2022 Christmas In July Gift Exchange Sign-Ups

Posted May 19, 2022 by Jana in Blog Event / 1 Comment

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! And it’s going to work a liiiitle differently than last year, so please read carefully! If you send in your sign-up email from last year without editing it first, I’ll have to delete it and ask you to re-send it.

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 16th and I will be sending matches out on June 17th. UPDATE: All matches have been emailed out!
  • This event is open to residents of the USA ONLY. I ran a week-long poll on Twitter asking if people would like me to come up with an option for international participants, but interest was so low that I couldn’t. #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.
  • 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.
  • 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:

The digital-only option from the first year of Christmas In July has been retired due to lack of interest, but you can still note in your sign-up questionnaire for the “Sprinkle” option that you would prefer to receive all digital gifts.

Sprinkle: A sprinkling of gifts 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: $10-$15 (excluding any shipping costs) Due to lack of interest, this tier is closed.
  • Sprinkle 2: $20-$25 (excluding any shipping costs)
  • Sprinkle 3: $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: $10-$15 (excluding any shipping costs) Due to lack of interest, this tier is closed.
  • Box 2: $20-$25 (excluding any shipping costs)
  • Box 3: $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: $20-$25 (excluding any shipping costs)
c. Sprinkle 3: $30+ (excluding any shipping costs)
e. Curated Box 2: $20-$25 (excluding any shipping costs)
f. Curated Box 3: $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. Twitter handle (If you’re not active, don’t plan to be active, or will be more active somewhere else, please explain that here so your Santa knows where to watch for you.):

7. Where else can you be found online? (Blog, Insta, YouTube, TikTok, etc.):

8. 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.)

9. 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.)

10. How do you practice self care?

11. What do you collect?

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

13. What won’t you read?

14. What fandoms do you belong to?

15. What are you always in need of?

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

17. 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.):

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

19. 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.)

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.
  • 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 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 so I can ensure that you are ok and your recipient is taken care of.

GIFT GIVING GUIDELINES:

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

Please do not send homemade food items unless your recipient specifically notes in their survey that they would like them. Pre-packaged, store-bought foods are fine (and encouraged!).

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. :)

Hello Stranger by Lisa Kleypas | Book Review

Posted May 19, 2022 by Jana in Adult Fiction, Book Review / 0 Comments

Hello Stranger by Lisa Kleypas | Book ReviewHello Stranger by Lisa Kleypas
Series: The Ravenels #4
Also in this series: Cold-Hearted Rake, Marrying Winterborne, Devil In Spring, Devil's Daughter, Chasing Cassandra, Devil In Disguise
Published by Avon on February 27, 2018
Genres: Historical Romance, Romance
Pages: 400
Format: eBook
Source: Purchased
Add to Goodreads
Buy on Amazon

A woman who defies her time.

Dr. Garrett Gibson, the only female physician in England, is as daring and independent as any man—why not take her pleasures like one? Yet she has never been tempted to embark on an affair, until now. Ethan Ransom, a former detective for Scotland Yard, is as gallant as he is secretive, a rumored assassin whose true loyalties are a mystery. For one exhilarating night, they give in to their potent attraction before becoming strangers again.

A man who breaks every rule.

As a Ravenel by-blow spurned by his father, Ethan has little interest in polite society, yet he is captivated by the bold and beautiful Garrett. Despite their vow to resist each other after that sublime night, she is soon drawn into his most dangerous assignment yet. When the mission goes wrong, it will take all of Garrett's skill and courage to save him. As they face the menace of a treacherous government plot, Ethan is willing to take any risk for the love of the most extraordinary woman he's ever known.

I’m continuing on with my Lisa Kleypas reading, and I keep finding myself amazed by the fact that I’m not tiring of Lisa’s books. Usually I finish a book and then need a change in genre or writing style or whatever, but as soon as I shut a Lisa Kleypas book I immediately reach for the next one! This has never happened before, and I think I’ve found my new favorite author. Hello Stranger is the 4th book in the Ravenels series, and probably my next favorite after Marrying Winterborne! I love Dr. Garrett Gibson’s story of falling in love with the ever mysterious and suave Ethan Ransom! As always, my main points are bolded.

1. First and foremost, Garrett is an amazing character. I have loved her since I first met her in Marrying Winterborne, and was so excited when I discovered that she was going to get her own romance. She’s the only female physician in England, so she is strong, confident, and a force to be reckoned with. I loved reading about her career, her home medical office, her medical knowledge, and her caring personality. She uses her medical profession for good and goes out to help those who need her. She’s passionate about her career, independent in every sense of the word, and will not hesitate to beat a man with a cane if he underestimates her power as a woman and tries to take advantage of her. She tirelessly fights to be seen as an equal, and I love her. I saw her as a little cold and standoffish in the previous books, but she completely melts and shows a vulnerable side with Ethan.

2. Speaking of Ethan… Don’t ask me to choose my favorite Kleypas man (boy, does she write good ones), but Ethan is a favorite. He’s very much the sarcastic, flirtatious, mysterious type who toes the line between right and wrong (as far as the law is concerned). He was born a bastard child and grew up having to fight for everything he had. He used to work as a detective, but now he’s a bit of a spy and possibly an assassin, who lives a life of unattached solitude. It’s dangerous and lonely, and he never really knows if he’s going to live to see another day. I also met Ethan in Marrying Winterborne when Winterborne himself hired Ethan to secretly shadow Garrett on her medical rounds to more dangerous parts of town. Unbeknownst to readers at the time, Ethan falls into a sort of unrequited love at first sight thing that has continued into this book when we discover he has continued keeping an eye on Garrett and watching out for her safety. After popping up a time or two, Garrett realizes this herself and begins to reciprocate his feelings. He gives her a whistle to blow if she ever needs him and he’ll come running. How incredibly romantic is that? She watches out for him on her evening rounds and sometimes blows the whistle just because she misses him. Of course, he tries hard to keep her at arm’s length for her own safety but it doesn’t work so well for him.

3. As I said before, the romance is so romantic. The very nature of Ethan’s work means he has a lot of enemies, so the stakes are high. Ethan finds himself in quite a situation and Garrett has to decide very quickly if she wants to entangle herself with a man so many people want dead. Ethan has to quickly figure out if his love for her is worth risking her life to be with her. I love stories like this, where both partners would rather be dead than apart. It makes for a very intense and passionate romance. Even though things happen quickly, it felt real. There’s a lot of obstacles for Garrett and Ethan, and they are tested a lot. Ah, it was so enjoyable to read!!

5. You get a very big dose of the sickbed trope, which I didn’t know I loved until I started reading Lisa Kleypas. She loves to have one love interest take care of the other love interest, and it was done so well in Hello Stranger.

4. DANGER. So much danger and tension. I flew through the pages so quickly. 

5. I loved, LOVED seeing the other Ravenels that I’ve grown to love so much. We are taken back to Eversby Priory, where the first book in the series takes place, and Devon and Kathleen are there. I loved seeing them again. West plays a huge role in this book, which made me love him even more. The evolution this man has gone through is stunning. I can’t wait for his book.

Ok, so I’m just going to say you need to read this book. Actually, you need to read this series. I am having so much fun following this family of people, who love each other so much. And they love their people so much. Lisa Kleypas writes the best characters, the best dialogue, and the best stories. Her writing is flawless. I’m a fan for life.

 

Top Five Books I Was SO EXCITED to Get, but Still Haven’t Read

Posted May 16, 2022 by Jana in Top Ten Tuesday / 30 Comments

Welcome to another TTT! So, there’s this sickness I have that means that sometimes I will see a book or hear about a book and I simply MUST have it right then. So I make every effort to get an ARC or I enter all the giveaways or I buy it because the wait at the library is way too long, and then weeks/months/years go by and there it sits on my shelf. Unread. The book I had to have ASAP will then sit and mock me forever more. I think part of this has to do with the fact that I am a major mood reader. I have to be in the right mood for the right book or I will not enjoy it. Part of it also is probably the thrill of the hunt. If everyone is talking about a book and it’s highly anticipated and getting great early reviews, I must know what all the fuss is about and I must have that book too. Hype culture gets me a lot.

Anyway, I know I’m not the only person who does this so that’s where this week’s topic comes in to play! Today I’m sharing some of the books that sit unread, even though I moved Heaven and Earth to get them at the time. And, of course, my tastes in reading have changed significantly since I joined the online book community so I am only sharing the books I actually still want to read. Many have been weeded out and either deleted from my Kindle or donated through the years. I’m excited to see what you’re going to share this week, too!

1. Requiem by Lauren Oliver (acquired in December 2012)
I loved Delirium and Pandemonium, and my need for this final installment in the series was strong! I tried so hard to get an ARC of this, but was denied and had to preorder and WAIT FOREVER. I barely remember those first two books now, and I really don’t read YA anymore but my memories of these books are so strong that a part of me still really wants to read this one and finish the series. Also, apparently I own this book in Kindle, audio, and hardback so I sort of have to read one of them. LOL

2. Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins (acquired in August 2014)
My story with this one is pretty much the same as above. I tried to get an ARC so badly and was denied, so I pre-ordered it. Anna and the French Kiss was my gateway book to contemporary romance. Up to this point, I only read mystery, dystopia, and fantasy. I fell in love with Anna and the French Kiss, and the rest was history. I still want to read Isla, but I’m afraid I won’t love it now that I’ve moved away from YA.

3. Impulse by Vanessa Garden (acquired in August 2014)
Oh my gosh, this book. Ok, long story. I went through an underwater phase for a while, and I requested the first book in this series, Captivate, on Netgalley. It would appear that I was accidentally approved for it by Harlequin Teen Australia. I say accidentally because a few months later, when Impulse was put on Netgalley, I got a decline email from the same publisher saying they wanted to give it to me but couldn’t because I live in the USA. I figured ok, no big deal. I’ll preorder it. Well, my friends, it was not being published in the USA! And book #1 ended on a huge cliffhanger. There was no way I could just not ever read it. So I imported it from a site I’ve never even heard of and paid way too much money to get it. A few years later it was published in the USA and since I still haven’t read it all these years later, I really could have waited and paid the couple dollars to get it on Kindle. Which, truth be told, I did anyway. So basically, I have to read this or my entire past is meaningless.

4. A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas (acquired in September 2016)
ACOTAR and ACOWAR are two of my favorite books, and I was falling all over myself with want for this book. I preordered it in two formats, re-read both ACOTAR and ACOWAR in preparation, and then never read this.

5. Something Wilder by Christina Lauren (141 days ago)
Ok. I know this only came out today. But seriously, this is my most anticipated book of 2022. Christina Lauren is my FAVORITE. I received an ARC 141 days ago (a party ensued) and I have been SO EXCITED to read this! And I haven’t! This feels so wrong and I am ashamed. I blame Lisa Kleypas.

Which books did you just have to have, yet are still unread?

Enemies-To-Lovers is Getting Old, Said No One Ever by Amy Lea | Author Guest Post (+ Giveaway)

Posted May 11, 2022 by Jana in Giveaway, Guest Post / 13 Comments

I’m excited to welcome Amy Lea, author of Set on You, to the blog today! Set on You is officially out in the world as of yesterday, and I thought it would be fun to invite Amy to talk to us a little more about her book! She’s written up such a fun post on her favorite romance trope, and I think you’re going to really enjoy it. A special thanks goes out to Spark Point Studio, who is sponsoring a giveaway of Set on You for one of my readers! Read more about the book and enter to win below!

Whenever someone asks me what my favorite romance trope is, my first response is always: I LOVE THEM ALL. *grabby hands* Generally speaking, making decisions isn’t my strong suit. Trust, my husband is traumatized from years of asking me which restaurant I want to eat at. But if someone were to threaten to push me off a cliff or ban me from buying books for all of eternity, I’d cave and shout ENEMIES-TO-LOVERS.

My first traditionally published book, SET ON YOU is enemies-to-lovers. Why? Frankly, it’s my favorite to write. In fact, I have a difficult time NOT writing enemies to lovers. So far, I’ve only written one book that wasn’t enemies-to-lovers. While I love that secret book with all my heart, the entire time I was writing it, I craved the angst that comes with the hatred and the venomous insults.

“Hating someone feels disturbingly similar to being in love with them.”
– Lucy Hutton, The Hating Game by Sally Thorne

Why, may you ask? For me, it all comes down to a couple key, irresistible ingredients:

Banter

Some witty verbal sparring with an underlying layer of simmering, sexual tension is my catnip, particularly when it’s rooted in comedy (it can’t be too mean). I live for the scenes where characters viciously roast each other on spits, mostly because you learn a lot about a person when they’re heated. It allows the reader greater insight into who the character is, what drives them, their potential flaws, and what they may need to overcome by the end of the book.

In SET ON YOU, Crystal and Scott banter back and forth at the gym on numerous occasions. This banter illustrates a number of key things about Crystal in the opening chapters. In particular, we learn how passionate and dedicated she is to her job and her clients. We also get the hint that she may not be the uber-confident girl she presents herself to be. Through the banter, we also learn a little bit about Scott’s flirty, cocky, yet secret-softie personality, as well as his close relationship with his family.

Slow Burn Tension

Everyone has preferences when it comes to pacing in romance, but I’m personally partial to a slow burn. The push and pull before the payoff is electric and so worth the hundreds of pages to get there. Oftentimes, there’s something that brings the two enemies together in proximity initially. In SET ON YOU, Crystal and Scott share a gym where they both workout regularly. In addition, they also find out their grandparents are engaged. This familial aspect does two things – it forces proximity and it also raises the stakes when it comes to the risk of getting romantically involved.

Either way, the slow burn is the prime opportunity for the transition from hate to love. This section is often riddled with tiny hints of budding attraction, whether it’s physical or emotional. Sometimes it’s in a brief moment of understanding, a lingering gaze, a scorching accidental touch, or a common enemy/obstacle.

It’s especially wonderful when one or both characters are plagued with denial and internal strife over their conflicting feelings. The moment when they finally realize or admit the truth to themselves is so rewarding (extra claps for the sassy best friend or the wise elderly character who often knocks some sense into them).

Eruption

The first kiss or the first steamy scene is usually unexpected, yet wildly satisfying. My favorite is when there’s a slight roughness and lingering tension that comes through the physical act, reminding us of that fire that is fueling the passion. Oftentimes, these scenes aid in building that emotional bond between the characters, because they are finally allowing each other to see their vulnerable, naked (literally) selves.

First impressions aren’t always correct

One of the best things about enemies-to-lovers is that moment when the characters realize that they misjudged each other. That the other person is more than meets the eye. Character growth is often beautifully illustrated when they finally develop empathy and understanding for each other. Side note, my catnip is also when one or both parties secretly pine for the other, masking it in hate. ;)

The perfect match

More often than not, the two characters are not much different from one another than they may seem. In SET ON YOU, Crystal and Scott come to find that their initial dislike for each other is rooted in similarities, despite a reluctance to admit it. They wind up having a lot in common, including that they’re both uber-competitive and family-oriented.

Conversely, in other books, it’s also heartwarming when two polar opposite characters complete each other in complementary ways. Joining together with their differences can often make them an unstoppable power couple. This trope allows for endless character growth, which is often so satisfying for readers.

In all the romance books I’ve read (and I’ve read hundreds), I’ve yet to come across two enemies-to-lovers books that don’t put their own unique twists on the trope. There are endless ways to turn it upside down, sideways, and back without it feeling tired and overdone, which is why this dynamic trope has become such a timeless reader favorite.

Set On You by Amy Lea
Published by Berkley Books on May 10, 2022
Genres: Adult Fiction — Contemporary Romance, Romantic Comedy
Add to Goodreads • Buy from Amazon

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.

About Amy Lea

Amy Lea is a Canadian bureaucrat by day and contemporary romance author by night (and weekends). She writes laugh out loud romantic comedies featuring strong heroines, witty banter, mid-2000s pop culture references, and happily ever afters.

When Amy is not writing, she can be found fan-girling over other romance books on Instagram (@amyleabooks), eating potato chips with reckless abandon, and snuggling with her husband and goldendoodle.

Her debut romantic comedy SET ON YOU is forthcoming from Berkley Romance at Penguin Random House in May 2022.

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Floral post header photo by Darren Nunis on Unsplash

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Top Ten Books On My To-Read List Featuring Bookish Characters

Posted May 9, 2022 by Jana in Top Ten Tuesday / 30 Comments

Welcome to another TTT! This week’s topic is all about bookish characters. These characters can be readers, librarians, writers, authors, professors, etc. I love it when I come across bookish characters in books, and I’ve chosen to feature books I haven’t read yet!

1. Scotsman in the Stacks by Alana Oxford
We’ve got a librarian heroine and the sexy Scottish patron she meets at work one day.

2. Book Boyfriend by Claire Kingsley
This book features a self-proclaimed book addict and a man who may as well have fallen out of the pages of her favorite romance novel.

3. Blame It on the Brontës by Annie Sereno
Our heroine is an English professor and an authority on the novels of the Brontë sisters. He latest project (writing a biography of a reclusive author) takes her to her hometown where she reconnects with her ex in this third chance romance.

4. Meet Me in the Margins by Melissa Ferguson
She’s an editor at a publishing house who is secretly writing a romance novel in a hidden room of said publishing house, and he’s the mysterious man who finds her manuscript and keeps leaves his opinions written in the margins.

5. The Bookworm’s Guide to Dating by Emma Hart
A bookish introvert who just wants books for her birthday, but is instead forced into a matchmaking scenario by her brother’s best friend. He is determined to find her a boyfriend and teach her how to not be awkward, and I guess they will both hope they don’t end up falling for each other instead.

6. Love Your Life by Sophie Kinsella
After going through a breakup, she ditches her normal life for a writer’s retreat in coastal Italy so she can finish her novel! Writers at this retreat are not allowed to share their real names or any identifying info, but that doesn’t stop her from falling into a love affair with a handsome man.

7. Hearts on Hold by Charish Reid
She’s a professor and he’s a sexy, tattooed librarian at the library she’s trying to get her university to partner with.

8. Talk Bookish to Me by Kate Bromley
She’s a romance novelist struggling with some writer’s block while helping her best friend plan her wedding. He’s unexpectedly shown up as part of the wedding planning, he was her first love (aw), and he’s just the inspiration she needs for her next book.

9. The Romance Reader’s Guide to Life by Sharon Pywell
Just read the synopsis of this one, because it sounds too cool and I have no clue how to re-phrase it. LOL

10. Dancing at Midnight by Julia Quinn
I love a bluestocking heroine!

Which bookish characters did you feature this week?