Review: Dream On, Ramona Riley by Ashley Herring Blake

Dream On, Ramona Riley by Ashley Herring Blake
Series: Clover Lake, Book 1
Publisher: Berkley
Genre: Female/Female Contemporary Romance 

ISBN: 978059381599
Release Date: May 13, 2025
Source: Publisher
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Audible

Once upon a time, Ramona Riley was a student at a prestigious art school, with dreams of landing in Hollywood as a costume designer to the stars. But after her father’s car accident, she had to quit and return to her small New Hampshire town, Clover Lake, to help take care of her younger sister. Twelve years later, Ramona is still working at the town’s café, all but given up on her dream. But when a big-budget romantic comedy comes to Clover Lake to film, she wonders if this could be her chance. There’s only one problem—Dylan Monroe, her first kiss and Hollywood’s favorite wild child—is the star.

Dylan Monroe has always lived an unconventional life, having famous rock icons for parents. But she wants to prove that she’s not some chaotic, talentless nepo baby, that she has actual skills, that she’s just a normal person. To do that, Dylan takes on a project at a charming lake town—she even works at the town’s café (very quaint), shadowing a local waitress there (very cute), and asks her to take Dylan around to do Normal People Things.

But Dylan soon realizes it’s not just some small-town waitress she’s getting to know—Ramona Riley is someone she’s met before, someone who remembers her even more vividly. Before long, however, reality hits them, and both women must decide if the spark between them can fan the flames of their individual dreams, or if it will extinguish their light.

As a teenager, Ramona Riley had to drop out of RISD and give up her dreams of being a costume designer to come home and help with her family. She doesn’t regret the choice she made, but with her little sister getting ready to go to college and her father doing just fine, Ramona is feeling a little lost. Then Dylan Monroe, Hollywood’s bad girl, comes into town. Dylan is the daughter of two famous musicians and grew up in a chaotic, neglectful environment. She’s looking to prove that she’s more than some nepo baby and is desperate to change her image. The role as a shy waitress in a queer romantic comedy is just the key. But Dylan has never had a normal life or worked a normal job. So when Ramona starts showing her the ropes, Dylan takes a chance on asking the cute girl if she can show her more. Sparks fly, but both women have old wounds that haven’t fully healed. Can a fling be enough to become something more or will they fizzle out when filming ends?

Ashley Herring Blake makes celebrity-in-a-small-town feel fresh in Dream On, Ramona Riley. Ramona and Dylan’s story is sweet, spicy, and wonderfully engaging.

Dylan and Ramona met one night long ago, at a turning point in both their lives. The sweetness of that memory is something they both hold dear and it’s an utterly charming beginning to their story. Ramona is hardworking and talented, but she’s in a rut. With her sister starting college she doesn’t know how to start chasing her dreams and feels it’s too late. Then the movie comes to town along with the costume designer she’s long looked up to and it seems like fate. But how to get on the set? Well, teaching the star of the movie how to waitress is a good start. I adored Ramona – she’s just plain easy to like – and wanted to see her find all the love and happiness that she deserved. But it’s Dylan who truly captured my heart. Dylan has a lot of privilege, sure, but she is so wounded and vulnerable that it broke my heart. She is wonderfully imperfect throughout this book, making a mess of things more than once. But she tries, she learns, and she grows and it’s oh, so lovely to see. I absolutely loved her and Ramona together. They have wonderful chemistry and are funny, sometimes dorky, and totally sexy together. I hated to put this book down because I was so wrapped up in their tale.

Dream On, Ramona Riley is the first book in Herring Blake’s Clover Lake series and I loved how charming, welcoming, and queer this town was. I adored spending time there and am very much looking to seeing more of it in April’s (Ramona’s best friend) book. And while you don’t have to have read the Bright Falls series, fans of Iris Kelly will enjoy hearing what everyone’s favorite redhead is up to. Ashley Herring Blake has never let me down and Dream On, Ramona Riley is no exception. I adored Dylan and Ramona’s story from first page to last and I cannot wait to read more Clover Lake stories.



FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Read More

Review: Hardly a Gentleman by Eloisa James

Hardly a Gentleman by Eloisa James
Series: Accidental Brides, Book 2
Publisher: Avon
Genre: Historical Romance 

ISBN: 9780063347465
Release Date: April 29, 2025
Source: Publisher
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Audible
Eloisa James Reading Order

Desperate after her Season comes to a spectacularly disastrous end, the Honorable Miss Clara Vetry jumps into a carriage hired to take a housekeeper to Scotland.

The laird of Castle CaerLaven has no interest in a wife, especially a love match—but when Caelan sees his new housekeeper, he changes his mind. Marriage to a delectable bookworm strikes him as a perfect arrangement.

To his surprise, Clara refuses his proposal once…and again…yet again.

When her true identity is revealed, and they’re forced to marry, Caelan realizes he has a far more crucial challenge.

He finally has Clara’s hand—but how will he ever win her heart?

After a scandal erupts when she fends off a lecherous member of the royal family, Clara Vetry is effectively banished from society. With a fair amount of freedom for the first time, what does she do? Run from her mother’s plan for her, take a carriage meant for a housekeeper, and travel to a castle in the Scottish Highlands of course. But neither Castle CaerLaven nor its owner are what Clara expect. The ridiculously handsome laird is a rough-around-the-edges widower and the castle itself is in desperate need of care. Clara isn’t sure what to do, but she’s determined to be adventurous and tackle the challenge in front of her. She’s got books and spirit, so nothing could go wrong. Unless her true identity is revealed, that is…

Hardly a Gentleman is a fun romance with characters who aren’t afraid to be earthy, messy, and honest. Clara and Caelan are delightful and their romance is bright and engaging.

Clara is a bookworm who knows what she wants and takes things in stride when she comes to CaerLaven and things aren’t what she expected. Caelan is the opposite of the refined men she’s been told she should like. He’s kind of a hot mess at first but he’s kind and takes care of his people, which makes him instantly endearing. He and Clara have excellent chemistry, and I liked that this story was different because both of them were kinda messy. Caelan is a widower and though he loved his wife, she wasn’t the match for him. Unfortunately for him, most of the village believes he’s still deeply in mourning. Clara, while attracted to Caelan, doesn’t want to be second to someone whose heart belongs to another. What follows is a love story that is sprightly, fairly low drama, and features a host of delightful secondary characters who help our hero and heroine get where they need to be.

Hardly a Gentleman is the second book in Eloisa James’s Accidental Brides series but you don’t have to have read Viscount in Love in order to enjoy this story. All in all, Caelan and Clara’s story is a delightful romp with zany, bookish characters and a romance that makes the pages of the story fly by.



FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Read More

Review: Archangel’s Ascension by Nalini Singh

Archangel’s Ascension by Nalini Singh
Series: Guild Hunter, Book 17
Publisher: Berkley
Genre: Male/Male Paranormal Romance/Urban Fantasy 

ISBN: 9780593550038
Release Date: May 6, 2025
Source: Publisher
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Audible
Nalini Singh Reading Order

Aodhan and Illium. Adi and Blue. Sparkle and Bluebell. Friends become lovers, their future a wild unknown.

Finally reunited in New York, they must now learn to navigate the monumental shift in their relationship. But for these two members of Archangel Raphael’s legendary Seven, there is no time to rest. As they investigate a case for the Tower that echoes the darkness from Aodhan’s past, they will be forced to confront not only the scars that mark them both, but the promise of a vast power that flickers in Illium.

The threat of ascension has haunted and troubled Aodhan’s Blue for too long, the forces of change immutable and without mercy...and uncaring of Illium’s fierce wish to remain part of the Seven. Change is a constant in an immortal’s life, and this new horizon will bring with it both terrible heartbreak and a joy extraordinary enough to reverberate through time…

Archangel’s Ascension is a breathtakingly romantic story of friends who have become lovers who are now becoming something even more, something that will stand strong and true through millennia. Nalini Singh completes Aodhan and Illium’s love story in a romance that is tender and achingly beautiful.

Archangel’s Ascension picks up where Archange’s Light - the beginning of Adi and Blue’s romance – left off. Singh takes readers back and forth from the present into the far future as the two men’s lives change and grow together. That Bluebell and Sparkle were made for each other, are meant to be best friends and partners, is never in question. But Illium still has fears he needs to confront, buried wounds from abandonment both intentional and not from those he holds close. And Aodhan…artist, warrior, and survivor, still bears scars from his imprisonment and assault. A case he and Illium take on brings those memories to the forefront and helps Aodhan move his healing forward. What makes this story special to me is how tender and open Illium and Aodhan are with each other. There are so many layers to their love that it makes scenes with them captivating. There are countless romantic moments but also ones of brightness and fun, showing the lightness between the two that comes from their centuries of causing mischief together.

Adi and Blue are the heart of this story, but their hearts contain so many others beloved by fans of the Guild Hunter series. I loved seeing their relationships with their loved ones, from Raphael and the rest of the Seven to the vampires, angels, and mortals who have made this series so wonderful. There’s so much depth to the world and that’s in large part to the connections between all the characters. What the future brings I don’t want to spoil, though the title and everything leading up to this book do tell readers what they’re in for. But uncovering when and how things happen and what goes into it was such a joy that I’m going to avoid spoiling the experience. Suffice it to say that Singh makes the journey a rewarding one and I was enthralled every step of the way. And while this book would make the perfect end chapter the Guild Hunter series, never fear that we’re saying goodbye to the characters we love. Singh has written that the series will continue and I very much look forward to more of this world.

Archangel’s Ascension is a gorgeous story that filled my heart with joy. The completion of Aodhan and Illium’s romance was worth the wait and their love story is one I can’t wait to be swept away by again and again.



FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Read More

Review: Give Me Butterflies by Jillian Meadows

Give Me Butterflies by Jillian Meadows
Series: Oaks Sisters, Book 1
Publisher: Avon
Genre: Contemporary Romance 

ISBN: 9780063416161
Source: Publisher
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Audible

Millie was never one to take the expected path. She's an entomologist who loves her job as a natural science curator, inspiring museum visitors every day. It's her dream to take a larger role in the planning of her department, so when a director position opens up, she is determined not to let anything distract her from her goals. Especially her grumpy coworker with his permanent scowl, electric blue eyes, and nerdy astronomy ties.

. . . Not that she’s spent much time noticing any of those things.

Finn doesn’t mean to glare at everyone, but he’s juggling his role at the museum, navigating the grief of losing his sister, attempting to make his nieces smile, and trying not to ruin dinner for the fifth night in a row. He can't afford to let anything slip, and certainly doesn't need anything more on his plate. Millie literally stumbling into him with her bright smile and sunny optimism, is the last thing he needs.

They want nothing to do with each other. But with Finn on the interview committee, avoidance is impossible. And Millie soon realizes it's one thing when a job is on the line. It's quite another when it's her heart.

Give Me Butterflies is an absolutely charming romance. Millie and Finn are sweet, smart, and absolutely made for other which makes it easy to root for their happily ever after.

Millie was once mentally battered down by an abusive boyfriend but now she’s standing strong and isn’t letting anyone mess with her sunny disposition. She’s a successful entomologist and is up for a director position at her museum – her dream job. But on the day of her first interview, she runs into the head of the astronomy department and things do not go well. Finn is grumpy, glowering, and her total opposite…or so she thinks. Finn may seem like a thundercloud at first, but actually he’s just a guy going through a really difficult time. He lost his sister and is now guardian to his nieces, who he loves with all his heart but is afraid of falling short as their new parent.

Jillian Meadows makes it easy to adore Millie, Finn, and the twins, Eloise and Avery. All of them are kind and loving people doing their best. The girls are absolutely sweet as can be and I loved how quickly Millie established a relationship with them separate from hers with Finn. For all that Give Me Butterflies deals with some heavy themes, Meadows makes the book feel light and airy. It’s a low-drama romance as Millie and Finn go from friends to lovers and sometimes you just need a solid love story without false drama in the third act. There’s tension, of course, but Meadows keeps things mostly organic as the story goes on.

Give Me Butterflies is the first book in the Oaks Sisters series and I cannot wait to see more of Millie’s family. I loved the Oaks and Millie’s friends, enjoyed how they welcomed Finn and the girls into their circle with open arms and hearts. All in all, Finn and Millie’s romance was a delight and I am very much looking forward to the next Oaks Sisters tale.



FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Read More

Review: Fan Service by Rosie Danan

Fan Service by Rosie Danan
Publisher: Berkley
Genre: Paranormal Romance 

ISBN: 9780593437162
Release Date: March 11, 2025
Source: Publisher
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Audible

The only place small-town outcast Alex Lawson fits in is the online fan forum she built for The Arcane Files, a long-running werewolf detective show. Her dedication to archiving fictional supernatural lore made her Internet-famous, even if she harbors a secret disdain for the show’s star, Devin Ashwood. (Never meet your heroes—sometimes they turn out to be The Worst.)

Ever since his show went off the air, Devin and his career have spiraled, but waking up naked in the woods outside his LA home with no memory of the night before is a new low. It must have been a coincidence that the once-in-a-century Wolf Blood Moon crested last night. The claws, fangs, and howling are a little more difficult to explain away. Desperate for answers, Devin finds Alex—the closest thing to an expert that exists. If only he could convince her to stop hating his guts long enough to help....

Devin Ashwood was a former child star turned heartthrob on his long-running supernatural show. Now he’s forty-two, washed up, and desperate to try and get the show rebooted. His life isn’t going his way…then he finds out he may have been turned into a werewolf. What’s a wolfman to do? The only thing he can do in this wild situation: track down the moderator of the most extensive fan forum The Arcane Files had and seek their guidance. Alex Lawson had her childhood crush on Devin quashed when she met him as a teenager. The fact that he shows up in her hometown wanting her help is laughable. Until truth turns out to be stranger than fiction. Now they need to use her knowledge to help Devin learn to control his wolf. But Devin isn’t the only one with lessons to learn…

Fan Service is a love letter to fandoms wrapped up in a chaotic (in a good way) romance. I admit, I had mixed feelings about this book in the beginning but Rosie Danan pulled me in over the course of the story and I was loving it by the end.

Devin is kind of insufferable at first. He’s desperate to revive his career but he’s also just plain shallow. Alex is prickly and stand-offish which makes sense given how she’s still bullied in her town even as an adult. The first half of Fan Service was a bit slow for me because the characters and even their wacky situation didn’t really draw me in (unusual for me with Danan’s writing). That being said, the story seriously picked up at the halfway point and I fell in love with Alex and Devin. Yes, Devin is desperate and wants to be loved but as he starts becoming more human (ironic given his situation) he becomes an endearing hero who is messy and more complex than he seems at first. There are parts of his story that simply broke my heart. Alex pushes people away but Devin barrels through her walls and I loved seeing her come into her own. She’s strong, smart, and cares so much that it was delightful to see her find someone she could learn to lean on as well.

Devin’s journey into controlling his werewolf side was highly entertaining. I loved that Alex was able to use her vast knowledge of the Arcane Files fandom to help him. Equally engaging was the romance. Once things picked up between Devin and Alex, Danan turned up the heat in delicious ways. The result was a sensual, sweet, and fun romance. So while I struggled with Fan Service in the first half, I still enjoyed the second half so much that I recommend the book.



FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Read More

Review: Bonded in Death by J.D. Robb

Bonded in Death by J.D. Robb
Series: In Death, Book 60
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Genre: Futuristic/Mystery/Suspense 

ISBN: 9781250370792
Release Date: February 4, 2025
Source: Publisher
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Audible
J.D. Robb Reading Order

His passport read Giovanni Rossi. But decades ago, during the Urban Wars, he was part of a small, secret organization called The Twelve. Responding to an urgent summons from an old compatriot, he landed in New York and eased into the waiting car. And died within minutes…

Lieutenant Eve Dallas finds the Rossi case frustrating. She’s got an elderly victim who’d just arrived from Rome; a widow who knows nothing about why he’d left; an as-yet unidentifiable weapon; and zero results on facial recognition. But when she finds a connection to the Urban Wars of the 2020s, she thinks Summerset—fiercely loyal, if somewhat grouchy, major-domo and the man who’d rescued her husband from the Dublin streets—may know something from his stint as a medic in Europe back then.

When Summerset learns of the crime, his shock and grief are clear—because, as he eventually reveals, he himself was one of The Twelve. It’s not a part of his past he likes to revisit. But now he must—not only to assist Eve’s investigation, but because a cryptic message from the killer has boasted that others of The Twelve have also died. Summerset is one of those who remain—and the murderous mission is yet to be fully accomplished…

When an unassuming visitor from Rome is killed in New York shortly after arrival, Lieutenant Eve Dallas is baffled. Furthering her confusion is why her card was left with the body. She never met Giovanni Rossi, nor is his killer’s motive readily apparent. Looking into the victim and the mysterious group called “The Twelve” that has some connection to the Urban Wars of the 2020s, Eve discovers why the killer chose her. Summerset, Eve’s pain in the neck of a majordomo and member of her family (whether either wants to admit it or not), was once one of the Twelve…and he’s now a target.

Bonded in Death takes Eve, Roarke, and company through a journey of the past and I was totally here for it. The Urban Wars have been referenced throughout the series but the events are more central to this story than most others. Summerset was more than a medic in the Urbans and we get to learn of his past, and that of the other members of the Twelve. I loved learning more about Summerset’s past, enjoyed meeting the friends of his who were all a part in fighting for peace. I won’t say too much for fear of spoiling things, but I really liked meeting the remaining members of the Twelve and learning about them and their shared history. It was also nice to shine a light more on Summerset, a character who has been important but in the background for much of the series.

J.D. Robb has a way of drawing me in from the start and not letting go and the latest In Death adventure was no exception. I enjoyed watching Eve and her team work to put together a picture of the person they were hunting while having to protect a group of ex-spies who may be retired but whose skills are still sharp. Robb balanced mystery, suspense, and entertainment extremely well and I hated it whenever I had to put this book down. I recommend at least being familiar with the In Death series before diving into Bonded in Death, but if you know the main cast I think you can safely jump in here. Any time spent with Eve and Roarke is enjoyable and this latest outing should delight fans of the In Death books.



FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Read More

Review: Better Than Friends by Jill Shalvis

Better Than Friends by Jill Shalvis
Series: Sunrise Cove, Book 7
Publisher: Avon
Genre: Contemporary Romance 

ISBN: 9780063353381
Release Date: January 21, 2025
Source: Author
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Audible
Jill Shalvis Reading Order

When Olive Porter’s off-the-grid parents go missing, she reluctantly seeks out Noah Turner, her ex and the only person she both trusts implicitly and not at all.

As a special investigative agent for the National Park Service, Noah’s used to living under intense pressure. Or he was until he got injured on the job. Now unhappily recuperating at home while being smothered by his loving but nosy family, he’d love nothing more than a good distraction.

So when Olive shows up looking like a million bucks, he has to do a gut and heart check. Because nope, no matter what, he can’t fall for her again, the woman who once blew up his entire life and never looked back. How ironic then that his own personal hell (Olive) is also his ticket out of town. The question is, will the risk be worth the reward?

Ever since one fateful night over a decade ago, Olive and Noah have avoided each other. Now the two are back in Sunrise Cove to help Noah’s sister, who also happens to be Olive’s best friend. Neither wants to address the past or the spark between them that has never died. But the longer they’re around each other, the harder it is to deny that they’re simply meant to be.

Better Than Friends has all the hallmarks of a Jill Shalvis romance. There’s a smart, stunning heroine who gets into some awkward situations, a handsome, steady hero, a cast of nosy but caring supporting characters, and an adorable animal or two. The result? A cute and light read.

Olive has tried to turn herself into someone who has it all together, but when she comes home to Sunrise Cove to help her best friend after Katie’s husband is hurt on the job, old insecurities and wounds rise to the surface. Olive doesn’t like to rely on people and she needs to learn to lean on others. Noah’s life changed after the accident that ended his future in baseball, but it was Olive leaving town and the strained relationship with his father that really hurt him. Now Noah doesn’t want to put down roots, no matter how much his mother tries to set up him with different women.

Noah and Olive are a good match and they have an easy chemistry that’s typical of a Shalvis romance. Of course, everyone around them is working to push them together which was cute. That being said, for some reason Better Than Friends dragged for me. It took a while for things to get moving, which is unusual for Shalvis. The central conflict keeping Noah and Olive apart really wasn’t strong enough to justify an entire novel and I felt like it would have been better suited to a shorter format. The tension didn’t feel earned and it seemed like Olive and Noah kept going in circles for no particular reason other than to stretch a thinnish plot. That being said, I liked the characters and the story wrapped up in an ending that was sweet and satisfying.



FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Read More