❤️❤️❤️

Synopsis

Ruth “Ruthless” Harper is on the verge of becoming managing partner at her all-male consulting firm and she won’t let anything stand in her way. That includes men, relationships, and that dreaded F word, FEELINGS—distractions she eliminated long ago.

After the worst day ever (a near-death experience and a public wedgie, for starters), Ruth realizes she doesn’t want to live and die alone. She puts together a business plan to find the perfect man and dives head first into the murky online dating pool. All she wants is a high-powered executive who understands how important her career is. If only it were that easy.

Problem is most men are intimidated by Ruth’s confidence and shocked by her bluntness. The exception being her landscape designer, Nick, whose cool demeanor and unsolicited dating advice are driving her nuts. He’s the antithesis of the business-oriented man Ruth envisions for herself, so why do all signs keep pointing back to him?

My review

* Start review*

OMG I LOVED IT!!!

* End review *

Ruth is a true workaholic, the only thing she thinks about is work work work. After a horrible day, including a near – death experience, she realizes that there is more in life than only work.
With the help of her assistant – slash – best friend Dee, she starts dating.
In the meanwhile she also wants to make a home of her house, so she hired landscape designer Nick to make a relaxing place of her garden.

What a revelation! I enjoyed every little bit of it!

Ruth is a strong independent woman, she knows what she wants and won’t settle for less. After her scary experience (I never was a big fan of airplanes, now it’s even worse!) she decides she needs more love in her life.

I never laughed so hard when she was having her dates! One bad date can happen, but nog every date! And it only gets worse when the other dates just keep coming back! It even had me have some flashbacks when I had some bad first dates!
And Nick is so down to earth, and the best in his job. He wants to do whatever he can to create the perfect garden for Ruth. Even when extra work is required because of his ‘fault’, he doesn’t hesitate to just to do at his own expenses.
And he does so much more, as he shows Ruth how easy it can be to relax and that work is not all there is in the world. Where can I find such a man myself???

It’s so nice to see how Ruth goes from workaholic to a more relaxing woman, putting her priorities straight. And Nick, he’s just amazing, period!

This is a funny book, but also manages to make you realize that there is more to enjoy from life and not only work.
For me, it was real page turner, and I recommend it to everyone!

Just swoon!

Synopsis

Christmas and romance are in the air…

It’s December 23rd and while everyone else is rushing home for the holidays, workaholic Leesa Oliver is dreading switching on her out-of-office for the festive season. And it seems her equally driven boss, Cary Anderson, isn’t relishing spending Christmas at his family’s country estate either.

So together, they draft an unexpected Christmas contract: They’ll spend half of the holidays with each other’s families, pretending to be a couple. Leesa knows the insufferably good-looking Cary will make her Christmas more bearable, but what happens after the last of the mince pies have been eaten…?

Leesa signed off on a sensible business agreement, but somewhere, amongst the fairy lights and carols something seems to have changed… It seems there might just be some magic under the mistletoe this Christmas!

My review

Fake it until you make it!

Leesa and her very demanding boss Cary are stranded due bad weather at his family’s country estate.
Both of them are not looking forward to spend the Christmas period with their families, so they make a Christmas contract: They’ll pretend they are a couple while spending the holidays with each other’s families.

Reading the synopsis, you know that something is going to happen. But don’t worry about being a way too corny story, as both Leesa and Cary are keeping their word and sticking to the contract.
Slowly you get to know Leesa and Cary better and you understand why they are so not looking forward the holidays.

Leesa is a nice woman, very caring and always want to please people. She is also very loving towards her former family in law, despite what happened in the past.
Cary has also had his share of sorrow in the past, and as a result he is now very work-minded and has no time for love.
With each other’s help, they find a way to process the past and they realize they can depend on each other.

The true magic of this story is the fact that both characters start on a bad note, but slowly they get to know each other on a personal level and they see they have more in common than they thought. They become real friends, knowing they can rely on each other in times of needs.
But the extra magic are the funny parts, when they are faking a relationship when they are in front of their families.

Of course there a lot of awkward moment there, which made me laugh!

It’s a real festive story about family, emotions, friendship and love, just what you need for this period!

Funny but also truth-telling!

Synopsis

Lucy Mathers was once the golden girl of Simcock & Bright. Four years later, she’s a stay at home mum with two adorable children, has swapped her Louboutins for rabbit slippers and spends her day making crustless sandwiches and colour co-ordinated lunches instead of signing up high profile clients. 

When her husband is suddenly made redundant, there is panic in the Mathers’ household. With a mortgage the size of the national debt and a credit card balance that’s in danger of toppling, Lucy reluctantly decides she must return to work. Soshe digs out her old power suits from the back of the wardrobe and leaves Will to become a house husband. But sitting in Lucy’s old office is Grant Cassidy, suave, handsome and ruthless and with no intention of letting Lucy walk back into the number one job. 

At home, despite his breezy declaration that swapping boardroom battles for toddler groups would be a doddle, Will’s belief that parental issues could be solved with forward planning and a spread sheet soon falls by the wayside. 

With both Will and Lucy struggling to adapt, could their previously happy marriage be developing some cracks?

My review

This is not the first book I’ve read of Julie Butterfield so I know what to expect and my expectations were really high!
And I was so happy I did not get disappointed at all!

Lucy Mathers is a happy stay at home mum, taking care of her 2 delightful kids. But when her husband loses his job, they are forced to swap momentarily places. Lucy goes back to work while Will stays at home taking care of the children.

Of course you can imagine the struggles Will has to face, having no idea how to actual care for children. And Lucy has been out of the battle for a while, so also she is having a hard time…
Julie manages to write a funny story, making you laugh with Will, feeling sorry for Lucy and makes you instantly dislike Grant!
The struggles both Will and Lucy have are so recognizable, you cannot not sympathize with them.

Beside the funny part, also the reality kicks in. it’s not as easy as it seems to go back to work after several years, and the issues Lucy has are not easy peasy to solve. How will she manage finding the correct balance between work and family? She notices that she puts work above family but how can she get her priorities back straight?
And also Will finds it hard to find the joy of a stay at home dad…

After a while Julie manages to put the finger on real family problems: how can this amazing couple manage to get back on track? Due the many changes, communication is not their forte, causing many misunderstandings, trust issues and fear of speaking out.

Again Julie did an amazing job, writing a funny story, but also points out a general problem. Despite the topic that is not to be underestimated, it’s written in such a matter you feel compassionate about the couple, understand the issue and hope for the best for Lucy’s and Will’s sake!

Me want more!!!

Synopsis

Part Two of this heartwarming four-part serial about finding the strength to put the past behind you and to reach out for a future filled with happiness and love.

Cat Devon knew she couldn’t avoid Amias Wells for long. She also knew sparks would fly the moment they came face to face. They never did get on and nothing has changed in eighteen years – except that Amias is even more annoying. So why does Cat still catch her breath whenever he looks her way?

The fact he flies a vintage Spitfire for the Merriment Bay WWII Museum doesn’t interest Cat, but his knowledge of the former RAF pilots stationed there certainly does. She wants to find out all she can about the man in the photo in Viola’s trunk. And what with hospital visits, dealing with her mum, and sorting out problems with Viola’s house, Cat could use more than just Kyra’s help.

But Kyra makes it clear she thinks Cat and Amias should spend more time together. Which is ridiculous. Apart from the fact they don’t get on, Amias wasn’t interested in Cat before the accident that left the ugly scars on her face and body, so he definitely won’t be attracted to her now. Besides, Cat’s not looking for romance. She’s happy with her life just the way it is.

My review

What a disappointment it was when I reached the end…
Before Emily gets a heart attack for my declaration, I DID NOT WANT TO REACH THE END SO QUICKLY!!!

Slowly we are getting to know more about the past of the Devon women. And discovering the past means for Cat she has to face Amias, even though he apparently still dislikes her…
Or not?

I truly enjoyed discovering the past together with Cat and Kyra, and it was so nice to get to know Amias better.
We also get to know a little bit of Kyle, even if he isn’t actual present any more, his memory still lingers…

We also see how all the Devon – women slowly are finding the way to live all together, despite their differences. Mary was in the first part a bit distant, but now she is more open and being more open towards Cat and Kyra. She also realizes that Cat deserves to know the truth about her father but she cannot tell the whole truth.

A great second part, with still a lot of mysteries to be solved, and a lot of unspoken feelings to be exposed!
Looking forward to read Part 3 !

Just perfect for this time of the year,

Synopsis

Christmas is coming and actress Kirsty Castille seems doomed to play the front part of Nag, the Christmas pantomime horse, when a surprise audition lands her the lead role as Maria in the Sound of Music.

Even better she bonds with a handsome chef over a piece of squid at her local supermarket, although sadly romance is the last thing on Jake Levy’s mind.

He has a Christmas deadline, an ex-wife to mourn and lots of emotional baggage to drag around. He certainly doesn’t have time for romance and even if he did he wouldn’t fall for someone like Kirsty who craves the limelight: been there, done that.

A misunderstanding leads Jake to offer Kirsty a job in his new restaurant and she takes it purely to convince him that she’s the girl of his dreams.

Her charm offensive begins to work but while he’s cooking up a storm she’s secretly sparkling under the spotlight – until her cover is busted.

The fallout is catastrophic, but as they say in Luvvie Land, the show must go on, even if Kirsty is terrified that she’s taken her last curtain call and ruined her chance for love.

Read on and immerse yourself in this delightful winter romance as the snow starts to fall and Christmas day becomes a magical reality.

My review

He loves me, he loves me not…
Just an amazing Christmas story!

Kirsty is an actress, but not a famous one. She is struggling to go from one job to another and most of the time she has to accept the less appealing acts, just to be able to cope.
When she meets Jake in a supermarket, they bond immediately.
But Jake is opening a new business, is in the middle of a separation, has a lot of emotional baggage and hates everything that has to do with being in the spotlight.

I loved every bit of this book! Kirsty is living in movies, whenever a response is required, she manages to get a quote from films, straight on!
She has a vivid imagination, and even in public places she is not ashamed to just be herself.
She doesn’t care who is watching and what the others may think about her.
Jake instead is on an emotional rollercoaster, having been betrayed in the worst ways.
despite their differences, Kirsty and Jake manage to get along pretty well. Thanks to Kirsty, Jake manages to loosen up and move on with his life.

The combination of these 2 characters made me initially think they were all wrong for each other, and it would never work. But over several laughs, you see that they just need each other to be a better self.
In my modest opinion (but then, who am I? 🤣) this story could take place any time in the year, but the magic of Christmas makes sure this is an amazing story impossible to put away!

Just wonderful!

Synopsis

Maggie Moone is happily divorced.

And with her talent for fixing things, she’s perfectly content with her mundane life in the sleepy English village of Saffron Sweeting. That is, until one humiliating March evening when she learns everyone else assumes she’d love to mend her broken marriage.

Determined to prove them wrong, Maggie and her friends concoct a list of ten ways to assert her independence and live large. But her mission to move on leads to unexpected encounters, and Maggie soon finds herself mixing business with pleasure. Is the attractive young Irishman just another item on her list, or is he something more?

Before long, unresolved issues from her past begin to clash, and Maggie is forced to wonder if antagonising her ex-husband was such a stellar idea.

No sooner does she begin to understand what’s important to her, than she stands to lose everything that truly matters.

This is the fourth in the collection of Saffron Sweeting romantic comedies, which can be read in any order. If you like gentle British humour and deliciously resilient heroines, you’ll love Ten Things My Husband Hated.

My review

What a way of taking back charge of your life!

Maggie and Colin divorced a while ago, but luckily for them, is was all done in an amicable way.
When one evening she gets humiliated, she learns that everyone thinks she want Colin back.
So to prove them wrong, she makes a to-do list with all things Colin hates.
While she is working on the list, she meets Finn, a nice Irishman. Is he the perfect next item on the list? Or is there more?

I really had fun reading this story!
From the moment Maggie starts working on the list, you know there are going to be some awkward but on the same time funny moments.
At the beginning of the story, Maggie is a woman struggling with living her life at the best. She doesn’t really do things she truly wants.
But thanks to her list and her friends, she starts blooming, and realizes that it’s her life and she has the right to do what she wants, even if there are people not understanding her.

And when she meets Finn, you just also instantly like him. He’s truly a nice guy, trying to surprise Maggie (and also the reader) by arranging non-conventional dates.

This story shows it’s never too late to believe in love, and never give up. Following your heart is never wrong, and chasing your own dreams is always the best thing to do.
But also honesty is important, as Maggie learns. And never do something just to please someone if your heart isn’t in it, or if your mind is not in the right mood!

Conclusion: a nice story about getting your life getting back on track, growth and love!

So much more and better!

Synopsis

Meg Mathers, the headstrong youngest sibling of a reiving family on the English-Scottish border, is determined to remain at her childhood home, caring for the land and village she’s grown up with. When an accident brings her a broken ankle and six weeks in the resentful company of ambitious and angry young reiver Will Hetherington, attraction starts to build. Both begin to realise they might have met their match, and the love of their lives, but 15th century border living is not that simple, as Meg soon finds herself betrothed to the weakling son of a tyrannical neighbour, Alexander Gray. When tragedy strikes, can Meg and Will find their way back to each other, and can Will finally take his own personal revenge on Gray?

My review

Glad it was not just a ‘one look in each other’s eyes and instant true love’!

Meg is part of a family of border reivers, and a lot of people depend on her.  But when she has an accident and brakes her ankle, her brothers decide that Will, a young man part of their clan, must take care of her, as he ‘caused’ the accident.
Despite their initial dislike for each, spending so much time together, they start bonding and more feelings submerge.
But then her brother decide that she must marry the son of a tyrannical neighbor.

First of all, I understand Meg’s frustrations of being taking care of. About a year ago I broke my ankle and each day I had to ask help for the easiest tasks, got me more and more frustrated.
Meg is a real caring woman, and despite being a woman, everybody takes her advice in account. She has a smart head.
Will is a young man having suffered a lot in the past. He just want to make sure his sister is happy after being separated and just found each other back.

What I truly liked about this story, that both characters slowly start trusting each other. Sometimes when you read a story, it’s POOF instant love. But here both Meg and Will go from dislike to trust to friendship to more.
Even when their love is tested, they both know they cannot just run away, but must face their fate and make best of it.
They both know what they feel for each other, but they also realize that their love will never be accepted and try to resist each other.

That’s what makes this story so nice, instead of just thinking about their selves, they are altruistic and think what’s for the best of their clan.
It’s a slow story, making you go back in time, enjoying the described surroundings and the atmosphere of that period!
I also have a small negative comment although… Alexander has always been a name I truly liked. And thanks to this story, now it’s been removed from that list!!! 😃

Not what I thought it would be, but disturbingly good!

Synopsis

When Emily was offered a new job in London, she was sure that her life was about to change – new friends, a career in the big city and the boyfriend she always wanted.

Her new life turns out to be more complicated than she expected. Her flat mates don’t understand her. Her colleagues mock everything about her. Even her father doesn’t support her. The only person who offers her any encouragement is David.

He’s married. He’s her manager. To Emily it’s clear that they have something special. As their relationship develops, everyone seems to want to sabotage their chances.

But some things are meant to be…

My review

How a synopsis can be deceptive! This story was not what I thought!

Emily starts a new job in London, ready to change her life.
But it all just isn’t as easy how she thought. She’s having troubles with bonding with her new flat mates, her colleagues don’t seem to like her at all, and her father still thinks she’s going to fail.
Only her manager David seems to really care about her and soon Emily finds herself attracted to him.

Through the most part of the story, I felt real pity for Emily. She’s just trying to do her very best and apparently nobody seems to appreciate her efforts.
Being the new girl in town, is not the best situation for her. She’s a bit shy, trying to proof she’s capable of doing her job.

I see a lot of my former self in Emily: shy, insecure, even a little bit suspicious.
But you also see that Emily is not easily put down or doesn’t know what to do in awkward situations.
She stands up for herself and would let anyone bully her away!

About halfway the story, the atmosphere changes…
when Emily starts to develop feelings for David, she is sure he is feeling the same about her, but as he is married, he must act very cautious.

As her emotions take the upper hand, her work is suffering as she starts to miss signs that her cases are slipping back into their addictions.

This book was a bit a hard start for me, maybe because I saw me too much in it (but no worries, I’ve grown up a lot and am not a shy, insecure girl anymore ☺️).
But you see  how the situation is deteriorating for the worse, and you have the need to know how bad it all gets.
Even if you think there is no positive ending for Emily, you secretly hope that it will all get better somehow…

So after a rather rough start, I quickly couldn’t put the book away and I think that this is the actual purpose of a book!

Not just lust…

Synopsis

The Wicked Lord’s Mistress is set in the late Victorian period (1886) for fans of upstairs/downstairs dramas such as Downton Abbey and steamy romances. It explores the continuing love story between Lily, a lady’s maid at Torrington Hall, and a handsome, mysterious aristocratic hero called Lord Edgar Wilson.

Lily is surrounded by challenges from all sides. She is being blackmailed by the evil Mallkins, she has a secret past that she is trying to hide, and her forbidden love affair with Lord Wilson grows more risky every day. Can their lusty affair transform into the tender and lasting love that Lily craves? And given the differences in their class, is a happy ending possible for them? 

Then a new enemy comes into Lily’s life, someone who is determined to destroy her. Lily finds herself facing the greatest challenge of her life, and hopes that Lord Wilson will be her hero.

My review

This is the second part of a series, and I really suggest to read the first part before heading into the second part. Otherwise the story would be confusing and as this is a good story in his genre, it would be a pity if you wouldn’t like it because some things wouldn’t make sense.

The story of Lily and Lord Wilson is by long not a simple one, as she is a simple maid and he is after all a Lord.
Despite the difference in class and secrets, both of them cannot resist their attraction.
But how will their affair end? Lily has many secrets she wants to tell Lord Wilson, but just cannot. And Lord Wilson is being pushed to marry someone of equal class…

I really enjoyed the story even if sometimes I had a nice roll of the eyes…
Lily is a woman who had her share of bad luck and is blackmailed into doing things she really doesn’t want to do. And Lord Wilson is the chosen victim.
It’s nice to see how the feelings evolve from just lust into more. Lily shows during the story that when she loves or cares for someone, she does it with all her heart. And is very conflicted when looking after for one person means jeopardize another one.
And Lord Wilson just seems a man following his you-know-what, but goes deep lengths to protect his loved one, and will not stop until the whole truth is uncovered.

For me this story was a pleasant surprise, as I thought it would be just a story where a Lord and a maid would give in their lust for each other, and out of the blue it all ends well.
But this was something different, as yes, there are some heated moments, but both of them have to fight not only for their love, but also for their freedom…

Even better than expected!

Synopsis

Two men. Three decades. One decision.

Pregnant at nineteen from an affair with a married man, Leila goes against her parents’ wishes. Alone in an unfamiliar city, a fresh start is terrifying. 

Leila struggles to navigate between being a single working mum, new friendships, and her bad choices in men. The heartache of past mistakes haunts her. Disillusioned, lonely, and with a fractured mother-daughter relationship, she swaps the vices of city life for the peace of the country. Yet new-found happiness is short-lived and old habits return. 

Can Leila let go of her past and find true love?

My review

Wow, just wow…
This story was so not what I expected, it was even better!

Switching through flashbacks, we get to know Leila. At nineteen, she has an affair with a married man and ends up pregnant.
Not wanting to give up her baby like instructed by her parents, she moves out and wants to build a life for herself and her child together.
But life isn’t easy for a young , single mother. She struggles getting her life back on track, but manages to build a few strong friendships. But her heartbreak so many years ago is still the cause for many bad decisions.
Last decision she makes is moving from the city to the country hoping she will finally find her peace and make amends with her daughter.

I can keep telling you what else is happening in the story, but I won’t do that.
Like I said earlier, this is not the story I expected.

Leila is a strong woman, always saying what’s on her mind. And yes, this is a positive thing, but there are sometimes occasions where it’s better to think before you speak. And unfortunately Leila doesn’t always think, causing a few feuds.
she is also a woman holding onto the past, and as her daughter teaches her, sometimes it’s time to put the past behind and allow yourself to live again.

There are several serious topics, affairs with married men, trying to survive with the little you have, secrets coming out, the past resurfacing when you’ve finally put it behind you.
But Kate manages to write everything with such realism but also so nicely, that you get the meaning of it, feeling the emotions, but it won’t drag you in a downward spiral.

Despite everything you keep hoping that in the end, Leila will find the peace she searches, needs and also deserves!