Category: Romance

‘Swift and Saddled’ by Lyla Sage

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You know when you come across a book that in every spare moment you have, whether it be in your morning tea break or when you sit down on the couch in your comfies after work, or right when you go to bed – that you’re thinking about and wanting to read?

That is Swift and Saddled 🤠🔥

THIS BOOK will have you hooked the moment you meet Weston Ryder!

Swift and Saddled is my first country/western romance and my gosh, talk about steamy! I didn’t even know this sub-genre was making such a come up in the romance world but I’m telling you, the hype is worth it.

Ada is an interior designer heading out to Wyoming, employed to refirbish a massive guest house on a family run ranch. The communicator on the other end of this big project has been Weston Ryder.

Before Ada even gets to the ranch to start on the project, she meets a cowboy at the local pub. (Here in Australia, I have to admit that actually using the term cowboy is a little cringe HOWEVER, it does fit the American context and the western culture that surrounds this book). Ada and this cowboy have a steamy connection that finished all too quickly that evening. Little does Ada know, that cowboy is her employee and she’s about to come head to head with him tomorrow morning!

Weston Ryder is an absolute SWEETHEART of a main love interest. Not only does he put his families needs before his own, but he truely just wanted to takes care Ada and wholeheartedly respects Ada and her past.

The connection that builds between these two characters over the months of the project, their slow and steady unravelling of personal vices and traits, as well as their slow burn desire makes this the perfect romance book in my opinion.

+ it’s an all connected small town romance series! We’re talking the brother and sister of Weston also have their own books and I’m so keen to start reading them this month too!

I devoured Swift and Saddled in a matter of 3 days and it’s an absolute 5 star read for me in 2024 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Book Review: ‘When in Rome’ by Sarah Adams

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You know that feeling when you find a new book that will continue to be the book you re-read to get you out of a book slump?

When in Rome by Sarah Adams is that new book for me 💖

It’s been a hot minute since I last had a book that I just simply NEEDED to spend my whole Sunday reading. When in Rome had me hooked from the moment we open the first pages and Amelia is in her beat up car driving off into the middle of nowhere, in an effort to just escape the overwhelm that is her current celebrity life.

Amelia, or better known as Rose Ray, is a pop superstar with T-Swift levels of fame. Her singing career is at its peak but her wellbeing is not. Her relationship with her Manager is overbearing. Her mum only wants her to pay for extravagant trips around the world. Her dating and true friendships are basically non-existent because of the grinding life she leads.

Deciding that the only way to clear her head and get a little perspective, Amelia drives to Rome, Kentucky in an effort to loosely recreate her favourite Audrey Hepburn film, When in Rome (that’s Rome, Italy, but sadly her scheduling cannot allow for that plane flight).

15kms out of Rome, Kentucky, Amelia’s car decides that it’s had a good life and it’s ready to call it a day … right on Noah’s front lawn. That’s right, we have a good old grumpy X sunshine trope goin’ on and I was stocked about it!

Noah has returned back to his home town of Rome after a heartbreaking relationship that upended his life. He’s just starting to resettle into country life again. He’s opened and is running his family pie shop with the help of his sisters and is certainly NOT in the mood for romance. Noah immediately recognises Amelia and assumes she a spoilt, rich and stuck up superstar who expects to be treated like royalty. But that is certainly not the case. Amelia is reserved, shy and uncertain of the fame and stardom that is her current stressor. And this experience in Rome, and with Noah, could be just what she needs.

Their bickering, joking and heat is so well paced and I adored Noah for all his grumpiness! He’s the protector in his family, has emotional intelligence (at times) and ends up opening his world to Amelia + we have the addition of his sisters! Gosh I loved them! And it you want more of their stories, read Practice Makes Perfect by Sarah Adams.

I do hope we see these small town characters again in future Sarah Adams’ novels because this was a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5/5) star for me!

Book Review: ‘The Last Love Note’ by Emma Grey

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Oh Hugh, you have my heart!! *calling on somebody to find me a Hugh*

I would describe The Last Love Note by Emma Grey in 3 simple ways; heart-wrenching; a direct but warm portrayal of grief; & from the heart. Let’s break these down shall we …

Heart-wrenching is the perfect way to describe Kate, Cam and Hugh’s story. At the beginning of the novel, we’re in the present and Kate is living with the grief of losing her once in a lifetime love, Cam. Cam was diagnosed with early onset dementia and his deterioration was rapid. Kate lost Cam over 2 years ago and living with that grief has been raw, brutal and hard. It smears a smog over each everyday action, conversation & decision. We learn to live with this grief as the reader just as Kate is, because we move through past and present watching how this horrible disease changed Cam and alter’s their lives forever.

I think Emma Grey has created a direct and warm portrayal of grief through her ability to make this novel a romance, incorporate humour AND take us on the hard, stressful and uncertain journey of Kate finding love again – all in one!

Hugh, Kate’s boss and workplace colleague, has always been a fixture in Kate’s life since her meeting him. And by ‘meeting him’ I mean falling off a treadmill in a hot sweaty gym, and then feeling very exposed when her breastmilk makes an entry, and Hugh, ever caring Hugh, hands over a spare shirt to help Kate cover up her chest and her embarrassment. The moment Kate enters her new job interview, all while Cam is sick and they’re needing income to support their small family, Hugh is taken with her. The grief she is living with is something he has experienced himself in a way we didn’t expect. He understands Kate’s grief process and gives her all the time, energy and support she needs. His silent yet reassuring manner is not what Kate realised she needed during the deterioration of Cam’s health and after his passing … until now. That’s right, Kate and Hugh are on an unexpected holiday together!

This novel is truely from the heart. Hugh’s grumpy personality (which we know is just his attempt to stay away from Kate, give her space and grieve) is just the reason we love him. But there is a challenge and reason for Kate and Hugh not exploring what could be … Hugh & Cam had a friendship and in this friendship there was a secret passed between the two of them that Kate was not allowed to know. This secret really keeps us guessing until the end of the book and when you find it out, my GOSH , my HEART!! I’m not usually one to shed a tear while reading but let me tell you, my eyes were brimming 🥺

The Last Love Note has been one of my favourite novels this year and to be honest, I may not have ever found it in the endless bookshelves until Emma walked into the shop, introduced herself and signed a few copies. I’m so grateful she did because we have now connected over books, met multiple times and had an awesome time in July with weekend of romance together 💖

Book Review: ‘Marriage For One’ by Ella Maise

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Do you want romantic angst? ✅

Do you want a NYC cafe setting? ✅

Do you love reading about broody incessant fictional males that are hard core romantics and not at all like real men ✅ (we can always hope)

Marriage For One by Ella Maise was recently picked up and her four romance novels recovered by Pip Watkins and Simon & Schuster UK. And man, have they found a whip smart novelist!

A fellow book store regular recommended this to me on Wednesday and from the get go, I was hooked. She said she instantly fell in love with Jack and Rose’s story. Also mentioning that this was her favourite Ella Maise book she’s read thus far. Tick, tick, tick from me.

Rose and Jack are complete strangers, or so Rose thinks. She’s currently going through hell trying to navigate her Uncle’s Estate and Will, in which Rose’s is surprised to find a hidden clause. Her Uncle states that her husband will inherit a very profitable but empty building that she had all intentions of renovating into a cafe. However, the husband label hasn’t gone quite to plan in Rose’s life. Her ex-fiance dumped her over text (very sus, more on that when you read the book), her money hungry cousins are out to get any inheritance Rose is left with and squash her cafe dreams, and NOW, she has some grumpy, non-smiling lawyer guy proposing to her?!

Jack Hawthorne was not about to sit aside and let Rose lose everything she’d dreamed of, or be taken advantage of. Meeting Rose a year before, Jack had admired her from afar. Jack is one of the lawyers that closely worked with Rose’s Uncle, therefore he was aware of the current complications with the Will. Jack founded a secret and permanent idea. He would marry Rose out of convenience. He would be her husband. He would then inherit the empty building. Rose could open her dream store. No complications – a simple marriage for one. All Jack asks in return is for her to attend dinners, charity events and closing deals as his wife, giving the image of a ‘family man’ lawyer. He insisted this was good for his branding but there may or may not have been some secrets swirling around …

Shocked by the proposal and in disbelief, Rose finds her life changing immediately. Next thing we know, Jack and Rose are moving to together as a ‘married couple’ to his apartment. Rose is working day and night to finish painting, planning and baking for the cafe … with Jack’s surprisingly quiet and brooding help. They’re going to business dinners where Jack is unexpectedly quite good at laying on the PDA and passing them as a very happy newlywed couple. In private however, Rose is struggling to have any kind of get-to-know-you conversations with Jack as he resists her closeness. I liked hearing from his perspective every so often because it allowed us as the reader to see that he was trying his best to give her space and grow to like him on her own terms. Rose was slowly getting used to his frowning, gruff non verbal responses and blunt stares when her health takes a turn.

You won’t find any spoilers here book friends BUT I will say, Jack came through with the goods as a fake husband and a real one 😉 I really liked the growth of their relationship and their humour. I liked the ever present romantic tension and do-they-don’t-they feelings. I didn’t feel like Jack was written as a coercive male figure in the relationship which was a real possibility due to the circumstances of the plot, however Ella Maise pulled it off. Some readers may disagree with me on this but hey, this is romantic fiction. We know what we’re going here to read.

Finishing this book in 48 hours, on little sleep and feelings of happiness about finding a book to devour – I gave Marriage For One ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 4.5 stars!

💫 Mini Series Review 💫

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Heartstopper by Alice Oseman

The first volume of Heartstopper grabs you with two gentle hands and gives you a warm hug! Charlie is a quiet and introverted, openly gay teenager at an all boys high school. He knows who he is and his friends and family are true and supportive. He sees the best in people and trusts them to be as kind as himself, however his current ‘boyfriend’ Ben, is not that. Ben chooses to sneak around with Charlie and manipulate Charlie into not speaking openly about their relationship. This is because Ben isn’t ready to explore his sexuality openly. Charlie is struggling with the back and forward of Ben’s feelings and desires – when he meets Nick Nelson.

Nick is the high school rugby lad who is loved by everyone and is 100% straight … until he gets to know Charlie. The strong feelings of friendship grow into more than ‘just best friend’ level, and seemingly overtake Nick’s thoughts. Nick has never questioned his sexuality before, therefore this first book really has a focus on Nick exploring what romantically liking Charlie could be like in his world.

Volume 1 is introductory to Nick and Charlie, their friend groups, their schooling environments and the blooming first love. 💫 Butterfly feelings 💫 Exploration of self 💫 First kiss moment

Volume 2 explores the newness of Nick and Charlies feelings and relationship. 💫 Joining new friendship groups 💫 Bullying 💫 More butterfly feelings 💫 Cute cinema scene 💫 “Boyfriends” 💫 Coming out

Volume 3 looks at Nick and Charlie opening their relationship into the school environment and on their school excursion to Paris. 💫 Nick telling his extended family about Charlie 💫 Mental health and anorexia 💫 Second base romance 💫 More, more butterfly feelings 💫 Coming out to school friends 💫 Nick can speak fluent French?! (I’m excited to see this on the Netflix series) 💫 Tao and Elle accept their feelings for one another

Volume 4 gets deep people! So trigger warning for the content surrounding self-harm, mental health and anorexia. I really think Alice has brought light to these subjects to show the boys maturing and how their emotional intelligence grows as they move into a different stage of their life. Honestly, I didn’t see the series moving this way so I’m interested to see where she takes it in Volume 5. 💫 “I love you” 💫 Mental health unit admission 💫 Nick’s challenging relationship with his older brother comes to breaking point 💫 PDA at school 💫 More, More & more butterfly feelings 💫 Nick and Charlie’s first party attending as a couple 💫 Awkward family dinner 💫 A New Year’s kiss

Have you read the graphic novels of Heartstopper yet? Or tried the Netflix series? Let’s chat in the comments 💬

‘The Spanish Love Deception’ by Elena Armas

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Okay so you know that chest caving, character loving, don’t touch me or talk to me or even breathe near me kind of feeling you get when reading a romance novel? Well, well, well – ‘The Spanish Love Deception’ will make your heart hurt SO MUCH in the best way possible!!

Not only will I gush to you online and in person at the book shop about this book, but I will also be shouting from the rooftops how DEVASTATED I am about having to wait 8 MONTHS before Elena Arma’s next book arrives on our shelves. Agh, the book pain is real! Elena’s next book is set to be published on the 6th of September and it is titled ‘The American Roommate Experiment’.

SOOooo Mel … get to the good part, the review!

Catalina is single and a short few weeks away from flying back to Spain for her sisters epic wedding. She moved to America in an attempt to reclaim her life and heal her broken heart after breaking up with her soon to be brother-in-law’s brother. Therefore, Catalina feels like the wedding will be a disaster if she rocks up alone. She needs to show her ex-boyfriend and her wide family that she is progressing with her life and achieving success. In walks her solution; office enemy, stubborn, rude and strangely attractive (😉😉) Aaron. He overhears Catalina’s ‘end of the world’ wedding scenario. Taking the plunge, he volunteers himself to be her date! This means flying to Spain together, pretending to be in love in front of her family, showing physical affection, sleeping in the same bed and well, keeping the arrangement hidden so Catalina’s family doesn’t suspect her love life isn’t as desperate as it actually is!

Que their ongoing love to hate relationship, and the cuteness that evolves to their falling in (actual) love. Aaron has a quiet persistence to prove how good of a ‘fake-date’ he is, but secretly and somewhat obviously, it is from a place of wanting Catalina to understand how much he really likes her. It takes a while for Catalina to see and feel that Aaron’s feelings are legitimate, but this just makes for more fun in their games of cat and mouse. Aaron is completely committed to investing in her happiness and wanting their relationship to evolve, regardless of their workplace conflict of interest. I really enjoyed their dynamic and seeing both their walls come down over time. I loved their trip to Spain and how much cultural immersion it allowed the reader to feel. I think this is a romance novel at its best.

Reading this book while suffering from a book slump really made it even more of a stand-out! I finished this book in less than 24 hours. It was EXACTLY what I was looking for and craving. Romance ✅ Love to hate banter ✅ Easy dialogue and world development ✅ Contemporary ✅ If you’re also looking for a book to soar you out of a book slump, ‘The Spanish Love Deception’ has all you, yes you, written all over it! I will 100% be re-reading this book before the end of the year.

For the love of Beth O’Leary

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August 2021

Contemporary romance is a favoured genre of mine – if it’s done well! One of my favourite authors to recommend in the bookshop is Beth O’Leary. She is an English author who can bring spice, relationship pining and romance into the perfect novel! In my eyes, I believe she can do no wrong. Let’s go through her titles and why I’d recommend each one 📚

The Flatshare – published in April of 2019

OHH how the relationship of Tiffy and Leon spun my reading and had me up until all hours of the morning laughing, gushy and desperate for more!

Tiffy and Leon share a flat. Tiffy and Leon share a bed. Tiffy and Leon have never met… until one day they do and my gosh it is funny! One of them may be exiting the bathroom naked while the other may entering. A towel is nearly dropped and a horrific initial meeting starts a whirlwind of events.

Tiffy works during the day and Leon works night shift, therefore they never cross paths. They leave food in the fridge for each other, bottles of wine out and post it notes on the fridge, keeping one another up to date on their personal lives and work. This book is gushy and romantically wholesome but still has depth. That’s what I really like about Beth’s writing. She hits topics of mental health, unhealthy romantic relationships and disconnection from family members, yet they aren’t pushed on you as the reader or felt overdone. This is my favourite of her novels.

The Switch – published in April of 2020

Okay I want you to think of the old school Lindsey Lohan movie, Freaky Friday. Remember how they switches lives and suddenly had to figure out how to navigate a different lifestyle, generation and technology. That’s ‘The Switch’ all over – but replace the body swapping with a Grandma and her Granddaughter swapping lives for a couple of months.

Leena Cotton is made to take a two-month sabbatical after blowing a big presentation at work. She decides to escape to her grandmother Eileen’s house for some overdue rest and relaxation – or so she thinks. Eileen is newly single and about to turn eighty. She’d like a second chance at love, but her tiny Yorkshire village doesn’t offer many eligible gentlemen. I mean there is her grumpy next door neighbour but her is far from an eligible bachelor. Leena decides to set Eileen off on an adventure to London, go enjoy the city lights, shop and maybe even her on a dating app or two. This warming and funny swap of lives throws you into fits of laughter. Grandma gets her sexy pizazz back and Leena has a group of oldies in the Yorkshire village setting her up with a single school teacher. I would re-read ‘The Switch’ in a heartbeat!

The Road Trip – published in April of 2021

Now … The Road Trip is going to be up there with one of my favourite books of 2021 thus far. After loving her two previous novels, I was and am at the point now that whatever Beth O’Leary writes – I will automatically purchase and read. I had higher expectations for this novel as I had seen it hyped everywhere and it defiantly did not disappoint.

Picture a Mini Cooper. A wedding in Scotland. A road trip. Then imagine a whirlwind romance in Europe that developed into a two year relationship to then end traumatically. That previous couple haven’t spoken in over a year and they are now suck in this tiny car together road tripping to a mutual friend’s wedding. You’ve also got the ‘trouble-maker’ friend who contributed to the couple breaking up in the first place. Then you’ve got a new mother with an express breast pump, trying to bottle milk on the way to a wedding, all while her sexual desires and fantasies are overtaking her every normal thought (hilarious)! Lastly, you’ve got this random guy/friend of the bride who hitched a ride and nobody really knows who he is or how he got invited. These 5 fabulous characters in a Mini Cooper spells disaster!

The quick witted humour, flicking back and forward in time periods, dramatic relationship building and streamy scenes really made this novel a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 star read for me. I was lucky enough to read an advanced copy and desperately continue to recommend this to all my regular readers who want to pull an all nighter, laugh so hard you frighten the people around you and crave that buzzing feeling of old flames lighting back up again.

The No-Show – possible date of publication in April of 2022

By now, I think you’ve probably gathered that I am excited, highly anticipating and cannot WAIT for the publication for Beth O’Leary’s next novel. The No-Show follows three women, three dates and one missing man …

Extract from Good Reads:

“8.52. Siobhan’s been looking forward to her breakfast date with Joseph. She was surprised when he suggested it – she normally sees him late at night in her hotel room. Breakfast with Joseph on Valentine’s Day surely means something … so where is he?

14.43. Miranda’s hoping that a Valentine’s Day lunch with Carter will be the perfect way to celebrate her new job. It’s a fresh start and a sign that her grown-up life is finally falling into place: she’s been dating Carter for five months now and things are getting serious. But why hasn’t he shown up?

18.30. Joseph Carter agreed to be Jane’s fake boyfriend at a colleague’s engagement party. They’ve not known each other long but their friendship is fast becoming the brightest part of her new life in Winchester. Joseph promised to save Jane tonight. But he’s not here…

Meet Joseph Carter. That is, if you can find him.”