives city boys in suits a hard time just for fun. Why can’t he get her out of his mind? But he can’t. He definitely can’t.

A weekend trip to Savannah for a fancy-schmancy party with his highfalutin family is the surefire way to prove that they have nothing in common but intense chemistry. And to maybe scratch this I’ve-never-wanted-anyone-like-I-want-you itch once or twice. Or five times.

But it takes only about twenty-four hours for the bayou girl and the city boy to figure out that they don’t really know much at all–about each other, or about themselves. And figuring all of this out is going to be downright crazy.

CRC - AN

Download your copy today!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2YTJVDt

AppleBooks: https://apple.co/2MhIZlq

Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/CrazyRichCajuns

Nook: http://bit.ly/2TBMSTc

Kobo: http://bit.ly/2Z8PB7C

Google Play: http://bit.ly/2Z8oolI

Add to GoodReads: http://bit.ly/2Z7gV6l

Start the series of standalones today!

My Best Friend’s Mardi Gras Wedding

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2UBLtPk

AppleBooks: https://apple.co/2VkWIZ4

Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/MardiGrasErin

Nook: http://bit.ly/2WRqc1M

Kobo: http://bit.ly/2YTnZoj

Google Play: http://bit.ly/2TXbuo0

Amazon Paperback: https://amzn.to/2WWEVIT

Add to GoodReads: http://bit.ly/2BRrdPo

About Erin Nicholas

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Erin Nicholas has been writing romances almost as long as she’s been reading them. To date, she’s written over thirty sexy, contemporary novels that have been described as “toe-curling,” “enchanting,” “steamy,” and “fun.” She adores reluctant heroes, imperfect heroines, and happily ever afters.

Erin lives in the Midwest, where she enjoys spending time with her husband (who only wants to read the sex scenes in her books), her kids (who will never read the sex scenes in her books), and her family and friends (who claim to be “shocked” by the sex scenes in her books).

ErinNicholas

Connect with Erin

Instagram: http://bit.ly/2Ghek4N

Facebook: http://bit.ly/2BqNKSU

Twitter: http://bit.ly/2WSZxlR

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2GAUZeb

Website: https://erinnicholas.com

Stay up to date with Erin by joining her mailing list: http://bit.ly/2Gj56oC

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Blog Tour w/Review: Fake Date by Monica Murphy

This is becoming one of my favorite series. I like the setting of Seaside/Monterey. I especially like how the heroines in the series are strong women who support each other. This time, we get Sarah, who works at Bliss, a lingerie store. Her romantic interest–well, the attractive guy, but a jerk–is Jared.

Jared is a fairly typical romantic hero, in that he is gruff on the outside for personal reasons, but the heroine can really get him going. His character had more depth than Sarah. It felt like her backstory was a little less fleshed-out, and I wished that her brother and sister had played a bigger part. As it was, they were mentioned off-handedly as a plot point but didn’t have much else to do.

Of course, you know from the title that there is a “fake date” involved, this time to an engagement party in San Francisco. The couple has to work through some family-related stumbling blocks and, as usual, there are a few misunderstandings. I thought the characters involved with the engagement party were interesting because they were not the stereotypical type one might find. There was no bitchiness (which was refreshing).

But there is a HEA. Overall, it is an enjoyable book with good characters, and I look forward to the next in the series. I was really happy to see that Jared’s sister Candice is getting a story, but there are plenty of gals left to match up!

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