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 - - The Muse of Maiden Lane

The Muse of Maiden Lane

by Mimi Matthews

Belles of London - Book 4

Publisher: Berkley

Release Date: November 19, 2024

Reviewed by Santa

Stella Hobhouse is a brilliant rider, stalwart friend, skilled sketch artist—and completely overlooked. Her outmodish gray hair makes her invisible to London society. Combined with her brother’s pious restrictions and her dwindling inheritance, Stella is on the verge of a lifetime marooned in Derbyshire as a spinster. Unless she does something drastic…like posing for a daring new style of portrait by the only man who’s ever really seen her.

Aspiring painter Edward “Teddy” Hayes knows true beauty when he sees it. He would never ask Stella to risk her reputation as an artist’s model but in the five years since a virulent bout of scarlet fever left him partially paralyzed, Teddy has learned to heed good fortune when he finds it. He’ll do anything to persuade his muse to pose for him, even if he must offer her a marriage of convenience.  

After all, though Teddy has yearned to trace Stella’s luminous beauty on canvas since their chance meeting, her heart is what he truly aches to capture….

Santa Says:

The Muse of Maiden Lane by Mimi Matthews is another five star read for me. I am a huge fan of her writing and this fourth installment of her Belles of London does not disappoint. This book centers around Stella Hobhouse, a silver haired horsewoman, and Teddy Hayes, an artist who would like nothing more than to paint this goddess. 

However, Stella does not see herself as a goddess. In her eyes, those silver tresses are a cursed premature gray. It’s a look that makes her stand out as an oddity and object of pity. She would rather hide under a bushel than shine her light. Teddy is having none of this.

Teddy has had his own share of both the pity of others and his own frustrations with being wheelchair bound. Scarlet fever ravished his childhood home causing his legs to be paralyzed. He worked on honing his upper body and found that drawing scenes from outside his window kept his mind in shape. He strives to gain more freedom from his sister’s constant worry and become more independent especially after she marries. Two is company and three is a crowd.

Stella and Teddy see one another on several occasions but meet again at an art exhibit where the auburn haired subject of a painting inspires Stella to change her appearance. Stella decides to color her hair and attend a friend’s house party. She is desperate to escape her father’s attempt to sell her off to an odious man. The house party gives her five days to secure a match. This house party is where they meet again. Teddy, for his part, would recognize his goddess anywhere. He is confused as to why she is doing something so desperate.

Teddy tries desperately to convince her to pose for him and when he learns of her situation, offers her a marriage of convenience that would help both their situations. Teddy can truly establish himself in his own household and Stella would be safe in his care.

This book is the masterfully crafted love story about two people who have burdens all their own but who come together to overcome obstacles and thrive. It could be classified as a slow burn where the hero falls first. I loved how Mimi Matthews brought together the heroines of her other books in this series who are also known as The Four Horsewomen. I just love that moniker. I was also delighted to see characters from Parish Orohns of Devon series. Alec from that series is married to Teddy’s sister, Laura. I am sad to see the series end but rest assured I am already on the look out for more from Mimi Matthews.

~~~~~~~~~

Readers, have you read Mimi Matthews yet?

How do you feel about premature graying? Would you color your hair or go natural? (no right or wrong answer here)

One randomly chosen person who posts a comment before 11:00 PM, November 23 will receive a print copy of The Muse of Maiden Lane.

*U.S. only

*Must be 18

Review - - Christmas is All Around

Christmas Is All Around

by Martha Waters

Publisher: Atria Books

Release Date: October 22, 2024

Reviewed by Santa

Charlotte hates the holidays. As a former child actress, she starred in a modern classic of a holiday movie, and its fans won’t let her move on. When a piece revealing that her reluctance nixed plans for a reboot, she flees to London to spend the five-week countdown to the holidays with her sister.

But the ghosts of Christmas past follow her there when she ends up at Eden Priory, a filming location for the movie she has never visited. There, after being recognized by a fan while viewing the extraordinary holiday decorations, she’s accidently left behind, forcing her to accept a ride back to London from Graham, the son of the owners. Their family business—and the funds to keep their historic house running—relies on holiday cheer, and Graham knows a visit from a holiday star would bring in more visitors.

Now an illustrator, Charlotte accepts a commission illustrating iconic holiday movie scenes in London and its environs. Graham offers to help escort her, as long as she’ll commit to an art workshop at Eden Priory. But as Charlotte’s chaotic family holiday goes awry, she begins spending more time scouting locations with Graham. She may not love a Christmas romance…but what if she has one of her own?

Santa says:

Christmas Is All Around by Martha Waters is grumpy meets sunshine slow burn holiday romance set in England and I am here for all of it! What’s not to love when our one and done former child star heroine Charlotte would rather eat glass than make merry? Content to earn her living as a successful illustrator, Charlotte is thrown into the spotlight when her rabid fans react negatively to her nixing a reboot of her Christmas movie she made years ago. And who can resist a handsome Englishman? 

Charlotte packs her bags and heads to her sister’s house to lay low and avoid Christmas cheer. No such luck as her sister, husband and his parents are bound and determined to pack in as much Christmas fun for her niece who expresses her opinions loudly. She reluctantly tags along and is most excited to visit the home of one of her favorite artists Eden Priory. An honest to goodness proper English home complete with its own park. She is horrified to find that she recognizes the interior from her movie and panics when a fan recognizes her. She runs to an alcove to hide where she finds one of the reindeer stepping out of costume. 

As meet cutes go, Charlotte’s watching Graham’s strip tease is a treasure. Her luck seemed to turn for the better because Graham is a direct descendant of the original owner of the Priory. He and his family are trying their best to conserve and maintain the Priory but leaky roofs cost money and so they have opened their home to nostalgic Christmas revelers. It didn’t hurt that visitors came to see where a portion of everyone's - except Charlotte - favorite Christmas movie was filmed. 

Graham takes her away from the crowds and following a private tour Charlotte finds she’s been left behind. Graham drives her back to London where he also happens to live. On the way they strike a deal for Charlotte to make drawings of famous grand houses to sell at the Priory. Going with Graham to all these locations gives Charlotte an easy out of further Christmas happenings on her sister’s must do list. 

As fate would have it, Graham loves Christmas and introduces Charlotte to his traditions. I mean the man even loves to make mince meat. And I’m sure there’s a plum pudding on the hob somewhere. As Christmas is all around, they fall in love at the end but don’t own up to those feelings right away. Charlotte does not like to be vulnerable and does not trust easily. Her fears are brought to light when Graham’s family blind side her. Can Graham prove his worth? It is a near thing at the end. 

Martha Waters writes the most delightful characters. The dialog is witty. The story unfolds naturally and there is real character growth. She always writes relatable stories no matter what the time period. I am glad to see her venturing into writing contemporary rom coms and look forward to her next projects.

 

Review - - Love You a Latke

Love You a Latke

by Amanda Elliot

Publisher: Berkley

Release Date: October 8, 2024

Reviewed by Santa

Snow is falling, holiday lights are twinkling, and Abby Cohen is pissed. For one thing, her most annoying customer, Seth, has been coming into her café every morning with his sunshiny attitude, determined to break down her carefully constructed emotional walls. And, as the only Jew on the tourism board of her Vermont town, Abby's been charged with planning their fledgling Hanukkah festival. Unfortunately, the local vendors don’t understand that the story of Hanukkah cannot be told with light-up plastic figures from the Nativity scene, even if the Three Wise Men wear yarmulkes.

Desperate for support, Abby puts out a call for help online and discovers she was wrong about being the only Jew within a hundred miles. There's one other: Seth.

As it turns out, Seth’s parents have been badgering him to bring a Nice Jewish Girlfriend home to New York City for Hanukkah, and if Abby can survive his incessant, irritatingly handsome smiles, he’ll introduce her to all the vendors she needs to make the festival a success. But over latkes, doughnuts, and winter adventures in Manhattan, Abby begins to realize that her fake boyfriend and his family might just be igniting a flame in her own guarded heart.

Santa says:

‘Tis the season, friends, and I couldn’t be happier. Pumpkin spice may be in the air but I’ll take the scent of latkes, those divine potato pancakes with a side of applesauce, any day of the week. And Love You A Latke by Amanda Elliot was just the book to put me in the mood. This book has all the magic of the season. A cozy New England town. A spunky owner of a darling coffee shop. A delicious cinnamon roll tech nerd. And New York City alight with holiday charm. It ticked off all my holiday romance boxes and then some.

Now. lest I paint too rosy a picture of this story…there’s so much more to it. The cozy New England town is struggling to come back from near devastating flooding and a noted drop in tourism, the town’s lifeblood. And maybe ‘spunky’, is too generous because Abby Cohen, our heroine, is pretty much the grumpiest coffee shop owner I have ever come across. To be fair, she has a lot on her plate with her business failing and the small business council’s president cheerfully lassoing her into a huge project. However, the cinnamon roll hero, Seth, is still delicious and is the polar opposite of Abby. He never fails to come into her store every morning with a smile on his face. Every. Single. Morning. And New York City is just as bright and vibrant as the giant menorah in the city's Grand Army Plaza. 

The town council meets to discuss what they can do to attract more tourists during the holiday season that is different from any other town. Lorna, the president, latches onto the idea of having a Hanukkah festival and who better to organize it than Abby who is the only Jewish person in the town, on the council and, seemingly, for miles around. Great! Just another thing to add onto her plate. She begrudgingly agrees but finds the usual vendors completely at a loss as to what to provide for the event. A tree lit up with blue and white lights and the shepherds with yarmulkes is not the vibe Abby wants to go for. 

In a desperate attempt to see if there are any other Jewish people she could tap, Abby signs up on a Jewish dating app. In a bizarre twist of fate, she is matched up with none other Mister Sunshine himself, Seth Abrams. Seth makes her a deal she can’t refuse. He will help her navigate the holiday scene in New York where he can help her source vendors and ideas. In exchange, she will pretend to be the nice Jewish girl her mother has been badgering him to bring home to their upper West side apartment to meet them. 

Seth’s parents couldn’t be nicer and embrace her as their own. His friends make her feel like one of the gang as they visit festivals, parks and bars that celebrate the holiday season in grand style. Abby and Seth slowly fall in love though Seth had a head start. It wasn’t just great coffee that brought him to her cafe. Abby also rediscovers her Judaism as she celebrates Hanukkah with Seth’s parents. Abby doesn’t really have any family to speak of. The less said about her parents, the better. Their psychological abuse left deep scars and Seth’s parents are the opposite of them in many ways. Seeing Abby’s healing and Seth’s growth throughout the story is just one of many touching parts of this book. 

If you are looking for a holiday pick me up, Love You A Latke is just the ticket. It is beautifully written and the characters beautifully drawn. I have learned that Amanda Elliot is a relatively new writer. Her other books have garnered some praise. I look forward to reading her backlist, too. Happy Holidays!

 

Review - - You're the Problem, It's You

You're the Problem, It's You

by Emma R. Alban

The Mischief & Matchmaking Series - Book 2

Publisher: Avon

Release Date: August 27, 2024

Reviewed by Santa

“That man is, without a doubt, the absolute most obnoxious…

Bobby Mason is sick of being second best: born the spare, never trusted with family responsibility, never expected to amount to much. He’s hungry to contribute something that matters, while all around him his peers are squandering their political and financial power, coasting through life. Which is exactly why he can’t stand the new Viscount Demeroven.

…insufferable…

James Demeroven, just come of age and into the Viscountcy, knows that he’s a disappointment. Keeping his head down and never raising anyone’s expectations is how he’s survived life with his stepfather. To quiet, careful James, Bobby Mason is a blazing comet in his endless night, even more alive than he was at Oxford when James crushed on him from afar. But Mason is also brash and recklessly unapologetic, destined to shatter the fragile safety of James’s world. Worst of all, he keeps rubbing James’s failures in his face.

…hottest man to ever walk the ton.”

They can barely get through a single conversation without tensions boiling over. Neither Bobby nor James has ever met a more intriguing, infuriating, infatuating man.

If only they could avoid each other entirely. Bad enough their (wonderful but determined) cousins Beth and Gwen keep conveniently setting up group outings. But when an extortionist starts targeting their families, threatening their reputations, Bobby and James must find a way to work together, without pushing each other’s buttons (or tearing them off) in the process… 

Santa Says:

You’re The Problem, It’s You by Emma R. Alban is the second book of the Mischief & Matchmaking series. In the first one we meet Beth and Gwen who fall in love. Bobby Mason and James Demeroven were secondary characters who were like chalk and cheese.  

It’s never easy to get along with someone who grates on your every nerve. However, needs must when your cousin, whom you love dearly, asks you to do your best to get along with them. Bobby Mason can not refuse this one thing from his cousin Gwen. The perfect gentleman Viscount James Demeroven can’t help that he’s gorgeous and that Bobby Mason, a second son with no prospects, must fight that attraction while spending time with him.  

James Demeroven has recently inherited a viscountcy who must contend with his new responsibilities, a vapid mother and a drunkard imposing step-father. To top off his mountain of troubles he is forced to play nice with Bobby Mason to appease his friend Beth who happens to be in a loving relationship with Gwen. Bobby Mason’s laissez faire attitude grates on James’ nerves. Truthfully, the problem is that he has always been attracted to Bobby since he was an underclassman at Oxford. 

These two lead one another on a merry chase and when they do act on their feelings they are nearly caught out. James runs off and a frustrated Bobby complicates matters more with another rogue who tries to blackmail him. The cousins come up with a plan to stave off the rumors by publicly courting. James and Gwen become a couple while Beth and Bobby do the pretty for the ton and blackmailer’s benefit. And the merry chase is on! 

The book really had me cheering this beautiful family with all their quirks and insecurities to find their one true loves. Bobby and James, Beth and Gwen are fortunate to have other family and friends around them who are loving and accepting of the family they create. I really enjoyed this book and hope to see more from the author.

ARC Review - - Viscount in Love

Viscount in Love

by Eloisa James

Accidental Brides - Book 1

Publisher: Avon

Release Date: July 23, 2024

Reviewed by Santa 

He wants a nanny, not a bride…

Suddenly guardian to twins, Viscount Dominic Kelbourne is luckily betrothed to a suitable lady—until she elopes. With no time to woo, Dominic decides to marry his fiancée’s unconventional sister. Torie isn’t perfect, but their kisses are so passionate that society thinks he’s actually chosen her.

She wants to marry for love…

Torie has never been able to make sense of words on a page, so she has turned her talents to art. She longs for a man who values her as she is… but marries for the sake of the twins. She doubts Dominic is capable of love, let alone respect, but as their heated debates turn into something more, Torie begins to imagine a life as a wife, not a nanny. 

But when the arrogant viscount finds that his viscountess has stolen his heart, he’ll have to give all he has to win her love.

Santa Says:

If you are looking for a slow burn, lust-to-love on second sight where the hero falls first - look no further than Eloisa James’ new series starter Viscount In Love. This five star read will fit perfectly into your summer beach reading tote bag.  

Dominic Kelbourne, Viscount Kelbourne, is in the market for a spouse. He has very specific requirements for his bride to be. She is to run his household, be agreeable and play hostess. At first glance, Leonora Sutton seems to fit the bill. Her drunkard of a father is of no concern to him. And her sister is quiet enough to not cause him any concern. Their two year engagement doesn’t bother him, as he always seems to have more important matters to address at Parliament. 

Leonora’s sister, Victoria (Torie) prefers staying in the background painting and visiting with friends. She is also very beautiful and  attracts some very ardent admirers but her reputation as a dullard eventually turns all suitors away. This label is repeated in front of others, specifically Kelbourne, by her own sister and father! Brutal. After all, they would say, how can someone who could not seem to read or write hope to run a household? 

Torie for all her faults is a kind and considerate person with strong convictions. She has a fantastic memory for any information told to her. It is how she learns new information, books, and stories.  Her compassion comes to the forefront when Kelbourne becomes guardian to his orphaned twin niece and nephew, Valentine and Florence. He embraces them immediately in a way their own parents never did. They immediately bond with Torie. Meanwhile, her sister would banish them back to the countryside.

Viscount Kelbourne is immediately faced with another dilemma when Leonora sneaks off to marry a much older man. The twins start to play cupid for a match between Torie and Dom. He sees the merit as he becomes more attracted to Torie. She stirs up a wealth of emotions in him from lustful thoughts to the sheer joy of everyday life. 

He proposes and Torie hesitantly accepts. However, the road to happiness does not run smoothly. They seem perfectly matched but she is not the docile perfect hostess he thought he wanted. But sometimes, what you thought you wanted pales in comparison with what you gain. 

There is quite a bit of angst in this book. The heat level is scorching, so make sure you have a fan handy. If you love a bit of groveling, you will also love this book. Dominic and Torie are products of some pretty harsh environments they grew up in. Dominic’s father was a cruel and harsh man. Torie suffered verbal abuse and some neglect because of her learning disabilities of both dyslexia and dyscalculia. They survive and thrive with the twins, finding a love that offers them the hope and home they never really had before. 

Review - - This Summer Will Be Different

This Summer Will Be Different

by Carley Fortune

Publisher: Berkley

Release Date: May 7, 2024

Reviewed by Santa

This summer they’ll keep their promise. This summer they won't give into temptation. This summer will be different.

Lucy is the tourist vacationing at a beach house on Prince Edward Island. Felix is the local who shows her a very good time. The only problem: Lucy doesn’t know he’s her best friend’s younger brother. Lucy and Felix’s chemistry is unreal, but the list of reasons why they need to stay away from each other is long, and they vow to never repeat that electric night again.

It’s easier said than done.

Each year, Lucy escapes to PEI for a big breath of coastal air, fresh oysters and crisp vinho verde with her best friend, Bridget. Every visit begins with a long walk on the beach, beneath soaring red cliffs and a golden sun. And every visit, Lucy promises herself she won’t wind up in Felix’s bed. Again.

If Lucy can’t help being drawn to Felix, at least she’s always kept her heart out of it.

When Bridget suddenly flees Toronto a week before her wedding, Lucy drops everything to follow her to the island. Her mission is to help Bridget through her crisis and resist the one man she’s never been able to. But Felix’s sparkling eyes and flirty quips have been replaced with something new, and Lucy’s beginning to wonder just how safe her heart truly is.

Santa Says:

The book This Summer Will Be Different by Carley Fortune really is a gem. Felix and Lucy make an explosive connection as soon as they meet on Prince Edward Island. Lucy is planning to meet her friend Bridget there and spend some time at her house. Felix does not know she is his sister Bridget's best friend Lucy ‘Bee’ Ashbey. Bridget’s friendship means too much to Bee. They realize a relationship is out of the question.  

Bee is escaping to Prince Edward Island (PEI) at a crossroads in her life. She quit the corporate world and is trying to figure out her next move. Felix is coming off a breakup with his high school sweetheart. He is as rudderless as Bee is.  

Over the course of five years they become friends. Bee returns to PEI with Bridget over the years to recharge her batteries. She vows to keep Felix at arm's length which is easier said than done. They keep in touch and exchange gifts and books. They even date other people but still find themselves in each other’s arms. They seem to deny that their feelings go any deeper.  

No one is the wiser. Bee comes to love the island and visits every year with her friend Bridget.  She takes over her aunt’s floral business and thrives. Felix and his business partner create vacation cottages on the island and become a great success. 

The true test of their relationship comes when pre-wedding jitters send Bridget to PEI. Bee follows her there. Will this be a catalyst for Bee to pursue her dream of owning her own flower farm? Will Felix and Lucy finally come to declare their love out in the open and live happily ever after? I was rooting for them throughout the book. I think I may have even yelled at them to get on with it! 

I highly recommend this book. Every character added a roundness and real texture to the story. Even PEI was like another character in the book and I think a very important one. Felix calls it home but it becomes Lucy ‘Bee’ Ashbey’s lodestone. Its beauty and simple joys were heartwarming to me. I am adding Prince Edward Island to my bucket list. I think you will, too.

 

Review & Giveaway - - Effie Olsen's Summer Special

Effie Olsen's Summer Special

by Rochelle Bilow

Publisher: Berkley

Release Date: April 30, 2024

Reviewed by Santa

These childhood best friends swore they’d never speak again. But a surprise summer reunion changes everything when it gives them the chance to turn up the heat.
 
Effie Olsen thought she’d never live on the tiny Maine island where she grew up, but she’s returning from sixteen years as a professional chef in far-flung countries for one summer and one summer only. Her hometown boasts one of the best restaurants in the US, and lucky for her, Brown Butter needs a sous chef. Effie's eager for a chance at redemption after her last job went up in flames, but reluctant to set down roots in a place that reminds her of the ghosts of her past.

Until, that is, she runs into Ernie Callahan, her onetime best friend who now works in the very same restaurant. Early morning swims and late-night games of truth or dare with Ernie remind her of what she’s been missing while traveling the world. He knows her better than anyone, and it doesn’t hurt that his smile lights her up brighter than the lighthouses dotting the craggy coastline.

But their restaurant has a secret that’s bursting at the seams, and if Effie doesn’t keep it, her job will vanish into the foggy Maine air. As summer draws to a close, her dream job and the perfect guy are both within reach. Her salty seaside hometown might be the key to Effie’s sweet ending...if she can learn to let her heart lead the way in time.

Santa Says:

 

Effie Olsen’s Summer Special by Rochelle Bilow melted like butter on a pan seared lobster tail. It would get five stars on Yelp! You see, Effie Olsen is a hot mess. Not that she would ever admit to it. She always has a plan and meets her goals most of the time. She has traveled the world. Worked in world class Michelin star restaurants. Her one shot as head chef at said restaurant and she choked under pressure and got fired. Now it’s time to regroup before heading to the next country on her culinary journey.

What better place to do so than her father’s house where she grew up on Adler island off the coast of Maine. Get in. Get a job as sous chef at Brown Butter, the island’s own Michelin starred restaurant. Save money. Get out by summer’s end She gets the job and celebrates a little too hard. Clears her head at her favorite spot on the island and runs into the hottest man she has ever seen on the island. Closer inspection shows it to be none other than her best friend. This was not part of her plan.

She had only been back a handful of times in the sixteen years that she left. Not that she was avoiding anyone. Not her former best friend in the whole world, Ernie Callahan, who helped her through her parents divorce and adolescence. They were inseparable.

Ernie professed his undying love for her their senior year. He knew what her dreams were and he was willing to wait for her. She panicked and ran for 16 years.

 

Running from Ernie was one of the hardest things she ever had to do. Now this hot, ginger cinnamon roll of a man turns out to be just as wonderful. To add insult to injury, he is working at the same restaurant as a butcher. 

They fight a growing attraction time and again throughout the book. As their renewed friendship grows deeper, Effie reconnects with old and new friends on the island and at the restaurant. It really is a beautifully written love story. 

The only fly in the brown butter, if you will, is the tensions in the restaurant both in the dining room and kitchen largely caused by the toxic masculinity of the owner and head chef. He created Brown Butter as a classy farm to table restaurant. It quickly grew in popularity. Its Michelin standing and quality menu was unsurpassed. But something wasn’t quite right to Effie and most of the crew. An anonymous email had a reporter from New York sniffing around.

The author, Rochelle Bilow, crafted such a great story with Effie and Ernie but the island , Brown Butter and Maine were just as important to it. The laid back atmosphere of the island was in sharp contrast to the tensions in the restaurant kitchen. She really nailed it for me and portrayed it all so realistically. I couldn’t wait to see where the story went. 

I am excited to read more from this author in the very near future.

~~~~~~~~~~

Have you ever worked in a restaurant? What did you do? Did you like it?

Have you read Rochelle Bilow?

One randomly chosen person who posts a comment before 11:00 PM, May 5 will receive a print copy of Effie Olsen's Summer Special.

*U.S. only

*Must be 18

Review - - Funny Story

Funny Story

by Emily Henry

Publisher: Berkley

Release Date: April 23, 2024

Reviewed by Santa

Daphne always loved the way her fiancé Peter told their story. How they met (on a blustery day), fell in love (over an errant hat), and moved back to his lakeside hometown to begin their life together. He really was good at telling it…right up until the moment he realized he was actually in love with his childhood best friend Petra.
 
Which is how Daphne begins her new story: Stranded in beautiful Waning Bay, Michigan, without friends or family but with a dream job as a children’s librarian (that barely pays the bills), and proposing to be roommates with the only person who could possibly understand her predicament: Petra’s ex, Miles Nowak.
 
Scruffy and chaotic—with a penchant for taking solace in the sounds of heart break love ballads—Miles is exactly the opposite of practical, buttoned up Daphne, whose coworkers know so little about her they have a running bet that she’s either FBI or in witness protection. The roommates mainly avoid one another, until one day, while drowning their sorrows, they form a tenuous friendship and a plan. If said plan also involves posting deliberately misleading photos of their summer adventures together, well, who could blame them?
 
But it’s all just for show, of course, because there’s no way Daphne would actually start her new chapter by falling in love with her ex-fiancé’s new fiancée’s ex…right?

Santa Says:

Funny Story by Emily Henry is her best one yet and that's saying something. So nice, I read it twice. That is my review in a nutshell. I happily discovered Emily Henry a few years ago when I read Book Lovers. I have been a fan ever since. 

Funny Story really hit me on a couple of different levels. Our main characters Daphne and Miles are thrown together after having been tossed aside by their respective fiancés. Daphne left her job and friends to move cross country to her fiancé's hometown of Waning Bay, Michigan to live closer to his family. While at HIS bachelor party Peter decides he really is in love with his childhood best friend, Petra, who is ALSO at the party professing her undying love! 

Miles arrives on Daphne’s doorstep absolutely devastated after Petra hies off to the Amalfi Coast with Peter to bask in their love. He invites Daphne to move into his apartment until she can get a plan together. Her plan is already formulating in her mind. Stay in Waning Bay at her children’s librarian job until the end of the summer, get another job elsewhere in the country and move on. 

They fall into an easy roommates situation pretty much staying out of each other’s way until they each receive an invitation to Peter and Petra’s WEDDING scant weeks after what would have been Daphne’s own day. While commiserating they snap a selfie of themselves and post it on social media. P & P see it and assume they are now dating while Daphne and Miles play up like champs.  

Soon lines seem to blur and Daphne and Miles fight a growing attraction which her work friends and his sister see a mile away. Daphne is understandably hesitant. She needs to protect herself but Milles is turning out to be irresistible in the sweetest of ways. He is not the lazy stoner Peter went on about. Miles, for his part, campaigns to show Daphne what a great place Waning Bay is and how incredible she really is. 

I just loved every one in the book with the obvious exception of Peter and Petra! Emily Henry crafts such fantastic characters. They are well defined and completely believable. It really is a funny story about how two people can be thrown together by horrible circumstances and are able to find real, lasting love. Go Daphne and Miles!