The Roman Holiday Rule by Andra Loy

The Roman Holiday Rule by Andra Loy
4 Stars

Thank you to Haven for a gifted copy of this book to honestly read for review. All thoughts are my own.

This was such a cute travel story to Italy with so much depth! Lexi processing her grief after losing her Mom was beautifully depicted as she travels to Italy with 4 sealed letters from her to open at Rome's most romantic places and presenting her mother's final painting at the art festival she is organizing. The touch of magical realism/serendipity was a nice light hearted element too. 

I love a book with a good meet-cute on an airplane and that's how this starts out! Mark and Lexi had immediate chemistry so seeing them continuing to meet up along their trip was chef's kiss!

I really loved the letters Lexi was following along the city from her late mother...added such depth to the story as she worked through her grief and continued to meet up with Mark and they got closer and closer. I also love they got to know each other really well and based their relationship on that versus only a physical attraction piece.

Overall, the book had cute banter, competitiveness and an awesome setting where you felt like you were there with the characters eating gelato and having a good time. 

Content - kisses only, grief from loss of a parent 

✨Synopsis:✨

Lexi Walker has finally committed to the Italian adventure that she and her late mother dreamed of for years—complete with a meticulously crafted itinerary, four sealed letters to open at Rome's most romantic sites, and her mother's final painting to present at the art festival Lexi is helping organize. She's ready for the perfect Roman getaway. What she doesn't expect is for her mother's artwork to start manifesting in real life, turning her carefully planned trip into something unpredictable.

Italian-American architect Mark Russo has sworn off American tourists after having his heart broken, and he's certainly not about to let another one distract him from winning the restoration bid that could reunite his estranged father with his grandfather. But when the captivating woman next to him on the flight to Rome proposes a photography challenge—whoever captures the heart of Italy in five days wins—Mark can't resist the bet and her charm.

As Lexi follows the letters from her mother around the city, she encounters Mark everywhere she goes. Their competitive banter turns to undeniable chemistry, but they both know the cardinal rule of holiday romances: You can't fall in love with someone who lives somewhere else and expect a happily-ever-after. Will a little magic—and a lot of mishaps—break the Roman Holiday Rule?

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Autumn on my Mind by Gracie Ruth Mitchell

Autumn on my Mind by Gracie Ruth Mitchell 
5 Stars

Y'ALL THIS WAS THE BOOK I NEEDED! Thank you to Gracie Ruth for a gifted copy of the e-book to read for review, all thoughts are my own.

Read if you enjoy:

- Fall romances
- Lots of laughs

- Second chances 

- Forced proximity

- Small towns

- Reverse parent trap trope

- Ex-college sweet hearts

- Cozy fall vibes

- HILARIOUS shenanigans 

- Friendships

- Clean romance books 

So Reese and Dominic used to date. Now they find out their parents are dating. A "reverse parent trap" situation happens and Reese and Dominic try to sabotage their dates....SO MANY LAUGHS y'all! 

This brought me so much joy in a hard season with all the fall vibes, laughs and sweet romance! I love Reese and Dom - they went together so well and amid all of the lighthearted bits...the story had DEPTH! There was hard things the characters had been through or were going through and they went through so much growth together. I have somewhat of a rocky relationship with my mom, so I really appreciate the way Gracie showed the mother/daughter relationship and Reese's growth. I cheered her on the whole time and the ending was SO good.

Loved the little nods to the song Dom was playing at the beginning of each chapter also.

This book is addictive to read, so much fun and has me SOOO READY FOR FALL! This book is book 2 in a multi-author series set in Autumn Ridge, Vermont, but can easily be read as a standalone.

READ IT! 

Content Notes: Mention of past loss of loved one, strained parent/child relationship, kisses only.

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Short Straw Bride by Karen Witemeyer

 

Short Straw Bride by Karen Witemeyer 
5 Stars 

Meredith overhears a plot to burn the Archer brothers off their ranch and a 12 year old debt compels her to take the risk....Travis Archer confronts a female trespasser he met once before...she is injured and her reputation is in shambles.....4 brothers, 4 straws, 1 bride....

Karen does it again, a favorite backlist book, let's goooo! Love the Archer brothers!

What I loved most about Short‑Straw Bride is how it tackles a topic Christian Fiction often avoids: intimacy inside marriage - with no explicit details whatsoever, just open honest discussions and it was honorable. We rarely talk about what healthy intimacy looks like in marriage, especially when both spouses are inexperienced, nervous, or carrying emotional gaps from childhood. This was beautiful.

I think if you like marriage of convenience books, this is one to check out. 

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A Farmhouse in France by Rachael Lucas

A Farmhouse in France by Rachael Lucas

3.5 rounding up to 4 stars

Thank you to UpLit reads and the author, Rachael Lucas, for a gifted copy of the book to read for review, all thoughts are my own.

This book was my first book by the author and I enjoyed it. A good travel read with an inheritance plot, and I always love that in books.

Daisy gets a letter from France and discovers the faither she never knew recently passed away and left her money with a farmhouse in the French countryside. She isn't sure what to do...but she makes the trip with her dog, sister and niece to figure everything out. 

She finds more than she expects. The farmhouse is full of new beginnings and she meets a handsome neighbor named Patrick. Daisy learns about the secrets about her father and more about who she is. Definitely one of those self-discovery stories.

While I did not always connect to the romance as much as I hoped, I still enjoyed my time in this book. My favorite parts were the family elements and Daisy's self discovery. It's part of a trilogy and I am definitely interested to continue. 

Content: No explicit sexual content, I do not remember any language

Amazon: https://amzn.to/4wDSXQ0

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The Music of Us by Emerald Alexandrea

The Music of Us by Emerald Alexandrea

3.5 rounding up to 4 stars

Y'all, this was a delightful surprise! A clean, YA romance that is great for teens and young adults - and really anyone! Thank you to @librofm and @blinkyabooks for a complimentary ALC to listen to for review. I had a lot of fun with this, it was a breath of fresh air honestly. I am also OBSESSED with this cover!

So if you like boy bands, cats, cafes and sweet romance reads, this is one to pick up! Lucy is helping manage her mom's cat cafe....but the fancy coffee shop across the street is causing them to lose customers and people to adopt their special cats in the cafe. Lucy emails her ex-best friend and first crush Jake, who is in a music boy band with his friends and pretty famous, to help attract more people to the cafe via a livestream performance. But Lucy and Jake haven't talked in years....and their feelings resurface. 

I think this was a fun audiobook to listen to. Yes, there was some miscommunication bits, but expected in a YA romance. I love that this was wholesome and appropriate for young readers with no explicit sexual content or language. We need more of these type of reads out there! The cats were SOOO CUTE and the narrator did a fantastic job with the voice and the tones/inflections for each character.

The family bits were great too, seeing her Mama especially was so precious.

Definitely recommend!

I received an ALC of this book from the publisher and libro.fm. All thoughts are my own.

Content: no language, no spice, kisses only, few “omg” statements, no real content warnings I found 

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All The Stars by Mandi Blake

 

All The Stars by Mandi Blake
Unfailing Love Book 5

3 Stars

Leah's husband left her to raise their daughter alone and she's trying to get back on her feet. She goes to the hardware store and ends up having a "meet-cute" with the handsome owner, Brian. They keep meeting and he becomes interested in her. However, she has such significant stranger danger because of the trauma of her ex-husband leaving and his deceitfulness. She doesn't want to let anyone in but Brian has never met a stranger, so they are complete opposites in that regard. Leah works through her hesitations and a romance comes together.

I liked this one, just not a favorite. This series has been quick, Christian romance reads that I have enjoyed but just not the same as the newer books Mandi has written. Most of her new releases are 4 and 5 stars for me so as I read her backlist, I get to see where she started to where she is now, which is great. 

Leah was a character I just didn't end up loving. She had too much stranger danger in my opinion that didn't match up with the trauma she went through but I did love Brian and his relationship with her daughter, very sweet.

Overall, glad to read another in this series and looking forward to finishing it.

Romance was clean with kisses only.

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Brighter Than Before by Courtney Walsh

 Brighter Than Before by Courtney Walsh
5 Stars

Stay tuned for my reading vlog on this one!

COURTNEY DOES IT AGAIN! WOW! I loved this book so much! Her books just bring me so much joy. I laughed so much. It was giving early 2000s rom-com, I kept picturing Katherine Heigel and James Marsden from 27 Dresses LOL. SO GOOD.

If you want all the joy, read this.

Second chances, funny moments, plenty of depth, clean romance - the best.

I love that the characters are middle age in their 40s. Such a breath of fresh air to see this, especially as I just turned 36 this year and I find myself seeking characters in their 30s and 40s out in books these days.

Claire is recently divorced, as her husband cheated on her after 20 years of marriage.  Claire moves from Colorado to Chicago, a place dear to her heart, as she loved being in rural Illinois growing up. She moves to a new apartment in the city and is ready for a fresh start. Her daughter Minnie is trying to set her up on dates though and makes her a dating profile online. Things get a bit complex when the apartment building owner, Miles, and her have quite the meet cute. Miles is also divorced, isn't seeking getting married again himself...and he starts helping with the matchmaking for Claire. Only you already know....the chemistry is more between Claire and Miles than anyone else they may be trying to date along the way...disastrous dates by the way....little do they know where their own relationship will end up.

But this book was more than just a romance.
This book was about self-discovery after your life turns upside down. It's a reminder to be with someone who supports you in what you enjoy. Lift each other up. I had the best time with this book and would recommend this book to everyone. It's truly one of those books that felt like real life. The epilogue was the best and gave me all the emotions - I teared up it was so beautiful.

The audiobook was also top tier. As an audiobook girlie, I loved the narration. She did a great job and I felt like I was right there with the characters while listening.

Will always recommend a Courtney Walsh read!!

Thank you to the publisher, NetGalley and libro.fm for a gifted ebook and audiobook to read and listen to for review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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Sirens and Sea Captains by Courtney Denelsbeck

 

Sirens and Sea Captains by Courtney Denelsbeck
3.5 - rounding up to 4 Stars 

This was a fun novella to read! I like pirates and mermaids so it was a good little novella to escape in throughout the week at bedtime when I picked up my kindle. 

This is a YA fantasy romance where Lenora is betrothed to the pirate captain. Her father sends her on the boat with her betrothed and Lenora's devastated because the man she thought she would be with has moved on to someone else and she is left betrothed to a pirate captain.

She's on the ship with the roughest crew, having to help out unexpectedly throughout the trip with her loyal pet axolotl by her side. Sirens lurk the waters out in the deep ocean though and they all endure quite the adventure on the seas.....

I think if you like pirates, creatures, mermaids, adventures on ships, check this out. There is some Christian allegory as well as she prays to the "Maker", which was nice.

Lots of action as sirens attack and Lenora is trying to figure things out along the way since the pirate captain is so mysterious to her.

The romance is clean with kisses only. Since it's a novella, things moved super quick, so I would have like a bit more details of Lenora and the Captain interacting and talking I think. But overall, it was a good, quick short novella I had fun reading to suspend reality for a bit. 

Thank you to the author for sending a copy of the ebook to honestly read for review. All thoughts are my own.

Amazon: https://amzn.to/4vFX1j4
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Chasing the Clouds Away by Debbie Macomber

 Chasing the Clouds Away by Debbie Macomber

4.5 rounded up to 5 Stars

I loved this book so much. It's a book all about family, doing unto others, what it means to be kind, and second chances. We follow Chase who is making his way back home to figure out things for his mother's funeral. He's a rich man, rude and in quite the mood when he runs into Maisy on his flight. She has a peace about her that gets him thinking like no one has ever done before. They talk a bit on the plane ride, he expresses his mother passed away and he didn't have a relationship with her due to her leaving the family from being an alcoholic many years ago. He tells her no one will probably be at her funeral anyway.....Maisy is saddened by this. 

After the plane lands, Chase is in an uproar about his delays in travel to get to where he needs to be and Maisy offers him a ride to the funeral home. He begs her to let him pay for her trouble but she says no, this is what people do for each other in kindness. She asks him to pay it forward, a concept that is foreign to Chase. They part ways but Maisy has left quite the impression on him....

They meet back up after he realizes Maisy and her grandmother attended his mother's funeral and the rest go on from here as Chase starts to realize the meaning of family, kindness and love.

This was a "right book, right time" type of read for me. I have never read Debbie's books but this was sweet, wholesome and had a clean romance that I really liked. I love redemption arcs for people in stories and this had it for Chase. Loved Maisy's family, Patrick was the sweetest little boy too. While the conflict in the ending wasn't my 100% fav to see, I can understand and loved how it ended up all the same. 

This book also had some good faith moments that surprised me, mentions of God naturally in the book, how He would provide in times of trouble and how He got many through their sobriety.

Overall, a solid contemporary romance book that I would recommend!

Content/Trigger Warnings: 1 D word but that's all I could remember right off, parental death mention, brief grief shown, past miscarriages mentioned, romance is clean with kisses only

Thank you to the publisher for a ebook copy to read for review, all thoughts are my own but I also purchased a copy of the audiobook and physical book :)

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Candy Apple Kisses by Amy Clipston

Candy Apple Kisses by Amy Clipston 

2 Stars

I have enjoyed several of Amy's clean romance reads. This one is a childhood friends-to-lovers romance that sounded cute for fall time. I really liked the orchard and fall vibes, those bits were cozy and had that small town feel. It's like a hallmark movie because there is a struggling family orchard preparing for the towns centennial celebration and they are all working on ways to bring it back to life so I was really interested.... BUT.....Y'ALL.... honestly, this one just didn't work for me.

The romance is between Jake and Emily. They are childhood friends but Jake has been with his girlfriend Claire a super long time, I think they said 14 years? Or he at least knew her for 14 years I think.

Claire is wanting Jake to leave town and go with her to Nashville and spend his life with her but he isn't feeling the relationship anymore, doesn't want to move to Nashville and breaks up with her, asking for time apart and to see other people. 

It's been a month apart at least and Claire is not giving up. She continues to pursue Jake but Jake starts to realize he never really had that love for Claire, he's always deep down loved Emily.

I was so frustrated with the Claire storyline. So much of it was unrealistic. First of all, he's almost 30 and they still ain't married? Nah, that wouldn't happen. And then Emily loved Jake this whole time and she been waitin around...listen...I ain't waitin around y'all LOL

This gets the petty pen for the ending alone with the crazy stuff Claire was doing to try and not let Jake break up with her.

This miscommunication, non-communication and 3rd act breakup added to my frustrations. 

I've liked some of Amy's books but this storyline just wasn't it for me. I would have liked less of the Claire stuff and more of the family, Orchard details, fall vibes and Jake and Emily together without Claire's intrusions.

Content/Trigger Warnings: No language, clean romance, mild grief from past parental loss, parental health emergency

Thank you to the publisher for a complimentary audiobook to listen to review. All thoughts are my own.

A Brewed Awakening by Pepper Basham

 A Brewed Awakening by Pepper Basham 

5 Stars

Clean, funny and full of charm! No surprise for Pepper's books :) A British pub owner + small-town cafe girl = a grumpy-sunshine romance with emotional depth! I loved this one!

What I loved:

✨So many funny southern references - set in North Carolina

✨The BANTER

✨Coffee, Tea and Sweets

✨Disability Rep

✨Single Dad Trope

✨No Third Act Breakup

✨Rivals to Lovers 

✨ALL THE FOOD

✨Found Family

✨Community Helping Each Other

✨Sweet & Funny Granny D

✨ALL THE LAUGHS

As always, a fun time with Pepper's rom-com books. Lots of laughs, yet emotional depth all included in one. I love the single Dad trope and Finn and his daughter Lucy were the sweetest. Finn was just a great guy too, once he opened up. I loved their rivals dynamic. Also really enjoyed Daphne's personality and love for Jane Austen, tea, books, etc. 

Lucy's speech disability represented was done beautifully, especially from my own son's speech issues, I appreciate this being included.  

What can I say? I just felt like this was exactly the book I needed during a hard season! 

The small town, community coming together in the unexpected hardship in the end was also beautiful. Pepper's inspiration from real life events that happened in her town came across and you could feel the emotion from those scenes. She reminded people that even in the hardest seasons, there is hope in God, in community, in family, in life.

About the Book:
Daphne is the owner of an English tearoom in the North Carolina mountains, whose carefully ordered life is disrupted when Finn, a messy and unconventional English restaurant owner, moves in next door. They are forced to work together to cater a British-themed wedding, leading to plenty of sparks, humor, and growing attraction. As Daphne helps Finn and his young daughter settle into the community, both begin to heal from past losses and disappointments.

Thank you to the publisher for a gifted e-book and audiobook to review. I purchased a copy of the physical book. All thoughts are my own.

Content Details: Natural disaster and loss from the disaster, Mentions of divorce and loss of parent/grandparent, grief explained, romance was clean, kisses only, no language 

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Spies, Lies and Alibis by Natalie Walters

 Spies, Lies and Alibis by Natalie Walters

4 Stars

This was a lot of fun you guys! I have enjoyed Natalie's books in the past and this was a rom-com twist on romantic suspense! So hilarious, great characters, fun romance, lots of spies and espionage. I needed a book with a lot of laughs and this delivered. Natalie herself is a ball of laughs too, just check out her Instagram :) I could read an entire series of Ben and Cybil together solving crimes! They would be a dynamic duo. Would recommend to anyone who enjoys clean romantic suspense with lots of humor. Lighter romance, mission driven book, loved that ending.

OH, and the audiobook narration is perfection.

About the Book:
Cybil and Ben knew each other years ago as kids and an unexpected mission throws them back in their lives together. Her mission leads her to the path of Lorenzo Ramirez, a crime boss with deadly plans....Ben is undercover with the FBI under an alias as a financial advisor helping the wealthy and corrupt launder their money. His target is Lorenzo and this is how he gets caught up with Cybil again. They are forced to work together in this mission and keep their covers under wraps...

Thank you to Thomas Nelson for a gifted ebook and audiobook to read/listen to for review. I purchased a physical copy for my shelves. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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More Than Friends by Denise Hunter

 

More than Friends by Denise Hunter
3 Stars

Denise's books - I have enjoyed several but sometimes they don't always work out for me either. More Than Friends has the set up of a cozy, small‑town best‑friends‑to‑lovers romance with wild ponies, a loyal firefighter hero, and a mother‑with‑a‑mysterious‑boyfriend subplot. And while I enjoyed the setting and the heart behind it, I struggled to fully connect with the romance and characters this time.

Jenna and Tyson’s lifelong friendship turned romance was just something I didn't connect with but I think it could be a good option for my friends who like clean romance. I didn't love the third act breakup in this one and some of the romantic parts came across as awkward or slightly cringe rather than swoony, which made it harder to root for them as a couple. (ex: "their lips mated in a sensuous dance" lol)

The side mystery involving Jenna’s mom’s new boyfriend adds to the book and I liked how that ended up, she realized what she needed to.

Overall, while it wasn't a favorite, I think many would enjoy. The narration by Kim Churchill is always great!

Content: Romance is clean with kisses only, just some more odd statements as mentioned above about lips mating and being like magnets haha.

Thank you to the publisher for a complimentary e-book and audiobook to read for review. All thoughts are my own.

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A Deal with a Debutante by Chelsea Bobulski

 

A Deal with a Debutante by Chelsea Bobulski 
4.5 Stars rounding up to 5

I LOVED THIS SO MUCH Y'ALL! What a fun regency romance book! I loved everything about it. The romance, the banter, the laughs...

We follow an American heiress Calliope Hart, who is pushed into London's high society by her mother because she is determined to marry her off. Edward Chase is the Earl of Hayward and its on it's way to financial ruin so to save his estate, he has to marry someone and Calliope is his only hope to do so. His immediate proposal of marriage is rejected and he offers a deal....he will escort her around London to see the best sights and visit his estate....then if she still isn't interested, he will let her go...

BUT y'all know how well that's gonna go, right? Hahah! I loved it!!

So much chemistry and interactions that were chef's kiss. 

Highly recommend for my regency romance girlies!

Romance was clean with kisses only, no content warnings, just a fun, clean read!

Thank you to Haven for the beautiful gifted book mail. I received a copy of the book from the publisher to read for review, but all thoughts and opinions are my own.

P.S. The audiobook is FANTASTIC too!

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Just Friends by Haley Pham

Just Friends - Haley Pham

3 Stars

If you’re looking for a clean friends‑to‑lovers romance with a tender grief thread, Just Friends might be a story for you. I went into this one without much familiarity with Haley Pham or her content, but I know this book has sparked a lot of conversation lately. As someone who enjoys clean romance, I was curious to see what it was all about. Y'all know I am always here for a hyped read!

Overall Thoughts

I enjoyed the reading experience in general, even though a few of the tropes aren’t ones I personally gravitate toward. There’s a lot here that readers, especially younger ones, may really connect with.

What I appreciated:
- Childhood friends to lovers is always a sweet, nostalgic dynamic
- A heartfelt grief thread after losing a loved one to cancer....this was handled with care and emotional honesty
- A clean romance with no spice or explicit content
- FMC who is an aspiring author added a fun creative piece

What Didn’t Work as Well for Me

- Miscommunication / non‑communication bits
- Flashback chapters tied to the second‑chance parts
- A slower resolution, especially in the romantic bits

We have Blair and Declan - they were together years ago and they split due to certain circumstances and then some moments that were miscommunication / misunderstandings....then they came back together 4 years later. She is back in town when her great aunt Lottie is sick. She applies to work at a coffee shop and its managed by Declan so that's how they end up reconnecting.

For a debut, I think Haley did a nice job overall. It’s refreshing to see clean, accessible romance on main bookstore shelves, and I can see this being a great fit for younger readers or anyone wanting something wholesome and easy to settle into. While it wasn’t a personal favorite for me, I genuinely appreciated the grief storyline as it felt honest, compassionate, and very real.

I’d be open to picking up her next book and supporting another author writing clean books.

Content/Trigger Warnings: romance is clean/kisses only, not lusty in my opinion, grief from loss of a loved one to cancer, walking through the grief itself moments. language - 3 or 4 "p*ssed", shiiiiii cut off use, nothing else major.

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The Pocket Pair - Emma St. Clair

The Pocket Pair by Emma St. Clair
3.5 Stars 

Book 3 in The Sheet Cake Texas Series

Read if you enjoy:

- Clean rom-coms

- Best Friend's Brother

- Friends to More

- Sister's Best Friend

- Forced Proximity

- Duel POV

- Slow Burn

- Friendships

The Pocket Pair was a fun continuation in Emma's Sheet Cake Texas series. We have the best-friend's-brother meets friends-to-more trope. I was catching up in this series with my friend Melissa as a buddy read and enjoyed chatting with a friend on it! 

We follow Val and Chevy in this one, they have loved each other forever and kept their feelings quiet....Chevy finds out his sister's best friend is leaving for Costa Rica and it rocks his world. She needs somewhere to stay until her flight so he offers his guest bedroom. They keep things cordial but as usual, feelings get in the way.

I liked this one for the friends, family and laughs. SO MANY LAUGHS. I cracked up so many times and that's what I always want in an Emma St. Clair. 

The romance did feel not as in depth for me personally as some of the bits were surface level, attraction based and there was the "not communicating feelings" thing probably more than I would have liked, but the ending was super cute! 

Glad to have read it either way!

*Content/Trigger Warnings: loss of a parent, parental abandonment, physical injuries, romance was kisses only, but I feel like it was a bit more than I usually like in their romantic thoughts of attraction and how they technically were living under the same roof for a time. No explicit content though.

Libro.fm Audio (Supports Local Indie Book Stores):
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Amazon: https://amzn.to/3PRB4gB
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The Lighthouse on the Cove - Amy Clipston

 

                    Book Review: The Lighthouse at the Cove by Amy Clipston

4.5 Stars

I picked this book up during a tough season and it arrived at the right time. I started the audio and liked it so much I went out and bought the physical copy for my shelves!

This is a warm, small-town romance like a good, hallmark movie. We follow Kaiah who is a journalist on an east coast road trip following a bad break up. She has car trouble and she meets Reid who is a single Dad and firefighter and they join forces to save Coral Cove's lighthouse through the town festival. 

Reid lost his wife several years ago in a car accident, and while this does depict grief, it gives grief room without letting it dominate the story. It feels realistic without being heavy and made the story feel honest and gentle all together. 

I loved Reid so much as a single Dad with his sweet little girl, Piper. The small town and festival was so good. I love Coral Cove and need to read the the other book she has wrote in this town next.

I just needed a good, clean romance and this delivered. It was a quick romance but I still really liked it.

*Content warnings: grief from spouse loss, loss of a parent mentioned, some scary medical emergencies. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy of the audio to listen to. All thoughts are my own.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7980546379
Amazon: https://amzn.to/4cHJ11o

*Amazon links are affiliate links and a commission may be earned on items purchased from these links.

Second Chance at Sunshine Inn by Amy Clipston

 

Second Chance at Sunshine Inn by Amy Clipston 
4 Stars 

I had a good time with this one. I liked the cozy inn, the plot is always one of my favorites and the little twist had me really wanting to know more about the family backstory. 

This follows Cade and Everleigh who each get 50% of the Inn. Cade wants to keep the Inn and continue to operate it. Everleigh wants to use the proceeds of the sale to form a non-profit in her godmother's honor after her passing. We see briefly their grief from losing Alana, but they quickly move to honoring her in trying to decide what is best to do with the Inn.

I liked how Cade and Everleigh each had their own reasons for what they wanted to do with the Inn that made sense in such a realistic way. At first, I wasn't too sure about Everleigh and her motivations for the non-profit but it made sense and she had an honorable reason. It was good to see them communicate about all of this up front, even if they had some disagreements. Along the way, it was nice to see them getting to know one another and they each had their own personal growth too in the situations they were in.

The side story with Cade and his family was very interesting. Once things happened, I was like OH WOW this is getting good! It was a good little twist that kept things interesting and the plot moving.

The romance was a good ol' slow burn romance with kisses only so it is clean with no language. 

I think this may be my favorite Amy Clipston book! Really like the realness of it and the growth characters experienced in the end. Part of me really wanted a faith thread though as some of the bits with Cade's mom and the grief the characters experienced...I think could have been a bit better with faith content somehow. I just got a little frustrated with Cade's mom in certain circumstances but understand some of it. 

The town was super cute and cozy and I am looking forward to listening to another one of Amy's books. This was just what I needed during a tough season. 

Thank you to the publisher for an audiobook copy from NetGalley to listen and review. All thoughts are my own.

Content details: clean romance, kisses only, mentions of grief from loss, no language, mention of cancer, adoption discussions,  family arguments at times 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7728893585
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3Orjf7v
Baker Book House: https://bakerbookhouse.com/products/9780840716354_second-chance-at-sunshine-inn

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from these links.