REVIEW: "Road Trip with the Billionaire" by Harmony Knight (Contemporary Romance, Comedy)

ROAD TRIP WITH THE BILLIONAIRE by Harmony Knight
	Genre: Contemporary Romance, Comedy Publication Date: March 31st, 2022 Standalone: Yes
Categories/Tropes:
Road Trip, Billionaire
Description from Publisher:
A billionaire in disguise, a writer down on her luck, and a road trip to force them together… As a true crime fangirl and wannabe crime fiction author, I know better than to accept a ride from a stranger. Especially a handsome, confident stranger with a charming smile. That’s the stuff sociopaths are made of. But I have no choice. Stranded at a bus station coffee shop after leaving my cheating ex, I’m cold, tired, and weighed down by everything I own stuffed into one huge bag. So I jump at Mark Sullivan’s offer to give me a ride to Upstate NY. If you’re thinking this is the part where I fall for the guy, write a bestseller, and turn it all around? You couldn’t be more wrong. Things that go awry on my road trip: ✓ I spill coffee all over Mark Sullivan. ✓ I pee in front of Mark Sullivan. (It was an accident!) ✓ A snowstorm forces me to share a motel room with Mark Sullivan. And as if all that’s not enough? When I get back to my small hometown with my tail between my legs and show up for my first shift in the diner, I find out that Mark Sullivan is actually Matthew Sullivan. Renowned billionaire bachelor. Capitalist vulture. Liar. And my temporary boss. Maybe I should have just waited for that bus after all. ★Road Trip with the Billionaire is a laugh-out-loud, emotionally sweet, occasionally steamy romantic comedy sure to leave you chuckling long after the last page. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!★
My Rating:	Heat Rating:
This book needed a lot more "road trip" than it had. When Matt and Robbie were on their road trip, this story was silly and fun, and these two had great chemistry. Then, they both wound up working at a diner in Robbie's small hometown in upstate New York. Weeks got skipped, as Robbie apparently is "stubborn" enpugh to give the silent treatment to someone for over two weeks without so much as a conversation. This was also around the time that a pointless bet started. Pointless because it didn't really benefit them, and it wasn't even really used to further the plot, despite Matt's half-ass claims to himself that he was trying to win by distracting her. Which was also the point where Robbie's whole life became her writing a novel because she wanted to become an author (NOT a writer, but an "author," which has to be some inside joke for Harmony Knight), as Matt literally pays her to "sit" and work on her novel full-time. Up until the plot was lost, I was loving this. Then, the afformentioned happened and things just fell apart. Their chemistry disappeared and this became a small town romance with a mergers & acquisitions billionaire threatening half the town's industry. There were some cute moments and I had hope it would rebound... But then Robbie did her silent treatment for weeks crap again, and Matt had to go over-the-top to get her to stop acting like a child. :( There was so much to unpack in this, and I looked forward to it. Live-in boyfriend cheated with a "friend," rich parents giving Matt crap for some reason, Matt being out-of-touch with regular people and feeling weird about that... Yet nothing much came of any of that. I wanted more bonding. I have hope that I'll enjoy Jonah and Fran's story more. Neither was really fleshed out here, but I am still interested in their story for some reason.
My Source: I borrowed this via Kindle Unlimited to voluntarily review. This in no way influenced my review. My opinion is unbiased and 100% my own.

About the Author: Harmony Knight
Harmony Knight loves reading great romance books, drinking tea, and writing bios in third person. She was born and raised in an ex-mining village in South Wales (UK), but after kissing her fair share of frogs she found her prince and moved across the Irish Sea. She now lives in Ireland with her family. Harmony writes the books she loves to read, full of loveable heroines and the caring alpha men who have to have them, and she hopes you'll love to read them, too!

REVIEW: "Caraval" by Stephanie Garber (Fantasy, Romance, Romantasy, Young Adult)

CARAVAL by Stephanie Garber
	Publisher: Flatiron Books Genre: Romance, Fantasy, Young Adult Publication Date: January 31st, 2017 Series: Caraval, #1 Standalone: Yes
Categories:
Enemies to Lovers, Finding Yourself, Stuck With You (Forced Proximity), Magic, A Whole New World
Other Books by Stephanie Garber:
#2 #3 #3.5 Spin-Off
Description from Publisher:
A legendary competition. A mesmerizing romance. An unbreakable bond between two sisters. Scarlett Dragna has never left the tiny island where she and her sister, Tella, live with their powerful, and cruel, father. Now Scarlett’s father has arranged a marriage for her, and Scarlett thinks her dreams of seeing Caraval—the faraway, once-a-year performance where the audience participates in the show—are over. But this year, Scarlett’s long-dreamt-of invitation finally arrives. With the help of a mysterious sailor, Tella whisks Scarlett away to the show. Only, as soon as they arrive, Tella is kidnapped by Caraval’s mastermind organizer, Legend. It turns out that this season’s Caraval revolves around Tella, and whoever finds her first is the winner. Scarlett has been told that everything that happens during Caraval is only an elaborate performance. Nevertheless she becomes enmeshed in a game of love, heartbreak, and magic. And whether Caraval is real or not, Scarlett must find Tella before the five nights of the game are over or a dangerous domino effect of consequences will be set off, and her beloved sister will disappear forever. Welcome, welcome to Caraval . . . beware of getting swept too far away.
My Rating:	Heat Rating:
My year started out with me in a terrible book slump. I DNF'd no less than 6 books, and was struggling to find something new. Then, my sister sent me this for Christmas. I typically have loved Fantasy (The Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind is a big favorite!), but hadn't ventured too far into "Romantasy" as most seemed to be more instalust/erotica, which just isn't my cup of tea. The cover of Caraval was gorgeous, and it sounded like a fun story, so I gave it a shot. Holy hell, this book cured me of my book slump and just blew me away! From the first pages, I was intrigued and curious about Caraval and our heroine Scarlett. As the pace really picked up, I grew to adore Julian (hero), and absolutely fell in love with Stephanie Garber's writing style. Her descriptions of everything, and her world-building, were incredible. I especially enjoyed how she had Scarlett describe feelings using colors! The magic, mystery, and vibrant colors of the Caraval world were a real joy for my imagination. Scarlett starts off as a dutiful daughter and loyal sister, preparing to marry a man she has never met. She hopes to get both herself and her younger sister away from their abusive father. For years, she has written the mysterious "Master Legend" who hosts a magical experience for people on a private island, hoping to get an invitation. Just before she is to be married, her writes back and gives her three tickets. Her sister, Donatella ("Tella"), conspires with a sailor who is passing through to get all three of them to Caraval, despite Scarlett's protestations. Once they arrive, Tella disappears. Which leaves Scarlett alone, with little choice but to team up with Julian, who she barely trusts, as they try to win the game. I loved seeing Scarlett grow more into herself throughout the book! The arc was a very natural progression for Pre-Caraval Scarlett, which has you rooting for her to succeed. There were many twists I expected, but they all kept me guessing and finding myself to be wrong!
My Source: I received this as a gift from my sister. This in no way influenced my review. My opinion is unbiased and my 100% own.

About the Author: Stephanie Garber
#1 NYT & international bestselling author of the Caraval series and the Once Upon A Broken Heart trilogy.

REVIEW: "Hot Desk" by Zara Stoneley (Contemporary Romance, Romantic Comedy)

HOT DESK by Zara Stoneley
	Publisher: One More Chapter Genre: Romantic Comedy Publication Date: August 31st, 2021 Standalone: Yes
Categories/Tropes:
Alter Ego, Office Romance, TW: Mention of Covid Lockdowns
Description from Publisher:
Same desk, different days. A Post-it note is just the beginning.... A must-hear for fans of Beth O’Leary, Mhairi McFarlane and Sophie Kinsella. Alice loves her job and wants to keep it - whatever the price. But then she’s told the company is switching to flexible working and hot desking.... Alice’s desk might look a mess, but she knows exactly where everything is. Or she did. Until she found out she’s going to share it with the most annoying guy in the office. Jamie can work from anywhere. He’s quite happy to sweep his work life into a box at the end of the working day. But can sharing a desk with Alice be as much fun as teasing her in person? With no option but to try it and see, will their relationship turn into open warfare, or will it ever progress beyond a Post-it note?
My Rating:	Heat Rating:
This started off a bit slow, but I really liked the human social aspects of dealing with coming back to work after experiencing lockdowns. No politics, and it wasn't a huge elephant in the room. The first several chapters, we meet Alice and really get into her head. She is someone who has a hard time setting boundaries with people and finding out she is going to have to share her safe place AND work from home permanently sets off big changes for her. The romance between her and Jamie was cute, and I loved the notes. It was what drew me into the book in the first place. I do feel it would have added a lot to the story to see Jamie's perspective at least a few timea. Especially since it is pretty obvious how he feels from the beginning. The plot twist about 70% in was where this went from a book I couldn't put down, to a book that started to lose my attention. It felt far-fetched and unnecessary, and I just wanted them together by then! Surely, their crisis could have been something else that Alice could support him through? My favorite part of this story was Alice's growth. She stops letting everyone else control her life and starts living the life she wants, learning first how to set proper boundaries. I liked that she found a balance and really started looking at her life and what she wanted. Perhaps it is because it is an ARC that I read, but the ending was surprisingly abrupt! I honestly had to double-check that there wasn't anything more! Overall, I thought this was an excellent rom com. Alice was relatable (despite wanting to work in the office), Jamie was cute in a cheeky and sweet way, their interactions fun.
My Source: I received a digital ARC from the publisher to voluntarily review. This in no way influenced my review. My opinion is unbiased and 100% my own.

About the Author:
Zara Stoneley is the USA Today bestselling author of The Wedding Date. Born in a small village in the UK, she wanted to be a female James Herriot, a spy, or an author when she grew up. After many (many) years, and many different jobs, her dream of writing a bestseller came true. She writes about friendship, dreams, love, and happy ever afters, and hopes that her tales make you laugh a lot, cry a little, and occasionally say 'ahhh'. Zara now lives in a Cheshire village with her family, a lively cockapoo called Harry, and a very bossy (and slightly evil) cat called Saffron.