Some reviews of potential good summer rom com reading for your beach needs … .
The True Love Experiment by Christina Lauren
goodreads blurb: Sparks fly when a romance novelist and a documentary filmmaker join forces to craft the perfect Hollywood love story and take both of their careers to the next level—but only if they can keep the chemistry between them from taking the whole thing off script.Felicity “Fizzy” Chen is lost. Sure, she’s got an incredible career as a beloved romance novelist with a slew of bestsellers under her belt, but when she’s asked to give a commencement address, it hits her: she hasn’t been practicing what she’s preached.Fizzy hasn’t ever really been in love. Lust? Definitely. But that swoon-worthy, can’t-stop-thinking-about-him, all-encompassing feeling? Nope. Nothing. What happens when the optimism she’s spent her career encouraging in readers starts to feel like a lie? Connor Prince, documentary filmmaker and single father, loves his work in large part because it allows him to live near his daughter. But when his profit-minded boss orders him to create a reality TV show, putting his job on the line, Connor is out of his element. Desperate to find his romantic lead, a chance run-in with an exasperated Fizzy offers Connor the perfect solution. What if he could show the queen of romance herself falling head-over-heels for all the world to see? Fizzy gives him a hard pass—unless he agrees to her list of demands. When he says yes, and production on The True Love Experiment begins, Connor wonders if that perfect match will ever be in the cue cards for him, too. The True Love Experiment is the book fans have been waiting for ever since Fizzy’s debut in The Soulmate Equation. But when the lights come on and all eyes are on her, it turns out the happily ever after Fizzy had all but given up on might lie just behind the camera.
My take: 5 out of 5. When it comes to classic summer rom coms, this is exactly what you want. This is and even better follow up to the Soulmate Equation, i devoured it in one sitting, so good. Both characters are wonderful, I want Fizzy as a best friend and to date Connor and that might be the perfect complement for a romcom book. But in all seriousness the story was very well done and I was obsessed with all the great movie. You need this book in your summer vacation
Between us by Mhairi McFarlane
Goodreads blurb: When Joe and Roisin join their group of friends for a weekend at a country house, it’s a triple celebration – a birthday, an engagement and the launch of Joe’s shiny new crime drama on TV. For Roisin, it’s a chance to connect with the group of friends she made a decade before, working at Waterstones. But for Joe, it’s a distraction as his writing career soars. As the weekend unfolds, tensions are revealed between the group and Roisin’s sense of foreboding about her own relationship grows. And when the friends watch the first episode of Joe’s drama, she realises that the secrets she told him are right there on the screen.But is that all he’s used? What if the fictional hero’s infidelity also isn’t fictional after all?
This is an ARC review thanks to a gift from the publisher. The book comes out August 8th.
My take: 4 out of 5. This book was not what i expected but it made for a wonderful read. It is a great take on how friendship group dynamics can change in10 years. I could not put it down because I became really engaged with all these characters. It also has an arc that is unexpected but beautifully made in this group of friendships. I loved the character development and all the explorations of how much we can change in 10 years. It is not predictable and that always gets mayor points in my book. As someone who still chats on a daily basis with their college friends, this book hit close to home. This might be the perfect book club read for a group of friends.
Meet me at the Lake by Carley Fortune
Goodreads blurb: Fern Brookbanks has wasted far too much of her adult life thinking about Will Baxter. She spent just twenty-four hours in her early twenties with the aggravatingly attractive, idealistic artist, a chance encounter that spiraled into a daylong adventure in Toronto. The timing was wrong, but their connection was undeniable: they shared every secret, every dream, and made a pact to meet one year later. Fern showed up. Will didn’t. At thirty-two, Fern’s life doesn’t look at all how she once imagined it would. Instead of living in the city, Fern’s back home, running her mother’s Muskoka lakeside resort–something she vowed never to do. The place is in disarray, her ex-boyfriend’s the manager, and Fern doesn’t know where to begin. She needs a plan–a lifeline. To her surprise, it comes in the form of Will, who arrives nine years too late, with a suitcase in tow and an offer to help on his lips. Will may be the only person who understands what Fern’s going through. But how could she possibly trust this expensive-suit wearing mirage who seems nothing like the young man she met all those years ago. Will is hiding something, and Fern’s not sure she wants to know what it is. But ten years ago, Will Baxter rescued Fern. Can she do the same for him?
my take: 4 out of 5 I absolutely adored Every Summer After so as soon as this book came out i had to read it immediately! It is not as good as Every Summer After (that was a tall order) but it is still really good and I really enjoyed it. It was a bit too Hallmark Channel – more predictable than I expected but a cute by the beach (or lake) read to keep you cozy.
Ms Perfectly Fine by Kate Callaghan
Goodreads Blurb :Autumn wants the house, but Elijah wants her. Autumn Adler, a famous concert pianist, is making her solo comeback to the stage after a tragic accident, and she can’t afford any distractions. Of all the things that could go wrong, she never expected her landlord to rent out the ground floor of her home to Elijah Wells – a game designer in the midst of building his own company. Autumn loves her townhouse, and she refuses to give it up. However, Elijah is equally stubborn. As the days pass, Autumn’s efforts to make him leave only further his desire to win her over. It seems as though neither can win this battle of wills. Yet as Autumn’s showcase approaches, a seemingly innocent gift turns into something far more alarming. Can the two call a truce and figure out what’s going on? One house, two strangers, and a dark secret. What could go wrong?
This is an ARC review thanks to a gift from the publisher.
My take: 3.25 out of 5. This book wins mayor points for discussing and including chronic pain in a traditional romcom. As someone who has had chronic pain, it felt real and quite wonderful to see the navigation of it. Its a rom com with a little of a cozy mystery that you do not see coming, that takes it out of the traditional run of the mill romance. Those two things elevate it and set it apart. Is it the best romance I read this year? no, but it was an entertaining quick read that had a different point of view which i really admired.
Famous for a Living by Melissa Ferguson
Goodreads blurb: From Park Avenue to the Parks Department—the world’s most beloved social media star is about to get a rude awakening. With her millions of followers, Cat Cranwell is adored around the world. But when an app partnership goes very, very wrong, Cat suddenly finds herself shunned from the community that not only fed her soul all these years but paid her bills. When Cat’s closest living relative, Uncle Terry, offers her a position on his staff at a small national park in Montana to get away from the city, Cat hesitantly accepts the opportunity. What she doesn’t realize is that as the new social media strategist her goal is to save Kannery National Park from being absorbed into Glacier National Park by boosting the number of visitors. And at least one of her new colleagues—namely, handsome and rugged ranger Zaiah Hudson—thinks social media is the root of everything that’s wrong with the world. Written with bestselling author Melissa Ferguson’s signature wit and charm, this romantic comedy of opposites attract is full of hilarious romp and a romance that will melt readers’ hearts.
This is an ARC review thanks to a gift from the publisher.
my take: 3.75 out of 5. I enjoy riches to rags storylines in film (Schitts creek is a huge favorite) so this had a lot of potential for me. Its personal reawakening in the time of crisis was predictable but nice and it definitely made for a really cute romance. All these National Park rom com books and movies are questioning my anti camping stance. However what I was not expecting that made this book stand out against the rest was that it actually made me seriously question myself and how much time I spend on my phone! I did not think I would get personal development for a cute romance but here we are!
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