Book Review: Meet Cute by Helena Hunting

Rating: 3.75/5

Genre: Contemporary Romance, Adult Fiction

Warnings: Death of a parent

Read if you liked: Kiss My Cupcake, Would Like To Meet

Summary: Via Goodreads

Review: I finally read a Helena Hunting book…Have you seen her backlist? It’s massive. Meet Cute was such a nice introduction to her writing and since reading this book; I have read two in her Pucked series (I finally read a hockey romance, I know). Also, added a bunch to my Kindle and got the ARC for her new book When Sparks Fly. I’m taking this on like the Christina Lauren backlist, one cute RomCom at a time…Zero chance I’ll finish them all but I’ll enjoy the journey.

Things I loved: The trope is a personal favorite aka sudden single parent. It was the right amount of cheesy, with some depth in the enemies to lovers/second chance romance-ness. Great chemistry. I loved the relationship Kailyn grew with Dax’s sister, Emme. Dax truly was a stand-up guy!

Things I didn’t care for: Kailyn was a little insecure/bumbling/hold on a grudge for silly reasons heroine for the first bit but grew overtime. SO MUCH MERCH OBESESSION. Kailyn’s boss, it was kinda gross how she was manipulating her for her well-deserved promotion.

This isn’t a new, change your life romance but I walked away content from my pool reading experience…we all need those books!

Love,

A

Book Review: Dear Emmie Blue by Lia Louis

Rating: 4.5/5

Genre: Contemporary Romance, Sad Romance, Adult Fiction

Warnings: sexual assault, parental abondonment, cancer

Read if you liked: Just Last Night, Evvie Drake Starts Over

Review: When 16-year-old Emmie releases a balloon with her biggest secret hidden inside, she doesn’t expect anyone to find it. When, a few weeks later, Lucas Moreau does just that, the two teens develop an instant rapport, going from trading emails to a deep and enduring friendship. Fourteen years later, Lucas asks Emmie to be his “best woman” at his upcoming wedding. Emmie accepts the honor, but must face the fact that her long-simmering romantic feelings for Lucas can never be revealed.

There’s no way to succinctly summarize the beauty of this book or share what I loved/didn’t without giving away the whole story. It was a deeply layered story with an amazing cast of characters, the environment created by Lia Louis is raw and honest, while being warm and heartfelt. This is one of those books, that sticks with you and after you finish reading it…you don’t know what to do with yourself. Just Last Night was one of the best reads of 2021 for me and it gave me very similar vibes. Here’s why:

A. Because you go in thinking you’re getting one thing and get the opposite.

B. You’re very satified with the ending.

C. I don’t want to give too much away with too much detail so just go read it!

Love,

A

Week in Review: 5.18-5.24

My week, in review. This is a short and sweet weekly update with ratings and blurb. If they are getting their own review, I’ll share it there!

It was such a good book week and I can’t wait to write full reviews for (almost) all of them!

Physical Books

The Soulmate Equation – 4.5/5 Christina Lauren can do no wrong and my full review is up a few posts ago…I couldn’t wait even a day after reading it to share it with the world.

Last Summer at the Golden Hotel – 4/5 We have a summer winner, multigenerational family drama set in Catskills. My fellow triangle bookstagram girls and I choose this for our buddy reads this month and I’m so happy we picked it. Full review coming soon!

E-Books

Awk-Weird – 3/5 Cute one-night stand turns pregnancy between awkward girl and famous hockey player. I’d qualify this as a quick airport read.

Bergman Brothers Series
If you saw my stories on instagram, I went down the Bergman Brothers series this weekend and finished ALL of them plus pre-ordered the 4th. I just want to write a love letter to all these books for the sweetness, the inclusion and the relatability. Can I marry into this family?

Only When It’s Us – 4.25/5 The banter, the tension and all the sass! It was practically perfect.

Always Only You– 4.25/5 This is a hockey romance I can get on board with, because it didn’t feel like a “hockey romance”.

Ever After Always – 5/5 Hi, I’m Amelia and I love a marriage in crisis book (don’t ask me why). This book gave me all the feels…I couldn’t stop routing for Aiden and Freya.

Audio

Mediocre: The Dangerous Legacy of White Male America – 4/5 Fantastic on audio, I would recommend her first book, So You Want To Talk About Race before reading this one.

See you next week!

Love,

A

Book Review: The Soulmate Equation by Christina Lauren

Rating: 4.5/5

Genre: Contemporary Romance, Adult Fiction

Warnings: Parental abandonment, substance abuse

Read if you liked: The Kiss Quotient or Christina Lauren books

I just want to hug this book, it gave me all the happy feels exactly what I expect from a Christina Lauren book. Seriously, I read this within 24 hours and I’m so happy! I’ve heard mixed things about Soulmate Equation, some said it’s their new favorite CLo and others said it wasn’t as good but I’m a FAN!

Summary: Single mom Jess Davis is a statistician who has recently sworn off men. Raised by her grandparents—who now help raise her daughter, Juno—Jess has trouble letting anyone in. She holds the ones she loves close but life can get lonely. Jess’s best friend Fizzy (a romance writer) hears about GeneticAlly a DNA-based matchmaking company and convinces Jess to participate…numbers she gets after all!

And then her test shows an rare 98 percent compatibility, a “diamond match”, with noneother than one of GeneticAlly’s founders, Dr. River Peña. Except Jess only knows River as a stuck-up man without any manners, who called her average … How could he possibly be her soulmate? Soon they get to know each other more and maybe the science didn’t get it wrong…or did it?

Things I loved: The science/data parts made my nerdy brain so happy. Juno is just the cutest tiny human. Jess and River’s chemistry was there…be prepared for tension. The banter was fantastic! Jess and Fizzy were so relatable as a best friend duo. And the weaving of fate and choosing your own path within the story.

Things I didn’t care for: There’s not much, but probably the parts with Jess’s mom. I wasn’t sure how much we needed all of them. What can I say? I loved this book and was super pleased.

Love,

A

Contemporary Romance: Where do I start?

One of my best friends texted me the other night and asked my favorite question….I want to start reading romance, where do I start? Let me fangirl for a minute because I have thoughts and basically wrote this post via text (I’m cheating and using it for the bookstagram because it’s good information)!

First off, @f2lpodcast has a new episode all about it so go check it out! No surprise, I’ve read all but one of the books they suggested and it’s on my TBR!

What would be in my own starter kit? If you are new to romance or want to start reading romance, here is where I would start!

❤️ Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
❤️ You Had Me At Hola by Alexis Daria
❤️ The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory
❤️ The Friend Zone (1, 2 and 3) series by Abby Jimenez
❤️ The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren
❤️ Accidentally Engaged by Farah Heron
❤️ Beach Read and People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry❤️
❤️ The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang
❤️ The Ex Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomon
❤️ The Bergman Brothers series by Chloe Liese
❤️ Bromance Book Club series by Lyssa Kay Adams

What book would you suggest to a friend who wants to start reading romance?

See you later,

A

A Love Letter to Sad Romance

Do you have a sub-genre of book that you’re drawn too?

Most of these books are pretty polarizing with people. Why are they polarizing? I honestly think it’s because these books are mismarketed…People go in expecting happy romances and you aren’t going to get that because that’s not what it is supposed to be.

I happen to be a big fan of them though, I welcome all the dark and twisty as a girl who reads a lot of romance…. and I love “sad romances” aka books that have some grief, make you think a whole lot about life, that happens to have a love story. I feel like every one of these books smashed my heart a little but also reminded me how precious life is.

These are some favorites:

  • After I Do by Taylor Jenkins Reid (review)
  • Just Last Night by Mhairi McFarlane (review)
  • You Were There Too by Colleen Oakley
  • One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid (review)
  • In Five Years by Rebecca Serle
  • The Dinner List by Rebecca Serle
  • More than Words by Jill Santopolo
  • The Two Lives of Lydia Bird by Josie Silver
  • Dear Emmie Blue by Lia Louis (review)
  • Meet Me in Paradise by Libby Hubscher (review)
  • My Oxford Year by Julia Whelan
  • The Lies That Bind by Emily Giffin
  • The Float Plan (review)

Are you a fan of any of these books? Or do you have a sub-genre you love?

See you later,

A

Book Review: The Happy Ever After Playlist by Abby Jimenez

Rating: 4.5/5

Genre: Contemporary Romance, Adult Fiction

Warnings: Loss of spouse

Happy Sunday! I think I’m going to devote Sunday’s to throwback reviews aka books I loved before bookstagram + the blog. Abby Jimenez is an auto-buy author for me, I literally didn’t even read the summary before buying Life’s Too Short because I LOVED Happy Ever After Playlist. Also, if you didn’t know this already there’s an actually playlist and it is fantastic.

In saying this, I read this book a year ago and I was a little hazy on some of the finer details so of course, I re-read the book…It was the only logical option. And I still loved it, I did find a few things minorly problematic but overall a solid read and I’m still suggesting everyone read this series.

Summary: Two years after losing her fiancé, Sloan Monroe still can’t seem to get her life back on track. But one trouble-making pup with a “take me home” look in his eyes is about to change everything. With her new pet by her side, Sloan finally starts to feel more like herself. Then, after weeks of unanswered texts, Tucker’s owner reaches out. He’s a musician on tour in Australia. And bottom line: He wants Tucker back.

Well, Sloan’s not about to give up her dog without a fight. As their flirty texts turn into long calls, Sloan can’t deny a connection. There’s no telling what could happen when they meet in person. The question is: With his music career on the rise, how long will Jason really stick around? And is it possible for Sloan to survive another heartbreak?

Things I loved: Tucker is the real star of this book. Witty banter mixed with depth of processing loss. Jason accepted Sloan who she was in her loss of Brandon. Foodie moments. I loved how close Jason was to his family and how they welcomed Sloan with open arms. Kristen per usual killed the humor. I was so invested in them by the end and the ending really did it for me!

Things I didn’t care for: The whole leaving your life for a guy thing…it’s a bit problematic but also I get it. Jason could have been more upfront with some things.

Do you have a favorite in the series? Mine is Life’s Too Short, you can check out my review here.

Love,

A

Book Review: The Kindred Spirits Supper Club by Amy E. Reichert

Rating: 3/5

Genre: Contemporary Romance, Adult Fiction, Paranormal

Warnings: Anxiety, bullying

Review: Recently unemployed journalist, Sabrina Monroe can stand her hometown in Wisconsin…and it only mildly has to do with the literal ghosts that seem to find her aka the Monroe family curse: the women in her family can see spirits who come to them for help with unfinished business. Sabrina tends to direct the needy sprits to her mom who is much more open to the job than she is.

Things start to change when Ray, the new local restaurateur, invites Sabrina to his supper club, and they flirt and she ends up helping him plan a local fundraiser. Soon her hometown starts to feel like home for the first time and with Ray in her corner, Sabrina begins to realize that she can make a difference and help others wherever she is.

I have a lot of thoughts, mainly that part of me loved it in concept and part of me was bored to tears. This book was so slow, and I know this is true because I mention this many times over the course of my notes while reading it. I also felt the story was a lot of showing, not telling in their relationship…therefore I felt disconnected from the relationship and then suddenly they were in love…cool, I can see that from him but not really her.

We also had a lot of things to unpack with bullying and childhood trauma in the storyline, which is important to talk about but there was also not really a resolution…we had a mean girl, who was cruel and there wasn’t really a “come to Jesus meeting” about that dynamic. This was problematic for me. On the flip side, I do think you saw personal growth in Sabrina as a character and acceptance of who she is.

This is kind of a side note, not to single out this book but it brought me to me own thoughts which are…Can we talk about reading books where the main character has anxiety and you too have anxiety? I’m seeing this a lot more lately, which cool, love that we are getting more representation but also reading about someone’s panic attacks literally just gives me anxiety (mild not full out). Look it’s not going to be this way for everyone but I was TRIGGERED and I totally had to skip over some moments. It’s a lot to read an internal monologue of someone whose brain feels like your own.

Things I loved: Molly, seriously I loved her and her story…probably more likeable than Sabrina. Foodie references were fantastic. Ray was a sweetheart.

Things I didn’t care for: The mean girl, seriously…we had a bully with no resolution. Feeling disconnected to them as a couple. The pace of the book was hard for me to get into.

Basically, if you like cheese and ghosts, this may be for you but I’m kinda meh about it.

Love,

A

Week in Review: 5.11-5.17

My week, in review. This is a short and sweet weekly update with ratings and blurb. If they are getting their own review, I’ll share it there!

I reached a big milestone this week, I’ve officially 100 books, so far, in 2021….I don’t know if I’m super proud or slightly worried about myself because this is A LOT!

I ended up reading 4.5 books this week. Evidence of the Affair, if you’ve ever read it, is 70ish pages and literally takes less than an hour to read.

Physical Books

The Kindred Spirits Supper Club – 3/5 I have very mixed feelings about this book, part of me loved it and part of me still isn’t sold. Full review coming!

Meet Cute – 3.75/5 This book was literally so cute, this was my first Helena Hunting book and I look forward binging all the book…my fellow BBBC babes have really been convincing me to take a deep dive into the Pucked Series/all the hockey romances (something I swore I would never do), we’ll. I’m currently reading Pucked with @steamroomgals and it may convince me to take the dive.

E-Books

Satisfaction Guaranteed – 4/5 Oh this was so much fun to read! I’m so excited for it to get released in June and everyone to read this unique story. Full review coming tomorrow!

To Sir, With Love– 4/5 This book is just so dreamy and a New York City meet cute gives me all the feels. It’s the adult version of Tweet Cute and I’m here for it. Add it to your TBR, it will be released on 6/29. Full review coming soon.

Evidence of the Affair – 4/5 TJR can do no wrong except for the fact that this book was too short and I needed more!

Thank you @netgalley and their publishers for both Satisfaction Guaranteed and To Sir, With Love in exchange for my honest opinion and review.

Do you have a favorite book you’ve read recently? All my books in the next few weeks are for multiple buddy reads + bookclub + ARCs.

See you next week!

Love,

A

Book Review: Satisfaction Guaranteed by Karelia Stetz-Waters

Rating: 4/5

Genre: Contemporary Romance, Adult Fiction, LGBTQ+ Romance

Warnings: Emotionally abusive relationship (in past)

Read if you liked: Written in the Stars

Review: Cade Elgin, an art gallery owner from New York, unexpectedly inherits half of her aunt’s sex toy store in Portland…unfortunately it’s about to be foreclosed on. Free-spirited artist, Selena Mathis a friend and of her Aunts, is given the other half. The two couldn’t be more different, especially their vision on how to make the store successful. But as they work together, could opposites attract? And can they save this unique store?

Y’all this is such a unique book! One of my friends was given the ARC and raved about it, I immediately applied for it as well. The pacing + banter was fantastic. I fell in love with the story and it’s characters. A little on the slower side at first but it picked up. I also love a good sapphic romance, we don’t have enough in commercially published romance book and the representation is needed.

Things I loved: The main characters were delightful with each other. There was a beautiful undertone of loving and accepting yourself, especially if you are “different”. Obviously, this book was sex positive and it did so without being trashy and only having mild steam (in my opinion). It also had a great representation of consent.

Things I didn’t care for: I really don’t always jam when characters both “don’t think they are good enough” for each other, it’s a lot when both have the internal dialogue. I would have liked a bit more in the epilogue.

Thank you NetGalley and Forever for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. Satisfaction Guaranteed will be released on June 1st, make sure to look out for it!

Love,

A