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

Playing the Palace by Paul Rudnick

We're excited to feature Playing the Palace, the newest release from Paul Rudnick. We have a special excerpt, too. You're just going to swoon all over this meet-cute between the Prince Edgar and Carter!

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.

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Excerpt 

Edgar had a bit of that abashed schoolboy look, but the years were lending him a man’s seriousness. When he smiled, all this fell away, and he became pure joy, maybe because he didn’t do it that often, and he surprised himself. His smile had a recklessness to it, which was why he held it in check. I’d made him smile, which was maybe the sexiest thing ever. 

“Your Highness?” I asked, and as I was saying it, I felt like a cartoon mouse dressed as a footman in a Disney animated classic. 

“Yes?” he said, as I climbed the stairs and approached him. 

“May I?” I asked, reaching toward his head. “You look great, and even more adorable than in those pictures where you’re feeding a tiger cub at the London Zoo, which made the entire world go ‘Awww’ and then donate to Save the Tigers. But you’ve got a flyaway—you know, a few strands of hair that might catch the light and mess up the video. So if I could just . . .” 

I reached out and adjusted his naturally wavy, reddish brown hair, and while trying to stay professional, I thought, “I’m touching Prince Edgar’s hair and it feels like cashmere and he’s got a few freckles across the bridge of his nose and eyelashes for days and Carter, do not even look at his lips or you’ll be arrested.” 

“There. Much better. Media-ready.” 

As I said this, Prince Edgar was reaching toward my own hair, and I flinched. 

“I’m so sorry. I was just . . . you have very nice hair as well. But I had no right, I don’t know what came over me . . .” 

Our eyes locked and I couldn’t breathe and I wanted to die because my life was peaking, but on the other hand I couldn’t wait to see what might happen next. 

My phone pinged; I’d meant to silence it and now I was shoving my hand in my pocket to find it, which never looks graceful, but as I yanked the phone free, it rang. 

“Please, take it, it might be critical,” Edgar said, with genuine kindness. 

It was my sister, Abby, who’s about to get married and calls me thirty-eight times a day for monogrammed water bottle consultations and meltdown management, which I usually love doing, only now I told her, “Abbs? I can’t talk, can I call you in just a bit?” 

“But I just texted you,” Abby insisted, “and you didn’t text me back and I’m having an epic gift bag issue—” 

“Which we will totally discuss and examine in depth,” I assured her, “but right now—” 

Edgar was smiling at me, which almost made me drop my phone as Abby yelled, “WHAT? What are you doing that’s so important you can’t help me choose between miniature foil-wrapped chocolate champagne bottles and Lucite boxes of breath mints in my signature colors—” 

“I’m . . . I’m . . .” I sputtered, “I’m at work. I love you and I think you should go with both the bottles and the mints and think about temporary tattoos of the bride’s and groom’s faces but I have to go. I’m sorry!” 

I hung up and told Edgar, “My sister.” 

“Ah. I know the dilemma. I have a brother.” 

Oh my God. Oh my God. He wasn’t politely excusing himself or summoning a security guard. In fact, he kept going, asking, “Is it just the two of you?” 

“Yes. And I adore her, but sometimes she’s, you know, a lot.” 

“As is my brother.” 

“Can I tell you something?” I said, my event-savvy instincts returning. “The way you’re talking to me right now, it’s so easy and appealing, and that’s how you should give your speech. In fact, let’s not call it a speech at all. Just make it a conversation, and pretend the audience is just a batch of friends, hanging out in your . . . castle. And remember to smile. Because your smile, oh my God . . .” 

“What?” Prince Edgar asked. “What about my smile? I think it comes across as mechanical, like I’m pretending to be attentive and fulfill my duties while really I’m just activating a royal reflex or downloading my official mindless smile function. I hate my smile.” 

He hates his smile? Is he out of his mind? If I could smile like that, I’d spend all day looking in the mirror, smiling and sending myself selfies and begging for a date. 

 

About the Author

Source: Goodreads

Paul M. Rudnick is an American playwright, screenwriter and novelist. His plays include I Hate Hamlet, Jeffrey, The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told, Valhalla and The New Century. He also wrote for Premiere magazine under the pseudonym Libby Gelman-Waxner. He is openly gay.

(Source: Goodreads bio)

 

The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba by Chanel Cleeton

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At the end of the nineteenth century, three revolutionary women fight for freedom in New York Times bestselling author Chanel Cleeton’s captivating new novel inspired by real-life events and the true story of a legendary Cuban woman–Evangelina Cisneros–who changed the course of history.

A feud rages in Gilded Age New York City between newspaper tycoons William Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer. When Grace Harrington lands a job at Hearst’s newspaper in 1896, she’s caught in a cutthroat world where one scoop can make or break your career, but it’s a story emerging from Cuba that changes her life.

Unjustly imprisoned in a notorious Havana women’s jail, eighteen-year-old Evangelina Cisneros dreams of a Cuba free from Spanish oppression. When Hearst learns of her plight and splashes her image on the front page of his paper, proclaiming her, “The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba,” she becomes a rallying cry for American intervention in the battle for Cuban independence.

With the help of Marina Perez, a courier secretly working for the Cuban revolutionaries in Havana, Grace and Hearst’s staff attempt to free Evangelina. But when Cuban civilians are forced into reconcentration camps and the explosion of the USS Maine propels the United States and Spain toward war, the three women must risk everything in their fight for freedom. 

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

It's been one of the highlights of the last few years for me to read each new novel in Chanel Cleeton's based in or about Cuba. I've delighted in the stories she's brought to life about the people in the era.

In The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba, set in the late 1800's, she introduces three women who are unyielding in their principles. There's the idealist, Grace, who has aspirations to become a journalist eager to cover the hard-hitting stories but that are only trusted to the men. Evangelina is a young Cuban woman who opposes Spanish rule and is determined to help her country get out from under its thumb. And finally, Marina who along with her husband has been fighting for the revolutionaries. In a nice bit of coming full circle, this Marina who secretly transports messages, is the ancestor of the Perez family we met in Next Year in Havana. These women's lives, so drastically different, intersect and the impact is forever life changing. 

Grace captured my attention probably because she's this wide-eyed ambitious young woman determined to succeed so she walked away from her family's money to do this on her own terms. Considering the time period, it's a courageous choice. I was especially taken with her composure. Her storyline introduced me to "yellow journalism" and the rivalry between William Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer. I can't tell you the number of times I set aside the book so I could look up more about the two men. And it's also through Grace's eyes that we see how Hearst played a role in getting America to intervene on Cuba's behalf. It's amazing how much influence he exerted. Once he heard about the plight of Evangelina Cisneros who was imprisoned by the Spanish government, he got personally involved in the plot to help her escape.

Evangelina's story both scared me and angered me. There's unfortunately not much historical information about her personal life, especially after she escapes, but Cleeton pieces together what is available to show us a picture of an impressive woman, often stoic in the face of the injustice thrown at her. Unaware at first of the media sensation that is built around her imprisonment, she becomes the poster girl and rallying cry for Cuba's freedom in America. Once she's free, she's booked for several tours around America, meeting with high-level officials and organizations to garner support among Americans for Cuba's freedom. The tone of Evangelina's story changed once she arrived in America as she went from an imprisoned woman to a woman putting on the persona that the media created for her. It made me mindful of how to this day the media does still latch onto an idea or a person, making them the face of whatever the topic is, and just runs with it. Evangelina's experience highlights that. I'll admit to being a little bored with her story as it wore on because her life in the spotlight became repetitive, and I sensed that Evangelina herself got weary of playing to the public's expectations. She probably wanted to be more directly involved in the revolutionary efforts but accepted that her role was to be the face and mouthpiece of her country and people.

Marina's is probably the most suspenseful story here. As a courier, she's tasked with delivering messages within a secret and tight-knit network of individuals plotting against Spain. Like Grace and Evangelina, she's given up the comforts of home and family. Unlike her wealthy family, she's chosen her side and fixed firmly there. She recalls stories of a thriving Cuba and longs to see that again. Marina is the everyday civilian who gives us a glimpse of a devastated country, and of its people struggling to put food on the table. Now with a resolute sense of duty, she willingly and without hesitation puts herself in the midst of danger. Her chapters were a tense experience as I was either worried for her or her daughter's safety.

Reading this felt very "real time" to me, like I was transported there to see these events unfolding. Evangelina's story, Cuba's fight for independence, America's stake in Cuba, Heart's and Pulitzer's rivalry ... all of it riveted the entire nation, and me. One common thread in all these novels is that her heroines are brilliantly resilient in the face of adversity. They wear their pride and love for country on their sleeves. Cleeton beautifully brings out the richness and complexity of Cuba's long history so it shouldn't be a surprise that The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba is as spellbinding as her previous novels. 

~ Bel