Tag: romance book

Book Review: Beach Read by Emily Henry 📖🏖🖊

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Imagine a dare is born out of a college-nemesis/complicated past feelings relationship, that results in two bestselling writers crafting stories from genres they despise. The winner has to poach their novel to publishers, get the biggest book deal and the highest paying advance. 

Enter January and Gus. 

January has just made the worst discovery of her life. After her Dad’s recent passing, a letter he left her explained that he had been in love with another woman and had built a life with her all in a small beach town. January is confused as he was always the most loving father and their connection was strong. He has left the house that he shared in his double life to January. Not only is she thrown for six but her writing jué jué is off and the timeline on her next book is closing in. 

Gus has never forgotten the frustratingly talented writer from college who never failed to make every writing assignment into a happy ending. He much prefers to research for years, uncover and pull apart the pieces of people that we sometimes never see. Seeing January in the house next door on the summer evening of his birthday was not what he had on his Bingo card for this year. But will it turn out to be his, and her, best year of writing yet?

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5/5)

‘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 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Author Talks with Steph Vizard

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📸 2022 HarperCollins Banjo Prize Winner, Steph Vizard

Steph Vizard has burst onto the Australian romance writing scene with her debut & award winning novel, The Love Contact.

Steph has a wealth of experience in the Australian and international book industry. From studying Literature at Oxford University, to working in publishing in London, to now writing her own Australian story which has won the 2022 HarperCollins Banjo Prize. I think Steph is in for an absolute cracker of a writing career ⭐️

Welcome Steph, to Mel Reviews Her Books 💖

Steph, congratulations! A published novel AND the winner of HarperCollins Banjo Prize for Fiction! Can you share with us a little bit about your journey in applying for this book prize and what life as an author has been like since?

Thanks so much! I wrote The Love Contract during my maternity leave and then submitted it to the prize when I went back to work. The process for the Banjo Prize is that you submit the whole novel so I tried to have my manuscript in the best shape I could when I sent it off. A few months later, out of the blue, I got a call from HarperCollins to tell me that I’d won the prize and that the book was to be published. It was a truly magical moment!


Life as an author has been a whirlwind and an incredibly fun ride. There have been some massive highs – seeing the cover for the first time, holding the first real life copy, a book launch surrounded by my friends and family, doing an interview on live TV. That said, I had a 3-month-old baby when the book was published so that’s kept things very real! One of the best parts of being published has been meeting so many other talented Australian writers – it’s the most supportive gang of people!

The Love Contract had me hooked from the beginning! I absolutely adored Zoe and Hazel(nut). You’ve written the realities of motherhood in such an accurate light and formed it into a gripping plot line. Did you always know motherhood would be the leading theme in The Love Contract?

I’m so glad it had you hooked – I was so keen to write a book where the reader wants to keep turning the pages! I think when I started to write The Love Contract I knew that baby Hazel would be part of the story, as she’s the reason Zoe and Will are forced to spend so much time together. But I think it caught me a bit by surprise how much I had to say about motherhood. I think I was hungry for stories about women trying to do all the things, including career and parenting, that didn’t shy away from the really tough stuff but also showed the incredibly funny and joyous parts of parenting.

Will, what a sweetheart. With his stiff, business-like composure whenever the topic of work is discussed but then his carefree and loving nature with Hazel. He’s swoon worthy! How did the characters of Will, Zoe & Hazel come to you?

I love Will! He has a lot of qualities I find very attractive – he’s smart, acerbic and (secretly) very caring. I like that he’s a straight shooter and isn’t a people pleaser – which is a nice ballast to Zoe. I think he was inspired by people I’ve met who are incredibly brilliant at their jobs and work super hard but have never stopped to think about why they’ve chosen their particular path.

With Zoe, I really wanted to write a romantic comedy heroine who is pretty pulled together and trying to pull off the life she wants to lead – she’s just completely overwhelmed.

Honestly, I think Hazel was just inspired by how cute and funny and ridiculous babies can be!

Steph, what advice would you give to budding writers aiming to land a publishing deal or researching & applying for book prizes such as HarperCollins Banjo Prize for Fiction?

I think my main bit of advice is to go for it! With prizes it’s worth being organised as there are different deadlines and entry requirements to keep in mind. I think (and maybe this is incredibly obvious) it’s important to always submit the best version of your story that you can, and things like craft books, writing courses, writing podcast, early readers and manuscript assessments, can really help on this front. I also think that in our busy lives carving out the time to write is always a challenge, but if you can find a consistent, small parcel of time to write every day, the words will happen!

Steph, thank you so much for sharing your time with us on Author Talks & Instagram Live Saturday 13 January 🎥 

I wish you all the best and can guarantee that I’ll be pre-ordering your next novel!

WWW Wednesdays

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WWW Wednesday is hosted by Sam @ Taking on a World of Words 📚 It is a book tag to broaden the reading community and help connect avid readers!

All you have to do is answer the following three questions:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

CR: Five Bush Weddings by Clare Fletcher is going down as one of my favourite books this year! I am laughing out loud at the conversations between Stevie-Jean (bush photographer who is yet to find love at 31) and Jen (social worker, housemate and best friend), as well as the spicy implications of Johnno (handsome farmer who is best friend of Stevie-Jean’s ex) moving back to the country after being away for years. Stevie-Jean and Johnno have a bit of a history. They promised each other drunkly one night while catching up overseas, that if they’d turned 32 and were both single, they’d marry each other … will it come true?! I DAMN WELL HOPE SO!!

RF: Chain of Gold by Cassandra Clare was such a nostalgic read for me in my week off of R&R. How is it, that since starting out with the Mortal Instruments series (perfect for 15-20 year olds) when I was 16, I’m now 25 and have the same warm and cozy feeling reading Cassandra Clare. Every time a new book by her comes out, I need to buy it! I just know it will find me when the time is right. All I can tell you about Chain of Gold (as you probably do need to read the Infernal Devices series for reference) is that the children of Will & Tessa Herondale are fighting off demons and figuring out their own individual powers and abilities to help save the human race and world.

RN: The Last Love Note by Emma Grey is my next read and it is connected with an upcoming romance panel I am moderating, plus – it’s just such a sweet book!! The perfect romantic comedy to lighten ones TBR and whisk you into another fictional world.

If you’re local to Wagga Wagga, come along to this event I’m moderating:

A few books I’ve DNF’d lately

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Fire round coming up … I’m going to give short statements as to why I DNF’d these books. I can say with absolute clarity and honestly that I will be going back to these books. They are not leaving my shelves. They have just been started, stopped and then removed from my bedside table (immediate book grabbing pile).

Twisted Love by Ana Huang

  • Writing was a big rough for what I was looking for at the time
  • Have been told by a beautiful customer that this was her least favourite in the series and also believes I will like further books in the series more
  • My mood for smutty reading slowed down

Five Bush Weddings by Clare Fletcher

Iris by Fiona Kelly McGregor

  • Written with no quotation marks – something that doesn’t resonate with my reading style
  • Dark Australian mafia read and comes across as a strong feminist read as well – love that
  • Gritty, well-written and researched
  • Based on fact and will need to be in the right mood to read of possible gruesome and graphic retellings

I am now currently onto The Night Travellers by Armando Lucas Correa and it is fantastic! What are you reading this week and how is it travelling?

‘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.