Finding Mr. July by Anna E. Collins
Published by Forever on July 1, 2025
Age/Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Goodreads
She’s ready to do whatever it takes to get the job of her dreams, even if it means working with a pile of adorably unruly pups--and the office grump-- in this charming contemporary rom-com perfect for fans of Rachel Lynn Solomon and Sarah Adams.
Intern Holly King knows there are pros and cons to everything, including competing in her nonprofit’s big fundraising competition.
The Pros:
Winning means a full-time job at the new office in Scotland
Scotland is thousands of miles away from her toxic ex-boyfriend
Her pitch includes PUPPIES! Lots of ‘em!
The only con? Working with Jonathan Summers. But if Holly wants her calendar of hot, outdoorsy guys and their dogs to win against everyone else’s fundraising ideas, she’ll need Jonathan’s undeniable talent as a photographer…even if he is the office grump.
When their collaboration accidentally gets off to a steamy start, Holly vows she won’t be distracted again. But as they scramble to shoot a year’s worth of hunks and pups in just a couple of weeks, the spark between Holly and Jonathan can’t be ignored.
With Holly’s career dreams finally coming into focus, whatever’s developing with Jonathan makes her wonder—could she be missing the bigger picture?
After a bit of a workplace meltdown, Holly found herself starting over. The transition from lawyer to environmental non-profit intern was not easy, but Holly was a frontrunner for the full-time position. She just had to win the fundraising challenge which would require the help of grumpy web designer Jonathan. What started as a business relationship turned into more as Holly and Jonathan raced against the clock to complete this challenge.
I am a big fan of comeback stories, and here, I got two. Both Holly and Jonathan had experienced career setbacks and had to pivot. Holly's end game was winning the full-time position with the firm which would take her to Scotland ensuring a fresh start. I could understand wanting to get some space from the people and places of her past, but it was easy to see her ambivalence grow with each photo shoot.
Holly had a total rom-com meet cute with Jonathan, but he was determined to keep her at arm's length. Though he was not interested in shooting a "hot guy" calendar, Jonathan agreed to assist after some "encouragement" from his boss. It was the shoots and planning sessions that were very revealing. Holly and Jonathan shared intimate details about themselves and bonded while working towards a common goal. Their interactions were fun and meaningful , and I loved watching their relationship take shape and grow.
Holly's situation with her ex was pretty bad, but my heart ached for all that Jonathan lost. I was sort of glad he was forced to help Holly with this project because it was the push he needed to pick up a camera again. Though these were not his typical subjects, he embraced the task and the sound of that shutter fed his creative need and his soul. Holly and this calendar were the shakeup he needed to reconnect with the things he loved and himself.
I also really enjoyed the photoshoots. Holly struggled to find many of her participants, but once she did, their sessions took me to some beautiful Pacific Northwest sites where dog and man froliced among nature. It was great getting out and about, and I truly adored each and every pup I met.
Overall, I had a fantastic time getting to know Jonathan and Holly, and it was a pleasure to see them both pick themselves up, dust themselves off, and start anew with lots of humor, pluck, and pups.
An Irish Summer by Alexandra Paige
Published by Avon on July 1, 2025
Age/Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Goodreads
A new romantic comedy in which a young woman embarks on a summer adventure—and summer fling—in Ireland, perfect for fans of Sophie Cousens and Beth O’Leary.
Boston has everything Chelsea needs: her best friend, her family, a great job. She’s worked and lived at the same bed and breakfast since graduating college, and she relishes the sense of stability. That is, until she’s informed that O’Shea’s Bed and Breakfast is being sold and she has less than a month to find a new job and apartment. Desperate, she takes a summer gig at the B&B’s sister hostel in Galway, Ireland. It’ll be an adventure, she convinces herself, and it’ll give her some time to plan her Next Act.
As it turns out, Galway has everything Chelsea hates: nonstop rain, no iced coffee, shared bathrooms. Working at The Wanderer might grant her time and a few extra lines on her resume, but Chelsea can’t help but feel like she left her life back in Massachusetts. Her new coworkers, however, are determined to change her mind, especially the handsome and charming tour guide Collin.
Collin and Chelsea strike up a deal: he’ll show Chelsea everything Ireland has to offer, and only then can she pass judgement. Sure enough, Chelsea finds herself warming up to the hostel and Irish lifestyle… and falling for her charismatic new friend. But as the summer comes to an end, she finds herself torn between the familiarity of home and the tantalizing adventure of life abroad.
An Irish Summer is a heartfelt, transporting story perfect for readers looking for the thrill of moving away from home and the unique magic of summer love.
Chelsea had her life plan in place but then it imploded. She has been working at O'Shea's B&B for over a decade, but with the owners' upcoming retirement, she found her future was no longer within reach. With no job and no home, she decided to take a seasonal position at a hostel in Ireland while she figured out her next steps. Though her plan was always for Ireland to be a temporary home, Chelsea found the country and the people there quickly claiming a piece of her heart.
I found An Irish Summer to be quite a fun story. It had a lot of great elements which kept me entertained and also invested in Chelsea's personal journey. Readers have expressed some frustration with Chelsea, however, I think it's a bit unfair. She had all her ducks in a row, and then one conversation obliterated her present and future. That can be very unsettling, and it took her some time to accept it and to realize that maybe her dream had changed.
Thank goodness Chelsea connected with some wonderful people in Galway who were there to support her on her journey. Flo and Ada were fantastic cheerleaders, but I credit Collin with really giving Chelsea that push towards all the growth and change she experienced.
Collin was determined to make Chelsea fall in love with Ireland, and he appointed himself as her personal ambassador to ensure she was able to experience Ireland to its full extent. These outings were some of my favorite parts of this book. I was familiar with some of the experiences from my own trip to Ireland but some were new, and I adored getting that peek at the sights and sounds of these new-to-me locales.
Overall, I had a wonderful time at The Wanderer watching Chelsea fall in love with Ireland (and Collin) as she reimagined her future and took steps to make it happen.
*ARCS PROVIDED BY THE PUBLISHER
Let us know in the comments!
No comments:
Post a Comment