REVIEW: "Some Girls Do" by Clodagh Murphy (Contemporary Romance)

SOME GIRLS DO by Clodagh Murphy
	Publisher: Hatchette Books Ireland Genre: Contemporary Romance Publication Date: January 6th 2014 Standalone: Yes
Categories:
Nice Guy, Introverted Female, Creative (Blogger), Sex Lessons, All the Feels, Finding Yourself, Ireland, Friends to Lovers
Other Books by Clodagh Murphy
Description from Publisher:
Claire Kennedy is NiceGirl, the anonymous author of steamy online blog 'Scenes of a Sexual Nature'. An internet sensation, she attracts the attention of Mark Bell, a hot London publisher. But when it becomes clear that Mark is interested in more than just a book deal, Claire has to act fast. Because little does Mark know that NiceGirl is a lot more experienced in the bedroom than real-life Claire Kennedy. Mark is offering Claire the life she's always dreamed of - a steady relationship, the literary world of London and a posh Highgate apartment. But when Claire hires the services of struggling artist and commitment-phobe Luca to brush up on her sex skills, things get more complicated... Great sex, friendship AND love ... can't a girl have it all?
My Rating:	Heat Rating:
This was a second read for me and five years between. I have fond memories of this as it was one of the first romances I read after a long reading hiatus. I absolutely loved this then and may actually love it more now. The characters are amazing, with this wonderful depth that grabs you the minute you meet them. Claire is easily someome most women can feel a kinship with. She lives a bit of a dual life, but it is really more two halves of her. She doesn't just learn to be more comfortable with her sexuality but with herself. Her blog persona is who she imagines she should be, but more because she lacks a real understanding of herself and how important HER opinion is. NiceGirl would never say No. Claie learns that she can. Then, Luca. Initially, the yang to Clire's ying without realizing it. He also lacks confidence but in a very different way. It doesn't actually take long at all to see the layers he barely hides, and how quickly he tosses them aside is endearing. The supporting characters were also richly developed without ever taking the spotlight. I wanted to laugh with Espie, smack Michelle, gossip with Yvonne and Ali, and I almost cried over Mary's final violin performance. The rest of the world was tactile and immersive. I felt the rain and Luca's soggy boots, the sunshine, the discomfort of a sexy red dress... Wonderful world building. The emotion without melodrama was perfect. It all was easily believable, which made it all the more enjoyable. Amusingly, I feel as though I said the same thing after my first reading. I also appreciated that it was steamy, but not superficially where you feel like you are reading sex scenes with some plot around it. It all felt seamless.
My Source: I borrowed this from the library, then bought it, for a voluntarily review. This in no way influenced my review. My opinion is unbiased and 100% my own.

About the Author: Clodagh Murphy
Clodagh (rhymes with Yoda) is an Irish writer of romantic comedies. She lives in Dublin with a large circle of imaginary friends.

REVIEW: "Not Like the Movies" by Kerry Winfrey (Romantic Comedy)

NOT LIKE THE MOVIES by Kerry Winfrey
	Publisher: Berkley Genre: Romantic Comedy Publication Date: July 7th 2020 Series: Waiting for Tom Hanks, #2 Standalone: Yes
Categories:
Friends to Lovers, Finding Yourself, Foodie
Other Books by Kerry Winfrey
#1
Description from Publisher:
What happens when your life is a rom-com...but you don't even believe in true love? Chloe Sanderson is an optimist, and not because her life is easy. As the sole caregiver for her father, who has early onset Alzheimer's, she's pretty much responsible for everything. She has no time—or interest—in getting swept up in some dazzling romance. Not like her best friend Annie, who literally wrote a rom-com that's about to premiere in theaters across America...and happens to be inspired by Chloe and Nick Velez, Chloe's cute but no-nonsense boss. As the buzz for the movie grows, Chloe reads one too many listicles about why Nick is the perfect man, and now she can't see him as anything but Reason #2: The Scruffy-Bearded Hunk Who's Always There When You Need Him. But unlike the romance Annie has written for them, Chloe isn't so sure her own story will end in a Happily Ever After.
My Rating:	Heat Rating:
I read this immediately after Annie and Drew's story, and it got me thinking what it was that I seriously loved about both books. I think it is that the author just totally GETS Ron&com lovers. She mentions the right ones (She had me at her mention of Doris Day & Rock Hudson, then even more at Bill Pullman), and she gets the references so perfect... And she recreates that wonderful vibe with her characters and storytelling. I think I liked Chloe more than Annie, but I really did like Annie, so it's a toss-up. Drew and Nick were both the perfect leading men, strong but definitely not alphas. I love how sweet Nick was, and how he always had Chloe's back. This romance had a nice amount of push & pull, and I appreciated the tropes used. It was a fun read!
My Source: I purchased this from Amazon to voluntarily review. This in no way influenced my review. My opinion is unbiased and 100% my own.

About the Author: Kerry Winfrey
Kerry Winfrey is the author of the adult romantic comedies WAITING FOR TOM HANKS and NOT LIKE THE MOVIES and the teen romantic comedies LOVE AND OTHER ALIEN EXPERIENCES and THINGS JOLIE NEEDS TO DO BEFORE SHE BITES IT. She lives in Columbus, Ohio with her family.

REVIEW: "Smitten by the Brit" by Melonie Johnson (Contemporary Romance)

Smitten by the Brit by Melonie Johnson
	Publisher: St Martin's Press Genre: Contemporary Romance Publication Date: May 28th 2019 Series: Sometimes in Love, #2 Standalone: Yes
Categories:
Love Abroad, Strong Heroine
Other Books by Melonie Johnson
#1
Description from Publisher:
DEFINITELY, MAYBE...OR LOVE, ACTUALLY? English professor Bonnie Blythe expects her life to play out like her favorite novels, especially now that her long-term boyfriend has finally proposed. So when a shocking discovery leads Bonnie to end her engagement, she decides to close the book on love. But the plot thickens when a brand-new character enters the scene—and quickens Bonnie's heart. With his brilliant blue eyes, sexy accent, and irresistible charm, Theo Wharton is like a romantic hero straight out of a Jane Austen novel. When fate places Bonnie in England for a summer—conveniently close to Theo—she realizes a hot friends-with-benefits fling is exactly what she needs to start a fresh chapter. Just as Bonnie begins to believe she's falling in love, an eye-opening revelation into Theo's life makes Bonnie feel like she's wandered into one of her favorite books. Will Bonnie have the courage to risk her heart and turn the page with the dashing Brit to find her true happy ending after all?
My Rating:	Heat Rating:
So I have to start this by saying: I LOVED Logan in the first book, and liked Theo as his friend. They had an excellent bromance going. But more Theo has me loving the Brit as well! He is a sweetheart of a guy, and strong-willed, loyal, with the perfect amount of cheeky. Bonnie was a nice match for him. She's a mix of strong feminist and old-fashioned, loving Jane Austen and Shakespeare. I admit that, at first, some of her "Don't treat me like a weak female" hangup felt over-the-top, but it paid off well with the arc of her character. Her vulnerability really helped to round her out, especially towards the beginning half. The inclusion of the characters from the first book was great, and I felt like they were worked in pretty seamlessly. I would still recommend reading Hot for the Scot before this one to get backstory, but that isn't exactly a hardship since both books are fantastic! I'd say that my favorite thing about this book, and the first, was that the issues felt like genuine issues with a bit of serendipitous whimsy to make it interesting. The characters' problems and interactions feel almost like real life. In case you can't tell, I am loving this series! Keep 'em coming, Melonie! :)
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 my 100% own.

About the Author:
A Star Wars junkie and Shakespeare groupie who quotes both Yoda and the Bard with equal aplomb, award-winning author Melonie Johnson—aka #thewritinglush—is a two-time RWA Golden Heart® finalist who loves dark coffee, cheap wine, and expensive beer. And margaritas. And mimosas. And mules. Basically any cocktail that starts with the letter m. She met her future husband in that most romantic of places—the mall—when they were teenagers working in stores across the hall from each other. Today, they live happily ever after in the magical land midway between Chicago and Milwaukee with their two redhead daughters, a dog that’s more like a small horse, and a pair of hermit crabs. After earning her Bachelor of Arts magna cum laude from Loyola University Chicago, Melonie taught high school English and Theatre in the northern Chicago suburbs for several years. Now she writes smart and funny contemporary romance and moonlights as an audiobook narrator under the pseudonym, Evelyn Eibhlin.