Book Review - A Lot To Unpack by Portia MacIntosh - #HolidayReading Dom Rep

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Title: A Lot To Unpack

Author: Portia MacIntosh

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Boldwood Books

Publication Date: 2nd October 2025

Rating: 5 Stars

It’s going to be a bumpy ride... 👀

Liberty’s just landed her dream job. The catch? It’s at Matcher, the dating app that ruined her life. After catching her boyfriend sending intimate pictures to everyone in a twenty mile radius, Liberty is struggling to get back into the dating game. Every man gives her the ick sooner or later.

Still, she’s having a great time travelling the world for work, until she’s assigned a secret mission: Travel to New York with her handsome and charming boss Jordan and swap out a contract from under his nose. It should be easy, but the more time Liberty spends with Jordan, the more she realises he might not be the bad boy she thought he was. But it turns out they’ve both got a lot to unpack, and Liberty still needs to complete her mission if she wants to keep her job - which means not breaking the one golden rule: do not fall for the boss!

A laugh-out-loud, rivals-to-lovers, working together, jet set romcom! A Lot to Unpack from Portia Macintosh

Another highly enjoyable and entertaining storeis from the pen of Portia MacIntosh. 

Liberty needs a new job, since it is obvious she can no longer work with her dick pic sending boyfriend. 

The one she gets to me seems to be too good to be true.  She's an assistant, waiting for people that need assitance, and in the meantime she is being flown all over the world. 

And while she waits she is encouraged to use Matcher and right reports on ot. Which leads to her to some rather amusing dates across the world. 

Until she meets Jordan, who is key to everthing, and that's where things get interesting! 

Full of the author's trademark humour this was a highly entertaining story to read.  And I especially loved the descriptions of the places she is sent to. 

Add in her cousin's wedding and various amusing family dynamics and you have yourself a fabulous book. 

Thank you to Boldwood Books and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Book Review - My Big Greek Island Ex-Scape by Sandy Barker

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Title: My Big Greek Island Ex-Scape

Author: Sandy Barker

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Boldwood Books

Publication Date: 19th January 2026

Rating: 5 Stars

Ally Novak is perfectly happy being single – in fact, her career depends on it.

As the Divorced Diva – blogger, brand ambassador and businesswoman extraordinaire – she’s spun three failed marriages into gold, building a brand that celebrates single life.

So when her wealthy ex-husband Julian invites her to front his new wellness retreat, Ally jets off to his exclusive Greek island, certain it’ll be just another glamorous gig.

What she doesn’t expect is to find another ex on the island – the one who got away, and the only one she can’t forget.

Is fate handing her a second chance at love, or is it simply a case of too many exes in paradise?

A delightfully fun romantic caper set on the glorious Greek island of Aetheria, from the bestselling author of Match Me If You Can

Utterly brilliant, possibly Sandy Barker's best book to date! 

I went into this book completely blind, I literally saw the author had a new book and knew I wanted to read it.  I never even read the blurb so I had absolutely no idea other than presumably a book based in Greece, what would be contained in the pages. 

The prologue captured my attention instantly, and made me intrigued by Ally and just what bonkers tale she was promising to tell us. For she let us know it was going to involve not one but two of her three ex-husbands, while on a private and luxurious Greek Island. 

She agreed to the trip to help out ex 3 - Julian, with promotion as she is now the Divorced Diva on social media, and helps empower divorced women, and has a fabulous platform. What she didn't realise until she was already on the island is that Tommy, ex number one, and the one that really did get away, has been hired and is working on the island too. 

So suddenly instead of a potentially awkward few days with one ex, she now has two of them at once to contend with.  When you add in that Tommy is warning Ally to leave the island immediately and that there is a lot more to that statement than meets the eye, and you have the ingredients for a wonderful book. 

This has various twists and turns and I definitely was shocked by elements of it, but it also has sizzling sexual chemistry, a possible new friendship, and some fabulous descriptions of the hotel and the island itself. Plus Naxos where there is a lovely excursion which included some lovely innuendo at a cookery class! 

I don't think I can explain just how genius this story is, it felt quite unique in terms of concept and the bits I'd most love to talk about would definitely be spoilers. 

I devoured this story and couldn't have enjoyed it more.  

Thank you to Boldwood Books and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Book Review - Let's Make A Scene by Laura Wood

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Title: Let's Make A Scene

Author: Laura Wood

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Publication Date: 3rd July 2025

Rating: 4 Stars

Their story might be scripted, but the chemistry is real.

When Cynthie Taylor gets her first real acting job, starring in a small British movie, she is over the moon. There’s only one problem . . . Cynthie's arrogant and annoyingly handsome co-star Jack hates her, and the feeling is definitely mutual. While they may be at war behind the scenes, their on-screen chemistry is palpable, and the studio sees an opportunity – have the two young stars fake a romance that will charm fans and draw crowds.

Thirteen years later, Cynthie and Jack have successfully kept their promise to stay far away from one another, until a surprising offer comes to make a sequel to the cult classic that launched their careers. But there's a catch: they must also rekindle their pretend relationship . . . and this time there's a documentary crew following their every move.

Cynthie and Jack both desperately need this film to work, but can two ex-rivals ever really trust each other? And what happens when the roles they're playing start to feel all too real?

What an enjoyable book.

I absolutely love stories that include movie stars, and this had everything.  Fake dating, real friendship, enemies to lovers, second chances, a reunion after 13 years, some talented acting, hilarious prank wars, a horrific ex for Cynthie which shows the worse side of the film making business, and a whole lot more besides. 

The story jumps regularly between the present day storyline of Cynthie trying to get herself back together after a public scandal, and the opportunity to make a sequel to her first ever film all these years later.  It's just that her nemesis Jack is also on board, and the deal involves a behind the scenes access all areas documentary being filmed, all while they have to fake date like back in the day, to ensure this is the biggest thing ever. 

And the storyline of 13 years previous, where they make the first film and we establish just what happened between the pair of them, which has led to the barely wanting to be in the same room together. 

But equally there is a lot of sexual chemistry and you are never quite sure which direction this story would take. 

This was the first book I've read by Laura Wood and it certainly won't be the last, and I'm eager to see what she writes next. 

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Book Review - Fun at Parties by Jamie Harrow

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Title: Fun at Parties

Author: Jamie Harrow

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Quercus

Publication Date: 16th September 2025

Rating: 4 Stars

Spin instructor Quinn Ray is sunshine personified, so when she has a mid-class meltdown after a bad break up, her boss orders her to take a few weeks off work. And with nothing else to lose, Quinn decides a quiet road trip through Americaʼs most tranquil scenery is exactly what she needs as she re-examines her life choices.

But then Nate Reed, whoʼs barely spoken to Quinn since their friendship imploded two years ago, asks to hitch a ride. He needs to find their chaotically lovable pal, Logan, to discuss something important, and Quinn is happy to drop Nate off wherever he needs to be.

The problem is, party boy Logan doesnʼt want to be found. And as Quinnʼs peaceful road trip becomes a tour of Americaʼs biggest party spots, she realizes Nate might just be the silver lining she never thought to look for.

It took me a while to get into the swing of this book, but once I did, I was definitely enjoying it. 

I just found it hard to initially connect to Quinn Ray who is a CycleLove instructor (I think this is the fictional equivalent of Peloton, but as someone who has never done Spin or similar, I'm not positive) and also appears to be an influencer at the same time. 

Her cycle persona is fashioned by her bosses for those that want those particular sorts of rides, and her fake sunshine personality was hard to like - until she on camera let's out a true outburst at which point everything changes. 

And she is asked to take a few weeks off, which given she had been feeling less enthralled with the job, was good timing, although her bosses barely give her a break and she is expected to reinvent her online persona while away. 

She ends up on a cross country road trip with Nate who she has barely spoken to for a few years, while they chase mutual friend Logan through a variety of parties, some wilder than others, so that Nate can have a proper discussion with him about something. 

I loved the road trip elements of this, although I find the thought of driving for many many many hours at time across a country as big as the USA to be totally baffling, I know it's a thing people do, and my lack of geographical knowledge for the country means i have no idea how nonsensical their route is. 

From Tahoe, to Vegas to Denver, to Kansas and more we get to see snapshots of all sorts of different parts of the country, and I adored the Vegas section, just because it's somewhere I've always wanted to visit. 

And as we get to know Quin and Nate properly as the journey progresses, the more I liked them both, and was invested in their backstories and character development too. 

This was an enjoyable story and I'm glad that I have now discovered this author's writing. 

Thank you to Quercus and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Book Review - Murder In Venice by T. A. Williams - #HolidayReading Dom Rep

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Amazon UK

Title: Murder In Venice

Author: T. A. Williams

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Boldwood Books

Publication Date: 3rd November 2025

Rating: 5 Stars

A movie icon, a murky past… and a murder mystery set in the magical city of Venice.

Private investigator Dan Armstrong can’t believe his luck when he’s invited to the luxury villa of none other than Alice Graceland, movie legend and queen of the silver screen. Could this be his big break - a chance to schmooze with stars and pitch his own murder mystery series? He’s already imagining red carpets and a golden Oscar to accompany his faithful canine companion, Oscar the Labrador…

But when he gets there, things start to look far from magical ...

Alice isn’t looking to bankroll Dan’s writing, but instead she wants him to play host at a murder mystery evening with a glamorous (but suspiciously tense) collection of Hollywood royalty. It should be a meeting of old friends - but just how friendly are they? There’s champagne, candlelight, and an increasing number of grudges floating beneath the surface.

As the murder mystery evening takes a sinister turn, Dan and Oscar find themselves navigating more than the city’s canals to find the truth.

Murder, mischief, and movie-star mayhem in the heart of Venice. Another gripping case for Dan and Oscar to solve

It never ceases to amaze me how T. A. Williams keeps coming up with such inventive plots for this series. 

This time it looks initially at least it could be a slightly less deadly book as Dan and Oscar have been invited to Venice to play detective at a murder mystery party. 

The guest list is predominately made up of Hollywood elite all of whom have career threatening secrets that they are hiding. 

And Alice appears to have some ulterior motives for hosting this soiree. 

I loved the descriptions of the Venice waterways, and generally of Venice in the summer, which is the only time I've briefly visited and it felt familiar to me. 

I love the Dan and Oscar pairing and I swear that dog is practically human, given how much more empathy he seems to have compared to humans! Plus he once again is practically the hero. 

But for what and why and who I'll leave you to discover. 

This is yet another truly delightful and enjoyable additions to this series, which I hope will continue to go from strength to strength in the future. 

Thank you to Boldwood Books and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.