ABOUT THE BOOK
Welcome to the Beach Reads Book Club…where love is just a page away…
When Lottie Watt is unceremoniously booted out of her uptight book club for not following the rules, she decides to throw the rulebook out the window and start her own club – one where conversation, gin and cake take precedent over actually having read the book!
The Beach Reads Book Club soon finds a home for its meetings at Books by the Bay, a charming bookshop and café owned by gorgeous, brooding Matthew Steele, and as the book club picks heat up, so too does the attraction between Matt and Lottie.
If there’s anything Lottie has learned from the romances she’s been reading, it’s that the greatest loves are the ones hardest earned.
A love letter to chicklit, romance, romcoms, whatever you want to call them!
MY REVIEW
Ms. Freeman has the most likable characters. Her heroines are strong and feisty and her heroes are vulnerable and endearing and Lottie and Matt are that and more. See my reviews for Strictly Come Dancing and Mr. Right Across the Street for more wonderful characters.
When a stuffed shirt of a bookstore owner decides to make a new beginning on the beach, he’s unexpectedly captivated by a forward, blond-haired electrician determined to loosen him up.
Charlotte “Lottie” White owns her own company called Electric Blonde. Yes, it was a drunken night when she chose that name, but it suited her and is memorable. It doesn’t hurt she’s the only female electrician around and that she can make conversation with about anyone. Anyone, but the formal, quiet, and very hot bookstore owner, Matthew Steele. He’s a tough nut to crack, but she thinks he’s warming up to her especially after she convinced him to allow her and her new book club, to meet after hours in his shop. If only she could concentrate on the books, and not on the unreadable man with the mask who not-so-subtly watches her from behind the counter.
At his mother’s final wish, Matt moved his father and sister to the beach to make a new start. God knows it was going to be tough with the guilt and responsibility he feels for letting his family down. But things are looking up when Lottie and her book club friends become a regular part of his life and make him feel wanted and appreciated. He has even started to dress more casually since suits don’t work well in a bookstore. Yes, Lottie is making a difference, but he doesn’t think he’s good enough for her.
Matt is yet another one of my favorite male characters who is in Audrey’s words, like a piece of chocolate, “a dark shell with a soft gooey centre”. Yummy! His lovely and charming compliments and subtle and unintentional hints to Lottie are so sweet. And he’s no slouch in the bedroom. Ya gotta love those strong, silent types, right? Who can resist a lonely and vulnerable man who is truly taking care of and making amends with his family and doing it out of his comfort zone. His controlled and workaholic life got him a divorce and distanced him from his family, so a little discomfort is worth winning his family back, and thanks to the persistent and kind Lottie, his life changes for the better.
I am thrilled with Lottie’s character as she slowly brings Matt out of his shell and shows him a whole new and relaxed life he could enjoy. Lottie is a nurturer and looks out for her friends as she brings happiness and closure to her fellow book club members and Matt’s family. She does make some poor choices that could have derailed her budding relationship with Matt, but it ends in a HEA ending.
My favorite supporting character has to be the disarming and raunchy, Audrey, who brings her wit and raw honesty to the book club meetings. I would be delighted to have a gin and tonic while discussing 50 Shades with her. Matt’s father, Jim, and sister, Amy, are two characters who took a while to warm up to considering their bitterness toward Matt at first, but they finally start to appreciate what Matt is doing. Lottie’s best friend Sally is also an important character who doesn’t hesitate to tell Lottie what she thinks.
I highly recommend this sweet and charming romantic comedy filled with enchanting characters and several wonderful book recommendations that this reader has added to her very own beach reads list.
Thank you to Ms. Freeman for giving me the opportunity to read this book with no expectation of a positive review.
Kathryn Freeman Romcom Collection
1. The New Guy (2020)
2. Up Close and Personal (2020)
3. Strictly Come Dating (2020) – My review
4. Mr Right Across the Street (2021) – My review
5. The Beach Reads Book Club (2021)
6. The Italian Job (2022)
7. Nobody Puts Romcoms In The Corner (2023) – My review
8. Was It Good For You? (2023)
BUY THE BOOK
 |
 |
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
A former pharmacist, I’m now a medical writer who also writes romance. Some days a racing heart is a medical condition, others it’s the reaction to a sexy hero.
With a husband who asks every Valentine’s Day whether he has to buy a card (yes, he does), any romance is all in my head. Then again, his unstinting support of my career change proves love isn’t always about hearts and flowers – and heroes come in many disguises.
Follow Kate on her website, Facebook, and Twitter.
FOLLOW THE BLOG TOUR
BLOG TOUR ORGANIZED BY:
