Andrea Jenelle's Blog, page 3

How to Win a Wallflower

I loved this brother’s best friend romance about unexpected second chances. 

Charlotte has always wanted John for herself. When he inherits the title after his brother’s disappearance, his affairs are in shambles and the estate is on the verge of bankruptcy. He’s invested all of his time and dreams in his manufacturing business in America, and now that’s jeopardized too. He needs to find a wife with a plump dowry. 

John unexpectedly finds himself on the hook to marry his brother’s viper of a fiancée- who hides her venom beneath a poorly disguised veneer of civility. This viper has gone to extraordinary lengths to make Charlotte miserable, and castigate her in public. John is a noble, caring man who doesn’t deserve the punishment of being shackled to her.

So Charlotte devises a plan. She will use her  considerable problem-solving ability to help him find a more palatable solution. Their forced proximity leads to confessions about long denied feelings and the ideal way out of the quandary would be for them to marry so he can use her dowry instead. 

But her dowry is still less than the amount needed. And Charlotte’s brother doesn’t approve of the proposed sacrifice. He wants her to marry a man who can return her feelings. A man who won’t abandon her for his business interests in America as soon as the vows have been exchanged.

Of course the mess doesn’t end there…

The acrobatic maneuvers and hoops this couple had to endure and conquer to claim their HEA  kept me engaged until the end.

Two Wrongs Make A Right

This book was exquisite! I love Chloe Liese’s writing and am so excited to see her  success in traditional publishing. I really do want to bend James Benedick Westenberg. Or have him bend me ….I won’t be picky. Over a chair or any flat surface would be great ;)Jamie and Bea’s story is full of beautiful moments of tension wound so tight you could bounce a quarter off them, true to life representations of anxiety and experiencing the world when you are part of the spectrum, and heartfelt conversations that dive beneath the veneer we present to the world.Their friends are convinced they are perfect for each other and orchestrate a meet cute that ends in disaster- including 3 wardrobe changes and an initial conversation loaded with sarcasm and derision that they fling at each other like projectiles.But their friends aren’t daunted by the disaster. They are convinced that more forced proximity encounters will make these two stubborn soloists see the light and realize that their couplehood is inevitable. A very deliberate attempt caps the night of their meeting when they end up stuck in a closet together. The pressure of the evening finally gets under Bea’s skin and when she lets go of her emotions, he comforts her. And they become acutely aware of how delectable the other one smells, and how right it feels to be in their arms. They’re on the verge of a kiss when they’re hiding place is discovered. Jamie is embarrassed by his reaction to Bea, and flees the scene. Bea is embarrassed and humiliated by his flight response to their almost intimacy.You’d think their friends would realize their union is a doomed effort. But no. They secretly set them up on a blind date prefaced by an anonymous exchange of phone numbers. The anonymity of the screen gives them the freedom to get to know one another on a visceral level and they look forward to every message with giddy anticipation. When the blind date on the bench turns out to be a reveal neither was expecting, they hatch a plan for revenge. They don’t appreciate being manipulated and they agree to construct a fake relationship that will result in a melodramatic staged breakup that will definitively end everyone’s determination to meddle in their lives.As the reader you’re cackling at how obtuse this plan is. Everyone knows that terrible ruses like that always result in inescapable love.There were so many things I loved about this book, but here are some key takeaways:1. You are enough, unfiltered and unmasked, for the right person. That person will appreciate your fallibility and idiosyncrasies and cherish them because they are intrinsically a part of who you are.2. When you kiss the right person, everything and everyone around you ceases to matter. Because the feel of their lips, and the soft sounds they make that let you know you are irresistible, and the way their embrace feels like a cradle against the intrusion of the world is everything you didn’t know you needed.3. Even when life throws messy curveballs your way and  it’s the bottom of the ninth, and you’re the worst at swinging a bat, there’s hope for healing and an HEA.Tropes: fake dating, enemies to lovers vibes, forced proximity, opposites attractInclusion: bi, pan and queer rep; spectrum and social anxietySpice: SOOOOOOOO STEAMY!!!!! 4 Chili Peppers

Wild Love

It feels like the past couple of days have been a month of rainy Sundays. The perfect ambience for rummaging around for the coziest pair of wool socks I could find, a giant mug of Earl Grey and a small town romance with a lumber snack hero to swoon over. Lauren Accardo’s debut provided all of the hobbitsy, burrow under the blankets nostalgia I needed.Sydney’s back in Pine Ridge as a last resort. She chose the wrong guy and his betrayal completely upended her life and made her question herself. Her hindsight is 20/20 and she sees all the red flags she ignored. All the ways he wanted to reconstruct and rearrange her into a barely recognizable version of her former self. Finding sanctuary with her chaotic mom might seem desperate, but she needs the chance to regroup and realign.She’s convinced the bearded local is secretly amused by her. And that just makes her madder. Even though she insults him, when she backs her car into his truck, he gives her a ride home and as the town mechanic offers to take a look at the damage her car sustained as a result of the fender bender. She grudgingly agrees.Sam can’t afford the distraction of Sydney Walsh. She’s acerbic and gorgeous, a walking spitfire of a contradiction who drinks beer and yells at fumbled football games. She’s nothing like he expected and everything he’s dreamed of. And he can’t take a chance on her because he has obligations that are his first priority.I loved the banter between these two main characters and the easy camaraderie of their friendship. The evolution of the friends to lovers arc felt natural and the banked attraction they felt from their very first meeting leaps from the pages. Highly highly recommended for a cozy winter read - especially if you love a slow burn romance that will scorch the tread right off your LL Bean slippers when the couple finally succumbs to temptation.Tropes: starting over, small town romance, friends to lovers, low angst, slow burnBonus: BEARDED LUMBER SNACK CINNAMON ROLL HERO; bookstore setting

The Dating Plan

“I kept every secret Valentine, every scribbled note, your stuffed rabbit, and the answer to every math question I gave you. I hoped one day to be the kind of man you could love, a man who would hold and cherish you, a man worthy of you, and who would protect you with the sword you are going to allow him to have at our wedding.”This was a sweet and steamy second chance romance. Tropes:*nerdy girl and the bad boy*childhood crush*fake relationship*redemption ARCLiam broke Daisy’s heart when he stood her up for prom. She hasn’t seen him since that day almost thirteen years ago, and how he’s everywhere. She needs a fake fiancé to distract her meddling aunties from their constant matchmaking, and he needs one to meet the terms of his grandfather’s will so he can keep the family legacy from being dismantled by his brother.Their meet cute again is a crash in the middle of a conference where she’s pitching her company to venture capitalists. She impulsively tells her aunt she is engaged to the man she just toppled into. He surprises her with his corroboration and then kisses her. Despite how much she’s convinced she hates him with the fires of a thousand burning suns, his kiss is everything her sixteen year old heart dreamed it would be. Which means she has to avoid him. They mutually agree to 8 dates, and in exchange he’ll save her start-up.But dates lead to unexpected confessions and caring that doesn’t stay confined within the parameters they’ve established. Character development: 5️Plot: 4️Steam: 3.5 (relatively explicit open door, multiple incidences)

How the Duke Was Won

I just finished my second read of Lenora’s debut novel and I am in awe.There are so many things I loved:1. The innate sensuality of the story that hovers just beneath the surface, like a crackling fire ready to implode at any moment.2. The seamless character development- James is an unconventional duke and Charlene is the daughter of a courtesan who agrees to masquerade as her half sister in order to buy freedom for those she loves. But the depth of these two—- they are compelled by the harsh realities they have seen to make meaningful changes iv the world. Those compulsions are rarely so avidly expressed by the landed gentry, and their shared passion for social justice draws them together as much as their mutual attraction.3. The portrayal of James’ daughter Flor and the burgeoning relationship between she and the heroine. She’s drawn as a fully fledged independent character with a distinct personality and an irresistible blend of naïveté and the stark ability to see through social masks.4. The intimacy! It was both poignant and scorching. The massage, the wall, the spanking5. The research that went into the author’s depiction of the cocoa trade. Every detail was fully rendered and as a reader you can taste the variations in flavor described on the pages.6. The Disgraceful Duke is Delicious. Even more delicious than his cocoa.

Get Thee Off My Lawn: A Regency RomCom With a Swan Problem

This gem of a novella packed exquisite yearning into its fourteen chapters. It’s full of mischief and mayhem and moments of tender recognition and connection that would make even the grumpiest version of the neighborhood curmudgeon smile.There are so many things I loved, it’s difficult to condense them into a bite-sized list. But I’m going to try because every romance reader should experience this writer’s unique voice.1. The nuanced, situational humor that is a delightful mash-up of tongue in cheek Dickensian buffoonery and I Love Lucy slapstick shenanigans.2. An immediate connection between the main characters, April & Leo, that blossoms into both physical and emotional intimacy. The connection feels organic rather than forced, and is full of both the spicy after bite of an habanero and the sweet calm of cardamom. 3. The full cast of side characters - both humans and cantankerous creatures.4. The prose. It is both pragmatic and florid. It is full of courtesy and grace and metaphors that offer profound insight into the hearts and motivations of the characters. (I wanted to pick up my collection of Emily Dickinson when I finished reading, because 𝑫𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒂’s writing reminded me so much of hers.)So what’s this delightful story about?Two people who’ve always struggled to find their place in the world are brought together by a swan some would call the spawn of Satan for his tendency to bite, a hem and shoes full of mysterious muck, and a romp in a copper tub that leads to confessions and collusion.

The Spice Master at Bistro Exotique

I loved getting immersed in this enemies to lovers story set in the City of Light.Their meet cute is a virtual guarantee they'll remain mortal enemies. He nearly destroys her cell phone and then berates her for acting like a tourist. He is snide and disdainful and their encounter sours her entire day.Her eccentric neighbor Garrance lifts her spirits somewhat, and they begin a tenuous friendship when the elderly woman takes her beneath her wing. But Garrance's son turns out to be the man Kate's designated as public enemy number one. Garrance makes her son Charles apologize to Kate for his rude behavior and demands he help launch her restaurant as penance. The slow, simmering heat that builds between them as they share a kitchen finally boils over and they struggle to stick to their strictly business relationship. Especially since every time Kate incorporates one of Garrance's spices into her menu, she is overwhelmed with vivid dreams of Charles. The feelings the spices evoke scare her, because she has been burned in love before and she's determined to keep her heart protected. Some of the things I loved about this book:- the interwoven elements of food and love. - the colorful cast of side characters - especially Garrance and Kate's mother, who is a sexual therapist. - the slow burn relationship that builds between the main characters.This is a closed door romance that sizzles with banked anticipation. Highly recommended for readers who are as addicted to Emily in Paris and The Great British Bake-Off as I am!

Wicked Game

ALL THE PINING!!!!One of my favorite tropes of all time is childhood crush buried under false animosity - and this lush frenemies story delivers it in spades!There’s a song by Chris Isaac from the 90s called Wicked Game, and the taunting antagonistic, provocative banter sallied back and forth by Morgan and Harriet was like listening to that song!They are both in complete denial of how they feel.Their childhood of shared memories - climbing trees and playing pranks and becoming more entwined with each passing day simmers just beneath the surface, an inevitable prelude to the intensity of their true feelings. The competitive nature of their relationship creates an intoxicating dynamic based on delayed gratification and mutual pining. A true example of the “I’m going to insist I hate your guts so I won’t kiss you senseless” trope. The last thing Morgan wants to admit to Harriet is that thoughts of her gave him hope when he endured the brutality of war and his imprisonment at the hands of the enemy. The last thing he wants to admit is that thoughts of her compel him to be a better person, to give up his first love - the sea.The last thing Harriet wants to admit is that she missed his aggravatingly handsom face and broad shoulders and the teasing glint in his eyes. The last thing she wants to admit is that she wondered if he would return, and the minute he does the world seems immediately brighter.This book solidifies Kate Bateman’s position in my historical romance canon even more! It made me even more excited to read Rhys’s story, which I hope is released next year:)Some of my favorite quotes:She would taste of disapproval and desire: a heady, irresistible combination.Kissing her had been extraordinary. The taste of her, the smell of her skin, had turned his brain to mush and his cock to iron. And what he hadn’t expected was the surge of possessiveness, the soul-deep feeling of rightness: the sense that after all his years of travels he’d finally found his way back home.“Men always say things like that. But I’d rather have someone build me a city, not burn one down. Destroying something is the work of a moment. Creating something that will stand the test of time takes much more effort.”His love for her glowed inside him like banked embers. She’d accused him of laughing at her, of making her the butt of his jokes, and he had, but that was only half the story. She’d also been the shore to which he’d navigated. The X on the map that marked treasure. His star. His guiding light, the one fixed point by which he’d set his course. Home.“And love isn’t about grand gestures. It’s all the tiny, everyday, seemingly insignificant things that all add up to something big….It’s finding someone to do nothing with, that’s the real test. Someone with whom to just sit and read by the fire. Someone to eat dinner with. To converse with, or not converse, as the mood takes us.”“Have you ever considered that mapmakers like you need sailors like me?” She raised her brows at his cocky, self-congratulatory tone. “Oh, really? How so? “Because we’re the ones who fill in all your empty spaces.”“You’re salty. Like all the important things in life. Tears. Sweat. The sea.”

A Dash of Salt & Pepper

This age-gap queer romance from Kosoko Jackson was an unexpected delight.The dynamic between the two main characters is full of banter and banked steam. This love story features an intense journey of self-discovery and re-invention that will hit home on many levels for those who found their lives upended and rerouted by the pandemic. Reasons you should pick this one up:*Logan sounds like the sexiest man to ever wear an apron. *This is a story about learning to value yourself and appreciate how you are valued and appreciated in the eyes of others. *This is a story about how much we have changed as a society and learned that “conventional” is in the eyes of the beholder and has historically been too narrow and constrictive.*This is a story that explores all the ways we fit together as healthy families, and the ways we can both empower and hurt each other both intentionally and unintentionally. *This is a story about the importance of taking a deep breath and having your Hallmark movie moment — re-evaluating your priorities and realigning them to bring you joy.

Some Dukes Have All the Luck

What’s your favorite type of hero in romance? Mine is hands down the emotionally crippled, broken and beautiful, scarred by his past but deep down is a cinnamon roll who just wants to soak up love. Ash, the hero of Christina Britton’s newest release, is all of these things. Ash, the Duke of Buckley, is a gaming hell owner who wrestles with the brutal legacy of his past. Bronwyn is an aspiring entomologist who wants to be seen and appreciated just as she is. They agree to a marriage of convenience that becomes something else entirely. He needs someone to guide his wards and she wants to publish her research. Ash is a man who celebrates Bronwyn’s intellect and loves spending quality time with her. He captivated her because he listens to her, stands up for her, and supports her dreams. This sweet, spicy romance will have you swooning and longing for a cinnamon roll in disguise who will kiss you softly, listen to you ramble and take you on picnics. Tropes: marriage of convenience, guardian at his wits’ end, steminist heroine, opposites attract. A huge thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my complimentary ARC in exchange for a review.