Review & Giveaway - - PS: I Hate You

PS: I Hate You

by Lauren Connolly

Publisher: Berkley

Release Date: December 3, 2024

Reviewed by Santa

Maddie Sanderson would be proud to honor her older brother’s dying wish, that she scatters his ashes over eight destinations that the adventurous 29-year-old never got to visit before he died from cancer. But in his will, Josh assigned her an impossible partner to help complete the mission—Dominic Perry. Seriously, if Maddie weren’t already at her brother's funeral, she would have killed him for this.

Sure, Dom was Josh’s life-long best friend. He’s also the infuriating man who broke Maddie’s heart back when she was naïve enough to give it to him. But since Dom insists on following the rules and Josh didn’t leave much room for Maddie to argue the matter, they embark together on a series of farewell trips that span thousands of miles, exploring new places and revisiting their complicated history along the way.

After a snowstorm leads to a shared bed, Maddie starts to wonder if her brother might be matchmaking from the grave. But when grief also reopens old wounds between them, Maddie will need more than Josh’s ghostly guidance to trust Dom again.

Santa Says:

PS I Hate You by Lauren Connolly is a five star read with engaging characters and breathtaking places and people. I will warn you to have tissues handy. You’re going to need them because this rom-com will test your fortitude. Don’t worry there will be happy and sad tears in equal portions. 

The main character, Maddie and her brother Josh were very close having grown up with a verbally and emotionally abusive grandmother, a self-absorbed mother and the less said about the father, the better. Actually, the less said about this trio of losers, the better. Josh and Maddie were each other’s anchors. Maddie's life is turned upside down by her brother's year-long battle with cancer. It’s a battle that he loses at the tender age of 29. A lifelong adventurer and outdoor photographer, he traveled the world. His dying wish outlined in his will is that his sister spread his ashes in eight places in the United States that he never got to see. Maddie is more than happy to fulfill his wishes except he wants her to make the trip with his best friend Dom Perry.  Maddie would rather eat glass than spend any time with the boy, er man, who broke her heart.  

Growing up, their only other source of normalcy and security came from Josh’s childhood best friends Dom and Rosaline. Maddie was the younger sister always at their heels. From an early age Maddie worshipped Dom Perry and basked in the warmth of his family. Dom and Rosaline were high school sweethearts but broke up for a brief time while in college. After a romantic interlude with Dom during that break, Maddie came upon Dom proposing to Rosaline. Oh, yes he did! Heartbroken, Maddie went far away to college and purged Dom from her heart. 

However, Maddie agrees to go on this excursion across the country with a now divorced Dom. What they discover along the way is that Josh has picked some pretty incredible places to spread his ashes. They also discover who they really are as individuals. Old hurts and betrayal come to the surface and misunderstandings come to light. And, yes, there is a snow storm and an inn with just one bed! Thank you romance trope gods! There is also a mind blowing revelation that I didn't see coming at all! I love those kinds of surprises. 

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I have always liked younger sister in love with brother’s best friend stories but this one was layered with so many emotions. I cried for Josh gone much too soon. I lost my own brother when he was only 44 years old. Twenty years later, it still leaves an ache, especially during the holidays. But Josh played Maddie and Dom like fiddles in bringing them together. Well done, Josh and well done, Lauren Connelly. I look forward to more from this author.

~~~~~~~~~

Readers, have you read any books by Lauren Connolly?

Do you enjoy books that elicit deep emotional responses?

What are the places (world-wide) that you'd like to see?

One randomly chosen person who posts a comment before 11:00 PM, December 8 will receive a print copy of PS: I Hate You.

*U.S. only

*Must be 18

Review & Giveaway - - Designs on You

Designs on You

by Jaci Burton

Publisher: Berkley

Release Date: December 3, 2024

Reviewed by PJ

Natalie Parker is in her mid-thirties, divorced, and firmly focused on her newly resurrected career and her two children. When her sister asks her to help design the backyard in the new home she shares with her boyfriend, Linc, Natalie’s more than happy to take on the project. What she isn’t prepared for is Linc’s younger brother, video game designer Eugene Kennedy. He’s smart, incredibly good-looking, and constantly flirts with Natalie. He’s also too young for her, which makes him totally off-limits.

Eugene is intrigued by Natalie’s beauty, smarts, and especially her sarcastic wit. When he teases her, she throws it right back at him. Besides that, they have an instant chemistry, but she keeps trying to get rid of him despite the sparks that fly between them. And Eugene never backs down from a challenge. 

Natalie is running out of reasons to think being with Eugene is a bad thing. Her kids adore him, her sister loves him, and even her always negative mother does, too. The only person holding her back is...her. Maybe it’s time she take that leap and design herself a love for the ages. After all, if she can create the perfect home, she sure as hell can design a happily ever after.

PJ's Thoughts:

I have mixed feelings about this book. I enjoyed Linc and Hazel's book, Housebroke and was curious about what the author had planned for Linc's brother, Eugene. At the time I had no idea that plan included Hazel's (then married) sister, Natalie. However, once Natalie and Eugene hit the page in Designs on You and their chemistry was obvious, I was totally on board. Eugene was a sweetheart and Natalie deserved a happy, fulfilling relationship on equal footing after exiting her toxic marriage. 

One of the traits that I most enjoyed about Eugene was his respect and support of Natalie in all facets of her life. I loved how he lifted her up time after time, how he respected her design opinions and her parenting decisions, and especially how determined he was to do special things just for her. So different from her ex-husband. I also loved Eugene's relationship with her children. His scenes with them were among my favorites in the book.

Natalie had a more significant growth arc. Her ex did a real number on her self esteem and some of the emotional baggage that exited her marriage with her spilled over onto her relationship with Eugene. I cheered her on as she continued to pursue the career she was denied during her marriage. I appreciated how hard she worked to ensure her children were happy and had a healthy, loving relationship with their father, even if she wasn't his biggest fan. But she had a lot of growing to do when it came to a healthy work/family/relationship balance in her life. She continued to evolve and eventually reached a point where I felt like she and Eugene could finally meet on equal footing and create a happy, loving, and long-lasting family together.

One of the facets of this story that didn't work for me was the emphasis on the age difference between Natalie and Eugene, in particular from Natalie's perspective. It's used as justification for a number of her opinions/decisions throughout the book. So how big is this huge age gap that has an almost 34-year-old woman treating a successful, financially-secure, sexy, committed man like a teenager who doesn't know his own mind? Three years. Three. Years. I understand the need for conflict, and if Eugene had been, say, ten years younger it would have made sense but the almost non-stop emphasis on three years being insurmountable threw me out of the story more than it drew me in. 

While there were a couple issues that detracted from my overall enjoyment of Designs on You, for the most part it was a satisfying read with multi-faceted characters I could root for, endearing kids, adorable dogs, relatable family dynamics, and a hard-won happy ending. It can stand on its own but for a better understanding of all characters and their backgrounds, I would recommend reading Housebroke first. 

~~~~~~~~~

Have you read Jaci Burton?

How many years constitutes a significant age gap for you?

One person who posts a comment before 11:00 PM, December 6 will receive a print copy of Designs on You. 

*U.S. only

*Must be 18

Review & Giveaway - - Her Knight at the Museum

Her Knight at the Museum

by Bryn Donovan

Publisher: Berkley

Release Date: November 12, 2024

Reviewed by Hellie

 

Forgotten by time and abandoned by hope, Sir Griffin de Beauford’s existence stretches out before him. Cursed by a ruthless enchanter to see, hear, and think, but never to move or speak, Griffin suffers the long, lonely centuries trapped in stone…until an unexpected kiss from a fair maiden breathes new life into his soul—and his body.

Emily Porter, a recently divorced conservator at the Art Institute of Chicago, is charged with the restoration of a statue of a medieval English knight. Breaking curses was not part of the job description. And yet, here he is, the man of her dreams come to life, resplendent in shining armor as he joyously barrels into priceless antiquities...and goes on to dismantle her defenses, wreak havoc on her senses, and tempt her to believe once more in happy-ever-afters.

But the modern age tries Griffin’s patience and pride, and Emily is a prime suspect in the investigation of the missing sculpture. In a complicated world, can they find their way to a fairy-tale ending?

Hellie’s Heeds

A true romantasy rom-com, Her Knight at the Museum will tick your boxes if you’re in the mood for a swoonworthy hero (who talks in complete sentences), comical hijinks, and sexy love scenes that you may want to dogear for later. The last time a knight statue came to life and stole my heart, it was A Knight in Shining Armor, which also featured a swoonworthy hero and comical hijicks–but I do have to say, I do prefer this ending to the more realistic ending that Deveraux gave us. After all, if I found a guy like Sir Griffin, I would want to keep him. 

For me, while the story was very lovely, I did have a habit of putting it down and being distracted by other things. While I have longed for a pure rom-com for ages–and I’m so grateful for Ms. Donovan’s book–at the same time, it can be a little difficult to just lose myself in the fantasy when I’m also thinking, “Aren’t they rushing into bed together? In this era? I mean, you don’t even know if he’s lactose intolerant.” Obviously these were my issues. Never mind that the premise that he is a cursed medieval man who wakes up from stone, like some sort of Snow White, and doesn’t immediately die from the flu due to his naked immune system struck me as far-fetched. Yep, his immune system was the far-fetched part for me. These occasional thoughts would distract me from the book and I would just watch episodes of murder mysteries for the satisfaction of a solved case in 42 minutes. I don’t think this is the fault of the writer or the story–I just think sometimes stories resonate with us more during different seasons of our lives. There have been books I’ve read decades ago I didn’t care for, but read again later and was blown away–and vice versa. 

The first hasty love scene aside, the later scenes were very hot and steamy…and distracting. So if you like your sex scenes more steamy–I would say this is moderately spicy. Rom-com spicy. I also loved when they toured the art museum together and she showed him some Andy Warhol paintings (which is the inspiration of her dog’s name) and I had to laugh when Sir Griffin immediately announced the pieces were hideous. Right there with you, big guy. I do not appreciate modern contemporary art. The chemistry between Emily and Griffin felt real and sweet–I was rooting for them the whole time. Even while I was wishing she would hold back a little until she made sure he wasn’t allergic to cheese. Or vegan. (I mean those are the things that can break a relationship. I mean, too late for me–my knight in shining armor hates peanut butter, though it does benefit me in that I get all the peanut butter cups to myself. Hmm, maybe it’s not so bad.) 

I love the job that Griffin ends up getting in the 21st century–and the scene for his job interview was particularly diverting. I’m also curious about Emily’s boss, Jason, and wondering if he is featured in other books or if there will be more connected books–which I think would be very fascinating. All in all, I recommend this book for a frothy, fun rom-com with a dashing hero, a relatable heroine, and secondary characters (shout out to you, Rose!) that steal every scene they are in. Romance authors are the true heroes out there–I’m grateful for all of them. Sign me up for the next Donovan rom-com–I hope it’s just as magical.

~~~~~~~~~

Have you read Bryn Donovan yet?

How do you feel about statues coming to life in your romances? Yay? Nay?

If you could conjure a real-life hero from a trip to the museum, from which era would he hail?

One randomly chosen person posting a comment before 11:00 PM, November 20 will receive a print copy of Her Knight at the Museum.

*U.S. only

*Must be 18

Review - - Like Cats & Dogs

Like Cats & Dogs

by Lizzie Shane

Pine Hollow - Book 6

Publisher: Forever

Release Date: November 12, 2024

Reviewed by PJ

 

Magda Miller’s feud with rival baker Mackenzie Newton is so old, folks in tiny Pine Hollow, Vermont forgot how it started. But Magda remembers: Ten years ago, she offered Mac her heart—instead, he ran off with her grandmother's maple cake recipe. Now, Mac traipses all over Magda’s baking territory, just like his oversized tabby keeps sneaking into her house to claim her dog’s favorite bed. So, when Magda gets the call to compete on The Great American Cake-Off, she’s thrilled to finally shine in a Mac-free zone. But when she arrives on set, her devilishly handsome nemesis is already there . . .

It turns out, Mac and Magda’s story has inspired the first ever Arch Rivals edition of Cake-Off, and of course Mac has to raise the stakes with a wager. The winner takes all—the Cake-Off title, the contested recipe, and control of the narrative. Magda is more than ready to kick Mac’s Bundt. But as they spar, on-screen and off, Mac and Magda reveal the best in each other...and the sizzling attraction fueling their rivalry. Only one of them can win, so why does it suddenly feel like they both stand to lose?

PJ's Thoughts:

What a fun book! If you wait on pins and needles for the newest episode of Great British Bake Off or Food Network Holiday Baking Championship or any of the plethora of other reality cooking/baking competitions available to view, you are going to love this book!

For the final book in her Pine Hollow series (I do not want to say good-bye to these characters!), Lizzie Shane has created a fast-paced, enemies-to-lovers story with snappy banter, sizzling chemistry, drool-worthy food, plenty of humor, but also heart, an enthusiastic, meddling, but supportive friend group, adorable dogs, and one lone cat who you will never convince me didn't know exactly what it was doing. 

The characters are well-developed with intriguing layers that are slowly revealed, and not only Magda and Mac. The kitchen scenes are especially fun. Shane really nails the atmosphere - both on screen and off - of what I would expect from a rivals edition of a reality show. It's fun to observe the friendships that form while also rooting for the "villains" to be cast out of the kitchen. And it's not just the contestants who create the drama. 

I have thoroughly enjoyed all of the books in this series. They are tied together through the group of friends, with a different couple - and dog - featured in each book yet can be read in any order. If you enjoy humor, heart, animals, friendships, emotional depth, and endearing romance, give this book - and this series - a try. I highly recommend it. 

 

Review - - Magical Meet Cute

Magical Meet Cute

by Jean Meltzer

Publisher: MIRA

Release Date: August 27, 2024

Reviewed by Hellie

Faye Kaplan used to be engaged. She also used to have a successful legal practice. But she much prefers her new life as a potter in Woodstock, New York. The only thing missing is the perfect guy. 

Not that she needs one. She’s definitely happy alone. 

That is, until she finds her town papered with anti-Semitic flyers after yet another failed singles event at the synagogue. Desperate for comfort, Faye drunkenly turns to the only thing guaranteed to soothe her—pottery. A golem protector is just what her town needs…and adding all the little details to make him her ideal man can’t hurt, right? 

When a seriously hot stranger mysteriously turns up the next day, Greg seems too good to be true—if you ignore the fact that Faye hit him with her bike. And that he subsequently lost his memory… 

But otherwise, the man checks Every. Single. Box. Causing Faye to wonder if Greg’s sudden and spicy appearance might be anything but a coincidence.

Hellie’s Heeds: 

So say you had really bad luck in the dating territory and had taken yourself off the market; and say you practiced witchcraft; and say after a really harrowing event where you felt you needed a protector…and you’d had some wine, you decided to try your hand at summoning a guardian, a golem, if you will–so far, it was sounding a lot like an average pre-husband Friday night to me, where I honestly believed the perfect man did not exist and I would have to make him up. But Jean Meltzer takes it one step further: Faye Kaplan actually summoned the perfect man…or golem. Faye can’t quite pinpoint which. Greg–well, that’s what she’s calling him, she’s not sure since she’s the reason for his amnesia and she had to call him something–is definitely a man, but he also looks like her wet-dream in real life and his characteristics are alarmingly checking every single box she created in the little clay golem she buried in her backyard just last night.  

The premise is a hoot and a treat–and I thirstily read this book down like the cool drink of lemonade, sweet and tart and refreshing, that it is. The secondary characters, particularly Nelly, are hysterical and add to the antics. But besides being fun, flirty, and all the best of rom-coms, it also pulled in real emotion from real issues: like parental neglect and child abuse, anti-semitism and the escalading violence we continuously see in our communities, and the pain and trauma in always feeling like one is either too much or not enough in our relationships–that we’re inherently unlovable. ANGST! (It’s one of my favorite things about a Jean Meltzer book: the angst and emotion! Recall: it was her Mr. Perfect on Paper which had both me and my husband sobbing from a scene I read to him.) 

Representation matters–and I think these books definitely add perspective to the lived experiences of those who are treated as Other in our communities. I’m always honored and thrilled to read these review books that touch on these issues that affect all of us in one way or another and to learn new perspectives–and maybe also how to be a better ally to those around me. But don’t worry–if that’s not what you’re looking for in a book–I think the straight up rom-com feel of this story will keep you laughing and proclaiming this the perfect beach read.  

I would start offering scenes you definitely need to read, but then I’d need to add a subsequent one…and soon you’d have the whole story told to you and it wouldn’t do it justice. Just know the pacing, the emotion and pacing are well-done, and you will be rooting for Greg and Faye on every page. Apparently you can create the perfect man…and he will find you. Top Dish!

Review & Giveaway - - A Novel Love Story

A Novel Love Story

by Ashley Poston

Publisher: Berkley

Release Date: June 25, 2024

Reviewed by Hellie

Eileen Merriweather loves to get lost in a good happily-ever-after. The fictional kind, anyway. Because at least imaginary men don’t leave you at the altar. She feels safe in a book. At home. Which might be why she’s so set on going her annual book club retreat this year—she needs good friends, cheap wine, and grand romantic gestures—no matter what. 

But when her car unexpectedly breaks down on the way, she finds herself stranded in a quaint town that feels like it’s right out of a novel… 

Because it is. 

This place can’t be real, and yet… she’s here, in Eloraton, the town of her favorite romance series, where the candy store’s honey taffy is always sweet, the local bar’s burgers are always a little burnt, and rain always comes in the afternoon. It feels like home. It’s perfect—and perfectly frozen, trapped in the late author’s last unfinished story. 

Elsy is sure that’s why she must be here: to help bring the town to its storybook ending. 

Except there is a character in Eloraton that she can’t place—a grumpy bookstore owner with mint-green eyes, an irritatingly sexy mouth and impeccable taste in novels. And he does not want her finishing this book. 

Which is a problem because Elsy is beginning to think the town’s happily-ever-after might just be intertwined with her own.

 

Hellie’s Heeds 

*swoons* This is the summer read I’ve been looking for. I’m sorry this review took a bit longer (since review books usually come to us before the book comes out)–but I had already pre-ordered the book when PJ asked if I’d be willing to read it* and I told her I already ordered it and would it be better to offer the review copy up for swag? She heartily agreed. We all love free swag AND great summer reads–and this is definitely both.  

I am a little picky on my rom-coms, as is evident by some of the other rom-coms I’ve reviewed of late, but this one is *chef’s kiss* Perfection. A grumpy hero, a slightly bumbling heroine, and a little magic? All my favorite tropes. Best of all, in the resolution, when I was very worried: “is this going to work out?”--when it did, I realized the author did the absolute best thing for the characters and the kind of story we need in the 21st century: a story where people have worked through their crap before hooking up and declaring they want to spend the rest of their lives with each other. It’s so healthy! It’s so novel! It’s so…nerve-wracking because I didn’t know what was going to happen. I hope I didn’t give it all away when you and I both know this IS how romance novels work. There’s a Happily Ever After. From beginning to end, it’s adorable…and a little Brigadoon-esque. (Another love story that left me with a panicky sort of Black Moment.)  

The premise lends itself to daydreaming–because we have all fallen in love with book series over the years and who wouldn’t want to go to their favorite “book story world” and meet all the characters you’ve fallen in love with over the years? (I’m sure I could find a handful of Jane Austen spin-offs where the modern day heroine got to meet the real Mr. Darcy!) Of course, I would love to explore every inch of Hogwarts, but when it comes to romance novels and romance-landia worlds, I think I would be torn between hanging out with the Bridgertons or Eloisa James’ Desperate Duchesses. Wait, I really love indoor plumbing, so maybe…Maisey Yates’ cowboy series (any of them!)  

*I love being married, but it causes havoc in my reading life. I don’t read nearly as much as I used to. Granted I also exercise (and travel) more than I used to, which my doctor is much happier about, so here we are.

Discuss: What romance-landia world would you like to wander into and meet all the characters? 

One randomly chosen person who posts a comment before 11:00 PM, August 21 will receive a print copy of A NOVEL LOVE STORY.  

*U.S. only

*Must be 18

 

 

Review - - The Design of Us

The Design of Us

by Sajni Patel

Publisher: Berkley

Release Date: July 16, 2024

Reviewed by Hellie

Sunshine incarnate Bhanu brings big UX energy to whatever she does, including going for the promotion where her only serious competition is her work nemesis, AKA Sunny, the grump with the Denzel voice. She expected to get a reprieve from him while visiting her family in Hawai’i, but the universe has other plans. When Bhanu runs into Sunny at the hotel and witnesses his ex criticizing him about being single, Bhanu does the first thing that comes to mind: she impetuously claims to be Sunny’s girlfriend just to get some peace and quiet. Except Sunny is on island for a friend’s wedding and his ex has already texted the entire wedding party about this mysterious girlfriend. 

Bhanu truly is the bane of Sunny’s existence. But the last thing he wants to do is cause tension during his friend’s wedding festivities, much less be the object of their pity. He has no choice except to play along, if only he and Bhanu can put aside their quarreling and act like a real couple. 

Between Bhanu’s hilariously meddling family and Sunny’s ecstatic friends, the two are pushed closer together, even as stress mounts over the impending promotion. 

They say what happens on island, stays on island. But as Sunny and Bhanu let their guards down, will either of them be able to resist this romantic getaway without crossing the line?

 

Hellie’s Heeds 

The tropes are alive and well–you have a sunshine heroine nicknamed Bane; and a grumpy hero named Sunny–and the snappy banter and situational comedy laughs are on-going. In addition to having the Pride & Prejudice Perfect Trope of “Enemies to Lovers” (and the Sunshine & Grumpy trope), we also have the “fake dating” trope which the heroine introduces when Sunny’s ex-girlfriend tries to publicly shame him in a hotel lobby–and Bane (Bhanu) just wants the woman gone. Obviously the best way to get rid of this woman is to introduce herself as Sunny’s newest flame. (Bhanu doesn’t always think things through, but it’s part of her charm.) This leads to further complications as Bhanu agrees to allow Sunny to stay in her hotel room (since the hotel is booked and has nothing available) and for her to attend the pre-wedding events as Sunny’s supposed girlfriend.  

What I really appreciated was the slow build of enemies to friends (of a kind) to lovers, allowing for the reader to get attached to both characters and appreciate the relationship that was building between them. Sometimes “enemies to lovers” runs the risk of “I actually hate this guy but he’s so hot I’m going to have sex with him anyway”--which I don’t find romantic--and I don’t bond with the characters who do things like that. Additionally, I was on board with Bhanu not liking Sunny–and I loved how like Bhanu, I slowly began to appreciate another side of Sunny and realize he’s actually a really good guy. The chapters go back and forth between the two–so the misunderstandings and miscommunications are shared. 

The writing style of the author is fun and breezy, with what I feel are distinctive voices for each of the characters. (I really wish I could have found a story or book that details Bhanu’s sister’s love story–because I loved her and her boyfriend! But all in all, all I could think was I need to find more of Ms. Patel’s books because I think I might be a little behind on the backlist.) And while the story is breezy and rom-com in nature–the emotional depth and caring I had for these characters also speaks to Ms. Patel’s ability to create likable but flawed characters who deserve a happy ending.  

Lastly, hands down: this had one of the most swoon-worthy romantic gestures of all time, topping Mr. Darcy going to London to make sure Mr. Wickham married that idiot Lydia. Bold, you may call my declaration (who tops Mr. Darcy of all things?), but I had to stop and read it to my husband and go, “Why can’t you be more eco-conscious like Sunny?” Best of all, the dark moment was quality dark moment–not just a misunderstanding between the two characters leading to them refusing to talk to each other (which is what would happen in real life) but the kind of dark moment you grow from.  

A fun beach read, preferably on a beach in Hawaii with some ube-flavored cookies or a shake to really feel like you’re there. When can I go?

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.