Sandcastle Beach by Jenny Holiday (Review)

May 4, 2021

Maya Mehta will do anything to save her tiny, beloved community theater. Put on musicals she hates? Check. Hire an arrogant former-pop-star-turned-actor? Done. But what Maya really needs to save her theater is Matchmaker Bay’s new business grant. She’s got some serious competition, though: Benjamin “Law” Lawson, local bar owner, Jerk Extraordinaire, and Maya’s annoyingly hot arch nemesis. Let the games begin. Law loves nothing more than getting under Maya’s skin, and making those gorgeous eyes dance with irritation. But when he discovers the ex-pop star has a thing for Maya, too, Law decides he’s done waiting in the wings-starting with a scorching-hot kiss. Turns out there’s a thin line between hate and irresistible desire, and Maya and Law are really good at crossing it. But when things heat up, will they allow their long-standing feud to get in the way of their growing feelings?… Read More Sandcastle Beach by Jenny Holiday (Review)

— Adult, ARC review, book review —

The Knockout Rule by Kelly Siskind (ARC Review)

May 4, 2021

Growing up with an adoring father for a boxing legend isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. It looks more like hospital visits, bloody noses, and cracked ribs. Isla Slade now works as a physiotherapist, helping athletes heal their bodies. Except for boxers. She has no interest in reliving the stress of her teen years. Dating someone in the boxing world? She’d rather snort wasabi powder. Until she meets Preston Church. Preston manages heavyweight boxing darling Brick Kramarov. A brute who’s built tougher than his name, with a cocky attitude to boot. She wants nothing to do with either man, but her father begs her to help them prepare for a huge Vegas fight. She doesn’t expect Preston to recite romantic poems and slowly break her resolve. His fascinating mind gets under her skin, even if his star athlete reminds her how much she hates boxing. Too bad it’s Brick coaching Preston how to woo Isla, falling for her from the sidelines. Once she finds out, she’ll have to decide if she can risk loving another man who puts it all on the line for the knockout… Read More The Knockout Rule by Kelly Siskind (ARC Review)

— Adult, ARC review, book review —

Act Your Age, Eve Brown by Talia Hibbert (ARC Review)

April 12, 2021

Eve Brown is a certified hot mess. No matter how hard she strives to do right, her life always goes horribly wrong—so she’s given up trying. But when her personal brand of chaos ruins an expensive wedding (someone had to liberate those poor doves), her parents draw the line. It’s time for Eve to grow up and prove herself—even though she’s not entirely sure how…Jacob Wayne is in control. Always. The bed and breakfast owner’s on a mission to dominate the hospitality industry—and he expects nothing less than perfection. So when a purple-haired tornado of a woman turns up out of the blue to interview for his open chef position, he tells her the brutal truth: not a chance in hell. Then she hits him with her car—supposedly by accident. Yeah, right. Now his arm is broken, his B&B is understaffed, and the dangerously unpredictable Eve is fluttering around, trying to help… Read More Act Your Age, Eve Brown by Talia Hibbert (ARC Review)

— Adult, book review —

Accidentally Engaged by Farah Heron (Review)

March 29, 2021

Reena Manji doesn’t love her career, her single status, and most of all, her family inserting themselves into every detail of her life. But when caring for her precious sourdough starters, Reena can drown it all out. At least until her father moves his newest employee across the hall–with hopes that Reena will marry him. But Nadim’s not like the other Muslim bachelors-du-jour that her parents have dug up. If the Captain America body and the British accent weren’t enough, the man appears to love eating her bread creations as much as she loves making them. She sure as hell would never marry a man who works for her father… Read More Accidentally Engaged by Farah Heron (Review)

— Adult, book review —

The Royal Wedding by Melanie Summers (Review)

February 11, 2021

When most girls get engaged, at most they face a disapproving mother-in-law, but in Tessa Sharpe’s case, it’s a disapproving nation. No one in the tiny kingdom of Avonia wants the former anti-royal blogger to wed Prince Arthur. The anti-royals haven’t forgiven her for abandoning ship and swimming over to the Prince’s yacht, and the royal watchers won’t ever forget all the horrible things she wrote about their beloved Royal Family. Up against all odds, Tessa has only six months to prove herself worthy of the title of Princess. Her nasty father-in-law is going to throw every obstacle in her way, including the beautiful, poised, and highly accomplished Lady Doctor Brooke Beddingfield. But Tessa is determined to make this work and keep her fledgling career as a reporter intact. Will Tessa manage to fight her way down the aisle and find her Prince Charming waiting? Or will one of them succumb to mounting pressure and run the other way before they can say I do?… Read More The Royal Wedding by Melanie Summers (Review)

— Adult, book review —

The Royal Treatment by Melanie Summers (Review)

August 11, 2020

Ultra-private, ridiculously handsome Crown Prince Arthur has always gotten by on his charm. But that won’t be enough now that the Royal Family is about to be ousted from power once and for all. When Prince Arthur has to rely on the one woman in the kingdom who hates him most, he must learn that earning the love of a nation means first risking his heart. Twenty-eight-year-old Tessa Sharpe, a.k.a. The Royal Watchdog, hates everything about Prince Arthur. As far as she’s concerned, he’s an arrogant, lazy… Read More The Royal Treatment by Melanie Summers (Review)

— calendar girls —

Calendar Girls (April 2020): National Library Week: Favorite Book You Discovered At The Library

April 6, 2020

Welcome to my April 2020 Calendar Girls Books post! And for those of you who missed it, there have been some updates made to this blog event. You can read all about the updates here. Additionally, Adrienne @ Darque Dreamer Reads has resumed co-hosting Calendar Girls Books alongside myself and Dani @ Mousai Books! The… Read More Calendar Girls (April 2020): National Library Week: Favorite Book You Discovered At The Library

— Adult, ARC review, book review —

The Bride Test by Helen Hoang (ARC Review)

May 22, 2019

Khai Diep has no feelings. Well, he feels irritation when people move his things or contentment when ledgers balance down to the penny, but not big, important emotions—like grief. And love. He thinks he’s defective. His family knows better—that his autism means he just processes emotions differently. When he steadfastly avoids relationships, his mother takes matters into her own hands and returns to Vietnam to find him the perfect bride… Read More The Bride Test by Helen Hoang (ARC Review)

— book feature —

New Orleans Rush by Kelly Siskind (Book Feature)

March 28, 2019

Title: New Orleans Rush Author: Kelly Siskind Type: Fiction Genre: Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Publisher: Everafter Romance Published: April 23, 2019 Falling for your surly boss is a rotten idea. Letting him saw you in half is even worse… Beatrice Baker may be a struggling artist, but she believes all hardships have silver linings…until she follows… Read More New Orleans Rush by Kelly Siskind (Book Feature)

— book birthdays —

Book Birthdays: November 6, 2018

November 6, 2018

Since the first two Book Birthday posts in this series were such a hit, here are the books on my radar that are celebrating their Book Birthdays today (a.k.a. books that are being published in Canada today)! Please let me know if you have any feedback and/or suggestions for this series (anything from formatting to content)!