Tag: Romantic Comedy

Book Review: Sisters Before Misters by Amelia Diane Coombs

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️/5

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The Finch sisters are back in the second installment of this delightfully chaotic series, Sisters Before Misters.

Maeve has officially had enough murder and mayhem to last a lifetime, so when a call from Eliana pulls the sisters right back into another crime scene, she is less than thrilled. She’s also horrified that somehow poor Leo gets dragged back into the chaos too.

Eliana’s estranged husband Chad has gone missing, and the state of his condo points toward a very messy ending. Unfortunately for Eliana, the evidence also seems to point directly at her. Honestly? Even Maeve and Aunt Lindy aren’t entirely convinced she didn’t do it considering Chad has been dragging out their divorce for ages.

But the deeper Remi digs into Chad’s disappearance, the more tangled everything becomes. One of my favorite parts of this series continues to be Remi’s anxious overthinking brain trying to piece together the mystery in real time. It feels relatable, funny, and surprisingly heartfelt all at once.
I also really love that the sisters are still figuring each other out. Their relationship continues to evolve naturally and watching them slowly learn how to trust and support one another remains the heart of the series for me.

And that ending twist? Absolutely delightful.

This series continues to balance humor, family chaos, mystery, and heart so well. If you enjoy series like Finlay Donovan, Stephanie Plum, Sunshine Vickram, or generally love humorous mysteries with quirky characters and messy family dynamics, you’ll absolutely want to pick this one up.
While this could technically be read as a standalone, I’d definitely recommend starting with book one first so you can fully appreciate the sister dynamics and character growth throughout the series.

I was, however, highly disappointed that there were no magic mushrooms in this book this time around.

On sale now, you can grab your copy here.

And make sure you check out the book that started it all, Drop Dead Sisters.

Book Review: Drop Dead Sisters by Amelia Diane Coons

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️/5

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What do you get when you throw together three sisters who can barely tolerate each other, parents who are perpetually stoned and desperately trying to force family bonding, a handful of kooky side characters, and a dead body?

Pure chaos.

Oh, and add in a hunky park ranger and a nosy detective, and you’ve got Drop Dead Sisters.

What really made this work for me was the family dynamic. I found pieces of myself in all three sisters in different ways: Remy’s people-pleasing tendencies, Eliana’s need to force everything into “fine,” and Maeve’s inability to return a text message to save her life.

I loved watching the sisters slowly reconnect and grow together throughout the story, especially seeing Remy learn to love her family for exactly who they are instead of who she wishes they’d be.

This was funny, heartfelt, weird in the best way, and such an entertaining read. I absolutely cannot wait to dive into book two. If you love Finley Donovan, Stephanie Plum or Riley Thorn, you’ll love the Finch Sisters.

Also… as a Phan, I loved the subtle Phish reference. I won’t spoil it, but definitely keep your eyes peeled 👀

On sale now, you can grab your copy here.

Book Review: The Man Next Door by Sheila Roberts

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️/5

🫑 /5

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Part mystery, part romance, part women’s fiction The Man Next Door was such a fun read! The story follows three generations of women: grandmother, mother, and daughter.

Zona is freshly divorced (husband #2, thank you very much), broke, and forced to move back in with her mother, Louise. She thinks she’ll at least have a little breathing room while Louise heads off on her long-awaited singles cruise. But a hilarious accident leads to not-so-hilarious consequences, and Louise ends up back home with a broken leg and a bruised spirit.

Zona’s daughter, Bree, is juggling nursing school and a full plate of emotional baggage, thanks in part to her mom’s messy love life. She’s got an adorable guy trying hard to win her over, but she’s so jaded she can’t let him in. Eventually, he gives up and walks away. Bree is left miserable, confused, and furious at the world especially at her mom.

Then there’s Alec James, the new hottie who moves into the long-empty house next door. Louise and Zona immediately start spying on him, sometimes intentionally, sometimes because Louise’s dog, Darling, keeps choosing Alec’s yard as his personal bathroom. There’s also a mystery woman coming and going, shouting matches over the fence, and a lot of speculation. Louise is eating it up for her next novel, with plenty of encouragement from her tough-as-nails nurse, Gilda.

Oh, and Martin. A sweet, solid guy right under Louise’s nose. But she’s too busy chasing the idea of someone… shinier.

This book was fast-paced, witty, and full of heart. I loved the growth arc of all three women, but I was especially cheering for Louise. Her storyline was surprisingly tender and empowering.

PS, don’t think I missed that Susan and Carol reference at the end. I love a good F.R.I.E.N.D.S. easter egg!

If you’re a fan of the Stephanie Plum books or the Finlay Donovan series, this will be right up your alley. Equal parts fun, heartfelt, and sneakily emotional — I didn’t want to put it down! Thank you to the author Sheila Roberts, Harlequin Trade Publishing | MIRA and netgalley for the ARC copy of this book.

On sale now, you can grab your copy here!

Book Review: A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️/5

🫑 /5

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If ever there was a book that felt like a cozy, witchy hug, it’s this one.

A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping is a warm, enchanting, and emotionally resonant story about rebuilding from the ashes of failure, rediscovering joy in magic, and finding home in the most unexpected people (and creatures).

At the heart of this delightful novel is Sera Swan, once the rising star of the Guild, now an exile stripped of her magic after breaking the rules to save someone she loved. In a desperate act of forbidden magic, Sera brought her quirky Aunt Jasmine back from the dead—and unintentionally resurrected a zombie rooster named Roo-Roo in the process. With her powers gone and her reputation shattered, Sera retreats to Jasmine’s magical inn in Lancashire, a place where outcasts are welcomed, and the impossible feels ordinary.

The inn quickly becomes a gathering place for some of the most charmingly chaotic characters I’ve ever met. But I think my favorite just might be Roo-Roo – the unintentionally resurrected zombie rooster who steals every scene he’s in. Yes, really. Oh and there’s a talking fox named Clemmie. I picture her as a British fox version of Salem from Sabrina The Teenaged Witch.

Through it all, Sera must navigate the messy, funny, and sometimes heartbreaking process of learning to live a life she never expected, with people she never saw coming. And maybe—just maybe—she’ll rediscover her magic in more ways than one.

Mandanna’s writing is full of charm, wit, and just enough emotional heft to make your heart ache in all the right ways. The story balances found family, redemption arcs, gentle romance, and whimsical worldbuilding with pitch-perfect tone. The village inn setting, nestled in the English countryside, is pure autumnal escapism—exactly the kind of place you’ll want to move into (goats, zombie birds, and all).

It’s the perfect read to usher in fall, purely magical, and full of cozy charm.

On sale now, you can grab your copy here.

Plot Twist by Carmen Sereno

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️/5

🌶️🌶️/5

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💖 Enemies to Lovers

💖 Opposites Attract

💖 Forced Proximity

💖 Workplace Romance

💖 Slow Burn

Plot Twist launches today! It’s a fast-paced rom-com packed with some of my favorite tropes!

Siobhan Harris is an inexperienced romance writer, just trying to make ends meet. Recently ghosted by her boyfriend and stuck in an unaffordable apartment, she’s down to her last shred of sanity and nearly her last dollar when a book offer changes her life.

Marcel Dupont, a narcissistic asshat, ended his phenomenally successful thriller series by killing off its hero in a tantrum. His fans are outraged, and so is his publisher. He’s obsessed with keeping his identity a secret, remaining a faceless author.

Forced onto Twitter, the first thing the social media-naïve Marcel does is start a feud with Siobhan. With her star on the rise and his on the decline, the publisher decides they need to collaborate on a romantic thriller.

Cue the drama. Sparks fly, tensions escalate, and as they get to know each other, they both discover that there’s more to the other than meets the eye. The writing is sharp and witty, and the banter between Siobhan and Marcel is outstanding! Initially, I really, really disliked Marcel, but I eventually grew to love him. Siobhan, however, had my support from the very start! Also…potential 2nd book with Paige and Alex 🤔 🧐

A huge thank you to the author, the publisher Amazon Crossing and NetGalley for sending me this amazing book for my review. It’s on sale now and you can pick up your copy by clicking here.

Just Some Stupid Love Story by Katelyn Doyle

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️/5

🌶️🌶️/5

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💖2nd chance

💖High School Sweethearts

💖Enemies to Lovers

💖Opposites Attract

💖Grumpy vs Sunshine

💖Long Distance

Just Some Stupid Love Story was a quick read that I really enjoyed. It’s perfect for the beach or if you need something funny and sexy to read.

Grumpy vs. Sunshine is one of my favorite tropes, and usually, it’s the guy who is grumpy and unavailable. I absolutely love when it’s flipped around!

Meet Molly – she’s emotionally unavailable, with a host of problems she’s working through, including anxiety, depression, and some really deep dad issues. (Her dad sucks.) In a delightful twist, she writes rom-com screenplays and is very successful at it.

Meet Seth – an eternal optimist in search of true love. He’s loyal, funny, and just a tiny bit over the top. All he wants is a family of his own. He’s a divorce lawyer who tries his best to help his clients and their families get through a horrible moment in their lives without causing chaos.

The book spans from when Molly and Seth meet up again at their 15th high school reunion in November 2018 through their 20th in 2023. This is quite a time span for one novel, but I feel it was well done and not rushed. I enjoyed the email and text exchanges we got to read. It’s challenging when the characters are apart for a significant portion of the book, as they are here. But between their correspondence, chance encounters, and planned meetings, it was handled very well.

If you’re a fan of Katherine Center, Abby Jimenez, or Ali Hazelwood, I think you’ll love Katelyn Doyle too. The writing is quick, funny, and flows so well. I also really like dual POV in my romance books, so I was happy we got to bounce between both Molly and Seth. There’s also a great cast of side characters that we get to know and love.

The author Katelyn Doyle writes historical romances under the name Scarlett Peckham, but this is her Rom-Com debut. I can’t wait to see what comes next!

A huge thank you to the author, the publisher Flatiron Press and NetGalley for sending me this amazing book for my review. It’s on sale now and you can pick up your copy by clicking here.

The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️/5

🫑/5

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💖Closed Door Romance

💖Forced Proximity

💖Grumpy vs Sunshine

💖Strangers to Lovers

💖 Workplace Romance

🏠 Hollywood Setting

🚫No spice (hence the bell pepper 😂)

Just finished The Rom-Commers and wow, what a ride. Seriously, the ups and down in this book. I can’t even. Even though I usually read romance books with a lot of spice, I adore Katherine Center’s books. The characters she creates jump off the page and come to life. This was no exception.

Emma is so strong and selfless. I instantly wanted to give her a hug. And I also kind of want to shake her. The poor girl has put her whole life on hold to take care of her dad, blaming herself for his accident and the loss of her mom. I really hate that she was manipulated into working with Charlie. Logan sucks. He’s sneaky and tells half-truths and keeps secrets. Thank goodness he somewhat redeemed himself. But he was a pretty awful friend for a while.

It took me a little bit longer to warm up to Charlie. He’s kind of a jerk for the first half of the book. I have to admit I was pretty nervous about his cough, though. As someone who is familiar with sarcoma and its recurrence, as soon as he started coughing I had to stop myself from skipping ahead to make sure he was okay. It’s sweet how he takes care of his guinea pig. By the end of the book, I had heart eyes for him. 😍

I love this ode to romance and rom-coms and the joy they bring. Hands down one of my favorite books I’ve read this year. I would have liked it to be dual POV, but if you check out the audio, you get a little sneak peek into Charlie in one of my favorite scenes (the diving board!!!).

As always, I encourage you to read for yourself and see how you like it. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

A huge thank you to the author, the publisher St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for sending me this amazing book for my review. It’s on sale now and you can pick up your copy by clicking here

Road Queens By MaryJanice Davidson

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️/5

🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️ /5

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Road Queens was my first book by MaryJanice Davidson. While the premise was intriguing, I had a hard time getting into this book. Cassandra, Amanda, and Sidney were best friends once upon a time. With Cass as the driving force, they created OpStar, a way to help people in bad situations. Until everything went wrong and Cass took off. But now, there is a dead body whom no one seems to know, and Cass is back in town. Enter Sean Beane, a PI or a cop—it’s kind of hard to tell, and it isn’t really made clear.

The story is told by switching between the past and present, and while I normally don’t mind this, sometimes the flashback was 5 years ago, other times it was an indistinct time such as “forever ago.” It also wasn’t consistent. I found the banter between the girls to be funny-ish at best and downright annoying at other times. But that’s how it is when you’re an outsider looking in. When you’ve been friends for so long, you develop your own patois and secret language. However, I felt it was a little overdone. One too many pop culture references for me. And it took forever for me to figure out what was going on. I felt like I had missed something for the first 20% of the book. And how many times do we need to mention that Cass likes to eat dinner for breakfast? It became redundant after a while. I also don’t understand how the banter can be so quick but the story could move so slowly.

There is also a romance component to the book between Amanda and Sean Beane. The sexy bits are around the 2.5 peppers range, so I’ll round it up to 3. But it felt a little forced. This book seems like it didn’t know what it wanted to be—a romance? A thriller? Women’s fiction? I would put this in the same category as The Finlay Donovan books, basically a soft thriller.

All of this aside, I did enjoy the book. I found the story interesting and the character of Iris is downright intriguing. Towards the end, Amanda and Sean’s chemistry didn’t seem so forced, which was an improvement. We also left off with Sidney promising to be divorced or widowed, leaving the door open for another book which I look forward to. I found the information about MC clubs and female motorcycle riders interesting. I love that the girls are so badass and independent.

As always, I encourage you to read this book and form your own opinions just as I have. Thank you to the publisher Montlake, NetGalley, and the author for the ARC copy of this book. For all my fellow KU lovers, this book is available in KU to read AND listen! Grab your copy here.

Witches Get Stuff Done by Molly Harper

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️/5

🌶🌶/5

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OMG, with my love of witchy cozy’s/romcoms, how have I not read any books by @mollyharperauth before?! This book was the ideal segue from the non-fiction I’ve been reading lately and just in time for Fall/Halloween. I’m not one for scary tales, so the witchy romances all over the shelves this season are right up my alley.

Riley receives a summons to Starfall Point by her late mother’s hitherto unknown sister, Nora. Her arrival on the island is far from grand, leading to her first encounter with the town librarian, Edison Held. Soon, she finds herself amidst chaos, eclectic ghosts, and a buzzing nanna grape-vine gossip network, while falling in love and finding her coven.

I adored this book! The magical world-building is phenomenal, the characters compelling, and the writing brims with wit and sharpness. I also appreciate the twist with Edison as a small-town librarian escaping his past, a part typically reserved for female leads. The paranormal mystery threads through well-devised plots, even if it leads to a somewhat foreseeable twist. My only quibble is that Edison and Riley’s relationship isn’t as fleshed out as Riley’s ties with the coven, lending the narrative a slightly rushed tone.

Nonetheless, it’s an amazing concoction of magic, cozy romance with a dash of spice, and paranormal mystery. I’m already devouring Caroline’s story (the 2nd book) and can hardly wait for Alice’s. Looks like I’ll be binging on Molly Harper’s backlog for the remainder of the weekend 😉.

Bonus – it’s available as an Audible original included for audible members. You can get your copy here. Or if you prefer the kindle version: here.

Tropes hit: Enemies to lovers, small town romance, found family, long lost relative, opposites attract.

Hello Stranger by Katherine Center

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️/5

🌶/5

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One of the joys of reading is stumbling upon a story that surprises you, takes you on a roller-coaster of emotions, and leaves you with a lingering sense of satisfaction. ‘Hello Stranger’ by Katherine Center does exactly that, weaving a tale rich with humour, character development, and a unique take on romance.

Center takes us on a journey with Sadie Montgomery, an aspiring artist who quite literally does not see what’s coming. After a monumental achievement of making it to the finals in the North American Portrait Society competition, life throws her a curveball in the form of face blindness. Every face Sadie encounters is a jumbled puzzle, a foreign language that she struggles to comprehend.

However, Center doesn’t let this situation define Sadie. Our protagonist battles not only her newfound condition but also familial tensions and the demands of her artistic career. And of course, let’s not forget her loyal canine companion, Peanut, adding another layer of heart to this story.

At the heart of ‘Hello Stranger’ is a comedy of errors fueled by mistaken identities. It’s a testament to Center’s writing prowess that she weaves these plot elements together seamlessly, producing a story that keeps the reader intrigued.

One of the key strengths of ‘Hello Stranger’ is its colorful cast of characters. Sadie is undeniably engaging, and her duality of being sunshiney and stubborn makes her relatable. The men in her life are equally compelling and nuanced, further enhancing the narrative.

The secondary characters too, like the best friend Sue, although a tad insensitive at times, brings in her own share of humor and conflict. Sadie’s parents and her step-sister Piper are portrayed as caricatures, yet they serve the purpose of furthering Sadie’s journey and personal growth. Notably, the transformation of Sadie’s father and stepmother is satisfying, while Piper’s fate provides a sense of poetic justice. Even if we a glimpse of why she’s such an asshat, I hope her cat eats her.

I do love how Joe calls Sadie on her preconceived notions. Like with “Busty McGee”, who ends up being the exact opposite of Sadie’s made up persona for her. Joe ends up challenging Sadie (and us, the readers) to reevaluate our quick judgments.

Now, I won’t pretend that ‘Hello Stranger’ is perfect. For a romance novel, it does fall a little short on the spice scale. Readers expecting steamy romance might find themselves yearning for more. Yet, Center’s focus on character development and plot progression gives the novel its own unique charm.

Despite the occasional stumble, ‘Hello Stranger’ is a triumph of character-focused storytelling. Katherine Center has created a heartwarming, hilarious tale that embraces the complexity of human relationships and the myriad ways of seeing the world. As Sadie learns, sometimes what we find when we’re not looking can be the most surprising thing of all.

As always, I encourage you to read for yourself and see how you like it for yourself!

As always thank you to the author, the publisher St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for sending me this amazing book for my review. It’s on sale now and you can pick up your copy by clicking here

Potential spoiler- stop now if you haven’t read the book yet….

Still here? I am not unconvinced that this chick has not had some kind of face blindness or issue recognizing people her whole life. I don’t know how you can think that there are two different barista‘s a.k.a. Hazel one and Hazel two based on someone putting their hair up. End of rant.

Tropes hit: Enemies to Lovers, Slow burn, sweet romance, strangers, mistaken identity