Love and Other Conspiracies by Mallory Marlowe | Book Review

Posted March 13, 2025 by Jana in Adult Fiction, Book Review / 0 Comments

Love and Other Conspiracies by Mallory Marlowe | Book ReviewLove and Other Conspiracies by Mallory Marlowe
Published by Berkley on August 20, 2024
Genres: Contemporary Romance, Romantic Comedy
Pages: 362
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher (Netgalley)
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The hardest thing for a paranormal conspiracy theorist and a web series producer to believe in is finding love in this swoony debut romantic comedy.

Hallie Barrett's life has imploded after she's dumped by her hotshot ex, who also happens to be her coworker and the star of the online series she was producing. Without a new show to present for the company competition, she’ll be out of a job. But inspiration can come from the strangest places . . . like the most handsome guy she’s ever seen passionately discussing Bigfoot on a late-night docuseries.

Hayden Hargrove made a name for himself as a cryptid expert on his hit podcast, and is intrigued by the plucky, blue-haired producer who offers him the opportunity to lead his own web show. When the production team sees that Hayden’s solo on-screen presence is bad enough to make a ghost blanch, Hallie jumps on camera too, hitting him (and his cryptids) with a healthy dose of skepticism—and enough chemistry to electrify their show to the top of the competition.

As Hayden and Hallie investigate the unknown, they unearth feelings for each other that shake their beliefs to the core. In their search for Mothman, aliens, and the truth, the most elusive discovery might just be learning to love again.

One thing people seem surprised to find out about me is that I love the unknown. I love watching shows on The Discovery Channel about unsolved mysteries, unexplained events and phenomena, cryptids, aliens, hauntings, you name it. I was so, so excited to get my hands on Love and Other Conspiracies. Look at that cover! It has Bigfoot on it! And the synopsis sounded amazing, too. An unbeliever and a cryptid podcaster get together to hunt down cryptids for a cool new webseries? I’d watch the heck out of that. Unfortunately, this book didn’t really work for me. First of all, I didn’t love the dynamic between Hayden and Hallie. I guess I don’t enjoy reading about someone kind of tearing down or making fun of someone else’s passion, which is what Hallie did to Hayden on a regular basis. It’s fine if she doesn’t want to believe the things he does, but she kept trying to extinguish his flame of passion for the subject and I don’t see how a romance can be built on that lack of support. I also could not stand reading about Cade (Hallie’s ex), who added nothing to the story but frustration and irritation for me. lol. I skimmed the parts where he was on the page because I just wasn’t in the mood. The romance is a bit campy and I really wish there was some actual ghost or cryptid content, but I can see why there wasn’t (because they’re not real, I know). There are some heavier topics surrounding toxic relationships and workplace harassment, which were well done and grounded the story in reality. But really, this was cringey and lacking in the monster hunting I was so excited about.


Top Ten Novels Featuring the Fauxmance Trope

Posted March 10, 2025 by Jana in Top Ten Tuesday / 16 Comments

Welcome to another TTT! This week’s topic was submitted by Alice @ The Wallflower Digest and is: Books that Include/Feature [insert your favorite theme or plot device here]. Examples include unreliable narrators, coming of age, darkness vs. light, time travel, metafiction, a specific romantic trope, good vs. evil. cliffhangers, flashbacks, plot twists, red herrings, loose ends, stories within stories, meet cutes, symbolism, etc. You know me, I love romance novels! I’ve decided to share ten of my favorite romance novels featuring my favorite trope: the fauxmance. What’s a fauxmance, you say? Fake romance! This means fake dating, fake engagement/courtship, and fake marriage. You’ll probably notice that some of these titles are frequently mentioned in my TTT lists, but that’s because they’re some of my favorite books of all time! Books with asterisks after them indicate that the romances are closed-door. Here we go!

The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren
A Week to be Wicked by Tessa Dare
I Temporarily Do by Ellie Cahill
Date Me Like You Mean It by R.S. Grey
The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood
Lovelight Farms by B.K. Borison
The Cheat Sheet by Sarah Adams*
Faking Christmas by Cindy Steel*
My Phony Valentine by Courtney Walsh*
First to Fall by Jenny B. Jones*


Business Casual by B.K. Borison | Book Review

Posted March 6, 2025 by Jana in Adult Fiction, Book Review / 0 Comments

Business Casual by B.K. Borison | Book ReviewBusiness Casual by B.K. Borison
Series: Lovelight #4
Also in this series: In the Weeds, Mixed Signals
Published by Berkley on July 16, 2024
Genres: Contemporary Romance, Romance, Romantic Comedy
Pages: 384
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher (Netgalley)
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Two opposites will find out if one night together is enough to get each other out of their systems in the final book in the beloved Lovelight series.

Nova Porter isn’t looking for love, and she certainly has no explanation for her attraction to buttoned-up, three-piece-suit-wearing investment banker Charlie Milford. Maybe it’s his charm? Or maybe it’s his determination to help her fledgling business however he can. Either way, she’s distracted every time he’s around. With her new tattoo studio set to open in her hometown of Inglewild, she doesn’t have time for frivolous flirtations.

In an effort to get Charlie out of her system once and for all, Nova offers a proposition. One night. No strings. They’ll kick their uncomfortable attraction to the curb and return to their respective responsibilities. But their explosive night together scatters their expectations like fallen leaves. And with Charlie in town as the temporary head of Lovelight Farms, Nova can’t quite avoid him.

And Charlie? Well, Charlie knows a good investment when he sees one. He’s hoping he can convince Nova he’s worth some of her time.

The Lovelight series captured my heart with the first book, Lovelight Farms, and has held on through the rest of the books. I love Inglewild and these characters so much, and it was so hard to crack this final book open because I was not (and never will be) ready to say goodbye. This friend group is the stuff of dreams. I love all of them, and I have loved reading their stories. Business Casual is all about Charlie and Nova, and I adored them! Charlie in particular has been a character I’ve enjoyed throughout the series, and I loved getting to know him better. I have trouble with no-strings-attached hook-ups, so I was a bit worried about this love story. But it was so good. I loved how Nova and Charlie worked together to figure out what they each wanted in life, both individually and together. I loved reading about how they worked through their stuff and tackled hard things together. There were some deeper, heavier issues sprinkled throughout the book that were well done and made the final reward that much sweeter. Their banter was on point, and their love gave me all the feelings I want from a romance novel. The vulnerability they both show warmed my heart and made me ache for them. These two will grow old and grey together, I just know it.

The thing I love so much about this series is how cozy and heartwarming it is. These books are like a cozy blanket and a cold day or a cuddle with the softest kitten. They just make me smile, and I love how interconnected the stories are. You can read them all as a standalone, but you’re not going to want to do that. You’re going to want to read them in order and fall in love as they do. I loved checking in with everyone from the previous books, and the author did the most amazing job wrapping up everything for everyone. I’m sad to say goodbye to these characters and this cute little town, but I know I will be back for a visit soon. This is a highly re-readable series! If you’re looking for a comfy, cozy small town romance series with the best cast of characters ever, it’s right here!


Top Ten Funny Things Book Characters Have Said

Posted March 3, 2025 by Jana in Top Ten Tuesday / 10 Comments

Welcome to another TTT! This week’s topic is about things that book characters have said. Maybe a character said something really profound or romantic or hilarious or heartbreaking. You could share witty one-liners, mic-drop moments, snippets of funny dialogue between multiple characters, catchphrases, quotes that have become a part of pop culture–like “May the odds be ever in your favor.”, etc. I’ve decided to go with funny things! Some of them are conversations and some are just funny one-liners.

1. “There’s no such thing as an old maid.”
“Wh-what would you call a middle-aged lady who’s never married?”
“A woman with standards?”
― Lisa Kleypas, Chasing Cassandra

2. “Did you . . . Did you just kiss me?” He sounded puzzled, and maybe a little out of breath. His lips were full and plump and . . . Kissed. There was simply no way Olive could get away with denying what she had just done.
Still, it was worth a try.
“Nope.”
Surprisingly, it seemed to work.
“Ah. Okay, then.” Carlsen nodded and turned around, looking vaguely disoriented. He took a couple of steps down the hallway, reached the water fountain—maybe where he’d been headed in the first place.
Olive was starting to believe that she might actually be off the hook when he halted and turned back with a skeptical expression.
“Are you sure?”
― Ali Hazelwood, The Love Hypothesis

3. “She laid a row of cushions down the center of the bed, carefully dividing it into two sides: His, and hers.
“Is that truly supposed to stop me?” He fell back on the bed, on his side-peering over the pillow wall at her with amusement. “I fully intended to have my wicked way with you. But now there’s this cushion, so…”
She burrowed under the coverlet, drawing it up to her neck.
“Now that you mention it,” he went on, “I dinna know how this strategy escaped Napoleon’s notice. If only he’d erected a barricade of feathers and fabric, we Highlanders wouldna have known how to get over it.”
“I don’t expect the pillows to keep you out,” she said. “They’re merely a guard against anything accidental happening.”
“Ah.” He drew out the syllable. “We canna have any accidental happenings.”
“Exactly. I might roll over in the night, and I know how you feel about cuddling. I should hate to take advantage of you.”
“Minx.”
― Tessa Dare, When a Scot Ties the Knot

4. “Wounded male pride has caused the world more destruction than the Black Death and the Great Flood put together.”
― Tessa Dare, The Wallflower Wager

5. “I have four uniforms, but only one f–ing flight jacket, and I”—punch—“hate”—punch—“sewing!”
― Rebecca Yarros, Onyx Storm

6. “You can count the number of cricket chirps per second to calculate the outside temperature.”
“Unless the outside is on fire,” Caz said. “How fast do they chirp if it’s all on fire?”
― Sarah Beth Durst, The Spellshop

7. “What’s it like having a twin?”
“What’s it’s like not having a twin?” I reply, and he laughs.
“Touché.”
― Christina Lauren, The Unhoneymooners

8. “Google career options for tired girls who still want to afford their nice apartment.”
― Catherine Walsh, Holiday Romance

9. “There may be plenty of fish in the sea, but most of those fish are bottom-dwellers with weird lanterns hanging off the front of their faces.”
― B.K. Borison, Mixed Signals

10. “Technically, I went to bed at 10 pm, but in girl-with-a-Kindle time, it was actually closer to 2 am,”
― Cindy Steel, Faking Christmas

I hope you laughed at some of these!
What’s the funniest book you’ve ever read? I could use some laughs!


My Roommate is a Vampire by Jenna Levine | Book Review

Posted February 27, 2025 by Jana in Adult Fiction, Book Review / 0 Comments

My Roommate is a Vampire by Jenna Levine | Book ReviewMy Roommate is a Vampire by Jenna Levine
Series: My Vampires #1
Narrator: Gilli Messer
Published by Berkley on August 29, 2023
Genres: Contemporary Romance, Paranormal, Paranormal Romance, Romantic Comedy
Pages: 341
Format: Audiobook
Source: Audible
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True love is at stake in this charming, debut romantic comedy.

Cassie Greenberg loves being an artist, but it’s a tough way to make a living. On the brink of eviction, she’s desperate when she finds a too-good-to-be-true apartment in a beautiful Chicago neighborhood. Cassie knows there has to be a catch—only someone with a secret to hide would rent out a room for that price.

Of course, her new roommate Frederick J. Fitzwilliam is far from normal. He sleeps all day, is out at night on business, and talks like he walked out of a regency romance novel. He also leaves Cassie heart-melting notes around the apartment, cares about her art, and asks about her day. And he doesn’t look half bad shirtless, on the rare occasions they’re both home and awake. But when Cassie finds bags of blood in the fridge that definitely weren’t there earlier, Frederick has to come clean...

Cassie’s sexy new roommate is a vampire. And he has a proposition for her.

That was one hot mess! Most of this book was cringeworthy for me. Frederick is such a simp, and Cassie has pretty much no redeeming qualities. I found Frederick’s lack of understanding of the modern world to be endearing, and his proper behaviors and mannerisms were amusing. He was cute in a Leopold from Kate & Leopold kind of way (although he’s no Hugh Jackman). I did not like Cassie, though. Her constant surprise that he likes her drove me nuts. “Who me? Little old me? I’m nothing special, how could he like me?” Over and over again. She was constantly begging for compliments and not believing any of them. A person would have to be dumber than a rock to not know that a guy like Frederick is in love with them. And I have no idea why he loved her either. Like, he just fell in love with her for no reason other than that she was there and he was incredibly isolated. He would have fallen in love with anyone. There was no romantic development, no world-building, no vampire lore, and no real depth to this story. I know nothing interesting about any of these characters. The dialogue is so cheesy and over the top. The major conflict was cartoonish and ridiculous.

I did like the epistolatory aspects of the story. Frederick and Cassie talk through written notes for a while because of their differing sleeping schedules, and the letters were fun for a time.

Audio notes: The narration was horrible. Frederick sounds irritatingly posh with an American accent, even though he’s British. His mother, also British, actually has a British accent and sounds like a high and mighty snob. Cassie sounds like a child. And then Reginald, Frederick’s frenemy, sounds like some empty-headed frat boy.

Bottom line, this book is a train wreck. And I couldn’t look away, hence the two stars instead of one. lol.