Format: eARC

The Gilded Heiress by Joanna Shupe | Book Review

Posted May 1, 2025 by Jana in Adult Fiction, Book Review / 3 Comments

The Gilded Heiress by Joanna Shupe
Published by Avon on August 26, 2025
Genres: Historical Romance, Retelling, Romance
Pages: 352
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher (Netgalley)
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From USA Today bestselling author Joanna Shupe comes a spicy Anastasia story full of secrets and betrayal, set among the glittering streets of New York City's Gilded Age.

In 1880 a baby was stolen from the wealthiest family in America. Though no ransom was ever demanded, the Pendelton family never gave up hope . . . and their reward became the stuff of legend.

After being raised in a children’s asylum, Josie Smith ends up on the streets and quickly learns how to take care of herself. Her singing voice draws crowds on every corner, and she’ll stop at nothing to become famous and travel the world, loved and adored by all. Maybe then she won’t think about the family who gave her away as an infant.

Leo Hardy isn’t afraid to use his charm and wits to make a fast buck, especially with a mother and five siblings to support. When he stumbles upon a beautiful young woman singing on the street, Leo notices her striking resemblance to the infamous missing baby’s mother, Mrs. Thomas Pendelton. The Hardys lost everything thanks to the Pendeltons, and once Leo sees Josie, he seizes the opportunity to settle the score. All he needs to do is pull off the biggest swindle of his career.

As the two are catapulted into Knickerbocker High Society, they grow closer to their goal, as well as to each other. But secrets can only stay hidden for so long. Soon the truth unfolds, and both Josie and Leo must separate what’s real from what’s just gilding.

Long story short, The Gilded Heiress was not for me. I was very excited about an Anastasia retelling in New York, but the magic this could have been was lost to a very creepy male protagonist. And I mean very creepy. A conman finds an 18-year-old girl, 10 years his junior (ew), who he thinks he can pass off as the missing daughter of a family he dreams of getting his revenge against. He exploits her love of singing and promises to make her dreams come true before lying and scheming his way into her heart… and her bed. He says it’s love, but I never believed him. He holds her future in his hands, thereby essentially making her do whatever he wants. She set ground rules and boundaries before they entered into their partnership, and he began disregarding them almost immediately. He took her away from her home to New York where she became 100% dependent on him and he relished that fact. He locked her in the house they were staying at so he could go off galavanting all night and then got mad at her that she snuck out. The way he spoke to her was manipulative and predatory. His unfiltered inner thoughts were even more repulsive. Nobody needs to be in this guy’s head. When the romance started to gain momentum, I wanted to run in and rescue her. There was nothing sexy or swoony about any of this for me. All I saw was a 28-year-old man taking advantage of an 18-year-old girl by dangling her dream in front of her nose like a carrot.

I should have just DNFed when I got to the very detailed (and honestly uncomfortably written for my taste) threesome in chapter 2 that I’ve been trying to scrub out of my brain since I finished the book weeks ago. Our hero made law enforcement mad, so he ran to his friend’s brothel and OF COURSE the only way she could hide him was to throw him into bed with two women who could take turns sitting on his face so the police officer wouldn’t recognize him when he barged into the room. I didn’t sign up for this! I continued because I love the movie Anastasia. I know that this storyline sounds very similar to the movie, but the big uncomfortable difference here is the age gap (in the movie they’re only a couple years apart) and the fact that this guy seems predatory. That’s not how the movie is. I continued because I wanted to see how things ended, but if anything this book has just ruined the movie for me because now I’ll be thinking about it the next time I watch it. I know people love Joanna Shupe, which is why I own 6 of her other books. This was my first full-length novel of hers (I read and loved a Christmas novella of hers, Miracle on Ladies’ Mile, last year) and I truly, truly hope her other books are not like this one.

Take Me Home by Melanie Sweeney | Book Review

Posted April 17, 2025 by Jana in Adult Fiction, Book Review / 0 Comments

Take Me Home by Melanie Sweeney
Published by GP Putnam's Sons on July 9, 2024
Genres: Contemporary Romance, Romance
Pages: 368
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher (Mail)
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Road Trip Rules: No bad music. No detours. No falling in love.

Hazel Elliot never looks back. If a door closes, she burns the whole house down. But when she’s invited to her father's Christmas Eve wedding, she’s forced to return to Lockett Prairie, Texas, for the first time since she fled for college.

Ash Campbell has been in love with Hazel since she dated his best friend in high school. Now, Ash and Hazel’s relationship is limited to playful feuding over the best chair in their favorite coffee shop, but his attraction to the prickly girl from home has only grown stronger.

When Ash’s car breaks down just as family obligations and the holidays pull him home, only one person can get him there on time. But Hazel has a condition: Everything between them must stay the same. And if it doesn’t? She gets the coffee shop. So the frenemies endure bad music, inclement weather, and B&Bs with only one bed—and that’s just the drive across Texas. When they finally arrive, Hazel must face that, in a small town, there’s nowhere to run . . . and maybe, for the first time, she's found a reason to stay.

This, my friends, is a secret Christmas book! You would have no idea looking at the cover or reading the blurb, but at the heart of it all is two college students trying to get home to their families for Christmas. I love road trip books, so I was excited about that but when I started reading and realized it’s a Christmas book I was even more excited! Why was this not marketed as a Christmas read? And why was it given one of the ugliest covers I’ve seen in a long time? The green chair they’re both sitting in makes sense after reading the book (this chair is very important to the two of them), but I am not a fan of the dirty pink color and Ash’s shirt in a color that couldn’t clash more if it tried. Anyway, moving on!

Fair warning, if you’re not a fan of the miscommunication trope do not pick this one up. It’s raining cats and dogs and miscommunication all over the place in this book, between Ash and Hazel as well as between them and their respective families. The third act break-up is also pretty infuriating, and really showcases Hazel’s immaturity. I struggled with her for much of the book, but at this point I just wanted to shake her. She’s a very bad communicator, yet she’s a PhD candidate for psychology and she cannot see what she’s doing. Ash is wonderful and so sweet, and he deserves better. lol. He does fall first, which I love. I also liked the dual perspective. I really enjoyed getting into both characters’ heads so I could better understand them. There’s also a deeper thread of family struggles throughout, which was well done and easy to empathize with. The romance itself left a lot to be desired, but I did enjoy the Christmas road trip vibes and Ash’s cinnamon roll personality. Overall, this was a fun, but ultimately “just ok”, debut.

The Folklore of Forever by Sarah Hogle | Book Review

Posted April 10, 2025 by Jana in Adult Fiction, Book Review / 2 Comments

The Folklore of Forever by Sarah Hogle
Series: Moonville #2
Published by GP Putnam's Sons on April 8, 2025
Genres: Contemporary Romance, Fantasy, Fantasy Romance, Magical Realism, Paranormal, Paranormal Romance, Romance, Romantic Comedy
Pages: 400
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher (Netgalley)
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From the acclaimed author of Old Flames and New Fortunes comes a steamy enemies-to-lovers romantasy about a paranormal skeptic who is roped into a ghost hunting romp by the charming boy next door . . . who might just show her what real fantasies are made of.

Paranormal skeptic Zelda Tempest is hoping for a much-needed creativity boost for a new paranormal mystery novel. But despite the alleged magic of her hometown, Moonville, Ohio, she’s as stuck as ever.

With two witch sisters, not believing in magic is strange for a Tempest, but no one is more disappointed than Morgan Angelopoulos, the charming man next door. So, to cure her of her writer's block and her disbelief in magic, Morgan ropes her into a ghost-hunting romp, only for Zelda to discover something else bizarre, never-before-seen creatures that appear as ordinary pets to everyone else.

Curious about what else might be lurking in Moonville's woods, Zelda and Morgan embark on a quest to uncover the true magic that lies in their midsts . . . and perhaps, just maybe, they will find that the magic they're searching for has been with them all along.

When I sit down to read a Sarah Hogle book, I know I’m going to get whimsy, wit, banter, and a big dose of quirk. Her books are unlike anything I’ve read before, and I always end up loving them. Sarah’s imagination must be full of magic, sparkles, flowers, and one-liners. Her brand of humor speaks to me, and I laugh every time I read her books. I adored Old Flames and New Fortunes last year, and was so eager to return to this special little town called Moonville, which is filled with people who love (and maybe even practice) magic. You’ve got plants and crops that grow quicker than they should, a witch who tells fortunes through flowers, a forest with quite the personality, local lore, and a diner called The Dark Side of the Spoon. Are you intrigued yet? Well, you should be!

This was such a cozy read for me. I loved Moonville in the Spring in the first book, but I also loved it in the Fall. Pumpkins abound, there’s a bite in the air, and everything seems to be humming with magical energy. The Magic Happens, where Zelda and her sisters live and work, sounds just as homey as it did in the first book. Oh, to live in a colorful home and run a flower, book, or candle shop downstairs! It just sounds so cool. It was fun catching up with Romina and Alex, who I fell in love with in the first book. It was also fun to see Zelda’s other sister, Luna (who I am sure will be the subject of the next book), and Luna’s daughter Aisling. They’re all such great, fun, hilarious characters. I love the bond these sisters share.

Zelda is quite the skeptic, even though all the women in her family are witches. Quite ironic, considering she’s a fantasy author and writing about magic is her livelihood. But that’s all fiction to her! She comes up with reasonable explanations for all the interesting things that go on in and around her home, and she thinks her family is a group of wishful thinkers. Enter: Morgan. Oh my gosh, this dude is ridiculous (in a good way)! He has a very interesting sense of fashion and he’s funny and witty and has such a high opinion of himself, but he’s also caring and sweet and so whipped for Zelda. He’s also a paranormal investigator who believes in everything! And he’s so upset that Zelda isn’t a witch and doesn’t believe in magic, so he forces her to tag along on his investigation of a mansion that’s rumored to be haunted to try and convince her she’s wrong. Maybe it’ll help her writer’s block, he says. And then… Zelda starts seeing things. And then she remembers she’s been seeing these things her whole life. All of a sudden, the hunt to convince Zelda that magic is real turns into the hunt to understand the magic that Zelda has discovered in herself. And Morgan, as frustrated as he makes her, is there for the entire chaotic ride (which includes a bonkers campout in the magical woods). I refuse to spoil anything, so I will not go into too much detail, but I will say that this book focuses way more on magic and witchy-ness than the first book does. I’m not a witchy girl or into paranormal reads, but I had a lot of fun reading about Zelda’s and Morgan’s adventures, even if the romance took a bit of a back seat to the magic. I did scratch my head a few times because oh my gosh, where did Sarah Hogle even come up with some of this stuff? lol. And that’s not a bad thing, don’t get me wrong. This was a very fun, wild, and zany ride for me! Zelda and Morgan are very cute together. They’ve got this enemies to friends to lovers thing going on, and their banter and flirtatious teasing was so much fun to read about.

I love everything Sarah Hogle writes. She pens some of the loveliest imagery and the most whip-smart dialogue. Everything always flows so nicely, and her books give me the cozy feelings I crave in a book. I’m excited to travel back to Moonville soon!

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
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.

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
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!