This month, I have read a few 5 star books so far and I’m excited to share them with you here. There is still time left in the month so it is possible I will read more 5 star reads before the end – in that case they will be included in my next wrap up post! You can see the first half of my December reading here and I will share the rest of my December reads next week. The Amazon links to the books I’ve read are affiliate links and if you use them and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission.
Title: A Merry Little Meet Cute
Author: Julie Murphy & Sierra Simone
Genre: Rom Com
Publisher: Avon, 9/20/22
Source: Book Tour
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 5 Stars
This book was a perfect mix of sweet and spicy. This book is about Bee, a plus sized adult film star who is cast in a Christmas movie with Nolan, a former boy band pop star. They head to Christmas Notch, VT, to film for the Hope Channel. Nolan wants to rebrand himself from a bad boy and Bee knows that the Hope Channel wouldn’t be happy about her other career, so their attraction to each other is something they both want to hide.
”Bee Hobbes (aka Bianca Von Honey) has a successful career as a plus-size adult film star. With a huge following and two supportive moms, Bee couldn’t ask for more. But when Bee’s favorite producer casts her to star in a Christmas movie he’s making for the squeaky-clean Hope Channel, Bee’s career is about to take a more family-friendly direction. Forced to keep her work as Bianca under wraps, Bee quickly learns this is a task a lot easier said than done. Though it all becomes worthwhile when she discovers her co-star is none other than childhood crush Nolan Shaw, an ex-boy band member in desperate need of career rehab. Nolan’s promised his bulldog manager to keep it zipped up on set, and he will if it means he’ll be able to provide a more stable living situation for his sister and mom. But things heat up quickly in Christmas Notch, Vermont, when Nolan recognizes his new co-star from her ClosedDoors account (oh yeah, he’s a member). Now Bee and Nolan are sneaking off for quickies on set, keeping their new relationship a secret from the Hope Channel’s execs. Things only get trickier when the reporter who torpedoed Nolan’s singing career comes snooping around—and takes an instant interest in mysterious newcomer Bee. And if Bee and Nolan can’t keep their off-camera romance behind the scenes, then this merry little meet cute might end up on the cutting room floor.”
With Queer rep (both Bee and Nolan are bi, etc) and lots of Kansas City references (Nolan is from here), I loved the book all around! Just a note – this is a Christmas book and it’s ok to call it that, but I’m glad that didn’t put me off reading it! It is sometimes hard to feel excluded from an entire genre of books set around a holiday I don’t celebrate.
Title: The Dressmakers of Prospect Heights
Author: Kitty Zeldis
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: Harper, 12/6/22
Source: Book Tour
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 5 Stars
This is a Jewish historical fiction that is not a World War II story. It takes place in the 1920s in New York City with flashbacks to Russia and New Orleans. This book is about Bea, who moves from New Orleans to NYC with Alice, a younger woman Bea has taken in. They open a dress shop together and soon meet Catherine, who it turns out is someone that Bea recognizes. I was surprised by their connection and loved the way the three women’s lives intertwined throughout the book. These women all went through various traumas and the book includes scenes of infertility, stillbirth, sexual assault, rape, antisemitism, and murder.
“Brooklyn, 1924. As New York City enters the jazz age, the lives of three very different women are about to converge in unexpected ways. Recently arrived from New Orleans, Beatrice is working to establish a chic new dress shop with help from Alice, the orphaned teenage ward she brought north with her. Down the block, newlywed Catherine is restless in her elegant brownstone, longing for a baby she cannot conceive. When Bea befriends Catherine and the two start to become close, Alice feels abandoned and envious, and runs away to Manhattan. Her departure sets into motion a series of events that will force each woman to confront the painful secrets of her past in order to move into the happier future she seeks.”
I would love to read more about these women as the timeline moves forward, especially connected to the Judaism aspect of their lives. However, I definitely recommend this book if you enjoy historical fiction!
Title: The Do-Over
Author: Lynn Painter
Genre: YA Rom Com
Publisher: Simon Pulse, 11/15/22
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 5 Stars
I loved this Groundhog’s Day type story that takes place on Valentines Day. Emilie has a day where everything is going wrong and then the day starts over!
“After living through a dumpster fire of a Valentine’s Day, Emilie Hornby escapes to her grandmother’s house for some comfort and a consolation pint of Ben & Jerry’s. She passes out on the couch, but when she wakes up, she’s back home in her own bed—and it’s Valentine’s Day all over again. And the next day? Another nightmare V-Day. Emilie is stuck in some sort of time loop nightmare that she can’t wake up from as she re-watches her boyfriend, Josh, cheat on her day after day. In addition to Josh’s recurring infidelity, Emilie can’t get away from the enigmatic Nick, who she keeps running into—sometimes literally—in unfortunate ways. How many days can one girl passively watch her life go up in flames? And when something good starts to come out of these terrible days, what happens when the universe stops doling out do-overs?”
I loved that Emilie realizes that what she thought she wanted may not be what makes her happy. I loved her Day of No Consequences when she figured nothing she did mattered since it would all be wiped clean anyway – it was so fun and funny. And I loved Nick and the sweet ending!
Title: Eight Nights of Flirting
Author: Hannah Reynolds
Genre: YA Rom Com
Publisher: Razorbill, 10/25/22
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 5 Stars
This book brought me a lot of joy. I loved Shira and could relate to a lot of her thoughts on dating and relationships! It’s certainly not always easy being part of a minority and being overwhelmed by the assumption that everyone celebrates Christmas. In Eight Nights of Flirting, Shira is part of a community that is diverse and celebrates together – at her family’s Hanukkah party, at Tyler’s family’s Christmas Eve party, and at her best friend’s New Year’s Eve party. She is able to share the joy of celebrating Hanukkah with her cousins as well as with the community that seems to easily accept that her family has different celebrations but are still a part of the wider community.
“Shira Barbanel has a plan: this Hanukkah, she’s going to get a boyfriend. And she has the perfect candidate in mind—her great-uncle’s assistant, Isaac. He’s reliable, brilliant, and of course, super hot. The only problem? Shira’s an absolute disaster when it comes to flirting. Enter Tyler Nelson, Shira’s nemesis-slash-former-crush. As much as she hates to admit it, Tyler is the most charming and popular guy she knows. Which means he’s the perfect person to teach her how to win Isaac over. When Shira and Tyler get snowed in together at Golden Doors, they strike a deal—flirting lessons for Shira in exchange for career connections for Tyler. But as Shira starts to see the sweet, funny boy beneath Tyler’s playboy exterior, she realizes she actually likes hanging out with him. And that wasn’t part of the plan. Amidst a whirl of snowy adventures, hot chocolate, and candlelight, Shira must learn to trust her heart to discover if the romance she planned is really the one that will make her happiest.”
I really enjoyed the story in this book about Shira and how she discovers the real Tyler as well as her true self. This was not only a fun Hanukkah centric story, but a great YA rom com as well.
Title: The Man I Never Met
Author: Elle Cook
Genre: Rom Com
Publisher: Dell, 11/22/22
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 5 Stars
When Davey calls Hannah by mistake, they begin to talk and since he is planning to move from Texas to London, where she lives, they form a friendship. But when he is supposed to arrive, he doesn’t. Hannah tries to move on, but Davey stays on her mind.
“When Hannah picks up a call from an unknown number, she thinks nothing of it—it’s just an easygoing American named Davey who misdialed her while calling into a job interview. And when Hannah wishes him luck after clearing up the confusion, she never actually expects to hear from him again. Then she gets a text saying he got the job and he’ll be moving to London, and she can’t help but smile. Soon their texts become phone calls that turn into video calls, and their friendship becomes a relationship they can’t wait to start in earnest once Davey lands in London in a month’s time. But when Hannah goes to meet him at the airport, Davey isn’t there—and the reason why changes both of their lives in an instant. With their future together suddenly so uncertain, they don’t know what to do but try to move on from each other. Though their chance at love seems lost forever, neither is never far from the other’s thoughts. Will fate intervene once more to bring the two together, or will Davey always be the man that Hannah never met?”
I enjoyed the pace of this book and how it kept me interested throughout. I loved Hannah’s friends, her personal growth in the book, and the sweet ending. I think saying the reason Davey didn’t arrive would be a spoiler, but it could be upsetting to some readers, so if you are concerned you should look up content warnings before picking this one up.
I must apologize for any errors in this post as I was planning to write it at home, but we are stuck in Florida and I had to type it on my phone! Come back next week for the rest of my December reads!
Do you have a favorite book you’ve read this month?
