The Phantom Paragrapher

Review: Run on Red - Noelle W. Ihli - November 2023 This past month has been a slow reading month and I was stuck on a romance book for the past two days, I tried and tried but I just felt so blah with it and it wasn't moving as fast as it should have been for more, so then I decided the best genre to give a go would be a thriller. This book I ended up reading this in two hours and was the first one of her's I had read and now looking forward to reading her other books. This book gave me the vibes of the movie Joy Ride which features Paul Walker. Remember the one where they tease the trucker with Candy Cane over the radio and he gets revenge on them by playing cat and mouse on the deserted roads? Run on Red starts with two friends Laura and Liz, heading to a party after work. The car they are in is old and soon they find themselves out in the country with no cell coverage and being chased by two men in masks in a ute. What do they want with Liz and Laura? Can the girls not only...

Review: Legendary - Book #2 Caraval Series - Stephanie Garber - May 2018 I was in two minds with this book as I found Caraval such a dark and intense ride and a bit of a mindf*ck read and it was refreshing to read after finishing her Once Upon a Broken Heart series which was very light and fluffy and fairytale-like.  So when I heard that this one was more intense than Caraval, I was excited but then I read it and I felt let down as this one was lighter than the first and felt more fairytale-like and gave me Once Upon a Broken Heart feels. In Legendary, the second Caraval games are about to start and the girls Tella and Scarlett have been invited to Elantine for the new games. Tella is determined to win as she has been given a deal from "a friend" - win and get Legend's real name and her mum will be set free. During the games, Tella ends up accidentally engaged to Jacks who we all know from the Once Upon a Broken Heart series. Now for me, this is where the book went downhi...

The Rebound Play Kate O’Keeffe (Love on Thin Ice, #2) Publication date: August 29th 2024 Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary, Romance, Sports If you get a second chance at love with your hockey star ex, should you take it? Keira What do you do when your NHL superstar ex skates back into your small town? Drop to the ground and hide behind the bleachers, hoping he doesn’t see you. But Lady Luck must be in a bad mood today because Dan spots me, my hood over my eyes, pretending I’m not there. Mature? No. Necessary? Oh, yes. Humiliation washes over me, and the wall around my heart stands firm. Dan might be back, but I can’t afford to let him in again. Not after the heartbreak of losing him once before. When he offers to coach my nephew, I reluctantly agree. Every smile he flashes at me, every kind word, threatens to crack my resolve. But I can’t go through that again. I have to protect my heart. Dan I want Keira back. End of story. The Rebound Play is part of the Love on ...

Title: The Rocker's Muse Author: Penelope Ward Genre: Standalone Contemporary Romance Tropes: Rockstar/15-Year Age Gap/Small Town Found Family/Slow Burn/Forbidden Release Date: August 26, 2024 BLURB From New York Times bestselling author Penelope Ward comes a new, STANDALONE novel… No one but me knew why I was actually in the California desert that day. Nestled deep within the desolate, rocky area was a recording studio. When a door suddenly opened, a man mistook me for someone he was supposed to be interviewing for a job. The next thing I knew, I was whisked inside. The position? An assistant on the upcoming tour for one of America’s most famous rock bands. Pretty exciting opportunity for a twenty-two-year-old, just out of college. Not surprisingly, I bombed the interview. When I ended up mistakenly walking into the men’s room on my way out, I struck up a conversation with a stranger—not realizing it was the lead singer, Tristan Daltrey. He seemed to like the fact that I...

Review: & Then They Wed - Book #2 Ampersand Love - Riya Iyer - July 2024 Riya Iyer’s *& Then They Wed* is a delectable blend of romance and personal growth, serving up a satisfying read with a side of heartfelt emotion. Set against the vibrant backdrop of Mumbai, this contemporary romance centers on Rian Shetty, a master chef and ambitious restaurateur, and Dr. Aditi Krishnan, a gynecologist with a newfound career opportunity in the city. Rian Shetty’s life is meticulously planned, revolving around his thriving restaurant business and the dream of opening a culinary institute. The idea of romantic entanglements or family commitments seems far-fetched to him, despite his grandmother Nanamma’s persistent pleas for him to consider marriage. His well-ordered world is upended when Aditi, with her unapologetic charm and candid nature, enters his life as a temporary guest in his Mumbai apartment. Dr. Aditi Krishnan is escaping from a series of disappointing romantic encounters and is ...

Designs on Love Tomi Tabb (Friends of the Unexpected Royals, #1) Publication date: August 30th 2024 Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary, Romance Min grew up with dreams of becoming a professional ballerina, but fate had other plans for her. Fresh out of the London School of Fashion, she’s set her sights on one goal: earning an internship at one of the most exclusive fashion houses in the country—the Clarissa Lee Atelier. When a series of unfortunate events leads to an unexpected meet-cute with a tall, dark, and handsome royal guard, Min’s plans are suddenly turned upside down. She never expected to end up with a date with a soldier named Sam instead of applying for her internship. Despite the setback, it’s not long before Min is offered her shot at a dream design commission. This is everything she’s been working toward. Devoting all her time and energy to it should be a no brainer, except she’s started to fall for Sam, who’s also laser focused on advancing in the army whi...

Review: Butterfly Kisses - Book #4 Blossoming Beginnings - Jess Taylor - July 2024 Whenever I see this title, I always think of the song "Butterfly Kisses" as my parents used to play it for us as children and then we would also give our parents and vice versa, little Butterfly Kisses. The other great thing is that even though this is Book #4 in the series, it can be read as a standalone tale.  The book starts with the main female character Sawyer having enough one day when her brother comes home and tells her she has to pay her mum's debt to a drug dealer known as Jasper. Sawyer knows that her family is always going to take and if she stays, she will end up going down with them and sinking into a world of sex and drugs. She decides to leave town and moves in with her best friend who is a model. This leads to Sawyer having a job, getting fired, and then getting a new job as a receptionist at a Tattoo Parlour run by Damien King. He is a single father of two daughters and sp...

When an injury prevents Tristan from fighting in the ring, his family puts him in charge of taking over Doyle Whiskey. It’s the perfect opportunity for him until the owner's daughter, Evie, stumbles back into his life. Time may have changed them both, but when Tristan discovers Evie’s life is in danger, he’ll do whatever it takes to protect her, even if it means marriage. Readers who enjoy marriage-of-convenience romances will devour Whiskey Kisses by Rochelle Allison, a steamy friends-to-lovers, mafia romance.     Blurb Caught between family loyalty and their affection for one another… Tristan I always get my way. Fighting is my life. In the ring, on the street, there’s no problem that can’t be solved with my fists. When an injury puts me on the sidelines, my family sends me down South on business. They want me to take over Doyle Whiskey, a job they claim is perfect for me. And it is, until the owner’s daughter stumbles back into my life. Evie’s not the shy, awkward girl I...

Black Love Matters: Real Talk on Romance, Being Seen, and Happily Ever Afters Jessica P. Pryde Publication date: Feburary 1st 2022 Genres: Literary Fiction, Romance An incisive, intersectional essay anthology that celebrates and examines romance and romantic media through the lens of Black readers, writers, and cultural commentators, edited by Book Riot columnist and librarian Jessica Pryde. Romantic love has been one of the most essential elements of storytelling for centuries. But for Black people in the United States and across the diaspora, it hasn’t often been easy to find Black romance joyfully showcased in entertainment media. In this collection, revered authors and sparkling newcomers, librarians and academicians, and avid readers and reviewers consider the mirrors and windows into Black love as it is depicted in the novels, television shows, and films that have shaped their own stories. Whether personal reflection or cultural commentary, these essays delve into Black...