Review: Pity Date by Whitney Dineen

Pity Date is the first book in Whitney Dineen’s Pity series. A fun rom com that gives you all that you need to keep flipping those pages. It’s got the small town romance, a cute friends to lovers trope and a slow burn that is worth every minute.

It all started in a little town in Wisconsin. Faith, a small town baker has just got her life flipped upside down. Preparing for her upcoming best friend’s wedding, anticipating one of her own, gets the biggest surprise when she learns that her fiance decided to dump her at the worst possible awkward moment. While trying to pick up the pieces of her relationship and find the strength to move on, she encounters what seems too good to be true walk into her bakery and what a welcomed surprise.

Teddy Helms, a Hollywood actor is going through his own situation currently. After being dumped by his girlfriend who saw another up and comer’s coat tail to ride on, decided to get off the grid and spend some time with his grandfather in Wisconsin. When he sees a nervous wreck Faith trying to get through her day, he decides to pitch in to ease her mind. As they chat and enjoy each other’s company, there seems to be a little spark that ignites but just one problem. With all that just happened to Faith, this little misunderstanding, Teddy doesn’t want to ruin a chance at a beautiful friendship. So, he will just not clarify and see what happens. Just an fyi, I don’t want to ruin the fun so I’m not going to spoil what happened.

As they grow their budding friendship, things seem to be what each other could’ve hoped for. The more time they spend together and grow closer, a secret is revealed that opens the door to everything they ever wanted. As the wedding approaches and the awkward anticipation of having to come in contact with her ex, Teddy offers to attend to give her ex something to regret. Unfortunately, this Hallmark journey seemed to turn into a Lifetime movie when Teddy’s ex comes crashing into what was supposed to be a special day turns out to be a nightmare. Will Teddy and Faith get their happy ever after?

What I loved is how Faith and Teddy are so relatable and lovable that after their broken hearts, you want so desperately for them to have their hea. Despite the wrenches thrown in the journey, it was a story that was worth the read. The other characters add some fun, especially Teddy’s grandpa and Faith’s grandma who brings a great sense of humor that will keep you laughing.

This was an amazing start to what seems like to be a fun series. I’m definitely looking forward to the second book in the series, The Pity Party.

The series will continue with Missy’s journey. She’s got a story to tell so it should be interesting how everything unfolds for her.

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Review: A Queen of Thieves and Chaos by K. A. Tucker

About the Book

From internationally bestselling author K.A. Tucker comes the third novel in her Fate and Flame series, an adult fantasy story that should be read in series order.

"You betrayed your brother to steal a broken crown."

The kingdom stands on the brink of chaos. Atticus' grip on the realm is faltering, and as threats arise ever closer to home he is driven to increasingly desperate acts to hold onto power.

With Islor's fate now in the balance, Zander stands to defend the Rift from the oncoming Ybarisan army. With the king's forces scattered, he must risk unlikely new alliances.

And behind the walls of Ulysede, secrets wait for its new queen. Romeria knows that the paths of the hidden city will lead her to answers. But will they be enough to save the realm – or is their fate already sealed?

Review:

I’ve been waiting for this book all year, and after reading I feel changed as a person. Let me explain. I thought this was the conclusion, therefore, I was expecting it to have this epic ending. Before reading, I quickly learned that it was not, and that in addition to Zander and Romeria’s POV there would be new POVs. I was a little hesitant. In the past, I’ve had a bad experience with authors adding new POVs. Most of the time, they feel unnecessary and these new characters aren’t as interesting as the original characters. See, I absolutely adore Romeria and Zander. There’s so much adoration in my heart that I would read books about them doing laundry. I didn’t want their story to be watered down by new characters.

Remember how I mentioned I was a changed person after reading this book? Well, all my fears went out the window when I finished and now I have new fears. Firstly, it felt like for most of this book Zander and Romeria were separated. A war is raging on, and they have stuff to do. And as much as it pains me, it made sense for them to be separated. I really loved Romeria’s journey and her accepting her new role as Queen. Her growth within this series is amazing, and I’m so excited to see where she ends up. As for Zander, his chapters were fine. They were necessary to the plot, but they felt like the weakest part of the book. To me, his best moments were in the few scenes he had with Romeria. The two of them are amazing together. And I’m currently very fearful for their future. If the author does expend more of those tiny hints she was dropping, I’m going to be absolutely devastated. And I’ll need five years to recover.

Let’s move on before I get emotional. The new POVs added so much more layers to this story, and they were perfectly woven in. And were all rich characters. Especially Gracen. She was a small character in the previous book, and she is such an inspiring and great character. Her and Atticus’ romance really shined in this book. It’s so complex and completely different from Romeria and Zander. And their relationship really made up for the fact that Zander and Romeria’s relationship was on the back burner.

Final Thoughts

I can’t quite stop thinking about A Queen of Thieves of Chaos, and how much it kept me on my toes, and how engaged I was. This book beautifully expands on the seeds already planted in the previous books. It was so easy to dive back into this world. The author does provide reminders. And despite the main romance being sidelined, the book still provides a worthy successor. I loved this installation. The book blew me away, and now I’m left to just sit and think about the possibilities of what could happen. The final book comes out in September 2024, and that isn’t soon enough because I needed it in my hands last week!

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Review: The Second Chance Hotel by Sierra Godfrey

The Second Chance Hotel by Sierra Godfrey is a heart warming and emotionally resonant novel that explores themes of love, forgiveness and the power of second chances. Set against a beautiful small Greek island placing us at a charming little inn, we are invited on a journey of self-discovery and transformation.

Amelia Lang, is a woman whose life has really taken some unexpected turns. On a whim, she decides to escape to the Mediterranean on a now or never self discovery exploration that will have you filled with envy wanting to be there along with her. Finding herself at the same place where her parents stayed years ago, there is something special about the Ria Hotel that inspires something new.

Things take a sharp turn when after drinking too much, she finds herself married to fellow guest, James. Talk about morning after shock but if the marriage wasn’t enough, they discover they have inherited the hotel that they are staying at. As they find themselves with mixed emotions about the daunting tasks of what to do with it, we get to know them and the other people on the island, who bring charm, humor and warmth to the narrative, leaving us invested and falling in love with their journey.

There are so many things to love about this book, especially when it comes to accidental love and second chances.The chemistry between Amelia and James was just right. It wasn’t forced. The natural progression with its ups and downs really gave us something to really root for. These two were so different but so right. The distraction of their situation made the anticipation of the developing romance more special.

Amelia will resonate with so many women. I will say that I live vicariously through her with that mug throw but violence isn’t the answer. If you read the book, you will understand. Her growth as a character was so heartwarming. She ran from her problems but as she progresses she becomes more self assured, independent and confident. The female support that surrounded her added something special that made her journey more fulfilling.

Beside the beautiful story, I love how we are placed right in the heart of this wonderful place allowing us to be there in the moment. Her imagery creates an engaging experience that makes you want to visit and join them.

We are taken on an emotional rollercoaster sprinkled with some humor along with unexpected turns that lead to a wonderful hea.

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Review: Invisible Strings by Meg Jones

Summary

Two rival teachers must work together to save their after-school clubs from budget cuts. The solution to the fiery tension between them?

A “no strings attached”, one-night stand.

Olive Davis, a high school art teacher, has really had enough. Between budget cuts and the death of her mom, Olive finds herself feeling more lost than usual. But when she finds out that her beloved after-school club has been cut, she's at a complete loss for what to do.

That is until her nemesis, annoyingly hot and entirely arrogant science teacher, Ben Bennett, comes to her with a proposal.

The two have been at odds since they first met. But now, with his own club also facing the axe, he's determined to find a way to save it, even if it means calling a truce with Olive. Completely desperate and out of options, she reluctantly agrees. As expected, it’s almost unbearable to work with the enemy…

Until one steamy tequila-fueled night inspires a whole new way to resolve their tensions.

Invisible String is a contemporary romance novel, featuring rivals to lovers, one night only and caretaking tropes and also focuses heavily on mental health and healing from grief while finding love.

Review

I really enjoyed Invisible Strings. Not only was I completely hooked within the first chapter, I found the setting to be absolutely perfect. I loved the fact that Olive and Ben worked at a school, and they had this sort of rivalry going. And it was interesting to see it in the sole POV of Olive. Disclaimer—Ben does get a few chapters in his POV towards the end of the book. But the majority of the book is in Olive’s story. Which I felt was a good tactic. Because it’s her story. Yes, it’s about Ben too, but Olive is dealing with the death of her mother, and she’s trying her best to stay positive at work while the district is continuingly cutting her budget.

I thought her story was heartfelt and I really enjoyed being in her head. She’s dealing with so much, and Meg Jones did a great job to convey those feelings within the book. And my heart really ached for Olive. Ben too was incredible. And as it often is with these rivals to lover’s stories, he didn’t dislike Olive as much as she had thought. Their chemistry was off the charts, and I loved how their relationship developed.

As much as I loved this book, I did have an issue with the way Olive’s story eventually concluded. It does have a happy ending but Olive’s eventual resolution felt left field, especially when we didn’t really get to see that build up since the book had switched to Ben’s POV. I would have liked more insight to that build up since what we had been shown at the beginning and the middle of the book felt inconsistent with that.

Final Thoughts

Invisible Strings is a heartbreaking story about grief and how it can impact someone’s entire life. It does have a great love story, and great characters. But the main focus is on grief. Unfortunately, Olive’s eventual conclusion felt a little inconsistent.

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Review: Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer

Summary

Once Upon a Time meets The Office in Hannah Maehrer’s laugh-out-loud viral TikTok series turned novel, about the sunshine assistant to an Evil Villain…and their unexpected romance.

ASSISTANT WANTED: Notorious, high-ranking villain seeks loyal, levelheaded assistant for unspecified office duties, supporting staff for random mayhem and terror, and other Dark Things In General. Discretion a must. Excellent benefits.

With ailing family to support, Evie Sage's employment status isn't just important, it's vital. So when a mishap with Rennedawn’s most infamous Villain results in a job offer―naturally, she says yes. No job is perfect, of course, but even less so when you develop a teeny crush on your terrifying, temperamental, and undeniably hot boss. Don’t find evil so attractive, Evie.

But just when she’s getting used to severed heads suspended from the ceiling and the odd squish of an errant eyeball beneath her heel, Evie suspects this dungeon has a huge rat…and not just the literal kind. Because something rotten is growing in the kingdom of Rennedawn, and someone wants to take the Villain―and his entire nefarious empire―out.

Now Evie must not only resist drooling over her boss but also figure out exactly who is sabotaging his work…and ensure he makes them pay.

After all, a good job is hard to find.

Review

Assistant to the Villain was something that I hadn’t expected, but I’m glad I did continue with it. Prior to the release of this book, I had created my own expectations for how this book was going to play our and what setting it would be in. So much so, that once I read that first page, I almost closed it forever because I had fooled myself. However, I continued. And oh boy, I am very happy I did. I was so entertained with this, and I’m so delighted with how the story played out.

There was something so magical about the characters and their interactions with the other characters in this world. Everyone, especially Evie, was just so charming. Something that can only be found in a cozy fantasy book that is also adventurous. I adored the relationship between The Villain and Evie, something that had me kicking my feet and giggling. The banter was so funny and cute. And his POV was very enlightening. I need the second book now for my sanity!

Final Thoughts

Assistant to the Villain is a near perfect cozy, adventurous fantasy.

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About the Author

Review: The Vanishing Hour: A Thriller by Seraphina Nova Glass

The Vanishing Hour is a meticulously crafted domestic thriller that explores the impact of secrets and the distressing impact people are willing to go to in order to protect them.

Set against the backdrop of Rock Harbor, Maine, the novel introduces us to Grace Holloway, a resilient woman who has chosen a life of solitude after narrowly escaping a horrifying abduction.

Trying to move forward with her life, currently employed as the manager of an inn in the heart of town, she has embraced this chance to be alone to protect her from her painful past. The inn has not only given her refugee but a place where what has happened to her and her memories can stay buried from the world.

Her world begins to tilt as a series of disappearances grips this small town. Young women with similar identities as when she first was abducted, have been vanishing with no clues to their whereabouts making the town grow on edge. As local law enforcement investigates the disappearances, there is a discovery of connection to Grace that forces her to confront a past reliving her trauma. Gathering the strength and putting her fears aside, she gives information that possibly holds the key to unlocking a secret that will change that town forever.

This was a good thriller that unfolded at a pace that keeps your interest wanting to know more. The alternating point of view and the intensity of the other characters built tension that made this a page turner. The setting of the book played an important role that created that sense of isolation that embraced the plot magnifying that chilling undertone. As the plot unfolds, a maze of suspense and suspicion, with plot twists and turns, taking unexpected directions keep you guessing until the final revelation.

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