Contemporary – Page 12 – Jill's Book Blog

Review: The Ex-Mas Holidays

Title: The Ex-Mas Holidays
Author: Zoe Allison
Genre: Romance, Contemporary
Publisher: Berkley Romance
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: September 26, 2023
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

It’s hard to escape your ex when you’re working together over Christmas in the Scottish Highlands, but being stuck together might be the best possible present in this sparkling new contemporary romance.

Maya Bashir is dreading her drive home for Christmas and having to explain that she’s just left her high-paying job and a long-term relationship, so a brief detour to her friend’s festive party doesn’t seem like such a bad idea. Until Maya walks in to find the last person she wants to see. Sam, the boy who broke her heart eight years ago. And he’s serving drinks. Naked.

Sam Holland is working an extra job on the sly to help his friend get by. But little did he expect Maya Bashir to come barrelling back into his life, learning about his secret side-hustle and taking back her old job alongside him at his daytime role as a ski instructor on the slopes of the Scottish Highlands.

As both Sam and Maya realize that their reason for heartbreak so many years ago wasn’t entirely as it seemed, they must learn to stand up for what they want the most…or else miss their second chance at love.

Review:

Maya Bashir is moving home during the holidays after losing her job and breaking up with her boyfriend. When she stops at her friend‘s party, she recognizes the naked butler at the party as the man who broke her heart when they were teenagers: Sam Holland. Sam is working an extra job to help out a friend. Maya decides to take a job at the ski resort in their hometown where Sam also works. They’re thrown back together, working closely and commuting to the resort. As they get to know each other again, they start to realize they didn’t break up for the reason they thought, so they have to decide if they want a second chance at romance.

This story kind of combined the enemies to lovers and friends to lovers tropes. Maya and Sam were old friends who became reacquainted, but they were also enemies at the beginning of the story because of how they broke up years ago. I felt like the misunderstanding behind why they broke up was obvious, so it was a little frustrating that they didn’t talk about it. At the same time, there was a lot of tension between Maya and Sam throughout the story, so it was a relief to finally see them have their second chance at love.

The Ex-Mas Holidays is a fun second chance romance!

Thank you Berkley Romance for providing a digital copy of this book.

Have you read The Ex-Mas Holidays? What did you think of it?

Review: Three Holidays and a Wedding

Title: Three Holidays and a Wedding
Author: Uzma Jalaluddin and Marissa Stapley
Genre: Romance, Contemporary
Publisher: Viking Canada
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: October 3, 2023
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

A multi-faith holiday rom com about the delightful havoc that occurs when Christmas, Eid, and Hanukkah all fall at the same time, and two strangers-turned-friends are snowbound in the small, charming town of Snow Falls along with the cast and crew of a holiday romance movie, nosy family members, and their lifelong crushes.

Three times the holiday magic. Three times the chaos.

As strangers and seatmates Maryam Aziz and Anna Gibson fly to Toronto over the holidays–Maryam to her sister’s impromptu wedding, and Anna to meet her boyfriend’s wealthy family for the first time–neither expect that severe turbulence will scare them into confessing their deepest hopes and fears to one another. At least they’ll never see each other again. And the love of Maryam’s life, Saif, wasn’t sitting two rows behind them hearing it all. Oops.

When Anna, Maryam, Saif, and Maryam’s sister’s bridal party are snowbound at the quirky Snow Falls Inn–on the outskirts of a picture-perfect town where a holiday romance starring Anna’s actor-crush is being filmed–chaos ensues. But as Maryam and Anna start to feel the magic of Snow Falls–and find love beyond their deepest hopes–they just might realize there’s no place they’d rather be for the holidays.

Review:

In December 2000, three holidays were all happening at the same time: Hannukah, Ramadan, and Christmas. Maryam Aziz and Anna Gibson are two strangers flying to Toronto for the holidays. Maryam is going to her sister’s wedding, which she had to plan at the last minute, and Anna is going to meet her wealthy boyfriend’s family for the first time. Maryam and Anna sit next to each other, and confess their hopes and fears following some turbulence. They end up making an emergency landing in a small town near Ottawa because the snow storm of the century is closing down Toronto. With no flights out during the storm, everyone has to stay there for days. Snow Falls is a cute holiday town where a Christmas romance movie is being filmed. Meanwhile, the man Maryam had a crush on since they were kids is also staying at the inn with them. Everyone is stranded in the town for the holidays, and both young women find unexpected romances there too.

This was such a fun holiday romance! I don’t remember the December of 2000, when all three major holidays occurred at the same time, but it is a great setting for a holiday romance novel. It was so nice to see people from different backgrounds brought together in celebration. The town of Snow Falls was very inclusive, so they were ready for all the holidays. The huge snowstorm that shut down Toronto actually happened a couple of years before 2000, but it made sense for the story for it to happen during these holidays.

Three Holidays and a Wedding is a celebratory holiday novel!

Thank you Penguin Random House Canada for providing a digital copy of this book!

Content warnings: death of parent

Have you read Three Holidays and a Wedding? What did you think of it?

Review: The Christmas Wager

Title: The Christmas Wager
Author: Holly Cassidy
Genre: Romance, Contemporary
Publisher: Viking
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: September 26, 2023
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

One rivalry. Eight days until Christmas. Let the holiday games begin.

When LA-based real estate developer Bella Ross arrives in the sleepy, mountain town of Maple Falls, she has one mission: to acquire the local failing Christmas shop, Always Noelle, securing the promotion of her dreams. Nothing can get in her way. Except the shop owner’s stubborn grandson, Jesse Harrison.

Both refuse to budge, until an unlikely wager is struck: Bella and Jesse will compete in the Maple Falls Holiday Games, an annual tradition of eccentric feats of strength and skills. Winner decides the selling price. They’ll give each other a run for their money, but as the competition heats up, Bella and Jesse’s icy feelings toward each other begin to thaw. It’ll take a Christmas miracle for them to admit there’s a spark, but what if it’s just another game?

Review:

Bella Ross, a real estate developer based in LA, must go to the small town of Maple Falls to purchase a Christmas shop. If she can successfully purchase this shop, she will get a huge promotion. However, just before she can sign the contract with the owner, the owner’s grandson, Jesse Harrison, steps in and stops the sale. When they can’t come to a deal on the price, they decide to make a Christmas wager: if Bella can beat Jesse in the Maple Falls Holiday Games, they will take the low offer, but if she loses, they get more money. As the games begin, Jesse and Bella become closer and their feelings make it difficult to compete against each other, even when their eyes are on their prizes.

This is a fun Christmas rom com. I love the enemies to lovers trope! The holiday themed competition was fun, but I was getting stressed out thinking of the stressful challenges they had to do. I couldn’t imagine doing them myself. I really liked that there was an epilogue that showed what happened to the characters a year following the end of the story, rather than just ending when they got their happily ever after.

The Christmas Wager is a fun enemies to lovers rom com!

Thank you Penguin Random House Canada for providing a digital copy of this book.

Content warnings: parental abandonment (off page), death of parents (off page)

Have you read The Christmas Wager? What did you think of it?

Review: Fake Famous

Title: Fake Famous
Author: Dana L. Davis
Genre: Young Adult, Romance, Contemporary
Publisher: Skyscape
Source: Firefly Books Distributed
Format: Paperback arc
Release Date: November 7, 2023
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

In this breezy novel from the author of Somebody That I Used to Know , one Iowa farm girl—a dead ringer for a global pop star—gets an unlikely shot at stardom. Will she choose fame…or the family farm? Red Morgan is fresh out of high school. With signature red curls and a remarkable singing voice, the bubbly teenager is a devoted daughter and big sister. The world should be her oyster. But Red already knows exactly where her future the family farm in Orange City, Iowa. Zay-Zay Waters is at the top of her game. The Brooklyn-born singer has it all—talent, fame, even a smokin’ hot boyfriend. But life in the limelight isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. And when a video of Red singing in the mud—looking and sounding exactly like Zay-Zay herself—goes viral, the pop star begins to hatch a plan. Red is the key to Zay-Zay’s scheme. With much-needed money on the line, Red agrees to step into Zay-Zay’s famous shoes for one week. But when planned appearances start to go off script, Red may be in over her head. Can she really pull it off?

Review:

Red Morgan is a recent high school graduate who loves helping out on her family’s farm. She knows she’s destined to run the farm after she goes to college. When a video of Red singing goes viral, everyone thinks she’s pop star Zay-Zay Waters. Red looks so much like the singer that Zay-Zay goes to the farm and asks her to impersonate her for a week while she goes to a private retreat in Brazil. Red’s family’s farm really needs the money she’ll receive, so she agrees to do it. However, when the planned appearances take an unexpected turn, Red’s true identity could be revealed.

This was such a fun story. Red got to live the dream as a celebrity for a few days, but not everything was easy. I really liked the characters in the story. Some were quite eccentric and entertaining characters, who made the story fun. The ending was so great too!

Fake Famous is a fun story!

Thank you Firefly Books Distributed Lines for sending me a copy of this book!

Have you read Fake Famous? What did you think of it?

Review: The Blackwoods

Title: The Blackwoods
Author: Brandy Colbert
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Historical Fiction
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Source: Publisher
Format: Paperback arc
Release Date: October 3, 2023
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

The Blackwoods. Everyone knows their name. Blossom Blackwood burst onto the silver screen in 1962, and in the decades that followed, she would become one of the most celebrated actors of our time—and the matriarch of the most famous Black family in Hollywood. To her great-granddaughters, Hollis and Ardith, she has always just been Bebe. And when she passes away, it changes everything. Hollis Blackwood was never interested in fame. Still, she’s surrounded by it, whether at home with her family or at the prestigious Dupree Academy among Los Angeles’ elite.

When private photos of Hollis are leaked in the wake of Blossom’s death, she is thrust into the spotlight she’s long avoided—and finds that trust may be a luxury even she can’t afford. Ardith Blackwood has always lived in the public eye. A television star since childhood, she was perhaps closer with Blossom than anyone—especially after Ardith’s mother died in a drug overdose. Ever since, she has worked to be everything her family, her church, and the public want her to be. But as a family secret comes to light and the pressures from all sides begin to mount, she wonders what is left beneath the face she shows the world.

Weaving together the narratives of Hollis, Ardith, and Blossom, award-winning author Brandy Colbert tells an unforgettable story set in an America where everything is personal, and nothing is private.

Review:

Blossom Blackwoods became a star in the 1960s, and eventually was the matriarch of the famous Blackwoods family. When Blossom dies, her great-granddaughters are affected. Hollis Blackwood has never been interested in being famous, but she can’t help but accept the benefits of her famous family. When her private photos are leaked, Hollis is embarrassed and thrust into the media spotlight. Ardith Blackwood is an actress who has been on hit shows since she was a child. However, she lives in the shadow of her mother’s death from a drug overdose. Ardith faces pressure from work, family, and the public, that eventually explodes out of her. Both granddaughters have to figure out how to live in the public eye, while also discovering a big secret their grandmother kept from them.

This was a great story about a multi-generational Black Hollywood family. The story alternated between the perspectives of Blossom, Hollis, and Ardith. Blossom was starting her acting career in the 1950s and she faced a lot of racism. She was called names and really struggled to actually find work, but she persevered and was successful. Hollis and Ardith faced other challenges, involving social media and the press that weren’t around in Blossom’s youth, but are common today. I found Blossom’s chapters to be slower paced, but that may be because I could relate to the younger perspectives more.

The Blackwoods is a great Hollywood family story!

Thank you Frenzy Books for sending me a copy!

Content warnings: death of parent, overdose (off page), addiction, racism, racial slurs, underage drinking, cyberbullying

Have you read The Blackwoods? What did you think of it?

Review: The Revenge Game

Title: The Revenge Game
Author: Jordyn Taylor
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Thriller
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: November 7, 2023
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

A wickedly comic feminist mystery about the dark side of a hopeless romantic’s seemingly perfect love story—for readers of Jessica Goodman and Kara Thomas.

Alyson is a romantic, and sometimes it gets her into trouble. Like last summer, she thought her co-worker was into her, when in reality he found her flirting pathetic.

Then she meets Brenton Riggs Jr., and right away she knows that their connection isn’t just in her head. When he swoops in to save her one night from a less than savory party encounter, she falls head-over-heels. Finally, someone Alyson likes who likes her back!

But when she finds out about the King’s Cup—a competition the guy’s at their boarding school started to see who has the most sexual prowress—she’s put on edge. Does Brenton really want to be with her, or is he just trying to win? Then Alyson and the other girls at the school start a competition of their own: The Queen’s Cup. It’s all about reclaiming their power. But as the compeition heats up, Alyson’s relationship begins to fall apart—and it isn’t long before the cracks in her perfect love story start to show through.

Review:

Alyson loves romance novels and is looking for her perfect romance. She fell for her colleague at a bookstore in the summer, but then she heard him call her desperate. She meets Brendan Riggs Jr. in her AP English class when they’re paired up for an assignment. After he saves her from an aggressive classmate, Alyson begins to fall for him and he likes her too. When she finds out about the King’s Cup, a competition the boys have where they get points for doing things with girls, she’s hopeful that Riggs isn’t participating. Alyson and her friends start up the Queen’s Cup, which is a competition to humiliate the guys in the most public and hilarious way possible. Despite coming up with the idea for the Queen’s Cup, Alyson is certain that what she has with Riggs is real, and he would never use her for the King’s Cup. However, when their relationship starts to crack, Alyson has to wonder if they have a perfect love story after all.

This was a fabulous feminist revenge story. I could relate to Alyson and her desire for a romance like she had read about in her romance novels, because I felt that way for many years. Almost all of the guys at her school were horrible misogynists. There was also a mystery throughout the story which was that Riggs went missing after prom later in the school year, but we don’t know why or what happened to him until the end. Since Riggs seemed like a genuine boyfriend, I wasn’t sure what his fate would be but I was hopeful he would turn out to be a good guy so that Alyson didn’t get hurt again. Though bullying is never good, I found the way the girls got revenge on the guys entertaining, since they had done much worse things to begin with.

The Revenge Game is a great story about feminist revenge!

Thank you Penguin Teen Canada for providing a copy of this book.

Content warnings: bullying, sexual assault (off page), rape (off page), assault

Have you read The Revenge Game? What did you think of it?

Review: Duel

Title: Duel
Author: Jessixa Bagley, Aaron Bagley (illustrator)
Genre: Graphic Novel, Middle Grade, Contemporary
Publisher: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers
Source: Publisher
Format: Paperback arc
Release Date: November 7, 2023
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Sixth grader Lucy loves fantasy novels and is brand-new to middle school. GiGi is the undisputed queen bee of eighth grade (as well as everything else she does). They’ve only got one thing in fencing. Oh, and they’re sisters. They never got along super well, but ever since their dad died, it seems like they’re always at each other’s throats.

When GiGi humiliates Lucy in the cafeteria on the first day of school, Lucy snaps and challenges GiGi to a duel with high sisterly stakes. If GiGi wins, Lucy promises to stay out of GiGi’s way; if Lucy wins, GiGi will stop teasing Lucy for good. But after their scene in the cafeteria, both girls are on thin ice with the principal and their mom. Lucy stopped practicing fencing after their fencer dad died and will have to get back to fighting form in secret or she’ll be in big trouble. And GiGi must behave perfectly or risk getting kicked off the fencing team.

As the clock ticks down to the girls’ fencing bout, the anticipation grows. Their school is divided into GiGi and Lucy factions, complete with t-shirts declaring kids’ allegiances. Both sisters are determined to triumph. But will winning the duel mean fracturing their family even further?

Review:

Lucy is just starting middle school, where her eighth grader sister GiGi is one of the most popular girls. They never really got along, and since their dad died, they fight all the time. The only think they have in common is that they like fencing, which their father taught them. After an argument in the cafeteria on the first day of school, Lucy and GiGi decide to have a fencing duel to end their fighting. They have to keep the duel a secret from their mom, who doesn’t want them to fight anymore. The whole school gets in on the duel, supporting one sister or the other. Since both sisters are determined to win, this duel may completely destroy what relationship they have left.

This is the first book I’ve read about fencing, and it was so fun. Each chapter began with defining a term used in fencing. I didn’t know much about fencing before reading this story so I really enjoyed learning about it. Lucy and GiGi were sisters who fought all the time about everything. I find in a lot of books, sisters are best friends, so it was a different, and realistic, take to see sisters who didn’t get along.

Duel is a great middle grade graphic novel!

Thank you Simon and Schuster Canada for providing a copy of this book.

Content warnings: death of parent

Have you read Duel? What did you think of it?

Review: If You’ll Have Me

Title: If You’ll Have Me
Author: Eunnie
Genre: Graphic Novel, Romance, Young Adult, LGBTQ, Contemporary
Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: October 17, 2023
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Momo Gardner is the kind of friend who’s always ready to lend a helping hand. She’s introverted, sensitive, and maybe a little too trusting, but she likes to believe the best in people. PG, on the other hand, is a bit of a lone wolf, despite her reputation for being a flirt and a player. Underneath all that cool mystery, she’s actually quick to smile, and when she falls for someone, she falls hard. An unexpected meet-cute brings the two together, kicking off the beginning of an awkward yet endearing courtship—but with their drastically different personalities, Momo’s overprotective friend, and PG’s past coming back to haunt her, Momo and PG’s romance is put to the test.

Review:

Momo Gardner has always been eager to help, especially when it comes to girls she has a crush on. She may be too trusting sometimes but she tries to see the best in people. When she meets PG, she has an instant crush. The problem is that PG is known as being a player, like other girls who have used Momo in the past. When they keep running into each other, they decide to start hanging out and develop a friendship. However, Momo’s friends have to warn her that PG has a bad reputation and she may just be using Momo like girls in the past. Momo has to decide if she’s willing to risk her heart for PG.

This was an adorable graphic novel. Momo was sweet, innocent, and relatable. She could be a little naive when it came to falling for the wrong kind of girl, but that added to her charm. Though PG had a reputation as being a player, there was more to her than that. They made a cute couple, and I was rooting for them the whole time!

If You’ll Have Me is a cute graphic novel romance!

Thank you Penguin Teen Canada for providing a copy of this book!

Have you read If You’ll Have Me? What did you think of it?

Review: It Happened One Christmas

Title: It Happened One Christmas
Author: Chantel Guertin
Genre: Romance, Contemporary
Publisher: Doubleday Canada
Source: Publisher
Format: Paperback arc
Release Date: October 31, 2023
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Zoey Andrews lives and breathes Christmas. She loves everything about the season, and after years of directing countless holiday movies, she certainly knows her way around a festive tale. So, when she finally gets the chance to bring her own script to life, she isn’t about to let anything, or anyone, stand in her way–not even the stupidly sexy, utterly frustrating plaid-clad tree farmer Benoît Deschamps. Moonlighting as mayor of Chelsea–the cozy Quebec hamlet at the center of Zoey’s screenplay–Ben maddeningly refuses to grant her a film permit in his enchanting town.With just four days left before Christmas, Zoey must change Ben’s mind, but not before an unscripted ice storm leaves them stranded in the middle of nowhere, with nothing except . . . each other.Will Ben’s chilly resolve shatter Zoey’s Christmas movie wish? Or will Zoey be able to melt his stubbornness–and maybe even his heart?

Review:

Zoey Andrews loves Christmas and directs popular Christmas movies. When she writes her own script for a movie, she has the perfect town in mind: Chelsea, Quebec. After a mix up with their location scout, Zoey only has a few days to find the right places for them to film. However, as soon as she gets to the town, she comes up against Ben, the owner of the Christmas tree farm and mayor of Chelsea. Ben refuses to allow Zoey to have a permit to film in town. Zoey tries to change Ben’s mind, but as time is running out for Zoey to get the permits, they’re caught in a devastating ice storm. Ben and Zoey are suddenly facing a life and death situation. As they get closer to each other, Zoey keeps trying to change Ben’s mind, and possibly win his heart.

This is a fun and fast paced rom com! I read this book in just two sittings. The town of Chelsea sounded like the perfect holiday town. When Ben and Zoey were caught in the storm, the story took a scary turn. I knew nothing too serious would happen since it’s a rom com, but it was still scary to imagine being stranded in a severe ice storm. The ending was adorable and made it all worth it.

It Happened One Christmas is an adorable holiday rom com!

Thank you Penguin Random House Canada for providing a copy of this book!

Have you read It Happened One Christmas? What did you think of it?

Review: Camp Sylvania (Camp Sylvania #1)

Title: Camp Sylvania (Camp Sylvania #1)
Author: Julie Murphy
Genre: Middle Grade, Fantasy, Contemporary
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Source: Purchased
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: June 6, 2023
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Dumplin’ and Dear Sweet Pea comes a hilarious and spooky middle grade summer-camp story that takes a bite out of fat camp.

Magnolia “Maggie” Hagen is determined to be in the spotlight…if she can just get over her stage fright. This summer, though, she has big plans to finally attend Camp Rising Star, the famous performing arts camp she’s been dying to go to for three whole summers.

But on the last day of school, her parents break the news: Maggie isn’t going to Camp Rising Star. She’s being shipped off to fat camp—and not just any fat camp. She’s going to Camp Sylvania, run by world-famous wellness influencer Sylvia Sylvania, who is known for her soon-to-be patented Scarlet Diet.

When Maggie arrives at camp, things are…weird. There are the humiliating weigh-ins and grueling workouts, as expected. But the campers are also encouraged to donate blood—at their age! The cafeteria serves only red foods and the oddly specific rules change every day. There are even rumors of a camp ghost.

Despite these horrors, Maggie makes friends and starts to actually enjoy herself. There are even tryouts for a camp production of The Music Man! This place might not be so bad…until campers start going missing and suspicious things begin happening—especially after dark.

The camp ghost might be the least scary thing about this place….

Review:

Maggie Hagen is excited to be in the spotlight at her drama summer camp with her best friend Nora. However, on the last day of school, her parents break the news to her that she won’t be going to Camp Rising Star. Instead, she’ll be going to Camp Sylvania, which is a new fat camp run by her mother’s childhood camp friend, Sylvia. Things are strange at the camp right from the beginning. They have weigh-ins and workouts, but the kids also have to donate blood. The cafeteria only serves red foods, and the rules at the camp change daily. Maggie begins to suspect something dark is going on when kids disappear and strange things happen at night. She must work with her new friends to figure out what’s happening at the camp before she disappears forever too.

This story dealt with some tough body image issues that some kids have to face every day. Maggie knew she was bigger than most kids in her class, but it became a harsh reality when her parents decided to send her to fat camp. It made her feel like her weight was a part of her that needed to be changed. I found myself cringing at the scene when Maggie’s parents told her about fat camp, but it was also realistic. I can remember hearing people talk about my weight as a kid, and it isn’t a good memory. I liked that this body image subplot wasn’t as serious at the camp because there were other things going on. I thought it was obvious that there were vampires at the camp right from the beginning, but I’m not the target audience, so kids may not catch on as quickly as I did.

Camp Sylvania is a spooky middle grade camp story!

Content warnings: fatphobia, dieting, blood mentions

Have you read Camp Sylvania? What did you think of it?