Harper’s friend Lizzie Blake is known for being messy and constantly making mistakes. After Lizzie gets fired from yet another bakery position due to her out of control ADHD, she meets a handsome Australian traveler named Rake. To prevent romantic attachments, Lizzie usually only allows herself to have one-night stands…but Rake’s charm has Lizzie breaking her rule. Immediately after, Rake returns to his solitary life in Australia where he can’t seem to forget about vibrant and lively Lizzie. When Lizzie calls to tell Rake that she’s pregnant, Rake decides to do whatever it takes to be a part of his child’s life…including taking a job in the US and moving into a new apartment with Lizzie. After spending more time with Rake, securing a new position at an erotic bakery, and facing her past family trauma, Lizzie learns that her “mistakes” can end up being wonderful blessings. Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake is a steamy romcom that invokes the forced proximity/ stuck together, accidental pregnancy, and there’s only one bed tropes. This book is perfect for fans of A Brush with Love by Mazey Eddings, Maggie Moves On by Lucy Score, the STEMinist novellas by Ali Hazelwood, Mr. Wrong Number by Lynn Painter, It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey, Set on You by Amy Lea, and How Sweet It Is by Dylan Newton. Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake deals with themes such as family and found family, chaos and order, growing up, love and heartbreak, motherhood/ parenting, self love and self acceptance, loneliness and isolation, and disability. Throughout the novel, Lizzie and Rake learn to embrace their flaws and stand-up for themselves; the moral of this story is that everyone deserves to be accepted, valued, and loved.
I loved how Harper, Dan, Indira, and Thu (from A Brush with Love) made appearances throughout Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake and I can’t wait to read Indira and Thu’s love stories in the future! Lastly, I appreciated the thoughtful inclusion of ADHD representation and the realistic way in which Eddings’ described neurodiversity.
There wasn’t much about this book that I didn’t like but, even though it provided some funny moments, I found some of the descriptions of the erotic pastries to be a bit much. I also felt like there was some missed opportunities…furthermore, I felt like it would have been heartwarming to have seen Lizzie’s parents finally come to accept, understand, and unconditionally love Lizzie flaws and all. Also, I think that it could have potentially been hilarious to see more of Lizzie’s doctor appointments and perhaps even the baby’s birth. Lastly, I would have liked it if Eddings’ teased the next book in the series (Indira or Thu’s love story) at the end of Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake. Overall, Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake was a steamy and funny rom com that I highly recommend picking up!
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A follow-up to The Spanish Love Deception, The American Roommate Experiment follows Lina Martín’s best friend (Rosie Graham) and cousin (Lucas Martín). When Rosie’s ceiling caves in, she decides to borrow her best friend Lina’s apartment since Lina and Aaron are on their honeymoon. But, unbeknownst to Rosie, Lina has already lent her apartment to her attractive cousin (and Rosie’s internet crush) Lucas, who is traveling in America. Even though Lina’s studio apartment only has one bed, Lucas convinces Rosie that they can temporarily cohabitate. Shortly after, Rosie, who has recently quit her job to pursue her dream of being a romance writer, comes up with a plan to go on a series of experimental dates to combat her horrible case of writer’s block and meet her impending deadline. When Lucas discovers Rosie’s plan, he volunteers to be Rosie’s “fake” date even though his time in America is temporary. The American Roommate Experiment is a contemporary rom com featuring the friends to lovers, forced proximity, there’s only one bed, and fake dating tropes. It deals with themes and topics such as change (e.g., career, lifestyle, geographic, physical abilities), imposter syndrome, mental health and self worth, family and companionship, and love and heartbreak. In addition to fans of The Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas, The American Roommate Experiment would be perfect for fans of A Brush with Love by Mazey Eddings, Book Lovers by Emily Henry, By the Book by Jasmine Guillory, Weather Girl by Rachel Lynn Solomon, Hang the Moon by Alexandria Bellefleur, and Wait for It by Jenn McKinlay. I think that the moral of this story is that you should embrace change and know your own self worth.
Furthermore, I appreciated that the characters’ struggles (e.g., imposter syndrome, career-ending injuries, job/ lifestyle changes, writer’s block, self worth/ mental health) were very realistic and relatable. Having previously enjoyed The Spanish Love Deception, I loved how Lina and Aaron still played supporting roles in The American Roommate Experiment; I enjoy seeing what my favourite characters are up to post happily ever after!
On the downside, I found that The American Roommate Experiment was extremely slow to start; I was frustrated that it took so long for the plot to be set-up and the story to get going. Furthermore, I felt like some of the information at the beginning of the novel could have been compressed so that the rising action (the experimental dates) could have started sooner. Also, I personally didn’t see the need for Rosie’s brother’s storyline (it didn’t seem essential to the main storyline) and, even though Lucas was swoon-worthy and sweetly protective, I found some of the experimental dates to be overly cheesy for my tastes. I was also surprised that there was very little spice in Lucas and Rosie’s story despite there being a lot of mutual pining; the spice levels were like that of The Spanish Love Deception. Lastly, since Lucas lives in Spain and is only in New York temporarily, I disliked how there was a sense of impending doom throughout the novel because there was an ever-present time limit on Lucas and Rosie’s “experiment”. Overall, even though the plot was a slow to start, I enjoyed Lucas and Rosie’s sweet relationship and comical “fake” dates. If you enjoyed The Spanish Love Deception, you’re definitely going to want to read Lucas and Rosie’s story!
"She’s ready to start a new chapter in her life…For Tess Lane, owning Lakeside Books is a dream come true, but it’s the weekly book club she hosts for the women in town that Tess enjoys the most. The gatherings have been her lifeline over the past three years since her husband’s mysterious death. Tess has tried to move on, but when River Harrison shows up on her doorstep, all her lingering questions come rushing back.…River, a former marine turned private investigator, was her husband’s best friend, and seeing him again is a reminder of everything Tess lost. At first, she tries to ignore him, but Tess comes to realize that this is her chance, once and for all, to find the answers that have troubled her for years. With the support of her friends, Tess joins River on a journey of discovery that leads them to the edges of Somerset Lake and on a road trip down the Carolina coast. Although their adventure isn’t always easy, Tess starts to find the joy in life again. But when secrets surrounding her husband’s death are finally revealed, can Tess find it in her heart to forgive the mistakes of the past … and maybe even open herself up to love again?" (Description of The True Love Bookshop by Annie Rains taken from Hachette Book Group’s website). The True Love Bookshop by Annie Rains is a smalltown “enemies to lovers” romance with a splash of mystery. Even though The True Love Bookshop is the third book in Annie Rains’ Somerset Lake series, it can be read as a standalone. In addition to fans of The Summer Cottage and The Christmas Village, I would recommend this book to fans of Robyn Carr, Debbie Macomber, Brenda Novak, Susan Mallory, and Hallmark romance movies. The True Love Bookshop deals with themes such as secrecy and lies, death, love and heartbreak, war, marriage and divorce, friendship, and cheating. The moral of this story is that it’s never too late for a second chance at true love.
Firstly, I liked how The True Love Bookshop was very bookish; the main character, Tess, owns Lakeside Books and runs a weekly book club. Being a fan of the Virgin River books and Netflix adaptation, I loved how Somerset Lake (the main setting of The True Love Bookshop) was reminiscent of the town of Virgin River; both are small towns near the water with tightknit communities and lots of local drama. I also enjoyed how some of the main characters from the first 2 books in Annie Rains’ Somerset Lake series made appearances in The True Love Bookshop. I enjoyed the addition of the mystery aspects in this book as I felt that Tess and River’s investigation into Tess’s husband’s death made the book more intriguing than The Summer Cottage. Lastly, I appreciated that The True Love Bookshop was a relatively quick and easy read with a guaranteed happily ever after. On the downside, even though I thought that The True Love Bookshop was better and more engaging than The Summer Cottage, I still felt like the plot wasn’t overly interesting. Furthermore, I think that this book is better suited for middle-aged readers as opposed to readers under 40 like myself. Overall, The True Love Bookshop was a romantic and mysterious read perfect for fans of Virgin River. If you enjoyed the first 2 books in Annie Rains’ Somerset Lake series, The Summer Cottage and The Christmas Village, then you should definitely pick-up a copy of The True Love Bookshop! |
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February 2024
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