Review: The Love Startup by MeLisa Ryun

Title: The Love Startup

Author: MeLisa Ryun
 
Buy Link: CLICK HERE

Publisher's Insight:
 

Love is a bug in the system.

I'm Maddie Denton—girl boss coder, full-time trash-talker, and proud member of the "No Thanks, I’ll Die Alone" club. Society says because I have a hoo-ha, I should want a man more than building my dream company. I say: eat my Wi-Fi.

My sisters think I’m stuck in arrested development, but my best friend and co-founder Zack likes me just the way I am—foul-mouthed, hoodie-wearing chaos goblin and all.

We’re this close to securing that sweet investor cash for LoveScore—our baby, our legacy, our shot at hitting the bigtime. All we have to do is add "intimate physical data" to the app… in six weeks.

Our solution? Gather that spicy data ourselves by fake-dating, proving that geeks never grow up—we just fake it better than everyone.

I'm Zack, and today I learned I'm both desperate and stupid.

I’ve agreed to fake-date Maddie—my business partner and the girl I’ve never stopped wanting.

Which means… Role-playing. Fake kissing. Cosplaying with her as my fantasy girlfriend.

Pretending my longtime secret crush is finally mine? Easiest acting job of my life. But every fake touch, every "just for research" act of desire, short-circuits my common sense—and fries whatever's left of my self-control.

If I slip up, I don’t just lose the company. I lose her.

The Love Startup is a filthy, dirty-minded, laugh-out-loud friends-to-lovers workplace romcom about two geeks fake-dating their way into real love—and real trouble. Perfect for fans of high-spice Meghan Quinn mayhem, steamy role-play, he-falls-first pining, and ambitious heroines who have zero chill.

Review:

Maddie and Zach are the best of friends, until they aren't. Can their friendship survive the growing pains of their business or will growing pains be the least of their worries.

While I liked this book a lot... hello, it's MeLisa Ryun! Come on! But honestly, I loved seeing the two of these characters growing and interacting with the secondary characters of the book. My only problem was I think the fake dating trope went on just a tad bit too long and it started shifting my focus towards the end of the book

I'd like to thank the author and Happily Booked PR for the opportunity to read this book.

************ I received this in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and have not been swayed by this fact. I NEVER charge for a review.

Review: Healing Together by Dani Elias

Title: Healing Together

Author: Dani Elias
 
Buy Link: CLICK HERE

Publisher's Insight:
 
Sometimes the bravest thing you can do is let someone see you properly.

Alex
I know my reputation. Charming, a bit too confident, happier flirting than settling. It used to suit me. Then Emma turns up in Fellside with her soft curves, cautious smile and a habit of underestimating herself, and suddenly I am tripping over my own clever lines. She brings out the part of me that actually wants to try. I tease because it makes her blush. I stay close because she relaxes when I am around. And the more time I spend with her, the more certain I am that I would move mountains to keep her safe.

Emma
Most of my life I have been surrounded by people who made me feel slightly wrong, slightly too much or not quite enough. Moving to Fellside is my attempt to finally breathe without waiting for someone to tell me I am doing it badly. I expected peace. I did not expect Alex. He is confident and irritatingly charming, the kind of man who sees straight through my awkwardness. Even worse, he actually seems to like the body I have been taught to apologise for. I don’t know what he sees in me, but every time he smiles, I want to believe in it. I want to believe in him.

A blossoming romance, a village that refuses to mind its own business, and a moment on the fells that will test everything they are building. Healing takes time, but sometimes the right person walking beside you makes all the difference.

This is a re-edited and refreshed edition of the steamy small town story previously published as Blossom with Me, Book One in the Fellside Mountain Rescue series. The series has been lovingly revisited with polished writing, added depth, and a few updated story beats. Set in the north of England and written in British English.

Review:

If you are a fan of Fellside, then you need to pick Healing Together up immediately. I have read all of the Fellside books and Miss Elias has made this book so much better. You can actually feel the heart and soul that have gone into this book since she has initially released them. Kudos to you, Miss Elias. Thank you for giving us such a wonderful rewrite of your own story.

I'd like to thank Happily Booked PR and Dani Elias for the opportunity to read this book.

************ I received this in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and have not been swayed by this fact. I NEVER charge for a review.

Review: How to Serve Up Love by Dani Elias

Title: How to Serve Up Love        

Author: Dani Elias
 
Buy Link: CLICK HERE

Publisher's Insight:
 

BREAKING: ONE REVIEW. ONE TOMATO SAUCE. AND A SPARK NEITHER OF THEM EXPECTED.

Carlisle prides itself on being quietly respectable. Unfortunately for everyone involved, a food critic and a chef have just made that impossible.

Chloe
Speed dating has been a masterclass in lowered expectations, and my tolerance for nonsense is at an all-time low. So yes, my latest column was sharp. The tomato sauce deserved it. What I did not anticipate was the furious chef turning up at the Carlisle Gazette, review in hand, pride wounded, smelling like fresh herbs and righteous indignation. He’s intense, infuriating, and far too attractive for someone who insists this is just an argument.

Tom
That sauce is my grandmother’s recipe. It’s not a trend, not a shortcut, and not up for debate. When Chloe dismisses it in print, I go looking for accountability. What I find is a woman who’s clever, unapologetic, and entirely unimpressed by my temper. This is not flirting. This is a professional disagreement. A serious one. Except the arguments don’t stop. They deepen. They linger. And suddenly I’m thinking about her far too often for someone who insists this is purely about food.

Late nights turn heated. Boundaries blur. And when care creeps in where it doesn’t belong, it becomes uncomfortably clear that this isn’t just about a review anymore.

Because in a small city where reputations are fragile, careers are political, and women pay the price for being human, wanting each other might cost more than either of them is prepared to lose. And walking away might cost just as much.

Fair warning: there’s a cheeky dose of adult content inside. Set in England and written in British English.

Review:

Call in the fire brigade because Chloe and Tom are hot, hot, hot!

I've enjoyed watching Dani Elias grow as an author and this book shows how well she's come to know her characters and you can feel the love through the pages.

If you're looking for a hot romance between a critic and a chef... then ladies and gents, this book is for you.

I'd like to thank the author and Happily Booked PR for the opportunity to read this book.

************ I received this in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and have not been swayed by this fact. I NEVER charge for a review.