Month: June 2024

Veridian Sterling Fakes It by Jennifer Gooch Hummer | Book Review

Posted June 27, 2024 by Jana in Adult Fiction, Book Review / 0 Comments

Veridian Sterling Fakes It by Jennifer Gooch Hummer | Book ReviewVeridian Sterling Fakes It by Jennifer Gooch Hummer
Published by Lake Union Publishing on July 2, 2024
Genres: Women's Fiction
Pages: 252
Format: Paperback
Source: Publisher
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Freshly graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design, Veridian Sterling is ready to hang her work in any of the countless New York galleries that are sure to give her a show. The problem is only one will, and they’re not interested in her art so much as her personal assistant skills.

No glitz, no glam, and definitely none of the money she needs to help her struggling mother finally realize her dream of starting her own business after having sacrificed everything for Veri to go to art school. So when she overhears her new boss discussing the impressive finder’s fee for a lost Van Gogh, Veri takes matters into her own hands. Maybe her own artwork isn’t celebrated, but she knows how to copy what is, and maybe those skills can help lead to a discovery.

But when a famous art dealer takes her under his wing (and his charming driver takes her interest), Veri realizes she’s in deeper than she expected, and quite possibly with the wrong people. With her mother’s dreams and her own future at stake, Veri will have to pull out every trick she can think of to wipe her canvas clean and erase the mess she’s created before she goes down for someone else’s crimes.

I just finished binging the complete TV series of White Collar before accepting this book for review, and I was still on my art heist kick. I love art so much. I was an art history minor in undergrad, and I love books dealing with art and artists and art lovers. Veridian Sterling Fakes It sounded like THE perfect book for me and I thought for sure I was going to love it! Unfortunately, it didn’t work out for me the way I had hoped. As always, my main points are bolded.

1. First of all, I don’t think book knows what genre it’s supposed to be. It’s not a mystery. The part that I’m assuming is the mystery part was a secondary plot line for about half the book, and it wasn’t very interesting. There’s no case that needs solving, and whatever information that is revealed is not because someone discovers it. It’s because someone is told something. But most of those somethings don’t really matter or do anything for the plot, so I didn’t see the point. It’s not a thriller or suspense novel because the book doesn’t have any suspenseful moments or an exciting climax. Most of the story is very slice of life, with not a lot happening. It’s a relatively short book, but it still took me a long time to read it because it never grabbed me. It’s not a romance, but there is some flirting (nothing comes of said flirting). Veridian acts like a teenager, so it doesn’t feel like women’s fiction. It’s not crime fiction because there’s not really a crime here. Veridian keeps freaking out about being a criminal, but she’s not. I can tell I was supposed to be worried about Veridian, but nothing was written in a way that made me think Veridian even cared what happened to her.

2. The events in this book are a series of convenient coincidences that had nothing to do with the characters written. Nobody really did anything, including Veridian. She walked around with a pipe in her mouth (that she didn’t smoke, just had fun holding it there like a snowman), went to work, talked to people, and painted sometimes. Veridian’s life unfolds as though there was a checklist that needed to be completed, without any character development or story building put forth to make anyone understand why Veridian’s life is on the path that it is.

3. These characters are all extremely unlikable. Veridian’s (nicknamed Veri, which bugged me for some reason) character lacks any real substance. She’s quirky and different, but it doesn’t feel natural. It felt like she was trying unreasonably hard to be unique. Her reactions to the book’s issues were identical no matter the severity of the issue, which made me feel like she either had no clue what was going on or she didn’t care. There’s no critical thinking going on in that brain of hers. Then you’ve got her best friend, who was so overly unrealistic that she seemed like a cartoon character. Veridian’s boss was a bad Miranda Priestly knock-off. Then there’s the British driver and the rich, “scary” art forgeries dude and both of them were caricatures. Veridian’s mom had the most personality of anyone here, and that’s not saying much. Everyone is either over the top or background noise.

4. Are the stakes in the room with us? What are we concerned about? Is Veridian being dramatic, or did she actually do something wrong? Nothing about the ramifications of Veridian’s actions was ever clear, so I just didn’t care. She reads something on her boss’s computer screen and sells that information. Said information does not require any kind of security clearance to view or share with others. So she’s a nosey opportunist. She pays a ton of money for a man to get her a passport ASAP and the reader is led to believe that this is dangerous and illegal when, in reality, the passport is real and she just paid some guy who knows some guy at the passport office who can process things much faster when financially motivated. All the stakes that are supposed to be high end up never being high. I quit caring because I knew the next “issue” would turn out to be another non-issue.

5. The ending was incredibly frustrating. I slogged through this book because I was curious how things would end up for Veridian. And… it all fell so flat. The mystery, if you can call it that, didn’t matter one bit. Again, Veridian had nothing to do with the book’s resolution. Everything tied itself up in a loose, sloppy bow on its own. Just like all the issues she encountered fell into her lap, so did the resolutions. She literally just sat there and watched the entire book happen to her.

6. I did love the glimpses of life in New York City and I wanted to go back the whole time I was reading. I also enjoyed all the art talk and the passion for beautiful paintings. The art forgery world was quite interesting.

All in all, this was a disappointment. Veridian is no Neal Caffrey. She’s incredibly forgettable. The idea for the story was there, but the execution was lacking. I wish more time had been spent making this the exciting, thrilling story the book pitches itself it be. As it stands, the back cover synopsis is the most interesting part of the book for me.


Top Ten Most Anticipated Books Releasing During the Second Half of 2024

Posted June 24, 2024 by Jana in Top Ten Tuesday / 42 Comments

Welcome to another TTT! Can you believe the year is nearly half over already? I swear it was just yesterday we were watching the ball drop in Times Square. This week I’m sharing my most anticipated book releases coming out in July-December of 2024. There are MANY, so it’s going to be hard to narrow this down to only ten!

1. Haunted Ever After by Jen DeLuca (August 13, 2024)

It’s love at first haunting in a seaside town that raises everyone’s spirits in this new series from Jen DeLuca.

Small Florida coastal towns often find themselves scrambling for the tourism dollars that the Orlando theme parks leave behind. And within the town limits of Boneyard Key, the residents decided long ago to lean into its ghostliness. Nick Royer, owner of the Hallowed Grounds coffee shop, embraces the ghost tourism that keeps the local economy afloat, as well as his spectral roommate. At least he doesn’t have to run air-conditioning.

Cassie Rutherford possibly overreacted to all her friends getting married and having kids by leaving Orlando and buying a flipped historic cottage in Boneyard Key. Though there’s something unusual with her new home (her laptop won’t charge in any outlets, and the poetry magnets on her fridge definitely didn’t read “WRONG” and “MY HOUSE” when she put them up), she’s charmed by the colorful history surrounding her. And she’s catching a certain vibe from the grumpy coffee shop owner whenever he slips her a free slice of banana bread along with her coffee order.

As Nick takes her on a ghost tour, sharing town gossip that tourists don’t get to hear, and they spend nights side-by-side looking into the former owners of her haunted cottage, their connection solidifies into something very real and enticing. But Cassie’s worried she’s in too deep with this whole (haunted) home ownership thing…and Nick’s afraid to get too close in case Cassie gets scared away for good.

2. Holding Out for a Gyro by Mary Ann Marlowe (August 19, 2024)

When it comes to love, it’s all Greek to her…in this delightfully funny and lively romantic comedy that’s bound to be a hit for fans of Kate Clayborn or Lynn Painter.

If you’re really lucky, you have a best friend who pushes you to do the stuff that scares you. We have this whole thing where we challenge each other to take some (calculated) risks and do everything we’re terrified to do. Of course, when you avoid love at all costs, that means doing the being vulnerable.

So for one night, I’m going to be completely and brutally real about who I am…to a complete stranger, whose mischievous and ridiculously dark eyes promise all kinds of trouble. I’ll open the darkest corners of my soul to him. I’ll admit I run from love. That I believe in mind-blowing sex, not soul mates. Hell, I’ll even tell him why.

The problem is that instead of running screaming—the way I (and any level-headed commitment-phobe) would—the hot Greek guy is actually intrigued. I shouldn’t want to kiss him. I shouldn’t want more.

But I do.

It was just supposed to be a one-off thing. Bare my soul, flee at the stroke of midnight, and never see him again. But FML, I just discovered he’s the genius chef at my favorite organic kitchen and is single-handedly responsible for keeping me, and my stomach, so happy these past few months.

He’s the perfect Greek hero.

The only problem is that when it comes to romance…I might be the perfect villain.

3. The Booklover’s Library by Madeline Martin (September 3, 2024)

A heartwarming story about a mother and daughter in wartime England and the power of the books that bring them together

In Nottingham, England, widow Emma Taylor finds herself in desperate need of a job to provide for herself and her beloved daughter, Olivia. But with the legal restrictions prohibiting widows with children from most employment opportunities, she’s left with only one option: persuading the manageress at Boots’ Booklover’s Library to take a chance on her.

When the threat of war becomes a reality, Olivia must be evacuated to the countryside. In her daughter’s absence, Emma seeks solace in the unlikely friendships she forms with her neighbors and coworkers, as well as the recommendations she provides to the library’s quirky regulars. But the job doesn’t come without its difficulties. Books are mysteriously misshelved and disappearing, and her work forces her to confront the memories of her late father and the bookstore they once owned together before a terrible accident.

As the Blitz intensifies in Nottingham and Emma fights to reunite with her daughter, she must learn to depend on her community and the power of literature more than ever to find hope in the darkest of times.

4. Caribbean Crush by R.S. Grey (September 3, 2024)

Casey Hughes is a struggling travel journalist desperate for a big break when she lands the assignment of a hop on board Aurelia for its maiden voyage through paradise. While she’ll bask in the luxury cruise ship’s fine dining and complimentary spa treatments, her real mission is to snag an exclusive interview with Phillip Woodmont.

Casey and the elusive shipping heir have history. Once, they were nothing short of brutal enemies. Though the former brace-faced teen is now a suited-up CEO with devastating good looks, he makes it clear to Casey that he has no interest in forgetting their past.

The volatile grudge between them is as explosive as ever. More than once Casey is tempted to toss Phillip overboard, but for her work, she’ll have to swallow her pride. If it’s an apology he’s after, she’ll serve it up on a silver platter. If he wants her to walk the plank, she’ll salute with an aye, aye, Captain.

Casey can’t let him provoke her. She needs this interview. So if Phillip wants to play dirty, Casey will just have to play dirtier.

5. The Christmas You Found Me by Sarah Morgenthaler (September 24, 2024)

Sarah Morgenthaler is back with a heart-mending contemporary romance featuring a single dad you’ll fall for; a satisfying slow burn love affair; found family you’ll root for; small town holiday magic; and all the quirky animals and snowy rustic scenes your heart desires.

Sienna Naples’s family has taken care of their wild Idaho land for generations and Sienna can’t imagine any other life. But at Christmastime, with her parents gone and her painful marriage finally over, it’s full of memories…and incredibly lonely. Until a tall, handsome stranger and a little girl walk into her life and suddenly the holidays are alive again.

When single father Guy Maple shows up as the result of an ad meant to be a joke, the handsome Montana construction worker isn’t joking. Money is tight this Christmas, and Guy’s four-year-old daughter Emma has stage-five chronic kidney disease. She needs a kidney transplant, but if Guy can’t prove that he can afford Emma’s anti-rejection medications, his daughter isn’t going to stay on the transplant list. Guy’s willing to do anything, including marrying a stranger, to keep her safe. It’s an impulsive marriage of convenience, and Sienna knows this isn’t real, no matter how much she adores Emma, how well Guy fits in to the ranching life—or how much light and laughter is coming into their lives as a result. But the more time she spends with her new family, the more she fears losing the fragile, feisty little girl and the kind, devoted, hard-working, incredibly attractive man who is her husband—but is it only in name?

6. A Fire in the Sky by Sophie Jordan (September 24, 2024)

Dragons are extinct. Witches are outcast. Magic is dying.

But human lust for power is immortal.

Dragon fire no longer blisters the skies over Penterra, but inside the lavish palace, life is still perilous…especially for Tamsyn. Raised in the glittering court alongside the princesses, it’s her duty to be punished for their misdeeds. Treated as part of the royal family but also as the lowliest servant, Tamsyn fits nowhere. Her only friend is Stig, Captain of the Guard…though sometimes she thinks he wants more than friendship.

When Fell, the Beast of the Borderlands, descends on her home, Tamsyn’s world becomes even more dangerous. To save the pampered princesses from a fate worse than death, she is commanded to don a veil and marry the brutal warrior. She agrees to the deception even though it means leaving Stig, and the only life she’s ever known, behind.

The wedding night begins with unexpected passion—and ends in near violence when her trickery is exposed. Rather than start a war, Fell accepts Tamsyn as his bride…but can he accept the dark secrets she harbors—secrets buried so deep even she doesn’t know they exist? For Tamsyn is more than a royal whipping girl, more than the false wife of a man who now sees her as his enemy. And when those secrets emerge, they will ignite a flame bright enough to burn the entire kingdom to the bone.

Magic is not dead…it is only sleeping. And it will take one ordinary girl with an extraordinary destiny to awaken it.

7. Love You a Latke by Amanda Elliot (Oct0ber 8, 2024)

Love comes home for the challah-days in this sparkling romance.

Snow is falling, holiday lights are twinkling, and Abby Cohen is pissed. For one thing, her most annoying customer, Seth, has been coming into her café every morning with his sunshiny attitude, determined to break down her carefully constructed emotional walls. And, as the only Jew on the tourism board of her Vermont town, Abby’s been charged with planning their fledgling Hanukkah festival. Unfortunately, the local vendors don’t understand that the story of Hanukkah cannot be told with light-up plastic figures from the Nativity scene, even if the Three Wise Men wear yarmulkes.

Desperate for support, Abby puts out a call for help online and discovers she was wrong about being the only Jew within a hundred miles. There’s one other: Seth.

As it turns out, Seth’s parents have been badgering him to bring a Nice Jewish Girlfriend home to New York City for Hanukkah, and if Abby can survive his incessant, irritatingly handsome smiles, he’ll introduce her to all the vendors she needs to make the festival a success. But over latkes, doughnuts, and winter adventures in Manhattan, Abby begins to realize that her fake boyfriend and his family might just be igniting a flame in her own guarded heart.

8. A Winter Wish by Emily Stone (October 15, 2024)

When an unexpected inheritance forces two total opposites to work together, Lexie must decide if Theo is going to push her out—or pull her in for the kiss of a lifetime—in this heartwarming holiday novel from the author of Always, in December and One Last Gift

When Lexie learns of her father’s death, she doesn’t know how to feel; they’ve barely spoken in the last ten years. And she’s even more confused when she discovers he’s left her half of his holiday travel company, a successful niche business specializing in trips that explore the holiday traditions of cultures all over the world.

Meanwhile, the other half of the company has been left to her father’s handsome but bad-tempered young executive, Theo. And the will stipulates that the two of them must find a way to run the company together for a year before they decide its fate.

Lexie intends to leave once the year is over, even though, as a wanderer herself, she finds the company’s mission more compelling than she first thought. And a work trip to sizzling Spain reveals a chemistry between Lexie and Theo that is impossible to deny.

There may have been some snap judgments made about each other. But mixing business and pleasure isn’t always a good idea.

9. The Serpent and the Wolf by Rebecca Robinson (November 19, 2024)

All her life, Vaasa Kozár has been sharpened into a blade.

After losing her mother—her only remaining parent—to a mysterious dark magic that has since awakened within her, Vaasa is certain death looms. So is her merciless brother, who aims to eliminate Vaasa as a threat to his crown. In one last political scheme, he marries her off to Reid of Mireh, a ruthless foreign ruler, in hopes that he can use her death as a rallying cry to finally invade Reid’s nation. All Vaasa has to do is die.

But she is desperate to live. Vaasa enters her new marriage with every intent to escape it, wielding the hard-won political prowess and combat abilities her late father instilled in her. But to her surprise, Reid offers her a deal: help him win the votes to rise in power, and she can walk free. In exchange, he will share his knowledge about the dark magic running through her veins—and help keep it at bay.

This proposal may be too good to refuse, yet Vaasa and Reid’s undeniable attraction threatens to break the rules of their arrangement. As her brother’s lethal machinations take form, everything is at stake: Vaasa must learn to trust her new husband, but how can she, especially when their perfect political marriage begins to feel like the real thing?

10. The Half King by Melissa Landers (November 19, 2024)

Beauty and the Beast meets The Sandman in this all-new, scorching-hot NA fantasy from Melissa Landers, in a world where the every first born child of the noble houses bears a curse… and only one heretic cult might hold the answers to breaking them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Do we have any picks in common this week?
What 2024 releases are you excited for?


Top Ten Books on My Summer 2024 To-Read List

Posted June 17, 2024 by Jana in Top Ten Tuesday / 36 Comments

Welcome to another TTT! Before I get into this week’s list, I wanted to thank those who gifted me a book from my wish list last week! Thank you so, so much to Lillian @ Mom with a Reading Problem for Done and Dusted, Lisa M. for Mistletoe for Felicity, Carrie @ Reading is My Super Power for Just Forever Friends, and R for The One With the Kiss Cam and My Lucky Charm! I sent you thank you notes through Amazon or commented on your blogs and hope you know how much your kindness means to me! I’ve been passing a kidney stone (and it just passed seriously 10 minutes ago–finally!!) and you all brought me so much sunshine and love during a very painful week! So thank you again!

This week’s topic is Top Ten Books on My Summer 2024 To-Read List! I know I say this every single time we do one of these seasonal TBRs, but I both love and hate these lists. lol. I love picking out everything I am exited to read over the next few months, but I also feel so guilty for never sticking to the list. LOL. Mood reader for life! I might be able to read at least a few of these, though! I love reading contemporary romances featuring travel or beaches during the summer, along with the occasional mystery/thriller. Maybe it’s because I tend to travel myself in the summer or want to cool off with a chilling read, but I really love these kinds of books this time of year.

1. Summer Ever After by Kortney Keisel

I’m actually excited about this entire collaborative Falling for Summer series! Some of my favorite authors are releasing a new book every week or so through July, and I want to read all of them! This first one just came out last week! They’re all going to be available through Kindle Unlimited, too.

Falling in love is easy. Finding the right guy to spend happily ever after with… that’s the hard part. 

But I have a foolproof plan. I’m taking the tropes that work in romance books and applying them to my love life.

Only one bed? Never fails.

Caring for someone when they’re sick? A classic.

“Who did this to you?” Seals the deal every single time.

So long, loneliness. Don’t let the door hit you on the way out.

But the more I try to force romance, the more feelings naturally progress with the one man who’s off limits: Walker Collins, the guy I’ve had a secret crush on since 7th grade, not to mention my best friend’s older brother.

Dating Walker crosses BFF lines I swore I’d never cross. Plus, he hates Sunset Harbor, and his pro golf career will take him off the island as fast as he came, sending me back to the land of singlehood, loneliness, and broken hearts.

At the end of the day, I don’t want to be the fool in my foolproof plan.

2. Adam & Evie’s Matchmaking Tour by Nora Nguyen

What’s a few weeks to a lifetime of promise?

Evie Lang’s life is in shambles. On the heels of losing her beloved aunt, she’s unceremoniously fired from her poetry professorship by her secret boyfriend. Lacking income and inspiration, she’s stuck in Ohio with no idea how to move forward—until hope arrives in a surprising letter.

Auntie Hảo left Evie the deed to her San Francisco row house, a place full of Evie’s happiest memories. The catch? To inherit, she must go on a pre-arranged matchmaking tour in Việt Nam. The last thing Evie wants is to spend time with a group of strangers looking for love. But she can’t resist the chance to finally visit her family’s native home.

A world away, Adam Quyền has a chip on his shoulder. He’s working around the clock as CMO for his sister’s elite matchmaking business, a job complicated by her insistence that he knows nothing about love. He’s desperate to prove himself, so when she challenges him to join the inaugural tour, he reluctantly agrees.

Adam thinks Evie is chaotic and unpredictable. Evie thinks Adam is grumpy and uptight. But from the bustling streets of Hồ Chí Minh City to the soaring waterfalls in Đà Lạt, they keep getting thrown together, their animosity charged with attraction…and they discover that true love may be out there, if they are willing to take a leap.

Two stubborn hearts, one whirlwind adventure, Adam & Evie’s Matchmaking Tour is a story of how loving (and living) bravely can lead you to the most unexpected places—and the most imperfectly perfect loves.

3. Savor It by Tarah DeWitt

Summer won’t last forever.

Sage Byrd has lived in the coastal town of Spunes, Oregon (not to be confused with Forks, Washington) her entire life. She’s learned to love her small world, with the misfit animals on her hobby farm, and her friendships with the town’s inhabitants. But when her 5-year relationship ends and her ex, town-golden-boy Ian, suddenly gets engaged, Sage needs a win―something that will convince everyone to stop pitying her all the time, and to put Ian in his place. The Festival of Spunes, the town’s annual summer competition, would be the perfect opportunity. She just needs a partner.

Fisher Lange was a hotshot chef in New York City until the loss of his sister left him numb, grieving, and responsible for his teenage niece Indy. When Fisher loses his Michelin star along with his love of cooking, his boss sends him and Indy to Spunes on a much-needed summer sabbatical to consult on a restaurant opening. But when clashes with the townspeople threaten his last chance to redeem himself and a kiss with his new neighbor Sage leads to dating rumors, a strategic alliance might just be the best way to turn things around.

A deal is struck. Sage will improve Fisher’s image in the eyes of the town and remove the roadblocks he is facing with the restaurant, and Fisher will be Sage’s partner for the competition. But as their pact quickly turns into steamy rendezvous, emotional wounds begin to heal, and the pair tries to savor every moment, they start to realize that summer is racing by much faster than they would like…

Filled with spicy summer fun, small-town charm, and Big Feelings, this highly anticipated romcom is Tarah DeWitt’s best yet.

4. Fake Flame by Adele Buck

In this fun, fast-paced romantic comedy, a bookish firefighter who knows his Jane Austen suggests a little fake dating to fend off an ex. What’s a feminist English professor to do—except say yes…

You can’t fake heat like this…

To an observer, hauling a baby grand piano onto a college quad to publicly serenade an ex might seem like a romantic gesture. To literature professor Eva Campbell, it’s the latest manipulative move by a cheating jerk who won’t take a hint. Plus, she never liked that song anyway.

Setting the piano on fire  might  be an overreaction, but Eva’s at the end of her rope, at least until hot young firefighter Sean Hannigan talks her down. And that’s not all Sean does. Soon he’s offering to be Eva’s fake boyfriend to get her creepy ex off her back. Unexpected, maybe, but there’s something about Sean—beyond the angelic face and take-me-now body—that makes Eva say yes.

Sean battles infernos for a living, reads romance on the side and is a straight-up, family-loving good guy. Eva’s not sure she’s ready for the danger he poses to her jaded heart. Given their differences, a relationship can’t last, right? But the line between fake and real keeps blurring, daring her to take the biggest risk of all…

From showing up to glowing up, these characters are on the path to leading their best lives and finding sizzling romance along the way.

5. Caribbean Crush by R.S. Grey

Set sail with USA Today bestselling author R.S. Grey in this sizzling romance between old rivals who reunite on a cruise ship, only to discover that they want much more than just another competition.

Casey Hughes is a struggling travel journalist desperate for a big break when she lands the assignment of a hop on board Aurelia for its maiden voyage through paradise. While she’ll bask in the luxury cruise ship’s fine dining and complimentary spa treatments, her real mission is to snag an exclusive interview with Phillip Woodmont.

Casey and the elusive shipping heir have history. Once, they were nothing short of brutal enemies. Though the former brace-faced teen is now a suited-up CEO with devastating good looks, he makes it clear to Casey that he has no interest in forgetting their past.

The volatile grudge between them is as explosive as ever. More than once Casey is tempted to toss Phillip overboard, but for her work, she’ll have to swallow her pride. If it’s an apology he’s after, she’ll serve it up on a silver platter. If he wants her to walk the plank, she’ll salute with an aye, aye, Captain.

Casey can’t let him provoke her. She needs this interview. So if Phillip wants to play dirty, Casey will just have to play dirtier.

6. Love in Tandem by Becca Kinzer

She’s perfectly content leading a quiet life in her small hometown. He’s an adventurer with unquenchable wanderlust. The two couldn’t be any more opposite if they tried. But a tandem bicycle and a 500-mile road trip just might change all that.

After a failed engagement and her mother’s battle with cancer, Charlotte Carter’s life is finally turning around now that she’s landed a dream job teaching music. What she didn’t see coming was the imminent closure of the school’s music program. She’s determined to save it, even if it means getting creative. There’s no way she’s chalking this up as just another failure in her book of recent embarrassments.

Zach Bryant is back in town just long enough to see his brother Ben get married and then he’s off traveling the world again. He never imagined he’d run into Charlotte Carter, his brother’s ex-fiancé, or that everyone would believe he and Charlotte are an item. He certainly didn’t dream he’d end up riding a tandem bicycle hundreds of miles with her in an attempt to raise funds for a defunct music program, but how can he say no when the prize money would help him out of his financial predicament too?

Charlotte is sure she can set aside her differences with Zach long enough to cross the finish line and win the giant cash prize . . . can’t she? A few hundred miles in, she’s questioning her deeply held assumptions about Zach and wondering if maybe tandem biking is only the start of their biggest adventure yet.

7. How to Honeymoon Alone by Olivia Hayle

A paradise island. Two strangers. The attraction they never saw coming…

When Eden dumped her cheating ex before the wedding, the last thing she expected was to go on their tropical honeymoon alone. But with no refunds possible, she packs her budget guidebook and broken heart, and sets off.

She plans to relax on the beach, swim in the ocean, and drink cocktails until she feels like herself again… or falls over. Whichever comes first. What she’s not expecting is the brusque, handsome stranger who sits down at her table on the first night.

Philip Meyer is a grumpy workaholic, and so irritatingly cynical that it makes her forget she’s grieving just to prove him wrong about the world. The two have nothing in common… except trying to forget who they’ve left behind.

The luxury resort isn’t too big, and fate soon pushes them together again. And again. Catamaran cruises and midnight swims give way to late night room service and whispered nothings. Maybe opposites really do attract.

But every vacation has to end, even the very best ones… Can these two opposites make it last?

8. Seven Rules for Breaking Hearts by Kristyn J. Miller

Love breaks all the rules.

Margo Anderson is sworn off commitment. Alongside her best friend, Jo, she runs a viral podcast featuring rules for hooking up without catching feelings. So when Jo surprises her by deciding to get married and taking up a sponsor’s offer to host an all-expenses-paid wedding trip on Catalina Island, they have the whole internet to answer to.

In a scramble for content to appease their disappointed listeners, Margo cooks up a social experiment: Break all her own dating rules, just to prove that it’s a bad idea. And she’s found the best man for the job in the groom’s best friend and her old high school nemesis, Declan Walsh. He may be easier on the eyes than Margo remembered, but he’s sure to be as smug and annoying as he was before—there is no chance Margo will ever catch feelings for him . . . until she does.

The more time they spend together through cake tastings and wedding party activities, the more Margo can’t ignore their obvious spark, and she may actually be enjoying getting to know Declan. But can she let go of the rules to let him in?

9. Sweet Summer Nights by Anne Kemp

I friend-zoned Wyatt Hogan years ago…But this Fourth of July brings fireworks!

It’s been a few years since I left my hometown, but somehow Lake Lorelei and my closest friend Wyatt have become even more gorgeous.

He’s a fireman now?! That’s going to come in handy with all the sparks flying between us.

Wait…

It’s Wyatt. There are good reasons we’ve kept love off the table. Life has served up some big decisions, and I have enough on my plate without getting side-tracked by a trusty hunk of a man who I’d let put out my fire anytime he likes – if you know what I mean.

I can’t be the ridiculous girl who falls in love with her best friend….right?

Sweet Summer Nights is a friends-to-lovers romcom with laugh out loud moments, relatable characters and a happily ever after you won’t want to miss. Fall in love with Lake Lorelei and its residents and savor the swoony, sizzling chemistry with this closed door romance!

10. My So-Called Sex Life by Lauren Blakely

One trip across Europe. Two arch enemies. And seven nights with only one bed in the room in a spicy new standalone romance from Lauren Blakely!

The last person I want to be stuck with anywhere for one night, let alone seven, is the too-sexy-for-my-own-good Axel Huxley. I tried to work with the cocky grump once upon a time, but we’re like vodka and good decisions. We don’t play well together.

Only now, our publishers are sending us on a joint book tour across Europe on an old-fashioned luxury train. And thanks to a booking snafu, I have to share a sleeper car with the man who’s made a sport of infuriating me.

You guessed it–there’s only one bed.

I’m not sure I can survive the next seven days and nights with my dangerously sexy enemy and all our fiery tension.

Which explodes one night in a desperately needed hate bang.

But the bigger plot twist is this – the more time we spend together, visiting the most romantic cities in Europe by day and discovering each other at night, the more I’m forced to face our past.

To let go of the hurt.

To see the man he’s become.

And when I do, I wonder if it’s too late to write a new happy ending for us?

So uh… did you notice I didn’t add any mysteries/thrillers? That’s because I have been striking out on them lately! Any recommendations for a really good one?

Do you find yourself reaching for a certain genre this time of year like I do? 

I am very excited to see what you’re all looking forward to reading and hope to find lots of books to add to my TBR!


Top Ten Books On My Birthday Wishlist

Posted June 10, 2024 by Jana in Top Ten Tuesday / 7 Comments

Welcome to another TTT! This week’s topic, Bookish Wishes, is a popular one and one I host twice a year (around Christmas and again in June)! List the top 10 books you’d love to own and include a link to your wishlist so that people can grant your wishes. Make sure you link your wishlist to your mailing address or include the email address associated with your e-reader in the list description so people know how to get the book to you. After you post, jump around the Linky and grant a wish or two if you’d like. Please don’t feel obligated to send anything to anyone! I love hosting this topic in June because it coincides with my birthday, which is next week, as well as with the secret Santa gift exchange I host: Christmas In July! Sign-ups are currently open, so if you’re interested in spreading some festive cheer this summer click on the #giftmasinjuly hashtag on the top menu bar of my blog for more information!

 

Sugar Daddy by Lisa Kleypas
Just Friends Forever by Martha Keyes
One Last Shot by Betty Cayouette
The One with the Kiss Cam by Cindy Steel
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
Mixed Signals by B.K. Borison
The Only One Left by Riley Sager
Home for Christmas by Courtney Cole
Mistletoe for Felicity by Sally Britton
Love, Loss, and Pasta Sauce by Stephanie Taylor

Here’s the link to my full wish list, which includes everything I mentioned here and more!
I’d be so happy to receive any of them.

Which book are you wishing for the most right now?
Did you have a wish granted? Come let me know if someone surprised you!


2024 Christmas In July Event Info & Sign-ups

Posted June 7, 2024 by Jana in Blog Event / 2 Comments

Hi everyone! Santa is on the beach sipping fruit punch and working on his tan, so he has enlisted his helpers once again to help spread a little Christmas cheer this summer! Please read this post carefully!

This biggest piece of new information is that this year there will be a private, hidden Facebook group (open only to those participating) for this event! I wanted to give people another option for chatting with participants since Twitter (I refuse to call it X) doesn’t feel as safe as it used to for many of us. The hashtag will still be in use over there, and I’ll be hopping back and forth cross posting so I can still reach everyone. Feel free to do the same! You’ll be able to join with your blog/business page, your personal page, or you can even make a new account just for joining this group if you want to keep your online and personal lives separate. Anonymous posting will also be enabled for optimal stealthiness. I’ll do my best to pair you up with people who plan to be in the same place you are. I’m super excited about this, and think it’ll be such a fun place to hang out! This is the same group we used for Broke & Bookish Secret Santa last October.

Below you will find all event info, including the rules for the exchange, sign up directions, and a questionnaire so the person shopping for you can get to know you better.

THE DETAILS:

  • Sign-ups will close at 11:59 PM EDT on June 19th and I will be sending matches out on June 20th.
  • This event is open to residents of the USA ONLY. #TBTBSanta will be back to sign up for this October, and will be open internationally like always.
  • You must be 18 years old or older to participate.
  • Please only sign up if you are committed to sending your gift(s) so they arrive on time.
  • What you sign up to send is what you will receive. I will be grouping people up based on gift option and monetary tier so that everything is fair.
  • Shipping does not count towards the monetary value of the gift.
  • Due to lack of interest in the lowest monetary tiers for both gift types the last three years in a row, they have been discontinued.
  • Please note that this is not a swap. The person who will be sending to you is not the same person you will be sending to.
  • I can’t ensure that you will not be assigned to send someone you’ve sent to before, or someone you’ve been paired with in other swaps/gift-giving events.
  • The event hashtag is #GiftmasInJuly. Please use it lots because the friendships that form around events like these are the best!
  • If you and I don’t know each other, please reach out to me and introduce yourself. Follow me on Twitter so you can keep up with event updates. I like to know the people who are participating!
  • I will not be putting a cap on the number of people who can participate.

If you have any questions or concerns before or during this process, please reach out! You can simply write to ChristmasInJulyExchange@gmail.com and I’ll get back you as soon as possible.

GIFT OPTIONS AND MONETARY TIERS:

Sprinkle: A sprinkling of gifts that arrive randomly throughout the month! This option includes both digital items (ebooks, audiobooks, PDF craft patterns, gift cards, etc.) and physical items shipped directly from retailers. Please ensure you reveal yourself in some way (a snail mail card, email, e-gift note, etc.) when you’re finished sending gifts so your recipient knows they have gotten everything and who to thank!

  • Sprinkle 1: $20-$25 (excluding any shipping costs) Due to lack of interest, this gift option is no longer available.
  • Sprinkle 2: $30+ (excluding any shipping costs)

Curated Box: This gift is a traditional, curated box (like TBTBSanta). You put together a physical box of goodies (along with a note to reveal yourself), preferably wrapped, and send it directly to your recipient.

  • Box 1: $20-$25 (excluding any shipping costs)
  • Box 2: $30+ (excluding any shipping costs)

Both gift options are wonderful and have their own perks, so choose whichever one works best for you!

SIGNING UP:

Please send the following completed questionnaire to ChristmasInJulyExchange@gmail.com. The more detailed you are, the easier it will be for your Santa to spoil you! Please do not send your answers as an attachment. Instead, please paste your answers directly into the body of your sign-up email. If you send in an incomplete questionnaire, I will reply and ask you to re-submit.

1. Gift Option and Monetary Tier Selection:

b. Sprinkle 2: $30+ (excluding any shipping costs)
c. Curated Box 1: $20-$25 (excluding any shipping costs)
d Curated Box 2: $30+ (excluding any shipping costs)

2. Do you live in the USA?
Yes
No

3. Are you 18 years old or older?
Yes
No

4. Name and mailing address:

5. Email address (This is where your digital gifts will be sent. If you have signed up for a curated box and would rather not receive digital items, you may type N/A here. Sometimes people enjoy sending ebooks in addition to the curated box, though, so you might want to include an email address anyway.):

6. Are you planning to be active on the #GiftmasInJuly hashtag on Twitter/X during this event? If so, please share your handle. (If you answer no, you will still be allowed to participate. This is just info for your Santa.)

7. Will you be joining the private Facebook group for this event? If so, please write the name you will be joining with. (This is also not required, but I really encourage you to be active in at least one of these places because it’s more fun! You can join this group with your blog’s Facebook page or your personal account. You can also make a new account just to join this group if you want to maintain more privacy/keep your online and personal lives separate. Just let your Santa know how to determine who you are in there. Anonymous posting will be allowed, which means it’ll be easier for you to be stealthy with your questions! You can actually tag your recipient specifically if you need an answer from them and they won’t know who you are. The link to the group will be included in the confirmation email I’ll send you when your questionnaire is received.)

8. Where else can you be found online? (Blog, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, etc. If you answered no to both of the above questions, where will you be posting about your gift/thanking your Santa?)

9. Your wish list(s) (Please provide links to any wish lists you have. These wish lists must remain exclusive to the Christmas In July Gift Exchange until you’ve received your gifts, or you run the risk of receiving duplicate items. Santas should not feel obligated to return anything if they discover that items from this exclusive list were purchased for them by someone else, and will be advised to send the duplicate item anyway.)

10. Discuss your digital preferences. (Do you have an e-reader? Which one? Would you enjoy getting an audiobook credit? Do you want any online subscriptions or gift memberships? If you would rather not receive digital gifts or would prefer to only receive digital gifts, please note that here.)

11. How do you practice self care?

12. What do you collect?

13. What are some of your favorite book genres/authors?

14. What won’t you read?

15. What fandoms do you belong to?

16. What are you always in need of?

17. What are your favorite things? (colors, patterns, fragrances, animals, hobbies, TV shows, movies, music, hobbies, foods/treats, etc.)

18. Do you have any allergies? What can’t you receive? (If you signed up for a curated box, this would be a great place to mention whether or not you would be ok receiving homemade food items.):

19. Share anything else your Santa needs to know about you. The more the better!

20. Please provide the contact information (twitter handle and/or email) of 1-2 buddies that your sender can contact with questions about you or information they need relayed to you. (This person does not need to know you well, they just need to be willing to be the go-between between you and the person sending to you. If you have nobody to ask, please post to the event hashtag and ask for a volunteer. If that idea makes you feel too anxious, you may put me down as your buddy and include either my twitter handle or the event email address. You don’t even have to ask me first.)

21. If you would like to sign up to receive an email notification when future Christmas in July sign-ups go live (always in May/June), please type out your preferred email address here.: (I will scan and remove duplicates from this list before emailing, so if you’re not sure whether or not you already signed up for this list it’s ok! You can ask me to remove you from this list at any point if you decide you no longer want to receive this notification, and I will promptly remove you.)

THINGS TO DO:

  • Ensure all gifts arrive to your recipient by July 31st. Use your best judgment for shipping dates, as there is no mailing deadline.
  • Once you’ve sent all of your gifts and revealed yourself (either through a gift note or a letter in the curated box you mailed), please fill out this form. If you signed up for any of the Sprinkle tiers, you can wait to fill this out as late as July 31st. Include any info you think would be helpful for me if I need to jump in and help, should any problems arise. I don’t need an itemized list or a bunch of order information unless you want to send it to me. I’m not here to monitor or judge what you send. I’m just here to make sure everything runs smoothly and be the go-between if we run into any issues. If you’re sending a curated box, a tracking number is all I need from you. Shipping delays and lost mail are not your fault. A tracking number proves you did all you could. :) If you’d rather email me a picture of your tracking number, please still fill out this form and specify you emailed me so I’ve got a record and know where to look.
  • Once you receive ALL your Christmas in July gifts, please fill out this form!
  • On August 1st, if you have not received all your gifts or know who your Santa is, please email me and I will investigate. Please understand that I will try my very best to work it out, but there is only so much I can do if someone decided to be selfish.
  • Be sure to thank your Santa in some way, whether through social media or email. Some people choose to send snail mail thank you cards, which is lovely but not required. If you have issues with the items in your gift, promptly thank your Santa and then reach out to me for help. People who do not thank their Santas will be asked to not participate in future Santa events that I host.
  • Please utilize the event hashtag #GiftmasInJuly to ask questions, post hints, share in your shopping/gifting/receiving/sending process! Show us what you got! This makes the event so much fun!

Please, please reach out to me if you need anything. I am more than happy to help you. If something comes up that causes you to be late, please email me and let me know. I don’t need to know the details if it’s personal, but communication is super important in an exchange like this. I will always be empathetic, understanding, and respectful of your privacy. If I have to chase you down to find out why your recipient did not receive what you agreed to send them, I will ask you to not sign up again (for both Christmas In July and TBTBSanta). Please don’t make me do that, because it probably causes me more pain than it does you. Exceptions will always be made if something catastrophic occurs, so if that happens please just talk to me when you are able.

GIFT GIVING GUIDELINES:

Please keep in mind that ARCs, promotional swag, and shipping DO NOT count towards the monetary value of the gift.

Due to allergies and other health concerns, please do not send homemade food items unless your recipient mentions that they would like them. Pre-packaged, store-bought foods are encouraged! Please just make sure that they are wrapped/sealed in their original wrapping/packaging from the manufacturer. Sprinkling candy into the box like confetti is fine, it just needs to be individually wrapped to protect the health of your recipient.

Be thoughtful! Don’t just throw something together from the donation pile in your home. Send something you would be happy to receive if you were your recipient. You don’t have to stick to a person’s wish list, but please pay attention to their questionnaire answers and send them things you genuinely think they would like. Please do not use this event as an opportunity to promote yourself, your book, your business, etc. The gift you give should focus on your recipient and their interests, and not on you.

Have so much fun shopping and spreading some holiday magic this summer!
Any questions? Ask in a comment below so my answers to you can help others who might be wondering the same thing. :)