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ARC Book Review: Scrooge and the Girls Next Door by Melanie Jacobson

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Rating: ★★★☆
Audience: Contemporary Holiday Romance
Length: 336 pages
Author: Melanie Jacobson
Publisher: Self-Published
Release Date: November 8th, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

When the sunniest woman in Creekville buys the house next to the grumpiest man on the street, sparks fly . . . and not just because she keep blowing his fuses…

Paige Redmond has done everything the hard way, from her wild child past to being a single mother raising her own delightful wild child now. But since landing in Creekville, she’s turned it all around. With her newly-inked college degree and her shiny new job title, nothing can get in her way, not even the fixer upper cottage she bought on a whim. It’s the worst house on the best street in town, and she can’t wait to give Evie the Christmas of her dreams in their very own home.

Paige tackles the holiday with a Clark Griswold-level of Christmas spirit, amusing the entire town who cheer her on–everyone except for her humbug neighbor, the reclusive, grumpy, and deliciously handsome professor next door.

Can Paige and Ellie win over the town’s biggest Scrooge? Or will he pull the plug on their first solo Christmas?

Experience the laughter and magic of a Creekville Christmas from USA Today bestselling author Melanie Jacobson today!

Thank you to the author for an eARC.

THOUGHTS.

I started out really enjoying this. Easily a holiday read, I liked the grump and sunshine set up (with easy nods to The Christmas Carol). Single mom trope is here too and I love a great kid in a book too.

There’s some good humor and I loved the slow burn romance. It was a well accomplished age gap and I was head over heels for Henry. He reminded me of Temperance Brennan (Bones from Bones). A very dry sense of humor and the way he viewed the world. I thought this was spot on and his growth was solid too.

Paige grew on me but we had some learning curves too. I struggled with her absolute inability to let others help her even though they’ve literally been helping her for years. It was a stubborn clash that made me shrug my shoulders a bunch.

Some of the trauma felt like it was approached with a bit of insensitivity. I think I got what the author was trying to do, but it was a miss for me.

It does have the perfect amount of holiday cheer and I thought the ending was really sweet. There’s a good combination of things here even if some of the stuff wasn’t clicking for me.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Holiday Romance
  • Language: very little
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: low
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: loss of a grandparent (recounted), brief mentions of substance abuse, grief

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Book Review: Sweet Talk (Love Lines #2) by Cara Bastone

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 238 pages
Author: Cara Bastone
Publisher: Audible Originals
Release Date: April 22nd, 2021
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Listening Length: 5 hours and 42 minutes

Stay up all night with this funny, surprising romantic comedy from Audie Award-nominee Cara Bastone — scripted exclusively for audio!

It’s officially booty o’clock, I’m alone again in my kitchen choking down a slice of terrible chocolate cake…and I’m pretty sure I just got drunk texted by the man I have a ginormous crush on.

I’ve been daydreaming about Eliot Hoffman’s dimples for two months, and even though I’m sure this was a mistake on his end, it doesn’t mean it’s not an opportunity on mine. It’s the middle of the night, and I just wanna talk to him. So I text him back.

And then somehow we keep talking…ALL NIGHT. We’re both insomniacs, so talking all night soon turns into talking EVERY night.

And talking about nothing soon turns into talking about something.

And here we go from in-depth analysis of reality TV to my relationship with my family to his amazing artwork. There’s no topic we don’t cover…

Except for who I really am. It’s the only question of his I won’t answer.

As my crush turns into an avalanche of Eliot, I think of him all the time now. But if he knew who I was, the entire house of cards we’ve built this relationship on would come toppling down. I want him to be mine, but we might never be more than just a sweet dream.

ADORABLE.

I’ve been seeing this book floating around on the Audible Originals page and needed something quick and light. THIS WAS THAT BOOK (I also believe it is available in ebook format now?).

The production for this was perfect. I loved the way everything sounded and I truly felt this story come to life. I would love if more audio books used a bit of sound effect to enhance the reading.

I adored Jessie and Elliot! Immediate chemistry from that first text and the subsequent late night chats had me laughing and smiling from ear to ear. This book just makes you feel good and I love that. I like the way the conflict/drama was handled. In a short read it didn’t take up unnecessary page time and really let Jessie and Elliot build up their relationship. All of these digital interactions made the in person moments all the better.

It’s a sweet read. The ending was everything I hoped for in the progression of this story. No overreaching for a relationship just beginning, but all the ooey-gooey-ness your heart can handle. Definitely one to pick up!!

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: very little
  • Romance: kisses
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: parent with terminal cancer, gun violence

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Book Review: Eight Perfect Hours by Lia Louis

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Rating: ☆☆☆☆
Audience: Women’s Fiction + Romance
Length: 336 pages
Author: Lia Louis
Publisher: Atria Books
Release Date: September 28th, 2021
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

In this romantic and heartwarming novel, two strangers meet in chance circumstances during a blizzard and spend one perfect evening together, thinking they’ll never see each other again. But fate seems to have different plans.

On a snowy evening in March, 30-something Noelle Butterby is on her way back from an event at her old college when disaster strikes. With a blizzard closing off roads, she finds herself stranded, alone in her car, without food, drink, or a working charger for her phone. All seems lost until Sam Attwood, a handsome American stranger also trapped in a nearby car, knocks on her window and offers assistance. What follows is eight perfect hours together, until morning arrives and the roads finally clear.

The two strangers part, positive they’ll never see each other again, but fate, it seems, has a different plan. As the two keep serendipitously bumping into one another, they begin to realize that perhaps there truly is no such thing as coincidence. With plenty of charming twists and turns and Lia Louis’s “bold, standout voice” (Gillian McAllister, author of The Good Sister), Eight Perfect Hours is a gorgeously crafted novel that will make you believe in the power of fate.

A GREAT WINTERY READ.

I couldn’t put this one down. I’m not big fan of women’s fiction, but the inclusion of the perfect amount of romance made me love this one. It had many memorable moments and I finished this in a day.

I loved the journey Noelle went on. Over the season she really grew and found her footing in the bigger world outside of her home. I loved how compassionate she was towards her mother and the stumbling it took to work through her life with her old flame. This was a love triangle that worked out sufficiently and never felt like an annoying tidbit you want to skip over.

The soulmate/fated kind of love Noelle had with Sam was adorable. I loved how they kept clashing into each other and how there story kept unfolding. Moment after moment brought them together and the tender kisses and quiet behind the scenes were incredibly sweet.

It was feel good and heartfelt and I thought this whole read was such a gem.

Overall audience notes:

  • Women’s Fiction / Contemporary Romance
  • Language: strong
  • Romance: make-outs/closed door
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: being a caretaker for an ailing parent

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Book Review: The Paris Secret by Natasha Lester

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Historical Fiction Romance
Length: 496 pages
Author: Natasha Lester
Publisher: Forever
Release Date: September 15th, 2020
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Orphan comes an unforgettable historical novel about a secret collection of Dior gowns that ties back to the first female pilots of WWII and a heartbreaking story of love and sacrifice.

England, 1939: The Penrose sisters couldn’t be more different. Skye is a daring and brash pilot, and Liberty the one to defy her at every turn. Even if women aren’t allowed in the Royal Air Force, Skye is determined to help the war effort. She’s thrilled when it reunites her with her childhood soulmate, Nicholas. She’s less thrilled to learn Nicholas is now engaged to an enigmatic Frenchwoman named Margaux Jourdan.

Paris, 1947: Designer Christian Dior unveils his glamorous first collection to a world weary of war and grief. He names his debut fragrance Miss Dior in tribute to his beloved sister Catherine, who forged a friendship with Skye and Margaux through her work with the French Resistance.

Present Day: Fashion conservator Kat Jourdan discovers a priceless collection of Dior gowns in her grandmother’s vacant cottage. As she delves into the mystery of their origin, Kat begins to doubt everything she thought she knew about her beloved grandmother.

MY HEART. MY HEART. MY HEART.

I only pick up historical fiction books when I’m in the right *mood* for them. And hallelujah that I was in the mood for this book because IT WAS AN AMAZING STUNNING WORK OF ART.

Ohhhh how this tore at every aspect of my heart and soul. I loved the initial chapters of seeing these characters in their youth to growing up and fighting a war versus the worst kind of evil. The strength of these women has no limit and I was in tears plenty reading these encounters that happened for too many.

The push and pull and absolutely full of angsty romance was here too. Skye and Nicholas OWN ME. And when I say that ending made me sob? IT REALLY DID. It was worth it. Lester constructs an intense story with the push and pull of a life at war. I also loved Margaux. She was a clear unsung hero in this book. I liked that she started off on the fringes and then showed her true and honest side that had me all in my feels too.

There’s a lot of emotions at play as the raw reality of WW2 is described. I appreciated learning even more about this time period and the attention given to research. Looking up more information about Catherine Dior was amazing. I love that all of the fashion aspects were wrapped into this too. It was interesting to learn how Dior began creating his outfits and the role his sister played in that too.

Overall audience note:

  • Historical Fiction Romance
  • Language: some light
  • Romance: fade to black
  • Violence: high
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: multiple aspects of WW2 concentration camps, loss of loved ones

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