Review: "Up in the Air" by Mindy McKinley

Up in the Air by Mindy McKinley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

After an incident involving the mayor's son, charter jet pilot and infamous Chicago playboy Camden Chase is sentenced to serve community service in the pediatric ward of a local hospital. Cam's used to winning over women with his good looks and charm, so it comes as a surprise when Maggie Watson, the first-year resident assigned as his tour guide, is apparently immune to his flirting. Maggie's definitely not happy about being forced to show Cam around on his first day; she has enough to do without adding babysitting to the list, and it doesn't help that Cam comes across as arrogant and shallow at first. As she observes his interactions with their young patients, however, she begins to see a different side of him. Maggie decides to give Cam a chance, but can he prove that he's worthy of her trust?

I liked Maggie and Cam as a couple, but I was a bit disappointed by how fast their relationship progressed. Based on her initial feelings about him, I expected that he'd have to work harder to win her over, which would have created some fun banter and enemies-to-lovers vibes. At any rate, I liked how supportive they were of each other from the time they got together. Maggie had a tough family situation because of her younger sister's illness, and Cam didn't hesitate to jump in and help when an emergency arose during one of their dates. In return, Maggie encouraged Cam to pursue his dream of expanding his family's company into a new market, which was critical when so many others saw him as only a "good time guy."

Aside from the romance, my favorite part of the story was the subplot involving SkyChase, Cam's family charter jet business. After a recent health scare, Cam's father decided to retire and turn over management of the business to his three children. Carter, the oldest, became the CEO, and Cam had to choose between keeping his current job as a pilot or taking on greater responsibility within the company. Their younger sister Clara, a model and influencer, had to decide if she wanted an active role in the business at all. I was really intrigued by what we saw of Carter in this book. I can't wait for his story to find out why he's so uptight, and why he's so frequently dismissive of his younger siblings and their ideas. I'm even more excited for Clara's story to be told in the next book of the series. There was some definite tension between her and Cam's friend James that I can't wait to explore.

Overall, I enjoyed "Up in the Air" and would recommend it for all contemporary romance fans. I plan to continue with the series.

*Review copy provided by the author. All opinions expressed are my own.

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Release Blitz + Review: "Friends with Benefactors" by Willow Aster and Laura Pavlov

I'm delighted to take part in the release blitz celebrating "Friends with Benefactors" by authors Willow Aster and Laura Pavlov, the fifth and final book of the G.D. Taylors series. It works well as a standalone, though characters from the previous books play supporting roles in this one.

 

"Friends with Benefactors" featured the youngest Taylor sibling, Penelope, and Beckham Ellingsworth, who'd been her best friend since kindergarten. After an impulsive kiss that changed everything between them, Beckham ran off to Italy for their last semester of college, leaving behind a hurt and confused Pen. Eight months later, he followed her to her new home in New York City, determined to do whatever it took to fix their friendship. He managed to convince her to forgive him for ghosting her, but the feelings awakened by their kiss were still very much alive. It wasn't long before they found themselves in a secret friends with benefits arrangement. Beck's experiences with his parents had convinced him that he was incapable of a real relationship, but he thought he might want to try for Penelope. Could he convince her to give him a chance?

Penelope and Beckham were both incredibly likeable, relatable characters, and I adored them together. I loved that Pen made Beck work for her forgiveness even though she'd missed him too, as well as their hilarious banter and steamy chemistry. I also empathized with Beck's fears regarding relationships and appreciated that he worked so hard to overcome them, even going to therapy to work through the issues with his parents. He was such a sweet, caring guy, and I hated the way his parents made him feel! He deserved so much better, and luckily he found it with the Taylors.

 

My favorite part of the previous books in the series has been the dynamic between the Taylor brothers, and that was made even better with the addition of their sister in this book. Gus will always be my favorite of the siblings, but Penelope gets an honorable mention for having survived and thrived growing up with "the brothers." No matter how much they teased each other, their love for each other remained obvious, and I loved them because of it. 

It's bittersweet saying goodbye to this series because I've loved it so much, but "Friends with Benefactors" was a fantastic way to bring it to a close. I can't recommend this book and the entire series highly enough! It has definitely earned a place on my list of favorite rom-com series of all time. I look forward to whatever Willow Aster and Laura Pavlov come up with next.

 

*Review copy provided by the authors. All opinions expressed are my own. 

 

About "Friends with Benefactors"

A hot, wealthy playboy. His sexy, down-to-earth best friend. What could possibly go wrong if they kiss?

Penelope
Having grown up the baby sister to four brothers and with a dude for a best friend, I know how to read men like the back of my hand.
But when I have a sexy make-out session with Beckham, my best friend, all my intuition about men goes out the window.
We never thought we would cross that line, but OMG those lips, his scent, his taste—it’s all I can think about … seriously, he could bend me like Beckham, and I would so let him.
So when he offers a solution to my sexual drought with S-E-X, I have to consider it.
Right?

Beckham
Penelope has always been every guy’s fantasy—sexy, witty, and smart as hell. Let me also mention she’s my best friend, and because of that, I vowed to never, EVER go there with her ... meaning I will keep my hands and lips and other body parts to myself at all times when it comes to Penelope Layne Taylor.
But lines become blurred when we kiss and it's the best thing I've ever experienced.
The.
Best.
Thing.
And now all I want is Penelope to be more than my best friend.
She’s unsure we can do this, be friends with benefits … but I am here to prove her wrong.
Game on, Penelope Taylor. 

 

Review: "Cupid Calamity" by Kelly Kay and Evie Alexander

Congratulations to Kelly Kay and Evie Alexander on the release of "Cupid Calamity," book #1 of Evie and Kelly's Holiday Disasters series. Two days before Valentine's Day, a group of six strangers becomes unlikely friends after getting stuck in an airport lounge together. This book follows two of those characters through interconnected novellas as they find love in the midst of disaster.
 

In the first story, "Animal Attraction" by Evie Alexander, main characters Ben and Laurie meet in a safari-themed restaurant on Valentine's Day. He's all alone after being stood up by a business associate, while she's out with two work colleagues to celebrate her birthday. When Laurie's friends dare her to ask Ben out, she does it mainly to prove that she's not the boring rule-follower everyone thinks. They barely have a chance to explore their instant connection before the restaurant erupts into chaos thanks to a group of animals gone berserk. Can they make it through together?

Honestly, I wasn't quite sure what to make of this story at first because it just seemed so over the top, but I ended up really liking it. The safari restaurant was completely insane! It was hilarious to read about, but much like Laurie, I would be terrified to go there in real life. Laurie and Ben were super cute together, however, and it was easy to root for them to overcome the challenges they faced and find a way to be together.

In the second story, "Stupid Cupid" by Kelly Kay, Sabrina is headed to New York City for a visit. She was looking forward to hanging out with her nieces, but instead, her sister set her up on a blind date for Valentine's Day. Patrick is also supposed to be on a blind date, but with another woman in the same restaurant. He notices Sabrina as soon as he arrives. She's definitely not the woman he's supposed to meet because she's wearing the wrong color dress, but he decides he has to speak with her anyway. Unfortunately, meeting each other was the only lucky thing about their night; after that was nothing but a comedy of errors. Sabrina and Patrick just could not seem to catch a break, but I loved that they didn't give up.

Both stories were a ton of fun and I would recommend this book for all romantic comedy fans. I can't wait to find out what happens in the next installment of the series.

*Review copy provided by the authors. All opinions expressed are my own. 

 

About "Cupid Calamity"

 

A disastrously perfect blind date and a wild night out. Insta-love meets insta-disaster in these laugh-out-loud Valentine’s day novellas.

"Animal Attraction" by Evie Alexander

Overworked, underpaid and perpetually single, Laurie is stuck in a rut. A birthday on Valentine’s day is bad enough, but when her insensitive colleagues drag her to a secret Safari dining experience, her day hits rock bottom – she’s terrified of animals.

Workaholic Ben has just swapped the States for Somerset. He’s on track to fulfill a childhood dream, and the only date he wants on Valentine’s day is a business one. But when his fantasy woman approaches with an offer he can’t refuse, his priorities start to change.

Laurie and Ben have an instant connection and their chemistry is wild. Unfortunately so are the animals. When the menagerie goes into meltdown they’re thrown into a Darwinian Hunger Games, fighting for their lives as well as love. Can Businessman Ben unleash his inner Tarzan and save Laurie? Or has this survival of the fittest reached the point of no return?
 

"Stupid Cupid" by Kelly Kay

Resourceful Sabrina always puts others’ needs first. She never thought she’d be abandoning a blind date to run off with a stranger. But now she’s got the chance to face her demons and choose happiness – even if it’s just for one night.

Charmer Patrick can make any situation work in his favor. But snark and humor won’t be enough to win Sabrina’s heart. He’s got to dig deep, open up, and take on fate as well as New York City.

Armed with a fire extinguisher, a cobbler’s hammer, and an EpiPen, can Patrick and Sabrina survive the worst-best date of their lives and find true love? Or will they lose each other as well as the plot?

 

Blog Tour + Excerpt + Review: "Say It Like You Mane It" by Erin Nicholas

I'm thrilled to participate in the blog tour celebrating the release of "Say It Like You Mane It" by Erin Nicholas, book #6 of the Boys of the Bayou Gone Wild series. It reads as a complete standalone, though characters from the previous books (as well as the earlier Boys of the Bayou series) make return appearances in this one.

 

I've been looking forward to Zander Landry's story for a while now, and it turned out to be even better than I hoped. As a police officer, I expected Zander to be protective, but I was surprised by just how many secrets he was forced to keep in order to prevent his loved ones from finding out about the darkness that threatened to invade their little town. Unfortunately, the weight of those secrets took a toll on him, and even though he was secretly a romantic, he was willing to sacrifice the possibility of love for himself to ensure that his family maintained their happy, peaceful lifestyle. That all changed the day runaway bride Caroline Holland appeared at the door of his grandmother's restaurant with a lion cub in tow. As much as he didn't want to be, Zander couldn't help being drawn to Caroline from the moment they met. I enjoyed their slow burn romance tremendously and had great fun cheering them on to their HEA.

 

The book's secondary characters were also a ton of fun added a great deal of depth and humor to the story. I particularly enjoyed Zander's cousin Spencer, the FBI agent, and Caroline's best friend Max, the reporter. I adored their banter and hope to see the two of them paired up in a future story. 

I highly recommend "Say It Like You Mane It" and look forward to the next book in the series.

 

*Review copy provided by the author via Social Butterfly PR. All opinions expressed are my own.

 

About "Say It Like You Mane It"

Say It Like You Mane It, a brand-new, small town romantic comedy from New York Times bestselling author Erin Nicholas, is now available!

What happens when a hellraiser turned hot cop is stuck with a headstrong heiress he’s determined to protect...and resist?

A runaway bride, wearing a freakin’ tiara, and carrying a stolen lion cub, of all things. This was not how rowdy, bad-boy-turned-small-town-cop, Zander Landry expected his day to go.

He really didn’t expect his night to end with her sleeping in his bed after her near-kidnapping.

But his intense attraction to her and the feelings of protectiveness she stirs up? Oh, yeah, he knew those were coming.

She’s stunning, whip-smart, and trouble with a capital T.

Which means, he needs her to head right back the way she came. ASAP.

His town is exactly the way he wants it . . . crazy and trouble free.

Well, the crazy trouble he’s not related to anyway. 

 

***

Stranded in a tiny town in her half-million-dollar wedding gown with no money and no place to go . . . today is going pretty much exactly the way Caroline Holland expected it to.

But the grumpy, tattooed, oh-my-god hot cop being the answer to all her problems isn’t at all what she expected.

Now that she’s turned all the criminal (and obnoxious) info about her exotic-animal-dealing ex-fiance over to Zander, she can kick back in a hammock with some sweet tea and relax.

Or not.

Turns out Caroline’s not the spoiled heiress Zander thinks she is. The gorgeous hellion wants in on the action and soon discovers just how dirty things can get in the bayou. And the bedroom.

More and more, Zander just wants her safe on the sidelines. But Caroline isn’t going anywhere until justice is done.

It’s a clash of wills that’s gonna get hotter than a crawfish boil in July. And the most fun the Landry family has had watching sparks fly since . . . well, the last book.

 

Read an Excerpt from "Say It Like You Mane It"

Zander turned to look at the woman with a brow up. “Anything else you'd like to tell me?”

She met his eyes directly. She studied him, seemingly thinking over his question. Finally, she nodded. “Yeah, I think so.”

“Okay. What’s going on?”

“It might take a bit. Want to buy me a drink?” She glanced back toward Ellie’s.

Did he want to take the gorgeous woman in a wedding dress with another man’s ring on her finger who had almost been kidnapped right in front of him back inside his grandmother’s bar where most of his family and a lot of the town was gathered?

He most certainly did not.

“No,” he said simply.

Caroline looked surprised. “Can we”—She looked around—“at least go somewhere else?”

That seemed like a good idea. She was very conspicuous here and his family could, at any moment, come out. And start asking questions. Not to mention that the would-be kidnapper now knew where she was.

“Is there a chance your fiancé is going to come back?” Of course there was. A man didn’t just let this woman go.

She bit her bottom lip and looked up the road. Then she nodded. “Yeah, there’s a chance. Or that he’ll tell someone else where I am.” She looked at Zander again. “But that was my brother. Not my fiancé.”

Oh, that was interesting.

No, it fucking isn’t. Knock it off.

“So, will your fiancé be coming after you?”

“Ex-fiancé.”

Right. She’d mentioned that.

“Okay. Will he come after you?”

She didn’t answer right away. Which Zander also found interesting. Though he shouldn’t. He did not want to be interested in this woman. At all. He didn’t want anyone getting kidnapped while they were in Autre, though, either. Okay, he didn’t really want anyone getting kidnapped, period. But especially while they were in Autre.

“There’s a chance,” Caroline finally admitted. “Or my dad might come. Or my ex-fiancé’s dad might come.”

“And you don’t want to go back with any of them? Is that right?”

“Yes.”

Well, fuck. He had to at least be sure she didn’t get taken anywhere by anyone against her will.

She studied him for a long moment. “So, you’re willing to help me, Officer Landry?”

Her question—and her voice and her eyes and her everything, if he was being honest with himself which he decided to not be—sent a shot of something through Zander's chest.

It was the familiar streak of adrenaline he often felt with his work. It primed his gut to act on instinct when necessary, it made him ready to take on people intent on doing bad things and face potential danger, and it focused his mind. But he also recognized the sliver of trepidation. It wasn’t fear or reluctance. It was…awareness. Like knowing he was about to open a big old can of worms.

But he nodded. “Helping people with problems is kind of my job.”

“Then I would love to tell you what’s going on.”

He wanted that. And it wasn’t the cop in him thinking that.

Fuck. Dammit. Hell. Sonofabitch.

“Okay. Let’s go…someplace your brother doesn’t know about.”

“Like your place?”

Yes. He wanted her at his place. That was the safest. He could definitely keep her safe there. His property was at the end of a dead-end road so the only traffic was trucks he knew. His neighbors were his brothers and cousins. His backyard butted up to the bayou.

But fuck no. He wasn’t taking this woman anywhere near his house. Where his bedroom was.

She was dangerous. He couldn’t sort through all the reasons why at the moment, not while looking into her eyes and wondering how soft her skin was and how silky her hair was, but he had enough self-preservation instinct to keep her away from his house.

“I’m thinking the B & B.”

He grabbed her suitcase and started for his truck.

“But he might think to look there,” she protested. She gathered up her enormous skirts and followed him though.

“I’ll tell Heather not to tell anyone anything about you,” Zander told her, storing her bag behind the front seat and then turning to face her.

Dammit.

Again with the eyes. And hair. And lips. Okay, he hadn’t included the lips in the earlier inventory, but they were great too.

So he liked female lips. Big deal. These were not that exceptional. What the hell was wrong with him?

She’s probably your damned soulmate or some shit and the second you touch her hand you’re going to feel sparks.

I’m not going to feel sparks. That’s a stupid cliché. But I have to get some war biographies. Or maybe something about Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Something about women who are amazing but not sexy. It doesn’t have to be about sexy all the time. Get away from those romance novels.

The thing was, smart, bold women like RBG were sexy in their own way and if Zander had been Ruth’s age and run into her at a bar when she was single, he absolutely would have hit on her.

“Are you okay?” Caroline asked, stepping forward with a slight frown.

He jerked out of his stupid thoughts. “Yeah. I’m fine. You’re the one with the problem.”

Well, that had sounded rude as fuck.

Her eyes widened, but then she nodded. “Yeah. I am. We should definitely work on my problem. It’s going to keep getting bigger if we don’t.”

Zander sighed. He didn’t even know what that meant but…of course it was. 

***

Review: "Here For It" by Melanie Jacobson

Here For It by Melanie Jacobson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Supermodel Anneke Jansen and New Orleans record store owner Jonah Collier have been sharing their love of music online for the past few months. They only know each other by their screen names, but that hasn't stopped Anneke from developing a massive crush. When she accidentally discovers Jonah's offline identity, she decides to engineer an anonymous in-person meeting by asking her friend Miles to invite Jonah to the grand opening of his new jazz club, the Turnaround. Jonah accepts, but the meeting doesn't go well; he brushes off Anneke's efforts to start a conversation with him, so she concludes that he's not attracted to her in real life. She can't quite let go of her crush, however, so when he invites her to stop by his record store, she does. Their second meeting isn't much better than the first, but Jonah's sister Bailey convinces him to go after Anneke and ask for another chance. As they get to know more about each other outside of their tastes in music, their attraction continues to grow, but so does the awareness that they're living two very different lives. Could a relationship between them ever work out?

Jonah and Anneke may have been opposites in a lot of ways, but I loved them together because of the way their personalities complemented each other. The push-pull as their relationship grew helped each of them become the truest, most honest versions of themselves. I also loved how the New Orleans setting was integrated so seamlessly into the story. I think I learned more about the history of Mardi Gras from reading this book than I did when I actually visited New Orleans, and it was honestly fascinating. (It also made me hungry for king cake, but I digress.)

I highly recommend "Here for It" for all sweet contemporary romance and romantic comedy fans. I look forward to future books in this series. I'd love to read a story featuring Jonah's sister Bailey as well as one for Chloe and Dylan from the previous book. (I'm still convinced that there's something between them!)

*Review copy provided by the author. All opinions expressed are my own.

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Release Blitz + Review: "Until Next Time" by Claudia Burgoa

I'm happy to take part in today's release blitz celebrating "Until Next Time" by Claudia Burgoa, book #1 of the Against All Odds: St. James Family series. It's a spinoff of the original Against All Odds series complete with various character cameos, but reads as a standalone.

Single mom Autumn Wickerton has spent years trying to build a life for herself and her precocious daughter Matilda, working two jobs and going to school at the same time. She knows things aren't perfect, but she never expected Matilda to secretly email a popular relationship podcast and ask for help finding her mom a husband. Podcast host Persy Brassard immediately thinks of her brother-in-law Zach St. James as a potential match. Surprisingly enough, widower Zach already knows Autumn; he was best friends with her brother Aiden while they were growing up in the Seattle suburbs. Even though he's still grieving the loss of his wife, Zach can't help taking an interest in Autumn's situation, so he decides to look up his old friend Aiden to get more information on her. He and Autumn reconnect after running into each other outside Aiden's house, and while she tries to keep him at arm's length, there's something that keeps drawing him back to her. She understands his grief because she's lost a partner too, but could the real reason be that Autumn and Matilda represent Zach's hope for the future?

 

"Until Next Time" was a funny, sweet, and emotional story that featured well-developed, endearing characters and a fast-paced plot. The book started off with Zach and Autumn's stories being told in parallel for about two years, beginning with Zach's wife Callie's funeral and leading up to Autumn's daughter Matilda sending the email to Zach's sister-in-law Persy. Even though it was a somewhat unusual structure for a romance novel, I really liked getting to know the main characters independent of each other and their relationship. I could tell that they were going to be a good fit for each other even before they met again as adults, which made it easy for me to root for them as a couple.

 

I very much enjoyed this book and would recommend it for all fans of contemporary romance and romantic comedy. I look forward to learning more about the St. James family in future stories. 

 

*Review copy provided by the author. All opinions expressed are my own.  

About "Until Next Time"

USA Today Bestselling author Claudia Burgoa brings you a romantic comedy filled with loss, hope, and new chances.

It's official. I'm totally hopeless at love, parenting, and life.
Single mom? Check.
Massive debt? Check.
A sassy daughter who inherited my gift of snark?
Ugh. Check.
And if I find out who gave her the idea to call into a relationship podcast and tell the world about my disastrous situation, they’ll regret it. And as if it wasn’t enough for the world to know… my brother’s best friend was also listening.
I had a huge crush on Zach in high school.
Now, I work three jobs, I’m back in school, and doing my best to be in my traitorous kid’s life. Men are the last thing on my mind. I wouldn’t have time to look at a man even if he fell into my lap.
Until he does.
Zach tragically lost his wife some time ago, and now, he’s looking to save everyone—including me.
A super hot fling with my old flame, with a broken man? Check.
Falling for him: my most hopeless situation yet? Double check. 

 

Release Blitz + Review: "The Proposal Playbook" by Samantha Chase

Congratulations to Samantha Chase on the release of her latest novel, "The Proposal Playbook," book #4 of the Meet Me at the Altar series. Characters from previous books make appearances in this one, but it reads as a standalone. 

 

This is a tough review to write because I have genuinely enjoyed so many of Samantha Chase's books in the past, including the earlier books in this series. Unfortunately, "The Proposal Playbook" didn't work for me. I think the biggest problem was that I didn't like or connect with the female lead character, wedding planner Daisy Sinclair. I'm not sure how old she was supposed to be, but Daisy came across as incredibly immature to me. I particularly disliked her judgy, know-it-all attitude about romance and criticisms of other people's proposals. Just because the proposals didn't seem romantic to her didn't mean that there wasn't a special meaning behind them for the couples involved. Further, Daisy seemed to lose her temper over every little thing, especially with her love interest, Xander Madden. It drove me crazy when she would get mad and yell at him over some perceived slight, but then refuse to let him respond. They won't have much of a relationship if they can't communicate, and Daisy didn't seem to be very good at it.

Unfortunately, that wasn't my only problem with Xander and Daisy's relationship. I had whiplash from how fast things went back and forth between them. They really couldn't seem to decide if they loved or hated each other. I also had a tough time believing that Xander turned into a relationship guy overnight. He had some pretty deep-seated issues from when his parents split, and I don't think a single conversation with his father would be enough to fix that. Finally, I was bothered by all the mentions of Xander's "unsavory" reputation, presumably referring to his past preference for casual flings over serious relationships. Describing him that way made it sound like he was in the mob or something. More importantly, however, if his business partners didn't like or "approve" of him because of his reputation, why were they friends with him and why would they go into business with him?

As I said before, I've enjoyed many of Samantha Chase's previous books, and I remain a fan even though this one didn't work for me. However, it may be a good fit for other fans of the enemies-to-lovers trope. I look forward to Chase's next release.

 

*Review copy provided by the author via Valentine PR. All opinions expressed are my own.  

 

About "The Proposal Playbook"

The Proposal Playbook by Samantha Chase is now live!

He's a former Navy SEAL from the school of hard knocks.

She's a cheery wedding planner writing a guide to happily ever afters.

Who knew cupid's arrow could come in the form of a five-pound bag of flour?

When Daisy Sinclair gleefully offers to help her brother come up with the perfect proposal, she has no idea how time-consuming the project will become. Or, how it would make her the target of mockery from one rather grumpy former SEAL. Xander thinks he's got her all figured out. She is determined to prove him wrong. Just because she's more cheer than sneer doesn't give him the right to pass judgment on her.

As the son of a woman who walked away from her family, Xander Madden believes he's destined to follow in her footsteps. Which makes Daisy's ridiculously chipper ramblings about the wonders of love all the more irritating. Still, there's something about her that he can't ignore. Although... he probably should, considering every time he opens his mouth, he says the wrong thing.

Just when Xander thinks he can avoid the trappings of her sunny disposition, Daisy smacks him with a five-pound bag of flour and suddenly she's all he can think about. The pair have nothing in common except an undeniable attraction. Is a future for them possible when Daisy's looking for forever and Xander can't even commit to tomorrow?