What is wrong meets what feels right in this romance set in Italy by the New York Times bestselling author of Deep End. During a destination wedding in Sicily, 23-year-old Maya pursues a summer fling with her brother’s 38-year-old friend Conor, despite their problematic age gap.

2.5/5 stars – I wanted something light and fun that I could breeze through on a trip, and this definitely fit the bill! It was an entertaining read, even if it got a little frustrating at times. Pretty spicy, as with most Ali Hazelwood books, and also very easy to read.

It probably could have stayed a novella, as originally intended by the author, since the “will they or won’t they” aspect dragged on a bit. I also wasn’t the biggest fan of all the jumps back to the past, although they were definitely necessary to better understand Maya and Conor’s dynamic. Overall, it was a fun, bingeable romance that was exactly what I was in the mood for.

Release Me is the first book in the highly addictive Wolf Hotel Mermaid Beach series, a spin-off of the Wolf Hotel series. In “Release Me,” a facilities director at Wolf Hotel Mermaid Beach pursues a forbidden romance with a woman determined to ruin the hotel.

2.5/5 stars – The first part is overly gratuitous, no real story and honestly felt like a waste of time. I liked Ryan but it was a little jarring how the book time hops 2 years in the future. The characters in this book make some questionable decisions that I can’t relate to. Not to mention the HR nightmare.

The second part is obviously the real story – following along as Ronan (with Connor in tow) travels to a new city and adapts to his new flashy Director role at the latest Wolf Hotel chain. I enjoyed learning about Sloane’s family and business, how passionate she is for her heritage, and the conflict she has with the hotel building directly next to her beach home that has been in her family for the generations.

I haven’t read the second book yet, but it feels like this didn’t need to be two separate books. Skip the first part, for sure.

The last person on earth I want to be stranded with is Gianni Lupo. But thanks to the blizzard of the century, I’m trapped in a roadside motel room with that cocky bastard for two straight days. I’ve known Gianni Lupo all my life, and he’s never brought me anything but bad luck and trouble…

2/4 stars – Received from a mystery blind date with a book from Flutter Bookstore – signed copy, too! There were some cute moments, but very unmemorable and loses its charm by the middle. I skimmed through to the end, there were some aww moments… a lot of annoying moments. I laughed out loud when he said he didn’t know what an ultrasound was. Epilogue was sweet. Easy skip overall.

There’s no such thing as a perfect guy, but Xavier comes disastrously close. That is until he opens his mouth. There’s nothing Samantha loves more than proving an asshole wrong … unless he can admit he made a mistake. After one incredible date, Samantha is forced to admit that her family is in crisis and any kind of relationship would be impossible. Samantha begs Xavier to forget her. To remember their night together as a perfect moment. Only no amount of distance or time is enough to forget what’s between them. And the only thing better than one single perfect memory is to make a life—and even a love—worth remembering.

3/5 stars – Sweet story. Starts off as a classic rom-com, shifts to something more deep and poignant. Frustrating at times and maybe drags toward the end. However the ending tied up nicely.

A hitmaking songwriter and a bitter musician share a startling and inexplicable connection that they’ll do anything to shake, in the next sparkling, magical book from Ashley Poston.

1.5/5 stars – I hate to say this one just didn’t work for me. The premise was fine but the execution was boring. I didn’t really attach to any of the characters. I loved The Seven Year Slip and even A Novel Love Story was pretty good. But this one felt like a let down. It was just a chore to read and I skipped through most of it. Last 30% was almost a DNF. I’m looking forward to Ashley’s next book but a little worried this slight-magical theme has been played out for her.

Losing people you love is hard. Aurora De La Torre knows moving back to a place that was once home isn’t going to be easy. Starting your whole life over probably isn’t supposed to be. But a small town in the mountains might be the perfect remedy for a broken heart. Checking out her landlord across the driveway just might cure it too.

3/5 stars – a cozy, very slow-burn friendship to romance full of found family and small-town charm, even if parts of the story felt a little scattered.

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Definitely slow at times, but it’s also a very slow burn and overall that worked for me. I loved the setup of the story and following Aurora as she tries to figure out her life. Some elements felt a little unnecessary – her backstory in the music industry could have been removed without changing much. The real highlights were the found family aspects, especially Aurora’s relationships with Amos, Rhodes, and Clara (and honestly, Amos + Rhodes sometimes stole the show).

At times the focus of the book jumped around a lot, which got a little frustrating – one minute Ora is working at the store, the next she’s planning a hike, and then it’s general apartment shenanigans. I actually enjoyed these lighter, everyday moments more than some of the heavier introspective sections about her past or her mom. I also appreciated that real time actually passed, allowing the characters to grow over months instead of everything happening in a matter of days.

A professor of literature finds herself caught up in a work of fiction…literally, from the New York Times bestselling author of The Seven Year Slip and The Dead Romantics.

3.5/5 stars – a cozy, creative concept with a strong start, but ultimately fell a little flat for me.

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I was hooked after reading a few chapters in a preview – very Pleasantville-esque – and I loved the concept of a heartbroken girl winding up in the town of her favorite romance book series. Ashley Poston does a great job creating cozy, magical romance stories without leaning too heavily into the magic itself, similar to The Seven Year Slip. As with that book, the overarching “mystery” here isn’t hard to predict, but the journey and the atmosphere are what make the story engaging.

I also really liked Elsy & Ander’s relationship – they both had smiliar but different experiences and they met at the right time in each other’s lives. Honestly it was only the last 20% of the book where it started to go down hill for me- I appreciate the way the story unfolded and ultimately ended, but it was frustrating at times. Did they really need to say I love You after spending a week together? Come on!