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: ★★★★

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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: ★★★★★

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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: Gwen and Art Are Not in Love

Title: Gwen and Art Are Not in Love
Author: Lex Croucher
Genre: Young Adult, Historical, Romance, LGBT, Fantasy
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Source: Publisher
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: November 28, 2023
Rating: ★★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

Heartstopper meets A Knight’s Tale in this queer medieval rom-com YA debut about love, friendship, and being brave enough to change the course of history.

It’s been hundreds of years since King Arthur’s reign. His descendant, Arthur, a future Lord and general gadabout, has been betrothed to Gwendoline, the quick-witted, short-tempered princess of England, since birth. The only thing they can agree on is that they despise each other.

They’re forced to spend the summer together at Camelot in the run-up to their nuptials, and within 24 hours, Gwen has discovered Arthur kissing a boy, and Arthur has gone digging for Gwen’s childhood diary and found confessions about her crush on the kingdom’s only lady knight, Bridget Leclair.

Realizing they might make better allies than enemies, Gwen and Art make a reluctant pact to cover for each other, and as things heat up at the annual royal tournament, Gwen is swept off her feet by her knight, and Arthur takes an interest in Gwen’s royal brother. Lex Croucher’s Gwen & Art Are Not in Love is chock full of sword-fighting, found family, and romantic shenanigans destined to make readers fall in love.

Review:

Hundreds of years after King Arthur’s death, his descendant, Arthur, is betrothed to Princess Gwendoline. However, they can’t stand each other. They are forced to spend the entire summer together leading up to their eventual marriage. Soon after Arthur arrives at the palace, Gwen catches him kissing a boy. After she confronts him about it, Arthur finds Gwen’s diary where she fantasizes about kissing the only lady knight. Since they both like people of the same sex, they know they aren’t meant for each other, so they decide to work together. Gwen gets to spend more time with her lady knight, while Arthur gets closer to Gwen’s brother Gabriel. They eventually have to figure out a way to get around their future marriage and be with the ones they love. 

This was a fun historical romance! It isn’t a retelling of the King Arthur story. Some of the characters are descendants of King Arthur, and most of them have been named after people from that era. Gwen, Arthur, and Lancelot were some of the names that were popular in the time period in the story. Though there were some serious moments, with the characters dealing with homophobia, there were also a lot of laugh out loud moments as well. It was very entertaining. 

Gwen and Art Are Not in Love is a fun queer historical romance!

Thank you Wednesday Books for providing a finished copy of this book!

Content warnings: homophobia, death of parent

Have you read Gwen and Art Are Not in Love? 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: ★★★★★

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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: ★★★★★

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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?

Happy Pub Day – November 28

Happy Pub Day to these authors!

Gwen and Art Are Not in Love by Lex Croucher

A Demon’s Guide to Wooing a Witch by Sarah Hawley

The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose

Didn’t See That Coming by Jesse Q. Sutanto

Betting on You by Lynn Painter

Thank you Wednesday Books, Berkley Romance, Penguin Random House Canada, Penguin Teen Canada, and Simon and Schuster Canada for providing copies of these books!

What books are you most excited for this week?

Review: Iron Flame (The Empyrean #2)

Title: Iron Flame (The Empyrean #2)
Author: Rebecca Yarros
Genre: New Adult, Fantasy, Romance
Publisher: Red Tower Books
Source: Purchased
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: November 7, 2023
Rating: ★★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

“The first year is when some of us lose our lives. The second year is when the rest of us lose our humanity.” —Xaden Riorson

Everyone expected Violet Sorrengail to die during her first year at Basgiath War College—Violet included. But Threshing was only the first impossible test meant to weed out the weak-willed, the unworthy, and the unlucky.

Now the real training begins, and Violet’s already wondering how she’ll get through. It’s not just that it’s grueling and maliciously brutal, or even that it’s designed to stretch the riders’ capacity for pain beyond endurance. It’s the new vice commandant, who’s made it his personal mission to teach Violet exactly how powerless she is–unless she betrays the man she loves.

Although Violet’s body might be weaker and frailer than everyone else’s, she still has her wits—and a will of iron. And leadership is forgetting the most important lesson Basgiath has taught her: Dragon riders make their own rules.

But a determination to survive won’t be enough this year.

Because Violet knows the real secret hidden for centuries at Basgiath War College—and nothing, not even dragon fire, may be enough to save them in the end.

Review:

Violet and her fellow classmates are still reeling from the discovery at the end of Fourth Wing. She comes up against the new vice commandant, who doesn’t like her or her two dragons. Violet starts doing some research of her own and discovers a secret that was hidden at Basgaith for centuries. She’s the only one who could potentially save them all. 

This was a great sequel to Fourth Wing! It was super long and detailed but I loved being in this world again. Violet’s second dragon, Andarna, is now one of my favourite characters. She’s so adorable! The ending of Iron Flame was surprising but not as shocking as the ending of Fourth Wing. I’m not sure where the story will be heading next, so I’m excited for the next book!

Iron Flame is a thrilling sequel!

Content warnings: death, abuse, death of parent, death of sibling, torture

Other books in the series:

Have you read Iron Flame? 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: ★★★★

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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: Save the Cat! Writes a Young Adult Novel

Title: Save the Cat! Writes a Young Adult Novel
Author: Jessica Brody
Genre: Non Fiction
Publisher: Ten Speed Press
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: May 2, 2023
Rating: ★★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

In Save the Cat! Writes a Young Adult Novel, prolific author and story coach Jessica Brody presents a comprehensive story structure guide for anyone who wants to write a young adult novel by applying the famed Save the Cat! screenwriting methodology to the world of YA fiction. In this book, you will learn:

• The fifteen “beats” (or plot points) that are necessary for crafting a successful story with a compelling character arc —including the Opening Image, Catalyst, Fun and Games, Bad Guys Close In, Dark Night of the Soul, and Finale
• The ten universal story genres that will help you drill into what makes your type of story work, including those most commonly found in young adult novels like Rites of Passage, Superhero, Buddy Love, Institutionalized, and Golden Fleece
• Quirky, original insights and writing tips like “Save the Cat,” the “Shard of Glass,” and the “Dark Night Epiphany,” that help you craft a story that will thrill and captivate teen readers

Filled with practical advice, easy-to-follow templates, and “beat sheets” analyzing the structure of popular young adult novels such as Leigh Bardugo’s Six of Crows, John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars, and Lois Lowry’s The Giver, this book is the ultimate reference for anyone who’s ever dreamed of writing their own young adult bestseller.

Review:

Save the Cat! Writes a Novel is one of the best writing guides I’ve ever read! I was so excited when I found out that Jessica Brody was writing a new edition for Young Adult novels. 

This book details the 15 “beats” of the Save the Cat method for plotting a novel. There is extensive information on the different genres, or story types, that are found in almost every young adult novel. There are also some “beat sheets” for popular young adult novels, such as Six of Crows and The Fault in Our Stars, so you can see how the beats work in novels you already know. 

Save the Cat! Writes a Young Adult Novel is a must read for young adult writers!

Thank you Ten Speed Press for providing a digital copy of this book.

Have you read Save the Cat! Writes a Young Adult Novel? What did you think of it?