Young Adult Review: Hot British Boyfriend by Kristy Boyce

Hot British Boyfriend by Kristy Boyce

Published: February 9th, 2021

Publisher: HarperTeen

Genre: Contemporary Young Adult

# of pages: 336

My rating: 4 stars

Acquired this book: From the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for honest consideration

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After a horrifying public rejection by her crush, Ellie Nichols does what any girl would do: she flees the country. To be more precise, she joins her high school’s study abroad trip to England. While most of her classmates are there to take honors courses and pad their college applications, Ellie is on a quest to rebuild her reputation and self-confidence. And nothing is more of a confidence booster than getting a hot British boyfriend.

When Ellie meets Will, a gorgeous and charming Brit, she vows to avoid making the same mistakes as she did with the last guy she liked. Which is why she strikes up a bargain with Dev, an overachieving classmate who she’s never clicked with, but who does seem to know a lot about the things Will is interested in—if he helps her win over her crush, then she’ll help him win over his.

But even as Ellie embarks on a whirlwind romance, one that takes her on adventures to some of England’s most beautiful places, she still needs to figure out if this is actually the answer to all her problems…and whether the perfect boyfriend is actually the perfect boy for her.

I feel like I should preface my review by saying Hot British Boyfriend had so many of the things I love most about YA, but it also reminded me how far past my own YA days I am. I’m not the intended audience for books like this, and I’m fully aware of that, so I always try to also be aware that my thoughts and feelings could likely be very different from the book’s actual target audience. I see so many adults reading YA and getting mad that the teenagers in the book…*gasp!*...had the audacity to act like teenagers. Like, what did you expect? If you wanted to read about people making mature decisions or not being driven by hormones, maybe you should have picked up a different book. So I always know going into a young adult book that I will likely want to shake the characters at some point (or many points), as well as sit them down and talk to them, and probably hug them really tight. I wanted to do all those things with this book and there was a lot of internal ‘Ugh, come on, Ellie, do better!’, but honestly, I feel like that’s the sign of a good YA book that will likely really speak to its intended audience of teens.

Okay, that was a long preface, but I thought it should be said. I feel like Teenage Marie would have loved this book with her whole heart, so it’s Teen Me I tried to channel while reading.

Hot British Boyfriend was adorable and entertaining. I enjoyed the characters, plus the setting made me go all heart-eyes on multiple occasions. Ellie didn’t have many friends before going to England, and she was stinging from the rejection of the one person she thought was her friend. Between the very public humiliation that led her to leave DC, and the fact the program she was part of was meant for honour students - which she wasn’t - she felt she had a lot to prove, both to herself and to others. She was wary of people and their motives, but quickly befriended her roommate Sage, along with two other students from back home, Dev and Huan.

When I said this book had so many of the things I love most about YA, one of those things was the friend group. These four seemed like such unlikely friends, but they worked together. Their interactions were amusing and sometimes heartwarming, and I wanted to be part of their group. I also really appreciated Ellie’s growth and how she slowly found her way, figured things out, made mistakes, sorted her priorities, and learned to be herself and unashamedly love the things she loved. Teenage Marie would definitely have been friends with her and we would have rocked our matching unicorn hoodies and made some amazing faerie gardens together.

If you’re looking for a light, sweet, feel-good YA book, look no further (unless you’re an adult who hates when teens act like teens - if that’s the case, maybe give this one a pass and leave it to the actual teens). Pack your bags and prepare for a fun cross-Atlantic vacation with a group of friends you’ll wish you were part of.

Have you read Hot British Boyfriend? Have you done much armchair travel yet this year? 

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Accidentally in Love by Belinda Missen: A Lighthearted English Escape

Accidentally in Love by Belinda Missen

Published: September 11th, 2020

Publisher: HQ Digital

Tropes: Enemies to lovers, opposites attract

Heat level: 🔥🔥

My rating: 4 stars

Acquired this book: From the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for honest consideration

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In the space of a week, Katharine Patterson has quit her job, decided to move back home, and broken up with the guy she thought was the one.

No big deal.

Because Katharine has a plan. She’s going to open her own art gallery, just like she’s always wanted. What she’s not going to do is worry about boyfriends.

Then she meets Kit, a handsome and talented local artist. He might be the most stubborn person Katharine has ever met. He might also make her feel like no one ever has before.

And Katharine might be about to fall accidentally in love…

 

Accidentally in Love was such a fresh, funny romcom. I love stories about self-discovery and following your dreams, and this was very much that, along with a story about family, friendship, and finding the type of love you deserve.

Katharine works in a job where she’s overlooked and underappreciated, she’s semi-dating a guy who never makes her a priority, and her best friend has shuffled her aside except for when she needs her to do something for her. She’s almost at her breaking point, so when the opportunity arises for her to quit her job and leave London, she takes a risk and jumps in head first. Katharine was so relatable. I think we’ve all felt like we weren’t a priority when we should be, whether it’s in a job, a friendship, a relationship, or in our own families. Katharine has it coming at her from all sides, so she decides it’s time to make herself a priority and do something that fulfills her, even if she fails. I loved her gumption.

When she meets Kit, they immediately rub each other the wrong way. She wants nothing to do with him, but they’re connected through her family and their small community, whether she likes it or not. They form a tentative agreement that slowly morphs into friendship and then something more. Even when things were good between them, these two still butted heads, but it provided for a lot of fun banter.  

I loved the family dynamics in the book. Katharine had such a great relationship with her brother, Adam, and her dad and his girlfriend were a lot of fun. The friendship between Katharine and Lainey was painful to read at times, mostly because I’ve been in her place and related so much to feeling forgotten, taken for granted, used. I liked what it added to the story and that it tied in with Katharine learning to speak up and do what was right for her own life, even if it looked different than she thought or different from what others expected.

Overall, Accidentally in Love was a fun, lighthearted read. I could see this being made into a Hallmark movie - girl starting over in the small town she grew up in, quirky family, enemies to lovers - and I’d definitely watch it!

Read my review of Belinda's 2019 Christmas romance, One Week Til Christmas

Have you read Accidentally in Love? What did you think? In the book, Katharine is a photographer and Kit is a painter; what are some of your favourite artistic pursuits?

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*Please note I'm an Amazon affiliate, and some of the links in this review are affiliate links. All income made through affiliate sales goes directly back into maintaining Ramblings of a Daydreamer. Thank you for your support!

Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert: All the Giggles and Swoons

Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert
Published: November 5th, 2019
Publisher: Avon
Genre: Romantic comedy
Tropes: Enemies to lovers
Heat level: Hot hot HOT!!
# of pages: 369
My rating: 5 stars
Acquired this book: From the publisher in exchange for honest consideration
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Chloe Brown is a chronically ill computer geek with a goal, a plan, and a list. After almost—but not quite—dying, she’s come up with seven directives to help her “Get a Life”, and she’s already completed the first: finally moving out of her glamourous family’s mansion. The next items?

Enjoy a drunken night out.

Ride a motorcycle.

Go camping.

Have meaningless but thoroughly enjoyable sex.

Travel the world with nothing but hand luggage.

And... do something bad.

But it’s not easy being bad, even when you’ve written step-by-step guidelines on how to do it correctly. What Chloe needs is a teacher, and she knows just the man for the job.

Redford ‘Red’ Morgan is a handyman with tattoos, a motorcycle, and more sex appeal than ten-thousand Hollywood heartthrobs. He’s also an artist who paints at night and hides his work in the light of day, which Chloe knows because she spies on him occasionally. Just the teeniest, tiniest bit.

But when she enlists Red in her mission to rebel, she learns things about him that no spy session could teach her. Like why he clearly resents Chloe’s wealthy background. And why he never shows his art to anyone. And what really lies beneath his rough exterior…

This book. THIS BOOK. *happy sigh* This was one of my most anticipated releases of 2019, so when the lovely people at Avon Books asked if I’d like a copy for consideration, I jumped at the chance (literally jumped - it was part of my happy dance). I’ll admit I wanted to read it even before reading the synopsis. I mean, look at the cover. So many of us are used to seeing thin white women and white couples, so that adorable plus-size woman of colour caught my interest immediately. Then I read the synopsis and knew I had to have this book in my life.

And let me tell you, it did not disappoint. In fact, it exceeded my expectations. Because not only do we have a heroine who’s a curvy black woman, we have a heroine who’s dealing with chronic illness. I honestly didn’t know much about fibromyalgia or what all it encompassed, but I learned so much, and I loved the way it was incorporated into the story. Chloe was a sassy, sarcastic badass who had been dealt a crappy hand and was doing her best to keep going, despite being in constant pain and having a myriad of other symptoms. Red - sexy, sweet, thoughtful Red - was the first person to really see through her shields and not only appreciate her wit and sass, but also see who she really was underneath the walls she’d put up to protect herself.

I loved Chloe and Red separately and together. They were two flawed people who sometimes did and said the wrong thing and messed up spectacularly but who were ultimately willing to overcome the obstacles life threw at them because they worked so well together. Their banter was hilarious, their chemistry was off the charts, and the sexytime scenes were scorching hot. I loved the way serious subjects were handled, from chronic illness to therapy to emotional abuse. I also absolutely loved the fact we had a plus-size heroine who never once mentioned dieting or losing weight or feeling less-than in any way because of her size, and a hero who loved all her luscious curves.

There’s just so much to love about this book. I was laughing from the first page and pretty much giggled and grinned my way through the book. There were serious moments too - Chloe’s illness was no joke - and there were moments, especially toward the end, that had me tearing up. I could seriously go on and on, but since I can’t, I’ll just say that if you enjoy hilarious, sexy, emotional stories with real, relatable characters, you need to read Get a Life, Chloe Brown. A massive thank-you to Talia Hibbert for writing this incredible book and to Avon for sending me a copy.

Have you read Get a Life, Chloe Brown? Do you have any favourite books featuring characters with chronic illness?

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*Please note I'm an Amazon affiliate, and some of the links in this review are affiliate links. All income made through affiliate sales goes directly back into maintaining Ramblings of a Daydreamer. Thank you for your support!  

One Day in December by Josie Silver: Did it Live Up to the Hype?

One Day in December by Josie Silver
Published: October 16th, 2018
Publisher: Broadway Books
Genre: Women’s fiction
# of pages: 416
Acquired this book: Via Netgalley in exchange for honest consideration
Goodreads || Buy now: Amazon US ~ Amazon Canada ~ Chapters 

Two people. Ten chances. One unforgettable love story.

Laurie is pretty sure love at first sight doesn't exist anywhere but the movies. But then, through a misted-up bus window one snowy December day, she sees a man who she knows instantly is the one. Their eyes meet, there's a moment of pure magic... and then her bus drives away.

Certain they're fated to find each other again, Laurie spends a year scanning every bus stop and cafe in London for him. But she doesn't find him, not when it matters anyway. Instead they "reunite" at a Christmas party, when her best friend Sarah giddily introduces her new boyfriend to Laurie. It's Jack, the man from the bus. It would be.

What follows for Laurie, Sarah and Jack is ten years of friendship, heartbreak, missed opportunities, roads not taken, and destinies reconsidered. One Day in December is a joyous, heartwarming and immensely moving love story to escape into and a reminder that fate takes inexplicable turns along the route to happiness.

Even before One Day in December was chosen as Reese Witherspoon’s Book Club's book of the month for December, it seemed like everyone was reading it. I saw it everywhere and the hype kept building and building. By the time I finally got around to reading it, the Hype Monster had me wary. Would it really be as good as everyone said? Would I connect with it the way so many others seemed to? Let me just say this: you know how at the end of a year, you’re reflective, you’re looking forward to the year ahead, and you’re possibly planning some big changes? There’s a feeling of hope and anticipation and you’re excited about new things, change, and all the possibilities of a new year? Well, that’s what One Day in December felt like for me, making it the absolute best book to end 2018 with.

Taking place over the span of ten years, this story takes its time unfolding. It’s truly a love story in every sense of the word, and it explores romantic relationships, friendships, and family relationships. It was a realistic portrayal of the highs and lows of life, and I think what I loved most about it was how honest it was. It didn’t shy away from how messy and complicated life and love and friendship can be, or the fact life tends to be far from straightforward or easy. 

Throughout the course of the book, I laughed, I cringed, I held my breath, I alternately wanted to scream at the characters and hug them, and I cried. Oh boy, did I cry. I was sobbing by the end, and I can’t remember the last time a book made me feel that way. It was funny and touching and equally heartbreaking and heartwarming, and I loved it so, so much.

I’ll admit, there was a point while I was reading where I looked down at my Kindle and groaned when I realized I was only halfway through the book and still had over four hours left. That’s often the drawback of books like this, that deal with little pockets of life - it's necessary for them to be lengthy to fit everything in, but there's usually a point where it begins to drag. Luckily the story picked back up and I read the last half quite quickly. And even when it dragged, I was committed to seeing it through because I was so invested in the characters.

One Day in December is a book I won’t soon forget. Laurie, Sarah, and Jack have a piece of my heart now. I’m so glad this book lived up to the hype, and I know it’ll be one I recommend time and time again.

Have you read One Day in December? If so, did it live up to the hype for you? If you haven't read it, do you plan to? What's the last hyped-up book you read?

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Wanderlust Wednesday: Books Set in England

Since June marks the 2-year anniversary of my big UK/European adventure, I'm feeling nostalgic...and I'm also feeling the need to read alllll the books with settings of places I love. For the next three weeks, I'll be recommending books set in each of the countries I visited: England, France, and Italy. I love travelling vicariously through stories when I can't actually travel myself, and I know I'm not the only one, so I hope you'll enjoy these lists!

First up: England. If you know me at all, you'll know I'm obsessed with London. If I find out a book is set there, I can't wait to get my grabby little hands on it!

• A Brit on the Side (Castle Calder #1) and A Brit Unexpected (Castle Calder #2) by Brenda St John Brown ~Set at Castle Calder (which is, sadly, fictional), these books are so much fun. I especially love the second book since the main character is British and uses some hilariously creative 'Britishisms'. Brenda revealed recently in her Facebook reader group that the third book in the series takes place mostly in London - as if I wasn't excited enough to read it, now I'm doubly excited!  

• London Belongs to Me by Jacquelyn Middleton ~ From the moment I heard about this book and saw the beautiful cover, I knew it was meant for me. People on Instagram even kept recommending it to me, knowing I love London and I'm a total nerd. I loved Alex's journey - both her physical one through London, and her mental and emotional one. As someone with anxiety, I appreciated seeing Alex's realistic struggles with anxiety and panic attacks, but the story was so much more than that. It was about friendship, finding yourself, and learning to stand up for yourself and be strong. It was also super nerdy and made my little fangirl heart very happy. I can't wait for the sequel, London, Can You Wait?

• London Belongs to Us by Sarra Manning ~ I actually just finished this book last night and it became an instant favourite. From early on, I could see why it was dubbed 'a love letter to London'. This book is a whirlwind ride through the city, taking place in the span of twelve action-packed hours. I laughed so much through this book, and fell even more in love with London.

• Every Word (Every #2) by Ellie Marney ~ The Every trilogy (one of my favourite series ever, a modern-day Sherlock tale) is set in Australia, but in the second book, Every Word, they travel to London and spend most of the book there, which I loved. I read this book shortly after I came back from Europe, and there's one scene in particular where Rachel goes out into the city, and I knew exactly where she was going before she said. I was so thrilled! 

• Falling in Love With English Boys by Melissa Jensen ~ I read this book ages ago and loved it. It's one of those books I have a feeling I'd feel differently about now (mostly because my reading tastes have changed and I've become a more critical reader), so I'd like to reread it and see if it holds up to my memories of it.

• Meant to Be by Lauren Morrill ~ This is actually the opposite of the previous book. I read it ages ago and was fairly meh about it. So many of my reader friends loved it, so I wondered if it was a case of the right book at the wrong time (plus I read an ARC and it was riddled with mistakes, which turned me off a bit). This is another book I'd like to reread, but in the hopes of enjoying it more the second time around.  

• Londontown: A Photographic Tour of the City's Delights by Susannah Conway ~ A lovely photo book by photographer/blogger/creative person extraordinaire Susannah Conway, which divides the city into North, South, East, and West, and showcases some of the lesser-known parts of London as well as famous attractions. Besides the beautiful photographs, it also includes a handy little guide of the closest tube stops to the areas Susannah photographs.   

• Never Kiss a Man in Christmas Jumper by Debbie Johnson ~ I read this book this past winter and it was just as cute and funny as I hoped it would be. Set in Oxford, this one is a change of pace from the London-set books, but just as enjoyable. 

• I See London (International School #1) by Chanel Cleeton ~ A story about a young woman who leaves her ordinary life in the US to attend a university in London where most of the students are children of rich and powerful people. 

• Coming Down (Love in London #1) by Carrie Elks ~ This is a really intense second-chance romance that deals with some serious issues. 

• Unwrapping Her Perfect Match (London Legends #3.5) by Kat Latham ~ This is a novella in the London Lads series, about a team of rugby players. I haven't read the other books in this series, but after reading this funny, sexy story, I have the others on my TBR.

Speaking of my TBR...here are a few books set in London that I hope to read soon:

• Act Like It (London Celebrities #1) by Lucy Parker

• For Both Are Infinite (Hearts in London #1) by Stephanie Alba

• Penny in London by Fisher Amelie

• Broken Chords (Love in London #2) by Carrie Elks

• Knowing the Score (London Legends #1) by Kat Latham

• Lovestruck in London (Lovestruck) by Rachel Schurig

• Kiss of Steel (London Steampunk #1) by Bec McMaster

• Firelight (Darkest London #1) by Kristen Callihan

• The Den of Iniquity (Bastards of London #1) by Anabelle Bryant

Be sure to check back next week because I'll be sharing recommendations for books set in France!

What are some of your favourite books set in England? Have you read any of the books on my TBR and think I should bump them up? Have any recommendations for books set in England (especially London)?

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Review: A Brit Unexpected by Brenda St John Brown

A Brit Unexpected by Brenda St John Brown
Series: Castle Calder #2
Published: April 10th, 2017
Publisher: Self-published
250 pages (eARC)
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Acquired this book: From the author in exchange for honest consideration
Warning: May contain spoilers
{GoodReads || Buy this book: Amazon US ~ Canada || Chapters/Indigo} 

How do you know when a fake relationship turns into a real one? #AskingForAFriend

Claire is not:
- A natural athlete
- Very good with mornings
- Greyson Vaughn’s real girlfriend

But she pretends to be his girlfriend on television. And Twitter. And the gossip websites that question Every. Single. Thing. about his movie star existence. Including the question on everyone’s lips — #WhosThatGirl?

Enlisted by her grandmother to act as Greyson’s “mysterious English girlfriend” during a weekend at Castle Calder, Claire agrees to help the Hollywood hottie combat rumors of stalking his pop-star ex. She needs a distraction — from grad school, bills and her dull-as-dishwater love life — and, well, it’s only for a weekend.

Until Greyson asks her to continue the ruse through his upcoming London premiere. And another trip to Castle Calder for a sexy weekend escape. Where there are no cameras and no reporters. Nothing but the two of them and a “fake” relationship that’s starting to feel very, very real.

I thoroughly enjoyed the first book in the Castle Castle series, A Brit on the Side. I loved Bea and Jasper, plus the story made me wish I knew a family like the St Juliens and could visit/stay at a place like Castle Calder. I was excited to return to Castle Calder in A Brit Unexpected. I’m happy to say I loved this standalone companion even more than the first book.

After his high-profile ex-girlfriend starts spreading falsehoods about Greyson that could hurt his career, both he and Claire get roped into a fake dating scheme in an attempt to help Greyson’s public image. What starts off as a wary, tentative arrangement quickly turns into something more.

I really loved these two. Claire had a great voice; she’s relatable, and her inner monologue was hilarious. I especially loved the creative (very British) expletives and alternatives. I’ve always had celebrity crushes and imagined what it would be like to date this actor or that singer, so this book appealed to me on that level, but it was more than that. Without being full of angst like a lot of books with a similar premise, it was a relatable story about two people who had reservations and made mistakes, but grew separately and together. Because Claire and Greyson seemed so real, it made them easy to root for.

I think one of the things that made this book so unique is the fact Claire is British, when usually these types of books feature American girls, who often view celebrities differently. I’ve heard countless times that Brits don’t get as star-struck as North Americans do (like, for instance, I know I’d make a complete fool of myself if I even met a celebrity crush, let alone got to date them...there would likely be tears and babbling and redder-than-a-tomato blushing). A lot of Brits are like *oh there’s Benedict Cumberbatch on the tube, no big deal* or *I just passed Tom Hiddleston walking down the street, how cool* whereas North American girls would be more likely to do a scream-faint-stalk combo. So I loved that while Claire had her moments of fangirling and being awe-struck by Greyson, she wasn’t the fall-all-over-yourself fangirl. Also, a lot of ‘real person dates a celeb’ stories have endless drama and ‘but other girls are so much prettier, why would he date me?’ and constant thoughts about the celebrity’s status. There was very little of that in A Brit Unexpected, which was refreshing. A Brit Unexpected is an absolute delight. Fast-paced, funny, and sexy, this book is a refreshing change from the norm. It’ll definitely be one I recommend often to people looking for a well-written, engaging romantic comedy. 

A Brit Unexpected is an absolute delight. Fast-paced, funny, and sexy, this book is a refreshing change from the norm. It’ll definitely be one I recommend often to people looking for a well-written, engaging romantic comedy.

Buy A Brit on the Side: Amazon US ~ Canada || Chapters

Read my review of A Brit on the Side

Have you read A Brit Unexpected? What did you think? If you haven't read it, do you plan to? If you could go on a date with any celebrity, who would it be?

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