Review: The Christmas Village by Annie Rains

The Christmas Village by Annie Rains is the second book in her Somerset Lake series. In this book, we follow the story of Lucy Hannigan and Miles Bruno.

Lucy and Miles go way back. Sadly, Miles broke her heart and perhaps with their story as it unfolds can be summed up to the right person, wrong time. Only this time, he’ll have to convince her, even though time has passed, that he’s worth a second chance.

Upon return to Somerset Lake, with the death of her mother lingering in the back of her mind, Lucy Hannigan is trying to sort things out approaching the first holidays without her. Luckily after joining a book club, with the support of some wonderful girlfriends, being alone has been easier to deal with. As her mother’s financial woes continue to reveal themselves, her advertisement for a renter had gone unnoticed until an unfortunate situation happened to someone that became the answer to her dilemma. Only one problem, her only candidate was none other than Miles Bruno.

Alright, there’s more to the story about him breaking her heart before you hate him from the start. To begin with, considering currently her financial status, she can’t be selective. It’s not that they are enemies, just friends at a distance. He’s a great guy who thought he was doing the right thing before considering his circumstances then. When Lucy agrees to the rental, she lays down some rules to guard her heart and their peace. While it’s easy to forgive, she can’t forget their past. Little does she know; he wants to do all in his power to make it up to her.

When an unexpected visit from the HOA brings bad news, Lucy is overwhelmed with the possibly of losing all that she has left. With the holidays coming up, not feeling the spirit, Lucy decides she’s not up to continuing her family tradition of decorating her home. Every year her mother entered the competitive Merriest Lawn decorating contest. When it’s discovered that the winner gets a cash prize, Miles convinces her that is the answer to all her problems and is determined to help her win. As she starts to warm up not only to the holiday but opening her heart to the possibilities, will Lucy allow heart to be open for a second chance?

The journey between these two really was emotional and embodies everything about getting it right the second time around. They were the right people at the wrong time. The ups and downs, revelations and forgiveness of the past made their story worth the read. I love the friends in this series because with these two, they are very supportive and make you feel good. You just want to be friends with them also. There is always something nostalgic about the holidays and when love finds you again, there’s a pure joy in the sentimentality a redemption love story. It concludes with a sweet hea and fun epilogue.

Just on a side note, this can be read as a standalone but for continuity, I would read in order. In case you haven’t found this wonderful series, start with The Summer Cottage then move unto this book, The Christmas Village which is the second book in The Somerset Lake series. Please make sure to continue with the next book, The True Love Bookshop.

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Review: Perfect Strangers by J.T. Geissinger

About the Book

“These kisses of his...they're demanding and possessive. They're hungry and deep. They're the kisses of a man who wants more of a woman—who wants everything—and isn't going to stop until he gets it."

Author Olivia Rossi hasn’t been able to write a word since tragedy struck two years ago and ripped her world apart. Heartbroken and still haunted by the past, she accepts an offer to spend the summer at a friend’s apartment in Paris in search of healing and her lost muse.

What she finds instead is James, an enigmatic stranger who ignites in her an unexpected and all-consuming passion.

Agreeing to tell each other nothing more than their first names, Olivia and James embark on a torrid affair. But the more time they spend together, the more Olivia begins to realize her summer fling is turning into a powerful connection…and that the magnetic man she’s falling in love with might not be what he seems at all.

 Review

Perfect Strangers was wow, it was wow, and I can’t really describe it without breaching spoiler territory. This book is best if you go in blind and appreciate the twist and turns as it comes along. In summary, Olivia Rossi is struggling with writer’s block after suffering a tragedy. She accepts an offer to stay in Paris for three months with the hope that it’ll heal her broken heart. She doesn’t expect to meet the perfect stranger—James Blackwood. And nor she does expect to enter a sexy affair with him.

Olivia and James interactions were filled with passion, and it felt at times too good to be true. Especially, when they both decided to not get personal with each other. Despite how much at times they wish too.

I can’t elaborate much, but the twist hit me hard. Like completely speechless to the point where I had to go back and re-read what I had read because I was devastated and in shook. This book was an entertaining and emotional experience, and I thought with the last twist, nothing else would happen, but I was completely wrong. And when I finished the book, the only thing I could do is nod and wonder if I was an idiot and had missed any signs for how this would end.

Final Thoughts

Perfect Strangers was an absolutely steamy book with wild twists and turns that will leave your jaw on the ground. 

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Review: The Good Luck Cafe by Annie Rains

I'm not sure if this will be the concluding book in the series but The Good Luck Cafe by Annie Rains is book four of her Somerset Lake series. If you haven't read the series, you must go back and read. Ideally, they could be read as a standalone but I wouldn't recommend it. I would read the book in order for continuity because there are little tidbits here and there that blend well together from the preceding books. Depending on where you are with this book, this centers around Moira and Gil.

In case you aren't familiar with Moira Green, she is one tough cookie. She is independent, loves her job, has an amazing group of supportive girlfriends that get together once a week to chat at their book club. Her life gets thrown upside when a proposed plan to improve one of the town's biggest problems is solved but at the expense of demolishing her mother's beloved bakery. With fierce determination and humility, she goes straight to the person that potentially has the power to fix all this, Gil Ryan hoping he can help save the building.

Moira and Gil aren't the friends they used to be. Their budding friendship changed one night when a series of events affected their longtime friendship. After realizing that the decision is to be done and nothing will alter the inevitable, Moira decides to take matters into her own hands and decides to run against him.

As the temperature gets turned up for the election, a shift in temperature happens between the two that shifts their friendship. What had been just one side admiration from Gil, begins to evolve a warmer temperament building an attraction that becomes hard to deny.

With all of her girlfriends getting their second chance at love and being all happy and bliss, will she complete them by finally letting love in?

If this concludes the series then I'm glad it ends with these two. I love the type of characters that come together the way they did. It makes their journey all the much sweeter to their hea. I will admit that Moira has sort of irked me a little bit because of her cold temperature to Gil. She's lucky he didn't get snatched up by someone else but I doubt that would've happened because it seemed like he would've subconsciously waited forever for her. We waited long enough for her to open her eyes and see what was in front of her. Their storyline had some sad moments that were unveiled but it redefined their friendship/relationship that allowed her move forward but finally open her eyes.

Besides, their journey to each other, one of my favorite moments in the book is the character Doug. If people took the time to get to know or gave people like Doug a chance, they would thrive. Just because he had down syndrome, doesn't mean that he doesn't have the same hopes and dreams that everyone has. I loved his relationship with Gil and how he respected him and treated him as a person in spite of his physical challenge. He just made my heart smile.

As usual, my favorite girls were back. It was nice getting to see everyone again. Even though Reva and her blog drove me crazy throughout this series, it was nice her little tidbits of wisdom that each one got. If this is goodbye, then Somerset Lake was such a wonderful little town to visit and I'll miss the people. If you haven't checked out the series, go back and add this to the reading list.

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Review: Breaking All the Rules by Amy Andrews

About the Book

Sometimes you gotta toss your whole life into a burning dumpster to find what’s most important...

Beatrice Archer has always done everything she’s supposed to —worked her ass off, ignored her non-existent personal life, and kept her mouth shut. Now she’s over it. The rat race, respectability…the underwire bras. She’s taking her life back. Starting with moving to Nowhere, Colorado to live life on her own terms.

Now Bea gives exactly zero forks. Beer for breakfast. Sugar for everything else. Baggy sweats and soft cotton undies FTW. Then a much younger and delightfully attractive cop is called to deal with her flagrant disregard for appropriate clothing outside the local diner (some folks just don’t appreciate bunny slippers) and Bea realizes there’s something missing from her little decathlon of decadence…and he might be the guy to help her out.

When it comes to breaking rules, Officer Austin Cooper is surprisingly eager to assist. He’s charming, a little bit cowboy, and a whole lot sexy. But Bea’s about to discover that breaking the rules has consequences. And all of the cherry pies in Colorado can’t save her from what’s coming…

Review

Breaking All the Rules was delicious and fun and will definitely absorb your attention from the beginning through the end.

I had a love/hate relationship with Beatrice or as she preferred “Bea” in the book. When we are introduced to her in the book, from the gate, I was like, my new bestie. In her new chapter of life, starting over, she gives no crap about anything and the ride was pure fun. Her personality and the things that she says will have you laughing out loud and when she meets Austin, you’ll not want to put the book down. Their chemistry is so magnetic and the banter between them makes the book so much so much sweeter.

Here’s a little backstory. Bea is 35, the reason it matters in context is because when she comes to this small town, her path crosses with the young, handsome officer Austin, who is 25. He has piqued her interest and they can't get enough of each other. As they spend more time together and even though it wasn’t defined, there is an undefined label that seems obvious to everyone except Bea. I loved them together. Due to a situation from her past, getting involved with someone younger was a no no. That is one rule she was determined not to break. Even though it seems so wrong, you can’t help what feels so right. 

Now, I was feeling Bea all the way until the consequences as she felt breaking the rules was getting in the way of her feelings. I really haven’t read age/gap romances but loved how these two characters were perfect for each other. Yes, there was a 10 year age difference but it wasn’t an issue until it became one. She knew what she was getting into but Austin isn’t your typical twenty five year old. He’s mature and definitely knows what he wants and has a plan for his future. Those qualities alone I thought would override her fear but she let it block what was right in front of her. This is the point in the book where I was hating her for a little but redemption came with an awesome hea that made me like her again. 

Overall, this book was amazing. It was a light, fun story that you can jump into and feel good. As I sing their praises, the supporting characters brought their own fun to the book that are worth mentioning. You will go on a roller coaster with them but it’s worth it. If you haven’t read yet, add this one to the list because you will not want to miss out on all the fun.

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Review: Jasper Vale by Devney Perry

About the Book

From Wall Street Journal bestselling author Devney Perry comes a small town, fake relationship romance.

Eloise Eden’s pride and joy is her family’s hotel in Quincy, Montana. Her lifelong dream is to own The Eloise Inn. All she has to do is prove to her parents that she’s the epitome of responsible. That her days of being duped and making reckless decisions are history. She’s so close she can taste it.

Until after one weekend in Las Vegas, she comes home married to a stranger.

Jasper must have put her under a spell with those soul-deep eyes because after a single night together, they woke up husband and wife. Her only hope is to keep this marriage a secret until it’s annulled. Then she’ll pretend it never happened.

Except Jasper begs her to stay married. To fake it for three months so she can accompany him to a wedding. Maybe she’s lost her mind to agree. But her brooding husband seems desperate. It’s only three months, right? Then she’ll say goodbye to Jasper Vale, and with any luck, hello to her new hotel.

Review

I wish I was one of those readers who are hopelessly devoted to The Edens series because I think Devney Perry has some good material and good foundation woven within her books. Unfortunately, I’m not, and have at the two books within this series (excluding Jasper Vale). I had similar feelings after reading Juniper Hill (Book #3) and Garnet Flats (Book #4). I finished feeling a little bit disappointed. Here recently, especially after reading Jasper Vale, I find myself often thinking about Juniper Hill, and I think I might have--- actually no--- I’m sure I enjoyed that book more than Garnet Flats. I hadn’t known what to expect with Juniper Hill, and if I reread it, I think I might enjoy it a lot more. Garnet Flats still leaves me with a bad taste in my mouth, and I was nervous to read Jasper Vale. However, like most of the books I read, I saw a quote and I realized that Devney Perry would get more money from me, and I purchased Jasper Vale. And now, I think it’s one of my favorite books in the series.

Jasper and Eloise couldn’t have been more different, and somewhat, they worked. Jasper is a little bit damaged, very broody. And Eloise is so sweet and determined to prove to her parents that she can run the family hotel without any problems. I really enjoyed them book, and their very explosive chemistry. I can probably speak in great lengths about this but one of the things that really makes a book regarding marriage of convenience or accidental marriage, is when the romantic leads fall into an accidental routine and those moments are shown on the page. Spicy time is great; however, so are the sweet moments between the couple as they slowly fall for each other. Those moments between Jasper and Eloise stuck out to me, which is why they were one of the most memorable couples in this series.

One of the few things that I didn’t really enjoy within this book was Jasper’s past. It reminded me a little of what I didn’t like from Garnet Flats. Jasper had enough baggage from his parents. He didn’t need a plot surrounding his ex, that was wrapped up quickly and felt very unnecessary in the grand scheme of things. Especially, when the story was setting up another major moment towards the end. The big climax towards the end of the book didn’t feel as jarring as what happened in Juniper Hill, because I've come to expect some major dramatic moments towards the end in this series. The book, of course, could have done without. And I wish that instead of it, the author would have focused more on Jasper/Eloise in relation to her family. Eloise loves her family, and Jasper was sort of disinterested in them at first. I think seeing him learning to love and feel welcomed in her family would have added so much to this book. There was so much material there.

Final Thoughts

Jasper Vale is definitely a standout within the Edens series. Like the other books, it’s heavy on family and small town. However, it succeeds in the romance department as well for me. Eloise and Jasper were knock outs.

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Review: Zodiac Academy 8: Sorrow and Starlight by Caroline Peckham & Susanne Valenti

All stars must fall.

Bloody, lost, broken. We live to fight another day. But with so much stolen from us, can the fates ever twist in our favour again?

My sister and I have been torn apart by shadows and despair, and now we each stand alone.

Our sorrow is spun like a web, trapping us tight, and I fear our enemies will soon come to feast upon our souls.

But if I have my way, the merciless sky will have dealt us its final fortune. It’s time for us to take back the power that’s been ripped from our grasp and turn the tide of this war.

All stars must fall, and all Phoenixes must rise.

Long live the Savage Queens.

Review

I finished this book, and was just so tired. Zodiac Academy has never been a masterpiece to me; however, I was able to overlook some of the many problems, and finish the majority of some of the books entertaining. Since maybe the fourth book, my definition of entertained has been paired with a level of pain that isn’t quite describe but nevertheless, I have been entertained.

The ending of Zodiac Academy 7 broke me. And I waited months, excited to read the final book in the series. And then one random day it was announced the book would be split into two books, and my fear for reading this book increased. Because how much more pain can these characters endure? I’ll get to that question in the minute. So anyway, there would be a book 9, which would be the final book. Fast forward to December 2022, I see people reading Book 8 and their reactions are mixed, and I was a little terrified. And after reading it, again I’m just so tired. Why do these authors find joy in writing pain, and why must all the pain in the world be thrown into one book? 

There were few happy moments within this book. It felt like a pain fest. A boring pain fest that has lost the plot from the original book. The series started revolving around Darcy and Tory. However, this book has 19 POVS. It felt as if any character who has been mentioned in this book got a POV. Due to that, the main characters in the series have been sidelined within their story, and torn apart. Darcy and Tory are undeniably the best characters within this series, and I continued this series for their journey. The POVS of Justin, Mildred, and Xavier don’t matter to me. And I will admit I skipped those chapters and more, and the story was still easy to follow. They don’t add anything to the story.

I wish these authors would learn that quality and quantity are not the same thing. And that a big fantasy story can still be told in a limited amount of POVs.

Final Thoughts

Sorrow and Starlight was 1000+ pages of filler with a disjointed pace and so many extra POVs. 

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