Weekly Reads: September 23 to 29, 2024

The Pumpkin Spice Cafe by Laurie Gilmore (2023)

Contemporary romance. Book 1 of the Dream Harbor series. This book is all over my TikTok FYP and I decided to pick it up since it was one of my free audiobook copies from Libro.fm this month. It’s basically a cheesy easy-to-read romance with big city Jeanie moving to a small town to take over her aunt’s cafe. She meets local farmer Logan and they are clearly attracted to each other, but both have baggage related to finding themselves (Jeanie) and being rejected (Logan). It’s fun to learn about the whole cast of quirky town characters and get into the festive Fall spirit. If you want something that is a guaranteed low-stakes good-time, this is the book for you.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby. Audiobook provided by Libro.fm.

Shop this book via Amazon // Bookshop.org // Libro.fm

A Jingle Bell Mingle by Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone (2024)

Contemporary romance. Book 3 of the Christmas Notch series. We’re at the wedding of Bee and Nolan (from Book 1) and start with a second one night stand for adult film actor Sunny and widowed boy-band member Isaac. And then Sunny’s motel room floods and she ends up staying at Isaac’s mansion while she’s working on a screenplay. Meanwhile Isaac needs to finish writing one more album to fulfill his contract with his music studio and the dead wife card just isn’t working anymore. They peacefully cohabitate with Sunny’s cantankerous cat and try really hard not to fall in love. High steam, high chaos, and high emotion here with both Sunny and Isaac dealing with their separate feelings of grief and figuring out how to move on with their adult lives.

Advance ebook provided by Avon Books via NetGalley. Audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

The Worst Duke in London by Amalie Howard (2024)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 3 of the Taming of the Dukes series. Evangeline is a social outcast and prefers country life with her animal shelter, but her younger sister Viola is itching for a London Season. Their father insists that Viola is only allowed to go if Evangeline does too. Viola’s terrible suitor decides to use the debt he’s owed by the destitute duke, Gage, to tell him to convince and distract Evangeline. It’s a messy deal that gets even messier when Gage turns out to actually like Evangeline’s outspoken personality. Also, these two people are attracted to each other to the point of distraction, and Evangeline is the one to propose a scandalous affair. Super steamy flirty banter. Loved it.

Advance ebook provided by Forever Books via NetGalley. Audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

The Scandal of Rose by Joanna Shupe (2024)

Historical romance. Gilded Age New York. Standalone novella. Famous actress Rose refuses to become a man’s mistress and prides herself on being independent, but she hadn’t anticipated on being worn down by Moore. He’s a divorced tycoon who is uninterested in marriage again after the scandal of his previous divorce and is very happy to set Rose up in a townhouse and lavish her with gifts. Until he gets coerced into an engagement and loses Rose in the process. Quick read with tons of steam and angst.

Advance ebook provided by Joanna Shupe.

The Cinnamon Bun Book Store by Laurie Gilmore (2024)

Contemporary romance. Book 2 of the Dream Harbor series. Cozy, small-town romance. Hazel is the wallflower bookshop manager who is starting to feel the stress of her unadventurous life as her thirtieth birthday comes up. When she starts to get clues hiding on her bookshelves, she decides to follow them for an adventure and recruits Noah, the newly arrived fisherman, for assistance. He’s happy to go along with her and spend more time with her, since he’s had a massive crush on Hazel for months. However, it’s a temporary arrangement for them both because Hazel thinks that Noah isn’t interested in any commitments and Noah believes himself to be a screw-up an unworthy of commitment. It’s sweet and steamy fun times between these two as they follow the adventure clues. I enjoyed seeing Noah’s personal development through the story and learning to deal with his issues. And we get the sweetest grand gesture to cap off the story.

Advance ebook provided by One More Chapter via NetGalley. Audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.