This book is a testament to pursuing what you love rather than what people think you should. Stella herself admitted that she is a people pleaser but only when she starting asking herself what would she say and what she would do is when her career and love life took off. She played to her strengths as a wedding photographer especially during her course in Italy. Yes, she was taken advantage of by her horrible boss Nathan but she ultimately realized that she couldn't keep blaming herself. She was not Jolene. This book really picked up and I thoroughly enjoyed the interactions with Claudia, Magnus and Connor. The love between Connor and Stella was evident and I am glad she put herself out there. A great book.

In contrast to many romance books, which are formulaic and predictable, I was very happy with this book. It's really the finest option for your next book or a slump-busting read. It has all the qualities I look for in a rom-com, including powerful chemistry, fun, flirtatious banter, and beautiful settings. What a pleasure it was to read this!

After her previous career as an advertising copywriter is destroyed by an affair, Stella Price in Shooters chooses to pursue a career in wedding photography. She goes to France to study photography with the best in the business, Connor Knight, in an effort to launch her profession. Stella's life quickly becomes a maelstrom of strange customers, formidable women, and a seductive photographer.

The character Boggio made was fantastic. Stella is so authentic. I mean, this character might be the most authentic I've ever encountered in a book! Stella was a likeable heroine whose point of view was simple to understand. She gave her character a ton of characteristics and personalities, and even though she's mentally fragile as a result of a disastrous relationship, I really like that she's working to put her life back together.

And in this case, Connor's personality overconfidence, wit, and compassion worked well with Stella to make them the love is blind couple you want to root for in this kind of tale! Stella's ability to make herself look foolish in front of Connor made her amusing, which I found endearing. I found the personalities to be very well-rounded and incredibly relatable. They were all genuinely flawed, which made reading about them more enjoyable for me. Even the secondary characters were terrific!

The story line didn't feel dull or cliche as some relationships do given the writing's seamless chapter-to-chapter transitions and engaging style. Although the author's background in photography is obvious, she doesn't force it on you by using a lot of technical terms or explanations that you won't grasp. It was executed in the most refined and subtle ways possible!

I think the way this book handles anxieties is another factor in how much I enjoyed it. Since I experience the same emotions in similar circumstances, I could identify with Stella completely and found it admirable that it wasn't overly dramatic in the representation. I also gained knowledge on how to assist someone having a panic crisis.

In general, this book read like a movie, which was really fun overall!

Thanks to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for providing an advanced reader copy of this book in return for a honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley, BooksGoSocial, and Julia Boggio for the opportunity to read and provide an honest review for this book, Shooters.

I liked this book! This was the first wedding photographer romance trope that I have read and it was definitely interesting! One of my biggest ‘question marks’ if you will, is that I found it hard to really believe that the main characters had a really (true?) connection. HOWEVER, I still enjoyed the book. The writing was good, and made for a nice light read!

Although it took some time to really see the chemistry between the two MC, I really learned to like them and could appreciate how they weren’t your typical cliche couple. The premise of the book itself was something that I have never read before, so I can appreciate the uniqueness of it for sure!

I feel like this is a great book to get someone out of a reading slump!

Thanks again for the opportunity to read and review! Very excited for Pub day!

Posted On: 3/6/23

3.5⭐️

This book follows Stella Price's journey from a failed marketing career to wedding photography and encounters with the womanizing and commitment-phobic master photographer, Connor Knight, during a course in France. Despite their differences, the attraction between Stella and Connor carries on in their real lives, including a wedding shoot from hell. This story is fun and energetic and was fun to read! This book was a great romcom!

Favorite Quote:
"Je t'aime"

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I'm very on the edge about this title. The writing style flows well and works incredibly for me to follow along as the chapters transitions. It's also such a unique storyline as I never heard of a "wedding photographer" romance concept. The main issue is the way sex-work and other sexuality aspects are perceived. Especially the deprecation of the “worthless foreign degree.” Just seemed off to me.

This was such a fun read for me! With my background in photography, I really appreciated the glimpse into the exciting, stressful, and sometimes unbelievable world of wedding photography. (I was never brave enough to tackle that challenge!) It was such a fun backdrop for this cute romance!

Stella Price is new to the world of wedding photography after a bit of a forced career change. She secured a coveted spot at a photography workshop in France, taught by world-renowned (and seriously handsome) wedding photographer Connor Knight. An attraction blossoms between the two, but their pasts and reputations keep them from diving in deep. Things get even more complicated when they return home to the real world.

I thought the characters were very well-developed and super relatable. All of them were realistically flawed, which made them more fun to read about for me! Even the side characters were awesome… I LOVED Liliwen. She was hilarious! The romance was super sweet. And overall the writing had a great flow, was very witty, and had lots of pop culture references that I very much enjoyed. This really was a fun one!

Thank you to publisher BooksGoSocial and @netgalley for the eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I think that this was a case of “It’s not the book, it’s me.” When describing this book, it’s a genuine struggle to explain what wasn’t working for me; the descriptions of the various settings and the references to different iconic songs—especially the ones by Dolly Parton—made this book read like an iconic late 1990s/early 2000s romcom à la Notting Hill. Ultimately, though, I think that’s also where I struggled with this book: it managed to be very lively and fast-paced while also being bogged down by just how many plot beats it wanted to cover. We rarely had a moment just to breathe and take in all of the chaos of the protagonist Stella’s life, and even in the few moments of self-reflection we got, she would often get caught up in a flashback to her previous disastrous relationship.
Moreover, the characters all felt pretty flat and one-dimensional, even if they had their own unique quirks: the ”fearless” best friend with her own secret life, the “scandalous” lingerie designers, the wise yet enigmatic Polish housekeeper, and even the playboy love interest with a string of Scandinavian supermodel ex-girlfriends. Even Stella’s development was predictable as she learns to stand up for herself, somehow managing to feel undeserved despite the buildup throughout the entire book.
I also had a bit of a complicated feeling around Stella’s relationship with sexuality—not necessarily sex, but the performative actions around it. She has a lot of internalized misogyny that she’s actively working through throughout the book from having been “the other woman,” but she also is quick to judge more openly sexual characters like Oliwier, Paulina, and Ula. Although she ends up realizing how kind and funny these characters are, it’s framed as though it’s “in spite of” how sexual they are. The discussions around sex work (and its implications on how it affects a woman’s worth) are disappointing. These remarks are one-off throwaway lines scattered throughout the book, and I sincerely doubt that they were meant to be some deep commentary on sex work; even so, it’s reoccurring and felt pretty noticeable, and I found myself left with a sour taste in my mouth.
Overall, I know this book will definitely find a place in the hearts (and bookshelves) of plenty of readers looking for something fluffy and reminiscent of Bridget Jones’s Diary. I, unfortunately, wasn’t one of those readers.

This was a fun and entertaining read. It's a breath of fresh air from many romance novels which are predictable and generic. The ending felt a little rushed and that is my reason for giving 4 instead of 5 stars.

After ending her previous career with an affair with her boss, Stella decides she wants to become a wedding photographer. She tactfully forces her way into a course in a French Chateau with none other than the attractive Connor Knight, who also happens to be one of the best wedding photographers. He is also a player and Stella knows it's a bad idea to become romantically involved with him, but she just cannot resist. I absolutely loved all the characters in this novel and Stella was very relatable.

I really hope this author and this book get recognized! It looks like she has another book coming out in the fall and I cannot wait to get my hands on a copy.

Thanks to Netgalley and BooksGoSocial for a free copy in exchange for my honest review.

Set in the world of wedding photography, Julia Boggio's rom-com debut is pacy, funny and full of sexy sizzle

Stella Price's last romance went so spectacularly and publicly wrong that she's had to change careers. Keen to start over as a wedding photographer, she still believes in love and marriage. Connor Knight is a man who has it all -- superhero looks, the best reputation in wedding photography, money, fame, awards galore and a Scandinavian model always hanging off his arm -- but he doesn't believe in happily ever afters.

Of course, the sparks fly immediately between these two, when Stella books a week's residential course in a French chateau to learn everything she can from The Master, and it's not long before Mr Knight is getting a necessary lesson in the true meaning of love.

Stella is vulnerable yet feisty. Connor is over-confident but caring. And they are both surrounded by a marvelous cast of supporting characters. I've got a real soft spot for Stella's chaotic friend Claudia, Connor's wonderful assistant Krish and the terribly posh but very sweet photographer, Magnus Fiennes.

The scenes shine with wit, and there are predicaments aplenty, especially on the Big Day, when the photographers often bring more drama than the bride and bridegroom. I absolutely loved it -- from the big set-piece scenes to the quiet, emotional moments. I can't wait for the next book in this series.

This was incredible!

I read this book in one afternoon, I just couldn't put it down. I laughed, I cried, I even gasped at one point!

The chemistry between Stella and Connor was amazingly written and I think Stella might be one of my most favourite heroines ever, she was so real and flawed and it was a joy to read.

Liliwen deserves a sordid mention just for being a fabulous character, although I did find all of the supporting characters great in their own ways. I'm looking forward to the next book, especially as its about Krish.

I'll be swooning over Connor until then though!

Unfortunately this was a bit of a miss for me. I was intrigued by the premise, hailing from a photography and wedding coordination background - quite the industry - I imagined that combined with some hot and bothered spice between two hot (let's be honest, they are always hot) people, could be a fun ride - yet the execution didn't quite peak my interest. Between a male love interest who thinks himself a bonafide celebrity, and an aspiring photographer in the form of our leading lady who lands her first gig as a wedding photographer for a millionaire after being recommend by her cleaning - it just wasn't for me.

3.5 Stars!

This romantic comedy is pretty realistic compared to other romcoms and the story is fun, fresh, and an enjoyable read.

The writing style itself was a little much for me personally. It was Single POV (a slog, truly) and it felt a bit rushed in the way that...things just kept happening one after another with little to no refractory period and if there was time for reflection it was in the middle of *more things already happening*.

Another negative for me is that the FMC was just a teensy bit insufferable. She was flawed and funny sure but she was also...irritating. I felt myself liking the side characters more and being more invested in whatever the hell was going on around her than actually caring what was going on with her.

Plus the romance kept popping in and out of the story in a way that made me not really feel any romantic chemistry between the FMC and MMC. Did they lust after each other? Yeah, absolutely. Was their lust superficial? Yes, absolutely. It felt like their lust was based on them having two working eyes and being able to identify that they were both attractive adults.

Anyway, this book read like a movie or a short series, which when all was said and done was super enjoyable even if I do have my qualms and nitpicks. Def worth picking up!

A fun, fast paced contemporary rom com with a well developed lead character, luxury locations and plenty of laugh out loud moments. The heroine, Stella, is a newbie wedding photographer dealing with challenging clients and an attractive mentor. As a former wedding photographer myself, the technical and photography industry descriptions were spot on. I loved Stella and her friends. Looking forward to reading the next one.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! While I would have appreciated more conversations between the two love interests, I thought the story was fun and captivating. I wish we knew more about the male love interest's thoughts on their interactions because his romantic interest in her seemed a bit abrupt. I also wish the ending wasn't so hurried, as I wanted to know what made him realize he was in love and ready for a commitment.

My one gripe with romance books is when they use assault as a way to bring characters together. She gets SA'd, and then hours later, she and the male character who "saves her" sleep together. This is a horrible, obsolete mechanism that needs to stop.

Thank you to NetGalley and Books Go Social for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This cute and sassy romance was to die for! This book followed Stella as she transitions from pharmaceutical marketing to photographing weddings. She enrolls in a course by a renowned wedding photographer, Connor Knight. Not only is he great at what he does, but he’s also devilishly handsome. She fights her attraction for him while learning all the tips and tricks of how to be the best wedding photographer.

This book was so well crafted. I felt like everything was well balanced: the world building, the character development, and the plot line. I fell in love with characters and how real everything was. This romance was not just something you’d find in a book, but could be easily found out in the world as well! I cannot wait to read the next book Julia puts out about Krish’s love adventures!

Thanks so much to NetGalley and HBM Publishing for allowing me to have an ARC of this novel!

I loved 'SHOOTERS'! I really enjoyed the writing style of Julia Boggio, and you can tell that she used alot of her expertise from being a photographer. You can really tell when an author knows firsthand how something is done in their books vs. hypothetically knowing how it will go.

Shooters is the kind of book that I want to pick up on an easy saturday when I just want to read a book that i know that I'll enjoy. It ias everything I want in a chick-lit books, fun, flirty, and such great chemistry!

I felt like the main character, Stella was a relatable protagonist who's point of view was easy to follow. The relationship between Stella and Conner was one that was truly swoon-worthy! I enjoyed that the chapters flowed smoothly between each other, and I though that the cast was very entertaining and developed perfectly.

Thank you to the publisher, Books, Go Social, and to NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion!

I did enjoy this slow-burn, sweet romance novel, which is easy to read and cute, despite it being predictable and the ending being pretty contrived - I'm not sure the Dolly Parton song and drag costume were in keeping with Connor's character. Stella and Connor are accompanied by a great cast of supporting characters, who really add something to the story and the narrative is reasonably fast-paced. This may be a good pick for the beach this summer - it's out on March 6, 2023. Many thanks to NetGallery for the 'Read Now'.

This was a quick, light, fun read. Stella is so relatable in many aspects. Loved the growth she experienced to ensure she would never find herself in the same embarrassing spot she started the book at and the lengths she went to guarantee her profess. The ending felt a bit rushed to give readers the happy ending but overall this was a great experience! Thanks to NetGalley and publishers for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for a review.

"Not only had he helped her reclaim her song, he was now giving it a whole new meaning for them."

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I am so glad I stumbled upon this book in the Read Now section of NetGalley.
I absolutely loved everything about it: its raw and real characters, its not so obvious love story, and the delicate way in which it deals with very important themes such as mental health and slut-shaming.
Like I said, I found this book by pure chance... but now I think it was the book that found me... like it was just meant to be.

Ps: I am Italian... so, I freaking loved all the Italian idioms used by the author in this book. Grazie to the author for writing such a meraviglioso book!

Thank you NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

An interesting cover for sure --- at first glance, I thought that it was about a stripper, not a photographer, or a photographer of strippers but it is about weddings.

Not a bad romance novel but a little too syrupy for me - but I did enjoy the trip to France via the pages vs. an airline trip. Will recommend it to the romance readers in our library and there are a lot of them!

#shortbutsweetreviews