A fake medium A grumpy farmer A ghost Baby goats Saving family business
Gretchen Acorn is a con woman who pretends to be a medium able to communicate with A fake medium A grumpy farmer A ghost Baby goats Saving family business
Gretchen Acorn is a con woman who pretends to be a medium able to communicate with the deceased. When one of her best and wealthiest clients asks Gretchen to help her friend and goat farmer Charlie Waybill investigate possible paranormal activity on the farm that prevents the sale of the farm, she is happy to say yes. But Charlie doesn't want Cretchen's help because he sees her for a fraud she is. Regardless, he agrees for Gretchen to stay on the farm in exchange for her help around the said farm. To Gretchen's surprise, there is an actual resident ghost, Everett, whom she can see and communicate with. There is also a good reason why Everett is trying to jeopardize the sale of the farm.
Happy Medium is a sweet, slow-burn romance with lots of humor and a dash of angst. I enjoyed how Gretchen and Charlie's relationship progressed from mistrust on Charlie's part to friendship and then romance. But for me, Everett stole the show. He was the best and the funniest character. I haven't read Sarah Adler's previous book, Mr. Nash's Ashes, but after reading Happy Medium, I will be adding it to my TBR.
*ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley...more
Jewish rep Age gap romance Mature successful heroine Single parents Workplace romance
Pulling Her Resources is a low angst/high-steam romance set in Tel AvJewish rep Age gap romance Mature successful heroine Single parents Workplace romance
Pulling Her Resources is a low angst/high-steam romance set in Tel Aviv, one of my favorite cities. I was excited to read this book because it has many tropes I usually enjoy. I liked both MCs, Dafna and Erez, and how their relationship progressed. Both were mature emotionally. They communicated well when problems arose and made the right decisions for the most part. The main conflict centered around office/work ethics. It was very nice to read a low-angst romance for a change.
Pulling My Resources is a quick read. The short chapters kept my attention on the story. Also, I enjoyed the Tel Aviv setting very much. I am very familiar with the city, so it was exciting to recognize the streets and landmarks and imagine Erez and Dafna's romance unfolding.
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*Jewish rep *WW2/Warsaw Ghetto Uprising *Survival against all odds *Forbidden Love *Multiple timelines *Femme Fatale *Revenge
The Goddess of Warsaw is an ex*Jewish rep *WW2/Warsaw Ghetto Uprising *Survival against all odds *Forbidden Love *Multiple timelines *Femme Fatale *Revenge
The Goddess of Warsaw is an exceptional historical fiction about one of the most horrifying events in recent history that many people are forgetting already or, even worse, denying. It's a poignant and compelling story of survival, featuring an incredible and complex heroine who had to make impossible choices to keep her loved ones and herself alive. And after surviving the Holocaust, she continued making dangerous choices to enact revenge on those who tormented and killed her people.
The Goddess of Warsaw was a difficult read at times. Seeing the parallels between Europe of 1930-1940s and the present time, with the explosion of anti-semitism and the dehumanization of the Jewish people that is so rampant right now, caused me considerable distress. (Lisa Barr also addresses these parallels in her author's note). Regardless, or maybe because of that, The Goddess of Warsaw is a must-read for historical fiction fans. I am glad I had a chance to read this book. It's going straight on my "favorites" shelf.
I will leave you with my favorite quote: "Survival is about secrets, about extraordinary measures taken to stay alive. If you survived, it means others did not. The trauma of a second chance at life, a second act, is at once miraculous and unendurable."
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Birdie Maxwell is the biggest rom-com star and A Celebrity romance Second-chance romance Childhood friends Road trip Forced proximity Miscommunication trope
Birdie Maxwell is the biggest rom-com star and American Sweetheart. Her career and stardom are at the pick until an on-set confrontation with the director of her new movie threatens to destroy her reputation. Birdie returns to her California hometown to hide. While at home, she finds an anonymous love letter, possibly from one of her exes. She decides that finding the person who sent her the letter and reuniting with them will help her prove to everyone that she deserves a happy ending, just like one of her heroines. Elliot O'Brien is a renowned journalist and Birdie's childhood friend. He had a crush on Birdie for the longest time, but they had a falling out seven years ago. Elliot is back in their hometown at the same time as Birdie, so he offers her to help find the ex who wrote the love letter.
I liked the premise because I enjoy second-chance and celebrity romance. I was invested in Birdie and Elliot's relationship from the beginning. As the book progressed, I started losing my patience a little because the narrative relies too heavily on miscommunication. Elliot and Birdie had a lot of chances to clear their misunderstandings, but both chose to ignore them time and time again. I liked the mystery of the love letter and Birdie's quest to find the author. The book is written in dual POV, which I appreciated because we get both Birdie's and Elliot's perspectives. Overall, I enjoyed Take Two, Birdie Maxwell. I recommend it to romance readers who don't mind the miscommunication trope and enjoy second-chance or celebrity romance.
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*Second-chance romance *High school sweethearts *Mental health rep (anxiety) *Opposites attract *Grumpy/sunshine *Lots of angst
Molly is a cynical rom-com s*Second-chance romance *High school sweethearts *Mental health rep (anxiety) *Opposites attract *Grumpy/sunshine *Lots of angst
Molly is a cynical rom-com screenwriter who doesn't believe in love, and Seth is a divorce attorney who believes in soulmates and romance. Molly and Seth were high school sweethearts until Molly broke up with Seth on their graduation and broke Seth's heart. They meet up fifteen years later during their high school reunion. Sparks fly between them, but can they overcome their past hurts and rekindle their relationship?
Second-chance romance is one of my favorite tropes. I love the angst and the pining that usually accompanies this trope. Molly and Seth had a great chemistry. I enjoyed their banter, and the dialogue was top-notch. I loved the push and pull and how their relationship progressed. Just Some Stupid Love Story has a good mix of humor with more poignant themes. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I can't wait to read more books from this author.
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I first heard about a daring naval operation, the Cherbourg Project, last year while vacationing in Normandy with my sister and brother-in-law. My broI first heard about a daring naval operation, the Cherbourg Project, last year while vacationing in Normandy with my sister and brother-in-law. My brother-in-law told us about the project when we saw the signs for Cherbourg. The story immediately sparked my interest. When I discovered that a historical fiction book was being published about it, I immediately added it to my TBR.
The Boy with the Star Tattoo tells three intertwined stories inspired by Jewish and French history. In 1942-1945 occupied France, we follow a French woman, Claudette, who helps Jewish father and son hide from the Nazis. In 1946, we follow Uzi, a young Jewish man from Eretz Israel, who arrives in France to help rescue hidden and displaced Jewish orphans to bring them to Israel/British-mandated Palestine. This rescue program is known as Youth Alliya. And in 1969, we follow Sharon, a young Israeli woman recruited to assist in the Cherbourg Project in Normandy. While working on the project, she meets a naval officer, Danny, an orphan who came to Israel from France with the Youth Alliya program.
The Boy with the Star Tattoo is an incredibly well-written and well-researched book about lesser-known post-WW2 historical events. I enjoyed reading about the Cherbourg Project because it is what drew me in first. But I was moved by other themes in the book. One of the themes is the collective trauma that Jewish people experienced during and after the Holocaust. I understood it in the abstract but hadn't thought about it deeply before. The Boy with the Star Tattoo changed that. It hammered it into my psyche. In Uzi, Sharon, and Danny, Talia Carner embodies the Jewish nation and how the collective trauma drove Jewish people to build a country where Jews would be safe.
Currently, we are seeing an unprecedented rise in antisemitism that echoes 1930-1940. It's important, now more than ever, to read Jewish stories and listen to Jewish voices. The Boy with the Star Tattoo is a must-read for readers who want to learn more about post-WW2 history and the history of Israel....more
Second chance romance Rivals to lovers Celebrity romance Fated love "Sliding Doors" vibes
If, like me, you loved Sliding Doors, you will enjoy What's In a Second chance romance Rivals to lovers Celebrity romance Fated love "Sliding Doors" vibes
If, like me, you loved Sliding Doors, you will enjoy What's In a Kiss. Jake is a perfect romantic, sweet cinnamon roll hero. Olivia was more difficult to like at first. She was often clueless and prickly, but she grew on me. I loved Jake and Olivia's chemistry. I am a sucker for a second-chance love story, and I adored their romance. I thoroughly enjoyed What's In a Kiss and can't wait to read more books from this author.
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Riley Rhodes, a curse-breaker, is hired to break a three-hundred-year curse at a Scottish castle. Clark Edgeware, a disgraced archeologist, took the job at the castle to redeem his reputation and save his career. The last thing he needs is a curse-breaker to jeopardize his chance at redemption. When Riley overhears Clark trying to get her fired, she decides to drive Clark away from the castle so she can do her job, but it proves more difficult than she hoped.
Rosie Danan is an auto-buy author for me, and I was very excited to read Do Your Worst. I love the premise of the book and the curse-breaking aspect. Unlike her other books, Do Your Worst has a bit of paranormal and historical romance vibes. Riley and Clark have great chemistry, and the sex scenes are scorching hot. Do Your Worst was a fun read. I thoroughly enjoyed it!...more
The Phoenix Bride is a beautifully written forbidden love story set in seventeenth-century London. It combines two of my favorite genres, historical fThe Phoenix Bride is a beautifully written forbidden love story set in seventeenth-century London. It combines two of my favorite genres, historical fiction and romance. The romance is between a Jewish physician, David Mendes, and an English widow, Cecilia Thorowgood. David is hired to provide treatment to Cecilia, who suffers from grief and melancholy after her husband's death from the plague.
I enjoyed the forbidden romance between David and Cecilia and appreciated reading chapters with dual POVs. I loved the beautiful prose. My favorite aspect of the book was learning about 16th- 17th-century Jewish history and culture. One of my reading goals this year is to read more books with Jewish representation, and I am happy I've read The Phoenix Bride! I highly recommend this book to historical fiction and historical romance fans.
*ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley...more
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