Audiobook Review: Life’s Too Short (The Friend Zone, #3) by Abby Jimenez

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: Life’s Too Short
Series: The Friend Zone, #2
Author: Abby Jimenez
Narrators: Zachary Webber and Christine Lakin
Publisher: Forever
Publication date: April 6, 2021
Print length: 384 pages
Audio length: 9 hours 6 minutes
Genre: Contemporary romance
Source: Library
Rating:

A brilliant and touching romantic comedy about two polar opposites, one adorable dog, and living each day to its fullest.

When Vanessa Price quit her job to pursue her dream of traveling the globe, she wasn’t expecting to gain millions of YouTube followers who shared her joy of seizing every moment. For her, living each day to its fullest isn’t just a motto. Her mother and sister never saw the age of 30, and Vanessa doesn’t want to take anything for granted.

But after her half-sister suddenly leaves Vanessa in custody of her infant daughter, life goes from “daily adventure” to “next-level bad” (now with bonus baby vomit in hair). The last person Vanessa expects to show up offering help is the hot lawyer next door, Adrian Copeland. After all, she barely knows him. No one warned her that he was the Secret Baby Tamer or that she’d be spending a whole lot of time with him and his geriatric Chihuahua.

Now she’s feeling things she’s vowed not to feel. Because the only thing worse than falling for Adrian is finding a little hope for a future she may never see.

In Life’s Too Short, a crying baby brings a pair of strangers together in the middle of the night, changing both of their lives.

Vanessa Price has just been handed temporary custody of her troubled half-sister’s newborn baby, and is handling it fine… until the baby simply won’t stop crying. Her next-door neighbor, Adrian Copeland, shows up at her apartment door at 4 am offering to help. She’s suspicious… but she knows him by reputation, and she’s desperate enough to allow him in, hand him baby Grace, and go take a shower to calm down (and get the spit-up out of her hair). Lo and behold, the nonstop crying jag has ended by the time she gets out of the shower. An instant friendship is born.

Adrian is a successful, hard-driving criminal defense attorney who needs to be in control at all times. Vanessa is a free-wheeling YouTuber with a huge following, who’s spent the last few years sharing her worldwide travels. But Vanessa’s live-for-today approach has a darker underlying motivation — her mother and sister both had ALS and died young, and she’s trying to make the most of her own life before ALS catches up with her as well.

Adrian and Vanessa form an instant connection, and within days, they’re constantly in and out of each other’s apartments, sharing food, watching TV, caring for baby Grace, and become besties. Both are very clear that they’re not interested in dating or relationships… but we know where that’s going, right?

As the pair spend time together, they each develop strong feelings — as well as an intense attraction — but both assume that the other person isn’t interested in them that way. There’s a lot of time spent on false assumptions and faulty communication before they finally realize the truth of the matter.

I enjoyed the audiobook of Life’s Too Short, with narrators alternating to read chapters told from each character’s perspective. Both narrators do a great job conveying delivery and personalities, and they’re also terrific at pacing and providing humor.

Overall, though, I didn’t love Life’s Too Short as much as some of the author’s other books. First, there’s the communication issue, already mentioned. This is such a staple of contemporary romance novels, and honestly, it overdone. Adrian and Vanessa are both smart people who communicate for a living — yet they can’t get past their misinterpretations and inability to say what they mean or what they want. The misunderstanding phase of their relationship drags on way too long — and then there’s a phase two, once they’re together, about whether Adrian actually knows Vanessa’s health history and possible prognosis. This second phase of communication blunders leads to the major breakup phase of the book, but to me, it didn’t make sense that they ended up with this huge misunderstanding in the first place.

Second complaint: this book leans heavily into the trauma/drama that’s prevalent in so many of Abby Jimenez’s books. Not only is Vanessa dealing with the threat of ALS, mourning her deceased sister, and caring for an infant, but she’s also trying to deal with a father who’s a hoarder and push her half-sister (the baby’s mother) into rehab for her drug addiction. As for Adrian, his control issues stem from his father’s abandonment of the family when he was a child and the lingering fears and damage that’s caused him. It feels like these aspects overwhelm the love story at times, and could probably have been dialed back without losing the overarching emotional impact of the plot.

Finally, I felt that there was a level of emotional manipulation regarding Vanessa and whether she has the early symptoms of ALS. I won’t go into details, because that would be too spoilery, but by the end I felt very manipulated as a reader.

This may make it sounds like I didn’t enjoy Life’s Too Short at all, and that’s not actually the case. As in all Abby Jimenez books, the writing is crisp and funny and entertaining, and there are plenty of silly moments to lighten the mood. Sure, the male love interest is too perfect to possibly be a real human being, but that’s okay — it’s a nice fantasy to get to know a man who’s gorgeous, amazing with babies, successful, and always picks the perfect gift/date/adventure.

Life’s Too Short is considered the 3rd book in the Friend Zone trilogy, but apart from a very slight connection, it’s really more of a standalone. Adrian was introduced in a very minor way in The Happy Ever After Playlist, and characters from the other books show up briefly in Life’s Too Short — but someone picking up Life’s Too Short on its own would be perfectly fine and would not feel that they were missing anything.

I discovered Abby Jimenez’s books just this year, and have now read them all! While I may have quibbles about plot points and communication styles, overall, her books are zippy, engaging reads that include romance, humor, and deep emotional connection. She’s an excellent storyteller, and creates characters who feel like fully developed, living, breathing people.

The author’s next book, Say You’ll Remember Me, will be released in April 2025 — and I’ll be ready with grabby hands as soon as it’s available!

13Oct2024

Audiobook Review: The Happy Ever After Playlist (The Friend Zone, #2) by Abby Jimenez

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: The Happy Ever After Playlist
Series: The Friend Zone, #1
Author: Abby Jimenez
Narrators: Zachary Webber and Erin Mallon
Publisher: Forever
Publication date: April 14, 2020
Print length: 401 pages
Audio length: 9 hours 17 minutes
Genre: Contemporary romance
Source: Library
Rating:

From the USA Today bestselling author of The Friend Zone comes a fresh romantic comedy full of “fierce humor and fiercer heart” about one trouble-making dog who brings together two perfect strangers. (Casey McQuiston, New York Times bestselling author of Red, White & Royal Blue)

Two years after losing her fiancé, Sloan Monroe still can’t seem to get her life back on track. But one trouble-making pup with a “take me home” look in his eyes is about to change everything. With her new pet by her side, Sloan finally starts to feel more like herself. Then, after weeks of unanswered texts, Tucker’s owner reaches out. He’s a musician on tour in Australia. And bottom line: He wants Tucker back.

Well, Sloan’s not about to give up her dog without a fight. But what if this Jason guy really loves Tucker? As their flirty texts turn into long calls, Sloan can’t deny a connection. Jason is hot and nice and funny. There’s no telling what could happen when they meet in person. The question is: With his music career on the rise, how long will Jason really stick around? And is it possible for Sloan to survive another heartbreak?

Dear Romance Writers:

PLEASE STOP MAKING CHARACTERS BREAK UP WITH THE PERSON THEY LOVE FOR THEIR OWN GOOD WITHOUT TELLING THEM WHY.

Phew. Glad I got that off my chest.

Moving on with my review… which includes unavoidable spoilers for The Friend Zone, so proceed with caution.

The Happy Ever After Playlist picks up two years after the events of The Friend Zone, moving the best friend from book #1 to center stage.

Sloan may not seem to be a prime candidate for a romance lead — her story in The Friend Zone (spoiler alert!) was a tragic one. Just one week before her wedding, Sloan’s fiancé was hit by a drunk driver while riding his motorcycle and eventually died.

As The Happy Ever After Playlist opens, Sloan thinks of her life as being in the “in between”. Since Brandon’s death, she’s stopped cooking, stopped painting original pieces (focusing instead on Etsy commissions for pieces such as astronaut cats), and basically just gets by. If not for best friend Kristen and her husband Josh, Sloan would barely even eat.

All that changes when Sloan heads to the cemetery to visit Brandon’s grave, and nearly hits a dog wandering on the road… who then jumps into her car through her sunroof. What’s Sloan to do? She takes him home, tries in vain to contact his owner, and after a couple of weeks, has settled into a happier sort of life with Tucker as company — until Tucker’s owner Jason finally returns Sloan’s many calls.

He’s a musician, has been working in Australia, but is now headed home and wants his dog back. After some initial resistance, Sloan agrees, but only if Jason proves he’s worthy. As Jason and Sloan banter via text and then phone calls, a spark of life comes back to Sloan. She’s having fun, she’s enjoying getting to know this random person, and (after seeing his picture), she thinks she might actually be open to meeting him… although only if they call it an appointment, not a date.

Needless to say, Sloan and Jason have amazing chemistry, and within days, are inseparable. As Sloan works through her complicated feelings about allowing herself to be open to attraction and possibly romance, Jason is beyond perfect, making clear his desire and interest, but only at her own pace and comfort level.

Things become even more complicated once Sloan shows Kristen a picture of Jason… and Kristen freaks out. Does Sloan even know who she’s kinda-sorta dating? That’s Jackson Waters, the recording artist behind the cover of The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald**, the song Sloan listened to on repeat during the worst of her days of grief. Jason is poised for stardom, about to leave on tour, with a major record label promoting him and propelling him into the spotlight. But how can Jason leave when things are just getting started with Sloan, and how can Sloan fit into the high-pressure world of a world-famous rock star?

**And believe me, it makes me mad that the Jackson Waters version of this song (and its accompanying claymation music video) does not actually exist!!

The Happy Ever After Playlist is engaging right from the start, although in some ways, it feels like two (or possibly three) different stories smushed into one. At the beginning, it seems to be about Sloan allowing love back into her life, and that’s quite lovely to see. Her cautious first steps toward happiness turn into a running leap, once she and Jason start to connect on a deeper level. They realize almost instantly that what’s between them is the real thing.

Midway through the book, the storyline turns much more into the celebrity romance trope — how can an ordinary person fit into the world of fame and paparazzi and constant scrutiny, much less endless months on the road?

Jason and Sloan are worth rooting for, but it drives me mad (see my declaration at the start of this review) when one romantic partner makes a decision (usually a break-up) for what they perceive to be the good of the other person, without even telling them why or giving them the opportunity to discuss it. Of course, in a romance, this is the 3rd act big blowup when all seems lost, but we know (because romance) that it will all work out, and that there will likely be some amazing, over-the-top big moment to bring it all to a happy ever after. (There is).

I really did enjoy The Happy Ever After Playlist as a whole, but certain fights and then the breakup made me a little batty. If ever a situation calls for couples’ counseling, or at least a neutral third party, this is it. These two characters do not do a great job of talking to one another in crucial moments. Yay, they work it all out eventually, but the pain and suffering before they get there could have been avoided through actual communication.

As in The Friend Zone, the men in this second book are once again very manly indeed. Hunting, home improvement skills, and general outdoorsy-ness abound. Jason is a sensitive singer/songwriter/guitarist, but he’s also great with his hands (in all ways), can fix anything, and goes camping on remote islands for the fun of it.

Overall, The Happy Ever After Playlist is a great audiobook listen. Despite the plot points that bugged me, I never wanted to stop once I started listening, and the narrators do an excellent job bringing the characters to life and conveying their banter, humor, fights, and sorrows.

I will absolutely finish the trilogy, although based on the peek I took at the 3rd book’s synopsis, it seems to only have a very tangential connection to the first and second books. Still, I know what I’ll be listening to next!

29Sep2024

Audiobook Review: The Friend Zone by Abby Jimenez

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: The Friend Zone
Series: The Friend Zone, #1
Author: Abby Jimenez
Narrators: Teddy Hamilton and Erin Mallon
Publisher: Forever
Publication date: June 11, 2019
Print length: 372 pages
Audio length: 9 hours 32 minutes
Genre: Contemporary romance
Source: Library
Rating:

Kristen Petersen doesn’t do drama, will fight to the death for her friends, and has no room in her life for guys who just don’t get her. She’s also keeping a big secret: facing a medically necessary procedure that will make it impossible for her to have children.

Planning her best friend’s wedding is bittersweet for Kristen—especially when she meets the best man, Josh Copeland. He’s funny, sexy, never offended by her mile-wide streak of sarcasm, and always one chicken enchilada ahead of her hangry. Even her dog, Stuntman Mike, adores him. The only catch: Josh wants a big family someday. Kristen knows he’d be better off with someone else, but as their attraction grows, it’s harder and harder to keep him at arm’s length.

The Friend Zone will have you laughing one moment and grabbing for tissues the next as it tackles the realities of infertility and loss with wit, heart, and a lot of sass.

After loving Abby Jimenez’s Part of Your World trilogy, I knew I needed to go back and read her earlier books. The Friend Zone, the author’s debut novel, is a bit bumpier and less polished than her later books, but it definitely shows the heart and spirit that are such quintessential elements of her writing.

Kristen and Josh have a meet-cute that’s not particularly cute at all: He rear-ends her truck when she hits the brakes without warning. After a contentious exchange, they part ways, never expecting to see one another again… only to come face to face moments later at the fire station where he’s newly stationed.

Josh has moved to LA after a bad break-up back in North Dakota, joining his best friend Brandon at the fire house and hoping to get a fresh start. Brandon’s fiancée Sloan is Kristen’s best friend, so it was inevitable that Kristen and Josh would bump into one another… just maybe not quite so literally.

Putting aside their tension-filled first meeting, Josh ends up taking a temporary job doing carpentry work for Kristen’s home-based doggy supply business. Kristen’s lost-distance boyfriend Tyler is reaching the end of his military service and is due to move in with Kristen once he’s out, but she’s having serious second thoughts. Realizing that Josh is not only fun to be around but also very attractive, Kristen does whatever she can to keep him firmly in the “friend zone”, but there’s no denying that sparks are flying all over the place whenever she and Josh hang out.

Kristen’s life is further complicated by her health. Since her teens, she’s suffered with extreme cramping and heavy, nonstop periods caused by uterine fibroids, and has decided to go ahead with a hysterectomy, scheduled for a few weeks after Sloan and Brandon’s wedding. She knows this is the right choice for her — the only sure way to finally end the constant pain and anemia she’s dealt with for so many years.. But as she and Josh begin to acknowledge their deepening feelings, Kristen’s medical condition gives her yet another source of heartache: Josh comes from a huge family, and has talked frequently of his dream of having a huge family himself. How can she get involved with a man whose dreams so clearly don’t match her reality?

The Friend Zone pulled me in right from the start, although its initial upbeat vibe clashes later with the seriousness of Kristen’s pain and emotional distress. When the plot takes an unexpectedly tragic turn, it feels sort of like two entirely separate books got mashed together.

Parts are very good: I enjoyed the banter and developing connection between Josh and Kristen. Her tactics to keep him in the friend zone are decidedly goofy and quite fun to read about. Flipping between their two perspectives from chapter to chapter gives readers a chance to hear both sides of the story, understand why they act as they do, and see how their decisions and actions affect the other person, whose knowledge in different situations may be limited and missing key information.

Other parts drove me a bit batty. The men in The Friend Zone come across as ultra macho — either military or firefighters, gun owners, hunters, motorcycle riders. There’s a scene where Josh picks Kristen up and carries her over his shoulder to get her to talk to him… and that’s a big no for me.

As for Kristen, I was frustrated by her internalized beliefs. I understand that the author was trying to accurately portray the struggles and emotional distress of what Kristen experiences, but I still found it disturbing to hear Kristen continually think of herself as damaged and less than desirable because of her inability to have children. I might have appreciated hearing this internal dialogue more if it was coupled with therapy or some counterbalance to convey a healthier message. I get that we’re inside Kristen’s head and she’s holding onto unhealthy beliefs about herself, but at the same time, as a reader who’s dealt with fertility challenges, I think seeing Kristen confront these beliefs on the page would present a more well-rounded approach to the issue.

One romance trope that I particularly dislike is when a character makes a decision for the good of their love interest — often, ending a relationship — without actually discussing the situation with their partner. That trope is in full force in The Friend Zone, and it really bothered me. Kristen spends a good portion of the book making decisions that cause deep pain for her and Josh, but never talks with him about what’s going on. So much heartache could have been avoided if she’d been honest with him and trusted him to work through it with her.

Complaints aside, there are also elements that I loved, such as when Josh finally realizes that the way to reach past Kristen’s defenses and get her to hear him is through logic and facts. The way he does this is amazing, and I found it incredibly touching.

Overall, The Friend Zone captured and held my attention, and when the plot takes a turn in the latter part of the book, I could barely catch my breath.

A word to the wise: Proceed with caution if you’re listening to the audiobook! I was on the highway during rush hour when I got to the intensely emotional part of the book, and don’t recommend trying to navigate traffic while choked up and teary-eyed!

As I mentioned, The Friend Zone doesn’t come across as quite as polished as Abby Jimenez’s later books, but it still managed to draw me in and engage my emotions. With her signature mix of humor and traumatic situations and events, it’s a roller coaster ride with a beautiful love story at its heart.

I’m eager to continue the trilogy that starts with The Friend Zone. Next up: The Happy Ever After Playlist.

Caution: DO NOT READ THE SYNOPSIS FOR THE HAPPY EVER AFTER PLAYLIST BEFORE FINISHING THE FRIEND ZONE! I did, unfortunately, and got the spoiler of all spoilers for the major event in the 2nd half of The Friend Zone. Learn from my mistakes!

12Sep2024

Book Review: Magical Meet Cute by Jean Meltzer

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: Magical Meet Cute
Author: Jean Meltzer
Publisher: Mira
Publication date: August 27, 2024
Length: 400 pages
Genre: Contemporary romance
Source: Library
Rating:

Is he the real deal…or did she truly summon a golem?

Faye Kaplan used to be engaged. She also used to have a successful legal practice. But she much prefers her new life as a potter in Woodstock, New York. The only thing missing is the perfect guy.

Not that she needs one. She’s definitely happy alone.

That is, until she finds her town papered with anti-Semitic flyers after yet another failed singles event at the synagogue. Desperate for comfort, Faye drunkenly turns to the only thing guaranteed to soothe her—pottery. A golem protector is just what her town needs…and adding all the little details to make him her ideal man can’t hurt, right?

When a seriously hot stranger mysteriously turns up the next day, Greg seems too good to be true—if you ignore the fact that Faye hit him with her bike. And that he subsequently lost his memory…

But otherwise, the man checks Every. Single. Box. Causing Faye to wonder if Greg’s sudden and spicy appearance might be anything but a coincidence.

In this Jewish-themed romance, Faye Kaplan enjoys her life in the close-knit community of Woodstock, New York. After her fiance dumped her several years earlier, she sold her Manhattan legal practice, moved to a quiet town, and rediscovered her love of ceramics and creating.

A self-described “Jewitch”, she also discovered Jewish magical rituals, which she imbues with her own sense of creativity and spirituality. She’s still hurt and lonely after her break-up, and carries deeper pain stemming from growing up with an abusive mother, who eventually injured her in such a way that her dreams of pursuing her artwork professionally were shattered. Mostly, though, Faye is happy with her circle of close friends and a supportive community.

Her sense of safety is shattered when anti-Semitic flyers appear in town. Suddenly, Faye feels targeted, even in her own home. After a night of self-soothing via wine and magical rituals, she’s ready to reengage with the town’s rally against hate — and then hits a stranger with her bike, landing him in the hospital.

The stranger is tall, muscular, gorgeous, and red-haired, and due to the accident, has a head injury and amnesia. His speech functions are impaired, and he doesn’t know who he is, nor does he have any ID on him. As the hospital prepares to send him to a shelter upon discharge, Faye feels it’s her responsibility to take care of the man she injured, and against the advice of everyone who cares for her, she decided to bring him back to her home until he recovers.

Somewhat randomly, he chooses the name Greg, and as he regains his powers of speech, he and Faye get to know one another. He seems to be the perfect man — he helps her with anything she needs, he plays Scrabble with her, he reads her books, he likes her temperamental dog. But as Faye realizes just how perfectly he matches everything she might want in a man, she thinks back to that wine-soaked night of magic… and wonders if Greg is actually real, or whether she accidentally created a golem, a mythical protector of Jewish legend, called forth to protect the Jewish community in times of need.

As the plot moves forward, we see a growing connection between Faye and Greg, increasing threats from the anti-Semitic element hidden within the town, and Faye’s confusion about who (or what) Greg really is. There’s a lot to like about this quirky romance, but I think the author is trying to do too much, and Faye’s belief that Greg is truly a golem strains all credulity.

The sense of community in Magical Meet Cute is lovely. It’s easy to see why this town has become a refuge and a place of safety for Faye, a woman not truly recovered from childhood trauma and heartbreak. I enjoyed seeing her close friends and the way the people of the town come together in a crisis.

The storyline about anti-Semitism has the potential to be powerful, but shoe-horned into a romance, it feels a bit discordant, especially once Greg decides that the best way to protect Faye is to infiltrate the local cell of anti-Semites and figure out who’s responsible for their threats and violence. Greg’s investigatory scenes are tonally a mismatch for the rest of the book, where the romantic and mystical elements are emphasized.

Faye’s belief that Greg is not a real person, but is in fact a golem… well, it’s just so out-there that I couldn’t help engaging in some heavy-duty eye-rolling. There’s a scene of Faye trying to banish the golem that’s perhaps intended to be funny… but just made me cringe. Hard.

This is now the 3rd book I’ve read by Jean Meltzer, and while all three have been enjoyable in many ways, I’ve realized that the author’s approach to humor just isn’t a good match for me. In each of the books, there are scenes that are clearly meant to be funny, usually involving some slapstick or physical comedy, but they fall flat and feel embarrassing, not silly or cute.

The writing itself is also a mixed bag. It feels to me that the author is trying too hard to incorporate Jewish bits. It’s nice to have the cultural flavor, but there are times in Magical Meet Cute where it’s over the top and doesn’t make sense. For example:

Goddess give her strength. The man was built like a challah.

What does that even mean? Are his muscles braided? Because that sounds like it would hurt.

I did like a lot about Magical Meet Cute, but as with some of the author’s other books, the balance between light and serious seems off. Anti-Semitism and childhood abuse that results in a permanent disability are heavy subjects… and mixing them into a story where (among other things) an octogenarian delights in showing off her stun gun, someone uses kosher salami as a weapon, and there’s a running gag about Faye’s dog leaving… um… surprises on the floor makes this feel as though the author couldn’t quite decide what story she was trying to tell.

It pains me to not be able to rave about this book (and the others I’ve read by Jean Meltzer), as I love the idea of incorporating Jewish elements in a romance novel, and want to support writers who create strong Jewish women as central characters. Something about the writing style and approach makes Magical Meet Cute a mixed experience for me, and at this point, I’m on the fence about reading future books by this author.

8Sep2024

Book Review: Pardon My Frenchie by Farrah Rochon

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: Pardon My Frenchie
Author: Farrah Rochon
Publisher: Forever
Publication date: June 4, 2024
Length: 384 pages
Genre: Contemporary romance
Source: Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley; audiobook via Boundless download (library loan)
Rating:

The New York Times bestselling author of Almost There delivers the start of a new rom-com series with an enemies-to-lovers romance, perfect for readers of Abby Jimenez and Jasmine Guillory.

Ashanti Wright is ecstatic over the success of her dog boarding business, Barkingham Palace. In fact, it has become so successful that Ashanti has plans to expand her empire with a doggie bake shop. There’s just one problem, the building she’s had her eye on has just been sold to the surly grandson of one of her favorite customers.

Thaddeus Sims is not a dog person. He’s barely a person’s person. But when his grandmother is transferred to a senior living facility that doesn’t accept pets, the former army officer agrees to care for her annoying Standard Poodle, Puddin’. After all, it was with his grandmother’s help that Thad was able to buy the building that will soon house The PX, a sports bar/all-around hangout space for former servicemen that he plans to open.

Puddin’ and Ashanti’s French Bulldog, Duchess, have become a bit of a sensation on Barkingham Palace’s livestream because of their budding romance. When a video of the dogs sharing a doggy treat Lady and the Tramp-style goes viral, their owners are sucked into a media frenzy that captures the nation by storm…and creates some sparks for their owners too.

After loving Farrah Rochon’s The Boyfriend Project trilogy, I was really excited to see that she has a new contemporary romance series kicking off. The fact that it features adorable doggos and a business called Barkingham Palace is icing on the cake!

In Pardon My Frenchie (yes, that title is totally adorable), Ashanti Wright is a small business owner who works nonstop to keep her doggy day care going while also raising her twin teen-aged younger sisters. Ashanti’s business, Barkingham Palace, is very successful, but their small space means growth is limited. Meanwhile, Ashanti’s side business, home-baked doggy treats called Duchess Delights, is ready to take off — but there’s only so many treats she can produce in her home kitchen. Between that, and keeping an eye on her sisters’ school attendance, she more than has her hands full.

Ashanti’s dream is to buy a house she’s had an eye on, with a great location and room for her to expand both the day care and the baking — but she misses the opportunity when the grandson of one of her favorite customers arrives in New Orleans and buys it before she can even get an offer in. Thad is caring for his grandmother’s poodle Puddin’ and is skeptical of dogs in general and Ashanti’s business in particular, and the fact that she calls him out for buying “her” house doesn’t help them get off on the right foot.

However… Puddin’ and Ashanti’s French bulldog Duchess are in doggy love, and they’re a viral sensation thanks to getting caught in a super cute moment on the doggy cam. Puddin’ and Duchess’s wild popularity can be a huge boost to both Thad and Ashanti’s businesses, if they can get past their initial disagreements and work together. Of course, their immediate sense of attraction doesn’t hurt one bit.

Ashanti and Thad have great chemistry (just like Duchess and Puddin’), and despite complications, there’s no doubt that they’ll end up together — but it’s really sweet and enjoyable to watch them get there.

Farrah Rochon once again creates a compelling romance where the love story is just one piece of the greater story. Both Ashanti and Thad have really interesting businesses and backstories, and their family histories are well-developed too. They’re also surrounded by friends, coworkers, and family, providing them with much more in their lives beyond the will-they-won’t-they romantic entanglement.

I enjoyed Ashanti and Thad very much as people on their own, and appreciated each of them having a strong sense of commitment to their responsibilities, to the communities they serve, and to their families. Ashanti’s doggy business is adorable of course, and it’s really fun to see the ups and down of a day in the life of Barkingham Palace.

The book synopsis describes Pardon My Frenchie as the start of a new series, and while I don’t see anything online yet about a next book, I can imagine that Ashanti’s two best friends are likely to be the main characters in upcoming books, and I’ll be there to read them!

Pardon My Frenchie has terrific human interest elements, in addition to very cute dogs, and is sure to please readers who love a bit of canine fun mixed in with their romance.

A note on my reading experience: Although I had an e-ARC of the book, I ended up waiting for the audiobook to become available through the library, and really liked it. The dual narrators provide chapters from both Ashanti and Thad’s points-of-view, and give them each very warm, evocative voices. Highly recommended.

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6Sep2024

Book Review: My Vampire Plus-One by Jenna Levine

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: My Vampire Plus-One
Author: Jenna Levine
Publisher: Berkley
Publication date: September 17, 2024
Length: 400 pages
Genre: Contemporary romance/fantasy
Source: Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley
Rating:

Nothing sucks more than fake dating a vampire in this paranormal romantic comedy from the USA Today bestselling author of My Roommate Is a Vampire.

Amelia Collins is by definition successful. She would even go so far as to say successfully single. But not according to her family, and she’s tired of the constant questions about her nonexistent dating life. When an invitation to yet another family wedding arrives, she decides to get everyone off her back once and for all by finding someone–anyone–to pose as her date.

After a chance encounter with Reginald Cleaves, Amelia decides he’s perfect for her purposes. He’s a bit strange, but that’s fine; it’ll discourage tough questions from her family. (And it certainly doesn’t hurt that he’s very handsome.) For centuries-old vampire Reggie, posing as her plus-one sounds like the ultimate fun. And if it helps his ruse of pretending to be human, so much the better.

As Amelia and Reggie practice their fauxmance, it becomes clear that Reggie is as loyal to her as the day is long, and that Amelia’s first impressions could not have been more wrong. Suddenly, being in a real relationship with Reggie sounds pretty fang-tastic.

My Vampire Plus-One is the follow-up to last year’s My Roommate Is A Vampire — and if anything, it’s even cuter and sillier than the first book.

In My Vampire Plus-One, Amelia is a successful, hardworking accountant, whose large family seems to constantly have weddings — at which Amelia is on the nonstop receiving end of questions about why she’s single. She’d love to ditch the next wedding, but her parents would be so disappointed!

When Amelia has an unexpected, literal run-in with a good-looking but decidedly weird guy (he runs right into her as she’s leaving her office one day), he definitely leaves an impression, and when she sees him again at a coffee shop, they strike up a conversation. Reginald is a guy who is always up for a good practical joke, and he thinks the idea of posing as Amelia’s special someone at family events sounds hilarious. Also, he finds accountants incredibly hot (or maybe just a certain accountant named Amelia…), so that’s added incentive.

Amelia doesn’t know that Reggie (she refuses to call him Reginald) is a vampire, although she does clue in to the fact that he’s odd right from the start — both because of his interesting approach to style and the fact that he has absolutely no internet presence. But when he tells her straight-up that he’s a vampire during a middle-of-the-night phone call, she assumes it’s yet another of his jokes. A running stream of misunderstandings ensues, as he’s sure she knows something that she doesn’t actually know. You can imagine.

The fake dating trope works in romance because it inevitably leads to real dating, real feelings, real attraction… and yes, it all unfolds that way for Amelia and Reggie. Getting snowed in at an isolated cabin helps move things along — and Reggie listens to and seems to appreciate Amelia, accounting expertise and all, in a way no one else ever has.

“You have an exceptional flair for the dramatic for an accountant.”

“I have a completely average flair for the dramatic for an accountant,” I said, feeling a little unhinged. Talking to this man felt like trying to walk in a straight line on a listing ship. “Which is to say, I don’t have one.”

My Vampire Plus-One is utterly goofy, and that’s really its charm. You cannot for a second take this story seriously, and that’s okay. There’s a storyline that runs throughout about a group of disgruntled (and incompetent) vampires who are out to get Reggie due to a centuries-old grudge, leading to him constantly being on the run — but that’s just all part of the fun. This piece of the story ultimately connects back to Amelia’s work, and there’s an amusing showdown — there’s no real sense of threat or danger, and it’s resolved pretty quickly, but it’s entertaining to see how it all shakes out.

“Do you swear?”

“I swear it on the vows I took when I became a CPA.” There were, of course, no vows you had to take when you became a CPA. But he didn’t need to know that.

The only truly discordant note, from my perspective, is one explicit sex scene that’s way more graphic than it needs to be, and that seems out of place in a novel that’s otherwise full of silly banter and cutesy flirtation. Going a little more closed-door with this scene would have fit the overall tone of the book much better.

That aside, My Vampire Plus-One is goofy and funny, and is a great light read for when you’re in the mood for something fluffy. Reggie first appears in My Roommate is a Vampire as the main love interest’s annoying friend, so it’s fun to see him in a central role here… and having an accountant depicted as the ultimate sexy smart girlfriend is a total win.

13Aug2024

Book Review: Haunted Ever After by Jen DeLuca

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: Haunted Ever After
Series: Boneyard Key, #1
Author: Jen DeLuca
Publisher: Berkley
Publication date: August 13, 2024
Length: 352 pages
Genre: Contemporary romance
Source: Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley
Rating:

It’s love at first haunting in a seaside town that raises everyone’s spirits from USA Today bestselling author Jen DeLuca.

Small Florida coastal towns often find themselves scrambling for the tourism dollars that the Orlando theme parks leave behind. And within the town limits of Boneyard Key, the residents decided long ago to lean into its ghostliness. Nick Royer, owner of the Hallowed Grounds coffee shop, embraces the ghost tourism that keeps the local economy afloat, as well as his spectral roommate. At least he doesn’t have to run air-conditioning.

Cassie Rutherford possibly overreacted to all her friends getting married and having kids by leaving Orlando and buying a flipped historic cottage in Boneyard Key. Though there’s something unusual with her new home (her laptop won’t charge in any outlets, and the poetry magnets on her fridge definitely didn’t read “WRONG” and “MY HOUSE” when she put them up), she’s charmed by the colorful history surrounding her. And she’s catching a certain vibe from the grumpy coffee shop owner whenever he slips her a free slice of banana bread along with her coffee order.

As Nick takes her on a ghost tour, sharing town gossip that tourists don’t get to hear, and they spend nights side-by-side looking into the former owners of her haunted cottage, their connection solidifies into something very real and enticing. But Cassie’s worried she’s in too deep with this whole (haunted) home ownership thing… and Nick’s afraid to get too close in case Cassie gets scared away for good.

“The Most Haunted Small Town in Florida” — Boneyard Key — is the setting of Jen DeLuca’s first book in a new romance series, where the locals and their residents ghosts seem to live in a friendly sort of coexistence.

When Cassie relocates to Boneyard Key from the Orlando area, it’s for purely practical reasons — rents are out of control and her social group is no longer a fun place for a single, childless woman… so maybe buying an affordable home in a new town (with ocean views!) is just what she needs to reinvigorate herself. The renovated little cottage is adorable, although the electricity is a bit wonky. Luckily, there’s a cute coffee shop with reliable wifi nearby. Added bonus: The owner is hot and makes a mean banana bread.

At first, Cassie is skeptical about the town’s claim to fame and assumes the ghost fixation is all for the sake of tourism, but after some weird experiences in her new house, she’s willing to admit there may be more to it than she realized. And as Cassie learns more about the town history and her house’s former occupants, she comes to understand that she may need to find a way to connect with — and make peace with — the ghost she shares a home with.

Meanwhile, after a bumpy start with Nick, the cafe owner, a very nice little romance seems to be brewing (!) … until his behavior becomes concerning when he visits her house. Is he secretly a sexist ass… or is something else going on?

I love a good ghost story, but I’m not sure that Haunted Ever After really delivers one. Most of the ghosts we meet are perfectly nice, and their presence is more or less on the amusing side. There’s one nasty ghost — the rest are all lovely, and even offer dating advice and company for binge-watching trashy reality shows. As for the nasty ghost, it represents a key plot point that is really obvious to the reader, if not to the characters involved, and gets resolved by the end of the book.

Haunted Ever After is lots of fun, and makes an entertaining bit of fluffy summer diversion. I’m a big fan of the author’s Ren Faire series (Well Met plus three more books), so I had high expectations going into this book. Haunted Ever After is cute, but doesn’t quite live up to the richness of the other series — the characters aren’t as engaging, and the premise itself takes a bit more of a “just roll with it” attitude.

Haunted Ever After is cute, and the romance is sweet. As I mentioned, it’s pretty fluffy — but it’s enjoyable fluff, and made for a nice bit of reading over a few days when I needed something on the light side. It’ll be interested to see where the author goes next with Boneyard Key — I’d imagine that future books will focus on some of the side characters we meet in Haunted Ever After — and while they didn’t especially stand out for me, I’m guessing they’ll be much more interesting once they get leading roles of their own.

Overall, Haunted Ever After is a good choice for a late summer read… or save it and read in October, if you’re in the mood for a non-scary haunted house book!

3Aug2024

Book Review: Slow Dance by Rainbow Rowell

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: Slow Dance
Author: Rainbow Rowell
Publisher: William Morrow
Publication date: July 30, 2024
Length: 400 pages
Genre: Contemporary fiction / romance
Source: Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley + purchased hardcover
Rating:

Back in high school, everybody thought Shiloh and Cary would end up together . . . everybody but Shiloh and Cary.

They were just friends. Best friends. Allies. They spent entire summers sitting on Shiloh’s porch steps, dreaming about the future. They were both going to get out of north Omaha—Shiloh would go to college and become an actress, and Cary would join the Navy. They promised each other that their friendship would never change.

Well, Shiloh did go to college, and Cary did join the Navy. And yet, somehow, everything changed.

Now Shiloh’s thirty-three, and it’s been fourteen years since she talked to Cary. She’s been married and divorced. She has two kids. And she’s back living in the same house she grew up in. Her life is nothing like she planned.

When she’s invited to an old friend’s wedding, all Shiloh can think about is whether Cary will be there—and whether she hopes he will be. Would Cary even want to talk to her? After everything?

The answer is yes. And yes. And yes.

Slow Dance is the story of two kids who fell in love before they knew enough about love to recognize it. Two friends who lost everything. Two adults who just feel lost.

It’s the story of Shiloh and Cary, who everyone thought would end up together, trying to find their way back to the start.

Slow Dance is a sweet, unusual story of best friends who’ve always loved each other, but who’ve taken years and years to realize it.

“What do you want?” he whispered.

She shook her head. “A time machine.”

“I can’t give you the past,” Cary said. He squeezed her hands. “But we could have a future.”

Shiloh and Cary were inseparable in high school, along with their other best friend Mikey. But Shiloh and Cary’s connection was different. They shared every interest (except Cary’s ROTC commitment, which Shiloh hated), spent every free moment together, and even lived in the same run-down North Omaha neighborhood with less than ideal home lives. Nothing should have been able to tear them apart — but as we learn, they’ve spent most of their adult lives not talking to each other, and eventually, we discover why.

When they meet again at Mikey’s wedding, their lives have changed. Cary is a naval officer, with a career that’s taken him around the world. Shiloh lives in the same house she grew up in, with her two kids and her mother (but not her ex-husband). Their initial meeting is tense for both of them… but when Shiloh finally agrees to a dance with Cary, all the old connections between them bubble back to the surface.

Shiloh felt like she was combing his face and body for changes, like her eyes were hands. Or maybe she wasn’t looking for changes — maybe she was trying to find all the ways that he was the same. All the ways she recognized him. The ways he was still Cary.

Slow Dance is a tale of miscommunication and love and second chances, as well as the blunt reality of becoming an adult and having to deal with the messiness of life. Cary and Shiloh seem to have spent their entire relationship making assumptions and not being honest with themselves or each other about their feelings or wants or expectations. As adults, they finally recognize the barriers they’ve allowed to get in their way — but is it too late to try again?

It’s always a pleasure to read a Rainbow Rowell book. Slow Dance is no exception: The writing is sweet, funny, and page-turningly delightful. Cary and Shiloh are good people with hang-ups and issues and complicated lives. We spend the whole book rooting for them, and it can be frustrating to see the missed opportunities from the past, even while we clearly see all the various ways in which things went wrong.

Shiloh had wanted Cary before she’d even known how to recognize want. Before she had words for it. Before she had some sense of these things and their dimensions.

I had a bit of an issue with Shiloh as a character. I’m not sure that I fully understood her — she’s clever and opinionated, socially adept in some ways yet clearly an introvert when it comes to parties and groups of people. She has a hard time with closeness and intimacy, and seems to never fully have allowed herself to experience adult relationships or romance. I couldn’t quite pin down the explanation for some of her behaviors, both in high school and as an adult. Cary is much steadier — not to say that he’s not interesting, but his conflicts and dilemmas seem clearer and more straightforward.

Slow Dance may be a book that’s better the second time around. I tore through it in one huge reading binge, and at the midpoint, realized I might have been better off slowing down (I mean, the title should have made me realize that this is a journey to be savored, not gulped in one sitting). By the halfway mark, I felt that I finally got what these characters’ arcs were really about, and was able to connect the dots between their pasts and present.

I think I’ll be back for a reread. Now that I know where the story ends up going, I think I’ll better able to appreciate how it starts.

Slow Dance is a lovely, quirky book, and I highly recommend it.

25Jul2024

Book Review: Until Next Summer by Ali Brady

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: Until Next Summer
Author: Ali Brady
Publisher: Berkley
Publication date: July 9, 2024
Length: 447 pages
Genre: Contemporary fiction / romance
Source: Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley
Rating:

Two former best friends each find love at an adults-only summer camp in this romantic and nostalgic novel that proves “once a camp person, always a camp person.”

Growing up, Jessie and Hillary lived for summer, when they’d be reunited at Camp Chickawah. The best friends vowed to become counselors together someday, but they drifted apart after Hillary broke her promise and only Jessie stuck to their plan, working her way up to become the camp director.

When Jessie learns that the camp will be sold, she decides to plan one last hurrah, inviting past campers—including Hillary—to a nostalgic “adult summer camp” before closing for good. Jessie and Hillary rebuild their friendship as they relive the best time of their lives—only now there are adult beverages, skinny dipping, and romantic entanglements. Straitlaced Hillary agrees to a “no strings attached” summer fling with the camp chef, while outgoing Jessie is drawn to a moody, reclusive writer who’s rented a cabin to work on his novel.

The friends soon realize this doesn’t have to be the last summer. They’ll team up and work together, just like the old days. But if they can’t save their beloved camp, will they be able to take the happiness of this summer away with them?

There are two kinds of people in the world: Camp people… and everyone else.

Guess which kind I am? Hint: I still know how to weave lanyards, make sand candles, and play capture the flag, and think singing around a bonfire while eating toasted marshmallows is just about heaven on earth.

So… if you enjoy stories about childhood friends reuniting, taking on a mission, finding love, and engaging in all sorts of silliness, Until Next Summer might be a great read for you — and if you think sleeping in bunkbeds in old wooden cabins, going to free swim in a lake, and doing three-legged races are key components of perfect summers, then reading Until Next Summer is a must!

In this sweet novel, Jessie and Hillary are former BFFCs (Best Friends From Camp — and yes, I just made that up). Year after year, from eight-years-old onward, they spent two glorious month together each summer at their beloved Camp Chickawah, and planned to keep coming back as counselors too. But after Hillary abruptly backed out of their counselor summer to pursue an internship instead, the friendship was over. Ten years later, the hurt feelings remain.

Jessie has never left Camp Chickawah behind. In fact, she loved camp so much that she stayed, joining the year-round staff and eventually working her way up to Camp Director following the camp owners’ retirement. Jessie gets a terrible shock when the children of the former owners inform her that next summer will be the end: After their parents’ death, they have no interest in continuing to run the camp, and instead have decided to sell off the property to developers.

Jessie is devastated, and comes up with a plan for one final summer: In an attempt to show the owners’ heirs how much the camp means to its community and hopefully persuade them to keep it going, Jessie invites camp alumni of all ages to come enjoy a summer dedicated to adult camp. And — perhaps surprisingly — the response is huge: Every session of the summer fills up, and the adult campers cannot wait to come.

Joining the staff for the final summer is Jessie’s old friend Hillary. On the verge of accepting yet another high-octane corporate job, and possibly marrying her attorney boyfriend (who comes complete with her dad’s stamp of approval), Hillary decides instead that a return to her true happy spot might be just what she needs… and maybe she and Jessie can even make amends, after all these year.

Until Next Summer is a joyful celebration of friendship and, especially, of the unique, special, lifelong friendships that are the essence of the summer camp experience. Reading about adults returning to relive their happiest moments and recreate the camp vibe is a total hoot — nostalgic and silly and totally entertaining.

… [B]ut that’s how time works at camp: a day feels like a week, a week feels like a month.

Seeing camp through Jessie and Hillary’s eyes, it’s easy to remember how a summer at camp becomes the center of everything: Summer seems like it expands to fill your entire life, and the rest of the year is just filler until you can get back to the real thing.

I loved how perfectly the authors capture Jessie and Hillary’s connection. Sure, the end of their friendship seems way too harsh and sudden (if they’d had a single conversation, things might have gone differently) — but once they do reconnect, we readers really feel how deep the camp bond goes.

“People always talk about soulmates as being romantic,” I say, leaning my head against her shoulder. “But is it weird that you’re the closest thing I’ve ever experienced to that?”

“Not weird at all,” she says, and rests her head on mine.

Speaking of romance… I was less captivated by the romantic elements of the novel. Jessie and Hillary both get love stories, and they’re fine. I was less convinced by Jessie’s romance — her love interest transformed from grumpy to sunshine in the blink of an eye, and I didn’t truly feel their chemistry. Hillary’s love story was a bit more fun, and the I got a huge kick out of the pair sneaking off into the woods for make-out sessions. Now that’s summer camp!

The fundraising and save-the-camp campaign are perhaps too good to be true — I don’t think events would have gone so well in a real-life situation. Still, in the context of the novel, it’s a fun bit of wish fulfillment, and we’re really never left in any doubt that the good guys will come out on top.

Overall, Until Next Summer is an upbeat, sweet, engaging read. I loved the focus on friendship and the lasting impact of summer camp; the romances made less of an impression, but still provide some great moments.

Even if you’re not actually a camp person, Until Next Summer may make you feel like you could have been. This book is a terrific choice for summer reading… preferably on a beach blanket on the shores of a gorgeous lake.

About the authors: Ali Brady is the pen name of writing BFFs Alison Hammer and Bradeigh Godfrey. This is their third book together, and I’m looking forward to exploring their other two!

11Jul2024

Book Review: The Partner Plot (The Greene Sisters, #2) by Kristina Forest

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: The Partner Plot
Series: The Greene Sisters, #2
Author: Kristina Forest
Publisher: Berkley
Publication date: February 27, 2024
Length: 416 pages
Genre: Contemporary romance
Source: Library
Rating:

Two former high school sweethearts get a second chance in this marriage of convenience romance by Kristina Forest, author of The Neighbor Favor.

To Violet Greene, fashion is everything. As a successful celebrity stylist, she travels all over the world, living out her dreams. Professionally, she’s thriving, but her personal life is in shambles. After surviving a very public breakup with her ex-fiancé six months ago, Violet is now determined to focus on her career. But life hands her something—or rather, someone—that might derail everything…

Xavier Wright did not expect to run into his high school girlfriend Violet—the girl he once thought he’d marry—on a birthday trip to Vegas. As a high school teacher and basketball coach, he rarely leaves his New Jersey hometown, so what were the chances? But when the initial shock wears off, they decide to celebrate together. They feel young and reckless as they party the night away—and reckless they clearly were when the following morning, they wake up beside each other with rings on their fingers.

Their impulsive nuptials might be a blessing in disguise, though, when they realize that both of their careers could benefit from the marriage. So they play the part of a blissfully wedded couple. Yet when their passion comes hurling back, they realize their feelings are just as real as they were back when they were teens. But are their lives too different to stick it through or will they finally get a happy ending?

The Partner Plot is the 2nd book in author Kristina Forest’s Greene Sisters trilogy, which began with the 2023 novel The Neighbor Favor. The first book focuses on Lily, the youngest of three sisters (all with flower names), a booklover who falls for the author of her favorite fantasy series, not realizing that he’s also the attractive man who lives down the hall from her.

In Lily’s story, we meet middle sister Violet, a fashion stylist who moves in a high-octane world of celebrities and nonstop parties. Here in The Partner Plot, Violet takes center stage.

When we last saw Violet, her wedding had imploded rather spectacularly after her fiancé cheated on her with one of her clients just a few short weeks before the big day. Now single again, Violet doubts she’ll ever trust enough to invest in a new relationship, and has to deal with seeing her ex and her ex-client constantly making the tabloids. It’s embarrassing, to say the least.

While away with her best friend (and biggest client) in Las Vegas, she runs into Xavier Wright, her first love, who broke Violet’s heart at age 19. Neither has truly recovered from their breakup, even though it’s been 10 years. After a night of drinking and dancing, Violet and Xavier wake up in bed together with rings on their fingers… and after a few moments of panic, find a receipt from a chapel that specializes in fake weddings. It was a great night, but they’re relieved that they didn’t do anything truly stupid, and prepare to go their separate ways again.

Except… as Violet is being interviewed for a fashion magazine profile that could catapult her career to the next level, she’s asked about her ex-fiancé yet again… and desperate to redirect, she mentions that she’s over him completely — in fact she just married her high school sweetheart, who now teaches and coaches basketball at the high school where they met. Meanwhile, Xavier is applying for what he thinks could be his dream job, an assistant coach position at a nearby college, but the (jerkish) head coach doesn’t think a single guy would be as reliable as he needs. Fortunately, Xavier just got married to his high school sweetheart…

Cue the fake marriage trope! In this case, Xavier and Violet end up thrust back into each others’ lives (because reasons), start spending serious amounts of time together, and realize that the sparks — and the love — never truly went away. But their lifestyles are so different — is there any way they could make a real relationship work?

The Partner Plot has cute moments and likable characters, but the plot itself is a tad rote. We know exactly where it’s going, and even the predictable last-minute crisis that threatens to derail the relationship isn’t really much of a crisis after all. Violet and Xavier will of course end up together, will of course achieve the career success they’re looking for, and will of course find a way to have it all. Sure, there are bumps along the way, but the outcome is never in doubt.

I enjoyed The Partner Plot, and it’s fun to see the Greene family back in action, but overall, it felt like it was missing something, especially in comparison to The Neighbor Favor, which focused on two very bookish main characters: We see them in bookstores, discussing books, sharing books, absolutely fangirling/fanboying out over their favorite authors and series… and that made The Neighbor Favor delightful, even when the romance tropes of the novel started to feel a bit by the numbers. Without that fun piece to pull me in, The Partner Plot was just… fine. The worlds of fashion and celebrity gossip really don’t interest me, so while I liked Violet, her career path and its challenges just didn’t hold much appeal.

And then there’s the central issue of the fake marriage. Violet and Xavier are both initially motivated to keep the fake marriage going because it’s good for their careers — and this just feels preposterous. Violet could surely have found another way to redirect the interview back to her achievements and away from gossip (this is supposed to be a prestigious magazine, after all, not a gossip rag). For Xavier, the coach who doesn’t want to hire a “bachelor” because he won’t be as committed to the job as a married man is clearly an awful person, and he should have run screaming in the other direction after one phone call. The idea that claiming to be married is beneficial to their careers feels like an unhelpful throwback to the 1950s (okay, maybe 1980s or 1990s) — such an awkward reason to get this plot point off the ground.

Still, The Partner Plot is a quick read, and some scenes and situations are quite clever, with humor and emotion mixed in. The challenge of seeing whether the teen love of your life can translate into an actual relationship partner as an adult is portrayed sensitively, and I appreciate how this series emphasizes the importance of family and community.

Next up in the series: The Love Lyric, focusing on oldest sister Iris. I really like her as a character… so yes, I’ll be looking for this one when it’s released in 2025~