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: "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.

REVIEW: "Stuck on You" by Portia Macintosh (Romantic Comedy)

STUCK ON YOU by Portia Macintosh
	Publisher: Boldwood Books Genre: Romantic Comedy Publication Date: September 17th 2020 Standalone: Yes <
Categories:
Stuck with You, Creatives (artist, photographer), Holidays
Other Books by Portia Macintosh
Description from Publisher:
Could a post-it note really lead to love...? Sadie doesn't have time for finding love. She's too busy as PA for famous artist Damian Banks. When she's not arranging exhibitions, she's organising his dry cleaning or dumping his never ending stream of girlfriends. But when she strikes up an unusual friendship with her desk share buddy, she finds a confidante and a new potential love interest. Problem is, they've never actually met... With Christmas just around the corner, can Sadie put herself first for a change and find what she's been looking for all along?The brand new romantic comedy from top 10 bestseller Portia MacIntosh. Perfect for fans of Sophie Ranald, Mhairi McFarlane and Zara Stoneley.
My Rating:	Heat Rating:
This was really cute, and a great holiday read (even 6 weeks after the holidays). Sadie works for a very important portrait photographer, Damian, who she was warned was a nightmare by the guy who shares her desk. She exchanges notes with Adam and he helps her to feel less isolated at a workplace where everyone else treats her like she is invisible. Her boss asks her to do some strange things, like break up with women he is seeing, or wait for the delivery of his TV while he goes in a date. He relies on her for a lot, not having many people that he trusts. The two wind up stuck together and socializing more as Damian tries to find inspiration for a new photo series. I laughed out loud at this often, even at the dad jokes. There was a wonderful amount of humor and levity, mixed well with more serious topics, like family dynamics and believing in yourself. I liked Sadie straightaway. She was someone who obviously felt a little lost and alone, but wasn't stressed out by it. The way she went with the flow and adapted to even the strangest of situations said a lot about her character, and that remained consistent even as other things changed. I also really like Damian, despite his supposedly being a boss from hell. He got sweeter as the book went on, so that I adored him by about halfway through.
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: Portia Macintosh
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