Ms. V's Hot Girl Summer

Welcome, Back Booklovers! It's almost summer and it's still carnival season so I couldn't resist a carnival set romance. Ms. V's Hot Girl Summer was calling my name. And of course Netgalley came through with the audiobook.

Trinidad Velasquez is mother to teenage twin boys and balancing the stable parent they need, picking up the slack where their father falls short. That means her love life has been on the backburner the past couple of years while she tries to be super mom. She's been trying to have a safe relationship with a man named Milton who looks good on paper but doesn't ignite passion within her. On the other hand her son's mentor Orlando who is quite a bit younger than her sparks something. But she'd dare not cross that line. However when her sons trick her into a Carnival getaway in a small Floridian town and there's no room at the hotel she winds up at Orlando's doorstep.

Orlando is in town for Carnival but he's also on the hunt for his ex girlfriend who he recently found out has been keeping a child secret from him. Having been tipped off by her family but unsure of her exact address he's on a mission to find his little girl.

It's rare to see Carnival portrayed in a romance novel even though though Carnival has been the backdrop for many a real life romance. Cunningham manages to capture the energy of the fetes from the music to the good vibes and rum flowing.

The twins are mostly around to meddle in mom's love life and they already have an established relationship with Orlando which makes it easier for him to fit into Trinidad's life. His daughter however we only meet towards the end and she and her mother are instantly accepting of Trinidad. A part of me wished that dynamic and how Orlando handled being a new dad would've been more of a part of the plot. It just felt like a bit of an afterthought to add some additional drama. Throughout the book we get glimpses of his relationship with his mother and brothers and how he's always had to be the responsible one shouldering the burden after losing his father. 

Ms. V is fun for a quick beach read or a lazy holiday afternoon. 

The Love Lyric by Kristina Forest

Welcome Back, Booklovers! I decided to finish out The Green Sisters series and read The Love Lyric. Shout out to my library for coming through with the audiobook very quickly.

The Love Lyric follows eldest sister Violet who is a single mother after her husband was killed unexpectedly in an accident. It's just been Violet and her daughter Cala for the last few years and she's finally starting to open herself up to the idea of finding love again. Violette had previously met Angel at a wedding prior to her sister working with him full time as a stylist and he tried to ask her out but she shut him down. Now it's a few years later, his R&B career has taken off and he's still trying to shoot his shot. He recently became the face of Save Face Beauty, a cosmetics company Violet works for. When Violet and Angel have to work together on a multi-city tour sparks fly. 

This book had the most depth of the books in the series. There was a lot of discussion surrounding grief and the way in which it affects someone even years later. The process of building a new relationship and being open to love again. Violet being the eldest sister and a single mother often takes on the role of being the strongest in the family and holds everyone down. Lately she's been concerned about her parents getting up there in age while their flower business is gaining more popularity. Angel, is a sweet southern charmer who comes from a very religious family. Through the novel he has a rough relationship with his mother who berates him for doing secular music. At the same time he wants to move away from the mainstream sound of his music. 

Readers looking for a safe, soft romance will really enjoy this one. It's relatively low angst and packed with popular tropes. I would've loved to see more of the larger than life aspects play out. Like really see Violet having to deal with being thrust into the spotlight dating a popular R&B singer, having to deal with tours and adoring fans, attending premieres. Because while it was something that came up towards the end we only got a small glimpse into that.