Book Review: Technically Yours

By Sara Steven

Pearl Harris has learned the hard way to be careful in work and in love. When she is appointed acting director of OurCode, a nonprofit aimed at inspiring high schoolers to code, she has a chance to make lasting change for the organization, but a scandal has put their reputation at risk. Further complicating matters, Pearl didn’t expect the one man she hasn’t stopped thinking about in seven years to be the newest member of her board of directors.

Cord Matthews fell for Pearl when they met in an elevator seven years ago. She’s just his type: smart, capable, and makes him laugh, but when she broke his heart, he decided love wasn’t for him. After five years with no contact, their connection is immediate despite the many roadblocks in their way and Cord must consider breaking his ban on serious relationships. But going public with a romance between them might derail Pearl’s career and the progress she’s made at OurCode. 

Pearl and Cord both are hesitant to trust their feelings and take a risk as they grow closer, but it becomes impossible to keep ignoring the electricity between them. Cord is a skilled programmer, but a workplace romance might spell disaster for both of them, and love isn’t easily debugged. (Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads.)

I really enjoyed Technically Yours. I thought it was interesting that both characters share the same viewpoint when it comes to love and commitment, even though neither appears to see it that way. This creates a continual push-pull relationship, with Pearl doing everything she can to keep from falling deep into Cord, and Cord doesn’t want to forget the pain Pearl had put him through when she broke his heart years ago. Despite that, it’s hard to steer clear of one another. The fact that they work together makes it all the more difficult.

They decide to pursue a secret relationship–one that fulfills their surface wants and needs, without betraying the initial pact to keep from falling in love. The author provides background by giving the reader a past POV from both characters, while also bringing it back to the present, so we’re able to see the changes Pearl and Cord have made over the course of several years. Pearl notices how refined Cord has become. How much more self-assured and confident he is. Cord appreciates Pearl’s work ethic; it’s what he remembers, but she has grown into her own and appears to know her worth as a valued employee. It’s all the more reason to tread lightly, in order to preserve the jobs they have and all of the hard work they’ve put in to get to where they are in their careers.

I think people can often delude themselves into thinking they can keep their distance from those they care for, by putting up pseudo walls as a means of self-preservation. Pearl and Cord think they can work around their intense feelings and past, but they can’t, and it brings on chaos and potential heartbreak. I felt the scenarios presented here are realistic and are often scenarios that couples face when it comes to choosing between their hearts and their careers. And, should we ever feel like there has to be a choice, anyway? 

Technically Yours offered up a sweet experience between two former lovers who are given the chance to rekindle what they had, as changed characters. Pearl often laments over wanting to focus on her mind, vs. her heart given everything she’s been through in her former relationships, and the same goes for Cord, due to Pearl. Through it all, the reader gets to witness potential growth for both characters as a couple–with plenty of steamy scenes to add some extra spice to the mix! It was a definite five-star experience for me.

Thanks to Berkley for the book in exchange for an honest review.

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Spotlight and Giveaway: Two Christmas Novels

Today we are excited to share two Christmas-themed novels: The Ex-Mas Holidays by Zoe Allison and A Kentucky Hug for Christmas by Judith Natelli McLaughlin. The covers are adorable and the stories inside sound perfect for getting into the holiday mood. Thanks to Berkley and Judith Natelli McLaughlin, we have THREE sets of both books to give away!

The Ex-Mas Holidays synopsis:
Maya Bashir is dreading her drive home for Christmas and having to explain that she's just left her high-paying job and a long-term relationship, so a brief detour to her friend’s festive party doesn’t seem like such a bad idea. Until Maya walks in to find the last person she wants to see: Sam, the boy who broke her heart eight years ago. And he’s serving drinks. Naked.

Sam Holland is working an extra job on the sly to help his friend get by. But little did he expect Maya Bashir to come barreling back into his life, learning about his secret side hustle and taking back her old job alongside him at his daytime role as a ski instructor on the slopes of the Scottish Highlands.

As both Sam and Maya realize that the reason for their heartbreak so many years ago wasn’t entirely as it seemed, they must learn to stand up for what they want the most . . . or else miss their second chance at love.

“The Ex-Mas Holidays has all the Christmas trimmings: snowy ski slopes, sparkling lights, and family drama, not to mention all the hot cocoa you can drink!”

—Amy E. Reichert, author of Once Upon a December

Credit: Zoe Allison

Zoe Allison is a graduate of the RNA’s New Writers’ Scheme. Alongside her day jobs as a doctor and a writer, she started a TikTok account in 2021 where she regularly shares comedic sketches based on writing, and the romance genre in particular.

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A Kentucky Hug for Christmas synopsis:
After dumping her dead-end boyfriend, Madeline Jane Simcox leaves Nashville and an unsuccessful songwriting career to move back home. She vows to give up both men and music forever. Life in Crowns Grove, Connecticut with her mother and sister Jane will be quieter. Simpler. 
 
But she can’t escape the music. Not when she’s hired as a substitute music teacher at the local elementary school, and not when a radio station announces a contest to find a new Christmas song. Even better, it’s organized by handsome Kentucky transplant and fellow teacher Travis Montgomery, whose twang is warm enough to melt the winter snow. But Maddy didn’t move home to meet a man, especially one tied to her old nemesis. Her head tells her to stay away, but her heart speaks a different language. 
 
After an unexpected burst of creative energy, Maddy writes a catchy Christmas song. Against her better judgement, she enters it in the contest, forcing her to risk it all. 
 
Can she handle the spotlight one more time?

"A festively spun warm, sweet love story that emits Hallmark holiday movie feels! Your heart will sing with holiday cheer." 

—Kristina Rienzi, Bestselling and Award-Winning Author, 5 Happy Choices

Judith Natelli McLaughlin has been writing for as long as she can remember. The first book she ever wrote she bound with masking tape and for six-year-old Judy that was exactly how a "real" book was supposed to look. 

She still loves to write and illustrate books but she no longer uses masking tape to bind them. She publishes across genres, including children's chapter books, poetry books, middle grade, women's fiction and romance.

A native of New Jersey, Judy and her husband, Brian, call the sandy beaches of the Jersey Shore home. She has three grown, city-dwelling daughters, Katie, Lindsay, and Maggie, as well as her faithful writing companion, a West Highland White Terrier named Duke.

Visit Judith online:

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Giveaway ends December 17th at midnight EST.

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Book Review: Bad Men

By Becky Gulc

Bad Men is the first ‘feminist thriller’ by Julie Mae Cohen – you may be familiar with Julie’s other fabulous books including Where Love Lies, Dear Thing, and Summer People which are also definitely worth a read. So what is Bad Men about?

‘When it comes to bad men, there's only ever one choice...

Saffy has a secret. A secret that she is deeply ashamed of. It's not the fact that she's only killing the bad men. She is making the world a better place.

No, her secret is far worse than that. Saffy has a messy, inexplicable, uncontrollable crush. So while she's busy plotting her next murder, she also has the much harder task of figuring out how to get a boyfriend.

But if there's one thing Saffy knows, it's how to get her man...’ (Courtesy of Julie Mae Cohen's website.)

This book is hands down in my top three reads of the year and I can’t sing its praises enough! I do enjoy a thriller and this book just delivered on all counts. It is unputdownable from the opening disturbing chapter where Saffy is a child, right through to the unnerving conclusion at the end of the novel. This is a book that gripped me, surprised me, and even though it’s about a serial killer, it’s not dark in an off-putting way. 

We know early on (and from the synopsis) that Saffy thinks she is only killing those who basically deserve their fate and particularly in the opening chapter, you’d have a heart of steel to think what she did was wrong. So you do end up feeling for Saffy at least some of the time, but definitely not all! (I’m just going to say ‘dog’ here.)

When heiress Saffy starts pursuing a crush of hers (Jon, a true crime podcaster whose marriage has fallen apart due to being a workaholic) we start to see what lengths Saffy will go to get her man – with the narrative revealing just the right amount of detail to keep the reader guessing throughout about what is down to her, and what may not be. There were certainly twists and turns aplenty. It was tense, and I wanted Jon to run a mile but yet also wanted to see how it would pan out if the pair got together!

What Julie manages to do so well is keep the book so balanced – yes it’s dark in places but it’s also light-hearted and emotional too. It’s also very witty throughout! Julie, can we have a sequel please?!? Thoroughly recommended and I’m not sure this review can ever do justice to how great I found this book!

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Book Review: The Second Chance Year

By Jami Denison

I’m not the kind of person who tells off people when they’ve wronged me. Instead, I hold my tongue, worried about burning bridges and missing opportunities. Sometimes I wonder if this makes me mature or just a pushover.

Not so for Sadie Thatcher, heroine of Melissa Wiesner’s latest novel, The Second Chance Year. It’s New Year’s Eve and she’s on the couch in the NYC apartment of her brother’s best friend Jacob, where she’s been living since she lost her boyfriend and then her job, all due to her big mouth. When a friend drags her to a carnival-themed NYE party, she finds a fortune teller and wishes for a chance to do the year over. Then she goes home and kisses Jacob, the only good thing to happen the entire year. When she wakes up on New Year’s Day, she’s in her old apartment and sleeping next to her ex-boyfriend. Sadie’s wish for a second chance has come true! Will she use it to make the same mistakes that she did last year… or will this be the year that all her dreams come true? And what about Jacob?

Romantic comedies are not my top genre, but I have a soft spot for ones with magic—the body switching, the years-skipping, the ending up in the past. The Second Chance Year really stands out, because it’s not only about what a character does, it’s about who she is, and how that impacts and affects the people around her. Unlike a Sliding Doors type of story, Sadie knows it isn’t about turning right instead of left or catching an earlier train. She decides to keep her mouth shut—changing an essential part of her personality, which had always been about standing up for herself and others—in order to keep the job and the boyfriend. As the year goes on, she has to decide whether it’s worth it to transform herself into something she’s not, and to examine what those choices cost her. While most readers rarely find themselves magically transported back or forward in time (and if you have, please reach out because I’d love to hear all about it), almost all of us have questioned our reactions and choices, and wished for a do-over in certain tricky situations.  

Wiesner also digs into precisely what goads Sadie—injustice, especially when sexism is involved. Her boyfriend Alex is a Wall Street investment banker, and the men he works with are pigs. Sadie works in the restaurant industry, where women are routinely looked over and overlooked. In these situations, does speaking out help, or only make things worse? 

With heavy subject matters and deep questions about what’s right, this romantic comedy is a little light on the humor. Most of the laughs come from the missed opportunities with Jacob, and some pratfalls. But this isn’t a book that needs belly laughs, and structurally, it’s very sound, with strong plot points and reversals. I also appreciated that, unlike other books with similar premises, Sadie doesn’t take chapters to figure out what happened. She wakes up, remembers her wish, realizes it came true, and gets on with her business. With this fast pace and the book’s short chapters, The Second Chance Year is a quick and engaging read. 

Is it better to say what you feel, or keep your mouth shut and hope things get better? The Second Chance Year will make readers ask these questions, while entertaining them with a great story. Maybe next time I’ll tell off that friend who had me show her houses, but used another agent to make the offer. Maybe.   

Thanks to Forever for the book in exchange for an honest review.

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We're just getting started with Lexi Blake...plus a book giveaway

We're pleased to welcome Lexi Blake to CLC today. She has an impressive lineup of romance novels and we're featuring the first book in the Park Avenue Promise series, Start Us Up. The second book, My Royal Showmance, will be available in the summer. Thanks to Get Red PR, we have one copy of Start Us Up to share with a lucky reader!

New York Times bestselling author Lexi Blake lives in North Texas with her husband and three kids. Since starting her publishing journey in 2010, she’s sold over three million copies of her books. She began writing at a young age, concentrating on plays and journalism. It wasn’t until she started writing romance that she found success. She likes to find humor in the strangest places and believes in happy endings. (Bio courtesy of Lexi's website.)

Visit Lexi online:

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Synopsis:

Three young women make a pact in high school—

to always be friends and to one day make it big in Manhattan.

She’s a high-tech boss who lost it all…

Ivy Jensen was the darling of the tech world, right up until her company fell apart completely after she trusted the wrong person. Her reputation in tatters, she finds herself back in the tiny apartment she grew up in, living with her mom. When a group of angel investors offer her a meeting, she knows she has to come up with the new big idea or her career is over.

He’s an up and coming coder…

Heath Marino has always been fascinated with writing code. He’s worked on a dozen games and apps and is considered one of the industry’s more eccentric talents. But now he’s back in New York to spend time with his grandmother. She was known as one of the city’s greatest matchmakers, and he wants to know why. Surely there’s some kind of code in his grandmother’s methods, and he’s going to find them.

When Ivy meets Heath it’s instant attraction, but she’s got a career to get back to and he just might be her on-ramp. It could be a perfect partnership or absolute heartbreak. (Courtesy of Amazon.)

What is a favorite compliment you have received on your writing?

That reading a book of mine inspired someone to write. At least I hope that’s what they mean. It could be this book was so bad I had to write one myself, but I’m going to be optimistic here. Either way, more books get written!

How is Ivy similar to or different from you?

Well, as you can tell from my previous answer, I’ve got her sarcasm down. I think Ivy is an excellent reflection of who I was in my twenties – sans the crazy, amazing up and down career path. She’s guarded and uses sarcasm as a shield. When something good shows up in her life, she questions it. So much of that pessimism comes from her childhood, and that’s where mine comes from as well. Like Ivy, when the right man came along, I had to be convinced. The good news? She and Heath should last a while. My husband and I just celebrated 30 years together.

If Start Us Up were made into a movie, who would you cast in the leading roles?

No holds barred, I can cast anyone I like, it would be Zendaya as Ivy. She can play the full range of emotions and go from looking down on her luck to slay the red carpet in a heartbeat. She’s relatable, and I just adore her. Because I love some cute casting, I would go with Tom Holland as Heath. I mean we know they have chemistry. 

What is the last book you read that you would recommend?

I recently tore through the Four Horsemen series by Laura Thalassa. Such high stakes. The world building is impressive, and she handles the romance with a masterful hand. Pestilence is the first book, but you’ll want to read all four. 

If your life were a TV series, which celebrity would you want to narrate it? 

Amy Poehler. I feel a deep connection to her and I think her calm, no-nonsense even when there is absolutely nonsense tone fits the weirdness of my life. 

What is your favorite winter holiday dessert?

Cranberry bars. They’re made with a sugar cookie dough, some buttercream, and very tart cranberries. I love the sweet/tart combo, and cranberries always make me think of the holidays. 

Thanks to Lexi for chatting with us and to Get Red PR for sharing her 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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Book Review: The Fairytale Life of Dorothy Gale

By Allyson Bales

Dorothy “Dee” Gale is searching for a place to belong. After their globe-trotting mother’s death, Dee and her sister Toni settled with Uncle Henry and Aunt Em in Kansas, where Dee attends graduate school. But when Dee’s relationship with a faculty member, a bestselling novelist, ends in heartbreak and humiliation, she’s caught in a tornado of negative publicity. Unable to face her colleagues—or her former lover—Dee applies to the writing program at Trinity College Dublin.

Dee’s journey to Ireland leads her to new companions: seemingly brainless Sam Clery—who dropped out of college and now runs a newsagent’s shop—is charming and hot, in a dissolute, Irish poet kind of way; allegedly heartless Tim Woodman—who stiffly refused to take back his ex-fiancée—seems stuck in his past; and fiercely loyal Reeti Kaur, who longs for the courage to tell her parents she wants to teach underprivileged girls rather than work in the family business.

In a year of opportunities and changes, love and loss, Dee is mentored by powerful women in the writing program, challenging her to see herself and her work with new eyes. With her friends, Dee finds the confidence to confront her biggest fears—including her intimidating graduate advisor, who may not be so wicked after all.

Faced with a choice with far-reaching consequences, Dee must apply the lessons she’s learned along the way about making a family, finding a home...and recognizing the power that’s been inside her all along. (Synopsis courtesy of Amazon.)

This is my first Virginia Kantra book and I really, really enjoyed this wonderful reimagined modern day tale of The Wizard of Oz!  There are nods to the magical story but if you haven’t read it, watched the movie,or aren’t a fan, The Fairytale Life of Dorothy Gale is still a story you are going to want to read!  It has so much heart and Kantra’s writing really draws you in and I know you are going to love the character development and the Ireland scenery as much as I did!

This time of year I am always looking for holiday reads and getting myself into the holiday spirit.  While I am a huge lover of romantic stories, I am always looking for books that have a bit more going on than just the romance, and this read was absolutely perfect!  I also look for books that have the holidays in the storyline but need more happening with the plot and the characters.  Dee and her adventures to Ireland and all the characters met that need perfectly!  

One of my favorite festive movies is The Holiday.  This is largely because, like the holiday books I look for, the movie has the holidays in it, but that is not the central plotline.  I also love this movie and watch it every year, because of Kate Winslet’s character, Iris.  Iris is thoughtful and kind but also insecure and vulnerable and not the leading character in her own life and that is exactly like Dee in this book.  Both women have the best hearts and have so many loveable qualities but do not love themselves and I love going along with them on their journey of self discovery and growth!

Dee is from Kansas, and an aspiring writer, and she gets herself into a bit of a mess with a college professor.  She finds herself in a pretty bad place with negative publicity and heartache and decides to move to Emerald Isle Ireland.  There she meets a cast of characters that will steal your heart, and help her along on her journey.  You also get to meet her sister, and I loved how their dynamic is explored.  There is so much these characters have been through and I love how they grow and support each other.  I also loved getting a glimpse into Dee’s writing process.  The story within a story is one of my favorite themes!

I also really enjoyed the setting of this story so much!  I have always wanted to go to Ireland and Kantra’s descriptions really make you feel like you are right alongside Dee while she goes to bookstores and the Trinity college campus and cozy coffee shops. I really recommend you read the Author’s Note to hear more about Kantra’s thoughts about the book's location.

This book was the perfect read to kick off December! I also really recommend the audio.  Rachel L. Jacobs, Damian Gildea, and Christian Coulson really bring the story to life and I love all the different accents!

Thanks to Berkley for the book in exchange for an honest review.

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Spotlight and Giveaway: When We Were Enemies

Today we are pleased to feature When We Were Enemies by Emily Bleeker. The story sounds captivating and we are in love with the cover. Thanks to Kaye Publicity, we have one copy to give away!

Two women, generations apart, in the spotlight. A powerful novel about family secrets, devastating choices, and hope for the future.

Camera-shy Elise Branson is different from the other women in her matriline. Her mother is an award-winning actress. Her late grandmother, Vivian Snow, is a beloved Hollywood icon. But when Elise’s upcoming wedding coincides with a documentary being made about Vivian, Elise can’t escape the camera’s gaze. And even in death, neither can her grandmother.

It’s 1943 when Vivian, a small-town Indiana girl, lends her home front support to the war effort. As a translator in the nearby Italian POW camp, she’s invaluable. As a celebrated singer for the USO, she lifts men’s spirits and falls in love with a soldier. But behind this all-American love story is a shocking secret—one vital to keep buried if Vivian is to achieve the fame and fortune she covets.

For Elise and Vivian, what’s hidden—and what’s exposed—threatens to unravel their lives. The heart-wrenching choices they must make will change them both forever.

“As a novelist, Emily Bleeker has a genuinely impressive, narrative driven, and distinctive storytelling style that fully engages her readers from first page to last. Her latest novel, When We Were Enemies will have a special appeal to readers with an interest in comparative generational historical fiction at its very best. A memorable read throughout, When We Were Enemies is a highly recommended pick…” 
—Midwest Book Review

Emily Bleeker is the bestselling author of six novels. Combined, her books have reached more than two million readers. She is a two-time Whitney Award finalist as well as being on the Amazon Charts and Wall Street Journal bestseller lists. 

Emily lives in the northern suburbs of Chicago with her husband, their kids, and her kitten-muse, Hazel. Along with writing and being a mom, she performs with a local improv troupe, sings karaoke like no one is watching, and embraces her newfound addiction to running. 

Visit Emily online:

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram

She is available to chat virtually with book clubs!

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 December 10th at midnight EST.

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