Tag: 2024 Release

Book Review:: The Christmas Inn | Pamela Kelley

This might just be the coziest book I’ve ever read! The setting is a Cape Cod Bed and Breakfast during Christmas, and a vibrant cast of characters makes this one of the most wholesome holiday books possible.

The Christmas Inn Pamela Kelley Book Cover

After losing her job in New York City, Reily moves back home for a few weeks to help her mother run their B&B for the Christmas rush after her mother breaks her leg. The place has been in a steady decline for the past several years, but with Reily’s help as a content marketer, they work to make this holiday season special. Among those staying at the inn this year is Reily’s widowed high-school sweetheart and his son Luke, and Franny, an older woman who recently lost her sister, who is following a chain of nostalgic letters left to her.

What a beautiful little story we have here! I’ve never read anything by Pamela Kelley before, and I have to say, I’m adding her whole backlist to my TBR! This is the kind of story you can sink into – it transports you into another world and wraps you up in layers of feel-good story. There is romance, yes (we’ll get to that in a second), but what really makes this book shine is the overwhelming feeling of community – you could even call it Christmas spirit, I suppose. Beth and her little family are so kind-hearted and everyone is so open and willing to be present in any room they’re in. It just warms the soul on a level I don’t remember experiencing in another book in quite the same way.

We have two little romance stories going on here. My favorite was mama Beth! She’s been divorced a long time and has felt very discouraged in the dating scene ‘these days’ and has all but completely thrown in the towel, but when the hired help (Shawn) shows up to fix the damage in a few of the rooms at the inn, he’s handsome and kind and capable (and also divorced) – and brings his mama to the holiday festival!

Reily has been dating a big-shot lawyer named Jack in The City. He works long hours because he enjoys his job and has lots of ambition to one day make partner. They have both understood that it will be several more years, at least, of the same pace, before he will have more time to spend on anything else, including her. When she tells someone they’ve been together two years and they respond with an understandable ‘it must be serious’, Reily is surprised, which is…very telling. Spending more time in her hometown, and around the folks around the inn makes her realize how lonely her life in the city has become, and wonder if that kind of life is still the right choice for her. It begins to factor into her job search, as well. What does she really want her life to look like?

Overall, this felt like an immersive Hallmark movie of the best variety. I can see myself craving to read The Christmas Inn again in the future. I absolutely recommend it for anyone wanting to lean into the cozy vibes that come with the fall and winter seasons. There are also plenty of book recommendations in the book (how cool!). So glad I was chosen as an arc listener for the audio version of this title. Thank you to netgalley and the Macmillan Audio for providing the arc in exchange for my honest review.

Details

Title:: The Christmas Inn
Author:: Pamela Kelley
Genre:: Women’s Fiction
Publisher:: St. Martin’s Griffin
Length:: 320 pages
Audio Length:: 10h 48m
Audiobook Narrator:: Stephanie Németh-Parker
Audiobook Publisher:: Macmillan Audio
Published:: September 24, 2024
The Litertarian Rating:: #-Stars
Spice Rating:: 0

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If you liked this book, check out…

Funny Story | Emily Henry
Thank You for Listening | Julia Whelan

Book Review:: The Perfect Putt | Annah Conwell

The Perfect Putt is a sweet small-town sports romance with no spice, and lots of drama! Picture the flavor of a Sarah Adams romance (a la The Cheat Sheet), geared a little closer to a younger (or more innocent) reader audience.

The Perfect Putt Annah Conwell Book Cover, Golfer kissing girl with red hair

Ellie Heart takes a job as the assistant to a professional golfer in order to accelerate her savings to open up her own florist business one day. She hates golf, but that doesn’t seem to be a problem for Miles, who has had terrible luck keeping an assistant for long. They always get obsessed with him, and the last thing he wants is to have a serious relationship that might lead to marriage. His parents ugly divorce was enough to solidify that decision for him. But as he and Ellie get to know one another, it feels different.

This novel felt very much like a high school drama. The characters are older, but they acted quite innocently. The emotions were elevated to the point almost of exaggeration, and were certainly accelerated, making this very much insta-love territory. It wasn’t necessarily the short time component that made it feel fast, but the lack of context for the depth of feeling they were both experiencing. Some of it did feel a little silly, but it also has a certain kind of charm.

The fact that Ellie & Miles were technically employer/employee didn’t seem to add any boundary to the romance. I don’t remember it being mentioned at all as a hurdle to overcome between them, which seemed a little strange.

Overall though, The Perfect Putt felt very uplifting and positive.

Miles, in particular, has a very strong friend group. He is distant from his broken family, so it’s great that he has that support system behind him. He likes to be friends with everyone who surrounds him, which is how he starts to let Ellie in.

Ellie is just trying to stay focused on her dream of opening her own little shop in her favorite place: Coastal Cove, an idyllic small-town setting. Her widowed sister Naomi lives there with her young son and Ellie is sticking around to help her. I would expect one of the next novels in the series to center around Naomi!

The narration was done very well. Both voice actors did a great job with the material and gave life to the characters.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media and Netgalley for sending the audiobook arc in exchange for my honest review of this title.

Details

Title:: The Perfect Putt (More Than A Game Book #2)
Author:: Annah Conwell
Genre:: Sweet Sports Romance
Publisher:: Indie
Length:: 269 pages
Audio Length:: 6h 42m
Audiobook Narrator:: Sybil Johnson & Dillon Sickels
Audiobook Publisher:: Dreamscape Media
Published:: August 27th, 2024
The Litertarian Rating:: 3-Stars
Spice Level:: 0.5 (kissing, alludes to sex)

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If you liked this book, check out…

The Cheat Sheet/The Rule Book | Sarah Adams
My (not so) Perfect Life | Sophie Kinsella

Book Review:: Sunshine and Spice | Aurora Palit

The grass is always greener on the other side, but when you take the time to look around, you just might realize the blessings that surround you right where you are.

Sunshine and Spice, Aurora Palit, Book Cover, Book Review

Naomi recently struck out on her own as a brand consultant and is struggling to make ends meet. She is out of money and needs to win a redesign contract for a local Indian-Canadian bazaar or she might have to reevaluate everything. She has Indian heritage, but has never been engrossed in the Bengali culture, and it makes her self-conscious in a place that is so culturally vibrant. Meanwhile, Dev, the middle son of the bazaar owner, is dodging prospective wives sent by the matchmaker his mother hired. He has no interest in marriage, based on the experience he’s observed from the men in his own family. Soon, it becomes clear that he and Naomi could help each other. She could pretend to be a match for him, chasing away any others, and he could help her with decisions that would make the redesign feel authentic.

Dev feels suffocated by the Bengali culture his family celebrates. Large dinners and festivals that Naomi finds fascinating are standard fare for Dev, and he is critical of the way his father and brother have treated the women in their family. If that is his only option for marriage, he would rather never marry. But try telling that to his mother. He feels rebellious toward the pressure and control he’s feeling from his family – he just wants to be left alone.

Naomi’s mother left her culture behind once Naomi was born. She felt her family trying to control her and her decisions and cut herself and her daughter off from them by moving to a small rural town and marrying a white man. Naomi didn’t go to school with people who looked like her, and she didn’t eat Indian food at home growing up. As an adult she finds herself craving some of that culture, and soaks up every bit of it she gets to experience with Dev.

I enjoyed this story quite a lot. It was well plotted, giving the book constant forward momentum, and the characters were interesting. I don’t know much about Indian culture, and it was really interesting to read about it in the context of this book. Dev’s weekly big family dinners seem amazing. Like Naomi, I’d love to experience that sometime!

It is the personal dilemmas that drive the book, but the romance was nice too. Even though it is called Sunshine and Spice, I wasn’t really expecting it to be spicy. I guess the matchmaker/arranged marriage element made me think maybe it would be more modest, but there is definitely some spice later in the book.

This is a story about finding your roots and embracing your blessings. It’s about finding out who you want to be, even if it’s almost exactly the opposite of what you always thought it was. It’s about following your heart and deep connection. It’s about hard work and paving your own way. It is a rich tapestry of themes, layered with flavor and spice, just like almost any meal in traditional Indian cooking.

Thank you so much to the publisher and netgalley for providing an arc copy in exchange for an honest review. I’m so glad I got to read this one!

Details

Title:: Sunshine and Spice
Author:: Aurora Palit
Genre:: Contemporary Fiction
Publisher:: Berkley
Length:: 2336 pages
Audio Length:: 9h
Audiobook Narrator:: Soneela Nankani & Imran Sheikh
Audiobook Publisher:: Penguin Audio
Published:: September 10th, 2024
The Litertarian Rating:: 4-Stars
Spice Rating:: 4 (not erotica, but open door and explicit language)

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If you liked this, check out…

The Kiss Quotient | Helen Hoang
Haunted Ever After | Jen DeLuca

Book Review:: PS: I Hate You | Lauren Connolly

A human life is fleeting. We only get so much time before we run out. Sometimes, there is no warning. Sometimes, you get a heads up that the end is inevitable. Either way, death is a reminder of our ticking clock, and often shines a spotlight on what is important, and what is not. This is a theme that has come up a lot in my reading this year, and it strikes home every time. Because we’re all alive, and one day, we won’t be. What are we going to do with the time we have?

PS: I Hate You Lauren Connolly Book Cover

Before Josh Sanderson died of cancer, he wrote some letters to those he left behind. To his mother, his grandmother, and his friends. But to his best friend Dominic and his sister Maddie, he left a task: travel to the last eight states he never got to visit using the coordinates he left, scatter some of his ashes there, and read the letter he left for each place – together. The only problem is, Dominic Perry is the reason Maddie fled PA for the west coast. If it were under any other circumstances, Maddie would’ve told them both to kick rocks, but Josh was the only person in the world who loved her, and she’ll do anything to read the letters he left.

I think my favorite part of the whole adventure was that Josh didn’t spell out his reasons for sending them on their quest, leaving Maddie to speculate what his intentions could possibly have been. She comes up with several theories along the way, each of them making her reconsider everything she thought she knew.

I was pulled in from the very beginning by Maddie’s snarky, heartbroken voice. Her backstory is devastating, and she’s developed unhealthy coping mechanisms to survive. In the depths of her grief, she clings to them harder than ever, but the journey through the eight destinations illuminates the need for changes.

Dominic is the strong silent type. Through so much of the book, all we really see from him are ‘looks’. He’s staring at her, he has a strange look on his face, you know the drill. It leaves a lot of room for the reader to project what they want him to be thinking, which is clever. The one complaint I have is that Connolly WAY overused the phrase ‘the man’, when referring to him, especially at the beginning.

The themes in his book are heavy, but it reads very much like a rom-com. There is plenty of banter to enjoy, and a lot of personal growth for our MC. There is a fun cast of friends which make me hope there might be another book featuring one of them (Tula?) still to come. This was my first Lauren Connolly book, and it certainly won’t be my last!

Thank you to Berkley & Netgalley for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review. This book will be released on December 3rd, 2024, but it is currently available for pre-order!

Details

Title:: PS: I Hate You
Author:: Lauren Connolly
Genre:: Contemporary Fiction
Publisher:: Berkley
Length:: 432 pages
Audio Length:: 10h
Audiobook Narrator:: TBA
Audiobook Publisher:: Penguin Audio
Published:: December 3rd, 2024
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars
Spice Rating:: 4 (not erotica, but open door and explicit language)

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Lauren Connolly Romance Website
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If you liked this, check out…

Hate Mail | Donna Marchetti
Play Along | Liz Tomforde

Book Review:: Play Along | Liz Tomforde

Play Along is the 4th book in the Windy City spicy sports romance series by Liz Tomforde. If you’re a fan of sports romance, this series is a must read. Play Along lives up to the same meant-to-be, charged with heat romance, and it has the same deep heart healing running through it too.

Play Along Liz Tomforde Book Cover

Isaiah Rhodes (pro shortstop) and Kennedy Kay (an athletic physical therapist for his pro baseball team) met in a bathroom on a bad day for them both. Three years later, they get drunk as skunks and married in Vegas so Kennedy can feel some sense of power in her f*cked up family dynamic. The next morning the real world comes at them like the world’s worst hangover, and they realize that if Kennedy is really going to get what she wants (professionally), they’ll have to play out this marriage like it’s real for the whole baseball season. The only problem is Isaiah has a very real thing for Kennedy, and she is looking forward to having actual freedom for the first time in her life – which means D-I-V-O-R-C-E, A.S.A.P.

I love this series. Tomforde has built up a big ol’ cast of characters that are supportive and spunky and endearing and sprinkled throughout each other’s stories. Isaiah is the younger brother of Kai, the hero of my favorite book in the series, Caught Up. But man, Isaiah really gives Kai a run for his money. I’m honestly conflicted at this point on which to claim as my favorite, but in the end it doesn’t matter – they’re both (all) brilliant.

I love the depth that this series explores in each volume. They’re fairly long books compared to many in the genre, but still, I’m left wanting more (seriously, I had to look up if there is a fifth book in the series coming, and – rejoice – there is!). Both lead characters always get a robust backstory and very real conflicts and insecurities that they work through that gives them such depth and allows us to empathize with them deeply. In this case, Isaiah lost his mother at the age of thirteen and is dealing with some severe anxiety when triggered, and is also learning that it’s okay to be himself instead of the mask of humor and the relentless easy-going nature he forces himself to wear at all times. For Kennedy, she comes from a cold family who has never expressed love or affection for her and uses her like a pawn in their own schemes. She has trouble feeling important or worth anyone’s time, and has problems with physical touch. Through all the tropey gimmicks, these two come together to heal each other in all the right places.

If Liz Tomforde wrote ten books in this series, I would read them all. I trust that she can string together a story that I’ll care about no matter the context. She’s good at characters with heart, and they’re all living rent-free in my head. If you love that all-consuming possessive longing love feeling, you’d be hard pressed to find something better than this series. Pick it up! You won’t be sorry.

Details

Title:: Play Along
Author:: Liz Tomforde
Genre:: Contemporary Romance
Publisher:: Golden Boy Publishing LLC
Length:: 272 pages
Audio Length:: 12h 32m
Audiobook Narrator:: Jacob Morgan & Samantha Brentmoor
Audiobook Publisher:: Golden Boy Publishing LLC
Published:: July 11th, 2024
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars
Spice Level:: 4 (open door, explicit language)

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Liz Tomforde Author Website
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If you liked this book, check out…

The Unhoneymooners | Christina Lauren
Savor It | Tarah DeWitt

Book Review:: Business Casual | B.K. Borison

I received this book as an e-arc for review by the publisher via netgalley, but only a handful of chapters in, I added the paperback (and the rest of the series) to my cart. Already I trusted the writing enough to know this was going to be amazing, and it was exactly the wholesome fulfilling romance I was hoping for.

Business Casual BK Borison Book Cover

Nova Porter is overwhelmed with the launching of her very own tattoo shop in her hometown of Inglewild. She’s drowning in paperwork, to-do tasks, and responsibility. She needs a release. When fun-loving New Yorker and obnoxious flirt Charlie asks her to dance at the wedding they’re both attending, she thinks he might be just the thing to help. But a proposition was the last thing he expected from Nova, and (adorable) awkwardness kills the moment. But now Charlie knows she’s interested in that kind of relationship, and that changes everything.

Nova is a spunky, hard-working woman setting out on her own to make her dreams come true in the hometown that just feels right. She has regular dinners with her supportive family, and knows everyone in town. She knows she can handle it, but also – can she actually handle it? Charlie comes from an upper-class broken family with a father that makes him feel like he’s only as good as what he can accomplish, and that he’s not even good at that. He’s gotten to know Inglewild through his half-sister, Stella, who runs a Christmas tree farm there, and it makes him feel whole in a way he’s never experienced before, but he still feels like he doesn’t quite belong.

This is an example of a story that works well because of character (not to belittle the idyllic setting, which was also amazing). Nova and Charlie are perfectly suited, but their character and backstory drive the conflict. If Charlie was with someone else, it wouldn’t have the same ending. If Nova was with someone else, it wouldn’t have the same inciting incident. They are so thoughtfully designed to create this engaging story full of so much longing, and a resolution that doesn’t leave you feeling damaged, but with a bigger heart than you had before.

I adored Charlie. He’s that not-a-puppy-anymore aged golden retriever pup at the shelter who was abandoned by his family and just looking for someone to tell him what a good boy he is. And he’s a good boy. He’s such a good boy. I dare you not to fall for him right along with Nova.

This is the fourth book in the Lovelight Farms series by BK Borison. Each volume corresponds to one of the seasons, and Business Casual is centered around fall. Nova and Charlie both find themselves on the Harvest Festival committee and work together to help the town make it a great event.

Business Casual is a feel-good read. You get that warm fuzzy feeling all the way through. Now that I’ve turned the last page, I have that book hangover feeling, like I just want to hold on a little bit longer. Luckily, there are three other books in the series I get to dive into next! If you’re looking for your next romance fix, you can’t go wrong with this one.

Details

Title:: Business Casual (Lovelight Book #4)
Author:: B.K. Borison
Genre:: Contemporary Romance
Publisher:: Berkley
Length:: 384 pages
Audio Length:: 11h 37m
Audiobook Narrator:: Pippa Jayne & Benjamin D. Walker
Audiobook Publisher:: Dreamscape Media
Published:: July 16th, 2024
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars
Spice Level:: 4 (open door, frequent)

Linky Links!!

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Author Website
Amazon Affiliate Links
[Paperback] [eBook] [Audible]

If you liked this book, check out…

Play Along | Liz Tomforde
Funny Story | Emily Henry
The Rom-Commers | Katherine Center

Book Review:: Haunted Ever After | Jen DeLuca

Summer is the season for beach read romances. Fall is the season for darker stories of mystery and delicious twists. Haunted Ever After fills the gap between the two like it was conceived to bridge it. A ghost story romance set in a small-town in Florida is the perfect read for the end of summer as the days grow shorter, and the supernatural veil begins to thin.

Haunted Ever After Jen DeLuca Book Cover

Cassie Rutherford is looking for something to call her own. In a crazy real estate market, she ends up buying a flipped home in the tiny coastal town of Boneyard Key which boasts of being the most haunted town in Florida. Tourist towns all have a bogus kitsch to bring in money, but when strange things start happening around her historical home, and the locals claim authenticity, she realizes she may have been a little hasty in her move away from Orlando. But the sunsets from her backyard beach can’t be beat, and Nick Royer, the hunk who runs the cafe, might just be exactly what she’s been looking for.

Boneyard Key is the quirky, lovable setting we love in a small-town romance. The punny shop names, the locals-only hidden gems, the colorful cast of characters, and, of course, the gossip no one can ever escape.

Nick is a BK native with an abandonment complex that leaves him resentful toward outsiders and defensive about the town he grew up in. When Cassie has to use his shop to plug in her laptop so she doesn’t miss an important work meeting, he mistakes her for a workaholic tourist in a yummy, conflict-ridden meet cute I ate up like candy. Our lead characters both know who they are and are okay on their own, which makes their slow-fall romance all the more delicious.

The main conflict of the story is the mysterious haunting of the house Cassie bought. Abandoned for decades, she is the first person to reside in the house since the original owners in the early twentieth century. With the help of local historians, Buster the handyman, a bona-fide medium, and our hunky hero, they inch ever closer to the root of the issue.

I really appreciated that despite the twisty mystery, the tone remained in romantic comedy territory. This is a fun, light-hearted read that won’t scare you away with any dark twists. It has themes of female empowerment, strong community, and giving yourself permission to grow, change, and move on. This isn’t a psychological thriller, I had the twist figured out about a hundred pages before Cassie did, but it’s an interesting conflict that entangles and complicates the rising action of the romance.

I’m so glad I was fortunate enough to be chosen as an ARC reader for this book. I had a smile on my face through the whole thing. It was a joy to read, and I recommend it for any fan of romantic comedies!

Also, I now have an undeniable craving for a buffalo tender sub sandwich from Publix and a sunset walk on the beach. Unfortunately, I live in Colorado, so neither is in my immediate future – ha!

Details

Title:: Haunted Ever After (Boneyard Key #1)
Author:: Jen DeLuca
Genre:: Contemporary Romance
Publisher:: Berkley
Length:: 352 pages
Audio Length:: 10h 51m
Audiobook Narrator:: Jeannie Sheneman
Audiobook Publisher:: Penguin Audio
Published:: August 13th, 2024
The Litertarian Rating:: 4-Stars
Spice Level:: 1

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Author Website
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If you liked this book, check out…

Savor It | Tarah Dewitt
Thank You for Listening | Julia Whelan

Book Review:: We’ll Prescribe You A Cat | Syou Ishida

Cats are the heroes of the internet. They bring smiles to even the grouchiest faces. But what happens when you go to someone for psychiatric help, and they send you home with one as treatment?!

We'll Prescribe You A Cat Syou Ishida Book Cover

Shuta is a timid corporate drone in Kyoto with low mental health. Nothing has seemed to work for him, and when he hears of a unique clinic through the grapevine, he decides to give it one last chance. He is miserable at his job, and after a desperate plea to be seen right away, the doctor prescribes him a cat to look after. Shuta is stunned, and takes the carrier filled with a cat named Bee and a large bag of supplies home with him in a stupor of shock, wondering how in the world he ended up here.

This is the first of four parables in this book about the mysterious Nakagyo Kokoro Clinic for the Soul. Those in need of healing find themselves drawn in by the clinic by word of mouth and leave with a new feline companion. In each case, the cat draws attention to a true cause of turbulence in their life (whether they realized what it was beforehand or not), harking to a whole-istic type of medicine. Heal the soul, the rest will follow.

As the book progresses, an element of magical realism begins to seep through until it culminates in a resolution in the last chapter. I was happy to learn more about the elusive clinic-it is the string that runs through what would otherwise simply be a book of short stories.

We’ll Prescribe You a Cat has been translated by E. Madison Shimoda from the original Japanese. Something about the style makes everything feel a little bit exaggerated. The situations, the internal monologue of the characters, and even the dialogue. It feels like a cultural difference compared to more western-style novels, and it was refreshing to read, in a way. While there were plenty of details, it felt more descriptive than immersive for me.

This book is a charming reminder that humans need connection. Opening the door to new experiences will usually lead to new opportunities that would have otherwise passed you by. Sometimes the simple act of caring for another living creature is enough to bring us out of our own issues enough to make a meaningful difference. If nothing else, the cats in this book will make you smile.

Thank you to NetGalley & Berkley for sending me an ARC copy of this novel for free in exchange for an honest review.

Details

Title:: We’ll Prescribe You A Cat
Author:: Syou Ishida, translated by E. Madison Shimoda
Genre:: Literary Fiction
Publisher:: Berkley
Length:: 304 pages
Audio Length:: 7h 8m
Audiobook Narrator:: Naruto Komatsu & Natsumi Kuroda
Audiobook Publisher:: Penguin Audio
Published:: September 3rd, 2024
The Litertarian Rating:: 4-Stars

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[Hardcover] [eBook] [Audible]

If you liked this book, check out…

My (Not So) Perfect Life | Sophie Kinsella
Amazing Grace Adams | Fran Littlewood

Book Review:: The Cheat Sheet & The Rule Book | Sarah Adams

Are you craving a sweet romance that will leave you with a big goofy smile? The Cheat Sheet series by Sarah Adams delivers on a low-stakes, pure bliss experience that serves as a perfect palette cleanser if you’ve been reading heavier things and need a little break. Did I mention there are sports? Because there’s just something about a good sports romance, amiright?

The Cheat Sheet

The Cheat Sheet Sarah Adams Book Cover

Bree and Nathan have been friends since high school. Both serious athletes, they take up running together to keep up their fitness. They stay fast friends through high school, until Bree has an accident that leaves her unable to continue her sport (ballet), and Nathan is off to college. They lose touch awhile, until they end up in the same town where Bree runs a dance studio & Nathan is a professional quarterback. They reconnect and take up their habit of running again, and it becomes a sacred tradition. All this time they’ve each harbored a secret crush on the other they are too afraid to pursue, because their friendship is such an integral part of their lives. But now, for the first time since they met, each of them are single at the same time, and Nathan doesn’t want to let the opportunity slip through his fingers. With the help of his friends, they create a cheat sheet of romantic ‘plays’ to try to woo the girl of his dreams.

The Rule Book

The Rule Book Sarah Adams Book Cover

Being a sports agent has been Nora’s dream for as long as she can remember. Finally, in an industry dominated by men, she gets her chance to succeed – except her new (first) client is the one-who-got-away in college, (Nathan’s teammate) Derek Pender. She broke his heart, and now he’s out to punish her awhile before he drops her and gets a new agent – obviously there is a conflict of interest. Only thing is, Nora’s great at her job. In order to be professional, they make a set of ground rules to follow. But being near each other stirs up a lot of feelings, and after growing up a little more, they can recognize their own mistakes from the past. Will they be able to move forward as a team? Or will they need to part ways, for good this time?

Of the two, I rated The Cheat Sheet higher. Without giving anything away, The Rule Book used tropes that were a little too far-fetched to work well for me. The Cheat Sheet was so sweet and romantic, and I was just rooting for the two of them to be together. It was very low-stakes, and the only thing that bothered me was Bree’s inner monologue occasionally being a little too obnoxious. The Rule Book is a little more complex. Nora’s career is very much on the line, and Derek is holding onto a lot of anger from the past. The romance itself felt maybe more realistic (because of the complexity), but overall I just didn’t like it as much. They both have that Sarah Adams lighthearted tone, and while there is conflict, she never leaves you sweating for long.

They certainly fall into the romantic comedy umbrella. Plenty of antics ensue in both books of quirky situations the characters get themselves into that usually ultimately add to the romance. I found myself smiling so often while reading, and I honestly didn’t want to put them down!

The Cheat Sheet is completely spice free, and honestly? I didn’t even miss it. However, The Rule Book does have a dash of it. Both stories stand out to me as simply hopelessly romantic, not particularly sexy.

I like this series because I think it’s great for younger romance readers, and those who prefer less spice. Sometimes it’s nice to have something light and quick and enjoyable to read just for the joy of it. I’m learning Sarah Adams is a great place to turn to for that. I think When in Rome is still my favorite Sarah Adams book I’ve read though! It’s a celebrity small-town romance *swoon*.

Details

Title:: The Cheat Sheet (The Cheat Sheet #1)
Author:: Sarah Adams
Genre:: Romantic Comedy
Publisher:: Dell Books
Length:: 306 pages
Audio Length:: 8h 57m
Audiobook Narrator:: Renee Dorian & Teddy Hamilton
Audiobook Publisher:: Dreamscape Media
Published:: August 17th, 2021
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

Title:: The Rule Book (The Cheat Sheet #2)
Author:: Sarah Adams
Genre:: Romantic Comedy
Publisher:: Dell Books
Length:: 356 pages
Audio Length:: 10h 50m
Audiobook Narrator:: Hathaway Lee & Will Damron
Audiobook Publisher:: Random House Audio
Published:: April 2nd, 2024
The Litertarian Rating:: 3-Stars

Linky Links!!

Goodreads
Author Website
Amazon Affiliate Links
[Paperback] [eBook] [Audible]

Goodreads
Author Website
Amazon Affiliate Links
[Paperback] [eBook] [Audible]

If you liked this book, check out…

The Perfect Putt | Annah Conwell
Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake | Mazey Eddings
The Tourist Attraction | Sarah Morgenthaler

Book Review:: Funny Story | Emily Henry

Let’s talk about the new Emily Henry book —

Funny Story Emily Henry Book Cover

Daphne’s fiancé came back from his bachelor party weekend with a declaration of love on his lips. Unfortunately, it was for his childhood friend Petra, not her. She had packed up her entire life and moved to Michigan for the guy. She lived in the house he bought for them. And now? Now the only thing she has is her dream job as a children’s librarian…in the one place on earth she no longer wants to be. She has nowhere to go. Then Miles, Petra’s beau, shows up after he gets the NOTE she left him, ending their years long relationship. He wants answers, but they’re already long gone. Instead, he picks up a new roommate. Daphne & Miles are practical strangers, both mourning the death of relationships they’d put everything on the line for. In a bout of revenge, they decide to pretend they’ve found new love in each other. We know how the rest of the story goes, right? They grow closer, become true friends, help each other navigate the troubles in their lives, and the pesky little spark between them, once struck, refuses to die out.

The banter is top tier. Daphne and Miles get each other. The bond of friendship that anchors them is so genuine. They’re not just grieving together, they’re grieving the exact same thing. And when one of them is going through something rough, the other is there with immense support.

Although it is firmly inside romantic comedy territory, it has authentic depth that pulls the ol’ heartstrings. As Daphne sifts through the wreckage of her life to figure out what she even wants out of life, she has to really examine all the pieces of it. Would moving back ‘home’ solve any of her problems? Or is she just trying to run away…again?

In conclusion – drumroll please – I loved it. As far as Emily Henry goes, this ranks for me just under my favorite she’s written (Beach Read) for a solid runner-up. I loved Miles. I loved how he was revealed in layers, just a little bit at a time. I related so hard to Daphne in many ways. The difficulty of adult friendships, her self-doubt. Very little of this book felt tedious to get through (unlike Book Lovers, honestly). Although there were some things that bothered me, too.

  • The third act conflict was confusing and needlessly stressful (in my opinion). It stretched the bounds of my belief, but it wasn’t enough to ruin it for me.
  • The title. It’s explained in the opening anecdote, but other than that, it doesn’t feel like it applies in any meaningful way to the actual story. Not the only Emily Henry book to which this gripe applies though. Titles are hard. Hers are catchy. I get it.

It’s hard to go wrong with an Emily Henry book. She’s a sharp-witted writer with a modern style that is easy to read and lose yourself in. Her characters have so much complicated depth, and the narrative works long and hard to resolve their long-standing issues realistically. They’re more spunky than fluffy, and give you plenty of fodder to ruminate over long after the last pages are turned. I’d say of the four Henry’s I’ve read so far, for me this is a solid runner-up behind Beach Read (Happy Place settled at the rear).

Details

Title:: Funny Story
Author:: Emily Henry
Genre:: Romance
Publisher:: Berkley
Length:: 395 pages
Audio Length:: 11h 23m
Audiobook Narrator:: Julia Whelan
Audiobook Publisher:: Penguin Audio
Published:: April 23rd, 2024
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

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