Isn't It Romantic?

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Love & Chickens by Kasey Morris
Published on February 27, 2024
Age/Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Goodreads

Ali Hazelwood meets Best in Show and the Chicken People documentary, with a dash of Pride and Prejudice.

Three years ago, Madeline Bennett was at the peak of her chicken showing career. Then, everything changed for the worse.

George Cooper, an arrogant English poultry judge, discounts Madeline's prize rooster at The National, the biggest and most important bird show in the United States. That same night, an accident simultaneously cripples her leg and kills almost the entirety of her prized flock.

Now, Madeline is back on the show circuit, trying to start over. What she isn't prepared for is seeing George again--the man whom she's come to consider her most 'fowl' enemy.

Feathers fly, and, despite a frustrating attraction that develops against their mutual better judgment, Madeline decides she's done with George for good--until an investigation into a corrupt poultry judge on the show circuit forces the pair back together.

I am going to admit that I wanted to read this book based on the title alone, and I must say, Morris really did deliver on the chickens. But seriously, this was a fun and breezy romance with some nods to P&P and an interesting look into the world of exhibition poultry.

I would call this enemies-to-lovers as George earned a place in Madeline's least wanted file for some harsh comments he made when judging one of her chickens. Madeline grew to see George in a different light as she learned more about him, and I loved watching their attraction and friendship grow. George had some interesting grand gestures up his sleeve which delighted me as well. 

But can we talk about how much I loved the bird talk? I am a city girl who seems to have a penchant for 4H type stuff. I was so enthralled by competitive poultry, and it added quite a fun element to the story as well.

I had a wonderful time cheering for Madeline as she made her comeback. There were two especially sweet scenes towards the end which I loved because left me all kinds of warm-fuzzy-happy and left me feeling super happy for this couple. 

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Catch a Wave by Savannah Scott
Published on March 15, 2024
Age/Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Goodreads

Did you ever see a guy and just know you had to meet him?

That was me and Bodhi Merrick. I couldn't take my eyes off him as he donned his wetsuit at the famous big-wave surf spot, Mavericks. I'll never forget that day. Or every time our paths crossed after that. Big wave surfing is a small world.

And, as it happens, Bodhi felt the same tug---this irresistible attraction that drew us to one another. We became known as surfing's "it couple." Our love was more famous than either of us. Until life threw us for a loop and tore what we had apart.

Now, two years after our breakup, I find myself standing on my brother's front porch, ready to beg my only sibling for a place to crash. Only, the man who answers the door isn't my brother. It's my brother's best friend---also known as my ex-boyfriend, Bodhi Merrick.

Now we're living in the same house on Marbella Island. Bodhi seems to have moved on. My heart will always be his.

How am I supposed to heal from the biggest tragedy of my life when he's walking around in board shorts with his wavy hair falling across his forehead, and calling me the nickname he gave me years ago? Maybe I don't want to get over him. The question is: After all we've been through, can we give our relationship a second chance?

Catch a Wave is a closed-door romcom that will grip your heart and take you on a ride ending in a sweet happily ever after. Catch a Wave is the third book in the Love Trippin' series, but can be read as a stand-alone read without reading the other books in series.

Following her accident, Kalaine was looking for a place to recover. She elected to stay with her brother, Kai. Little did she know her brother's housemate was her ex-boyfriend, breaker of her heart, her forever love - Bhodi.

There is nothing I love more than a second chance romance! I have to say, something I really liked about Catch a Wave was how Scott had Kalaine and Bhodi's story come full circle. A surfing accident (Bhodi's) was what drove them apart, and it seemed as though a surfing accident (Kalaine's) would bring them back together. Brilliant! And it was a beautiful, healing path that they navigated together as they found their way back into each other's lives.

Aside from the romance, I was delighted to be transported to some exquisite beaches - California, Hawaii, Bali -- were the backdrop that told the story of Kalaine and Bhodi. The present timeline was interspersed with flashbacks telling the rise and fall of their love story. There was a bit of a build in both timelines as I awaited the "full story" and the "new chapter", and I greatly enjoyed all those details.

Overall, this was a fantastic second chance romance that I was glad I took a chance on. It was sweet and fun with a touch of adrenaline thanks to some great surfing sequences. It was a comeback story and a tale of healing as Kalaine had to recover from a devastating accident. As she made peace with the ocean and with the past, she was able to move forward into the future with Bhodi.

Have you ever been surfing?
Let us know in the comments!