The Seven Year Slip

The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston | 336 pages | 2023

Sometimes, the worst day of your life happens, and you have to figure out how to live after it.

So Clementine forms a plan to keep her heart safe: stay busy, work hard, find someone decent to love, and try to remember to chase the moon. The last one is silly and obviously metaphorical, but her aunt always told her that you needed at least one big dream to keep going. And for the last year, that plan has gone off without a hitch. Mostly. The love part is hard because she doesn’t want to get too close to anyone—she isn’t sure her heart can take it.

And then she finds a strange man standing in the kitchen of her late aunt’s apartment. A man with kind eyes and a Southern drawl and a taste for lemon pies. The kind of man that, before it all, she would’ve fallen head-over-heels for. And she might again. Except, he exists in the past. Seven years ago, to be exact. And she, quite literally, lives seven years in his future.

Her aunt always said the apartment was a pinch in time, a place where moments blended together like watercolors. And Clementine knows that if she lets her heart fall, she’ll be doomed. After all, love is never a matter of time—but a matter of timing.

(Synopsis taken from Goodreads)

The Tenant by Freida McFadden

 The Tenant by Freida McFadden-356 pages

⭐⭐⭐

Goodreads Synopsis: There’s no place like home…

Blake Porter is riding high, until he's not. Fired abruptly from his job as a VP of marketing and unable to make the mortgage payments on the new brownstone that he shares with his fiancee, he's desperate to make ends meet.

Enter Whitney. Beautiful, charming, down-to-earth, and looking for a room to rent. She's exactly what Blake's looking for. Or is she?

Because something isn't quite right. The neighbors start treating Blake differently. The smell of decay permeates his home, no matter how hard he scrubs. Strange noises jar him awake in the middle of the night. And soon Blake fears someone knows his darkest secrets...

Danger lives right at home, and by the time Blake realizes it, it'll be far too late. The trap is already set.

#1 New York Times bestselling author Freida McFadden knocks at your door with a gripping story of revenge, privilege, and secrets turned sour…

Thoughts: Honestly, this is the seventh book I've read by McFadden and it's my least favorite so far. What I like about her books is that they usually have an anti-hero/anti-heroine protagonist. I like the morally grey. There isn't really much of that in this book. None of the main characters are likeable. The best part of the book is the ending, but the beginning and middle are merely okay by McFadden standards. That being said, it's a decent read. 

The Paradise Problem

The Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren | 352 pages | 2024

Anna Green thought she was marrying Liam “West” Weston for access to subsidized family housing while at UCLA. She also thought she’d signed divorce papers when the graduation caps were tossed, and they both went on their merry ways.

Three years later, Anna is a starving artist living paycheck to paycheck while West is a Stanford professor. He may be one of four heirs to the Weston Foods conglomerate, but he has little interest in working for the heartless corporation his family built from the ground up. He is interested, however, in his one-hundred-million-dollar inheritance. There’s just one catch.

Due to an antiquated clause in his grandfather’s will, Liam won’t see a penny until he’s been happily married for five years. Just when Liam thinks he’s in the home stretch, pressure mounts from his family to see this mysterious spouse, and he has no choice but to turn to the one person he’s afraid to introduce to his one-percenter parents — his unpolished, not-so-ex-wife.

But in the presence of his family, Liam’s fears quickly shift from whether the feisty, foul-mouthed, paint-splattered Anna can play the part to whether the toxic world of wealth will corrupt someone as pure of heart as his surprisingly grounded and loyal wife. Liam will have to ask himself if the price tag on his flimsy cover story is worth losing true love that sprouted from a lie.

(Synopsis taken from Goodreads)

The chemistry was amazing, the banter and antics were hilarious, and the setting was immersive. Five stars for this excellent summer romance.

The Good Part

The Good Part by Sophie Cousens | 338 pages | 2023

At twenty-six, Lucy Young is tired. Tired of fetching coffees for senior TV producers, tired of going on disastrous dates, and definitely tired of living in a damp flat share with flatmates who never buy toilet roll. She could quit her job for a better living, but she's not ready to give up on her dreams. Not just yet. After another diabolical date lands her in a sudden storm and no money for bus fare, Lucy finds herself seeking shelter in a tiny shop, where she stumbles upon a curious wishing machine. Pushing her last coin into the slot, Lucy closes her eyes and wishes with everything she's got: Please, let me skip to the good part of my life.

When she wakes the next morning to a handsome man, a ring on her finger, a high-powered job, and storybook perfect little boy and baby girl, Lucy can't believe this is real--especially when she looks in the mirror, and staring back is her own forty-something face. Has she really skipped ahead to the future she's always wanted, or has she simply forgotten a huge chunk of her life? And as Lucy begins to embrace this new life and new relationships, she'll have to ask herself: Can she go back, and if so, does she want to?

(Synopsis taken from Goodreads)

I love a good "would you change your life" scenario, so this was a fun read. The author handled the mechanics of the time jump - and subsequent search to go back - really well. At various points I even started to question whether she actually jumped or if she really did have amnesia.

This book is about a lot of different kinds of love, and I really appreciated that. The plot of Lucy and Sam getting to know each other was really sweet and well done, but the love between friends, the parent-child relationships, and the support of coworkers were all beautiful too. I'm still mulling over the ending and whether I wanted it to end the way it did, but I can't be mad either way. This one will be fun to discuss in book club!

Funny Story

Funny Story by Emily Henry | 400 pages | 2025

Daphne always loved the way her fiancé, Peter, told their story. How they met (on a blustery day), fell in love (over an errant hat), and moved back to his lakeside hometown to begin their life together. He really was good at telling it... right up until the moment he realized he was actually in love with his childhood best friend Petra.

Which is how Daphne begins her new story: stranded in beautiful Waning Bay, Michigan, without friends or family but with a dream job as a children’s librarian (that barely pays the bills), and proposing to be roommates with the only person who could possibly understand her predicament: Petra’s ex, Miles Nowak.

Scruffy and chaotic—with a penchant for taking solace in the sounds of heart break love ballads—Miles is exactly the opposite of practical, buttoned-up Daphne, whose coworkers know so little about her they have a running bet that she’s either FBI or in witness protection. The roommates mainly avoid one another, until one day, while drowning their sorrows, they form a tenuous friendship and a plan. If said plan also involves posting deliberately misleading photos of their summer adventures together, well, who could blame them?

But it’s all just for show, of course, because there’s no way Daphne would actually start her new chapter by falling in love with her ex-fiancé’s new fiancée’s ex... right?

(Synopsis taken from Goodreads)

It took me a long time to get into this one, and I was worried that Emily Henry is just not for me. There were still parts of it that I struggled with, especially some of the pacing, but overall it was a cute story with great banter and a sweet romance.

(I just really shouldn't read books about librarians. I get too caught up in the details.)

The Rom-Commers

The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center | 336 pages | 2024

Emma Wheeler desperately longs to be a screenwriter. She’s spent her life studying, obsessing over, and writing romantic comedies―good ones! That win contests! But she’s also been the sole caretaker for her kind-hearted dad, who needs full-time care. Now, when she gets a chance to re-write a script for famous screenwriter Charlie Yates―The Charlie Yates! Her personal writing god!―it’s a break too big to pass up.

Emma’s younger sister steps in for caretaking duties, and Emma moves to L.A. for six weeks for the writing gig of a lifetime. But what is it they say? Don’t meet your heroes? Charlie Yates doesn’t want to write with anyone―much less “a failed, nobody screenwriter.” Worse, the romantic comedy he’s written is so terrible it might actually bring on the apocalypse. Plus! He doesn’t even care about the script―it’s just a means to get a different one green-lit. Oh, and he thinks love is an emotional Ponzi scheme.

But Emma’s not going down without a fight. She will stand up for herself, and for rom-coms, and for love itself. She will convince him that love stories matter―even if she has to kiss him senseless to do it. But . . . what if that kiss is accidentally amazing? What if real life turns out to be so much . . . more real than fiction? What if the love story they’re writing breaks all Emma’s rules―and comes true?

(Synopsis taken from Goodreads)

I didn't feel the chemistry as much in this one. It was a sweet story, and some parts were funny. Just leaned a little too hard into "let's pretend we don't like each other" for me to actually believe they liked each other.

The Stand-In

The Stand-In by Lily Chu | 403 pages | 2021

Gracie Reed is doing just fine. Sure, she was fired by her overly “friendly” boss, and yes, she still hasn’t gotten her mother into the nursing home of their dreams, but she’s healthy, she’s (somewhat) happy, and she’s (mostly) holding it all together.

But when a mysterious SUV pulls up beside her, revealing Chinese cinema's golden couple Wei Fangli and Sam Yao, Gracie’s world is turned on its head. The famous actress has a proposition: Due to their uncanny resemblance, Fangli wants Gracie to be her stand-in. The catch? Gracie will have to be escorted by Sam, the most attractive—and infuriating—man Gracie’s ever met.

If it means getting the money she needs for her mother, Gracie’s in. Soon Gracie moves into a world of luxury she never knew existed. But resisting Sam, and playing the role of an elegant movie star, proves more difficult than she ever imagined—especially when she learns the real reason Fangli so desperately needs her help. In the end, all the lists in the world won’t be able to help Gracie keep up this elaborate ruse without losing herself... and her heart.

(Synopsis taken from Goodreads)

This was a fun story! Gracie and Sam had a great enemies to lovers arc, and the secret doppelganger plot added a unique excitement to the story. The book also touches on some difficult topics like mental health, racism, and workplace harassment (and handles them all very well). Gracie had some growing pains that were difficult to read through, but it came to a resolution pretty quickly. I laughed and I cried! Great book club pick.

The Second Chance Year

The Second Chance Year by Melissa Wiesner | 336 pages | 2023

Sadie Thatcher’s life has fallen apart in spectacular fashion. In one fell swoop, she managed to lose her job, her apartment, and her boyfriend—all thanks to her big mouth. So when a fortune teller offers her one wish, Sadie jumps at the chance to redo her awful year. Deep down, she doesn’t believe magic will fix her life, but taking a leap of faith, Sadie makes her wish, opens her eyes, and...nothing has changed . And then, in perhaps her dumbest move yet, she kisses her brother’s best friend, Jacob.

When Sadie wakes up the next morning, she’s in her former apartment with her former boyfriend, and her former boss is expecting her at work. Checking the date, she realizes it's January 1st of last year.  As Sadie navigates her second-chance year, she begins to see the red flags she missed in her relationship and in her career. Plus, she keeps running into Jacob, and she can’t stop thinking about their kiss...the one he has no idea ever happened. Suddenly, Sadie begins to wonder if her only mistake was wishing for a second chance.

(Synopsis taken from Goodreads)

I'm endlessly fascinated by "what if" stories (like The Midnight Library or the movie About Time). If you could go back and change your own behavior, would it actually change the outcome? And would you like the result if it did? This story did a great job of playing out both of those scenarios, and I devoured it. The self-discovery Sadie went through was sometimes frustrating, but in the end so satisfying.
Our side characters were delightful. I loved everybody at the coffee shop. We got some great layered characters in Alex, Owen, and the mom. Kasumi is the best kind of book BFF. And of course, Jacob was a 100% heartwarming book boyfriend.
Also notable of that I can add this to my list of good romances to recommend for people who don't like a whole lot of spice. There's excellent tension and clear attraction, but everything is pretty closed-door.

Beg, Borrow, or Steal

Beg, Borrow, or Steal by Sarah Adams | 384 pages | 2025

Emily Walker hates having her carefully crafted world disrupted by anyone, most of all her legendary nemesis, Jack Bennett. He’s the opposite of the wonderful heroes she dreams up in her double life as a romance writer, which is why Emily was perfectly happy when Jack left Rome, Kentucky mid-school year with his fiancée. The last thing Emily saw coming was Jack’s return at the start of summer after calling off the wedding and ending his relationship, but he’s here to stay – as her colleague and her neighbor.
Jackson Bennett is glad to be back, eager to renovate his house and work on the next mystery novel under his bestselling pen name. But when he realizes he’s now neighbors with the one woman who has always pushed his buttons, he discovers something he’s even more excited for – thwarting Emily and her petty plans to sabotage his return.
With their chemistry-fueled animosity at an all-time high, Emily accidentally sends an email to their school’s principal that could reveal her secret literary side hustle. She needs to steal back her manuscript, and Jack – she hates to admit – is just the man to help her. Surprisingly, Jack agrees. Will their unlikely alliance put an end to their rivalry? Or could it lead to a steamy plot twist they never saw coming?

(Synopsis taken from Goodreads)

The last book I had read by Sarah Adams was The Cheat Sheet, which admittedly wasn’t my favorite. Now I’m returning to her writing in the third installment of a completely different series, and her writing has evolved remarkably! Which felt all the more fitting since this book is so much about writing, growing, and finding your voice. I’m a sucker for a romance that explores the role of trauma in relationships, and this one did an excellent job of it. The tension between Emily and Jack was delightful, and Adams does a wonderful job of building the slow growth of their friendship (and then more). The balance between comedy, drama, and emotional content was very well done. Despite not having read the previous books, I got a good introduction to the other members of the Walker family, without feeling like I was getting a complete summary. After this installment I’m eager to go back and read the previous two, and then get my hands on the fourth when it comes out! This was a warm hug of a read that kept me coming back for more.

Kit McBride Gets a Wife

Kit McBride Gets a Wife by Amy Barry | 328 pages | 2022

Kit McBride knows that Buck's Creek, Montana, is no place to find a wife. Between him and his three brothers--plus little Junebug--they manage all right on their own, thank you very much. But unbeknownst to Kit, his sister is sick to death of cleaning, cooking, and mending for her big brothers, so she places an ad in The Matrimonial News to get them hitched.
After Maddy Mooney emigrated from Ireland, she found employment with an eccentric but poor widow. When her mistress decides to answer an ad for a mail-order bride, Madd​y is dragged along for the ride to Montana. But en route to the West, Maddy is suddenly abandoned and left to assume the widow's name, position, and matrimonial prospects....
With no other recourse in the wilderness, Maddy must convince Kit not only is she who she says she is, but she's the wife he never knew he needed.

(Synopsis taken from Goodreads)

This romance was totally different than what I usually read, and I loved it.
Each character was so well written out, even our naive little narrator Junebug. Reading her chapters gave me the same experience as her brothers: frustration, softened with endearment. Maddy was a delight, Kit was swoony, and all of our supporting characters immersed me in this slice of the early American West. The only wish I had was for a little bit more at the end, as everything moved very quickly. Still we got our HEA (with some excellent closed-door tension) and everyone (well, except Willabelle) learned their lesson. I'm looking forward to continuing the series!

Flirting With Disaster

Flirting With Disaster by Naina Kumar | 320 pages | 2025

It's been years since Meena has seen her husband, Nikhil . . . years since they first laid eyes on each other back home in Texas, years since they eloped in Las Vegas and she felt true happiness. A high-powered lawyer on Capitol Hill, ready to move on (or at least, she thinks so) with another successful lawyer, Shake, Meena has returned home. This time, finally, to obtain a divorce.
But there's one thing Meena couldn't have accounted for: a hurricane forming in the Gulf, veering right toward them, giving them no choice but to hunker down in the home they had built together. Suddenly, she finds herself trapped amid gale-force winds and pelting rain with the man she once loved.
As they spend more time together, Meena begins to remember everything that drew her to Nikhil: His small-town charm, his thoughtful nature. . . his absurdly good looks. But things make sense with Shake. He’s steady and ambitious and wants exactly what she wants. She’ll stick to her plan, come hell or high water. But will her windswept heart make the right choice, when the storm settles and the eye passes over?

(Synopsis taken from Goodreads)

I've never actually watched Sweet Home Alabama and only know the basic premise, so maybe that works to my advantage since I had no preconceived notions about the story. That said, I really enjoyed this! It was an interesting (and timely) look into what it can be like weathering a hurricane, there were some funny parts without detracting from the seriousness of the situation, and I love a good "stuck together" trope. Seeing Meena and Nikhil grow, both in the present and from their past selves, was really satisfying. I especially loved the evolution of Meena's relationship with her family and watching her realize how that relationship has affected her choices throughout her life. Part of me wishes that we had a chance to read Nikhil's point of view, but I at least appreciate that about halfway though he gets to share his perspective, in a manner of speaking. Overall this was a very sweet read.

Change of Plans

Change of Plans by Dylan Newton | 368 pages | 2023

In this charming romantic comedy, a hometown hero comes to the rescue of a chef unexpectedly left to care for three little girls—who may end up saving him too.
When disaster strikes and chef Bryce Weatherford is given guardianship of her three young nieces, her life goes from cooking with fire…to controlling a dumpster fire. Five‑year‑old Addison refuses to remove her fairy wings, eight‑year‑old Cecily won't bathe, and tween June is majoring in belligerence. With all this chaos, Bryce jettisons hope for a life outside of managing her family and her new job.
It's been years since Ryker Matthews had his below‑the‑knee amputation, yet the phantom pain for his lost limb and Marine career haunts him. To cope, he focuses on his vehicle restoration business. He knows he's lucky to be alive. Yet, “lucky” feels more like “cursed” to his lonely heart.  
When Ryker literally sweeps Bryce off her feet in the grocery store's baby aisle, they both feel sparks. But falling in love would be one more curveball neither is ready to deal with… or is it exactly the change of plans they need?

(Synopsis taken from Goodreads)

Breakfast at the Honey Creek Cafe by Jodi Thomas

Breakfast at the Honey Creek Cafe by Jodi Thomas | 312 pages | 2020

Piper Jane Mackenzie, mayor of Honey Creek, won’t let a major scandal rip her quirky hometown apart, or jeopardize her dream of one day running for higher office. So she’s willing to welcome undercover detective Colby McBride, hired to help solve the mystery behind her wannabe fiancé’s disappearance. Colby’s cover? That he is an old boyfriend now begging Piper for a second chance—always when there are plenty of townsfolk around to witness his shenanigans.

Piper hardly knows whether to laugh or cry, especially when she finds herself drawn to the handsome rascal. He's not the only newcomer she has to deal with. There’s a new interim preacher in town, Sam Cassidy. Drifting from one assignment to another since his one love died, Sam isn’t sure he’s the right fit for Honey Creek. But as Piper knows, this is a place chock-full of surprises. And if she can keep her town—and her heart—from going completely off the rails, there may be a sweet, unexpected future in store.

(Synopsis taken from Goodreads)

The Road Trip by Beth O'Leary

 

The Road Trip by Beth O'Leary | 414 pages | 2021

Addie and her sister are about to embark on an epic road trip to a friend's wedding in the north of Scotland. The playlist is all planned and the snacks are packed.
But, not long after setting off, a car slams into the back of theirs. The driver is none other than Addie's ex, Dylan, who she's avoided since their traumatic break-up two years earlier.
Dylan and his best mate are heading to the wedding too, and they've totalled their car, so Addie has no choice but to offer them a ride. The car is soon jam-packed full of luggage and secrets, and with three hundred miles ahead of them, Dylan and Addie can't avoid confronting the very messy history of their relationship...
Will they make it to the wedding on time? And, more importantly... is this really the end of the road for Addie and Dylan?

(Synopsis taken from Goodreads)

Riding along with this bizarre cast of characters was so much fun. I kind of love that everyone was morally gray - they all made mistakes, sometimes huge ones, and had character flaws, but they're all working on growing up and becoming better. (Well, I don't know if Rodney is trying to be better, but at least he's harmless for now.) This was a pretty perfect summer read!

Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood

Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood | 389 pages | 2023

The many lives of theoretical physicist Elsie Hannaway have finally caught up with her. By day, she’s an adjunct professor, toiling away at grading labs and teaching thermodynamics in the hopes of landing tenure. By other day, Elsie makes up for her non-existent paycheck by offering her services as a fake girlfriend, tapping into her expertly honed people pleasing skills to embody whichever version of herself the client needs.

Honestly, it’s a pretty sweet gig—until her carefully constructed Elsie-verse comes crashing down. Because Jack Smith, the annoyingly attractive and broody older brother of her favorite client, turns out to be the cold-hearted experimental physicist who ruined her mentor’s career and undermined the reputation of theorists everywhere. And that same Jack who now sits on the hiring committee at MIT, right between Elsie and her dream job.

Elsie is prepared for an all-out war of scholarly sabotage but…those long, penetrating looks? Not having to be anything other than her true self when she’s with him? Will falling into an experimentalist’s orbit finally tempt her to put her most guarded theories on love into practice?

(Synopsis taken from Goodreads)

The Siren of Sussex by Mimi Matthews

 

The Siren of Sussex by Mimi Matthews | 400 pages | 2022

Evelyn Maltravers understands exactly how little she’s worth on the marriage mart. As an incurable bluestocking from a family tumbling swiftly toward ruin, she knows she’ll never make a match in a ballroom. Her only hope is to distinguish herself by making the biggest splash in the one sphere she excels: on horseback. But to truly capture London’s attention she’ll need a habit-maker who’s not afraid to take risks with his designs.

Half-Indian tailor Ahmad Malik has always had a talent for making women beautiful, inching his way toward recognition by designing riding habits for Rotten Row’s infamous Pretty Horsebreakers—but no one compares to Evelyn. Her unbridled spirit enchants him, awakening a depth of feeling he never thought possible.

But pushing boundaries comes at a cost and not everyone is pleased to welcome Evelyn and Ahmad into fashionable society. With obstacles spanning between them, the indomitable pair must decide which hurdles they can jump and what matters most: making their mark or following their hearts?

(Synopsis from Goodreads)

The characters in this book are truly delightful to read, and I can't wait to get to know Evelyn's friends better in the next books of this series!