For Butter or Worse by Erin La Rosa
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars**

Nina Lyon has worked hard to make a name for herself as a chef. When she decided to host a culinary reality television show, some people felt she was selling out, but Nina chose to take the risk anyway.

Nina views the show, The Next Cooking Champ!, as a great way to secure her name, brand and the success of her restaurant.

Her co-host, Leo O’Donnell, is a thorn in her side however, the only real downside to the show. Dealing with him every day; good grief.

Leo doesn’t mean to drive Nina nuts. He’s not like aiming to tick her off or anything, it just happens. The stress of filming gets to him and he seems to direct that towards her. Whoops.

When Leo takes a joke a smidge too far, Nina quits the show, live on air.

Later when Leo and Nina get caught in what appears to be a compromising position by paparazzi, the fans go absolutely nuts. Has there been a secret relationship unfolding when the cameras are off?

Well no, but it would certainly help both of their careers if that were true. Thus, their agents arrange a fake dating relationship in the hopes of salvaging these two celebrity chefs’ reputations.

For Butter or Worse is a cute and satisfying enemies-to-lovers meets faking-dating story. I enjoyed my time reading this and loved the idea of two celebrity chefs having a bit of a romance.

I wish that they would have spent more time actually involved in the reality cooking show though. That’s sort of what sold me on this, so I was a little disappointed it wasn’t more of a setting for the actual story.

With this being said, it was still enjoyable reading about two chefs as main characters. They come from different worlds in the culinary business and I liked reading about their challenges within their careers.

I also always enjoy an enemies-to-lovers trope and this one was well-done. I will say, I personally prefer when the banter has a bit more wit and humor, but it could be that this just wasn’t fit to my sense of humor. I definitely enjoyed it, but I wasn’t giggling along as Nina and Leo were exchanging barbs.

The sex scenes in this were great. I will say I enjoyed the level of steam La Rosa brought to the page here. There was just enough to keep me fanning myself, without crossing into eye-roll territory.

I also liked the sweet scenes a lot. The scenes were Nina and Leo really started to connect. While there was miscommunication, of course, it never got overplayed or annoying for me. I think the tension was well-built and resolved, so great job by the author on that.

Overall, I enjoyed this. It is a good, fun story, with believable characters and an interesting set-up. I would recommend this to fans of Jasmine Guillory ((me)), or Alisha Rai’s Modern Love series ((also, me)).

I am definitely looking forward to picking-up more from this author. I think she really did a lot of things well here and I look forward to following her skills grow with future work.

Thank you so much to the publisher, HQN, for providing me with a copy to read and review.

This is a fun book and I’m so glad I finally got around to reading it. It made me hungry…for delicious food and for more steamy romance!

View all my reviews

**4.5-stars rounded up**

The Queen of Steamy-STEM is back and she’s done it again!!

Without putting too fine a point on it, I’ll just say that Hazelwood’s stories are the romances of my dreams. I loved this one even more than [book:The Love Hypothesis|56732449].

In Love on the Brain the Reader is introduced to Bee Königswasser, a neuroscientist, who has just been offered the opportunity to work on the project of her dreams for none other than NASA.

Moving to Houston, Bee gets to bring along her dark-ray of moonshine assistant, Rocío, who I absolutely adored. The project is set to run for 3-months. This could be the greatest 3-months of her career thus far. Bee is pumped.

Then she discovers her co-lead on the project is Levi Ward. Ughhhh, way to ruin an entire vibe. Levi is a huge jerk her spurned her at every turn in grad school.

Bee never really understood what his deal was with her, but she knows she doesn’t want to repeat any of it at this point in her life.

Unsurprisingly, as Bee and Rocío attempt to settle in at their new office and get to work, it seems that someone is sabotaging them.

Honestly, it’s like Levi isn’t even trying to hide it, but the longer they’re around each other, Bee begins to see a different side to him. Is Levi softening towards her, or was she possibly misreading him all along? Also, if it isn’t Levi sabotaging her, who is it?

Y’all, I adored this story. From the very first moments in Bee’s perspective, I knew I was going to become so connected to her. I adored the way her brain worked, her passions, her backstory, her insecurities, it was all so solidly developed.

Then there is Levi, the epitome of a leading man. He’s handsome, smart, industrious, athletic, motivated, charming, sweet and a Star Wars fan. I mean, sign me up.

I love an Enemies-to-Lovers trope, so I wasn’t surprised that I enjoyed this plot. One thing I really appreciated was that most of the miscommunication between the couple is cleared up earlier in the book than is generally the case.

This allowed a better building of their relationship in my opinion. Usually you spend so much time just trying to have characters actually communicate with one another, it can get frustrating. I didn’t really feel that here. It felt like just the right amount to build tension without causing annoyance.

I also really loved the side characters, particularly Rocío, Bee’s assistant, and Levi’s cat, Schrodinger, because who doesn’t love the cats who star in romance stories!?

I will say towards the end, there was some silly drama that felt very eye-rolly for me, hence the 4.5-stars rounded up, versus a full-5. With that being said though, that’s a pretty minor thing and it was the only time where I was sort of shaken out of the hypnotic trance this story put me in.

I have read all of Hazelwood’s currently published works and I have enjoyed them all. I love that she is writing women in STEM characters and that her characters are all so well-rounded and likable.

As with many Romance stories, there is a formula to them, but hey, they work. You know what you are getting into when you pick up a Hazelwood book and I’m here for it all the way.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Berkley, for providing me with a copy to read and review.

This is my favorite Hazelwood yet and I cannot wait to see what she has in store for us next!!

Drunk on Love by Jasmine Guillory
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

Margot has been busy the past 3-years co-running Noble Family Vineyards with her brother, Elliott. The brother-sister duo inherited the Napa Valley vineyard and corresponding business when their dear Uncle passed away.

Margot has always felt like her brother was displeased that she was included in the bequeathment. Because of this, she has continuously worked extra hard to prove herself to him.

It’s put a strain on their relationship. Nevertheless, they both show up to work every day and bust their humps.

Sometimes after a stressful day, Margot likes to go to her best friend, Sydney’s restaurant, The Barrel, sit at the bar, chat with her friend, have some drinks and food, it’s her go-to for unwinding.

On one particular night, a very handsome man ends up sitting right beside her. After some friendly prodding from Sydney, Margot ends up taking a chance and striking up a conversation with him.

He’s quite charming and the two end up hitting it off, keeping each other company for the next few hours. Before they know it, it’s time to go, but neither really wants the night to end.

Luckily, they both live close by, so it doesn’t have to. One thing leads to another and the next morning, Luke, is dropping Margot off at her apartment before work. Whoops, that might have gone too far, but boy, was it fun.

Margot’s happy. She needed that. A fun little release. She fully expects and is prepared to never see Luke again.

Then she gets to work and that very morning is introduced to their new hire. Imagine her surprise when Luke walks into her office, just as sexy as the night before.

The two have to pretend they’ve never met, all while keeping their insane chemistry in check. The sparks traveling between them have to be snuffed out and ASAP.

How are these one-time lovers going to make this work? Can they hide their feelings from everyone, even themselves?

Drunk on Love is the 7th-book that I have read from Ms. Jasmine Guillory. I love her writing and will continue to pick up all her new releases.

While I will say this one felt a bit more subtle and serious than her other works, I still really enjoyed it. The characters were well-developed, believable and relatable. I was invested in their journeys, both together and individually.

I always like how Guillory’s characters are working through things in their careers, or family lives, that warrants equal attention to the romance involved in the story. For me, I need more substance than a strictly romantic plot to stay invested and Guillory always delivers that.

This is no exception. Both Margot and Luke are at sort of pivotal points in their lives, with their careers and in making decisions for their futures; where they want to be and what they want to be doing.

I liked the way that Guillory was able to explore them individually so deeply, without giving preference really to one over the other. The dual POV narrative definitely helped with that.

This is a sweet story. Luke is a dreamy leading man, so focused on Margot, on making her feel safe, happy and appreciated.

Margot was strong, independent and goal-oriented. I loved that about her. She didn’t need a man to make her life complete, but was willing to open her heart if the right one came along, even though it scared her to let down her defenses.

I had fun with this. I loved the setting in Napa Valley and the vineyard angle will set it apart for me, as I haven’t read any other romances taking place with that as a backdrop. It was a lovely change of pace. A perfect Autumnal romance!

Thank you so much to the publisher, Berkley Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review.

Drunk on Love is available tomorrow, Tuesday, September 20th!!

View all my reviews

The Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Florence Day, a ghostwriter for a prolific romance author, has a deadline looming over her like a storm cloud.

Unfortunately, after a break-up that left her heart shattered, Florence no longer believes in love. It’s hard for her to write what she doesn’t believe.

When her new editor, the tall and handsome Benji Andor, refuses to give her the extension she needs to wrap up her latest novel, Florence’s back is against a wall. She needs to finish this book. She cannot fail.

But just when Florence thinks things are at rock bottom, they get so much worse. After Florence receives a late night phone call from her mother, her entire world grinds to a halt. Her beloved father has passed away.

She needs to get to her small South Carolina hometown as soon as possible. It’s the first time in a decade that Florence has been back to Mairmont and as far as she can tell, not much has changed.

Her mother, brother and sister are there and the family funeral parlor is still running like a well-oiled machine. The only thing missing is her father’s presence. It’s a loss Florence feels through her entire being.

Florence and her father shared a very special gift: they see ghosts. This isn’t something Florence necessarily wants, it actually ruined her teenaged years, but she’s made a certain peace with it.

But when she sees a ghost waiting for her on the steps of the funeral home, she’s shocked and he seems equally confused to be there.

There must be unfinished business between them, something she can help him with. The more they get to know one another, the more Florence’s feelings towards love begin to change.

Y’all, The Dead Romantics took me completely by surprise. I put off reading this for a few months, because I just wasn’t sure I would be in the mood for this ‘type’ of story.

I was so wrong. I would always be in the mood for this type of story, because it’s Ashley Poston that gets me every time. I just absolutely adore her characters, writing style and smart, sarcastic sense of humor.

It’s like she sees me, and I see her too.

I cannot express enough how much I loved everything about this book. From the very start, I felt attached to Florence and getting to go on her journey with her, I felt it.

At times it was like a gut-punch, at other times it was like being tickled by butterfly wings, but I was with her every step of the way.

While there is romance in this story, to me, that aspect wasn’t the shining star. To me, the thing that stood out the most was Florence’s path of self-discovery and her relationships with her family members and her past.

I loved the exploration of love and the many facets where love can be found in the world around us. Love isn’t just mutual attraction and sex with a partner, it’s so much more than that, surrounding us from the first day we make an appearance on this earth, and following us long after.

I went on a roller coaster ride with The Dead Romantics. It was a ride I never wanted to end, but I was left with such a sense of hope at the conclusion.

Ashley Poston, you have absolutely filled my heart. This is a special story, one that will stay in my heart for a long time to come. My ghost-loving heart sings!

Thank you so much to the publisher, Berkley, for providing me with a copy to read and review. Poston knocked this out of the park, to the moon and back!

View all my reviews

The No-Show by Beth O’Leary
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**2.5-stars rounded up**

Siobhan, a no-nonsense life coach. Miranda, a tough as nails arborist. Jane, an insecure charity shop worker with a traumatic professional history.

Three very different women with one very important thing in common: a man named Joseph Carter, who happens to stand them all up on Valentine’s Day.

Alternating between the various perspectives, the Reader gets a front row seat to Joseph Carter’s varied, dramatic and plentiful love life.

The No-Show is my first novel by Beth O’Leary. I was so excited to pick this one up, as there seems to be a lot of hype and love surrounding this author.

Y’all, I’m sure all of that is more than valid, but it took me just under a month to finish this. I was so relieved when it was over. This was a solid 2-star book for me up until about the 70% point when it started to come around.

However, for the majority I was bored out of my skull.

Even though this may seem harsh, it’s honestly how I felt. While I was reading it, it was okay. I was just waiting and waiting for something significant to happen.

The problem would begin after I would set it down. I had zero desire to pick it back up again. In fact, it began to feel like a chore to do so.

I expected this to be funny, maybe a little swoony, possibly a little steamy. It was none of those things. I don’t mind if a Romance has a more serious tone, but a boring tone is not something I am looking for.

With this being said, it is clear from the reviews that many, many Readers have loved this one, so don’t take my word for it! If the synopsis sounds interesting to you, please pick it up and give it a shot. You may find an all new favorite here.

As for me, I am happy I read it, but even happier to be moving on.

Thank you to the publisher, Berkley Romance, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I appreciate the opportunity to provide my opinion.

On to the next!!

View all my reviews