#31DaysOfChristmas Movie Review: A Sprinkle of Christmas

 

Watched on: Netflix

Originally aired: December 10, 2024

Directed by: Nicholas Humphries

Starring: Hayley Sales, Marshall Williams and Rhys Cawley

Please see IMDb for full cast and crew info. 

Synopsis

Libby, an up-and-coming baker, has opened up her storefront business just in time for the Christmas season. Trying to get everything off the ground, she finds herself in a heated anonymous online feud with Peter, an A-List actor, after (hiding his real identity) he gives the bakery a scathing review. At the same time, in real life, Libby takes on a game-changing side-gig: catering cake and confections for Peter's brother's high profile holiday engagement party. Neither realize they're already in a fight with each other.

Review

I want to say we were about five minutes into this movie when I spotted the cause of the initial problem for this movie. I've worked in restaurants and you don't just add an extra table to your setup on a whim, rearrange the table numbers, and not make sure your two employees are clear on the numbering system. That's literally a recipe for disaster. And what do you know, I was right. The way things went down during his visit, Peter's review was spot on, and the owners of the patisserie have only themselves to blame. It doesn't stop them from getting their panties in a twist over it though. Although with only four tables and two employees, I would have expected there to be more personal service for each table, which would have prevented the entire debacle in the first place. But moving on. 

Libby is trying to make big moves with her baking, and gets an opportunity to interview to be the dessert caterer for a celebrity's brother's engagement party. But she's spent her life in the kitchen, so she's not really up to date on who's who in Hollywood, which just happens to land her the gig. Apparently celebrities aren't used to be treated like normal people. Who knew? In her attempts to get answers from Peter about what types of desserts she should make for the party, they end up at the local holiday festival (because these movies have to have a local holiday festival, it's like the law or something), where they get funnel cake, and have a great chat with a hot beverage by the a fire. 

When that doesn't get any concrete answers from Peter, Libby attempts to inspire him by inviting him into the kitchen to bake together. Obviously they really hit it off, and she finally gets some usable information. And all this time, she's been fighting with Peter online, both of them under pseudonyms, and business at the bakery has been booming because "everyone loves an underdog." 

I think you can all guess how the movie ends, right? Unless you've never even heard of a cheesy Christmas movie, in which case congratulations on waking up from your two decade long coma, we're happy to have you back. And was this a Christmas movie? It borders on no, but the surprise party dessert edges it into the yes column, barely. 

Overall I give a Sprinkle of Christmas 2.5 Santa hats. - Katie 

#31DaysOfChristmas Movie Review: A Royal Date for Christmas

 

Watched on: Netflix

Originally aired: November 25, 2023

Directed by: Bradley Walsh

Starring: Danica McKellar, Damon Runyan, and Nigel Hamer

Please see IMDb for full cast and crew info.

Synopsis

Bella Sparks, runs Bella's Boutique. Stefan needs to be outfitted for a week of high-stakes meetings after his luggage goes missing. She accidentally discovers Stefan is actually Stefan William Francis Brown, the Duke of Tangford.

Review

A Royal Date for Christmas gives us a Pretty Woman storyline without the prostitution base. And why does Bella agree to be this originally rude stranger's plus one for all these events he's attending? Because she's trying to open a mobile boutique in addition to her storefront and the money he's offering would really help with that. Ignoring the fact that she could also just have overcharged him for all the clothes he desperately needed after his luggage was lost on his flight across the Atlantic (he was very rude and would have deserved it thank you very much). 

So is this a Christmas movie? Some of the activities that Bella and Stefan engage in during his stay in the US include building a snowman, cutting down a Christmas tree for the manor, and Christmas cake baking and decorating. Not to mention the fact that his big fundraiser event is at risk of being cancelled due to some less than favorable press about him post break-up, and it has plenty of the typical Christmas cheese to qualify as a Christmas movie. 

Of the three movies I've reviewed so far this year, this falls right in the middle of the pack with a 3.5 Santa hat rating. - Katie 

#31DaysOfChristmas Movie Review: A Merry Little Ex-Mas

 

Watched on: Netflix

Originally aired: November 12, 2025

Directed by: Steve Carr

Starring: Alicia Silverstone, Oliver Hudson, Jameela Jamil

Please see IMDb for full cast and crew info.

Synopsis

A separated couple tries celebrating one last Christmas together with their kids before their divorce. However, the husband's new girlfriend joins the festivities, causing tension and chaos during the holidays.

Review

If you want to watch a movie with manufactured holiday cheer, this is the movie for you. To be fair, the holiday cheer is manufactured as a major plot point of the story as Kate and Everett are separated, and this is their first Christmas together post their conscious uncoupling. Kate is striving to provide the same Christmas experience their children grew up with, in spite of the twist that is Everett's new girlfriend, a secret he kept from Kate in spite of them promising to keep no secrets from each other. Kate isn't innocent here though, as she has a secret of her own. 

One of my favorite things about this movie is that Alicia Silverstone gave us a middle-aged mom who looks like an average middle-aged mom. She clearly eats at least some of the delicious foods she makes, and doesn't spend hours running to earn her food and maintain a sleek figure. I appreciate seeing a star from my childhood allowing herself to gain a little weight and not maintain the stick-thin figure society expects from Hollywood. 

Some of the manufactured holiday cheer includes a gingerbread house competition, sledding, and helping the whole town when a storm causes the power to go out, because Kate has an obscene number of solar panels on her roof and battery backup to boot. So she's the only one prepared. 

Now is this a Christmas movie? Yes, absolutely. It hit enough of the cheesy tropes and had a very heartwarming ending, which we obviously expect from our Christmas movies, right? 

Overall I give A Merry Little Ex-Mas 4 out of 5 Santa hats. - Katie 

#31DaysOfChristmas Movie Review: Holiday in Santa Fe

 

Watched on: Netflix

Originally aired: December 10, 2021

Directed by: Jody Margolin Hahn

Starring: Mario Lopez, Emeraude Toubia, and Aimee Garcia

Please see IMDb for full cast and crew information.

Synopsis

Tony runs a Christmas shop with a Mexican twist in Santa Fe, New Mexico with his sister and father. Now Belinda, a representative from the big company Warm Wishes, is on her way to talk about buying their business. Tony is prepared to listen to what they can offer but his sister is not. Belinda arrives from Chicago with the mission to buy the company before the New Year. Tony wants to show her the soul of their business to try to preserve their mothers legacy even after the deal. He engages Belinda in the Christmas celebrations and she starts to get a new take on the deal, and a new interest in Tony.

Review

This was my first Christmas movie of the season, and it honestly left me wanting. I think some of that is because actual Christmas in Santa Fe is apparently a bit different than the Christmas that I'm used to (based on some very brief internet research), and the movie holds more true to that than it does trying to bring us the holiday magic of your typical cheesy Christmas movie. I also struggle with the idea that Santa Fe is a small town, because I know of Santa Fe, and I've never lived in New Mexico. But it does have the classic small town holiday festival in Winterfest. 

Some of the highlights from Winterfest are a ham throw, which is described by Lopez as throwing the ham like a football, but it's really more of a shot-put action. I'm happy to report that there were obviously no hams harmed in the making of this movie as the prop they used was clearly far too light to be an actual ham. There was also a chili tasting contest, at least between the two main characters. Again, not normal Christmas movie fare, but it does hit the right feels for like a cookie baking competition. 

And it obviously wouldn't be a Christmas movie if there wasn't some major small town icon at risk of closing, and that's La Casa Milagro. Except it wouldn't really be closing. In fact, the entire premise of the movie is that the FMC is only in town to arrange a buy-out of the shop to make it part of a Kathe Wohlfahrt style business. Unlike most Christmas movies, some members of the family are even on board for the buyout, at first at least. 

So is this a Christmas movie? Not in the traditional sense. Like I said, it seems to hold true to what Christmas in Santa Fe really is, but that's not what I was looking for in a Christmas movie. But as I've never experienced Christmas in Santa Fe, I don't want to answer the question with a resounding no. 

Overall I give Holiday in Santa Fe 3 Santa hats. - Katie 

*Top Ten Tuesday* Books I'd Like to Reread

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. Joood - Hooligan of Platypire reviews bossed me into doing this, so I guess this is a thing I do now. 

This week’s theme is books that I'd like to reread. The thing is, I'm not a big rereader. I've done several of them recently because I've had book clubs select books that I read before, but too long ago to remember well enough to discuss, but there are so many books out there that I want to read, that rereading feels like a big waste of time for me on a personal level. But I also believe that the way we relate to books is greatly affected by when we read them, and I've been considering some rereads of books I read (and loved) when I was in school to see how they've aged. So this list is going to be books from my childhood I think I ought to reread. Let's go. 

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

My 8th grade English teacher recommended this book for me, and I absolutely loved it. But I was talking about it with a gentlemen I'm in a book club with a couple weeks ago and we had very different views on the story, and I'm the one who hasn't read it since they were 14. So it might be time for a reread.

Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder

I absolutely loved this series when I was in elementary school (I dressed up as Laura for Halloween in 4th or 5th grade). When my son was in elementary school, they read an excerpt from I think Little House in the Big Woods, and I mentioned that we had the whole series if he wanted to read it. I don't think he got very far, but he did tell me that he thinks Pa is crazy and not a great parent. I don't recall picking up on that when I was a kid, so now I wanna reread to try and understand what my kid saw. 

Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brink

I remember this book being a lot like the Little House on the Prairie series, featuring a young girl when horses were common transportation. It would be interesting to see if one aged better than the other. 

Dragonflight by Anne McCaffrey

I read several of the books in McCaffrey's Dragonriders of Pern series when I was in middle school, after my mother suggested them to me. And I definitely remember there being talk about coupling between the dragon riders, so I think I should reread to see how accurate that memory is. Also, I just really love the historical fiction feeling science fiction. 

Matilda by Roald Dahl

I used to reread books a lot, mostly this one. I read it so many times, my copy literally fell apart. I obviously related to Matilda being a young girl who absolutely loved to read and got in trouble for it from authority figures (it was a major talking point at parent teacher conferences when I was in 2nd grade). I think it would be interesting to see if I still relate to Matilda. 

And it turns out there are only five books I read during my childhood that I can remember reading, how they made me feel, and have solid reasons for why I think I ought to reread them. But I'm okay with that, because it's really way more than 5 books with the two series I included. 

What books did you read in your childhood that you've reread as an adult? How did your perception of things change? 

Have you read any of these books as either a child or an adult? 

If you're stopping by from the linkup, please be sure to drop a link to your post below so I can check out your rereading list. - Katie 

*Top Ten Tuesday* Freebie/Throwback (Christmas in July!)

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. Joood - Hooligan of Platypire reviews bossed me into doing this, so I guess this is a thing I do now. 

This week’s theme is freebie or throwback, and I'm doing a little bit of both. I was inspired by the Holiday Reads theme title from 2019, and since I'm getting ready to head to my parents this 4th of July weekend for family Christmas in July, it just felt really appropriate. So here are ten Christmas books I could read this July (although I probably won't because I have 16 book club books to read for upcoming meetings so...). Let's go!

Skipping Christmas by John Grisham

A Christmas Hope by Joseph Pittman

The Christmas Genie by Dan Gutman

Blue Christmas by Mary Kay Andrews

A Christmas Baby by Annette Blair

A Wells Landing Christmas by Amy Lillard

A Wedding for Christmas by Lori Wilde

One More for Christmas by Sarah Morgan

Christmas on Mistletoe Lane by Annie Rains

White Christmas Wedding by Celeste Winters

And there we go, ten Christmas books I could read this July. This was a super easy post to build though, because I have an entire shelf dedicated to holiday books, and Christmas books are the easiest to find, so I had lots of options. 

Would you read any of these for a little holiday magic this summer?

If you're stopping by from the linkup, please be sure to drop a link to your post below so I can check out your freebie/throwback list this week. - Katie 

*Stacking the Shelves* 14 June 2025

(Titles link to Amazon via Amazon Affiliate links)

Stacking The Shelves is a feature/weekly meme run by Reading Reality in which you share the books you are adding to your shelves, both physical and virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical stores or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

Now, I already have a monthly post I do featuring the books I get in the mail (and it's a lot because I have a serious Goodreads First Reads giveaway addiction), and I'm posting my monthly Read-A-Thon posts again too, which covers the books I receive through Netgalley. So my STS post will feature all the books I've been one-clicking on Amazon or winning through Goodreads giveaways, with the occasional store bought physical book thrown in. 

On that note, here are the books I picked up this week. I will be separating the books based on purchased, Goodreads wins, and freebies. Let's go!

Purchased

One of Us is Dead by Jeneva Rose - I got this for the bargain price of just $1.99. 

Stolen Tongues by Felix Blackwell - I got this for a mere $0.99. I've heard it's a really good horror book, so I hope I wasn't lied to. 

Darker by E.L. James - I grabbed this on sale for just $1.99. I know these books aren't particularly well written, but when I read the original series years ago, I wanted Christian's POV, so now I can read it. 

Freed by E.l. James - I grabbed this for a mere $1.99 too, so I have the full Christian's POV trilogy. Now I just gotta' read them. 

The Daughter of Doctor Moreau by Silvia Moreno-Garcia - I got this on sale for just a mere $1.99. I read another book by her and I've had my eye on this one for a while, so getting it on sale was nice. 

Delicious Monsters by Leslie Sambury - I got this on sale for a mere $1.99. It first caught my eye when it was available for free through Epic Reads, but I ran out of time to read it that month. 

Of Jade and Dragons by Amber Chen - I got this on sale for just $1.99. The cover was just so appealing. 

The Monkey's Paw and Other Tales by W.W. Jacobs - I grabbed this on sale for just $3.99. I'm mildly familiar with the tale of the monkey's paw, and now I can get real familiar. 

The Wizard of Oz: The Official Cookbook by Elena Craig and Emma Bernay - I grabbed this on sale for just $4.99. The Wizard of Oz was my favorite movie when I was growing up, so I'm excited to dive into this cookbook. 

The Unofficial Simpsons Cookbook by Laurel Randolph - I got this on sale for just $1.99. Who wouldn't want a Simpson's cookbook?

It's a Date (Again) by Jeneva Rose - I got this for $4.99, but it only cost me $3.99 because I had a dollar credit for something. I haven't read romance from Jeneva Rose, but now I can.

The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green - I grabbed this for just $1.99. I've heard good things about John Green's non-fiction work. 

Dreams of Joy by Lisa See - I got this on sale for just $1.99. I read Shanghai Girls and really enjoyed it, so I'm excited to get into this sequel.

Abandon by Blake Crouch - I managed to grab this for the sale price of $1.99. After reading Dark Matter, I'm buying basically everything I find on sale by Blake Crouch. 

The I Inside by Alan Dean Foster - I got this on sale for just $2.99. Foster is one of the classic sci-fi authors that one of my parents read a lot of. I just hope this aged better than Stranger in a Strange Land by Heinlein. 

The Islam Quintet by Tariq Ali - I got this on sale for just $3.99. I'm never mad about getting over 1500 pages of reading for just $4. 

The Senator's Wife by Liv Constantine - I grabbed this book because I've heard a lot of good things about this author and it was on sale for just $1.99. I'm not mad about that. 

Cat-A-Lyst by Alan Dean Foster - I got this for the bargain price of just $3.99, again because I know at least one of my parents like Alan Dean Foster as an author. 

Goodreads Wins

Rediscover Your Wisdom by Rabbi Joel Stein

Unfiltered and Unapologetic by Judy McCutcheon

The Great Crypto Illusion by JA Engelbrecht

The Moon Goddess's Smile by Catherine C. Wu

Murder at Mablethorpe Castle by Elizabeth Rose

The Golden Dilemma by Lamar and Liana Golden

The Phoenix Elite by C.T. Clark

Some Girls Drown by Jessica Bell

The Blitz by Tamar Gakharia

The Heirs of the Lost Legacy by Anton Sammut

Dingo Toad Joins the Rangers by Lamar and Liana Golden

Bricks and Clicks by Clifford Hudson and Craig Miller

She's So Bad by Ronita Fabian

I was supposed to be getting all caught up on my Stacking the Shelves post with my newest ebook purchases and wins after having like four different free book blasts happen just before the last one was posted, and I didn't get that done, because I spent most of today out of the house doing things with my husband and son. So now the goal is to get caught up with this next week in my STS post. We'll see if I can follow through. 

Have you read any of the books on my list this week? Any of them you think I should read sooner rather than later? 

If you're stopping by from the linkup, please be sure to drop a link to your post below so I can check out your new pretties. - Katie 

*Top Ten Tuesday* Bookish Wishlist

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. Joood - Hooligan of Platypire reviews bossed me into doing this, so I guess this is a thing I do now. 

This week’s theme is bookish wishlist. When I first saw this theme a couple months ago, I got so excited because it was going to be such an easy post for me to build. But then for Mother's Day my husband took me to Barnes and Noble for seven minutes in heaven, except he gave me 15 minutes to browse and ten minutes to pick, and I ended up with two armfuls and $600+ worth of books, which really put a dent in my bookish wishlist. So now I'm scrambling trying to figure out what ten books I want most...and trying to kind of refill my bookish wishlist that I use every month for an Amazon gift exchange. So I'm also looking forward to seeing everyone else's lists this week, to help beef it up. 

But in the meantime, let's go. 

Till Summer Do Us Part by Meghan Quinn

Silver Elite by Dani Francis

The Knight and the Moth by Rachel Gillig

The Testaments by Margaret Atwood

Son of a Witch by Gregory Maguire

Sundown Motel by Enid Everingham

All the Hidden Paths by Foz Meadows

I Was a Teenage Slasher by Stephen Graham Jones

Somewhere Beyond the Sea by TJ Klune

Hideaway by Penelope Douglas

Okay, so that wasn't as much of a struggle as I thought it was going to be. If you'd like to see other books and goodies that exist on my wishlist, you can find it here. 

Have you read any of these books? Are there any of them you want to read too? 

If you're stopping by from the linkup, please be sure to drop a link to your post below so I can stop by and check out your list. - Katie 

*Book Blogger Hop* Blogger Hiatuses

We are on to a new week for the Book Blogger Hop hosted by the lovely folks over at Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer. This weeks questions is: 

Have you ever wondered why a passionate book blogger might suddenly stop posting or delete their blog without notice? (submitted by Billy @ Coffee Addicted Writer)

I definitely have not ever wondered that, because I have been the blogger who did that. Just check my posting history on the right hand side there, and you'll see a couple years where it was basically crickets around here. And although 2020 falls right in the middle of it, I cannot blame Covid for my absence entirely. In fact, my disappearance really seems to have coincided with my promotion to General Manager at the ice cream store I used to work at, and my return came after I left that job. So if I even notice a blogger has kind of disappeared, I just assume life happened for them, like it happened for me. Because this is a hobby, but that doesn't mean it's not work. And if you're finding yourself overwhelmed with life, blogging is a thing that can fall by the wayside while you cope with everything else without there being serious negative consequences for that. It was the choice I made, and I can easily understand anyone else making the same choice. So no, I've never wondered why a blogger might stop posting with no notice. 

How about you? Have you ever noticed a blogger has disappeared without commenting on their own disappearance? Did you notice when I had disappeared? 

If you're stopping by from the linkup, please be sure to drop a link to your post so I can check out your full answer. - Katie 

*Top Ten Tuesday* Summer Freebie/Netgalley Request Roulette

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. Joood - Hooligan of Platypire reviews bossed me into doing this, so I guess this is a thing I do now. 

This week’s theme is a summer freebie, and if you've been here for a minute, you'll know that means that I'm playing another round of Netgalley Request Roulette, because I'm insane. If you're not familiar with Netgalley Request Roulette, it's a game I created that I play against myself, where I hop on Netgalley and find 10 books to request just to see how many I'll get approved for. I'm going to strive to make the focus this time books that look like good beach reads. Let's go. 

Title: Cupcakes and Kisses in Micklewick Bay

Author: Eliza J Scott

Publisher: Storm Publishing

Release Date: July 3, 2025

Genre: Romance

Request: Pending

Blurb

Every night, Jasmine Ingilby dreams of delicate sugar flowers and perfectly swirled buttercream. By day, she steals moments between her cleaning shifts to craft stunning cakes from her tiny kitchen, hoping to transform her passion into something more. But as a fiercely independent single mother of two, finding time to grow her fledgling business feels like reaching for the impossible.

Just when her hard work seems about to pay off, Jasmine’s carefully balanced world begins to crumble. Her landlord puts a ‘For Sale’ sign outside her rented home. Then a figure from her past returns to town, reopening old wounds Jasmine thought had long healed and causing trouble at school for her young children.

Then Max Grainger – her childhood best friend – unexpectedly returns to Micklewick Bay after twenty-five years away, and Jasmine is blindsided by the emotions his presence stirs. Now a successful businessman with a son of his own, Max seems determined to solve all her problems. But years of self-reliance have built walls around Jasmine's heart that even the sweetest gestures struggle to break through.
Will Jasmine's fear of getting burned again stop her from accepting help when she needs it most? Or will the loyal support of her friends help her discover the perfect recipe for love?

Amazon

Title: Third Time Lucky

Author: Aimee Brown

Publisher: Boldwood Books

Release Date: July 22, 2025

Genre: Romance

Request: Pending

Blurb

Could a blast from the past be the secret ingredient to their future?
Asher Wright has spent his career creating and concocting the perfect dishes and is about to open his very own restaurant. Life is good. His love life, however, is far from cooking! He hasn’t thought about Lucy Gray in years – not since they both graduated, reeling from the shocking loss of her then boyfriend and his best friend Kris, who tragically died at 18. So when he witnesses the breakdown of her wedding in all its humiliating glory - old wounds and long-buried emotions resurface.

As Lucy lands a right hook on her soon-to-be ex-fiancée in front of their entire wedding party, she has a moment of realization... Love is not on the menu for her! Fate, however, has other plans... A chance twist of events lands Asher as the private chef for Lucy’s spirited grandmother, Mitzi, and what begins as awkward encounters in Mitzi’s Portland mansion soon evolves into a simmering connection she never expected.

As Asher and Lucy work through their past they discover a bond that feels both familiar and excitingly new.

Amazon

Title: Chasing Perfect

Author: Victoria Jax

Publisher: Cranthorpe Millner Publishers

Release Date: June 24, 2025

Genre: Romance

Request: Pending

Blurb

Sometimes, chasing perfection leads to finding something even better.

Carefree and confident Sienna knows exactly what she wants and refuses to settle for less. She crafts a list of non-negotiables and sets out to find the perfect man through a calculated search.

Grumpy and stoic Liam has been unlucky in love, until a flirty DM from a stunning blonde upends his solitary world. Deciding to give the seductress a chance, he aims to show her off and bounce back after a painful heartbreak.

Sienna’s playful charm embodies everything Liam never knew he needed. Despite his reservations, her sunshine-like spirit slowly thaws his icy exterior. As their whirlwind summer romance ignites unexpected passion, truths come to light which threaten to destroy everything they’ve built together.

Amazon

Title: Inheriting the Cottage by the Loch

Author: Kennedy Kerr

Publisher: Bookouture

Release Date: June 26, 2025

Genre: Romance

Request: Approved

Blurb

The manor house overlooking Loch Cameron, with its sprawling garden of unruly blooms and tall wrought iron gates, has been uninhabited for as long as anyone in the village can remember. But an old lady hiding a family secret and a puzzling inheritance is about to bring two estranged sisters home again…

Catriona McGovern and her sister Bridget have never seen eye to eye since Catie left Loch Cameron years ago. So when they learn of a mysterious inheritance from a woman they have never met, Bridget and Catriona are stunned. The will states they must put aside their differences and live together in the beautiful, ivy-covered house overlooking the loch for at least one year.

Catie needs all the help she can get untangling historical property records and housekeeper diaries for the manor. The local laird’s wayward younger brother, Matt Cameron, is tasked with helping out: although surly Matt, newly returned to the Highlands under a cloud of his ownseems less than pleased. But spending time together at the old mansion, they soon bond over their love of old movies and Matt’s increasingly cheeky jokes.

But Castle View House is hiding more secrets than the sisters ever thought possible. And when a battered wall safe in the attic reveals a clue as to who left them the house and why, the sisters are pulled into a decades-old family mystery that could finally reunite them, or tear them apart for good…

Can Catie and Matt work together to see that there’s more to life than burn out in the big city, and that family is the most important treasure of all?

Amazon

Title: The Paradise Hook-Up

Author: Christy McKellen

Publisher: Boldwood Books

Release Date: July 11, 2025

Genre: Romance

Request: Pending

Blurb

Stuck in paradise with only one bed…

Dee Donovan is used to living up to her reputation as the ‘wild’ twin. She finally has an opportunity to prove everyone, especially her father wrong. She just needs her sister's business partner Jem to play along with her outrageous plan. Secure a business deal by faking it as her boyfriend in Greece. The catch? Jem and Dee are not that close. In fact, Dee can’t put her finger on it, but Jem seems to really dislike her!

However, it’s just for 24 hours. Until a storm blows in trapping them, alone in Paradise! With no way of getting home, they need something to do… why not confront their tensions head on? After all, they’ve been dancing around their chemistry for years now. But Jem has a secret – he’s not quite as experienced as Dee in this particular area!

So Dee promises to teach Jem everything she knows before they return. And it’s clear that her student is a very fast learner! And all too quickly, they start wishing the storm would hang around. Because neither want to think about what will happen when they have to return to reality…

Amazon

Title: Settling the Score

Author: Clare Connelly

Publisher: Boldwood Books

Release Date: July 24, 2025

Genre: Romance

Request: Pending

Blurb

Karma comes to those who wait…

Small town sweetheart, Sienna Mastrangelo has spent years dreaming of payback against her ex. Why should Aiden Carter—NHL superstar and global heartthrob—get to leave her behind while she picks up the pieces of the life he shattered? So when The Karma Club formed, it felt like fate had stepped in. Along with her new best friends they each had a chance to serve up some just desserts on the ex’s that wronged them. But when plans for Aiden’s comeuppance fall through, it’s time for Sienna to settle the score!

Now, with a gorgeous Italian island wedding as her playground, Sienna has one week to make Aiden fall hard, beg for a second chance… then dump him without a backward glance. Throw in a few pranks, some strategic seduction—easy, right? Except their chemistry is hotter than ever, and as the games heat up, so do the long-buried truths...keeping her heart locked away becomes a challenge like none other. But when it comes to this hockey god, there’s no way she’s handing over the key again, even if Karma does have some plans of its own.

Settling the Score is part of The Karma Club collection but can be read as a standalone.

Amazon

Title: The Sands of Sea Blue Beach

Author: Rachel Hauck

Publisher: Bethany House Publishers

Release Date: July 15, 2025

Genre: Romance

Request: Pending

Blurb

Can anything rekindle the summer love between former sweethearts facing old wounds and a divided town?

Emery Quinn finds herself at a crossroads between her career and complex family dynamics. Struggling to connect with her blended family and ready for a fresh start, Emery accepts the position of editor-in-chief at the Sea Blue Beach Gazette. Upon her return to the Sands Motor Motel, she is flooded with bittersweet memories of her late mother and past regrets from a long-ago summer.

Architect Caleb Ransom has returned home to Sea Blue Beach, a place filled with cherished memories and potential opportunities. He means to make a difference for his family and his hometown by caring for his troubled sister's son and preserving the history of the town as the leader of the new Main Street initiative. He certainly never expected to run into Emery Quinn, the girl who captured his heart sixteen summers ago.

As Emery and Caleb revive their friendship, they find themselves facing a bitterly divided town. Together, they navigate family challenges, professional setbacks, and a high-stakes royal visit to discover how forgiveness and love can reshape their hearts and their destiny.

Amazon

Title: Not My Greek Wedding

Author: Sue Roberts

Publisher: Bookouture

Release Date: June 19, 2025

Genre: Romance

Request: Approved

Blurb

She might not be the bride, but could this wedding be the start of her perfect future?

Mia is reeling from a breakup with her fiancé. And now her best friend Tasha is getting married on the beautiful Greek island of Santorini – where Mia once planned on having her own wedding.

Arriving at the resort, Mia’s breath catches at the sight of the sun-soaked terrace and vases overflowing with pink and white blooms. And with guests like local hunk, Christos, walking around like statues of Greek gods come to life, there’s even more to celebrate… so Mia promises to put her own heartache aside and make sure everything is perfect for Tasha – especially as she’s the Maid of Honour!

But with embarrassing speeches, champagne corks popping everywhere, and guests getting caught up in the energetic Greek dancing, there are too many problems to tackle alone. If she opens her heart, can Mia and Christos make sure the day runs smoothly, and could she even start her own new love story in Greece?

Amazon

Title: The Four Engagement Rings of Sybil Rain

Author: Hannah Brown

Publisher: Forever

Release Date: June 24, 2025

Genre: Romance

Request: Pending

Blurb

Starling Ranch Inn promises to be a tropical paradise, and Sybil can’t wait to escape there, all expenses paid. Well technically the expenses were paid—last year, when she was supposed to go to Hawaii for her honeymoon with her then-fiancé Jamie. But the wedding didn’t go as planned (or at all), and now she’s decided to use those hotel vouchers alone, before they expire.

Sybil’s expecting mai tais, med spas and me-time, so she nearly plunges backwards into the infinity pool when she sees that Jamie has had the same idea! His family business is thinking of buying the resort, so he’s here with a gorgeous, tangerine bikini-clad “colleague” to give the property a once-over.

Desperate to save face in front of the ex who broke her heart at the altar, Sybil accidentally-on-purpose blurts out that she’s here with her boyfriend. But what starts as a harmless lie to spare her dignity soon spirals into an ex-fiancé fiasco when Sebastian—the second of Sybil’s three failed engagements—pops by fresh off a photography gig. Seb’s always up for a good time, and happy to play along …sparking unexpected jealousy in Jamie. 

From snorkeling snafus to stunning vistas to staff parties at the beach, Sybil does her best to juggle two ex-fiancés, but it’s becoming clear that her past of broken promises must be reckoned with once and for all—including that first fiancé, Liam, the one she never talks about…

Is the notorious free-spirit, life-of-the-party, runaway bride Sybil Rain ready to heal from her three past engagements and make room in her heart for a fourth and final chance at love?

Amazon

Title: The Reluctant Flirt

Author: Jennifer Probst

Publisher: Blue Box Press

Release Date: July 15, 2025

Genre: Romance

Request: Approved

Blurb

Just one night…

After discovering her husband’s affair, Sierra Lourde flees to New York City for a little damage control—and a lot of wine. A tipsy night in a bar with a charming stranger seems like the perfect way to forget her troubles. No names, no promises, just one night to escape reality and regain her confidence. The next morning, mortified by her vulnerability, she flees without looking back. But who needs closure, right?

But one night changes everything…

Sierra has reinvented herself as the proud owner of Flirt, a trendy boutique in the Outer Banks. Life is good—until Kane Masterson, the man she left behind, walks back into town. And of course, he’s now the developer whose big new project threatens to bulldoze her beloved shop. Kane needs this deal to save his career, but Sierra’s not about to let him demolish her hard-won success.

With sparks flying, sarcastic jabs turning into lingering looks, and a family wedding forcing them into close quarters, Sierra and Kane find themselves tangled in a battle of wills—and hearts. But now he has to choose: reclaim his career or risk everything for a second chance with the one woman he can’t forget.

Amazon

So there we go. Ten beachy looking reads that I may or may not get approved for. How many of these books do you think I'll be approved to read? Do any of them catch your eye? What books are you planning on reading this summer?

If you're stopping by from the linkup, please be sure to drop a link to your post below so I can check out your summer freebie list. - Katie