Fall is just around the corner and while we do our best to enjoy the last little bit of summer, I have two book recommendations for you.
The first one is Stand In for Love by Michele Ashman Bell. This one takes place in New York City and this rom-com definitely has some Hallmark movie vibes. Britt and Carlos are getting married in two weeks, but they are unexpectedly called out of the country for a family emergency. Their two best friends, Sera and Axel, are going to have to finalize all the wedding plans while they are gone, but it’s not as easy as they all thought it would be. Mishap after misunderstanding sets everything up for disaster, but Sera is determined to fix it all, with or without Axel’s help. His fame and playboy reputation gives Sera good reason to keep her guard up, but as she gets to know him, everything isn’t as it seems. Can she trust what her heart is telling her?
This sweet romance is more like a comedy of errors. If anything can go wrong with this wedding, it will, and Sera and Axel are left scrambling to make their best friends’ wedding dreams come true. As they try to put out all the wedding fires that are piling up, they are both attempting to get past the first impressions they had of each other. The author gives our hero and heroine some really great opportunities for growth as they learn to lean on each other and truly see the other person. Readers also get to see a hidden, soft side to both Sera and Axel that stems from childhood experiences and how it made them want to serve others. The author has done a wonderful job of helping the reader feel as if they really are in New York, whether it’s the treasured monuments in the city or the stench in the subways, readers will experience it all. There are some very tender moments, an understated, yet memorable, secondary cast and a sweet journey to love that will leave readers with a smile.
Stand In for Love by Michele Ashman Bell, 274 pages, available in ebook or paperback.
My second recommendation is So True a Love by Joanna Barker. This exciting mystery romance will keep readers on the edge of their seats. Verity Travers had garnered success as a private investigator, but a life-altering case causes her to give up the profession she loves and to instead be the woman society expects her to be. That is, until she is at the theater with friends and they are the victims of an armed robbery. Instinct kicks in and Verity chases the robber, nearly catching him before running (literally!) into Nathaniel Denning a Bow Street Runner. Each of them uses their contacts and skills to find the thief, but soon realize that it might be better to work together. However, when personal and professional lines start to blur, the stakes get even higher.
Verity is a unique character in that she has natural investigative talents, is able to cultivate informants, and is very good at solving cases, especially with her drawing expertise. But in Regency England, a woman’s goal was to find an advantageous marriage, not run around chasing criminals. Her family has a bit of a checkered history and Verity carries a chip on her shoulder because of it. She is confident in so many areas of her life, but also has fears and insecurities that give her a depth and realness. Nathaniel is also drawn well as the hero. He appreciates Verity’s talents and doesn’t try to diminish her. He does try to keep her out of danger and that is practically a full-time job. There are some really beautiful conversations between the two about where they see life taking them and how that affects those around them. Readers will also enjoy Verity’s quirky family and Nathaniel’s solid upbringing and how hard he works to help others. When these two eventually give in to solve the mystery together instead of apart and the author combines that with all the delicious romantic tension, it makes this a book readers won’t be able to put down until the very last page.
So True a Love by Joanna Barker, published by Shadow Mountain Publishing, 364 pages, available in ebook, audiobook, and paperback.
After winning $10 in a second-grade writing contest, Julie Coulter Bellon knew she wanted to be a published author someday. That dream came true and she is now an award-winning author of thirty-two books. She is also a podcast host for Authors Off the Page and Book Chat with Julie.
