Champagne Kisses by MJ Duncan

 

⭐⭐⭐⭐☆

The author says this is a trope filled book —14, as per her. But this book is all the tropes done beautifully right. This book is pure romantic escapism in the best possible way — the kind of story that sweeps you up from the very first page and draws you in further with every page.

Aubrey Gill rolls into Whistler for her cousin's New Year's Eve wedding. She's not particularly looking forward to it since she's had a recent break up (but isn't particularly heartbroken) and single. She's not told anyone, so she'd pretty much dreading questions around her single status. 

Enter Beau Demers, Aubrey literally runs into Beau and there's a classic coffee drop moment. (Not a trope, but could probably be counted as one... since it's such a favourite amongst romance writers. Maybe coffee-shop and coffee-spill should be counted as tropes).

Beau Demers is charming; a burst of sunshine with irresistible warmth and sincerity. 

There's instant connection and somehow, Beau becomes Aubrey's fake date for the wedding. 

Through the pre-wedding shenanigans, Beau proceeds to capture everyone's hearts. 

I particularly loved Sam's dialogue about Beau... the one where she says, "It's a good ting you don't have Beau's game..."

The chemistry between Aubrey is crackling and ever present. Loved that. 

There is no angst but excellent pace. 

Aubrey Gill and Beau Demers are superb individually and irresistible together. 

This is a total romantic's romance. *chef's kiss*

⭐⭐⭐⭐☆

Pretend You're Mine by Laura Conway

⭐⭐

Simmering attraction held in for a year comes pouring out in this fauxmance.

Jackie Bowman used to be a corporate lawyer but got off the treadmill of stress and started a coffee shop, Full of Beans. At forty four, she is personally in a better place, even if missing the adrenaline of her past job a little. To get her fix of doing more she's joined an improv group and feels fairly well-balanced. Lauren Myers is just shy of thirty and her life has kind of gotten away from her. She'd moved to New York to be a journalist but couldn't cope with the pressure. So she now works part time at a gay bar, freelances a bit and is trying to make her dream of being an author a reality.

In order to keep happy appearances with her parents, Lauren has told them that her job is going really well, that she is living in a lovely house in Brooklyn and the to avoid going back home (for which she couldn't afford the flight ticket) she invented a make believe girlfriend. Now her parents are about to fly out for her birthday and she's tangled in a web of her own making.

Jackie steps in with an offer to play Lauren's girlfriend for the duration of Lauren's parents visit and asks Lauren to do the same at the wedding of two of Jackie's exes getting married to each other.

The premise is not new but usually enjoyable. Not in this one. Somehow the writing is very sophomoric and despite all right words and situations, there is no chemistry between the MCs and it never felt that they truly connected at any point. The age gap is unnecessarily made much of. Both the MCs are okay, if rather tepid. 

This book is so bland that we can't summon the emotion to dislike it but there is absolutely nothing to like about it.

PS: We really wish that authors learn the difference between 'discrete' and 'discreet' in a hurry.

⭐⭐

Technically Faking by Robin Hale

⭐⭐⭐⭐☆

Charming, fun, funny and unexpectedly entirely romantic; this one had us devouring it with unmitigated delight.

Iris Spark, a coding whiz has built a successful app and a company around it. The going should be good for her and it is, except that now the Board of Directors of her company are trying to oust her for not being exactly socially awesome. Iris is hopping mad. In three weeks the Board is going to vote and Iris decides that she needs to turn the tide in her favour in that time. Serendipitously, she literally bumps into Amber Kowalczyk, a social media influencer, in a coffee shop. Amber disapproves of a random, awful post about Iris exiting the coffee shop and kinda changes the take of the original post creating a more positive interest in a picture of Iris’ delectable *clearing throat* ass. Taking note of the reaction to and impact of Amber’s narrative, between Iris and her assistant, they dream up a scheme to use social media to change public perception about Iris as a way to retain her company. So Iris hires Amber to humanize Iris by making them a couple online.

The plot is far-fetched and thin but the book is absolutely great. Iris and Amber are absolutely adorable with palpable chemistry between them. Thankfully there are no misunderstandings and other sorts of drama. And surely, Hale has an excellent ability to write romance in all it sweetness, giddiness and sexiness.

Yep, 100% go for this one!

⭐⭐⭐⭐☆

The Roommate Arrangement by Jae

⭐⭐⭐☆

Stand-up comedienne, Stephanie Renshaw, had given herself a timeline to make a name for herself in the field. Starting off at twenty as a stand-up comic, she’d given herself a decade. Now she is a few months away from her self-imposed deadline. As a last ditch effort, she abandons touring across the country and the new plan is to concentrate on making waves in her hometown, LA. Steph has a place with her sister to crash while she finds her feet, but getting her own place is as urgent as getting good gigs. A dream house in walking distance to the biggest comedy club is up for the taking – except that the owners will not rent it to single people. Steph ropes in Rae, a security officer at the club in which Steph is desperately looking for a spot, as her faux girlfriend to land the house. Rae, for reasons of her own is looking for a house close to her place of work, and despite reservations – primarily due to the polar opposite personalities – she agrees.

This is super-slow-burn. The book is almost twice the length of typical romances and it takes almost 60% of the book for the MCs to start accepting their feelings for the other. Which means that their interactions really start almost after most books of this genre finish. However, Steph is such a mega-engaging personality that she keeps us invested. Dark, brooding, not-completely-likeable Rae has a backstory which is revealed slowly and works as a justification for her being the way she is. Jae has a gift for writing tenderness in a relationship and the way Steph takes care of Rae truly moved us.

This is a fairly long, but sweet, read.

⭐⭐⭐☆