Tag Archives: Comedy

Book Review: Musical Games (Kinloch Series, #4) by Evie Alexander

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Musical Games (Kinloch Series, #4) by Evie Alexander

A Comedic Romance Novel published by Emlin Press (01/27/23)

Summary:

Sam wants more. Bigger roles. Better roles. Making up an excuse to leave behind her life as a small-time soap opera star for a week, she heads to Scotland to meet Hollywood’s big star Brad. She meets Jamie instead, a homebody who still loves with his mother, and works at his dead-end electrician’s job day in and day out. Jamie has never left Scotland and is perfectly content to continue living with his mother, even in his late twenties. Sam’s arrival shakes up his routine and he can’t stop thinking about her. Sam can’t stop thinking about Jamie but is determined to use Brad to get ahead in her career. Will she get sidetracked by Jamie or will he be the best thing to ever happen to her life?

Keywords:

Romance, Contemporary, Standalone, HEA, Scotland, Sweet, Sex Scenes, Humor, Opposites Attract, Hollywood, Scotland, Scottish

My Review:

Another book set in the Kinloch series! I love that the author brings us a new story and new depth to characters from the other books of the series. Jamie is sweet and broody while Sam is career and future-focused. This book felt like a gender role reversal where the man is the good-looking yet sexually inexperienced main character while the woman is the lively and hot breadwinner. 

While Jamie is the hunky male hero, you’ll have to go along with the fact that he is a sex God virgin. Don’t roll your eyes but everything he learned, he learned from reading raunchy romance novels. Jamie has never had a girlfriend, never been kissed, and never had sex before. He is also poor at communicating, assumes that Sam will see how much he has fallen for her without actually saying anything, and also believes she’s too good for him and won’t want to slow down her life to accommodate him in it. I thought the relationship aspects of Jamie and how he approached his infatuation with Sam as so believable. Of course, someone who was never in a romantic relationship before wouldn’t know how to communicate with their partner! Apparently, Jamie didn’t learn how to talk to Sam about his feelings from those same raunchy romance novels. This is the kind of book and the kind of relationship-inexperienced character that makes you want to yell, “just tell her how you feel, man!” 

The idea and main plot, just like the previous books in the series, were well-executed, simple, and clean yet there’s always something going on.

I am very drawn to the romance, the writing style, and the intriguing plot of the Kinloch Series.

If you love over-the-top dreamy protagonists – even flawed they seem so unattainable in their perfection – you will absolutely enjoy this book and this series.

I received an ARC and this is my honest review.

This novel will be published by Emlin Press on 01/27/2023 and is available on Amazon here.

TL;DR Star Rating: 4.50

Author Bio:

Evie Alexander is the award-winning author of best-selling sexy romantic comedies with a very British sense of humor. She takes a method approach to her work, believing her capacity to repeatedly fail at life and love is what has given her such a rich supply of material for her writing.

Her interests include reading, eating, saving the world, and fantasizing about people who only exist between the pages of her books. She lives in the West country with her family.

Links for more information:

Book Review: Kissing Games (Kinloch Series, #3) by Evie Alexander

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Kissing Games (Kinloch Series, #3) by Evie Alexander

A Comedic Romance Novel published by Emlin Press (09/22/22)

Summary:

Valentina has worked her whole life as an actress – taking small parts and demoralizing roles alike – so she will have enough money set aside for her dream. Charlie is a bodyguard fed up with almost everyone, especially the nitwits he sometimes works for. He takes a job to protect Kinloch from the crazy Hollywood crew, meeting Valentina on the way. Opposites attract, but will that be enough to overcome Hollywood and disaster?

Keywords:

Romance, Contemporary, Standalone, HEA, Scotland, Castle, Sweet, Sex Scenes, Humor, Opposites Attract, Hollywood

My Review:

I was pleasantly surprised that this third book in the series is almost a companion novel to the second book, Hollywood Games, and some of the plot points match up between the books. I absolutely love seeing some scenes and characters and action from this new book and a new point of view. Even getting to know the main characters and side characters from book two through Valentina and Charlie in book three was delightful!

This third book doesn’t let up with the fast-paced plot and steamy scenes. The idea and main plot, just like the previous books in the series, was well-executed, simple, and clean yet there’s always something going on.

I am very drawn to the romance, the writing style, and the intriguing plot of the Kinloch Series.

If you love over-the-top dreamy protagonists – even flawed they seem so unattainable in their perfection – you will absolutely enjoy this book and this series.

This novel was published by Emlin Press on 09/22/2022 and is available on Amazon here.

TL;DR Star Rating: 4.75

Author Bio:

Evie Alexander is the award-winning author of best-selling sexy romantic comedies with a very British sense of humor. She takes a method approach to her work, believing her capacity to repeatedly fail at life and love is what has given her such a rich supply of material for her writing.

Her interests include reading, eating, saving the world, and fantasizing about people who only exist between the pages of her books. She lives in the West country with her family.

Links for more information:

Book Review: Hollywood Games (Kinloch Series, #2) by Evie Alexander

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Hollywood Games (Kinloch Series, #2) by Evie Alexander

A Comedic Romance Novel published by Emlin Press (04/04/22)

Summary:

Kinloch Castle is in desperate need of money and every day there seems to be something new to fix. On top of those worries, Rory isn’t sure Zoe feels the same about him and of course, Rory’s mother still doesn’t like her. Zoe wants to help Kinloch and the perfect luck of an opportunity presents itself when Hollywood star Brad wants to film his next movie at the castle. The only problem is that Zoe’s had a crush on Brad since she was a teen and the man is an insufferable Hollywood star. Can Rory put up with the man and his entourage long enough to save the castle or will his temper get the best of him?

Keywords:

British Humor, Comedy, Romance, Scotland, Castle, Earl, Sex Scenes, Steamy, Cabin, Family, happy Ending, Dual POV, Hollywood, Star, Movie, Braveheart

My Review:

I read this book as fast as the first one in the series. Even though the two main characters had fallen from enemies to lovers in the previous book, the author does an excellent job of keeping up tension between the two romantic leads. Much like the first book, the author has the romance beat structure down solid and the pacing is still excellent. Every scene was satisfying from beginning to end. The climax felt real and well integrated into the plot of the story and the ending was very satisfying.

Hollywood Games is even more absurd and laugh-out-loud than the first book. The idea and main plot are well-executed, simple, and clean yet there’s always something going on. It’s a fast-paced book where the slowest parts are the steamy scenes!

I loved all the characters from the first book and enjoyed reading about the new characters that Brad brings with him to Kinloch. The Hollywood people seem ridiculous but very realistically Hollywood!

This novel was published by Emlin Press on 04/04/2022 and is available on Amazon here.

TL;DR Star Rating: 5.00

Author Bio:

Evie Alexander is the author of sexy romantic comedies with a very British sense of humor. She takes a method-approach to her work, believing her capacity to repeatedly fail at life and love is what has given her such a rich supply of material for her writing.

Her interests include reading, eating, saving the world, and fantasizing about people who only exist between the pages of her books. She lives in the West Country with her family.

Links for more information:

Book Review: Highland Games (Kinloch Series, #1) by Evie Alexander

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Highland Games (Kinloch Series, #1) by Evie Alexander

A Comedic Romance Novel published by Emlin Press (10/15/21)

Summary:

“Zoe had never seen such perfection before. He was made by mountains, forged by fire, washed by oceans and blessed by the gods.” (Kindle Edition, 31%).

Zoe suddenly inherits a cabin in the woods near a small town in the Scottish Highlands when her great-Uncle dies. Without hesitation, Zoe leaves behind her safe life as an accountant in London as soon as her lease is up. Her childhood summer with her Great Uncle was the greatest, happiest time of her life. But the cabin isn’t the same as it was back then. It’s in less habitable shape than she remembered, with no electricity, water, and no toilet. Not to be deterred, Zoe won’t let anything or anyone get in her way of fixing it up. Rory thought the cabin would be his and his plans to fix it up before the end of the year come to a halt when he finds a surprise city woman claiming it as her own. What can he do to get her to leave?

Keywords:

British Humor, Comedy, Romance, Scotland, Castle, Earl, Sex Scenes, Steamy, Renovation, Cabin, Family, Enemies-to-Lovers, happy Ending, Dual POV

My Review:

I love books where the heroine is out of place, new, and facing a big project when she unintentionally meets the love interest in a surprising meet-cute. The odds are stacked against her succeeding and problems seem to crop up right and left (along with the handsome hunk). Highland Games really delivers exceptionally on some tried and true rom-com tropes such as Fantasy Location, Monetary Leaps of Faith, Kindly Townspeople, Shirtless Hero, Almost Losing it All, and the Central Project is a Metaphor for Their Love. This book reminded me of the Netflix movie rom-com Falling Inn Love. It’s a steamy feel-good casual beach read.

The romantic element is what makes this book so good, especially the slow buildup of the enemies-to-lovers romance that makes the eventual romance so very satisfying. After at least half the book waiting in suspense for the first kiss, the first touch, you will be rewarded with quite a few steamy sex scenes. These scenes were well written and held my attention throughout (I’m known to skim through sex scenes).

The author has the romance beat structure down solid and the pacing is excellent. Every scene was satisfying from beginning to end. The climax felt real and well integrated into the plot of the story and the ending was very satisfying.

I loved all the characters. They were all so well written. The main characters, Zoe and Rory, seemed like such amazing people, but still relatable as humans. I couldn’t get enough of both Rory’s POV and Zoe’s POV and I really enjoyed the switching POV between Rory and Zoe as they each told their side of the story. The way Zoe describes Rory, especially at first, is hilarious.

Both Zoe and Rory have a purpose outside of the slowly building romance. They each also had their own backstory that made them very compelling. I really liked how both main characters were completely independent people and didn’t need the other to complete themselves, which made their love even more compelling.

This novel was published by Emlin Press on 10/15/2021 and is available on Amazon here.

TL;DR Star Rating: 5.00

Author Bio:

Evie Alexander is the author of sexy romantic comedies with a very British sense of humor. She takes a method-approach to her work, believing her capacity to repeatedly fail at life and love is what has given her such a rich supply of material for her writing.

Her interests include reading, eating, saving the world, and fantasizing about people who only exist between the pages of her books. She lives in the West Country with her family.

Links for more information:

Book Review: Ship of Fools: A Geek Girl Rom Com (Fandom Hearts Book 6) by Cathy Yardley

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Ship of Fools: A Geek Girl Rom Com (Fandom Hearts Book 6) by Cathy Yardley

A Romantic Comedy published by RYW Publishing (07/30/19)

Summary:

Previously on Fandom Hearts…. Cressida left the safety of the bookstore to hunt for real live treasure with an almost-stranger. States away, she is having an emergency agoraphobic attack. Rachel has the means to get to Cressida quickly, by borrowing her ex-high school sweetheart’s family plane. Rachel only hesitates a moment before making the call. Ten years later, Ren breaking up with her, still hurts.

Ren never got over Rachel. He was pressured to break up with her so that he could focus on his schooling and career path that would eventually lead to him taking over the family business. Rachel’s phone call out of the blue brings up all sorts of nostalgia for Rachel and their relationship. Is she still the same woman he broke up with ten years ago? He has to find out and pleads for a date with Rachel.

Rachel feels obligated to thank Ren in person for helping Cressida, but she is also curious whether he’s grown as a person. Is he still putting family obligations and career aspirations first in his life or does he have room for a new relationship?

Keywords:

Friendship, Romance, Sisters, Family, Trust, Book Shop, Risk, Fear, Workaholic, Family Business, Private Car, Rich, Old Flame, Family Obligation

My Review:

I absolutely adore the Fandom Hearts Series. I love reading about the characters and how their lives intersect. I love how I get to know more about each of the main characters as they star in their own novels and as we read about them in all the other books. Ship of Fools has been my least favorite of the series. It lacked the wow factor of the other novels. I still thoroughly enjoyed this book. The Frost sisters did not let me down, but the romance between Rachel and Ren just wasn’t satisfying in the same way as all the other sisters’ romances were. The happy ending a bit bittersweet and left me wanting.

I wonder in what direction the Fandom Hearts books will go after this latest installment. All Frost sisters have found relationships outside of each other and they are moving on with their lives. I really would like more of Cressida’s story in the future. Cressida is my favorite character because she is the most vulnerable and most unique.

This novel was published by RYW Publishing on 07/30/2019 and is available on Amazon here.

TL;DR Star Rating: 4.50

Links for more information:

Goodreads

Cathy Yardley’s Website

Book Review: Playing Doctor: A Geek Girl Rom Com (Fandom Hearts Book 5) by Cathy Yardley

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Playing Doctor: A Geek Girl Rom Com (Fandom Hearts Book 5) by Cathy Yardley

A Romantic Comedy published by RYW Publishing (01/27/19)

Summary:

Cressida has been agoraphobic for years, but she has her safe place in her house and she’s been taking baby steps venturing outside the house in a friend’s RV. The only problem is that the landlord wants to sell the house and unless Cressida and her sisters can come up with the money fast, they will have to move. Cressida will have to brave leaving the house in order to save it. She thinks she knows where she can find a hidden treasure that one of  her favorite authors left as a treat to his fans. Now all Cressida needs is someone to drive her and the RV across several states to find this treasure.

Noah has been a fan of Cressida and the treasure hunt for years. He spends his free time looking for the treasure. All that money could fund schooling for him to be a doctor and take some of the pressure off his hard-working immigrant mother. Nobody has gotten closer to finding the treasure than Cressida. Noah has always wanted to meet her but never took action until the son of the famous author threatens to report Noah’s mother to ICE. Noah will put everything aside to save his mother and will say anything and do anything to get Cressida to help him find the treasure. They plan to split it 50/50, but with both keeping secrets from the other, their tenuous trust might not last long enough to see the payout.

Keywords:

Treasure Hunt, Journey, Agoraphobia, Friendship, Romance, Sisters, Family, Trust, Road Trip, RV, Books, Clues, Book Shop, Risk, Fear

My Review:

Every time I read a book by Yardley, I seem to finish the book in one sitting and wish that I had more of her books to read. The Fandom Hearts series is especially a series I love to read because it’s set locally, the characters are full of personality, and the stories are larger than life.

I loved Cressida’s story in this book, as well as Noah’s story. They are both diverse characters. Cressida is agoraphobic and Noah is the son of an immigrant. I loved that I got to see the difficulties that mental illness and immigration play in this story. I think Yardley did justice to her characters and their backgrounds.

The treasure hunt aspect gave me Déjà vu. Was I reading about Ready, Player, One’s author Ernest Cline and his treasure hunt for the DeLorean? I laughed when Yardley mentioned this specific treasure hunt in the book.

The story was captivating, the characters were delightfully diverse and developed, and the writing style was flawless. I can’t wait for the next Fandom Hearts book if there is one!

This novel was published by RYW Publishing on 01/27/2019 and is available on Amazon here.

TL;DR Star Rating: 5.00

Links for more information:

Goodreads

Cathy Yardley’s Website

Book Review: Ms. Behave (Fandom Hearts #4.5) by Cathy Yardley

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Ms. Behave (Fandom Hearts #4.5) by Cathy Yardley

A Romantic Comedy published by Amazon Digital Services LLC (09/30/18)

Summary:

After years of being away, Simon is back in his hometown of Snoqualmie while working on the hit TV show Mystics. 12 years is a long time, but some things don’t change. Simon’s best friend, Mallory, never left Snoqualmie. They were friends in school and are friends still, but is there something more growing between them?

Keywords:

Actor, Snoqualmie, Issaquah, Bookstore, Fans, Romance, Family, Loyalty, Sex, TV Actor

My Review:

This was a fun quick read. As always, Yardley’s writing style and story pull you in and you can easily finish this short book in a day.

I loved both Simon and Mallory. Simon is quiet and keeps to himself, even though he is an actor on television. Mallory was never understood growing up and even now is sometimes thought of as an outsider. She is accepted for who she is among her small group of geeky bookstore friends, but not everyone can accept that she’s bisexual. Simon always thought she didn’t like him growing up because she was only into women, but after finding out the truth, he won’t know what to do. I wanted to sock him over the head for being so dense when he found out Mallory was bisexual, since he can only think of himself in the moment, but eventually his winning nature shines through.

This novel was published by Amazon Digital Services LLC on 09/30/18 and is available on Amazon here.

TL;DR Star Rating: 4.50

Links for more information:

Goodreads

Cathy Yardley’s Website

Book Review: What Happens at Con: A Geek Girl Rom Com (Fandom Hearts Book 4) by Cathy Yardley

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What Happens at Con: A Geek Girl Rom Com (Fandom Hearts Book 4) by Cathy Yardley

A Romantic Comedy published by RYW Publishing (07/31/18)

Summary:

Ani is prepared to spend the next two years in her grad program dealing with a sexist adviser and a nearly insurmountable amount of work in addition to her own thesis. After one night of recklessness, one night of abandon, one night of worry-free sex with a stranger Ani still won’t set aside her goals for a fling, but maybe she can find the time for a relationship.

Abraham is starting to feel tired and alone without a partner. One night stands just aren’t cutting it anymore and when he meets Ani, he can’t get her out of his head.

He’ll have to fight to win her over. She’ll have to decide what’s worth her time and energy. Will either of them survive Ani’s thesis adviser from hell?

Keywords:

Convention, Fantasy, Coding, Gaming, Doctorate, Research, Lab, Bad Boss, Busy, Hardworking, Romance, Sex, Sexist

My Review:

I read this fast-paced romance in one sitting. As soon as I finished, I wanted to read more.

Yardley reels the reader in with her vibrant characters and their believable problems. I was riveted during the entire story.

I was pleased that Ani wasn’t your run-of-the-mill damsel, but none of Yardley’s characters are in any of the books I’ve read. Ani is such a great role model to read about. She’s a hard-working, nose-to-the grind woman who’s in STEM and going for her doctorate. She knows what she wants and she does what she has to do to get there. And yet society is still there pushing back at her for being a woman in STEM.

Abraham wasn’t a cut and dried male lead, either. Yardley gave him depth. There was much more to him than met the eye and I’m glad Ani didn’t immediately fall for his good looks. Scratch that, because she totally fell for his good looks! Even though she saw him as only his good looks to begin with (I see what you did there Yardley), she eventually saw past his surface level attractiveness to his personality.

This novel was published by RYW Publishing on July 31, 2018 and is available on Amazon here.

TL;DR Star Rating: 5.00

Links for more information:

Goodreads

Cathy Yardley’s Website

Book Review: Game of Hearts: A Geek Girl Rom Com (Fandom Hearts Series) by Cathy Yardley

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Game of Hearts: A Geek Girl Rom Com (Fandom Hearts Series) by Cathy Yardley

A Romantic Comedy published by RYW Publishing (01/30/18)

Summary:

Kyla runs a mechanic shop with her brother Billy, one they inherited from their now retired parents. Billy is happy to let Kyla do the paperwork and work out in the shop as well as take over all operations when he needs to take a vacation. After he breaks his arm, though, all responsibilities fall to Kyla. She had other plans. She wanted to submit costumes for a contest that’s coming up in a few weeks. This is her dream, so she calls the only person she knows to help. Jericho Salomon hasn’t been in town for years, for good reason, but he can’t ignore his childhood best friend’s little sister.

Keywords:

Mechanic, Snoqualmie, Bookstore, Geeks, Convention, Contest, Family, Friendship, Romance, Sex, Auto-Repair, Motorcycle, Family Friend, Biker Gang, Business Owner

My Review:

I loved absolutely everything about this book. Breakout Novels don’t just happen. Not every published novel out there is a breakout novel. Breakout novels are 10/5 stars. They are books you can’t put down. They are books you read entirely in one sitting. They are books you remember and enthusiastically tell everyone about. Every single one of Cathy Yardley’s books has been a breakout novel. The plot is excellent. The characters are larger-than-life, but also endearing and realistic. The stakes are real.

I adored the relationship between Kyla and all her friends. I loved the fact that the previous books’ characters showed up in this book as well as all the other Fandom Hearts books.

I got really mad at Billy for assuming that Kyla was better suited for the business paperwork than he was and for assuming her hopes and dreams weren’t as important because they were artistic based.

I can’t wait to get the next Fandom Hearts book to read!

I received a free copy of this book. This is my honest opinion.

This novel was published by RYW Publishing on January 30, 2018 and is available on Amazon here.

TL;DR Star Rating: 5.00

Links for more information:

Goodreads

Cathy Yardley’s Website

Book Review: The Universe is a Very Big Place by April Aasheim

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The Universe is a Very Big Place by April Aasheim

A Romantic Comedy Novel published by Dark Root Press (07/28/12)

Summary:

Spring is having a mid life crisis and she’s only in her thirties. She’s settled for the life that she thinks is what she wants: normal. She has her boring fiance, her two rambunctious twins, and a job she doesn’t like. Everything is perfect. Except that life has other plans for Spring. First her mother moves in and then she meets a nice stranger who can’t forget her.

Keywords:

Comedic, Fortune Teller, Family, Disaster, Chaos, Love, Karma, True Love, Responsibility, Twins, Kids with ADHD, Live in Grandparent, Pig, Bad Boss, Art, Control

My Review:

This book was a fun and easy read, but it also contained an interesting and not your run-of-the-mill main character. The dialogue was super fun and sometimes really cheeky. I loved every scene where people talked to each other. Everything they said was realistic and entertaining. I would love to see a play written by this author.

Spring is a loveable mess. Sam is boring on the outside, but has his interesting secret quirks. Sam treats her like a fixer upper and their exchanges are hilarious. Even the ex from Spring’s carnival upbringing had his own distinct personality. Spring’s mother was a hoot and so was the neighbor.

Every character had a full personality. The attention to detail for the characters’ backstories and quirks and little tics was amazing.

This novel was published by Dark Root Press on 07/28/2012 and is available on Amazon here.

TL;DR Star Rating: 4.75

Links for more information:

April Aasheim’s Website

Goodreads

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