When it comes to summer, I love lounging around with a contemporary romance. Give me a good trope and breezy writing and I am totally there! The following three books are romances that I breezed through this summer — and would recommend with varying caveats.
I received this book for free from Library, Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
This post contains affiliate links you can use to purchase the book. If you buy the book using that link, I will receive a small commission from the sale.
Summer Reading by Jenn McKinlayPublished by Penguin on May 16, 2023
Genres: Fiction / Romance / Contemporary, Fiction / Romance / Romantic Comedy, Fiction / Women
Pages: 480
Format: eARC, Paperback
Source: Library, Publisher
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When a woman who’d rather do anything than read meets a swoon-worthy bookworm, sparks fly, making for one hot-summer fling in New York Times bestselling author Jenn McKinlay's new rom-com.
For Samantha Gale, a summer on Martha’s Vineyard at her family’s tiny cottage was supposed to be about resurrecting her career as a chef, until she’s tasked with chaperoning her half-brother, Tyler. The teenage brainiac is spending his summer at the local library in a robotics competition, and there’s no place Sam, who has dyslexia, likes less than the library. And because the universe hates her, the library’s interim director turns out to be the hot-reader guy whose book she accidentally destroyed on the ferry ride to the island.
Bennett Reynolds is on a quest to find his father, whose identity he’s never known. He’s taken the temporary job on the island to research the summer his mother spent there when she got pregnant with him. Ben tells himself he isn't interested in a relationship right now. Yet as soon as Sam knocks his book into the ocean, he can’t stop thinking about her.
An irresistible attraction blossoms when Ben inspires Sam to create the cookbook she’s always dreamed about and she jumps all in on helping him find his father, and soon they realize their summer fling may heat up into a happily ever after.
Summer Reading by Jenn McKinlay is an easy beach read. Although this book clocks in at nearly 500 pages, it does go fast. The story is about Samantha who is a chef. She’s back in Martha’s Vineyard for the summer to watch her little brother while her dad and stepmom take a whirlwind trip to Europe. On the ferry to the island, Samantha meets Ben and accidentally destroys the book he’s reading. It turns out that Ben is the interim library director. Sam thinks there’s no way he can be into her because due to her severe dyslexia, she is unable to really read well. And with him being a library director, he’s into books. Also, Sam. It turns out Ben is in Martha’s Vineyard not just to work but to look for the identity of his father.
The positive about Summer Reading first. I did a hybrid read of this between my eARC and the paperback from the library. The paperback is set with a dyslexia friendly font and is mindful of using bold instead of italics. I wish all books came with consideration for dyslexic people. Otherwise, this book just feel kind of flat for me. As I said, it doesn’t take long to read, but it also didn’t keep my attention. I found my mind continually wandering and I chose to do other things besides read this book. It’s an okay read but never really feels like it goes beyond the surface for the characters.
I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
This post contains affiliate links you can use to purchase the book. If you buy the book using that link, I will receive a small commission from the sale.
The Nanny by Lana FergusonNarrator: Samantha Summers, Jameson Adams
Length: 13 Hours 15 Minutes
Published by Penguin on April 11, 2023
Genres: Fiction / Romance / Contemporary, Fiction / Romance / Romantic Comedy, Fiction / Women
Pages: 432
Format: Audiobook, eARC
Source: Publisher
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A woman discovers the father of the child she is nannying may be her biggest (Only)Fan in this steamy contemporary romance by Lana Ferguson.
Suddenly unemployed and on the brink of eviction, Cassie Evans is left with two choices: get a new job (and fast) or fire up her long-untouched OnlyFans account. But the job market is terrible, and as for OnlyFans. . . . Well, there are reasons she can’t go back. Just when all hope seems lost, an ad for a live-in nanny position seems like the solution to all her problems. It’s almost too perfect—until she meets her would-be employer.
Aiden Reid, executive chef and DILF extraordinaire, is far from the stuffy single dad Cassie was imagining. He shocks her when he tells her she’s the most qualified applicant he’s met in weeks, practically begging her to take the job. With hands that make her hindbrain howl and eyes that scream sex, the idea of living under the same roof as Aiden feels dangerous, but with no other option, she decides to stay with him and his adorably tenacious daughter, Sophie.
Cassie soon discovers that Aiden is not a stranger at all, but instead someone who is very familiar with her—or at least, her body. Given that he doesn’t remember her, Cassie is faced with what feels like an impossible situation. As their relationship heats to temperatures hotter than any kitchen Aiden has ever worked in, Cassie struggles with telling Aiden the truth, and the more terrifying possibility—losing the best chance at happiness she’s ever had.
The Nanny by Lana Ferguson was quite… spicy. I probably should have had a clue about that given the summary mentions OF. This book is about Cassie, a grad student who is on the verge of bankruptcy and eviction. She ends up getting hired to be a nanny by Aiden for his daughter Sophie. As it turns out, Cassie is really attracted to Aiden and the feeling is mutual. Cassie previously worked as CiCi on her OF account and it turns out Aiden was her biggest fan. She identifies that it’s him but he has no idea she’s CiCi. Tangled webs yall.
Well, this was QUITE the book. I mean that in a good way. Cassie and Aiden have excellent chemistry. I liked their connection and just how they vibed. Also, there’s an elderly woman character who is a complete gem who I also loved. The spice is quite detailed and I thought well written. Granted, I listened to the audiobook and felt like I had to turn it down a bit driving through certain spaces and absolutely could not listen to it with children in the car. The audiobook is narrated well with Samantha Summers and Jameson Adams as the narrators. It is 13 hours 15 minutes. The story flys by and well, the connective tissue is there. I could appreciate that the third act breakup was completely different from what I expected it would be. Overall, I would recommend The Nanny by Lana Ferguson if you’re looking to see what spice reading is all about.
@aprilbooksandwine Weekly Reading Wrap Up Books mentioned: The Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros The Nanny by Lana Ferguson The Weaver And The Witch Queen by Genevieve Gornichec #aprilbooksandwine #fourthwing #rebeccayarros #readingwrapup #booksiread
♬ original sound – April Books & Wine
I received this book for free from Library, Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
This post contains affiliate links you can use to purchase the book. If you buy the book using that link, I will receive a small commission from the sale.
The Wedding at Moonglow Bay by Lori WildeNarrator: Teri Schnaubelt
Length: 9 Hours
Series: Moonglow Cove #4
Also by this author: Christmas at Twilight, I'll Be Home for Christmas, A Wedding for Christmas, The Christmas Backup Plan, Second Chance Christmas
Published by HarperCollins on March 21, 2023
Genres: Fiction / Family Life / Siblings, Fiction / Romance / Contemporary, Fiction / Women
Pages: 368
Format: Audiobook, eARC
Source: Library, Publisher
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A wedding brings a shocking surprise in New York Times bestselling author Lori Wilde’s newest Moonglow Cove novel. Perfect for fans of Susan Wiggs, Jill Shalvis, and Robyn Carr.
It wasn’t the wedding night she’d expected!
When Samantha said “I do” to Luca Ginelli, she knew she’d found a reliable soulmate—a strong, sexy man who’d stand beside her through thick and thin. And so she’d started her wedding day filled with joyful expectation, only to have her dreams shattered when the man she married years before shocking, unexpectedly, reappears, insisting she was still his wife!
Seven years before, Luca’s brother, Nick, had stubbornly set off in a sailing adventure, ignoring the pleas of his young bride and all common sense. He’d disappeared without a trace; everyone thought he was dead—but now he’s expecting to pick up where they’d left off. He’d once been Samantha’s “lightning strike,”—the person you know is the one from the moment you first see them.
But seven years is a long time and so much has changed. Now Samantha is faced with an impossible choice and no matter which decision she makes, it threatens to shred the very fabric of the one thing she holds most dear—family.
I’ve read a few Christmas themed books by Lori Wilde previously, so I was quite eager to pick up The Wedding At Moonglow Bay. As it turns out, this book was quite different from the others I’ve read by Wilde. First, The Wedding At Moonglow Bay is the fourth in the Moonglow Cove series. So, I walked into this book without a lot of context. It is about Samantha, whose husband Nick, went missing seven years ago when he went out for a sail. Now, Samantha is about to say I do to Luca, Nick’s brother. Only, her happily ever after is about to be interrupted by a man who claims he is Samantha’s missing husband, Nick. Samantha must pick which man to spend her future with.
The Wedding At Moonglow Bay is quite dramatic. I mean, you’ve got Samantha who is about to get married again when all these wild events start happening on her wedding day — including a youtuber who specializes in wedding scandals showing up at the rehearsal dinner and other wedding festivities. The choice between Luca and Nick is clear. Luca is patient, kind and mature. Meanwhile, Nick has engaged in some questionable, selfish behaviors, I thought. Samantha, by the way, is a wonderful thoughtful character. The narration was satisfactory. The audiobook narrator is Teri Schnaubelt who was totally new to me. I had no issues with the narration whatsoever and would listen to another book with the same reader. It is 9 hours unabridged and a decent listen. You do not need to read any other book from this series to be able to understand what is going on.
