But I Smile Anyway…

Okay, no, where did that month go?

The first half of the year is done, and I might have just hit my Goodreads reading target for the year already! Plus, it has been a busy month with completing assessments for my classes, paperwork, and meetings with the new parents for next year. And we still have the month of July to go, too! Coupled with that, we had Lil Princess finishing her exams and her prom, which was the best experience for her, and Not-so Lil Man’s 19th birthday to celebrate, too. Busy, I told you!

The big question is, what did I read, and did I continue to get words down?

I started the month with 10 NetGalley ARCs and around 10K to write on book three…

I wrote all the words needed to finish my first draft! Y’all, In God’s Hands, is an actual, full story! It’s with a couple of trusted readers before I do the reflective read, and then it will be sent to my editor, but I am finished! (Some feedback already which has amazed me… I warn any future readers, you may need tissues, apparently!)

I read nine books, and I am surprised I managed that, what with the busyness of the month.

And I ended up with Nine Netgalley ARCS still to read! I need to control this urge to say yes to everything!

If I Were You: The new unforgettable novel of 2024 from the queen of ‘what if’ love stories by Cesca Major
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I love a flipped identity story, which is why I requested to read If I Were You.
Flynn and Amy seem to be viewing their relationship from entirely different viewpoints.
It’s been two years, and he is smitten. He wants to take the next steps with the woman who feels like she can give him all he has craved for his whole life. Amy isn’t sure because she doesn’t feel the right vibe of commitment coming from him since he rarely opens up about his own life to her.
Something happens when they are struck with lightning. They are horrified when they realise they have swapped bodies and are on their way to Amy’s sister’s wedding, where a whole heap of other complications are set to arise.
A bit of forced-proximity always helps a relationship along, doesn’t it?
Cesca Major highlights in this story the importance of openness and communication within relationships of all sorts and how a little white lie, or even a failure to mention certain details, can mess things up, as misunderstandings are borne from miscommunication.
Sometimes, the changeovers of POV, knowing the characters were in each other’s bodies, got a teeny bit confusing, but I guess that is to be expected when he is a he in a she body and vice versa!
I sped through this book and was gutted that my Kindle died on me at the last few pages. Thank goodness for the Kindle app, eh! I thoroughly enjoyed the read.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for an ARC.

Releasing 4th July, 2024

Love Story by Lindsey Kelk
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Oh, I love a Lindsey Kelk book. I mean, who doesn’t love a bit of Lindsey Kelk?
And wasn’t I excited to read a book about a teacher who was writing, albeit secretly, unlike myself, and had published a massive hit of a book, even though critics were labelling it as escapism/romantic fluff/smut?
Este Cox has a massive hit on her hands, Butterflies, but no one, bar her agent (her brother William) and publisher (her godfather, Mal), knows who Este Cox is.
The problem is that Sophie Taylor, daughter of a publishing powerhouse father, highly acclaimed book critic mother, and the author of Butterflies, cannot take the credit, knowing how her family feels about romance.
She’s fulfilled a dream of writing a novel that has been widely acclaimed and become a TikTok BookTok sensation, as well as reams of women and some men raving about the writing and enjoying the naughty bits. Now, she needs to finish that sequel before the publisher goes wild with frustration. However, something is just not clicking as she writes.
Joe Walsh is a hugely attractive man who manages to push many of Sophie’s buttons, some good, some not so good, within a short space of time. Then, when she thinks she is safe, she finds herself stuck with him for a whole weekend! Plus, he becomes someone who can relate to many of her familial problems with his publishing powerhouse dad.
Both have secrets and are trying to forge their own paths in the literary world without having their achievements branded ‘nepo-baby’.
Kelk’s brilliant creation of sexual tension between these two made me root for them, especially in their forced proximity situation.
There were some hilarious scenes, too, and one of my favourites has to be the older men who end up in a bouncy castle trying to have a duel over some work-related rivalry.
This story has plenty of layers, and it definitely waves the #RespectRomFic hashtag flag that all of us Romance readers and writers support.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for an ARC.

Releasing 4th July, 2024

The Accidental Holiday: The perfect sun-drenched, enemies-to-lovers romcom by Mimi Deb
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Honestly, how would you feel?
Imagine you’ve been holding out for this one deal, and everything is riding on it. (I know you shouldn’t put all your eggs in one basket, but sometimes it’s the only way.)
Then you get to the airport, and it appears someone else is getting all your perks! And then it happens at the hotel, too!
This is the case for Maya, a precise, methodical woman with a plan for everything.
Battling it out with Alex, a guy who appears to have no care in the world and seems to be winning the holiday lottery at every turn.
I enjoyed this light summer read about two different people thrown together after a booking mix-up.
Maya and Alex being chucked together in a luxury suite would always have consequences, wouldn’t it?
They even overcome her list of roomie ‘rules’ and his inability to follow them. It’s a total Grumpy vs. Sunshine thing going on here, with the FMC being the grumpy one!
It may sound simple, but there are deeper layers to the story, dealing with loss of trust and loss of belief in oneself, as well as coping with the loss of a loved one.
And the resort they end up at sounds amazing, too. I’d happily read this on the sun lounger there, with the tanning waiter at my beck and call!
A great one-bedroom forced-proximity story in a setting that is idyllic, too!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books for an ARC.

Releasing 4th July, 2024

The Right Place by Sophia Money-Coutts
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Another good Sophia Money-Coutts read.
Maggie Lemon finds herself in Provence after inheriting a hotel once run successfully by her eccentric aunt Phil, a retired supermodel.
She’s not seen her aunt for many years after a falling out, but they used to be close. She could credit her aunt for igniting her passion for cooking and food.
But her passions have dimmed recently after a tumultuous time of trying to have a family with her husband, Mungo LE-Mon. (Pretentious? Yup!)
The thing is, once she is back where her dreams started, her feelings about her future begin to change, or rather, the fog of infertility clears.
And then, there is that rather hot Hollywood hunk and current bad boy, Grey, who’s just rolled up, wanting a place to be where he won’t be discovered.
This was a great read with some interesting characters, and I think I’d like to stay at the hotel and meet the donkeys!
Many thanks to NetGalley and HQ for an ARC.

Releasing 18th July, 2024

Take a Chance on Me by Emily Houghton
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It is another excellent read for Emily Houghton fans and others, too.
Emily Jackson loves a plan. Everything she does is planned to the last detail—well, everything is in her control.
Suddenly, she is sent off on a trip she hasn’t accounted for—a trip planned by her little sister, who passed away, to India of all places.
There, she encounters Jacob Green, a man opposite her. He appears to live on the whim of a roll of a dice and has been travelling the world for the past few years, apparently with no cares in this world and no inclination to settle anywhere.
Now, I’ll start by saying that India is a place that is dear to me. I loved Houghton’s descriptions of different places in Delhi, Jaipur, Udaipur, and Goa. India assaults your senses in many ways, and you feel it in the writing.
Back to the two main characters, since the story is told from two POVs.
Emily is a grieving woman. Her loss is fresh. And you can feel it in every decision she makes, sometimes ones she doesn’t feel comfortable with.
Jacob is a breath of fresh air, but despite his carefree attitude, I could feel an undercurrent of him hiding from or running from something.
She makes him question some of his laissez-faire decisions. He makes her reconsider how she’s been living without thinking about what she wants rather than what she should be doing.
Beautifully told and gripping. I don’t want to write too much about the story, but it is not quite friends to lovers or enemies to lovers. Neither is it forced proximity. To me, this is a story about fate…
Many thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an ARC.

Releasing 1st August, 2024

The Hollywood Governess: The BRAND NEW gorgeous, romantic story of forbidden love in Golden Age Hollywood from Alexandra Weston for 2024 by Alexandra Weston
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I love a bit of old-school Hollywood glitz and glamour, and this book gave us that, as well as peeling back a few layers to see what hides under that sheen.
Hester Carlisle is a much sought-after British governess who is requested to work for a family in Hollywood. This is a tough task, considering the painful memories she associates with the States and New York in particular. Physically scarred and suffering from PTSD, she is unsure whether she can do this. However, a much-needed wage packet is promised to help her family back home.
Aidan Neill is a 30s Hollywood heartthrob. He’s carved his career from simple beginnings and is a huge success, but he cannot enjoy it due to a huge personal tragedy.
This is where Miss Carlisle comes in to teach his young daughter, Erin, who is now motherless.
But she uncovers secrets that change her thinking and set her on a journey of discovery to discover the truth.
A third character, Maria Calvez, a scriptwriter for one of the big studios, makes up the trifecta of POVs in the book, and her slant gives food for thought.
All the characters are well formed; you feel for Aidan, Hester, and their respective worries. Erin is a real sassy character, with her American 30s slang, that Hester tries desperately to curb, to no avail!
Is there romance? Of course, there is, but it doesn’t come as expected.
Enjoyed reading this.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an ARC.

Releasing 26th June, 2024

The Garden of Memories by Amanda James
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Another Amanda James corker!
Set in Cornwall, we follow the story of Rose, a retired nurse and widow. She’s not sure what she will do with her life; now, she has no work to go to, and some unexpected friendships bubble up, along with her best friend Daisy, bringing meaning back into her life.
This was a truly beautiful read. We see Rose’s development as well as Daisy’s and Flora’s. Flora is a woman in her late 70s who has always been held back in certain areas of life by an overbearing mother who, even in death, won’t leave her alone. But she still manages to stir it up with her hippie-dippy wardrobe and crazy hair colour!
We meet Louise, or Weez, as she is christened by Rose’s grandson. She lived only for her husband and turned into somewhat of a hermit after his death.
There are so many other characters, young and old, including Josh, Lily, Sally, James, and Tristan, who are all affected by a magic that captivates them in Rose’s garden.
The garden in question was tended by Rose’s late husband, Glen. She begins by giving it some of her new free time as a retired woman, and slowly, the tranquillity of the space, along with her calming nature, brings her friends, new and old, to her garden, urging them to plant flowers and shrubs as memories that will live on.
I loved the premise of stepping out of those boxes we seem to put ourselves into and learning to live again without the constant worry of what others may think, no matter your age.
Beautifully told and immersive. It makes me want to become greenfingered… but I’m terrible with plants!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter for an ARC.

Releasing 20th June, 2024

The Butterfly Garden: A BRAND NEW heartbreaking historical read from Rachel Burton for 2024 by Rachel Burton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I’ve enjoyed Rachel Burton’s books in the past and, after perusing the blurb, looked forward to reading The Butterfly Garden.
It did not disappoint.
The story is moving and has a dual timeline. We start with Meredith, who has just found out she has inherited a cottage from a family member she didn’t know existed.
The news comes after a string of upsets in her life and could be looked at as a lifeline, but initially, she’s not so sure after finding out her inheritance isn’t as simple as selling the cottage and paying off her dues.
Instead, she finds another person involved and a whole host of mysteries that need to be solved to find out who her great aunt, Clara, really was.
The dual timeline part tells us the background of Clara’s story in her words, but the whole truth doesn’t unfold until the end of the story.
I felt for Meredith and loved the hint of romance we were fed from the beginning. I guessed a couple of the conclusions but had a bit of a worry about what else would come out, but thankfully, it had a good conclusion!
Beautifully told and a compelling read.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an ARC.

Releasing 28th June, 2024

Only Big Bumbum Matters Tomorrow by Damilare Kuku
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The premise of this book intrigued me, given the constant pressure on youngsters to look a certain way and how much social media influences thinking.
Temi is fresh out of university, living in Nigeria, and desperate for a larger, more shapely behind. Having seen all her friends and family women blessed in a way she is not, she is convinced a better bumbum will increase her prospects in all parts of her life.
However, will her family understand?
This book has many POVs, from Temi herself to her sister, mother, and aunts. While it provides some backstories, it can also get confusing as there are so many threads of stories to follow to conclude.
It was good to read a story that gave insight into a different culture, including using language and dialect to convey the tale, but it was also a bit confusing.
However, I was invested enough to want to read to the end to find out what happened.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for an ARC.

Releasing 18th September, 2024

So, tell me what you have been reading, and what caught your eye from the above!