Book Review and GIVEAWAY: My Favorite Holidate, by Lauren Blakely {ends 5/3}

Guest review by: Becki Bayley

Fable

Is there a handbook somewhere for fake dating? If so, I could use it right now as I slide on red-and-white-striped tights under my little green elf dress on Thursday afternoon. I’m in the ladies’ room on my floor, getting ready to hand out corporate Christmas gifts with Wilder.

It’s the first time I’ll have seen him since I learned exactly how good he is with his hands. A blast of heat rushes through me. I could barely get that first office kiss out of my head, not to mention the mistletoe kiss, and now the session on his desk has claimed a permanent spot in my brain.

But I’ve got a job to do before the Blaine Enterprises holiday break begins tomorrow. I cinch the black belt at my waist, smooth a hand over the flouncy green skirt, then adjust my elf hat. No elf ears for me, though. A woman has her limits.

Fable’s Thanksgiving does not go as planned, but she’s determined to have a better Christmas, especially since it will include her beloved sister’s wedding. Wilder is happy to help.

Official synopsis:

Wanted: hot billionaire to pose as my Christmas boyfriend. Must be willing to make my cheating ex jealous by kissing me under the mistletoe at holiday parties. Bonus if you make him cry.

To my surprise my billionaire boss is more than up for the challenge of coming down the chimney as my holiday boyfriend. The sexy single dad desperately needs a plus one at a Christmas Eve wedding, where he’s the best man and I’m the maid of honor.

And since my ex is in the wedding party too, my boss and I team up as a pair of insta-lovebirds for the holiday season, including during the annual week-long Christmas competition leading up to the snowy destination wedding.

But soon staying up late to string the best popcorn balls ever turns into a scorching night in his arms where the chestnuts aren’t the only thing roasting on the open fire.

Can all these winter wonderland nights seeking revenge turn into the real thing when we return to the office? Or are we destined to go the way of a Christmas tree on New Year’s?

Fable and Wilder were both pretty cool characters. Wilder runs Blaine Enterprises as a single dad, and Fable is the marketing head for the football team that Blain Enterprises owns. So actually dating seems like a bad idea, but Wilder is a stand-up guy, so he’s more than willing to step in and show Fable how a woman should be treated, after her previous boyfriend cheats at an event they’ve all attended together.

The holiday weekend when Fable’s sister is getting married is not only the test of their acting like boyfriend and girlfriend around all of their close friends and family, it’s also the official last time they’ll need to do so. After the holidays, the pressure is off and they can stage an amicable break up to continue working together.

The ending really wasn’t surprising, but the book was still an amusing read. It was a little steamy, with fun characters. The book earned 3 out of 5 stars and would be recommended to those who like light and cozy romance reads.

{click here to purchase via my Amazon Affiliates link - currently FREE for Kindle Unlimited members!}

Becki Bayley is a wife and mother who enjoys reading, theatre, and 80s movies. See what else she’s doing with her time on her blog, SweetlyBSquared.com.

GIVEAWAY:

One of my lucky readers will win a copy of My Favorite Holidate!

Enter via the widget below. Giveaway will end on Sunday, May 3, at 11:59pm EST, and winner will be contacted May 4 or May 5 via email, and have 24 hours to respond, or an altenate winner will be chosen.

U.S. residents only, please.

Good luck!

My Favorite Holidate, by Lauren Blakely

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Book Review and GIVEAWAY: Motor City Love Song, by Lisa Peers {ends 4/11}

Guest review by: Becki Bayley

June 1, 2023

Jace was nursing a pint in the Cornucopia brew pub on Canfield, watching the front entrance for Jerome to arrive.

According to Livvy’s research, Jerome’s career had taken off after Cut to the Chorus premiered. He had become a noted concert videographer over the past decade and was the host of a reputable podcast about Detroit’s indie and garage history. Given that he’d filmed many of the heavy hitters Jace hoped to book for the September show, he was in a position to put in a good word. Plus, he might have a lead on Paloma’s current location, which Jace desperately needed since Dustin had yet to respond to any of her emails. Jace agreed it was worth buying the guy a beer and swallowing her lingering distaste long enough to pump him for information.

Jace and Paloma had a love story that felt magical and invincible. What could have happened to make Paloma disappear from it all?

Official synopsis:

After all this time, can love still strike a chord?

Detroit, 1997. At the Artemis Club, Paloma is chasing rock-and-roll stardom, with her girlfriend and manager Jace committed to making her a worldwide indie sensation. But when Paloma suddenly disappears from the public eye in 2001, Jace is left to pick up the pieces.

Two decades later, Jace learns The Artemis Club is in trouble. Saving it will mean tracking down Paloma, whose early-career hit just went viral. Paloma has her reasons for not wanting to be found, and Jace isn’t eager to reopen old wounds. Still, each keeps measuring her life against the love she lost. With the Artemis Club’s fate at stake, Jace and Paloma are pulled back into the scene they once ruled ... and back toward each other.

Told in two voices, this sapphic salute to Detroit’s garage-band era shows that sometimes the truth is the most powerful love song of all.

At the very beginning, Jace might not even know she wants to be a manager, but she knows Paloma is great, and wants to help her get all the accolades she deserves, while spending as much time with her as possible. These goals start their business and personal relationships on their way. 

The pressures of a successful business are a lot for Paloma, but Jace handles it all seamlessly with a goal for Paloma to have no idea how much goes into managing her career. It seems to work for them for quite a while. Paloma talks about eventually leaving the spotlight so they can settle down and have a "normal" domestic life, and Jace assures her there’s plenty of time for that.

When Paloma unexpectedly leaves, Jace’s character matures, and she evolves to succeed at new plans. Her determination to have moved on convinces her that Paloma is just a story from her past. When the club where she first started Paloma’s career is facing financial ruin, Jace needs to work through her stubbornness to try and find Paloma and convince her to face the public again, to help those who were so important in her life decades ago.

The story alternated between Jace’s and Paloma’s viewpoint, and between their original relationship and where they found themselves 20 years later. The Detroit setting was definitely familiar for those who have been in the area, and added an extra layer of depth to the stories. 

The book was engaging and well-paced, and earned 4 out of 5 stars. The comparison of their LGBTQ relationship they somewhat hid in the 1990s, until it was less of an issue as they discussed it in 2023, was interesting. The subjects of the music industry and found family were a positive outcome from Paloma’s traumatic childhood. Those who enjoy strong and unique female characters succeeding in non-traditional roles will like this book. 

{click here to purchase via my Amazon Affiliates link}

Becki Bayley is a wife and mother who enjoys seeing the enthusiasm of her family engaging in the activities they’re passionate about. Check it out on Instagram, where she posts as SweetlyBSquared.

GIVEAWAY:

One of my lucky readers will win a copy of Motor City Love Song!

Enter via the widget below. Giveaway will end on Saturday, March 11, at 11:59pm EST, and winner will be chosen the next day and notified via email, and have 24 hours to respond, or an alternate winner will be chosen.

U.S. residents only, please.

Good luck!

Motor City Love Song, by Lisa Peers

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