The Bergman Brothers series by Chloe Liese

This series of romances focuses on a sprawling, imperfect, loving family and the friends and lovers they take into their fold. Most are loosely structured on classic romances and comedies, from Austen to Shakespeare… to Ted Lasso. The seven Bergman siblings live/work/play in SoCal (but spend time in the Pacific Northwest in their expanded A-frame family vacation home) and are of Swedish descent; geographical and cultural details beautifully round out the love stories. Each tale, edited and re-released by Berkley Romance with a bright, attractive cover, includes a preface from the author about her commitment to writing neurodivergent and chronically ill characters. All of Liese’s characters are portrayed with authenticity and sensitivity, and a recognition that no two people’s lived experiences are alike. The gentle trigger warnings may be helpful and appreciated by some readers. Each has a signature scent, and most have a preferred nickname because they don’t like their full name, and each have a term of endearment bestowed upon them by their lover. New bonus epilogues further the story, and sometimes help segue to the next; afterwards include more information, and often, each concludes with a sample chapter the next book in the series. Each chapter is told in alternating points of view, and each chapter in each book is prefaced with a song title/artist evocative of the mood, tone or subject of the chapter. All of the titles are cleverly pulled from a snip of dialogue spoken from one protagonist to the other at a pivotal moment.

Only When It’s Us (Bergman Brothers #1) Berkley, 2023. 384 pp. ISBN 9780593642351 $17
****
On the verge of losing her mother to cancer, soccer star Willa Sutter has aspirations of Olympic gold, but she needs to maintain her grade point average and stay on the college team. Her business professor suggests she catch up on notes from fellow student Ryder Bergman, but Ryder doesn’t seem interested in giving Willa the time of day. Pranking ensues. It’s not until after they are paired for a semester-long project that she realizes wasn’t ignoring her; he’s deaf. Although they get close, each hides pivotal information from the other, not to keep boundaries but out of fear of being vulnerable. The story loosely follows the plot of Pride and Prejudice, with each misreading the other, withholding, keeping secrets… and of course, falling in love.

Willa’s loving single mother has battled illness for a long time, and is actively failing, with Willa facing the reality of their limited time together. This was so beautifully rendered and emotional, and pitch-perfect in voice; the writing moved me to tears. Willa’s mother has an old friend from the military who is now a doctor, who has offered her hospice, and Willa is in for a big surprise when she learns whose home they will be staying in. The characterizations are excellent–I think I fell into love with both Willa and her cinnamon-bun of a man Ryder.

tags: Soccer, deaf culture, romance, death, loss, grief, lumbersexual, frenemies to lovers, new adult, Swedish-American, pranks, anxiety, depression, Pride and Prejudice, UCLA.

Always Only You (Bergman Brothers #2) Berkley, 2023. 384 pp. ISBN 9780593642375 $17
*****
Hockey player Ren is an outlier in his family of soccer players, but he’s great at what he does on the ice–and off, always up for whatever social media scheme the team’s PR prickly person, Frankie, has cooked up. Loosely following the themes of Sense and Sensibility, with love at first sight and a romance that is a blend of practicality and passion, with characters who demonstrate sensitivity, goodness, honor, and duty. Following the plot of Ren is a self-proclaimed nerd who is the nicest, most modest, unruffled hockey player ever, hosting a Shakespeare Club on the side. Frankie is on the spectrum and the details of the effort it takes for her to understand the world are unflinching and real. An additional layer is the rheumatoid arthritis that inhibits her from time to time.

The writing is top-notch, and I loved the twist with the woman as the grouch and the man as the sunshine in the relationship. The subplot of a pack of puppies that grow through the novel and have a special likin of Ren is adorable. Harry Potter allusions abound (Frankie uses a smoked glass cane that he refers to as her wand, and some of the best scenes are her uttering a curse and bystanders playing along) and are tempered with a note from the author regarding she-who-must-not-be-named’s terrible stance on trans rights. Ren is a virgin at 25, and the progress of Ren and Frankie’s relationship is sweet, sexy, consensual, and gave me all the feels.

tags: Shakespeare, Harry Potter, Sense and Sensibility, sports, hockey, office romance, virgin, romance, autism, chronic pain, rheumatoid arthritis, medical marijuana, neurodivergence, first times, Swedish-American.

Ever After Always (Bergman Brothers #3) Berkely, 2024. 368 pp. ISBN 9780593642399 $17
*****
Matchmaker Aiden MacCormack, the professor who connected Willa and Ryder, gets a taste of his own medicine in this second-chance romance with his wife, eldest Bergman Freya. Their meet-cute was in their early twenties at a coed pickup soccer game where he guarded her like white on rice and she slammed a ball into his glasses. Now a decade has passed, and while they expected life and lust to mellow, she hadn’t counted on his absence as he focuses all his energy into getting an app off the ground to provide a secure financial future for their future offspring. Freya just wants her hot husband home–after weeks of inattention and secrecy, she kicks him out. He finds refuge at the A-frame. The Bergman brothers have always told Aiden he is one of them, but this is their chance to show him, from advice to support to pranks, that they have his back and are routing for him and their sister.

Aiden and Freya seek marriage counseling, and a session gets them back on track, and then a step back, which is just so real. The counselor using games to help them reconnect, and as a gamer, can attest that it’s a great way to both really get to know someone and work out some aggressions. Aiden’s anxiety is portrayed with authenticity and compassion, and brought back under control when he allows those who love him to care about him. It’s also managed with medication, rest, therapy, and honesty.

No one tells you marriage is difficult, no matter how much you love your partner, and author Liese handles this tale of a marriage on the rocks as adeptly as her novels about college students and new adults.

tags: poverty, anxiety, marriage counseling, therapy, business, fertility, marriage, second-chance romance, Swedish-American, brotherhood, daddy issues.

With You Forever (Bergman Brothers #4). Berkely, 2024. 384 pp. ISBN 9780593642412. $17
****
Willa’s best friend Rooney has been there for her through college soccer and going pro, navigating Willa’s mother’s death and her relationship with Ryder. Brought into the Bergman clan through her association with Willa, Rooney becomes an extended family member in her own right as he harbors a crush on quiet artist Axel. A spur of the moment kiss during a game of charades reveals he might like too, but it’s not until she descends on the A-frame seeking refuge during a leave of absence from law school due to her IBS that they begin to actually get to know one another. Axel is working through an ASD diagnosis while Rooney is stunted from parents who didn’t really love each other but stayed together for her sake, causing unintentional harm. Additionally, she’s been keeping the severity of her IBS under cover, but if you’re practically living with someone, it’s hard to hide.

Of course, the A-frame is in need of repair, and Axel wants to take it on as a gift to his family, but he’s currently broke and unable to paint to make money: his thoughts of Rooney are so consuming he can’t paint anything but her, and those works of art are NOT for public consumption. However, an uncle has left him a small fortune contingent upon his marrying, and no sooner are the words out than Rooney is proposing. There’s a quick backyard ceremony (witnessed by a lovely queer couple and their precocious child), the addition of a stray dog and kitten to the household, cooking lessons, a delightful busybody of a local shopkeeper, a suggestion of no-strings sex, the falling in love, and a third act breakup when Ax decides the relationship must have run it’s course if Rooney has to return to her life to tie up loose ends. His man cub brothers make an appearance, with Ollie freshly grieving a broken heart and Viggo spouting words of wisdom from the romance novels he loves and proselytizes to everyone with a relationship issue.

Like other books in the series, the warm relationships are supported by humor, dramatic tension, longing, and finally: hot, consensual, spicy admissions (and demonstrations) of love, and details of chronic illness are shamelessly and realistically conveyed, managed, and accepted.

tags: forced proximity, fake marriage, just one bed, neurodivergence, ASD, IBS, chronic illness, therapy, Swedish American, science, law, art, romance, marriage of convenience.

Everything For You (Bergman Brothers #5). Berkley, 2024. 368 pp. ISBN 9780593642436 $17
*****
Fifth son Oliver Bergman is paired with Gavin in this love letter to the Ted Lasso read-a-like (acknowledged by the author) with a protagonist (Ollie) that sounds like Ted but looks like Jamie Tartt, paired with a foul-mouthed, grumpy, Roy Kent type (Gavin). Neither knows the other is attracted, and when Ollie stops being all sunshine to antagonist Gavin, Gavin finally starts to take a little notice. They are next-door neighbors, which makes both pranking and taking care of one another easy.

This queer romance has all the tugging on your heartstrings emotions, serious subtopics, and sensual love scenes as the straight ones; again, the author demonstrates the depth of her writing skill–Liese has serious range.

tags: queer, romance, gay, grumpy/sunshine, hurt/comfort, anxiety, chronic pain, pranks, Swedish-American, soccer, sportsball, sports, football, Ted Lasso.

If Only You (Bergman Brothers #6). Berkley, 2024. 384 pp. ISBN 9780593642450. $18.00
*****
Red-headed soccer star Ziggy gets her love story in this sixth book in the Bergman Brothers saga. The youngest in the family, Ziggy is still sitting at the kids table with a sippy cup at 22 years old, and it’s the impetus to strike out in search of something that will tarnish her reputation–just a little bit!–and help her family see her as the capable woman she has become. Enter tattooed bad boy Sebastian, the hockey star teammate/best friend of even-tempered Ren convalescing from an injury. He’s had a tiny crush on her since first sight, but always kept her on the out of bounds list. They reconnect at Ren and Frankie’s wedding, and shortly thereafter, Seb crashes his car while driving under the influence of his protectively booted injured foot. Ziggy shows up on Seb’s balcony and proposes they cultivate a not a fake relationship, but a fake friendship that will help him improve his reputation and shake up hers.

The are honest about their flaws, vulnerable, and kind to one another, both love books, and have a chemistry and physicality to their relationship. Both are bi, and the sex scenes include some very hot, consensual backdoor action. But that’s actually not the best part–the character growth is amazing. Seb truly commits, does the work, transforms his life, and THEN deems himself worthy of the lady after therapy, lifestyle changes, and cleaning up his act, and when he has to set boundaries with his biological family, the Bergman family takes him in as one of their own. We also get to see ongoing evolution of other siblings and their relationships, and the growth of the family as characters from previous books are reproduce. Ziggy’s niece is a delight.

As in other books in the series, If Only You captures neurodivergence and chronic health issues with such heart, in both main and supporting characters: Ziggy has sensory issues and trouble discerning emotion from tone and facial expression, while Seb is a borderline alcoholic and unbeknownst to him for most of the book, suffering from celiac disease.

tags: romance, bisexual, neurodivergence, injury, autism, chronic illness, celiac, Swedish American, sports, soccer, hockey, substance abuse.

Only And Forever (Bergman Brothers #7)
Romance reader Viggo gets his story at last — coming soon! (but not soon enough…)

Readalikes: If you love literary allusions, rich vocabulary, and exquisite sensory detail; deep emotion; sweeping family sagas like Bridgerton, and non-toxic masculinity like in the Bromance Book Club series, these make great read-a-likes. And of course, if you are considered neuro-atypical or suffer from a chronic illness like an estimated 50% of the population and love to read stories that reflect back your own experiences, Chloe Liese is a can’t-miss author for you!

I received free, advance reader’s review copies of 6 of the 7 #BergmanBrothers books slated to be published this fall and into next spring by #BerkleyRomance (omg please put the last one #NetGalley!) and will update this review when/if I receive them).

The Five-Star Weekend by Elin Hilderbrand

Hilderbrand, Elin. The Five-Star Weekend. Little, Brown & Company, 2023. 384pp. ISBN 9780316258777 $30.00.

****1/2

Elin Hilderbrand is a master of her craft, queen of beach reads, and likely needs no extra promoting–if you’re a fan, you’re going to run out and buy her novel, in hardcover no less, the week it comes out. I loved The Hotel Nantucket a little bit more, and nothing quite compares, for me, to The Blue Bistro, but The Five Star Weekend is a solid addition to her oeuvre.

Recently widowed pandemic food blogging sensation Hollis has invited a friend from each era of her life to join her for a girl’s weekend in her home on Nantucket: Tatum, the high school bestie who still lives in town, cleaning and running errands for the wealthy; Dru-Ann, the college roommate/sports agent; Brooke, Hollis’s Wellesley friend who she raised her children with; and Gigi, a new Internet friend who’s been a rock as Hollis navigates Matthew’s untimely death. Each of the women is dealing with their own issues: Tatum is awaiting results of a breast biopsy; Dru-Ann has been cancelled on social media due to dismissing a client’s mental health claims; Brooke’s husband has been served for sexual harassment (again) and Gigi was having an affair with Hollis’s husband Matthew when he was killed in an automobile accident. Their interpersonal dynamics between the women adds another level to the tension and drama: Tatum hasn’t forgiven Dru-Ann for a slight from Hollis’s wedding. and Brooke is glomming onto the mysterious Gigi. Hollis’s first love, Jack Finnigan, is also on the island, visiting Tatum’s hubby and bringing back many memories of their double-dates in high school. Meanwhile, Hollis’s daughter Caroline, in the middle of an internship (and an affair) with a documentary filmmaker, has been invited to return to the island and is getting paid to film the entire proceedings. Caroline comes off as super entitled and bratty, all eye-rolling and whining… but the personal interviews become a way to understand her mother as a student, a friend, and a woman, and help to heal the rift between them.

There is a LOT going on, but Hilderbrand manages it all adeptly. As in her more recent novels, one of the narrative voices is a collective we, observing the goings on from a slightly detached perspective. We also get points of view from all of the major characters. The original concept of the five-star weekend is not Hollis’s (she reads an article about it and decides it will help her out of her funk), and I’m wondering if there is a missed opportunity to delve more deeply into ownership and appropriation issues (thinking of Black feminist and activist Tarana Burke, who coined the #MeToo movement while Alyssa Milano got a lot of recognition for promoting it, and Black poet, activist and rage baker Tangerine Jones who got scooped by white cookbook authors). Throughout the novel, Hilderbrand does address issues of race, mental health, generational gaps, the orgasm gap, and queerness.

The Five-Star Weekend has all the things we’ve come to love about an Elin Hilderbrand book set on Nantucket. It’s self-referential to other characters and their stories, it’s full of mouth-watering descriptions of gourmet food, both prepared at home and while dining out. It name-drops favorite beaches, shops, and eateries. The familiar natural beauty and landmarks are described with love. And, if you didn’t google and then buy a trendy patio dress (yep, muumuus are back!) to wear while hosting your next barbeque, you’ve missed the memo.

I received a free advance reader’s review copy of #TheFiveStarWeekend from #NetGalley.

Meet Me at the Lake by Carley Fortune

Fortune, Carley. Meet Me at the Lake. Berkley, 2023. 336 pp. SBN 9780593438558 $18.00

***

No matter what you put in your 10-year plan, does it really come out like you thought it would? A chance encounter leads to a full day spent together and changes college student Fern’s trajectory. Perhaps it was inevitable that she would inherit the family resort her single mother successfully manages, and Fern even majored in business, but she would rather live in the city and run her own coffeeshop than return to the bush. When she has the audacity to call muralist Will’s wall art “basic,” they form a quick bond and agree to spend the day together.

Through a tour of Toronto, Vietnamese sandwiches, an art museum stop, a ska concert and the world’s biggest plate of nachos, they share their hopes and dreams, most embarrassing moments, and very little about the people they are in relationships with, Will reminds her that it is her life, not her mother’s. Their day morphs into evening and although they are each seeing someone, recognize the kindred spark and make a plan to meet at Fern’s family’s resort a year from the date of their first encounter. Will doesn’t show up, and it’s heartbreaking but also part of what Fern needs to speak up for herself and advocate for her needs.

When her mother dies, Fern inherits the property and business. Selling it would be finance the coffeeshop of her dreams–and destroy the dynasty, put people of work, and threaten the good relationship she has with her ex-boyfriend who is the acting manager. Too introverted to hostess like her mother, Fern refuses to greet guests and make announcements in the dining roof, and hides behind the check-in desk. A chance encounter with a guest is revealed to be Will, checking in for a month-long stay, has her re-evaluating again. The artist was acting as business consultant to Fern’s mother, and now Fern needs to decide if she’s going to sell, or stay–and if she can forgive Will, or not.

Chapters alternate between past and present to relay the narrative in a carefully controlled way. The chemistry and dramatic tension are spun out in a way may leave some readers frustrated. The delicate handling of mental illness and grief add depth this second-chance romance.

I received a free advance reader’s review copy of #MeetMeAtTheLake from #NetGalley.

Happy Birthday to Meeee…

I recently joined a Romance Reader’s group on Facebook and someone posted they bought themselves (or were gifted?) a book for each year for their recent birthday, prompting a LOT of readers to post their ages and the number of books they anticipate for their next birthday. I don’t have a lot of spare dollars to spend, and doubted my family would buy into this idea even if I helpfully provided a curated and prioritized list of what I’d like to add to my collection… but I did somehow manage to acquire a staggering number of items in celebration of my 48th birthday, thanks to advance reader’s editions, the Library’s book sale, Book Outlet, Thrift Books, Better World Books, Target, and Little Free Libraries around town.

Want to gift a book to me? I have a registry on Bookshop.org and my local affiliate is the Book Rack in Arlington MA.

Here’s the rundown:

1. 48 Clues Into the Disappearance of My Sister by Joyce Carol Oates
2. Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume
3. Attachments by Rainbow Rowell
4. The Bodyguard by Katherine Center
5. Book Lovers by Emily Henry
6. The Boy Most Likely To by Huntley Fitzpatrick
7. Egg: A Dozen Ovatures by Lizzie Stark
8. Eight Perfect Nights by Lia Louis
9. Everything, Everything by Nicola June
10. Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City by Matthew Desmond
11. Float Plan by Trish Doller
12. The Four Tendencies by Gretchen Rubin
13. The Garden of Ruth by Eva Etzioni-Halevy
14. The Girl With Silver Eyes by Willo Davis Roberts
15. Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute by Talia Hibbert
16. Hook, Line, and Sinker by Tessa Bailey
17. Icebreaker by Hannah Grace
18. In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren
19. In Five Years by Rebecca Serle
20. Inside the Titanic: A Giant Cutaway Book by Hugh Brewster, illus. by Ken Marschall
21. It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey
22. Just Haven’t Met You Yet by Sophie Cousens
23. Kiss & Tell by Adib Khorram
24. Little Moments of Love by Catana Chetwynd
25. The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood
26. Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood
27. Malkah’s Notebook: A Journey Into the Mystical Aleph-Bet by Mira Z. Almiras
28. Maine by Courtney Sullivan
29. The Marriage Game by Sara Desai
30. My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick
31. One Night on the Island by Josie Silver
32. The Red Tent by Anita Diamant
33. Sadie on a Plate by Amanda Elliot
34. Say Yes to the Duke by Eloisa James
35. Secretly Yours by Tessa Bailey
36. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
37. The Shortest Distance Between Love and Hate by Sandy Hall
38. The Singles Table by Sara Desai
39. Starring Sally J. Freidman as Herself by Judy Blume
40. Still Alice by Lisa Genova
41. The Suite Spot by Trish Doller
42. A Taxonomy of Love by Rachel Allen
43. Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
44. Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zavin
45. The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren
46. What I Thought Was True by Huntley Fitzpatrick
47. What Is My Plant Telling Me?: An Illustrated Guide to Houseplants and How to Keep Them Alive by Emily L. Hay Hinsdale
48. You Think It, I’ll Say It by Curtis Sittenfeld
    
    

A Guide to Being Just Friends by Sophie Sullivan

Sullivan, Sophie. A Guide to Being Just Friends. Jansen Brothers #3. St. Martin’s Press, 2023. 336 pp . ISBN 9781250624208. $16.99

**

This is a fairly stand-alone novel, last in a series about three wealthy brothers. I started reading it, was bored by it, dropped it after 40 pages, and went back to finish it and had to start over because I couldn’t recall a single detail.

The oldest Jansen, Wes, has sworn off love, and in the opposite of a meet-cute, accuses Hailey of being Hayden, his missing date, when they cross paths in the coffee shop where he is being stood up. Hailey is new to town and fresh off the Hollywood craft services circuit, recovering from an emotional abusive relationship and has started her own salad in a cup to go business right next door to a popular bakeshop. She quickly ends up in the inner circle of the Jansen brothers and their loves, and she and Wes agree to forgive and embark on a friendship. He helps her with technical and social media part of marketing, while she encourages his artistic talents. They cook, play video games, watch romance comedies and sci-fi thrillers and fall in love, denying it until a drunken kiss obliterates their friendship. Some angsting follows, they decide to make a go of it until something ruins it and they have to break up, have an epiphany, and get back together.

Something fell flat for me in this romance novel. The bones are there and the writing is solid (except for calling a path cutely paved, what does that even mean?), but I think it just seemed two-dimensional, from Hailey’s absent and obsessed with one another parents, to a kid from the community center with two doctor parents who are never around, who jumps in to become Hailey’s delivery boy, to the mysterious falling out with the Jansen brother’s mean father (maybe alluded to in other books in the series?) to the fast, fiercely loyal friendships and quick resolution. Maybe it’s that in spite of the title and a brief foray into Wes’s sketches of their inside jokes, a guide to just being friends isn’t delivered.

I received a free advance reader’s review copy of #AGuideToJustBeingFriends from #NetGalley.

Summer Reading by Jenn McKinlay

McKinlay, Jenn. Summer Reading. Berkley, 2023. 480 pp. ISBN 9780593545720 $17.00

***1/2

Chef Sam, summering at her family’s cottage on the Vineyard–think renovated but still working class Portuguese, not cottages like the Gyllenhalls or Kennedys have “cottages.” Passed over for a promotion in part due to the gender and in part due to disability (WHERE IS THE LAWSUIT???), Sam is home to regroup and lick her wounds. The timing is perfect, as she’s needed to keep an eye on her 14-year old half brother Tyler during her parent’s planned vacation to Europe. How hard can it be to keep a brilliant teenager fed and watered? Sam meets a hottie on the ferry and accidentally knocks his book into the water. Struggling with dyslexia, books are a challenge for Sam, but she does love stories, and fangirls over Stephen King and horror novels to her new crush, who she bumps into the next day while dropping her off at robotics camp at the public library. Turns out Ben is the interim library director. The cute, motorcycle-riding librarian is spending the summer trying to uncover the identity of his father and is sure he was conceived on Martha’s Vineyard. Opposites attract and he not only appreciates all of her workarounds, but helps her with new ones, from smutty romance novel read-alouds to scribing her dream cookbook. Sam lands a gig cooking happy hour cocktails and special events for a local business, and rediscovers the Martha’s Vineyard, making the Oak Bluffs setting come alive for readers.

I love Berkley romances, foodie novels, novels infused with cultural details, AND libraries, so not sure why this one isn’t resonating strongly with me. Something about this stream of consciousness style is amatuer and off-putting to my ear. It fits the voice of the character, an out-of-work chef with dyslexia and ADHD, pretty well, but the casual tone coupled with didactic intrusions to educate readers about dyslexia and ADHD detract from the narrative, like when Sam is pursuing a cooking magazine and stops to complain about the typeface, that lacks clear differentiation between b, d, and p for people with dyslexia (1 in 10 people have it, though the stat I’m familiar with as a librarian is 1 in 5). I don’t disagree that it’s an issue, or that it needs to change, I’m just not convinced this is this advocacy issue was handled as deftly as dyslexia in Spoiler Alert. Still, the author’s note is well-justified, and I appreciate that the publication favors bold instead of italics and a friendly font.

Sam is a well-rounded and absolutely brilliant character, and her growth as Ben helps her to see herself as he sees her helps her to squash her inner critic. The intimate scenes feel blow-by-blow wooden instead of intimate and passionate, but points for consent and protection. Many plot points feel very surface: a friend’s cancer scare and confrontation with her parent and pursuit of her own dreams, Sam’s not pursuing litigation for her previous boss’s illegal firing, Ben not confronting his infuriating mother on the page, and even the deepening sibling relationship between Tyler and Sam focuses on dance moves and handshakes, him trying some new foods, and quickly realized denouements with their mutual dad. The authentic recipes at the end are a nice touch, but if the cookbook had been a stronger element, there could have been more, and interspersed. Overall, I like the plot, setting and characters, but am not in love with the editing/execution of this one.

I received a free advance reader’s review copy of #SummerReading from #NetGalley

The Suite Spot by Trish Doller

Doller, Trish. The Suite Spot (Beck Sisters #2). Griffin, 2022. 288 pp. ISBN 978-1250809476. $16.99.

***

As in The Float Plan, change is what happens when it’s more painful to stay than leave. When single mom Rachel is unfairly fired for rebuffing the inappropriate advances of a powerful guest, she leaves behind not just her crappy job, but her mom and her ex, who barely parents, and signs on to manage a boutique hotel with an brewery–agrotourism, if you will. Unfortunately, when she arrives on an island in Lake Erie in Ohio, she doesn’t find a brewery hotel to manage, but rather an incomplete vision of one. Owner Mason is grouchy and guarded and intends to rely on the experience, expertise and taste of his new employee to bring the vision to life. She’s hooked! Details of the scenic setting and antiques shopping rounded out the romance nicely.

A few things didn’t ring quite true. Custody being what it is, you can’t just walk away with your kid, dads have rights. And technically, Mason is Rachel’s boss, irregardless of chemistry, it’s a big gamble, with a kid, to put financial security and physical safety and home at risk. Hence, things move at a slow pace. While Anna and Keane make an appearance, this is stand-alone romance. I’m an unabashed fan of heroines with curves and books with food or design details, so this was a 4 star rating for me.

I received a free advance reader’s review copy of #TheSuiteSpot from #NetGalley back in March, but it expired and I checked it out as an ebook from my local library system.

Not Here to Stay Friends by Kaitlyn Hill

Hill, Kaitlyn. Not Here to Stay Friends. 352 pp. Delacorte, 2023. ISBN 978-0593483701 $12.99

** 1/2

Another reality television show themed novel from Hill. Sloane’s bestie from way back, Liam, moved from Tennessee to Hollywood when his parents got divorced, and the two friends have kept in touch over the passing years and finally get to spend some time together again and bond over stuff like their favorite teen dramas when he invites her to visit for the summer. It turns out that Liam is going to be interning on his dad’s latest project: a Bachelor-style show to find the next leading lady for heartthrob Aspen Wood, and the only way to hope to spend some time together is for Sloane to participate in the show by filling in the abandoned slot left by a no show contestant. An aspiring writer, Liam’s dad sweetens the pot by promising connections if Sloane can make it to the final four. Sloane’s parents are disappointingly quick to sign her over to this TV gig without even a check in, much to her chagrin.

The instant attraction at the airport pickup that neither Sloane or Liam has the guts to discuss, much less act on, throws a monkey wrench into the plot when Aspen asks Liam to help him win Sloane over–her low opinion of his shallowness is no secret. He agrees, and when Sloane finds out, she’s pretty upset. Will they work things out?

Lots of drama ensues, but it’s pretty watered down for tween readers. Like in Love from Scratch, the romantic parts are mostly longing, a sweet kiss or two, and overall pretty tame. The title is a very clever play on words–does it refer to Liam and Sloane’s relationship, or her spot on AWFLL (Aspen Woods Future Leading Lady)? Liam’s woodworking hobby that he wants to turn into a career is a nice side story that allows him to confront his dad, find a mentor, and make a beautiful grand gesture to Sloane.

I received a free advance reader’s review copy of #NotHeretoStayFriends from #NetGalley.

All The Feels by Olivia Dade

Dade, Olivia. All The Feels. Avon, 2021. 416 pp. ISBN 978-0063005587 $15.99

*****

As the wildly popular but going off the rails Game of Thrones like television series Gods of the Gates wraps, its stars are still contractually bond to not give away spoilers and act in accordance with set behavior guidelines. Alexander Woodrow, who stars as Cupid in the series, has a big mouth that often gets him in trouble, and when a bar fight lands him in the tabloids, he’s assigned a short, squat minder: Lauren Clegg, the cousin of one of the producers whose no-nonsense attitude and failure to crack a smile gives Alex a new challenge in life. Predictably, they become friends, then romantically involved, in spite of Lauren’s unconventional appearance. When she fails to keep Alex in line as promised, she fires herself, sacrificing their relationship so they can split up to get back together.

Incorporating popular fanfiction tropes (#ForcedProximity, #OnlyOneBed, #BeautyAndTheBeast), the novel also goes a bit meta, with references to the protagonists incorporated roleplay and other tropes into their relationship. Most gratifyingly, the sex involves consent and lovemaking that doesn’t include penetration the first time, or perfect immediate orgasms.

This companion novel to Spoiler Alert brings back many successful elements: quick, clever dialogue, a down-with-the-patriarchy tone, a body-positive attitude, and lots of non-narrative writing: a text chain with the stars of the hit fantasy television show, fanfiction, press releases, screenplay excerpts, a scene at a fan convention, and emails complete with cross through edits. The cover art is by the same artist as Spoiler Alert, and several characters make an appearance, creating a cohesive feel.

I received an advance reader’s review copy of #AllTheFeels from #NetGalley.

Reviews of other titles in the series:
Spoiler Alert

Ship Wrecked

Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim by David Sedaris & Running Out of Time by Margaret Peterson Haddix

I finished listening to Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim last week and since then I have been missing David Sedaris. It felt like he was keeping me company on my commute and I cherished every moment we had together! I gave the tapes to a coworker who has confessed the same feelings…in fact, she told me today she anticipated the loss and ordered the audio online! At times I found myself choked up and teary eyed by a bittersweet story or some poignant tale of heart ache … and many, many times I found myself belly laughing, again teary eyed but for a different reason. I just absolutely love David Sedaris and even though he is amazing & funny to read I highly recommend you give this a listen…nothing rivals it! And if you can read/listen to nothing else do not miss the last chapter, Nuit of the Living Dead, …just try and stay focused on the road while you’re driving & laughing!

I tried to fill the void with another book on tape and recently started Margaret Peterson Haddix’s Running Out of Time. Unfortunately, tape 2 broke on me! Luckily, I have amazing access to a public library and got a copy of the book which I finished this morning… very quick read, it’s a fast-paced, suspenseful, adventure! And I have to say, I think I preferred reading it on my own which I vaguely remember happening with another Haddix book. Audio publishers should really take more care with narration. It is amazing to me the spectrum you experience and the real difference in quality you can hear and that doesn’t mean aural quality but the actually tone and expression and overall feel of the narrator. Anyway, Running Out of Time got some press recently for it’s similarity to M. Night Shyamalan’s movie. the Village ( the book was published first). I saw The Village before reading the book and I have to say overall it is pretty different BUT the basic premise is so similar and so unique (not your usual plot device here) that it is very suspicious!

I really love Haddix’s work and have yet to be disappointed. I find her characters strong and intriguing and the plots always very suspenseful and as I said above, unique … her story ideas are never run-of-the-mill! In this story a 13 year old girl, Jessie, discovers her 1840 village is actually a living history tourist attraction and she must be the one to save her friends and family from a diphtheria epidemic. So not only is she dealing with a huge lie, she also has to adapt to the 20th century, AND save the lives of all these people…including her own! This is why when the tape broke I had to get the book…there was no way I could wait for the replacement!