TBR Happens

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Shipped

Shipped by Angie Hockman

Between taking night classes for her MBA and her demanding day job at a cruise line, marketing manager Henley Evans barely has time for herself, let alone family, friends, or dating. But when she’s shortlisted for the promotion of her dreams, all her sacrifices finally seem worth it. The only problem? Graeme Crawford-Collins, the remote social media manager and the bane of her existence, is also up for the position. Although they’ve never met in person, their epic email battles are the stuff of office legend. Their boss tasks each of them with drafting a proposal on how to boost bookings in the Galápagos—best proposal wins the promotion. There’s just one catch: they have to go on a company cruise to the Galápagos Islands...together. But when the two meet on the ship, Henley is shocked to discover that the real Graeme is nothing like she imagined. As they explore the Islands together, she soon finds the line between loathing and liking thinner than a postcard. With her career dreams in her sights and a growing attraction to the competition, Henley begins questioning her life choices. Because what’s the point of working all the time if you never actually live?

⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3/5 Stars) 

Review: 

Henley is a hard-working, career-driven woman who has one major problem... Graeme! Graeme, the man who seems to love nothing more than getting on Henley’s bad side, taking praise for Henley’s ideas and generally making her life more miserable. 

The story takes place between Seattle, where Henley lives, and where her job at a cruise line is based; and on the actual cruise to the Galápagos. I loved the cruise setting, ensuring that the characters must communicate, because... well.. there’s nowhere else for them to go. This is the classic enemies-to-lovers, career-focused romance.  The characters were diverse and felt believable, but something about this story just didn’t catch my attention in the way I’d hoped. Generally Shipped is a really cute book that I think others will really enjoy. 

Publishing Information: 

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for providing me with an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review. Shipped will be published on January 19, 2021.

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The Christmas Swap

The Christmas Swap by Sandy Barker

Will all three women have their Christmas wishes come true?

Christmas is coming and best friends Chloe, Jules, and Lucy are needing change… so swapping homes for the holidays could be the perfect present for all of them!

Australian Chloe spends her Christmas in a sleepy village in Oxfordshire, England. She is totally star-struck when she discovers who lives across the road.

Lucy, who has jetted off to snowy Colorado for her dream-come-true white Christmas, is taken into the fold of Jules’s loud and brash family, discovering more about herself in a few short days than she has in years.

And Jules leaves the cold climes of Colorado to spend her Christmas on a beach with Chloe’s friends in Melbourne, finding that time away is just what she needed.

The only thing better than one Christmas romance is three, and this wonderful festive novel is perfect for fans of Sarah Morgan, Holly Martin and Karen Swan.

Star Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5/5 Stars!)

Review:

Chloe, Jules, and Lucy, met on family vacations at 11-years-old and have been best friends since. Now, as adults they realize that it’s time to change their Christmas traditions of the past and live it up around the world. The girls decide to swap their traditional Christmas (including their families) to try something new. 

Chloe, who lives in Australia, goes to Oxfordshire, England, to live Lucy’s perfect British Christmas with her family, a tiny British town, an adorable holiday festival, and the perfect British man, who also happens to be a world famous actor! Although Chloe’s Christmas doesn’t always go according to plan, she might just find her happily-ever-after. 

Lucy has always dreamed of a “white Christmas,” like the ones you see in romantic holiday movies. Lucy spends the holiday with Jules’s chaotic family in the Colorado mountains. Unlike Oxfordshire, where Christmas morning includes mostly it’s just grey slush, Lucy might get the white Christmas of her dreams. 

Jules leaves her chaotic family Christmas in the snow for a trip around the world - all the way to Australia. Spending time with Chloe’s friends in Melbourne, Jules realizes that Christmas, and life, can be more than she ever expected. 

The stories are intertwined with much of it taking place via calls between the girls. Each setting is unique and filled with a great cast of characters that you want to get to know more. Although the book is definitely predictable, it’s still absolutely perfect! 

Publishing Information: 

Thank you to NetGallery and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for providing me with an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review. The Christmas Swap was published on October 16, 2020 and is available in stores now!

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Love in the Aisles

Love in the Aisles by Heather Van Fleet

On a scale from one to ten on the epic failure charts, Charlotte Dawson’s day just passed an eleven.

The last thing Charlotte wants to do is go to the supermarket, but with a four-year-old to feed, she doesn’t have a choice. Just when she thinks she’s free and clear of marketplace drama, Charlotte finds herself in the throes of a hide-and-seek game with the nosiest woman in town. And if that wasn’t enough to add to her bad day, the hot new bag guy catches her hiding out…in the liquor section…on a Sunday in the South. But she can’t formulate the words to tell him to get lost. In fact, she can’t speak at all once she gazes into those hazel eyes.

Having been ditched at the altar by his long-term girlfriend, Hollywood sensation Ian ‘Cleary’ Tate escapes to Sunrise Valley for one reason—peace. Serving as a temporary apprentice under his stepfather at Adler’s Market is the perfect cover—nothing says redefining his life like a little manual labor. Until he runs into a problem…Charlotte Dawson, the widow of the town’s biggest hero. He in no way expected to develop a fascination with the bumbling, yet refreshing, young mom, who just so happens to have the grace of a one-legged chimpanzee.

In a series of unexpected encounters between the aisles of the supermarket and the gossip-filled streets of Sunrise Valley, Charlotte and Ian get to know one another, Georgia style—all under the watchful eyes of a group of meddling old women known as the GOLs (Gossiping Old Ladies).

It’s not easy falling in love after heartbreak, but Ian and Charlotte have a chance at exactly that…if Ian’s secret Hollywood fame and Charlotte’s former life don’t get in the way first.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3/5 Stars)

Review:

Charlotte has not had an easy life... her parents were absent, her beloved husband passed away too young, and now she’s just made a fool of herself in front of the new and very cute employee at the grocery store. First, hiding in the liquor aisle when alcohol sales aren’t even open for the day, then rushing out of the shop so quickly that you knock over a DVD rack, then your son pees right on the floor. Definitely not the best day.... or maybe not such a bad day after all. Ian, the new man in town, has definitely taken a liking to Charlotte, despite all of her quirks, and this easy-reading romantic comedy shows just how many quirks Charlotte Dawson really has. Plus, he’s secretly a movie star! 

Love in the Aisles is set in small-town Georgia, and as someone who grew up in one of these small towns, I could definitely relate. Everyone is always in your business and nothing is ever a secret for too long. The town characters felt very real to life. Where it fell a little flat for me was the main characters. Charlotte, who has done so much in her life to ensure she’s providing for herself, her sister, and her son, seems to fall apart when approached by anyone in town and turns into nothing but a blushing mess in front of Ian. And I know that Ian is supposed to come across as charming, but he felt a little creepy to me. He was way too familiar with pet names, meeting the family, showing up at her home, it all happened very fast. However, overall the story was cute, the writing was great, and I think most people who love rom-coms will really enjoy Love in the Aisles. 

Publishing Information: 

Thank you to NetGalley and Heather Van Fleet for providing me with an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review. Love in the Aisles will be published on October 13, 2020.

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Accidentally In Love

Accidentally In Love by Belinda Missen 

“In the space of a week, Katharine Patterson has quit her job, decided to move back home, and broken up with the guy she thought was the one.No big deal. Because Katharine has a plan. She’s going to open her own art gallery, just like she’s always wanted. What she’s not going to do is worry about boyfriends. Then she meets Kit, a handsome and talented local artist. He might be the most stubborn person Katharine has ever met. He might also make her feel like no one ever has before. And Katharine might be about to fall accidentally in love.”

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5/5 Stars)

Review:

Okay this book is so freakin cute! There is so much going on in the story that it’s really impossible to recap it all. If you love a good meet-cute rom-com you’ll love this book! I loved that it revolved around the art world, family, friendships, and love. The characters were complex and had realistic struggles that made the book feel relatable. 

Accidentally In Love revolves around Katherine, who is tired of getting passed over at work, and finally decides that enough is enough! Quitting her job, standing up to her... maybe boyfriend, and making a decision that will change her life forever. Katherine decides to open her own art gallery, and won’t let anything stand in her way. 

The book is set in London and Sheffield, and mainly takes place in an art-centric universe. Katherine is a curator, art gallery owner, and photographer. Most of her family is involved in art. Her father owns an art store and participates in art courses run by Kit and Fiona (her step-mom) is an artist. Kit (the love interest) is an artist who also runs an art school and works to promote local artists. Although it’s definitely a rom-com this book is so much more than that! There are great storylines focused on family, death, what happens when friends grow and change over the years. 

Publishing Information: 

Thank you to NetGalley and HQ for providing me with an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review. Accidentally In Love was published on September 11, 2020, and should be available at your local bookstore! 

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