Evie Alexander

Evie brings the humor again to her books. That is one of the things I really enjoyed about her books is the humor. Which always makes the books more fun to read. Although, having engaging characters is a big part of it as well. Readers of romcoms will enjoy this book. I can really see this series of books being turned into their own movies. Sad to see this series end but it ended on a high note.

Jamie and Sam could not be more different. Sam is more outspoken and thus the reason she is staying with Jamie, whereas Jamie is softer spoken. Yet, they worked well together. Sam got Jamie to be more vocal, even if there were some embarrassing moments. Again entertainment.

The chemistry these two shared had some heat to it. To sum up their love a line from the song they wrote together called "My Heart"

"The only thing I can offer is my heart and my life. I love you"… (más)

Valentina, a Columbian actress, arrives in Scotland to film a small role in Braveheart 2. She has worked her entire career to provide a better life for her family, but she feels like she is at her breaking point, realizing that she has never just lived. Enter Charlie, the bodyguard to various rich people, who is estranged from his family and has done more than enough living as he sees it. He heads to the Scottish Highlands to help a friend kept control on movie starts coming to the Kinloch castle, but he just might get more than he bargained for. Falling for a movie star wasn't in his plans. Thrown together by circumstance Charlie and Valentina aren't able to deny their chemistry for long. The real question is: will what they have become more than a brief fling?
Okay so I loved this book like a lot. I made myself stop reading at various points so that I could drag it out because I did not know how much I needed this book in my life at the moment. It was a great break after reading so many thrillers. Evie Alexander does an amazing job of creating well rounded characters with relatable stories. Perhaps best of all though she seems to have mastered the art of comedic situations. Because this book is full of them. Not to mention she made Charlie a heavily tattooed bada**. The dragon tattoo (if you know you know) made for the perfect element in this story. It centers around quite a few sexy and funny moments.
I loved that we got both characters POV, though it felt like we got more of Charlie's, which I was totally fine with. I cannot tell you how many times while reading this I said "poor Charlie" because the beginning of the novel really does him dirty. Things start to look up for him when he has the adorable little meet cute with what turns out to be our main female character, well that is until the end of their conversation! She seems stunned he wouldn't know who she is. Charlie is able to semi redeem himself when he comes up with the jar of ideas to help her live, though wild monkey sex on half the cards was probably overkill haha.
Seriously if you want a book that is hard to put down, super cute, and full of all kinds of drama and humor then you need to check this one out because it checks all those boxes and then some. Even better there are more books revolving around Kinloch. Do yourself a favor and give this one a shot.… (más)

While this book is the third in this series, it is my first-time introduction to this series and author. This book can be read as a standalone novel. After reading this book, I do want to go back and read the prior two books. In regards, to sharing some laughs along the way while reading this book, I am happy to report that it is true. I did find myself laughing. Just wanted to point this out as I have gone into books before expecting to laugh and being disappointed that it did not happen.

I do have to take a moment to mention Valentina's grandmothers, Isabella and Ana. There was a brief moment where they appeared in the story. The conversation between them and Charlie had me chuckling. Charlie and Valentina could not be more polar opposites. However, as the say goes "Opposites attract". The experiences that Valentina had with Charlie were fun. It was nice to see her let loose. Plus, the romantic chemistry these two shared as steamy.… (más)

A bang and a fizz
4 stars

Evie Alexander and Kelly Kay are back with another set of "madcap romantic comedy novellas” this time focussed around American Independence Day. The first book in the series, Cupid Calamity, set up the premise behind these interconnected stories but I do think you’ll do fine if you haven’t read that first book. In a nutshell, a group of people meet when they get stranded at an airport during a snowstorm. A night of drinking and sharing secrets makes them firm friends and a group chat is born.
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Up in Smoke by Kelly Kay
Huge but cute, new-wave farm boy, Jonathan, realises he’s marrying the wrong person. But breaking it off isn’t as easy as he thought - especially now his former bestie and secret love, Juliet, is back in town.

I didn’t really take to Kelly Kay’s writing style with my first introduction to her in Cupid Calamity, so I was more than delighted when the first couple of chapters of this story really held my attention and made me ridiculously excited. A great hulking teddy-bear of a man in a state of unrequited love for his former bestie? Gimme.

But then things went tits up when we meet Jonathan’s fiancé. I mean, there wasn’t even any pretence that these two loved each other - or even liked or knew each other. I didn’t believe it. And then Juliet comes back to town and Jonathan, having accepted that he loves her… tells her to leave. Wait, why? The rest of the tale is Jonathan trying to convince people that he’s not still getting married to his crazy ex-fiancé while trying to corral a horny runaway pig.

I’m not ashamed to say I totally tapped out. As before, the writing was frenetic and confusing, and it didn’t flow for me. I am all-in for ridiculous shenanigans and madcap comedy capers, but things still have to make sense. And this book made no sense.
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Off with a Bang by Evie Alexander
Brit, Tristan Fawcett-Underwood meets American, Sherilyn Boden when they meet during their company’s Zoom calls. A friendship follows but who will be disappointed when Tris decides to fly to the US for July 4th and neither is who the other expects?

I have loved everything I’ve read from Evie Alexander and this story is no exception. We’re first introduced to Tris and Sherilyn as the pair exchange texts and messages after meeting over a Zoom call. The messages are funny, cute and sweet - and really give you a feeling of the growing relationship and the feelings. I also loved the way Ms Alexander was able to show us the real feelings of the pair without giving it away to the other person.

When Tristan comes to Chicago the first time, Sherilyn’s parents are in town and, embarrassed, Sherilyn refuses to see Tris. The second time, there’s nowhere for Sherilyn to hide as he comes to her hometown during the July 4th celebrations. It’s then that the shenanigans begin.

Tris was wonderful and was absolutely smitten with Sherilyn from the first. I loved him. In revealing his secrets, I loved him even more. I liked Sherilyn although I couldn’t really wrap my head around her acute embarrassment of her family. Sure they were over-the-top but I didn’t like that aspect of her, or her attempts to cover them up - funny as it was.

As always, Evie pulls out a wonderful happily ever after yet still leaves me wanting more - like the stories of Sherilyn’s brothers, Axel and Fender (no, really!).
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So, as with Cupid Calamity, it’s a hit and a miss for this story duo. 3 stars for one and 5 for the other gives an average of 4 stars. I’ll still be looking out for the next in the series, Christmas Chaos, as it features a story about Rory and Zoe from Highland Games. Squee!… (más)