forced proximity

The Paris Chapter

By Victoria Walters

Coming January 19, 2025

(3 / 5)

In The Paris Chapter, we follow a romance author who has been struggling to write her next book after a bad break-up. She decides to still go on the vacation to Paris they had planned together, only to find her ex’s best friend is also staying in the one bedroom apartment.

I really wanted to like this book more than I did. I liked the Paris setting and visiting some of the sights the city had to offer. Both of the main characters lacked some self-confidence, but I thought their imperfections helped make them more realistic and relatable. There was even some spice along the way. But at times the book felt a bit too repetitive, especially with all the comparisons to the ex, who was quite toxic. I think what really lost me was the 3rd act drama and how oblivious the main characters seemed to be about what was going on. I was happy enough with how everything resolved, but I think I’d lost my connection with the characters by that point.

Thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the free review copy of The Paris Chapter! All opinions in my review are completely my own.

She Doesn’t Have a Clue

By Jenny Elder Moke

Coming January 21, 2025

(3 / 5)

She Doesn’t Have a Clue combines mystery and romance when an author, Kate, attends a wedding on a remote private island. Kate writes a mystery series, and when the mystery that she encounters parallels the plot of one of her books, she tries to channel her fictional character to solve it. Meanwhile, the groom at the wedding is Kate’s ex-fiancé, and her former friend/crush, Jake, is also in attendance.

The premise of this book seemed interesting, but unfortunately, it ended up falling a bit flat for me. I struggled with the beginning of the book, I think because we are meeting so many sketchy characters that I had a hard time keeping track of who was who. The narrative would also occasionally switch to the book that Kate wrote, which threw me off even more. It was obvious from the start that Kate had history with Jake, but the references were vague, and I felt a bit out of the loop (it was eventually explained, but not until much later in the book). Things did get more interesting when Kate realized that one of the wedding guests was up to no good, and there’s a mystery to solve. I figured out the culprit about 70% of the way through, though it wasn’t super obvious, and I think other readers might be kept guessing for a while. In the end, the story kept my attention well enough, but I feel like I never really connected with Kate and the story was a bit too chaotic for my taste, so it just wasn’t the right book for me.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review a free copy of She Doesn’t Have a Clue! All opinions in my review are completely my own.

December 27, 2024 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Mystery Romance 0

If I Stopped Haunting You

by Colby Wilkens

Coming October 15, 2024

(3.5 / 5)

Four months after rival authors Pen and Neil have a rather public fight that results in one throwing a book at the other, they find themselves on the same writer’s retreat in Scotland. With the castle they are staying at rumored to be haunted and feelings between them getting complicated, can they survive the whole week together?

If I Stopped Haunting You was an interesting combination of spicy romance with paranormal activity and some horror elements. The settings gave the story a creepy undertone that was fitting, and I enjoyed the detailed descriptions. The story begins with Pen acting a bit childish and impulsive, which doesn’t give the best first impression, but I ended up enjoying her character anyway. I liked that the book alternated between the points of view of both of the main characters, which helped me understand and like them both better. For the most part I liked the story, though it lost some momentum for me for maybe the last third of the book – characters seemed to make some illogical choices given the circumstances, and the ghost mystery was resolved in a way that left me a bit underwhelmed. A few things seemed to go unexplained too, though I can see how it adds to the mysterious atmosphere of the story. Of note, I appreciated the insight into the experiences of Indigenous authors, an ongoing theme throughout the story.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Griffin, and NetGalley for the free review copy of If I Stopped Haunting You! All opinions presented in my review are completely my own.

September 29, 2024 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Romance 0

This is Not a Holiday Romance

By Camilla Isley

Coming September 4, 2024

(3.5 / 5)

Nina does not get along with her brother’s best friend, Tristan, and the feud has been going on for 15 years. When she finds out Tristan will be spending the week with her family for Christmas, Nina is livid. With some unexpected feelings brewing, is it possible for things to change between these two enemies?

Camilla Isley is an author whose work I really enjoy. This book didn’t turn out to be one of my favorites by her, but it was still a cute, quick, light story that was perfect for a vacation read. Of the two main characters, I liked Tristan but found Nina to be a bit childish, especially in the beginning. Some of the pranks between the two were funny, but others were too vindictive for my taste. I did enjoy the romance aspect of the book, and it kept my interest easily enough. Parts of the book were predictable, but this wasn’t the type of book that I was expecting to produce a bunch of surprises. I’m wondering if this book will be the first in a series, since the epilogue seems to open the possibility for a couple more storylines.

Thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the free review copy of This is Not a Holiday Romance! All opinions in my review are completely my own.

August 21, 2024 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Romance Women's Fiction 0

Hearts Overboard

By Becky Dean

Released today!

(4.5 / 5)

Summer break has just started for Savannah, but it came with her boyfriend, Caleb, breaking up with her, complaining she’s too boring. Now she’s leaving for an Alaskan cruise with her parents and their friends, stuck having to be around their son, Tanner, who also happens to be her nemesis. In an effort to seem less boring, she calls a truce with Tanner to help her try new things during the trip.

This was a really cute story with an amazing setting and a sense of adventure. At first Savannah struck me as a little self-centered and set in her ways, but as I got to know her, I started to understand her better. Plus, it gave a good opportunity for character growth, which we see a lot of over the course of the story. Despite Savannah’s negative feelings about him in the beginning, Tanner was a likable character who had a lot of depth too. It was interesting to watch the characters learn a lot about each other (maybe Savannah didn’t know as much about Tanner as she thought she did) while also learning a lot about themselves along the way. There was a lot of introspection about taking risks, trying new things, and facing fears. I enjoyed the romance aspect, even if I sometimes got a little frustrated with Savannah’s (admittedly understandable) denials along the way. The book was a quick read and kept me interested the whole time. I was a little sad to reach the ending of this one since I enjoyed it so much. I look forward to reading more books by this author!

Thank you to Random House Children’s | Delacorte Romance and NetGalley for the free review copy of Hearts Overboard! All opinions in my review are completely my own.