Thursday, June 27, 2024

Review - - Finding Mr. Write

Finding Mr. Write
by Kelley Armstrong
Publisher: Forever
Release Date: June 25, 2024
Reviewed by PJ




Daphne McFadden already knows that as a female author, the cards are stacked against her. Now she knows just how much. Because her sudden whim to pose as an “outdoorsy hunk of masculinity” male author for her new book just resulted in the unthinkable: a bidding war, a huge book deal, and the kind of fame every author dreams of. Now she’s in big trouble. Because she needs to convince the world that Zane Remington actually exists . . . but how?

By hiring an actor, of course.

Only Chris Stanton is not an actor—not officially. He’s used to balancing the books, not pretending he wrote one. Still, he’s 
mostly certain he can pose as some overly macho bro-author. But when the media descend on Daphne’s gorgeous remote home in the Yukon, it’s not enough for Chris to just be the face of Zane Remington—he’ll have to become him. All while hilariously balancing the terrifying dangers of the wilderness, a massive femme fandom, and a serious crush on Daphne. But as the hype circus gets more out of control, it’s just a matter of time before someone discovers their little write lie . . .

PJ's Thoughts:

This is the book I didn't know I needed but am overjoyed that I found. Filled with laugh-out-loud humor and overflowing with heart, it gave me that "I love this book so much I'm going to read it five times then place it front and center on my keeper shelf so I can revisit it every time I need a warm book hug" kind of feeling. Okay, so I haven't actually read it five times. I've only read it three. So far.

If you've seen Sandra Bullock's hilarious movie, The Lost City (and if you haven't, that's something you should correct immediately), this book is going to give you the same kind of vibe, though without the maniacal kidnapper and life-or-death chase through the jungle. Set primarily in the Yukon (and an assortment of book tour cities), this story has its fair share of adventure (there be bears) and comedic fish-out-of-water situations (for Chris) but also endearing moments and emotional depth. And it has Tika: best caring, protective, judgmental dog ever. And Sakura: best caring, protective, efficient, judgmental publicist ever. 

Daphne's experiences with the publication of her book (women in all professions should be able to relate) and all that entails when its post-publication popularity skyrockets is a dilemma many people-shy people face. I enjoyed watching her gradual evolution during the course of the book and how she learns to handle that. I really loved this character and was cheering her on the entire way.

Then there's Chris, a delicious, good-hearted, cinnamon roll of a hero (he bakes brownies) who learns important lessons as well. His evolution journey is hilarious in some places and hopelessly male in others (why did he think that was the right thing to do?!?), but overall so endearing that I couldn't help but fall in love with him too. And he and Daphne together? So meant to be. 

Armstrong also offers readers a clear-eyed look behind the curtains of the publishing industry in this book in ways that are enlightening, humorous, and, at times, incredibly frustrating. As a book blogger, I especially appreciated the revolving door of publicists. 

If you're looking for a book that will tickle your funny bone, warm your heart, and have you begging Kelley Armstrong to write more books in the rom-com genre (I'm begging!), I recommend adding Finding Mr. Write to your summer reading list. It's a gem. 



Wednesday, June 26, 2024

Review - - Royal Caleva: Luis

Royal Caleva: Luis
by Nancy Herkness
Royal Caleva - Book 2
Publisher: Tabby Brothers Press
Release Date: June 25, 2024
Reviewed by PJ
 


A second chance romance, Cinderella story…but for the king, not the prince.

Luis, king of the exotic island country of Caleva, is stunned to discover that he has a daughter he never knew existed. He is determined to bring his newfound child into his life and that of the royal family. To do that, he knows he must win over her adoptive mother.

Eve, single-mom vet tech in the heartland of Iowa, is concerned when a mysterious stranger sets up a secret meeting. The shocking truth that is revealed upends her life, as she and her adopted daughter are swept off to Caleva and wrapped in the luxurious, privileged world of royalty.

But there’s an unexpected complication: passion flares between Eve and Luis.

She isn’t queen material, and he has sworn never to wed again, so their affair can have no happily-ever-after…or can it?

If you were rooting for Queen Clarisse to find her true love in The Princess Diaries, you’ll love Eve and Luis’s story. Read Royal Caleva: Luis to feel all the feels of two single parents trying to protect their shared daughter, while struggling to find their own happiness with each other.


PJ's Thoughts:


In the mood for a silver-fox, royal romance? Do I have the book for you. In the second book of her Royal Caleva series, Nancy Herkness brings readers a mature romance between Luis, the widowed King of Caleva and Eve, a divorced, single-mom, Vet Tech from Iowa whose adopted daughter has a shocking - and previously unknown - connection to Caleva's royal family. 


I've always had a soft spot for fairytales and I don't believe they are only for the young. Nor do I believe that people "of a certain age" have passed the time to feel those wonderfully tingly, falling in love feelings. Which is why I enjoyed seeing Luis and Eve emerge from past heartbreak and betrayal to find one another and, eventually, their happily ever after in this newest Royal Caleva story. 


I love seeing this island country come to life through the author's descriptions. I really do feel as if I'm actually there as I'm reading these books. Her descriptions are such that they create a sense of place that is completely immersive, whether that's in a secluded cove, a luxurious palace, or a highly-guarded prison. Yes, there is a villain in this story. Actually, two. Devious, obsessed, remorseless people bent on revenge add another layer of intensity, and emotion, to the journey these characters are navigating. 


Relationships are key elements of this book and Herkness does them so well. The slowly developing romantic relationship between Eve and Luis is swoony, romantic, and enduring. But there are also familial relationships that are equally important. Both Eve and Luis are caring, involved parents for whom family is everything. I enjoyed seeing both of them in that role, especially Luis. As King, one could expect him to perhaps be a bit removed but the opposite is true. Yes, he is a good - and firm - ruler, but he is also a caring man who, in regards to his family, wears his heart on his sleeve. And Eve is a total "mama bear" when it comes to her daughter's well being and happiness. I was in her corner the entire way. Actually, I was cheering both of them on. 


I am already eager to return to Caleva for the next book in this series. Prince Raul needs his happy ending. So does Mikel, the palace's enigmatic head of security, and now there's a brand new member of the family. I'm nowhere near ready to bid farewell to this beautiful island country or the family at its heart. 


You don't need to read book one, Royal Caleva: Gabriel (read my review) in order to enjoy Royal Caleva: Luis but I think you'll have a better understanding of the royal family, and Luis, if you do. 



Tuesday, June 25, 2024

Review - - A Simple Marriage

A Simple Marriage
by Janna MacGregor
Publisher: Janna MacGregor
Release Date: June 25, 2024
Reviewed by PJ
 


In the high-stakes game of Regency London’s marriage mart, Lady Pippa Ardeerton
rolls the dice with a plan more audacious than wearing last season's gown: snagging a husband to bankroll her dream dress shop. Dispatching marriage proposals like invitations to a ball, Pippa aims for a match made in mercantile heaven, where love is optional, but silk is mandatory. Enter Lord Hugh Calthorpe, the Marquess of Ravenscroft, her brother’s dashing best friend, who accidentally intercepts her matrimonial missives. Hugh, whose commitment to bachelorhood is as firm as his abs, finds himself entangled in Pippa’s quest for a Mr. Right Now, all while dodging his great-aunt's threats of disinheritance.

As Hugh dons the unlikely hat of Cupid, he discovers that Pippa’s kisses are more thrilling than any high society scandal. Suddenly, London's most eligible bachelor is questioning his resistance to matrimony, especially when the bride in question is as enticing as Pippa. With time ticking faster than the latest gossip, Pippa and Hugh must decide if their accidental alliance can turn into a love for the ages or if they’re destined to shop alone forever.

Will their hearts find a common thread, or will Pippa's dream shop end up as just another unfinished project? In this comedy of manners (and manors), finding love is the ultimate bargain.

PJ's Thoughts:

I said it with book one in this series and I'll say it again with this second entry. These are my favorite books that Janna MacGregor has written. The storytelling, character development, swoony romance, and family dynamics are superb. The flow of the story never wavers while slowly building the central romance to its heartfelt, sigh-worthy conclusion. And the balance of humor, heart, and spice is exactly what I look for. 

The main couple captured my heart (both of them) while the secondary cast added richness and texture with humor, conflict, and heart-tugging emotion. I especially enjoyed the layers added to Hugh's character because of his experiences with his mother's grief. It gave him depth and emotional obstacles to overcome. His great-aunt, on the other hand, was an absolute delight, offering up humor as well as challenges of another kind. 

Pippa, meanwhile, had her own emotional baggage to offload which, in addition to her unexpected - but determined - career aspirations, gave her character a wonderful depth. My heart ached for what she had experienced at the hands of her parents as a child. I understood why she chose the path she did at the beginning of the book but that also made her evolution throughout the journey all the more satisfying. I appreciated the solid foundation of friendship that formed between Hugh and Pippa before pesky emotions - and desire - found their way into their relationship. And, of course, I loved how poor Pelham responded when yet another of his beloved sisters fell for yet another of his best friends. I cannot wait to discover what MacGregor has in store for the beleaguered Duke of Pelham in his book!

This one has my enthusiastic recommendation. 






Monday, June 24, 2024

Review - - A Daughter of Fair Verona

A Daughter of Fair Verona
by Christina Dodd
Daughter of Montague - Book 1
Publisher: Kensington (John Scognamiglio Books)
Release Date: June 25, 2024
Reviewed by PJ



I’m the eldest daughter of Romeo and Juliet. Yes, 
that Romeo and Juliet. No, they didn’t die in the tomb. They’re alive and well and living in fair Verona with their six wildly impetuous children and me, their nineteen-year-old daughter Rosaline…

Once upon a time a young couple met and fell in love. You probably know that story, and how it ended (hint: badly). Only here’s the thing: That’s not how it ended at all.

Romeo and Juliet are alive and well and the parents of seven kids. I’m the oldest, with the emphasis on ‘old’—a certified spinster at twenty, and happy to stay that way. It’s not easy to keep your taste for romance with parents like mine. Picture it—constant monologues, passionate declarations, fighting, making up, making out . . . it’s exhausting.

Each time they’ve presented me with a betrothal, I’ve set out to find the groom-to-be a more suitable bride. After all, someone sensible needs to stay home and manage this household. But their latest match, Duke Stephano, isn’t so easy to palm off on anyone else. The debaucher has had three previous wives—all of whom met unfortunate ends. Conscience forbids me from consigning another woman to that fate. As it turns out, I don’t have to . . .

At our betrothal ball—where, quite by accident, I meet a beautiful young man who makes me wonder if perhaps there is something to love at first sight—I stumble upon Duke Stephano with a dagger in his chest. But who killed him? His late wives’ families, his relatives, his mistress, his servants—half of Verona had motive. And when everyone around the Duke begins dying, disappearing, or descending into madness, I know I must uncover the killer . . . before death lies on me like an untimely frost.


PJ's Thoughts:

Ever wonder what might have happened if Romeo and Juliet had lived? If they were deeply in love and still creating drama seven children later, much to the everlasting embarrassment of their oldest, the happily single and never been in love, Rosaline "Rosie" Montague? Christina Dodd has and the result of those thoughts is A Daughter of Fair Verona, a whip-smart, witty, hilarious novel that should be on everyone's must-read list this summer. 

Five minutes into the book, I was already snort-laughing while reading passages out loud to my sister-in-law. On almost every page, I would call out, "OMG! You have to hear this!" then read a sentence, or a paragraph, or the whole darn page to her. She left after about the tenth time I did this because (a) she wants to enjoy the book in its entirety once it's published and (b) at the rate I was going I would have read the entire book out loud because it's just that good and she had things to do. 

From the character development, to the sarcastic humor, to the tightly-crafted mystery, to the time and place, to budding romance, snappy banter, and - whoa - unexpected twists, every single word in this book is perfection. Dodd transported me back to 14th century Verona with a modern-feeling yet true to the time, alternate version of the events surrounding Shakespeare's ill-fated lovers, Romeo and Juliet. She immersed me fully into their family, into the events within Verona, the challenges, the political machinations, and the romantic fate that may (or may not) be awaiting Rosie when her efforts to outwit her matchmaking parents seem to hit a brick wall. I was so invested in these characters. They had me laughing uproariously one minute and holding my breath the next. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough while also wanting to slow down and savor every perfectly placed word in the book. So. Much. Fun. 

Fair warning before you begin this book. I read the entire thing in one day. Bathroom breaks? My Kindle came with me. Meals? I need to lose weight anyway. Sleep? Pfft. Who needs sleep? All I needed was this book. It's genius. Pure genius. 

I haven't heard yet when the second book in this series is set to publish (sometime in 2025) but based on how A Daughter of Fair Verona ends, let's just say when book two finally arrives, it's going to be one very long night for this reader. I can't wait to discover what Dodd has in store for Rosie - and the rest of the Montagues - next!


Sunday, June 23, 2024

Second Chance Winner - - June Coming Attractions

 




The second chance winner 

of a package of books from the

June Coming Attractions post is:

Diane Sallans

Congratulations!

Please send your full name and mailing address to:

theromancedish (at) gmail (dot) com


Winner - - 15 Summers Later

 




The randomly chosen winner

of a print copy of

15 Summers Later by RaeAnne Thayne is:

Rose Ward

Congratulations!

Please send your full name and mailing address to:

theromancedish (at) gmail (dot) com


Thursday, June 20, 2024

Review & Giveaway - - 15 Summers Later

15 Summers Later
by RaeAnne Thayne
Publisher: Canary Street Press
Release Date: June 18, 2024
Reviewed by PJ


15 summers ago, everything changed…


Ava Howell seemed to have it all. She moved away from Emerald Creek, Idaho, married the love of her life and published a bestselling memoir. But she never expected that her husband would feel so betrayed by a secret from her past—the truth of what happened to her and her sister all those years ago—that he’d walk away. Now Ava is back home and trying to move on with the only person who can truly understand…

Following years of healing, Madison Howell is finally happy. After college she built a no-kill shelter where she works with animals every day, and she’s in love with the town veterinarian, Dr. Luke Gentry. But she can’t ever bring herself to tell him. Years ago, his dad died protecting Madi and her sister, so how could he ever love her back? 

With the truth laid bare, and the past that Ava and Madison have worked so hard to leave behind threatening everything they have built for themselves, the Howell sisters’ reunion is bittersweet. And as Ava and Madi attempt to remedy the rifts in their lives and reconcile their futures, they must face the demons of their past together.

PJ's Thoughts:

If you're a working person you may want to wait until the weekend to read this book. Once I started reading, there was no way I was going to be able to put it down until I reached the end. It is compelling, heart-wrenching, heart-tugging, and just plain unputdownable. 

This is a book about family, betrayal, resilience, grief, healing, hope, and love. It plays out in present time with excerpts from Ava's book giving readers a look into the events of fifteen years ago, events that led to Ava and Madi, once inseparable, going in different directions, events that changed their lives forever. That changed Luke's family forever. I was riveted by those excerpts, by what those young people, now adults, experienced and by how they were still impacted fifteen years later, as much as I was immersed in their present-day journeys. They felt like people I knew and cared about - that's how invested I became in their lives, in their happiness. 

RaeAnne Thayne is an exceptionally skilled author who seems to outpace her capacity for excellence with each book she writes. She has the ability to reach into the hearts of her characters and her readers, touching us at our very core. That is especially true with this newest book. It touched me deeply.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Have you read RaeAnne Thayne?

Madi runs an animal rescue in this story. Have you ever worked at or with a rescue? 

This book includes both a friends-to-lovers trope as well as a marriage-in-trouble trope. How do you feel about these tropes?

One randomly chosen person who posts a comment before 11:00 PM, June 22 will receive a print copy of 15 Summers Later.

*U.S. only
*Must be 18
*Anonymous comments must include a name, screen name, or email address within the comment to be entered in the giveaway.


Content warnings below. Please be aware these contain spoilers about events in the book.
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Content Warning: cults, death, traumatic brain injury, miscarriage







Wednesday, June 19, 2024

Last Chance Winner - - June Coming Attractions

 





The following winner has not claimed their giveaway:

Beck

June Coming Attractions

Please email your full name and mailing address to 

theromancedish (at) gmail (dot) com

no later than 11:00 PM, June 20. 

If I have not received your information by that time, 

I will draw a new winner. 

Winner - - A Love Like the Sun

 



The randomly chosen winner 

of a print copy of

A Love Like the Sun by Riss M. Neilson is:

Laura L

Congratulations!

Please send your full name and mailing address to:

theromancedish (at) gmail (dot) com


Winner - - The Summer Escape

 




The randomly chosen winner

of a print copy of

The Summer Escape by Jill Shalvis is:

Patoct

Congratulations!

Please send your full name and mailing address to:

theromancedish (at) gmail (dot) com


Tuesday, June 18, 2024

Review - - Lady Scandal

Lady Scandal
by Laura Lee Guhrke
Scandal at the Savoy - Book 2
Publisher: Forever
Release Date: June 18, 2024
Reviewed by PJ




Delia Stratham is an unconventional woman. While other ladies learned proper decorum at finishing school, she composed naughty limericks and admired the gardener’s muscular legs. So naturally when she’s widowed for the third time, she does the unthinkable: she gets a job. Planning events for the Savoy Hotel is perfect for someone with her skills. But her dream career turns into a nightmare when she’s forced to work with the most annoying—and gorgeous—man she’s ever met.


Hotel magnate Simon Hayden knows something fishy is going on at the Savoy: the hotel is constantly busy, yet the books say it’s in the red. He’s determined to root out the fraud and its perpetrators, and that means spending time with one of the most likely suspects: the delectable, infuriating Lady Stratham. She’s definitely getting in his way and under his skin and he can’t decide whether to fire her or kiss her until she stops arguing. But when the sparks between them flare into flame, Simon must choose between his love for Delia and his duty to the hotel. Will his choice bring them together or tear them apart?

PJ's Thoughts:

I'm really enjoying this new series from Laura Lee Guhrke. I've always liked her working heroines. This one, however, is a bit different. Delia is not from the working class. She's a countess. A happily working countess who is very good at what she does. And, she's not about to let grumpy Simon undo everything she's accomplished. 

Give me a grumpy-sunshine, enemies-to-lovers, Victorian workplace romance set in a luxury London hotel? Yes, please! I was hooked by these two from the get-go. Guhrke gave me a heroine I could enthusiastically root for (everyone loves her!) and a hero nobody likes (at least, nobody at the hotel), then set them on a collision course with sparks galore. Both characters have unseen layers and it was a delight to gradually uncover them, offering insight into their pasts and the reasons behind the people they have become. 

I enjoyed watching Simon, who really is a good man, struggle with his new place in society, his unsavory family history, his beloved sister who is growing up too fast for his liking, and his determination to not fail the people who placed their trust in him, while at the same time fighting the urge to give in to his unexpected feelings for Delia and what they could mean for the task he has been given. 

And Delia was not what I was expecting. I developed so many feelings for this character. I really liked her, admired her, and wanted so badly for her to find her happy ending, both personally and professionally. I loved her joie de vivre, her steadfast resolution, and her loyalty to those around her, especially to those who gave her purpose when she was at her lowest. I also appreciated the organic process in which she both developed feelings for Simon and came to terms with the reality of what was happening at the hotel. It felt authentic to the characters and story.

Be sure to read the author's notes at the end of the book. There are events in the story (I had no idea!) involving secondary characters in the book who were actual (well known) people in real life. It was fascinating to watch it all play out in the story while noting the character's names and asking myself, "Could this really be true?" It was!

If you enjoy historical romance with a slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers, opposites-attract, workplace romance, seasoned characters (they're both in their 30's), humor, emotion, a touch of scandal, and a happily ever after, all centered within the luxurious Savoy Hotel, add Lady Scandal to your summer reading list. It's a delicious delight. 


Monday, June 17, 2024

Review - - Find Me in California

Find Me in California
by Kerry Lonsdale
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Release Date: June 11, 2024
Reviewed by PJ
 


Raised by her fiercely passionate and free-spirited grandmother, Julia Hope has never gone without love. But as she tends to her only living relative during her final days, Julia struggles to overcome her fear of being alone.

A thousand miles away, Matt Gatlin has managed to avoid the coldhearted grandmother with whom he once lived. But after twelve years of her being blessedly out of sight, she needs him. His resentments still raw, Matt packs up his car and reluctantly heads to California to confront a bitter past he thought was long gone.

Over the next six days, Julia’s and Matt’s fates intersect. An old diary exposes the tragedy of a long-lost love. A history of secrets in two families comes to light. And on a lonely back road, Matt picks up an unusual yet captivating hitchhiker with a secret of her own.

For Julia and Matt, something heartbreaking and heartwarming, mysterious and beautiful, will touch their lives—with neither of them realizing that maybe they’re destined for each other.


PJ's Thoughts:


Find Me in California is my first book by this author and I have to say, she packs quite the emotional punch. If you enjoy angst - and I do mean a whole boatload of angst - this is the book for you. My emotions were fully engaged from start to finish. What a ride.


The book focuses on four main characters: Julia, Matt, Julia's beloved grandmother, and Matt's estranged grandmother. Through diary entries and flashbacks, it tells the backstories of the grandmothers while continuing their stories in the present and also giving us Matt's and Julia's. The lives of these four characters, total strangers (or are they?), intersect when the grandmothers end up in the same memory care unit at an assisted living facility. What unfolds is an unexpected tale of friendship, betrayal, abandonment, forgiveness, loss, love, and new beginnings. 


There are poignant moments, heartbreaking moments, and moments that are just flat-out weird. Are they magical realism? Drug-induced hallucinations? Whatever they were, I couldn't look away. Even when the feelings induced were a bit ick (for me), Lonsdale's intensely immersive storytelling kept me glued to the pages. There are so many twists, turns, and OMG-what-the-heck moments that I had to know what would happen next, especially to these four main characters. Lonsdale gives them flaws, layers, strengths, and weaknesses that bring them to life on the page. The ones that are immensely unlikable still have vulnerabilities that draw sympathy, the beloved ones have unknown flaws that, when discovered, cast a different light on who their loved ones thought they were. There are issues of abandonment, grief, guilt, and the first flutterings of the possibility of love. It's a fascinating character study that held me in its firm grasp.


If you're in the mood for a deeply emotional story with complex characters, unexpected twists, family dynamics, and a bit of romance, give this one a chance. It's a real page turner. 


Content Warning: death, child abandonment, drugs, adultery, suicide, dementia






Saturday, June 15, 2024

Review & Giveaway - - A Love Like the Sun

A Love Like the Sun
by Riss M. Neilson
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: June 11, 2024
Reviewed by PJ


Laniah Thompson is a homebody who craves privacy. Issac Jordan is internet famous and spends his days followed by paparazzi. She runs a small business with her mom in her hometown. He runs an international brand.

And they’ve been best friends since childhood.

When Issac comes home to Providence for the first time in months and discovers Laniah’s dream is slipping out of reach as she and her mom struggle to pay the bills at Wildly Green, their natural hair store, she refuses to take a dime from him. And so, he does what any self-respecting best friend would do: tells the world they’re dating.

Suddenly business is booming, and Laniah agrees to his ridiculous plan to pretend to be lovers for the course of the summer. Just long enough to catch the eye of an investor and get her dream back on track, like she helped him do so many years ago, he reminds her.

Too soon, though, Laniah knows she’s playing with fire, because for as long as they’ve been friends there’s an undeniable pull they’ve never given in to. And as the lines between art and life—real and pretend—blur, it becomes harder and harder to see where friendship ends and something else begins....

Told over the course of three sizzling summer months, 
A Love Like the Sun is about shared history, those who make us our bravest selves, and love in its many forms.

PJ's Thoughts:

The author has penned a thoughtful and deeply emotional story about the journey from childhood best friends to adult soulmates. I loved the deep connection between Laniah and Issac. It's clear from the beginning how much these two mean to one another. Even though they are now living on opposite coasts they have maintained their friendship through geographical distance, life's challenges, and other relationships. 

When Laniah's business is tanking, Issac doesn't hesitate to jump in to help by lending his internet popularity to the cause with a fake-dating scheme. What happens next feels organic, relatable, and authentic to these characters. I understood Laniah's fears of changing their dynamic even though I felt it went on way too long. Can one person really be that oblivious? Issac's feelings came through loud and clear to me and I adored him for it. The deep, abiding love between these two was palpable. The brief flashbacks to various points in their friendship only solidified it. And, the slow transition from friends to lovers - with a few speed bumps along the way - convinced me these two would make it.

The challenges the author put in the paths of both Laniah and Issac gave the story depth and relatability. It was interesting to view all sides of Issac's rise to internet fame and I enjoyed watching him navigate the various aspects of it, especially when they impacted Laniah. And speaking of Laniah, there are many layers to this character which give her depth and flaws and relatability. In particular, a medical side story is one to which many women will be able to relate. It's an important issue that too many deal with.

While the story lagged in a few places, and at certain points I grew a bit weary of Laniah's insecurity, the writing, community of characters, Issac's steadfast support and love (did I mention I adored Issac?), plus Laniah's eventual growth kept me turning pages. A Love Like the Sun is a thought-provoking, heart-tugging, friends-to-lovers romance that I'm glad I read. 


Do you enjoy the friends-to-lovers trope?

What's your favorite romance trope?

Have you ever read a romance where the hero was an influencer? 

One person who posts a comment before 11:00 PM, June 17 will receive a print copy of A Love Like the Sun.

*U.S. only
*Must be 18
*Anonymous comments must include a name, screen name, or email in the comment to be included in the giveaway.