Thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Dell for the gifted ARC of this book!

Sarah Adams is my go-to author for feel-good, heartwarming romance. When in Rome is another of Sarah's masterpieces: a grumpy/sunshine romance between a bubbly pop star and a grouchy pie store owner. YES. PLEASE. I loved the smalltown feel, the zips of chemistry between Amelia and Noah, and the fantastic cast of supporting characters. There was even a lil twist I didn't see coming! If you're wondering if you need this story in your life, I'll tell you right now: you do.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Griffin for the ARC!

My first accidental pregnancy trope read and dare I say I really enjoyed it! It was the perfect trope to bring Lizzie and Rake together, balancing their personalities to make a unique but sweet relationship. I love the tenderness Rake showed to Lizzie, making her feel valued, seen, and sheltered like no one had before. And of course I loved Lizzie, spunky and lively and baking erotic treats. Her ADHD was handled so well and Mazey is great at discussing mental health stigmas in ways that work well in her stories. The “found family” Lizzie has and boundaries set with her biological family were really great storylines as well, making for a compulsive read I couldn’t put down. I finished in a few hours! I will say this started off with more of a “bang” than I usually prefer, but it worked for the trope and I was held in by the plot.

Thanks to Putnam for the gifted ARC!

"Not even a margarita the size of my head could mess with me the way Seth Carson does."

Second chance romance, workplace enemies with a promotion competition, and a hilarious friend group set up Just My Type as a perfect rom com read. Falon Ballard is a master at writing swoony male main characters and creating a friend circle that will leave you amused and charmed. Lana and Seth not only work on their own baggage during their workplace competition, but Falon delivers her torturous slow burn romance as the two decide what they want for the future. The friend chat is back, but this time via a work Slack channel, and I was so thrilled to see that once again the friend/co-worker group provided some great humor for the story. I devoured this book in a day and just absolutely adored it!

Thanks to Let’s Talk Books Promo and Berkley for the copy of this book.

I’m pretty sure I had a stupid grin on my face the entire time I read this, which honestly was only a few short hours because I binged this in a day. First, obviously always here for a redhead MC. Second, the insta love was SO GOOD. Not usually a trope I’d say is a favorite, but pure perfection here. Third, the banter is amazing - so much sarcasm, great text exchanges, and absolutely delightful in-person interactions. I loved all the quirky supporting characters and the friendship + relationship built between our MCs. This was a really fun and swoony read!

Read if you like:
- Making sarcastic comments
- When the main characters make a bet
- Pride and Prejudice movie (2005)
- Insta love

The Direction of the Wind by Mansi Shah
Fiction / Historical Fiction
320 pages
Out as of February 1, 2023

Thanks to @mansishahwrites @amazonpublishing @letstalkbookspromo for the gifted copy of this book!

“The direction of the wind cannot be changed, but we can change the direction of our sails.”

Nita Shah has the perfect life in Ahmedabad, but feels like she’s living a lie. She decides to leave her family and head to Paris to be an artist, where she struggles more than she anticipates. Years later, her daughter, Sophie, discovers that her mother didn’t die when she was six - she decided to leave their family. As she goes on a search for her mother, we get flashbacks to Nita’s journey of creativity, love, lust, and drug addiction in Paris. Sophie doesn’t discover what she expects, but learns a lot about her family history, about the destruction a person’s actions can have on a family, and about herself.

Read if you like:
- multi-generational stories
- messy family drama
- dual timelines
- a sad and hopeful storyline

Thanks to Grand Central Publishing for the copy of this book!

Jessica and Nina think they see their missing sister Ruthy - now going by Ruby - on a reality TV show. Over four POVs, the three sisters and their mom, we get the story of Ruthy's disappearance in the 90s through years later when the family believes they found her again. This story is full of Puerto Rican culture, 90s references, and New York City life.

I was intrigued by the storyline centering around the problem of so many unsolved cases of missing Black and brown girls balanced with humor, but I didn’t feel like that was a super accurate description of this book. I didn’t find it humorous, and the missing person story wasn’t quite as front and center as the general family drama until the very end when they finally went to go see if they could get Ruthy back. Overall, an interesting premise.

Read if you:
- listened to Waterfalls and used to shop at Wet Seal
- love a story with a loud and crazy family
- want Puerto Rican rep in a story
- love an NYC setting

Thank you to Berkley for the copy of this ARC!

How stinkin cute is this book!? A bookworm and a fantasy author as main characters? SOLD. Kristina Forest writes really dynamic characters, and I love the entire cast that she created in The Neighbor Favor. The friendship and romance was a mix of sweet, fun, and gentle, and I thought Nick's background storyline was absolutely excellent and showed how people can change over time. The little bookish gems and fantasy references took this next-level for me. I love romance with plot, and this was a winner!

Read if you:
- want a guy who can read The Fifth Season in a day
- like You've Got Mail vibes
- enjoy books about books
- like plot with your romance