#camilla isley

[amorinarose]

Chilling in October 2024, contemplation and new developments

No spotlighting this month. Instead, I am contemplating on my career as a writer and why it moves so slowly. Recently I came across an interesting article written by Kathy Caprino in Linkedin entitled 8 Hurtful Ways People Let Themselves Down Every Day. I don’t know that it does apply to me but then again I don’t think it doesn’t either. Writing things down in point form helps to clarify and I…

[guardianseries]

Book Review: It Started With a Book by Camilla Isley #romance #TuesdayBookBlog #bookreview

Title: It Started With a Book Author: Camilla Isley Genre: Romance/Fantasy Fiction My Rating: 5 Stars My Review: What if your ideal book boyfriend could leap right off the page and land in your living room? Camilla Isley’s It Started With a Book explores this fabulous fantasy in a story that’s equal parts laugh-out-loud funny, swoon-worthy, and irresistible for romance readers. If you’ve…

[uterialmotive-blog]

Book Review: This Is Not A Holiday Romance

TITE: This Is Not A Holiday

AUTHOR: Camilla Isley

SUMMARY:

Nina Thompson has one Christmas wish: to avoid her brother’s obnoxiously handsome best friend, Tristan, like the plague. From the moment he humiliated her as a teenager to their escalating revenge schemes, Nina and Tristan’s relationship can only be defined as an all-out prank war! And there is yet to be a winner.

But it just so happens the ghost of Christmas present has other ideas. When Tristan unexpectedly crashes her family’s Christmas, Nina’s dreams of a peaceful holiday vanish faster than Santa up a chimney. Determined to end their rivalry for good, she braces herself for one last prank-filled showdown.

But when they find themselves snowed in, with no way of avoiding each other amongst the holiday festivities, they discover their heated exchanges have been masking a different kind of sizzle. Caught in a snow globe of holiday romance, they decide to let their fiery chemistry burn bright—but this is absolutely and unequivocally nothing more than a secret fling destined to melt with the snow, this is not a forever romance…

REVIEW:

Usually I am a HUGE fan of Camilla Isley and that hasn't really changed, I just didn't love this book as much as I have her others. Firstly, I loved the prank wars between Nina and Tristan. They were childish in the best way. However, one thing I really didn't enjoy as Tristan using Nina's looks to poke fun at her. There is a rule that I always tell my kids - if it isn't something that someone can change in 5 minutes, don't mention it. Meaning, if you think someone's ears are too big, they can't change the size of their ears in the next 5 minutes, so it doesn't need to be said. If someone has food in their teeth, they can absolutely fix that in the next 5 minutes, so go ahead and let them know. OK, so Tristan as a teenager was a bit of a dick and didn't realise the impact his comments about Nina looking like a gremlin with big ears would have. But the woman refused to wear her hair up around him for YEARS afterwards. And it was all like "Oh, I meant the cute one, lol sorry". I feel like this did not get enough page time, that Tristan made Nina feel unattractive for a looooong time. I also didn't love the whole protective big brother shtick from Dylan. I get that it's part and parcel of the whole brother's best friend trope but it always annoys me that the brother is always immediately offended at the friend betraying him and never thinks about how his sister feels. Ever. It is ALWAYS like this with this trope. Saying that, I am looking forward to the other books in the series, I'm assuming we will get a roommate trope for Dylan and Hunter and a marriage of convenience for Rowena. I will say that the characters had good chemistry and the banter between them was incredible but this book had a few too many niggles to be one of my favourite Camilla Isley novels. Tropes: - Stuck together at Christmas - Christmastime - Brother's best friend - Enemies to lovers

3 stars

[lizanneyoung97]

ARC REVIEW: THE LOVE ALGORITHM BY CAMILLA ISLEY

⭐⭐⭐⭐

TROPES

Workplace Romance

Billionaire Romance

STEM Romance

One Bed

Dual POV

I have enjoyed Camilla Isley’s previous STEM-centric romance stories, so this was a no-brainer to read. This time, I get to follow Reese, the head of a research and development team in robotics, and Thomas, an MBA-clad suit that he going to take over as CEO of the company because his father says so.

This was one of those instances where a billionaire romance worked for me. Thomas is incredibly down to earth, which makes the story hit differently than other billionaire romances I’ve read. He also has a genuine interest in learning about the company he’s taking over, and putting in the effort, which is part of why I root for him and Reese. His understanding father feels like a bit of a stretch, but it gives them a happy ending, so I love it.

Reese is great to follow because she is unapologetically herself. From her hair dye to what she wears to work, she just wants to do the job she loves and have the respect her title comes with. It’s why the third act conflict hits so much harder, because that’s taken away in a sense. However, I love how that was resolved in so many ways because it was something that felt natural and like a best-case scenario in real life. Everyone is acting professionally for once in a story and that’s nice.

I also have to give a shout-out to K-2P. I have never rooted for a robot side character more.

📘 The Love Algorithm comes out on April 26!

Thank you to Boldwood Books for the chance to read!

[jolieeason]

June 2023 Wrap Up

Here is what I read/posted/bought in June. As always, let me know if you have read any of these books and (if you did) what you thought of them. Books I Read: Kindle Purchase ARC from Crooked Lane Books ARC from Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Ballantine Books ARC from St. Martin’s Press Free Kindle Purchase Free Kindle Purchase ARC from St. Martin’s Press Non-ARC from…

[phemiec]

my rogue redesigns! <3 set in an altered AU set a couple decades after Gotham (2014) ends. Will reblog with the AU canon changes/backstories soon ;p (for Harley and ivys actual tattoos see here and here) check out my batman rogues tag for more!

[b0wie-st4rdust]

Oh???? Another person with an AU and their own versions of the Rogues? Which ones you got because I want to know EVERYTHING about them.

OKAY SO I have a list of Rogues that are gonna be in my AU and the list is a bit Long, some of these character still need to be fully shaped, but Asking Question about them is probably gonna help, so feel free to ask about any of them (Also I'm trying to organise the whole thing)

Characters:

Leader of Crime Organizations and people attached to it:

The Penguin - Oswald Cobblepot

Flamingo - Edouardo Flamingo

Music Meister - Darius (Cobblepot) Chapel

Carmine "The Roman" Falcone (and his family)

Sal "The Boss" Maroni (and his family)

Black Mask

Talon and the Court of Owls

Ra's Al Ghul, Talia Al Ghul and the league of Assassin

Mother - Christian Cain

The Big Ones (Very Important to the General Plot):

Joker - ???

Harley Quinn - Harleen Quinzel

Riddler - Edward Nygma

Two Face - Harvey Dent / Harv'

Poison Ivy - Pamela Isley

The Scarecrow - Jonathan Crane

(AU OC) The Mania - Marlene McCree

(AU OC) The Mourning Dove - Bo Hawkins

Dr. Hugo Strange and Dr. Jeremiah Arkham

The Others (some Still important):

Catwoman - Selina Kyle

Magpie - Margaret Pye

(AU OC) Soda Can - Cheryl Lee (Later Cheryl Chapel Lee)

Punchline - Alexis Kaye

Jester - Duela Jones (Joker Daughter in comics)

Mad Hatter - Jervis Tetch

Victor Zsasz

(AU OC) Madame - Camilla Shelley

Jane Doe - ???

Professor Pyg - Lazlo Valentin

DollMaker+Dollhouse - Barton Mathis and Matilda Mathis

Mister Camera - Alexander Gillian

The Eraser - Leonardo Fiasco

Man-Bat - Dr. Kirk Langstrom

Killer Croc - Waylon Jones

Orca - Dr. Grace Balin

Bane - ???

Firefly - Garfield Lynns

Anarky - Lonnie Machin

Ratcatcher (s) - Otis Flanegan and Cleo Flanegan

Clayface - Basil Karlo

Calendar Girl - Paige Monroe

Roxy Rocket - Roxanne Sutton

Baby Doll - Mary Dahl

Cluemaster - Arthur Brown

Clock King - William Tockman

Calendar King - Julian Day

The Calculator - Noah Kuttler

Bookworm - A.S Scarlet

King Tut - William Yasser

Catman - Thomas Blake

Lord Death Man - Tetsuo Fujiwara

Kite Man - Charles "Chuck" Brown

Mister Bloom - ???

Solomon Grundy - Cyrus Gold

Ventriloquist - Arnold Wesker

Character that I want to add but need to do more research on them:

Professor Achilles Milo

White Rabbit - Jaina Hudson

The Carpenter - Jenna Duffy

Cornelius Stirk

Toymaker - Cosmo Krank

Crime Doctor - Bradform Thorne

D.A.V.E

The Designer - ???

Deadshot - Floyd Lawton

Doctor Phosphorus - Dr. Alexander Sartorius

Ten Eyed Man - Philip Reardon (The Spooky Version)

Spellbinder - Charles Dante

Lady Arkham - Victoria Arkham

Merrymaker - Dr. Byron Meredith 

Onomatopoeia

Polka Dot Man - Abner Krill

Killer Moth - Drury Walker

(and Captain Boomerang if I am peer pressured enough)

[firstdegreefangirl]

Hi! 👋 for the book ask: 1 & 6?

1) What's something you recently read and enjoyed?

I just finished a reread of Red White & Royal Blue before the movie came out, and it's just as good every single time I come back to it. But I'll drop a recent, surprising favorite too and share how much I loved Home for Christmas by Camilla Isley. Last month all of my reading was Christmas in July themed, and it was a GREAT run for five-star reads, but if I had to pick a favorite, that'd be it.

6) What is your favorite book to recommend?

Paper Towns by John Green, hands down. Like, not even a question. It's one of the books that changed me fundamentally as a person, and stays just as engaging on the reread no matter how much time has gone by. It's funny and heartfelt and there's something in there for everyone. By genre, it's YA, but not in a way that's infantilizing or talking down to the trials and tribulations of its readers or characters, which I run into with YA sometimes. A solid favorite, across the board.

Ask me about what I'm reading!

[libertyreads]

40 Books Before 40 End of Year Update--

I’ve made some serious progress on this project this year. I only have 4 books left after DNF’ing The House on Infinity Loop. Under the cut will be the full list as well as the rating I’ve given for the ones I’ve read so far.

1. Failsafe by Traci Hunter Abramson, Guardian #1. Rating: 2.5 stars.

2. Realm Breaker by Victoria Aveyard, Realm Breaker #1. Rating: 3.25 stars.

3. High School is Hell by Jordie Bellaire, Buffy the Vampire Slayer #1. Rating: 2.5 stars.

4. The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot, The Princess Diaries, #1. Rating: 2 stars.

5. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. Rating: 3 stars.

6. Spellslinger by Sebastian De Castell, Spellslinger #1. Rating: 3 stars.

7. Traitor’s Blade by Sebastian De Castell, Greatcoats #1.

8. Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer, Artemis Fowl #1. Rating: 3 stars.

9. Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey, The Expanse #1. Rating: 4.25 stars.

10. The Passage by Justin Cronin, The Passage #1. Rating: 2 stars.

11. Pines by Blake Crouch, Wayward Pines #1. Rating: 2.75 stars.

12. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. Rating: 3 stars.

13. The House on Infinity Loop by Bonnie K.T. Dillabough, The Dimensional Alliance #1. Rating: DNF’d.

14. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas. Rating: 3.5 stars.

15. The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery. Rating: 3 stars.

16. Stardust by Neil Gaiman. Rating: 3.5 stars.

17. Grimm’s Complete Fairy Tales by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm. Rating: 1.44 stars.

18. The Humans by Matt Haig. Rating: 3 stars.

19. An Unkindness of Magicians by Kat Howard, An Unkindness of Magicians #1. Rating: 3.5 stars.

20. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley.

21. Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro. Rating: 2 stars.

22. Fool Me Twice at Christmas by Camilla Isley. Rating: 3 stars.

23. The Space Between Worlds by Micaiah Johnson. Rating: 2.5 stars.

24. Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones, Howl’s Moving Castle #1. Rating: 3.5 stars.

25. The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune. Rating: 4 stars.

26. Jade City by Fonda Lee, The Green Bone Saga #1.

27. Love Like This by Sophie Love, The Romance Chronicles #1. Rating: 2 stars.

28. The Princess Saves Herself in This One by Amanda Lovelace, Women are Magic #1. Rating: 5 stars.

29. The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch, Gentleman Bastard #1. Rating: 5 stars.

30. The Boy, The Mole, The Fox, and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy. Rating: 4 stars.

31. Winter’s Orbit by Everina Maxwell. Rating: 3 stars.

32. The Initial Insult by Mindy McGinnis, The Initial Insult #1. Rating: 3.75 stars.

33. Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne. Rating: 5 stars.

34. At Midnight, All the Agents by Alan Moore, Watchmen #1. Rating: 2.42 stars.

35. Sleeping Giants by Sylvain Neuvel, Themis Files #1. Rating: 4 stars.

36. Terrier by Tamora Pierce, Beka Cooper #1.

37. Across the Universe by Beth Revis, Across the Universe #1. Rating: 2.5 stars.

38. If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio. Rating: 4 stars.

39. Beware the Kitten Holy by Noelle Stevenson, Lumberjanes #1. Rating: 4 stars.

40. The Time Machine by H.G. Wells. Rating: 1 stars.

The average rating for this project so far: 3.14 stars. Which isn’t actually that bad now that I think about it. I made the list from books I had my eye on and all of those book lists about “100 books to read before you die” or whatever.

[the-book-queen]

Hide your wallets, it's that time again! Your daily thread of romance deals is ready, FREE to $1.99!

FREE ✦ Trouble in a Tight Dress by Lori Sjoberg

He's a former marine, now a security expert. She works at the same company, as a cyber security expert. Now they must face a threat from her past, and one from the Russian mafia.

Romantic Suspense (MF) | https://amzn.to/4dPff8q

$0.99 ✦ Stick Move by Cathryn Fox

1st POV. She wants to save her family's coastal resort. Surprise, the new buyer is a NHL player she knew in high school.

Contemporary Romance (MF) | https://amzn.to/46UBwiM

$0.99 ✦ Sinner's Secret by Julie Rowe

He's an exiled vampire who stumbles across a trafficking ring in NYC, and thinks a local waitress may be grabbed next. She's an undercover cop who is trying to get inside and stop it.

Paranormal Romance (MF) | https://amzn.to/46VVmdr

$0.99 ✦ It Started with a Book by Camilla Isley

1st POV. She escapes into her favorite romance novels . . . until one day, the billionaire cowboy from one book somehow pops out of the book and into her life.

KU Title

Contemporary Romance (MF) | https://amzn.to/46Wke4E

$1.99 ✦ Love, Lies, and Cherry Pie by Jackie Lau

1st POV. Writer/barista + engineer. He is the son of her parents' friends, and her meddling mother keeps pushing them together. So they decide to fake date.

Contemporary Romance (MF) | https://amzn.to/3AApdME

Putting these lists together takes time. If you appreciate this content, please consider buying me a Ko-Fi. http://ko-fi.com/danielletbq

[honolulubelle]

Book Review: It Started with a Book by Camilla Isley @camillaisley @theboldbookclub @boldwoodbooksnl

It Started with a Book by Camilla Isley Amazon  / B&N / Apple / BB When she’s ghosted by yet another Tinder match, Leighton swears off dating for life. Who needs apps and blind dates when she has the perfect-in-every-way (apart from being fictional) heroes of her beloved romance novels? That night Leigh finds a second-hand book on her TBR pile, which transports her to the small-town of…

[thewoolleygeek]

It Started With a Book by Camilla Isley

Synopsis It Started With a Book Lose yourself in Lakeville Hills in this gorgeous new romance from bestselling author Camilla Isley… When she’s ghosted by yet another Tinder match, Leighton swears off dating for life. Who needs apps and blind dates when she has the perfect-in-every-way (apart from being fictional) heroes of her beloved romance novels? That night Leigh finds a second-hand book…

[janestvalentine]

@m-sciuto​ did a similar sort of pitch, but I think I like yours better... :)

I have been thinking: There are more than one female clown-based villains in DC. Harley Quinn also canonically has a gang of Harleys in her comic.

Therefore, Harleen running with a crew called the Harlequins. Her second in command is the very-much-not-a-clown Poison Ivy. Next in rank are Duels Dent and the villainess known as Mime (look her up).

Having a gang steal his scthick is enough to get the Joker's Ire, but to have it led by his ex? That makes him livid.

Dumb idea but one I might roll with in the future.

[lakecountylibrary]

Beth’s 2020 Reading Roundup

Life in 2020 got real interesting---book sales went up and yet, many found it increasingly difficult to make it through their piles of books. Despite everything, I managed to meet my 2020 Goodreads goal of 40 books (with a heavy end of the year Holiday collection).

Most Moving: The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead

Colson Whitehead is a premier author and creative mind. His books tell the stories that people need to read. The Nickel Boys will, at turns, enrage you and warm your heart. Whitehead engages the reader's mind in ways that stay with you long after you've finished the last page.

Best nonfiction: The Rural Diaries by Hilarie Burton Morgan

For someone who enjoys nature but has no interest in farming, this book was a sweet tale of a non-Hollywood life.

People are people and good people are good people, whether they have millions of dollars or $2 in their checking account. The Morgans are good and they are real. Hilarie Burton Morgan's book reveals their hardships, their journeys, their reality---which could be any one of our realities (except maybe without the Rudds and Ackles--but we can wish).

I love the little breaks with family tidbits or recipes. I could envision her home remodels. I loved the included photos (that cabin is the best and those Highland cattle--yes!) A great & hopeful memoir of what hard work, love, loss, resiliency and joy can bring to a life.

Best surprise book: Primer by Jennifer Muro

I'm not a graphic novel reader but I loved this volume. It's bright, colorful and features a creative superhero!  

Best ?really people? Fiction: Darling Rose Gold by Stephanie Wrobel

This book is a “plucked from the headlines” take on the Gypsy Rose/DeeDee Blanchard true life story. It is fictional and, although based on true life experiences, I'd be concerned if these characters were at all relatable to the reader because...they are unbalanced. That's putting it nicely.

There are major twists and the writing is well-done. You will question the mental health of society after this one, though, so be prepared.

Add to your Christmas read list for 2021:

Christmas in Winter Hill  by Melody Carlson

Christmas Ever After  by Karen Shaler

A Christmas Date by Camilla Isley

Mistletoe and Mr. Right  by Sarah Morgenthaler

Cocoa's Cranky Christmas  by Jodie Shepherd  (for the kiddos)

See more of Beth’s recs