Tag Archives: Montlake Romance

Review: Love, Comment, Subscribe by Cathy Yardley

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Love, Comment, Subscribe by Cathy Yardley
Series: Ponto Beach Reunion #1 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: October 1st 2021
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

From award-winning author Cathy Yardley comes Love, Comment, Subscribe, a fun, feisty romance about high school frenemies turned unlikely collaborators.

Back in high school, Lily Wang wanted to be popular, but she considered herself lucky to be part of a tight group of oddballs and honors students called the Nerd Herd. Now, at twenty-eight, she feels like she’s finally on the cusp of succeeding as a beauty influencer—if she can hit five million subscribers, brands will take notice and she could get her own makeup line.

Fellow Nerd Herd alum Tobin Bui has had a lot of success as a YouTube gamer. But the road to online stardom has been rocky. First, he disappointed his parents by dropping out of college, and now, after years of pranks, skits, and playthroughs, he’s struggling to come up with new content to satisfy his ever-growing fan base. His agents say he needs cross-audience appeal, a new twist.

When Nerd Herd frenemy Lily approaches Tobin about teaming up to do a video to bolster her brand and reinvigorate his, he agrees. But when their first collab video goes viral, their relationship heats up too. With the whole internet watching, will these two former misfits finally realize they’re perfect together?

An Asian romance between YOUTUBERS!!! I LOVED the premise of this one: she’s a beauty guru, he’s a vlogger, and they were part of a nerdy group of friends back in high school. He also had a crush on her back then! They collaborate on YouTube to try to revive their channels and end up falling for each other.

Love, Comment, Subscribe was so fun and adorable. It was my first time reading Cathy Yardley and I already can’t wait to read more of her, especially from this series. I really enjoyed the main characters Lily and Tobin, with their silly and sweet banter. They knew each other back in high school but were never really that close, and now they’re feeling each other out as adults. They’re very opposite people – she’s rigid and he’s laid-back, which is also how they approach their YouTube channels. They somehow make it work between their channels and people are eating their videos together up. But how much of their relationship is real and how much of it is for the camera?

I had an amazing time reading Lily and Tobin’s romance. It’s the perfect combination of sweet and sexy. I also appreciated the more emotional aspect the story, with both Tobin and Lily struggling in their careers, dealing with anxiety and burnout. It’s not as easy as it looks to be a YouTuber. Overall, this was a fantastic start to a new contemporary romance series. Their friend group is also great and I can’t wait to read more of them, especially the second chance romance!


lacey

Reading Order: Ponto Beach Reunion series

#1 ~ Love, Comment, Subscribe: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Gouda Friends: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads (March 22, 2022)

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Review: Dance of a Burning Sea by E.J. Mellow

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Dance of a Burning Sea by E.J. Mellow
Series: Mousai #2 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: October 19th 2021
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

From award-winning author E. J. Mellow comes the thrilling second installment in the Mousai series, featuring a powerful sorceress who finds her loyalties tested by a ruthless pirate lord.

Within the world of Aadilor, there is a hidden place called the Thief Kingdom, where both magic and pleasure abound. There, the Mousai, a trio of deadly sorceresses bound by oath and blood, use their powers to protect the kingdom’s treasures.

Niya Bassette brings the potent gift of dance to the Mousai, but behind her tempting twirls, she carries a heavy secret—that the infamous pirate lord, Alōs Ezra, has been threatening to exploit for years. Now banished from the Thief Kingdom for smuggling, Alōs resurfaces in Niya’s life with a plot to hold her hostage, leveraging what he knows to extort a pardon from the Thief King.

But Niya makes her own deal with Alōs to guard her secret and guarantee her freedom—yet in doing so binds herself aboard his pirate ship, where she must navigate deadly waters, a bloodthirsty crew, and her own traitorous heart. Soon, a simmering attraction between her and Alōs threatens their delicate truce and makes for a tumultuous ride on the open seas. Far from her kingdom, Niya is entangled in a dangerous dance indeed.

Welcome to the world of Aadilor, where dark deeds can mask noble hearts and the most alluring of sways often ends with a burn. Care for a spin?

When I read the first book in the Mousai series, I saw a lot of potential in this fantasy world. I liked the dynamic between our three Mousai sisters and was looking forward to reading more about them. I ended up liking this second book slightly more than the first! I’m still not completely sold on the series, but it’s still an enjoyable fantasy romance. Plus, pirates!

Dance of a Burning Sea is an enemies to lovers romance and reads perfectly fine as a standalone in this series. Niya is the second sister to get her romance – she’s a fire dancer and her romance is with pirate lord Alos Ezra. To say they don’t get along would be an understatement. They constantly go head to head and there’s a lot of great banter between them. They’re forced into some close proximity as they set out on an adventure at sea. I really enjoyed the setting here – I found it a lot more fun and exciting than the first book! Even though it was a bit long for my taste, I was never really bored while I was reading. Niya and Alos get to travel to distant lands, look for lost treasure, and pretty much live the pirate’s dream.

The only thing about this book is that I never truly fell for our main characters. I enjoyed their dynamic but wasn’t quite as immersed in their romance as much as I wanted to be. But if I just focused on the adventure aspect of the story, I had a great time reading this book. So if you prefer your fantasies more on the action and adventurous side, I would definitely recommend this one!


lacey

Reading Order: Mousai series

#1 ~ Song of the Forever Rains: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Dance of a Burning Sea: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ Symphony for a Deadly Throne: Ebook • Goodreads (February 14, 2023)

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Review: An Unexpected Distraction by Catherine Bybee

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An Unexpected Distraction by Catherine Bybee
Series: Richter #3 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: November 30th 2021
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Family secrets and fresh romance collide in this heart-pounding Richter series installment by New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Catherine Bybee.

Jacqueline “Jax” Simon knows how to expose secrets: she’s a skilled operative with MacBain Security and Solutions. When Jax hears her parents are divorcing, she races to London to find out why. She’s determined to learn the truth, especially when her investigation uncovers why her parents sent her to Richter, the German military school that made her a fighter.

Andrew Craig collects Jax at Heathrow Airport as a favor. He’s heard she’s a handful, but he didn’t know she’s dangerously gorgeous too. His instant attraction could change his life…or end it.

Jax doesn’t want to fall for Andrew, but soon he’s worming his way into her life. Together, they infiltrate Richter to discover if it has returned to its covert purpose: training children to be spies and assassins and blackmailing parents to look the other way. As the attraction between the two intensifies, so do the secrets exploding all around them. How deadly are those secrets—and who will survive?

If you love reading romantic suspense and haven’t tried Catherine Bybee’s Richter series, you’re missing out! The third book has just released and we have Jax and Andrew’s romance. It’s another thrilling installment in a series that I’m enjoying more and more with every new book. And although each book has its own couple, I highly recommend reading the series in order just so you can get a better understanding of the series characters and plots.

Jax is yet another badass, highly-trained heroine who hails from Richter Academy and now works for McBain Security. During her best friend’s wedding festivities, she gets a mysterious phone call from her brother asking her to return to London. She’s picked up by her brother’s friend Andrew, who knows nothing about Jax’s exciting, dangerous life. But he feels a connection between them that he thinks is worth exploring and worth making Jax want to stay in England.

The romance here is solid, if not that steamy. I still enjoyed it though and I liked the way Andrew handled learning about Jax’s life. They made a fantastic couple and I loved how genuinely the romance built between them. Jax went deep into investigations about her family’s past, learning all these secrets, which kept me on the edge of my seat. Overall, I had a great time reading An Unexpected Distraction!


lacey

Reading Order: Richter series

#1 ~ Changing the Rules: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ A Thin Disguise: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ An Unexpected Distraction: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads

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Review: It Takes Heart by Tif Marcelo

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It Takes Heart by Tif Marcelo
Series: Heart Resort #1 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: August 10th 2021
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

From romance author Tif Marcelo comes a heartwarming story about taking a second chance on love at a family-owned couples resort.

Heart Resort, a private resort in the Outer Banks, is a romantic getaway for couples but a hotbed of family drama for its proprietors, the Puso family. Brandon Puso, the youngest of the four siblings, prefers life on his own as a licensed contractor in DC after a falling-out with his eldest brother.

After a hurricane plows through the Outer Banks, Brandon has a change of heart. He returns to the resort to help with the grand reopening but encounters his big sister’s best friend, designer Geneva Harris, who’s there to do the same thing. But Geneva and Brandon have a secret. Years ago, they had a secret romance that ended in heartbreak.

With the resort’s future at stake, Brandon and Geneva decide to put the past aside and to keep peace with the family. But as their mutual attraction heats up, they have to decide if history will repeat itself—or if this time, love gets a second chance.

I’ve been meaning to read more from Tif Marcelo ever since reading The Key to Happily Ever After and as soon as I saw she had a new second chance romance coming out, I knew I had to read it! This is one of my favorite tropes and Tif Marcelo wrote the one in It Takes Heart so well. I loved the small town feel, the close Filipino-American family dynamics, and of course the romance.

Brandon is the youngest of the Puso siblings and has been living away from his family after a falling out. But he returns home to Outer Banks after a hurricane in order to help rebuild Heart Resort to get it up and running. Geneva is Brandon’s sister’s best friend (another great trope) and she and Brandon secretly fell in love years ago. They reunite when Brandon goes home and try to work together strictly as friends… but the attraction between them is still there. Now they have to decide if what they have now is worth reigniting.

This was such a sweet, heartwarming romance! I love reading about big families and the Pusos are all wonderful. They’re not perfect by any means but you can clearly feel how much they love each other and would do anything for their family. I already can’t wait to read about more of the Pusos.


lacey

Reading Order: Heart Resort series

#1 ~ It Takes Heart: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Know You by Heart: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads (April 5, 2022)

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Review: The Highland Fling by Meghan Quinn

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The Highland Fling by Meghan Quinn
Series: Standalone
Publication Date: August 24th 2021
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

In this steamy tale by USA Today bestselling author Meghan Quinn, an American searching for her purpose escapes to a Scottish town but finds more questions than answers when she meets a brooding yet handsome handyman.

Freshly fired from her third job in a row, Bonnie St. James has lost her way. So when she and her best friend stumble upon a “help wanted” post to run a coffee shop in the Scottish Highlands, they apply on a whim. Who knows? Maybe traveling to a new place is just what she needs to figure out her next move.

When the friends arrive in the tiny idyllic town of Corsekelly, they instantly fall for the gorgeous Highland landscape and friendly townspeople. But Bonnie finds a less-than-warm welcome in Rowan MacGregor, the rugged local handyman. Busy wrestling his own demons, Rowan’s in no mood to deal with the quirky American—even if she is a bonny lass.

As Bonnie and Rowan’s paths inevitably cross, insults—and sparks—fly. Can the pair build on their similarities to help each other find purpose and direction…and maybe romance too? Or will their passionate tempers fling them apart?

I enjoyed Meghan Quinn’s The Wedding Game so much earlier this year so when I saw she had a new release coming out, I knew I had to read it! I always have fun with her rom-coms – they’re quirky, cute, and sweet. I had a lot of expectations for The Highland Fling, mainly because of the setting of Scotland and the hero being a Scottish grump, and while I enjoyed it, I sadly can’t say it’s my new favorite Meghan Quinn book.

I love Highlander historical romances so I had no doubt I would enjoy a modern day Highlander romance. Bonnie and her best friend are traveling in Scotland when they stumble upon the Highlands an a coffee shop that’s in dire need of help – and an owner. Bonnie, with no plans for her future, decides to take this coffee shop on. She loves the town and its people except for one person: Rowan, the grumpy local handyman. They don’t get along, mainly because he’s too grumpy and she’s too sunshine-y but there are definitely some sparks flying between them.

I really liked the setup of this book. I love Scotland and always enjoy when a book is set there. Bonnie and Rowan were interesting characters and I thought their romance was fun. The only thing that’s holding me back from a full 4 stars read though is the ending of the book, which I wasn’t the biggest fan of. I got mad at Rowan and the way her acted just took me out of the story, unfortunately.

Still, if you’re normally a fan of Meghan Quinn, this is another book with her signature ridiculousness and humor. I still say give it a try, especially if you love Scottish heroes!


lacey

Other Books by Meghan Quinn

The Wedding Game: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads

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