Jillian is a bit of an imposter – she’s a dating advice columnist, with little to no actual experience.
With every man she meets that has any potential for dating, she’s unable to speak to them.
Until she meets Daniel.
Though he doesn’t really have that potential either – since he’s a ghost.
He’s the only man she CAN talk to, and they start to think maybe he’s there to help her with her love life, and also her failing career.
Tara Chen is our heroine, and she is kind of obsessed with love. She adores reading romance books, and still has hope for her own happily ever after.
After moving in with her sister’s fiancé’s former roommate, Trevor Metcalfe (who is, hello, a FIREFIGHTER), Tara embarks on a journey to reconnect with her exes, looking for a second chance romance.
Trevor is not into relationships, and Tara is all about love. While they may feel wrong for each other, they can’t deny their feelings forever.
Series: Yes (book 2, Influencer series)
Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆ 5/5
Spice: 1/5
Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.
“A die-hard, emotional romantic and a guy who only believes in one kind of happy ending? That’s a recipe for disaster if I ever saw one.” Pretty much sums up Exes & O’s by Amy Lea!
I loved Tara so much. She was so relatable to a younger version of me – boy obsessed, looking for the best in people, and considered “crazy” at times – usually due to lack of communication from the opposite sex.
I love that Trevor fell for who she is, and didn’t want or expect her to change in any way. The tension between them was perfection *chefs kiss!*
What you’ll find in Exes and Os:
⭐️ Roommates/Forced proximity
⭐️ Friends to lovers
⭐️ Grumpy/sunshine
⭐️ Nurse & Bookstagrammer fmc
⭐️ Firefighter MMC
⭐️ Reformed playboy
⭐️ Tattooed hero
⭐️ Slow burn
⭐️ Canadian author
⭐️ Single POV/first person
Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.
Have you SEEN this STUNNING new cover for Abby Jimenez’s new book?!!?
Abby is a total auto-buy author for me, and I’ve devoured all of her previous books. Each one has gotten better and better for me, though I’ve loved them all.
This will be the 3rd book in the interconnected series (starting with Part of Your World, then Yours Truly). Justin is best friend’s with Benny, who we meet in Yours Truly (Briana’s brother).
Here’s what we know so far!
☀️ Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez
☀️ Pub date: April 2, 2024
☀️ Publisher: Forever
☀️ Main characters: Justin & Emma
☀️ Reddit meet-cute on AITA thread
☀️ Summer fling (failed, I can only assume!)
☀️ Single guardian male main character (Justin gets guardianship of his 3 siblings)
☀️ Nurse female main character
☀️ An ugly dog named Brad
☀️ Romcom with heart (I’d expect nothing else from Abby!)
I’ll be checking NetGalley daily in hopes to grab this one!
ADD to your Goodreads TBR HERE: Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez
PREORDER on Amazon HERE: Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez
Quinn plays Queen Bee (the character/mascot) at Honeywood theme park. When her best friend’s twin brother, Landon, and high school bully, gets hired to work at Honeywood, she’s less than pleased.
During one of their shows, Landon falls on stage and the park guests fall for him – and want him to be the next Ranger Randy, Queen Bee’s love interest.
For the sake of the public, this leads to the pair fake dating as their characters. But is it all for show?
Series: Yes (2/4)
Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆ 5/5
Spice: 1/5
Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.
I love books set in small towns, and generally want to move to them – but add in a theme park? Sign me up!
Landon is definitely my top book boyfriend at Honeywood. I love how he describes his feelings for Quinn, how he challenges her yet adores her for who she is. Their dynamic and banter is perfect!
The addition of the infamous Honey Pleasure in this book works so well with both characters. Who doesn’t love a blunt older woman?
This is book 2 (of 4) in the Honeywood series. I definitely recommend reading them in order, but they can all be read as standalones.
Read if you enjoy:
⭐️ Best friend’s brother
⭐️ Miscommunication from the past
⭐️ Found family
⭐️ Fake Dating
⭐️ Romcom/awesome banter
⭐️ Grumpy/Sunshine (her/him)
⭐️ Small town
⭐️ Theme park
⭐️ Dual POV/first person
Tw: mental health (depression), bullying (in high school)
Charlie & William first meet at a diner – they show up at the same time every day for a week, talking for hours. They never exchange last names. Until one day, William doesn’t show up.
Six years later, he does. At Charlie’s workplace. As her new colleague and team leader. While they try to stay apart & remain professional, that seems to be nearly impossible for both of them.
Series: No
Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆ 5/5
Spice: 1/5
Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.
I knew this book was going to be a fav from chapter 1 🥰
Charlie & William have perfect, undeniable chemistry that jumps right off the page!
“You know in your heart we’ve been waiting to find each other again.”
There were so many unlikely run-ins for these two, but that just made it more special & fun.
There was also a lot more to the story than a romance – Charlie is such a beautiful character, with so many vulnerabilities. William is so supportive of helping her grow, in both her career and with her family.
The only thing missing for me was an epilogue – I just needed more!
Read if you enjoy:
⭐️ Second chance
⭐️ Workplace
⭐️ Banter
⭐️ Romcom
⭐️ Right person, wrong time
⭐️ Slow burn
⭐️ Dual POV/first person
A huge THANK YOU to Valentine PR & author Ella Maise for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.
Sadie Montgomery never saw what was coming . . . Literally! One minute she’s celebrating the biggest achievement of her life—placing as a finalist in the North American Portrait Society competition—the next, she’s lying in a hospital bed diagnosed with a “probably temporary” condition known as face blindness. She can see, but every face she looks at is now a jumbled puzzle of disconnected features. Imagine trying to read a book upside down and in another language. This is Sadie’s new reality with every face she sees.
But, as she struggles to cope, hang on to her artistic dream, work through major family issues, and take care of her beloved dog, Peanut, she falls into—love? Lust? A temporary obsession to distract from the real problems in her life?—with not one man but two very different ones. The timing couldn’t be worse.
If only her life were a little more in focus, Sadie might be able to find her way. But perceiving anything clearly right now seems impossible. Even though there are things we can only find when we aren’t looking. And there are people who show up when we least expect them. And there are always, always other ways of seeing.
Series: No
Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆ 5/5
Spice: 0/5
Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.
I can’t believe this was my first Katherine Center read! I loved it so much 😍
Sadie is a portrait artist, who is about to get her “big break,” when she gets into an accident that leaves her with a *hopefully* temporary condition, face blindness (causing faces to be blurry).
Joe is Sadie’s neighbour, who becomes her friend, and a pleasant distraction. She doesn’t explain her condition to him, but he helps her out nonetheless.
A lot of this book sends the message that things aren’t always as they seem. People aren’t always who we think they are, based on first impressions or external factors.
This definitely had some predictable moments, but that’s part of the fun of it. Definitely read/listen to the author’s note, she explains a lot there.
I tandem read this book – audio and ebook – and really enjoyed the narration! Patti Murin did a wonderful job at capturing Sadie, and all the side characters.
What you’ll find in Hello Stranger:
🌼 Artist heroine
🌼 Cinnamon roll hero
🌼 He falls first
🌼 Romcom
🌼 Friends to lovers
🌼 Forced proximity
🌼 Slow burn
🌼 Miscommunication
🌼 Single POV/first person
Thank you so much to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Macmillan Audio for an advanced copy to review. All opinions are my own.