Meant To Be-ish

  ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

 

  4.5★

 Thank you to author,Ashley Lynn East for EARC, and letting me be part of her team!

 

 10.23.26    

 

Chloe Harper has a plan. 

It just involves stopping a wedding. 

Ten years ago, during a booze-soaked night in med school, Chloe and her best friend James Carter made a pact. Born on the same day and convinced it meant something, they swore that if they were both still single at thirty-seven, they would marry each other. Simple. Foolproof. Slightly desperate? 

Now it’s their thirty-seventh birthday, and Chloe is finally ready to cash in. 

There’s just one problem. 

James doesn’t remember the pact… and he just got engaged to a woman he met only one month ago, Bianca Blake. Polished, perfect, effortlessly put together. The kind of woman with sleek blonde hair who somehow makes even ordering coffee look elegant. The exact opposite of Chloe, with her chaotic trauma surgeon shifts, sharp tongue, and fire-engine red curls. 

Oh, and the wedding is in a couple of weeks. 

Which means Chloe has only days to stop James from making the biggest mistake of his life. 

Enter Dr. Wes Monroe, Chloe’s infuriatingly cocky and devastatingly attractive coworker who somehow always shows up at the worst possible moment. When a desperate lie turns into a fake relationship, Chloe enlists Wes to help make James jealous. What could possibly go wrong? 

Except the chemistry with Wes is anything but fake. And the closer the wedding gets, the harder it is to ignore one inconvenient Chloe might not be trying to win James anymore. She might be trying to let him go. 

Maybe “meant to be” isn’t about a pact you made ten years ago. Maybe it’s about the person you never saw coming.

 🌷

 
Such a cute story! I couldn’t get enough of Chloe and Wes’s story. Not long after I started reading the book, I knew I was going to love it. Within the first few pages of the book, I was hooked and only put it down to study. There were even a couple of nights where I stayed up later than I should have, reading it. I could see that Wes fell for Chloe first, just from the way he acted around her. There was something about him, and I hoped that Chloe would come to her senses and see how much Wes cares about her. I just hoped that she would realize it before it was too late. 

James; he was the one character that I wasn’t sure about. It was as if he couldn’t make up his mind. I felt bad for Bianca. I hoped that he would figure out what he wanted. I loved Bianca, but then it was impossible not to like her; she was so energetic, and the way that she went out of her way to include Chloe. I liked Chloe; however, sometimes the decisions she made I didn’t agree with. I was curious to see how the story would end. 

In the last few pages, I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. I liked that the story was told from Chloe and Wes’s perspectives, but there were times when I wondered what James was thinking throughout all of this. I read Ashley’s debut novel, The Nemesis Pact , last year and have been looking forward to this one since she announced it. I’m already eager to see what she has in store for us next.

Upstate.

 

  ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

 

Thank you to publisher, William Morrow for providing with eARC via Netgalley.  All opinions are my own. 

 

  10.27.26  

 

A grieving writer. An abandoned bookshop. A secret love story hidden in letters. 

From New York Times bestselling author Kim van Alkemade comes an unforgettable novel about found family, healing, and the power of the past to reshape the present.

 
Thirty-four-year-old writer Audrey Beacon is grieving alone during lockdown when a post about a bookshop for sale in upstate New York pops into her social media feed like a lifeline. Enthralled by the historic house and the massive barn bursting with books, Audrey impulsively makes an offer. Soon, she’s cashing out her savings, loading her possessions into her dead husband’s van, and fleeing Manhattan for the village of Schuywich, determined to outrun the ghosts of her past.

 
In 1956, it’s love at first sight when Schuywich librarian Hazel McIntyre meets dashing magazine writer Evelyn Cabot at a summer camp in Maine that discreetly promises a “different vacation for professional women.” By summer’s end, Evelyn has left Greenwich Village to move into an old farmhouse she’s bought in Hazel’s hometown. In her new column, “A Woman’s Place,” Evelyn writes about her adventures renovating a house, tending to sheep, and opening a bookshop in her barn with help from the woman readers know only as her “roommate.” Privately, Hazel chronicles their six-decade love story in a series of letters that abruptly end when they’re forced to abandon the bookshop in 2015. 

Reopening the bookshop in the summer of 2020 attracts a quirky community of villagers who continuously interrupt Audrey’s An unemployed Broadway set designer. An ambitious teenage entrepreneur. A story-telling Adirondack grandmother. Then there’s Sam Rensselaer, the distractingly handsome representative of the agriculture extension. Past and present begin to converge when Audrey finds “A Woman’s Place,” in a stack of old magazines, but it’s the discovery of Hazel’s letters that brings hidden love and long-buried family secrets to light. Will Audrey find the courage to heal the wounds of the past—including her own?

 

  🌷 

 
When I came across the book, it was the title and the blurb that caught my attention. I was also familiar with the publisher, William Morrow; I’ve read a lot of works from that publishing company. However, it was my first book by Kim van Alkemade , so I wasn’t sure what I would think of the story. It didn’t take me long to realize that I was going to like this book, but it wasn’t until a few chapters in that I realized that I was going to fall in love with this story. I fell in love with the story and the characters. When the story picked up the pace, I knew that I was in trouble, and once I reached the end, I had to think about it all. What a beautiful story. 

It didn’t take me long to get lost in Aubrey, Hazel, and Evelyn’s stories. I liked the way that Kim wrote about the women individually but also interconnected their stories. Aubrey, Evelyn and Hazel were all such strong women; even if they didn’t realize it at the time. This isn’t a love story, but a story about love, family, strength, and starting over. At some point I got so invested in the story that I didn’t even realize how much time had passed. Of course, I liked that it was told from dual timeline. Even though I enjoyed all the perspective, I loved reading Hazel’s letters to Evelyn the most. It didn’t take long to see how much Hazel loved Evelyn. The letters were filled with so much love and emotion that I found myself feeling them when I was reading them. 

I liked the way everyone made Aubrey feel welcome and tried to help her in any way they could. I can’t even begin to imagine making such a drastic change in my life. From the beginning of the book, Aubrey grew in so many ways, and although she was still healing, she changed as well. I think getting that bookstore is just what she needed. I’m so glad that I got a chance to read this book. I would highly recommend checking this book out.

A Love Like Mulled Wine(Wayward Hollow,#4)

 

 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

 

  4.5★

 

Thank you to author,Hailey Frost for letting me be part of her ARC Team!   

 

  10.13.26   

  

Welcome to Wayward Hollow - Where everyone knows your name, your business, and usually your dog’s name before yours. 

I moved to Wayward Hollow, hoping to find a place to belong. And between small-town gossip, a chaotic friend group, and the cutest furry sidekick, I found it. 

Until Brooke. 

Brooke is my ex’s sister, the woman who looks at me like I’m a mistake she’s already decided to avoid. She runs the neighbor town's animal shelter, fights for every stray thing in town, and has zero interest in me being part of her world. Unfortunately for her, we keep colliding. When her shelter’s funding falls through, when I’m planning this year’s Christmas market… and by not so much coincidence, whenever I’m in town. 

Somewhere between Christmas cookies, snow-covered nights, and arguments that turn dangerously close to flirting, Brooke starts letting me in—and I realize I might actually have a shot with the one person I can’t stop wanting.

 🌷

 
Hailey Frost is officially one of my favorite authors. She knows how to write stories that tug at your heartstrings and connect you with all the characters. Wayward Hollow is a cozy small-town series that will stay with you; long after you turn the last page. There was part of me that didn’t want to turn the last page in A Love Like Mulled Wine because I didn’t want to say goodbye to all of these amazing characters, but at the same time, I wanted to see how it would end. 

Just like the other Wayward Hollow books, you can’t help but fall in love with the characters. One of my favorite aspects of the book is how they connect and are always there for their friends when they need them. The found family aspect in this series is one of the best. I loved the way that everyone was there for Kieran and Brooke, even if they didn’t know her as well, but they knew how important she was to Kieran. I think they knew before him; how much she meant to him. 

Wayward Hollow is one of those series; you want to jump in and just be there with everyone. One of my favorite aspects of A Love Like Mulled Wine was the addition of an animal shelter and sanctuary. I love stories that feature animals, especially if they include helping them. I couldn’t help but smile at how passionate Brooke was about the sanctuary. It melted my heart. Of course, I couldn’t get enough of Brooke and Kieran. Those two took care of each other, and I loved that about them. I can keep going with this book and this series. I would highly recommend checking out this series!

Eternal Storm(Star Touched:Witch Blade,#4)

 

 

 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

 

  Thank you to author, Michelle Madow for letting me be part of her  ARC Team!

 

 

   10.26.26 

A divine sword. An impossible love. And a choice that could shatter the world.

 
The sea voyage that was supposed to save Jade Harrington destroyed her instead. Now the crew is scattered, the secrets are out, and she’s on the run with the only person she has left—Logan Ashford, the man she loves more than her own destiny. 

Their Pine Valley, a wolf shifter sanctuary protected by goddesses, where Jade finally comes face-to-face with another star touched champion. But belonging comes with a catch. Because every champion carries a celestial weapon forged by their goddess... except for Jade, whose goddess has been ignoring her for months. 

It turns out her weapon is buried at the heart of the Eternal Storm—the most violent lightning storm on Earth, which has been raging for five hundred years. Claiming it means surviving the creature that guards it, answering to the goddess who hid it, and facing a truth Jade would give anything to outrun. 

Because the blade forged to save the world is destined to destroy the man she loves. And when the gods demand a choice between love and fate, Jade will have to decide how far she's willing to go to defy them both.

   🌷

 
Outstanding. 

The Star Touched series keeps on surprising me; each book has me falling in love with the characters and their stories. Out of all the books in Star Touched Books, Witch Blade has been my favorite. Although I haven’t had a chance to read Fae Bound books yet. Witch Blade holds a special place in my heart; there is just something about this series, the characters, the story, the connections between the characters. I've been looking forward to Eternal Storm since I finished Crimson Storm; wondering what was going to happen with Jade, Evie, Logan, and Kieran, and what challenges they would face next. I didn't think I could be more on the edge of my seat, and once again I was proven wrong. 

I love Jade, Evie, Kieran, and Logan. If I were asked which of those are my favorites, I don't think I could pick. All of them are such kick ass characters. Jade, however, underwent such an impressive transformation from the first book. I can't even begin to imagine enduring what Jade had to. Despite all the challenges and all the hoops that she had to jump through, she kept on going. That was one of my favorite things about her. I'm curious to see what awaits her next. As for her and Logan, if what they have isn't love, then I don't know what is. I believe that he's one of the reasons that she made it as far as she has. I will be rooting for them until the end. 

Evie and Kieran are the other two who have gone through an outstanding transformation. Michelle portrayed all those characters amazingly. I am curious if Evie and Jade’s friendship could be repaired. I understand why Evie was angry, but her reaction was far from what I expected. The emotions in Eternal Storm were even more intense than the last one. The ending was the most intense. After that ending, I’m even more eager for the next one to come out. I cannot get this story out of my mind, and highly recommend this series to romantasy fans.

Then Until Forever(Maple Brook,#1)

  ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

 

 Thank you to author, Mase Evans and Beyond The Books PR for letting me be part of ARC Team! 

 

 

   10.06.26    

 

Avery Bennett hasn’t thought of Jax Anderson in four years. At least, that’s what she tells herself. She’s moved on from her high school boyfriend after he broke up with her before leaving for college. She’s built her own business from the ground up; she’s even tried dating again, though her relationship with her now-ex crashed and burned even harder than her first. She’s happy with her new life. She’s content. But she wasn’t expecting the flare of confusing emotions that came swirling back when she found out her high school sweetheart was back in town. And back to stay. 

Jax made a mistake. He lost the love of his life when he broke up with Avery four years ago. He told himself they could still be friends; that he would work up the bravery to call her once everything calmed down because he couldn’t handle losing her forever. But he hadn’t done it. Now, he’s determined to get her back. He knows he can’t have Avery in all the ways he wants, but he’ll settle for just being her friend, if she doesn’t hate him too much after how he left her.

 

  🌷

 Sometimes, you just need a romance book, with cozy vibes – giving you all the feelings. Then Until Forever was that book. I love reading books that are just romance, without the spice. I don’t mind the spice, but sometimes I just want to read about their connection, their interactions. I think that was one of the reasons that I loved Avery and Jax’s story; a sweet story about two people finding their way back to one another. Although I understood why Avery did it; I didn’t agree with some of the choices that she made. 

It was clear how much Jax cared about Avery, and throughout the book, I hoped she would see that. I loved how he tried to take care of her and agreed to be her friend, even though I knew he wanted so much more. I like the way that Mase portrayed their relationship; how their friendship grew. I think everyone knew those two belonged together before they did. The book started a little slow for me, but it picked up fast, and then I felt myself flying through the pages. 

One of my favorite aspects of the book is the way that I could relate to the characters in the book. I didn’t feel as if I was reading a book, I felt as if I was catching up with old friends. To me, those characters were real. Then Until Forever was my first book by the author. I’m curious about the others, and I’m eager about next book in series as well.