Tag: friends to lovers

Review

✍🏻 Professor Romance’s 4.5 ⭐️ Review: Penelope Ward’s Toe the Line ✍🏻

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Overall Grade: 4.5 ⭐️


Penelope Ward’s Toe the Line is the epitome of epic romance. This book spans years and is a gorgeous mix of spice, heart-rending drama, and tug-a-war chemistry-laden moments. Penelope Ward has written a rich, angsty romance using the trials and tribulations of Noelle and Archie, as their timing misses over and over again. She reminds us that the stars align at the end of a romance to bring a fated couple together, but the journey forward is fraught with other relationships, missed opportunities, and fertility issues. Penelope Ward has dreamed up this epic romance into one that will tug at your heart and leave you satiated at the end. Just know that she will put you through your paces before you get there.

In love and romance,

Professor A

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✍🏻 Did you grab Penelope Ward’s Toe The Line yet? It’s LIVE at a discounted price for a VERY short time. ✍🏻

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Title: Toe the Line
Author: Penelope Ward
Genre: Standalone Contemporary Romance
Trope: Friends-to-Lovers
Release Date: February 27, 2023
BLURB
From New York Times bestselling author Penelope Ward comes a friends-to-lovers story spanning more than a decade…
At first, I thought I’d hate spending the summer with Archie Remington—the conceited son of my parents’ friends.
What I knew about Archie: he was gorgeous, pre-law, and had always treated me like I didn’t exist when we were younger.
When our families bought a house together on an island in Maine, he and I were forced to share a bathroom.
The boy I remembered was now a full-grown man—but with the same attitude.
After a rough start, Archie and I unexpectedly started getting along one day and eventually became friends. We shared secrets and bonded during our morning jogs. I discovered that Archie had a wild spirit and that he struggled to conform to his father’s expectations.
Things were cool until I had to go and ruin it, getting drunk one night, and blurting out my fantasy—involving him.
I took it back, but it was too late. Archie had heard me loud and clear. After that, we never quite knew how to toe the line.
When that summer came to an abrupt and shocking end, I headed back to college, unsure if anything would ever be the same again.
Across the miles over the years, he and I stayed in touch as friends, but fate and timing always kept us from becoming more.
You know the saying: If two people are meant to be, they’ll find their way back to each other?
Let’s just say Archie came back into my life in a way I would’ve never expected.
And this time, my heart would really be put to the test.
BOOKBUB
PURCHASE LINKS
AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU
AUTHOR BIO
Penelope Ward is a New York Times, USA Today and #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling
author of contemporary romance.
 
She grew up in Boston with five older brothers and spent most of her twenties as a
television news anchor. Penelope resides in Rhode Island with her husband, son,
and beautiful daughter with autism.
 
With over two million books sold, she is a 21-time New York Times bestseller and the author of over twenty novels. Her books have been translated into over a dozen
languages and can be found in bookstores around the world.
AUTHOR LINKS
OTHER BOOKS BY PENELOPE WARD
AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU
AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU
SEE MORE BOOKS HERE
Review

✍🏻 Professor Romance’s 4 ⭐️ Review: Kylie Scott’s End of Story ✍🏻

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Overall Grade: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Tropes: Friends to lovers; Forced Proximity; Ex’s best friend; soulmates

Kylie Scott’s End of Story is a romance between loosely-defined friends who fight their attraction because the MMC is the best friend of the FMC’s ex. This romance, for me, feels like a departure from Scott’s usual fare. Readers who come to her looking for her famous Stage Dive, Larsen Brothers, or West Hollywood flavor might be shocked by End of Story. This is some paranormal meets rom-com banter between two people who are fighting their chemistry. And even after ending this story, I’m still unsure of my feelings about it overall. 

Let’s begin with the cons first:

  1. It’s a slow burn that feels slow for the first third of it. Other reviewers noted how easily they moved through the story. It took me a bit to get through it. 
  2. The impetus for their eventual connection seems a bit silly. I don’t think the prequel story, Beginning of the End, sets up enough chemistry for Susie and Lars. Therefore, the reason for their chemistry in End of Story isn’t initially believable to me. 
  3. I think a dual POV might have helped the credibility of their attraction.
  4. It took me most of the book to engage with Lars and Susie.

Now, for the pros:

  1. Once Susie and Lars found their groove, they are adorable and sweet, very rom-commy.
  2. The ending is poignant, and while the book was slow for me at the beginning, the ending left me with a smile.
  3. Lars’s brother, Tone, and Susie’s best friend, Cleo, add some layers to Susie and Lars’s connection.
  4. Kylie Scott writes a d-bag villain well with Susie’s -ex Austin. You love to hate him in End of Story. 
  5. A little over halfway through the book, the story picks up, and the attraction you hope to feel finds its pacing, specifically after Lars lands himself in the hospital. I enjoyed the book more as Lars and Susie fall more deeply in love. 
  6. The turning point of the story at Lars and Tone’s parents’ anniversary party is the highlight of the book besides the final chapter and epilogue. 

If you’re a Kylie Scott fan, you should definitely read this story. If you’ve never read her before, I’d begin with her Stage Dive series. Once you recognize her capacity to shift between stories, then grab End of Story and appreciate her rom-com sense. 
In love and romance,

Professor A

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✍🏻 Professor Romance’s 3.5 ⭐️ Review: Sara Ney’s The Make Out Artist ✍🏻

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Overall Grade: 3.5 ⭐️

Tropes: Friends to Lovers, Afraid to commit, Fake relationship/wing-woman, Never marry 

Sara Ney’s The Make Out Artist continues her Accidentally in Love series, focusing on main characters who tend to fall into love while trying to stay away from it. This is definitely the case for Elias and Molly in this Ney’s newest offering. Eli and Molly meet at a small get-together at Molly’s house. Not keen on a weekday party, Molly hides away to complete some work. She is interrupted by Elias/Eli who was brought to the party by his sister. When a woman at the party tries to hit on him, he decides to hide upstairs when he encounters Molly. He likes that she is forthright and doesn’t suffer fools. When she tries to get him to leave her alone, he decides he wants her to act as his wing woman, a protection against women who are trying to get him to ask them on dates. At first, Molly has no interest, but when her old friend, Tripp Wallace, invites them both to a function as each other’s dates, she relents. As Molly and Eli spend more time together, they realize they are more alike than different, and their situationship moves into a relationship. When Eli’s ex threatens their newfound happiness, you wonder if a happy ending is in the “cards” for this couple.

I appreciate a series that focuses on accidental love pairings, and they’ve been fairly interesting reads, but Ney’s stories, quite frankly, feel just a bit messy. Did I like Elias and Molly? Yes, for the most part. Quite honestly, I didn’t believe their chemistry until it became physical. Even then, I don’t entirely believe that they fell hard for each other in love. And I want to believe them, but for much of the story, Eli seems more attracted to Molly than Molly is attracted to Eli. Then, all of a sudden, she likes and then suddenly loves him. For me, there is a consistency issue in her character development. 

Secondly, the eventual issue with Elias’s ex- feels like an add-on, a way to add drama to the story. It doesn’t seem organically integrated or developed. It creates a “hiccup” for Elias and Molly’s future, which seems unnecessary to the story. There would have been other ways to create the tension such as the demands of Eli’s job within the context of a relationship. I would have loved to see more of this built into the story. 

Lastly, I love Molly. She saved Tripp in his romance, and I’m not sure that Ney did her justice here. Some moments are cute between these two, but Molly, with the fire of her former book, was missing that fire in her own story. 

I have to be real here. I struggled with The Make Out Artist. I’m a fast reader, and this was a bit of a slug in reading because I didn’t feel Elias and Molly’s spark until the end. It may be me and my reading interests, so if you love yourself some Sara Ney, then you may want to grab this one.

In love and romance,

Professor A

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✍🏻 If you haven’t met Hutton and Felicity, what are you waiting for? Melanie Harlow’s Tease is AVAILABLE NOW! ✍🏻

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Could Hutton French and I actually be right for each other, or is it all just one big tease?

TEASE, an all new sizzling friends to lovers, fake engagement small town romantic comedy from USA Today and #1 Amazon bestselling author Melanie Harlow, is now available!

Read my 4.5 ⭐️ review HERE.

I didn’t mean to say I was engaged to a hot billionaire–it just slipped out.

In my defense, I’d had a really bad haircut, a really strong drink, and I was trying to save face in front of the Mean Girl at my high school reunion.

Lucky for me, I happen to know a hot billionaire. Hutton French and I have been friends forever, and even though big social gatherings are not his thing, I called him from the coat closet and begged him for a favor–show up and play my fake fiancé for the night.

Except that word of our engagement spreads like wildfire. Our families are ecstatic. We’re front page news. My little food blog is launched into the stratosphere.

Of course, I offer to set the record straight right away, but Hutton wants to give it a little time–the phony engagement will keep his matrimony-mad mother and every matchmaking granny in town off his back.

He even suggests I move in with him to make the ruse more real.

And we don’t stop there.

We practice kissing. Undressing each other. Saying things–and doing things–we’d never dare if we weren’t pretending. Because it’s all for show, right? We’re just role-playing. Hutton doesn’t want a real relationship, and I don’t want to get hurt. But the more time we spend faking it, the more I start to wonder.

Could Hutton French and I actually be right for each other, or is it all just one big tease?

Grab your copy today or read FREE on Kindle Unlimited!
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3xm3ELq
Amazon Worldwide: https://mybook.to/teaseMH

Keep reading for a look inside TEASE!

“Want something to drink? Whiskey or scotch?”
“No, thanks. Mostly I just want to take these heels off.”
“Leave them on.”
I was already bending down to unbuckle one ankle strap. I looked up and saw him standing there with his glass in his hand. “What?”
“Leave them on. And come over here.”
I straightened up and took one tiny step.
“On your hands and knees.”
My breath caught. I could feel his eyes on me. Instantly I understood what this was, and even though I was a little nervous, I wanted to play along. I wanted to please him this way.
The only problem was, I wasn’t entirely sure I could get to my knees in this tight dress. But I said a quick prayer and dropped to my knees on the carpet in one smooth motion. Thankfully, the dress material had some stretch, and the seams didn’t pop.
“Good girl,” he said quietly, igniting a firestorm in my blood that surprised me. “Now come here.”
My heart thrummed fast and loud as I lowered my palms to the floor and slowly closed the distance between us. I’d never done anything like this in my life—who am I right now?—but I liked the way it made me feel.
Tempting. Seductive. Alluring. I’d never thought of myself that way before, but here and now, in this tight little black dress with the red satin heels, crawling toward a gorgeous, powerful man in a suit in our Manhattan hotel suite? My billionaire fake fiancé? It was easy to imagine I wasn’t myself at all.
When I reached his feet, I sat back on my heels and looked up. Our eyes met. His lean, muscular silhouette looked imposing above me. Even that rebel lock of hair had been tamed into submission tonight.
He took another sip of his drink and set the glass on the table. Pulled the chair at the head of the table aside. Loosened the knot in his tie. “Are you okay?”
“Yes.”
“If there’s a point tonight where you are not, you should tell me.” He slipped the tie from his collar.
I swallowed hard. “Like a safe word?”
His mouth hooked up on one side. His hand freed the top button of his shirt. “You already have a safe word?”
“No,” I said quickly. “I’ve never needed one before.”
“You do now.” He undid a second button. “So what will it be?”
Of course, I couldn’t fucking think of anything, and I panicked.
“Roy Kent,” I blurted.
He cocked his head, his hand still on his shirt. “Who’s Roy Kent?”
“Never mind. I’ll think of another one.”
Do not say Oklahoma.
Do not say bumblebee.
I racked my brain for something else. “Romeo,” I said breathlessly. “That’s what I’ll say. Romeo.”
He set his tie on the table and offered me a hand.
Placing my palm in his, I rose to my feet. “Is anything going to hurt?” I asked, picturing whips, chains, ball gags, metal cuffs and clamps, shiny rubber gloves.
“I don’t need to inflict pain to feel in control, if that’s what you’re asking.”
“Okay. Should I—”
But that was all I got out because he spun me around and clamped a hand over my mouth, pressing his body tight against my back.

Add to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3Q40TWp

About Melanie Harlow
USA Today bestselling author Melanie Harlow likes her martinis dry, her heels high, and her history with the naughty bits left in. When she’s not writing or reading, she gets her kicks from TV series like Ted, Lasso, Schitt’s Creek, and Fleabag. She occasionally runs three miles, but only so she can have more gin and steak.

Melanie is the author of the BELLAMY CREEK series, the CLOVERLEIGH FARMS series, the ONE & ONLY series, AFTER WE FALL series, the HAPPY CRAZY LOVE series, and the FRENCHED series. She lifts her glass to romance readers and writers from her home near Detroit, MI, where she lives with her husband, two daughters, and pet rabbit.

Connect with Melanie
Facebook: http://bit.ly/2RPwr51
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1NPkYKs
Bookbub: http://bit.ly/36kL7yB
Instagram: http://bit.ly/2NW3UtA
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTR1ecpH1/
Pinterest: http://bit.ly/2sVOz55
Join Melanie’s Reader Group: https://bit.ly/3mYzBBo
Stay up to date with new releases and sign up for Melanie’s mailing list: http://bit.ly/2P7MATT
Website: www.melanieharlow.com

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✍🏻 There is nothing better than two friends who clearly want more, but they’re too awkward to act on it…until they can’t help it. Felicity and Hutton are LIVE. Run and grab Melanie Harlow’s Tease TODAY! ✍🏻

professorromance
I didn’t mean to say I was engaged to a hot billionaire–it just slipped out.

TEASE, an all new steamy fake engagement, small-town romantic comedy from USA Today and #1 Amazon bestselling author Melanie Harlow, is now available!

I didn’t mean to say I was engaged to a hot billionaire–it just slipped out.

In my defense, I’d had a really bad haircut, a really strong drink, and I was trying to save face in front of the Mean Girl at my high school reunion.

Lucky for me, I happen to know a hot billionaire. Hutton French and I have been friends forever, and even though big social gatherings are not his thing, I called him from the coat closet and begged him for a favor–show up and play my fake fiancé for the night.

Except that word of our engagement spreads like wildfire. Our families are ecstatic. We’re front page news. My little food blog is launched into the stratosphere.

Of course, I offer to set the record straight right away, but Hutton wants to give it a little time–the phony engagement will keep his matrimony-mad mother and every matchmaking granny in town off his back.

He even suggests I move in with him to make the ruse more real.

And we don’t stop there.

We practice kissing. Undressing each other. Saying things–and doing things–we’d never dare if we weren’t pretending. Because it’s all for show, right? We’re just role-playing. Hutton doesn’t want a real relationship, and I don’t want to get hurt. But the more time we spend faking it, the more I start to wonder.

Could Hutton French and I actually be right for each other, or is it all just one big tease?

Download your copy today or read FREE on Kindle Unlimited!
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3xm3ELq
Amazon Worldwide: https://mybook.to/teaseMH

Add to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3Q40TWp

About Melanie Harlow
USA Today bestselling author Melanie Harlow likes her martinis dry, her heels high, and her history with the naughty bits left in. When she’s not writing or reading, she gets her kicks from TV series like Ted, Lasso, Schitt’s Creek, and Fleabag. She occasionally runs three miles, but only so she can have more gin and steak.

Melanie is the author of the BELLAMY CREEK series, the CLOVERLEIGH FARMS series, the ONE & ONLY series, AFTER WE FALL series, the HAPPY CRAZY LOVE series, and the FRENCHED series. She lifts her glass to romance readers and writers from her home near Detroit, MI, where she lives with her husband, two daughters, and pet rabbit.

Connect with Melanie
Facebook: http://bit.ly/2RPwr51
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1NPkYKs
Bookbub: http://bit.ly/36kL7yB
Instagram: http://bit.ly/2NW3UtA
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTR1ecpH1/
Pinterest: http://bit.ly/2sVOz55
Join Melanie’s Reader Group: https://bit.ly/3mYzBBo
Stay up to date with new releases and sign up for Melanie’s mailing list: http://bit.ly/2P7MATT
Website: www.melanieharlow.com

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✍🏻 Professor Romance’s 4 ⭐️ Review: Lex Martin’s Tight Ends & Tiaras ✍🏻

professorromance

Overall Grade: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

A blurb will get you every. single. time. In the case of Lex Martin’s Tight Ends & Tiaras, I was intrigued immediately. I’m a sucker for a surprise kid/single parent romance. For that matter, I’m a sucker for a sports romance and a fake relationship between friends. Martin’s story has so much to love about it just from its trope selection that you can’t help but fall in love with her characters, Ben and Sienna. In fact, there is more to this story beyond those basic tropes, and you find yourself captivated by their journey. There is a bit of a grump/sunshine trope. Ben’s life has been filled with trauma, and he’s taken most of his first twenty-something years to process it. Through his story and Sienna’s, Martin interrogates and highlights the impact of early familial trauma on people. There is a lot of discussion about mental health and the positive impact of therapy and meditation. Quite honestly, this is a central theme throughout Martin’s Tight Ends & Tiaras. 

Additionally, there is quite a bit of delicious story in Martin’s newest book. There is the ongoing attraction between Ben and Sienna, and the “will they/won’t they” saga. Martin writes a steamy, spicy story that ratchets up the heat of this book, but there is no real promise of forever until almost the end. Even more, Sienna’s story features the impact of familial expectations on one’s sense of self. Through these heavy messages, Martin deftly infuses humor, sweetness, and enough spice to keep her readers invested in the story. 

I enjoyed my reading experience with Lex Martin’s Tight Ends & Tiaras. If out-of-control baby mamas, cheating boyfriends, and an unexpected couple born out of a fake relationship and friendship is your jam, then don’t miss out on this book. 

In love and romance,

Professor A