Book Review – Page 140

Book Review – Friend Me By Michelle McCraw

Synopsis

She’s found her Prince Charming. Her plan to win him needs a little help from her best buddy. Who’s suddenly…sexy?
Romance-reading executive assistant Marlee has a three-step plan to woo her crush, icy and aloof San Francisco tech executive Cooper Fallon.

Step 1: Dance with him at her boss’s wedding. Melt that ice.
Step 2: Work late. Bond over takeout.
Step 3: Share a magical kiss.

But when Cooper takes a date to the wedding, Marlee counters by asking her nerdy, Star Wars–loving, always-there-for-her best friend, Tyler, to pretend to be her boyfriend. Everything is perfect until Tyler gives her a toe-curling kiss on the dance floor and their date doesn’t feel fake anymore.

Kissing the wrong guy? Not in her plan. And neither is Tyler asking for more than she can give. She never meant to break up with her best friend. Especially when she suspects she’s falling for him.
Friend Me is a slow-burn-to-red-hot, friends-to-lovers romantic comedy featuring a starry-eyed heroine, a sweet, cinnamon-roll hero, and a pair of cranky cats. It can be read as a standalone and is the second book in the Synergy series.

Published Date: 24 July 2021

My Review

Marlene, a super fan of romance and an PA working in a tech company has been in love with her boss Cooper for the past 3 years. Everyone knows it except Cooper. If only she can convince him that she is the love of his life. For her best friend Alicia’s wedding, she accepted her buddy, Tyler’s offer to attend together with a plan to make Cooper jealous.

This romance is all about friendship turn into office romance. It started with one sided love both from Marlee and Tyler and story develop to a totally different direction after that. At one point, I even have this thinking that this story may end up with a totally different ending. Love both Marlee and Tyler but abit skeptical with Cooper’s character.

My Rating

Book Review – Wrapped Up In Christmas Hope By Janice Lynn

Synopsis

He’s willing to risk his life to save others.
Is she willing to risk her heart on him?

Morgan’s late husband was a daredevil…and now she’s a widowed single mom. All she wants now is to set up a stable life for herself and her son in the small town of Pine Hill, Kentucky.

Andrew’s a firefighter who thrives on the rush of saving others. His secret dream is to become a smokejumper and fight raging wildfires across the country. But it’ll mean leaving his hometown and the people who rely on him.

Morgan and Andrew are drawn together as they both volunteer to make quilts for veterans at the local quilt shop. Morgan’s son looks up to Andrew, and Morgan can’t help but notice how good Andrew is with him. Meanwhile, Andrew’s torn between his ambition and his growing attraction to Morgan. They both have choices to make about their future…and about each other.

Published Date: 26 October 2021

My Review

The story focus on Morgan who moved back to Pine Hill together with her son Greyson when she loss her husband to restart their life again. She prefers to stay safe given the reason she lost her husband but fate shoved her to the direction that she never want to be. Greyson idolised a firefighter Andrew who has a dream of becoming a smoke jumper

From the start I love the vibrant characters and the heartwarming story about fears and anxieties and overcoming them. Love the way Andrew treated Greyson and the patience for him is truly amazing. Morgan given the circumstance, was someone who is indecisive, make the story more draggy.

My Rating

Book Review – Accidentally Perfect By Marissa Clarke

Synopsis

Workaholic Lillian Mahoney has given everything to her job. The hugely popular lifestyle show she helped create monopolizes her time, energy, creativity, and anything remotely resembling a life. But all it takes is the show’s womanizing, egomaniac star throwing a massive hissy on live TV to utterly implode Lillian’s career in a New York minute.

Now Lillian’s hiding out in the gorgeous and completely unknown seaside village of Blink, Maine. Out of gas. A stolen wallet. A broken heel. And worse, she’s somehow managed to completely piss off the town’s resident hunk, Caleb Wright. She’ll show that hot, grumpy single father exactly what she’s made of.

But Blink isn’t quite what Lillian expects—and neither is Caleb…or his feisty teen daughter she can’t help but love. And while her entire life and career are in shreds, Lillian might just discover what happens when she gives her bad first impression a second chance…

Published Date: 1 March 2022

My Review

This book is about Lilian and Caleb who isn’t looking for a relationship found love when they least expecting it. Lilian is a workaholic who in need of a sabbatical leave found herself in a small town and met Caleb, a local boat builder who think she is con artist. The tow people welcome her with open arms. But to Caleb, she was up to something and he need to figure it out.

This is a story about letting go of the past and finding the place that you truly belong. It is filled with twists and turns. I find it a lovely read, which keep me amused throughout the book. Totally Love how well the story was written.

My Rating

Book Review – Working It Out By Jo Platt

Synopsis

Her new colleague is about to shake things up…

When her love life crashed down around her, Edie turned to work for solace. But office life goes downhill with the departure of her work wife, Ruby, and the arrival of new guy Cameron – a chauvinist, a womaniser and the very opposite of a team player. But is Cameron the bad guy he seems to be?

When a best-forgotten ex decides to get back in touch, Edie’s work life, love life and home life are on a collision course. Exactly what she will be able to salvage from the twisted wreckage, is anybody’s guess.

A funny and feel-good romance for fans of Mhairi McFarlane and Jo Watson.

Published Date: 3 February 2022

My Review

The story focus on Edie and people around her. She is an architect and have close relationship with her colleague except for one, Cameron. The story continue with the lies that Ruby told her which affect her opinion on Cameron and her subsequent boycott of him.

The story remind me of I don’t friend you, you don’t friend me kind of situation. Edie come across as one who easily take in people’s opinion and uphold it as her own. She doesn’t seem to be a person who have her own thought. Despite that, the characters are lovable although I find some situations in the story make me feel awkward.

It is a good read for me although the story grow on me at a much later part. Love how the author created and develop the characters.

My Rating

Book Review – The Women Who Took A Chance By Fiona Gibson

Synopsis

Meet Jen. Flight attendant. Mum to a grown-up daughter. Permanently single.

Age: Fifty (gulp)

Number of children: One

Number of husbands: Zero (it’s complicated)

Number of failed first dates in the last month: Too depressing to contemplate

Number of tickets for a romantic, once-in-a-lifetime trip: Two

Number of days left to find her Mr Right to take on holiday: Quickly running out…

Publish Date: 17 March 2022

My Review

A-bit difficult for me to get connected to the characters as I begin to read this book. It is a interesting storyline of a women in 50s tapping on the online dating which play a center stage in this book. This book is a about Jen, who was been made redundant. She finds that she have a lot of time alone and unsure how to spend it alone. With some persuasion from her daughter, Hannah she signs up for online dating site. The book continue with the story about her countless dates which come across as hilarious but not so much to Jen.

Overall, it is a slow start at the beginning but it’s accelerated fast towards the ending of the story which make a reader rather disoriented with the book.

My Rating

Book Review – Protecting The Desert Princess By Carol Marinelli

Synopsis

Seven days without her crown!

Princess Layla of Ishla craves just one week outside the gilded cage of her palace. A chance to try absolutely everything that is forbidden!

1. Sharing a romantic dinner

2. Dancing the night away

3. Kissing a gorgeous man…

The only exception? She must remain pure for her future husband! When she arrives in Australia, she finds there’s only one man who can help her fulfill this dream….

Revered yet feared, Mikael Romanov has earned his ruthless legal reputation, yet spirited Layla quickly gets beneath his skin. Mikael’s sworn to protect her, but can he protect Layla from himself?

Published Date: 21 October 2014

My Review

Layla has been protected all her life in her castle by her father. Being able to go see the outside world is something that she dream of doing. And the opportunity arises when her father allow her to accompany her brother and sister in law to Australia. She has it all plan. She leave the hotel that they booked in and seek the help of Mikael to prevent her brother to go after her and allow her to stay and do what she have planned. Mikael, taken aback by the request and relented when he saw just how desperate she was. Mikael, took her into his stride and introduce to her (on her own instigation) things that in her bucket list. During the course, Layla found herself to be attracted to him but Mikael knows that there are both from a different world and there is no way that they can be together.

It is a fun story of a princess that keen to see the world and prepared months before her outing to runaway as soon as she arrive her destination in order for her to experience her freedom eventhough it is temporary. I admired her courage for the action that she undertakes though it was rather irresponsible in her part. I also love her naivety and her absolutely clueless of the reality world that makes the story fun to read.

My Rating

Book Review – To Defy A Sheikh By Maisey Yates

Synopsis

Princess Samarah Al-Azem knows you cannot rush revenge. Having bided her time, she’s finally ready to bring down Ferran, her kingdom’s enemy and the man who took everything from her. In the still of night, she lies in wait in his bedchamber….

It isn’t the first time Sheikh Ferran has found himself at the edge of an assassin’s blade…but never has it been wielded by such a beautiful assailant. Soon he has her at his mercy—something he’s wanted for years!

Now Samarah must decide: imprisonment in a cell…or in diamond shackles as his wife.

Published Date: 21 October 2014

My Review

Samarah attack Sheikh Ferran because he kills her father when she was only a little girl. Obviously, her attempt failed and as a compromise, he demand marriage in exchange of imprisonment to reunite both their nation. Realising that there are other other ways, she reluctantly agreed and as the story progressed, she start to realized just how she was about him and she begin to understand the circumstance leading to the killing of her father. This has also make her begin to love him but Ferran is a broken man and he thought that he is incapable of love.

This is a love story between two persons who are bought being burden by their past history and connection and being weighed down by their responsibility to their nation. I like both Samarah and Ferran for their individuality uniqueness that has to work past their history which somehow seems to be interconnected. In their course of recovery, both of them has help to heal their wound from the past. Overall, it is a sweet romance for me with well developed plot and strong main characters

My Rating

Book Review – A Child’s Christmas By Kate James

Synopsis

Single mother Paige Summerville wants to give her seven-year-old son the Christmas of his dreams. Jason needs surgery to beat the illness that’s plagued his young life, leaving Paige desperate to make ends meet. So she turns to a charity that grants the wishes of sick children . . .

Then a stranger arrives bearing gifts for Jason—and for her. He’s Daniel Kinsley, a lawyer who’s grown cynical about family. But his kindness in making Jason’s wishes come true offers him more than he ever imagined. Is there room in Paige’s heart for a man who could fulfill all their dreams? And not just at Christmas!

Published Date: 1 November 2014

My Review

Paige is struggling and is emotional depressed when the cancer is back again in her son’s life. A single mother, She needs money for the operation and have been saving for that. Realising that this would be her child’s last Christmas, she wasnted to make one unforgettable occation for her son. A friend asked her to put his wish with a non profitable organization that helps to fulfill wishes by terminally ill chidlrens. Daniel was asked to help her to fulfill Jason’s wishes. Jason wanted a train set but due to the holiday season, the toy manufacturer unable to make it on time for Jason. It can only be ready in time for Christmas. Trying not to disappoint him, Daniel took the initiative to visit him nand passed the gift to him. He ended up having fun with Jason and has dinner with both Paige and Jason. It was the start of a beautiful relationship between the two persons who only wants the best for Jason.

Both Paige and Daniel is afraid of getting hurt and to take the step for the happily ever after is something that too big a step for them. The author did a good job in writing about the struggles of a mother especially when the child has issues. This story is filled with hope, friendship and love and most suitable in this season of giving.

My Rating

Book Review – A Bravo Christmas Wedding By Christine Rimmer

Synopsis

Love on the Range?

Princess Aurora Bravo-Calabretti is wishing for a mountain man this Christmas! But her most unroyal crush—rancher Walker McKellan—insists that they remain “just friends.” Now he’s her round-the-clock bodyguard while she is the maid of honor at her cousin’s holiday wedding. Rory can’t resist this Colorado cowboy…but she wishes she was walking down the aisle to meet Walker at the altar!

Both the best man to the groom and Rory’s bodyguard, Walker can’t shake his charge. As he begins to see Rory in a different light, a surprise snowstorm strands him with his princess…and sparks ignite into a holiday love affair! Can their Christmas passion blossom into a very Bravo happily-ever-after?

Published Date: 18 November 2014

My Review

Rory doesn’t like to have bodyguards which she have to endured her whole life but given the fact that she is a princess, she could not run away from it even though she is not the heir apparent to the throne. To make matter worse for her, she is attracted to a rancher, Walker who has been employed by her mother to guard her while she is at the ranch attending her cousin’s wedding. Things could not be worse of what Rory is experiencing for Walker because he is too find it too a temptation to be under one roof as Rory. Up to her visit this round, Walker has been keeping their relationship purely business but things are getting harder now when it is difficult to contain his attraction to her. He well known that given the differences in their status and age, they are in two different league altogether.

This is the final book in the series and it tells the story of friendship turned into lover where both Rory and Walker has known each other for a long time and have plenty of history between them. It also means that Walker understand her well. Rory wanted more out of her relationship with Walker but being employed as a bodyguard by her mother, she knows that Walker will not go beyond his boundary his position and its frustrate her. It also showed that she is truly independent and is willing to take fate into her hand. I like the way she tries to convince Walker that she likes normal life and how much she loves his town and trying to convince him that she is nothing like his ex. All these while Walker struggle to maintain his sanity. Overall, It is a fun read for me 😉

My Rating

Book Review – Starting Over At Primrose Woods By Jill Steeples

Synopsis

Abbey Carter should be feeling on top of the world.

She has the home of her dreams – a picturesque cottage just walking distance from her beloved Primrose Woods. She has a job she loves, great friends, and most exciting of all – a wedding dress hanging in her wardrobe ready to be worn. So why does she feel so lonely…

Lizzie Baker loves her job at the Treetops café in Primrose Woods, and she loves being a grandmother even more. If only she could face her fear of flying and see her granddaughter in person rather than on a screen.

Rhianna West is head over heels for her boyfriend Jay. She just wishes he could see her more regularly. His excuses are starting to wear thin, and Rhi’s dreams for the future are beginning to fade.

Can the fun and friendships, the picture-perfect scenery and rolling seasons in Primrose Woods help the women find the happy endings they deserve? After all anything is possible if you dare to dream…

An absolute treat of a book. Let Jill Steeples whisk you away into the beautiful countryside for the perfect feel-good comfort read. Just right for fans of Cathy Bramley, Heidi Swain and Julie Houston

Published Date: 1st February 2022

My Review

The story focus on 3 different women at a different stages of their life. Abbey is planning her wedding to her long time partner, Rhi is excited with her newfound lover and Lizzie is a widow in her late fifties who is about to find her 2nd chance in love.

Abbey, Lizzie and Rhi met each other and become good friends under difficult circumstance make their story really stand out. It highlight the important of friendship and courage to admit and move to overcome own fears. This is a cosy and heartwarming story to read that left me with a happy warm feeling in the end.

My Rating