Into the woods by Jenny Holiday

 

Published by Read Forever Publisher on January, 7^th, 2025

360 pages

I read the paperback version

Back Cover

Gretchen Miller is a bit of a badass. But even badasses get the blues when it comes to romance, and Gretchen could use a break from dating. So, when she gets the offer to be the summer dance instructor at Camp Wild Arts, she leaps at the chance to embrace clean air, nature, and her inner crone. But every forest has pests—and the biggest one at Wild Arts is none other than Tennyson “Teddy” Knight, the A) arrogant, B) infuriating, C) kinda hot if it weren’t for A & B rockstar who happens to be Gretchen’s fellow artist-in-residence.

Fresh off his band's epic and ultra-public breakup, Teddy's grouchier than a black bear in spring, and Gretchen is happy to ignore the unexpected heat she feels around him. Yet a wary friendship blooms, and before she knows it, Gretchen finds herself sneaking around to have one last summer fling with the broody musician before she swears off men for good. But as they grow closer, Gretchen has to figure out if she's ready to take this summer camp romance out of the woods and into real life. 

My review

For once, I like the fact that the two main characters are sunshine-grumpy. Gretchen might give up on love, but she still has a soft heart, since she went to the camp to help a friend and she might open up to Teddy. I love the fact that she has my age and she didn’t give up on herself. Yes, it took my time to get attached to her, but her date in the first chapters made me laugh and it was easy to relate to her point of view.

I didn’t liked Teddy at first because he was a total ass with Gretchen, but we learn about his past and I understood better his temper. Also, I think he enjoyed the camp with time and let his guard down, so he became more likable.

The story take time to develop, but I think it’s what I look for in romance. I don’t like when the protagonist falls in love before chapter 5. At least, this time we have time to know who they are and it feel more natural.

Excerpts

I’m having a fucking midlife crisis, that’s the problem. (p.3)

I was so, so tired of dating. Way-deep-inside-my-soul exhausted. I was not the kind of person who took shit from anyone, least of all men, yet when I faced my midlife crisis head-on and took a good hard look at my life, I had to admit that I’d recently started..bending a little on the dating front. (p.7)

“The gig is formally called artist in residence,” she said. “It’ll be you, an actor, a writer, and so one. As I understand it, you’re not camp counselors per se, but more like mentors. The idea is that you do the gig, but also get free time to pursue your own artistic aims.” (p.16)

“Are there any other musicians here?” I asked. Not that I cared. I wasn’t planning on making friends, and when it came to music, I wouldn’t be collaborating on my next project or maybe on any other project again ever. What has seventeen years of collaboration gotten me? A broken-up band. A broken-up friendship. (p.25)

I loved swimming. There was something about floating in water that buoyed me. Literally, but also mentally. (p.51)

I have this theory that you should only use cell phones as proxies for things that existed before cell phones – so like, use it as an actual phone, use it as a map, read a book on it. But don’t use it for things that can only be done with a cell phone, you know? By which I mean, don’t do social media. It messes with your brain. (p.110)

The doors were propped open on account of the heat, so we could hear the music before we could see them. It was Beyoncé’s “Run the World (Girls).” (p.112)

Un imprévu au contrat de Suzanne Roy

 

Publié chez A Éditeur le 5 août 2025

416 pages

Lu en format papier

4^e de couverture

Milan, génie de l'informatique, comprend mieux les machines que les sentiments. L'amour ? Très peu pour lui. Mais quand son grand-père vieillissant lui demande de trouver une compagne, Milan panique. Heureusement, sa soeur lui propose un plan : une fausse relation avec sa meilleure amie Simone.

Récemment trahie par son ex, cette dernière voit l'occasion parfaite de se venger tout en gagnant un peu d'argent. Faire croire qu'elle sort avec le mystérieux, riche et glacial Milan Johnson ? Facile. Et sans risque… du moins, c'est ce qu'elle pense. Une comédie romantique pleine de quiproquos, où les coeurs ne sont peut-être pas si bien protégés qu'ils le croient.

Mon avis

J’avoue qu’au commencement, j’ai éprouvé de la difficulté de m’attacher à Milan, mais j’ai bien fait de lui donner une chance. Il m’a surprise à plus d’une reprise. C’est possible parce que moi aussi, j’ai de la misère à m’exprimer, mais j’ai pu me lier à ce personnage pour cette raison.

Toutefois, je donne mon étoile du match à Simone qui a réussi à me faire pleurer. Ses réactions fasse au contrat m’ont touché droit au cœur. Elle dramatise parfois, mais c’est ce qui la rend crédible.

J’avoue que l’histoire du contrat et de faire semblant d’être un couple sort de réel, mais c’est ce que je cherchais en parcourant les pages de ce roman et pour cette partie l’auteure a fait du bon travail. Simone et la sœur de Milan m’ont fait rire que j’avais oublié les éléments qui ne rendait pas l’histoire réelle.

Extraits

S’il y a quelque chose dont je déteste parler, c’est bien de ma vie privée. Pour cause! Il n’y a rien à dire! (p.13)

C’est tout le problème d’avoir choisi une fille normale. Elle a des principes, des doutes. (p.36)

Mais il n’y aura pas de sentiments, résume-t-elle. Je ne suis pas sûre de pouvoir coucher avec un gars pour qui je ne ressens rien..(p.75)

C’est étrange d’avoir une vie aussi stimulante sur les réseaux sociaux. Il suffit de lever les yeux vers mon logo pour constater que j’ai de quoi frimer. Mon local est grand, bien situé..et gratuit pour six mois. (p.164)

Daria dit que la photo est ta passion. Autant avoir l’équipement qu’il te faut pour la pratiquer. Tu n’es pas d’accord? (p.169)

Milan…tu es tout sauf sans intérêt. Tu es même..incroyable, en fait. (p.324)

La fille de la gare d’Ellie Midwood

 

Publié chez les éditions JCL le 3 septembre 2025

392 pages

Lu en format papier

4^e de couverture

Berlin, 1933

Déterminée à fuir sa famille, qui est étroitement liée aux nazis, Libby souhaite reconstruire sa vie aussi loin que possible d’elle. Mais en ville, nul n’échappe à la poigne de fer de Hitler. Quand son ami disparaît tragiquement, elle comprend qu’elle ne peut plus rester spectatrice.

Son destin prend un tournant inattendu lorsqu’elle rencontre Harro, un jeune homme dont elle tombe éperdument amoureuse. Peu à peu, le brave militant l’entraîne dans sa lutte clandestine. Ensemble, ils risquent tout pour tenter de renverser le pouvoir en place. À chaque mission, la peur de le perdre la ronge.

Le couple survivra-t-il à la cruauté du régime qu’il défie ?

Mon avis

C’est le premier livre de cette auteure que je lis et comme la Deuxième Guerre mondiale est mon sujet historique préféré, je tenais à le lire. C’est inspiré d’un récit véridique et je crois que Libbie n’était pas la seule à vouloir s’éloigner d’une famille pro-Hitler. J’avoue que tout comme elle, j’ai grincé des dents en parcourant certains passages. Une partie de moi n’a pas pu s’empêcher de faire le lien avec ce qui se produit en ce moment et je doute qu'on soit plusieurs à le penser. Cette période vient toujours toucher une corde sensible.

Je n’ai peut-être pas accroché aux personnages autant que je le souhaitais, mais j’admire Libby d’avoir affronté toutes ses épreuves et avoir pu assez s’ouvrir pour tomber amoureuse d’Harro. Toutefois, je vous laisse découvrir si cela se termine bien pour eux.

Je ne me suis pas tant attaché à Harro. C’est possible que la raison soit que j’éprouvais des difficultés à me concentrer, mais j’apprécie qu’il soit demeuré aux côtés de la protagoniste aussi longtemps.

L’histoire est très bien écrite, on ressent parfaitement l’ambiance des années noires sans avoir l’impression d’assister à un cours. L’ajout de romance apporte de la lumière à un sujet lugubre.

Extraits

Il n’expliquait pas grand-chose, se contentant d’énumérer des noms par ordre alphabétique – acteurs, actrices, réalisateurs, scénaristes, producteurs. Pas une seule profession n’était épargnée par une purge en apparence arbitraire qui n’avait aucun sens aux yeux de la jeune femme. (p.10)

Il a promis de rendre leurs emplois aux citoyens allemands et il l’a fait. Il a géré efficacement la dominance juive dans la presse, la culture, les sciences et le droit. Nous avons repris ce qui nous revenait de droit. Nous avons nommé à des postes de dirigeants des personnes qui se battront pour défendre les intérêts du peuple allemand et non pas des banquiers juifs de Wall Street et leurs intérêts capitalistes. (p.54)

Un étrange sentiment naquit dans la poitrine de Libertas à ces mots en apparence innocents, mais qui revêtaient un aspect menaçant pour une raison qu’elle n’expliquait pas. (p.139)

Elle s’était toujours considérée comme une personne indépendante et en quête d’aventure, mais ce n’était qu’après avoir rencontré sa cousine éloignée qu’elle avait découvert ce qu’était réellement un esprit libre. (p.180)

Interview with Julianne Baclayanto

 

Biography

She is a hopeless romantic who writes books filled with anticipation, butterflies, and an abundance of fun.

After being frequently described as "overly chatty" by family, friends and teachers alike, she has decided to commit some of those never-ending words to paper and write the kind of stories that make your heart skip a beat.

She currently lives in Ontario, Canada with her wonderful husband and beautiful new baby, and can probably be found rage-quitting Mario Kart whenever she isn't writing.

Credit : My Books

Questions

What do you like the most about writing?

I love living in the made-up worlds of my books, they’re such a fun escape when you’re having a rough day! I also love that giddy feeling I get when writing a good kiss.

Why did you choose to write romance?

I’ve always loved to read books of all genres, but romance just makes me feel happy. If I’m going to dedicate so much of my life to a passion, might as well be one that makes me smile. I’m also a hopeless romantic, so the yearning comes easily to me lol!

Do you write with music? If yes, do you have a special song?

It’s 50/50 for me, sometimes I write with music but sometimes I don’t. When I do, it’s whatever song is currently my favourite! I always gravitate back to more singer-songwriter artists, like Lizzy McAlpine, Carol Ades, and Taylor Bickett.

What advice would you give to a new author?

To just keep writing! You will be tempted to wait and outline every little detail, or to perfect every chapter before moving on to the next. Don’t give in — just write whatever comes naturally to you and don’t overthink it!

What struggles did you meet when you wrote your first novel?

I was constantly second guessing myself the entire time, but I forced myself to just finish the book and make it better after. Now it’s something I’m so proud of, and I’m glad I believed in myself enough to follow through.

What are your next projects?

I’m working on a super exciting project right now, I can’t say too much but I will say it’s a series that takes place in Canada.!

 

 

The Baby Dragon Cafe by A.T. Qureshi

Published by Avon on January 16^th, 2025

317 pages

I read the paperback version

Back Cover

When Saphira opens her cafe welcoming pet baby dragons, she isn’t expecting it to be quite so hard to keep the fires burning. But her young dragon patrons keep incinerating her furniture, which means selling coffee isn’t covering all her costs.

Local heart-throb Aiden is a gardener, though his disobedient baby dragon is a major distraction from his beloved plants. However, Saphira’s café gives him an idea – he’ll ask Saphira to train his dragon, and pay her enough to keep the cafe afloat.

They know they’re the answer to each other’s problems, but happy-go-lucky Saphira and gorgeous-but-grumpy Aiden couldn’t be more different. Can they find a way to work together – and maybe even ignite some fire of their own?

My review

I am not a fan of dragons in general, but I had to read this book for a the bookclub at Indigo Rideau Center and I liked the backcover, so I decided to give a chance. I am glad I did because I felt in love with Sparky, Aiden’s baby dragon. He was even my favorite character of the book, even though he doesn’t talk, just his presence and what he did for the relationship of Aiden & Shapira, he deserves the first place.

When I read the resume, I thought their relationship would be like Luke&Lorelai in Gilmore Girls and I have to admit it’s pretty much close to it, but with dragons. Aiden is a grumpy young man with a soft heart. The reader learns early why he is like this and it helps to give him a chance.

If you are looking for a romantasy, you might be disappointed. It’s more a contemporary romance with dragons. Please note, they don’t really talk and they are more acting like they were pets. Since it wasn’t my thing first, I like the fact that Sparky was there to help the two-protagonist bond.

I liked that Shapira had a good sense of humour. I laughed a few times at the beginning of the story when she was overwhelmed with baby dragons. I know it said the story was for adult, but I think the public is more teens – young adult. Since I like that genre in general, I appreciate the story.

Excerpts

The sight of the baby dragons in her café filled Shapira with pride. She had opened six months ago, and hers was the first café to allow the little dragos in, which thrilled the people of Starshine Valley. Most establishments were pets-free, and many even had signs that specifically said NO BABY DRAGONS ALLOWED in big, bold letters. (p.2)

The Baby Dragon Cafe’s specialty, after all, was dragon-roasted coffee. The coffee beans were roasted by Dragon flames until the beans developed sweet and rich profiles, full of body and texture. (p.12)

But Aiden had tried for the past six months and made no progress. The Sterlings were one of the most esteemed Drakkon families anyone could belong to; he came from generations of riders. Every other member of his vast family had taken to their dragons instantly, but here Aiden was, struggling- a failure. (p.23)

Usually, Aiden didn’t enjoy being around people, especially new people, but there was something inexplicable about her. The way she looked at him, curious. He thought she might actually see him and understand, if he would let her. (p.54)

He loved that she was happy in what she was doing, even though he knew it stressed her out at times and made her tired. It made him overjoyed that she had something in her life she loved, something she was passionate about. (p.122)

Les jeux sont faits d’Edith Chouinard

 

Publié chez les éditions de la Bagnole le 11 septembre 2025

228 pages

Lu en format papier

4^e de couverture

Alixe adore son nouvel appart même si elle vit maintenant sur un budget ultra limité. Quelles sont donc les prochaines étapes ? La cohabitation avec l’amoureux ? Un poste professionnel prestigieux ? Un saut dans le vide ? C’est la croisée des chemins.
Et si devenir enfin adulte, c’était suivre la voie inattendue ?

Mon avis

Ça me fait toujours bizarre de dire au revoir à Alixe après quatre romans même si ce n’est pas moi qui ai écrit l’histoire. Depuis le premier tome, j’ai suivi ses aventures, je l’ai regardé grandir en espérant qu’elle trouve ce qu’elle veut vraiment faire dans la vie. Vous devez lire ce tome pour découvrir la réponse à cette question.

Bien qu’elle ne soit pas parfaite, je crois qu’elle est très réaliste comme personnage et que plusieurs jeunes femmes pourront se reconnaître en elle. Je ne suis plus une jeune depuis quelques années, j’ai noté quelques points en commun. En parcourant les pages de ce livre, j’ai remarqué que l’on a souvent les réponses à nos questions à l’intérieur de nous, il faut seulement avoir le courage de s’y plonger. C’est ce que j’ai retenu d’Alixe.

Croyez-le ou non, je donne mon étoile du match à Caleb. Il demeurait aux côtés d’Alixe pour lui apporter son appui et lui faire réaliser ce qu’elle souhaite réellement. Il est demeuré mignon jusqu’à la toute fin. Je dirais même que c’est mon personnage préféré des quatre tomes. Il mérite amplement cette étoile.

C’est une série que je recommande chaudement aux jeunes adultes. Elle m’a fait rire, questionner sur certaines étapes de ma propre vie et m’a aidé à me changer les idées.

Extraits

Elle se débrouille bien, elle parle de son obsession pour Meghan Markle et le prince Harry. (p.48)

Là, c’est vendredi. C’est l’Halloween. Caleb s’en vient-on a décidé de se clancher les films Scream dans l’ordre, pour voir jusqu’à où on va se rendre! (p.57)

Est-ce qu’il y a quelque chose qui me tracasse? Attends voir..D’un côté, il y a toi qui t’attends à ce que je devienne une gérante étoile du jour au lendemain et, de l’autre, il y a Chloé qui veux que je recommence à zéro dans une job tripante en mode, mais aussi sécuritaire qu’un saute en bungee pas de bungee, avec une considérable baisse de salaire alors que je n’ai plus une cenne. (p.102)

« Tu te vois ou dans cinq ans? » Certainement pas en train de plaire au public de Gang d’ignares, de gérer les haters de Chloé ou de compter les likes de Mariposa! (p.134)

 

Fall I want by Lyra Parish

Published by Harper Collins on August 19^th, 2025

416 pages

I read the paperback version

Back Cover

A special paperback edition with stunning stenciled edges!

Fall I Want is a feel-good, spicy small-town, romantic comedy with a billionaire who falls first and harder!

The brokenhearted billionaire visits Cozy Creek to escape. I never expected to become his fake girlfriend or fall madly in love...but here we are.

My first impression of Zane Alexander isn't great. The second is worse, but when he uses his powers of persuasion to get me to hang out with him, I can’t say no. We quickly go from familiar strangers to flirty friends.

When my ex returns, Zane flawlessly pretends to be my boyfriend to protect me. He’s so damn good at it, I almost believe it.

I don’t know when our relationship moves from pretending to passionate, but I catch feelings. As our exes desperately crawl back into our lives like zombies, I realize there is only one man for me, and (f)all I want is him.

Zane

Everything changes the moment I see her. Autumn's enchanting gaze makes my heart race, so I push her away to protect myself. Immediately, I regret it. But when I find her standing in my haunted house, I convince her to be my friend. She begrudgingly agrees.

As the leaves transform and Cozy Creek's fall festivities come alive, our playful charade blossoms into something more.

The lines between real and pretend begin to blur, and I find myself falling under her spell.

I should keep my broken heart in check, but instead, I fight for love that feels like magic.

This woman is all I've ever needed and (f)all I want. 

My review

I liked the book at the beginning. I could relate to Autumn and I thought the story was realistic, but after we discover who is the real Zane, the story didn’t make so much sense anymore. It was still cute and very romantic, but I thought it lost the sense of reality that I like to find in romance. I felt I was watching a hallmark movie.

I give my star at Autumn because I really liked her at the beginning and even though I became sceptical with time, a part of me still wish to live a fairytale like her. I still believe that the connection between Zane and her was real, but it was missing a little something to make it believable at the end. I loved her humour, the fact that she had difficulties to open up when she met Zane, but she slowly became herself in front of him and tells him how she felt.

Zane arrived in second position just because I loved him at the beginning. Yes, he had a character, but it was that make him real. I saw him like a man with flaws, but scare to open himself in the same time.

I loved Zane’s sister. Not only because she could predict things and she was the funniest character in the book. I hope she will have her own story one day.

It was a cute romance to read during the fall. I couldn’t wait September 1^st and cool weather just to enjoy it.

Excerpts

When the Halloween accessories appear, I know my favorite season has officially arrived. Autumn isn’t just my name; it’s my entire personality 365 fays out of the year. (p.2)

"Maybe you should write about Mr. Dreamy and trash what you wrote when you were with Sebastard. I’m convinced you can’t finish your novel because the story reminds you of him.” (p.5)

"Oh, I absolutely will be truthful. I want to understand your fears of befriending people, especially men. I think this would be good for you. Take it day by day with no expectations. Who knows? Maybe he’ll be the one, just like Mr. Dreamy.” (p.69)

"Should I say Beetlejuice three times?” (p.134)

"I’m following this road that we’re traveling down all the way to the end,” (p.152)