Crazy Stupid Bromance

This series is the most enjoyable and over the top fluff. The perfect antidote for 2020! Each installment of this series focuses on a different member of the bromance book club and focuses on their romantic foibles. Crazy Stupid Bromance centers around Noah and his feelings for his best friend Alexis. Since he helped expose her previous boss for sexual harassment with his IT skills and hacking they've been inseparable. But it's clear that they both want more than friendship and neither is willing to admit it. Noah joins the bromance book club against his better wishes because he's willing to do whatever it takes to never lose Alexis. To complicate things though - Alexis finds out that she has a sister. She grew up with only her mother and never knew her father. Butt now a long lost sister wants to see if she's willing to donate a liver to save their father - a man she's never met. Where has he been her whole life? She's got a lot on her plate so good thing she has Noah to lean on. Will a new relationship strain their friendship though? As always lots of fun, witty banter, and light reading. 

In a Holidaze

Cute, charming, and a great holiday romance. I didn't love this as much as the last three Christina Lauren books I read but I only think that's because I'm not a fan of groundhog day or other book/movie tropes where you keep reliving the same days over and over again until you "learn your lesson." Honestly that was the only thing I didn't like about this book. Maelyn Jones and her family spend Christmas every year at their friend's cabin in the mountains. Their parent's friends and their kids come as well and it's like a huge extended gathering that Maelyn looks forward to every year. It doesn't hurt that she also gets to see Andrew, the boy she's had a crush on him since she was 13 (even though he's practically her brother). She royally screws everything up though when she makes out with Andrew's younger brother, Theo, while drunk and he witnesses it. She's mortified - if she could only turn back time. On their way to the airport their car is hit by a truck and she wakes up... on the plane headed to the cabin for Christmas. What? It takes a couple attempts at reliving Christmas to figure out what she's supposed to do but soon she realizes she needs to choose which of the brothers will make her happy. Witty and hilarious. I love this writing duo!

The Last Anniversary

I'm rounding up from 3.5 stars because I really needed some fluff and this hit the spot even if it didn't hit all the right notes. I'm a sucker for Liane Moriarity's writing style and I enjoy her charismatic and slightly over the top characters. When Sophie discovers that her ex-boyfriend's aunt has left her her house on Scribbly Gum Island she is confused but elated. She'd always had a soft spot for beautiful island - the fact that it was home to Australia's greatest unsolved mystery was just a bonus. Told in alternating perspectives from a myriad cast of wonky characters - The Last Anniversary is a tale of adapting to change and coming to terms with the past. For years those on Scribbly Gum Island have lived with the secret of the disappearance of Alice and Jack Munroe. Now that there is a new resident on the small island who isn't family - will the secret escape? Fortunately, Sophie is more interested in finding true love and having a baby before she hits 40 (it's approaching so quickly!). The interactions between all the characters is wonderful, absurd, and fun. A light fluffy read that is enjoyable despite being a little over the top. 

Merry and Bright

How is this not a Hallmark movie? Seriously. If Hallmark's Countdown to Christmas and You've Got Mail had a love child - Merry and Bright would be it's offspring. Merry is all work and no play she's got a few weeks left at her temp job and the overtime is killing her. She really needs the extra income so she can finish her last year of college and help out her family. She lives at home with her mother who has MS, her father, and her 18 year old brother with down syndrome - and due to all the extra hours she's been putting in at work - she hasn't even gotten to enjoy their company very much. As an early birthday gift her mother and brother Patrick buy her a subscription to an online dating service and fill out her page for her - instead of putting a picture of her up on it - they put a picture of their family dog. Their hope is that Merry will find someone who is attracted to her personality - rather than looks. To her surprise a man with a picture of his dog as his profile picture responds to her page and the two hit off. Soon the two are staying up late every night chatting. Will they ever meet and if so will they like what they see? 100% predictable and 100% sweet, charming fun. It's pure holiday fluff. 

Float Plan

I adored this book! I read it in one day. The characters were charming, quirky, and realistic. They were battling demons and weren't always the nicest to each other - but honestly - it was refreshing to see characters be so REAL.  Anna's fiancé tragically committed suicide nearly a year prior. Not only did his life end that day - so did Annas. She's been stuck inside her grief unable to cope for months. When she gets a reminder on her phone about a trip they were supposed to take together; Anna decides to be reckless and take the boat and do the trip on their sailboat solo. After one night of she realizes there is no way she can do all the island hopping by herself - she already almost crashed the sailboat in 12 hours and she still has over a month to go. She finds Keane, an experienced Irish sailor, willing to help her for free, in return for a trip to Puerto Rico. He's adrift in life as well - having lost his leg in an accident a few years prior. Once a sought after sailor - now he's reduced for begging for piddly little jobs to scrape by because most don't trust that he is able enough. At first Anna is still consumed by grief but soon she and Keane start making new memories; sunsets at sea, dolphins, weathering storms, and even finding a stray dog. Together they learn that even though the future may not be certain - the future looks a lot better when they're together. Utterly charming. A great story filled with unforgettable characters. You'll be rooting for them the whole way!

Rancho de Amor

Well written, but predictable and a little underwhelming. A New York City editor flies out to the wild west of California to find the reclusive bestselling romance author Loretta de Bonnair. Her pink covered book is sweeping the nation - everyone is reading it and it's the best selling romance book since 50 Shades of Grey. Her publishing house isn't doing too well and they think if they can tap into the romance market and snatch up this insanely popular novelist then they can stay afloat. The only trouble is they need to track her down. Catherine Doyle heads to the author's small western hometown and instead of an author finds a sexy cowboy with a swagger and a nerdy little bookkeeper. If only she could get someone who actually knew Loretta. She's not looking for love she's looking for her company's salvation. What if the answer to her troubles was right in front of her if she would just open her eyes (and her heart)? Cute, sappy, slow build with no kiss til the end. I could 100% see this being a Hallmark movie. 

Well Played

Charming, cute, and the perfect follow up to Well Met. In the first installment the author focuses Emily and her budding romance with Simon - in Well Played we finally get to see more of Stacey, the wild and fun best friend of Emily. Emily is bleach blond, flirty, fun and full of insecurities. She's stuck in a rut but she doesn't want anyone to know it. When she finds out that Emily and Simon are engaged she realizes that she needs a change. She can't live over her parent's garage forever. One night she drunkenly messages Dex - the sexy kilted man she slept with at the renaissance faire last summer and to her surprise he responds. What follows is 11 months of emails and texts as they get to know each other for real and start to fall head over heels. Only there is one big secret and when they meet up at the Willow Creek Renaissance Faire next summer their long distance romance may implode. Cute, charming, and fun - a few steamy scenes for those who are into it. I really hope there is another installment in this series focusing on April!

The Roommate

Charming, unique, and porn positive this romcom is pleasant, bubbly, and filled with great sex. When Clara Wheaton decided to flee the East Coast to rent a room with her childhood crush; she's being impulsive for the first time in her life. She's used to being the good one in her socialite family - not one start scandals or go off script. When she arrives in LA she is shocked to discover that Everett (her crush) has made alternate plans for the summer and has rented out his room to a complete stranger. Instead of cozying up to her crush for a few months she finds herself sharing a house with a bona fide porn star. To both their surprise they actually start to like each other and the housing situation isn't bad. They both like homecooked meals, action movies, and wit. But when sparks start to fly can Clara let her guard down to let Josh Darling show her what lovemaking looks and feels like? Maybe they'll find out they have even more in common then they thought if she can only let her hair down. Fun and flirty - albeit a bit "unbelievable." Sexy fluff for the win!

Tools of Engagement

Tools of Engagement wraps up the Hot and Hammered trilogy and it might be my favorite? I like the sexy cowboy the most out of all the men in the series. He's the youngest (only 23) - but he also has the most responsibility of all the men in this series. The only reason he came to Port Jefferson was because his half sister asked him to take care of her five year old daughter while she ran around the country. Taking care of a young kid is not what he envisioned with his life but he is smitten with his niece. He quickly finds a job in construction (where he meets Bethany) and is able to provide a stable environment for the little girl in his care. Bethany is sick of her brother's shit - she wants to do more than staging houses - she wants to flip one. Stephen laughs her off and she throws down the gauntlet - she's going to do her own flip and she steals one his best employees, Wes (the sexy cowboy). Wes and Bethany have amazing sexual tension but they "can't stand each other" - basically they are idiots and it's only a matter of time before the two fall into bed and into love with each other. Cute, steamy, and completely unbelievable. Great fluff! 

Love Her or Lose Her

I really wanted to like this book because I so enjoyed the first one in the "Hot and Hammered" series but honestly this second installment was a let down. The romantic progression was entirely unbelievable, it was misogynistic, and did I mention unbelievable. This married couple has mind blowing sex - constantly - they've only ever been with each other and have never even flirted with someone else, let alone bone them. The sex is constant and amazing but they never talk anymore so the wife decides to get therapy to jolt them back to the way they used to be. UGH. I'm not even inspired to write anymore about this book - I'll still read the next one - but I did not care for this one.

Intercepted

A quick fluffy romcom, that I couldn't put down. Will this win any awards? No. Was this fun? Hell yes. Marlee is one lucky girl; she's the girlfriend of an NFL star and she gets to live in a palace. The downside is she has to live in said palace (god it's ostentatious and ugly), put up with the wives of the other team players (only one girl in that group is actually worth knowing), and work around her boyfriend's dreams and plans. Plus when the hell is he going to propose already? They've been together since high school? Everything falls apart when she discovers that her boy has been cheating on her for months and who is there to catch her? The teams quarterback, the man she slept with 4 years ago. Even though she's still attracted to him and vividly remembers how good he was in bed; Marlee swears off athletes. She's had enough of them. But maybe she'll end up changing her mind. Cute, quirky, fun, and steamy. I definitely plan on reading the rest in this series!

The Unhoneymooners

This book made me LOL in real life. It was so freaking cute and witty; I read it in one afternoon and couldn't put it down. I loved the banter, I loved the characters, and I loved that even though you know exactly what's going to happen you can't stop reading because it's so much fun. When Olive is forced to go on a luxury honeymoon with her worst nemesis, her brother in law, Ethan. She isn't exactly thrilled. I mean she's pumped for the free drinks, snorkeling, and views; but gross, she has to share it with a guy who literally can't stand the sight of her. After the world's most revolting wedding where everyone except Ethan and Olive gets sick from fish (yay for shellfish allergies and buffet phobia!), Olive's twin sister INSISTS that she take the free honeymoon she won since she reuses to let it go to waste. What could wrong. A cute romcom that was delightful from start to finish. An excellent beach read :)

Well Met

A cute romcom about a college drop out turned cool aunt/chauffeur and an insufferable English teacher that takes everything too seriously slowly falling for each other over the summer. Emily didn't know that she would have to volunteer alongside her teenage niece at the Renaissance Faire, but she's going to take it in stride. The event itself is four weekends and the prep is nearly 2 months! All to play a tavern wench and put up with the insufferable Simon, a stickler for rules and period appropriate language and attire. Despite herself, Emily discovers that she's really enjoying the quality time with her niece and ogling the men in kilts and leather pants. Maybe she's even starting to develop something for the insufferable Simon too. It's cheesy and cute - the perfect summer read for theater nerds and Shakespeare fans.

Waiting for Tom Hanks

This was a cute romance but even as it was poking fun of the "outrageousness" of romcoms, it turned out to be just as unbelievable. Annie Cassidy has one religion, Nora Ephron - she worships at the alter of her and the other romantic comedy greats. Annie wishes she starred in her own romcom - then maybe she could meet a guy, but she's in Columbus, Ohio; not exactly a mecca for excitement. That is until a movie starts getting filmed in er neighborhood and she finagles her way onto set as an assistant thanks to her uncle's connections. Drew Danforth, Hollywood star and prankster, is starring in the movie and Annie is instantly attracted to him and he maybe seems to not hate here? Maybe? This could be the beginning of her own movie and romance, but of course nothing is ever easy. Cheesy, fun, witty, and definitely over the top - this light read will put you in a better mood.

Wooing Cadie McCaffrey

I really wanted to like this book, but at most I could give it a "meh." I do like to see more inspirational romance hitting the market and I think many readers may enjoy it, but it was just a little over the top for me and I didn't necessarily love either of the characters. I didn't hate them, they were just a little to underwhelming for me. Cadie McCaffrey has a great job and a great boyfriend, well great"ish." She and her boyfriend have been together for four years although the past year has been a little off. He's been working more and she thinks things are a little strained because of their "sex talk." Things reach a braking point when Will works late and misses her birthday/their anniversary that SHE COOKED and their make-up dinner a few days later goes south (of her pants!!!!).  Cadie can't handle it anymore, she wants to spend the rest of her life with him, but she is resigned to the fact that he won't ever ask her to marry him. She breaks it off and Will is shattered. He decides to watch all her favorite romcoms for inspiration and recreate some of the biggest most romantic gestures in them to win her back. Of course, nothing goes to plan and things get derailed pretty quickly. Wooing Cadie McCaffrey is a meet cute rom com with a splash of religion and a heavy dose of romantic pop culture. I didn't hate it, but I really didn't love it either.