Review: A Fire in the Sky by Sophie Jordan

New York Times bestselling author Sophie Jordan returns to the high-stakes, sweeping world of dragons, romance, and drama first evoked in her bestselling young adult Firelight series, in a brand-new epic adult romantasy series.

A FIRE IN THE SKY by SOPHIE JORDAN

Series: A Fire in the Sky #1

Publication date: September 24, 2024

Published by: Harper, Avon

Genre: fantasy, romantasy

 

SYNOPSIS

Dragons are extinct. Witches are outcast. Magic is dying.

But human lust for power is immortal.

Dragon fire no longer blisters the skies over Penterra, but inside the lavish palace, life is still perilous…especially for Tamsyn. Raised in the glittering court alongside the princesses, it's her duty to be punished for their misdeeds. Treated as part of the royal family but also as the lowliest servant, Tamsyn fits nowhere. Her only friend is Stig, Captain of the Guard...though sometimes she thinks he wants more than friendship.

When Fell, the Beast of the Borderlands, descends on her home, Tamsyn’s world becomes even more dangerous. To save the pampered princesses from a fate worse than death, she is commanded to don a veil and marry the brutal warrior. She agrees to the deception even though it means leaving Stig, and the only life she’s ever known, behind.

The wedding night begins with unexpected passion—and ends in near violence when her trickery is exposed. Rather than start a war, Fell accepts Tamsyn as his bride...but can he accept the dark secrets she harbors—secrets buried so deep even she doesn’t know they exist? For Tamsyn is more than a royal whipping girl, more than the false wife of a man who now sees her as his enemy. And when those secrets emerge, they will ignite a flame bright enough to burn the entire kingdom to the bone.

Magic is not dead...it is only sleeping. And it will take one ordinary girl with an extraordinary destiny to awaken it.

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Praise for Sophie Jordan:

“Firelight soars to dizzying heights, combining forbidden love, scorching romance, and thrilling danger.” — Kiersten White, New York Times bestselling author of Paranormalcy

“Magnificent and masterful! A world so captivating, you’ll never want to leave!” — Kerrelyn Sparks, New York Times bestselling author on Firelight

Praise for Vanish: “With thrilling fights and several escapes…[an] impossibly handsome love interest and star-crossing impediments to love…[Vanish is] imaginative.” — Kirkus Reviews

“Just surrender to the sizzle.” — Kirkus Reviews

"Bestseller Jordan (the Duke Hunt series) will have readers rooting for adultery with this risqué and alluring series launch. Jordan conjures such chemistry between Tru and Jasper—and makes Lord Chatham so odious—that readers will leave any qualms at the door. The tantalizing struggle between love and honor at the heart of this delectable romance keeps the pages flying."  — Publishers Weekly (starred review) on The Scandalous Ladies of London: The Countess

"Sharp, sexy, and blissfully salacious, The Scandalous Ladies of London is an adrenaline-soaked, romantic delight. I flew through this in one sitting, completely unwilling to stop until I reached the perfect last page. This book is precisely what I love most about romance! " — Christina Lauren, New York Times Bestselling Author of The Soulmate Equation

"Jordan…makes a firm argument for more historical romances that dare to live outside the ballroom or even the aristocracy altogether. Her love scenes crackle (don't worry, the book makes good on its deliciously clever title) … for those looking for a historical romp that goes a bit further afield than a 19th century estate, The Duke Goes Down is a delightful diversion.”

— Entertainment Weekly on The Duke Goes Down

"Jordan gives readers a clever and high-drama twist on the traditional Regency romance but keeps the heart of what makes the genre so popular and beloved. Historical romance fans who like their romance with a dash of soap opera antics will eat this book up and anxiously await more scandals in future volumes." — Library Journal on The Scandalous Ladies of London: The Countess

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sophie Jordan took her adolescent daydreaming one step further and penned her first historical romance in the back of her high school Spanish class. This passion led her to pursue a degree in English and History.

A brief stint in law school taught her that case law was not nearly as interesting as literature - teaching English seemed the natural recourse. After several years teaching high school students to love Antigone, Sophie resigned with the birth of her first child and decided it was time to pursue the long-held dream of writing.

In less than three years, her first book, Once Upon A Wedding Night, a 2006 Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Nominee for Best First Historical, hit book shelves. Her second novel, Too Wicked To Tame, released in March 2007 with a bang, landing on the USA Today Bestseller's List.

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REVIEW

A Fire in the Sky by Sophie Jordan


I gave this one a try because I'm a huge fan of Dragon Bound by Thea Harrison and I'm always on the lookout for another Dragon book that can grab my attention. It's very hard to find good quality paranormal/fantasy books with dragons-at least that has been my experience. This series takes place before Sophie Jordan's Firelight series and is supposed to give more background on the creation of the dragon shifters. I have never read her YA series, but I was excited to read this author for the very first time as she entered the adult romantasy genre. One positive thing that comes to mind about my impression of this book is that it quickly and easily engaged me in the story and I never struggled to continue reading. It took me less than 24 hours to read the book in its entirety which I can't say for a lot of stories I have read.

Based on the wording in the synopsis, one of my only concerns going in was that the hero becomes violent or abusive in some form when he learns that he's been deceived by the heroine. Yes, his character is a brutal warrior, but one thing I can't stomach is when an author romanticizes abuse. I took the risk and read it anyway, and luckily my fears were never realized. While he was understandably enraged and left feeling betrayed in a huge way, I never felt that he crossed the line in his treatment of her.

   Legions of warriors followed this man. 

He was the stuff of legends and nightmares. 

The strongest. The most vicious. The man 

who held this realm together.

Fell is a "border lord" who fiercely protects Penterra and its inhabitants-including the royals. Their freedom and safety are all due to him and his warriors, however they do not receive the respect they have earned. His people from the Borderlands are seen as brutish, uncivilized, and Fell himself is referred to as a Beast. When he marches upon the castle to greet the royals, he is greeted with artificial compliments and praise. Everyone has pretty words and bright smiles for them until he demands to marry a princess in return for his service. Suddenly their true feelings are revealed. These outrageously selfish people think it's laughable to reward the very person who has kept them all safe for many years. A scheme is quickly concocted to use their whipping girl to take the place of a princess and hide her identity until it's too late to reverse the marriage.

Honestly, almost everyone in the castle is despicable. King Hamlin is a spineless weakling who relies on his advisor to make his decisions for him. The chancellor is the man in charge of whipping the heroine for the princesses' transgressions and he finds sadistic pleasure while doing it. Two of the three sisters are vain and selfish. The majority of everyone else belittles Tamsyn for being raised with the royals but being "beneath" them.

   I might be trapped between worlds—royal 

and not royal, belonging and not belonging—

but at least I knew my place, my purpose.

One princess and Stig, the captain of the guard and Tamsyn's best friend, were the only people with any decency. Though even Stig quickly lost my respect as well. I just didn't understand why Tamsyn seemed so humble and giving towards all of these people who had her whipped because of an archaic tradition and only thought of themselves. Truly. She was willing to constantly sacrifice for them and never feel an ounce of resentment, even when they led her like a lamb to the slaughter to a man whom everyone deemed dangerous. It was sort of frustrating all around from every angle, but I suppose I gave her a little bit more understanding since they took her in when she was an abandoned baby and she felt indebted to them. She was also quite sheltered living in the palace and had no experiences with the outside world regarding how their political policies and decisions were negatively affecting the lower classes. Her marriage to Fell is supposed to gain him entry into political discussions so that he would be able to help the poor and struggling prosper. Unfortunately, that hope is destroyed when he discovers that he has been duped, and unsurprisingly he does not take it well.

After the marriage, the story becomes more of a journey/adventure type fantasy as they make the grueling trek back to his homeland. They encounter danger and hardship, and we get a lot of internal dialogue through alternating POV chapters. What the book is truly lacking is character depth, any development of romantic feelings, and detailed explanations on just about anything important in the plot. In general, everything is very surface level. It almost has the feel of how a novella reads to me because of how everything is briefly told to you instead of being shown or brought to life. Questions I had regarding the physical reaction Tamsyn and Fell had in their hands where they were blood bonded during their wedding were never satisfied. Why did the dragons start delivering human babies who could shift? There was a brief throwaway comment about a witch being responsible, but the full background was never explained.

This is the first book and a prequel to another series. Its main purpose is to tell backstory and history, yet it seemed noticeably absent. Maybe more will be introduced more in the next book? I couldn't help but feel disappointed in the worldbuilding and flat characters. How did Tamsyn and Fell even have such strong emotion for each other when they barely spoke to each other? When they did speak, most of the time they weren't getting along. The book ends very abruptly on a cliffhanger. I knew this was supposed to be a series, but the way the book ended was so rushed and jarring. There was a big reveal with Tamsyn and Fell and his reactions didn't quite come off as natural to me based on the lack of time he spent with his wife getting to know her. We are just to believe that he would immediately accept the things revealed and upend his entire life the way he did at a moment's notice? I'm not convinced.

I wanted to love this book, but I think it didn't meet the potential that I felt it had. Unfortunately this one was just okay for me.

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Review: Fast & Reckless by Amanda Weaver

Race into a sexy New Adult romance, set in the fast-paced world of Formula One. These friends-to-lovers are about to fall . . . fast and reckless.

He’s the one man she can’t have . . .

FAST & RECKLESS by AMANDA WEAVER

Series: n/a

Publication date: September 10, 2024

Published by: Zando, Slowburn

Genre: contemporary romance

 

SYNOPSIS

Mira Wentworth knows Will Hawley is trouble. Even if he revs her engine, flirting with the handsome new driver on her father’s Formula One team is not in the cards. Mira has sworn off on-track romance after a mistake as a teen cost her everything. Now she has a chance to win back her spot in F1 as a team assistant, and she's not going to let one cheeky, bad boy driver get in her way.

She’s the one woman he wants . . .

After his party boy antics nearly blew up his racing career, Will is finally back in the driver’s seat and determined to get onto the podium. He likes to think he’s reformed, but with one look at the boss’ daughter, he’s willing to risk it all.

As the heat builds between Mira and Will, their chemistry deepens into something more. But when the ugly events of the past come to call, their fragile new relationship is put to the test. Can Mira and Will’s love cross the finish line?

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Praise for Fast and Reckless:

“Weaver delivers a smart, sexy romance perfectly paired with the high-octane world of Formula One. Whether you’re already a fan of the sport or just getting up to speed, Mira and Will’s story is not to be missed!” ―Grace Reilly, USA TODAY bestselling author of First Down

“Amanda Weaver burns up the pages in Fast & Reckless, a gripping, sexy story between F1’s bad boy driver and a straightlaced assistant trying to outrace her past. With an exciting peek into the world of Formula One racing and the angst of forbidden romance, I could not turn the pages fast enough!” ―Liana De la Rosa, author of Ana María and the Fox

“Fast & Reckless is a high-octane forbidden love story, playing out on the global stage of Formula One racing. The heartfelt romance is enhanced by the glittering locations and adrenaline-filled moments of speed and danger.” ―Adele Buck, author of Fake Flame

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Amanda has loved romance since she read that very first Kathleen E. Woodiwiss novel at fifteen. After a long detour into a career as a costume designer in theatre, she’s found her way back to romance, this time as a writer.

A native Floridian, Amanda transplanted to New York City many years ago and now considers Brooklyn home, along with her husband, daughter, two cats, and nowhere near enough space.

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REVIEW

Fast & Reckless: A Racing Hearts Novel by Amanda Weaver
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

   He could feel it happening, like something 

locking into place in his heart. He was 

falling for this girl like he’d fallen for 

racing: hard, fast, and irrevocably.

This book appealed to me because of the Formula one setting. I have read very, very few romances with this as a backdrop (only 3 come to mind!) so I was looking forward to something a little outside of my norm. This is also my first read by this author, so of course I had no idea whether or not I would connect with her writing style. I'm happy to report that I really enjoyed Amanda Weaver's writing-most especially her attention to detail in describing the racing world. You really get a behind the scenes look at not only some of what a driver experiences, but the support team including engineers, assistants, and principal. I don't watch racing, so it was great to learn a little bit more about this competitive field. You can really tell when an author takes the time to put in extensive research and it's glaringly obvious Amanda Weaver took that aspect very seriously. Kudos to her for bringing the characters and setting to life so brilliantly.

This book has a strong forbidden romance theme from both the male and female leads' side. Will is the new driver for Mira's father's team and he is determined to prove that his disastrous party boy ways are in his past. His reputation is still in tatters after he let fame get to his head and acted unprofessionally his first time as a driver.

   Will was the wild card, the hotheaded 

bad boy, the flashy angle they’d use 

to sell their stories.

He wants to redeem himself in the media and prove to his new boss that he made the right choice taking a chance on him. Getting involved with his boss' daughter is the last thing that would achieve that. On Mira's side, she has a lot to prove as well. She got involved with a driver from another team which caused a lot of damage to her father's team after a scandal broke out. Now both Mira and Will are looking for redemption-the absolute last thing they are looking for is an ill-advised attraction. I enjoyed this forbidden theme quite a bit, it added some tension and anticipation. There was also a sense of foreboding as they got closer to giving into their feelings because you know everything is going to blow up in their faces quite spectacularly. It's pretty much inevitable.

   Well, that extremely inconvenient blast of 

physical attraction was going straight into 

a trunk, padlocked, and dumped into the 

depths of the ocean, because there was 

no way. Not ever. He was one thousand 

percent off-limits for a million 

different reasons.

Mira and Will both have their own individual struggles causing internal conflicts. Mira feels a deep sense of shame over her past foolish involvement with a man who used her horribly and ruined her reputation. She was a rebellious teenager who made a stupid decision and that choice almost destroyed her father's team as well as her own chance at a career in Formula 1. The man from her past is still around, and never fails to taunt her with her personal demons. Will is struggling to prove to the media as well as his team that his head is 100% focused on winning. More than that, he wants to become a success to finally make his snobby parents proud. He was always a disappointment to them for not joining the family banking business, and their approval is never within reach. I do wish this conflict was explored as much as Mira's was, but that's nitpicking if I'm being honest.

Mira and her father's relationship is damaged, but slowly, gradually, they begin to work their way back to a stronger place. There is a definite lack of communication between the two that has led to some hurt feelings and misunderstandings over her past mistakes. Mira is upset that her father seemingly judges her bad decisions and that there is still distrust on his side that she can be responsible. He is not the most expressive, open person so there is a bit of a wall between them. Their fragile relationship added another layer to the forbidden romance between Will and Mira because she did not want her actions to ever negatively impact her father again.

I thoroughly enjoyed this one and would definitely read another by this author in the future. Even if you're not a fan of Formula 1, there is a lot to appreciate with this romance and I'm sure you will find the detailed racing world immersive. There were hints that one of the secondary characters named Violet will be getting her own story told next, and I'm fully on board for continuing on with the series with that installment.

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Review: Viscount in Love by Eloisa James

Two eccentric orphans bring together a grumpy viscount and the free-spirited heroine who steals his heart in the first novel in Eloisa James’s new Accidental Brides series, in which haughty aristocrats find themselves married to the wrong women. 

VISCOUNT IN LOVE by ELOISA JAMES

Series: Accidental Brides #1

Publication date: July 23, 2024

Published by: Avon  

Genre: historical romance

 

SYNOPSIS

He wants a nanny, not a bride…

Suddenly guardian to twins, Viscount Dominic Kelbourne is luckily betrothed to a suitable lady—until she elopes. With no time to woo, Dominic decides to marry his fiancée’s unconventional sister. Torie isn’t perfect, but their kisses are so passionate that society thinks he’s actually chosen her.

She wants to marry for love…

Torie has never been able to make sense of words on a page, so she has turned her talents to art. She longs for a man who values her as she is… but marries for the sake of the twins. She doubts Dominic is capable of love, let alone respect, but as their heated debates turn into something more, Torie begins to imagine a life as a wife, not a nanny. 

But when the arrogant viscount finds that his viscountess has stolen his heart, he’ll have to give all he has to win her love.

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Praise for Eloisa James:

“Eloisa James writes with a captivating blend of charm, style, and grace that never fails to leave the reader sighing and smiling and falling in love. Her style is exquisite, her prose pure magic. Nothing gets me to a bookstore faster than a new novel by Eloisa James.” — Julia Quinn

“Bestseller James’s fun third Would-Be Wallflowers historical romance (after The Reluctant Countess) sets itself apart in the depth of its interpersonal complexities. Lovers of historical romance will delight in these well-rounded, flawed characters learning to live their best lives.” — Publishers Weekly on Not That Duke

“The third smartly sexy and sharply witty addition to James’ Would Be Wallflowers series offers everything fans could hope for and expect from this romance genre luminary.” — Booklist on Not That Duke

“This enemies-to-friends-to-lovers romance uses humor to show how a match that looks perfect on paper may be no match at all when it comes to chemistry… a compelling and delightful read. Enjoy this light and humorous historical romance.” — Library Journal on Not that Duke

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

New York Times bestselling author Eloisa James writes historical romances for HarperCollins Publishers. Her novels have been published to great acclaim. A reviewer from USA Today wrote of Eloisa's very first book that she "found herself devouring the book like a dieter with a Hershey bar"; later People Magazine raved that "romance writing does not get much better than this." Her novels have repeatedly received starred reviews from Publishers' Weekly and Library Journal and regularly appear on the best-seller lists.

After graduating from Harvard University, Eloisa got an M.Phil. from Oxford University, a Ph.D. from Yale and eventually became a Shakespeare professor, publishing an academic book with Oxford University Press. Currently she is an associate professor and head of the Creative Writing program at Fordham University in New York City. Her "double life" is a source of fascination to the media and her readers. In her professorial guise, she's written a New York Times op-ed defending romance, as well as articles published everywhere from women's magazines such as More to writers' journals such as the Romance Writers' Report.

Eloisa...on her double life: 

When I'm not writing novels, I'm a Shakespeare professor. It's rather like having two lives. The other day I bought a delicious pink suit to tape a television segment on romance; I'll never wear that suit to teach in, nor even to give a paper at the Shakespeare Association of America conference. It's like being Superman, with power suits for both lives. Yet the literature professor in me certainly plays into my romances. The Taming of the Duke (April 2006) has obvious Shakespearean resonances, as do many of my novels. I often weave early modern poetry into my work; the same novel might contain bits of Catullus, Shakespeare and anonymous bawdy ballads from the 16th century.

When I rip off my power suit, whether it's academic or romantic, underneath is the rather tired, chocolate-stained sweatshirt of a mom. Just as I use Shakespeare in my romances, I almost always employ my experiences as a mother. When I wrote about a miscarriage in Midnight Pleasures, I used my own fears of premature birth; when the little girl in Fool For Love threw up and threw up, I described my own daughter, who had that unsavory habit for well over her first year of life.

So I'm a writer, a professor, a mother - and a wife. My husband Alessandro is Italian, born in Florence. We spend the lazy summer months with his mother and sister in Italy. It always strikes me as a huge irony that as a romance writer I find myself married to a knight, a cavaliere, as you say in Italian.

One more thing...I'm a friend. I have girlfriends who are writers and girlfriends who are Shakespeare professors. And I have girlfriends who are romance readers. In fact, we have something of a community going on my website. Please stop by and join the conversation on my readers' pages.

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REVIEW

Viscount in Love by Eloisa James
My rating: 2 of 5 stars


I have quite a few Eloisa James books under my belt at this point, some have been enthusiastic five star reads, some have been just middle of the road. Despite not knowing which way things will fall each time I pick up a new book by this author, I keep coming back for more. Typically she pays meticulous attention to historical detail. Her cast of characters in each series are ones that I'm eager to revisit to watch find their personal HEAs. The dialogue is witty, and the backstories typically well fleshed out.

Unfortunately a lot of the things I usually love were missing in this new release and I felt the absence of that magic to the point that I almost DNFd. With the exception of Torie's best friend and Dom's 11 year-old wards, every single character is infuriating and unbearable. The romance was frustratingly inconsistent, lacked any true chemistry, build, or anticipation. As well, the reader is left in the dark about the hero's internal conflict until late in the book leading you to almost despise him at points due to not understanding what drives his thoughts and intentions. The heroine is similarly not fully shown to her full potential until the end and I don't understand why this was done.

I read this title because I was intrigued with the heroine's learning disability and how it would affect her life in the 19th century. Torie has dyslexia in the year 1800 and I was excited to read this fresh plot point going in. It's obvious that a woman would face prejudice about the inability to read as part of the upper class. That is certainly a realistic representation, but the verbal abuse was constant from everyone around Tory in almost every conversation. Little jabs about her being "addled" with pitying looks and disparaging comments about her worth. At one point her father compared her to livestock. It felt very overdone to have the prejudice that constant and extreme when she is clearly a well-spoken woman perfectly capable of carrying on a well-informed conversation. She has a strong vocabulary, an eidetic memory, and she's a gifted painter. She just learns through experience or verbally rather than textually. Yet she's treated as if she's a babbling loony without a thought in her head at all times. It could have been shown without beating us over the head with it.

  Why shouldn’t a lady be frivolous? Why should 

a woman read or write? It’s like asking a pig to 

sing opera.” Torie didn’t flinch. It wasn’t as if 

she hadn’t been compared to livestock before.

She is so used to the verbal abuse from everyone around her that she lets it roll right off her back and ignores it. Her sister and father make these humiliating comments in front of other people and she never gets angry or upset. That's just the tip of the iceburg of what her father does to her. 

Dominic's character was so incoherent. In the beginning of the book he is portrayed as a very serious sort with no sense of humor to speak of. He's described as intimidating to others due to his temper in the House of Lords, but we aren't really shown that-it's more that he's stern and emotionless. When he's engaged to Leonora, he has no passion or affection for her. He simply chose her based on her perceived intelligence and refinement. He goes from very little personality or emotion at all to flirting with sexual innuendos once he's jilted and sets his sights on Torie. How does he go from one extreme to the other literally overnight? He goes from seeing Torie as silly and shallow with a lack of intelligence (and ZERO sexual attraction after three years) to lusting over her and getting offended at people's rude comments towards her in one day. I found his outrage so hypocritical due to his own insulting internal dialogue about her.

   It had taken him several months to find a lady 

who could be a true partner and offer an intelligent 

assessment of current events. Most ladies fell into 

Torie’s camp. Granted, she kept the nursery 

laughing with her wry observations about 

Odysseus’s adventures, but that wasn’t 

the same as sharing lucid analysis.

  Torie was charming, fresh, and 

funny. Useless, perhaps, but enchanting.

True, he had hoped to marry a woman who 

would challenge him intellectually, 

but he could reconcile himself.

These are the thoughts of someone with honor? He jumps from cold to flirty and back again without the reader having a deeper understanding of why. On top of that, he had fully intended to keep his mistress when he was engaged to Leonora and was outraged when confronted by Torie about it days before their wedding. He literally got angry when she demanded that he be monogamous because he doesn't like being told what to do. I wanted to drop kick him so hard I almost rage quit. It isn't until MUCH later that he finally explains himself over this and a certain humiliating situation that occurred two days before they married. Even though it did ease my anger some, he still acted clueless and insensitive towards his wife. When an 11 year-old child is more insightful and intuitive about your wife than you...you have a problem. He doesn't start to genuinely see his wife for the brilliant, talented woman she is until after 80% in the book. *sigh*

The sexual scenes didn't work for me because we are led to believe they have instant chemistry overnight after completely platonic interactions and thoughts for three years. It just comes over them like an epiphany that she is a "buxom" beautiful woman, and he is her preferred buff, bulky, muscular body type. It was like flicking a switch with them. The dirty talk and spice comes off as very artificial when they consummate their marriage one day after the wedding. Not to mention, Torie is supposed to be a virgin whose only knowledge of sex is having seen rabbits copulate and yet she jumps on him with no timidness or lack of skill. She does things that she wouldn't even know existed in bed. We are just told that she may be incapable of the written word, but when it comes to this, she's a "natural." It doesn't work that way! It made everything so unrealistic and unbelievable. 

This book was a little under 400 pages and it was really noticeable. The page really dragged, especially in the middle of the book. I kept checking the percentage constantly only to see that barely any progress had been made. I think the lack of connection to the couple and the two MCs separately made a big contribution to that. Their communication issues over important matters and very little time spent understanding each other outside of bed caused their relationship to feel very superficial to me. Dominic did redeem himself late in the book a little bit, but overall the characters were just messy and unsatisfying. Unfortunately, this one was a miss, but I have faith that others in this new series may win me over.

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Review: A Novel Love Story by Ashley Poston

A professor of literature finds herself caught up in a work of fiction… literally.

A NOVEL LOVE STORY by ASHLEY POSTON

Series: n/a

Publication date: June 25, 2024

Published by: Berkley 

Genre: contemporary romance, magical realism

 

SYNOPSIS

Eileen Merriweather loves to get lost in a good happily-ever-after. The fictional kind, anyway. Because at least imaginary men don’t leave you at the altar. She feels safe in a book. At home. Which might be why she’s so set on going to her annual book club retreat this year—she needs good friends, cheap wine, and grand romantic gestures—no matter what.

But when her car unexpectedly breaks down on the way, she finds herself stranded in a quaint town that feels like it’s right out of a novel…

Because it is.

This place can’t be real, and yet… she’s here, in Eloraton, the town of her favorite romance series, where the candy store’s honey taffy is always sweet, the local bar’s burgers are always a little burnt, and rain always comes in the afternoon. It feels like home. It’s perfect—and perfectly frozen, trapped in the late author’s last unfinished story.

Elsy is sure that’s why she must be here: to help bring the town to its storybook ending.

Except there is a character in Eloraton that she can’t place—a grumpy bookstore owner with mint-green eyes, an irritatingly sexy mouth and impeccable taste in novels. And he does not want her finishing this book.

Which is a problem because Elsy is beginning to think the town’s happily-ever-after might just be intertwined with her own.

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Praise for A Novel Love Story:

"“A romance lovers dream of a book. Whimsical, romantic and packed with charm, Ashley Poston is the queen of high concept love stories.” 

—Sophie Cousens, New York Times bestselling author of The Good Part

“Ashley Poston has done it again. I fell into these pages just as effortlessly as Eileen tumbles into Eloraton. Whimsical, emotional, and tender, A Novel Love Story is another enchanting romance from Poston."

—B.K. Borison, author of Business Casual

“This slow-burn love story from Poston is as much an ode to romance novels and friendship as it is about romantic relationships. Fans of small-town contemporary romance will sink easily into quaint Eloraton.”

—Library Journal

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ashley Poston is the New York Times and USA Today best-selling author of The Dead Romantics. 

After graduating from the University of South Carolina with a bachelor’s in English, she spent the last decade working in the publishing industry before deciding to pursue writing full-time.

When not writing, she likes trying various arts and crafts (she’s currently addicted to building miniature rooms) and taking long walks as an excuse to listen to Dungeons & Dragons podcasts. She bides her time between South Carolina and New York, and all the bookstores between.

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REVIEW

A Novel Love Story by Ashley Poston
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

When I read the synopsis for this novel, I couldn’t wait to read it. It’s a gloriously original plot which is hard to come by nowadays. More importantly, it’s every book lover’s fantasy with a bibliophile heroine we can all see a little bit of ourselves in. What’s not to love? But let’s be real, I absolutely adored Ashley Poston’s The Seven Year Slip, so I would have read the follow-up with zero hesitation regardless of the synopsis. Once again, Poston weaves magical realism into this love story that takes place in the fictional town of Eloraton that has come to life right out of a romance novel series.

This reader had many questions along the way: how did Elsy transport herself into this place that only should have existed in the pages of her favorite book series? Why is Anders there if he wasn’t in any of the books? How does he seem to know more that the townspeople do about the curious things going on, and how is any of this happening? These things, among others, were running through my mind while reading but it wasn’t an urgent mystery that needed to be solved. My main focus was on the charm of the small town characters and Elsy’s budding interest in a certain grumpy bookstore owner. One of the things I loved was that we get to jump right into the quirky town of Eloraton almost immediately without having to wade through intro chapters of heavy character background first. The action begins simultaneously with the character development making it very easy to get settled in.

  My story wasn’t that interesting, anyway. 

A three-star read at best. I could imagine 

the trade reviews—Though she tackles the 

mundane of her life with aplomb, nothing 

happens to Eileen Merriweather. Angst-ridden 

backstory told in deeply regrettable prose. 

An utterly skippable read.

Elsy has just gone through a pretty heartbreaking and brutal two years after a nasty breakup. She’s been feeling stuck, depressed, and unable to move on after being blindsided by the man she thought she’d be spending the rest of her life with. Now that he has officially found his happily ever after with someone else, she’s been clinging to hope that the retreat with her best friend and their book club will help bring her a little happiness. After all, the book club dedicated to all things Eloraton and the love of reading is her true happy place. As a teacher of English 101, she gets to work in a classic literature related career, but romance novels are where her true passion lies.

When everyone backs out the trip, she ventures off on her own to the cabin where they had planned to meet-only somewhere along the way, her GPS blanks out and she somehow enters a town that seems oddly familiar. Everything, that is, except Anders, the man she almost ran over on the way into town.

That didn’t exactly start them out on the right foot, and her upbeat personality didn’t exactly mesh well with his prickly attitude. She never let him get to her though, I don’t see how anything could when she was reveling in meeting all of the fictional places and characters that she knew so well. It was fun imagining myself in her shoes as she swept through town giddily taking in every familiar detail. She was surrounded by some mysterious magic that for a little while helped her to forget her problems. Unfortunately, she soon started to see that all of the couples’ HEAs weren’t as perfect as they appeared to be in the books, and some were suspended in time-frozen. All of her efforts to solve everyone’s problems only seemed to make matters worse as she waited for her car to be repaired so she could leave town and back to real life. But the closer she grew to Anders as they got to know one another, the less she wanted to leave. Could she stay here in her ultimate happy place, or start on a new path that led her to being the main character in her own story in the real world?

  She was the main character, and I was along 

for the ride to bask in her glow. Her heart 

never led her wrong—not once. I 

wished I could say the same about my own.

I enjoyed the premise of the book very much, and it wasn’t without its charm, but I just didn’t feel the chemistry with Elsy and Anders that I should have. Anders is left quite mysterious (for a reason) and I didn’t quite understand who he was or his motivations because of that. When his history was finally explained later on, at that point an emotional disconnect had already set in for me because it took so long to understand him. Even though they were very sweet together in the end, there was something missing for me. When it came to Elsy’s self-exploration that was addressed well, and I think her character in general was wonderfully three-dimensional. Overall, it was a good read, though it did fall a little below my very high expectations. I think many would still love this one for its unique storyline, and I’m excited to see what this author has in store for us next.

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Review: Summertime Punchline by Betty Corrello

HBO’s Hacks meets Carley Fortune’s Every Summer After in this hilarious and sweeping love story about a comedian forced to return to her Jersey Shore hometown and confront everything she left behind ten summers before—including the man who broke her heart.

SUMMERTIME PUNCHLINE by BETTY CORRELLO

Series: n/a

Publication date: May 21, 2024

Published by: Avon 

Genre: contemporary romance

 

SYNOPSIS

Then. Delfina Silva-Miller wants one thing: to leave behind Evergreen, New Jersey and never look back. Despite her adoring grandmother’s best efforts, Del can’t bear to live another moment at the whims of her deadbeat dad (so cliché) and her ever-temperamental crush, Eddie Rodriguez (humiliating).

Now. If there’s one thing Del knows how to do, it’s spin her bad luck into a killer joke. After years of hard work, she’s finally landed a coveted spot at a huge comedy festival, molding the often tragic raw material of her life into comedic gold. But when Del loses her job, boyfriend, and apartment in the span of a few hours, she’s forced to pack her bags and return to the home she swore off at eighteen.

Del is determined not to let her history with Evergreen distract her. She has 45 days to perfect a new comedy set and march into her new life. Instead, she marches right into Eddie Rodriguez. But he’s nothing like the boy she left behind ten years ago.

As the festival draws closer, Del is faced with the terrifying possibility that everything she’s ever wanted isn’t as far away as it once seemed.

Vividly evoking the boardwalks and beaches of the Jersey Shore, Summertime Punchline is a hilarious, vulnerable, and sweeping love story celebrating the complicated relationships—romantic and not—that impact our lives, for better or worse.

Purchase your copy now!

Amazon |  B&N | Apple

Praise for Summertime Punchline:

"This is a hilarious and sweeping love story about a comedian forced to return to her Jersey Shore hometown and confront everything she left behind ten summers before. A plucky heroine remaking herself. A beach setting. The meaning of home. Humor. Romance. This one ticks all the boxes.” — Mary Kay Andrews, New York Times bestselling author

“Fun and fresh...Wry observational humor and a dose of romance strike a good balance with some tough family dynamics.” — Kirkus Reviews

“This novel will provide the LOLs and feels for you this summer.” — Cosmopolitan

“I'm in love with Corrello's voice. Vivid, fresh, and wholly singular, hers is a voice that's been missing from the romcom pantheon. Wonderfully real characters, unexpected heart-twists, and knee-buckling humor makes Summertime Punchline a surprising stand-out. What a delight. Please welcome to the stage... Betty Corrello!” — Julia Whelan, author of Thank You for Listening

"A vibrant sunbeam of a book — I simply inhaled it. Betty Corrello's writing is both achingly vulnerable and wildly funny. The ideal summertime (or anytime) read, guaranteed to make you crave both a funnel cake and a cute single dad." — Rachel Lynn Solomon, author of Business or Pleasure

"Funny and keenly crafted, Summertime Punchline is packed with messy people, perfect chemistry and a satisfying amount of heartfelt forgiveness. I tore through it, you will too." — Annabel Monaghan, author of Nora Goes Off Script

"Summertime Punchline is killing it! Betty Corrello brings a fantastic and fresh new voice to modern rom-coms with sharp writing, nimble humor, and an enchanting romance. I can’t wait to read what’s next.”  — Amy E. Reichert, author The Kindred Spirits Supper Club

“Humor, heart, and steam collide in this charming story about how people and places change and grow whether we're there to witness it or not. Betty Corrello's debut is the romcom equivalent of a tight five—everything hits exactly how you want it to. My spouse kept asking what I was laughing at, and the answer was always just, ‘This book!’” — Sarah Adler, author of Happy Medium and Mrs. Nash's Ashes

“A charmingly heartfelt and genuinely funny second-chance romance. Summertime Punchline is a wonderfully witty love letter to stand-up comedy, true love, and there being no place like home. Betty Corrello is a hugely exciting new voice in rom-com. I absolutely loved this book!” — Georgia Clark, author of It Had to Be You

"Betty Corrello writes big-hearted, hot romance and perfectly crafted jokes that kick your ass; reading this book was like taking a beach vacation with an extremely hot single dad and the funniest person you know." — Lex Croucher, author of Infamous

"Summertime Punchline is the funniest romcom I’ve read in years– while also delivering all the chemistry, angst, and emotional depth I could ever want. I was torn between wanting to savor it and devour it as fast as possible. I’m officially a Betty Corrello superfan." — Ava Wilder, author of How to Fake it in Hollywood

“Betty Corrello’s hilarious and sincere debut completely swept me away. The beautifully messy heroine narrates with a dry wit that gives way to a surprisingly earnest and tender core. I laughed, I swooned, I dabbed my eyes. Corrello is a voice to watch.”  — Rachel Runya Katz, author of Thank You for Sharing

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Betty Corrello is an incredibly beautiful and normal woman. Despite her hardened exterior, she is biologically 95% marshmallow. She blames this on the abundance of water in her astrological chart. Her greatest passion is writing stories where opposites attract, but love is chosen. When she's not writing, she can be found fretting about niche historical events most have forgotten––or petting her very tiny dog. In addition to writing books, she previously performed stand-up and sit-down comedy all over the east coast. She calls herself a stand-up comedian to avoid bullying, but she is actually an improv nerd. She does not like The Harold. She is Italian and American and spent time growing up in both countries. She is a proud Philadelphian. Go Birds.

Follow her:

Website | Goodreads | TikTok | Instagram 

REVIEW

Summertime Punchline by Betty Corrello
My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I decided to review an advanced copy of this book because I recently started watching The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel on Prime (Yes, I'm regrettably this late to the fantastic series). Like Maisel, this story's heroine is a comedian and the author herself wrote the character using her own real-life experiences in comedy. Generally, when authors draw from their personal experiences, the voice is often strong and genuine, so I was excited to give this debut book a chance. The humor did not disappoint-there were many laugh-out-loud moments, but it was also an introspective look at serious themes as well.

Delfina is returning to her hometown in Jersey feeling very humbled at the turn her personal and professional life have taken.

  There I went, swan-diving into a bright new day

and the crystal-clear pools of my future. What 

I didn’t know was that, when I hadn’t been 

looking, someone had drained the lake.

Her boyfriend cheated, she quit her job, and she's currently without a place to live. The one bright spot on the horizon is her upcoming performance in a huge comedy festival that could skyrocket her career to stardom. Unfortunately, her ex had recently become the main topic of her comedy and now she needs to create a whole new set from scratch for the festival. Coming back to the town that held so many painful memories only brings up feelings she's spent that last decade trying to suppress. Two people have kept her away from Evergreen: her father and Eddie Rodriguez. Her father was an alcoholic and consistently let her down. Eddie...was complicated. When trying to think of the tropes in this book you can kind of classify it as friends to lovers and kind of enemies to lovers. I'm going to go with frenemies to lovers because these two were bouncing from one extreme to the next before settling on "the one that got away." When Del returns to town, we know that things were left in a bad place between them, but their full high school history is revealed gradually through flashback chapters. These two have some baggage-unresolved teen angst that caused hurt on both sides which grew into resentment.

  I had not seen this guy—man?—in a decade, but a 

Silva-Miller never cedes to her enemies. I would 

know. I’ve interviewed every single Silva-Miller

in existence (one—me), and we all agree.

At times, their teen flashbacks were sweet, and then other times you just felt like smashing their heads together until they learned how to communicate their attraction and depth of feeling for each other. Eddie inexplicably would suddenly pull back and retreat just when they were starting to get close and I felt that there wasn't enough shown to the reader to explain his actions. His motivations were either skimmed over or weakly explained. I never disliked his character-he was actually a wonderful hero in the present time, but I wish he was a bit more fleshed out. I don't gravitate towards the single parent trope, but Eddie was so sweet with his daughter and I loved how tender and adoring he was towards her. The way he's wrapped so tightly around her little finger would probably melt the blackest of hearts.

Del must tackle not only writing the best jokes of her life for the upcoming festival, but deciding whether or not she wants to let her father back in her life. All while trying to sort out her mixed emotions involving her former (sometimes) friend. Unfortunately she's not exactly known for her ability to face uncomfortable emotions.

  Being a comedian meant spending 90 percent of 

my time with people who feared earnestness like 

it was an airborne brain-festering pathogen. It 

was exhausting to exist around people who 

consistently skirted intimacy and then, I don’t 

know, gave you their car. An unfortunate 

personality trait that I also suffered from.

For a debut book, this was very well written. I powered through it with ease in less than a day. There was no difficulty getting invested with the characters, no pushing myself through lags in pacing. I was fully engaged and highly entertained. I'm so glad I decided to try this book. It was the perfect mixture of humor, heart, and healing. It's about a woman at a crossroads in her life who must come to terms with her life expectations vs reality and what she truly wanted moving forward. There was also a little twist towards the end of the book that I hadn't predicted and genuinely took me by surprise. That doesn't happen for me all that much, so I applaud the author for putting that element in. I would definitely recommend this book so give it a chance if you're on the fence. I'm really looking forward to reading more from Betty Corrello in the future!

  Eddie must have studied the exact places I was 

sewn together, because he had no problem 

pulling me apart, one thread at a time.

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