August | 2022 | …aka darzy…

Thank you so much to @berkleyromance /@berkleypub for sending me a copy of Love in the Time of Serial Killers by Alicia Thompson which goes on sale tomorrow, August 16, 2022.

When Phoebe Walsh moves to Florida for the summer to prepare her late father’s house for sale, she also plans to finish her dissertation. She’s turned her lifelong obsession with true crime into a research topic, analyzing the genre for her thesis. With murders, cons, and others crimes always on her mind, she can be forgiven for being less than trusting or thinking Sam, her next door neighbor who keeps strange hours and has a soundproof garage might just be a serial killer.

Actually doing any writing may be a challenge as Phoebe stays busy wrangling her always positive but not always responsible little brother, Connor, reconnecting with her childhood best friend, dealing with her complicated feelings about her father with whom she hadn’t spoken in years, and evaluating Sam’s threat level. Returning to her hometown, though, gives Phoebe a new perspective on her future, her relationships, and the things that truly scare her.

I found this book delightful and laughed out loud several times. Phoebe was very relatable to me with her preference for messy buns and leggings. Because I have a PhD, I also empathized with Phoebe’s issues with her advisor and struggling to convey her thoughts on paper. As much as I liked Phoebe, I got so frustrated with her, but I appreciated her character arc. Sam, Connor, and Allison were all great characters, too!

Though I love true crime, I don’t love it as much as Phoebe! She does see the world through a suspecting lens and often discusses cases, many familiar to me. Readers should no that no murders are committed during the book. Alicia Thompson provides content warnings at the beginning of the book, and I’d encourage readers to preview those.

I enjoyed this so much, I can even imagine rereading it soon. I’d definitely recommend to romance fans.

LUCK AND LAST RESORTS
By Sarah Grunder Ruiz
Publication Date: Tomorrow, August 9, 2022!

Thanks to @berkleypub / @berkleyromance for sending me a gifted copy of the book.

Nina Lejeune lives her life by two rules: 1) Always have fun and 2) Never depend on anyone else. As chief stewardess of THE SERENDIPITY, she works hard four months of the year so she can have independence the rest of the time. Single by choice, she doesn’t want her life to change.

Nina’s contentment is threatened when Ollie Dunne shows up on the first day of cruise season. Nina and Ollie had been co-workers and casually hooked-up until the previous year when Ollie left yachting to become the chef for a well-regarded restaurant.

Now, he’s back for Nina. He believes there is something serious between them, but if she can’t admit she loves him by the end of the season, he’s resolved to return to Ireland for good.

This is a clear violation of her rules. Relationships aren’t always fun, and they require depending on and trusting someone else. But can she stand to lose Ollie forever?

To be honest, I struggled with this book in the beginning. Nina’s idea of fun often seemed at best selfish and at worst cruel. It was hard, also, to understand Ollie’s attraction to her. However, as their backstories were revealed, their attitudes and behavior made more sense.

Before reading this book, I knew nothing about working on charter ships, so it was interesting to see how things operated below deck. Nina had to manage her second in command, Britt, as well as two new hires, and their personalities and conflicts provided a respite from the romance. Jo Walker also makes a few appearances in this book.

Most of all, I liked that the book showed a grand gesture is meaningless without real change and that relationships require attention and work to succeed.

Definitely pick this up tomorrow if you enjoy any of these tropes in your romances:

✅Enemies-to-Lovers

✅ Forced Proximity

✅ Second Chance

✅ Realistic Challenges

Where is your favorite place to watch the sunrise/sunset?