Summer Archives - The Litertarian

Book Review:: Wrong Place Wrong Time | Gillian McAllister

It started with a feeling. Deja vu? Something like it? A bad feeling. The calm before the storm type of feeling. Like in the next instant, the world will change. Irreparably.

Wrong Place Wrong Time Gillian McAllister Book Cover

Jen knows something is wrong as she’s waiting up for her teenaged son to come home late on an October evening. Propelled by this supernatural feeling, she goes to the window and witnesses her son stab a stranger, killing him. The next hours are a nightmare as she and her husband Kelly grasp for answers about what happened and why. Somehow, they make it home to sleep in the wee hours of the morning. When she wakes, it is to the previous morning, before the crime. Her son is there, safe and happy. The next morning, it’s another day earlier. Somehow, she’s stuck in a backwards time loop, moving further and further back through time. Every day, she notices something new – signs she missed that led to that moment with her son holding a knife. She’s convinced it’s an opportunity for her to change things – to prevent that dark day from ever happening. But the more she discovers about the past, the more impossible it seems to untangle her family from the web of events that led them there.

We’re all familiar with the groundhog-day trope – living the same day again and again until things set themselves right – but this one does it different. Jen continues traveling back in time, weeks, months, years – gathering information she will need to unravel the mystery of that night and the truth everyone around her has been hiding.

There are twists and turns and each piece of the puzzle built the suspense and had my mind engaged the entire time. The pacing was just right; not so quick that you missed things because the details were too quick or subtle, and not so slow that any part of it was boring.

I don’t read this genre often because I have a soft heart that can’t take much evil, and though there are dark things in this book, for me, it was the perfect amount of darkness to still be able to enjoy it. I especially hate when books get darker at the end, taking a gruesome turn that haunts you. This one does not.

I’ve been reading a lot of books this year with protagonists who are mothers. I’m devouring them. There are certain things that are universal, and a mother’s love and falling into the trap of not paying enough attention to the every-day things are two of them. This is the suspense/thriller side of the same coin as Maybe Next Time by Cesca Major, one of my favorite books of the year. I highly recommend both!

Details

Title:: Wrong Place Wrong Time
Author:: Gillian McAllister
Genre:: Mystery/Thriller
Publisher:: William Morrow
Length:: 416 pages
Audio Length:: 10h 7m
Audiobook Narrator:: Lesley Sharp
Audiobook Publisher:: Harper Audio
Published:: August 2nd, 2022
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

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If you liked this book, check out…

The Midnight Feast | Lucy Foley
Amazing Grace Adams | Fran Littlewood

Book Review:: Malibu Rising | Taylor Jenkins Reid

Family is the most complex thing there is. The history. The responsibility. The everyday choices and the ones that come once in a lifetime. The mirrored features and gestures. The shared experience, or absence from them. All of these things cumulate into how we experience family. What are the expectations of being a parent, or a sibling, and what happens when those expectations aren’t met? Are blood ties enough to support relationships, no matter what? And what of marriage vows? Trust, betrayal, forgiveness? What do we owe those we’ve made promises to, and who created us?

I’m probably taking things too far here for an introduction, but Malibu Rising is a phenomenal work of literary fiction that had these very questions running through my head. It is an exploration of family in many forms, and an intriguing family saga that hooked me from page one and still hasn’t let go.

Malibu Rising Taylor Jenkins Reid Book Cover

The Riva family has been through a lot. Four siblings, bonded by love through hardship, are now on their way into adulthood. They have two things in common – their famous deadbeat father, and their deep love of surfing. Jay is a professional surfer, Hudson is the photographer who captures all his best shots, Nina is the older sister who got famous modeling on her surfboard, and Kit, the baby, might just be better than any of them at the sport. Every year they throw a party to close out the summer. Anyone who finds out about it can come. Celebrities of all shapes and flavors don’t dare miss it. It’s the talk of the town. But this year the party will leave the siblings changed forever.

Life is messy. In great novels, the mess happens all at the same time in a slow but relentless crescendo that keeps us riveted until the cacophonous finale. Each of the Riva siblings is at a crisis point in their lives, and we’re taken through their family origin story to help us understand how they got to this moment, and why they might be making the choices they make. One sibling is deeply in love with someone he’s not supposed to be, one is falling out of love, one thinks he’s found the one after a single night, and one is having doubts she has the capacity for romantic love at all. Their parents, Mick and June, had an explosive type of love that led to heartbreak when they were both unable to break the patterns of the families before them, leaving wounds and wreckage in a blazing trail behind them.

Taylor Jenkins Reid continues to astound me with her capacity for storytelling. I mean, the details she includes are just incredible. Her omniscient tendency allows her to showcase happenstance from all the interesting angles and explore human nature in all its nonsensical and sometimes beautiful inevitabilities.

I think I loved every single aspect of this story. The experience of reading was a pleasure in itself. Every sentence was interesting. Every facet of each character the author chose to showcase…so interesting. As in, it literally captured my interest. It kind of reminds me of the character of Vida Winter in The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield, the disillusioned storyteller who isn’t interested in anything that doesn’t serve a story. Like the storyteller in Margaret Atwood’s The Blind Assassin. Crafting story is simple. Just make it interesting. This is how I imagine Taylor Jenkins Reid as she’s sifting through ideas for her stories. She’s on a higher plane of storytelling. She’s a weaver. She’s a curator. She’s a master.

This is the kind of story that begs to be appreciated. It’s not one thing that makes it stand out. It’s all of it together as one thing. One awesome, specific, thing. I hope you read it. But if you don’t like it, don’t tell me. I don’t think I could take it.

Details

Title:: Malibu Rising
Author:: Taylor Jenkins Reid
Genre:: Contemporary Fiction
Publisher:: Ballantine Books
Length:: 369 pages
Audio Length:: 11h 5m
Audiobook Narrator:: Julia Whelan
Audiobook Publisher:: Random House Audio
Published:: June 1st, 2021
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

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If you liked this book, check out…

The Most Fun We Ever Had | Claire Lombardo
Summertime Punchline | Betty Corrello

Book Review:: Hello Stranger | Katherine Center

Another beautiful romance by Katherine Center, this one with a high concept and a Cinderella twist that is sure to move you.

Hello Stranger Katherine Center Book Cover

Sadie Montgomery is a finalist in the same prestigious portrait contest that her mother once participated in, before her untimely death. It could be the big break she needs as a struggling portrait artist to prove to her father and to herself that she won’t wind up in a pauper’s grave. However, a medical scare leaves her with symptoms that throw her entire world on its head when post-surgical swelling leaves her unable to recognize human faces – even her own.

There are two men in Sadie’s post-surgical life. The veterinarian who helped save her beloved dog’s life, sparking with potential, and a bowling-jacket wearing Lothario who lives next-door who made a terrible first impression with an overheard phone conversation but seems to always show up in the right place at the right time.

Sadie and Cinderella have a few things in common. A mother who has passed and a father who married right away. An ‘evil’ step-mother and step-sister who take pains to misunderstand her and even torture her a little bit. Being so poor she has to live essentially in squalor (crashing in her art studio because she can’t afford an apartment). The ‘unable to recognize someone in different contexts’ element is switched, because The Prince knows it’s her all along, it’s Sadie who can’t recognize him.

There are a lot of valuable takeaways from this book. Seeing beyond someone’s physical appearance. We take so much for granted every single day – things as simple as recognizing someone when they’re right in front of you. It’s okay to be vulnerable sometimes. Nothing is ever all bad or all good, even if you don’t see it right away. Sadie is holding onto a lot of heavy stuff from her past, and though she hardly realizes it herself, she’s letting it guide who she’s become as an adult. Through this difficult time, she learns that maybe it’s okay to be a little more herself.

What does it say about me that I identified with Sadie through much of the early story? She holds herself to perfect standards and has to be okay, always. Fierce independence, I call it in myself. Difficult to ask for help. Difficult to even acknowledge it’s needed in the first place. I saw her so completely in that feeling. It was nice to see that reflected in a character so exactly. I clearly have some work to do on myself, too – ha.

I am once again so impressed with Katherine Center’s skillful storytelling. There are lots of clues throughout the novel for what the romantic climax will look like. No one thing is blaringly obvious, but the volume is such that I feel confident saying everyone knows where the story is going except Sadie herself. Still, the layering of clues really puts us in Sadie’s head, so we understand the story through her currently distorted perspective.

Some of the drama might have gone a little over the top (the evil-stepsister element, especially) but I can’t deny this little gem is absolutely a five-star read! I loved it!

Details

Title:: Hello Stranger
Author:: Katherine Center
Genre:: Contemporary Romance
Publisher:: St. Martin’s Press
Length:: 323 pages
Audio Length:: 10h 39m
Audiobook Narrator:: Patti Murin
Audiobook Publisher:: Macmillan Audio
Published:: July 11th, 2023
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

Linky Links!!

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Author Website
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[Hardcover] [Paperback] [eBook] [Audible]

If you liked this book, check out…

The Rom-Commers | Katherine Center
Savor It | Tarah Dewitt
Business Casual | BK Borison

Book Review:: It’s All Relative | Rachel Magee

In It’s All Relative, Rachel Magee has crafted a tangled saga of blending families delivered with the levity of a fun romantic comedy.

It's All Relative Rachel Magee Book Cover

Helena’s mother is getting married, which means an extended stay at the Maddox family beach house with her soon-to-be family. She is happy about the wedding, she wants all the best for her mom, but Helena doesn’t fit in with the groom’s family, who she’s secretly dubbed ‘the perfects’ – and to top it off, she has a huge crush on her future sister-in-law’s fiancé, Gage. In a panic, she drags her closest friend Landon to the week-long getaway, but since she never used the family’s real names, they never realized the sister-in-law is actually Landon’s one-that-got-away in college. Amelia is her name, and she has packed the itinerary within an inch of its life with thoughtful activities and plenty of time for contingencies if anything goes wrong. She would do anything for her family. A week all together on an island should go smoothly, right?

The book starts off with a bang – so much conflict in so little time! It was very compelling to wonder how in the world this double romance was going to get pulled off, but she did it! I felt like everything was resolved satisfactorily by the end, with plenty of hijinks along the way.

There are a lot of underlying conflicts worked through in this book. Helena is struggling with the feeling of not belonging within her new expanded family, feeling like she’s ‘too much’. She is also grieving, on some level, the life she and her mother shared solo all those years before. Amelia is caught between duty and passion. She works for the family business and is marrying the ‘right’ guy, both of which are fine. Just, fine. Nothing in her life lights her up anymore. Being confronted with her past in Landon is a reminder of the girl she used to be, before she shouldered so much responsibility.

If you’re a no spice girly, rejoice! There is nothing untoward in these pages. Personally I like to follow the relationships a little bit longer so you do get into those moments of intense intimacy, but this was handled the way it was meant to. I think it would be maybe a little icky if anything went too fast, considering how things were set up at the beginning.

This is apparently a retelling of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, which I have not read. I’m going to need to – I think it’d be so interesting to find out more about the inspiration material.

If you’re looking for a charming book to fall into to recharge or cleanse your palette between heavier books, this one is a great choice!

Details

Title:: It’s All Relative
Author:: Rachel Magee
Genre:: Contemporary Romance
Publisher:: Thomas Nelson
Length:: 336 pages
Audio Length:: 10h 1m
Audiobook Narrator:: Tanya Eby
Audiobook Publisher:: Thomas Nelson
Published:: August 6th, 2024
The Litertarian Rating:: 4-Stars

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Author Website
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If you liked this book, check out…

The Cheat Sheet/The Rule Book | Sarah Adams
The Perfect Putt | Annah Conwell

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)

Linky Links!!

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

If you liked this book, check out…

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

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.

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)

Linky Links!!

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

If you liked this book, check out…

The Unhoneymooners | Christina Lauren
Savor It | Tarah DeWitt

Book Review:: Wildfire | Ilona Andrews

This is the third book in the Hidden Legacy series. If you’ve not read the first two books, please read this review of book one to convince you to read them 🙂 The review for White Hot (book two) can be found here.

Nevada and Rogan have finally given into the inevitability that is their love. Now, it will be tested as Nevada is asked to investigate the disappearance of Rogan’s ex-fiancée Rynda’s husband. There are many unanswered questions about this case, and it starts to seem like it’s tying into the same conspiracy that’s been plaguing them all year. Rynda is a mess, and she leans on Rogan to help her and her kids through this difficult time. At the same time, Nevada has registered to become House Baylor in order to protect her family. With that comes new dangers. Everyone’s eyes are on her, and when she’s approached with interest by another truthseeker house, Rogan steps back to make sure Nevada’s vision isn’t clouded as she’s making decisions that will dictate the rest of her life.

The rest of this review will contain some spoilers, because I just have to gush about this incredible series. Just know this is an epic conclusion, and if you’ve read the first two books, the third will certainly not disappoint. Trust me, you’ll want to keep reading, because Catalina’s trilogy after this is leveled up still further. Please, please keep reading. They’re so.fucking.good.

This is such a skillful and satisfying conclusion to Nevada’s trilogy. While her relationship with Rogan is tested again and again, hope is never lost. There is no unnecessary stress, and the trust between the two is never broken. They are tested just enough to ensure the strength of their bond, which makes their partnership all the more unbreakable.

This is the kind of romance people read romance for. Nevada and Rogan have eyes only for each other, and the trust that’s been forged between them through fire and ice and everything in between as they’ve fought so hard to survive through the trials in these books translates to their personal relationship too. They trust each other. And they’ve absolutely earned the happy union that awaits them.

Rogan is a hero’s hero. He’s driven, determined, richer-than-god, and protective while never smothering. He admires and respects Nevada, and allows her to make her own decisions. And once she makes them, accepts them, regardless of his own feelings. There’s something about the intense stakes of this series and the payoff of the made-for-each-other romance that is just magical. I’ve never read anything quite so satisfying and justified as this series.

I can’t ever go longer than a handful of months before revisiting this series in some capacity. They are a comfort read for me, in every sense of the word. I’ve never read anything like them before, and I’m convinced they’ll never be matched in quite the same way by anything else.

Details

Title:: Wildfire (Hidden Legacy Book #3)
Author:: Ilona Andrews
Genre:: Paranormal Romance/Urban Fantasy
Publisher:: Avon
Length:: 391 pages
Audio Length:: 12h 44m
Audiobook Narrator:: Renee Raudman
Audiobook Publisher:: Harper Audio
Published:: July 25th, 2017
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars
Spice Level:: 3 (open door, infrequent)

Linky Links!!

Goodreads
Ilona Andrews Author Website
Amazon Affiliate Links
[Hardcover] [Paperback] [eBook] [Au d ible]

If you liked this book, check out…

Haunted Ever After | Jen DeLuca
In the Likely Event | Rebecca Yarros

Book Review:: White Hot | Ilona Andrews

This is book 2 in the Hidden Legacy series. If you haven’t read book one yet (Burn for Me), peek a few reasons why you should in my review here.

White Hot Ilona Andrews Book Cover Hidden Legacy Series Book Two

Nevada is back to business as usual after the explosive experience of hunting down Adam Pierce – until Cornelius Harrison turns up on her doorstep, begging for help to discover the truth about the violent death of his wife, Nari. After reviewing the ME report, Nevada knows taking this job would spell nothing but trouble for her and her family, but she can’t say no. She wouldn’t be able to sleep at night if she turned him and his young daughter away. Her instincts prove true as the first day of investigation leads to the death of her primary suspect, and the universe conspiring to-quite literally-throw her back into Connor Rogan’s magnetism. He is investigating the circumstances of Nari’s death for his own reasons, and, at Cornelius’ grief-stricken insistence, they’re teaming up again to get to the root of the crime.

Once again we are in for a ride of non-stop action and drama sprinkled with genuine moments of connection and the quirky humor that is so special about this series. Cornelius is hyper-focused on his revenge, which both compels and complicates the plot in unexpected ways.

In this installment, Nevada is forced to re-evaluate her opinion of Connor Rogan when she sees how authentic his pain is for the people lost in this conflict. She learns so much more about him and his past, and they’re able to truly connect for the first time. He’s not a psychopath, he’s just guarded and driven as hell. He is the Baylor’s filthy rich protector, and goddamn it’s hot. The slow burn romance we longed for in book one is finally realized, and it only gets better from here!

He smiled at me. It was the kind of smile that blazed a trail from your heart to your mind and popped into your head the next time you wondered why you put up with a man who made you want to punch things.

Nevada and Rogan bicker and challenge each other constantly, and it is their respect for one another that always keeps it civil and brings them back together. They are cut from the same cloth. They’re both relentless and dedicated and will do anything to save the ones they love – even each other.

What sets this series apart so well to me are the side characters. Both Nevada and Rogan have people on their teams that add so much color to the story. Bug the crazy-intense and hilarious computer specialist, Dr. Arias, his dedicated personal physician, the entire Baylor family including the gear-head grandmother, the sassy youngest sister Arabella, the know-it-all sister Catalina, the down-but-never-out cousin Leon, and the steadfast and reliable cousin Bern.

Burn for Me was a good book. This one is great, and it’s only the stepping-stone to something even better.

Details

Title:: White Hot (Hidden Legacy Book #2)
Author:: Ilona Andrews
Genre:: Paranormal Romance/Urban Fantasy
Publisher:: Avon
Length:: 389 pages
Audio Length:: 13h 18m
Audiobook Narrator:: Renee Raudman
Audiobook Publisher:: Harper Audio
Published:: May 30th, 2017
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars
Spice Level:: 3 (open door, infrequent)

Linky Links!!

Goodreads
Ilona Andrews Author Website
Amazon Affiliate Links
[Hardcover] [Paperback] [eBook] [Audible]

If you liked this book, check out…

The Midnight Feast | Lucy Foley
In the Likely Event | Rebecca Yarros

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.

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!!

Goodreads
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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