Here for the Right Reasons by Jodi McAlister #Netgalley #Review

Marry Me, Juliet

In this witty, sparkling series of rom-coms set on the same season of a reality dating show called Marry Me, Juliet, our couples find love in... well, the most likely of places.

Buy Links https://amzn.to/3PxY52A 

Blurb

A hilarious and heart-warming romantic comedy that examines how the unlikeliest of loves can bloom in – well, the most likely of places. Perfect for fans of The Hating Game and The Spanish Love Deception.

When Cece James agrees to be cast as a ‘Juliet’ on the next season of the hit television show Marry Me Juliet, it’s certainly not for the right reasons. She’s knee-deep in debt and desperate for the associated paycheck. The last thing on her mind is the hunky ‘Romeo’ waiting for her at the end of the gravel driveway.

But Dylan Jayasinghe Mellor isn’t your usual fame-hungry TV star. An Olympic gold medallist with calloused hands, kind eyes, and a propensity for panic attacks, it turns out he’s not here for the right reasons either. As a spokesperson for a men’s mental health foundation and the franchise’s first non-white male lead, Dylan’s got a charity to plug and something to prove.

When Cece gets eliminated on the first night, it seems like her and Dylan’s awkward first meeting will be their last conversation. But a global pandemic sees the TV set thrown into lockdown, and suddenly Cece and Dylan get a little more time together than they’d expected.

Will love bloom when the cameras stop rolling?

Review

Here for the Right Reasons by Jodi McAlister
Kats rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the first Jodi McAlister book I have read.
As the book opened - during the Pandemic, I could relate to the anxiety and stress that Cece and her flatmates Aro and Flick, their drunken decision to enter a reality tv show Mary Me Romeo ( the title was a bit weird to me since the end of Romeo and Juliet is tragic! but hey ho it's just a made up show)
Cece ends up being a contestant - and due to the pandemic, they are all in an "estate" on large lands with two houses on it - one the main mansion and then the smaller house that the rejected contestants get sent to. ( I had to giggle at that name for the house that held the rejected Juliets, it was aptly named)
The storyline does have a bit of 'Romeo and Juliet' angst as Dylan and Cece aren't able to officially continue to create their romance on the show as Dylan sent her home the first night!
Cece ends up being asked to be the "friend" as in the show normally Romeo's are able to get help from friends and family but since they are all in quarantine that's not possible.
The storyline is a good one, showing both the realities of staring in a TV show, and how that would be affected by the lockdown, there are plenty of funny parts, heartwarming parts and then some sad realities too, and the characters in the book are able to relate quite a few issues that the current world has created - or pre-exist, such as Racial issues, anxiety, and depression. All well written into the story so that it was relatable to the reader.
Cece's history, as a child who had grown up in the foster/care home system, was very well written. she felt very real and one memory had me in tears as I read it. The author Jodie McAlister did a great job in making Cece real to me.
Dylan though, he came across as a bit wooden to me, and although his past is explained in the book I really didn't get the same feeling towards him as I did to Cece.
I really enjoyed the book, but as the story came towards the end, Dylan came across as being shallow for not stepping up, yes he may redeem himself at the end but it still for me wasn't soon enough. The ending was a bit anti-climatic but it did round the story off for the pair, so all in all this has been a great rom-com read, it would make a great holiday beach read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher & author for a copy of this book, my review is my honest thoughts only.

View all my reviews

Author Bio

Jodi is an author of romantic fiction for adults and young adults, as well as being an academic.

Jodi has recently started writing rom-coms for adult audiences. Her debut in this space is Here For The Right Reasons (out July 2022), which will be followed by Can I Steal You For A Second? (out July 2023). These are both set on the same season of a reality dating show where, in a massive twist, it turns out no one can leave – even eliminated contestants. Here For The Right Reasons is the love story of Cece, a contestant eliminated on the first night, and Dylan, the star of the show. In Can I Steal You For A Second? two of the frontrunner contestants for Dylan’s affection fall in love with each other instead.

In her author life, she’s the author of the Valentine series, a young adult paranormal romance/urban fantasy series about smart girls, small towns, and scary fairies. There are three books in the series available: Valentine (2017), Ironheart (2018), and Misrule (2019), all published by Penguin Teen Australia. If Picnic at Hanging Rock meets Holly Black sounds like something you’d be into, these are the books for you.

She’s also the author of Libby Lawrence Is Good At Pretending (2022), a young adult contemporary romance with university-aged characters, published by Wakefield Press. It’s about a lot of things, but chief among them is theatre kids having too many emotions. Jodi wrote the first draft of this book when she was a theatre kid with too many emotions, so – even though it’s been revised and rewritten many, many times since then – it’s very close to her heart.

find out more at https://jodimcalister.com.au/about-jodi/ 

The One to Heal by Author: Liz Lovelock Release Blitz

 

Title: The One to Heal

Series: Rose Ridge Ranch #1

Author: Liz Lovelock

Genre: Sweet Contemporary Romance

Release Date: August 11, 2022

BLURB

A heart can only take so much.

Delilah Reily was a broken soul. The only person keeping her pushing forward is her daughter, Olive. She returned to her family home. A place that holds so many memories, some good and some bad. It was now time to mend fences while also trying to fix a beyond repairable heart.

Sebastian King, Formula One racer, was a single father. He met Delilah on the worst day of his life. A day he’d never forget. A day that left him raising a five-year-old and a newborn—it seemed things had gotten a whole lot more complicated. After a year of healing and being unable to continue with his career as a race driver, he decided it was best to be with his girls. Without any plans in place, he booked a holiday at Rose Ridge Ranch and left the following day.

Sebastian never thought he’d see Delilah again. But fate had other plans. Sometimes love needs a kickstart with a horseback ride.

Rose Ridge Ranch is a place for the broken to be mended. The special to blend in. Love to be found in the most unlikely places. The heart to find a home.

Can Sebastian and Delilah help each other overcome the things that hold them back?

ADD TO GOODREADS

PURCHASE LINKS

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

B&N / KOBO / APPLE BOOKS

UNIVERSAL

COMING SOON

Releasing December 15

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

B&N / KOBO / APPLE BOOKS

UNIVERSAL

AUTHOR BIO

Liz Lovelock is from bright sunny Queensland in Australia. She is the mother of three little monsters, a wife to an amazing husband and very much a lover of everything books and reading. Liz has always loved books and, from a very young age she began reading comic books and then in high school her passion grew. She was given Tomorrow When The War Began by John Marsden for an assignment but, when that was done she continued to discover new books to fall in love with. 

Liz always has a book she is currently enjoying and, a notebook beside her bed for in her hand bag for when inspiration hits at those crazy times. She is a stationary addict and will buy more notebooks and pens then what she needs. Her one click finger likes to go crazy as well.

AUTHOR LINKS

WEBSITE

TWITTER

FACEBOOK

FACEBOOK GROUP

AMAZON

INSTAGRAM

GOODREADS

BOOKBUB

NEWSLETTER

Review of Nalini Singhs Storm Echo (Psy-Changeling Trinity) #OUTNOW #FIVESTARS

Check out the Awesome USA Cover ( which I have winging its way to me via Snail Mail)

Paperback out Now ( I couldnt wait and bought a copy at my local bookstore)

From Breakfast to Bedtime - and through out the next morning I ignored everything and #Readtomyheartscontent

 

BLURB

New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh takes us into the hearts of two fractured people in a world on the brink of a psychic Armageddon . . .

Silence has fallen. The Psy are free to feel emotion. Free to love. But Silence was never a prison for Ivan Mercant. The biggest threat to his future lies dormant in his brain—a psychic monster that wants only to feed. And now, the brutal leash he’s kept on that monster is slipping. He prepared for this day, for the end of Ivan Mercant . . . but that was before he met Lei.

As primal as she is human, this wild changeling brings color into his life, laughter to his soul. Then the dream shatters in a rain of blood, in silent bodies in the snow. Lei is gone. Vanished without a trace . . . until he meets strangely familiar eyes across a busy San Francisco street.

Soleil Bijoux Garcia is a healer who has lost everything. She exists in a world of desolate aloneness . . . till the day she finds herself face-to-face with a lethal stranger. The animal who is her other half knows this man, but her memories are tattered fragments. Sorrow and a need for vengeance are all that drive her. Her mission? To kill the alpha of the DarkRiver leopard pack.

But fate has other plans. Soon, a deadly soldier who believes himself a monster and a broken healer might be all that stand between life and death for the entire Psy race. . .

LINKS

PAPERBACK:

Amazon  •  Amazon Australia  •  Amazon Canada  •  Amazon UK  •  Barnes&Noble  •  BookDepo  •  Bookshop  •  BAM  •  Chapters/Indigo  •  IndieBound  •  Penguin  •  Powell’s

EBOOK:

AppleBooks  •  Amazon  •  Amazon AU  •  Amazon Canada  •  Amazon NZ  •  Amazon UK  •  Kobo  •  Nook  •  Penguin

REVIEW

  Storm Echo by Nalini Singh
Kats rating: 5 of 5 stars

This series is One of my favorite series, Author Nalini Singh is my top author, I will buy anything she writes, whether paranormal or thriller, the books will keep me emersed in the storyline everytime.

Storm Echo was a great romance that shows that love will survive, soulmates will find each other and the bonds of love will win against any odds it faces, imperfect logic that some people believe they are not worth being loved, that flawed perceptions believed from a lifetime of not being good enough.

Psy Ivan Mercant has always been wary of connecting with anyone, but he is loyal to the Mercant family and after a childhood that was tragic and traumatising, that has kept him thinking he can never have the connection his cousins have, he has no defenses to stop Lei (Soleil) from loving him. #catsaresneaky.

Soliel meets Ivan in the woods at the beginning of the book, his 'Lei' - a connection he cannot explain or forget, but when Lei disappears without a trace he goes on with his life.

A chance meeting in San Fransisco has Ivan tracking down the changling woman who looks like his Lost "Lei'

Soliel is on a mission, lost and lonely a healer who has lost her pack finds more than she bargained for, the mysterious Psy who tugs at memories buried, when the scent of a pack member she thinks is dead has her doubting her knowledge of events, she has to trust her inner Cat instincts and trust Ivan and the Dark River Pack, life will never be the same - once she has her heart set on something even her loss of memory means that her heart still knows Ivan is something who is important to her.
I spent my whole weekend reading - go grab your copy now.

View all Kats reviews

REVIEW & COVER REVEAL of LYNN RUSH WINGED TRILOGY BOOK 1

 

COVER REVEAL of  LYNN RUSH WINGED TRILOGY BOOK 1 BLURB She had to lose her memory to find her soul Pushed through a splice between two parallel Realms, Trinity Dawkins lands in the middle of a busy Minnesota street, literally. The trauma leaves her blind and amnesia-stricken, but she soon finds sanctuary in the strong arms of struggling artist, Jayden Brown. He’s intrigued by her quirky behavior, voracious appetite, and her incessant curiosity about common things like cars, French fries, and cell phones. But his tolerance is tested when wings unexpectedly burst from her back. Even worse, the otherworldly enemies she fled make their way to Earth, determined to capture her. Trinity and Jayden are thrown into a battle bound by rules they don’t understand and may not survive. Fans of: Blindspot and I Am Number Four Book Title: CROSSED (Winged, #1) Release Date: October 12th, 2022 Publisher: FHL Press

Pre-Order HERE REVIEW

Crossed by Lynn Rush
Kat's rating: 4 of 5 stars

I voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this book, and the following opinions are my own.

I loved how the book began, the character, Trinity Dawkins 'lands' in the middle of a busy street, and is hurt in the process. left blind and no memory of how she got there, she soon finds a good samaritan in struggling artist, Jayden Brown.

Jayden is intrigued by her and she inspires him in a way he hasn't felt in a long time.
Trinity's lack of knowledge of simple things like cars, French fries, and cell phones has him thinking that it's just a case of amnesia. But when wings unexpectedly burst from her back, he has a lot to digest - his innate honor has him protecting her, even when the powerful winged enemies she fled make their way to Earth, determined to capture her.

Once I got into the story I really enjoyed the way the author had built her world of 'winged beings' - are they the basis of our myths and legends of 'Angels'?

The memory loss that Trinity suffered was a great way of introducing the discovery of both our world and Trinity's abilities.

I am looking forward to the next book in the series, and you will be happy that the story has no cliffhangers. But I do hope we hear more of Trinity and Jayden.

View all Kat's reviews

AUTHOR BIO

New York Times & USA Today Bestselling Author, Lynn Rush, is a full-time writer, wife, and trail runner living in the Sonoran Desert, despite her fear of rattlesnakes. Known as #TheRunningWriter, Lynn can’t resist posting epic sunrise pictures while running in the desert with her trail sisters, even if she has to occasionally hop a scorpion.

When she’s not running or writing, she’s watching movies that fuel her everlasting love of superheroes, vampires, and all things Supernatural. The books she reads usually carry the same theme, but this former college athlete loves reading sweet sports romances as well. She’s madly in love with her Ironman husband of 20+ years who is the inspiration for what true love is. You can find her on social media as @LynnRushWrites

But for the insider connection with Lynn, join her Newsletter. That’s where she shares insider information not found on social media and can interact best with her readers.

Social Media Connections:
Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest 

Find out more https://www.lynnrush.com/ 

Her Selfless Warrior by Caitlyn O'Leary Review

 

 

Her Selfless Warrior by Caitlyn O'Leary
Kats rating: 5 of 5 stars

AMAZON US LINK: https://amzn.to/3ODE9uv

BLURB

Will they get their second chance at love, before fate rips it away?

As a child, Kostya (Konstantin) Barona barely escaped Russia with his life when his father was dragged off by the secret police and he watched his mother brutally murdered. Now that he leads a Navy SEAL team, his whole life is based around rescuing those in need.

Lark Sorensen is an investigative journalist. There had never been an injustice that she didn't want to scrutinize and throw a spotlight on so the world would know about the atrocities going on around them.

Months ago, Kostya and Lark worked together in Afghanistan to help save a mother and her two little girls, and now they're meeting up again to do the same thing. But the fiery sparks everyone expected to fly seem to have sputtered out. But little do the couple know the passion that lies underneath.

Now as lives are on the line, can these two work together to get everyone out alive? Or will the injustices of the world finally drag them under?

REVIEW 

I loved Kostya (Konstantin) Barona and it was great how the author started the story with his childhood, he barely escaped Russia with his life when his father was dragged off by the secret police and he watched his mother brutally murdered. This had my heart hurting for the young Kostya.

The book then begins with present day, Kostya is a Navy SEAL team leader, the story is action packed with the the teams mission's.

Lark Sorensen is an investigative journalist.
Months ago, Kostya and Lark worked together in Afghanistan to help save a mother and her two little girls, and now they're meeting up again on another situation Lark has uncovered.

This book kept me up reading long into the night and I read it over the weekend.

Ms O'Leary has a talent for creating Book series that you can't help falling in love. Grab this new series now.

View all Kats reviews

CORNER OFFICE CONFESSIONS by Cynthia St. Aubin REVIEW #Harlequin #Romance

 

Official book description: 

On-sale date: May 24, 2022

Formats: Mass-market paperback, ebook 

Harlequin: https://bit.ly/3oYRqE5

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/nz/en/ebook/corner-office-confessions-1?open=true#_=_

Fishpond(paperback) https://www.fishpond.com.au/Books/Corner-Office-Confessions-Cynthia-St-Aubin/9781335735690

@harlequinbooks #romance #contemporaryromance #romcom #romancebooks #billionaire #twins

To oust his twin brother from the billion-dollar family food empire, CEO Samuel Kane sets him up to violate their father’s cardinal rule: no company romances. Enter Samuel’s new hire, Arlington Banks—the one woman his brother chased but never caught. Too bad the plan backfires when Samuel falls for the bait himself. Because Samuel and Arlie have a long-simmering history of their own. As things heat up between them, will his deception cost him everything—or will the secret Arlie’s keeping do the trick? 

Review

 Corner Office Confessions: A workplace, twin switch romance by Cynthia St. Aubin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and Harlequin for allowing me to give my thoughts on this book. : @HarlequinBooks @HarlequinPublicityTeam @Cynthia St.Aubin

This is an office romance that involves Three main characters,
the instigator in the scenario - CEO Samuel Kane
the unwitting lady who is our female main character - Arlington Banks (Arlie)
and finally the final pawn in the triangle Mason Kane, Playboy and twin brother to Samuel.

Samuel comes across as being an uptight petty brother who is fed up with his father who is constantly letting his playboy brother get away with his dalliances and ineffectual business ethic. He is fed up with never having his father praise him for his hard work and diligence.
Mason was as you expected - at first, but by the end of the story, you realise he is more than just his reputation.
Arlie, well she was the housekeeper's daughter who secretly pined for Samuel as a girl, who managed to create herself a good career, but was unwittingly caught up in corporate espionage and has no choice but to accept the job offered by Samuel if she wants to keep a roof over her head. She knows it's going to be hard with her past feelings, but she's hopeful... until she realises there's more to this position that Samuel let on.
The story unfolds and the past and present collide with all 3 of the characters involved realising they had made assumptions
Samuel was enamored by Arlie as a boy and this soon turns into a comedy of errors and missed opportunities to come clean to the girl that has always had his heart.

I enjoyed this book and by the end of the story, I was happy that Samuel grew up enough to realise what was important in life. Mason was a character I ended up enjoying just as much and I hope that there is a further book about him - and Charlotte (*I hope).

View all my reviews

Author bio: 

Cynthia St. Aubin wrote her first play at age eight and made her brothers perform it for the admission price of gum wrappers. A steal, considering she provided the wrappers in advance. When she was tall enough to reach the top drawer of her parents' dresser, she began pilfering her mother's secret stash of romance novels and has been in love with love ever since. A confirmed cheese addict and aspiring cat lady, she lives in Texas with a handsome musician.

https://www.facebook.com/cynthia.saintaubin

 

 

Sticking to Her Guns by B.J. Daniels Review & Release day Blitz

On-sale date: May 24, 2022 

Amazon: https://amzn.to/39TwEBf 

B&N: https://www.harlequin.com/search?w=bj%2520daniels

Harlequin: https://www.harlequin.com/shop/books/9780369709837_sticking-to-her-guns.html

Official book description: 

Tommy Colt is stunned when his childhood best friend—and love—Bella Worthington abruptly announces she’s engaged to their old-time nemesis! Knowing her better than anyone, Tommy’s convinced she’d only agree to a sham marriage if something was dangerously wrong. Now Colt Brothers Investigations’ newest partner is racing to uncover the truth and ask Bella a certain question…if they survive.

Review:

Sticking to Her Guns by B.J. Daniels
Kat's rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thank you to Netgalley & Harlequin for allowing me to review this book

#StickingtoHerGunsSecretWeaponSpouse #NetGalley.

Bella has created a life for herself that she is happy with, but when a call from her father brings her to her childhood home, she finds herself engaged to her childhood nemesis Fitz - now a hateful narcissistic man who delights in both her and her father's misery.

Tommy Colt, Bella's childhood best friend who had recently connected with Bella is stunned when abruptly announces she’s engaged.

Knowing her better than anyone, Tommy uses the resources at Colt Brothers Investigations’ where he is the newest partner to uncover the truth.

I found Bella to be a likable female character who used her limited skills to try and outsmart Fitz, although he had tried every trick in the book to keep Bella under control, she did everything she could to get the evidence she needed to get out of the situation she was in.

I liked that the author did not make her the damsel in distress that needed saving by the hero of the story. Yes, Tommy and his brothers did their part, but Bella was the one on the front line risking the wrath Fitz held above her head.

Tommy was someone who I thought was a good match to Bella's character, he was quick on his feet and used his connections ( having only just started at Colt Investigations) to help Bella and I liked that he wasn't trying to be the 'Man' and worked with Bella as a team.

The story is intriguing, the suspense of the characters trying to gather the necessary information needed to secure Bella's freedom plus the romance that is budding between Tommy and Bella made it a delightful escape from reality for the weekend.

I also liked how the story started... at a scene where its nearly at the end of the story, then we get to start at the beginning to see how Bella got to that point, The intense opening scene paves the reader's imagination to wonder at what Bella will have to do next to get to that point.

I read this book in two sittings over a weekend and I would love to find the other stories in the series to read also.


View all my reviews

Author bio: 

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author B.J. Daniels lives in Montana with her husband, Parker, and two springer spaniels. When not writing, she quilts, boats and plays tennis. Contact her at www.bjdaniels.com, on Facebook at B.J. Daniels or through her reader group the B.J. Daniels' Big Sky Darlings, and on twitter at @bjdanielsauthor.

 

On-sale date: May 24, 2022

 

Formats: Mass-market paperback, audiobook, ebook