Tag: rom com

blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: One Midnight With You – Shari Low

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What would you do if you had just twenty-four hours to change your life?

Ailish Ryan has been in hiding since her husband’s affair ended their marriage. But when a friend forces her to face her new reality, will she choose to revisit the past or embrace a brand new future?

Ailish’s daughter, Emmy, thought her boyfriend was nothing like her cheating father, but now she’s not so sure. As the hours pass, she turns detective to find out if she picked the right man, or if history
is repeating itself.

Grandmother, Minnie Ryan is on a mission to deliver a very special gift to a lifelong friend. But will grit and a touch of divine intervention be enough to overcome the obstacles that fate is putting in her way?

Dario Moretti has spent his whole life working in the family business, but now it’s in trouble and he’s all out of options. Will he have the strength to let it go, even if it means hurting the people he loves?

The clock is ticking… but will twenty-four hours be long enough to heal four broken hearts?

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Shari Low is the #1 bestselling author of over 30 novels, including My One Month Marriage and One Summer Sunrise and a collection of parenthood memories called Because Mummy Said So. She lives near Glasgow.

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My thoughts: It’s New Year’s Eve and a group of people – family members, friends, old acquaintances (who will not be forgot!) are getting ready for a night out but there’s plenty of life and love to sort out first.

Ailish doesn’t feel like celebrating as her divorce has just been finalised, and two years ago to the day she found out her husband was a cheat, so NYE doesn’t hold much joy for her. But best friend Gwen is getting out of the hospital today, and so, with the final corner of their friendship triangle Rhonda, she’s off to get glammed up and party.

Emmy is at work at the hospital, she’s a nurse in geriatrics and her boyfriend is a firefighter – but something’s been a bit off with him recently. Could Cormac be lying to her? Is he a cheat like her dad?

Minnie is running a few last minute errands before putting on her glad rags and heading out on her longtime traditional night out at Gino’s restaurant. She and husband Henry have gone there every year, this one won’t be any different, or will it.

Then there’s Gino’s own family – his son Dario now runs the family business, but things aren’t looking good. Can he save the restaurant or is it time to admit that it’s over?

As all of these people gather together, before the clock strikes twelve, some life changing decisions must be made.

I freaking loved this book – I adore Shari’s stories, her characters always feel like real people, not fantasy figures – teachers, nurses, hairdressers, chefs – I know people just like them. And their problems are familiar too. But of course, things work out in the best possible ways for everyone – even if at first it doesn’t look like they will. This is a lovely festive read to put on your tbr or even your Christmas list so Santa can drop it off for you to read!

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.

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Cover Reveal: A Corporate Arrangement – Shar Khan

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We’re thrilled to present the cover for A Corporate Arrangement by Shar Khan. Pre-order today!

a corporate arrangement ebook cover

A Corporate Arrangement

Expected Publication Date: February 14, 2024

Genre: Romance/ Second Chance

  • Second chance romance
  • Fake dating
  • Golden retriever mmc
  • Black cat FMC
  • “It was always you”
  • Love contracts

William Chu hates his job though he worked hard for his title. He didn’t think all his years of studying would leave him as an entry level journalist who does the work for ten people at the New York Times. He can’t complain…but does anyway. Especially when he’s finally allowed to write a piece for the paper only for it to be overshadowed by something bigger.

An overnight TikTok sensation known as “Billionaire Babe” has flooded every corner of the internet. Tasteful pictures of her Forbes 30 under 30 debut falling into the hands of YouTubers, influencers, reactors and even gossip columns has completely stolen the heart of every single person in the Newsroom. But not William. Not when he realizes that Billionaire Babe is, in fact, the girl he left behind when he sought bigger things.

Harper Lahiri.

When fate brings their paths together, the two find themselves leaning on each other again. Not as estranged friends who mutually seem to dislike each other, but two people in love. With a corporate arrangement settled between the both of them, William and Harper agree to the terms of a fake dating scheme bound to make them look every bit of America’s most treasured sweethearts while also humbling their families in the process.

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Blog Tour: The Friend Zone Experiment – Zen Cho

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From the renowned, award-winning author Zen Cho comes a delightfully funny romance about family, class, and love in modern London.

From the outside, Renee Goh’s life looks perfect. She’s thirty and beautiful, runs a glamorous—and profitable—women’s clothing company in London, and is dating a hot Taiwanese pop star. But Renee is lonely. Estranged from her family in Singapore, she practically lives at the office, and now she’s just been dumped by her supposed boyfriend. Who she never saw anyway, so why is she ruining her Instagram-ready makeup by crying?

Before she can curl up on the couch with a pint of Ben & Jerry’s, Renee’s father calls. He’s retiring, and, thanks to the screw-ups of her wastrel brothers, he is considering her as the next CEO of the family business: Chahaya Group, one of the largest conglomerates in Southeast Asia. That stamp of her father’s approval would mean everything to Renee, but can she cooperate with the brothers who drove her out of Singapore?

But fate isn’t done with her. That same night, Renee bumps into her first love, Yap Ket Siong, who broke her heart during university. They spend a wonderful night together, but Ket Siong is pursuing a dangerous vengeance for his family. In the light of day is there any hope for the two of them?

Zen Cho was born and raised in Malaysia and now lives in Birmingham. She was a finalist for the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer for her short fiction and won the Crawford Award. Her debut novel, Sorcerer to the Crown, won the 2016 British Fantasy Society Award for Best Newcomer. She is also the author of The True Queen, Black Water Sister and Spirits Abroad.

My thoughts: I was really excited to read this, Zen Cho is an excellent writer and this is her first rom com and first non-fantasy book.

It’s a really fun read, Renee is a fantastic protagonist, for all her material comforts, the luxury apartment, the wealthy background, the fashion brand she owns, she’s just like every other thirty-something trying to have it all – and love is the elusive thing.

She’s also got a very strained relationship with her family, back in Singapore. And despite her father’s new scheme to pit his children against each other to see who he should put in charge of his company, that isn’t going to change – and it’s a pretty crappy thing to do anyway.

Renee is juggling her business, Virtu, and now she’s trying to get along with her older brother (who’s a bit of a prat), her ex-boyfriend (a total piece of work) is back in her life because of the business deal she’s attempting to put together for her dad, her best friend’s busy with her own life so she doesn’t have a consistent shoulder to lean on.

Then she runs into the one that got away. And everything gets turned upside down.

Ket Siong pretty much vanished on Renee when they were students, and now they’re both in London, and maybe it’s time to see where this might go. Unless they choose to be just friends….

Funny, smart and with some sharp edges in amongst the rom com froth, this is a lot of fun to read. I recommend getting snacks  as they go out to eat a lot, and Renee never seems to actually manage to eat any of the delicious dishes she orders.

I need a sequel, I need more of this witty, intelligent writing. Loved it!

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.

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Blog Tour: Careful What You Witch For – Emma Jackson

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Two complete strangers. One life-changing spell.

Becca Ashworth’s family is in trouble and with their magical legacy under threat, it puts their small village of Biddicote at risk too. So going against the witching tenets to summon an ancestor for help seems like a small price to pay to fix the problem…at first.

Connor Lynch is the Witches Council’s secret weapon and he’s just been deployed to find out exactly what the Ashworths are up to. But how he ends up posing as Becca’s fake husband at a magical inn in
Cornwall as they hunt down a magical artefact, is just as perplexing as the cheerful witch herself.

When their attraction for each other grows, Becca and Connor question everything they have been taught – and soon the missing artefact isn’t the only thing they are searching for. As love collides with duty, it’s clear that sometimes you need to be careful what you witch for…

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Author of the Best Selling A MISTLETOE MIRACLE and contender for the Joan Hessayon Award 2020, Emma has been a devoted bookworm and secret-story-scribbler since she was 6 years old. When she’s not running around after her two daughters and trying to complete her current work-in-progress, Emma loves to read, bake, catch up on binge-watching TV programmes with her
partner and plan lots of craft projects that will inevitably end up unfinished. Emma is also a host on the SFFRomCast, a podcast dedicated to celebrating fantasy and sci-fi romance. Her last book, WITCH YOU WEREN’T HERE, a witchy romcom full of misbehaving magic, brother’s best friend angst, and only one bed shenanigans.

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My thoughts: this was a cute, fun rom com with witches, a quest and two people falling madly in love, even though they probably shouldn’t  – or at least one of them shouldn’t, considering he’s investigating the other!

Becca’s family protect the village of Biddicote through an ancient spell that ties their family to the place but now sonething’s gone wrong and they need to understand what. It leads to Becca, and Connor, going on an adventure to Cornwall (a magical place) to hunt down a missing artifact.

And sharing a bed, as Becca introduces them as newlyweds – whoops! Thinking that’s a good cover story and horrifying Connor. But somehow over the few days they spend together, things get a bit friendlier and there’s definitely some heat being generated. It’s just very lovely and charming stuff.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own

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Blog Tour: A Class Act – Julie Houston

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Robyn Allen is finally getting closer to her dream of West End stardom. And along with her role dancing in the latest hot musical, she’s being wined and dined by an equally hot man – the wildly successful and well-connected Fabian Carrington. But one slip up and her dreams are shattered, and Robyn has to hobble back to the Yorkshire village of Beddingfield, and the life she hoped she’d escaped.

Moving back into her mum’s house with her recalcitrant teenage sister Sorrel, next door to her older sister Jess who’s fed up with picking up the slack, is not how Robyn pictured her year. But there’s
more to come. Sorrel needs a new school, and the school needs a new drama teacher. Despite having vowed never to teach again, Robyn knows she has to support her sister.

So together Sorrel and Robyn vow to take on St Mede’s – home to jokers, tearaways and trouble-makers, but with a hidden heartbeat ready to be inspired. And who knows, the kids might have something to teach Robyn about life too…

Welcome to the village of Beddingfield and the first book in bestseller Julie Houston’s new series set in Yorkshire. Funny, fabulous, heart-warming and hilarious, you’ll never forget the Allen sisters and
their one-of-a-kind community. Perfect for fans of Jo Bartlett, Cathy Bramley and Philippa Ashley.

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Julie Houston is the author of 12 novels. She lives in West Yorkshire and writes warm and funny books about characters who are still learning about life.

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My thoughts: If you’ve been here for a while, you’ll know I’m a fan of Julie Houston’s funny, entertaining and warm novels, and this first in a new series is no different.

Robyn is a trained performer, desperately seeking her big West End break, but when things go wrong (a bad break up, a nasty injury) she heads back to the Yorkshire village she grew up in and her family, who are falling apart at the seams.

Her mum has a medical condition that’s landed her back in hospital, her dad is off with his band, her younger sister has been expelled from school and her older sister’s husband has left her holding it all together, while working all hours and parenting their daughter.

Robyn is needed more than ever, and after failing to get Sorrel (15 and obnoxious as all teenagers are) back into her school, she’s reduced to begging the head teacher of the next nearest secondary to take her. And he will, if Robyn (who has a teaching qualification) becomes his drama, dance and English teacher, as the previous one has just left.

Cue chaos, not all of the students are thrilled with a new teacher – or having to be at school. Then Robyn is asked to put together a school production of Grease.

Having been involved in school productions and worked with teenagers, I completely empathised with Robyn’s horror at dealing with the teenage terrors of St Mede’s, and also with her family’s various dramas. She’s been down in London (t’Smoke as my great-aunt from Yorkshire put it) and missed a lot of what Jess (her older sister) has been trying to deal with.

I really enjoyed this book, it was lots of fun and Robyn and her family were so lovely, loving and warm. I’m looking forward to seeing how this series develops.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.

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Blog Post: Finding Love at Sunset Shore – Bella Osborne

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Sometimes, you have to fake it until you make it…

Ros is too busy for a boyfriend; between work and looking after her poorly father, there’s no time left for a relationship. But when she overhears her dad’s dying wish is for her to find love, Ros is determined to make it happen – or at least, make it look like it has.
Enter Cameron, a struggling mature student with a mountain of debt but a zest for life.
Ros, driven by love for her ailing dad, reluctantly agrees to the simple business transaction: paying Cameron to play the role of her boyfriend. Ros meticulously plans their fake relationship – but when
Cameron decides to go off-script, chaos ensues.
As Ros and Cameron navigate the ups and downs of their faux romance, their differences drive each other crazy. But they may just need each other more than they think…

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Bella has been jotting down stories as far back as she can remember but decided that 2013 would be the year that she finished a full length novel. Since then she’s written eleven best-selling romantic comedies, two best-selling bookclub reads and won the RNA Romantic Comedy
Novel of the Year Award.
Bella’s stories are about friendship, love and coping with what life throws at you. She lives in Warwickshire, UK with her husband, daughter and a cat who thinks she’s a dog. When not writing Bella is usually eating custard creams and planning holidays.
For more about Bella, visit her website at http://www.bellaosborne.com or follow her on social media.

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My thoughts: I really enjoyed this cute rom com with its fake dating scheme, and the secondary plot is full of animals, including little babby lambs and some a missing cat.

Ros wants to make her dad happy by showing him that she is in a great relationship as he’s got a rather grim deadline – he’s got cancer and the treatment isn’t working anymore. Ros loves her dad, her mum walked out on them both and he’s a lovely man with a slobbery dog called Gazza (I was a bit concerned that Cameron (a millennial) didn’t know who the original Gazza was – even I know that and I pay zero attention to football!)

But of course sparks fly, Cameron’s a great person, kind, generous, funny and he cooks! Ros is in need of someone like him, she’s isolated and doesn’t have many friends, she barely talks to her colleagues. Several dates, Sunday lunches and dog walks later, will it be love?

Ros has one friend – Darla, who I adored, and she’s working three jobs to clear debt accrued by her crappy ex. She’s cleaning, working in a bar and house sitting. The latest house she’s looking after comes with a selection of livestock  – goats, chickens, ducks and geese. And a little cat – who turns out to belong to the attractive sheep farmer next door. More romance in the air?

This was such a lovely read and an antidote to all the dark, violent crime novels I’ve been reading recently! It’s funny, sweet and has a fab HEA to boot. Pick up a copy ASAP!!

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.

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Blog Tour: The Little Cornish Beach Cafe – Jane Linfoot

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A fresh start among old friends…

Florence May never expected to trade the high life of London for the cosy comfort of a beach hut in her Cornish hometown, but the moment she steps inside she knows it was the best choice she ever made. The fact that it comes with a requirement that she sets up a business on site? A minor setback that’s easily fixed by opening up a surfside outpost of her friend Clemmie’s Little Cornish Kitchen …
where Floss finds herself unexpectedly flourishing.

And when the hotel owner next door sets out to buy the land out from under her? Floss calls on her loyal friends to help her save her little slice of heaven. Because if there’s one thing the community of St Aidan does well, it’s banding together to make the most of every second, whatever life throws at you.

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I write fun, flirty fiction, with feisty heroines, and lots of heart.
Writing is fab, because I get to wear pretty shoes instead of wellies. I live in a cottage up a mountain road in Derbyshire, where my family and pets are kind enough to ignore the domestic chaos.
Happily, we’re in walking distance of a supermarket. I love hearts, flowers, happy endings, all things vintage, most things French. When I’m not on Facebook, and can’t find an excuse for shopping, I’ll be
walking, or gardening. On days when I want to be really scared, I ride a tandem.

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My thoughts: this was a fun, charming rom com set in Cornwall (my spiritual and ancestral home) where Florence retreats to her childhood home after a break up and a career flop. She’s bought a beach hut in a very desirable spot on the beach.

There’s a new hotel and spa right next door, which the locals are not entirely enraptured by. However there are some very eye catching employees.

As Florence sets up a mini branch of her friend’s bakery on the shore, along with rather wary dog Shadow (he is really not comfortable with the context of the ocean and its moving in and out), her baking and unusual dessert combos get her a huge crowd of fans and closer to hunky metalsmith Kit. Will romance blossom?

This is a perfect summer read, it’s got a great cast of characters, a cute story and the HEA we all need sometimes.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.

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Blog Tour: A Love Letter to Paris – Rebecca Raisin

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Late at night when I wander the streets of Paris, my thoughts turn to her… How do I tell her how I feel? Perhaps, I need to show her…

The pretty little streets of Montmartre are abuzz with a rumour. Apparently a mystery matchmaker, known only as ‘Paris Cupid’, has somehow helped the city’s most famous bachelor find love.
But old-fashioned romantic Lilou is staying very quiet. She’d just wanted to set up her best friend, and to get on with her life selling whimsical old love letters, in Paris’s famous St. Ouen market.
She hadn’t imagined her little Paris Cupid project could ever have attracted so many people looking for true, heartfelt romance. Though the truth is that Lilou adores helping people find the right person. Even if her own love life is nothing short of disastrous.

But then a message arrives. And it’s just for her. Someone is in love with her. Someone who knows her secret. But they’re keeping their own identity secret too… Could it be from cheerful, talkative,
flame-haired Felix? Or quiet, beautifully handsome Benoit? Or even Pascale – who drives Lilou mad every day?
After so long of helping others find their soulmate, is it time for Lilou to find love of her own in Paris herself?

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Rebecca Raisin writes heartwarming romance from her home in sunny Perth, Australia. Her heroines tend to be on the quirky side and her books are usually set in exotic locations so her readers can
armchair travel any day of the week. The only downfall about writing about gorgeous heroes who have brains as well as brawn, is falling in love with them – just as well they’re fictional. Rebecca aims
to write characters you can see yourself being friends with. People with big hearts who care about relationships and believe in true, once in a lifetime love. Her bestselling novel Rosie’s Travelling Tea
Shop has been optioned for film with MRC studios and Frolic Media.

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My thoughts: this was a delightful story about love, finding it in the last person you expected and about helping others find love.

Lilou sells old diaries, letters and books from her stall in one of Paris’ famous flea markets, giving new life to old things. She loves romance and wants to help others find it, even if her own love life has been a bit disastrous. Secretly she sets up Paris Cupid, a matchmaking website that connects you to your potential soulmate and then you write love letters to one another before agreeing to meet. Old fashioned romance for the 21st Century.

When a famous actor gets matched and then talks about how he found his fiancèe, in every interview he gives, word is out and Paris Cupid is overwhelmed with lonely hearts. And now they’re wondering who the anonymous matchmaker is. What can Lilou do?

Meanwhile she’s being sent love letters of her own, but who is her secret admirer? Is it Felix, with his printing press, or Benoit with his beautiful calligraphy? Or is perhaps grumpy scowling Pascale who sells vintage typewriters across the way?

A charming, whimsical romance story set in beautiful Montmartre in Paris. There’s even a pair of loved up feral cats as well. So cute.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.

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Blog Tour: Love at First Sight – Jessica Gilmore

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‘A lovely warm escapist read’ KATE EBERLEN

She’s in love. Just with the wrong man…

Nora is done with dating, but still dreams of finding the one. So when a handsome stranger comes to her rescue one night and vanishes leaving only a business card, it’s like a scene out of a movie…

It doesn’t take long for the two to ‘bump’ into each other again, and Nora falls for the perfect-on-paper Gabe. Only a few weeks later, he invites her to Sicily, and she cannot believe her luck!

Until Gabe is forced away for work, leaving her alone with his big and warm family in gorgeous Sicily who welcome her with open arms. Everyone but Luca, his older and distrustful brother, who is
always around.

Soon Nora finds herself on a dreamy, romantic getaway-just with the wrong brother.

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A charity-working, dog-walking, child-wrangling, dust-ignoring bookworm, Jessica lives in the beautiful and historic city of York with one patient husband, one daughter, one very fluffy dog, two dog-loathing cats and a goldfish called Bob.
As day dreaming is her very favourite hobby and she loves a good happy-ever-after Jessica can’t
believe she’s lucky enough to write romance for a living. Say hi on Twitter at @yrosered or visit sprigmuslin.blogspot.com

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My thoughts: I seem to be reading a lot of books set in Florence recently, maybe it’s a sign! Nora visits Florence while staying with her sort-of fiancé’s family in Sicily, on the trail of her father, the great love story of her mother’s sadly cut short life.

Her own love story is a bit bumpy too. She’s dating Gabe, who doesn’t really seem too interested in her as a person and abandons her at the airport with his entire family, who she has never met before, and goes off to New York for work. Which considering he works in finance and the internet exists seems suspicious. I’m sure he could have stayed in Sicily and worked from there. I’m onto you Gabe.

However, Gabe aside, the Catalano family are a delight, loud, loving Italians (Sicilians don’t always identify as Italian, I was told once, the island’s history being quite complicated) who feed her, give her a place to stay and take her to their hearts. And then there’s Gabe’s older brother Luca. Well, I think he might be the perfect Italian Stallion. And so does Nora. Which might be a bit awkward.

I loved Nora and her supportive and charming friends, the Catalanos never stop talking and embrace her so thoroughly, and it just has such a sweet and charming ending. Delightful, lovely heartwarming stuff.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.

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Blog Tour: It Started With a Book – Camilla Isley

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Lose yourself in Lakeville Hills in this gorgeous new romance from bestselling author Camilla Isley…

When she’s ghosted by yet another Tinder match, Leighton swears off dating for life. Who needs apps and blind dates when she has the perfect-in-every-way (apart from being fictional) heroes of her beloved romance novels?

That night Leigh finds a second-hand book on her TBR pile, which transports her to the small-town of Lakeville Hills, where the heroines wear shorty-shorts and the men drink bourbon. And as Leigh drifts
off to sleep, she dreams of billionaire cowboy Killian St Clair, who could win a gold medal for smouldering and bicep flexing.
For a while, Leigh finds it easier to stomach misogynistic supervisors, newly coupled friends, and extravagant bridesmaid duties knowing she can return to Lakeville Hills each evening.

Until one day, she wakes up to find she’s brought a bit of Lakeville Hills back with her: the impossible sexy and entirely implausible Killian St Clair is in her apartment.
Now Leigh must help Killian navigate the real world. But as she gets to know the man behind the trope, can she keep her heart safe, or does she risk falling in love with her book boyfriend in real life?

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Camilla is an engineer who left science behind to enter the whimsical realm of romantic fiction.
She writes contemporary rom-coms. Her characters have big hearts, might be a little stubborn at times, and love to banter with each other. Every story she pens has a guaranteed HEA that will make your heart beat faster. Unless you’re a vampire, of course.
Camilla is a cat lover, coffee addict, and shoe hoarder. Besides writing, she loves reading—duh!—cooking, watching bad TV, and going to the movies—popcorn, please. She’s a bit of a foodie, nothing too serious. A keen traveler, Camilla knows mosquitoes play a role in the ecosystem, and she doesn’t want to starve all those frog princes out there, but she could really live without them.

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My thoughts: this was lots of fun, we all have that romantic lead that we think we’d fall in love with if they were real, and suddenly right there. Well, Leighton wakes up with her book boyfriend in her bed.

Killian St Cloud is a cowboy billionaire, suddenly in Chicago, no billions in the bank, because he doesn’t exist. Except he does, other people can see him and now they have to make him a life. First there’s getting him some non-cowboy clothes, a job, an ID, and are they really in love?

Funny, silly, entertaining and with a fantastic pair of protagonists, this is a fab read and will keep you amused for hours.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.