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Hi, I'm Shannon, a freelance writer, editor, and book blogger. Having lived in England for ten years, I'm now back in my Florida hometown with my husband and two sons.

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Book Review: Romantic Comedy

Breath—and Everything Else

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📖Book reviewer | 📝 Writer | 🧐 Editor | 🛴Boy mom | 🫖Tea o’clock

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I'll admit it: I will read anything Curtis Sittenf

I'll admit it: I will read anything Curtis Sittenfeld writes. When I saw her newest book was out, I jumped on NetGalley and requested a copy. (Thank you, NetGalley!)

Romantic Comedy follows Sally Milz, a writer for a late-night comedy sketch show who's pretty much given up on love. When her male co-worker starts dating a gorgeous model, Sally is annoyed and writes a sketch about this phenomenon: why is it that dorky, average-looking men always seem to end up with beautiful women? Why is a normal man and his funny personality enough to win stunning women over—but the reverse is never true?

When pop music star, Noah Brewster, comes onto the show as its guest host, he and Sally immediately hit it off, and she begins to wonder, against all of her common sense, if they could be something more. But this is real life, not a rom-com. Experience—and reality—tell her that a guy like him would never date a girl like her. Right?

I said above that I'll read anything Curtis Sittenfeld writes, and that's still true. But I want these reviews to be both fair and honest. In all honesty, I was a little disappointed with this one. The prose is great, the banter is all there, and Sittenfeld's ability to portray characters as real people you could bump into on the street is enviable. But I didn't think the book's structure did any favors to the plot or the will they-won't they tension readers want to feel in romantic books. A huge portion of the book is emails between Sally and Noah, and I thought that format downgraded the story. When two characters are in dialogue, one of the pleasures of reading is seeing how one character reacts (either in words or inner thoughts), in real time, to what the other character says. Because it was in letter format, we didn't get that.

Plus, as the emails went on, I felt like the big question ("Does Noah have feelings for her?!") was answered in an anti-climactic way. And then for the rest of the book, we didn't have that question anymore to keep us turning pages.

I will still read her next book, though! Overall an enjoyable read.

@netgalley @randomhouse

Photo by: @heftiba.co.uk

#bookstagram #amreading #bookreview #romanticcomedy

I’ve been challenged by this book by @_karenjgon

I’ve been challenged by this book by @_karenjgonzalez. An important message for all of us but especially the white American church. Thank you @brazospress for the gifted copy.

#bookstagram #immigration #beyondwelcome #amreading #goodreads #nonfiction #bookrecs

In this timely, gracious-yet-truthful critique of

✨BOOK REVIEW✨The No-Show, by @betholearyauthor

✨BOOK REVIEW✨The No-Show, by @betholearyauthor⁠
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If you haven’t read any Beth O’Leary books yet: 1) why not? and 2) why are you still reading this post and not going to get one?⁠
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She has recently become one of my favorite authors, not only for her good writing but because her books have such clever premises. I read her newest one, The No-Show, in about a day and a half. I’d say it’s more women’s fiction than just pure romance, because the character arcs are as important, if not more important, than the romantic relationships.⁠
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The book follows three women:⁠
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Siobhan’s got a breakfast date on Valentines’ Day with Joseph—unusual, as their dates are usually at night, and with no strings attached, whenever her work brings her to town. Could Joseph finally be wanting something more than just a casual thing? But he hasn’t shown up yet…⁠
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Miranda thinks lunch with Carter on Valentine’s Day is not only a great way to celebrate her new job, but a sign that she’s finally growing up. She’s been dating Carter for 5 months already, and it’s looking pretty serious. Too bad he’s a little late…⁠
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Jane’s thrilled that Joseph Carter is going along with the fake boyfriend thing for her co-worker’s engagement party, especially because Valentine’s Day night is a difficult one to spend alone. They’re just friends, but seeing Joseph has been the highlight of her new life in a new town. One problem, though: he isn’t here.⁠
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What's the deal with Joseph Carter, and where was he on Valentine's Day?⁠
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Told from the three women’s POVs, this book is both funny and sad. What a way for an author to play with your emotions, keep you guessing, and turn your assumptions upside-down. Maybe I’m biased by now, but any book by Beth O’Leary will most likely get 5 stars from me.⁠
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⁠
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#bookstagram #bookstagrammer #books #bibliophile #bibliophilelife #bookrecommendations #booklover #bookshelf #bookreview #Reading #booknerd #ReadersOfIG #ReadersOfInstagram #BookCommunity #bookworm #goodreads #bookaddict #bookish #amreading #thenoshow #betholeary #romcom #womensfiction #newfiction #fivestars #valentinesday #romance⁠

Little #nonfiction spotlight today—these books a

Little #nonfiction spotlight today—these books are on my TBR list, and my husband has already started at least one. As a mom of two boys, Raising Emotionally Strong Boys was a particularly easy buy.

What non-fiction have you read lately?

#bookstagram #emotion #amreading #readersofig #mentalhealth #autism #asd #anger #angry #goodreads #tbr #readers #reading #emotional #talkaboutfeelings #autistic

I've been creeping on some amazing #bookstagram pa

I've been creeping on some amazing #bookstagram pages lately and thought I'd hone my Canva skills with one of these book summary graphics. ⁠
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I read this one by @hannahorens a few weeks ago, and I really enjoyed it. It's about a girl named Edie whose grandmother has always predicted for her family members the date they'll meet their soulmate. When Edie's date comes around, she's on her way to her twin sister's engagement party. A handsome stranger sits beside her on the plane, and Edie's sure it's meant to be.⁠
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But as time goes on, Edie begins to wonder if her soulmate isn't the match she's been waiting on for half her life. And when she discovers something which rocks her entire worldview, she has to decide: does love choose us, or do we choose it ourselves?⁠
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What are you reading this summer? 😎📚️⁠
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#bookstagrammer #books #bibliophile #bibliophilelife #bookrecommendations #booklover #bookshelf #bookreview #Reading #booknerd #ReadersOfIG #ReadersOfInstagram #BookCommunity #bookworm #goodreads #bookaddict #bookish #fate #contemporaryromance #friendstolovers #romance #fiction #fabulism #soulmate⁠

✨BOOK REVIEW✨A Lady's Guide to Fortune-Hunting

✨BOOK REVIEW✨A Lady's Guide to Fortune-Hunting, by @sophie.irwin⁠. Thank you to @pameladormanbooks and @netgalley for the gifted copy.
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We’ve been on vacation this week, and despite all the walks in the woods and swimming in lakes and keeping small children occupied, I flew through Sophie Irwin’s debut in less than two days. This was so enjoyable to read—Jane Austen meets Sabrina, with two sharp main characters battling it out against the backdrop of Regency England’s high society.
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A quick summary: Kitty Talbot needs to find a rich husband, fast. In 12 weeks, to be exact, before her father’s creditors come to call. With her parents gone and with four sisters to take care of, Kitty can’t afford to marry for love—and she can’t afford to fail. She sets her sights on the perfect place to secure a match: London. Perfect timing, too: the Season is about to start.⁠
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It shouldn’t be too hard; Kitty’s always been the cunning one, and if anyone can win the high hand in this game, she can. But soon she meets her match in cunning: the shrewd Lord Radcliffe, who sees straight through her schemes and is determined to protect those in his circle, no matter the cost.⁠
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The problem? Neither of them can foresee what can happen when you let an enemy close…⁠
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My thoughts: So, I loved this. I wouldn’t say any writer can be compared to Jane Austen, but Sophie Irwin has done a pretty good job at imitating the style, characters and plot so beloved by Austen’s readers. If you’re a Jane Austen fan or at least in the mood for a clean, entertaining and witty love story with clever dialogue, try this one. I’m really happy for Sophie Irwin’s success, and I’d definitely read more by her.⁠
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5⁠
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📷️: @elainehowlin_⁠
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#bookstagram #bookstagrammer #books #bibliophile #bibliophilelife #bookrecommendations #booklover #bookshelf #bookreview #Reading #booknerd #ReadersOfIG #ReadersOfInstagram #BookCommunity #bookworm #goodreads #bookaddict #bookish #amreading #aladysguidetofortunehunting #London #janeausten #newfiction #mustread #janeaustenfans ⁠

✨BOOK REVIEW ✨ Happy publication day to @kjda

✨BOOK REVIEW ✨ Happy publication day to @kjda (THE CHICKEN SISTERS) and her second novel, IN HER BOOTS. I enjoyed this novel about finding the courage to be yourself, with a broken mother-daughter relationship at its heart. Thank you to @putnambooks and @netgalley for my gifted e-copy.⁠
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Rhett Gallagher has been living the nomad life for twenty years, but it screeches to a halt when her long-term relationship fails and she gets news her grandmother has passed away. She heads home to the family farm, hoping to put down roots. At least one positive thing is happening: the book she wrote under a pseudonym and through the eyes of her alter ego, The Modern Pioneer Girl, has become really popular. She even gets invited onto The Today Show to talk about it, but Rhett’s courage fails at the last second, and she convinces her best friend, Jasmine, to pretend to be her.⁠
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The ruse might’ve just been a funny story, except when Rhett’s difficult, stoic mother whom she hasn’t seen in decades arrives at the farm with the intent to sell it, Rhett keeps up the lie, and years’ worth of hurts and regrets come to the surface. Rhett is desperate to finally show her mother that she can support herself and reach her dreams, but to save the farm, her identity, and their fragile relationship, she’ll have to find the courage to finally be herself.⁠
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I enjoyed this one! The mother/daughter relationship is a popular one explored in books, and I think a lot of people will relate to the “trying and failing to live up to parents’ expectations” thing, but this felt like a fresh take. I liked the message, too—not just “have courage to be yourself” but how trying to see things from another’s perspective, and putting yourself in your enemy’s ‘boots,’ can be a powerful way to heal relationships. Definitely worth the read—and it made me want to live on a farm.⁠
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5⁠
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#bookstagram #bookstagrammer #books #bibliophile #bibliophilelife #bookrecommendations #booklover #bookshelf #bookreview #Reading #booknerd #ReadersOfIG #ReadersOfInstagram #BookCommunity #bookworm #goodreads #bookaddict #bookish #amreading #motherdaughter #newfiction #fiction #beyourself #inherboots #newbooks⁠

Snagged this one from the library finally… and i

Snagged this one from the library finally… and it’s officially cemented @betholearyauthor as one of my favorite authors. Highly recommend!

Here’s the Amazon blurb:

When overachiever Leena Cotton is ordered to take a two-month sabbatical after blowing a big presentation at work, she escapes to her grandmother Eileen's house for some long-overdue rest.

Eileen is newly single and about to turn eighty. She'd like a second chance at love, but her tiny Yorkshire village doesn't offer many eligible gentlemen.

So they decide to try a two-month swap.

Eileen will live in London and look for love. She’ll take Leena’s flat, and learn all about casual dating, swiping right, and city neighbors. Meanwhile Leena will look after everything in rural Yorkshire: Eileen’s sweet cottage and garden, her idyllic, quiet village, and her little neighborhood projects.

But stepping into one another's shoes proves more difficult than either of them expected. Will swapping lives help Eileen and Leena find themselves…and maybe even find true love?

#bookstagram #amreading #goodreads #toread #books #womensfiction #theswitch #readersofig #switch #readthisbook

✨NEW BLOG POST✨ Some mornings, thinking about

✨NEW BLOG POST✨

Some mornings, thinking about the next 14 hours of parenting makes me want to burrow deeper beneath the blankets. Tantrums and sibling fights, potty-training, chauffeuring kids around. In the midst of meeting physical needs, I’m also trying to shape my kids’ character and spur on their spiritual development. ⁠
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Motherhood is a lot, to say the least. I look for encouragement wherever I can find it. Often times it’s my husband speaking truth, or in conversations with friends and fellow moms. And sometimes, I find it in uplifting, gospel-centered books.⁠
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I’d like to share three books which have come alongside me in this journey, each of them full of wisdom, encouragement, and truth.⁠
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Read the full post on my blog, link in bio.⁠
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@risenmotherhood⁠
@sally.clarkson⁠
@sarahmaewrites⁠
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#bookstagram #bookstagrammer #books #bibliophile #bibliophilelife #bookrecommendations #booklover #bookshelf #bookreview #Reading #booknerd #ReadersOfIG #ReadersOfInstagram #BookCommunity #bookworm #goodreads #bookaddict #bookish #amreading #christianbooks #christiannonfiction #nonfiction #motherhood #helpformoms #momlife #encouragement #roarlikeamother⁠

📚Book Review📚 The BodyGuard, by @katherinece

📚Book Review📚 The BodyGuard, by @katherinecenter⁠
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This is my first Katherine Center book, and it won’t be my last. It’s a light-hearted, clean rom-com which combines the fake-dating trope with going undercover. Thank you to @stmartinspress and @netgalley for the gifted e-copy. Look out for this one on July 19th. ⁠
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Here’s the premise: Hannah Brooks is an Executive Protection Agent (pretty much a bodyguard), but she looks more like a sweet elementary school teacher than a burly club bouncer. When she gets hired to follow famous movie-star Jack Stapleton home to his family’s Texas ranch, protecting him from his middle-aged stalker, she thinks it’ll be just another job. But with Jack’s mother battling a cancer diagnosis, Jack doesn’t want to worry his mom with the whole bodyguard thing, so Hannah agrees, against her better judgement, to pretend to be Jack’s girlfriend. ⁠
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At first she wonders if they can pull it off. After all, who would ever believe that Hannah—a pantsuit-loving, makeup-avoiding, no-nonsense agent—would be dating someone like Jack Stapleton? But the more she gets to know Jack and his family, the more real the whole thing seems to be. She can’t help but wonder: is Jack really that good an actor? And although Hannah’s great at protecting Jack, can she protect herself from heartbreak?⁠
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My thoughts: I’ve always liked the movie Miss Congeniality, and this book definitely gave off those kinds of vibes with the undercover thing. It was funny and swoon-y without being shallow or fluffy—it covers themes with substance, like when you don’t believe you’re worthy of love, not settling for sub-par relationships just so you won’t be alone, and not trying to escape your life but embracing it to the full. A great summer read.⁠
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⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5⁠
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📷: Amy Humphries
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#bookstagram #bookstagrammer #books #bibliophile #bibliophilelife #bookrecommendations #booklover #bookshelf #bookreview #Reading #booknerd #ReadersOfIG #ReadersOfInstagram #BookCommunity #bookworm #goodreads #bookaddict #bookish #amreading #newreleases #newfiction #fiction #romcom #thebodyguard #fakedating⁠

Happy place 📚 #bookstore #amreading #books #co

Happy place 📚

#bookstore #amreading #books #colors #readwithme #readersofinstagram #bookstagram #novels #fiction

My next reads, hopefully… School’s out, so I m

My next reads, hopefully… School’s out, so I may be being too ambitious 😬

Have you read any of these? Thoughts?

#bookstagram #amreading #readersofinstagram #thepaperpalace #theballerinas #cloudcuckooland #nextreads #goodreads #readerlife

📚BOOK REVIEW📚The Last Thing He Told Me, by @

📚BOOK REVIEW📚The Last Thing He Told Me, by @lauradaveauthor.⁠
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I don't review every book I read, but I had to write up this one. I can see why this book has done so well: it has one of those intriguing hooks that literally makes a person go, “I have to read this.” Pretty cool it's going to be a TV series starring Jennifer Garner.⁠
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Here’s the premise: Hannah and Owen haven’t been married that long, but Hannah knows she’s found the one. Owen’s the kind of guy you can’t help but love, especially because of his amazing relationship with his teen daughter, Bailey. Hannah can only hope her and Bailey’s relationship will one day be even half that good, but Bailey’s taking a while to let her new step-mother get close.⁠
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Then Owen suddenly and inexplicably disappears, and Hannah and Bailey are thrown together as they try to figure out what’s happened to him. Something strange is going on, and Hannah soon realizes they may be in more danger than she first thought. After all, the last thing Owen told her before he disappeared was, Protect her.⁠
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Her, meaning Bailey.⁠
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THOUGHTS: I’m not really sure how you can’t like a book like this (I’d love to hear from anyone who read this and didn’t like it!). Besides it being well-written and having characters you care about (the two main things I look for), the author keeps you turning pages because she’s already nabbed your curiosity with the premise. A definite must-read.⁠
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⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5⁠
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@viper.books⁠
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📷: @illuztrateuk⁠
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#bookstagram #bookstagrammer #books #bibliophile #bibliophilelife #bookrecommendations #booklover #bookshelf #bookreview #Reading #booknerd #ReadersOfIG #ReadersOfInstagram #BookCommunity #bookworm #goodreads #bookaddict #bookish #amreading #lauradave #goodfiction #thelastthinghetoldme #jennifergarner #reesewitherspoon ⁠

Happy Publication Day to this incredible devotiona

Happy Publication Day to this incredible devotional, The Path to Peace by Ann Swindell. This book is just what I've been needing these past few weeks. With short chapters over forty days, this devotional delves into the lives of Bible characters, weaving their stories of pain and heartache with their deep roots of faith, as well as accounts from Ann's own life. ⁠
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I love how Ann comes alongside readers with her vulnerability and honesty about her difficult circumstances. “Our souls are able to rest in God even when our lives are full of pain and fear." We can find real peace by trusting God, even when we can't see what he's doing. ⁠
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Thank you to @bethany_house_nonfiction for my beautiful gifted copy! And thank you, @annswindell, for having the courage to share your story and point us to the One who holds us through our own difficult chapters.⁠
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#thepathtopeace #christiannonfiction #thepathtopeacebook #christianbooks #peace #nonfiction #devotionals ⁠
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#bookstagram #bookstagrammer #books #bibliophile #bibliophilelife #bookrecommendations #booklover #bookshelf #bookreview #Reading #booknerd #ReadersOfIG #ReadersOfInstagram #BookCommunity #bookworm #goodreads #bookaddict #bookish #amreading ⁠

This is the second book by @rosiewalsh I’ve read

This is the second book by @rosiewalsh I’ve read, and it was just as good as the first (Ghosted, or in the UK, The Man Who Didn’t Call). If you’re looking for an emotional thriller, get off of Instagram right now and go read this book.⁠
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Here’s the gist: Emma and Leo have a great life together: they’ve got the child, the dog, the house, and the kind of marriage their friends envy. The problem is, everything Leo knows about Emma is a lie.⁠
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Leo doesn’t know this yet. But his job as an obituary writer means that when Emma’s battle with cancer gets serious, Leo starts to draft her obituary as his way of coping. His research into her life unearths things he can’t quite explain—and he soon discovers the love of his life is not the woman he thought she was.⁠
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My thoughts: If you’re the kind of person who thinks they’re good at figuring out what’s going on way before the author wants you to, then this book will prove you wrong. It’s kind of my dream book: in-depth character development, characters you actually care about, beautiful prose, and a plot to keep you turning pages. It was, as @biancamarais_author put is, “a masterclass in specificity”—so if you’re an aspiring writer, this is a great example of how to add the little details to make the world you’re creating come to life. I want to be Rosie Walsh when I grow up.⁠
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⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5⁠
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@pameladormanbooks⁠
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📷: @shakibuzzaman3104⁠
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#bookstagram #bookstagrammer #books #bibliophile #bibliophilelife #bookrecommendations #booklover #bookshelf #bookreview #Reading #booknerd #ReadersOfIG #ReadersOfInstagram #BookCommunity #bookworm #goodreads #bookaddict #bookish #amreading #theloveofmylife #thriller #greatfiction #mustread ⁠

I’m thrilled to be part of the launch team for @

I’m thrilled to be part of the launch team for @annswindell’s book, #ThePathToPeace, coming out May 17th! This forty-day devotional has been such a blessing in my life these past weeks. If anyone in your life might be encouraged by this book, go pre-order one from @bethany_house_nonfiction or on Amazon.

#nonfiction #books #goodbooks #christianbooks #peace

Been a little while since I posted an #alphabetcha

Been a little while since I posted an #alphabetchallenge. This book! If you're a #romcom fan and haven't read this yet...doooo it. @mhairimcf continues to be my favorite rom-com author, and this one with its #fakedatingtrope was one of my favorites of hers. I used to think rom-coms automatically meant fluff, but the characters in this one have substance, and the plot/themes are not just romance.⁠
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Here's the Amazon blurb:⁠
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If faking love is this easy... how do you know when it’s real?⁠
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When her partner of over a decade suddenly ends things, Laurie is left reeling—not only because they work at the same law firm and she has to see him every day. Her once perfect life is in shambles and the thought of dating again in the age of Tinder is nothing short of horrifying. When news of her ex’s pregnant girlfriend hits the office grapevine, taking the humiliation lying down is not an option. Then a chance encounter in a broken-down elevator with the office playboy opens up a new possibility.⁠
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Jamie Carter doesn’t believe in love, but he needs a respectable, steady girlfriend to impress their bosses. Laurie wants a hot new man to give the rumor mill something else to talk about. It’s the perfect proposition: a fauxmance played out on social media, with strategically staged photographs and a specific end date in mind. With the plan hatched, Laurie and Jamie begin to flaunt their new couple status, to the astonishment—and jealousy—of their friends and colleagues. But there’s a fine line between pretending to be in love and actually falling for your charming, handsome fake boyfriend...⁠
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#bookstagram #bookstagrammer #books #bibliophile #bibliophilelife #bookrecommendations #booklover #bookshelf #bookreview #Reading #booknerd #ReadersOfIG #ReadersOfInstagram #BookCommunity #bookworm #goodreads #bookaddict #bookish #amreading #goodbooks ⁠

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