Kiss My Cupcake

 

Blaire Calloway has planned every Instagram-worthy moment of her cupcake and cocktails shop launch down to the tiniest detail. What she didn't plan on? Ronan Knight and his old-school sports bar next door opening on the very same day. He may be super swoony, but Blaire hasn't spent years obsessing over buttercream and bourbon to have him ruin her chance at success.

From axe throwing (his place) to frosting contests (hers), Blaire and Ronan are constantly trying to one-up each other in a battle to win new customers. But with every clash, there's also an undeniable chemistry. When an even bigger threat to their business comes to town, they're forced to call a temporary time-out on their own war and work together. And the more time Blaire spends getting to know the real Ronan, the more she wonders if it's possible to have her cupcake and eat it too.

As two neighborhood shop owners battle for business, they prove opposites attract in this outrageously funny romantic comedy from the USA Today bestselling author of Meet Cute. -excerpt from Goodreads.

Kiss My Cupcake by Helena Hunting portrays a strong female character that is capable without the help or support of her family, she does not let people climb over her head and is confident in her way of things. I would say the book starts off with good chemistry between the Blaire and Ronan. Although it started as a nemesis thing but eventually it turned into something meaningful. Their encounters and the swap in both point of views makes this more enjoyable as you get a taste of both side of the story. I would say this book is fairly creative for the author in thinking of events for the chapters. I absolutely love the different chapter titles, I think this is the author's signature in writing. You definitely get laughs from some of the social media postings as well as the clashes of the characters.

The Right Swipe

 

Rhiannon Hunter may have revolutionized romance in the digital world, but in real life she only swipes right on her career—and the occasional hookup. The cynical dating app creator controls her love life with a few key rules:

- Nude pics are by invitation only

- If someone stands you up, block them with extreme prejudice

- Protect your heart

Only there aren't any rules to govern her attraction to her newest match, former pro-football player Samson Lima. The sexy and seemingly sweet hunk woos her one magical night... and disappears.

Rhi thought she'd buried her hurt over Samson ghosting her, until he suddenly surfaces months later, still big, still beautiful—and in league with a business rival. He says he won't fumble their second chance, but she's wary. A temporary physical partnership is one thing, but a merger of hearts? Surely that’s too high a risk…- excerpt from Goodreads.

The Right Swipe by Alisha Rai is about a woman who lost confidence in love but perhaps by fate it's standing in front of her again. Rhi has something hidden about her past and as the story progresses more of it is revealed. Samson caught in a swirl of misunderstanding tries to fix it and hopefully will have a second chance again with Rhi. Written in dual perspective, the author has made sure that both characters have their personalities portrayed, their side of the story shared and of course their growth as well. As much I've liked the chemistry they both have, the story wouldn't have worked without great support characters as well. Those characters bring out different sides of Rhi and Samson.

Crashing The A-List

 

After four months of unemployment, former book editor Clara Montgomery is still stuck sleeping on her little brother’s ugly couch in Queens. Determined to keep her minuscule savings account intact, she takes a job clearing out abandoned storage units, but is in no way prepared for stumbling upon dead snakes or trying to identify exactly where the perpetual stench of beets is emanating from.

When Clara comes across a unit that was once owned by an escort service, she finds the brothel “résumé” of a younger Caspian Tiddleswich… an astonishingly famous British actor. Her best friend thinks she should sell the gossip to a tabloid to fund her way off the couch from hell, but Clara instead manages to track down Caspian’s contact info, intending to reassure him that her lips are sealed.

Unfortunately, Caspian misinterprets Clara’s attempt at altruism and shows up on her doorstep, accusing her of blackmail. When the paparazzi capture a photo of them together, Caspian’s PR team sees an opportunity to promote his latest film—and if Clara wants to atone for her “crimes,” she’ll have to play along. Pretending to be Caspian’s girlfriend seems like it will be a tolerable, if somewhat daunting, penance… until their fake romance becomes something more than either of them expected. - excerpt from Goodreads

Crashing the A-List from Summer Heacock is a fun and quirky rom-com book. It has really strong and lovable characters and a whole lot of banter. Clara is a sassy women who is sure of herself but caught in a rough situation, you'll see her confidence slowly dropping. Even though hard times are ahead, she has demonstrated much of her strengths and definitely boosted my motivation and outlook in life.  How her best friend compliments and encourages her is also a plus point in the book. Many a times, the dynamics of the duo will spark a lot of fun times, these ladies are lucky to have each other.  

The Good Luck Charm

 

Is it love, or is she just his good luck charm? New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Helena Hunting absolutely delights with this witty and fun standalone contemporary romance.

Lilah isn't sure what hurt worse: the day Ethan left her to focus on his hockey career, or the day he came back eight years later. He might think they can pick up just where they left off, but she's no longer that same girl and never wants to be again.

Ethan Kane wants his glory days back. And that includes having Lilah by his side. With her, he was magic. They were magic. All he has to do is make her see that.

Just when Lilah might finally be ready to let him in, though, she finds out their reunion has nothing to do with her and everything to do with his game. But Ethan's already lost her once, and even if it costs him his career, he'll do anything to keep from losing her again. - excerpt from Goodreads

The Good Luck Charm by Helena Hunting is a sexy romance book with dual perspective but more on the female's side. I greatly enjoyed how two people who lost in touch, meet again and tries to rebuild the relationship. Although Lilah was hurt badly, it's good to see her give chance and open up her heart again. As for Ethan, reading about his growth in the book made it a motivating factor to keep reading. Together they are fun to read, on their own it propels the story forward. As for the side characters, their interactions with the main characters often creates a realisation for them and also a change of attitude. 

After reading so many rom coms, I would say this is slightly above average. The plot and timeline is not complicated, it runs smoothly and the twists and turns keep your attention in check. I did not feel that this book was boring at any point, but it isn't way to exciting as well. This was not a particularly long read, and things just happens in a couple of months time. 

In summary, you get a quick sexy read which probably takes one weekend to complete. You're bound to have a great time and feel good after this. Romance books are a good pick me up, they never fail to entertain me. I would definitely keep reading books from this author, so far so good and I can't wait to get her latest soon.

The Hating Game

 

Nemesis (n.) 1) An opponent or rival whom a person cannot best or overcome.

2) A person’s undoing

3) Joshua Templeman

Lucy Hutton has always been certain that the nice girl can get the corner office. She’s charming and accommodating and prides herself on being loved by everyone at Bexley & Gamin. Everyone except for coldly efficient, impeccably attired, physically intimidating Joshua Templeman. And the feeling is mutual.

Trapped in a shared office together 40 (OK, 50 or 60) hours a week, they’ve become entrenched in an addictive, ridiculous never-ending game of one-upmanship. There’s the Staring Game. The Mirror Game. The HR Game. Lucy can’t let Joshua beat her at anything—especially when a huge new promotion goes up for the taking.

If Lucy wins this game, she’ll be Joshua’s boss. If she loses, she’ll resign. So why is she suddenly having steamy dreams about Joshua, and dressing for work like she’s got a hot date? After a perfectly innocent elevator ride ends with an earth-shattering kiss, Lucy starts to wonder whether she’s got Joshua Templeman all wrong.

Maybe Lucy Hutton doesn’t hate Joshua Templeman. And maybe, he doesn’t hate her either. Or maybe this is just another game.  - excerpt from Goodreads.

The Hating Game by Sally Thorne is a romcom that catches you by surprise. It's funny, heartwarming and super duper cutesy. We follow our lead female character's perspective that revolves around her job and her colleague who sits across her. It is only the two of them, fighting/competing in an office war that only seems to be just between themselves. Reading her perspectives and her thoughts, you can tell her personalities shines through, as well as her flaws. Throughout the book, you'll often find yourself shaking your head because of her silliness and delusional behaviour. Although it can be toxic, but it's also those thoughts that drives her actions and making it all way too cute.

American Panda

At seventeen, Mei should be in high school, but skipping fourth grade was part of her parents' master plan. Now a freshman at MIT, she is on track to fulfill the rest of this predetermined future: become a doctor, marry a preapproved Taiwanese Ivy Leaguer, produce a litter of babies.

With everything her parents have sacrificed to make her cushy life a reality, Mei can't bring herself to tell them the truth--that she (1) hates germs, (2) falls asleep in biology lectures, and (3) has a crush on her classmate Darren Takahashi, who is decidedly not Taiwanese.

But when Mei reconnects with her brother, Xing, who is estranged from the family for dating the wrong woman, Mei starts to wonder if all the secrets are truly worth it. Can she find a way to be herself, whoever that is, before her web of lies unravels? - excerpt from Goodreads.

American Panda from Gloria Chao is about growing up too fast and trying to stand up for your dreams. Centered around an American born Asian girl whose parents immigrated from Taiwan, this story is definitely one of its kind in the YA world. I was really happy when I finished this because the author is able to convey a different perspective for other readers who are of different race and backgrounds. Although I'm not an American, I still manage to relate to the character, perhaps it has to do with being Asian. Of course there are many different circumstances when it comes to our rights and situations but the some of the values of a Chinese are always the same, no matter where you are at.

Mei and her family is quite the typical Asian family and whatever stereotypes of Chinese that you can think of, straight A student, must achieve to study and graduate in the medical field, and not believing in the creative arts (because it won't make you money). Through the interactions of Mei with her family, there are often mandarin words or idioms used to describe a situation and I love this part of the book so much, because I know that some expressions are so much easier to express in your own mother tongue. These words also project the expectations and personalities of Mei and her family. 

Prince Charming

Meet Daisy Winters. She's an offbeat sixteen-year-old Floridian with mermaid-red hair, a part time job at a bootleg Walmart, and a perfect older sister who's nearly engaged to the Crown Prince of Scotland. Daisy has no desire to live in the spotlight, but relentless tabloid attention forces her join Ellie at the relative seclusion of the castle across the pond.

While the dashing young Miles has been appointed to teach Daisy the ropes of being regal, the prince's roguish younger brother kicks up scandal wherever he goes, and tries his best to take Daisy along for the ride. The crown--and the intriguing Miles--might be trying to make Daisy into a lady . . . but Daisy may just rewrite the royal rulebook to suit herself. - excerpt from Goodreads

Prince Charming by Rachel Hawkins which was previously titled Royals is a fun summer adventure that happened unexpectedly to a sixteen year old. This was definitely a sweet and fun read as the book is only 296 pages long. I love the characters because you'll get to learn their struggles and experience their growth. How Daisy feels is justifiable as the younger sister and it was such an eye opener for me as the eldest in the family. As for the male character, although the point of view is not his own but you can analyse his behaviour and understand where he comes from. They are not your typical teenagers given the circumstances of their lives, especially for Daisy who is suddenly thrown into the limelight albeit wanting to be unnoticed because of her sister's status. As for the supporting characters, all of them are unique and always bringing out a different side of the heroine and the love interest. I certainly enjoyed Daisy's reaction to those characters.

The plot is simple but unpredictable because who really knows how royal lives are suppose to be, hence making it exciting to read about Daisy's adventure in Scotland. There is nothing overly dramatic about their day to day activities but the author manages to hold on to your attention with tiny surprises here and there. Rachel Hawkins excels in writing stories that are quick page turners that are delightful. Although you might feel that some timeline happened too quickly and you wished there was more to it but spending time writing on side characters might be too draggy and the attention of readers will be gone. By reviewing more I fear that it will be spoilers, so get ready to laugh, swoon a bit and dream a little to the charms of a royal life. I recommend this as a quick summer read, you can definitely finish it in one sitting.

Tweet Cute

A fresh, irresistible rom-com from debut author Emma Lord about the chances we take, the paths life can lead us on, and how love can be found in the opposite place you expected.

Meet Pepper, swim team captain, chronic overachiever, and all-around perfectionist. Her family may be falling apart, but their massive fast-food chain is booming ― mainly thanks to Pepper, who is barely managing to juggle real life while secretly running Big League Burger’s massive Twitter account.

Enter Jack, class clown and constant thorn in Pepper’s side. When he isn’t trying to duck out of his obscenely popular twin’s shadow, he’s busy working in his family’s deli. His relationship with the business that holds his future might be love/hate, but when Big League Burger steals his grandma’s iconic grilled cheese recipe, he’ll do whatever it takes to take them down, one tweet at a time.

All’s fair in love and cheese ― that is, until Pepper and Jack’s spat turns into a viral Twitter war. Little do they know, while they’re publicly duking it out with snarky memes and retweet battles, they’re also falling for each other in real life ― on an anonymous chat app Jack built.

As their relationship deepens and their online shenanigans escalate ― people on the internet are shipping them?? ― their battle gets more and more personal, until even these two rivals can’t ignore they were destined for the most unexpected, awkward, all-the-feels romance that neither of them expected. - excerpt from Goodreads.

Tweet Cute by Emma Lord is about two teenagers that is caught up in the twitter war and little did they know there's more to it at stake than they realise. I like how the story centers around our current digital age, even though I'm not caught up with the Twitter jargons or memes , anything related to the current social media norm, I was not lost in the book. The social media is a unique touch to the story, an aspect that helps bring out a side of the characters. The POV is between Pepper and Jack which is always a fun bit in a rom com setting, both individual have really different struggles that stems from the twitter war. Their actions varies when interacting with others and I love how they slowly grow in family relationships and also discovering a path for their lives. I love it when they interact with each other, it's the motivation for me to keep reading on. Supporting characters kinda influences their reactions and decisions because in a teenager's life, peer pressure is the strongest as well as competition.