Category Archives: Romance

February 18, 2025 · 3:29 pm

My favourite Mistake – Marian Keyes

My Favourite Mistake – Marian Keyes

According to Amazon, I bought this novel in April 2024. It then languished in my TBR and finally I decided to listen to it (Marian Keyes is the narrator!).

Here’s the blurb …

Anna has just lost her taste for the big apple . . .

Anna has a life to envy. An apartment in New York. A well-meaning (too well-meaning?) partner. And a high-flying job in beauty PR. Who wouldn’t want all that? Anna—it turns out.

Turning a minor mid-life crisis into a major life event she packs it in, heads back to Ireland, and gets a PR job for a super-high-end coastal retreat.

Tougher than it sounds. Newsflash: the locals hate it. So much so, there have been threats—and violence.

Anna, however, worked in the beauty industry. There’s no ugliness she hasn’t seen. No wrinkle she can’t smooth over. Anna’s got this.

Until she discovers that leaving New York doesn’t mean escaping her mistakes.

Once upon a time she’d had a best friend. Once upon a time she’d loved a man. Now she has neither. And now she has to face them.

We all make mistakes.
But when do we stop making the same one over and over again?

This was great! It was witty, kind and well-written. In particular, I liked all of the references to menopause and peri-menopause, not enough is said about them as if it is some how shameful to be aging. Maumtully was delightful with a cast of quirky secondary characters. It is about being alive and fallible, but trying to do better next time. It is also about knowing things will get better.

I am going to have to add ‘feathery stroker’ to my vocabulary.

A review

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February 3, 2025 · 4:43 pm

The Bad Bridesmaid – Rachael Johns

The Bad Bridesmaid – Rachael Johns

I found this at the Launceston airport and read half of it on the flight home. I enjoyed The Other Bridget, and I had been waiting for this one to be released.

Here’s the blurb …

When serial dater Winifred Darling – Fred – is asked to be the maid of honour at her mother’s sixth wedding, she’s determined to do everything in her power to stop it. As the author of a forthcoming book called 21 Rules for Not Catching Feelings, she knows better than most about the perils of falling in love.
On arrival at the island wedding destination, Fred is delighted to discover that the groom’s hot muso son Leo is just as set against the wedding as she is. Together, they come up with ‘Operation Break-Up’ to prevent their parents from making what they believe will be a catastrophic mistake.
But as Fred and Leo get to know each other better, their unexpected feelings for each other create further complications, and Fred is forced to rethink her own rigid rules about romance and family. Maybe not every relationship has to play by the book, and could Fred become the star in a romcom of her own?
A heart-warming friends-to-lovers romance about the magic and mayhem of weddings – and what happens when everything you thought you knew about love is turned upside down.

I do like a friends-to-lovers romance. I live in Perth, so I enjoyed all of the references to Perth and Fremantle (and I could appreciate the very long flight to London!). It is witty, well-written, and I like the fact that Fred is a ‘player’ and Leo wants to find true love (just flipping the stereotype around a bit).

The Other Bridget is still my favourite, but I thoroughly enjoyed this one.

A review.

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February 2, 2025 · 4:06 pm

My Inconvenient Duke – Loretta Chase

My Inconvenient Duke – Loretta Chase

I was very keen to read this novel (I pre-ordered it) I enjoyed the first two books in the series (A Duke in Shining Armour and Ten Things I Hate about the Duke). In these books Alice and Blackwood are estranged (or appear to be so) and I wanted to know their story.

Here’s the blurb …

Of all the dukes in all the world, why does it have to be him?

Lady Alice Ancaster needs a husband, and fast, because her reckless brother is going to get himself killed, leaving the dukedom—and her future—in their repellent cousin’s clutches.

The Duke of Blackwood has known Alice since childhood, and they’ve always had a special connection. But years ago he broke it, when he chose a riotous life with his two best friends instead of a reasonable one with her.

The trouble is, the tall, dark, sardonic rogue keeps turning up exactly when needed, and ready—though he sometimes needs a push—to play the hero, if only for as long as it takes.

Being irresistibly drawn to the Wrong Man is not convenient, but when events come to a crisis, Alice has to make a choice. The question is, can she live with it?

This is not the novel I was expecting (which is not a bad thing). The first two thirds are before the first two novels and it shows the start of their relationship and their marriage. The last third shows that they were never really estranged they were both just busy with other duties that took them away from each other.

It’s witty, well-written, and well-researched. If you’re not familiar with the first two novels, then I think you will enjoy this one, but I was hoping for a book about a relationship that had gone sour being re-ignited.

A review.

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January 12, 2025 · 5:11 pm

Love Letters – Katie Fforde

Love Letters – Katie Fforde

I always like Katie Fforde’s novels. I found this one at the library.

Here’s the blurb …

With the bookshop where she works about to close, hopeless romantic Laura Horsley, in a moment of uncharacteristic recklessness, finds herself agreeing to help organize a literary festival deep in the heart of the English countryside. But her initial excitement is rapidly followed by a mounting sense of panic when reality sinks in and she realizes just how much work is involved – especially when an innocent mistake leads the festival committee to mistakenly believe that Laura is a personal friend of the author at the top of their wish-list. Laura might have been secretly infatuated with the infamous Dermot Flynn ever since she studied him at university, but travelling to Ireland to persuade the notorious recluse to come out of hiding is another matter.

Determined to rise to the challenge she sets off to meet her literary hero. But all too soon she’s confronted with more than she bargained for – Dermot. The man is maddening, temperamental and up to his ears in a nasty case of writer’s block. But he’s also infuriatingly attractive – and, apparently, out to add Laura to his list of conquests .

This was good – it had witty dialogue, lovely characters, and who doesn’t like a book about books? The reason why the hero and heroine couldn’t be together was a bit light – an evil other woman.

A review.

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January 2, 2025 · 3:00 pm

Just for the Summer – Abby Jiminez

Just for the Summer – Abby Jimenez

I have a paper copy and an audible version of this novel – in the end I listened to it.

I have to say I think the cover is misleading – there wasn’t frolicking in the water.

Here’s the blurb …

Justin has a curse, and thanks to a Reddit thread, it’s now all over the internet. Every woman he dates goes on to find their soul mate the second they break up. When a woman slides into his DMs with the same problem, they come up with a plan: They’ll date each other and break up. Their curses will cancel each other’s out, and they’ll both go on to find the love of their lives. It’s a bonkers idea… and it just might work.

Emma hadn’t planned that her next assignment as a traveling nurse would be in Minnesota, but she and her best friend agree that dating Justin is too good of an opportunity to pass up, especially when they get to rent an adorable cottage on a private island on Lake Minnetonka.

It’s supposed to be a quick fling, just for the summer. But when Emma’s toxic mother shows up and Justin has to assume guardianship of his three siblings, they’re suddenly navigating a lot more than they expected–including catching real feelings for each other. What if this time Fate has actually brought the perfect pair together?

I enjoyed this novel, it has more heft than you would expect from the cover. It’s witty, well-written, and moving. It touches on some serious issues – abandonment and mental illness, but does so in a respectful thoughtful manner. And Justin is a fabulous hero.

A review.

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December 17, 2024 · 3:58 pm

Newt’s Emerald – Garth Nix

Newt’s Emerald – Garth Nix

I was browsing Borrowbox looking for a new audio book and this popped up. It was described as a fantasy version of Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer – how could I resist?

Here’s the blurb …

On her eighteenth birthday, Lady Truthful, nicknamed “Newt,” will inherit her family’s treasure: the Newington Emerald. A dazzling heart-shaped gem, the Emerald also bestows its wearer with magical powers.

When the Emerald disappears one stormy night, Newt sets off to recover it. Her plan entails dressing up as a man, mustache included, as no well-bred young lady should be seen out and about on her own. While in disguise, Newt encounters the handsome but shrewd Major Harnett, who volunteers to help find the missing Emerald under the assumption that she is a man. Once she and her unsuspecting ally are caught up in a dangerous adventure that includes an evil sorceress, Newt realizes that something else is afoot: the beating of her heart.

In Newt’s Emerald, the bestselling author of Sabriel, Garth Nix, takes a waggish approach to the forever popular Regency romance and presents a charmed world where everyone has something to hide.

The description was true! Probably more Georgette Heyer than Jane Austen with all the cant terms (tiger, foxed, slowtop, etc.). I really enjoy it – so much fun. The description of the clothes was fabulous, and the balls, and the behaviour of the ton were exactly what you hope for in a regency romance. The magic added a bit of extra spice to the story.

It’s quite short – more of a novella – and easy to read. There is adventure, magic, a beautiful heroine, and a handsome (titled and wealthy) hero, why wouldn’t anyone want to read it?

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December 2, 2024 · 12:07 pm

Now or Never – Janet Evanovich

Now or Never – Janet Evanovich

At the end of the last one – Dirty Thirty – we were left with a romantic cliff-hangar. This novel starts where that one left off.

Here’s the blurb …

She said yes to Morelli. She said yes to Ranger. Now Stephanie Plum has two fiancés and no idea what to do about it. But the way things are going, she might not live long enough to marry anyone.

While Stephanie stalls for time, she buries herself in her work as a bounty hunter, tracking down an unusually varied assortment of fugitives from justice. There’s Eugene Fleck, a seemingly sweet online influencer who might also be YouTube star Robin Hoodie, masked hero to the homeless, who hijacks delivery trucks and distributes their contents to the needy. She’s also on the trail of Bruno Jug, a wealthy and connected man in the wholesale produce business who is rumored to traffic young girls alongside lettuce and tomatoes. Most terrifying of all is Zoran—a laundromat manager by day and self-proclaimed vampire by night with a taste for the blood of pretty girls. When he shows up on Stephanie’s doorstep, it’s not for the meatloaf dinner.

With timely assists from her stalwart supporters Lula, Connie, and Grandma Mazur, Stephanie uses every trick in the book to reel in these men. But only she can decide what to do about the two men she actually loves. She can’t hold Ranger and Morelli at bay for long, and she’s keeping a secret from them that is the biggest bombshell of all. Now or never, she’s got to make the decision of a lifetime.

As usual this was a fun, light and easy read. Lulu is hilarious, quote below when discussing the terrifying Zoran who thinks he is a vampire.

And here’s the good news. He’ll get free dental. He can get his fangs filed down so he fits into the prison population better.

and

Bikes for the homeless is an excellent idea. It’s a way for them to get exercise instead of nodding off on the sidewalk at all hours or sitting around in their tent all day. I don’t know why people didn’t think of this sooner. It’ll let them get to a variety of soup kitchens and detox clinics, and it’ll enlarge their panhandling ability.

I have been reading these books for a long time – I read number 9 when I was in hospital after the birth of my daughter (she’s 21 now). I thought this one might be the last, but the very final sentence is ‘Not the end’, so there will be more.

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October 24, 2024 · 2:40 pm

The House in the Cerulean Sea – T J Klune

The House in the Cerulean Sea – T J Klune

The theme for my book club this month is joy and when I googled joyful books this one came up.

Here’s the blurb …

A magical island. A dangerous task. A burning secret.

Linus Baker leads a quiet, solitary life. At forty, he lives in a tiny house with a devious cat and his old records. As a Case Worker at the Department in Charge Of Magical Youth, he spends his days overseeing the well-being of children in government-sanctioned orphanages.

When Linus is unexpectedly summoned by Extremely Upper Management he’s given a curious and highly classified assignment: travel to Marsyas Island Orphanage, where six dangerous children reside: a gnome, a sprite, a wyvern, an unidentifiable green blob, a were-Pomeranian, and the Antichrist. Linus must set aside his fears and determine whether or not they’re likely to bring about the end of days.

But the children aren’t the only secret the island keeps. Their caretaker is the charming and enigmatic Arthur Parnassus, who will do anything to keep his wards safe. As Arthur and Linus grow closer, long-held secrets are exposed, and Linus must make a choice: destroy a home or watch the world burn.

An enchanting story, masterfully told, The House in the Cerulean Sea is about the profound experience of discovering an unlikely family in an unexpected place—and realizing that family is yours.

I would call this a ‘romantasy’. It is very warm and cozy, and the characters are charming. I don’t think I am the target audience for it, I found it a bit didactic (a bit too much respect everyone, include everyone, etc.) I think I needed a bit more conflict.

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October 7, 2024 · 6:11 pm

The Wedding Forecast – Nina Kenwood

The Wedding Forecast – Nina Kenwood

This was recommended on the Hill of Content Instagram – they have recommendations on a Monday.

Here’s the blurb …

Anna was never going to have an easy time at her best friend’s wedding. She’s the bridesmaid; her ex, Joel, is a groomsman. But she’s determined to get through the festivities with a smile on her face. Despite the fact that Joel is bringing his new partner, Bianca. Despite the fact she’s stuck sharing a house with the newly in-love couple. And despite the fact Anna has just turned thirty and her life is not exactly where she thought it would be by now. Anna has all her feelings completely under control—right up until the moment Joel drops a bombshell that rocks her to her core.

She needs a distraction, and Patrick, the wedding photographer, just might be the solution. Everyone has decided he is perfect for her. He is perfect for her. But the arrival of Mac, a not-quite-famous actor who has flown in from New York, complicates everything.

Much-loved YA author Nina Kenwood hits the spot with her first novel for adults. Laugh-out-loud funny with chemistry that jumps off the page, The Wedding Forecast will be the feel-good romcom of the summer.

I am a sucker for a good romantic comedy, and this was Australian!

This was great – well-written, with grown-up issues keeping people apart. The characters were great, and I loved all of the book talk.

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September 29, 2024 · 5:12 pm

The Book Swap – Tessa Bickers

The Book Swap – Tessa Bickers

I was going on holiday and I wanted something non-booker shortlist to take away with me. And I always like a book about books.

Here’s the blurb …

Two book lovers. Two broken hearts. One fresh chapter?

A REASON TO LIVE.

Still grieving the death of her best friend, Erin knows she needs to start living – but has no idea how.
Then she loses her favourite book, a heavily annotated copy of To Kill A Mockingbird containing her friend’s last gift.

A REASON TO LOVE.

When James finds Erin’s note-filled book in his local community bookshelf, it sparks a life-changing conversation. He writes his own message for her to find, inviting her to meet him in the margins of Great Expectations . As the book exchange continues, they both begin to open up . . . and perhaps fall in love.

A REASON TO FORGIVE?

But Erin and James have a shared history that neither of them has guessed. How will Erin react when she discovers that the other writer isn’t a stranger at all – but the person she swore she’d never forgive?

Funny, heartwarming and romantic, THE BOOK SWAP is story of second chances and new beginnings. It is also a heartfelt love letter to books and the power of reading.

This was lovely, well-written with depth. The two main characters grow and develop over the course of the action. There is a lot of fabulous book talk. There are difficult family circumstances due to mental illness and infidelity, plus bullying. It’s about finding, and then being, your true self. Having the courage to follow a passion, give up a well renumerated but unsatisfying job.

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