The Trouble with Faking – Rachel Morgan

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I am telling you this series is giving me so many feelings and just confirmed to myself that this is my genre, this is what I love to read.

I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This one follows Andi, she has longed for the boy next door, Damien, since she was 10. Andi moves to Cape Town to attend UCT, almost immediately there is a twist to the book as Charlotte, Damien’s girlfriend, suspects that he is cheating on her with Andi. After Charlotte breaks up with Damien, he and Andi decide to continue the façade, ‘to make the people they really like jealous.’

Andi is pretending she likes someone else, even though she is in love with Damien, Damien is in love with someone else and pretending to be in a relationship with Andi, and the game just gets interesting from there.

There were so many twists and turns in this book, that when the end happened, I couldn’t help but giggle because I had it so wrong.

I would definitely recommend this series to any contemporary romance fans, and of course, there is the added bonus that it is set around a location I have actually been, and I could nostalgically dream back to that  wonderful holiday.  The other thing I really enjoyed was the fact that Andi is a Booktuber and has an Etsy shop. I am a big fan of Booktubers.

The Trouble novels are stand-alone novels that can be read in any order, but each contains mild spoilers for any previous books in the Trouble series. I have now also seen that the author is considering publishing these under a pen name to set them apart from her fantasy novels. So if you can’t find it under Rachel Morgan, you might get it under Rochelle Morgan.

Catch Me a Cowboy - Jacquie Underdown

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I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

What a quick and easy read, I knew it had to do with a cowboy but was pleasantly surprised when it was an Australian cowboy.

Emily Wolfe is a real estate to the elite who is tired of going through the same old dates with the same results, she then competes in a reality TV show for the heart of the cowboy. Will Parker is a sexy, rugged farmer whose heart has been broken before.

The characters were extremely likeable, Emily made me laugh on so many occasions. This was one of those books that once you pick it up, you can’t put it down. Towards the end, I was sobbing and just wanted to fix everything for Emily and Will. Truly a wonderful story.

Just a word of warning, this is probably not a book for under-aged readers, as there are some language and sexual content.

The Trouble with Flirting – Rachel Morgan

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I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book immensely, the writing emerged you into this world, and after visiting Cape Town last December I was very nostalgic about the scenes set out in front of me.

This one follows Livi, after being labelled a nerd at high school she is determined to shed this persona when she leaves for university. But nothing is as simple as it seems and through everything, Livi learns that being in the in-crowd isn’t everything it’s cracked up to be.

Livi did work on my nerves at times, maybe because I am a nerd and can’t imagine one day going without reading, or having to put up such a front to proof you aren’t one. All the nerdy references had me giggling.

I flew through this book as it was a very quick read. Would definitely recommend this one. 

Saving Sara - Nicola Marsh

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I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

It is very easy to give an honest review when the book is beautifully written and you can’t put it down. The characters pull you in and you share their heartaches with them.

It follows Sara Hardy who moves to Redemption after inheriting a cottage from her grandmother, this is her new beginning after what happened to her in the past. Sara never thought that she would start over. Introducing Jake Mathieson has a lot on his plate, dealing with his own demons, he unexpectedly has to care for his 6-year-old nephew.

All these stories intertwine with each other and comes together tied in a neat bow.

It did take me a while to get into it, the story does take a while to kick off, but once it does, it hits it out of the park.

The Trouble with Flying – Rachel Morgan

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I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I flew through this one, it was short, witty and blew me away. The characters were lovable and to me Sarah was relatable.

It follows Sarah, a nineteen-year-old introvert who boards a plane to fly back home after her overseas holiday, on the flight, she meets Aiden, the guy who sits next to her, Sarah goes outside of her comfort zone and spend the flight talking to Aiden for hours.

I enjoyed the twist in the story, Rachel Morgan had me gasping, chuckling at the witty banter between the characters, and doing a quick stop at our local shop as I was craving Zoo Biscuits like there was no tomorrow.

Definitely a great read and will be diving into the rest of the series ASAP.

Dream Girls: Nicole – Carrie Thomas

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I received an ARC from Netgalley for review.

I didn’t realise this was the third book of the series, but it did read like a standalone which was a plus.

It follows Nicole Garett, a self-proclaimed nerd, whose future is planned out to the last second. She has had a crush on Corey Tate, and after a New Years party, he proclaims his love for her. The two of them hit it off, but Corey’s jealousy and Nicole’s doubting Corey’s loyalty leads to a very interesting story.

I enjoyed the characters, Corey’s self-doubt did work on my nerve’s but it worked for the story. The only thing I really had a problem with was that the end felt really rushed. Otherwise it was a very enjoyable read, but I don't think that I will read the first two books in the series

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child – J.K. Rowling, John Tiffany, Jack Thorne

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This brought back so much nostalgia! My teenage years cuddled up with the latest Harry Potter, my sister and I fighting over the copy and giving in that if we read it aloud that both can experience the story at once. Made me really miss her this time around.

Some of our favourite characters are back, there were a couple of heart-wrenching moments, where I couldn’t help but swear at J.K. for putting us through this once again.

You get to experience Harry Potter’s trials and emotions one more time, and it sure doesn’t disappoint.

I can imagine that this is an amazing play, and I hope that we get to see it somehow one day.

A Man Called Ove - Fredrik Backman

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This one hit me right in the feels. I adored this story, the writing was captivating, the story pulled me in from the beginning.

“Meet Ove. He’s a curmudgeon—the kind of man who points at people he dislikes as if they were burglars caught outside his bedroom window. He has staunch principles, strict routines, and a short fuse. People call him “the bitter neighbour from hell.” But must Ove be bitter just because he doesn’t walk around with a smile plastered on his face all the time?”

As with everything in life, there is more than meets the eye. Ove has a lot of issues, and you get to know his back story piece by piece, and those pieces just gives you a punch in the gut. The story of Ove and how he slowly but surely thaws around his neighbours is so enduring.

It is definitely a feel-good story, with an ending that makes you reach for tissues and chocolates, and if I was the wine drinking kind of person, I would down a whole bottle.

This is going to make my top Five for the year, and will pull more of Frederik Backman's book closer