contemporary romance

Room to Breathe review

Posted on by The Novel Girl

Author: Liz Talley

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Publisher: Montlake Romance

Pages: 336

Daphne spent her life being the wife and mother that she was expected to be. Now that her daughter is grown and she has divorced her husband, she’s living the life that she wants: one with a successful career and a younger man…who happens to be her daughter’s ex. Ellery, Daphne’s daughter, has graduated from college and done something that was never part of her life plan: moved home and taken a job as her mother’s assistant to support her fiancé who’s in med school. While working this new job, she begins an online flirtations with someone who thinks he’s flirting with Daphne, and things go a bit too far. Daphne, Ellery, and their lives entangle, secrets come to light, and things get inevitably messy. Mother and daughter have a lot to learn and a long road to redemption.

I first decided to pick up this book, because it was recommended by a favorite author, who I also think is just a fabulous person, Darynda Jones. Then I found out that Liz Talley, like me, is from North Louisiana. Now I don’t know exactly where, as I don’t go stalking authors, but North LA is not that big, so it can’t be far from my hometown. That sealed the deal, I had to read it! I’m so glad that I did! Guys, I laughed out loud so many times while I was reading this. These characters are well fleshed out and developed. They are all so real and flawed, but none of them are particularly unlikable. I was rooting for them to have a redemption arc! It’s always great to see people find their way in the end. I was engaged and entertained throughout the book, and it read really quickly. It really didn’t feel like it was over 300 pages.

Warning!!! If you’re looking for a Hallmark type romance without the alcohol, cursing, and sex, this will not be your jam! If you’re good with all of those things, highly recommend!

Finding Our Way Back (Well Paired, Book 5)

Posted on by The Novel Girl

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Author: Marianne Rice

Series: Well Paired

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Publisher: Star Hill Press

Pages: 380

Jenna Snyder spends her days caring for an elderly man and her free time relaxing by making pottery. She seems to have finally put her life and her heart back together after it was completely shattered. Those painful memories are the only thing keeping her from moving forward and finding someone new. Tristan, the man who broke her heart, is in Crystal Cove running his catering business in partnership with the small winery there. He had no idea that this would mean his running in to Jenna. He will do anything in his power to make things right with her. He has to make sure that she doesn’t find out the truth behind what really tore them apart…

Welcome back to Crystal Cove! This is the fifth installment in the Well Paired series by Marianne Rice. This may be the most emotionally heavy book in the series, yet. The Jenna and Tristan story was a roller coaster of heartbreak and healing, and I am here for it! It was a bit of a slow burn, but the payoff was worth the wait. As with the other books in this series, the characters were well developed and fleshed out. This could be my favorite book in this series (I may have said this before, though?). If you want a book to pull at your heartstrings, I recommend this one! I also recommend pairing this with a glass (bottle?) of your favorite red or white. 

Here With You (Well Paired, Book 4)

Posted on by The Novel Girl

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Author: Marianne Rice

Series: Well Paired

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Publisher: Indie

Pages: 350

Grace has always been the wild one in the LeBlanc family. She lived in Europe, but has returned to Crystal Cove to try and escape the scandal she created there. She and her sister have not had the best relationship, but Grace is hoping that she can keep her mistakes and string of poor decisions from her. Brady has lived his life on his family’s blueberry farm, and took over running it when his father passed away. He never thought much of Grace LeBlanc and her wild ways, until his mother becomes ill and she comes to help. Will he still think that she is worth falling for when he discovers her secrets? 

This is the fourth installment in the Well Paired series by Marianne Rice, and I think that this may be my favorite on in this series so far. I love these two characters so much! Grace is beautifully flawed in a way that I think that most of us can understand and relate to, at least on some level. She’s trying to figure out who she is and who she wants to be. Brady is the stable, steady guy, who is trying to do all of the things that he needs to do in order to keep his family and his family’s business running. As they have been in all of Rice’s books that I have read thus far, the characters are well rounded and full. I went through the full range of emotions while reading this book, but in the end I was left feeling full and happy. I can’t wait to read what comes next from this author! 

Marshmallows and Mistletoe Review

Posted on by The Novel Girl

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Author: Marianne Rice

Genre: PNR

Publisher: Star Hill Press

Pages: 145

Noel, much as her name would suggest, adores Christmas and everything about it: decorating, cooking, family time, presents, all of it! While she is visiting her parents’ home, she finds herself alone when the power is taken out during a storm. Ian and his young son have been having a pretty rough go of it, but he is really hoping that their move to Maine will be a new start for them. While taking him to see Santa, he slides off the road a crashes right in to Noel’s parents’ mailbox. Now he finds himself stranded in a strange home, with a strangely enthusiastic woman. Will this turn in to a nightmare, or turn out to be exactly what they both have been needing? 

Guys, I was not wrong to be excited about reading this while I was on my little vacation! This turned out to be exactly that “holiday movie in a book” that I was looking for. It gave me all the feels! As always, the characters were nicely developed, and felt like people that you’d want to get to know better and hang out with, The setting was wonderfully atmospheric. This was just so much fun to read and get lost in. If you’re looking for a sweet holiday romance to round out your December reads, I recommend giving this one a try! 

The Last Dance: Cover Reveal!!!

Posted on by The Novel Girl

Hi All!!

Aimee Brown, author of The Lucky Dress (previously known as Little Gray Dress), has a new book coming out and I have the cover for you!!

Introducing The Last Dance:

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Can you truly forgive and forget?
Ambri and Henry have been best friends forever. They’ve been through the highs and
lows of life with each other by their sides.
The worst? When Henry’s wife, and Ambri’s sister, died. Together, they can face it
all. Until one night destroys everything. Two years after he stepped out of it Henry
walks back into Ambri’s life and she’s more than a little shocked.
But as old friends fall into even older habits they need to decide whether they can
forget the past and embrace their future.
Perfect for fans of Nicholas Sparks, Jodi Picoult and Anna Bell.

Sounds pretty awesome, right?! I’m super excited for this!! If it sounds great to you, too, here’s the link to pre-order: Mybook.to/TheLastDance

About the author:

Aimee Brown is a writer of romantic comedies set in Portland, Oregon, and an avid
reader. She spends much of her time writing, raising three teenagers, binge-watching
shows on Netflix and obsessively cleaning and redecorating her house. She’s fluent in
sarcasm and has been known to utter profanities like she’s competing for a medal.
Aimee grew up in Oregon, but is now a transplant living in cold Montana with her
husband of twenty years, three teenage children, and far too many pets. She is a lot
older than she looks and yes, that is a tattoo across her chest. (In the Portlandia spirit,
yes, I lived many years in PDX and I do indeed have a bird tattooed on me (2!))
Aimee is very active on social media. You can find her at any of the networks below.
Stop by and say hello!

You can follow her here:

Twitter: @AimeeBWrites
Instagram:@authoraimeeb
Facebook: @authoraimeeb

You can follow the publisher, Aria, here:

Website: www.ariafiction.com
Twitter: @aria_fiction
Facebook: @ariafiction
Instagram: @ariafiction

I’ll keep you guys updated as I get more info!

A Christmas Date (First Comes Love, Book 3)

Posted on by The Novel Girl

A Christmas Date cover

Author: Camilla Isley

Series: First Comes Love

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Publisher: Pink Bloom Press

Pages: 231

 

Nikki is not a Christmas fan. In fact, she could be described as quite the grinch. She dreads the holidays and having to having to go home to face her family every year. It has been increasingly difficult since her younger sister has been in a serious relationship, and she has been seen as the “old maid”. This year is looking to be even worse, as Nikki just found out that her sister and her boyfriend (whom Nikki has long been in love with) are now engaged. Dreading this Christmas more than any in recent memory, she takes the advice of her assistant and decides to hire someone to play her boyfriend while she’s home. Luckily, her job gives her access to the perfect database to find her man. There’s only one thing that may pose a problem…she may have trouble separating business and feelings.

This was the first book in my foray in to the sweet, cozy, wintry, holiday reads that I told you guys in a previous post that I was wanting to read this season, and I will say that it was a good start. It had some fun, interesting characters. Some were maybe not completely fleshed out, but this was a short book, so it would have been a bit difficult to flesh out the secondaries more than they were. The story moved quickly, and it was all there. It is a great read if you’re looking for a sweet little holiday romance. This is the third in a series, but it is the first one that I read, and I didn’t feel that I was missing anything as far as the plot or storyline. If this is the type of book that you’re feeling in this season, give it a try!

It’s out now!