ARC Review: Temping Is Hell by Cathy Yardley

Special thanks to Literary Media Tours and the author for providing me a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Temping Is Hell (Necessary Evil #1)
Publication Date: 30 October 2025
Genre: Paranormal Romance

Panda Rating:

(4 pandas)

๐Ÿ“– SYNOPSIS

WORST. JOB. EVER. Kate Oโ€™Hara canโ€™t wait until this temp assignment is over. The woman who hired her is a psychotic drama queen, her coworkers are convicts-turned-clerks, and itโ€™s so boring and pointless it makes her skin crawl. Even working with temptation-on-legs CEO Thomas Kestrel wonโ€™t sway her โ€” heโ€™s a billionaire with a rep for being ruthless, and as far as sheโ€™s concerned, thatโ€™s a hard pass. Once she makes enough to pay off her bills, sheโ€™s out of this corporate cube farm. Or so she thinks…

WHAT THE HELL? Next thing she knows, sheโ€™s accidentally signed over her soul. Literally. And sheโ€™s discovered Thomasโ€™s real mission: to kill thirteen bad guys in one year, in order to get hisโ€”now his and Kateโ€™sโ€”souls back.

ITโ€™S NOT JUST A JOB. ITโ€™S A MISADVENTURE. From learning to boost the morale of some paper-pushing demons to navigating her way through blood-red tape, Kate has to work closely with her super-hot boss and get her flaky act together, before somebody clocks her outโ€”permanently!

โš ๏ธ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Gaslighting, cancer, death (recounted, on-page), suicide, blood, violence, attempted murder

TL;DR: Temping Is Hell was a wild paranormal fantasy romcom romp! ๐Ÿคฃย It was definitely a bit bonkers but I mean that in a good way because it was so entertaining and I had a great time reading it! Kate, with her completely unfiltered chaos brain, and Thomas, the billionaire who needs to get his act together, were such an unlikely pairing, but I loved how her chaotic good energy grounded him. The โ€˜sold-my-soul-to-a-demonโ€™ plot kept me completely engaged and it was fun learning about what happens when you do something like thatโ€”itโ€™s not good, thatโ€™s for sure! I enjoyed the friendships, the banter, the sarcasm, and the chaos. Overall, this was a fun and humorous read that I would recommend if youโ€™re looking for a paranormal romcom, especially for the spooky season~!

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ARC Review: Do Me A Favor by Cathy Yardley

Special thanks to the author for providing me a digital ARC of this book via the publisher on NetGalley!

Do Me A Favor
Publisher: Montlake
Publication Date: 25 June 2024
Genre: Adult Romance

Panda Rating:

(4 pandas)

๐Ÿ“– SYNOPSIS

Willa Lieu-Endicott moved from California to the Pacific Northwest to start over. Since her husbandโ€™s death, sheโ€™s been struggling to get back her old career as a cookbook ghostwriter. Unfortunately, her latest projectโ€”ghostwriting for a viral cooking sensation known more for his washboard abs than his mealsโ€”has her stuck.

Until she meets her new neighbor.

Hudson Daws, the handyman next door, lives on a farm with his parents and two adult children. Heโ€™s the opposite of everything sheโ€™s ever known. His happily chaotic life includes biker barbecues, an escape artist dog, and adorably menacing goats. Heโ€™s also got a sinfully sexy smile and a rumbling bass voice that makes her shiver. He inspires her.

From their first meeting, the two fall into an escalating cycle of favors, paybacksโ€ฆand attraction, even though Willaโ€™s trying to keep her distance.

They both have their own pasts to deal with. Now, they just have to figure out if they have a future.

A delectable rom-com about a widowed cookbook writer and a divorced handyman who find that itโ€™s never too late for a fresh start.

โš ๏ธ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Parental estrangement and abandonment; death of spouse (off-page); chronic illness – type 1 diabetes (secondary character); brief mention of infidelity; drug use; sex on page

TL;DR: Do Me A Favor was a sweet, wholesome and sexy romance featuring older protagonists who just needed a bit of a push to love themselves first. This was a really enjoyable romance to devour (and I didnโ€™t put it down until I finished it)! It gave me great comfort to read and I would recommend it to those who love a soft love story that balances the romance and character growth beautifully, plus a HEA for characters who couldnโ€™t be more deserving of one.

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Book Review: Role Playing by Cathy Yardley

Role Playing
Publisher: Montlake
Pub Date: 1 July 2023
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Panda Rating:

(4.5 pandas)

๐Ÿ“– SYNOPSIS

Maggie is an unapologetically grumpy forty-eight-year-old hermit. But when her college-aged son makes her a dealโ€•heโ€™ll be more social if she does the sameโ€•she canโ€™t refuse. She joins a new online gaming guild led by a friendly healer named Otter. So that nobody gets the wrong idea, she calls herself Bogwitch.

Otter is Aiden, a fifty-year-old optimist using the guild as an emotional outlet from his family drama caring for his aging mother while his brother plays house with Aidenโ€™s ex-fiancรฉe.

Bogwitch and Otter become fast virtual friends, but thereโ€™s a catch. Bogwitch thinks Otter is a college student. Otter assumes Bogwitch is an octogenarian.

When they finally meet face to faceโ€•after a rocky, shocking startโ€•the unlikely pair of sunshine and stormy personalities grow tentatively closer. But Maggieโ€™s previous relationships have left her bitter, and Aidenโ€™s got a complicated past of his own.

Everythingโ€™s easier online. Can they make it work in real life?

โš ๏ธ CONTENT WARNINGS

Homophobia, racism, bigotry, forced outing, toxic family, parental death

TL;DR: If you’re looking for a cosy, heartwarming and hopeful story about older characters finding their people and being accepted just as they are; for a story where people find joy and comfort in gaming and online connections; and for a story that’s equally entertaining but that’s not without it’s heavier moments, I would 100% recommend this book!

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