Author: Jana

The Top Ten Most Recent Additions to My Book Collection

Posted January 10, 2022 by Jana in Top Ten Tuesday / 18 Comments

Welcome to another TTT! Now that the holidays are over and you’ve had time to spend your gift cards (there have been so many sales!), what better time to share your haul? I got so many books for Christmas (and a friend gifted me an audible membership), so I’ve got lots of books to share today. I’m sharing five audiobooks and five books. And I’m excited to see what you’ve added to your book collection recently!

Audiobooks

1. The Cheat Sheet by Sarah Adams (I’m reading this one now and LOVING it.)
2. Flora’s Travelling Christmas Shop by Rebecca Raisin
3. The Wedding Game by Meghan Quinn
4. The Twelve Dates of Christmas by Jenny Bayliss (I listened to this one last month, and it was amazing.)
5. The Reindeer Falls Collection, Volume 2 by Jana Aston (I listened to the first story in this, and it was cringey. Like, major second hand embarrassment on behalf of the heroine. I’m hoping the other two are better, because I loved the first volume!)

Books

6. Sadie on a Plate by Amanda Elliot (review copy)
7. A Rip Through Time by Kelley Armstrong
8. The Lady Most Likely… by Julia Quinn, Eloisa James, & Connie Brockway
9. A ​Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas
10. To Have and to Hate by R.S. Grey

What books have you added to your collection recently?
Have you read any of these?


Well Matched by Jen DeLuca | Mini Book Review

Posted January 6, 2022 by Jana in Adult Fiction, Book Review / 6 Comments

Well Matched by Jen DeLuca | Mini Book ReviewWell Matched by Jen DeLuca
Series: Well Met #3
Also in this series: Well Met, Well Played, Well Traveled
Published by Berkley on October 19, 2021
Genres: Contemporary Romance, Romance, Romantic Comedy
Pages: 336
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher (Netgalley)
Add to Goodreads
Buy on Amazon

Single mother April Parker has lived in Willow Creek for twelve years with a wall around her heart. On the verge of being an empty nester, she's decided to move on from her quaint little town, and asks her friend Mitch for his help with some home improvement projects to get her house ready to sell.

Mitch Malone is known for being the life of every party, but mostly for the attire he wears to the local Renaissance Faire -- a kilt (and not much else) that shows off his muscled form to perfection. While he agrees to help April, he needs a favor too: she'll pretend to be his girlfriend at an upcoming family dinner, so that he can avoid the lectures about settling down and having a more "serious" career than high school coach and gym teacher. April reluctantly agrees, but when dinner turns into a weekend trip, it becomes hard to tell what's real and what's been just for show. But when the weekend ends, so must their fake relationship.

As summer begins, Faire returns to Willow Creek, and April volunteers for the first time. When Mitch's family shows up unexpectedly, April pretends to be Mitch's girlfriend again... something that doesn't feel so fake anymore. Despite their obvious connection, April insists they've just been putting on an act. But when there's the chance for something real, she has to decide whether to change her plans -- and open her heart -- for the kilt-wearing hunk who might just be the love of her life.

An accidentally in-love rom-com filled with Renaissance Faire flower crowns, kilts, corsets, and sword fights.

Well Matched was LOVELY! Jen DeLuca is so great at writing a great romance between great characters, and I love Mitch so much. I’ve been so excited about this book! I always love her Ren Faire setting and the surrounding town. It was fun to say hi to the couples from the previous books, too. I did feel that Well Matched was a little less rom-com and a little more women’s fiction, but it didn’t bother me. There’s still a lot of swoons, but there’s also a big focus on April and her personal journey. Her life is shifting, she’s a single mom about to become an empty nester, and she’s looking ahead at a future she’s not sure about. Her daughter’s father is trying to reconnect with her daughter, so she’s also dealing with that uneasiness as to how to keep her daughter emotionally safe and also let her connect with her parent. As I said before, I love Mitch. I also love fake dating, so this silly little fake girlfriend scheme of Mitch’s adds some lightness to the heavier issues underneath it all. I loved seeing Mitch’s more sensitive and intuitive side. He’s there for April as a friend, helping her when he can, and I loved that serious, protective part of his personality. Up to this point, he’d just been the flirty man in the kilt to me. His family dynamic was also super interesting to read about. All in all, this was very sweet and enjoyable and I can’t wait for what Jen DeLuca does next!


Seventeen Most Anticipated Books Releasing In the First Half of 2022

Posted January 3, 2022 by Jana in Top Ten Tuesday / 24 Comments

Welcome to another TTT! And happy New Year! I really, really hope the best for 2022 and can’t wait for all the amazing books that are being released this year (in spite of covid and the supply chain shortages that are pushing book release dates back). This is one of those topics that always hurts my TBR (for the better, though, let’s be honest) and I’m excited to see what everyone is excited for this year! As the topic states, I’m limiting this list to books releasing in January through June. And no, I could not limit this list to 10 picks only, so here’s 17!

1. Weather Girl by Rachel Lynn Solomon (January 11)

A TV meteorologist and a sports reporter scheme to reunite their divorced bosses with unforecasted results in this charming romantic comedy from the author of The Ex Talk.

Ari Abrams has always been fascinated by the weather, and she loves almost everything about her job as a TV meteorologist. Her boss, legendary Seattle weatherwoman Torrance Hale, is too distracted by her tempestuous relationship with her ex-husband, the station’s news director, to give Ari the mentorship she wants. Ari, who runs on sunshine and optimism, is at her wits’ end. The only person who seems to understand how she feels is sweet but reserved sports reporter Russell Barringer.

In the aftermath of a disastrous holiday party, Ari and Russell decide to team up to solve their bosses’ relationship issues. Between secret gifts and double dates, they start nudging their bosses back together. But their well-meaning meddling backfires when the real chemistry builds between Ari and Russell.

Working closely with Russell means allowing him to get to know parts of herself that Ari keeps hidden from everyone. Will he be able to embrace her dark clouds as well as her clear skies?

2. Lucky Leap Day by Ann Marie Walker (January 18)

Friends becoming something much more in this hilarious romantic comedy from author Ann Marie Walker. A whirlwind trip to Ireland is supposed to end with a suitcase full of wool sweaters and souvenir pint glasses—not a husband you only just met!

After one-too-many whiskeys, fledgling screenwriter Cara Kennedy takes a page out of someone else’s script when she gets caught up in the Irish tradition of women proposing on Leap Day. She thought she might have dreamt everything, until she wakes the next morning with a hot guy in her bed and a tin foil ring on her finger. Her flight is in four hours, her clothes are all over the room, and she has the most important meeting of her career in exactly two days—and on top of everything else, her husband has a dog who thinks Cara is a perfect surrogate mother, despite the fact that she has never been much of an animal lover…

Deciding to work things out stateside, Finn and her new fur baby accompany her to LA, where Finn spends his days going on auditions and his nights charming his new bride, leaving Cara to wonder whether this is real love, or if Finn is another aspiring actor just after her Hollywood connections? With limited time on his tourist visa, will Finn be able to convince Cara that she’s the right girl for him, or will time run out on their Hollywood ending?

3. The Ex-Husband by Karen Hamilton (January 18)

From international bestselling author Karen Hamilton comes another pulse-pounding domestic thriller set against a lush, tropical backdrop as a woman fleeing her past as a con artist finds herself trapped aboard a cruise ship with someone who not only knows about that past, but will stop at nothing to get revenge.

It’s an offer she can’t refuse…and might not survive.

Charlotte has an unsavory past, but she’s on the straight and narrow these days. She was so young then—she married the wrong man, falling for Sam’s sweet-talking charm and charisma, and got caught up in his con artist games.

If only she’d left him before things went too far.

Now Sam is missing. But before he disappeared, he left urgent, cryptic messages about someone threatening him—someone who has been threatening Charlotte, too.
So Charlotte takes a job as a personal assistant for an engagement party aboard a private luxury cruise ship, the Cleobella, to get far away from anyone who means her harm.

But as the Cleobella sails through its glittering destinations, increasingly sinister events haunt the guests, and the turquoise waves and sun-drenched beaches give way to something darker. Someone knows what Charlotte did. Is it the blushing bride? The seemingly placid mother-in-law? Or the mysterious heiress?

Someone knows, and someone wants revenge—before the ship reaches its final port.

4. Woman Last Seen by Adele Parks (February 1)

Leigh Fletcher: happily married stepmom to two gorgeous boys goes missing on Monday. Her husband, Mark, says he knows nothing of her whereabouts. She went to work and just never came home. Their family is shattered.

Kai Janssen: married to wealthy Dutch businessman Daan and vanishes the same week. Kai left their luxurious penthouse and glamorous world without a backward glance. She seemingly evaporated into thin air. Daan is distraught.

Detective Clements knows that people disappear all the time—far too frequently. Most run away from things, some run toward and others are taken but find their way back. A sad few never return. These two women are from very different worlds. Their disappearances are unlikely to be connected. And yet, at a gut level, the detective believes they might be.

How could these women walk away from their families, husbands and homes willingly? Clements is determined to unearth the truth, no matter how shocking and devastating it may be.

5. The Rebound by Catherine Walsh (February 14)

A newly single girl. A tall dark handsome stranger. What could go wrong?

It’s 7 a.m. on a Monday morning and Abby Reynolds isn’t where she wants to be. She wants to be in her beautiful loft apartment in Manhattan, drinking a coffee with her fiancé.

Instead, she’s heading back to the childhood home in rural Ireland she swore she’d never return to, with some big old secrets. Namely that she’s suddenly found herself unemployed, homeless, and absolutely 100% single.

She’s feeling all out of luck. Until the first person she meets after she touches down is an absurdly hot guy called Luke, who offers her a lift home. Gazing deep into his sparkling emerald-green eyes, Abby knows instantly that he’s exactly what she needs to take her mind off everything. The perfect rebound.

It’s a flawless plan. Until the next day, when Abby realizes who he actually is. Not just a stranger. He is, in fact, Luke Bailey, aka the boy next door. Luke Bailey who—so help her God—she’s pretty sure she once shared baths with, back when they were kids. Not that she can allow herself to imagine him in a bath now, not without blushing from head to foot.

And judging by the smirk on his face, the same Luke Bailey who’s known exactly who she was the whole time… And who, like everyone in the village, still thinks she’s a high-flying New Yorker… who’s getting married next year.

Abby is certain getting under Luke will help her get over her ex. But the truth is stopping her. Can she admit to everyone back home that she’s single and has lost everything? Because, if she wants the boy next door, she may just have to…

The perfect feel-good romantic comedy that will make you laugh until you cry and fall completely in love. Fans of Sophie Kinsella, Marian Keyes, and Emily Henry won’t be able to put this down!

6. Meet Me in the Margins by Melissa Ferguson (February 15)

Savannah Cade is a low-level editor at Pennington Publishing, a prestigious publisher producing only the highest of highbrow titles. And while editing the latest edition of The Anthology of Medieval Didactic Poetry may be her day job, she has two secrets she’s hiding.

One: She’s writing a romance novel.

Two: She’s discovered the Book Nook—a secret room in the publishing house where she finds inspiration for her “lowbrow” hobby.

After leaving her manuscript behind one afternoon, she returns to the nook only to discover someone has written notes in the margins. Savannah’s first response to the criticism is defensive, but events transpire that force her to admit that she needs the help of this shadowy editor after all. As the notes take a turn for the romantic, and as Savannah’s madcap life gets more complicated than ever, she uses the process of elimination to identify her mysterious editor—only to discover that what she truly wants and what she should want just might not be the same. Melissa Ferguson’s latest—a love letter to books, readers, and romance—will leave fans laughing out loud and swooning in the same breath.

7. The Reunion by Meghan Quinn (February 22)

From the USA Today bestselling author of The Wedding Game comes a new romantic comedy about the antics that ensue when three siblings come together for their parents’ fiftieth-anniversary party.

Martin and Peggy Chance believe love should last a lifetime. With their fiftieth wedding anniversary on the horizon, they’ve modeled a beautiful relationship for their three grown children. But to their dismay, that lesson hasn’t quite caught on—the three siblings just can’t seem to take a chance and find love in their own lives.

There’s Ford, the eldest, devoted to his work and resistant to romance…or so he claims. Cooper, the middle child, can’t get past his divorce—until he reconnects with a feisty baker from his past. And Palmer, the baby of the family, is the free-spirited world traveler who always pictured herself with someone other than a handsome small-town family doctor.

When the Chance siblings come together to plan the ultimate anniversary party for their parents, they’ll have to navigate romantic entanglements, sibling rivalries, and the definitive end of their childhood. Whatever happens, The Reunion promises to be a fun, flirty, wild ride.

8. A Brush With Love by Mazey Eddings (March 1, 2022)

Harper is anxiously awaiting placement into a top oral surgery residency program when she crashes (literally) into Dan. Harper would rather endure a Novocaine-free root canal than face any distractions, even one this adorable.

A first-year dental student with a family legacy to contend with, Dan doesn’t have the same passion for pulling teeth that Harper does. Though he finds himself falling for her, he is willing to play by Harper’s rules.

So with the greatest of intentions and the poorest of follow-throughs, the two set out to be “just friends.” But as they get to know each other better, Harper fears that trading fillings for feelings may make her lose control and can’t risk her carefully ordered life coming undone, no matter how drool-worthy Dan is.

Blood, gore, and extra-long roots? No problem. The idea of falling in love? Torture.

9. The Astronaut and the Star by Jen Comfort (March 1)

An out-of-this-world romantic comedy featuring an astronaut tasked with training a Hollywood actor for a space flick.

Astronaut Regina “Reggie” Hayes wants to be the first woman on the moon—it’s all she’s ever dreamed of. But after a PR disaster, Reggie is off the list for a lunar mission. To rehabilitate her reputation with NASA, she agrees to a different kind of assignment: astronaut “training” with a Hollywood action hero.

Jon Leo is a charmer. With credits that include an underperforming sitcom and a campy action flick called Space Dude, his upcoming role in a prestigious movie could prove he’s a star. But Jon isn’t just big muscles and an otherworldly smile—he’s also a total space nerd. He’s pumped about his own personal space camp…until he meets ice-cold Reggie.

Although Reggie and Jon are polar opposites, their mutual attraction is undeniable, and it only takes a few weeks in close quarters for them to give in to its magnetic force. Jon is set on convincing Reggie this is a match made in the heavens, but her future is in space, and his is among stars of the Hollywood kind. The odds of successfully launching a real relationship outside the confines of the training base are anything but optimal.

Reggie, content with keeping things casual, is forced by a sudden turn of events to confront the possibility of losing Jon forever. Now, she’ll do whatever it takes to win both the man and the moon.

10. The Shadow House by Anna Downes (April 5)

Extraordinarily tense and deliciously mysterious, Anna Downes’s The Shadow House follows one woman’s desperate journey to protect her children at any cost, in a remote place where not everything is as it seems.

A HOUSE WITH DEADLY SECRETS.

A MOTHER WHO’LL RISK EVERYTHING TO BRING THEM TO LIGHT.

Alex, a single mother-of-two, is determined to make a fresh start for her and her children. In an effort to escape her troubled past, she seeks refuge in a rural community. Pine Ridge is idyllic; the surrounding forests are beautiful and the locals welcoming. Mostly.

But Alex finds that she may have disturbed barely hidden secrets in her new home. As a chain of bizarre events is set off, events eerily familiar to those who have lived there for years, Alex realizes that she and her family might be in greater danger than ever before. And that the only way to protect them all is to confront the shadows lurking in Pine Ridge.

11. Out of His League by Caroline Richardson (April 5)

Sometimes you’ve got to leave your heart on the field

Gretchen Harper has always been practical. Dependable, solid, predictable. She’s never taken risks, and she’s especially never bought coffee for gorgeous professional athletes in airports. That is, until she meets her favorite baseball player on the worst day of his career.

Being sent to the minor league is just the first of Joshua Malvern’s many worries—he’s got an injury that won’t heal and his entire career and future are on the line. When a beautiful woman offers him coffee, that simple kindness is exactly what he needs to lift him out of his funk. He asks her to join him in first class, not expecting to end up joining her in bed.

What starts as a one night stand ends up holding the promise for so much more. And while stepping out of her comfort zone has never been Gretchen’s style, for a chance at true love she’ll have to decide whether she’ll swing for the fences, even if it means striking out.

12. Under One Roof by Ali Hazelwood (May 3)

From the New York Times best-selling author of The Love Hypothesis comes a new steamy, STEMinist novella….

A scientist should never cohabitate with her annoyingly hot nemesis – it leads to combustion.

Mara, Sadie, and Hannah are friends first, scientists always. Though their fields of study might take them to different corners of the world, they can all agree on this universal truth: when it comes to love and science, opposites attract and rivals make you burn….

As an environmental engineer, Mara knows all about the delicate nature of ecosystems. They require balance. And leaving the thermostat alone. And not stealing someone else’s food. And other rules Liam, her detestable big-oil lawyer of a roommate, knows nothing about. Okay, sure, technically she’s the interloper. Liam was already entrenched in his aunt’s house like some glowering grumpy giant when Mara moved in, with his big muscles and kissable mouth just sitting there on the couch tempting respectable scientists to the dark side…but Helena was her mentor and Mara’s not about to move out and give up her inheritance without a fight.

The problem is, living with someone means getting to know them. And the more Mara finds out about Liam, the harder it is to loathe him…and the easier it is to love him.

To listen to Sadie and Hannah’s stories, look for the novellas Stuck with You and Below Zero, coming soon, available first on audio!

13. Set on You by Amy Lea (May 10)

A gym nemesis pushes a fitness influencer to the max in Amy Lea’s steamy debut romantic comedy.

Curvy fitness influencer Crystal Chen built her career shattering gym stereotypes and mostly ignoring the trolls. After her recent breakup, she has little stamina left for men, instead finding solace in the gym – her place of power and positivity.

Enter firefighter Scott Ritchie, the smug new gym patron who routinely steals her favorite squat rack. Sparks fly as these ultra-competitive foes battle for gym domination. But after a series of escalating jabs, the last thing they expect is to run into each other at their grandparents’ engagement party.

In the lead up to their grandparents’ wedding, Crystal discovers there’s a soft heart under Scott’s muscled exterior. Bonding over family, fitness, and cheesy pick-up lines, she just might have found her swolemate. But when a photo of them goes viral, savage internet trolls put their budding relationship to the ultimate test of strength.

14. Starry-Eyed Love by Helena Hunting (May 10)

Charming, hilarious, and emotional…Starry-Eyed Love is Helena Hunting at her very best!

Having just broken up with her boyfriend, London Spark is not in the mood to be hit on. Especially not when she’s out celebrating her single status with her sisters. So when a very attractive man pays for their drinks and then slips her his number, she passes it right back to him with a ‘thanks, but no thanks’. As the business administrator for their family’s event hotel, the Spark House, London has more important things to worry about, like bringing in new clientele.

As luck would have it, a multi-million-dollar company calls a few months later asking for a meeting to discuss a potential partnership, and London is eager to prove to her sisters, and herself, that she can land this deal. Just when she thinks she has nailed her presentation, the company’s CEO, Jackson Holt, walks in and inserts himself into the meeting. Not only that, but he also happens to be the same guy she turned down at the bar a few months ago.

As they begin to spend more time together, their working relationship blossoms into something more. It isn’t until their professional entanglements are finally over, that London and Jackson are finally ready to take the next step in their relationship. But between Jackson’s secretive past and London’s struggle with her sisters, London must question where she really stands – not just with Jackson, but with the Spark House, too.

15. Something Wilder by Christina Lauren (May 17)

Growing up the daughter of notorious treasure hunter and absentee father Duke Wilder left Lily without much patience for the profession…or much money in the bank. But Lily is nothing if not resourceful, and now uses Duke’s coveted hand-drawn maps to guide tourists on fake treasure hunts through the red rock canyons of Utah. It pays the bills but doesn’t leave enough to fulfill her dream of buying back the beloved ranch her father sold years ago, and definitely not enough to deal with the sight of the man she once loved walking back into her life with a motley crew of friends ready to hit the trails. Frankly, Lily would like to take him out into the wilderness—and leave him there.

Leo Grady knew mirages were a thing in the desert, but they’d barely left civilization when the silhouette of his greatest regret comes into focus in the flickering light of the campfire. Ready to leave the past behind him, Leo wants nothing more than to reconnect with his first and only love. Unfortunately, Lily Wilder is all business, drawing a clear line in the sand: it’s never going to happen.

But when the trip goes horribly and hilariously wrong, the group wonders if maybe the legend of the hidden treasure wasn’t a gimmick after all. There’s a chance to right the wrongs—of Duke’s past and their own—but only if Leo and Lily can confront their history and work together. Alone under the stars in the isolated and dangerous mazes of the Canyonlands, Leo and Lily must decide whether they’ll risk their lives and hearts on the adventure of a lifetime.

From the author of the “heartfelt and funny” (Publishers Weekly) sensation The Unhoneymooners, this page-turning adventure full of second chances, complicated relationships, and the breathtaking beauty of the American Southwest will take fans on one wild ride.

16. Deep Water by Emma Bamford (May 31)

The dark side of paradise is exposed when a terrified couple reveals their daunting experience on a remote island to their rescuers—only to realize they’re still in the grips of the island’s secrets—in this intense and startling debut in the tradition of Into the Jungle and The Ruins.

When a Navy vessel comes across a yacht in distress in the middle of the vast Indian Ocean, Captain Danial Tengku orders his ship to rush to its aid. On board the yacht is a British couple: a horribly injured man, Jake, and his traumatized wife, Virginie, who breathlessly confesses, “It’s all my fault. I killed them.”

Trembling with fear, she reveals their shocking story to Danial. Months earlier, the couple had spent all their savings on a yacht, full of excitement for exploring the high seas and exotic lands together. They start at the busy harbors of Malaysia and, through word of mouth, Jake and Virginie learn about a tiny, isolated island full of unspoiled beaches. When they arrive, they discover they are not the only visitors and quickly become entangled with a motley crew of expat sailors. Soon, Jake and Virginie’s adventurous dream turns into a terrifying nightmare.

Now, it’s up to Danial to determine just how much truth there is in Virginie’s alarming tale. But when his crew make a shocking discovery, he realizes that if he doesn’t act soon, they could all fall under the dark spell of the island.

17. A Thousand Miles by Bridget Morrissey (June 21)

After a decade of silence, Dee and Ben reunite for a road trip they once promised to take. It’s going to be a bumpy ride.

Dee Matthews is the cohost of the smash-hit podcast Did I Forget To Tell You?, where she interviews family, friends, and past lovers. Nothing is off limits, except for one man (known on the show only as Name Redacted) who happens to be her high school best friend Ben. During their senior year spring break, Dee and Ben took a road trip to visit Ben’s grandma. They buried a time capsule in her backyard, pledging to return in ten years to open it. Then their friendship fell apart in spectacular fashion. They haven’t spoken to each other since.

Ben Porter’s life since that moment has been unexciting but comfortable, until his grandma reveals a family secret that flips his whole world upside down. Her dying wish is for him to stop doing what is safest and go after what he really wants. He starts by showing up on Dee’s doorstep with every intention of fulfilling their long-ago promise. Despite her reservations, Dee can’t say no. This trip could be her chance to give her listeners the Name Redacted interview they’ve been begging for–and finally put her unresolved feelings for Ben to rest.

As the miles fly by, Dee and Ben’s friendship reignites. But the closer they get to reaching their destination, the more apparent it becomes that their attraction to each other cannot be ignored. Their last adventure ended in disaster, and they’re about to find out if any hope of a future together is in the rear view mirror.

Which upcoming releases are you the most excited about?
Have you already read any of these? What did you think?


My Great Day Job Resignation by For Butter Or Worse Author Erin La Rosa

Posted January 3, 2022 by Jana in Guest Post / 5 Comments

I’m so excited to welcome Erin La Rosa, author of the upcoming contemporary romance book release For Butter Or Worse, to the blog today to share a little about herself and her new book! I’m reading For Butter Or Worse right now, and am loving it so far! If the title alone isn’t enough to grab you (oh my gosh, I love butter), rest assured that the contents are just as wonderful! I can’t wait for the world to read this one this summer!


My Great Day Job Resignation
by Erin La Rosa

I love tropes. I buy romance books based on my favorite ones (enemies to lovers, second chance, to name a few). 

And maybe I’m also an embodiment of a 2021 trope—quitting your job. Because I, like millions of other Americans, recently quit. And I’m now officially entering 2022 as an unemployed person. (Hello, my fellow jobless friends!)

Of course, I have my reasons. Because I never went anywhere, did anything, or shopped much during the pandemic, I saved up enough money to last me a year without another job. I liked my job as a social media manager at Amazon Prime Video, but didn’t love my job. And I have a toddler who I want to spend more time with. 

Oh, and my debut romance book, For Butter or Worse, is coming out July 26, 2022. And, like any self-involved writer, I’ll need all of those extra daytime hours to obsessively check my Goodreads reviews. 

To be honest, this isn’t the first time I dramatically quit a job. In 2019, I left my secure, high-paying job at Netflix to begin writing For Butter or Worse. I’d felt this story bubbling up inside me for about six months. And I pushed it down, avoided acknowledging it, and hoped it would go away.

But then this annoying, gut feeling that I needed to be writing just kept floating back up. It got so loud that I could no longer do my job without feeling resentful. I wanted time to write, but there was none.

So, I saved up money and then… quit. I wrote a first draft of For Butter or Worse, re-read it, and was so horrified by how bad it was that I decided to take a job opportunity at Prime Video. Over the course of two years, I’d revisit the novel, though. I’d tinker, rewrite full chapters, or add a subplot. 

After my daughter was born, my priorities shifted completely—she came first. 

And I wanted to do something that would make her proud. So I continued to work my full-time job and spent as much time as I could with her. But when she slept, I wrote. I edited the book sometimes until one in the morning, then would sleep a few hours before she got up.

To be clear—I do not recommend this method to anyone. It was a time in my life where I was fueled purely by bowls of ice cream and this manic, obsessive drive to finish a new draft of the book.

Eventually, I did finish. I could’ve kept rewriting endlessly. But I decided to send it out to agents, just to see if anyone thought my writing was any good. If everyone I sent it to said no, then I’d know this wasn’t my path. But if I got some interest… maybe there was a career opportunity there.

Waiting for feedback was agonizing and sometimes heartbreaking. I got several kind rejections and several dismissive ones too. But three agents saw potential in my pages, and that was the sign from the universe I needed. (Not everyone believes in signs, but I do, so stick with me here!)

I signed with Jess Errera at the Jane Rotrosen Agency. She’s an up and coming agent, and I will (hopefully) be an up and coming romance author. We sold For Butter or Worse in a two-book deal to Harlequin in December of 2020. 

Once I sold the book, the universe really seemed to be screaming at me to pursue writing full-time. So I knew I had to do the save money dance so I could quit. And now that it’s 2022, and For Butter or Worse will be out in July, I feel that I’m exactly where I need to be. 

And in case you’re someone who is a living trope and loves to buy books involving tropes, For Butter or Worse is an enemies-to-lovers contemporary rom-com about two reality cooking show hosts who have to fake date in order to save their careers. If you loved The Hating Game or Great British Baking Show, you can add the book on Goodreads and pre-order here.

Are you interested in writing? Or do you love romance novels? Please do hit me up on Instagram or Twitter—I will need breaks from writing book two, and love to chat! 


For Butter Or Worse by Erin La Rosa
Published by HQN on July 26, 2022
Genres: Romance – Contemporary
Add to GoodreadsPre-order from Amazon

They go together like water and oil…

All chef Nina Lyon wants is to make a name for herself in the culinary world and inspire young women everywhere to do the same. For too long, she’s been held back and underestimated by the male-dominated sphere of professional kitchens, and she’s had enough. Now, as co-host of the competitive reality TV series The Next Cooking Champ!, she finally has a real shot at being top tier in the foodie scene.
Too bad her co-host happens to be Hollywood’s smarmiest jerk.

Restaurateur Leo O’Donnell never means to get under Nina’s skin. It just seems to happen, especially when the cameras are rolling. It’s part of the anxiety and stress he has come to know all too well in this line of work. So nothing prepares him for the fallout after he takes one joke a smidge too far and Nina up and quits—on live TV.

To make matters worse, the two are caught in what looks like a compromising situation by the paparazzi…and fans of the show go absolutely nuts. Turns out, a “secret romance” between Nina and Leo may just be what their careers need most.

Now all they have to do is play along, without killing each other…and without catching feelings. Easy as artisanal shepherd’s pie. Right?

About Erin La Rosa

Erin La Rosa is the author of two nonfiction works, Womanskills and The Big Redhead Book. She’s written for BuzzFeed, SheKnows, E!, Funny or Die, and many others. She’s also performed in storytelling series like Mortified, “Funny but True” at the LA Times Book Festival, and Sunday Night Sex Talks.

She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and their two cats, Fish and Chips. Erin loves reading romance and chick-lit, and would love recommendations for more to read!

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2021 End of Year Book Survey

Posted January 2, 2022 by Jana in About Me / 10 Comments

I love doing Jamie’s End of Year Book Survey every year! It helps me look back and remember all the wonderful (and terrible) books I’ve read throughout the year! Also… buh bye 2021. Don’t let the door hit you on the way out. Can 2022 please be better?

2021 Reading Stats

Number of books you read: 64
Number of re-reads: 2
Number of books you DNFed: 57
Most read genre: Adult contemporary romance (I read 38 of them).

Best In Books

1. Best book you read in 2020:
Twice Shy by Sarah Hogle.

2. Book you were excited about & thought you were going to love more but didn’t:
The Broken Girls by Simone St. James. I loved Sun-Down Motel and heard from so many people that this one was even more amazing and I couldn’t even finish it. It’s super disappointing because I’d been wanting to read it for ages!

3. Most surprising (in a good way or bad way) book you read:
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. I had no idea I would love it as much as I did, but I was riveted.

4. Book you “pushed” the most people to read (and they did):
I think my answer is the same as last year! I’ve really been pushing the Moose Springs, AK series by Sarah Morgenthaler on everyone I know. I’ve been pushing this on everyone and have forced quite a few people to read it!

5. Best series you started in 2021. Best sequel of 2021. Best series ender of 2021.
Started: A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer
Sequel: An Offer from a Gentleman by Julia Quinn (book #3 in Bridgertons)
Ender: Well Matched by Jen DeLuca

6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2021:
R.S. Grey!!

7. Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone:
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir! I’m not usually one for sci-fi or books with no romance, but this was fabulous and I’m excited for Andy to write more books!

8. Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year:
Hanover House by Brenda Novak. I ended up reading the entire series back to back because I had to know what happened!

9. Book you read in 2021 that you are most likely to re-read next year?
I’d love to listen to The Twelve Dates of Christmas by Jenny Bayliss again next year. It was so perfect for Christmastime!

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2021:

11. Most memorable character of 2021:
Wesley from Twice Shy by Sarah Hogle. Such a sweet, sweet cinnamon roll. I think about him all the time.

12. Most beautifully written book read in 2021:
The Twelve Dates of Christmas by Jenny Bayliss. The descriptions of the scenery were stunning.

13. Most thought-provoking/life-changing book of 2021:
N/A

14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2021 to finally read:
The Duke and I by Julia Quinn.

15. Favorite quote from a book you read in 2020:
I rarely mark my favorite quotes. I should change that.

16. Shortest and longest books you read in 2020:
Shortest: A Christmas Bun for Ulysses by Sarah Morgenthaler (10 pages)
Longest: Winter King
by C.L. Wilson (594 pages)

17. Book that shocked you the most:
Really, I’m just shocked by how many books I expected to love and DNFed instead.

18. OTP of the year (you will go down with this ship!):
Maybell and Wesley of Twice Shy by Sarah Hogle.

19. Favorite non-romantic relationship of the year:
Ryland and the Rocky the alien in Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. I loved their friendship.

20. Favorite book you read in 2021 from an author you’ve read previously:
Twice Shy by Sarah Hogle. I didn’t realize I’d mention this book so much this year!

21. Best book you read in 2021 that you read based SOLELY on a recommendation from somebody else:
Fluffy by Julia Kent was recommended to me by my friend Kate! I was afraid of the… fluffy part of it, but this book ended up being so good!

22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2021:
Noel from Snowflakes At the Little Christmas Tree Farm by Jaimie Admans.

23. Best 2021 debut you read:
The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood.

24. Most vivid setting you read this year:
Summerlea in The Winter King by C.L. Wilson.

25. Book that put a smile on your face/was the most FUN to read:
Call Me Maybe by Cara Bastone was a re-read for me this year, and I loved it just as much the second time.

26. Book that made you cry or nearly cry in 2021:
Nope! No crying this year!

27. Hidden gem of the year:
Hotshot Doc by R.S. Grey. LOVED it.

28. Book that crushed your soul:
Honestly can’t think of any.

29. Most unique book you read in 2021:
Maybe not unique for everyone, but for me? The Winter King by C.L. Wilson. It’s the only romantic fantasy I’ve read that wasn’t YA, and I just loved it.

30. Book that made you the maddest (doesn’t necessarily mean you didn’t like it):
Really, the entire Winter Black series by Mary Stone. I feel like each book never actually ended because the author just wanted to string us along and spend more money on her books. I finally just quit after book 3.

My Blogging/Bookish Life

1. New favorite book blog you discovered in 2021:
I didn’t venture outside my usuals this year. It was just too exhausting.

2. Favorite review that you wrote in 2021:
Nothing is standing out, to be honest.

3. Best discussion/non-review post you had on your blog:
All of the TTTs, really.

4. Best event that you participated in (author signings, festivals, virtual events, memes, etc.):
Ha! There was nothing. I really thought COVID would have ended but NO.

6. Most popular post this year on your blog (whether it be by comments or views):
My Bookish Wishes Top Ten Tuesday that celebrated my birthday got 60 comments.

8. Post you wished got a little more love:
All my reviews, pretty much. lol

9. Best bookish discovery (book related sites, book stores, etc.):
I didn’t discover anything new this year.

10. Did you complete any reading challenges or goals that you had set for yourself at the beginning of this year:
I completed my Goodreads goal of reading 52 books this year. I read 63, which is a huge miracle because I had two major eye surgeries and haven’t been able to see very well for most of the year.

Looking Ahead

1. Book you are most anticipating in 2022 (non-debut):
Just Like Magic by Sarah Hogle and the 4th Moose Springs book by Sarah Morganthaler and Something Wilder by Christina Lauren!

2. 2022 debut you are most anticipating:
A Brush With Love by Mazey Eddings!

3. Sequel you are most anticipating in 2022:
Love On the Brain by Ali Hazelwood.

4. One thing you hope to accomplish or do in your reading/blogging life in 2022?
I really want to read through my physical book collection to make sure I want to keep all of the books I own. If not, I need to get rid of them to make room for more!

Do we have any answers in common?

Pick a question or two and answer them in the comments! Let’s discuss!