Review: I Think I Love You

I Think I Love You by Lauren Layne
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The final novel in the Oxford/ Stiletto crossover series – what is the plural of series?

Brit Robbins and Hunter Cross have worked together for years and are platonic best friends. But when yet another guy dumps Brit giving her the ‘you’re a nice woman but there just aren’t the sparks’ line she’s had enough and wants to know why guys always see her as “good ol’ Brit”. After a few glasses of wine with her friends Brit decides that she must be giving off a friend vibe rather than a girlfriend vibe and who better to teach her how to be seductive with men than the King of dating, Hunter Cross?

Of course, when Hunter and Brit start talking seductive moves (and no batting your eyelashes is not seductive), they realise that beneath their platonic friendship could be something stronger.

I read a few reviews of this before I read the book (mainly because I had requested an ARC on NetGalley and was surprised I hadn’t received it/ read the book already) and got the impression that reviewers felt this was okay but not necessarily one of the best. I have to disagree. I love the friends to lover trope, especially the dating guru version and this did it for me in spades.

Hunter and Brit were best friends, the whole ‘you’ve got lettuce in your teeth’, sitting on the sofa in ratty sweats, hold my hair while I puke kind of friends. And they were work colleagues, Hunter was Brit’s boss. And yet the moment Hunter shows Brit how to say goodbye at the end of a date and they look into each other’s eyes? Bam! Suddenly there’s a whole load of tension that wasn’t there before.
Having said that, as befits the final book, most of the old characters make a come back in one way or another and I think I would guess that maybe Lincoln Mathis was Lauren Layne’s favourite character. Or maybe it’s just that his predilection for pink foamy drinks is such a unique characteristic that he is instantly memorable.

In summary, a glorious friends to lovers romance with just enough angst to create a plot but not angst, angst, angst, a farewell to our favourite characters from the previous books and certainly a must-buy for anyone who has read any of the previous books.


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Review: The Accidentals

The Accidentals by Sarina Bowen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Another triumph by Sarina Bowen.

Rachel is having a really bad Summer. Her mom died of cancer, her aunt doesn’t want her and she’s living in a group home. Even worse? She is at Summer school to retake the exams she missed through her mom’s illness. And then, like a fairy-tale the father she never knew, music legend Freddy Ricks (real name Frederick Richards) turns up out of the blue apparently anxious after seventeen years to get to know his daughter.

Despite having been Freddy Ricks’ greatest fangirl growing up Rachel is reluctant to let Frederick know that not only does she know everything about him (at least what’s been published) but that she has seen him in concert and is also a singer. Soon she is whisked away from her old life in Miami and her best friend Haze, first to Freddy’s home in California and then to an exclusive prep school.

This is heart-warming and sweet, it doesn’t shirk some of the issues teenagers face like sex, alcohol and bereavement but it treats them in a realistic and sympathetic way. I’m not saying that Freddy’s parenting skills are necessarily a gold standard but I love his take on drugs “Rachel, you know drugs are for assholes, right?”.

I think if your idea of heaven is being the secret daughter of a rock star and going to boarding school where you try out for the Bellas a Capella singing group then you will love this. I know I did, it’s part Cinderella, part Harry Potter, part Pitch Perfect and all glorious.

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Review: A Change in Tide

A Change in Tide by Freya Barker
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Mia is severely agoraphobic, although I would say that her fear is of people rather than open spaces, she is happy pottering around in her garden or rowing on the lake but a trip into the local small town to visit the supermarket can induce panic attacks. Her only trips out of the house are for her weekly therapy sessions. Gradually over the years as her condition worsened Mia has lost everything, her career, her husband, her friends. Nos she is down to one friend. Mia lives alone with her dog Griffin on a lake in rural Canada. Her solitude is spoilt one day when she finds her new neighbour ‘entertaining’ a scantily clad woman in the lake and on his deck. Although she is annoyed by the noise of the powerboat and the woman’s shrieks, she is also strangely aroused when she sees them having sex on the deck – until her neighbour hears her moan!!!! To make matters worse, the next day she sees a heavily pregnant woman clearly moving into the house – what a sleaze.

Jared Kesla is a retired hockey player, he’s bought a home in rural Canada to look after his pregnant sister Jordy and get away from the booze and groupies lifestyle that he fell into after a punishing tackle retired him early. He is having one last fling before Jordy’s arrival when he hears his neighbour taking more of an interest than he feels comfortable with. He also berates himself for falling into the tabloid trap – he expects that his new neighbour won’t take long to sell pictures of him behaving badly to whatever sleazy tabloid she can.

But when Jordy goes into labour one day while she and Jackson are on the lake Mia feel compelled to put her previous professional experience as a midwife into action, rescuing the brother and sister and delivering the baby. From that experience a strange friendship develops between them. Mia has no idea who Jackson is, she doesn’t follow sports, and Jackson is intrigued by a woman who wears no make-up and spends most of her days wearing old baggy mens clothing.

I recently read the third book in this series and was sufficiently smitten that I immediately got the previous two books. Freya Barker seems to specialise in writing romances about 40-something year old women, sometimes with a disability, which really venture into a new area for me. The characters are likeable and sympathetic, they may have weathered adversity but it isn’t all angst, angst, angst and they are thoughtful.

Mia’s disability didn’t just disappear, she remains afraid of crowds of people throughout the book, but her relationship with Jackson and Jordy helps her to expand her world.

Loved it.

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Review: Giving Up the Boss

Giving Up the Boss by Victoria Davies
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

DNF at 51%.

Lori Carlow is having a really bad day, she’s resigned from her role as Executive Assistant to Jackson Sinclair, a man with whom she is desperately in love, only to run him over in the car park. When Jackson turns out to have amnesia, on the brink of a hostile takeover of Sinclair Enterprises, his brother Marc begs Lori to stay on and help Jackson pretend that he is still running the business while he, the brother, tries to tie Marc goes to Australia to secure an alliance to keep the business in the family.

So, a ridiculous plot is hatched where Lori moves into Jackson’s palatial home and briefs him on everything he needs to know for any meetings. They use the excuse of his broken arm to divert suspicion. Of course, post-accident Jackson is a changed man, no longer the cold driven CEO that Lori knows, this man is compassionate and VERY interested in Lori, but with the guilt of having caused the amnesia and the little secret of her resignation between them how can Lori reciprocate, especially since any day Jackson could regain his memories.

I felt that this was just too slow and too repetitious and there was too much of Lori and Jackson having late night meetings in his kitchen. When they have to go to a black tie event and Jackson insists on her going as his date, despite her advice and the snide comments being made by one of his subordinates I just lost the will to carry on reading.

This wasn’t a bad book, the writing was good and I liked the premise, I just wanted it to be more about the two of them managing to fool the board and the shareholders rather than introspective angst. Overall, I just didn’t want to keep reading and every time I picked my Kindle up this wasn’t the book that I chose to read.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

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Review: Cowboy, Cross My Heart

Cowboy, Cross My Heart by Donna Grant
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Years ago Naomi Pierce was a champion barrel rider, until a drunk driver killed one of her best friends. Now she's a photographer living in Washington DC but she's come back to Texas to visit her mother and see her remaining best friend Whitney, who is now doing well on the Rodeo Queen pageant circuit. But all isn't well with Whitney, a strange man seems to be following her and when Naomi tries to take some pictures surreptitiously the man barges past and breaks her camera.

Brice Harper and his brother Caleb (the two teenagers from the first book all grown up) are champion cowboys. Brice is intrigued by the woman with the silvery laugh and the camera he sees at the rodeo. When her life appears to be in danger he feels compelled to help.

As Naomi and Brice try to uncover what Whitney is too scared to tell they are attacked and are in danger.

I liked this but I didn't love it. There was a good build up of suspense, which then dissipated with the obligatory 'let's stop to have sex right in the middle of an investigation interlude' and didn't really recover for me. The plot seemed a little far-fetched and was then resolved bish-bash-bosh in a matter of moments. Overall, I think this book doesn't quite know where it wants to sit in the romance genre: is it romantic suspense? Is it a cowboy romance? Is it about rodeo or a ranch? Is it a small-town cutesy romance? It didn't really commit and as a reader I felt confused.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

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Review: Handle with Care

Handle with Care by Nina Croft
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Emily Towson is the epitome of a good girl. First grade teacher, conservative dress, polite, well-mannered, thoughtful. But when her boyfriend Ryan proposes she recoils in horror, particularly when he compliments her on being so sensible. Emily grandmother Mimi might be close to 70 years old but she's young at heart and she sees the way that her buttoned up grand-daughter looks at Tanner O'Connor, the town's bad boy, and decides to engineer a fling. But when a school teacher and the bad boy have a one-night stand things don't go according to plan.

I really liked the start of this book: the ex-con, bad boy, tattooed, hog-riding Tanner and the tiny good girl teacher Emily have both admired from afar but each felt themselves unworthy of the other, until a temper tantrum and a bad attitude combust spectacularly. However, about a third of the way through I felt the plot ran out of steam and it became a bit 'rinse-and-repeat', Tanner gets angry because the town treats him like a pariah, Emily worries that Tanner is slumming with her, Tanner worries that Emily wants him to change, blah, blah, blah. The plot hinged on neither Tanner nor Emily ever telling the other how they felt, despite the initial over-sharing about they had each been fantasising about each other. Overall, I thought the book was overlong for the plot.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

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Review: A Change Of Pace

A Change Of Pace by Freya Barker
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Four and a half stars.

Newt Tobias is a former cop who took early retirement and moved away from the city to a small town for the sake of his teenage daughter Millie who was struggling after the death of her mother from cancer. Gradually as the book unfolds we understand the catalyst for this move.

Frederique Marchand, Freddy to everyone, works with troubled teenagers using her dog Boulder. She regularly visits the local high school and gets introduced to Millie as a new joiner. Almost immediately she can see there is 'something' the matter.

Freddy and Newt first meet when Freddy tries to stop a local all-round bad guy Billy Baldwin, step-son of the local law enforement, from man-handling a 14 year old girl into his truck. Newt bawls her out for being a 'half-witted vigilante feminist', jumping into a dangerous situation without thinking about the danger - it doesn't go well! But then, when Newt realises that Millie is still not dealing well he reaches out for some professional support to the school and they recommend Freddy. Together they need to work to help Millie, and if they fall in love at the same time? Even better.

The best bit? Freddy is 46 years old. Yep, that's right 46 years old. A mature heroine in a romance. Not a secondary character but the heroine!

I loved this book, I loved that two people, three if you count Millie, can overcome adversity and find true love. I loved that Newt was capable, a grown-up who takes his parental responsibilities seriously, a man who can cook and build decking. Freddy is the woman we all (well I do) want to be. Strong, successful, living in her own home with a menagerie of rescued animals, a life full of friends and family.

There was just enough gritty reality to leaven the romance, just enough suspense to offset the children and animals cutesiness, just enough angst to stop it from becoming sweet, just enough heat to remind us all that over 30 doesn't mean dead.

Loved it, and I've got the previous two books on my Kindle to read on the strength of how much I liked this one.

Randomly I mixed Freya Barker with Juliana Stone (author of the Barker triplets series), I have however read a previous book by Freya Barker and enjoyed that one too, that also had a mature heroine.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

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Review: Holding On: A Colorado High Country Novel

Holding On: A Colorado High Country Novel by Pamela Clare
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Three and a half stars.

Harrison Conrad was the golden boy climber of the Rocky Mountain Search & Rescue Team, a mountain rescue team in Colorado. Then a tragedy claims the lives of his best friend and two young climbers in the Himalayas and he is wracked with survivor's guilt, spending over a year living in a Tibetan monastery until Megs, the founder of the Team comes to haul him back to Colorado.

Kenzie Morgan is a dog trainer, owns a pet shop and is the owner/ handler of a Search and Rescue dog. She has always had a thing for Conrad but knows her weakness is climbers, she doesn't share their obsession and they always leave her. But when Conrad comes back so lost and broken she can't help but want to fix him - and what could be better than a cute puppy? Conrad has always had a thing for Kenzie too, but both being part of the Team has necessitated him keeping a professional distance, now he's resigned is there anything stopping him?

I find this a difficult book to rate. First, way too much sex to plot in my opinion, I spent a long part of this book wondering if anything was going to happen, don't get me wrong it was well done and hawt but enough already. Second, puppies! That warrants at least five stars all by itself. Third, I did like the plot, when it finally arrived. It was tense and thrilling and had me on the edge of my seat. But I have to wonder if that area is cursed - it seems like every criminal from miles around gravitates there! Also, I felt a bit of deja vu - haven't we had this plot before?

But I liked Conrad and Kenzie. They had issues, they worked them out. They were fun and I would love to be their friend and sit back for a beer, or two, at Knockers the local watering hole chatting with them and petting their gorgeous dogs.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

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Review: Maybe for You

Maybe for You by Nicole McLaughlin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Alexis Parker has never been lucky in love, her parents were killed in a car accident, she was brought up by her older brother Dean and his wife Amy as if she were their daughter, until the two of them separated over Dean's infertility, and then her fiancee Nate is killed only weeks before their wedding. After Nate's death she spends the final 12 months of her military career in Italy trying to make sense of her life.

Alex's brother Dean owns a whisky distillery with his two best friends TJ and Jake Cooper. Dean and TJ have recently found love but Jake is still a carefree bachelor. He is responsible for business development, promotions and marketing which usually takes the form of touring festivals and shows with an RV of promotional gifts and free whiskey. Unfortunately the distillery's instagram account and twitter feed are starting to appear more frat party than serious business.

Despite his playboy reputation when Jake comes across a crying Alex on the eve of her departure for Italy he can't help but comfort her. Over her 12 months abroad their friendship flourishes through sporadic texts - Alex feels safe telling Jake how she really feels about Nate's death and moving on.

After returning home Alex feels crushed by everyone's need to look after her and constantly check how she's doing. What better way to get away from the smothering than a two week road trip with Jake? But as their friendship segues into a friends with benefits arrangement are they really going to be able to walk away after two weeks?

I enjoyed this, I thought that there was sufficient angst and obstacles without being a ten handkerchief sob fest. Alex and Jake were both relatable and infuriating by turns - I understood the reasons why they came together, and why they pushed each other away, I even understood the reasons why each of them became angry on occasion.

Overall, despite the tragedy in Alex's past this was a life-affirming novel about second chances and the human capacity for love.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

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Review: The Anniversary

The Anniversary by Roisin Meaney
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Lily's mother Kitty has died after a battle with dementia and Lily has decided to sell Land's End, the family home by the sea. On the verge of finalising her divorce from Charlie after 26 years of marriage and with a wedding to her new fiance Joe in the offing she decides to invite the whole family to Land's End one last time for the May Day bank holiday. Her daughter Poll and her boyfriend Aidan, her son Thomas, Joe, Charlie and Charlie's girlfriend Chloe. The weekend was never going to be easy, not when Chloe is only one year older than Poll, but the tensions are ratcheted up by a series of random acts of violence and shocking revelations.

How to rate this? First off, I have to confess I clearly didn't read the blurb properly and/or wasn't paying full attention to the start of the book because I was convinced this was set in the USA, clearly it is set in Ireland. Second, these intense multi-generational family novels aren't really my cup of tea.

Having said all of that, I enjoyed this. Watching family dynamics, the way that 30 year old adults revert to being children when surrounded by their parents and siblings. The way that a 59 year old man and his 27 year old girlfriend interact and who pulls the strings in the relationship. The way in which different people deal with grief. Unpicking the memories of childhood and the associations with a special place, good and bad.

However, I thought the epilogue was a bit rushed, 12 months later and everything has changed - maybe the long weekend was a catalyst for seismic changes for all concerned, but it felt like each of the characters underwent a significant change in their lives between the end of the book and the epilogue and I kind of felt that I had been cheated out of their emotional journey from the end of the holiday to the epilogue.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

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Review: Summer at West Sands Guest House

Summer at West Sands Guest House by Maggie Conway
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed the first book and was eager to read this when I saw it on NetGalley but I'm afraid it didn't have the same pull as the first book for me.

Molly Adams is getting divorced after her husband left her for another woman. She is left in the soulless new house in Glasgow they bought together, hates her job and feels a total failure. Her brother is moving to St Andrews for work with his family and while they look for a house they have rented the whole of West Sands Guest House, they invite Molly to stay for a few weeks.

Molly soon fits in with the quaint Scottish town, the beautiful golf links where she rekindles her love for the game, the cosy shops and the lovable characters, including the rather taciturn golf professional Tom Kennedy who always seems to see her at her worst.

This was a sweet and gentle romance - maybe too sweet and gentle for my tastes, I didn't really feel any tension and Molly and Tom didn't have enough personality to stand out as characters. Overall, if I hadn't read the first book I would probably have enjoyed this more.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

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