Emma Hart (1)

Favorite Quotes:

It was truly surprising how many people were interested in a calendar of naked people covering their wobbly bits with their homegrown vegetables. The internet was a strange place.

“How else should I put it?” I replied. “That we engaged in coitus? Partook in premarital activities?” He stared at me. “Tossed the hotdog down the hallway,” Isa offered. I snapped my fingers in her direction. “Did the bedtime slip’n’slide.” “Planted the parsnip.” “Fed the show more kitty.” “Stuffed the taco.” “Buried the bone.” “Slammed the ham.” I paused. “Why are all your sex euphemisms food- related?”

Oli, this woman is two colours short of a rainbow.

Maybe Eleanor de Havilland had a few screws loose. Well, even if she did, she was in good company. I barely had any screws, much less loose ones.

Always ask for someone’s name before you do the dance with no pants.

Put your fishing pole away. There are no compliments here for you to catch.

… she was practically running this town like a mafia lord now. The woman was a master of deceit— everyone thought she was a kind, sweet lady always willing to lend a hand, but she was actually a rabid bull who had no qualms about breaking down a door or two to get what she wanted.

My Review:

I adore this author, Emma Hart is da bomb! I have gleefully giggle-snorted my way through every book of hers that I’ve been lucky enough to source. Her well-honed tales are laced together with clever wit, keen snark, and sharp visuals that dance through my gray matter while featuring authentically quirky characters that I enjoy getting to know. I can’t wait to see what she conjures next. show less

Books, love and laughter
5 stars

This book is part of The Bookworm’s Guide series about three best friends (perhaps four, if Tori and Colton get their own story). Kinsley got her HEA in the first book in her series, The Bookworm’s Guide to Faking It, and Saylor will get her story in The Bookworm’s Guide to Flirting. There’s also a cute crossover from The Girl Next Door. Ivy, the heroine from that book, is Holley’s sister. I’ve not read any other book with these characters so I can show more safely attest that this book completely stands alone. You, like me, will want to go ahead and buy up the others once you’ve read this one, however.

This is the story of Holley and Sebastian - best friends from childhood who had a falling out on the night of prom which led to their estrangement. It’s 8 years later and Seb - now a world class baseball player - is back in his small home town to recuperate from an injury. He’s keen to reconnect with Holley - maybe this time as more than a friend.

I loved Seb as a character. He was determined to win back Holley’s trust but it was the way he rolled with the punches in the face of Holley’s anger towards him, that I liked the best. Holley was a tough nut to crack - but Seb knew he liked her, knew he wanted her and even Holley’s own personality wouldn’t persuade him otherwise.

Which brings me to Holley herself. She is a classic Hart heroine - snarky, sarcastic, a little neurotic and a little hostile. I bloody loved her. She was an introvert bookworm who loved true crime and used her words to keep people at a distance. Plus she ran (literally ran away) at the first sign of confrontation. She was basically me, but with more confidence and a bookstore. Oh, and I normally wouldn’t only *think* all the things Holley tended to say out loud.

There is foul language, near constant threats of murder and a bunch of offbeat grandparents. What’s also there is a fairly slow burn. I mean, it takes almost to the end of our story before Seb and Holley finally get their act together and kiss. But as much as I wanted that to happen - and more - you still saw an obvious progression of the relationship which still made me warm and happy.

I love a lot of things about Emma Hart’s novels; They’re hilarious, feature a great bunch of ride-or-die friends and are set in the cutest small towns. But it’s our heroines that always give me ultimate feels. They are unashamedly themselves - quirky, odd, good and bad - and the men in their lives fall in love with them just the way they are. It gives fellow weirdos a little hope that the fairytale really does exist.

Love, love, loved this book. It has everything I want in a story - sass, sarcasm, second-chance love, friendship and a bookshop that I want for myself. 5 stars and very highly recommended. show less

What an adorably funny rom-com! I laughed incessantly at the dry wit and sassy comebacks the incredibly stubborn, arrogant, and forthright characters dished out. When an out-of-work and unorganized young woman agrees to organize a high-end birthday party in her roommate's absence, her patience is challenged, her identity is mistaken, and her heart is captured.

Chaos is Sophie Smith's middle name and she's found herself in the thick of it with the aristocracy. By no fault of her own, she is show more placed in an unfortunate situation of impersonating a party planner with no experience whatsoever. After finding out she unknowingly shot down the future Duke of Devon, she's even more intimidated by her project which only gets worse. The man is smarmy and arrogant and she is unfortunately attracted to him, but his mother the Duchess is not her biggest fan and she must step lightly. It's a recipe for disaster.

Hugo Edwards is the duke-in-waiting and he's tired of his mother interfering in his love life. He will choose his own mate and unfortunately, it happens to be the charming and feisty little number who is pulling off the party of the century. His hilarious grandmother, the Dowager Duchess of Devon, is opposed to her nightmare-in-law's birthday celebration and gives the party planner a run for her money. It's only right he try to help her out by running interference.

Hugo and Sophie make such a great pair with their fun banter and hilarious teasing. Hugo's whole family is a great addition to the story as they are beguiled by Sophie's honesty and forthrightness working her butt off to make the event go off without a hitch despite being sabotaged by a bitchy employee. There are a few who know Sophie's secret and help her in any way they can, but it's a matter of time when all hell breaks loose and the formidable Duchess of Devon finds out her pretense. There is a heck of a confrontation with Hugo's unlikable mother when Sophie's lies are revealed and Hugh has to move heaven and earth to get Sophie back, but with some heartfelt apologies and confessions of love, Sophie agrees her Duke is worth a happily ever after.

If you love delightful rom-coms with charismatic characters located in the beautiful English countryside, give this book a try.

Thank you to Ms. Hart for giving me the opportunity to read this book with no expectation of a positive review. show less

This was a really good read! The writing flowed well, and I would have made it 5 stars if only Poppy was toned down just a little. I don't mind sarcasm at all, and most of the time she was okay. But, there were those times that she was just straight b**chy, not sarcastic, and it wasn't like it was warranted. I wanted to smack her a few times. I felt sorry for Adam several times, and wasn't sure why he kept trying. Now, when Poppy wasn't over the top, they made a cute couple. I thought they show more had great chemistry together, and I loved the interactions with Poppy's family. I was a little confused over one thing though. When they were at the wedding, Adam acts like he's hiding something from Poppy. It's never mentioned again, and not sure what the point was. I thought the ending was cute! This was a first for me from this author, but I will definitely be reading her again!
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced readers copy of this book. show less