Book Review: Cop an Attitude

By Sara Steven

Their reunion left a lot to be desired. Are they a disaster in the making or totally meant to be?

I kicked love to the curb for the greater good. After all, my soaring career would’ve made my family so proud, and men have a tendency to stop success cold. But I never expected a single and sexy police officer to pull me over, flirt with me, and then write me a ticket.

Now I see the infuriating cop everywhere I go. It doesn’t help that we have a past, and he’s an amazing dad to his daughter. And every time I want to get back to my small-town routine, I can only think about what my life would be like with the no-nonsense policeman…

I should really just forget the whole thing. But if I do, will I lose my last chance at love?

Cop An Attitude is the charming first book in the I Can’t Stop Loving You romantic comedy series. If you like engaging characters, enemies to lovers, and laughing out loud, then you’ll adore Hilary Grossman’s humorous walk on the wild side. (Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads.)

Waverly is the type of person who is constantly on go mode. She works hard and doesn’t expect that success will come easy, which means long hours at the office, putting any kind of social life and romance on the backburner. In fact, the idea of romance completely puts her off, considering her past. She seems content with continually trying to live her best life, the way she wants to live it, period. 

Pete has dealt with heartbreak of his own. It was apparent that he felt most comfortable when he knew he could put his guard up, an easier thing to do considering his single father status. His daughter means the world to him, consistently putting her first–which only aids in keeping people away. In his opinion, no one will ever be good enough for her. 

After a chance meeting, neither Waverly nor Pete can get one another out of each other’s minds, no matter what they do or what they try. It doesn’t help that the two characters know each other from childhood, and from what Pete can remember, Waverly hadn’t been kind to him, making his elementary school years a living hell.  Pete uses his profession as a police officer to antagonize Waverly, gently towing the line between unprofessionalism and reason, which made me feel irritated with him from time to time considering the prankster mentality he seems to have. While it appears he’s doing it all in the name of payback, I think it goes deeper than that. In an effort to steer clear of Waverly, it’s better to keep her at arm’s length at all cost–no matter how that is achieved. 

It was a slow burn scenario. Will they or won’t they? Can they both let go of past hurts in order to see what’s right in front of them? Can Pete forgive Waverly? While the reader gets to discover that, we also get to see the secondary friendships and relationships that aid in Waverly and Pete’s discoveries, like Sydney from Forest River PTA Moms, the previous book series written by Grossman. She is the perfect support system for Waverly. The conversation and dialogue flowed well and effortlessly, often tongue-and-cheek and humorous, particularly when Waverly is angry with Pete, and he won’t let her win. Not ever.   

I’ll admit it: when Grossman’s Forest River PTA Moms series ended, I was a bit saddened by the loss of such great characters. When you find a good book series, you never want it to end! Having said that, though, I’m really digging Cop an Attitude, and I’m looking forward to seeing what’s next in the "I Can’t Stop Loving You" series. No doubt about it: this is a five-star experience! 

Thanks to Hilary Grossman for the book in exchange for an honest review.

More by Hilary Grossman:

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Double Spotlight and Giveaway: Love and Saffron & Meet Me in the Margins

Today we are featuring two novels that are a perfect fit for this month, even if Valentine's Day is already over: Love and Saffron by Kim Fay and Meet Me in the Margins by Melissa Ferguson. Thanks to Putnam and HarperCollins, we have one copy of each for a lucky reader!

In the vein of the classic 84, Charing Cross Road and Meet Me at the Museum, this witty and tender novel follows two women in 1960s America as they discover that food really does connect us all, and that friendship and laughter are the best medicine.

When twenty-seven-year-old Joan Bergstrom sends a fan letter–as well as a gift of saffron–to fifty-nine-year-old Imogen Fortier, a life-changing friendship begins. Joan lives in Los Angeles and is just starting out as a writer for the newspaper food pages. Imogen lives on Camano Island outside Seattle, writing a monthly column for a Pacific Northwest magazine, and while she can hunt elk and dig for clams, she’s never tasted fresh garlic–exotic fare in the Northwest of the sixties. As the two women commune through their letters, they build a closeness that sustains them through the Cuban Missile Crisis, the assassination of President Kennedy, and the unexpected in their own lives.

Food and a good life—they can’t be separated. It is a discovery the women share, not only with each other, but with the men in their lives. Because of her correspondence with Joan, Imogen’s decades-long marriage blossoms into something new and exciting, and in turn, Joan learns that true love does not always come in the form we expect it to. Into this beautiful, intimate world comes the ultimate test of Joan and Imogen’s friendship—a test that summons their unconditional trust in each other.

A brief respite from our chaotic world, Love & Saffron is a gem of a novel, a reminder that food and friendship are the antidote to most any heartache, and that human connection will always be worth creating.

“Fay’s brilliant novel explores the magic of food and how one letter with a special ingredient can forge the unlikeliest of friendships—awakening the taste buds of life, meaningful friendships, and love along the way. Á table! Savor this story one delicious and heartwarming page at a time.” 
—Samantha Vérant, author of The Secret French Recipes of Sophie Valroux and Sophie Valroux’s Paris Stars
 

Credit: Cortney Kelley
Photography 2021

Born in Seattle and raised throughout the Pacific Northwest, Kim Fay lived in Vietnam for four years and still travels to Southeast Asia frequently. A former bookseller, she is the author of Communion: A Culinary Journey Through Vietnam, winner of the World Gourmand Cookbook Awards’ Best Asian Cuisine Book in the United States, and The Map of Lost Memories, an Edgar Award finalist for Best First Novel. She is also the creator/editor of a series of guidebooks on Southeast Asia. Fay now lives in Los Angeles.  

Visit Kim online:
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You’ve Got Mail meets The Proposal—this romance is one for the books.

Savannah Cade’s dreams are coming true. The Claire Donovan, editor-in-chief of the most successful romance imprint in the country, has requested to see the manuscript Savannah’s been secretly writing while working as editor herself—except at her publishing house, the philosophy is only highbrow works are worth printing and commercial fiction, particularly romance, should be reserved for the lowest level of Dante’s inferno. But when Savannah drops her manuscript during a staff meeting and nearly exposes herself to the whole company—including William Pennington, new publisher and son of the romance-despising CEO herself—she races to hide her manuscript in the secret turret room of the old Victorian office.

When she returns, she’s dismayed to discover that someone has not only been in her hidden nook but has written notes in the margins—quite critical ones. But when Claire’s own reaction turns out to be nearly identical to the scribbled remarks, and worse, Claire announces that Savannah has six weeks to resubmit before she retires, Savannah finds herself forced to seek the help of the shadowy editor after all.

As their notes back and forth start to fill up the pages, however, Savannah finds him not just becoming pivotal to her work but her life. There’s no doubt about it. She’s falling for her mystery editor. If she only knew who he was.

“Meet Me in the Margins is a delightfully charming jewel of a book that fans of romantic comedy won’t be able to put down—and will want to share with all their friends. Readers will lose themselves in Melissa Ferguson’s witty, warm tale of Savannah Cade and the perfectly drawn cast of characters that inhabits her world. This literary treat full of missed opportunities, second chances, and maybe even true love, should be at the top of your reading list!” 

—Kristy Woodson Harvey, New York Times bestselling author of Under the Southern Sky

Melissa Ferguson is the bestselling author of titles including The Dating Charade, This Time Around, and The Cul-de-Sac War. She lives in Tennessee with her husband and children in their growing farmhouse lifestyle and writes heartwarming romantic comedies that have been featured in such places as The Hollywood Reporter, Travel + Leisure, Buzzfeed, and Woman’s World. 

Visit Melissa online:
Website * Facebook * Instagram * Pinterest

How to win: Use Rafflecopter to enter the giveaway. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us. If you have trouble using Rafflecopter on our blog, enter the giveaway here. 

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Giveaway ends February 21st at midnight EST.

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Book Review: A Sunrise Over Bali

By Sara Steven

Home is where the heart is...

When Jaelee Tan leaves her high-flying PR job in Miami for a sabbatical in Bali, the last thing she expects is for it to become permanent. But when her boss demands the trip be cut short, Jae does the only thing she can think of and quits on the spot.

With two months in Bali, a new group of friends and the gorgeous scenery and beaches, Jae is determined to make the most of her new-found freedom. And when she locks eyes with hunky Scot, Alistair, Jae wonders if she’ll lose her heart to more than just a Balinese sunrise. (Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads)

While reading A Sunrise Over Bali, I felt as though some of the characters were familiar, as though I’d read about them before. Then I realized that one of Jaelee’s best friends, Cat, was the main character in That Night in Paris! I always appreciate when I am reintroduced to other well-known characters, adding a deeper layer to what Jaelee experiences when she leaves Florida behind. 

Throughout most of the story, I couldn’t help but feel envious. Sandy Barker did a fantastic job of explaining the backdrop of Bali, making me wish for my own sabbatical. The synopsis mentions gorgeous scenery and beaches, but we also get to see even more through Jaelee’s viewpoint; tropical businesses, great food, with a delectable coffee shop just five minutes or so down the road. It’s obvious that Jaelee left behind a very stressful, complicated life in Miami, endearing the reader to her situation. Yet, after she quits her job, she’s unsure of whether the trip was really ever a sabbatical, or a way for her to heal from past wounds and hurts. 

I loved Jaelee’s new friends. I often feel that the right people come into your world when you least expect it, and are there for you in whatever capacity you might need at that time, and this was proven true within the story. There are moments with Cat, of course, that remind of the close ties of a long-lasting friendship, and then there are the budding friendships that have the potential to last a lifetime, and it was sweet to see. From the get go, it’s obvious that Jaelee isn’t always able to emotionally express herself, a side effect of the contentious relationship she has with her mother. So, we get to see bonds form, and walls slowly crumble, in order for Jaelee to grow. 

At first, Jaelee doesn’t think much of Alistair, or who she refers to as “Mr. Man Bun,” which I thought was pretty funny, since I feel the same way about a man bun. I’m not always a fan. At one point, she reflects inwardly: “People have layers to them,” and Alistair proves that there is much more to him than the man bun. And the six pack abs. And the sexy Scottish accent. Jaelee still isn’t sure that she’s ready to let her guard down with any man, and he’s got his own baggage to carry, too, which added an interesting mix to their budding unknown relationship status–are they friends? Potentially more than friends? In the end, Jaelee needs to decide what she wants to do–not only within her relationships, but going forward within her personal and professional life, and whether Bali (or Alistair) will play a part in those future plans. I really had a lot of fun reading A Sunrise Over Bali, the perfect warm weather (to get us through this winter) five-star read!

Thanks to Rachel's Random Resources for the book in exchange for an honest review.

Purchase Links:
Amazon UK * Amazon US * Amazon AU * Amazon CA * Waterstones * Foyles * Google Play * iBooks

Sandy Barker is a writer, traveler and hopeful romantic with a lengthy bucket list, and many of her travel adventures have found homes in her novels. She’s also an avid reader, a film buff, a wine lover and a coffee snob. 

Sandy lives in Melbourne Australia with her partner, Ben, who she met while travelling in Greece. Their real-life love story inspired Sandy’s debut novel One Summer in Santorini, the first in the Holiday Romance series with One More Chapter, an imprint of HarperCollins. 

The series continues in That Night in Paris and A Sunset in Sydney. The next two books in the Holiday Romance series will be out in 2022, followed by The May Ladies’ Christmas, a follow-up to The Christmas Swap, the standalone novel that celebrates her favourite time of the year.

Visit Sandy online:
Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram

Visit all the stops on Sandy's blog tour:

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What's in the (e)mail

Melissa:
The Tobacco Wives by Adele Myers from William Morrow (NetGalley)
Mika in Real Life by Emiko Jean from William Morrow (NetGalley)
Josh and Gemma Make a Baby by Sarah Ready from Swift and Lewis (NetGalley)
Ten Years by/from Pernille Hughes (NetGalley)
The Holiday Plan by Emma Lynden from Harpeth Road Press (print)

Mr. Perfect on Paper by Jean Meltzer from MIRA (NetGalley)

Adult Assembly Required by Abbi Waxman from Berkley (NetGalley)

Stone Broke Heiress by Danielle Owen-Jones from Bookouture (NetGalley)

Dream On by Angie Hockman from Gallery (NetGalley)

By the Book by Jasmine Guillory from Hyperion Avenue (NetGalley)

Hello, Molly! by Molly Shannon from Ecco (NetGalley)

The Grooms Wore White by Charlie Lyndhurst from Hera Books (NetGalley)

Thank You for Listening by Julia Whelan from Avon (NetGalley)

Notes on Your Sudden Disappearance by Alison Espach from Henry Holt (print)

The Do-Over by Bethany Turner from HarperCollins (ebook)

Summer of Georgie by/from Kerry Crisley (print)

So Happy for You by Celia Laskey from Hanover Square Press (print)

Sara:

The Stepchild by Nicole Trope from Bookouture (NetGalley)

Summer at the Cape by RaeAnne Thayne from Get Red PR (NetGalley)

The Custard Tart Cafe by the Sea by Isabella May from Rachel's Random Resources (ebook)

Jami:
The Displacements by Bruce Holsinger from Riverhead (NetGalley)

Marisa:

Our Last Days in Barcelona by Chanel Cleeton from Berkley (ebook)

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Spotlight: A Mother's Secret

 

A gripping, emotional book that asks the question: What does it take to be a parent?

Brand new from the bestselling author of The Last Days of Us

In one split second, Aidan Whelan’s perfect world is changed forever when his wife Rowan and three-year old daughter Milly are involved in tragic accident.

Helena O’Herlihy and her husband James have been struggling in their marriage but a knock on the door telling her that James has been involved in a car crash, has Helena rushing to his side.

When Aidan and Helena bump into each other at Dublin City Hospital, they soon begin to wonder if it’s more than just coincidence that brought them there. Why were Rowan and James in the car together on that fateful morning?

Through their pain and tears, they form a bond as they try to piece together what really did happen on the morning of the crash.

As the lies begin to unravel and secrets are uncovered, can Aidan save what’s left of his family and Helena her marriage?

Read an excerpt here.

Purchase Links:
Amazon UK * Amazon US

Caroline Finnerty is an Irish author of heart-wrenching family dramas and has published four novels and compiled a non-fiction charity anthology. She has been shortlisted for several short-story awards and lives in County Kildare with her husband and four young children. Her first title for Boldwood, The Last Days of Us, was published in June 2021.

Visit Caroline online:
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Randy and MJ have a passion for fashion...plus a book giveaway

We're pleased to have M.J. Rose and Randy Susan Meyers here today to talk about fashion, in honor of their recent collaboration, The Fashion Orphans. Thanks to Get Red PR, we have one copy for a lucky reader!

Photo by Doug Scofield

M.J. Rose is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author of nineteen novels, as well as three nonfiction books about marketing. Her books have been published in more than thirty countries and sold over 1.5 million copies. Rose is also a founding member of International Thriller Writers, founder of the first marketing company for authors, AuthorBuzz, and the co-founder, with Liz Berry, of 1001DarkNights.com. A graduate of Syracuse University, she is a former advertising executive who lives in New York City. 

Visit M.J. online:

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram

Randy Susan Meyers is the bestselling author of five novels, which have been translated in over twenty different countries and cited by the Massachusetts Council of the Book as “Must Read Books.” A Brooklyn-Boston mix who believes happiness requires family, friends, books, and an occasional New York bagel, she lives in Boston with her husband, where she teaches writing seminars at the Grub Street Writers' Center and at Northampton's Writer in Progress. 

Visit Randy online:

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram

Synopsis:
Gabrielle Winslow and Lulu Quattro are brought together by the death of their controlling, imperious mother – and the closet full of Chanel clothes she leaves them as their sole inheritance. As the estranged, debt-ridden sisters arrive for the reading of their late mother's will, they are shocked to learn that, instead of a sizable fortune to be split among them, they are only left with their mother’s secret walk-in closet jammed with luxury designer clothes and Chanel accessories.

Contemplating the scale of their mother's self-indulgence, the sisters can't help but wonder if Lauren Weisberger had it wrong: because it seems, the devil actually wore Chanel, not Prada. But as Gabrielle and Lulu begin to explore their mother's collection, meet and fall in love with her group of warm, wonderful friends, and find inspiring messages tucked away in her treasures - it seems as though their mother is in fact advising them from beyond – they can’t help but soften their long held prejudices, and find that in learning more about who their mother was and what she truly valued, they can also rediscover themselves and maybe, just maybe, find the capacity to heal their fractured relationship as well.

"A fabulous story that dives into the complicated relationships of family, and offers a stylish escape into the world of high fashion and Chanel. Simply captivating!"
--New York Times bestseller, Jennifer Probst 

"There is grace and redemption in this celebration of sisterhood.  There is also the allure of fashion from Rue Cambon to the city that put American style on the map. Anything is possible in New York City, including forgiveness but it is the enduring love of family that you will savor when you reach the end of this beautiful novel." 
--Adriana Trigiani, New York Times bestselling author of Tony's Wife

What is the oldest item of clothing you own?

Randy: A beautiful turquoise sleep/beach shirt with a rising sun that one of my best friends bought me as a gift almost forty years ago. The fabric must be a combo of cotton and iron, as I still wear it, and it's barely frayed.

M.J.: I have a cashmere sweater that was my mom's - it's at least 70 years old now.  

What is your favorite fashion trend from when you were growing up?

Randy: My fondest fashion memory is of saving enough money from babysitting to get a forest green wool V-neck sweater with matching green knee socks and a coordinated plaid skirt in shades of green and blue. Along with those came toggle-coats, pea jackets, and poor boy sweaters.

M.J.: Absolutely nothing - I hate the fashions from then :)

What is your go-to fashion magazine?

Randy: In Style

M.J.: Vogue 

Do you have a signature style?

Randy: For everyday casual: black jeans and a soft V-neck cashmere sweater (usually green or purple-red), red glasses, gemstone stud earrings, and a gold pendant. Dress up is a black dress, black knee-length boots, and a silk scarf. Summertime=white jeans and a lightweight button-down shirt

M.J.: Yes, lots of layered jewelry and all black clothes, shoes, bags. 

Which TV series has the best fashion, in your opinion?

Randy: Scandal, Call My Agent and Madame President. (I tracked down a bracelet from Madame President and bought it—from Millianna, a terrific small jewelry business.)

M.J.: The old Gossip Girl was amazing. These days Emily is Paris and the Sex and the City reboot are tons and tons of fun.

What is your favorite place to buy clothes?

Randy: I like shopping at small shops that carry niche designers (my favorite is Fire Opal, a local shop that carries my favorite brand, Porto.) Currently, my favorite jewelry designer is Ayesha Mayadas—I met her at a juried craft show. For a perfect (fancy-day) tee or button-down, I like AYR—for everyday comfort, I'm a GAP girl. For sleeping heaven, Hanro, justifying the price with cost-per-wear. Hanro lasts forever.

M.J.: ​Bergdorf Goodman in NYC.

Thanks to Randy and M.J. for chatting with us and to Get Red PR for sharing their book with our readers.

How to win: Use Rafflecopter to enter the giveaway. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us. If you have trouble using Rafflecopter on our blog, enter the giveaway here. 

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Giveaway ends February 15th at midnight EST.

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Book Review: The Arc

By Jami Denison

Romance continues to be the bestselling genre in fiction, ranging from Victorian-era stories about Lords and Ladies to contemporary tracts featuring multiracial and gender-fluid protagonists. But every romance asks the same question: What does it take to get to happily-ever-after? Over the years, the answers have varied dramatically.

In her debut novel The Arc, author Tory Henwood Hoen merges the worlds of dating apps, New Age culture, and 23andMe-type testing into a matchmaking service that is guaranteed (although not monetarily) to find someone their perfect match. Costing only $40,500 for women and $50,000 for men (the difference is to account for the wage gap), The Arc’s proprietary methods will finally deliver that Prince Charming or Cinderella. Does the promise of perfection make the relationship easier or harder?

Branding expert Ursula is 35, committed to her career, and vomiting on internet first dates when she learns about The Arc. Skeptical at first, she comes up with the money after hearing of one “happily ever after.” And when she first meets estate lawyer Rafael, he does seem perfect for her. It’s love at first sight, but is it built to last? When conflict rears its ugly head, this “perfect match” might be anything but.

The Arc is written in that light romcom tone familiar to readers of the genre, but the questions it brings up are anything but frivolous—and not always addressed. Although the Arc asks Ursula if she’d be willing to leave the country if her match was overseas, luckily, he was as close as the Upper East Side. (Ursula has her own cute pad in Brooklyn.) The possibility that he isn’t an Arc member at all is never discussed, nor is the question of what happens if the perfect match doesn’t have $50,000 to spend for love. Is true love reserved only for members of the upper class? Neither Ursula nor Rafael considers these points. 

When things get a little bumpy, Ursula and Rafael are stunned: They’re supposed to be perfect for each other! More than that, together they’ve sunk almost $100,000 into the relationship! Would they really be fighting if they were meant to be together? And should they stick it out because of all the money they spent? These are questions that Ursula and Rafael do ask, and they are not unique to folks who’ve spent thousands of dollars on dating apps. (I did wonder why the question of couples counseling never came up.)

Despite its warm, light tone, there were times when the writing didn’t work for me. Hoen spends pages and pages on the couple’s back stories—I know more about Ursula’s mother than I do my own—at times bringing the narrative to a grinding halt. I surmised she wanted to give readers insight into the characters to explain why they handled conflict the way they did, but I found myself skimming those pages. Similarly, the several chapters describing the beginning of the relationship were so cotton-candy sweet and conflict-free, I wanted to skip over those, too. And I was jarred when, after spending the first ten chapters in Ursula’s (third-person) point-of-view, chapter 11 opened in Rafael’s. I literally had to close the book to make sure I was still reading The Arc. (I read on a Kindle, and this has happened before.)

Still, while the book has its shortcomings, its take on how couples fight and what they fight about makes it worth the read. The Arc is a modern spin on a timeless tale. If you want a night off from your latest internet match, stay in and read it.*

(*Disclaimer: This reviewer met her husband on Match.com and therefore thinks dating apps are well worth it.)

Thanks to St. Martin's Press for the book in exchange for an honest review.

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