Author: baltimorebibliophile

Title: A Spot of Trouble

Author: Teri Wilson

Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca

Publication date: September 7th, 2021

256 pages

3/5 stars

Goodreads Synopsis

Get ready to laugh out loud with this hilarious romantic comedy featuring:
• A grumpy firefighter who thinks his way is the only way
• A bubbly yoga teacher who prefers to go with the flow
• Adorable Dalmatians who swap places—and the chaos that ensues
• An opposites-attract romance that’ll warm your heart

Violet March and Sam Nash are as different as night and day and have been enemies ever since Violet accused Sam of dognapping her beloved Dalmatian. Sam knows that’s impossible—for one thing, his dog Cinder is a well-trained fire safety dog who never steps out of line. Violet’s dog Sprinkles, on the other hand, has never met a command that she didn’t ignore completely, much like her bubbly owner. So when Sprinkles and Cinder accidentally switch places during the annual police vs. fire department softball tournament, Violet is thrilled by her dog’s sudden perfect behavior, while stubborn-yet-charming Sam is horrified to find that his dog no longer listens.

But when the dogs are eventually switched back, Sam and Violet are shocked to find that not everything is as simple as it seems. And a little puppy love might be just the thing they’ve been missing…

Review

A Spot of Trouble is a light-hearted, small town romance featuring two very different people and their two very different Dalmatians. The tropes would include a bit of insta-love mixed with enemies to lovers as Violet and Sam duke it out over their dogs and fire safety in a town where the police force and firefighters are in an epic rivalry in the all important and vaulted, softball tournament.

This book is a bit on the ridiculous side, it’s zany and outageous, and a fairly short and quick read. There are meddling elders, a ton of puppy content, and an opposites attract type feel with the characters finding a level of compromise by the end. The outrageous events were a bit much for me at times which kept this book from being a 4 or 5 star read for me, but there was a good level of emotion to balance out the outrageous which kept me interested.

Books like this make me want to live in a small town, and I really wanted to adopt a Dalmation after reading! Dog lovers will get enjoyment out of this read, along with those who read Nicholas Sparks (for the small town setting not the tragedy). Overall, it was an average read for me.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca and Netgalley for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

Happy reading, folks!

Title: Witch Please (Fix-It Witches #1)

Author: Ann Aguirre

Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca

Publication date: September 7th, 2021

352 pages

4.5/5 stars

Goodreads Synopsis

Practical Magic meets Gilmore Girls in this adorable witchy rom-com with:

• A bisexual virgin baker with a curse
• A witch looking to avoid romantic entanglements
• And a chemistry between them that causes literal sparks

Danica Waterhouse is a fully modern witch—daughter, granddaughter, cousin, and co-owner of the Fix-It Witches, a magical tech repair shop. After a messy breakup that included way too much family “feedback,” Danica made a pact with her cousin: they’ll keep their hearts protected and have fun, without involving any of the overly opinionated Waterhouse matriarchs. Danica is more than a little exhausted navigating a long-standing family feud where Gram thinks the only good mundane is a dead one and Danica’s mother weaves floral crowns for anyone who crosses her path.

Three blocks down from the Fix-It Witches, Titus Winnaker, owner of Sugar Daddy’s bakery, has family trouble of his own. After a tragic loss, all he’s got left is his sister, the bakery, and a lifetime of terrible luck in love. Sure, business is sweet, but he can’t seem to shake the romantic curse that’s left him past thirty and still a virgin. He’s decided he’s doomed to be forever alone.

Until he meets Danica Waterhouse. The sparks are instant, their attraction irresistible. For him, she’s the one. To her, he’s a firebomb thrown in the middle of a family war. Can a modern witch find love with an old-fashioned mundane who refuses to settle for anything less than forever?

Review

Modern day witches is a very niche genre but i absolutely adore it and get so much joy out of reading witches experiencing modern day life. In Aguirre’s story, these witches are descended from those in Salem but migrated west to avoid persecution and set down root in small towns. They each have separate talents, and our MC is a technomancer and owns an electronic repair shop with her cousin. There is an insta-love trope in this story which isn’t always my favorite, but I appreciate the innocence that emanated from Titus.

Told in alternating POV’s (which is my favorite in romance books), Danica and Titus meet an immediately want to spend more time together. The problem? Titus is a mundane (non-magic) and there is a curse on Waterhouse witches that means if they marry a mundane they will lose their magic forever. Danica must choose between Titus and her magic, which proves to be a challenge.

This book was exactly right for me. There was a solid level of steam/spice with some great sexual tension, family drama, and a fun magic system that isn’t explained very well – but it doesn’t feel like you’re missing anything when reading. I adored Titus and his sister something fierce and I will accept no argument about them. Also, there is a a lot of LGBTQIA rep with both main characters and side characters. Also I desperately want the cinnamon rolls that had Titus nicknamed the CinnaMan.

I am excited for Clem’s book next and will definitely be continuing to read the series.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca and Netgalley for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

Happy reading, folks!

Title: Will They, Won’t They?

Author: Portia MacIntosh

Publisher: Boldwood Books

Publication date: September 7th, 2021

3/5 stars

Goodreads Synopsis

When life goes off track sometimes the only thing you can do is go back to where it all began…

Emmy Palmer is the star of Bragadon Forest, the biggest fantasy series on TV; adored by the public, living the life of glamour and luxury in London.

But when scandal strikes, Emmy must escape the city and return to her seaside hometown to lie low and wait for the storm to pass.

Emmy’s agent decides it would be a good look to star in the community Christmas pantomime, but who else could be playing her leading man but her ex-boyfriend who she may or may not have ditched to move to London a decade ago…

As the show approaches, love and friendships blossom and the real question is – Will they? Won’t they?

The brand new laugh-out-loud romantic comedy from top 10 bestseller Portia MacIntosh, guaranteed to put a smile on your face this winter.

Review

I have read the last few Portia MacIntosh books and I generally enjoy her writing and romances, but this book really missed the mark for me. I wish it wasn’t so, but i was confused through a lot of it.

Emmy Palmer is an actor in the UK, starring on a Game of Thrones-esque fantasy series as a popular character, until she is killed off after a tiff with the show runner. Her grandfather then dies, so she decides to travel back to her small hometown to be with her family, especially when a tabloid rumor alleges she is having an affair with the married show runner. At home, she gets pushed into participating in a pantomime to save the local theater, even though she really doesn’t want to. She reunites with the guy she had a will they, won’t they relationship with in high school for the play, but when her next door neighbor pushes all of her buttons, she’s not sure where her love life is going – especially as she plans on returning to the city after the season.

I wanted to like this book. I really did. But when the romance doesn’t begin until 75% into the book you’re left confused and continuing to read just to see when on earth it will come. The last quarter of a book is too late to start a love affair that is believable in my opinion – but for those that appeals to definitely give this book a try. Portia’s book are very well written with engaging characters – but I came to this book for a romance and didn’t get it.

Thank you to Boldwood Books and Netgalley for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

Happy reading, folks!

Title: The Charm Offensive

Author: Alison Cochrun

Publisher: Atria Books

Publication date: September 7th, 2021

368 pages

5/5 stars

Goodreads Synopsis

Dev Deshpande has always believed in fairy tales. So it’s no wonder then that he’s spent his career crafting them on the long-running reality dating show Ever After. As the most successful producer in the franchise’s history, Dev always scripts the perfect love story for his contestants, even as his own love life crashes and burns. But then the show casts disgraced tech wunderkind Charlie Winshaw as its star.

Charlie is far from the romantic Prince Charming Ever After expects. He doesn’t believe in true love, and only agreed to the show as a last-ditch effort to rehabilitate his image. In front of the cameras, he’s a stiff, anxious mess with no idea how to date twenty women on national television. Behind the scenes, he’s cold, awkward, and emotionally closed-off.

As Dev fights to get Charlie to connect with the contestants on a whirlwind, worldwide tour, they begin to open up to each other, and Charlie realizes he has better chemistry with Dev than with any of his female co-stars. But even reality TV has a script, and in order to find to happily ever after, they’ll have to reconsider whose love story gets told.

In this witty and heartwarming romantic comedy—reminiscent of Red, White & Royal Blue and One to Watch—an awkward tech wunderkind on a reality dating show goes off-script when sparks fly with his producer.

Review

I immediately fell in love with Dev and Charlie when reading The Charm Offensive – romance fans, Bachelor Nation fans, and m/m romance fans need to read this book ASAP. There is not only a lot of queer rep, but it’s diverse in terms of race, neurodivergence, and mental health. The depictions of each are amazing, though there are moments of homophobia so there’s a trigger warning for that.

Dev is a producer on Ever After (the Bachelor but in fiction) and Charlie is the newest “Prince” who is trying to recover his image after having a breakdown during a board meeting of his tech company. Dev is assigned to handle Charlie, as Charlie has a panic disorder and OCD (though this isn’t known immediately) and is having a difficult time on a show that triggers his mental illnesses. Over the book, Dev and Charlie get closer and have to confront their feelings for each other before it’s too late.

I actually swooned reading this book at times, the romance is SO well done and well written. I flew through it without noticing time passing, it was fast paced and had a lot of information packed in without it feeling overwhelming. I related to Dev so much with his struggle with depression, the depiction is exactly how I feel when in an episode and it was handled amazingly. Every character was fantastic (except the “villain”, but obvi) and I wanted to give all of them hugs throughout the whole book.

Seriously, read this book. I have nothing even remotely shaped like a critique to give to this book, it is a clear 5 star read and was from the very beginning.

Thank you to Atria Books and Netgalley for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

Happy reading, folks!

Title: Never Saw You Coming

Author: Erin Hahn

Publisher: Wednesday Books

Publication date: September 7th, 2021

320 pages

5/5 stars

Goodreads Synopsis

Raised by conservative parents, 18-year-old Meg Hennessey just found out her entire childhood was a lie. Instead of taking a gap year before college to find herself, she ends up traveling north to meet what’s left of the family she never knew existed.

While there, she meets Micah Allen, a former pastor’s kid whose dad ended up in prison, leaving Micah with his own complicated relationship about the church. The clock is ticking on Pastor Allen’s probation hearing and Micah, now 19, feels the pressure to forgive – even when he can’t possibly forget.

As Meg and Micah grow closer, they are confronted with the heavy flutterings of first love and all the complications it brings. Together, they must navigate the sometimes-painful process of cutting ties with childhood beliefs as they build toward something truer and straight from the heart.

In Erin Hahn’s Never Saw You Coming, sometimes it takes a leap of faith to find yourself. 

Review

Erin Hahn is quickly becoming a favorite author of mine. Her books have so much heart and emotion to them, in such an effortless way. Time slips by as I read her books and I don’t notice it at all, it is fully captivating and the writing is just beautiful.

Never Saw You Coming features Meg’s story as she comes to grips with new information about her parentage. She goes through a religious journey to understand how she really feels now that she knows she was conceived on a one night stand at a youth group convention in Michigan and her father died in a car crash. Micah is dealing with the after effects of his pastor father’s embezzling and sexual harassment charges. Together, the two help and support each other in their lives and faith.

I personally loved the religious journey depicted in this story. I found it very relatable as someone who grew up in a Catholic household. It also calls out some of the hypocrisy within the Christian church and how it treats women. The romance was perfect – absolutely perfect. Together they were super sweet and supportive of each other as they figured out their plans. Also, the side characters truly added to the story in a meaningful way.

I will always read Erin Hahn’s books from now until the end of time and will always suggest everyone else reads the too.

Thank you to Wednesday Books and Netgalley for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

Happy reading, folks!

I have another great month of reading planned, with a return to audiobooks and a lot of Netgalley ARCs getting accomplished. I have always had a difficult time with auditory processing, in school it was hard to learn just from auditory stimulus and what I’ve tried audiobooks in the past it hasn’t worked out. But, I decided to try romance books in audio instead of romance, and so far it has worked pretty well. Fantasy worlds are just too complex but I’m excited to be able to read while doing chores and driving to work and exercising.

I have a pretty aggressive amount of books to read this month, but this is mostly due to the fact that I am going on three weekend trips with a LOT of driving in the month so I will have more opportunity to read. We’re going to Pittsburgh, Erie, Pittsburgh again, and then New York. My husband loves to drive, so I really just read the whole time!

So, below are the books I plan to read this month 🙂

PHYSICAL BOOKS

1. Warmaidens (Gravemaidens #2), Kelly Coon
2. Serpent & Dove (Serpent & Dove #1), Shelby Mahurin
3. The Bone Charmer (The Bone Charmer #1), Breeana Shields
4. The Heir Affair (Royal We #2), Heather Cocks
5. The Heart Principle (The Kiss Quotient #3), Helen Hoang
6. The Dark Tide, Alicia Jasinska
7. We Free the Stars (Sands of Arawiya #2), Hafsah Faizal
8. The Bronzed Beasts (The Gilded Serpent #3), Roshani Chokshi

EBOOKS

1. Isn’t it Bromantic (Bromance Book Club #4), Lyssy Kay Adams
2. Twisted Kingdom (Royal Elite #3), Rina Kent
3. The Royal We (The Royal We #1), Heather Cocks
4. Black Knight (Royal Elite #4), Rina Kent
5. Neon Gods (Dark Olympus #1), Katee Robert

AUDIO

1. The Boy Toy, Nicola Marsh
2. Majesty (American Royals #2), Katharine McGee

ARCS

1. Will They, Won’t They, Portia MacIntosh
2. Witch Please (Fix-It Witches #1), Ann Aguirre
3. A Spot of Trouble, Teri Wilson
4. Her Perfect Life, Hank Phillippi Ryan
5. Iron Widow (Iron Widow #1), Xiran Jay Zhao
6. Eight Perfect Hours, Lia Louis
7. Luminous, Mara Rutherford
8. Mother of All (Women’s War #3), Jenna Glass
9. Once More Upon a Time, Roshani Chokshi
10. Vespertine, Margaret Rogerson
11. The Gilded Cage (The Prison Healer #2), Lynette Noni
12. Bright, Ruined Things, Samantha Cohoe

Happy reading, folks!

Happy September everybody! August slipped away like a bottle of wine…

And if you get that reference you’re my new best friend :). I had a good reading month all things considered. I finished 21 books and a lot of them were ARCs that I needed to get to for Netgalley and Edelweiss. I still have a lot of work to do on my Netgalley shelf but I am going into September triumphant and motivated to keep working at it and gaining ground on it. I have a LOT of book planned for September, which you’ll be able to see tomorrow when I post my September TBR post!

Another highlight to this month was several 5 star reads, I did a buddy read with a good friend on Instagram, and I moved into the dark romance genre and lost A LOT of sleep when that happened! But I can’t say I have regrets, I just need to consume those books on a limited basis otherwise I’ll never sleep – because they’re addicting!

So, see below for the books I finished in the month of August. Let me know in the comments if you’ve read any of these and if we agree on the stars given!

PHYSICAL

1. Head Over Heels, Hannah Orenstein – 4/5 stars (REREAD)
2. Wings of Shadow (Crown of Feathers #3), Nicki Pau Preto – 5/5 stars
3. Enola Holmes and the Black Barouche (Enola Holmes #7), Nancy Springer – 3.5/5 stars

EBOOKS

1. Freed (Fifty Shades as Told by Christian Grey #3), E. L. James – 3/5 stars
2. Hard Truths (Kiss Her Goodbye #1), Rebecca Royce – 4/5 stars
3. Dark Truths (Kiss Her Goodbye #2), Rebecca Royce – 4/5 stars
4. Deadly Truths (Kiss Her Goodbye #3), Rebecca Royce – 4/5 stars
5. Deviant King (Royal Elite #1), Rina Kent – 3/5 stars
6. Steel Princess (Royal Elite #2), Rina Kent – 3/5 stars

ARCS

1. The Dating Dare (A Sweet Mess #2), Jayci Lee – 4/5 stars
2. The Dating Playbook (The Boyfriend Project #2), Farrah Rochon – 4/5 stars
3. The Endless Skies, Shannon Price – 3/5 stars
4. The Mismatch, Sara Jafari – 3/5 stars
5. Every Day in December, Kitty Wilson – 3/5 stars
6. Daughter of Lies and Ruin (The Tales of the Blackbone Witches #2), Jo Spurrier – 4/5 stars
7. Hot Desk, Zara Stoneley – 2/5 stars
8. Never Saw You Coming, Erin Hahn – 5/5 stars
9. The Charm Offensive, Alison Cochrun – 5/5 stars
10. Defy the Night (Defy the Night #1), Brigid Kemmerer – 5/5 stars
11. As If On Cue, Marisa Kanter – 4/5 stars
12. When Sparks Fly, Helena Hunting – 3.5/5 stars

Happy reading, folks!

August was a great month for acquiring books, especially from publishers! I have to thank Wednesday Books and Grand Central Publishing/Forever for the SIX books they sent my way this month! I’m so stoked to read them (and might have already read one of them!). I also obtained some sequels that I’ve been anticipating that my husband paid for, so the only books I personally bought were my Book of the Month books and Owlcrate subscription!

I’m so thankful to my followers here and on Instagram that allow me to keep reading and sharing my love with others in the bookish community. August may be ending but I’m so excited to see what books come my way by the end of the year!

See below for the books I got this month!

PUBLISHERS

1. Enola Holmes and the Black Barouche (Enola Holmes #7), Nancy Springers
2. Satisfaction Guaranteed, Karelia Stetz-Waters
3. When A Rogue Meets His Match (Greycourt #2), Elizabeth Hoyt
4. West End Earl (Misfits of Mayfair #2), Bethany Bennett
5. One Lucky Day, Jill Shalvis
6. A Rogue to Remember (League of Scoundrels #1), Emily Sullivan

SUBSCRIPTION BOXES

1. You’d Be Mine, Erin Hahn
2. The Heart Principle (The Kiss Quotient #3), Helen Hoang
3. This Poison Heart (This Poison Heart #1), Kalynn Bayron

BARNES AND NOBLE

1. Gods & Monsters (Serpent & Dove #3), Shelby Mahurin
2. Reaper of Souls (Kingdom of Souls #2), Rena Barron

Happy reading, folks!

Title: A Sweet Mess (A Sweet Mess #1)

Author: Jayci Lee

Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin

Publication date: July 14th, 2020

306 pages

3/5 stars

Goodreads Synopsis

Korean-American author Jayci Lee delights with this delicious and light-hearted romantic comedy that readers will devour and ask for more.

Bake a chance on love.

Aubrey Choi loves living in her small town nestled in the foothills of California, running her highly successful bakery away from the watch of her strict Korean parents. When a cake mix-up and a harsh review threaten all of her hard work and her livelihood, she never thought the jaded food critic would turn out to be her one-night stand. And she sure as hell never thought she’d see her gorgeous Korean unicorn again. But when Landon Kim waltzes into her bakery trying to clean up the mess he had a huge hand in making, Aubrey is torn between throwing and hearing him out.

When she hears his plan to help save her business, Aubrey knows that spending three weeks in California wine country working with Landon is a sure recipe for disaster. Her head is telling her to take the chance to save her bakery while her heart—and her hormones—are at war on whether to give him a second chance. And it just so happens that Landon’s meddling friends want them to spend those three weeks as close as possible…by sharing a villa.

When things start heating up, both in and out of the kitchen, Aubrey will have to make a choice—to stick it out or risk her heart.

Review

“People say when something you enjoy becomes your full-time job, the joy gets sucked out of it.”

Jayci Lee, A Sweet Mess

I picked this romance up when I received an eARC of the companion novel, The Dating Dare, from Netgalley. It had been on my TBR, but vaulted to the top with the advanced copy of the next one. I have read a lot of romances involving bakers or chefs recently, and they were also with AAPI characters – which is super interesting. I was really enjoying this book until the end and the final conflict, there was just a trope utilized for the final conflict that is not one I vibe with or enjoy. But that’s on me, and doesn’t mean I don’t suggest you pick this one up if you want to.

There is an insta-love feel to the book as Aubrey and Landon meet at the local brewery and have an immediate connection that has them falling into bed together, knowing it is just for one night and they likely wouldn’t see each other again. But Landon is the premier food critic in California and he inadvertently, and unknowingly, was served a bizarre special request kid’s birthday cake when he stopped into Aubrey’s bakery on a whim. He then writes a scathing article about the experience, not knowing the owner was the woman he slept with. When Aubrey’s business takes a huge hit due to the article, and Landon finds out it was her, he does everything he can to make it up to her – by getting her a spot on a huge cooking show. They end up spending a lot of time together and realize their connection is more than just the one night.

Again, my main issue with this book, which took it down 2 stars, is the trope used to end the book. So, I generally wasn’t a fan of the last 25% of the book. But, it wasn’t due to the writing or the overall plot. So I still highly recommend this book – but if you’re interested in knowing the trope that I don’t like, I’m happy to tell you.

Happy reading, folks!

Title: Enola Holmes and the Black Barouche (Enola Holmes #7)

Author: Nancy Springer

Publisher: Wednesday Books

Publication date: August 31st, 2021

272 pages

3.5/5 stars

Goodreads Synopsis

Enola Holmes is the much younger sister of her more famous brothers, Sherlock and Mycroft. But she has all the wits, skills, and sleuthing inclinations of them both. At fifteen, she’s an independent young woman–after all, her name spelled backwards reads ‘alone’–and living on her own in London. When a young professional woman, Miss Letitia Glover, shows up on Sherlock’s doorstep, desperate to learn more about the fate of her twin sister, it is Enola who steps up. It seems her sister, the former Felicity Glover, married the Earl of Dunhench and per a curt note from the Earl, has died. But Letitia Glover is convinced this isn’t the truth, that she’d know–she’d feel–if her twin had died.

The Earl’s note is suspiciously vague and the death certificate is even more dubious, signed it seems by a John H. Watson, M.D. (who denies any knowledge of such). The only way forward is for Enola to go undercover–or so Enola decides at the vehement objection of her brother. And she soon finds out that this is not the first of the Earl’s wives to die suddenly and vaguely–and that the secret to the fate of the missing Felicity is tied to a mysterious black barouche that arrived at the Earl’s home in the middle of the night. To uncover the secrets held tightly within the Earl’s hall, Enola is going to require help–from Sherlock, from the twin sister of the missing woman, and from an old friend, the young Viscount Tewkesbury, Marquess of Basilwether!

Review

I haven’t read any of the previous Enola books, and my understanding is there hasn’t been a new one in about a decade but with the success of the Netflix adaptation there was cause for a return to the series. But, this book could definitely be read as a standalone, and there is plenty of time spent recapping the first 6 books in a foreword narrated by Sherlock instead of Enola, whereas the rest of the book is from Enola’s POV.

I loved books like Nancy Drew and other mystery middle grade books when I was younger, I just feel like my tastes have changed since then and I didn’t get as much enjoyment out of this as I had hoped to. It felt very solidly middle-grade, which isn’t a problem – it’s just not my preferred genre anymore. I will say the second half was a lot more interesting than the first half. Once the mystery really was getting going and the investigation was picking up steam, so did my interest in the book. The set up of the story really didn’t do it for me though.

I love that there is a series about a young woman performing this role of investigator, especially in the time period it is set in. It is something that young girls should be able to read and see themselves in, and I really appreciate that about the series. I’m not sure I would personally continue reading more or go back and read the books I missed, though the length makes the idea more palatable. It really was a quick read.

If you loved the Netflix adaptation and enjoy middle grade, I would recommend checking this one out.

Thank you to Wednesday Books for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Happy reading, folks!