Next Month in Books – May 2024

As usual, if you’ve got any suggestions for May 2024 releases I might have missed out on, please let me know in the comments or by e-mail at louisehallbooks@gmail.com.

Until next time, happy reading x

Note: I don’t get paid for including any of the links below, they’re just the books I’m most looking forward to being published each month.

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7TH MAY 2024

The Match (It Happened in Charleston #1) by Sarah Adams

OK so this isn’t technically a brand-new release because it was 1st published on 30 May 2020 but it’s a revised and extended edition and I haven’t read it before.

Sometimes love finds you when you least expect it.

Evie Jones has dedicated her life and very limited funds working for Southern Service Paws, the company that matched her with the love of her life: Charlie, a service dog trained to assist with her epilepsy. But it’s no secret that the company has been struggling to make ends meet. It’s up to her and her long-time mentor and boss to throw the fundraiser of the century to keep the doors open.

Then Evie meets Jacob Broaden at a client consultation meeting. There are instant sparks-but not the good kind, because Jacob’s daughter set up the meeting without his knowledge. Ten-year-old Sam has been recently diagnosed with epilepsy, and has wanted a service animal ever since. While he had hesitations at first, it doesn’t take long for Jacob to be convinced that a service dog, and possibly Evie, with her magical, woodland-green eyes, might just be the best thing for him and his daughter.

As Evie spends more time with Jacob and helps Sam find her perfect match with a lovable golden retriever named Daisy, she starts longing for something she’s never had before: a loving family. For Jacob, falling in love with Evie is the last thing he should be doing, but love has a way of finding those who need it most.

Tags: Favourite Author / Pupsters

Links: Amazon / Goodreads

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9TH MAY 2024

One Last Shot by Betty Cayouette

Supermodel Emerson seemingly has the perfect life – but she’s tired of looking for love in all the wrong places.

When a reminder for the marriage pact she and her former best friend Theo made as teens goes off on her phone, she realizes she has a chance to rekindle the only relationship that ever really made sense.

Emerson convinces her grumpy agent to book her as the face of the campaign that Theo, now a fashion photographer, is shooting.

The good news: the campaign is being shot in ridiculously romantic Cinque Terre, Italy.

The bad news? Theo might not be as happy to see her as she’d hoped . . .

Will this be her one last shot at love, or a final goodbye?

Tags: Fashion / Italy / New-to-Me Author / Second Chance

Links: Amazon / Goodreads

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14TH MAY 2024

A Wedding in Lake Como (Meet Me in Italy #3) by Jennifer Probst

Best friends Ava, Madison, and Chelsea made a pact to reunite for each other’s weddings when their careers sent them in different directions. But after one of them makes a choice that tears the group apart, an upcoming wedding might be their last chance to heal old wounds.

Ava is about to marry the man she loves in a lavish ceremony on the shores of Lake Como, but she’s haunted by the mistakes she’s made.

Madison’s made a name for herself as an influencer in the fashion world but is threatened by a scandal impacting everything she holds dear.

And Chelsea has the perfect family she always craved, but her professional dreams have fallen by the wayside.

As they return to Italy’s gorgeous coast, the three women revisit their life-changing first trip to Lake Como during college. When Madison comes face-to-face with the college sweetheart who was at the heart of one of the most pivotal times of her life, can they forge a new way forward?

Tags: Favourite Author / Italy

Links: Amazon / Goodreads

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14TH MAY 2024

The Dixon Rule (Campus Diaries #2) by Elle Kennedy

‘I told them I had a girlfriend.’

I start to laugh. ‘This is the greatest day of my life.’

‘Oh, it gets better, Dixon. I told them it was you.’

Diana Dixon has a lot going on this summer. She’s rehearsing for a ballroom dance competition, juggling two jobs, and dealing with an ex-boyfriend who can’t take the hint it’s over. Yet despite all that, she still has plenty of time and energy to tell Shane Lindley to screw off.

Shane just moved into her apartment building and seems dedicated to sleeping his way through her entire cheerleading squad. Sure, he’s a tall, gorgeous hockey player, but he’s messing with her turf. This calls for some ground rules: no parties in her apartment, leave her teammates alone, and – most importantly – leave her alone.

What Diana doesn’t realize is that Shane’s sick of hook-ups and tired of being on the rebound after his long-term girlfriend called it quits. He wants a relationship. And when his ex comes back into the picture, he pretends he has one to make her jealous . . . and who better to play the girlfriend role than his sassy new neighbour?

Despite Diana’s reluctance to break her rule, a fake relationship is the perfect solution for her own ex issues, and soon she can’t deny something is sizzling between her and Shane. Something hot and completely unexpected. And it might just be getting a little too real.

Tags: Fake Dating / Favourite Author

Links: Amazon / Goodreads

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14TH MAY 2024

The Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren

Anna Green thought she was marrying Liam ‘West’ Weston for access to subsidized family housing while at UCLA. She also thought she’d signed divorce papers when the graduation caps were tossed, and they both went on their merry ways.

Three years later, Anna is a starving artist living pay-check to pay-check while West is a Stanford professor. He may be one of four heirs to the Weston Foods conglomerate, but he has little interest in working for the heartless corporation his family built from the ground up. He is interested, however, in his one-hundred-million-dollar inheritance. There’s just one catch.

Due to an antiquated clause in his grandfather’s will, Liam won’t see a penny until he’s been happily married for five years. Just when Liam thinks he’s in the home stretch, pressure mounts from his family to see this mysterious spouse, and he has no choice but to turn to the one person he’s afraid to introduce to his one-percenter parents – his unpolished, not-so-ex-wife.

But in the presence of his family, Liam’s fears quickly shift from whether the feisty, foul-mouthed, paint-splattered Anna can play the part to whether the toxic world of wealth will corrupt someone as pure of heart as his surprisingly grounded and loyal wife. Liam will have to ask himself if the price tag on his flimsy cover story is worth losing true love that sprouted from a lie.

Tags: Favourite Author / Marriages of Convenience

Links: Amazon / Goodreads

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23RD MAY 2024

The Summer Swap by Sarah Morgan

A summer escape

When Cecilia Lapthorne’s 75th birthday celebrations take an unexpected turn, she seeks solace away from the festivities and escapes to Dune Cottage – without telling her family where she’s going.

A new friendship

Lily Thomas, a struggling artist, has secretly been staying in the unoccupied cottage. When Cecilia discovers Lily during a late-night visit, an unexpected bond forms between the two women.

A chance to start over

Then Cecilia’s grandson, Todd – and Lily’s unrequited crush – shows up, sending a shockwave through their unlikely friendship. Will it inspire Lily to find the courage to live the life she wants? Can Cecilia finally let go of the past to find a new future? Because as surely as the tide erases past footprints, this summer is offering both Cecilia and Lily the chance to swap old dreams for new…

Tags: Favourite Author

Links: Amazon / Goodreads

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The Weekly Book Date (5 February 2024)

Photo Credit: Lisa Fotios @ Pexels.

The Weekly Book Date is where I talk all things books from the previous 7 days.

Like last week, I thought I’d split this week (29 January to 4 February 2024) into Roses & Thorns again but I’m going to start with the Thorns.

Thorns: I only read 2 x books this week and unfortunately one of them, which I’d been really excited about reading, ended up only getting 2 x Stars.

Roses: It’s February and not only are there 9 x amazing books coming out this month but there are also 10 x UK Kindle Book Deals as well. I might not have read as much as I did in previous weeks but I’ve still been active on the blog posting about Five Star Reads – January 2024 (Friday) and UK Kindle Book Deals – February 2024 (Saturday). One of my favourite reality TV shows is back on Hayu here in the UK – Vanderpump Rules (2013+) – and may have inspired a future blog post…

All the best, Louise x

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Currently Reading (2):

I’m a mood reader and I’ve been in more of a Kindle mood this week so I’m still halfway through the paperback (1) Charlotte Walsh Likes to Win by Jo Piazza from last week.

(2) The Boy With the Bookstore by Sarah Echavarre Smith (2022)

When a baker meets the bookshop owner of her dreams, and he turns into her nemesis, they’ll both have to read between the lines to avoid a career-ending recipe for disaster.

Max Boyson looks good…from a distance. But up close and personal, the tattooed hottie Joelle Prima has been crushing on for the past year and half has turned into the prime example of why you shouldn’t judge a book by his delectable cover.

When she first learned about the massive renovation to the building they share, Joelle imagined that temporarily combining her Filipino bakery with Max’s neighbouring bookstore would be the perfect opening chapter to their happily ever after. In her fantasies they fed each other bibingka and pandesal while discussing Jane Austen and cooing over her pet hamster, Pumpkin. Reality, however…is quite different. Her gallant prince turned out to be a stubborn toad who snaps at her in front of customers, dries his sweaty gym clothes in her oven, and routinely helps himself to the yummy pastries in her display case without asking.

But beneath Max’s grumpy glares, Joelle senses a rising heat—and a softening heart. And when they discover the real reason for the renovation, they’ll have to put both their business senses and their feelings for each other to the test.

Tags: Bakers / Favourite Author / Unusual Pets

I bought The Boy with the Bookstore when it was first published back in September 2022 but before I could read it, we lost Poppy in November 2022 and Joelle from TBWTB has a pet hamster, Pumpkin so it’s only now over a year later that I’ve actually started reading it. I’m halfway through but my initial thoughts are that I like Joelle as a FMC, she’s got a kind heart and she’s sacrificed so much for her family; her Filipino bakes sound yummy and apart from Amelie & Harriet in Los Angeles, I’m Yours, I’ve never read a romance novel before where an adult has a pet hamster. I’m still kind of on the fence about Max though because at this point I don’t know why he keeps blowing hot and cold on Joelle.

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What I Read This Week (2):

(1) Do I Know You? by Emily Wibberley & Austin Siegemund-Broka (2023)  

Eliza and Graham are anticipating an anything-but-sexy, weeklong getaway to celebrate their five-year anniversary. Nestled on the Northern California coastline, the resort prides itself on being a destination for those in love and those looking to find it. For Eliza and Graham, it might as well be a vacation with a roommate.

When a well-meaning guest mistakes Eliza and Graham for being single and introduces them at the hotel bar, they don’t correct him. Suddenly, they’re pretending to be perfect strangers and it’s unexpectedly… fun? Eliza and Graham find themselves flirting like it’s their first date, and waiting with butterflies in their stomach for the other to text back.

Everyone at the retreat can sense the electric chemistry between Eliza and Graham’s alter egos. But when their scintillating game of roleplaying ends, will they still feel the heat?

This is the 2nd book I’ve read by Emily Wibberley & Austin Siegemund-Broka and my feelings about Do I Know You? couldn’t be more different than they were about The Breakup Tour (which I gave 4 x Stars). I really don’t like writing negative reviews but I didn’t enjoy Do I Know You? at all. Even after I’ve finished reading it, I still don’t understand what the big issue was in Eliza and Graham’s marriage. I don’t know if it’s because I’m not married. Eliza was OK as a character but the falling out over her sister’s engagement party took way too long to resolve. I prefer alpha males in my romance books and dare I say it, Graham came across as kind of a wimp. The only character that really interested me was schoolteacher and eternal romantic, David, who was attending a workshop at the same resort as Eliza and Graham.

(2) Wild for You (The Wilds of Montana #1) by Kristen Proby (2024)    

Remington Wild is a single dad of two adorable kids, and as the oldest son of the Wild family, has recently taken over the Wild River Ranch from his father. Life is crazy, and he’s finally willing to admit that he needs help, and the sooner the better. He has no idea that the beautiful woman he sees every day at Bitterroot Valley Coffee Co. is the woman who would show up for the job.

Erin Montgomery couldn’t get out of Seattle fast enough. It’s not that she doesn’t love her big, loud family, but living in the big city just wasn’t for her. The minute she stepped foot in Bitterroot Valley, she knew she was home. She loves the slower pace, the friendly people, and her job at the coffee shop. Even the smoking hot grumpy guy who stops in every afternoon can’t put a damper on how much she loves small town life!

Thanks to car trouble, and her stubbornness when it comes to using her trust fund, Erin needs a second job and applies for the position of a part-time nanny. She’s surprised to find that it’s Grumpy himself who answers the door at the ranch, but Erin quickly learns that she loves his kids and the ranch, and it’s a no-brainer to take the job. She just has to remind herself to resist the sexy rancher and keep it strictly professional.

Remington is attracted to his younger nanny, and finds himself falling headfirst in love with her. He and his kids have never been happier, and he knows she is the perfect addition to their family for as long as she’s willing to stay. Hopefully forever.

But when secrets are exposed, one of which endangers his children, will their love survive? Or will it tear them apart?

Tags: Favourite Author / Nanny

After slogging through Do I Know You? I really needed to get my enthusiasm back for reading and Wild for You downloaded onto my Kindle at the perfect time. Kristen Proby is one of my all-time favourite authors for a reason. Come Away With Me (With Me in Seattle #1) was one of the 1st books I ever read on my Kindle and I immediately fell in love with the extended Montgomery family. Erin from Wild for You is the daughter of Will & Megan from Play With Me (With Me in Seattle #3). Wild for You had lots of my favourite things: small towns where everybody knows everybody else’s business, coffee shops with yummy baked goods, big, noisy families, nannies and their adorable charges and of course, alpha males. I’m already looking forward to Chase & Summer’s story in Chasing Wild (#2) which is due out on 7 May 2024.

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What I Bought This Week (3):

Previous Pre-Orders: (1) Wild for You (The Wilds of Montana #1) by Kristen Proby (30 January 2024) & (2) Fool Me Once by Ashley Winstead (1 February 2024).

After finishing A Winter in New York (My Favourite Books of 2023), I knew I wanted to catch up on Josie Silver’s other 3 x books. As soon as I saw that One Night on the Island was only 99p as one of the UK Kindle Book Deals – February 2024, I immediately had to buy it.

(3) One Night on the Island by Josie Silver (2022)

Spending her thirtieth birthday alone is the last thing that dating columnist Cleo wanted, but she is going on a self-coupling quasi-sabbatical–at the insistence of her boss–in the name of re-energizing herself and adding a new perspective to her column. The remote Irish island she’s booked is a far cry from London, but at least it’s a chance to hunker down in a luxury cabin and indulge in some quiet, solitary self-care while she figures out her next steps in her love life and her career.

Mac is also looking forward to some time to himself. With his life in Boston deteriorating in ways he can’t bring himself to acknowledge, his soul searching has brought him to the same Irish island in search of his roots and some clarity. Unfortunately, a mix-up with the bookings means both solitude seekers have reserved the same one-bedroom hideaway on exactly the same dates.

Instantly at odds with each other, Cleo and Mac don’t know how they’re going to manage until the next weekly ferry arrives. But as the days go by, they no longer seem to mind each other’s company quite as much as they thought they would…

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Cover Reveal (1):

On Thursday (1st), Cosmopolitan exclusively revealed the cover and an excerpt from The Dixon Rule. Elle Kennedy is one of my favourite authors and if you haven’t caught up on the Campus Diaries yet, The Graham Effect (#1) is only 99p as a UK Kindle Book Deal for February 2024.

(1) The Dixon Rule (Campus Diaries #2) by Elle Kennedy (14 May 2024)

Diana Dixon has a lot going on this summer. She’s rehearsing for a ballroom dance competition, juggling two jobs, and dealing with an ex-boyfriend who can’t take the hint it’s over. Yet despite all that, she still has plenty of time and energy to tell Shane Lindley to screw off.

Shane just moved into her apartment building and seems dedicated to sleeping his way through her entire cheerleading squad. Sure, he’s a tall, gorgeous hockey player, but he’s messing with her turf. This calls for some ground rules: no parties in her apartment, leave her teammates alone, and—most importantly—leave her alone.

What Diana doesn’t realize is that Shane’s sick of hook-ups and tired of being on the rebound after his long-term girlfriend called it quits. He wants a relationship. And when his ex comes back into the picture, he pretends he has one to make her jealous…and who better to play the girlfriend role than his sassy new neighbour?

Despite Diana’s reluctance to break her rule, a fake relationship is the perfect solution for her own ex issues, and soon she can’t deny something is sizzling between her and Shane. Something hot and completely unexpected.

And it might just be getting a little too real.

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My Favourite Kindle Book Deals – February 2024

Photo Credit: Cottonbro Studio @ Pexels.

The Book Gods are definitely shining down on us in February 2024 because not only have we got 9 x new releases to look forward to (Next Month in Books – February 2024) but there are 10 x amazing books all currently available at the bargainous price of 99p as part of the UK Kindle Book Deals for February 2024.

Disclaimer: I’m not being paid to promote any of the books featured in this blog post. I’ve either already read them or I’ve got them on my TBR and they’re my own personal recommendations.

Until next time, happy reading x

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(1) Practice Makes Perfect (When in Rome #2) by Sarah Adams (2023) (READ)

Annie Walker is on a quest to find her perfect match – someone who nicely compliments her happy, quiet life running her flower shop in Rome, Kentucky. Unfortunately, she worries her goal might be too far out of reach when she overhears her date saying she is ‘so unbelievably boring’. Is it too late to become flirtatious and fun like the leading ladies in her favourite romance movies? Maybe she only needs a little practice…and Annie has the perfect person in mind to become her tutor: Will Griffin.

Will – the flirtatious, tattooed, and absolutely gorgeous bodyguard – is temporarily back in Rome, providing security for Amelia Rose as excitement grows for her upcoming marriage to Noah Walker. He has one personal objective during his time in town: stay away from Annie Walker. But no sooner than he gets settled, Will soon finds himself not only breaking his rule, but tasked with far more than simply providing security.

Will wants no part in changing the sweet and lovely Annie, but he can’t bring himself to say no to her request, so he officially agrees to teach her how to be the next leading lady of Rome, Kentucky, and find the love of her life-even if he doesn’t believe in love himself. Between faking a relationship so the meddling town doesn’t catch on to what’s really happening on their practice dates, and tutoring lessons that convince Annie to add passion to her list of must-haves in a mate, it doesn’t take long for the lines of their friendship to blur…

Tags: Bodyguards / Dating Lessons / Favourite Author / Five Star Reads / Flowers

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(2) The Graham Effect (Campus Diaries #1) by Elle Kennedy (2023) (TBR)

Gigi Graham has exactly three goals: qualify for the women’s national hockey team, win Olympic gold, and step out of her famous father’s shadow. So far, so good, except for two little things. Fine–a little thing and a big, grumpy thing. She needs to improve her game behind the net, and she needs help from Luke Ryder.

Ryder is six-foot five, built, opinionated, rude…and sexy as hell. But he’s still the enemy.

Briar’s new hockey co-captain has his reasons, though. The men’s team just merged with a rival program, leaving Ryder with an angry roster where everyone hates one another’s guts. To make matters worse, the summer coaching spot he’s angling for with the legendary Garrett Graham is out of reach after he makes the worst possible first impression on his hero. So, really, this compromise with Gigi is win-win. He helps her make the national team, she puts in a good word with her dad.

The only potential snag? This bone-deep, body-numbing, mind-spinning chemistry they’re trying to ignore. It’s a dangerous game they’re playing, but the risks just might be worth it.

Tags: College / Favourite Author / Sports Romance (Ice Hockey)

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(3) Anybody Out There (Walsh Family #4) by Marian Keyes (2006) (READ)

If you’ve read My Favourite Retro Chick Lit, you’ll know that my 1st ever grown-up book (i.e. not Sweet Valley) was by Marian Keyes (Lucy Sullivan is Getting Married) I remember reading it on the train from Manchester to Sheffield and laughing so hard I disrupted the entire carriage (oops!). I highly recommend all of Marian’s books but I really love the Walsh Family because even though they often tackle serious subjects, they’re also hilarious and they remind me why I fell in love with reading. Again, Rachel (Walsh Family #6) was one of My Favourite Books of 2022.

Meet Anna Walsh.

Lying in her parents’ Good Front Room, covered in bandages, Anna dreams of leaving Dublin and returning to her beloved New York.

To her home. To her job. And most of all to her husband Aidan.

Unfortunately, her family have other ideas. She’s staying put. And Aidan? He’s refusing to even take her calls.

The last thing Anna wants is to think about how she ended up in this mess. But with nothing else to do, she’s forced to ask herself why she’s thousands of miles from the life she loves.

Where did it all go wrong? And can she fix it, before it’s too late?

Tags: Favourite Author / Favourite Series

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(4) The Love Wager (Mr Wrong Number #2) by Lynn Painter (2023) (READ)

After yet another disastrous date, Hallie Piper decides it’s time to grow up.

She gets a new apartment, a new haircut, and a new wardrobe. But when she logs into an app to find new love, she matches with none other than Jack: the guy the wrong kind of sparks had flown with just weeks earlier.

Agreeing that they are absolutely not interested in each other, Jack and Hallie realise that they’re each other’s perfect wing-person – and join forces in their searches for The One. They even place a wager on who can find romance first.

But when they agree to be fake dates for a wedding, all bets are off.

Because as they pretend to be a couple, they struggle to remember why dating for real was a bad idea to begin with . . .

Tags: Fake Dating / Favourite Author / One Bed

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(5) Maybe in Another Life by Taylor Jenkins Reid (2015) (READ)

This was the 1st book I ever read by Taylor Jenkins Reid way back in 2015. When I see how popular Taylor’s books are now, it makes me so happy because I remember a time when I couldn’t find her books anywhere but online.

At the age of twenty-nine, Hannah Martin still has no idea what she wants to do with her life. She has lived in six different cities and held countless meaningless jobs since graduating college. On the heels of leaving yet another city, Hannah moves back to her hometown of Los Angeles and takes up residence in her best friend Gabby’s guestroom. Shortly after getting back to town, Hannah goes out to a bar one night with Gabby and meets up with her high school boyfriend, Ethan.

Just after midnight, Gabby asks Hannah if she’s ready to go. A moment later, Ethan offers to give her a ride later if she wants to stay. Hannah hesitates. What happens if she leaves with Gabby? What happens if she leaves with Ethan?

In concurrent storylines, Hannah lives out the effects of each decision. Quickly, these parallel universes develop into radically different stories with large-scale consequences for Hannah, as well as the people around her. As the two alternate realities run their course, Maybe in Another Life raises questions about fate and true love: Is anything meant to be? How much in our life is determined by chance? And perhaps, most compellingly: Is there such a thing as a soul mate?

Hannah believes there is. And, in both worlds, she believes she’s found him.

Tags: Favourite Author / Five Star Reads (Pre-Blog)

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(6) This Spells Love by Kate Robb (2023) (TBR)

What if one little wish changed everything?

When Gemma gets dumped by her long-term boyfriend, she reacts the way any reasonable twenty-eight-year-old would: by getting drunk with her sister, kooky aunt, and best friend, Dax. After one too many margaritas, they decide to perform a love- cleansing spell, which promises to erase Gemma’s ex from her memory. They follow all the instructions, including a platonic kiss from Dax to seal the deal.

When Gemma wakes up, she realizes that this silly spell has worked. Not only does it seem that she never dated her ex, but the rest of her life is completely unrecognizable. The worst part: Dax has no idea who she is.

To reverse the spell and get back to her old life, Gemma must convince her once-best-friend-now-near-stranger to kiss her. But as she carries out her plans, she finds herself falling for him—hard. Soon, Gemma begins to wonder whether she even wants to go back to the way things once were. What if Dax was The One all along?

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(7) One Night on the Island by Josie Silver (2022) (*New Purchase*)

After reading A Winter in New York (My Favourite Books of 2023), I knew I wanted to catch up on Josie Silver’s other 3 x books. As soon as I saw that One Night on the Island was only 99p I immediately had to buy it.

Spending her thirtieth birthday alone is the last thing that dating columnist Cleo wanted, but she is going on a self-coupling quasi-sabbatical–at the insistence of her boss–in the name of re-energizing herself and adding a new perspective to her column. The remote Irish island she’s booked is a far cry from London, but at least it’s a chance to hunker down in a luxury cabin and indulge in some quiet, solitary self-care while she figures out her next steps in her love life and her career.

Mac is also looking forward to some time to himself. With his life in Boston deteriorating in ways he can’t bring himself to acknowledge, his soul searching has brought him to the same Irish island in search of his roots and some clarity. Unfortunately, a mix-up with the bookings means both solitude seekers have reserved the same one-bedroom hideaway on exactly the same dates.

Instantly at odds with each other, Cleo and Mac don’t know how they’re going to manage until the next weekly ferry arrives. But as the days go by, they no longer seem to mind each other’s company quite as much as they thought they would…

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(8) Love in the Time of Serial Killers by Alicia Thompson (2022) (READ)

PhD candidate Phoebe Walsh has always been obsessed with true crime. She’s even analysing the genre in her dissertation—if she can manage to finish writing it. It’s hard to find the time while she spends the summer in Florida, cleaning out her childhood home, dealing with her obnoxiously good-natured younger brother, and grappling with the complicated feelings of mourning a father she hadn’t had a relationship with for years.

It doesn’t help that she’s low-key convinced that her new neighbour, Sam Dennings, is a serial killer (he may dress business casual by day, but at night he’s clearly up to something). It’s not long before Phoebe realizes that Sam might be something much scarier—a genuinely nice guy who can pierce her armour to reach her vulnerable heart.

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(9) The Breakup Tour by Emily Wibberley & Austin Siegemund-Broka (2024) (READ)

Riley Wynn went from a promising singer-songwriter to a superstar overnight, thanks to her breakup song concept album and its unforgettable lead single. When Riley’s ex-husband claims the hit song is about him, she does something she hasn’t in ten years and calls Max Harcourt, her college boyfriend, and the real inspiration for the song of the summer.

Max hasn’t spoken to Riley since their relationship ended. He’s content with managing the retirement home his family owns, but it’s not the life he dreamed of filled with music. When Riley asks him to go public as her song-writing muse, he agrees on one condition: he’ll join her in her band on tour. As they perform across the country, Max and Riley start to realize that while they hit some wrong notes in the past, their future could hold incredible things. And their rekindled relationship will either last forever or go down in flames.

Tags: Fictional Musicians / Second Chance / Women in Music

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(10) Will They or Won’t They by Ava Wilder (2023) (TBR)

Lilah Hunter and Shane McCarthy are madly in love— at least, their characters are. As the stars of the hit paranormal TV show Intangible, they spent years pining for each other on-screen… until Lilah ditched the show at the end of season five in hopes of becoming a film star. With no such luck, she’s back to film the much-hyped ninth and final season, in which their characters will get together at last.

But coming back means facing one of the biggest reasons she left: Shane. Ever since their secret behind-the-scenes fling imploded at the end of the first season, the two of them have despised each other.

Now back on set together for the first time in years, with the world’s eyes on them and their post-show careers on the line, they’ll have to grit their teeth and play nice. But under pressure to give Intangible’s fans the happy ending they’ve been waiting for, Lilah and Shane are forced to get closer than ever. And if they’re not careful, they just might get blindsided by one final twist: a real-life happy ending of their own.

Tags: Stage & Screen Romance

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Next Month in Books – February 2024

As befitting for the month of Valentine’s Day, February 2024 brings with it a bumper stack of 9 x new releases to keep every romance reader happy.

Even if you’re not a fan of V-Day, February has still got you covered because 5 of this month’s new releases come out on the 13th so you can spend the 14th snuggled up with your Kindle and pretend V-Day doesn’t exist (everyone knows boys in books are better anyway).

As usual, if you’ve got any suggestions for February 2024 releases I might have missed out on, please let me know in the comments or by e-mail at louisehallbooks@gmail.com.

Until next time, happy reading x

Note: I don’t get paid for including any of the links below, they’re just the books I’m most looking forward to being published each month.

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1ST FEBRUARY 2024

Fool Me Once by Ashley Winstead

Although this was first published in 2022, I’ve been waiting not-so-patiently for Fool Me Once to be released in the UK ever since I finished reading The Boyfriend Candidate, which was one of My Favourite Books of 2023 (Alexis from TBC & Lee from FMO are sisters).

Lee Stone is a twenty-first-century woman: she kicks butt at her job as a communications director at a women-run electric car company (that’s better than Tesla, thank you), and after work she is ‘Stoner’, drinking guys under the table and never letting any of them get too comfortable in her bed…

That’s because Lee’s learned one big lesson: never trust love. Four major heartbreaks set her straight, particularly grad-school boyfriend Ben Laderman – who wasn’t actually cheating, but she could have sworn he was, so she reciprocated in kind.

Then Ben shows up five years later as a policy expert for the Texas governor, just as Lee is trying to get a clean-energy bill rolling. Tension builds as old sparks reignite when they’re forced to work together, fanning the flames for a romantic dustup the size of Texas.

Tags: Favourite Author / Fictional Politicians / Second Chance

Links: Amazon UK / Goodreads

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6TH FEBRUARY 2024

Ready or Not by Cara Bastone

Eve Hatch is pretty content with her life. Her apartment in Brooklyn is cozy and close to her childhood best friend Willa, but far from her midwestern, traditional family who never really understood her. While her job is only dream- adjacent , she’s hoping her passion and hard work will soon help her land a more glamorous role. And sure, her most recent romantic history has consisted of not one but two disappointing men named Derek. At least she always knows what to expect…until she finds herself expecting after an uncharacteristic one-night stand.

The unplanned pregnancy cracks open all the relationships in her life. Eve’s loyal friendship with Willa is feeling off , right when she needs her most. And it’s Willa’s steadfast older brother, Shep, who steps up to help. He has always been friendly, but now he’s checking in, ordering her surprise lunches, listening to all her complaints, and is… suddenly kinda hot? Then there’s the baby’s father, who is supportive but conflicted. Before long, Eve is rethinking everything she thought she knew about herself and her world.

Over the course of nine months, as Eve struggles to figure out the next right step in her expanding reality, she begins to realize that family and love, in all forms, can sneak up on you when you least expect it.

Tags: Friends to Lovers / New-to-Me Author / Oopsie Babies

Links: Amazon / Goodreads

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13TH FEBRUARY 2024

The Catch by Amy Lea

In a last ditch attempt to rescue her brand from the brink of irrelevance, fashion influencer Melanie Karlsen finds herself in a rural fishing village on the east coast of Canada. The only thing scarier than nature itself? Burly fisherman Evan Whaler – who single-handedly disproves the theory that Canadians are ‘nice’.

After a boating incident lands Evan in the hospital, Mel is mistaken for his fiancée by his welcoming yet quirky family. And, in exchange for Evan’s help with her social media content, Mel agrees to fake their engagement for just. one. week.

But reeling in their budding feelings for each other proves more difficult than expected.

Is Mel willing to sacrifice her picture-perfect life in the city for a chance at true love in the wild?

Tags: Fake Dating

Links: Amazon UK / Goodreads

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13TH FEBRUARY 2024

Fangirl Down (Big Shots #1) by Tessa Bailey

Wells Whitaker was once golf’s hottest rising star, but lately, all he has to show for his “promising” career is a killer hangover, a collection of broken clubs, and one remaining supporter. No matter how bad he plays, the beautiful, sunny redhead is always on the sidelines. He curses, she cheers. He scowls, she smiles. But when Wells quits in a blaze of glory and his fangirl finally goes home, he knows he made the greatest mistake of his life.

Josephine Doyle believed in the gorgeous, grumpy golfer, even when he didn’t believe in himself. Yet after he throws in the towel, she begins to wonder if her faith was misplaced. Then a determined Wells shows up at her door with a wild proposal: be his new caddy, help him turn his game around, and split the prize money. And considering Josephine’s professional and personal life is in shambles, she could really use the cash…

As they travel together, spending days on the green and nights in neighbouring hotel rooms, sparks fly. Before long, they’re inseparable, Wells starts winning again, and Josephine is surprised to find a sweet, thoughtful guy underneath his gruff, growly exterior. This hot man wants to brush her hair, feed her snacks, and take bubble baths together? Is this real life? But Wells is technically her boss and an athlete falling for his fangirl would be ridiculous… right?

Tags: Favourite Author / Unusual Sports Romance (Golf)

Links: Amazon UK / Goodreads

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13TH FEBRUARY 2024

Fish Out of Water by Katie Ruggle

Why date a mountain man? Because he knows how to pitch a tent.

When Dahlia Weathersby’s sister disappears on what should have been a simple day hike, Dahlia immediately heads deep into the Colorado Rockies to find her. Knowing she’ll never survive the mountains alone, she convinces the local hermit—adorably grouchy survival expert Winston Dane—to be her guide. All it takes is a good helping of Dahlia’s charm…and just the teeniest bit of blackmail…before she’s got all six-foot-something of him wrapped around her finger. But even with her very own mountain man in tow, things aren’t going to be easy. There are:

Long hikes through gorgeous wilderness? Check.

Bears? Check.

A single shared sleeping bag? Check.

Enough sparks to set the Rockies ablaze? Check, check, check.

With everything the wilderness has to throw at them, it’ll take more than charm and some city girl ingenuity to make this trek anything but a disaster waiting to happen…and an adventure she’ll never forget.

Tags: New-to-Me Author / One Bed

Links: Amazon UK / Goodreads

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13TH FEBRUARY 2024

Girl Abroad by Elle Kennedy

When nineteen-year-old Abbey Bly gets the opportunity to study abroad for a year in London, it’s the perfect chance to finally slip out from under the thumb of her beloved but overbearing retired rock star father. She’s ready to be free, to discover herself – but first off, to meet the girls she’s rooming with. That is, until she arrives at her gorgeous new flat to discover those roommates are actually all boys. Charming, funny, insufferably attractive boys. And off-limits, with a rule against fraternizing between housemates after unwanted drama with the previous girl.

Abbey has never considered herself a rule-breaker. But soon, she’s lying to her father about her living situation and falling for not one, but two men she can’t have: her rugby-player roommate and a broody musician with a girlfriend. Not to mention, her research for school has gotten her tangled in a deeply hidden scandal of a high nobility family, surrounding her in secrets on all sides.

If there’s any hope of Abbey finding love, answers, or a future in London, she’ll have to decide which rules – and hearts – might be worth breaking . . .

Tags: College / Favourite Author

Links: Amazon UK / Goodreads

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13TH FEBRUARY 2024

Hannah Tate, Beyond Repair by Laura Piper Lee

Hannah Tate can hardly believe her sleep-deprived eyes when she finds an engagement ring hidden in the closet. Killian, her super responsible, incredibly attractive boyfriend—and the father of her new baby, Bowie—is finally going to propose. But a romantic night out goes horribly wrong when Killian reveals he’s dumping Hannah, not proposing.

Furious and heartbroken, Hannah takes Bowie and moves in with her mama and stepdaddy in the mountains of Blue Ridge, Georgia. Hannah realizes that her parents’ cabin has vacation property gold written all over it—and could save her mama from going broke. Again.

Only problem? The cabin’s décor is . . . mildly terrifying and it’s in desperate need of renovation. Hannah hires the hot carpenter living in the treehouse next door to fix up the place. Not only does River respect Hannah’s business acumen, he looks at her like she’s a woman, not a hot mess. And Hannah can’t deny that River awakens something new inside her.

Can Hannah embrace a future that looks different from the picture-perfect family she once dreamed of . . . and maybe start living life on her own terms?

Tags: Cabin in the Woods / New-to-Me Author / Love Under Construction

Links: Amazon UK / Goodreads

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20TH FEBRUARY 2024

Till There Was You by Lindsay Hameroff

Culinary student Lexi Berman, 24, has one goal: to make her late mother proud by becoming an executive chef in a Michelin-star restaurant. And she isn’t going to let anything–or anyone–get in the way. But when she meets Jake Taylor, a dive bar musician who charms her with show tunes, she makes a rare exception to her no-dating rule. After a steamy weekend together, Jake leaves for L.A. to record his demo, and Lexi never expects to see him again. And she definitely doesn’t expect him to become an overnight celebrity, with a breakout single that’s almost certainly about her famous blueberry pancake recipe.

As Jake’s star rises and the world speculates about the subject of his song, Lexi keeps the affair to herself. After all, she’s finally found her footing at her new restaurant job, and even has a prospective romance with her co-worker. But when a distraught Jake turns up on her doorstep late one night, her carefully-laid plans are thrown for a loop. Though she and Jake try to be friends, things between them soon reheat faster than a bowl of Lexi’s matzah ball soup. But a relationship with Jake means risking her face in tabloids, withstanding cruel internet comments, and worst of all, jeopardizing her career. As Jake’s upcoming tour approaches, and rumours swirl about him and another pop star, Lexi has to decide if holding onto her meticulously-planned future is worth walking away from what could be the perfect recipe for love.

Tags: Chefs / Fictional Musicians / Jewish / New-to-Me Author / Second Chance

Links: Amazon UK / Goodreads

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29TH FEBRUARY 2024

A Villa with a View (Romantic Escapes #11) by Julie Caplin

Lia Bathurst had always dreamed of escaping to the white sandy beaches and turquoise blue seas of the Amalfi coast – but that dream hadn’t included meeting her real father. A father she had never even known about until a few weeks ago! Yet here she was, standing outside the gates of a gorgeous pink villa being refused entry by the insufferable – and insufferably handsome – Raphael Knight, her father’s business manager.

When an old black and white photo proves Lia’s claim to be true, Raph is determined to make sure this stranger, with her long caramel waves and infectious smile, doesn’t have an ulterior motive. Even if that means not letting her out of his sight.

As temperatures rise, and not just from the heat of the Mediterranean sun, could Lia and Raph’s forced proximity lead to something more like… amore?

Tags: Italy

Links: Amazon UK / Goodreads

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Next Month in Books – October 2023

There are 9 x amazing new releases coming out in October 2023. I’m excited about all of them but especially ‘Emergency Contact’ by Lauren Layne & Anthony Ledonne (24 October) and ‘The Christmas Book Club’ by Sarah Morgan (26 October) because Lauren and Sarah are my all-time favourite authors.

As usual, if you’ve got any suggestions for October 2023 releases I might have missed out on, please let me know in the comments or by e-mail at louisehallbooks@gmail.com.

Until next time, happy reading x

Note: I don’t get paid for including any of the links below, they’re just the books I’m most looking forward to being published each month.

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3RD OCTOBER 2023

A Little Magic (Sugar Valley #1) by Lindsey Lanza

Nine years to fall in love. Eight nights to learn the truth. One chance to rewrite the past.

Ellie Klein fled Vermont after graduating high school, and she hasn’t been back since. Not to see her overbearing parents nor her distant brother, not even to visit her temperamental cat and beloved dog. And most importantly, she hasn’t been back to see Theo Fox. Her first love and brother’s best friend has been but a distant and painful memory for the last seven years.

When Ellie’s travel site lands her back where it all began, her goal is to get in and out without seeing anyone from before. But life has other plans when she’s caught in a blizzard that leaves her seeking refuge in a cabin owned by none other than the infamous Theo.

Theo Fox has been winning collegiate hockey and NHL championships since Ellie disappeared, but all he really wants is a second chance with the woman he can’t stop loving. When she shows up unannounced in Vermont, he’s determined to find out why she left and never returned. And if he has a little magic on his side, how to get her back.

Tags: Brother’s Best Friend / Cabin in the Woods / Christmas / Hanukkah / Jewish – New-to-Me Author / Second Chance / Sports Romance (Ice Hockey)

Links: Amazon UK / Goodreads

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3RD OCTOBER 2023

A Winter in New York by Josie Silver

When Iris decides to move to New York to restart her life, she realizes she underestimated how big the Big Apple really is—all the nostalgic movies set in New York she’d watched with her mom while eating their special secret-recipe gelato didn’t quite do it justice.

But Bobby, Iris’s best friend, isn’t about to let her hide away. He drags her to a famous autumn street fair in Little Italy, and as they walk through the food stalls, a little family-run gelateria catches her eye—could it be the same shop that’s in an old photo of her mother’s?

Curious, Iris returns the next day and meets the handsome Gio, who tells her that the shop is in danger of closing. His uncle, sole keeper of their family’s gelato recipe, is in a coma, so they can’t make more. When Iris samples the last remaining batch, she realizes that their gelato and her gelato are one and the same. But how can she tell them she knows their secret recipe when she’s not sure why Gio’s uncle gave it to her mother in the first place?

Iris offers her services as a chef to help them re-create the flavor and finds herself falling for Gio and his family. But when Gio’s uncle finally wakes up, all of the secrets Iris has been keeping threaten to ruin the new life—and new love—she’s been building all winter long.

Links: Amazon UK / Goodreads

Tags: Foodies / New-to-Me Author

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3RD OCTOBER 2023

Eight Dates and Nights by Betsy Aldredge

New Yorker Hannah Levin is allergic to exactly two things, horses and tinsel. Unfortunately, she’s surrounded by both this Hanukkah when, thanks to a freak snow storm, she’s stranded in the small town of Rosenberg, Texas, visiting her grandmother, who she hasn’t seen in years due to family drama.

Super lonely, missing latkes and reliable wi-fi, she follows the scent of fried potatoes and wanders into an old deli where she meets the only other Jewish teen in town, Noah, who happens to be equal parts adorable and full of annoying, over the top Hanukkah spirit that he’s determined to share with Hannah, one ugly, itchy Hanukkah sweater at a time.

She makes him a deal, she’ll help him save his family’s deli, which is practically the only Jewish remnant in a town that once had a thriving community of European immigrants, if he’ll leave her to sulk in peace. However, after a spectacularly memorable kiss Hannah wonders if there’s more to Hanukkah, this community, and even her grandmother than she thought.

Links: Amazon UK / Goodreads

Tags: Hanukkah / Jewish / New-to-Me Author

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3RD OCTOBER 2023

Wreck the Halls by Tessa Bailey

Melody Gallard may be the daughter of music royalty, but her world is far from glamorous. She spends her days restoring old books and avoiding the limelight (one awkward tabloid photo was enough, thanks). But when a producer offers her a lot of money to reunite her mother’s band on live tv, Mel begins to wonder if it’s time to rattle the cage, shake up her quiet life… and see him again. The only other person who could wrangle the rock and roll divas.

Beat Dawkins, the lead singer’s son, is Melody’s opposite—the camera loves him, he could charm the pants off anyone, and his mom is not a potential cult leader. Still, they might have been best friends if not for the legendary feud that broke up the band. When they met as teenagers, Mel felt an instant spark, but it’s nothing compared to the wild, intense attraction that builds as they embark on a madcap mission to convince their mothers to perform one last show.

While dealing with rock star shenanigans, a 24-hour film crew, brawling Santas, and mobs of adoring fans, Mel starts to step out of her comfort zone. With Beat by her side, cheering her on, she’s never felt so understood. But Christmas Eve is fast approaching, and a decades-old scandal is poised to wreck everything—the Steel Birds reunion, their relationships with their mothers, and their newfound love.

Links: Amazon UK / Goodreads

Tags: Christmas / Favourite Author / Fictional Musicians / Reality TV / Second Chance

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17TH OCTOBER 2023

Friends Don’t Fall in Love by Erin Hahn

Lorelai Jones had it all, a thriving country music career and a superstar fiancé. Then she played one teenie tiny protest song at a concert and ruined her entire future, including her impending celebrity marriage. But five years later, she refuses to be done with her dreams and calls up the one person who stuck by her, her dear friend and her former fiancé’s co-writer and bandmate, Craig.

Craig Boseman’s held a torch for Lorelai for years, but even he knows the backup bass player never gets the girl. Things are different now, though. Craig owns his own indie record label and his songwriting career is taking off. If he can confront his past and embrace his gifts, he might just be able to help Lorelai earn the comeback she deserves―and maybe win her heart in the process.

But when the two reunite to rebuild her career and finally scratch that itch that’s been building between them for years, Lorelai realizes a lot about what friends don’t do. For one, friends don’t have scratch-that-itch sex. They also don’t almost-kiss on street corners, publish secret erotic poetry about each other, have counter-top sex, write songs for each other, have no-strings motorcycle sex, or go on dates. And they sure as heck don’t fall in love… right?

Links: Amazon UK / Goodreads

Tags: Country Music / Fictional Musicians / Friends to Lovers

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17TH OCTOBER 2023

What You Do to Me by Rochelle B. Weinstein

Journalist Cecilia James is a sucker for a love song. So when she stumbles across a clue to the identity of the muse for one of rock’s greatest, she devotes herself to uncovering the truth, even as her own relationship is falling apart.

While writing an article for Rolling Stone, Cecilia works to reveal the mystery that has intrigued fans and discovers a classic tale of two soulmates separated by fate and circumstance. Rock star Eddie Vee once sang with his soul, dedicating love songs to Sara Friedman, his inspiration and first love. Now, Eddie takes refuge in anonymity, closed off to the past. Sara, too, has distanced herself from their love, moving thousands of miles away to live the life she once railed against. As Eddie and Sara tentatively open up to Cecilia about broken dreams, she struggles to give them a happy ending. In the process, she learns that broken hearts can be healed—even her own.

Links: Amazon UK / Goodreads

Tags: Fictional Musicians / Jewish / New-to-Me Author / Second Chance

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24TH OCTOBER 2023

Emergency Contact by Lauren Layne & Anthony Ledonne

Katherine, an ambitious NYC attorney, gets diagnosed with a concussion and must be monitored for 48 hours to make sure it doesn’t get worse. Unfortunately, she forgot to update her emergency contact so the person they call is her ex-husband, Tom. Unable to be left alone, Katherine reluctantly agrees to travel to Chicago with Tom for the holidays. But thanks to a blizzard, what should have been a quick plane ride turns into an antagonistic overnight misadventure that stirs up old feelings even as Tom prepares to propose to his girlfriend on Christmas Eve.

Links: Amazon UK / Goodreads

Tags: Christmas / Favourite Author – Second Chance

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26TH OCTOBER 2023

The Christmas Book Club by Sarah Morgan

Side Note: Since I live in the U.K., the release dates in these Next Month in Books blog posts are always for the U.K. ‘The Christmas Book Club’ was published in the U.S. as ‘The Book Club Hotel’ on 19 September 2023.

Every year, Erica, Claudia, and Anna reunite for their book club holiday. They’re bonded by years of friendship and a deep love of books, but there is still so much they keep from each other . . . A perfect Christmas escape

At the cosy Maple Sugar Inn, Hattie specialises in making her guests’ dreams come true, but this Christmas all she wants is to survive the festive season. Between running the inn and being a single mother, Hattie is close to breaking point. The start of a brand-new story…?

Over the course of an eventful week, Hattie sees that the friends are each carrying around unspoken truths, but nothing prepares her for how deeply her story will become entwined in theirs.

Links: Amazon UK / Goodreads

Tags: Christmas / Favourite Author

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31ST OCTOBER 2023

The Graham Effect (Campus Diaries #1) by Elle Kennedy

As you can probably tell from the Ohana Girls, I love it when authors write spin-offs about the next generations of favourite families/friend groups (i.e. Cloverfield Farms by Melanie Harlow and Single in Seattle by Kristen Proby) and Gigi, the FMC in The Graham Effect, is the daughter of Hannah & Garrett from The Deal (Off-Campus #1).

Gigi Graham has exactly three goals: qualify for the women’s national hockey team, win Olympic gold, and step out of her famous father’s shadow. So far, so good, except for two little things. Fine–a little thing and a big, grumpy thing. She needs to improve her game behind the net, and she needs help from Luke Ryder.

Ryder is six-foot five, built, opinionated, rude…and sexy as hell. But he’s still the enemy.

Briar’s new hockey co-captain has his reasons, though. The men’s team just merged with a rival program, leaving Ryder with an angry roster where everyone hates one another’s guts. To make matters worse, the summer coaching spot he’s angling for with the legendary Garrett Graham is out of reach after he makes the worst possible first impression on his hero. So, really, this compromise with Gigi is win-win. He helps her make the national team, she puts in a good word with her dad.

The only potential snag? This bone-deep, body-numbing, mind-spinning chemistry they’re trying to ignore. It’s a dangerous game they’re playing, but the risks just might be worth it.

Links: Amazon UK / Goodreads

Tags: College / Favourite Author / Sports Romance (Ice Hockey)

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