Ties That Tether by Jane Igharo

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When a Nigerian woman falls for a man she knows will break her mother’s heart, she must choose between love and her family.

At twelve years old, Azere promised her dying father she would marry a Nigerian man and preserve her culture even after emigrating to Canada. Her mother has been vigilant about helping--forcing--her to stay well within the Nigerian dating pool ever since. But when another match-made-by-mom goes wrong, Azere ends up at a bar, enjoying the company and later sharing the bed of Rafael Castellano, a man who is tall, handsome, and white.

When their one-night stand unexpectedly evolves into something serious, Azere is caught between her growing feelings for Rafael and the compulsive need to please her mother who will never accept a relationship that threatens to dilute Azere's Nigerian heritage.

Azere can't help wondering if loving Rafael makes her any less of a Nigerian. Can she be with him without compromising her identity? The answer will either cause Azere to be audacious and fight for her happiness or continue as the compliant daughter.

Source: paperback borrowed from library

I'd been waiting to get my hands in this novel and did not waste any time with it as I finished it in a day!

Azere is a smart, talented young woman who has a great job, wonderful friends and a tight-knit family. As an emigrant, she's had to find a way to balance her native Nigerian roots with the new roots she had to establish in Canada. She's also had to make promises to her parents to live up to their expectations, one of them being that she'll marry a Nigerian. Mind you, this is a promise Azere made when she was a young 12 year-old. Her mother has held her to that since and continuously introduces her to a revolving door of eligible Nigerian men. One such date goes terribly south, so Azere heads to the hotel bar where she ends up making great conversation with Rafael who's travelling to Toronto on business. They close the bar and stumble into bed with each other. She just broke her promise but she can't feel sorry for that because she enjoyed herself.

While she'd like to keep this one night stand firmly in the past, everything goes awry when it turns out that Rafael is her new co-worker AND ..... she's pregnant! There's no way she can explain this to her mom - the white guy she slept with who's very much not Nigerian, and that she's preggo by said white guy - without all hell breaking loose. All of this sudden chaos brings Azere to a fork in the road where she has several questions to ask of herself before she can pick her direction: Who is she? What does she want? And whom is she trying to please?

It was so easy to read this because the story moves along at a good pace. And it was also difficult because of all the nasty stuff being thrown her way by her own mother. She's unsurprisingly angry at Azere and disappointed. There are a lot of complicated emotions tied up in their relationship and I've got to say, I was not fond of her mother at all. Yes, I admire her strength at moving to a new country and building a new life with her daughters. What got me riled up was how she treated Azere. No matter what Azere accomplished professionally or personally, it would be insignificant next to her duty to get married. At no point during all the matchmaking did her mother stop to consider Azere's feelings. Azere might have made that promise but she was a child with no experience of the world when she made it. Azere's mother was not my favorite person and her attitude made my blood boil every time. 

Azere and Raphael's relationship goes through several tough hurdles between the surprise pregnancy and their families and work. There's also Raphael's own painful past that he hasn't shared with Azere that causes a rift between them. It's not the only thing working against them but they definitely have an uphill battle.

I liked the realness of this story and how both their strong cultural backgrounds felt like a third main character in here. Having strong ties to one's cultural heritage is important and admirable, and for those of us who don't have that, enviable. How Azere and Raphael come to a resolution and find what works for them, their equilibrium, was fascinating to me. I also liked Igharo's writing which went smoothly from the first page. I enjoyed reading Ties That Tether and hope to read more from Jane Igharo in the future!

~ Bel

A Lowcountry Bride (Brides of Lowcountry #1) by Preslaysa Williams

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A heartwarming Avon debut of love, forgiveness, and new beginnings set in the beautiful South Carolina Lowcountry.

Maya Jackson has worked for Laura Whitcomb, Inc, a renowned New York City bridal gown brand, for years and dreams of becoming Head Designer. She has the talent; she just needs a chance to showcase her unique style. Due to an illness, she’s always prioritized her career over her personal life until her father fractures his hip and Maya returns to Charleston, South Carolina. While home for only a few months, she’s thrilled to find an opportunity at the local bridal gown boutique, never expecting sparks to fly with its owner...

A military veteran and widowed father, Derek Sullivan hopes to save Always a Bride from bankruptcy in order to preserve the legacy of his mother. He also wants to reconnect with his estranged, twelve-year-old daughter, who is still recovering from the loss of her mother. The last thing he needs is a relationship with a beautiful, smart, complicated woman who will be leaving soon.

When Derek begins to fall for the lovely Maya, he knows there’s no future. But destiny has its own plans, and these two lonely people with big hearts discover that coming home to love is the best gift life can give.  

Source: NetGalley; ARC provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review

Preslaysa Williams' debut is about a bridal gown designer, Maya who has high ambitions to become Head Designer at the famous Laura Whitcomb brand she has worked for for years. She's hoping that her eye for detail, her creativity, and her forward-thinking vision will catch the attention and trust of her well-established employer, Laura Whitcomb. No matter how hard she works she seems to always fall just short of what her Laura needs. When Maya finds out her dad is recovering from an injury, she convinces her Laura to let her work remotely and sell her own designs out of one of the bridal gown boutiques they're scouting. The boutique is owned by widower, Derek who's balancing a floundering business and life as a single dad with a daughter who's still mourning the loss of her mother. 

I thought the storyline around Maya's career goal was on point. Every interaction with her condescending boss made me cringe. It was very obvious to me that Laura was taking advantage of her skills while also tempering any hope she might have of upward advancement. It was a lot of promises if she continues to work hard and deliver on time yet now is not a good time to promote you blather that a lot of employers do to their employees. I just didn't get why Maya didn't see that, especially because she's so determined to accomplish so much in a short period of time due to her chronic illness - sickle cell anemia. Maya here chooses to downplay her health issues by not speaking about it much and pushing through her pain whenever an episode occurs. There were times where I didn't know if I should admire her for her stubbornness or be frustrated that she'd let work or anyone come before her health. 

It's while she's staying with her dad and working at Derek's boutique that Maya starts to open her eyes to a different approach to life. Her reason for working so hard is that she wants to fulfill a promise to her mother. Her mother taught her to sew and incorporate her Filipino heritage into her designs. Her work ethic coupled with her mother's keep her motivated. Though she is career-focused, she also can't help but fall a little bit for Derek. He's a devoted father, a caring employer and just an all around decent human. He's suffered his own loss - his wife was killed in a church shooting - and Maya doesn't want to lead him on to think that there's a long future for them because her illness means she's on borrowed time.

Aside from those three biggest issues, there was more packed into this little story. Derek's daughter is resistant to him dating Maya initially but does have a change of heart eventually. At the beginning, in a conversation with Laura about working from Charleston, the conversation runs in to racist territory when Laura mentions the proximity of an African-American history museum in the vicinity of the bridal boutique is, how it's not good for the are or the business, and the possibility that the museum will be closed. Laura's flippant view of the museum, Charleston's history and the history of that particular business district, and dismissal of their importance - all done to Maya's face - is incredibly offensive. However, I did get Maya's stunned reaction and hesitation to speak up or contradict her boss. This is an area where Maya does develop a strong backbone and finally stands up to Laura. 

I thought A Lowcountry Bride was good overall but I have mixed feelings about it. I appreciated much about the characters individually but thrown all together I felt something was off. The romance didn't grab me, and I think there was a lot in the story that weighed it down. If you're looking for a romantic escape from reality (kind of what the cover implies, and the blurb downplays her illness), then this may not be the best choice. On the flip side, it is wonderful to see a character who has a chronic illness get her HFN. 

~ Bel

People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry

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Two best friends. Ten summer trips. One last chance to fall in love.

Poppy and Alex. Alex and Poppy. They have nothing in common. She’s a wild child; he wears khakis. She has insatiable wanderlust; he prefers to stay home with a book. And somehow, ever since a fateful car share home from college many years ago, they are the very best of friends. For most of the year they live far apart—she’s in New York City, and he’s in their small hometown—but every summer, for a decade, they have taken one glorious week of vacation together.

Until two years ago, when they ruined everything. They haven’t spoken since.

Poppy has everything she should want, but she’s stuck in a rut. When someone asks when she was last truly happy, she knows, without a doubt, it was on that ill-fated, final trip with Alex. And so, she decides to convince her best friend to take one more vacation together—lay everything on the table, make it all right. Miraculously, he agrees.

Now she has a week to fix everything. If only she can get around the one big truth that has always stood quietly in the middle of their seemingly perfect relationship. What could possibly go wrong?

From the New York Times bestselling author of Beach Read, a sparkling new novel that will leave you with the warm, hazy afterglow usually reserved for the best vacations. 

Source: NetGalley; ARC provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review

Poppy and Alex first met at college where her more in-you-face approach was a contrast to Alex's low key vibe. They didn't think they'd ever see each other again after that one meeting but when it turned out that they were both from the same town and that Poppy could catch a ride home with him over the holidays well, that changed things. From there sprouted a friendship that balanced the other person. As adults, they lead separate and different lives. She's in New York working for a travel blog and gets to travel all over the country and the globe, experiencing all the perks that go along with such a job. Alex is a high school teacher back in their hometown and has a steady girlfriend. Over the years, even though they live far apart, they've always committed to travelling on vacation together. It started off with small budget holidays and went from there. However, at the beginning of the novel, there's a schism between the two once close friends that's lasted for a few years. When an assignment gets handed to Poppy she uses it as an opportunity to reach out to Alex with the sincere hope of repairing the rift between them.

The story is compellingly told through two timelines - past and present - both from Poppy's perspective. The difference in the ease between the friends before and after is so painfully clear. Poppy is so eager to bring back the nostalgia and closeness they once had that she goes out of her way to be accommodating and even a little not herself on their present vacation together, the first in years. Alex is harder to read, operating in a more standoffish way only letting his guard down occasionally. It's almost unbearable to watch how much she wants this to work and get past their problem without actually addressing the problem. But things obviously do come to a head and what results is unexpected and more than what Poppy bargained for.

I absolutely enjoyed the set up, the story being told through two timelines and how it developed. Poppy is kind of a reckless character but she's so irresistibly charming. As we get to know her and Alex, you get the feeling that her recklessness is fueled by this desire to not be caught standing still. Growing up she felt like an oddball that didn't quite belong. Nothing awful happened to her but and there's something about being in the same place that makes her feel closed in, hence the love of travelling. And despite their different personalities, Alex just gets her. He's her person and she his. They just have to be brave enough to face whatever came between them.

I realized as I read this that I love stories about the changing nature of friendships - how they begin, grow, change, fall apart, are built back together. I love exploring the fragility and resilience of the people involved. Much like her debut Beach Read, Emily Henry has written a deeply engaging story that I could sink my teeth into. I genuinely cared about the outcome and Poppy's own enlightenment through the process. It's a thrill when a story flips it around on the MC because I can very much connect with that sensation when something dawns on you for the very first time and you wonder why on earth it didn't occur to you sooner. It could've spared you a lot of heartache and trouble. Poppy went in to this wanting desperately to salvage a friendship that means the world to her and came out of it salvaging herself. I'm taken with Emily Henry's way of storytelling and I definitely recommend this read!

~ Bel

Playing the Palace by Paul Rudnick

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THEIR LOVE STORY CAPTIVATED THE WORLD…THE CROWN PRINCE AND THAT GUY FROM NEW YORK

When a lonely American event planner starts dating the gay Prince of Wales, a royal uproar ensues: is it true love or the ultimate meme? Find out in this hilarious romantic comedy.

After having his heart trampled on by his cheating ex, Carter Ogden is afraid love just isn’t in the cards for him. He still holds out hope in a tiny corner of his heart, but even in his wildest dreams he never thought he’d meet the Crown Prince of England, much less do a lot more with him. Yes, growing up he’d fantasized about the handsome, openly gay Prince Edgar, but who hadn’t? When they meet by chance at an event Carter’s boss is organizing, Carter’s sure he imagined all that sizzling chemistry. Or was it mutual?

This unlikely but meant-to-be romance sets off media fireworks on both sides of the Atlantic. With everyone having an opinion on their relationship and the intense pressure of being constantly in the spotlight, Carter finds ferocious obstacles to his Happily Ever After, including the tenacious disapproval of the Queen of England. Carter and Prince Edgar fight for a happy ending to equal their glorious international beginning. It’s a match made on Valentine’s Day and in tabloid heaven. 

Source: ARC provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review

Playing the Palace is a fun rom-com that's sorely needed by anyone who's craving shenanigans and absurdity. Believe me, anything than can go wrong, will go wrong is the modus operandi here.

Carter's still smarting a little bit after his breakup (even though it happened a while ago). Every so often he still yearns for his ex. But his ridiculously fun job as an event planner leads him to the most unexpected meeting of his life - face-to-face with the dashing and handsome Prince Edgar of England. I swear this is the cutest of meet-cutes that one can ever encounter! Sparks flying. The guys being bashful. That instant I-get-you-already connection. It was all I could do not to squeal in excitement for them. And then they do start hanging out together and while it's fun, it's also just nonsensical.

As much as I enjoyed many parts of the story such as when Carter and Edgar get emotionally intimate and honest with each other, I felt like everything else happening around them was just too much. When something's going just right, it inevitably gets derailed by something else and it's usually because of some absurd thing, reason or person. Carter and Edgar are so normal and chill compared to everyone else in their lives and this includes their families. All other characters aside from these two are so extreme in personalities and mannerisms and that felt overdone to me. I also began to feel that Carter was turned into some ineffectual, haphazard influence for comedy's sake and that just didn't feel right. All the successive oopses just snowballed and became an utter mess. 

The plus side of Playing the Palace is that it's a joy to read someone of Edgar's pedigree and high-profile position be accepted by the public. He still has to walk a fine line knowing that there are some out there who find fault with his sexuality and lifestyle, but it seems less harrowing at this point in his life as he's figured out how he wants to lead his life.

Circle back to the start, you want the ridiculous, the absurd, and laugh at physical comedy, this is the rom-com for you!

~ Bel