Review: Best Mistake Ever by Christy McKellen*

*I received a copy of this book in eBook format via NetGalley in return for this review. All reviews published on Yours, Chloe are completely honest and my own, and are in now way influenced by the gifting opportunity. This review is being posted as part of the Best Mistake Ever blog tour hosted by Rachel's Random Resources.

Title: Best Mistake Ever
Author: Christy McKellen
Genre: Romance

Trigger warnings:  Alcohol Abuse, Brief References To Past Drug Abuse

Rating: ★★★★

Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️ (Open Door)   

Some mistakes are worth making

Beatrice Donovan would do anything for her identical twin sister. Including stepping into her hotel management job temporarily and pretending to be her - she’s desperate. What could go wrong? A lot apparently! Because her sister Delilah has hugely understated her role – the hotel is at risk of closure and she’s promised she can turn it around. Now Bea has to find a way to fly under the radar, get the job done before anyone notices their switch up.

Sounds easy, all Bea has to do is avoid her temporary new boss Jonah. However, that’s a lot harder than she thought. Not only does he have impossibly high standards, he’s also out of this world gorgeous, an ex-rockstar with a chip on his shoulder and he's watching her like a hawk! So Bea uses her charm to keep him focussed on the job and not her. But by trying to put up boundaries and keep things professional, Bea finds herself seeing the real man beneath the grumpy façade. Yet with so much at stake, she knows she shouldn’t fall for her sister’s boss…but then again, it may just be the best unintentional mistake she’s ever made!

Best Mistake Ever is the latest sweet and sexy romance from author Christy McKellen. This is a quick and easy read which fans of the mistaken identity trope and a good workplace romance will absolutely love. Add in a grumpy x sunshine dynamic, lovely spring vibes and a sprinkle of spice and you have Best Mistake Ever.

This was my first time reading anything from Christy McKellen but I quickly sank into her easy-to-read writing style and read the book in a single sitting. Our story is told through a dual POV narrative and I loved the way this allowed us to get to know both Bea and Jonah on a deeper level.

The setting of the country hotel was really cute and worked well in the story. I particularly loved the quirky festival and the way it started to really bring Bea and Jonah together.

Bea is our FMC and I warmed to her immediately, she was the type of protagonist I just want to be friends with. Bea really comes into her own over the course of the story, really finding her purpose whilst working at the hotel, which was brilliant to see.

Our MMC is Jonah, a grumpy retired rockstar turned hotelier. I loved the character growth that Jonah had over the course of the story, even if it did require a kick in the right direction from both Bea and Delilah. The way he talked about Bea in his POV chapters made me beam from ear to ear, he was such a sweetheart.

The little hints towards Delilah’s story definitely intrigued me and made me wonder if we can expect to see another book following her in an overlapping timeline to this one. I know I’d definitely like to see it!

This is a very fast burn story, with their relationship blossoming over the course of a matter of weeks, but there was still a good amount of relationship building scenes. Bea and Jonah had great chemistry and brilliant banter. We did have a sprinkling of spice here and there and one full open-door scene which was well written and fitted well within the story.

Overall, this is a really cute feel-good romance which is packed full of charisma and a blend of some much-loved tropes. It’s perfect if you’re looking for an easy read you can devour over a spring weekend.

Review: You or Someone Like You by Winter Renshaw*

*I received a copy of this book in eBook format via NetGalley in return for this review. All reviews published on Yours, Chloe are completely honest and my own, and are in now way influenced by the gifting opportunity.

Title: You Or Someone Like You
Author: Winter Renshaw
Genre: Romance

Trigger warnings:  Death Of A Spouse, References To A Hit And Run

Rating: ★★★★★

Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️ (Open Door)   

Being an identical twin has its perks, but when my sister asked me to sub in for a date with Roman Bellisario, I wasn’t exactly thrilled. Sure, he’s sinfully handsome and successful, but he also got me fired from my dream job three years ago.

This time, my sister’s promotion is riding on this date, so I have to say yes. And as it turns out, we’re strangely perfect for each other. I sell art. He collects it. We’re both obsessed with the same obscure, mysterious artist that most people don’t even know exists.

Roman is guarded, though, and I can understand why. He’s a widowed single dad. But as one date leads to another, he starts to let me in, and I can’t help but fall for him.

The problem is Roman still thinks I’m my sister. Is our twin swap going to be the best thing that ever happened to me and Roman—or the lie that tears us apart?

You Or Someone Like You is a contemporary romance from bestselling author Winter Renshaw. This was my first time reading anything from this author and this book had been on my TBR for a long time but I was very quickly captivated by her writing and the story which ultimately ended up being one of my favourite reads of the year so far. The narrative was well-paced and so compelling that I read it in a single sitting.

Sloane was a fantastic protagonist with a big heart and kind soul. How she was so patient with her sister I’ll never know, her calm temperament was admirable. Roman was a fantastic MMC who I quickly fell in love with. His character had so many layers to it which were gradually revealed over the course of the book, as he starts off really grumpy and gradually starts to soften as he falls first and harder for Sloane. He’s a devoted single dad to two daughters (who doesn’t love a girl dad?!) and his love for both them and his late wife shines through his character and everything he does in the book which was a truly beautiful read. The most powerful aspect of the book was Roman navigating trying to make sense of the fact he is developing romantic feelings for someone for the first time since the passing of his late wife. He gradually allows himself to love again and that was beautiful. Reading the author’s afterword brought tears to my eyes as she explains the message behind the book. She wanted anyone who has ever loved and lost – but particularly her own brother – to know that “loving someone new doesn’t mean you love the one you lost any less”.

Their relationship was built at a really good pace, with their connection growing stronger and stronger over the course of the story and them bonding over a shared passion for art. One of my favourite aspects to the story was how mature both Roman and Sloane were, which was a breath of fresh air to see from characters in a romance book. Roman’s eventual realisation about the reality of the fake identity plot was mature and it made the (spoiler alert) third act breakup bearable, even to someone who hates third act breakups with a sweet passion. The eventual spicy scenes were well written and felt realistic.

In terms of supporting characters, Margaux (the real one) was grating to say the least but her selfishness was really well written.

Overall, You Or Someone Like You is a compelling, powerful and heartwarming romance novel exploring learning to love again after loss and finding connections in the most surprising places. It is the first romance in a while which has really hit me right in the feels and is going to stay with me for some time.

Review: Fake It 'til You Make It by Laura Carter*

 *I received a copy of this book in eBook format via NetGalley in return for this review. All reviews published on Yours, Chloe are completely honest and my own, and are in now way influenced by the gifting opportunity. This review is being posted as part of the Fake It 'til You Make It blog tour hosted by Rachel's Random Resources.

Title: Fake It 'til You Make It
Author: Laura Carter
Genre: Romance

Trigger warnings:  Cheating/Affair/Infidelity

Rating: ★★★★   

Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️ (Closed Door) 

Can a fake date fix everything?

On a day Abbey thought would be the best of her life – her boyfriend is surely going to propose tonight, right? – it all falls apart: he tells her he’s met someone else. And then to make things worse, she loses her job.

In an act of reimagination, she splurges her wedding savings on renting an apartment in a building she’s always dreamed of living in and kits out her wardrobe to match.

But when her family invites her ex – a close family friend – plus a date(!!) to her parents’ vow renewal, Abbey realizes her façade won’t be enough. There’s nothing for it but to fake one more thing – a romance. And she knows exactly who to ask... her hot new neighbor...

A laugh-out-loud fake-dating rom com, with a chemistry you’ll be thinking about long after turning the last page. Perfect for fans of The Hating Game and Elena Armas

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Fake It ‘til You Make It is the latest rom com from romance author Laura Carter. Fans of fake dating, mistaken/hidden identity and a good slow burn romance, this is the book for you! Add in a geeky cinnamon roll hero, a dual POV narrative and a family vow renewal and you’ve got Fake It ‘til You Make It, the perfect feel-good Spring romance read.

This was my first time reading anything from Laura Carter (although some of her other books have been on my TBR for a while!) and as a fake dating girlie through and through I was instantly hooked by the plot, particularly as the fake dating was partially to spite a cheating ex. Fellow fans of a good slow burn romance will also absolutely love this because this is a true extreme slow burn where, despite lots of almost-kisses, it takes them until the last 25% of the book to actually admit their feelings.

Our story is told through a present-tense, first-person dual-POV narrative, told by both Abbey and Ted. The dual-POV aspect worked so well within the story, as did the first-person narrative as it gave us a peek into Abbey and Ted’s inner thoughts. This was particularly impactful as the novel really focuses on the idea of you not needing to change yourself in order to be loved and although both Ted and Abbey initially feel the need to reinvent themselves in order to find a partner, through their inner monologues we got to gradually see them find their self confidence and learn to love their true selves.

On top of the fake dating plot, mistaken identity and miscommunication play a key role in the story as Abbey mistakes Ted for his professional athlete brother Mike and he then just doesn’t correct her and continues to dig himself a deeper mistaken identity hole. Abbey also hides part of her identity and they both get stuck in this big situation where their relationship is built on lies but their true identities, personalities and eventually feelings gradually start to seep through. I’ll put my hands up and admit that miscommunication and mistaken identity aren’t typically my favourite tropes by all means but there was something about the way they were written within Fake It ‘till You Make It that just really worked for me. I was hooked seeing how it would play out and found myself shouting aloud at the book on more occasions than I care to admit.

Abbey and Ted both had wonderful depth to their characters and their responses to their respective partners cheating on them was really well explored. They had great banter throughout the novel and their relationship felt really realistic. I do normally prefer to see a bit of spice as opposed to a closed-door romance but the closed-door aspect actually really worked here, particularly as the romance was such a slow burn.

I loved Ted with my whole heart. He was the cinnamon roll hero we’re all looking for in a romance story. I’ll even excuse the whole lying about his identity thing because he was a total sweetheart. The way he spoke about Abbey had me smiling from ear to ear and his POV chapters were my favourite in the plot. I also loved the little peeks we had into his relationship with his brother and would have loved to have seen that play out in person, but I appreciate the practical issues with that given that Ted had assumed his brother’s identity!

Abbey was a wonderful FMC. She was witty and a total girl boss for how she responded to her breakup. Spending your entire wedding savings on an expensive new apartment and treating yourself to a brand new wardrobe? THAT is how you respond to a partner’s infidelity. Through Abbey’s character, Fake It ‘till You Make It explores parental expectations and the idea of trying to please your parents and this was done really well. I loved her family dynamic and the role that played in the story.

Laura Carter also writes antagonists very well and I absolutely hated Andrew with a burning passion.

I would have liked the ending to have been explored in a little extra depth - perhaps through an epilogue - as I was craving opportunity to see more of Abbey and Ted once they were actually together. I really just didn’t feel ready to part with them once the book ended so would love the opportunity to return to their story in some capacity, perhaps through a story focusing one of the supporting characters. I also found that the mistaken identity plot was wrapped up a little too quickly and neatly for my liking. But it is testament to Laura Carter’s engaging writing style that I just wanted more.

If you are looking for a feel-good romance which is packed full of your favourite tropes whilst still being closed-door, you will love Fake It 'til You Make It.

Review: The Polish Girl by Gosia Nealon*

      *I received a copy of this book in eBook format via NetGalley in return for this review. All reviews published on Yours, Chloe are completely honest and my own, and are in now way influenced by the gifting opportunity.

 Caution - This review does contain spoilers.

Title: The Polish Girl
Author: Gosia Nealon
Genre: Historical Fiction

Trigger warnings:  War, Antisemitism, Violence, Guns, Rape

Rating: ★★★★★

The Polish Girl is a renamed republishing of the first book in Gosia Nealon’s Secret Resistance Series: ‘The Last Sketch’. It tells the story of Wanda, a young Polish woman who is working for the Polish resistance in memory of her late Father who was murdered by the Gestapo. Whilst completing a resistance assignment she comes face to face with the man who killed her father and is immediately sickened but he quietly tells her “I am not who you think I am” and reveals himself to actually be Finn, the identical twin brother of the Gestapo officer, who is impersonating his evil brother in an undercover mission for the Allies. The story follows Wanda and Finn’s fight for survival, and fight for each other, amongst the events of the final year of the Second World War.

The Polish Girl is perfectly paced; starting off with a slow pace to world-build, establish the characters and build relationships between them and then progressing onto something which is fast-paced with lots of tension. I was hooked from the first page and finished the book in a single sitting as I simply couldn’t put it down. Despite being a work of fiction, there’s a lot of historical accuracy in the book through accurate depictions of key historical events, such as the Warsaw Uprising and the experiences of Polish citizens during the Red Army advance into Poland.

All of the characters in The Polish Girl were beautifully complex. We have a really strong female protagonist in Wanda who is a real force to be reckoned with. She’s incredibly clever, passionate, brave and determined and the exploration of her challenging relationship with her mother was a really interesting addition to the story which really added an extra layer to Wanda’s characterisation. In the love story of Wanda and Finn we have a good example of the enemies to lovers trope in the non-traditional sense as Wanda initially misidentifies Finn as her enemy when in fact he’s actually his twin brother. They experience an instant connection and it’s really interesting to see the character of Wanda conflicted between the way she finds herself drawn to him and her feelings of utter hatred towards the man she thinks killed her father.

My track record of instantly falling in love with the love interests in historical romances only continued with the character of Finn, who had me truly captivated from his first entrance into the story. I could give you a long list of quotes from the things he says/does to Wanda which really cemented this and the interactions between him and various children he spends time with during the novel made me just melt. I found the concept of Finn and Stefan following two completely different paths in life, with one joining the Nazi party and one fighting against them, despite being twin brothers really interesting and it’s something which was brilliantly explored.

My one gripe with the character of Finn was that he began to believe that Wanda had betrayed him. This was a complete 360 from his original intense trust in the woman he loves and suddenly moved away from his initial (correct) assumption that Wanda’s disappearance was at the hands of Gerda. Not having any contact with Wanda – or even trying to find out if she survived the war – for so many years seemed completely out of character from the Finn we’d seen for the rest of the novel but I do appreciate that doing this enabled us to have the heart-warming reunion between Finn and Wanda in the closing chapters of the book. I was also slightly infuriated that he’d not had the foresight to use his FBI connections to keep track of his brother but I do appreciate that nobody would have predicted that someone who had committed such atrocities would be released from prison so quickly.

I also did find it slightly unbelievable that Finn could ever capture the mannerisms, speech patterns and behaviours of Stefan (someone he’d not seen for many years) without detection, but this is something that is picked up on by the character of Gerda so it’s a potential plot hole I can let pass. I definitely would have liked for us to have had a chapter which focused on Finn assuming Stefan’s identity and integrating himself into his life and Gestapo role, as I think that was a particularly crucial part of his mission. Seeing how Finn recovered from the potential little slip ups he is likely to have made whilst adjusting to his new persona could have supported the realism of the plotline.

I thought that Gerda (Stefan Keller’s fiancé and the daughter of the man in charge of the Gestapo in Warsaw) was a really well written character who perfectly captured the generation brainwashed by Nazi ideology. Whilst I’m not normally a fan of a last-minute redemption arc for an antagonist, I was really satisfied by the inclusion of this as we did see snippets of good in her character throughout the book and there were hints that she may be beginning to have doubts regarding the ideology being fed to her by the Nazi regime. This was particularly explored through her letters to her mother and I also found the exploration of her experiencing abuse at the hands of both her father and her fiancé to be really interesting.

Although most historical fiction novels end somewhere around the end of the war, The Polish Girl rather uniquely takes us up to 1950. As someone who often finishes novels set in this era craving an insight into how the characters lives played out in the aftermath of the war as Europe started to rebuild and recover, I absolutely loved that Gosia Nealon made the choice to do this. Covering the five years post-war period allowed us to not only explore the post-war lives of the main characters, it also allowed us to get a little update on each of the supporting characters we’d met throughout the narrative. Although I did notice that Mateusz, Wanda’s brother, wasn’t included in this and that was initially confusing, I am predicting this is intentional to not give us any hints towards the second book in the series ‘The Polish Wife’ which will focus more on Mateusz and his love story with Anna.

Overall, The Polish Girl is an incredible historical fiction work which is as heart-warming as it is heart-breaking. It’s fantastically paced and contains gripping moments of real tension which will have readers on the edge of their seats. Fans of World War Two historical fiction will love the story and it’s feature of an Enemies to Lovers romance will also make it a good introduction to the genre for other readers who enjoy the trope. I am eagerly awaiting the publication of the next book in The Secret Resistance series ‘The Polish Wife’ as it will give us an opportunity to return to some of the much-loved characters we met within The Polish Girl.