Blog Tour Review with Giveaway: Breakup Boot Camp by Beth Merlin

Book info:
Title:   Breakup Boot Camp
Author:  Beth Merlin
Published by: Firefly Hill Press
Publication date: October 8th 2019
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Romance
Source:  E-galley from Xpresso Tours which did not influence my opinion
My rating: 3.5 stars

Synopsis:

“Merlin gives off Sophie Kinsella and Emily Giffin vibes only with an execution of plots that is all her own….Beth Merlin is totally going to grow in popularity. I’m calling it.” – Book and Broadway

After weeks of training to whip Joanna Kitt into shape for her big day, her picture-perfect engagement to her high school sweetheart is torn in two, and Joanna is left out on her perfectly toned rear end. To put the past and her heartache behind her, she sets off for two weeks at the renowned Retreat House Breakup Boot Camp in Topsail Island off the coast of North Carolina.

Despite her sadness, Joanna throws herself into the experience hoping surfing, yoga, spa treatments, meditation, and talk therapy will be enough to help her get over the one man she’s ever loved. But she soon learns the Boot Camp is only the first step to healing her broken heart. Joanna will have to come to terms with the career she abandoned, the losses in her life she never fully accepted, and the role she played in the ending of her relationship. .

When she meets Todd Aldrich, the handsome and mysterious hotel chef, she has the chance to take her renewed heart out for a test drive and see if she is ready for new beginnings and new love.

Will 12 steps be enough to get her life back on track? Or will her getaway to get over him prove healing the heart takes a whole lot more?

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes and Noble / iBooks / Kobo / Google Play

My Review:
I really enjoyed the other books I read by this author, the Campfire series which started with One S'more Summer, so I was very excited to read this one.   It was a pretty good story overall.  I liked a lot of the things that she learned to do to help out with her feelings at the Breakup Boot Camp.  There were definitely some things that can be applied to real life for any time you're feeling down.  I also loved having a connection back to the characters from the earlier series that I love, that was fun.  Todd, the new love interest, was also pretty sweet sounding, and definitely had a smoulder about him with being able to cook and surf, etc.  I also thought the whole pirate's treasure bit was fun and made for a very sweet twist at the end.  I'd say it's another sweet story from an author I enjoy.

Author Bio:

Beth Merlin has a BA from The George Washington University where she minored in Creative Writing and a JD from New York Law School. She’s a native New Yorker who loves anything Broadway, rom-coms, her daughter Hadley, and a good maxi dress. She was introduced to her husband through a friend she met at sleepaway camp and considers the eight summers she spent there to be some of the most formative of her life. One S’more Summer is Beth’s debut novel.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

GIVEAWAY!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Cover Reveal with Giveaway: Breakup Boot Camp by Beth Merlin

Book info:
Title:  Breakup Boot Camp
Author:  Beth Merlin
Published by: Firefly Hill Press
Publication date: October 8th, 2019
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Romance

Synopsis:

After weeks of training to whip Joanna Kitt into shape for her big day, her picture-perfect relationship is torn in two and Joanna is left out on her perfectly toned rear end. In an effort to put the past and her heartache behind her, she gears up for a whole different kind of boot camp – but will 12 steps be enough to get her life back on track?

Or will her getaway to get over him prove healing the heart takes a whole lot more?

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes and Noble / iBooks / Kobo / Google Play

Author Bio:

Beth Merlin has a BA from The George Washington University where she minored in Creative Writing and a JD from New York Law School. She’s a native New Yorker who loves anything Broadway, rom-coms, her daughter Hadley, and a good maxi dress. She was introduced to her husband through a friend she met at sleepaway camp and considers the eight summers she spent there to be some of the most formative of her life. One S’more Summer is Beth’s debut novel.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

GIVEAWAY!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blog Tour Review with Giveaway: Love You S'more (The Campfire Series #3) by Beth Merlin

Book info:
Title: Love You S’more
Author:  Beth Merlin
Series: The Campfire Series #3
Published by: Firefly Hill Press
Publication date: September 25th 2018
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary
Source:  E-galley from Xpresso Tours which did not influence my opinion
My rating:  5 stars

Synopsis:

Having successfully designed the wedding gown of the century, Gigi Goldstein is on top of the world – that is until it all suddenly comes crashing down around her. When the paparazzi captures her and Perry Gillman in a compromising moment the night of the royal wedding, she finds herself entangled in a scandal of global proportion. Convinced her carelessness has ruined every relationship in her life, she’s surprised and moved by her boyfriend, Gideon’s, sudden proposal of marriage and accepts it without a second thought.

Four months later, Gigi’s living at Badgley Hall contemplating an entirely new kind of life, while guilt, regret, and obligation keep calling her back to her old one. Will Gigi stay in South Gloucestershire, marry Gideon, and become the Countess of Harronsby?

Or, will unfinished opportunities and an old flame bring her back across the pond to confront her past and reclaim her future?

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes and Noble / iBooks / Kobo

My Review:

You should probably read my review of book 2, S'more to Lose, before you go on with this review, because I can't promise not to spoil anything.  Before I go any farther, I will tell you that I really, really, really liked this one though!  If you haven't started the series at all, maybe you want to go back to my review of book 1, One S'more Summer.    Okay, you've been warned, don't go on!  I'll try not to do many spoilers for this book, but like I said, can't promise for the first two.

So, the 2nd book ended with a bit of a cliffhanger, and so I wasn't quite sure where exactly we'd end up starting this 3rd book.  I wasn't necessarily happy to see that Gigi and Gideon had decided to make it work.  That she wasn't going to try with Perry, because I really like Perry.  But things unfold the way you would expect, and soon Gigi knows that her life with Gideon probably wouldn't give her the chance to realize her dreams in fashion.  So when a chance to go work with a big fashion show in NYC comes up, at the same time she must go back to fulfill a final obligation for her reality tv show contract, things really start to switch up.  Of course she'll run into Perry. And of course, she'll have to go see his amazingly successful Broadway show, Elizabeth.  Perry even sets up a very special, personal showing of his play for Gigi.  

In this book Gigi has to figure out where exactly she wants to go with her fashion designing future.  She also gets a visit with a blast from the past, her ex, Joshua.  And when it even starts to stray towards maybe he might be interested in her, I know that I was still all about being team Perry.  I finished this book smiling, loving how the author wrapped everything up.  This is a sweet little romance series, one that I think needs much more recognition and attention than it gets!

 

Author Bio:

Beth Merlin has a BA from The George Washington University where she minored in Creative Writing and a JD from New York Law School. She’s a native New Yorker who loves anything Broadway, rom-coms, her daughter Hadley, and a good maxi dress. She was introduced to her husband through a friend she met at sleepaway camp and considers the eight summers she spent there to be some of the most formative of her life. One S’more Summer is Beth’s debut novel.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

GIVEAWAY!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Cover Reveal: Love You S'more (The Campfire Series #3) by Beth Merlin

Book info:
Title:  Love You S’more
Author:  Beth Merlin
Series: The Campfire Series #3
Published by: Firefly Hill Press
Publication date: August 21st, 2018
Genres: Adult, Contemporary

Synopsis:

Having successfully designed the wedding gown of the century, Gigi Goldstein is on top of the world – that is until it all suddenly comes crashing down around her. When the paparazzi captures her and Perry Gillman in a compromising moment the night of the royal wedding, she finds herself entangled in a scandal of global proportion. Convinced her carelessness has ruined every relationship in her life, she’s surprised and moved by her boyfriend, Gideon’s, sudden proposal of marriage and accepts it without a second thought.

Four months later, Gigi’s living at Badgley Hall contemplating an entirely new kind of life, while guilt, regret, and obligation keep calling her back to her old one. Will Gigi stay in South Gloucestershire, marry Gideon, and become the Countess of Harronsby?
Or, will unfinished opportunities and an old flame bring her back across the pond to confront her past and reclaim her future?

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes and Noble / iBooks / Kobo

Previous books in the series:

Author Bio:

Beth Merlin has a BA from The George Washington University where she minored in Creative Writing and a JD from New York Law School. She’s a native New Yorker who loves anything Broadway, rom-coms, her daughter Hadley, and a good maxi dress. She was introduced to her husband through a friend she met at sleepaway camp and considers the eight summers she spent there to be some of the most formative of her life. One S’more Summer is Beth’s debut novel.

Website / Facebook / Twitter

Blog Tour - Review and Giveaway: S'more to Lose (The Campfire Series #2) by Beth Merlin

Book info:
Title:  S’more to Lose
Author:  Beth Merlin
Series:  The Campfire Series #2
Publication date: December 5th, 2017
Genres: Adult, Contemporary

Synopsis:

Four years after her life-changing summer, Gigi Goldstein thinks saying goodbye to Camp Chinooka means saying hello to a brand new life. Now faced with a second chance at her career, she is filled with more hope than she’s felt in a long time. Her design house is taking the fashion world by storm, even attracting notice of Victoria Ellicott, the fashionable British socialite who just happens to be engaged to the future king of England. When Gigi is chosen to design the royal wedding dress in London, she is forced to confront her ex-fiancé, Perry Gillman, now a successful composer with a hit show on the West End.

But when Gigi learns Perry’s been dating Victoria’s sister, who rivals her in looks, style and sophistication, Gigi can’t help but feel inadequate in everything. Her world begins to crumble as she develops a creative block so debilitating, she fears that a wedding dress of royal proportions is never going to happen. Even a budding relationship with the handsome, wealthy, and rich Viscount of Satterley can’t make her forget about Perry and her inability to get over him. As the world gears up for the wedding of the century, Gigi is on the brink of buckling under the immense pressure of the uncertainties of her future and failures of her past.

Will she be able overcome her creative paralysis to design the dress of Victoria’s dreams, or will she break down now that she has even s’more to lose?

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes and Noble / iBooks / Kobo

My Review:
My rating:  4.5 stars

Okay, I really did enjoy the first book, One S'more Summer, and you can read my review of that one HERE.  But let me say that I devoured this book in only one day!   I picked this up on a break at work on Thursday, continued reading during my lunch break, and then couldn't stop reading, had to finish before bed!  It was a little easier to get into now that I know Gigi better and am past how she started off in the first book.  One thing that always makes me crazy when I'm reading, but in a good way, is knowing something happened, but not knowing exactly what, and being kept wondering for quite some time.  Another author who does that quite well is Samantha Young.  Anyway, I had fallen in love with Perry by the end of the first book, so I was so sad that they were not together at the beginning of this one.  And while I wanted to have them back together, since I wasn't sure at first what broke them up, I soon grew to love her new love interest, Gideon, and was totally rooting for him.  Until, well, until he did his not listening thing and shutting her out, for the 2nd time.  At that point I was a little irritated with him, and kind of rooting for Gigi and Perry to figure it out.  The book ends with a bit of a cliffhanger, and definitely some bad news for Gigi and her fashion company.  Definitely now I don't know how I can wait until book 3, to see if Gideon really will be the right guy, or if in the end, she will get back with Perry.  

Once again I loved her best friend, Jamie, he is so funny.  I was in shock that he didn't already adore Downton Abbey, but laughed at all the times he called it "Downtown Abbey" at first.  I love that the show revolves around a musical written about Queen Elizabeth that is reminiscent of the current hit Hamilton.  I would watch it too!  I look forward to seeing how it goes once Elizabeth hits Broadway in book 3, and finding out where our couple's romance may or may not go.  

I've now ordered a physical copy for myself of book 1, and will definitely be ordering a physical copy of book 2 when I get the money as well.  

Author Bio:

Beth Merlin has a BA from The George Washington University where she minored in Creative Writing and a JD from New York Law School. She’s a native New Yorker who loves anything Broadway, rom-coms, her daughter Hadley, and a good maxi dress. She was introduced to her husband through a friend she met at sleepaway camp and considers the eight summers she spent there to be some of the most formative of her life. One S’more Summer is Beth’s debut novel.

Website / Facebook / Twitter

GIVEAWAY!

 
a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Cover Reveal: S'more to Lose (The Campfire Series #2) by Beth Merlin

Book info:
Title:  S’more to Lose
Author:  Beth Merlin
Series:  The Campfire Series #2
Published by: Ink Monster LLC
Publication date: December 5th, 2017
Genres: Adult, Contemporary

Synopsis:

Four years after her life-changing summer, Gigi Goldstein thinks saying goodbye to Camp Chinooka means saying hello to a brand new life. Now faced with a second chance at her career, she is filled with more hope than she’s felt in a long time. Her design house is taking the fashion world by storm, even attracting notice of Victoria Ellicott, the fashionable British socialite who just happens to be engaged to the future king of England.

When Gigi is chosen to design the royal wedding dress in London, she is forced to confront her ex-fiancé, Perry Gillman, now a successful composer with a hit show on the West End.

But when Gigi learns Perry’s been dating Victoria’s sister, who rivals her in looks, style and sophistication, Gigi can’t help but feel inadequate in everything. Her world begins to crumble as she develops a creative block so debilitating, she fears that a wedding dress of royal proportions is never going to happen. Even a budding relationship with the handsome, wealthy, and rich Viscount of Satterley can’t make her forget about Perry and her inability to get over him. As the world gears up for the wedding of the century, Gigi is on the brink of buckling under the immense pressure of the uncertainties of her future and failures of her past.

Will she be able overcome her creative paralysis to design the dress of Victoria’s dreams, or will she break down now that she has even s’more to lose?

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes and Noble / iBooks / Kobo

Check out my review of book one:  One S'more Summer. 

Author Bio:

Beth Merlin has a BA from The George Washington University where she minored in Creative Writing and a JD from New York Law School. She’s a native New Yorker who loves anything Broadway, rom-coms, her daughter Hadley, and a good maxi dress. She was introduced to her husband through a friend she met at sleepaway camp and considers the eight summers she spent there to be some of the most formative of her life. One S’more Summer is Beth’s debut novel.

Website / Facebook / Twitter

Blog Tour with Review and Giveaway: One S'More Summer by Beth Merlin

Book info:
Title:  One S’more Summer
Author:  Beth Merlin
Series:  The Campfire Series #1
Published by: Ink Monster LLC
Publication date: May 30th, 2017
Genres: Adult, Contemporary

If you love Sophie Kinsella and Emily Giffin, you’ll love this heartwarming debut from a fresh voice in contemporary chick-lit that offers a lighthearted and fun take on friendship, love, and how to recover from past mistakes.
For twenty long years, Gigi Goldstein has been pining away for her best friend’s guy. She knows it’s wrong and it has to stop, but she hasn’t been able to let go ever since they all met on the bus to summer camp back when they were 7 years old. The same week that her best friends finally announce their wedding date, Gigi loses her high-profile design job. With all of her dreams unravelling, she runs to the last place she remembers being happy.
Taking the Head Counselor position at Camp Chinooka, Gigi hopes to reclaim the joy she felt as a camper, but the job isn’t all campfire songs and toasting marshmallows. Gigi’s girls are determined to make her look bad in front of the boys’ Head Counselor—the sexy but infuriating Perry—and every scrap of the campground is laced with memories.
When Gigi finally realizes she can’t escape the present by returning to her past, she’s forced to reexamine her life and find the true meaning of love. But will she be able to mend fences and forgive herself before she loses her one real shot at happiness?

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes and Noble / Kobo

My Review:

My rating:  4.5 stars

This was an extremely sweet story, perfect for a summer read!  I'll admit, I am a HUGE fan of S'mores, and I love all things that are s'mores flavored.  In fact, I am still quite miffed with Dairy Queen for discontinuing their s'more flavored Blizzard treats, especially after that extremely catchy commercial the summer they brought them out. Anyway, even though I've never been to a summer camp myself, I enjoy stories about them because I like the look into what they might have been like for me.  

At first I was unsure if I would enjoy this book, because it seemed as if the main character, Gigi, might have cheated with her best friend's boyfriend.  But really, that's not exactly what happened.  Gigi and Joshua, and her best friend Alicia, they had all been best friends since their summers at Camp Chinooka.  While Gigi had always had a crush on Joshua, it just turned out that Joshua and Alicia were the ones that got together.  That was a part that I could somewhat identify with, knowing friends who have ended up with guys that I might have thought were perfect for me, although none in ever such a situation, or that I'd ever gotten together with in any way.  And really, I don't feel like Joshua was very fair to Gigi, and he didn't really give her a chance to move on.  And so her decision to get away for the summer to work at the summer camp was totally justified.  

And then there was Perry. The hot British camp counselor.  It went from a hate type of relationship, the two of them seeing only the irritating bits of each other at first, and the passion from that turning into more, a friendship and definitely more with their attraction to each other. All of their misunderstandings/fights were very realistic to me.  They didn't seem to be anything blown way out of proportion or too much like other stories where it's like they need something to have the conflict.  And I feel like because of this, the way the end of the story went, with the final conflicts having to do with friendship issues, and no silly last minute, "I'm still not sure about this relationship" issues, well, I loved that the story ended that way.  

I'm excited to see this is a series, as I'm looking forward to seeing where Perry and Gigi's story might go next.  Although the little blurb about what is happening, and that it is 4 years in the future are scaring me a bit for what is going to happen.  Now, to wait till December for that one?  How do I get to be a beta reader for this author so I can read it earlier?  :-)

Like I said, a fun summer read, with romance, but no real sex scenes, for those who prefer a more clean, yet realistic, romantic read.

Author Bio:

Beth Merlin has a BA from The George Washington University where she minored in Creative Writing and a JD from New York Law School. She’s a native New Yorker who loves anything Broadway, rom-coms, her daughter Hadley, and a good maxi dress. She was introduced to her husband through a friend she met at sleepaway camp and considers the eight summers she spent there to be some of the most formative of her life. One S’more Summer is Beth’s debut novel.

Website / Facebook / Twitter

 

GIVEAWAY!

Link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/33870edf36/
 

Cover Reveal: One S'more Summer (The Campfire Series #1) by Beth Merlin

Title:  One S’more Summer
Author:  Beth Merlin
Series:  The Campfire Series #1
Published by: Ink Monster LLC
Publication date: May 30th, 2017
Genres: Adult, Contemporary

Since that first bus ride to Camp Chinooka twenty long years ago, Gigi Goldstein has been pining for her best friend’s guy. She knows her crush is wrong and has to stop, but her heart won’t listen to reason. To escape the agony of their impending wedding, Gigi accepts a summer job at the only place she’s ever been happy.
But working at Chinooka isn’t all campfire songs and toasting marshmallows. Gigi’s girls are determined to make her look bad in front of the boys’ Head Counselor—the sexy but infuriating Perry—and every inch of the campground is laced with memories.
When Gigi realizes she can’t fix the present by hiding in the past, she’s forced to reexamine her choices. Maybe everything she thought she wanted wasn’t what she actually needed… But if she can get her act together, Gigi might have one last shot at the summer love of her dreams.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes and Noble / Kobo

Author Bio:

Beth Merlin has a BA from The George Washington University where she minored in Creative Writing and a JD from New York Law School. She’s a native New Yorker who loves anything Broadway, rom-coms, her daughter Hadley, and a good maxi dress. She was introduced to her husband through a friend she met at sleepaway camp and considers the eight summers she spent there to be some of the most formative of her life. One S’more Summer is Beth’s debut novel.

Website / Facebook / Twitter