Book Review: The Best of All by Karla Sorensen

He’s commitment phobic. She believes in happy endings. The twist of fate that binds them is a surprise they never saw coming in a bittersweet romance about instant family—and not-so-instant love.

A decade-old animosity is the only thing Liam Davies and Zoe Valentine have in common. Until their mutual best friends pass away and they’re appointed co-guardians of the trusting couple’s precocious toddler, Mira.

Liam is committed only to professional football. Relationship-wise, he’s even better at defense. Still wrestling with a tough childhood, he’s not cut out to be a father. Why his late best buddy believed in him, Liam has no idea.

An optimistic romantic, Zoe has always dreamed of a fairy-tale life. But even though Liam’s biceps make her dizzy and she can’t stop thinking about his lips on hers, he’s not exactly Prince Charming. With or without that brooding Brit, she is determined to make good on her friends’ last wish.

Forced into a predicament they never expected, Zoe and Liam are discovering things about each other that could scorch through boundaries, warm hearts, and change minds. And best of all, with their shared love for a pint-size surprise like Mira, they might just turn a house into a home.

So it has been a while since I have read an American, small town, enemies to lovers novel, and I had forgotten how much I loved them! As with any small town American novel, we’ve got an incredibly handsome, muscly, strong and silent type, as well as a beautiful woman looking for her fairytale ending. Throw in the tragic loss of their best friends, and these two enemies find themselves thrown together as they navigate a new world with their young god daughter.

Liam is the strong and silent type; a man that grapples with his past, and avoids relationships so that he doesn’t have to address his emotional issues. When he loses his best friend in a tragic accident, he shuts down as he discovers that he has been entrusted with the life of his young god daughter, Mira. The last thing he has ever wanted is to be a family man and he just cannot understand why Chris would trust him with something so important.

Zoe is an old school romantic – even her divorce hasn’t made her lose her belief in fairytale endings. When her best friend Amie dies, Zoe automatically moves her god daughter Mira in. She knows that her role in life now is to make sure that little girl get the best life that she can after the loss of her parents, and despite her own grief she throws herself into her new role. However things come crashing down when she finds out that Chris and Amie wanted her to share that responsibility with Liam – the man she has not been able to see eye to eye with for all the years she has known him.

There is nothing new or surprising with this novel – but sometimes what you need is a novel that gives you exactly what you expect. This is one of those novels! I loved the characters of both Zoe and Liam – wildly different but complementing each other in so many ways.

This is a great, easy read novel full of passion, with a great enemies to lovers storyline. I am more than happy to recommend this novel if you’re on the lookout for your next Sunday afternoon read!

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

*BLOG TOUR* Christmas at the Little Paris Hotel by Rebecca Raisin

Today it is my stop on the blog tour for Rebecca Raisin’s latest novel, Christmas at the Little Paris Hotel.

Turn a tumbledown Paris hotel into a perfect boutique, bookish retreat, and have it open for Christmas? What could possibly go wrong?

When Anais receives a near-derelict Paris hotel in her divorce settlement, her first thought is to tidy it up and sell it immediately. All she wants is to move on and forget her disaster of a marriage ever happened.
But selling it proves impossible, so she has only one option: to make it gorgeous and open by Christmas… when her funds will almost certainly run out.

She’s not counting on the grumpy American bar-owner next door, Noah, coming and interfering at every moment though. Nor is she expecting to find a mysterious room – which holds the key to a one-hundred-year-old secret – about a woman who chose love against the odds.

One thing’s for sure… as the fairy lights twinkle all over the city of lights and the first snowflakes start to fall… this will be a Christmas in Paris to remember.

A totally gorgeous, escapist romantic comedy, with an unforgettable mystery! A perfect festive read for fans of Emily Henry and Sarah Morgan to curl up with this winter.

Yes we are still in September, and yes this is my second festive novel review this month – sorry not sorry!

Rebecca Raisin takes us to the city of love for her latest novel, Christmas at the Little Paris Hotel. Romance author Anais finds herself lumbered with an unloved hotel, after losing everything else in her divorce from her cheating husband Francois-Xavier. Her marriage breakdown, a hotel that needs a lot of work in order to become sellable and a looming deadline with her Editor can only equal one thing: severe romance writers block! Anais finds that all of her written characters meet a deadly end which is not exactly what anyone expects in a successful romance novel! With the help of her cousin Manon, Anais finds herself renovating her hotel with a very limited budget whilst trying to get over her broken heart.

Noah is Anais American next door neighbour. He owns a bar, and their first meeting ensures that Anais is well aware that he is an interfering know it all! So we have a slightly geeky, very attractive know-it-all neighbour and a heartbroken hotelier – you can see where this is going! Throw in a full blown literary mystery within the hotel and you have the ingredients for a cozy novel with some heartbreak, slow burning love, a project and some mystery. Add in the bookish element that this novel has lashings of and you’ve got a lovely festive novel!

I am more than happy to recommend this novel to you all – its the perfect way to get yourself into the festive spirit as Christmas edges ever closer!

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Thank you to Rebecca Raisin, Boldwood Books and Rachel at Rachel’s Random Resources for inviting me to be a part of this blog tour, and for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

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Author Bio

Rebecca Raisin writes heartwarming romance from her home in sunny Perth, Australia. Her heroines tend to be on the quirky side and her books are usually set in exotic locations so her readers can armchair travel any day of the week.

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*BLOG TOUR* This is Not a Holiday Romance by Camilla Isley

Today I am very happy to help kick off the fabulous blog tour for Camilla Isley’s latest novel, This is Not a Holiday Romance.

Two sworn enemies, snowed in over Christmas with chemistry that will melt the ice!

Nina Thompson has one Christmas wish: to avoid her brother’s obnoxiously handsome best friend, Tristan, like the plague. From the moment he humiliated her as a teenager to their escalating revenge schemes, Nina and Tristan’s relationship can only be defined as an all-out prank war! And there is yet to be a winner.

But it just so happens the ghost of Christmas present has other ideas. When Tristan unexpectedly crashes her family’s Christmas, Nina’s dreams of a peaceful holiday vanish faster than Santa up a chimney. Determined to end their rivalry for good, she braces herself for one last prank-filled showdown.

But when they find themselves snowed in, with no way of avoiding each other amongst the holiday festivities, they discover their heated exchanges have been masking a different kind of sizzle. Caught in a snow globe of holiday romance, they decide to let their fiery chemistry burn bright—but this is absolutely and unequivocally nothing more than a secret fling destined to melt with the snow, this is not a forever romance…

Firstly I have to apologise…I appreciate that it is only the beginning of September and here I am talking about festive novels! But back to school is in full swing, which means Christmas is coming! Sorry – I am one of those people that starts counting down to Christmas as summer comes to an end!

This is Not a Holiday Romance is a great way to kick off the festive novel season! Camilla Isley really knows how to write an enemies to lovers book, and she proves it yet again with her latest novel.

Nina Thompson despises her brothers best friend. He humiliated her once, many years ago, and since then they have spent every opportunity pulling pranks on one another and generally going for revenge!

Tristan finds himself spending Christmas with his best friend Dylan’s family…and his sister Nina. They have had a long running feud although he’s a little unsure how it really started. What he does know is that she gets under his skin like no one else could. But she’s his best friends sister, and he owes Dylan a lot – some lines should not be crossed.

This is such a great, light hearted Christmas based enemies to lovers novel. If you are ready to immerse yourself in some relationship pettiness, some fiery moments between two people who are clearly hot for each other, and the inevitable falling in love then this novel is for you. Throw in some festive spirit and you’ve got yourself a great first read of the Christmas season! So if you can’t wait any longer, and like me, you have decided that the build up to Christmas starts now, then go grab yourself a copy of this novel! It is literally out today!

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Thank you to Camilla Isley, Boldwood Books and Rachel at Rachel’s Random Resources for inviting me to be a part of this blog tour, and for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

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Author Bio

Camilla Isley is an engineer who left science behind to write bestselling contemporary rom-coms set all around the world. She lives in Italy.

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*BLOG TOUR* It Started With a Book by Camilla Isley

Today it is my pleasure to help kick off the blog tour for It Started With a Book by Camilla Isley.

Lose yourself in Lakeville Hills in this gorgeous new romance from bestselling author Camilla Isley…

When she’s ghosted by yet another Tinder match, Leighton swears off dating for life. Who needs apps and blind dates when she has the perfect-in-every-way (apart from being fictional) heroes of her beloved romance novels?

That night Leigh finds a second-hand book on her TBR pile, which transports her to the small-town of Lakeville Hills, where the heroines wear shorty-shorts and the men drink bourbon. And as Leigh drifts off to sleep, she dreams of billionaire cowboy Killian St Clair, who could win a gold medal for smouldering and bicep flexing.

For a while, Leigh finds it easier to stomach misogynistic supervisors, newly coupled friends, and extravagant bridesmaid duties knowing she can return to Lakeville Hills each evening. Until one day, she wakes up to find she’s brought a bit of Lakeville Hills back with her: the impossible sexy and entirely implausible Killian St Clair is in her apartment.

Now Leigh must help Killian navigate the real world. But as she gets to know the man behind the trope, can she keep her heart safe, or does she risk falling in love with her book boyfriend in real life?

I think we can safely say that I love Camilla Isley’s novels and so I am always keen to get my hands on a copy of her latest offering at the earliest opportunity, and it was no exception with It Started With a Book! I think we can all look back on a time when we’ve read a book, and the leading man is just so perfect that we wish he was real – well Camilla Isley agreed and has brought us the story we never knew we needed!

Leighton is embroiled in the often tedious world of online dating – after yet another disastrous match, she decides to go it alone, swearing off dating even though she is surrounded by friends in love. When she comes across a second-hand book on her bookshelf that she’s sure she didn’t buy, she decides to immerse herself in the fictional world of Lakeville Hills. With Lakeville Hills and the very sexy, very wealthy cowboy Killian St Clair dominating her dreams, the escapism she experiences makes her real life just a little more bearable. Until she finds her dreams becoming a reality!

With Killian St Clair now inexplicably very much a part of her real world, Leighton finds herself falling for a man who just cannot be real – can he?!

This is a novel that is very much relatable to those bookworms amongst us that have spent our evenings dreaming about the men we meet in the fictional worlds created for us by some amazing authors. How often have we wanted to open our eyes and find him there, right in front of us, exactly as we had imagined? Well Camilla Isley has shown us how that would play out if it really happened! It’s not without its trials and tribulations, along with some practical issues surrounding a man just appearing out of nowhere, but I loved following Leighton’s uncertainty about whether he was real or if he would stay, and the acceptance that maybe this fictional man could be the man for her.

This is a lovely novel full of great characters. It is pure escapism, and sometimes that is exactly what we need. So I am very happy to recommend this to you, on this very wet, less than summery day! The weekend is almost upon us, so grab a copy of this book, a glass of wine and immerse yourself in a story that we all sometimes wish would come true!

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Thank you to Camilla Isley, Boldwood Books and Rachel at Rachel’s Random Resources for inviting me to be a part of this blog tour and providing me with a copy of this book, in exchange for my honest review.

Purchase Link

Buy Here!

Author Bio

Camilla is an engineer who left science behind to enter the whimsical realm of romantic fiction.

She writes contemporary rom-coms. Her characters have big hearts, might be a little stubborn at times, and love to banter with each other. Every story she pens has a guaranteed HEA that will make your heart beat faster. Unless you’re a vampire, of course.

Camilla is a cat lover, coffee addict, and shoe hoarder. Besides writing, she loves reading—duh!—cooking, watching bad TV, and going to the movies—popcorn, please. She’s a bit of a foodie, nothing too serious. A keen traveler, Camilla knows mosquitoes play a role in the ecosystem, and she doesn’t want to starve all those frog princes out there, but she could really live without them.

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*BLOG TOUR* It’s Complicated by Camilla Isley

Today it is my pleasure to bring you my review of It’s Complicated by Camilla Isley as part of her fabulous blog tour!

Lori has been in love with her best friend Aiden since college. Now Aiden (handsome, fair, All-American dream doctor) is getting married, and Lori desperately needs a date to the wedding.

So she asks the best man, Jace (tall, dark, and brooding), to pretend their platonic friendship is something more not to have to face the worst day of her life alone.

Fake dating one best friend to forget the other should be easy… Plot twist—it’s not. When Jace starts acting like the sweetest, most attentive boyfriend, Lori begins to wonder if she’s been seeing him wrong all this time?

They’ve been an inseparable trio since freshman year, but now everything is changing — and that’s not even bringing Jace’s feelings into the mix.

Basically? It’s complicated.

As I have already previously mentioned, Camilla Isley is fast becoming my favourite enemies to lovers rom-com author! Whilst It’s Complicated is not technically an enemies to lovers novel, it does involve some complicated, long term relationships, unrequited love and some good old fashioned fake dating thrown into the mix so I had no complaints when I picked it up.

Lori has two best friends, Aiden and Jace. When Aiden announces that he is getting married, Lori is naturally devastated, having been in love with him since the moment she met him. Jace has always been her shoulder to cry on, and now is no different. Except this time round, she realises that time is running out for her and Aiden, so she does the only sensible thing she can think of; fake date Jace to make Aiden jealous, or at the very least not have to face the stark reality of Aiden’s impending marriage alone!

There are no surprises here, but that is not why I picked up this novel. I grabbed it and devoured it because it’s full of love and friendship, misunderstandings and handsome men! The characters in this novel are well rounded and likeable – there are moments of frustration with Lori, but as we all know, love can blind you to everything else around you!

Camilla Isley is fast becoming my go-to author when I want a lovely novel that’s easy to read with engaging characters and a great plot! It’s Complicated is a lovely easy read – perfect for a lazy Sunday. So grab yourself your favourite chocolate and large glass of wine, and get stuck in! It’s Complicated might even be one of Camilla Isley’s best novels yet!

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Thank you to Camilla Isley, Boldwood Books and Rachel at Rachel’s Random Resources for inviting me to be a part of this blog tour, and for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

Purchase Link

Follow the link to grab yourself a copy!

Author Bio

Camilla Isley is an engineer who left science behind to write bestselling contemporary rom-coms set all around the world. She lives in Italy and her first title for Boldwood, The Love Theorem, a Hollywood-meets-STEM romance, will be published in June 2023.

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*BLOG TOUR* Last Orders at Mulberry Lane by Rosie Clarke

Today it is my pleasure to bring you my review of Last Orders at Mulberry Lane by Rosie Clarke, the final instalment of the Mulberry Lane series.

The final book in The Mulberry Lane Saga series from Rosie Clarke.

Sweeping changes are on the horizon and Mulberry Lane is in for a shock…
London 1962

At first it was a rumour that Peggy Ronaski and Maureen Hart could hardly believe. If true, it would turn the lives of everyone on Mulberry Lane upside down.

Peggy could lose her beloved pub. Maggie her acclaimed restaurant. Maureen her business and her home. Everyone had something to lose.

Whilst old friends try to come to terms with the shocking news, the younger generation continue to forge ahead in the swinging sixties. Relationships flourish and new opportunities blossom; the ever changing world becoming their oyster. But family bonds remain strong, after all, it’s people that matter not the buildings.

Could this be the end of Mulberry Lane or a new beginning for everyone?

So I have been with the ladies of Mulberry Lane from the very beginning, so I certainly wasn’t going to miss finding out how it all ends! Last Orders at Mulberry Lane is bittersweet; I knew it had to come to an end but I wasn’t sure that I was ready for it. All of our favourite characters are back, with Peggy and Maureen leading the way. With their children all grown, or nearly grown, and forging their own paths in the world, Peggy and Maureen are looking to now find their own way. With Mulberry Lane under threat, they need to look outside of the lanes that have always been their to home work out what they each want from life.

I have so loved following these characters over the course of the last few years. They are strong independent women who fight for, love and support their families with everything they’ve got. I originally started this series because I have a particular love of novels focussed around women during World War II, but these characters have been so well rounded and enjoyable to read, I couldn’t help but continue to follow them through the 50s and into the 60s. Rosie Clarke knows how to create a continuing saga that you can’t help but fall in love with. I’m disappointed that I won’t learn anything new about these women and their families now that the series has ended, but I will look back on them with fondness. I am more than happy to recommend this novel to you all, but I must insist that you read them all – you need to connect with these characters from day one (and I can promise that you will). Such a fitting ending to such a lovely series. So go grab yourself a copy of The Girls of Mulberry Lane (if you haven’t already – and if not, why not?!) so that you can finally see how it all ends when your reach Last Orders at Mulberry Lane. It will be worth your time – so grab yourself a glass of wine and settle in with the lovely Mulberry Lane series!

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Thank you to Rosie Clarke, Boldwood Books and Rachel at Rachel’s Random Resources for inviting me to be a part of this blog tour, and for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

Purchase Link

Amazon UK

Previously Reviewed Titles

The Girls of Mulberry Lane

A Wedding at Mulberry Lane

Mulberry Lane Babies

New Arrivals at Mulberry Lane

The Women of Mulberry Lane

A Reunion at Mulberry Lane

Stormy Days on Mulberry Lane

A New Dawn Over Mulberry Lane

Life and Love at Mulberry Lane

Author Bio

Rosie Clarke is a #1 bestselling saga writer whose most recent books include The Mulberry Lane series. She has written over 100 novels under different pseudonyms and is a RNA Award winner. She lives in Cambridgeshire.

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*BLOG TOUR* Just Do It by Maxine Morrey

And for the my final blog tour of the day, I am pleased to bring you Just Do It! by Maxine Morrey.

Lizzie Rose knows what she likes and likes what she knows.

Her role at the London Museum is more than a job, it’s her safe place and her passion. So when Lizzie is passed over for a chance in a lifetime opportunity in favour of her ex-boyfriend and fellow Egypt nerd Friedrich Klein, her heartbreak over their relationship pales into insignificance compared to her sadness at losing the project.

Best friend Colette thinks an evening of cocktails is just the medicine for a broken heart, and meeting dashing, charming, but very much ‘not her type’ Finn Bryson at the bar puts a smile on Lizzie’s face too. But Lizzie isn’t used to spending time outside of her comfortable world of academia and doesn’t believe in mixing business with pleasure. So when Finn’s job brings him to the museum, she’s determined to put an end to any notion of romance between them.

But what if Lizzie’s comfort zone isn’t that comfortable any more? Is it time for Lizzie to take the chance on love that fate keeps bringing her way – even if it means changing the habits of a lifetime?

Lizzie Rose follows the rules. She’s worked hard in her job at the London Museum, and she knows that she deserves the new role that she has gone for. However when she is passed over for her ex-boyfriend, she is devastated that her hard work and dedication has gone unnoticed. So when her best friend Colette insists that they go out for drinks to commiserate, Lizzie follows. Finn Bryson is not her type at all – he’s outside of her life in academia, but he’s handsome and charming, and he makes her forget all of her worries for just one evening. However when she turns up at work to find Finn standing there, she’s determined to ensure that their one evening together, remains just that. 

Lizzie is all about remaining within her comfort zone. She adores her work and life in academia, and has never sought to look outside of that life for anything else. However living within her comfort zone hasn’t brought her the promotion that she so desired, and whilst her ex-boyfriend ticked all the boxes that didn’t work out either – maybe she should be venturing outside of her comfort zone!

Just Do It! is a novel all about a successful woman who needs to push herself outside of her comfort zone in order to be successful in all areas of her life – comfort doesn’t always equal progress, and knowledge/ability will only take you so far. Add in a swoonworthy man to unequivocally support her, and you have the makings of a great novel!

I am more than happy to recommend this novel to you all. It has great characters, some hot romance and successful women who support one another and strive to better themselves – what’s not to love!

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Thank you to Maxine Morrey, Boldwood Books and Rachel at Rachel’s Random Resources for inviting me to be a part of this blog tour, and for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

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Previously Reviewed Titles

The Christmas Project

Winter at Wishington Bay

Winter’s Fairytale

#No Filter

Things Are Looking Up

Living Your Best Life

The Christmas Holiday (retitled to Around the World With My Ex)

Just Say Yes

You Only Live Once

Second Chance at the Ranch

No Place Like Home

Coming Home to Wishington Bay

Author Bio

Maxine Morrey is a bestselling romantic comedy author with twelve books to her name including #NoFilter and Things Are Looking Up. She lives in Dorset.

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*BLOG TOUR* Baby, One More Time by Camilla Isley

Blog Tour number 2 on this bumper day takes us to Camilla Isley’s Baby, One More Time!

Driven and smart, Marissa Mayer has worked her way to COO at a major Fintech startup as well as launching her own successful app on the side. Now what she wants more than anything is a baby. And having given up on love after her heart was broken by the boy next door, she’s prepared to do it alone.

Recently returning to New York from LA, Dr John Raikes is an expert in his field of neonatal medicine. But when John introduces himself as Marissa’s doctor, sparks fly, and not in a good way. Because Dr John Raikes is no stranger: he’s her teenage sweetheart all grown up.

Marissa knows she should keep John at arm’s length, lest she have her heart broken again… But there’s something about a man in a white coat. And with John determined to show Marissa he’s changed, can she keep saying no when her heart is saying yes?

A gorgeously funny enemies-to-lovers, second-chance rom com, perfect for fans of Sarah Adams, Lynn Painter and Jo Watson.

Camilla Isley is fast becoming my favourite ‘enemies-to-lovers’ rom com writer! I am pleased to confirm that Baby, One More Time does not disappoint!

Marissa Mayer is a hard working, successful career woman – you could say that she has it all. Except that she doesn’t – yet. After having her heart broken by the boy next door she has little interest in being in relationship and falling in love, but she want a family of her own, and she is more than happy to tread that path alone.

Dr John Raikes is back in New York after years of living in LA. With a divorce behind him, and a young daughter in tow, he is ready to rebuild his life. What he doesn’t expect is to bump into the girl next door who he abandoned all those years ago. He certainly doesn’t expect to bump into her at work, and find her planning her future family.

This is a classic enemies-to-lovers novel. Marissa of course wants nothing to do with John after he broke her heart so badly. She has become such an independent woman, and incredibly successful in her career but she keeps her heart locked away so as never to hurt again as she did when John left her. Seeing him again brings back all the pain that she thought she had dismissed from her life. John however feels guilty for his treatment of Marissa and is keen to seek her forgiveness. Finding themselves thrown together in the most unexpected of ways, can they move beyond what happened to them in the past?

Marissa is such a great female character – the pain she feels after what John did to her is explicit, but her subsequent success is a positive force to read about. Whilst she has been keen to avoid relationships, it’s good to read about a female character who has used that pain to create a successful life for herself. She hasn’t spending the years moping, and for that I’m glad!

I am more than happy to recommend this novel to you – in fact I think you should grab a copy of this along with a couple from Camilla Isley’s back catalogue to see how an enemies-to-lovers novel should be written! So tuck yourself away, grab a glass of wine and lose yourself in Baby, One More Time!

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Thank you to Camilla Isley, Boldwood Books and Rachel at Rachel’s Random Resources for inviting me to be a part of this blog tour, and for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

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Previously Reviewed Titles

Not in a Billion Years

Sweet Love and Country Roads (retitled Love to Hate You)

Home for Christmas

You May Kiss the Bridesmaid (retitled The Love Proposal)

From Thailand with Love

Author Bio

Camilla Isley is an engineer who left science behind to write bestselling contemporary rom-coms set all around the world. She lives in Italy and her first title for Boldwood, The Love Theorem, a Hollywood-meets-STEM romance, will be published in June 2023.

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*BLOG TOUR* Stand Up Guy by Nina Kaye

Today is a bumper day for blog tours! The first stop of the day is with Nina Kaye’s new novel, Stand Up Guy!

Dumped by Instagram post. Not a whiff of a social life. Can it get any worse?

After a string of failed relationships – romantic and platonic – Lea’s had enough of watching life happen without her. When she bumps into Shep, a comedian at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in need of accommodation, it feels like destiny. And voilá – Lea now has a lodger and some company.
The two get on like a flat on fire, and Lea can’t resist falling for outgoing Shep. But she knows it’s a mistake that will cost her heart – he’s just another guy passing through, after all. And with Shep’s stand-up routine edging him closer to his big break, there’s no way he’ll stick around.
Love is no laughing matter as the Fringe draws to a close. Can Lea find the confidence to step up and confess her feelings to Shep? Will he want to stay?

A feel-good, heartwarming romance for anyone desperate to break out of their shell and find their true self. 

Lea lives in Edinburgh, a city known for its vibrant culture and its nurturing of talent at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. However she is not living the life that you might expect of a young woman in a city such as Edinburgh; instead of living life to the fullest surrounded by friends, Lea finds herself alone in her flat with no one to call on. A chance meeting on an day where Lea finally decides to take control of her life by venturing out into the Fringe finds her life changing in more ways than one.

Shep is a comedian who is trying his best to achieve his big break with his stand-up routine. He knows his observational comedy is good, but with so many others trying to achieve the same thing, and with a family who doesn’t support his endeavours, Shep is up against it and time is running out. When he finds himself without a place to stay before the Fringe Festival has ended, he finds himself having to consider the possibility that he will have to return home with his tail between his legs. His chance encounter with Lea however opens up possibilities for both of them.

Loneliness is a key theme that runs through this novel, and it really highlights how easy it is find yourself alone despite living in a city filled with people. Lea is purely a victim of circumstance, with her closest friends having their own busy lives, and her embarrassment over her situation only growing more, and therefore holding her back from creating new connections to fill the void in her life. Shep on the other had finds it easy to meet new people however the lack of support he receives from his family has an overwhelming impact on him in other ways. Shep and Lea really are two very different people on the surface, but this novel highlights that first impressions can so easily be wrong – sometimes all you need is someone, or something to bring you out of your shell and into the light.

There is of course an added sprinkling of romance in this novel which is always nice, but this story is most definitely centred around friendship; of course any good relationship is formed around a solid friendship but it also highlights the importance of platonic friendships, and how they really can lift a person.

I loved the setting in Edinburgh, it’s a city I definitely plan on visiting and Nina Kaye has only ensured that it has moved up my travel list more quickly! She really captures the vibrancy of the city, and advocates beautifully for a visit to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival – I look forward to making it there for a visit soon!

I am more than happy to recommend this novel to you all – it’s perfect for a stormy Sunday, or a sunny warm Saturday with a chilled glass of wine!

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Thank you to Canelo, Nina Kaye and Rachel at Rachel’s Random Resources for inviting me to be a part of this blog tour, and for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

Purchase Links

Amazon UK

Amazon US

Author Bio

Nina Kaye is a contemporary romance author living in Edinburgh.  She is author of three other books for Canelo – Take a Moment, One Night in Edinburgh, and Just Like That.  She has previously been a contender for the RNA Joan Hessayson Award.

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*BLOG TOUR* Odd Mom Out by Sandy Day

Today it is my pleasure to bring you my review of Odd Mom Out by Sandy Day.

Life just got life-y…

On the night that Trudy Asp discovers her ex is engaged to the same dental hygienist who’s been picking at her teeth for ten years, her daughter, Madison, suddenly announces that she too is getting married, in Europe.

Frumpy, floundering, and forced to live with her martini-swilling mother, Trudy is swamped by these revelations. And on top of it all, she’ll be wearing the second most scrutinized gown at the wedding.
Having packed on the pounds during the demise of her marriage, the idea of being eyeballed by her ex and his scrawny fiancée Zelda, is truly horrifying. To make matters worse, there’s the paralyzing fear of a transatlantic flight — something Trudy has avoided for decades.

When Zelda offers to stand in for her, Trudy is forced to confront the forces that stole her marriage and threaten to steal her daughter’s wedding too. With three months until the ceremony, Trudy must get to Europe, squeeze herself into a gown, and claim the role she wants more than anything: Mother-of-the-Bride.

Will this Odd Mom Out sink or swim? Or will she drown in a sea of humiliation?

When I heard about Odd Mom Out, I knew I wanted to read it – with such a relatable character and storyline, what was not to like!

Trudy Asp is our relatable Mum – a woman who finds herself back living with her mother after a brutal divorce, a daughter who is off travelling the world and regularly out of contact, and finally an ex husband who is marrying her dental hygienist. Add in a bakery business which is faced with a number of issues and Trudy most definitely does not find herself on top of the world.

When Trudy’s daughter Madison announces that she is getting married, and she’s getting married in Croatia, Trudy finds herself faced with a whole slew of new problems. A severe fear of flying along with the acute realisation that she will be Mother of the Bride – Trudy has three months to find herself and take back her life!

This was a very relatable story about a woman who finds herself at a crossroads in her life…she can either continue as she is, or she can make some changes and face her fears. Naturally Trudy’s story is not plain sailing (and quite frankly it would be a dull read if it was!), which is what really adds to this story. It’s an easy read, but it’s full of heart, angst and friendship. I actually really enjoyed the fact that this novel is not a romance – it is all about a Mum’s journey to carve out her place in the world in the face of a number of life changes.

I am more than happy to recommend this novel to you all. So grab yourself a hot chocolate, a blanket and cosy up this weekend with a copy of Odd Mom Out!

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Thank you to Sandy Day and Rachel at Rachel’s Random Resources for inviting me to be a part of this blog tour, and for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

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Author Bio

Sandy Day is a recovering chatterbox and writer of riveting slice-of-life poetry, memoir, and fiction. She has authored five books to date, with two in the works. A graduate of Glendon College, she studied creative writing under Michael Ondaatje and bp nichol. A lover of cheese, coffee shops, and illustrations, she lives on the shore of Lake Simcoe in Georgina, Ontario, Canada. You can find and follow her on Substack and sandyday.ca – it rhymes!

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