Naomi's Reading Palace: February 2024

Review ~ Liars Like Us by J.T. Geissinger

Liars Like Us by J.T. Geissinger
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was just the kind of read that I needed! It was a brilliant world to get immersed in, I laughed and swooned, as I watched Emery and Callum come together. Emery had it hard from the beginning, and things kept piling up to bring her down. When Callum came into her life, she couldn’t believe what he was offering, and pushed him away at every turn. But he was persistent and passionate and would not let her go.

It was fun being in this world, Emery’s turmoil had me laughing as she tried to figure out what was going on. The slightly serious twist had me intrigued, but it fell into the storyline seamlessly. I thoroughly enjoyed Callum’s possessive side, and how he fell for Emery, just wanting someone to love him. I was intrigued by his family too and I enjoyed meeting all of Emery’s friends. Liars Like Us was quite enjoyable, and I am looking forward to more from this world.

Title: Liars Like Us

Author: J.T. Geissinger

Series: Morally Gray #1

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Published: May 25, 2023

A young woman on the verge of bankruptcy.
A mysterious billionaire with an offer that will change her life.
An obsession so powerful, it could destroy them both.

Sex
Lies
Secrets
Passion

What Callum McCord wants, he takes.
No matter what he has to do to get it.

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Audiobook Review ~ You or Someone Like You by Winter Renshaw

You or Someone Like You by Winter Renshaw
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Sloane and Roman's story was a good one to listen to. It was amusing to see Sloane fake her way through numerous occasions with Roman, but I could see these two had chemistry and things in common. I felt that Slaones twin was selfish and pushed her into situations that she didn't want to be in. I had an inkling with Roman, and wasn't sure which was going to be the outcome, but I was glad it went the way it did.

I knew it all would blow up on Slaone eventually, and it did really affect them both. I wanted to slap Margoux, for being the jerk she was. I loved Roman's family, even Roman's aunt. She truly was trying to get him back out there and Sloane certainly lit a fire in him.

The narration was great and I really enjoyed both Tristan James and Stella Bloom, how they portrayed all characters and fluently told Renshaws story.

Title: You or Someone Like You

Author: Winter Renshaw

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Published: July 18, 2023

From Wall Street Journal and #1 Amazon bestselling author Winter Renshaw comes a fast-paced, emotional romance about what happens when the wrong twin falls for the right man.

Being an identical twin has its perks, but when my sister asked me to sub in for a date with Roman Bellisario, I wasn’t exactly thrilled. Sure, he’s sinfully handsome and successful, but he also got me fired from my dream job three years ago.

This time, my sister’s promotion is riding on this date, so I have to say yes. And as it turns out, we’re strangely perfect for each other. I sell art. He collects it. We’re both obsessed with the same obscure, mysterious artist that most people don’t even know exists.

Roman is guarded, though, and I can understand why. He’s a widowed single dad. But as one date leads to another, he starts to let me in, and I can’t help but fall for him.

The problem is Roman still thinks I’m my sister. Is our twin swap going to be the best thing that ever happened to me and Roman—or the lie that tears us apart?

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Audiobook Review ~ The Forgetting by Hannah Beckerman

The Forgetting by Hannah Beckerman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is not the type of read I generally pick up, but I thought it would be a good audible read. I certainly wasn’t disappointed and was quickly swept away with the storyline. It was interesting getting both Livvy and Anna’s stories, and how you can quickly jump to conclusions until you get the full picture.

I felt sorry for Anna, and how lost she was, not being able to trust her husband, and being so alone. Livvys story was interesting, as we watched her double guess her thoughts as she was told certain things and she didn’t know who to trust. She was close to her family, however there was tension between her husband and sister. They both loved her fiercely, but there was a wedge growing bigger between her and her sister. She continued to give into Dominic as she put his feelings first, instead of her own. I didn’t like "Dominic" or "Steven" and the way that they treated Livvy and Anna.

Title: The Forgetting

Author: Hannah Beckerman

Genre: Mystery Thriller

Published: April 1, 2023

From the bestselling author of If Only I Could Tell You comes the story of two women feeling trapped and powerless. Can they find their way back to life?

When Anna Bradshaw wakes up in a hospital bed in London, she remembers nothing, not even her loving husband, Stephen. The doctors say her amnesia is to be expected, but Anna feels cut adrift from her entire life.

In Bristol, Livvy Nicholson is newly married to Dominic and eager to get back to work after six months’ maternity leave. But when Dominic’s estranged mother appears, making a series of unnerving claims, Livvy is sucked into a version of herself she doesn’t recognise.

A hundred miles apart, both women feel trapped and disorientated, and their stories are about to collide. Can they uncover the secret that connects them and reconstruct their fractured lives?

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Review ~ Head Over Heels by Karla Sorensen

Head Over Heels: an opposites-attract, small town romance (Wilder Family Book 2)

Head Over Heels: an opposites-attract, small town romance by Karla Sorensen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Oh my heart!! It broke on so many different levels during this read. I simply adored both Ivy and Cameron. Ivy being raised by her father didn’t get to experience the emotional roller coaster that bigger families do, but I loved how patient Cameron was with her as she came to terms with feelings that she never experienced before. Cameron was such a kind-hearted guy, willing to do anything to keep those he loved happy. He was a peace maker, and with Ivy he didn’t push her out of her comfort zone. He knew she was different to any woman that he met before and waited for her to make up her own mind about what she wanted.

I enjoyed the growth in both these characters, how each encounter bought them closer together. Ivy kept to herself most of the time but each time a Wilder family member intruded into her space; you could see that they were getting through the cracks in her perfectly built walls. The Wilder family were amazing, and I enjoyed getting to know each of them further.

Cameron’s father Tim and stepmother Shiela are fantastic role models to all their children. You could feel the love that they had for them and the partners that their children chose. I honestly sobbed through the last part of the book as I had come to love all these characters and was so sad that they had to experience such loss. My heart cracked, but I could still feel the love that Ivy and Cameron had for one another. I am looking forward to more stories from this world; I cannot wait to see more of Ian, Parker and Poppy and how they get their happily ever afters!

Title: Head Over Heels

Author: Karla Sorensen

Series: Wilder Family #2

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Published: January 24, 2024

There’s only one course of action when your dad wants you to marry a clammy-handed wimp to make one of his board members happy—you get yourself stuck in an elevator with a hot stranger and have the steamiest make-out session of your life.

Years of etiquette lessons went out the window thanks to Cameron Wilder, who managed to unleash my hidden bad girl with naught but his talented mouth and deliciously rough hands.

Afterwards, he went back to his small-town life, and I marched home to inform my dad there would be no business-centric nuptials. As punishment, he shipped me off to Sisters, Oregon and demanded I turn a healthy profit on a not-so-healthy property.

You see where I’m going with this—the buttoned-up city girl stuck in a small town hires a local builder to help her … and he’s the hot stranger from the elevator. Turns out, I have a weakness for the broad-shouldered nice guy who’s not so nice behind closed doors. Keeping things professional gets harder the longer I’m in town, until the only lesson I have left to learn is how to keep both our hearts from getting broken.

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Audiobook Review ~ She's Up to No Good by Sara Goodman Confino

She's Up to No Good by Sara Goodman Confino
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I’d been contemplating reading this book for a while now and decided to take the plunge. It truly turned out to be a fantastic read. I loved getting to know both Jenna and her Grandmother Evelyn. Jenna’s story was in the present as they travelled to Evelyn’s hometown. For Jenna it was for a change, where she got to know her grandmother better, and we ventured back into the past to meet the young Evelyn.

I really enjoyed the alternating perspectives, Evelyn was trouble both in the past and the present. I often laughed out loud at some of the things she got up to! It was sweet seeing young love blossom for both Jenna and Evelyn, and the changes over time as well. Evelyn constantly pushed Jenna out of her comfort zone and she started to live her life again. Making new friends and meeting extended family was good for her.

The narration by Holly Linneman was perfect. She had a nice voice to listen to and the characters were well distinguished. It was easy to get swept away with her story telling. I thoroughly enjoyed this read by Sarah Goodman Confino, and for my first read by this author was quietly impressed. I’ll be reading more of her books in the future for sure.

Title: She's Up to No Good

Author: Sara Goodman Confino

Genre: Romance, Chick Lit

Published: August 1, 2022

For two women generations apart, going home will change their lives in this funny, poignant, and life-affirming novel about family, secrets, and broken hearts by the author of For the Love of Friends.

Four years into her marriage, Jenna is blindsided when her husband asks for a divorce. With time on her hands and her life in flux, she agrees to accompany her eccentric grandmother Evelyn on a road trip to the seaside Massachusetts town where much of their family history was shaped.

When they hit the road, Evelyn spins the tale of the star-crossed teenage romance that captured her heart more than seventy years ago and changed the course of her life. She insists the return to her hometown isn’t about that at all—no matter how much she talks about Tony, her unforgettable and forbidden first love.

Upon arrival, Jenna meets Tony’s attentive great-nephew Joe. The new friendship and fresh ocean air give her the confidence and distance she needs to begin putting the pain of a broken marriage behind her.

As the secrets and truths of Evelyn’s past unfold, Jenna discovers a new side of her grandmother, and of herself, that she never knew existed—and learns that the possibilities for healing can come at the most unexpected times in a woman’s life.

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Review ~ The Birthday List by Devney Perry

The Birthday List by Devney Perry
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Poppy and Cole’s story was heartbreaking but sweet. This type of read is one that will sit with you for a long time. Poppy’s intentions with the birthday list was to get closure and it was good to see her tackle everything. She grew so much as a person and allowed herself to open up more and slowly let Cole in. I liked how patient Cole was with poppy, letting her go at her own pace and helped her with the list.

Cole, being a detective, was able to work on the case that brought them together. I liked how passionate he was and how he would do anything for poppy at the drop of a hat. I liked the support system that they both had. Both their families supported them with everything that they did. I enjoyed watching them grow together. It really was a sweet read, and I intend to read more from this author.

Title: The Birthday List

Author: Devney Perry

Series: Maysen Jar #1

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Published: April 3, 2018

Happily married to her college sweetheart, Poppy lived a blessed life with the husband of her dreams. Then everything changed. She is no longer a wife. She is no longer the envy of her single friends. Now, people look at her with pity as they whisper a single word behind her back.

Widow.

Years after her husband’s tragic death, years of pain and sorrow and wishing for the life she’ll never get back, Poppy decides to finish Jamie’s birthday list. She’ll do the things he wanted to most. Because maybe, just maybe, if she can complete his list, she can start to live again.

Poppy expects going through the birthday list will be hard. She expects it to hurt. But what she doesn’t expect is Cole. Could the man who delivered the news of her husband’s death and shattered her heart be the one to help her put it back together again?

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Audiobook Review ~ You Then, Me Now by Nick Alexander

You Then, Me Now by Nick Alexander
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a great book to listen to. I loved getting both Becky and Laura's perspective (present and past). My heart ached for what Laura had been through and what she lost. Although raising Becky was hard for her they built a complicated relationship and the trip was a good place for them to open up to one another. It was sweet to see Becky grow and find herself, and when their worlds collided it was beautiful!

Title: You Then, Me Now

Author: Nick Alexander

Genre: Romance, Contemporary

Published: May 1, 2019

She’s given her daughter everything. Now it’s time to give her the truth.

Becky’s father is not just absent: he’s a mystery, a gaping hole in her past. He died before she was born and for her mother, Laura, the subject is strictly off-limits. But when Laura books an unexpected trip to Greece, Becky decides to join her, determined to get closer to her mother—and to the truth.

As they make their way to the beautiful island of Santorini, it becomes clear that this holiday is not as impulsive as Becky thought. Laura’s hiding something from her daughter—and she’s been hiding it for as long as Becky can remember. Laura has been here before, and that last visit holds the answers to Becky’s past.

But Laura’s memories of that first trip are tinged with pain and heartbreak, secrets she’s kept buried for twenty-five years. Now, with the truth emerging into the sunlight at last, can mother and daughter lay the ghosts of their past to rest and find the happiness they’ve both been looking for?

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Review ~ Broken Dreams by Corinne Michaels

Broken Dreams by Corinne Michaels
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a sweet read, where two single parents were tying to find happiness once again. They had lost their partners and were trying to find their way. Addi thought it was time to find love once again, where Grady was trying to build a new life for his son and himself. I liked how these two got along so well and it was effortless for them to build a connection. I knew their agreement would bring them close.

I liked how well their children got along, they too became quick friends. Both Addi and Grady had support from family and friends, and the little town was so nosey. It was sweet to see their connection grow, from harmless hand holding, to kissing, to steamy moments. They were definitely falling for one another without meaning to. Again I enjoyed being in this world and enjoyed Corinne Michaels world building and character development.

Title: Broken Dreams

Author: Corinne Michaels

Series: Whitlock Family #2

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Published: December 1, 2023

What could possibly go wrong fake dating the gorgeous single dad in a small town?

The answer, you fall for him.

It started out perfect. Grady Whitlock needed a plus one for his business meetings, and I needed a date for a wedding.

We had a plan. It was a good one.

Until it wasn’t.

I was not supposed to have feelings for him. I was not going to let my heart race when his soulful blue eyes stared into mine. No way should I have noticed his smile or the dimple on his right cheek or his strong arms when he held me close. I especially wasn’t going to melt when I saw him play with my daughter.

Most of all I was not going to sleep with him.

Nope. None of that was supposed to happen, but it does.

Now I find myself dreaming of him every night. Wishing we were really a couple because the way he kisses me doesn’t feel as if it’s pretend.

But we’ve both watched our dreams shatter, and I can’t handle another broken heart.

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Review ~ Good as Gold by Sarina Bowen

Good as Gold by Sarina Bowen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed the slow build between Matteo and Leila. They had been friends for a long time and missed their chance when they were younger. I enjoyed getting glimpses from the past to see where the paths turned between them. There was always an attraction, but they couldn’t get the timing right. Leila was really focused on becoming a parent and it was amusing to see Matteo step in to help with this issue!

It took time for them both to own their feelings and it was sad for them to be apart for so long, but neither of them would own up to how they felt or what they wanted. I enjoyed getting to know Matteos family and seeing how close they were despite him being away for so long. My heart ached for poor Leila having to deal with Rory. It was nice to see how different and responsible Matteo was, and that Leila fell hard for him.

Title: Good as Gold

Author: Sarina Bowen

Series: Giltmaker #1

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Published: June 1, 2023

Leila:
What I meant to do: Quietly divorce my lout of a husband and then have a child all on my own.
What happens instead: My crush comes back to town when I’m at my most vulnerable. After too many cocktails, I ask him to be my baby’s father.
In my defense, it’s been a rough couple of months. Seeing Matteo Rossi again after fourteen years has done a number on my emotions. And my libido.
In the morning, I’m hoping he’s forgotten the whole thing. But no such luck. In fact, Matteo has a few clarifying questions. And a few naughty ideas, too…

Matteo:
What I meant to do: visit Vermont for my brother’s wedding. Make amends to my family, and mourn the loss of a friend.
What happens instead: a hot affair with the one who got away. But it can’t last. My life is two thousand miles away, and Leila deserves everything. She’s as good as gold.

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Review ~ Because of Her by Jewel E. Ann

Because of Her by Jewel E. Ann
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Jewel E. Ann is one of my favourite authors, but I have so many more books of hers to read. This is the first book in this series that I’ve read, and it sure sent my heart on a roller coaster of emotions. First up we understand the tragic circumstances that bought Frankie to pack up her brothers’ house and belongings and why she begins a revenge plot to bring down the world of the Sanford family. When she crosses paths with the stranger living in the garage of the house next door, there is a connection between them that grows each time they interact.

Jackson Knight (Jude Day) we find out has his own agenda, and their paths were bound to cross due to Frankie’s agenda. I could see that he was becoming protective of the outspoken woman next door. They definitely had chemistry and it was only a matter of time before they acted on their impulses. I loved that they both loved the piano, which Jack having his Black Beauty in the garage, how they both became attached to it. There were some difficult moments that they experienced, and Jack wanted to work through it with Frankie, but she didn’t want to. This made it hard for them and things were always going to hit the fan. I just loved how patient Jack was and my heart ached for them both and what they had to face.

I can guarantee you that I will have to go back and read more stories from this world. I need to know how it all started and to see all the characters before. This book, although it touched on some difficult moments, was crafted perfectly and I was captivated until that final page.

Title: Because of Her

Author: Jewel E. Ann

Series: Jack & Jill #6

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Published: November 2, 2023

“If sin weren’t pretty, it wouldn’t be so tempting.”

I was an accomplished music professor.
Happily single.
Perfectly content.

Now, I’m unemployed.
Pining for a dark, brooding guy named Jack who lives in a garage with a piano.
And I’m plotting to seduce a married man because his daughter is responsible for my nephew committing suicide.

I don’t know why teenage girls are so mean.
I don’t know why rich men cheat on their wives.
And I don’t know why Jack has serial killer vibes, even though he leaves me speechless every time he speaks.

All I know for sure is that I feel safe in a stranger’s arms and understood by someone I don’t understand.

“You should be a little scared of everyone because humans are unpredictable.”

How far will I go for revenge? More than that …
How far will he go to save me?

*This book contains material involving sexual assault and suicide. Reader discretion is advised.

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