Something Fabulous by Alexis Hall

* * * 1/2

From the acclaimed author of Boyfriend Material comes a delightfully witty romance featuring a reserved duke who’s betrothed to one twin and hopelessly enamoured of the other.

Valentine Layton, the Duke of Malvern, has twin problems: literally.

It was always his father’s hope that Valentine would marry Miss Arabella Tarleton. But, unfortunately, too many novels at an impressionable age have caused her to grow up…romantic. So romantic that a marriage of convenience will not do and after Valentine’s proposal she flees into the night determined never to set eyes on him again.

Arabella’s twin brother, Mr. Bonaventure “Bonny” Tarleton, has also grown up…romantic. And fully expects Valentine to ride out after Arabella and prove to her that he’s not the cold-hearted cad he seems to be.

Despite copious misgivings, Valentine finds himself on a pell-mell chase to Dover with Bonny by his side. Bonny is unreasonable, overdramatic, annoying, and…beautiful? And being with him makes Valentine question everything he thought he knew. About himself. About love. Even about which Tarleton he should be pursuing.

*Source: purchased copy

Since I read my first Alexis Hall book a few years ago I've felt that I can never really go wrong reading his novels. He makes me laugh, snicker, look up words in the dictionary...I just always enjoy them. Something Fabulous somewhat rested that for me.

I loved Valentine right off the bat. Yes, he's a bit clueless about matters of the heart but his clueless heart is sincere. And he believes in duty which is why he proposes marriage to Arabella. Except Arabella is repulsed by this idea because he's doing this out of a sense of duty, and he has no genuine feeling for her. Neither does she have any for him. I commiserated with her up to this point because she shouldn't have to be in a loveless marriage. She wants romance and she should have that. It's just that she wants the drama, too. She runs off in the dead of night away from her family, from Valentine, and then her brother Bonny shows up the next morning to insist Valentine set everything right again. Bonny's worried for his twin sister since they've never been far from each other, and he knows that she was not the least bit impressed by Valentine's attempt at a marriage proposal. This is all fairly understandable. But what ensues can only be described as consistent bullying towards Valentine.

In truth, I enjoyed the story more than I was irritated by it. Arabella is a drama queen to the nth degree and I did not like any scene she was in. All her melodrama and machinations only served to torture Valentine - emotionally and physically - and put him in harm's way several times. She does this in the name of self-preservation and above all, adventure, and seems only too delighted to thrust Valentine into danger. Her behavior does not elicit sympathy in the least. Bonny messed with Valentine, too, but mostly in a teasing and crossing boundaries way. The thing is Valentine is not a bad guy. He's just oblivious, and part of that comes from the fact that he's never felt anything real before. All he has comprehended so far is that he's part of the upper class and with that comes responsibilities and expectations. He has tried to live up to them, but there's never been anything that has caused him to question his life until now. This bizarre traumatic series of events has disrupted his world so abruptly, and yet somehow, Bonny has squirreled his way into Valentine's ambivalent heart.

I want to say this was a fun read but it doesn't feel right to say that when the comedic aspect comes at the expense of Valentine's agony and abuse. A lot of it is repetitive, and while forced proximity can be an exciting trope, it feels so ... wrong here because of the other cast of characters involved. I mean, Bonny is not as terrible as his twin but it's not like he readily jumped to Valentine's defense. So I'm not particularly fond of Bonny, either, for playing along with Arabella's games.

It might sound like I'm dissing this story but I don't think Something Fabulous was a waste of time. I stuck around for Valentine and in the end I came around to Bonny, and the idea of them together. I wish their union wasn't borne out of all the chaos, but I'm certainly wishing them a happily ever after.

~ Bel

Happy Singles Day by Ann Marie Walker

* * 1/2

Single and proud of it! Oh, oops...

As a Certified Professional Organizer, everything in Paige Parker's world is as it should be. Perfect apartment, perfect office, perfect life. And now, the perfect vacation planned to honor Singles Day. After all, what's better than celebrating her pride in being single? Because who needs a man anyway? They have zero taste in quality television, leave the toilet seat up, and sleep with your best friend. No thanks. Her life is fine just the way it is.

As the owner of a now-dormant bed & breakfast, Lucas Croft's life is simple and quiet. It's only him and his five-year-old daughter, which is just the way he likes it. Because who needs a woman anyway? They nag you to clean up your stuff, want the toilet seat put down, and expect the dishes to be done the same day the meal is cooked. No thanks. His life is fine just the way it is.

But when Paige books a room that Lucas' well-intentioned sister listed without his knowledge, their two worlds collide. If they can survive the week together, they just might discover exactly what they've both been missing.

Source: library; Hoopla ebook

Paige books an impromptu vacation at the behest of her assistant who thinks that she desperately needs the break. She arrives at the bed and breakfast and it is not as advertised. Uh oh. 

Lucas is hostile towards Paige and treats her as an intruder even though she's a paying guest and he knew perfectly well that she'd be arriving. Okay yes, his sister Sophie went behind his back to post his B&B's listing but that's hardly Paige's fault. There's no way for her to turn around and hightail it out of there because, of course there'd be some massive storm that would ground all ferries to and from the mainland. We're clued in on the fact that Lucas is a widower who's still grieving his loss and has no heart to open up the B&B that was his wife's dream. But somehow these next few days of forced proximity forces Lucas and Paige to play nice and tolerate each other. One thing leads to another and then things get pretty steamy between them. Their bubble has to end eventually when she has to return to her life and he to his.

I was so prepared to love this story but I had a hard time buying in to her and Lucas as an item; and I generally like this trope. This might be kind of a spoiler but he was so hesitant to get involved with another woman let alone fall in love, then his change in attitude happened overnight because of a dream. The change was instantaneous and his intensity about getting with Paige threw me off.  Not to mention he has a five year-old he's so protective of, so while it's too early to put a label to it, the reality is that Paige is only a passing visitor and his life is on the island raising his daughter. I feel like that was entirely glossed over. Then there's the ending which perplexed me. Once again, without spoiling it, it involves a drastic life change and the grandest of gestures which felt so presumptive and risky. It all felt too much, too sudden because I didn't get a good sense of how much time had lapsed nor did I get the sense that they had been in touch since she left the island after her one-week stay. I think it needed just a little more of what happened in between. Filling in those gaps would show how the relationship developed and help make sense of the ending. At least that's what I wish for.

There are pieces of the story that I did enjoy, like Paige. She's so smart, self-assured and a kindhearted person. I was amused by her friendship with her assistant. I also like Sophie who's spunky. By the way, she owns a bookstore which is in an old fire station so that automatically makes her pretty awesome. Lucas' daughter Maddie was cute, though as with a lot of toddlers written into romances I was skeptical. Having been through 3 kids myself no amount of suspension of disbelief can make me think a child is that well-behaved, LOL. As for Lucas... I just never warmed up to him after his rude behavior at the beginning, and he'd make some offhanded remarks that rubbed me the wrong way.

I've liked what I've previously read from Walker and I did like the idea of Happy Singles Day  but in the end this was a miss for me.

~ Bel

House Rules Blog Tour by Ruby Lang

Title: House Rules

Author: Ruby Lang

Series: Uptown, #3 *easily read as a standalone

Length: approx.. 47,000 words

Genre: Contemporary Romance; Romantic Comedy

Imprint: Carina Press

On sale: February 10, 2020

Format & Price: ebook $3.99

ISBN: 9781488055164

Book Description: ROOMMATE WANTED to share a gorgeous sun-filled apartment in Central Harlem. Must love cats. No ex-husbands or wives need apply.

* * * * * * * * * *

Seventeen years ago, different dreams pulled Simon Mizrahi and Lana Kai apart. But when Lana takes a position as a chef back in Manhattan, her apartment search puts her right in her ex-husband’s path. Music teacher Simon is also hunting for a new place to live, and when Lana proposes they be platonic roomies, well…it’s not the worst idea he’s ever heard.

A sunny uptown two-bedroom sounds far more appealing than the cramped, noisy space where he’s currently struggling to work. Still, Simon has seen firsthand that Lana’s a flight risk, so he agrees on a trial basis.

Three months. With strict boundaries.

Living together again feels wonderfully nostalgic, but when the ex-couple’s lingering feelings rise to the surface, the rules go out the window.

Of course, chemistry was never their problem. But while Simon’s career feels back on solid footing, Lana is still sorting out what she wants. With their trial period soon coming to an end, they’ll have to decide if their living arrangement was merely a sexy trip down memory lane or a reunion meant to last.

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Ruby Lang is the author of the acclaimed Practice Perfect series. She is pint-sized, prim, and bespectacled. Her alter ego, Mindy Hung, wrote about romance novels (among other things) for The Toast. Her work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Walrus, Bitch, and other fine venues. She enjoys running (slowly), reading (quickly), and ice cream (at any speed). She lives in New York with a small child and a medium-sized husband. 

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< < < Excerpt > > >

She kissed him as they traveled uptown, under the too-bright lights of the rattling, rumbling 2 train, her hands stealing up past the thick collar of this coat, to his warm neck, to his hair.

“We’re disgracing ourselves,” Simon murmured, even as he nipped her earlobe and his fingers found the zip of her jacket and pulled it down. “Making out on the train, like teenagers.”

He watched the progress of the zipper avidly, as if it would reveal more than her scarf, her sweater, more layers and layers of clothing, as if he could see down to her skin. Then he tipped his tongue up to catch her again in a lush kiss.

She pushed her breast, or the area of her clothing that covered it, shamelessly into his hand, and he gave a muffled gasp that only made her wilder. The train seat felt too smooth and unsatisfying against her restless thighs.

Every stop on the walk home was marked by where they paused to kiss, where Simon pushed her up against a wall, and she ground her hips against his. A car slowed once and honked while they were pressed on the brick beside a beauty salon. Its headlights illuminated their desperate bodies, causing Lana to bury her head in the front of Simon’s coat. Simon laughed softly, an edge of incredulity in the sound.

“We should get back.”

“Yes.”

They hurried now, swinging around the corner and down the block, through the gate and up, up the stairs, the thumping of their footsteps loud and urgent. Lana couldn’t help blushing at how impatient their running sounded. She and Simon burst in the door and into their dark hallway. Before the door fully closed, they’d fallen on each other, tripping in their haste to kick off shoes and unzip and unbutton each other, to unwind. It was as if they expected someone would stop them, someone wise and mature who’d tell them to think this through. But of course, they were the adults here, they were the ones in charge.

The fact that this was a bad idea only made Lana want it more.

Copyright © 2020 by Mindy Hung

< < < Review > > > 

* * * *

House Rules is an adorable and sweet story about two exes who decide to room together out of necessity.

Lana and Simon divorced long ago. At that time, both were young and each had individual dreams that saw them going in opposite directions. They lost touch but miracles of crazy miracles, they somehow end up looking at the same apartment for rent. The unexpected reunion is awkward, it's familiar, it's ... a fortuitous coincidence? Since both of them need to find a place - she has a new job at a restaurant and she can't afford a place on her own, and he needs to leave his place that's being converted into condos - Lana suggests that they rent together. It makes sense on paper: they're not strangers and their work will have them keeping different hours so they won't get in each other's way. It's almost perfect. Well, they're not quite prepared for the onslaught of memories and warm feelings that resurface. They fall into an easy pattern and behave as if they're still together, so naturally things start to get interesting and complicated between them.

It struck me towards the end that I didn't know how much I wanted a story featuring a couple in their forties. There's a certain wisdom that comes with experience and perspective that takes away the angst of the younger years. It was lovely seeing them get reacquainted while they also had honest and heartfelt discussions about the breakdown of their marriage. Aside from their relationship they're also figuring out what the next step is in their careers. Lana is doing exactly what she's always wanted to do which is working at a trendy restaurant but when she actually takes stock of her career, or what she had dreamed of, and sets it against what she's doing in reality, she realizes that she doesn't have the energy anymore. Maybe that's an incorrect way of putting it. It's more like she's admitting to herself that she has changed and her dreams have shifted, and she wants to use her time and energy differently and in a way that feels more rewarding. That so resonated with me and that's what I absolutely loved about House Rules - whatever future they had initially envisioned for themselves they eventually found the courage to adapt those dreams to match who they had become.

This was my first Ruby Lang book and I found it to be a pleasant read. There was no drama for the sake of drama which was nice. Instead it was simply two adults coming together after some significant time apart, getting to know each other again and appreciate the individuals they had become. I can easily go for that!

~ Bel

Source: advance e-galley provided in exchange for an honest review

Headliners (London Celebrities #5) by Lucy Parker

* * * *

Sparks fly when two feuding TV presenters are thrown together to host a live morning show in Lucy Parker’s latest enemies-to-lovers contemporary romance.

He might be the sexiest man in London, according to his fan site (which he definitely writes himself), but he’s also the most arrogant man she’s ever met.

She might have the longest legs he’s ever seen, but she also has the sharpest tongue.

For years, rival TV presenters Sabrina Carlton and Nick Davenport have traded barbs on their respective shows. The public can’t get enough of their feud, but after Nick airs Sabrina’s family scandals to all of Britain, the gloves are off. They can barely be in the same room together—but these longtime enemies are about to become the unlikeliest of cohosts.

With their reputations on the rocks, Sabrina and Nick have one last chance to save their careers. If they can resurrect a sinking morning show, they’ll still have a future in television. But with ratings at an all-time low and a Christmas Eve deadline to win back the nation’s favor, the clock is ticking—and someone on their staff doesn’t want them to succeed.

Small mishaps on set start adding up, and Sabrina and Nick find themselves—quelle horreur—working together to hunt down the saboteur…and discovering they might have more in common than they thought. When a fiery encounter is caught on camera, the public is convinced that the reluctant cohosts are secretly lusting after one another.

The public might not be wrong.

Their chemistry has always been explosive, but with hate turning to love, the stakes are rising and everything is on the line. Neither is sure if they can trust these new feelings…or if they’ll still have a job in the New Year.

Source: advance e-galley provided in exchange for an honest review


Enemies-to-lovers who are forced to work together to salvage a morning show that's been receiving low ratings - sure, this will be no problem for Sabrina and Nick.  They're professional, right? They know a whole country is watching so they'll be on their best behaviour, right? Well ...

It's a tall order to ask especially of Sabrina who's always had a competitive and antagonistic relationship with Nick but especially after he revealed her family's darkest secret to the public. It was a scandal of epic proportions that she'd only just learned about herself and barely had time to digest when Nick pulled that trick and upended her world and that of her sister's, famed stage actress, Freddy Carlton whom we met in book 4. When the dust settled, Sabrina's integrity as a journalist was called into question. That's not easily forgiveable. Nick also managed to get himself into trouble when he was caught maligning their new boss live on the air. Yep. Their careers are in dire need of help but when their boss calls them in and tells them that they only way to dig out of the mess is to co-host a failing morning show, even they're hesitant to take that on. Two sworn enemies working side by side is a nightmare scenario for them but a potential ratings bonanza for the show as it would reel in viewers curious about their on-air dynamic. They're given a short period of time to turn things around and come deadline day, a decision will be made about who will get to see their career shine on.

By working in such close proximity you know they won't be able to help themselves and will get to each other. Every day on the show brings some ridiculous mishap that finds them embarrassing themselves or fanning the tabloid flames that they're actually an already an item and that they have this act going simply for ratings. The mishaps come often and it's like watching a physical comedy show. (Just wait til you meet a certain stuffed animal!) I couldn't help but laugh a few times. In between the work, Sabrina and Nick start to thaw towards each other. At some point they set aside their issues when they start to suspect that someone is sabotaging their morning show. Nothing like a bit of sleuthing to have them join forces. 

Sabrina and Nick are not a cutsie couple like Freddy and Griff. (I think Griff might have a word with me about referring to him as "cute".) I got the impression that they're more the rough and tumble type that would have it out on a wrestling mat if it came down to it.  I didn't think that there was as much witty humour in Headliners as there were in previous books, however, whenever Sabrina delivered zingers they were more biting than funny which conveyed her still blistering fury at Nick. Nick could deliver a few punches, too. Despite their strained history, there was also a lot of heat between them though they'll deny it until they're blue in the face. Nick came off as smooth and generally put together (except for that one incident that landed him in hot water). A man who has a distinct picture in his mind of his career path and what he wants his legacy to be. Like all Lucy Parker's heroines, Sabrina is impressive for her confidence and ambition. She's someone who knows her worth and doesn't suffer fools. Though he initially finds the morning show beneath him, he begins to appreciate his time on the show. It has him reconsidering his career plans and eventually calls his loyalty in to question. I liked that their individual ambitions were equally important and neither were given short shrift. Establishing trust between them is the crux of the the plot that's also filled with funny moments and loads of sexual tension that's sure to please.

This is the fifth book in the London Celebrities series and it's just as enjoyable as the rest of the books. I liked that we moved away from the stage and ventured into a different venue with television though there are lovely appearances by some fan favourites. I lit up when they came on the page remembering how fond I am of them. I adore this world that Lucy Parker has built and how she continues to creatively expand it. The fact is, I can count on her to deliver deliciously sweet, sexy and funny stories that make me feel so happy when I'm done. If there's ever a reason to escape from reality for a bit, it's this series, for sure!

~ Bel