Review: The Bookstore’s Secret by Makenna Lee

The Bookstore’s Secret by Makenna Lee
Series: Home to Oak Hollow, Book 6
Publisher: Harlequin Special Edition
Genre: Contemporary Romance 

ISBN: 9781335724403
Release Date: December 27, 2022
Source: Publisher
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Harlequin

A temporary pit stop…or a forever homecoming?

Aspiring pastry chef Nicole Evans is just waiting to hear about her dream job, and in the meantime, she goes to work in the café at the local bookstore. But that’s before the recently widowed Nicole meets her temporary boss: her first crush, Liam Mendez! Single dad Liam has always kept his life—and his heart—closely guarded from Oak Hollow gossip. Will his simmering attraction to Nicole be just one more thing to hide…or the stuff of his bookstore’s romance novels?

Widowed pastry chef Nicole Evans is temporarily back in Oak Hollow with her daughter while she regroups and waits to hear on the jobs she’s applied for. Liam Mendez is a divorced dad who now owns a book shop with a bistro. He needs a pastry chef, she has time to spare, so it’s a perfect match. It doesn’t hurt that they both had crushes on each other when they were younger. But the longer they spend time with each other, the more they and their children start to feel like a family. The only problem with that is Nicole’s time in Oak Hollow has an expiration date on it. But does it have to be that way?

The Bookstore’s Secret is a sweet second-chance romance. This was my first foray into Makenna Lee’s Home to Oak Hollow series but it was easy to fall into the rhythm of the small down. I liked the characters, setting, and romance but I admit I wasn’t wowed by the book. It followed a standard formula and felt like it, nothing jumping off the page or exciting me. Nicole was hurt by her husband and his voice is one she’s still listening to in her head. She’s focused on having what she sees as an important career because of it. Liam was hurt by his ex-wife and wants someone to choose him before their career. He also has a secret he’s very careful to not let out. The obstacles aren’t huge, the drama is low-stakes, and the characters are all vanilla. This isn’t a bad thing, as a nice formulaic romance is still enjoyable. So even though The Bookstore’s Secret didn’t knock my socks off, I still recommend it for anyone looking for a comforting romance with nice characters and a picture-perfect happily ever after.



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.

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Review: Witcha Gonna Do? by Avery Flynn

Witcha Gonna Do? by Avery Flynn
Series: Witchington, Book 1
Publisher: Berkley
Genre: Paranormal Romance 

ISBN: 9780593335215
Source: Publisher
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Audible

Could it possibly get any worse than having absolutely no magical abilities when you’re a member of the most powerful family of witches ever? It used to be that I’d say no, but then I keep getting set up on dates with Gil Connolly whose hotness is only matched by his ego. Seriously. I can’t stand him. Even if I also can’t stop thinking about him (specifically kissing him) but we’re going to pretend I never told you that part.

So yeah, my life isn’t the greatest right now, but then it goes straight to the absolute worst hell when I accidentally make my sister’s spell glitch and curse my whole family. And the only person who can help non-magical me break the spell? You guessed it. Gil the super hot jerk.

Now we have to work together to save my family and outmaneuver some evil-minded nefarious forces bent on world domination. Oh yeah, and we have to do all that while fighting against the attraction building between us because I may not be magical, but what’s happening between Gil and I sure feels like it.

Witcha Gonna Do? is a paranormal romp that’s tons of fun. Avery Flynn kicks off her Witchington series with a romance that’s light on its feet.

Tilda Sherwood is the only non-magical member of a supercharged magical family. She runs her family’s social media accounts and – most recently – has been set up on a number of bad dates with her archnemesis, Gil Connolly. Okay, archnemesis may be a bit strong but things keep going wrong whenever Tilda is around Gil. Then she accidentally curses her family and the only person she can turn to for help is the man she doesn’t want to want as much as she does. Gil has his own reasons for helping Tilda and not all of them are on the up-and-up. But the more their lives become intertwined the harder it is for either Tilda or Gil to remember why they should resist the pull between them.

Tilda is blunt, funny, and likeable, making her a cheerful presence on the page. She may not be able to wield magic, but there’s more to her than her lack of magical abilities. Her family is powerful beyond measure and when she accidentally curses them she has to quickly undo it before others learn of the problem and take advantage of it in order to bring the Sherwoods down. Gil isn’t as open as Tilda but he’s had to be guarded. His magic is the kind that amplifies desire, making him and his family targets of the shadowy Council. Gil has a plan to save his family and doing so puts him in Tilda’s path. I understood why Gil kept his secrets and also why he couldn’t resist Tilda’s charm. I loved watching the two of them work together. The pages of their story flew by because of their energy and I was rooting for their romance every step of the way.

Witcha Gonna Do? introduces readers to the Witchington world, where witches, unicorn shifters, and more are as common as can be. There’s a world of possibility in this witchy universe and I’m very much looking forward to diving deeper in future books. All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed Tilda and Gil’s tale. It’s full of quirky, magical mayhem and I can’t wait to see what the Sherwood family does next.



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.

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Review: Chasing Your Tail by Kate McMurray

Chasing Your Tail by Kate McMurray
Series: Whitman Street Cat Café, Book 3
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Genre: Contemporary Romance 

ISBN: 9781728214603
Release Date: December 6, 2022
Source: Publisher
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Audible

Head to Brooklyn’s Whitman Street Cat Café: the coffee is strong, the desserts are delicious, kitten cuddles are never out of stock—and finding love is guaranteed.

Pastry chef Brad Marks is the new hot thing at the Whitman Street Cat Café; he makes tasty treats for both the human and feline guests at the café. All the patrons love him, and freelance writer Lindsay Somers understands why; five years ago, she was smitten by his charms too—until Brad broke her heart. Lindsay is happy with her new gig at a trendy weekly magazine, but when her boss assigns her to do a story on the cat café, she's thrown back into Brad's orbit yet again…

Return to the Whitman Street Cat Café, where the cats are cute and the new pastry chef even cuter in Chasing Your Tail. Brad Marks is tired of cooking what others want, so when the opportunity arises to have creative control of his own kitchen, he takes it. Cooking treats for both humans and felines may not be what Brad had in mind when he went to culinary school, but the café is a fun place to be. And then Brad runs into his ex. Lindsay Somers is none to happy when her friend hires Brad to be the café’s new pastry chef. Brad broke Lindsay’s heart and she has no interest in opening herself up to that kind of hurt again. But now that she can’t avoid him, it’s hard for Lindsay not to fall under Brad’s spell again. The question is, will she be able to trust him in a way she never could before?

I love a good second chance romance, but I had mixed feelings about Brad and Lindsay’s. I loved Brad. He’s a sweetheart with boatloads of charm and a talent for choux that will make you drool. I was incredibly invested in him, particularly in the question of whether he’d adopt the adorable cat who clearly adored him. Brad never got over Lindsay and she over him, but the romance was a bit frustrating, mostly because of Lindsay. Lindsay’s parents’ acrimonious divorce did a number on her and though she fell hard for Brad in culinary school, she was quick to accuse him of cheating and cut ties. To say Lindsay has a hard time trusting would be a massive understatement. Kate McMurray showed why Brad and Lindsay worked as a couple but the push-pull from Lindsay grew tiresome as the book went on. It went on for so long I really felt bad for Brad and can’t imagine why he didn’t cut his losses. The happily ever after did come and it was cute, but I wish more effort had been put into it on Lindsay’s part.

As always with the Whitman Street Cat Café books, the feline characters are sure to grab your heart. McMurray definitely made me wish I could visit the café for both the treats and the cats. I also really enjoyed the friendships between the various characters. These two things, more than the romance, are what kept me reading Chasing Your Tail. So even though I struggled with Lindsay’s character, I still liked quite a few things about this book and would enjoy another visit to the cutest fictional café in Brooklyn.



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.

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Review: The Reluctant Countess by Eloisa James

The Reluctant Countess by Eloisa James
Series: Would-Be Wallflowers, Book 2
Publisher: Avon
Genre: Historical Romance 

ISBN: 9780063139572
Release Date: November 29, 2022
Source: Publisher
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Audible
Eloisa James Reading Order

Giles Renwick, Earl of Lilford, has never made a fool of himself over a woman—until he meets Lady Yasmin Régnier. Yasmin is ineligible for his attentions in every way: not as a wife, certainly not as a mistress (she is a lady!), nor even as a friend, since they vehemently dislike each other. Her gowns are too low, and her skirts are dampened to cling to admittedly lovely thighs. She loves to gossip—and giggle.

She isn’t dignified, or polite, or even truly British, given that her father’s French ancestry clearly predominated. Not to mention the fact that her mother had been one of Napoleon’s mistresses, a fact she makes no effort to hide.

So what—in heaven’s name—possesses him to propose?

And what will he do if she says yes?

A lady with a scandal in her past is not the woman for Giles Renwick, Earl of Lilford. And yet he can’t keep his eyes off Lady Yasmin Régnier, whose smiles and dress provoke him at every turn. What happens when desire overrides an earl’s proclaimed wants? Readers will find out in The Reluctant Countess.

I’ve been a fan of Eloisa James’s writing for well over a decade, but I struggled with Giles and Yasmin’s tale. Yasmin is a charming heroine; she’s kind, honest, and it’s admirable how she keeps her head high with all the garbage thrown at her by people. People make assumptions about her character because of her mother’s affair with Napoleon and because of how a teenage Yasmin was taken advantage of. It broke my heart and made me want to see her get her happily ever after.

The man Yasmin desires like no other is Giles. Our hero is, well, not as appealing as Yasmin. He is struggling to do his best by an increasingly demanding, bratty sister whose faults he keeps excusing. Even worse, he judges Yasmin. I have no problem with a main character who starts out like a jerk and then grows, but Giles spent way too long being stupidly jealous and criticizing how Yasmin dressed or acted. He wanted her, but he also wanted to change everything about her so that other men wouldn’t desire her. This went on for too long for me to ever be satisfied with the romance and I finished the story feeling like Yasmin deserved so much better.

The villain of the story, Giles’s sister Lydia, takes up way too much page time. She hates Yasmin with a passion and does her all to keep her brother and Yasmin apart. She’s irritating to the extreme and the explanations for her behavior along with the end result with her plotline are utterly unsatisfying. The fact that Giles kept excusing her and Yasmin kept forgiving and helping her left a sour taste in my mouth.

I like James too much as a writer to say The Reluctant Countess is all bad. Yasmin’s friendship with Cleo (of How to Be a Wallflower) and Merry (of My American Duchess) was delightful. And it would be criminal of me to write about this book and not mention Yasmin’s grandfather. The duke is the kind of loveable soul you wish were your own grandparent. So despite The Reluctant Countess not being my cup of tea, I am still very much looking forward to the next Would-Be Wallflowers book. Yasmin’s irreverent friend the Duke of Huntington promises to be a much more appealing hero.



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.

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Review: Well Traveled by Jen DeLuca

Well Traveled by Jen DeLuca
Series: Well Met, Book 4
Publisher: Berkley
Genre: Contemporary Romance 

ISBN: 9780593200469
Release Date: December 6, 2022
Source: Publisher
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Audible

A high-powered attorney from a success-oriented family, Louisa "Lulu" Malone lives to work, and everything seems to be going right, until the day she realizes it’s all wrong. Lulu’s cousin Mitch introduced her to the world of Renaissance Faires, and when she spies one at a time just when she needs an escape, she leaps into the welcoming environment of turkey legs, taverns, and tarot readers. The only drawback? Dex MacLean: a guitarist with a killer smile, the Casanova of the Faire… and her traveling companion for the summer.

Dex has never had to work for much in his life, and why should he? Touring with his brothers as The Dueling Kilts is going great, and he always finds a woman at every Faire. But when Lulu proves indifferent to his many plaid charms and a shake-up threatens the fate of the band, Dex must confront something he never has before: his future.

Forced to spend days and nights together on the road, Lulu’s interest in the kilted bad boy grows as he shows her a side of himself no one else has seen. The stresses of her old lifestyle fade away as she learns to trust her intuition and follow her heart instead of her head. But when her time on the road is over, will Lulu go with her gut, or are she and Dex destined for separate paths?

Lawyer Lulu Malone has been killing herself to try and make partner. Frustrated and exhausted, everything goes wrong one day and Lulu quits her job in a most spectacular fashion. She’s at a crossroads and her cousin, Mitch, has the perfect idea: travel the Ren Faire circuit with The Dueling Kilts. Lulu adapts to her new life on the road faster than she could have imagined, thanks to the help of her new friend Stacey and the friendly guys in the band. But there is one thing about her new life that throws her off (aside from being banned from computer and cell phone usage): guitarist Dex MacLean. Dex is the bad boy of the Ren Faires with a girl (or two or three) at every stop. He’s handsome as heck but shallow… Or is there more to him than meets the eye?

Well Traveled is sweetness, comfort, romance, and fun all rolled into one. I love escaping into the world of Jen DeLuca’s Renaissance Faires and this time was no exception. Lulu is tired of trying to live up to the expectations set by her family, which is why when she has a meltdown her cousin suggests a break from reality. I loved Lulu’s journey as she came into her own, melding her old self with her new. It was a delight to watch her become part of the Ren Faire family, doing odd jobs and making friends along the way. Her friendship with Stacey (of Well Played) and the MacLean family charmed the heck out of me.

In many ways, Well Traveled is Lulu’s story more than hers and Dex’s, but don’t fear that DeLuca skipped the romance. Dex seems charming and shallow and he plays into that, but there’s more to him than even his own family gives him credit for. Lulu is the first woman to treat him like a person rather than a plaything and it broke my heart a bit for him. Dex can be sweet and caring and I liked how easily he fell for Lulu. But Lulu’s time at the Ren Faire is only for a few months and the two of them live in different worlds. To make things work, they have to be willing to compromise and risk being open and vulnerable to each other.

Well Traveled was a pleasure to read. The world of Renaissance Faires is just a delight and I loved seeing it through Lulu’s eyes. The romance was understated but built as the story went on, culminating in a happily ever after that made me smile. Lulu and Dex’s story is a true comfort read and I am very much looking forward to revisiting them.



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.

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Review: The Choice by Nora Roberts

The Choice by Nora Roberts
Series: The Dragon Heart Legacy, Book 3
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Genre: Fantasy Romance 

ISBN: 9781250272720
Release Date: November 22, 2022
Source: Publisher
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Audible

Talamh is a land of green hills, high mountains, deep forests, and seas, where magicks thrive. But portals allow for passage in and out—and ultimately, each must choose their place, and choose between good and evil, war and peace, life and death…

Breen Siobhan Kelly grew up in the world of Man and was once unaware of her true nature. Now she is in Talamh, trying to heal after a terrible battle and heartbreaking losses. Her grandfather, the dark god Odran, has been defeated in his attempt to rule over Talamh, and over Breen—for now.

With the enemy cast out and the portal sealed, this is a time to rest and to prepare. Breen spreads her wings and realizes a power she’s never experienced before. It’s also a time for celebrations—of her first Christmas in both Talamh and Ireland, of solstice and weddings and births—and daring to find joy again in the wake of sorrow. She rededicates herself to writing her stories, and when his duties as taoiseach permit, she is together with Keegan, who has trained her as a warrior and whom she has grown to love.

It’s Keegan who’s at her side when the enemy’s witches, traitorous and power-mad, appear to her in her sleep, practicing black magick, sacrificing the innocent, and plotting a brutal destruction for Breen. And soon, united with him and with all of Talamh, she will seek out those in desperate need of rescue, and confront the darkness with every weapon she has: her sword, her magicks—and her courage…

The time has come for the final battle of good versus evil and Breen Siobhan Kelly is the key to victory. Breen’s powers have awoken, she has become the protector of light she was destined to be, and now it’s up to her to choose her fate. The Choice is the final book in The Dragon Heart Legacy trilogy and Nora Roberts brings the world of Fey and man to life in vivid color. The Ireland of Roberts’s writing is as dreamy as ever and the world of Talamh is filled with fantasy and wonder. I loved watching Breen travel back and forth between the two as she and her best friend, Marco, find the balance in between both worlds that fits them and the men they love.

The Choice follows Breen as she continues to develop her innate talent for magick and writing and to strengthen her weak points. We follow her life, her romance with Keegan that comes more to the forefront in this final tale, and see happy moments for all the characters we’ve come to love. And in the background is the threat of Breen’s grandfather, the dark god Odran, who would see all the worlds bloody and burned.

A lot of this book is building the anticipation of the battle and for a final battle of good against such dark evil, there’s surprisingly less action that you’d might expect. Whether or not this is satisfying is reader preference. I didn’t mind following a mostly pleasant journey with Breen and company, but I did perhaps expect a bit more energy and to feel the stakes that were laid out a bit more. There are dark moments and even a couple that brought tears to my eyes as Breen and all she loves have to fight to protect what’s good in every world. The conclusion of the story is satisfying and it wraps up all the main characters’ journeys in a satisfying way. All in all, I enjoyed The Choice; Nora Roberts’s writing drew me in and in the absence of Odran, Breen’s two worlds are ones I found cozy, warm, and engaging.



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.

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Review: Wrong Alibi by Christina Dodd

Wrong Alibi by Christina Dodd
Series: Murder in Alaska, Book 1
Publisher: HQN
Genre: Suspense 

ISBN: 9781335201997
EBook Source: Publisher
Audiobook Source: Purchased by Reviewer
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Audible
Christina Dodd Reading Order

WRONG JOB
Eighteen-year-old Evelyn Jones lands a job in small-town Alaska, working for a man in his isolated mountain home. But her bright hopes for the future are shattered when Donald White disappears, leaving her to face charges of theft, embezzlement—and a brutal double murder. Her protestations of innocence count for nothing. Convicted, she faces life in prison…until fate sends her on the run.

WRONG NAME
Evie's escape leaves her scarred and in hiding, isolated from her family, working under an alias at a wilderness camp. Bent on justice, intent on recovering her life, she searches for the killer who slaughters without remorse.

WRONG ALIBI
At last, the day comes. Donald White has returned. Evie emerges from hiding; the fugitive becomes the hunter. But in her mind, she hears the whisper of other forces at work. Now Evelyn must untangle the threads of evidence before she’s once again found with blood on her hands: the blood of her own family…

As a teenager, Evelyn Jones ran into trouble that landed her in juvie. At eighteen, she’s out and has a chance at making a future for herself. She has a job in Rockin, Alaska with a mysterious man who ends up disappearing and framing her for murder and embezzlement. Convicted for a horrible crime she didn’t commit, an accident frees Evie and sends her on the run. It’s been a decade and Evie’s isolation is about to end. Donald White, the murderer who set her up, has surfaced again and this time Evie is determined to be the hunter, not the hunted. Except someone else is on her tail, someone with vengeance on their mind.

Wrong Alibi is a twisty suspense with a heroine who is easy to root for. Evie has made bad mistakes in the past, yes, but the hand life deals her over and over again sucks and you want to see something good finally come her way. Author Christina Dodd makes her work for it. I have mixed feelings about this story. There are parts that drew me in, but it took a while to get there. I’m a longtime Dodd fan but this story lacked the pull her books usually have for me. It took me about a third of the way in for me to stop putting the book down for months at a time and it wasn’t until halfway through that the story picked up.

Evie is a survivor. She has strength and determination that is easy to admire. She’s haunted by the deaths of the mother and child Donald White killed. She also misses her mother and sister desperately but knows she cannot come out of the small fishing camp where she’s been hiding out for a decade. Until Donald resurfaces and threatens what she holds dear. Evie is determined to see Donald brought to justice, but it isn’t easy.

Zone Jameson is haunted by the death of his wife and son. He’s been isolated for the past decade but now he’s aware that the woman who murdered them – Evelyn Jones – is alive. He’s determined to get his revenge and is on Evie’s tail. What happens next I’ll leave readers to discover but it’s not very surprising.

The quest to bring Donald White to justice and clear Evie’s name is at the center of Wrong Alibi and it works fairly well. It takes a while for things to get going, which was a pity. Once it does, I was engaged. But there are other plot threads that appear at the end of the book and the number of points of view gets a bit crowded. At least one of the minor plots could have been eliminated because it strains credulity even for fiction. I don’t want to spoil the story by going into more detail. Suffice it to say that Wrong Alibi wasn’t quite my cup of tea. It’s slow in beginning, then speeds through character and relationship development in the end. There are a lot of things skipped that could have been built on to make the characters, overall story, and burgeoning romance feel stronger.



FTC Disclosure: I purchased the audiobook and received the EBook 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.

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