definitely, possibly, maybe

food trucks, check.  enemies-to-lovers, check.  hawaiian setting, check. all the glorious food descriptions, check.  my best recommendation for reading simmer down  is to either eat a large meal before reading, or make sure you have snacks available. because you will be hungry.  smith's sophomore effort is a delightful read, the perfect bit of escapist fantasy that feels especially necessary when we're still stuck sheltering at home.  **simmer down will publish on october 13, 2020. i received an advance reader copy courtesy of netgalley/penguin random house (berkley) in exchange for my honest review. 

i don't know if we can call blind heroine in the highlands a trope per se, but i've definitely read books with this casting before and i like them. a lot. amy jarecki continues to write these wonderfully nuanced romances with heroes who history has placed on the losing side, the highland laird is no exception.  but there's so much intrigue and political maneuvering in the setting that makes it the perfect backdrop for these swoony, romantic stories. every time she publishes one, i'm convinced it's the last one, we're looking at number 8 here. but if the lords of the highlands series continues, it's no hardship because these stories are just super enjoyable.  **the highland laird will publish on october 13, 2020. i received an advance reader copy courtesy of netgalley/grand central publishing (forever) in exchange for my honest review. 

the vicar and the rake  is a steamy m/m historical that finds two former friends reconnecting in the most historical trope-y kind of way, and it's just amazing. the RAKE discovers the VICAR PASSED OUT with A FEVER in HIS GARDEN. it is AMAZING. beyond the tropey meet-cute or "remeet" cute, there is real substance to this story. what the characters have to overcome to really be together and their journey to happiness is well worth the read. and it's a lovely kick off to a series, introducing several intriguing characters.  **the vicar and the rake will publish on october 12, 2020. i received an advance reader copy courtesy of netgalley/carina press in exchange for my honest review.   

i'd read the previous two books in this series and felt like i should read the third, unwritten , even though this is more a spin-off than anything. i had liked tobias in that first go around. mel was fine, it was nice to get to know him better i guess.  this is a perfectly suitable sequel, i just thing with this whole series there's a lot of untapped potential. in the hands of a better writer this could be something amazing. but to while away a couple of hours this is determinedly fine.  **unwritten will publish on october 8, 2020. i received an advance reader copy courtesy of give me more books promotions in exchange for my honest review. keep reading for more information...

when declan meets sidney in the love study   he's immediately captivated by them. but they don't date. declan has a history that makes him less than promising as a potential love interest. he did leave his ex-fiancé standing at the altar. like left him standing at the altar. it was the right choice, and the exes are friends. but it's still something his friends delight in teasing him about.  it's not that declan has anything against marriage either. or commitment. it's just that maybe marriage as a construct isn't for him. sidney runs a popular youtube vlog and has an opportunity to tie in a sponsorship around declan's dating. and even though he's not sure about the dating thing, declan jumps at the opportunity to spend more time with them.  this story is cute and low-angst. the characters have some baggage to overcome, but the openness of their communication is so endearing. even when they are mixed up about each other, there is such a sweet kindness ab...

welcome back to the ren faire world of deluca's well met this time with a helping of you've got mail  on the side. in well played   stacey is shocked out of her rut by emily and simon's engagement, and so when she finds herself corresponding with her himbo hookup, dex, she is surprised by the depth of their connection.  there never seemed to be much more to him than sex appeal and muscles. but when summer comes around and it's time for the latest willow creek ren faire, stacey is shocked to realize that the man she'd been falling in love with from afar is someone she doesn't even know.  this is just another delight of a story. the mistaken identity, the setting and sweet moments we have with characters from the first book, it's all just so much fun to read.  **well played will publish on september 22, 2020. i received an advance reader copy courtesy of netgalley/penguin random house (berkley) in exchange for my honest review. 

it's nice to be back in new york, seeing kip and scott from game changer navigate their committed relationship. and eric is a super fascinating hero, like he's so disciplined and grown up. it's like the opposite of chaotic trickster ilya, who makes a couple of delightful cameos in common goal  and okay i'm going to be honest i really kind of just wanted more ilya.  i enjoyed eric and kyle's story. i really did. i just wasn't transported by their story. i think maybe i'd have liked it better if kyle was part of the hockey world? but instead he was an art history major who moonlights as a bartender while working on a degree he's not interested in and had passing interest in kip but that obviously wasn't going anywhere.  kip and eric connect and kip is basically eric's tour guide on the gay side of life. and it's a perfectly good story. i liked it just fine. i just...i just didn't fall in love the way i loved heated rivalry  and that's ...

i was so excited to read furia  because it was set in argentina, i lived in buenos aires for three years as a child and it is always thrilling to see a different perspective of a place i somwhat know. what is real and what is just memory isn't teased out with fiction exactly, but still it's lovely to see familiar landmarks in a new light.  camila is a wonderfully compelling heroine. her fight and struggles to reach her dreams are a true joy to read. we need more of this kind of #latinx representation in literature. not just about the diaspora, but also about the ones who stayed.  **furia will publish on september 15, 2020. i received an advance reader copy courtesy of netgalley/algonquin young readers in exchange for my honest review. 

n.b. i am linda's literary agent, so disclaimers about bias here.  blood rogue finds vampire charles towner at war with the person who has been his surrogate father. if that weren't enough, he's also tangled up with a too-smart-for-her-own-good human who also happens to be impervious to the memory-wiping abilities that vampires can usually use on humans to keep their existence secret.  if you like vampire stories with a little science-based fact thrown in for fun, this is the book for you. **blood rogue will publish on september 8, 2020. 

the second book in the stay a spell series finds us following a newer to us savoie sister. isadora was out of town during the events of  wolf gone wild . i'd been kind of rooting for violet and nico, or jules and ruben, but they will probably be last because there's so much history there that is worth building up. anyway, don't hex and drive  kicks off with a meet-disaster when devraj (our super special vampire hero, he's a stygorn and that means he's like super strong and has enhanced abilities) crashes his car into isadora's bike.  isadora is a conduit, and her abilities are mostly focused on healing. devraj happens to be in town to investigate some missing girls. and it's inevitable that isadora gets looped into the case.  i really enjoyed the interplay between isadora and devraj. from the get-go it was pretty clear that they were uniquely well-suited. it just took some time for isadora to get on board too.  this was just another delightful entry in this ...