New Publication Review: Nobody Puts Romcoms In The Corner by Kathryn Freeman

The perfect pick me up romcom for fans of Beth O’Leary, Sophie Kinsella and Sophie Ranald!
Sally is a classic romantic and Harry is a classic cynic, but when a drunken bet leads the new flatmates to (badly) recreate ‘the lift’ from Dirty Dancing, and the video goes viral (#EpicRomcomReenactmentFailure), they both realise there’s potential financial benefit in blundering their way through the romcom lexicon for their suddenly vast social media following.

Now, as Harry and Sally bring major romcom moments to new life – including recreating that classic diner scene – their faking it turns to making…out and suddenly they’re living a real life romcom of their own! But like all the greatest love stories, the road to happily ever after is paved with unexpected challenges for this hero and heroine…

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For lovers of Romantic Comedy films, "Nobody Puts Romcoms in the Corner" is the perfect book. Sally, the heroine, and her friends are also huge fans of romcoms and frequently reference them. Sally, a coffee shop owner, needs a room-mate to help pay her bills, and Harry, who is dealing with an ex-girlfriend who refuses to leave his house, needs a place to stay. When they meet, Harry thinks Sally is a little strange, but he agrees to live with her on a short-term basis.

The book is filled with humorous romantic comedy scene re-enactments, as well as a grumpy man who doesn't believe in love living with a woman who wants the whole package of love, marriage, and family. The story is entertaining and full of hilarious dialogue and heat. However, it is not all light and fluffy as there are some heavy moments.

The author develops Sally's character well, and we learn that she has had to grow up quickly after her parents passed away. Her friends are always there for her, but her sister is a bit of a spoiled brat. Sally believes in love and romantic relationships, which is why she loves romcoms so much. Harry, on the other hand, has never experienced true love and frustrates Sally and the reader in equal measures!

As the story progresses, Sally convinces Harry to re-enact more romcom scenes in hopes of earning some cash, and they become closer. However, there is tension between them because Harry told Sally he didn't believe in love, and Sally wants the whole #swept off her feet” package. When things turn for the worst, Sally walks away, and their relationship becomes more complicated.

Overall, a laugh aloud, engaging, sexy novel between two fun protagonists with combustible chemistry.

***arc generously received courtesy of the publisher One More Chapter via NetGalley***

New Publication Spotlight: How to Keep a Husband for 10 Days by Jessica Hatch

Pretending to be married to the man you were married to… How hard can it be?!

When Lina’s oldest friends unexpectedly announce they’re coming to stay, she has to think fast. No one knows she and her husband Brown are breaking up, and so she persuades him to act as if they aren’t… After all, how hard can it be to pretend to be married for ten days?

Turns out, a lot harder than she thought. On day one, she strikes so many couple poses that she throws her back out. On day two, she gets muscle spasms from smiling too hard at her husband’s jokes. On day three, she almost has a heart attack when she puts her hand far too high up his thigh at the dinner table. And on day four, when she accidentally grazes Brown’s lips when aiming for his cheek, she almost passes out in the middle of the restaurant.

By day five, Lina is starting to realise there’s a thin line between love and hate. And while she can try to fool her friends, she can’t fool her heart. Was she too hasty calling time on her marriage? Is this more than make believe? And does she even have enough time to find out if Brown feels the same?

This absolutely hilarious and totally addictive romcom is perfect for fans of Ali Hazelwood’s The Love Hypothesis, Christina Lauren’s The Unhoneymooners, and Emily Henry.

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A housing complex, a community of friends, and the burden of pretending to be something you are not. It's a dilemma for Lina, as she and her soon-to-be ex-husband, Brown act like the ever-loving couple everyone thinks they are. but ultimately, are they deceiving their friends or themselves?

Set in Jacksonville, Florida, the author makes the reader aware of the setting and culture of the area, as we become acquainted with the protagonists and the many secondary characters. The timeline jumped back and forth, from the past and present, delving into the relationships the characters have with the protagonists and how their reunion is taking shape. As Lina and Brown constantly try to fool their friends, the narrative is therefore littered with their mishaps, as they fake their togetherness, all in the name of a worthy cause.

Additionally, there's a strong sense of community spirit and how a group of people living in the same budget apartment building forged believable friendships. This aspect surprised me, as I expected to read a rom-com focusing mostly on Lina and Brown. Yes, there is a satisfying, happy ending despite the narrative not panning out how I expected.

Overall, I love the idea of this novel. The author has written a pleasant, enjoyable, and solid book. Yet somehow, it lacks a certain, je ne sais quoi for me.

***arc generously received courtesy of Bookouture via NetGalley***

Book Cover Reveal: The Rules of Dating My Best Friend's Sister by Vi Keeland & Penelope Ward

Title: The Rules of Dating My Best Friend's Sister

Authors: Vi Keeland & Penelope Ward

Genre: Standalone Contemporary Romance

Cover Design: Sommer Stein, Perfect Pear Creative

Photographer: Ashraf El Bahrawi

Model: Giorgos Mavrogiannis, @gio_mavrogiannis

Release Date: April 3, 2023

From New York Times bestselling authors Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward comes a new standalone romance.

Rule number one for dating your best friend’s sister: Don’t.

Just don’t do it.

Especially when your best friend is dead and the last thing he made you promise him was that you’d keep an eye on his little sister, but not too good of an eye.

As a musician whose longest committed relationship was six weeks, I, Holden Catalano, was the last guy on Earth who should’ve been messing around with Laney Ellison.

The super smart girl whom I affectionately dubbed Lala since childhood was always off limits.

Though that didn’t stop me from thinking about her over the years, especially those times when the two of us would sneak out onto the roof and talk for hours after my buddy fell asleep. It was innocent, but I’d always held a torch for her.

After Ryan passed away, I vowed to always protect Lala. That included protecting her—from me.

Now all grown up and a scientist, Lala needed a place to stay when she accepted a temporary research position in New York. I thought I did the right thing by offering her an apartment in the building I co-owned with my three friends.

Except having her close by reignited all of those old feelings.

And things started to get complicated.

Especially since she was engaged.

And especially since, lately, I’d noticed something more in her eyes. Desire.

Lala didn’t exactly look at me like the platonic brother figure I was trying so desperately to be, even though I wanted her more than I’d ever wanted anything.

Yet, I was being good—on my very best behavior.

But you know what they say…all good things must come to an end, right?

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VI KEELAND

Vi Keeland is a #1 New York Times, #1 Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author. With millions of books sold, her titles are currently translated in twenty-seven languages and have appeared on bestseller lists in the US, Germany, Brazil, Bulgaria and Hungary. Three of her short stories have been turned into films by Passionflix, and two of her books are currently optioned for movies. She resides in New York with her husband and their three children where she is living out her own happily ever after with the boy she met at age six.

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Penelope Ward is a New York Times, USA Today and #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author of contemporary romance. 

She grew up in Boston with five older brothers and spent most of her twenties as a television news anchor. Penelope resides in Rhode Island with her husband, son, and beautiful daughter with autism. 

With over two million books sold, she is a 21-time New York Times bestseller and the author of over thirty novels. Her books have been translated into over a dozen languages and can be found in bookstores around the world.

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Book Cover Reveal: Savage Beasts by Rani Selvarajah

Title: Savage Beasts: Medea retold 

Author: Rani Selvarajah

Publisher: One More Chapter

Publication Date: 25th May 2023

Set in 1757, Calcutta is on the brink of war and the East India Company, led by the fearsome Sir Peter Chilcott, is quickly advancing. The Nawab’s neglected daughter, Meena, is desperate to escape her gilded cage and when she meets the intriguing James Chilcott, nephew of Sir Peter, she finds herself falling under his spell.

James is different from the white men she has been taught to fear, and the lovers find themselves fleeing Calcutta with blood on their hands and stolen gold in their pockets. As Meena finds herself in a foreign land with no one to turn to, she is forced to find out what she is willing to sacrifice when love turns to hate.

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