Short reviews

I didn't realise it had been a while since I had done any reviews. And now suddenly here we are - five books behind. Well. Here I am. You all shouldn't have to suffer because of my laziness.

Speaking of which, these are going to be very very short reviews. Highlight reels, even. But then at least I'll be caught up.

First up is Dance Off by Ariel Tachna and Nessa L. Warin. It's an M/M romance novel, set during a reality dancing show - think Dancing with the Stars. Professional rugby player Olivier and Olympic

swimmer JC are both competitors. Soon, though, they're doing more than just cutting a dashing rug. Dance Off is sweet, undemanding and the developing relationship between the two men is shown really well - not too fast, but not so slow that you want to shout JUST KISS. There's little angst, and it's a really pleasant way to pass a few hours.




Next is Foreign Affairs by Patricia Scanlan. I picked up the free ebook a few weeks ago and honestly didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I did. It's not the kind of novel I read very often, but it made for a pleasant change of pace. The book follows four friends - Paula, Jennifer, Brenda and Rachel through different stages of their lives. It opens with the four of them waiting to go on a Greek holiday together, and they're all bringing different kinds of baggage. The novel then travels backwards and traces how each women came to be there. It was an oddly cosy read somehow, and I enjoyed dropping in on the women in the different stages outlined in the book.

Third in this highlights reel is How to Repair a Mechanical Heart, by J. C. Lillis. And it's absolutely delightful. Another M/M romance, but this time it deals with first love, and pining and also road trip. Add in found family and honestly JC Lillis can have my axe. A sweet, sweet story, with some teenage-relatable angst thrown in, but not so much that you get impatient with the characters. Friends and sci-fi show Castaway Planet fans Brendon and Abel set out for a series of Castaway Planet conventions, their sights set firmly on the fangirls who ship two of the characters in the show. Not so simple - Brendon and Abel's feelings. As they travel from con to con with Brendon's best friend Nat, feelings surface and shenanigans happen and EVERYTHING IS GREAT.

 


Next up is What Would Mary Berry Do? by Claire Sandy.
 A sweet (sorry) novel about family, changes, baking and love, it's an easy and fun read with a great main character. Marie Dunwoody has
a husband she loves, three great kids and an equally great life. However, when she compares herself to her seemingly perfect neighbour Lucy, Marie feels somewhat lacking. A chance purchase of a cookbook by Mary Berry at a school fair changes pretty much everything. Marie is relatable, and her family is well-rounded as well. Lucy, the perfect neighbour, doesn't have everything as great as Marie thinks, and when the two women find common ground, both their lives change. So fun.




Okay, four books. The last book I finished was Return of the King and Lord of the Rings is the book series of my heart, so I'm not going to review it because it's my heart. :)