Finding Mr. Write - Kelley Armstrong

Kelley Armstrong is one of my favourite authors. She writes in a number of genres and many of them contain romantic threads. But a full on rom-com? Finding Mr. Write is the only one! And it is a fantastic read!

Armstrong draws on her own experiences, as well as those of her author friends in Finding Mr. Write.

"How much easier would those early days have if we could have hired an actor? Found someone smooth and glib and witty, who would be a much better spokesperson for our books. And I thought, That's a rom-com!

I was hooked right from the first pages. Daphne is our lead character. She's smart, strong, talented and but sometimes she forgets that. She's so easy to like. Her inner dialogue feels real and clever. And how about Chris Stanton? He's an accountant, but thinks he can bring "Zane Remington" to life. (The name is perfect!) We readers are privy to his inner thoughts and dialogue as well. And yes, there are a lot of funny bits. I found myself laughing out loud. And in any rom-com tale, there's a lot of yes, no, maybe so, on the path to the final chapters.

I loved the characters, the premise, the truths, the writing and just all of it! See for yourself - read an excerpt of Finding Mr. Write.

Canadian Boyfriend - Jenny Holiday

The cover for Jenny Holiday's new book, Canadian Boyfriend, promised a fun rom-com read. And it does indeed deliver that, but there was much more to Canadian Boyfriend than I had expected. 

Aurora Evans met Canadian hockey player Mike Martin many years ago, when she was a sixteen year old student. She built that meeting into a fake, long distance boyfriend. I'll let you discover the 'why'. Imagine what happens when she runs into him again - thirteen years later!

 

Holiday gives the reader a wonderful yes, no, maybe so story line that had me hooked. I thought that the journey to the final pages would be smooth sailing. But, at a point, I realized that wasn't going to happen. Holiday tackles some bigger themes with Aurora and Mike. Love, life, grief friendships, dysfunction families, loss, mental health and many more. This added so much to the book. And all the above was thoughtfully written.

The narrative is seen and recounted through both Aurora and Mike's point of view. We as readers are privy to what each is thinking. (And yes, I did indeed talk out loud to offer my opinions and what needed to happen next!)

I quite liked the two lead characters. And the supporting crew was just as well drawn. The dialogue is quick and clever, but also thoughtful and honest.

I really enjoyed Canadian Boyfriend! See for  yourself - read an excerpt of Canadian Boyfriend.

A Lady's Guide to Mischief and Mayhem - Manda Collins

A Lady's Guide to Mischief and Mayhem is the new book from Manda Collins. I loved the title and happily turned to the first page... 

1865. Lady Katherine Bascomb is the widowed owner of a London newspaper. She also (against the opinions of the male members of the paper) writes a column. With some particularly vicious crimes happening in London, she and her bestie Caroline decide to pen a piece about the 'Commandments Killer.' Perhaps do some investigation as well. Can you guess the name of the column?

Kate inadvertently lands herself in the middle of the investigation and under the scrutiny of DI Eversham. Which might be bad....or maybe good...

I love novels set in this time period. The verbal sparring is so much fun - barbed insults delicately covered in social decorum. What's not as great is the male attitude towards women and their 'sensibilities' and what might be best for them. Collins has created a wonderfully spunky, outspoken, eminently likable protagonist. And a great sidekick that shares her ideals and is just as forward thinking.

Collins has come up with a good mystery as well. There are lots of choices for whodunit along the way, with one character that I sussed out early on, but she adds a little bit more that wasn't predictable.

So, how to categorize A  Lady's Guide to Mischief and Mayhem? Historical romantic mystery seems to cover all the bases!

Now, that romance angle...Collins has penned some delicious romantic tension between Kate and Eversham. Will it go any further than each of them just thinking about it...? Not telling! But suffice to say Collin's background as a romance writer stands her in good stead.

It looks like this will be a new series for Collins with Caroline and Lord Thorn getting the lead roles in Lady's Guide 2 due out in Fall 2021.

A Lady's Guide to Mischief and Mayhem was a fun escapist read, perfect for a snowy day on the couch with tea and biscuits! See for yourself - here's an excerpt.