REVIEW: "You Deserve Each Other" by Sarah Hogle (Contemporary Romance)

YOU DESERVE EACH OTHER by Sarah Hogle
	Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons Genre: Contemporary Romance Publication Date: April 7th, 2020 Series: You Deserve Each Other, #1 Standalone: Yes
Categories:
Contemporary Romance, Weddings
Description from Publisher:
When your nemesis also happens to be your fiancé, happily ever after becomes a lot more complicated in this wickedly funny, lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers romantic comedy debut. Naomi Westfield has the perfect fiancé: Nicholas Rose holds doors open for her, remembers her restaurant orders, and comes from the kind of upstanding society family any bride would love to be a part of. They never fight. They're preparing for their lavish wedding that's three months away. And she is miserably and utterly sick of him. Naomi wants out, but there's a catch: whoever ends the engagement will have to foot the nonrefundable wedding bill. When Naomi discovers that Nicholas, too, has been feigning contentment, the two of them go head-to-head in a battle of pranks, sabotage, and all-out emotional warfare. But with the countdown looming to the wedding that may or may not come to pass, Naomi finds her resolve slipping. Because now that they have nothing to lose, they're finally being themselves--and having fun with the last person they expect: each other.
My Rating:	Heat Rating:
This was kind of amazing. Incredibly character driven with so much emotion and depth. I didn't expect so much soul searching... The arc and development are so fantastic. The layers that drop to expose what Naomi missed are slow coming but worth it. I loved Nicholas and what was obvious in regards to him from almost the start. The haze lifting as Naomi wrestled with her demons... The strength Nicholas gets when it comes to boundaries... This book handled it all really well! I will say that I was apprehensive about the way they treated one another at first. I didn't really find their pranks all that funny, and it bothered me the way Naomi reacted to things in a very egoistic way. It made a lot more sense as the story progressed though. I could barely put this down by about 20% in. Wonderful story!
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:
Sarah Hogle is a mom of three who enjoys trashy TV and provoking her husband for attention. Her dream is to live in a falling-apart castle in a forest that is probably cursed. Her novels are You Deserve Each Other, Twice Shy, Just Like Magic, and Old Flames and New Fortunes.

REVIEW: "The Accidental Text" by Becky Monson (Contemporary Romance/Romantic Comedy)

THE ACCIDENTAL TEXT by Becky Monson
	Genre: Rom Com/Contemporary Romance Publication Date: January 6th 2021 Standalone: Yes
Categories:
All the Feels, Sports (leisure adventure sports), Nice Guy
Other Books by Becky Monson
Description from Publisher:
Wrong number. Right guy? Once upon a time, Maggie Cooper lived for adventure. Jumping out of planes was child’s play. Now she can’t even work up the nerve to ask out her coworker. For a bit of self-therapy, she begins to text her recently deceased mother’s phone—the only problem is that the number has been reassigned and for weeks she’s been unknowingly texting a stranger her deepest thoughts and feelings. There have also been some not-so-deep texts, like the ones about her appreciation for her coworker’s butt. When Chase Beckett, the unsuspecting stranger who has more in common with Maggie than he’d like to admit, texts back, Maggie is beyond mortified. But message after message and night after night, Maggie realizes that Chase’s wit, charm, and advice are exactly what the doctor ordered. Is it enough, though, to get her back up in the sky? And what about her heart? Can she risk taking a leap of faith for the man on the other end of her accidental texts?
My Rating:	Heat Rating:
This made me cry!! This is a story about Maggie, who lost her mom, who was also one of her best friends, and is trying to keep herself from falling apart. One of her main coping mechanisms is texting her feelings to her mom's phone. Which is working okay until she realizes that her texts are actually going to a live person who is a complete stranger... A complete stranger who happens to be a guy, who loses his own mother not long after he reveals that Maggie has been texting HIM. They rely on one another for comfort and solidarity, as well as advice and eventually companionship. The way that grief was handled was really, absolutely wonderful. The emotions of every character, even the supporting characters, felt so genuine. It also made me laugh and smile, a lot. The dynamics between Maggie and her siblings, and with Chase and Hannah, also felt very real, and the humor was a nice balance to the heavier emotions. The chemistry between Chase and Maggie was also palpable. I loved them together! They were there in support, as well as to push each other to do what they needed to do. They were just so darn cute! The only thing that I wanted that this didn't have was a bit more sexy times between these two, but, alas, it's a sweet romance. ;)
My Source: I borrowed this using Kindle Unlimited to voluntarily review. This in no way influenced my review. My opinion is unbiased and 100% my own.

About the Author: Becky Monson
By day, Becky Monson is a mother to three young children, and a wife. By night, she escapes with reading books and writing. In her debut novel, Becky uses humor and true-life experiences to bring her characters to life. She loves all things chick-lit (movies, books, etc.), and wishes she had a British accent. She has recently given up Diet Coke for the fiftieth time and is hopeful this time will last... but it probably won't.

REVIEW: "Don't You Forget About Me" by Mhairi McFarlane (Contemporary Romance, Romantic Comedy)

DON'T YOU FORGET ABOUT ME by Mhairi McFarlane
	Publisher: HarperCollins Genre: Rom Com/Contemporary Romance Publication Date: January 1st 2019 Standalone: Yes
Categories:
All the Feels, Finding Yourself, Second Chances, Strong Heroine, Stuck With You
Other Books by Mhairi McFarlane
Description from Publisher:
The hilarious new heartbreaker from Mhairi McFarlane! If there’s one thing worse than being fired from the grottiest restaurant in town, it’s coming home early to find your boyfriend in bed with someone else. Reeling from the indignity of a double dumping on the same day, Georgina snatches at the next job that she’s offered – barmaid in a newly opened pub, which just so happens to run by the boy she fell in love with at school: Lucas McCarthy. And whereas Georgina (voted Most Likely to Succeed in her school yearbook) has done nothing but dead-end jobs in the last twelve years, Lucas has not only grown into a broodingly handsome man, but also has turned into an actual grown-up with a business and a dog along the way. Meeting Lucas again not only throws Georgina’s rackety present into sharp relief, but also brings a dark secret from her past bubbling to the surface. Only she knows the truth about what happened on the last day of school, and why she’s allowed it to chase her all these years…
My Rating:	Heat Rating:
This had a slightly slow start to it, but boy did it ramp up!!! I laughed (a lot), cried (just a little), felt angry, and concerned, and a bit sad at times. This story was a wonderful rollercoaster ride of emotions, and I'm just sad it's done!!! Georgina was a bit lost when we initially meet her, sort of coasting through life, not really recognizing who she is, or really, being afraid to. The journey this story takes her on is full of growth and introspection. The Gog you know and love by story's end is confident enough to allow herself to be vulnerable, and you adore her that much more for it. This is a romance, of sorts, but more of growing up than that. Cold Lucas never fooled me. That vulnerability was obvious from the get-go, and had me just waiting for when it would break through. I'll leave it mostly at I WAS NOT DISAPPOINTED!! There were really so many great moments with this cast of characters. They were all well-fleshed-out, and likable (or, in Robin & Geoffrey's cases, NOT). I think I would have to say that my favorite interactions were Georgina & her sister, Esther, or any interactions anyone had with Devlin. Seriously, he was great fun. This was so much more than I had expected when I chose it randomly from the library. This is going to have to go on my TBR-Again list!
My Source: I borrowed a digital copy to voluntarily review. This in no way influenced my review. My opinion is unbiased and 100% my own.

About the Author:
Mhairi was born in Falkirk, Scotland in 1976. She went to school in Nottingham, studied English Literature at Manchester University and then returned to Nottingham to delight its citizens with her journalism. After roles as trainee reporter, reporter, feature writer and columnist, she realised she’d climbed to the very top of the mountain at the Nottingham Post and at age 31 decided to write a novel. Some very skint years followed, during which she thought she might’ve made a huge mistake.