Special Feature: Sophie Valroux’s Paris Stars by Samantha Verant

Something about a book set in Paris just makes it all the more romantic and interesting for me. I have been to France twice and while it hasn’t been may favorite city in Europe, there is no doubt it has a distinct romantic feel to it and the food—oh the food! While I am far from a foodie, there is no doubt Paris is home to some delicious pastries and savory dishes.

One of the things that interested me in this book was not just the setting but that the main character, Sophie, is a chef who loses her sense of small. At first glance I thought it was metaphorical but in reading the description further it was clear that it was literal. I thought that sounded intriguing and would be an interesting take on a classic French foodie story. The more I kept reading the summary though the more interesting it sounded. While this book looks like it’s part of a series, many have said it can be read independently as a stand-alone.

I love character driven books with the main character in a personal crisis on a journey to not only find themselves but to also resolve their personal crisis. This book sounds like it’s going to fit the bill and I am so thrilled to share a bit with you guys today! If you love women’s fiction with an exotic setting and no doubt some amazing food references, then this will be a great option for you. It’s being met with rave reviews too so be sure to check it out!

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Review: On Location by Sarah Smith

This summer was the summer of National Parks for me! I explored quite a bit of Arizona this summer including The Grand Canyon NP and Saguaro NP along with a number of National Monuments. Then I came home to Oregon and visited Crater Lake NP and am heading the Mt Rainier NP and Olympic NP in Washington later this fall. So when I saw a book that was a travel/work place/vacation romance with National Parks, I was absolutely on board!

This book sounded so promising and I just adore travel romances. Sarah Smith has written a few other romances which I haven’t read but it sounds like the general consensus is this is the best of her romances. So with that in mind I eagerly opened this one and couldn’t wait to get lost in some beautiful landscapes with a sizzling romance.

As I mentioned in a review earlier this week, I have been reading so many historical romances lately that I feel like I need to shift from history to the modern era and read about modern women who fall in love rather than a stuffy old parlor with a crusty chaperone on the fringes. This was just the book that I needed to get me back into modern era romances. I loved the social issues and the characters and of course the settings! It was a great read and I adore Berkley Romances so much that I would eagerly read anything from that publishing house!

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Review: When Sparks Fly by Helena Hunting

I have been on a major romance kick lately but most of the romances I have been reading are of the historical variety. There is something so romantic about historical romances in a way that modern contemporary romances just don’t have. I think it’s the constraints of society and class in the historical romances that make them compelling but at the same time I am a modern woman and as a modern woman, I want to also read about modern women like me, not just the lone countess trapped in a marriage of convenience.

Enter this book. I decided it was time to take a bit of a break from the usual historical romances in favor of a more modern romance. Friends to lovers is such a great troupe (though I personally like enemies to lovers better) and I couldn’t wait to explore this book and the two friends who ultimately fall in love. The only thing I was worried about was sometimes the friends to lovers troupe doesn’t carry the same emotional impact for me as something a little more fraught with conflict like the enemies to lovers troupe—which is why I don’t read much of friends to lovers.

But this one sounded charming and I was eager to read something that didn’t involve a corset and buff colored breeches! Not to mention Helena Hunting has written a number of romances that sizzle and I couldn’t wait to read this one an explore the friends to lovers troupe in the modern world!

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Special Feature: Other People’s Things by Kerry Anne King

Its been a while since I have read a great women’s fiction novel. Don’t get me wrong I have read some amazing ones but in the last few months I haven’t picked up many women’s fiction novels as I normally do in the summer. I am a really big season reader. I like reading mysteries in the fall, romances in the winter, fantasies in the spring and women’s fiction in the summer however I changed things up a bit this year. While I might be reading out of my usual preferences during the seasons this year, that doesn’t mean that I have missed some upcoming great titles!

I haven’t read anything by Kerry Anne King, but this book caught my eye. Not only does this book address some women’s issues like marriage and life choices, but it does it with a bit of magical realism. This book has a lot to recommend itself this fall—not only does it have women’s fiction, some magical bits, but it also has some romance and suspense. It has so much for readers to enjoy and I think it’s going to be a big hit this fall!

Many early reviewers have excellent things to say about this book and I think it will resonate with a vast audience. There is a lot to identify with especially for female readers and with all the other fun bits mixed in, I think that a lot of readers will no doubt find something to enjoy in this one. Today I have all the details for you and I hope you will check it out and snag yourself a copy today!

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Cover Reveal: West Side Love Story by Priscilla Oliveras

Holy cover reveal! I am absolutely in love with this stunning cover! I literally cannot stop staring at this cover and I can’t believe I have to wait until May to read this book! I am still holding out hope for an ARC though because this cover literally makes me want to read this book like right now.

Not only do I love everything about this cover but the story sounds delicious and fully worth devouring! Priscilla Oliveras has written some best selling love stories with Latin flair. I am married to a Hispanic man so naturally this kind of love story appeals to me on a number of levels. I haven’t read her other novels but they are all certainly on my TBR list. And this cover reveal comes at the perfect time as it is Hispanic Heritage month!

This book will be the first in a new series by Oliveras, however it sounds like it will also be able to be read as a stand alone romance. It sounds like it’s going to be a little Romeo and Juliet with mariachi. I am so here for this novel and I can’t wait to share it with my friends and fellow book club readers! If you love contempo romance with a cultural flair and mariachi music, this novel will definitely be for you! I need this one like immediately! It just sounds so wonderful.

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