is march too early to have a fave book of the year?

if i'm wrong, i don't want to be right

It’s March, which means I’m turning twenty nine this month. (Wheeze.) I’m not sure how that happened. The people I knew growing up are starting to get married. Some of them even have children, which feels mind boggling to me, considering I find it difficult enough to dote on the plants in my apartment. I’d like to get a dog, but even that commitment feels like a lot right now. I cannot imagine being responsible for a living, breathing, tiny human being (yet, at least).

This month always feels approximately ten thousand years long, and after the way February whisked by, I need it. In terms of work, I am settling into my new project, the one that sprang into my brain nearly fully-formed (always bodes well for a project). It involves a really fun craft challenge that I’m excited to tackle, which has been a great distraction as I wait on revisions from my editor on the book I turned in last month.

As a reminder of the ~vibe~ of said I-cannot-announce-it-until-Avon-lets-me-but-I-am-so-bad-at-secrets project:

what if the bear was a romance novel, sort of?

It’s been nice to have time away from it, to clear my head and really feel ready to look at it objectively in edits, but I am itching to get back into that world. This balance of holding two fictional worlds inside my head instead of just one is new for me. (Both are standalone contemporary romances.) I am nervous! I want to do a good job at revising my The Bear-esque book while sinking into the next one, which I’d liken to… hmm. Hopefully Nora Ephron meets Ali Hazelwood? We’ll see how it comes together. Whatever your goals for March, I hope you’re making good progress too.

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Side note: Wild & Windy West was so fun! Thank you to everyone who stopped by my booth to say hi <3

Bri was the most fabulous photographer/assistant/lifeline during the con!

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I’m forever striving for balance, which of course is easier said than done, but I am continuing to read at a nice clip—and I’ve taken up a new hobby: pilates!

The pilates kicks my butt. I adore it. I have congenital heart disease, so sometimes exercise can be difficult for me, but I’m finding that pilates is in that sweet spot of exercise that pushes me while still being something I enjoy. I’ll let you know how I feel in a month or two (or hopefully six) but I love the way it makes me feel right now, so I’m considering that a win. Also, it requires me to actually leave my office and interact with people: an added bonus! Sometimes working from home while living alone can be, well, a bit lonely.

And as for the reading… y’all. I know I can’t shut up about Lisa Kleypas. I know I’ve been reading her books on and off for THREE MONTHS NOW. I can’t stop. I won’t stop. Thank god she has such a robust backlist. I would wholeheartedly recommend pretty much any of her books, but the one I just finished—Marrying Winterborne—was quite possibly my fave so far out of everything she’s written.

All you need to know: she’s quite determined to be ruined by him, and he’s gone for her from the moment that becomes apparent…

I know it’s early in the year, but when I’m looking back on what I’ve read in December, this is absolutely going to be high on the list. It’s a pitch-perfect Victorian-era historical romance. Rhys Winterborne—gruff, cunning, wolfish Welshman that he is—is to die for. Helen Ravenel is everything I love in a heroine: strong and determined, but in her own quiet way, and deeply devoted to those she cares about. This is the second book in the Ravenels series, and while it does stand alone, for the best experience, I would recommend reading the first one in the series, Cold-Hearted Rake (also excellent!) first, as Rhys and Helen’s relationship begins in that one.

Gah. It’s SO GOOD. This is historical romance at its finest, Lisa Kleypas at her finest, and all around one of the best books I’ve ever read, period. I’m going to buy a physical copy for my collection purely to annotate when I re-read it.

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And in case you missed it… I wrote a Wicked Serve bonus story!

Catch up with Nik and Izzy after their book as they celebrate two Valentine’s Days—a holiday that is always special for them…

Read it for free HERE!

Izzy

The sight of our small family, united for yet another holiday, makes me smile.

After years of Valentine’s Day evenings together, I ought to expect the roses. Nik gets me a dozen pink roses three times a year: Valentine’s Day, my birthday, and Mother’s Day. As I peer closer, however, I notice two bouquets in his hands: my usual soft pink, and a smaller bunch of white roses studded with purple violets…

⬇️ ⬇️ ⬇️

Bye for now! xoxo