Count on Emily Stone for a great holiday rom-com...plus a book giveaway

We're pleased to have Emily Stone back at CLC today to talk about her latest novel, Counting Down to You. Like her previous novels, this is also a Christmas rom-com. Emily had a lot to say in response to our questions and we hope you enjoy reading her answers. Thanks to Random House, we have THREE copies up for grabs, to get you into an early holiday mood! (Then again, doesn't the Christmas season start now anyway?)

Emily Stone is the author of six festive romance novels, including Always, in December and One Last Gift. Her novels have been translated into eleven languages. Emily has lived in many places over the years, including London, Wales, Cornwall, Germany and Mozambique—before finally settling down in Bristol in the UK, where she spends most of her free time with her two rescue ponies. Emily Stone is the pen name for Becky Hunter. She writes speculative romance under her own name and is also one half of co-author duo Ellis Hunter, whose debut fantasy romance Blood Bound was published in 2026. (Bio courtesy of Amazon.)

Visit Emily on Facebook and Instagram.

Synopsis:
Ali has always loved Christmas, but this year she doesn’t think she’ll make it through. Christmas was always her and her best friend Robyn’s holiday: Every year, they exchanged Advent calendars filled with challenges. Tell the hot guy at the coffee shop you like him. Delete your ex’s number. Throw out the bathroom scales.

But this Christmas, Robyn is gone, because she didn’t get the heart transplant she needed.

There is one last calendar, though—given to Ali before Robyn died, with a promise to open it in December.

The first challenge sends Ali to the Alps, where she takes a seasonal job at the ski lodge that she and Robyn had planned to visit together. But when another challenge leads her co-workers to think she’s dating her boss—the stoic, seriously hot Leo—things get complicated.

To save her embarrassment, Leo agrees to play along. As Ali spends more time with him, she realizes that he’s grieving, too. And as he helps her complete Robyn’s challenges, she starts to wonder if their fake relationship could become something real.

But the truth behind Leo’s grief could bring them closer . . . or tear them apart for good. (Courtesy of Amazon.)

"An emotional, heartfelt story." - Booklist

What is one thing you'd tell the debut novelist version of yourself?
There will be ups and downs - and that's ok! There can be a lot of panicking and stress when you're trying to carve out a career as a writer - worrying about whether this book will sell, whether you'll find readers, whether you're any good, whether you'll get another book deal... and I think knowing that it's ok for there to be peaks and troughs along the way helps a lot! 
 
What were the biggest rewards and challenges with writing Counting Down to You?
I loved coming up with the challenges that Robyn sets Ali in the advent calendar - I knew what these were all going to be before I started writing, so seeing these come to life on the page was so rewarding and fun. Leo, on the other hand, was a little bit harder. He has his own secrets and reservations, which guides a lot of his behaviour towards Ali, and because we don't get his point of view in this novel, I had to walk the line between letting him have his secrets and making sure it was clear to the reader, if not to Ali, how he feels about her... It was something I had to work on in the edits, and I hope I've done him justice in the finished book!
 
If Counting Down to You were made into a movie, which songs would you put on the soundtrack?
Oh I always find this so hard! I think I'd include "Fade Into You" by Mazzy Star, 'Champagne Problems" by Taylor Swift, "Chasing Cars" by Snow Patrol, "Belong Together" by Mark Ambor and "Like A Prayer" by Madonna - for a very specific reason! And obviously there would be some of the Christmas classics thrown in too!
 
Share a favorite winter holiday memory.
Trying to answer this is making me wonder if I have a terrible memory! The one I'm coming back to is a quieter memory - I lived with my sister and her two kids for a couple of years during the pandemic, to help out with childcare and because I was moving back to England from Mozambique and didn't have anywhere to live! It was Christmas morning, and I was sleeping on a mattress on the floor in the spare room as it didn't have a proper bed, and I remember my nieces knocking super early and creeping into my room holding their stockings. They'd come to wake me up first on Christmas morning and were so excited about the day. I don't have kids, so it was so fun to have little people waking me up and feeling their excitement, and I loved spending the morning with them drinking coffee and watching them open presents!

Which book made you fall in love with reading?
Oh so many - and I always find it really difficult to remember what book I started with, because I read back to back when I was growing up. I remember reading Eragon by Christopher Paolini and choosing not to go out with friends and stay home and read, and I loved The Northern Lights series so much that I carried all three books backpacking around Australia when I was 18, just so I could keep rereading them... 
 
What is the last thing you had a good laugh about?
I'm actually very easy to make laugh! I'm a very emotional person, but that works in my favour when it comes to comedy shows... I think probably the last thing was something to do with my little dog, who is a Pug x Pomeranian rescue dog, and has a very silly little face. She makes me laugh most days doing something or other - this morning she was playing with a puppy, and she has a very weird way of playing doing lots of spins, so I was laughing watching that! 

Thanks to Emily for chatting with us and to Random House for sharing her book with our readers.

How to win: Use KingSumo to enter the giveaway. If you have trouble using KingSumo on our blog, enter the giveaway here. If you are still having issues, please contact us.

Giveaway ends November 10th at midnight EST.

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Book Review: Set Your Life on Fire

By Melissa Amster

After ditching her cheating husband, Tasha Jensen packs her bags, cleans out their joint account, and heads for Chicago’s O’Hare Airport to catch the next flight to LA. There, falling apart and with the airport grounded by an ice storm, Tasha meets the annoyingly optimistic Carter McGee, who’s traveling to stop his ex-wife’s wedding. With time running out, they hit the road in a sketchy rental van for a chaotic seventeen-hundred-mile road trip.

Two heartbroken strangers rushing together toward the unknown—what could go wrong? Maybe everything. Between breakdowns, both automotive and emotional, arguments, and sleeplessness, they find an unlikely connection—as well as the floofiest Pomeranian puppy. Cheering them on is Carter’s matchmaking grandmother Bootsie, whose California beachfront motel is a nurturing haven for feisty, colorful, and opinionated women of a certain age.

It’s the perfect place for Tasha and Carter to take a breather and perhaps let go of the past—but can they learn to trust themselves again? (Synopsis courtesy of Amazon.)

I always enjoy a Maddie Dawson novel and was excited to get an early look at her latest, Set Your Life on Fire. 

This novel was absolutely delightful in so many ways! It was definitely quirky at times. The banter was entertaining and I loved Tasha, Carter, Bootsie, and the LaLas. Also, we can't forget about Connie. The story was full of fun and interesting surprises and I was never sure where things would end up going, which kept it from being predictable. Everything was easy to visualize, as well. I found myself laughing out loud right away and smiling throughout. 

I don't want to say too much else so as to not spoil anything. My only concern, if you can call it that, is that the road trip ended too quickly. The story still kept going, but I wouldn't have minded more wild adventures. I will say that I'd love to stay at an inn like the one Bootsie owned. It seemed like so much fun!

You will want to get your hands on this novel when it releases next week! I already can't wait to see what Maddie comes up with next.

(Trigger warnings below. May contain spoilers.)

Movie casting suggestions:

Tasha: Haley Lu Richardson

Carter: Nick Robinson

Mark: Thomas Mann

Pammy: Oona Roche

Bootsie: Andrea Martin

Thanks to Lake Union for the book in exchange for an honest review.

More by Maddie Dawson:
Let's Pretend This Will Work
Snap Out of It
Matchmaking for Beginners

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TW: Cancer. Infidelity. Physical violence (small amount). Attempted robbery.

Book Review: Two Lifetimes

By Melissa Amster

Two friends. Two lifetimes. One unfinished promise.

On the first night of Hanukkah, a brick crashes through the window of Adara Cohen’s home, breaking a sacred, defiant night of celebration. Inside, three of her children are badly injured. Outside, a small Midwestern community is forced to confront the repercussions of an act of hatred that echoes a bloodstained past.

For Adara’s closest friend, Lily Sullivan, the attack awakens more than anger.

A devoted Catholic, Lily begins to experience vivid dreams that feel like impossible memories: fragments of Nazi-occupied Poland, a Jewish boy moving through danger, and a Catholic priest making a promise that will be felt far into the future.

As Lily throws herself into stamping out hatred in her hometown, she becomes increasingly convinced her life—or her soul—is bound to Adara’s.

But some histories do not stay buried. They repeat. They reshape the future. Because some souls are destined to break the patterns of the past—if not in one lifetime, then in the next…

A sweeping, emotional novel set across dual timelines in modern-day Michigan and the Holocaust in 1940’s Poland, Two Lifetimes is testament to the enduring power of human connection, a celebration of interfaith friendship, and a poignant reminder to learn from history’s mistakes.

Since I loved I Love You, Charlie Tanner so much (reviewed here), I was thankful to get an early opportunity to read Lynne Golodner's latest novel, Two Lifetimes. This novel is highly relevant to current events and is written in dual timelines. In the present, a Jewish family is dealing with the aftermath of a targeted antisemitic attack. In the past, a priest is tasked with helping a teenaged Jewish boy get to safety during the Holocaust.

This was an interesting story overall. I felt caught up in everything that was happening, both in the past and present. I cared about all the characters and wanted to see a good outcome for everyone. The descriptions brought the story to life so well and I felt like I had a front row seat to everything going on. I could even feel the cold of the snow. There was a lot of intensity throughout this novel and the emotions came through clearly. One of the hardest parts, emotionally, was reading about the decisions made for survival during the Holocaust, as far as who got to leave and who was left behind.

I did have a few concerns, however. I felt like the characters in the past had it easy, all things considering. They had all these connections to help them get to safety instead of having to just wing it and not be caught. The way the connection worked seemed a bit forced and it would have been fine if the chapter about that had been left out so we could make our own conclusions. Finally, I didn't feel comfortable with the antagonist in the present placing the blame on one of the family members. The act of violence seemed disproportionate in that respect. I thought it was interesting how some people cared more about the antagonist's welfare than that of the victims'. That felt true to real life events too (and more than just in cases of antisemitism). 

Overall, this was a thoughtful novel and I appreciate that Lynne wrote it. She put a lot of love into this story and it showed. Definitely a worthwhile read!

Movie casting suggestions:

Adara: Dianna Agron

Lily: Odette Annable

Ben: Ben Feldman

Piotr: Thomas Doherty

David: Jason Maybaum

(Trigger warnings below. May contain spoilers.)

Thanks to Lynne Golodner for the book in exchange for an honest review.

More by Lynne Golodner:

Woman of Valor

Cave of Secrets

Forest Walk on a Friday

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TW: Child gets serious injury, bullying, death of parent, toxic relationship with parent, death at a young age

Book Review: Drama Drama Drama

By Melissa Amster

Mona is living the dream . . . until, at thirty-eight, her busy stay-at-home-mom life is upended. Her grandmother moves into assisted living, her teenager, Grace, doesn’t need her anymore, her charity work kicks her to the curb, and none of her friends are showing up for her.

Suddenly, Mona has no purpose—unless you count stress-eating. But she seems to be the only one struggling. Shy Grace—ignoring her mother’s dreams for her to join the “it kids” in drama club—is off finding her voice (and a new band) at Bubby’s retirement home and making friends. Even Bubby’s too busy fending off resident mean girls and finding romance to pay Mona much mind. Then, on top of it all, Mona’s twenty-year high school reunion goes viral for all the wrong reasons, leaving her convinced she’s wasted her life. But when tragedy strikes, she is forced to face the truth: The only person who can make you feel small is you—and sometimes you have to lose everything you thought defined you to find what truly matters.

Heartfelt, funny, and refreshingly honest, Drama Drama Drama is a celebration of second acts, self-worth, and learning to skip the drama and live your own life.

Drama Drama Drama is an enjoyable novel from start to finish. Mona's situation felt relatable in so many ways. Even though she is a bit younger than me, I still understood where she was coming from. I could also relate to Esther and Grace, even though there's a huge age gap between them and myself.  

Sometimes it seemed like Mona brought on her own drama and that could have been curbed by communicating with people about what was going on. There's a good reminder in here for why I  don't go to high school reunions. That storyline reminded me of Romy and Michele. 

It was really easy to visualize everything without the details getting in the way of the narrative. There are some important messages conveyed throughout and I feel like a lot of people could benefit from those. I liked all the Jewish joy in the story, as well. 

While it takes place in the Chicago suburbs, where I grew up, I somehow kept picturing the area where I live in Maryland. I think having more specifics would have changed that for me. The timing was off, as Mona couldn't have gone to high school in the 1990s if the story takes place now. She would have graduated in the mid-aughts, if that were the case. Neither of these concerns were deal breakers for me though. I had an advanced reader's copy, so I hope the timing was fixed for the final publication.

Overall, this is a worthwhile read that will resonate with readers, as the situations can apply to anyone even if the other details don't exactly match up to their lives. I will definitely read anything Gerilyn Bass Greenberg writes in the future!

Movie casting suggestions:

Mona: Sarah Podemski

Esther: Renee Taylor

Grace: Sunny Sandler

(Trigger warnings below. May contain spoilers.)

Thanks to Books Forward for the book in exchange for an honest review.

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TW: Death of mother, death of spouse, death of relative, mild bullying, marital tension, difficult childbirth/unplanned hysterectomy

Melissa R. Collings has a memorable new novel...plus a book giveaway

We're excited to welcome Melissa R. Collings to CLC today, to talk about her latest rom-com, The Love Operation! This novel has a really interesting premise and it is currently an Amazon First Reads pick (free for Prime, $1.99 otherwise). Thanks to Over the River PR, we have one print copy to give away!

Melissa R. Collings is an award-winning author and former spine surgery PA who traded the OR for the page. A biracial writer fascinated by life’s contradictions, she writes stories with scalpel-sharp emotional and psychological depth, reflecting complex relationships, rich representation, and the role of identity in shaping who we are. Her novels stay with you long after the last page, balancing light and dark, laughter and heartbreak.

When she is not writing, you can find Melissa chasing her two kids in Nashville, studying preventative health, or losing herself in a painting. Her imagination never fails to stir up trouble, and she lives by one philosophy: Nothing is impossible, and everything’s better with glitter―except surgical wounds.

Visit Melissa's website and subscribe to her newsletter for behind-the-scenes bookish fun, medical moments, and reader extras. You can also connect on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. 

Synopsis:

Dr. Cordelia Wren has always been in control―of her surgical career, her emotions, and especially her memories. But when she joins a cutting-edge memory enhancement study at her hospital, she gains an unexpected ability: the power to vividly relive any moment from her past. It seems like the perfect opportunity to analyze her failed relationships and finally understand why every man she’s ever loved has walked away.

There’s just one problem. Actually, three:

1.  She may have…borrowed…access to the highly restricted memory study.

2.  She’s secretly dating the hospital’s new COO while competing for chief of surgery―a relationship that could destroy both their careers if discovered.

3. Her first love has just reappeared in her life, stirring up feelings she thought she’d buried.

As Cordelia dives deeper into her past, the lines between memory and reality begin to blur. The truth she uncovers forces her to question everything she thought she knew about love, ambition, and what it means to be “in control.” With her career hanging in the balance and her heart pulled in two directions, Cordelia must decide: Should she trust the memories that have shaped her life, or finally let go of the past to embrace an uncertain future?

“I’m very picky about romance, but Melissa completely won me over―her writing is sharp, charming, and just incredibly readable in the best way.” 

―Mindy Kaling

What is a favorite compliment you've received on your writing?
One of my favorites was simply, “I felt seen.” Of course, I love hearing that someone couldn’t put a book down or that it was one of their favorite reads, but there’s something incredibly meaningful about a reader recognizing some part of themselves in a story. Fiction can make us feel a little less alone, and knowing something I wrote did that for someone is hard to beat.

How is Cordelia similar to or different from you?
I relate a lot to Cord’s controlling tendencies. I have definitely been guilty of thinking I know what’s best for other people and wanting to swoop in and fix things for them. I had to learn the hard way, just like Cord does, that other people aren’t mine to fix. I needed to turn some of that energy inward and work on myself instead.

Where we’re different is that Cord is much bolder than I am. She has serious boss energy and is not afraid to take up space, say what she thinks, or go after what she wants. I loved getting to live vicariously through that part of her.

If The Love Operation were made into a movie, who would you cast in the leading roles?
I had to do some actual homework for this one because I’m terrible at remembering actors’ names! For Cordelia, I’d love someone like Hannah John-Kamen or Jessica Lucas—someone who can pull off both formidable surgeon and slightly messy human being.

Isaac needs to be impossibly polished and charming, the kind of man who looks like he was born wearing a perfectly tailored suit. Oliver Jackson-Cohen or Matt Bomer would fit that energy beautifully.

And Benedict feels warmer and more relaxed to me—the kind of person who immediately feels familiar. I could really see Luke Bracey or Austin Stowell in that role.

Which book made you fall in love with reading?
I’m not sure I can narrow it down to one book, but Jane Austen was a huge part of it for me. I have such vivid memories of being a teenager during the summer, still in my pajamas, curled up in this black twirl chair by the window with a frozen Snickers, completely lost in one of her novels.

There was something about disappearing into those stories that made reading feel like its own little world, and I think that’s when books really became more than entertainment for me. They became somewhere I wanted to live for a while.

If your life was a TV series, which celebrity would you want to narrate it? 
Amy Poehler. She could absolutely narrate the constant overthinking, ambitious plans, questionable decisions, and general chaos with a lot of humor, but also a little affection.

I feel like she could make even the moments when I’m doing entirely too much sound both ridiculous and somehow inspiring.

Share a favorite Halloween memory.
One of my favorite Halloween traditions actually came after having kids. I love coming home after trick-or-treating, dumping all the candy out on the bedroom carpet, and watching them sort it into little piles like tiny candy accountants.

They get so excited trying new things, trading, and organizing, while I know the whole time that I’m never going to let them eat it all. Eventually, they leave their carefully sorted haul in a heap all over my floor and go to bed because they’re exhausted, which is decidedly less magical for me.

But there’s nothing like free candy from strangers, so it all ends up alright.

Thanks to Melissa for chatting with us and to Over the River PR for sharing her book with our readers.

How to win: Use KingSumo to enter the giveaway. If you have trouble using KingSumo on our blog, enter the giveaway here. If you are still having issues, please contact us.

Giveaway ends November 3rd at midnight EST.

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Book Review: A Stranger in the House

By Becky Gulc

Shari Lapena has recently become one of my go-to authors when I'm craving a psychological thriller/domestic suspense read. She has written nine novels to date, and A Stranger in the House was one I recently managed to tick off my list. It certainly didn’t disappoint.

So what is it about? Karen and Tom Krupp appear to have a happy, settled married life, but when Tom arrives home one evening, Karen is missing. Shortly afterwards, she is found following a serious car accident in a dangerous part of town, with no memory of what happened.

The police become suspicious, particularly when a body is discovered nearby. As the investigation unfolds, secrets begin to surface, and Karen’s memory loss becomes increasingly difficult to understand. Karen, Tom and their neighbour, Brigid, are drawn into a web of suspicion, forcing them to question how well they really know one another.

This was a quick, easy read with plenty of twists and shifting suspicions. I liked the uncertainty surrounding Karen’s memory loss and found myself constantly wondering whether she genuinely couldn’t remember what had happened or was hiding something. The characters aren’t always particularly likeable, but that’s part of the fun when you’re trying to work out who is telling the truth.

Lapena does a great job of creating the unsettling feeling that something isn’t quite right beneath the surface. Whilst I guessed some of the twists, there were still enough surprises to keep me turning the pages long after I told myself I'd go to sleep! 

If you enjoy domestic thrillers packed with secrets, unreliable characters and suspicious neighbours, this is definitely one to add to your reading list.

A further reminder of why Shari Lapena has become one of my favourite authors and I'm already looking forward to her next book! 

More by Shari Lapena:
Getting Away with Murder
The Couple Next Door
What Have You Done?

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Amanda Elliot makes every moment count...plus a book giveaway

 

© Cassie Gonzales 2021

We're pleased to have Amanda Elliot back at CLC to celebrate the publication of her latest holiday rom-com, Eight Ways to Say I Love You! Melissa really enjoyed her previous novel, Love You a Latke (reviewed here), and is excited to read this one soon. Thanks to Berkley, we have one copy to give away!

USA Today bestselling author Amanda Elliot lives with her family in New Jersey, where she experiments with homemade ice cream flavors, tries her best to grow vegetables in her tiny garden, and writes mysteries under the name Bellamy Rose.

Visit Amanda online:
Website * Instagram

If you're looking for the perfect Hanukkah gift this year (perhaps something you can give someone along with this novel), check out Tchotchke!

Synopsis:

This Hanukkah, Shira Levinson is returning home to New Jersey riding the high of achieving major milestones. Though she only just graduated from college, she's got her dream job and a perfect Los Angeles apartment—an actual miracle in the city of dreams.

Life has not been quite as kind to Leo David. Not only did he fail out of college, he was forced to move in with his estranged dad, who he still hates for cheating on his mom years ago. The only silver lining? Getting to see Shira, his childhood friend (and crush, though he’ll never tell her that) while she’s home for her family's holiday party.

But that's just the beginning. Over the next eight years, Shira's and Leo's lives spin them in all sorts of directions as they grow and change, taking them places they never imagined going. Sometimes those paths take them farther away from each other, and other times closer together. If they can only time it right, they might uncover a love that burns forever. (Courtesy of Amazon.)

“A sparkling and heartfelt romance between two childhood friends who just can’t quit each other.”

—Katie Naymon, author of You Between the Lines

"Eight Ways is the perfect Hanukkah Romance gift!"

—Dahlia Adler, award-winning author of Soon By You

"Like a delicious jelly donut, I didn’t want it to end!"

—Lauren Appelbaum, author of The Holiday House Swap

What is one thing you'd tell the debut novelist version of yourself? 
This is a marathon, not a sprint. My first novel came out in 2015, so I've been publishing for over 10 years now, which is wild. Back then I sweated every little thing, and I don't know if it's come with age or with my aging career, but I'm a lot calmer about everything now.

What were the biggest rewards and challenges with writing Eight Ways to Say I Love You? 
Eight Ways to Say I Love You was my first book told in multiple points of view, and it's also set over eight years, which is a long time to follow two characters. It was a challenge figuring out how to write in dual POV, first of all, with figuring out which scenes should be told from which character's perspectives and why. And it was also a challenge to fit eight years into a standard-length book without (hopefully) feeling like things were being rushed or brushed over. The reward was finishing the book itself, which I hope accomplishes those things!

If Eight Ways was made into a movie, which songs would be on the soundtrack? 
My heroine, Shira, would be very upset if the movie didn't contain cover versions of every corny Hanukkah song in existence. Taylor Swift, please sing "I Have a Little Dreidel" for me? You can make the dreidel symbolize heartbreak or something.

Tell us about a unique Hanukkah tradition you have with your family. 
When I was growing up, we'd have a Hanukkah party every year with all my cousins, and it was so much fun. I'm hoping to recreate that now that I'm an adult with kids of my own.

Which book made you fall in love with reading? 
I've been in love with reading since before I can remember, so it's hard to answer that! It was probably some picture book I don't remember. I do remember being allowed to read The Wizard of Oz aloud to my first-grade class and thinking that was a really big deal.

If your life was a TV series, which celebrity would you want to narrate it?
Patrick Page. Go watch a video of him narrating literally anything, you'll understand.

Thanks to Amanda for visiting with us and to Berkley for sharing her book with our readers.

How to win: Use KingSumo to enter the giveaway. If you have trouble using KingSumo on our blog, enter the giveaway here. If you are still having issues, please contact us.

Giveaway ends November 1st at midnight EST.

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