We Live and Breathe Books: Isn't It Romantic?

Writing Mr. Wrong by Kelley Armstrong
Published by Forever on June 24, 2025
Age/Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
four-half-stars

Goodreads

The #1 New York Times bestselling author delivers a fun romantic comedy about a woman reconnecting with her high school ex after writing him into her latest romance book. Gemma hasn’t written in years, but post-divorce, she dove back into writing romance. When her proposal didn’t sell, she became convinced it was because no one wanted her nice-guy heroes and decided to write and absolute Mr. Wrong…based on her first crush, Mason Moretti, now a star hockey player. She’s sure no one will make the connection between her highland laird and an NHL enforcer. Of course, someone does, and her secret is out.

Mason is going through some drama of his own as an aging hockey player, and when his “reunion-cute” with Gemma goes viral, he proposes some media-worthy fake dating to help her book. Which is so sweet and not at all to help solve his own image problem. Gemma reluctantly agrees. Mason convinces Gemma to go away with him so she can finish her overdue second book while giving him anti-asshole lessons. And if he really just wants to get time away with her, that’s not an bad move, right? Or is it?

While doing a publicity spot for her debut romance book, Gemma was reunited with her high school crush who *may* have been the inspiration for the alpha-hole hero. When their reunion took a surprise turn with the public adoring them together, Gemma and Mason were "encouraged" by their publicists to fake date and give the people what they want.

The premise of this book had me hook, line, and sinker. I was immediately yearning for more of this reunion between Gemma and Mason. They met in kindergarten and may have shared mutual crushes for years, and now at 36, they were getting a chance to explore their connection. I love that! And I loved them together. There was something special about how these two interacted, and I thought they were good for each other.

Gemma had spent years in a marriage with a man who only wanted parts of her. He wanted to shape her into the ideal corporate wife. That came at a cost for Gemma, and it was only now, post divorce, that she was finally able to recover some of those lost parts of herself. Mason was always a fan of sassy Gemma and was always attracted to her just as she was. Being reminded of how she could shine helped boost Gemma's confidence as she worked to rebuild her life and reclaim her agency.

It was great that Gemma could be her whole self with Mason, but Gemma was also a big supporter of him. Mason had been a standout hockey player for almost his whole life. People fully embraced Mason the Player and were quick to dismiss the other parts of him. Throughout his life, Gemma was one of the few people to see past that and see that there was more to who he was.

The reunion, and reading Gemma's book, opened Mason's eyes. He realized he had some work to do on himself, and he enlisted Gemma to help. The whole experience was one of growth and self discovery for them both. Not only were they figuring out many things about themselves, they were getting to know the grown-up versions of each other as they exorcised their demons and fell in love.

Overall, this book was a special treat for me. As a lover of second chance romances, I adored seeing these two finally get their shot at something real and was glad to see Mason redeem himself. I was also filled with glee with the cameos from Daphne and Chris from Finding Mr. Write. I hope we will be making more trips back to this world in the future.

Total Dreamboat by Katelyn Doyle
Published by Flatiron Books on June 24, 2025
Age/Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
four-half-stars

Goodreads

From the beloved author of Just Some Stupid Love Story, an irresistible rom-com about what happens when a cruise ship romance goes…overboard

Hope Lanover needs a vacation. Her relationship has imploded, her creative ambitions have flatlined, and she can’t seem to locate the badass girl she used to be. So when her best friend—a lifestyle influencer looking for a rich husband—invites her along a luxury cruise, Hope goes along with it…despite hating cruises, and having no interest in a fling with their elderly clientele.

Felix Segrave can’t imagine anything worse than a cruise. Sober, determinedly single and a workaholic chef, he hates leaving his restaurant and routine. But when his parents surprise him and his sisters with tickets to celebrate their anniversary, he can’t say no—he’s disappointed them too many times in his troubled past.

Hope and Felix are prepared to grin and bear it—until they lock eyes at check in. Suddenly, a ten-day fling in the Caribbean with a sexy stranger doesn’t seem so bad, despite all the ballroom dancing lessons and cheesy karaoke nights. That is, until Hope’s romantic demons catch up to her, Felix learns that the woman he’s falling for has not been entirely honest with him, and they find themselves stranded together—and at each other’s throats—in paradise. Forced to work together, not to mention share a bed, they must either navigate the stormy seas of love, or face romantic shipwreck.

Hope was feeling "stuck" working relentlessly at a job she didn't want and still dealing with the demise of her relationship. When her influencer bestie, Lauren, invited her on a luxury cruise, Hope accepted despite her reservations. Onboard, Hope hit it off with Felix, a charming English pub owner, and thought that an onboard fling may be just the thing to get her unstuck.

Unlike Hope and Felix, I love cruises and had a great time on The Romance of the Sea with them. This part of the story was chock full of delightful and hilarious moments. I was definitely feeling the rom and the com here. In my heart, I knew this was a ten-day getaway, but I was crossing my fingers and my toes that the shipmance would continue on dry land.

Both Hope and Felix were characters I could root for. I could relate to Hope's job ennui and loved that she was able to find herself again after feeling lost for a while. And Felix won my heart early on. He had worked hard to get his life back on track, to build his businesses, and stay sober, but he was still a bit unsteady and reluctant to trust his heart's wants. Felix was fortunate to have such a lovely and supportive family who (sort of) gently pushed him to follow his heart.

I expected this story to play out in a certain way and was pleasantly surprised with the latter part of the tale. It was wonderful to see Hope and Felix reach for their dreams, grow, and change for the better. I was thrilled for them, and that epilogue moved me to happy tears.

Overall, I had an amazing time vacationing with Hope and Felix. Packed with humor, warmth, and wit, Total Dreamboat delivered lots of laughs, smiles, and feels.

*ARCS PROVIDED BY THE PUBLISHER