*I received a copy of this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this opportunity*

Kate has had enough. She realized this as she’s halfway out her bathroom window, the sounds of the house party she didn’t know her husband was throwing spilling out into the garden. The used-and-abused wife of comedian Vince Weaver, Kate pretty much single-handedly raised her stepdaughter, manages her husband’s social and professional calendar, written two books for him, cleaned, cooked, cared for the dog, worked her own job, and somehow managed to scrounge up some awful treats for the local bake sale. And what has her husband done? Become an absolute twat as soon as he has a whiff of fame years ago and uprooted their lives to relocate to his parent’s house.

And so, Kate absconds her life and runs away to London as a forty something and the story begins.

Heartwarming and a little unexpected, THE WOMAN WHO RAN AWAY FROM EVERYTHING proves that you’re never too old to make your life into what you want it to be. Told through the dual POVs of Kate (the runner) and, surprisingly, Vince (the wanker husband) this book followed Kate finding her own life and love of life and Vince figuring out how to be a successful adult without the wife he’s been taking advantage of.

I truly enjoyed both characters, with Vince’s story and unexpected (but much appreciated) bonus– it was very vindicating to follow Vince realize how much he depended on Kate and, eventually, mature into a considerate person. This was a delightful and light read, I only wish the book had been longer to really wrap up the stories in a meaningful and purposeful way.

*I received a copy of this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this opportunity*

Ginny Masters and Jacqueline Potter, two hotel managers, make the decision to “swap jobs” for sixty days. Ginny leaves her bustling (and unfulfilling) life running a boutique Seattle hotel for Jacqueline’s family fishing lodge and Jacqueline gleefully trades in her never-been-touched waders for her high heels at the promise of a glistening city life. Over the course of a month, Ginny discovers a new part of herself– one that enjoys learning to fish and watching the stars, and slowly finds herself falling in love not only with the handsome guide but also the serenity of Idaho. Jacqueline, on the other hand, flounders spectacularly.

Told in dual perspectives JUST FOR THE SUMMER is one of those books brimming with possibility that just falls a little flat. While I loved Ginny’s story of finding personal happiness and new chapters– Jacqueline was not it for me. She was abrasive, annoying, manipulative, and self centered, with ALL of her character growth occurring in the last few chapters at an unrealistic speed. Some characters, in my humble opinion, are not worth redemption– or at least unearned redemption.

Additionally, this book took an unexpected turn at about the 67% mark into Christian Fiction. Which is fine, and on further investigation seems to be the author’s wheelhouse, but nothing in the story leading up to the moment made me think this was a religious romance.

All in all, JUST FOR THE SUMMER probably won’t be my favorite summer read– but it was a fun story regardless.

*I received a copy of this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this opportunity*

Romina Tempest is, decidedly, doing alright. Sure, love isn’t exactly in the air for her, but it is for her Flower Fortunes customers– and that’s good enough, right? Okay, maybe the loss of her family’s long held business was a tough pill to swallow, but she likes the new owner, Trevor, and he lets her and her sister’s essentially still in the shop. And fine, their attempt at expanding the business backfired when they declined the inspection, but everyone has setbacks. Right?

However, when the opportunity to hit a few birds with one stone presents itself– Romina unintentionally finds herself twisted up in a fake dating scheme, while trying to avoid her new “boyfriend’s” stepbrother… her first love and greatest heartbreak.

OLD FLAMES AND NEW FORTUNES is an utterly charming romance (hopefully the first in a new series!) featuring some trope classics: fake dating, second chance, found family, and (unfortunately) miscommunication. This book has garnered mixed reviews– and I can understand why it may not be everyone’s cup of tea. But I thought the hilarious (and admittedly sometimes overwhelmingly) cast of characters, the steamy banter between Romina and Alex, and (yes) even the hotly contested secret made for a fun and heartwarming story about true love and self growth.

*I received a copy of this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this opportunity*

Pack your bags (and your bicycle helmet) because this utterly charming cozy mystery will take you all around some of the most beautiful parts of the French countryside! Be prepared to stop for: croissants, historical features, and an unexpected murder (or two). I loved everything about this book (not just the sumptuous descriptions of French food), the main character was clever without being pompous, the murders were intriguing and kept me guessing the entire book, and the cast of characters were exceptional!

If you're craving a European vacation without the budget, and also don't mind a little mystery thrown in, THE CYCLIST'S GUIDE TO CRIME & CROISSANTS is the perfect choice!

*I received a copy of this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this opportunity*

In the second installment of the Lady Librarian Mystery series, our heroine Miss Tiffany Woodall-- no longer forced to dress and act as her older brother-- literally stumbles across a the body of someone familiar dumped right outside her cottage. Forced once again to solve a mystery to clear her own name (and the name of those she's fond of), Tiffany has to balance her growing responsibilities as librarian for the Duchess of Beaufort and her deepening affection for a certain Mr. Samir Lathrop with the mystery at hand.

I loved the first book of this series, and there was so much I loved about its sequel! Set in the 1700s, I particularly appreciated Tiffany's desire to explore more traditional female roles. (Here me out! I promise I'm not anti-feminism!) While I am 250% for female representation in all types of roles and forms of media, it was nice to read about a character that wants to raise a child and (in the vein of Bridergton Season 1) who discovers more about her body throughout the story (albeit in a child-birthing manner rather than sexual) which would have been accurate for the time period. Tiffany is a different sort of female character than most written about today, and I think her desires and goals should be just as celebrated.

However, while the mystery was fun and the characters weirdly interconnected, I feel like some of the main characters strayed a little too far from their characterizations in the first book. I found myself frankly shocked at one character's secret marriage, another's blatant (and out of character) racism, and Tiffany's loss of gumption. It felt as though Larsen had an idea of how she wanted the mystery to end and, rather than working with the lovely characters she had, she twisted them to fit her needs.

While I still enjoyed the story, and the epilogue absolutely stole my heart, I found myself wishing some things had played out a little bit differently.

*I received a copy of this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this opportunity*

Edit:

Please see below for my initial review of this book.

So, I ended up returning to WEST HEART KILL but via audiobook. And, while listening to this book was definitely a superior experience, I'm still not sure I'm the target audience for this book. It's clever, well written, and thoroughly researched (I think I learned more about the mystery genre than I ever expected to learn)... there was something smarmy about the book that I couldn't get past.

I stand by my initial statement that you will either LOVE or hate this book, unfortunately I fall into the latter group.

.

The publisher has advertised this book as a unique take on the mystery genre, and from page one WEST HEART KILL delivers. With a biting, and arguably omniscient narrator, McDorman has created a voice of his own in the mystery genre and, I’m sure, a strong following already.

Unfortunately, I will not be rating this book because I was not the target audience. From the very beginning, this book seemed more suited to be a screenplay or audiobook and I personally found it difficult to follow at the best of times.

However, if you enjoy unique narrative styles and a mystery– I encourage you to read a sample of this book and decide for yourself whether or not this book is intriguing!

*I received a copy of this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this opportunity*

After Amy Cameron (a.cameron) accidentally receives an email intended for wildlife photographer Cameron (cameron.a), a friendship blossoms through email as Amy works to become the person she’s presented herself as to her new penpal.

This book was charming and full of heart, as well as home to a host of lovely characters (and some marvelous cats). This book primarily focuses on Amy’s journey– developing her life by finding new friends, creating an exciting new work venture, and tentatively picking up her dusty violin again. And while I understand why the publishing company is marketing this as a romance (there’s a lot of us romance readers out there, after all), THE TYPO is much more than that. I would argue it belongs in the Women’s Fiction genre, with the majority of the romance taking place in the last 91% of the book.

The biggest issue with the book for me is the dialogue. The author has a beautiful writing style, but a handful of the conversations felt… off. They were oddly formal and sprinkled with words not many people drop into normal conversation (especially in the context of these particular conversations). I was disappointed, mostly because these dialogues broke the immersion of reading.

I was also desperate for some chapters from Cameron’s POV. And, yes, this might have spoiled the author’s ~surprise~ at the end, it would have given the story and romance a much needed depth. I feel like I know nothing about Cameron as a person, nor how Amy and him could conceivably work as a couple.

All that said, THE TYPO was a fun and unique read!