Back of Book: 

Annabelle Elliot is living her best life as an archeologist in her quaint hometown of Sugar Pine Springs. But then, her long-lost love, Weston Cruz, returns after years of ghosting her. He’s got a plan to save her struggling research center, and Annabelle must face past regrets as they work together again. With sparks flying and old wounds resurfacing, can Annabelle finally stop second-guessing herself and give love a second chance?  I Bet You Think About Me is a modern take on Jane Austen’s Persuasion–a rom com that will make you believe in true love all over again. 

Book Number: One 

Genre: Adult | Romance 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟

A sweet rom com novella inspired by Jane Austen's "Persuasion," featuring two archeologists and their second chance romance. 

Annabelle Elliot loves her job as an archeologist at the local research center in her hometown of Sugar Pine Springs. Unfortunately, things get complicated when her ex-boyfriend, Weston Cruz, returns with a plan to save the research center. Unable to escape the past, Annabelle must decide whether she is finally ready to let Weston go. . . or if she is willing to put her heart on the line and give Weston a second chance. 

This is a sweet romantic comedy that can easily be read in a single afternoon. I must say, I have yet to read Austen's "Persuasion," so I can't tell how much of a retelling this is, but the plot definitely had an Austen-esque feel with a ton of rom com elements thrown in. 

I think that it is neat that Annabelle and Weston both are employed in the field of archeology. This isn't a field that I often see represented in literature, so I found this to be a cool decision on the author's part. I didn't have a ton of time to get to know either of the main characters due to the short nature of this novella, but I liked them based solely on the surface level impressions I got of them. The dialogue between these two is one of my favorite parts about reading this novella. 

Laurel Osterkamp gives this novella away if one subscribes to her newsletter. This little novella did a great job of introducing me to Osterkamp's writing style. It is also the first in a series that she intends to write, so that also has me intrigued. For these two reasons, I think this is a great selection for a newsletter freebie. I will certainly be checking out more of her work in the future. 

Overall, "I Bet You Think of Me" isn't the most unique story, but I found it engaging and I enjoyed following Annabelle and Weston's journey as archeologists going through their second chance romance arc. Jane Austen remixes tend to go over wonderfully in this day and age, so I'm glad that I can add this to the list of ones to recommend to others. If you are looking for that rom com dopamine rush but are crunched for time, I feel this would be a great novella to look into. And plus, it's free as long as you subscribe to Osterkamp's newsletter! 

Note: This novella is available exclusively as a newsletter subscriber exclusive. Get it here: I Bet You Think About Me - LaurelLit.com 

Back of Book: 

Welcome to winter in Sugar Pine.

Morgan Bradley is coming home for the holidays—jobless, heartbroken, and clinging to the hope that she’s not completely washed up. Her Broadway dreams and her relationship with pop sensation Patrick Sterling have both gone cold. But Sugar Pine, Colorado, isn’t just where Morgan goes to heal. It’s where she finds a chance to save her family’s struggling theater—and maybe herself—by staging Bohemian Winter, the show she started writing years ago with her childhood best friend, Max.

Max Thompson has never stopped loving Morgan—or writing music for her. So when she walks back into his life with big dreams and a broken heart, he says yes. To the musical. To pretending they’re a couple in front of her famous ex. And maybe, secretly, to one last chance at something real.

But faking love has a way of making real feelings impossible to hide. As the snow falls and opening night nears, Morgan and Max must decide if they’re writing a story that ends on stage—or one that’s only just beginning.

Heart-melting, hilarious, and full of musical-theater magic, My Winter Song to You is a friends-to-lovers holiday romance with slow-burn longing, backstage drama, and an unforgettable grand finale.

Book Number: Two

Genre: Adult | Romance 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

A wintery romance featuring childhood friends to lovers, fake dating, theatre, and a three-legged dog. 

Morgan "Mork" Bradley feels forced to return to her hometown after her hotshot actor boyfriend, Patrick Sterling, dumps her with no warning. When she returns to Sugar Pine, Colorado, Morgan learns that her parent's theatre is going bankrupt. In a final attempt to save the business, Morgan turns to her childhood best friend, Max Thompson, and asks him to continue writing the musical they started when they were children. Willing to do anything for the girl he has loved for forever, Max agrees to speed finish and put on the production before the New Year. Unfortunately, they need someone to play the lead and Patrick is the perfect man for the job. With Patrick back in Sugar Pine, Morgan's feelings grow complicated and she accidently tells Patrick that she is dating Max when she is confronted by him. A fake dating scheme ensues all so the show must go this holiday season. 

I have been excited to read this one for a while now. I tried out the first novella set in the town of Sugar Pine and was greatly intrigued by Osterkamp's writing. I am glad to say I enjoyed this holiday novel more than I did the first book in this series of stand alone romances. 

I am a huge fan of theatre romances, so that was definitely the part I enjoyed most about this one. I found it so cute that Morgan and Max started writing a musical retelling of Shakespeare's "A Winter's Tale" at the age of twelve. The fact that they endeavor to finish it when they are twenty-eight is so endearing and wholesome; I truly ate up all the scenes that they worked on it together. 

Morgan has many regrets about her life, which is something that most people can relate to. She decides to go to college in New York, which took her away from her best friend at a pivotal moment in his life and her family's struggling business. Picking a college to attend is truly a life changing decision, and many things often fall through the cracks when one first moves away from their hometown. Again, experiences that many people can see themselves in. 

Morgan also has to deal with the baggage that is her ex-boyfriend, Patrick. This man is truly a piece of work and it made me want to puke almost any time he interacted with Morgan. He is so not worth it, and it saddens me that Morgan couldn't see that she deserved more in life than a man that treated her as a tool in his belt for most of this novel.  

Max had huge dreams to go to Juilliard and hone his skills as a musician and writer. However, he got in a terrible accident right before he was supposed to leave and ended up having to get one of his legs amputated. This obviously put his life on hold and was a major factor in causing Morgan and Max's relationship to deteriorate further. Not as relatable of an experience, but I think we all know how hard it is to have a dream crushed or feel too far out of reach. 

With Max still being hung up on Morgan and feeling as though he is financially and physically unable to pursue his dreams, Max's life has mostly consisted of him working at an insurance firm and hanging out with his three-legged dog, Camilla. It is also pretty common for people to feel as though their dreams are unattainable and start to coast through life, rather than life it to its fullest. 

Speaking of Camilla, I think it was pretty cool how Max adopted a dog that was born with three legs because he related to her so much. This was a sweet way for the author to showcase how Max is healthily dealing with his trauma at this point in his life, even though he still has his insecurities. And plus, she's a pretty darn cute addition to this story. 

Morgan and Max eventually remedy many of their issues and insecurities that they have before this novel is over. They also do a great job of paving a steady path for the future of their relationship as well as their career goals. This book is a cozy romance that definitely gives me hope as a reader that dreams can come true and that the perfect love match can naturally occur. 

Another thing I found neat about this one is that it is part of a stand alone series of interconnected romances that all take place in the same town. Annabelle, the architect from the first novella, is Morgan's friend, and helps her through the third act conflict in this one. Penny, one of Max's friends, is featured quite a bit in this book and has her own novella (that I will be reading very soon). I enjoyed seeing familiar faces and being hyped up to read future installments both at the same time. 

Max and Morgan's relationship is sweet and natural. I am a huge fan of childhood friends to lovers romances due to the characters having so much chemistry at the beginning of the book. This one is also a closed-door romance, which was so refreshing. I've been reading quite a few hot and heavy holiday reads lately, so it was nice to read a wholesome romance without all that spice where the characters connect on a deeper level than just physical attraction and lust. 

Overall, "My Winter Song to You" is a really sweet holiday romance with some great tropes such as childhood friends to lovers and fake dating that featured awesome things such as theatre and a three-legged dog. I was a huge fan of Morgan and Max's relationship and definitely look forward to seeing them as side characters in future installments of this series. It has super relatable adult circumstances and touches on great themes such as remedying the things that one regrets and seizing the things one wants most in life. I would definitely recommend this one if you are a fan of wholesome, clean romances! I'm looking forward to exploring more of Osterkamp's work in the near future! 

Back of Book: 

Why is it so difficult to feel happy in December?

One December, Penny made the biggest mistake of her life—walking away from Alex. Now, a year later, she's still haunted by what-ifs. When a Christmas invitation arrives from the man whose smile she can't forget, Penny takes a chance on second chances.

But reconnecting with Alex—and his whip-smart teenage daughter Sabrina—means confronting what tore them apart: their fourteen-year age gap and wildly different life stages. As a blizzard traps the three of them under one roof, old sparks reignite, bringing both warming comfort and the burn of past regrets.

Back to December is a tender, witty holiday romance about finding the courage to return to the heart that's been waiting for you all along. 

Book Number: Adult | Romance | Novella 

Genre: 2.5

Review: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

A sweet holiday novelette that showcases a second chance at love.

Decembers have marked many changes in Penny's life, but there is one December that she really regrets. That's the one in which she walked away from Alex, the love of her life. A year later, she is trying to thrive as a host of her podcast "Penny for Your Thoughts" and keep her mind away from her past life. When she receives an invitation to spend Christmas with Alex's family this year, Penny can't help but accept. Reconnecting with Alex and his daughter Sabrina is more than Penny ever could have wished for. She'll soon find that second chances are meant to be freely given to those that deserve them.

I just finished "My Winter Song to You" so Penny's character is still fresh in my mind. I am really glad that I waited on reading this one until after I read the main novel, because this novelette does reveal a bit of the conflict that occurs in "My Winter Song to You." This short story does do a great job of expanding on Penny's story and the entire town of Sugar Pine in general, so it serves as a great companion to Morgan and Max's tale.

Penny and Alex's relationship is a pretty wholesome one. Penny is also super tight with Sabrina (Alex's daughter) which is another thing that I adored about this novel. The fact that Penny and Alex don't let the age difference between them bother them is also pretty sweet. Another thing that these two bond over is their enjoyment of sociology and the fact that they both like to write nonfiction.

This short story, much like "My Winter Song to You," does a fabulous job of reminding the reader to chase one's dreams no matter how unlikely they seem. Penny desperately wants to write a book and Alex just wants to be an amazing dad. With the right support system, one doesn't have to give up their dreams in order to be with those that matter most to them.

The only thing I struggled with a tad was how the narrative jumped around in time quite a bit. I don't think this would have been that hard to follow, except I read this one on audio, which made my brain have to think fast about which timeline we were currently following in order to keep up with the story.

Overall, "Back to December" is a super quick read and a sweet holiday romance. It features tropes such as second chance romance and age gap. I found it to be a great addition to "My Winter Song to You," though I'm sure it could be read as a stand alone, too. However, just note there are slight spoilers for the main book if you read this one first. I do really enjoy Osterkamp's work, so I will definitely be checking out some of her other books outside of this series eventually.

Audiobook Note: Jama Smith is the narrator of this one. I must say, I was a bit concerned at the start because they spoke so fast. I literally double-checked that I was only on one time speed (I usually listen to books on at least 1.5x) and I was. I feel that Smith eventually slowed down as the story continued, but there is a chance that I just got used to their pacing. Beyond this though, they did a very solid job of bringing Penny's story to life.