Contemporary – Page 9 – Jill's Book Blog

Review: Falling Hard for the Royal Guard

Title: Falling Hard for the Royal Guard
Author: Megan Clawson
Genre: Romance, Contemporary
Publisher: Avon
Source: Purchased
Format: Paperback
Release Date: May 2, 2023
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Despite living in an actual castle, happily ever after is evading Margaret ‘Maggie’ Moore.

From her bedroom in the Tower of London, twenty-six-year-old Maggie has always dreamed of her own fairy-tale ending.

Yet this is twenty-first century London, so instead of knights on white horses, she has catfish on Tinder. And with her last relationship ending in spectacular fashion, she swears off men for good.

And then a chance encounter with Royal Guard Freddie forces Maggie to admit that she isn’t ready to give up on love just yet… But how do you catch the attention of someone who is trained to ignore all distractions?

Can she snare that true love’s first kiss… or is she royally screwed?

Review:

Twenty-six-year-old Maggie Moore lives at the Tower of London with her father. She’s always dreamed of her own fairytale romance, but all she has is a deadbeat ex-boyfriend following her around. After she literally stumbles into a Royal Guard one day, she starts to believe in love again. However, Maggie has a hard time getting his attention, since the Royal Guards are trained to ignore distractions. Maggie wants to find true love, whether she must swipe through Tinder or convince her Royal Guard that she’s the one for him.

This was such a fun romance! I loved seeing what life is like for residents of the Tower of London. It’s such a unique lifestyle, with residents not locking their doors and having trouble getting food delivered. Maggie has some horrific dates with men she met on Tinder, which anyone who has used dating apps would relate to.

Falling Hard for the Royal Guard is a fun rom com!

Content warnings: death of parent (off page)

Have you read Falling Hard for the Royal Guard? What did you think of it?

Review:Halfway to Harbor (The House on Sunrise Lagoon #3)

Title: Halfway to Harbor (The House on Sunrise Lagoon #3)
Author: Nicole Melleby
Genre: Middle Grade, Contemporary, LGBTQ
Publisher: Algonquin Young Readers
Source: Publisher
Format: Paperback
Release Date: May 7, 2024
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

If you want to get to know Harbor Moore, you need to know three things:

1. Sometimes she signs her name Harbor Ali-O’Connor to match her siblings.
2. She misses her dad a lot, but she doesn’t want to be away from her moms and siblings, either.
3. She just might have her first crush.

Harbor is excited to spend the summer working on her jump shot in an elite basketball league. But the games take place near her dad’s house—hours away from her beloved Sunrise Lagoon. Suddenly, she’s spending every weekend at her dad’s and getting to know Quinn, a girl whose smile makes her feel warm inside. Still, Harbor can’t help wondering what’s going on at home. Why is Sam hanging out with Harbor’s best friend? Has Marina’s friend Boom taken her place in the house? What have the twins “borrowed” this time for one of their disastrous scientific experiments?

When it comes time to decide whether Harbor will stay and play basketball with her team—and Quinn—all year round, or continue to live on Sunrise Lagoon, Harbor thinks she knows what to do . . . but is it the right decision?

Review:

Harbor is the oldest of the Ali-O’Conner sisters. She is the only one who has a dad, who she visits on alternating weekends. When her dad asks her if she wants to join a basketball league for the summer, which would mean her spending every weekend at his house, Harbor is eager to join. Staying at her dad’s house would give Harbor a room of her own and some peace and quiet from her four sisters. However, while Harbor is getting some quiet time at her dad’s house, the excitement at the Ali-O’Conner house continues without her. Harbor must decide if she’d like to live with her dad and have her own space or stay with her siblings in Sunrise Lagoon.

I loved seeing Harbor’s story in this book! In the previous two books, which were about Harbor’s younger sisters, both girls viewed Harbor as the oldest sister who had a lot of privileges they didn’t have. However, in this book, Harbor felt just as left out at times just like her sisters. Harbor was growing into a teen and beginning to feel romantic feelings, so she was questioning who she liked. She had some good conversations with both of her parents about these feelings and the way they made comments that made her uncomfortable. I really love reading about the Ali-O’Conner family, so I hope there will be more books in this series!

Halfway to Harbor is a great middle grade story!

Thank you Algonquin Young Readers for sending me a copy of this book!

Content warnings: death, funeral, homophobia

Other books in the series:

Have you read Halfway to Harbor? What did you think of it?

Review: Marina in the Middle (The House on Sunrise Lagoon #2)

Title: Marina in the Middle (The House on Sunrise Lagoon #2)
Author: Nicole Melleby
Genre: Middle Grade, Contemporary, LGBTQ
Publisher: Algonquin Young Readers
Source: Publisher
Format: Paperback
Release Date: May 9, 2023
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

The second book in Nicole Melleby’s Sunrise Lagoon series follows Marina, the middle child, in a beautiful, heartfelt exploration of what it means to be brave and how a big family means you never need to be lonely.

If you want to get to know Marina Ali-O’Connor, you need to know three things:

One, despite her name, Marina is secretly afraid of the ocean.

Two, she wanted to be one of the Oldest Siblings, but is stuck smack dab in the middle.

Three, she’s pretty certain she’s the Extra Ali-O’Connor kid, the forgotten one.

When Boom, a budding filmmaker exactly Marina’s age, moves in across the lagoon, she decides that Marina’s quest to become someone’s favorite Ali-O’Connor would make a perfect documentary. So they get to work, coming up with ways to calm Marina’s anxiety. But when each plan goes a little bit wrong, Marina begins to wonder if she’ll ever feel like she belongs or if she’ll always be lost in the middle.

Review:

Marina is the middle child in the Ali-O’Conner family. She’s suddenly become scared of the water and boats, which is a problem since her family lives on Sunrise Lagoon and her mom has a boat repair business. Marina feels like the forgotten sibling. Her two older sisters look like her mom and they like boats just like her too. Her mama gave birth to her two younger sisters, which bonded them together. Marina wants to be someone’s favourite person in the family. Her new friend Boom suggests that Marina spend time with each family member to see if they would pick Marina as their favourite. Marina tests each of her family members, but she ends up in some dangerous situations.

This was a great story in the House on Sunrise Lagoon series. Like the first book, this one was about one of the sisters who doesn’t feel like she belongs in the family. They have some complex dynamics, since two of the girls are adopted and three are biological daughters of their moms. I love the well developed characters in this series. The third book, which is about Harbor, the oldest sister in the family, was just published this week!

Marina in the Middle is a great middle grade summer story!

Thank you Algonquin Young Readers for sending me a copy of this book!

Other books in the series:

Sam Makes a Splash (The House on Sunrise Lagoon #1)
Halfway to Harbor (The House on Sunrise Lagoon #3)

Have you read Marina in the Middle? What did you think of it?

Review: Sam Makes a Splash (The House on Sunrise Lagoon #1)

Title: Sam Makes a Splash (The House on Sunrise Lagoon #1)
Author: Nicole Melleby
Genre: Middle Grade, Contemporary
Publisher: Algonquin Young Readers
Source: Publisher
Format: Paperback
Release Date: May 9, 2023
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

From acclaimed author Nicole Melleby comes a cheerful, uplifting story of family and belonging, the first in new series perfect for fans of the Vanderbeekers and the Penderwicks.

If you want to get to know eleven-year-old Samantha Ali-O’Connor, you need to know three things:

One, she isn’t the only one of her siblings who is adopted, but she is the only one whose name isn’t inspired by the ocean.

Two, she and Harbor always compete with each other to be the best Oldest Sibling—and just about everything else.

And three, she is determined to prove she’s a real Ali-O’Connor by taking over the family business, repairing and chartering boats.

Except there’s a Capital-P Problem: Her mothers have been Serious Whispering about selling the business before summer’s end! Sam needs to come up with a plan, quick, before Harbor finds out. And before Sam loses her chance to inherit the business and be an Ali-O’Connor forever.

Review:

Eleven-year-old Samantha Ali-O’Conner doesn’t feel like she belongs in her family. She’s one of two adopted siblings, but all of the other kids have names that are related to the ocean. She’s always competing with her sister Harbor, who is four months older than her and also has one of her mom’s boats named after her. Samantha thinks that the one way she could really belong in the family is to take over her mom’s boat repair business when she’s older. However, that may not be possible when she overhears her moms talking about closing the business. Samantha needs to come up with a plan to save her family’s legacy so she can finally belong.

This was such a great middle grade novel. I loved the character development. There were eight members of the Ali-O’Conner family, as well as many neighbours in the story, but they all felt like distinct, real people. Samantha’s story was relatable. Every child feels like they don’t belong somewhere at some point in their life, just like Samantha felt in her family.

Samantha Makes a Splash is a great middle grade story!

Thank you Algonquin Young Readers for sending me a copy of this book!

Other books in the series:

Marina in the Middle (The House on Sunrise Lagoon #2)
Halfway to Harbor (The House on Sunrise Lagoon #3)

Have you read Sam Makes a Splash? What did you think of it?

Review: Bride

Title: Bride
Author: Ali Hazelwood
Genre: Romance, Paranormal, Contemporary
Publisher: Berkley
Source: Purchased
Format: Paperback
Release Date: February 6, 2024
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

A dangerous alliance between a Vampyre bride and an Alpha Werewolf becomes a love deep enough to sink your teeth into in this new paranormal romance.

Misery Lark, the only daughter of the most powerful Vampyre councilman of the Southwest, is an outcast—again. Her days of living in anonymity among the Humans are over: she has been called upon to uphold a historic peacekeeping alliance between the Vampyres and their mortal enemies, the Weres, and she sees little choice but to surrender herself in the exchange—again…

Weres are ruthless and unpredictable, and their Alpha, Lowe Moreland, is no exception. He rules his pack with absolute authority, but not without justice. And, unlike the Vampyre Council, not without feeling. It’s clear from the way he tracks Misery’s every movement that he doesn’t trust her. If only he knew how right he was….

Because Misery has her own reasons to agree to this marriage of convenience, reasons that have nothing to do with politics or alliances, and everything to do with the only thing she’s ever cared about. And she is willing to do whatever it takes to get back what’s hers, even if it means a life alone in Were territory…alone with the wolf.

Review:

Vampyre Misery Lark has spent most of her life living away from her powerful father, in the human world. When her best friend goes missing, she only has one clue to go on: the name L.E. Moreland written in her diary. Her father tells Misery that she must marry the Werewolf Alpha, Lowe Moreland, as part of a Were/Vampyre alliance, and Misery agrees since he must be connected to her best friend’s disappearance. However, Misery must move into the enemy’s territory, where she’s viewed as a threat. Lowe doesn’t trust her so he tracks every move she makes, until she can prove that she’s only there to find her best friend. Lowe and Misery must work together to figure out what’s happening in their territories, until their undeniable attraction gets in the way.

This is my first Ali Hazelwood book and I loved it! I really enjoyed the mystery of what happened to Misery’s best friend that went along with the romance. I was surprised at the twists that subplot took. The romance got pretty spicy towards the end. There was the possibility for a sequel at the end of the story, so I’d love to see two other characters explored in another book!

Bride is a great paranormal romance!

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

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

Review: Losing My Breath

Title: Losing My Breath
Author: J. Rose Black
Genre: Romance, Contemporary
Publisher: Self-published
Source: Author
Format: Paperback
Release Date: November 8, 2023
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

A Marine never says die.
Neither does his princess.

Battle lines are drawn when sheltered debutante Meridian Daly moves across the hall from grumpy former special forces Marine Callan Brand. Situated a bit closer than advertised to ‘crime alley’, Meridian’s neighbor finds himself grudgingly guarding the pampered princess out of habit. But with her sharp wit and killer curves, he can’t help but surrender to temptation…

When their relationship evolves from casual courtship to something more, Callan finds that Meridian’s already discovered his closely-guarded secret. But can he let go of his pride, and tell her the whole truth of who he is and what he’s done—in the name of honor and country?

As Callan’s scars start to reveal themselves, his life spirals beyond the careful control that’s helped him survive—and kept those he cares about safe.

From him.

But this tough-in-a-tiara princess won’t back down, even in Callan’s darkest hours. And Meridian just might prove to be more tenacious than a never-say-die Marine!

Review:

Callan Brand is a former special forces Marine who works in cyber security now. Meridian Daly moves in across the hall from him, and he instantly feels the need to protect her. Callan saves Meridian, but he’s scared to open up to her about his deepest secrets. He must learn to open himself up to love to find his happily ever after.

This was such a great romance. It is told from Callan’s point of view, which was unique for a romance. I’ve never read a romance that was only from the male POV in a heterosexual romance. Callan had PTSD so he had an unreliable perspective because he was in denial about his condition. Callan and Meridian were a great grumpy/sunshine pair in this spicy romance!

Losing My Breath is a great spicy romance!

Thank you J. Rose Black and Bookinfluencers for providing a copy of this book for a sponsored campaign.

Content warnings: PTSD, sexual assault, parental death (off page), parental abandonment, pregnancy, pregnancy complications

This is a sponsored post.

Have you read Losing My Breath? What did you think of it?

Review: Four Good Liars

Title: Four Good Liars
Author: Sarah Wishart
Genre: Young Adult, Thriller, Contemporary
Publisher: HarperCollins
Source: Publisher
Format: Paperback
Release Date: February 6, 2024
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

The unputdownable, explosive new YA thriller from the bestselling, award-winning author of The Colour of Bee Larkham’s Murder, perfect for fans of Karen McManus, Cynthia Murphy and Holly Jackson.

Layla. Kai. Liam. Fliss.

Terrified big sister. Troubled surfer. Insecure genius. Pampered princess.

They have nothing in common, except they were all on the school bus that morning. The morning of the crash. The morning they discovered the dead driver’s holdall, containing one million pounds – and a gun.

All of them have secrets, and all of them need that money. But someone dangerous is hunting it down, and drawing closer every minute. If Layla, Kai, Liam and Fliss want to survive, they’ll need to stick together. But can four good liars really trust one another? Or are some truths just too powerful to stay buried…?

Review:

Kai, Layla, Liam, and Fliss go to the same school, but other than that they have nothing in common. One day when they’re on the school bus, the driver crashes and goes over a cliff. The four of them escape the bus with the driver’s holdall bag, which holds one million pounds. Each of the teens has their own reasons for wanting to split the money, so they decide to keep it a secret from the police so they can keep it for themselves. However, someone knows they have the money. They’re being followed and receive threatening messages. They must decide if they’ll keep the money and their secrets or if they’ll finally tell the truth.

This was a great suspenseful thriller. The chapters were short and fast-paced. The way that the kids were being followed was really creepy. I was surprised at the reveal of who was behind it all. It was a great twist ending.

Four Good Liars is a great thriller!

Thank you Frenzy Books for sending me a copy of this book.

Content warnings: death, car accident, cancer, parental abandonment, heart attack, gun violence

Have you read Four Good Liars? What did you think of it?

Review: Wildfire (Maple Hills #2)

Title: Wildfire (Maple Hills #2)
Author: Hannah Grace
Genre: Romance, Contemporary
Publisher: Atria Books
Source: Publisher
Format: Paperback arc
Release Date: October 3, 2023
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

The latest in the Maple Hills series follows two summer camp counselors who reconnect after a sizzling one-night stand.

Maple Hills students Russ Callaghan and Aurora Roberts cross paths at a party celebrating the end of the academic year, where a drinking game results in them having a passionate one-night stand. Never one to overstay her welcome (or expect much from a man), Aurora slips away before Russ even has the chance to ask for her full name.

Imagine their surprise when they bump into each other on the first day of the summer camp where they are both counselors, hoping to escape their complicated home lives by spending the summer working. Russ hopes if he gets far enough away from Maple Hills, he can avoid dealing with the repercussions of his father’s gambling addiction, while Aurora is tired of craving attention from everyone around her, and wants to go back to the last place she truly felt at home.

Russ knows breaking the camp’s strict “no staff fraternizing” rule will have him heading back to Maple Hills before the summer is over, but unfortunately for him, Aurora has never been very good at caring about the rules. Will the two learn to peacefully coexist? Or did their one night together start a fire they can’t put out?

Review:

Russ Callaghan and Aurora Roberts meet at a party at the Maple Hills hockey house. They have one passionate night together, but due to some miscommunication, Aurora leaves before saying goodbye. They’re both shocked when they turn up at the same summer camp where they’re working as counselors for the summer. There’s a rule that staff at the camp aren’t allowed to fraternize, but Aurora has never liked to follow rules. They have to decide if they will stay apart or if they will continue what they started that night at Maple Hills.

This was such a cute romance! I loved Aurora and Russ. Russ was like a sweet cinnamon roll. Both of them had to deal with serious issues with their fathers, but they were able to put some distance between those and their daily lives. I liked how this story was light and funny. The “third act break up” wasn’t long and heartbreaking. Russ and Aurora also noticed when they had a miscommunication problem, so they were able to resolve that quickly.

Wildfire is a fun romance!

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

Content warnings: parental abandonment, gambling addiction, vomiting

Other books in the series:

Icebreaker (Maple Hills #1)

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

Review: Not Like Other Girls

Title: Not Like Other Girls
Author: Meredith Adamo
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Thriller
Publisher: Bloomsbury Books
Source: Publisher
Format: Paperback arc
Release Date: April 30, 2024
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

A girl risks everything to find her former best friend in this powerful debut mystery about trauma, girlhood, and what we deserve.

When Jo-Lynn Kirby’s former best friend—pretty, nice Maddie Price—comes to her claiming to be in trouble, Jo assumes it’s some kind of joke. After all, Jo has been an outcast ever since her nude photos were leaked—and since everyone decided she deserved it. There’s no way Maddie would actually come to her for help.

But then Maddie is gone.

Everyone is quick to write off Maddie as a runaway, but Jo can’t shake the feeling there’s more to the story. To find out the truth, Jo needs to get back in with the people who left her behind—and the only way back in is through Hudson Harper-Moore. An old fling of Jo’s with his own reasons for wanting to find Maddie, Hudson hatches a fake dating scheme to get Jo back into their clique. But being back on the inside means Jo must confront everything she’d rather forget: the boys who betrayed her, the whispers that she had it coming, and the secrets that tore her and Maddie apart. As Jo digs deeper into Maddie’s disappearance, she’s left to wonder who she’s really searching for: Maddie, or the girl she used to be.

Not Like Other Girls is a stunning debut that takes a hard look at how we treat young women and their trauma, through the lens of a missing girl and a girl trying to find herself again.

Review:

Jo-Lynn Kirby is a seventeen-year-old junior in high school. Her former best friend, Maddie Price, disappears after asking Jo for help. Jo has been an outcast ever since her private photos were leaked, so she doesn’t know why Maddie would go to her for help. The police decide that Maddie has just run away on her own, but Jo suspects there’s more to her disappearance. She joins together with her former fling, Hudson, to figure out what happened to Maddie, but she ends uncovering her own secrets as well.

This was such an intense YA thriller. It was so hard to put down. I think readers who love awesome thriller writers like Karen M. McManus and Holly Jackson will love this debut thriller!

Thank you Bloomsbury Books US and Bookinfluencers.com for providing a copy of this book for part of a sponsored campaign.

Content warnings: sexual assault, rape, gaslighting

Have you read Not Like Other Girls? What did you think of it?

Review: Fangirl Down (Big Shots #1)

Title: Fangirl Down (Big Shots #1)
Author: Tessa Bailey
Genre: Romance, Contemporary
Publisher: Avon
Source: Purchased
Format: Paperback
Release Date: February 13, 2024
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

#1 New York Times bestselling author Tessa Bailey launches a super sexy sports romance series with a rom-com about a bad boy professional athlete who falls for his biggest fan…

Wells Whitaker was once golf’s hottest rising star, but lately, all he has to show for his “promising” career is a killer hangover, a collection of broken clubs, and one remaining supporter. No matter how bad he plays, the beautiful, sunny redhead is always on the sidelines. He curses, she cheers. He scowls, she smiles. But when Wells quits in a blaze of glory and his fangirl finally goes home, he knows he made the greatest mistake of his life.

Josephine Doyle believed in the gorgeous, grumpy golfer, even when he didn’t believe in himself. Yet after he throws in the towel, she begins to wonder if her faith was misplaced. Then a determined Wells shows up at her door with a wild proposal: be his new caddy, help him turn his game around, and split the prize money. And considering Josephine’s professional and personal life is in shambles, she could really use the cash…

As they travel together, spending days on the green and nights in neighboring hotel rooms, sparks fly. Before long, they’re inseparable, Wells starts winning again, and Josephine is surprised to find a sweet, thoughtful guy underneath his gruff, growly exterior. This hot man wants to brush her hair, feed her snacks, and take bubble baths together? Is this real life? But Wells is technically her boss and an athlete falling for his fangirl would be ridiculous… right?

Review:

Josephine Doyle is Wells Whitaker’s number one fan. She’s nicknamed herself “Wells’s Belle” and cheers him on at the PGA Tour, despite his promising career taking a nosedive. Wells is ready to give up on his golfing dreams, but then he realizes he’s made a mistake. He shows up on Josephine’s doorstep with a proposal for her to be his caddy for a share of his tour winnings. Josephine needs the money to pay for her health insurance for her diabetes and to fix up her family’s golf shop, so she agrees. They get closer as Wells starts winning again with his new good luck charm, but they also have to deal with the way their exciting new partnership draws media attention that isn’t always positive.

This is my first Tessa Bailey novel and I loved it! Wells and Josephine were the perfect “grumpy/sunshine” pairing. Even though Wells was grumpy, he still had a likeable quality to him. I liked the inclusion of Josephine’s diabetes. I’ve learned a lot about diabetes over the last year since my dog was diagnosed with it, so it was interesting to see the way Josephine had to manage it in her own life. There were some quite spicy scenes in this romance too!

Fangirl Down is a great golf romance!

Content warnings: diabetes, hurricane

Have you read Fangirl Down? What did you think of it?