REVIEW: You or Someone Like You by Winter Renshaw

 

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OUR REVIEW:

The story of Roman and Sloane in You or Someone Like You kept in an anxious state for the vast majority of it. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed their getting to know each other --how they initially didn't think there was anything there but took a chance. Or how their initial non-date dates were definitely dates and they were definitely interested in the other. I also enjoyed the back story of each of them and getting to know what made each of them who they were. But honestly, the wait for the deception to be revealed kept my anxiety high and the longer it took for it to happen, the more I could think of how Sloane would get caught. So good but so anxiety producing. Gah. 

Quick, fun read, with an author's note that will hit you in the heart. Grab it and enjoy. 

SYNOPSIS:

From Wall Street Journal and #1 Amazon bestselling author Winter Renshaw comes a fast-paced, emotional romance about what happens when the wrong twin falls for the right man.

Being an identical twin has its perks, but when my sister asked me to sub in for a date with Roman Bellisario, I wasn’t exactly thrilled. Sure, he’s sinfully handsome and successful, but he also got me fired from my dream job three years ago.

This time, my sister’s promotion is riding on this date, so I have to say yes. And as it turns out, we’re strangely perfect for each other. I sell art. He collects it. We’re both obsessed with the same obscure, mysterious artist that most people don’t even know exists.

Roman is guarded, though, and I can understand why. He’s a widowed single dad. But as one date leads to another, he starts to let me in, and I can’t help but fall for him.

The problem is Roman still thinks I’m my sister. Is our twin swap going to be the best thing that ever happened to me and Roman—or the lie that tears us apart?

REVIEW: The Dirty Truth by Winter Renshaw

 

OUR REVIEW:

Okay y'all, I've never read a novel by Winter Renshaw so I wasn't really sure of what to expect but daaaang I'm mad at myself for not reading any of her previous works. The Dirty Truth immediately grabbed my attention and over the course of two days, I found every opportunity to pick it up and read it. I really enjoyed West and Elle and I especially enjoyed them when they shared a page...especially at the beginning. Her spunky attitude and his seemingly ice cold demeanor made their confrontations really fun to read. And then, of course, as they evolved from confrontational to friends to partners I enjoyed them even more. Additionally, I appreciated the 'brush with death' plot point and the changes that that caused.

All in all The Dirty Truth was a really fun read and while I cannot believe this is my first Winter Renshaw, I can promise you that I will definitely be delving into her backlist. (And I can't wait to do it).

BUY IT HERE.

BLURB:

From Wall Street Journal and #1 Amazon bestselling author Winter Renshaw comes an enemies-to-lovers romance about the journey of self-discovery that follows a life-changing event.

After a brush with death, I realize it’s time to make changes in my life. Big changes.

First, my job. I love being a journalist, but I hate my megawatt magnate boss, West Maxwell. When he demands I rewrite an article on short notice, I turn the tables on him with a scathing new column and quit in a blaze of glory.

But West isn’t about to let me go that easily, the jerk. He offers me an unexpected new position: mentor to his rebellious teenage niece. For some reason, I agree—I like helping people, but I’m also admittedly curious to glimpse the man behind the mogul.

However, I soon discover that my new assignment isn’t what I expected. As I learn about the private side of my enigmatic boss, I start to see the heart he hides behind his icy facade. The old Elle hated West…but maybe—just maybe—the new Elle can tame him.

REVIEW: Love and Kerosene by Winter Renshaw

 OUR REVIEW:

With Love and Kerosene, I now have a better feel of Winter Renshaw's storytelling style and I think after reading a third book of hers I know what's part of the appeal for me. I appreciate that her characters have issues of trust based on past experiences but that she makes that only part of their story. For instance in the case of Annelise and Lachlan, they both had been burned by Donovan (Lachlan's brother) in some really terrible ways and so naturally, they are hesitant to trust each other. But, as they get to know and understand each other, some of those trust issues begin to fade into the background. Obviously this issue is one of the conflicts that these characters need to overcome but it really isn't at the forefront of every single scene. Many of the scenes are about Annelise and Lachlan getting to know each other like actual people do--and I think that's part of the appeal for me (that they aren't just hyperfocused on why they can't trust and instead do what we all do which is live in the moment). I'm not sure if I'm making any sense at all but I hope what you're getting is that her books don't tend to be complete angst-fests; they leave a lot of room for the characters to get to know and love each other outside of their issues. 

I've also come to appreciate that Winter Renshaw always has these really wonderful secondary characters that make you like the main characters more, as well as the town they're living in. She has this way of describing these characters and places as warm and personable or funny and interesting; basically places and people we'd all want to live in or live near. Additionally, I've really appreciated that when that OH CRAP! moment happens around the 80% mark that we aren't left hanging for long at all--she always has (or at least in the few books I've read) the characters figuring things out very quickly and so the angst is low and the happily ever after comes quickly and feels so very sweet. 

In the case of Love and Kerosene, I really enjoyed Annelise's steadiness as Lachlan came to terms with his past. I liked that neither of these characters were there to play games or manipulate and that I could escape into their story knowing that the angst would be enough to create the conflicts but the evolving love story and ending happily ever after would be so satisfactory. Winter Renshaw is definitely a go to author for a quick, happy, romance that doesn't dwell too much in the darkness before she quickly puts her characters into the light.

BUY IT: Amazon

BLURB:

Two people find love in the embers of their painful pasts in this slow-burn romance from Wall Street Journal and #1 Amazon bestselling author Winter Renshaw.

For me, family is a curse. My father and brother made my life hell. My mother’s untimely death still keeps me up at night. Now that my brother, Donovan, has been killed in an accident, I can forget the past.

The last remnant is the childhood home I’ve inherited—and which I intend to burn to the ground. The only obstacle? Anneliese Nielsen, Donovan’s fiancée.

Donovan left her destitute, and selling this run-down house is her only chance to recoup her losses. I shouldn’t care, but…maybe it’s her eyes when she sees me. I look strikingly like my brother, a man she loved despite everything.

So we strike a deal. We’ll renovate the house together, but she’ll have to convince me to sell—or up in flames it goes.

But the more time we spend in the house, the more its terrible history threatens to come out.

And even more dangerous, the harder I start to fall for Anneliese.

REVIEW: Stone Cold by Winter Renshaw

 

 

OUR REVIEW:

Stone Cold is the second Winter Renshaw novel I've read and I'm convinced that I need to find the time and money to read everything else she's written. In both novels, I found myself immediately absorbed into the story and before I knew it it was time to go to sleep...only to wake up and inhale the last half of the novel.

In Stone Cold, Jovie and Stone are seemingly frenemies. She dated his best friend, Stone seemed to barely tolerate her, the break up happens and they all disappear from each other's lives until years later when a social media snafu happens and these two find each other again. This commences a very slow burn (though to be fair, I read this so fast that it didn't feel all that slow) built off of direct messages, friendly encounters, some reminiscing, and dates that aren't dates but are dates? Interspersed between these scenes is the back story of how Jovie and Stone are connected and how they really felt about each other all of those years ago. 

There wasn't one part I didn't love. I enjoyed their story, their banter, their chemistry, their personality quirks and traits and just how much they each seemed to enjoy and respect each other. Stone Cold may not delve into the deepest of issues but I truly enjoyed the escape that it offered and am looking forward to reading more of Winter Renshaw's work.

Amazon 

From #1 Amazon and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Winter Renshaw comes a scorching hot forbidden romance ...

The most humiliating moment of my life begins with an early morning message from my ex’s notoriously heartless best friend.

Jovie—

In no way does this mean my opinion of you has changed.

I’m reaching out because sometime in the middle of last night you tagged yourself in Jude and Stassi’s engagement photo.

I don’t care if you were drunk or it was unintentional. I suggest you remove it immediately since the wedding is in two months (which I’m sure you know since you were clearly FB stalking them). The damage is done, but no reason to make things more awkward.

You’re welcome.

Stone

I waste no time removing my accidental tag before the sharp-tongued novelist in me fires off a response to the man who harbored extreme and inexplicable hatred of me during the three years I dated his best friend in college.

Only I didn’t expect him to respond.

And nothing could have prepared me for what he would say …

… or for all the ways this gorgeous villain with cruel icy blues would become the biggest plot twist my life had ever known.

Stone



The Hannaford Supermarket is packed on this Friday afternoon. I imagine we’re all doing the same thing; ditching work a couple of hours early, grabbing some dinner items, and heading home to kick off our weekend. I wonder if this is what Paul meant when he told me there’s no such thing as a unique experience.

I tuck a six pack of Heineken beneath my arm and head for the meat counter to grab a porterhouse and half a pound of stuffed mushrooms.

“I mean, what would you feed a dog if you had one?” A pony-tailed blonde in neon blue yoga pants asks a pimple-faced butcher.

“I don’t have a dog, ma’am,” he says, his Adam’s apple bobbing.

“But if you did though,” she says.

“I’d probably feed him kibble, ma’am.” His eyes shift toward the long line forming behind her.

“I guess I’ll just take two sirloins,” she says. “The eight ounce, not the five.”

The young man wraps the steak in brown paper for her before sealing it with a sticker.

“Anything else?” he asks.

“That’ll be all, thank you,” she says before taking the package, turning on her heel—and walking right into me. “Oh my god. I’m so sorry. I didn’t see you there.”

In her defense, I was probably standing a little too closer, but the little old lady behind me kept inching closer to me, which made me inch closer to her and it became a big circle jerk of inching.

“Jesus,” I mutter under my breath when our eyes catch.

I’d know those Pacific ocean blues anywhere, the ones so effervescent they almost make me forget it’s been about a week and a half since I ignored her last message.

“Jovie,” I say.

“Stone?” She squints, as if she doesn’t believe her eyes. Then again, I imagine I look slightly different than I did five years ago. Shorter hair. More muscles. Dressier clothes. Bigger big dick energy …

“What are you doing here?” I ask.

The little old lady behind me clears her throat, and I motion for her to go around me.

“I’m watching my neighbor’s dog and he’s refusing to eat. I think he’s depressed. I thought maybe if I got him a steak …” she shrugs. “What are you doing here? I thought you were in Baltimore?”

She remembered …

Our senior year in college, I was accepted into the University of Maryland School of Law that upcoming fall.

“Yeah,” I say. “I was offered a position up here from one of my law professors who was opening a practice here.”

Her lips inch into a wistful yet friendly smile. I’m sure it’s strange seeing me here—of all people. Or maybe she’s looking at me but thinking about Jude. It’s hard to tell. I imagine seeing me all these years later rustles up some old memories she wasn’t prepared to think about at the grocery store on a Friday afternoon.

The last time I hung out with Jovie was before the ill-fated Tulum trip. We were sitting around eating burnt frozen pizza from the campus convenience mart and downing cheap beer. And if that weren’t enough, Jovie forced us to play some God-awful card game where we had to shout certain phrases and clap and make fools of ourselves, but by the end of the night I was drunk enough to actually enjoy it.

The last thing I remember before passing out on the living room couch that evening was Jovie covering me with a blanket before adjusting my pillow so I wouldn’t have a kink in my neck.

I mumbled something to her about not being half bad.

She replied with a coy, “Yeah, I know.”

Everything turned black after that.

Who’d have ever thought that would’ve been the last time we’d hang out, the three of us?

Certainly not me.

I doubt Jude did either.

“You know, I’m still waiting for you to reply to that last message,” she winks and crinkles her nose. “You left me on a cliffhanger.”

“I didn’t feel like answering it.” And it’s the truth.

“That’s your prerogative, I guess.”

I’ll admit, I debated sending her another clever deflection last week, but then I got busy with work and decided it was best just to leave it alone. Besides, some things are better left unsaid.

“You know Jude lives here too,” I say, leaving out any mention of Stassi because it goes without saying.

She lifts her brows. “Okay …”

“You haven’t run into him yet?” I swear he’s never home. Stassi’s always got him running to this festival or that concert or this new restaurant.

She shakes her head, her ponytail flicking over her shoulders.

“I’ve only been here about a year,” she says. “I moved here with my ex … and I guess I haven’t gotten around to leaving yet.”

My chest tightens at the idea of Jovie being with someone new, some faceless pencil dick who probably doesn’t deserve her. From the second time we met, I knew she could never be mine. But even after Jude left her, I never once stopped to picture her with someone new. No need to torture myself.

We linger in silence for a beat, as if neither of us wants to go, yet there’s nothing more to be said.

Her full mouth curls at the sides, flanked by two perfect dimples as she stares up at me through a fringe of curled lashes. I’ve known far too many people who let themselves go after college. The stress of a corporate gig, a robust travel schedule, and a social life that revolves around drinking on the weekends tends to do that to a person. But Jovie looks even more beautiful than she did the night I first saw her.

There’s a calmness about her, as if these last several years in the real world have given her the kind of education she couldn’t get from a four-year institution.

Jovie waves her package of steaks. “I should probably get home and feed Domino.”

“Right.” I rake my hand along my jaw, taking her in for what very well might be the last time.

“It was nice seeing you though.”

Most of the time, when people say that, they never mean it.

“You too,” I say.

She walks away, turning back once more. “You should really think about answering my question …”

“Not a chance.”

She laughs before spinning on her heel and heading to the front of the store to check out.

A moment later, I realize I’m standing there wearing a dopey grin. I’m sure I look like a damn lunatic.

I wipe the expression off my face, get back in line, and order my filet mignon.

Years ago, I used to wonder what would be worse: Jude and Jovie getting married and me having to spend the rest of my life watching my best friend live happily ever after with her? Or Jude sending Jovie packing and me never having to see her again.

It never occurred to me that there could ever be anything in between.

Now I know.

Only I don’t know how I feel about it.

None of these scenarios end with me getting the girl.

Wall Street Journal and #1 Amazon bestselling author Winter Renshaw is a bona fide daydream believer. She lives somewhere in the middle of the USA and can rarely be seen without her trusty Mead notebook and ultra portable laptop. When she’s not writing, she’s living the American dream with her husband, three kids, and the laziest puggle this side of the Mississippi.

And if you'd like to be the first to know when a new book is coming out, please sign up for her private mailing list here ---> http://eepurl.com/bfQU2j

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