Book Review: Royally Matched

By Sara Steven

I’ve got 99 problems, and picking the wrong guy might be all of them.

I've always had my royal checklist: Attend the Husband Hunting Ball? Check. Find the perfect match for a princess like me? Check. Feel zero sparks with Mr. Right (aka Enzo Revera)? Sadly, double check.

But then I meet Marco, Enzo's charming and rugged brother. He's everything I shouldn't want, especially since I've planned my life to avoid the messiness of love.

When a twist of fate puts Marco at my side, I can't deny our chemistry, even if he's all wrong for a princess like me. Thrown together by royal duties and an ancient riddle, Marco and I embark on a crazy adventure that leads us to hidden clues.

As we unravel a secret that changes everything, I’m faced with a choice between duty and desire. Can I defy expectations and claim both the throne I’ve always wanted and my true love? (Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads.)

I’ve read the first book in the Royally Kissed series, The Backup Princess (reviewed here), and as much as I enjoyed that experience, I really loved Royally Matched! I felt very invested in both main characters. Sofia is known as the “Pitiful Princess” of Ledonia, due to her more rigid and pristine attitude, while Marco is a fly by the seat of his pants kind of guy, content to go where the wind takes him. Sofia has fallen for that type of guy before, and it ended in heartbreak for her, so she’s made it her mission to completely eliminate attraction and chemistry from any relationship, preferring to create a list of potential suitors who look good on paper.

The man who looks the best on paper is Enzo, Marco’s brother. Enzo checks all of Sofia's boxes, but none that sets her soul on fire, which Sofia is completely fine with. For her, it’s better to be safe than in love. But she can’t get Marco out of her head. Despite how different they seem to be, he is the one who can get her out of her shell. And for Marco, with his head in the clouds, Sofia is the comfort he needs to find his way back to earth from time to time. I liked the sweet connection they have and the way Marco continually gets past Sofia’s defenses, even when she thinks she needs to put duty first before her own wants and needs.

The crazy adventure they go on was a nice addition to the story, and I did not suspect who was ultimately responsible for it. Marco thinks he knows who is behind everything, but who it really is was a pleasant surprise. Discovering the truth behind Sofia and what her future holds was also nice to see. While I enjoyed seeing the progression of possible romance for Sofia–Enzo or Marco–it was even better to witness the strength and power she has, particularly when she can define her life by her own terms. 

Royally Matched reminded me of the movie The Mirror Has Two Faces, with Barbra Streisand and Jeff Bridges. Maybe because like Sofia, Jeff’s character Gregory had been burned one too many times before by overtly sensual, charismatic women, and decides to look for someone he felt he would have no chemistry with–Rose, played by Barbra Streisand…although, let’s be honest here, no one has more charisma than the incomparable Babs. The same goes for the ties between Sofia and Marco. It is a connection that is for the ages, despite how hard Sofia tries to deny it or refuse it. It’s the “sizzle” that really spices up this sweet endearing love story, making it a well-deserved five-star experience!

Thanks to Kate O'Keeffe for the book in exchange for an honest review.

More by Kate O'Keeffe:

Breaking the Ice (Love on Thin Ice series)

Faking It With the Grump (Sisters & Sweethearts series)

One Last First Date (Flirting With Forever series)

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Book Review: Can't Help Falling in Love

By Melissa Smoot

Lexi Danby is looking for some no-strings, fall fun. Once a college track star, she was forced to drop out when her father passed away. Now she’s trying to make ends meet while putting herself through school and caring for her grieving mother. When her comically bad waitressing lands her directly in the path of a handsome, charming stranger named Will, Lexi may just have found the distraction she’s been looking for. Their first date looks promising until a misunderstanding at a party thrusts Lexi and Will into a fake engagement they can’t talk themselves out of. And Will turns out to be a member of Seattle royalty.

Will Grand is heir to a major company, and Seattle’s most eligible bachelor. But he’s been placed in charge of an important merger with a company that values family above all else, and needs to show them that he’s settled down. While a fake engagement is advantageous from a business standpoint, it’s not so great for a budding relationship with a woman who’s wary of commitment. With a woman who Will is beginning to care about much more than he could have anticipated.

As Lexi gets a taste of Will’s glamorous world and the pair keeps up the pretense of their fake engagement for the press, they decide to see where a more casual relationship takes them out of the spotlight. And amid apple picking in comfy flannels, outdoor breweries in the crisp air, and fun Halloween preparations, Lexi starts to realize the scariest part of the season might just be taking a chance on love. (Synopsis courtesy of Amazon.)

This was a really cute book. I loved that most of it took place during my favorite season, autumn, and you could feel the crisp air and the coziness as you read. The premise of starting a relationship out of a complete misunderstanding was a fun one. The main character, Lexi, felt human and vulnerable. The idea of keeping your heart locked up because you never want to feel heartbreak and pain is relatable. Lexi kept her emotions inside and refused to let herself fall, even when she was aware that she was in fact falling for Will Grand. 

The author did a great job making the family members, of both Will and Lexi, realistic and could hold their own throughout the story. I liked the fact that Lexi and her mom went through a metamorphosis of sorts by the end of the book. The setting, the romance, the friendship…this was just a wonderfully written feel-good story. If you are looking for something surrounding “starting over” or “second chances”, this is a perfect read for you.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press for the book in exchange for an honest review. Purchase Can't Help Falling in Love here.

More by Sophie Sullivan:
Ten Rules for Faking It
Love Naturally
A Guide to Being Just Friends

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Sara and Melissa Talk About...What We Did for Labor Day Weekend

We've been running a column series to get more personal with our readers. We are currently in our fifth year!

This month, we are talking about what we did (or didn't do) for Labor Day weekend. 

We're always open to topic suggestions, so please don't hesitate to share those in the comments. We'd also love to know if you can relate to anything we've said or hear your own thoughts on the topic. So don't be shy. :) We look forward to getting to know you as much as we're letting you get to know us. You can find our previous columns here, in case you missed them. 

Sara Steven:

I had big plans for Labor Day. Well, bigger plans than usual. The Sunday before, the goal was to work like I normally do on Sundays, later driving to a friend’s house for a much-needed girl’s sleepover at her house, and then on Labor Day, I had made arrangements with another friend of mine to partake in a morning yoga class. The sleepover friend was also going to hang out at my house later that afternoon, in an effort to get some pool time in before she started her new job the next day. (Okay, after reading through my original plans for that Labor Day weekend, I’m realizing it was actually a lot I’d initially planned.) 

But I was all for it. Until I got sick.

Sick might be kind of an overstatement. I’m still not sure how it happened, but it started earlier in the week with some kind of weird eye pain that felt like I had a foreign object stuck in my right eyeball. My eye was itchy but in pain at the same time, with a headache that lasted days. By Saturday I ended up with a migraine, so I had to cancel plans with everyone because I wasn’t up for a sleepover, yoga, or any pool time, which I felt pretty bad about, all things considered. My doctor suspected some sort of allergen had infiltrated my body, and things did get better over the week, but it was gradual. I half-joked that my body had to absorb whatever it was that landed in my eye, and I’m not convinced that didn’t happen.

At some point that week, and due to promised Labor Day deals, I ended up purchasing a new mattress–something I haven’t done in twenty years! I’ve read somewhere that we should be replacing mattresses every 7-10 years, but I obviously didn’t get that memo. I call myself “The Princess and the Pea” because I’m such a delicate sleeper. Everything has to be just so, and that includes the mattress I sleep on. Why change something that isn’t broken, until it actually becomes broken–my old sad mattress really had seen some better days since circa 2004, when I first bought the thing at the largest furniture store I’ve ever been to, Nebraska Furniture Mart–those who live in the Midwest know what I’m talking about. In fact, the brand of my old mattress is a Berkshire Hathaway; Warren Buffet knows mattresses, apparently.

I felt certain I’d found the perfect replacement for Old Faithful, until I brought it home and was bombarded by all the new mattress smells that come with owning a new mattress. Every morning I woke up feeling like I was coming down with something. My oldest son, who’d spent the day with his ex on Labor Day, made us aware of the fact that she became severely ill and later let him know she had Covid–and of course, he ended up with it, too. So I figured I was also coming down with Covid, only the feeling of not quite getting full-on sick but feeling sick never left me. It’s been a couple of weeks now and I feel like it’s getting better, but I’m fairly certain my new mattress is to blame. The various noxious odors that come from it are very chemical-like and after Googling “can your new mattress make you feel sick,” I discovered that new mattresses should be off gassed before use. That was all new to me. I don’t remember if I did that with my Berk mattress or any other mattress before it, but maybe the way mattresses are made have changed in the last two decades. 

My eye is better now. I no longer feel like I’m coming down with something, and my son is over Covid. No one else in my house got sick. Labor Day is meant to be an annual celebration of social and economic achievements for workers. A day to relax. But I feel like my Labor Day this year was more laborious than anything! Maybe it will go better next year. But in the meantime, here’s a photo of my son’s blue-tongued skink Peter Skinkledge in a hot dog costume, in celebration of the Labor Day pastime of grilling out, relaxing, and spending a nice, joyous day with family and/or friends.

Melissa Amster:

Labor Day this year was pretty much low key overall. We took the kids to the state fair for a couple hours to get out of the house and do something different. Otherwise, we just watched movies and did errands. My car also stopped working, so that was not fun. (Thankfully it got fixed the next day.) We did see a fun and entertaining movie called Jackpot though. Anyway, I've decided to write about Labor Day weekend from 2023 instead, since that was much more interesting.

Last year, my family and I went to Pittsburgh over Labor Day weekend. One of my close friends moved there a couple years ago, so part of the trip was to spend time with him and the other part was for being tourists. Of course, we stopped at Sheetz on the way. ;) 

When we got to Pittsburgh, we went right to the Heinz Museum. It's a tall building with lots of different exhibits on every floor showing the history and industry of Pittsburgh. Some of it felt like standard museum stuff, but I really enjoyed the Heinz room (all about their products) and the Mr. Rogers display. 

After the museum, we picked up some groceries and then stopped by my friend's new house. Then we went to the house we rented on Vrbo and got settled in and started working on dinner. My friend came over to join us. The house was really nice, but it was very hilly to get over there. The street leading up to the house was on a steep incline, as well. 

When we finished dinner, we went on a long walk to this area that overlooks the city and has a nice scenic view of the city.

With my friend

The next day, we did a little more exploring, including taking this trolley up a huge incline to look at the city during the daytime. Then we went to Randyland. That's like nothing else I've ever seen. A very kitschy and eclectic outdoor art display with old toys and other random objects.

Then we visited the Mr. Rogers statue before getting lunch and heading home.

While it was a quick visit, we had a nice time and it would be fun to go back when we have more time available to do some exploring. 

We didn't have time to do much at the aviary, so we will try it next time.

Did you do anything memorable over Labor Day weekend? 

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Jennifer Snow is heating things up...plus a book giveaway

We're excited to have Jennifer Snow here today to talk about her latest novel, All Signs Point to Malibu. It's being compared to a mix between the movie My Best Friend's Wedding and the novel In Five Years. Count us in! Thanks to BookSparks, we have TWO copies to give away!

Jennifer Snow is an award-winning, USA Today bestselling author of more than thirty-five contemporary romances and thrillers. Her novels have received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and some have been optioned for film and television. Also a screenwriter, Jen is known for her romantic comedies and female-driven dramas. A Canadian living in Torrevieja, Spain, with her husband and son, she loves to travel and spend time near the ocean. Visit Jennifer at her website and on Instagram.

Synopsis:
Hailey Harris can’t stop messing with fate. A successful life coach, Hailey uses her ability to glimpse the future to guide her clients down the right path. But her gift has made her own life lonely. After all, having a real friend would mean asking someone to believe the unbelievable.

The one person she might have confided in—her ex, Liam Jensen—is newly engaged to a beautiful, sweet, thoughtful heiress. But when Hailey has a vision predicting a not-so-happy ending for the couple, her mission is clear: help Liam and his fiancée avoid the biggest mistake of their lives.

Stopping the wedding while planning Liam’s engagement party is no easy feat. And Warren Mitchell—Liam’s sexy, irritating best man and Hailey’s nemesis—is suspicious of Hailey’s motivations. Between sleeping with her frenemy and watching her careful plans spiral out of control, Hailey discovers the real cause of Liam’s future heartbreak. But now that she knows the truth, will Hailey keep on fighting fate or trust in the love she never saw coming? (Courtesy of Amazon.)

“All Signs Point to Malibu is a sweet, sexy romp with lots of heart and a psychic twist.”
—Nan Fischer, author of Some of It Was Real

“A spicy enemies-to-lovers dream so full of delicious tension and chemistry that I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough!”
—Holly James, author of The Déjà Glitch

"Funny, heartfelt and at times bittersweet, All Signs Point to Malibu is a joyful read."
—Melissa Baron, author of Twice in a Lifetime

What is a favorite compliment you have received on your writing?
I am always grateful for any and all compliments on my writing and my books, but there was one kind of unusual compliment I received when my hockey themed Colorado Ice series released - a reader loved the female friendship between Becky and Abby so much, they named two baby goats after the characters! I was so honored and the baby goats were adorable!

If you could tell the debut novelist version of yourself one thing, what would it be?
It all works out - trust the process and try to have more patience (still working on taking this advice lol).

If All Signs Point to Malibu were made into a movie, who would you cast in the leading roles?
Hopefully it will!! We are currently in pre-development and casting, so I probably shouldn't answer this one. But I will say I want someone fun and quirky for Hailey and brooding yet humorous for Warren - and they need to have amazing chemistry on screen!

If your life was a TV series, which celebrity would you want to narrate it?
Kristen Wiig! I think she could emote perfectly the implied eye rolls that typically fill my days!

If we were to visit you right now, what are some places you'd take us to see?
I live in beautifully sunny Torrevieja, Spain on the Costa Blanca coast, so we would visit La Mata Beach, Makala Beach Club, the marina for a boat ride, the waterfalls near Benidorm, and La Manga - a stretch of land just a street wide with the ocean visible and accessible on both sides! Can you tell I love being near the water?

What is your favorite autumn activity?
Autumn in Spain is a lot like summer in Spain but when I lived in Canada, I loved autumn - it was my favorite season with the cooler days and the changing colors of the leaves - we would go for after dinner walks with coffee and then bundle up near a fire to warm up afterwards and read. :)

Thanks to Jennifer for chatting with us and to BookSparks for sharing her book with our readers.

How to win: Use Rafflecopter to enter the giveaway. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us. If you have trouble using Rafflecopter on our blog, enter the giveaway here. 

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Giveaway ends September 24th at midnight EST.

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Book Review: Going to Maine

By Allyson Bales

From comedian Sally Chaffin Brooks comes a memoir about the thing she can't seem to shut up about— her life changing thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail.

25-year-old Sally has no reason to upend her comfortable, conventional life to spend 5 months hiking the Appalachian Trail; no reason except that her charismatic best friend, Erin, asked her to come along. A woefully out-of-shape Sally quickly realizes she may not actually be prepared for the realities of thru-hiking— brutal weather, wrong turns, and painful blisters have her wanting to quit almost as soon as she starts. But out of loyalty to Erin, or maybe the sinking realization that her life needed upending, Sally sticks it out. As she and Erin trek from Georgia to Maine, they collect a ragtag band of hikers and together stumble from one hilarious (and sometimes scary) predicament to another. By the time she reaches Maine— accompanied by Erin, their crew, and a guy she's maybe (definitely) falling in love with— readers will cheer for the stronger, more self-assured Sally that has emerged and wish they could start the laugh-out-loud, life-affirming adventure all over again. (Synopsis courtesy of Amazon.)

The minute I saw the cover of this memoir, I knew I needed to read it.  

My wife and I plan a three week road trip every summer where we camp in our rooftop tent and fly by the seat of our pants.  We also love Maine.  We are actually headed there this Friday! We make a point at least once a summer to take a trip to Gyp's Tavern in New Jersey.  It's this hole in the wall bar near the Appalachian Trail and there’s always someone there with their hiking pack, having a beer and talking with strangers.  I’m always in awe of them and always considering if I should talk my wife into hiking along with them!

I have heard some compare this memoir to Cheryl Strayed’s Wild, and while it has some of that same vibe and flavor, I found Sally to really have her own voice and be more approachable.  No disrespect at all to Cheryl, but I liked this story more.  It resonated with me, and found a place in my heart.  I think this memoir may be up there as a top favorite. 

I was so inspired by Sally’s words and so many of her references.  I now want to journal again, throw caution to the wind and hike for five months straight with 35 pounds on my back.  I want to get a wild woman tattoo and marvel at the beauty of the mountains and laugh with my best friend. 

There are so many important themes explored in Sally’s story.  I loved her found family.  I want to know Mike and Ben, Pilgrim, Sweets, See Blue, and Turbo.  I love the way she learned how to come into her own, how she closed a door on her old self and made room for who she became.  She made me think so much about how our worlds can get narrow and being aware of that is so helpful.

I love books that paint pictures in your mind and leave imprints on your soul and this book did that for me.  

Thanks to Kaye Publicity for the book in exchange for an honest review. Purchase Going to Maine here.

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Spotlight and Giveaway: The Seemingly Impossible Love Life of Amanda Dean

We're excited to feature Ann Rose's debut adult rom-com, The Seemingly Impossible Love Life of Amanda Dean, which releases tomorrow! We are loving the cover and what's inside sounds equally enticing. Thanks to Berkley, we have one copy to give away!

It’s her wedding day, the happiest day of her life…isn’t it?

Amanda Dean would say she's an okay artist and a loyal friend, but what she’s best at is falling in love. A self-proclaimed bi disaster who has had her heart broken more times than she cares to count, Amanda can’t help opening herself up. As she gets ready on the day she's waited a lifetime for, memories of her past loves run through her mind, with one glaring red sign blinking above them—is this “the one”?

Will it be:
the fit water polo player,
the fashionista,
the dependable hedge fund manager,
or the one where the timing was never quite right.

Now, on the day of her wedding—a day where everything already seems to be going wrong—Mandy must decide if she’s willing to risk it all one last time or if she’ll escape while her whole heart is still intact.

Equal parts heartwarming and bittersweet, The Seemingly Impossible Love Life of Amanda Dean expertly weaves the wonder and terror of falling in love into a beautifully crafted story about the joy that can be found when you’re willing to dust yourself off and try again.

"Enjoy Mandy's up and down journey toward happily ever after. You'll love it for real!"

—Kelly Farmer, bestselling author of It's a Fabulous Life

"The Seemingly Impossible Love Life of Amanda Dean is a warm hug in book form. You will enjoy going along for the ride as Mandy chooses a happily ever after that is perfect for her."

—Sam Tschida, author of Errands and Espionage

“A beautifully unique and captivating love story! I was on the edge of my seat as I followed Mandy through the many twists and turns that led her to the altar, and I turned the final page with a happy sigh.”

—Rachel Lacey, author of Stars Collide

Photo by Ann Rose

Ann Rose is a typical Taurus—loyal but stubborn, which means being an author is perfect. While asking the private group chat for ideas on what to include in this bio, Ann was reminded that some of her greatest qualities are her awesome best friends from high school—a fact she couldn’t argue with. She loves dark chocolate, sarcasm, her family, tacos, and her cats—obviously not in that order. Ann also writes young adult novels under the pen name A.M. Rose.

Visit Ann online:
Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * Tiktok

How to win: Use Rafflecopter to enter the giveaway. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us. If you have trouble using Rafflecopter on our blog, enter the giveaway here. 

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Giveaway ends September 22nd at midnight EST.

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Book Review: The Summer Reunion

By Melissa Amster

Six friends on holiday. A secret worth dying for.

In a gorgeous French stone villa, a group of friends reunite for a weekend of reminiscing and laughter. But as glasses of wine are poured, they find they aren’t alone.

Standing at the door is a man the friends thought they’d never see again. With a ferocious storm raging and roads closed, they have no choice but to let him in. Instantly the dream weekend takes a dark turn.

Because someone invited him here.

Because someone has been living a lie.

And someone wants revenge.

But when the truth is revealed, will anyone make it out alive? (Synopsis courtesy of Amazon.)

I am always eager to read the latest Leah Mercer novel, as her stories keep me riveted and are full of twists and surprises. Her latest novel, The Summer Reunion, has a lot happening the entire time because of some situations that happened in the past that someone is trying to keep hidden. The stakes are really high for all the characters, as the others have secrets that will also be damaging if they get out. And two of them are at risk of dying! 

I can't really say too much about what is happening because that would lead to spoilers. Leah managed to throw in some surprises and game changers that kept me on my toes. Overall, this is a domestic suspense but I wouldn't say it's a thriller. Some intense stuff happens, but some of her previous novels felt more like thrillers than this one did. Still, it's an engaging page-turner that I still thought about after I finished. 

As with all of Leah's novels, I recommend checking this out. And if you haven't read her others yet, you are missing out!

Movie casting suggestions:
Ellie: Joanne Froggatt
Jules: Rose Byrne
Vannie: Clea DuVall
Safet: Nick Mohammed
Harry: Tom Ellis
Frederick: Joel Kinnaman

Thanks to Leah Mercer for the book in exchange for an honest review. It is currently 99 cents on Kindle, or free on KU!

More by Leah Mercer:
The Mother Next Door
The Playgroup
Why She Left

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Book Review: A Mother's Betrayal

By Sara Steven

As they sit vigil by their mother’s bedside, the sisters discover that Julia, who has always preached unwavering principles and integrity, has been keeping a terrible secret. A secret that shatters everything they’ve ever believed about their family.

But the twins have each other… or do they? Because Julia is not the only one keeping secrets…

With Julia in a coma and unable to answer their questions, her journals might provide the answers they seek. But Julia’s journals reveal yet another dark secret. One that will make the sisters question every part of the life they’ve lived.

If you can’t trust your mother, who can you trust? And – with their mother’s life in the balance – can the sisters find a way to forgive her, before it’s too late? (Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads.)

While on a morning walk with my husband, I talked with him about the premise behind A Mother’s Betrayal–how two children (twins) had grown up with their futures practically mapped out for them since birth unbeknownst to them–and he assumed I was talking about a TV show or movie I’d recently seen based on actual real events. He was blown away when I reminded him that it was an actual book I’d just read! 

I also felt blown away while reading about Flo and Ari’s experiences. Both women have a very close-knit relationship with their mother, Julia, despite how distant she can appear at times. There is an element of wanting to do their best for her at all times, and considering she holds herself and them to such high standards, they often feel as though they don’t quite measure up to Julia’s expectations. After Julia is in a coma, secrets that have been held in the family for years slowly unravel, with so many questions and no answers. In order to have that, they have to ask Julia. 

Flo has secrets, too. I think I was as shocked as Ari had been when it all came out, and the feelings both women have after that fallout felt real and true to the experiences they both have. The constant in everything leads back to Julia, who has been pulling strings in everyone’s lives. In the end, I could see everyone’s point of view. Sometimes we think we are doing the best we can for our families, forming tunnel vision in the process. I wondered too if Ari could ever forgive Flo. Or if the twins could ever forgive their mother.

The biggest question lends into what Julia hasn’t been telling her family. Does she really have an alternate life? For most of the book, I wasn’t certain about that at all, which made for a nice, suspenseful experience. I enjoyed the slow build to what ended up becoming a fast-paced, tense-filled reveal, in the end. 

Thanks to Rachel's Random Resources for the book in exchange for an honest review.

Purchase Links:
Amazon US * Amazon UK * Barnes and Noble

Louise Guy, bestselling author of six novels, blends family and friendship themes with unique twists and intrigue. Her characters captivate readers, drawing them deeply into their compelling stories and struggles. Previously published by Lake Union, she lives in Australia. Visit Louise at her website and on Facebook.

Visit all the stops on Louise's blog tour:

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Spotlight and Giveaway: How to Hide in Plain Sight

Today we are pleased to feature the latest novel by Emma Noyes, How to Hide in Plain Sight. Allyson loved this novel and said it's one of her favorites this year! Check out her Bookstagram post. Thanks to Berkley, we have one copy for a lucky reader!

On the day she arrives in Canada for her older brother's wedding, Eliot Beck hasn't seen her family in three years. Eliot adores her big, wacky, dysfunctional collection of siblings and in-laws, but there's a reason she fled to Manhattan and buried herself in her work—and she’s not ready to share it with anyone. Not when speaking it aloud could send her back into the never-ending cycle of the obsessive-compulsive disorder that consumed her for years. 

Eliot thinks she's prepared to survive the four-day-long wedding extravaganza—until she sees her best friend, Manuel, waiting for her at the marina and looking as handsome as ever. He was the person who, when they met as children, felt like finding the missing half of her soul. The person she tried so hard not to fall in love with… but did anyway. 

Manuel's presence at the wedding threatens to undo the walls Eliot has built around herself. The fortress that keeps her okay. If she isn't careful, by the end of this wedding, the whole castle might come crumbling down.

“How to Hide in Plain Sight is a raw and emotionally profound read. Eliot's strength is inspiring, and the smart and lyrical writing makes this book difficult to put down. Combining themes of family trauma, grief, and self-acceptance, this story is a tear-jerker in the best way possible.”

—Raquel Vasquez Gilliland, USA Today bestselling author

“An honest, unflinching, and at times, heartbreaking exploration of how the walls we build to protect ourselves can block out the love we need to thrive. Noyes’s prose crackles with feeling and fervent, relatable yearning. Readers will revel in the triumph of this beautifully affirming story of self-acceptance, as they race toward the hope-filled happily ever after.”

—Rebekah Faubion, author of The Lovers

Emma Noyes told her mother she wanted to be an author when she was six. She grew up in a suburb outside Chicago and attended Harvard University, where she studied history and literature. She started her career at a beer company but left because she wanted to write about mermaids and witches—eventually publishing her first YA fantasy series, the Sunken City. She now lives in Chicago with her Swedish boyfriend and miniature Pomeranian.

Visit Emma online:
Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * TikTok

How to win: Use Rafflecopter to enter the giveaway. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us. If you have trouble using Rafflecopter on our blog, enter the giveaway here. 

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Giveaway ends September 17th at midnight EST.

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Spotlight and Giveaway: Mademoiselle Eiffel

We're pleased to celebrate the publication of Aimie K. Runyan's latest historical fiction novel, Mademoiselle Eiffel. Whether or not you've visited the iconic Eiffel Tower, this story is sure to be of interest. Thanks to William Morrow, we have TWO copies to give away!

Claire Eiffel, the beautiful, brilliant eldest daughter of the illustrious architect Gustave Eiffel, is doted upon with an education envied by many sons of the upper classes, and entirely out of the reach of most daughters. Claire’s idyllic childhood ends abruptly when, at fourteen, her mother passes away. It’s soon made clear that Gustave expects Claire to fill her mother’s place as caregiver to the younger children and as manager of their home.

As she proves her competence, Claire’s importance to her father grows. She accompanies him on his travels and becomes his confidante and private secretary. She learns her father’s architectural trade and becomes indispensable to his work. But when his bright young protégé, Adolphe Salles, takes up more of Gustave’s time, Claire resents being pushed aside.

Slowly, the animosity between Claire and Adolphe turns to friendship…and then to something more. After their marriage in 1885 preserves the Eiffel legacy, they are privileged by the biggest commission of Eiffel’s career: a great iron tower dominating the 1889 World’s Fair to demonstrate the leading role of Paris in the world of art and architecture. Now hostess to the scientific elite, such as Thomas Edison, Claire is under the watchful eye not only of her family and father’s circle, but also the world.

When Gustave Eiffel’s involvement in a disastrous endeavor to build a canal in Panama ends in his imprisonment, it is up to Claire to secure her father’s freedom but also preserve the hard-won family legacy.

Claire Eiffel’s story of love, devotion, and the frantic pursuit to preserve her family’s legacy is not only an inspired reflection of real personages and historical events, but a hymn to the iconic tower that dominates the City of Lights.

"For anyone who has ever admired the Eiffel Tower, this fascinating tale of a woman ahead of her time will leave a mark on your heart, in much the same way that Claire Eiffel left her mark on the world." 
— Kristin Harmel, New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Daughter
 
“The story of one of the most iconic landmarks in the world is entwined not only with its architects but with the families of those who built it. Its creation is due in large part to the efforts and support of Claire Eiffel, a young woman forced to grow up too soon but who rose to the challenge. MADEMOISELLE EIFFEL shines a glorious light on an unseen woman from history.”
— Erika Robuck, National Bestselling Author of The Last Twelve Miles

 “Atmospheric, immersive, and brimming with fascinating details surrounding the construction of the Eiffel Tower, Aimie Runyan’s Mademoiselle Eiffel will delight historical fiction lovers. A powerful tribute to the incredible life and legacy of Claire Eiffel!"
— Chanel Cleeton, New York Times & USA Today Bestselling Author 

Aimie K. Runyan is a multi-published and bestselling author of historical and contemporary fiction. She has been nominated for a Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers Writer of the Year Award, a Historical Novel Society’s Editor’s Choice selection, and a four-time finalist for the Colorado Book Awards. She is an adjunct instructor for the Drexel University MFA in Creative Writing program and endeavors to be active in the literary community in Colorado and beyond. She lives in the Rocky Mountains with her wonderful husband, two (usually) adorable children, two (always) adorable cats, and a dragon.

Visit Aimie online:
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How to win: Use Rafflecopter to enter the giveaway. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us. If you have trouble using Rafflecopter on our blog, enter the giveaway here. 

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Giveaway ends September 15th at midnight EST.

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Book Review: Once More From the Top

By Jami Denison

Nothing is hotter than the light from the spotlight, and stories of the dangers of fame are perennially popular—there’s a reason A Star is Born has been made three times. With the rise of Tik-Tok, YouTube, Instagram, and reality TV, there are more routes to fame than ever before. But while there are countless stars in the celebrity universe, some of them shine so bright as to blot out the light from the rest. In her stunning, poetic novel, Emily Layden’s Once More From the Top examines the life of a Taylor Swift-inspired pop star, revealing the human frailties at the core of a carefully cultivated and maintained presence. While the fictional star’s dilemmas may be specific to her celebrity, the question of what we owe the people in our lives is universal.

Dylan Read is the top female singer in the world. While her boyfriends are just as well known as her music, no one knows that Dylan’s high school best friend disappeared the year before Dylan moved to Nashville at 16. Now, 15 years later, Kelsey’s body has been found at the bottom of the lake in their hometown. As Dylan strives to mourn the loss and honor her friend, she must also deal with her greatest deep-seated fear: That Kelsey was the true talent in the friendship, and her career was built on Kelsey’s bones. 

Once More From the Top is a beautifully written book, making it easy to believe in the protagonist's talent. Dylan is a poet before she meets Kelsey, who teaches her guitar and pairs her lyrics with Kelsey’s chords. Written in first person, the novel teems with Dylan’s careful metaphors and couplets. Rightfully compared to Daisy Jones and the Six, Once More replaces the throb of longing that underscores Daisy with the question of what happened to Kelsey and what is Dylan’s responsibility toward her.

Covering fifteen years, in many chapters much of the story is told rather than shown, but Layden speaks so directly and deeply to the reader, it doesn’t feel like a summary. Layden begins with the discovery of Kelsey’s body, then moves back to a 16-year-old Dylan meeting with a talent scout. He’s found the MySpace page with Kelsey and Dylan’s music, and even though Kelsey is the singer and guitarist while Dylan sang back-up, he gives Dylan a contract anyway, and she convinces her parents to let her move to Nashville. (She can stay with family friends who work at Vanderbilt.) While 2022 Dylan goes home to attend Kelsey’s funeral, reconnect with her parents and show her current boyfriend around town, past Dylan describes everything that happened to her since she went to Nashville: The albums. The switch from country to pop. The celebrity boyfriends who felt dimmed by the light of her star. The intense female friendships. The move to Los Angeles. Dylan’s life so resembles Taylor Swift that it made me wonder if the book was inspired by one of Taylor’s earliest songs, 15. 

But it’s her relationship with Kelsey that is the core of the book, and through that lens Layden explores many themes. Despite their mutual love of music, Kelsey and Dylan couldn’t be more different. While Dylan is the cossetted only child of professionals, Kelsey lives in a chaotic household with a single mother, an older half-brother, and his toddler daughter. Money is always tight, and Kelsey has little supervision and sexual relationships that Dylan both envies and fears. A straight-A student who always plays by the rules, Dylan instinctively recognizes that Kelsey’s talent may not be enough to break her out of the trap of poverty… while her own hard work and advantages could make up for a gift that isn’t as strong.   

As the book nears its conclusion, Dylan is driven to learn about Kelsey’s actions and relationships during the last days of her life. When those questions are finally answered, I found the ending to be anticlimactic and honestly somewhat disappointing.  There’s a chapter devoted to a description of a visual album that I found unnecessary. But these are minor complaints about a novel that is, on the whole, a thoroughly encompassing experience.

With its Swift-like protagonist and haunting mystery, Once More from the Top should achieve the same kind of attention that Daisy Jones and the Six drew. I’m already looking forward to the streaming mini-series that should result. 

Thanks to MB Communications for the book in exchange for an honest review.

Also by Emily Layden: All Girls

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Book Review: This is Not a Holiday Romance

By Sara Steven

Nina Thompson has one Christmas wish: to avoid her brother’s obnoxiously handsome best friend, Tristan, like the plague. From the moment he humiliated her as a teenager to their escalating revenge schemes, Nina and Tristan’s relationship can only be defined as an all-out prank war! And there is yet to be a winner.

But it just so happens the ghost of Christmas present has other ideas. When Tristan unexpectedly crashes her family’s Christmas, Nina’s dreams of a peaceful holiday vanish faster than Santa up a chimney. Determined to end their rivalry for good, she braces herself for one last prank-filled showdown.

But when they find themselves snowed in, with no way of avoiding each other amongst the holiday festivities, they discover their heated exchanges have been masking a different kind of sizzle. Caught in a snow globe of holiday romance, they decide to let their fiery chemistry burn bright—but this is absolutely and unequivocally nothing more than a secret fling destined to melt with the snow, this is not a forever romance… (Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads.)

This is NOT your average enemies to lovers romance! 

I really loved the premise behind This Is Not a Holiday Romance. From the get go, the reader discovers just how much Nina and Tristan despise each other, and for good reason: Tristan has gone out of his way to humiliate Nina at every turn, and Nina does all she can to torture Tristan to the best of her ability. The moment that starts their years-long feud begins with some taunting that Tristan had felt was harmless, back when he and Nina were teens, but for Nina, it was anything but harmless. (I had never heard of the term ‘jug ears’ before reading this book and had to look it up to gain a better understanding of the phrase.) Tristan thinks his nickname for Nina, “Gremlin,” is cute, but Nina thinks it’s anything but cute. She considers it a severe insult. 

It lended Nina into making it her mission to drive Tristan crazy–whether than means sticking his suitcase out into subzero temperatures, making him go outdoors in the snow to retrieve it, or inviting her friends over to the apartment Tristan shares with her brother, Dylan, knowing how much Tristan hates to have his environment (and his food) tampered with by anyone he isn’t comfortable around and doesn’t know well. They seem to continually try to one-up one another, and it reminded me of kids who like to tease on the playground. The ones you wanted to mess with the most seemed to always be the ones you wanted to gain the most attention from. It did feel as though there were a lot of unresolved feelings between the two characters, only later feeding into an obvious hate to love/love to hate relationship. 

The bottom line is, Tristan and Nina don’t really know each other as well as they always assumed they had–not in the ways that count the most. Nina never really understood why her brother would invite Tristan to their own family holiday functions, and Tristan thought for sure that Nina knew the Gremlin moniker was done out of affection. That they were in on the same joke, so to speak. As the days progress and the two are stuck together due to some nasty holiday weather, their walls begin to thaw, and they allow one another in.

Ultimately, family intervenes and threatens to destroy those thawed walls, and Tristan has to make a choice. Nina figures it’s one of the biggest pranks of all–that Tristan had pretended to potentially like her, only in an effort to later break her heart. Can Tristan stand on his own feet and do what’s best for him, regardless of what others think, and can Nina ever truly forgive Tristan? Really, the two characters are a lot of fun to read and they have so much spunk and wit, the dialogue was a joy to engage in. Given just how much the two like to antagonize each other, it didn’t surprise me that there was more going on behind the scenes. It was a great five-star experience!

Thanks to Rachel's Random Resources for the book in exchange for an honest review.

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Camilla Isley is an engineer who left science behind to write bestselling contemporary rom-coms set all around the world. She lives in Italy.

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What's in the (e)mail...plus a book giveaway

Melissa:
All the Other Mothers Hate Me by Sarah Harman from Putnam (NetGalley)
Never Planned on You by Lindsay Hameroff from St. Martin's Press (NetGalley)
The Rival by Emma Lord from St. Martin's Press (NetGalley)
The Snowbirds by Christina Clancy from St. Martin's Press (NetGalley)
The Way by Cary Groner from Spiegel & Grau (print)

Jane and Dan at the End of the World by Colleen Oakley from Berkley (NetGalley)

A Home for the Holidays by Taylor Hahn from Random House (print)

The Accidental Sisterhood by/from Julie Edelman (NetGalley)

Bummer Camp by Ann Garvin from Lake Union (NetGalley)

Splendid Little Schemes by/from Robin Strong (NetGalley)

The Griffin Sisters' Greatest Hits by Jennifer Weiner from William Morrow (NetGalley)

Counting Backwards by Jacqueline Friedland from Harper Muse (NetGalley)

The Story She Left Behind by Patti Callahan Henry from Atria (NetGalley)

Grace of the Empire State by Gemma Tizzard from Gallery (NetGalley)

Some Other Time by Angela Brown from Little A (NetGalley)

Sara:

The Making of Us by Debbie Howells from Rachel's Random Resources (NetGalley)

You Had Me at Chateau by Portia Macintosh from Rachel's Random Resources (NetGalley)

Miranda Fights by/from Gail Ward Olmsted (ebook)

Jami:
For One Night Only by Jessica James from Berkley (NetGalley)

Becky: 

One Day to Fall in Love by Molly James from Quercus (print)

Allyson:
Lost and Lassoed by Lyla Sage from Random House (print)
To Sicily with Love by Jennifer Probst from Berkley (NetGalley)

This is a Love Story by Jessica Soffer from Dutton (NetGalley)

Melissa and Allyson:

We All Live Here by Jojo Moyes from Viking (NetGalley)

Melissa S:
The Off-Limits Rule and The Temporary Roomie by Sarah Adams from Random House (print)
Once More from the Top by Emily Layden from MB Communications (print)
Better than Friends by Jill Shalvis from HarperCollins (print)
Drop Dead Sisters by Amelia Diane Coombs from MB Communications (print)

What could be in YOUR mail:

Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty (available September 10th)

Thanks to Crown, we have TWO copies to give away!

Melissa loved this novel and will be reviewing it soon. Check out her Bookstagram post in the meantime.

Synopsis:

If you knew your future, would you try to fight fate?

Aside from a delay, there will be no problems. The flight will be smooth, it will land safely. Everyone who gets on the plane will get off. But almost all of them will be forever changed.

 

Because on this ordinary, short, domestic flight, something extraordinary happens. People learn how and when they are going to die. For some, their death is far in the future—age 103!—and they laugh. But for six passengers, their predicted deaths are not far away at all.

 

How do they know this? There were ostensibly more interesting people on the flight (the bride and groom, the jittery, possibly famous woman, the giant Hemsworth-esque guy who looks like an off-duty superhero, the frazzled, gorgeous flight attendant) but none would become as famous as “The Death Lady.”

 

Not a single passenger or crew member will later recall noticing her board the plane. She wasn’t exceptionally old or young, rude or polite. She wasn’t drunk or nervous or pregnant. Her appearance and demeanor were unremarkable. But what she did on that flight was truly remarkable.

 

A few months later, one passenger dies exactly as she predicted. Then two more passengers die, again, as she said they would. Soon no one is thinking this is simply an entertaining story at a cocktail party.

 

If you were told you only had a certain amount of time left to live, would you do things differently? Would you try to dodge your destiny?

 

Liane Moriarty’s Here One Moment is a brilliantly constructed tale that looks at free will and destiny, grief and love, and the endless struggle to maintain certainty and control in an uncertain world. A modern-day Jane Austen who humorously skewers social mores while spinning a web of mystery, Moriarty asks profound questions in her newest I-can’t-wait-to-find-out-what-happens novel. (Courtesy of Amazon.)

“Liane Moriarty is a genuine GENIUS. Here One Moment is off-the-scale brilliant.” —Marian Keyes, international bestselling author of Watermelon and Again, Rachel

“A riveting story so wild you don’t know how she’ll land it, and then she does, on a dime.”

—Anne Lamott, #1 New York Times bestselling author

How to win: Use Rafflecopter to enter the giveaway. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us. If you have trouble using Rafflecopter on our blog, enter the giveaway here. 

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Giveaway ends September 10th at midnight EST.

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