#readforever

Who is ready for Summer?

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Thank you to @readforeverpub and @jhaleauthor for the copies of Summer at Firefly Beach and The House on Firefly Beach💜 I read Summer at Firefly Beach in one day friends! I got sucked into the story and could not put it down. I think it is my favorite book by her yet. Of course now I have to read The House on Firefly Beach, because who knows, I might like it even more. Both of these books are out now!

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Synopsis from the publisher: For Sydney Flynn, her treasured family home, Starlight Cottage, is her sanctuary. The house on the beach, surrounded by glittering turquoise waters, is the perfect place for her fresh start, piecing her life back together after it fell apart. That’s until her knees almost buckle at the sight of Nate Henderson. As teenagers, Sydney and Nate spent their summers whispering sweet nothings and promising “forever” to each other. Sydney never imagined that her childhood sweetheart was going to break her heart, driving away from her and Firefly Beach, never looking back. Now, when Sydney spots him at her sister’s wedding, their eyes meeting across the rows of guests, she barely recognizes him. The down-to-earth son of a fisherman, forever in beach t-shirts and flip flops, is replaced with a successful songwriter in a designer suit, a superstar in the country music scene. Yet despite everything, his dazzling blue eyes and easy smile stir up all the feelings she thought she’d left behind. Nate is back to make it up to Sydney, but can she forgive him for all the heartbreak he caused? And it’s not only about her – Sydney is a single mother to Robby, her whole world, and she won’t let just anyone into their lives. Can she trust that Nate has really changed? As if worrying about Nate wasn’t enough, a new development threatens Starlight Cottage, the safe haven that saved her when she had nothing else. Can Nate and Sydney overcome their past to save Firefly Beach and the house that holds so many memories for them? Or will the town they adore, and the love they have for one another, be lost forever?

Pub date - 4/21/26

*Family business / Mafia

*arranged marriage

*age gap

*found family

Daisy’s inner monologue was amusing at first but it grew old (and repetitive) quickly. I found this more inconsistent and lacking chemistry and spice.

This one wasn’t for me.

Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for the DRC

An Introvert’s Guide to Life and Love by Lauren Appelbaum

Pub date - 9/16/25

As an introvert with some serious social awkwardness myself, I found An Introvert’s Guide to Life and Love cozy and cute.

Reading this made me smile and had me missing my own wonderful grandpa.

Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for the DRC

Bad Luck Bride (Scandal at the Savoy, #3) by Laura Lee Guhrke

pub date - 7/29/25

A historical second chance romance that I adored.

There’s witty banter, longing, two MC’s who are both wonderful, and terrific side characters.

This was my first time reading the author (I haven’t read either of the other titles in this series but didn’t feel lost in my reading) and this was such a well written, fun story that I will definitely be reading more.

Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for the DRC

Our Dear Miss H. is on the Case by Violet Marsh 

Pub date - 3/25/25

The follow up story to Lady Charlotte Always Gets Her Man (which I also enjoyed), works as a stand alone but you’ll be missing out on some characters and backstories. 

Action, adventure, and mystery. Sweet and funny, Our Dear Miss H. is on the Case hits the mark as an enjoyable historical romance and mystery, with two MC’s who work well together. 

Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for the DRC

You Between the Lines by Katie Naymon Pub date - 2/18/25

Liked: 

*the premise - grabbed me instantly 

*the MMC 

*well written 

Issues: 

*”not like other girls” MFC 

*not all plot points are as fleshed out as I want in a book 

*repetitive 

*highly immature MFC

*lack of chemistry between the MC’s 

*sorry for going on about her but - intensely unlikable MFC (this ordinarily isn’t an issue but Leigh was insufferable) 

While I would definitely read the author again, this particular book was not for me (other readers seem to adore this one, so I think this was a case of me not being the right reader). 

Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for the DRC

Never Gamble Your Heart (Secret Society of Governess Spies, #2) by Lindsay Lovise

US pub date - 2/4/25

3.5 stars, 

As I wrote in my review for the first book of the series, Ms Louise very obviously enjoys romance novels and it shows in her writing, making for an entertaining and enjoyable read for readers who also enjoy romance. 

*I adored Frankie and thought she was a terrific MFC

*the connection between Frankie and Jasper is well written and there’s a lot of buildup, but I wouldn’t consider it a slow burn 

*though Frankie is in Jasper’s home as a “governess”, the mission seems secondary (it did to this reader, at any rate) 

*nicely paced 

My issues: 

*the way the characters spoke was off-putting and not what I was hoping for, given the time period 

*the mystery, its culmination, and resolution were executed in such a way that struck me as both implausible and oddly anticlimactic

**this was an ARC, so hopefully these will be corrected before the book is available but some of the spelling errors really bothered me - “baited breath” for example (I’ve seen this before and it wildly irks me each and every time 🤬)

Despite my issues, I did like this and look forward to the next title in the series. 

You’ll want to suspend your disbelief but this was a very fun read. 

Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for the DRC