Book Review: You Had Me At Hola by Alexis Daria

Rating: 4.25/5

Genre: Contemporary Romance, Adult Fiction

Warnings: PTSD (stalking incident) and anxiety

Read if you liked: Jane the Virgin

Review: After a public breakup, soap opera star Jasmine Lin Rodriguez returns to her hometown of New York City to film a new bilingual romantic comedy for ~Netflix~. Jasmine creates a new “Leading Lady Plan” should be easy enough to follow until her co-star ends up being telenovela hunk Ashton Suárez. After his long term telenovela character was killed off, Ashton is worried his career won’t rebound. Joining this new cast will give him the chance to show off his acting skills on the big screen.

Jasmine and Ashton, both having a lot on the line, agree to rehearse in private. But rehearsal leads to kissing, and kissing leads to a behind-the-scenes romance worthy of a soap opera. While their on-screen performance improves, the media spotlight on Jasmine soon threatens to destroy her new image and expose Ashton’s most closely guarded secret.

I’ve seen so many people recently talking about books they read before they were on bookstagram…You Had Me At Hola was one of my favorites of last year. I freaking loved this book, it was a lovely romance with intentional diversity, language, sex-positivity and genuine characters. The story is based around telenovela so there were some cheesy moments but give me all the cheese. The story also weaved nicely with the shows’ dialogue, I kinda want to watch Carmen in Charge and see what happens.

Things I loved: The “leading lady plan”, we all need one! I also loved the use of an intimacy coordinator and consent, as someone who reads a lot of romance this is super important for me so see intentionally…this is a STEAMY one too 🔥. I loved the commentary about Latinx representation in the television and film industry, this was so well down and important to discuss. Side characters were also amazing!

Things I didn’t care for: Miscommunication + emotional immaturity was a big part of this conflict…it’s so frustrating, at times, to read on the page even if it’s need for the “conflict” angle.

I read so many good books in 2020, I’ll be bringing some of them back to highlight + review in the next few months. I can’t wait for the next one in this series following Jasmine’s cousin Michelle. A Lot Like Adios is coming out later this year. I’m still crossing my fingers for the ARC.

Love,

A

Week in Review: 5.4-5.10

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!

Well, somehow I read 8 books this week…7.5 if you want to get technical because I DNF’d a book pretty late in the game. Friendly reminder that it’s okay to not finish a book if it isn’t bringing you joy! 

Physical Books

Hana Khan Carries On – DNF I wanted to love this book, so many people I know loved (and raved about this book) but I was 60% in and had tried 3 times to finish and just couldn’t get into. If someone wants to tell me why I need to finish it, let me know! 

Dial A For Aunties – 3.5/5 This book is all over bookstagram and I can see why! This book was presented as Dead to Me/Finlay Donovan + Crazy Rich Asians…so accurate. Full review coming! 

Second First Impressions – 3/5 So….I’m not a Sally Thorne fan. If you want to know my feelings on the Hating Game it’s Emma’s post about it. This book was so meh for me, it didn’t blow me out of the water but it wasn’t horrible. The most memorable part was the turtles and crazy old ladies.

E-Books

Sarah Adams Books – If you want sweet, light rom coms with little conflict…these are your books! Sarah is an indie author, so go support her! You can also read them on KU. I’ll review them sporadically but I suggest them all! 

The Enemy – 4/5  

The Off Limits Rule – 4/5

The Temporary Roomie – 3.5/5

The Roommate Risk– 4/5 This might be my favorite book by Talia Hibbert…A true friends to lovers is my jam and this book was just as much about their friendship as their romance. This is currently being republished (new cover and name), it was previously Wanna Bet. Reviewed here.

Birthday Girl – 3/5 I really don’t know how to rate this book…my Goodreads review said exactly that. There are many feelings because this is a very taboo situation with MANY layers. But I was also totally rooting for them. 

After writing this, I’m realizing even more I’m in a massive rut and I need something to spark me out of it. What was a favorite of yours this week?

See you next week!

Love,

A

Book Review: Love Lettering by Kate Clayborn

Rating: 3.75/5

Genre: Contemporary Romance, Adult Fiction

Warnings: Anxiety

Review: Meg Mackworth’s hand-lettering skill has made her famous on social media, designing beautiful custom journals for New York City’s elite. She has another skill too: reading signs that other people miss. Like the time she sat across from Reid Sutherland and his fiancée, and knew their upcoming marriage was doomed to fail. Weaving the word “mistake” in their wedding program was a little unprofessional, but she was sure no one else would spot it. She hadn’t counted on sharp-eyed, pattern-obsessed Reid to notice.

A year later, Reid tracks Meg down to find out…how exactly she knew his world was going to implode. They soon develop a friendship, Reid helping Meg find inspiration around the city for an impending project deadline. As they gradually open up to each other about their lives, work, and regrets, both try to ignore the fact that their unlikely connection is growing deeper. But the signs are there—the might be meant to be.

I’ll be the first to admit…this is an odd one; I’d even go to say a bit weird. The reviews I have read for this book are on opposite sides of the spectrum. The way the two main characters get together at first could be mildly creepy but I decided to ignore that part and focus on everything else because it ended up being a really sweet story. The concept was unique and a fresh take on romance, it was very much a slow burn…Friendship to lovers trope. I loved the creativity and the adventures around New York City, and some of the activities are inspirational for future travel!

Things I loved: Reid, I think I found a new “book boyfriend” because he is wonderful. The dynamic between Meg and her best friend changing is so relatable. The adventures Reid and Meg went on, building a friendship into love was really delightful. The use of tension in this novel was so well done.

Things I didn’t care for: The mentioning of fonts/various fonts in the book…its part of the premise of the book but it goes a bit old. There really isn’t a strong theme of Meg reading signs except for the big one…Reid’s pervious engagement. The “big” conflict was a little far fetched.

Love,

A

Book Review: Waste Not, Want Not in Applewell by Lilac Mills

Rating: 3.75/5

Genre: Contemporary Romance, Adult Fiction

Warnings: Hoarding and death of a parent (off page)

Read if you liked: The Switch

Review: George Nightingale has never let anything go, living by his father’s phrase of “waste not, want not” and for years he’s kept it a secret. He rarely leaves his house unless strictly necessary but now things seem to be changing with the addition of his new neighbor.

Nessa Millbrook is excited to settle in her new home of Applewell after her retirement. Everyone in the village delightfully friendly except for her neighbor and she isn’t one to back down from a challenge. As Nessa keeps reaching out, does George take a chance to change his life and make a friend?

It did take me a bit to get into this one but I am so glad I finished it! The story was told from dual perspectives, so I think you got a good gauge of the two main characters. The romance between them was really heartwarming, major slow burn. It was refreshing to read a story about a couple in their 50s, love is for everyone!

I spent a good amount of this book wanting to shake George while also feeling his pain. He was a warm and kind man behind his gruff exterior. I loved how kind Nessa was to everyone, especially with her neighbor Mairi. The side characters were also delighful and really cared about each other. If you need a feel good/hallmark movie vibes read, this should be on your list!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for proving this ARC for my honest opinion. Waste Not, Want Not in Applewell is released on May 6th.

Love,

A

Week in Review: 4.27-5.3

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’s Monday and I am not sure how we got back here already…this week has felt so meh to me and my reading has felt off. The TBR pile is messing with my head because there are so many good ones in it and so little time!

Physical Books

Dear Emmie Blue – 5/5 Okay, wow this book was lovely and we need more hype around it. It was not what I was expecting in the end and reminded me a lot of Just Last Night. Full review coming soon but go buy it/check it out asap!

Love Lettering – 4/5 I’m going to admit, this book was a little weird and I had heard mixed things but ultimately I really enjoyed it. Full review coming later this week.

Love at First – 4/5 So….I haven’t totally finished this book (as I am typing this I’m at 70%) but I am really enjoying Kate Clayborn’s second novel. I think her writting is delightful and there are some amazing characters in this one.

E-Books

The Match – 4/5  Such a cute book! Sarah Adams has 3 more rom-coms in my TBR and this was a great one to start with. Love a single dad, love the epilepsy awareness + love the kid hijinks to get a service dog/make dad happy again. I’ll be reviewing all of these books in the next month.

Wicked and the Wallflower + Brazen and The Beast (Bareknuckle Bastards #1 & #2)– 3.5/5 For a historical romance, I enjoyed this series. Suggested to me by the Friends to Lovers Podcast (which I have binged all 3 seasons in a few weeks). I will probably read the last in the series, if you like historical you’ll enjoy these books!

Waste Not, Want Not in Applewell – 3.75/5 ARC from NetGalley, thank you for providing for my honest opinion. Full review coming tomorrow!

See you next week!

Love,

A

Book Review: Finlay Donovan Is Killing It by Elle Cosimano

Rating: 4/5

Genre: Mystery, Adult Fiction

Warnings: death, extramarital affairs

Read if you liked: Sherlock Holmes, Arsenic and Adobo

Review: Finlay Donovan is a recently divorced, stressed-out mom of two littles and struggling writer. Nothing is going right for her: major case of writer’s block, an agent on her for pages, an annoying ex-husband who fired the nanny, money problems, kids who cut their own hair…really it could go on. And it only gets more interesting when someone mistakes her for a contract killer (in a Panera) when talking to her agents about a new plot…but this really could be the solution to her money and ex-husband problems. Soon, Finlay is embroiled in a real life murder investigation…what would possibly go wrong? And who is the real killer?

Finlay Donovan was not killing it but I loved this wild ride and watching Finlay continued to get even more entangled in a murder investigation + bad choices + family/divorce drama. There was a lot of “you got this girl!” and “what are you doing?” energy in my own internal monologue but it also kept me laughing. This was sold to me as a cozy mystery but I would also say it’s a darker comedy as well because some moments really are hysterical…Cosimano killed it with the dialogue.

Things I loved: Finlay was totally relatable (except dead men don’t show up in my car…like ever), she was funny, warm and just a mom trying to get by. Vero (the nanny) is simultaneously hysterical and an enabler. It was very much a whodunit and gave me such Sherlock Holmes vibes. Panera…this got me, of course it would all start at a Panera. The ending, yes please make that happen!

Things I didn’t care for: Finlay’s ex-husband really is an a**, sorry no other way to put it. The light/instant romance that was thrown in felt rushed, this was a cozy mystery and it could have stayed that. My notes literally say, “What’s with all the love interests”.

This book was good and it had a lot of hype around it …mysteries or thrillers are not my thing (thank you Verity for ruining me) so reading this was totally a “bookstagram made me do it”. I’d say I enjoyed this one (will probably read the next) so thank you bookstagram.

Love,

A

Most Anticipated May Releases

I am really excited about some books being released this coming month. I have have been able to read some of these, others have been pre-ordered forever and the rest I am on the list at the library for! I can tell that May is going to be a great release month already.

May 4

  • It Had To Be You by Georgia Clark
  • Just Last Night by Mhairi McFarlane (review)
  • The Secret Bridesmaid by Katy Birchall
  • The Girl with Stars in Her Eyes by Xio Axelrod
  • Arsenic and Adobo by Mia P Manansala
  • The Bookshop of Second Chances by Jackie Fraser
  • Waste Not, Want Not in Applewell by Lilac Mills

May 11

  • That Summer by Jennifer Weiner
  • People We Meet On Vacation by Emily Henry (review)
  • Cool for the Summer by Dahlia Adler
  • A Special Place for Women by Laura Hankin

May 18

  • Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake by Alexis Hall
  • The Soulmate Equation by Christina Lauren
  • Happy Endings by Thien-Kim Lam
  • The Break-Up Book Club by Wendy Wax
  • Last Chance Books by Kelsey Rodkey
  • The Hunting Wives by May Cobb

May 25

  • Hang the Moon by Alexandria Bellefleur
  • Cheat Day by Live Stratman
  • Talk Bookish to Me by Kate Bromley
  • The Guncle by Steven Rowley

Have you pre-ordered any of these? Did I miss one I need to know about?

Love,

A

Book Review: The Intimacy Experiment by Rosie Danan

Rating: 4.5/5

Genre: Contemporary Romance, Adult Fiction

Warnings: Death of a parent (in past), misogyny and anti-sex work comments, religious undertones

Read if you liked: The Roommate

Review: Naomi Grant is a former porn star turned co-founder of a sex-positive start-up and educator. Despite her long list of qualifications (girlfriend is educated), higher education has no interest in hiring her. Ethan Cohen has recently become a rabbi of his own synagogue, which isn’t doing so great. In an effort to get both more funding and congregants, Ethan asks Naomi to teach a Modern Intimacy seminar.  They soon find themselves attracted to each other and put their curriculum to the test…but that’s not the only thing that will be tested in this unique relationship.

This was probably one of my most anticipated books of 2021…the Roommate was such a great debut novel and I was excited to see what Rosie Danan came up with again…update: she did not disappoint. I liked this book so much more than the first. The character development was there and I missed that with Clara and Josh…they seemed more interested in other things (which is fine!).

My little Jewish (culturally Jewish) heart was so freaking happy. Naomi is a heroine we needed, truly such a badass. Also, Josh is just the most adorable cinnamon roll (did I use that right?) of a love interest. The religious aspects were also handled nicely, there were some great insights without being overly preachy…the girl who likes Jesus took some nice lessons out of it.

Now, I know at first glance that a former sex-worker dating a rabbi is just all the sirens going off for “forbidden” romance…but y’all it was pretty tame for actual content. There’s plenty of tension, Danan is the queen of tension, but I would say it wasn’t as steamy as you might assume. For context, I did not feel as scandalized as some of the other Friends to Lover’s Challenge (with Bad Bitch Book Club) picks for 2021.

Things I loved: The Jewish representation was there and not just as a religious undertone. Modern intimacy is really something we all need to talk more about. I loved all the characters and slowly getting to know them together and individually. I did enjoy seeing Josh and Clara for some brief scenes, very cute!

Things I didn’t care for: I would have loved more about Ethan’s background and family life; they only touched on the surface but implied a lot more influence. The ending was also a bit rushed for me + I would have liked a bit more.

Overall, go read this book and totally join the discussion on May 6th at 8:00pm EST.

Love,

A

Book Review: People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry

Rating: 4.5/5

Genre: Contemporary Romance, Adult Fiction

Warnings: Death of a parent (off page)

Read if you liked: One Day or Love and Other Words

Review: Poppy and Alex are polar opposites and the best of friends after a shared car ride home from college many moons ago. She lives in New York City and he’s in their small hometown—but every summer, for a decade, they have taken a vacation together. And then two years ago, everything changed and they have not spoken since.

Poppy, in a rut and missing her best friend and she decides to convince him to take one last vacation together—lay everything on the table and fix their friendship. By some miracle, he agrees. But of course, nothing possibly goes right on this vacation…the hotel has one bed, the AC is broken, and the car is falling apart. Can Poppy and Alex get back to being Poppy and Alex?

Guys! The When Harry Met Sally vibes were there and I was SO excited! WHMS is one of my favorite movies and I loved that the book was inspired by the movie. PWMOV really was a great book and gave me such a great read on my own vacation. As someone who didn’t love Beach Read (I know, this is super polarizing to say) I was so happy with this book!

I enjoyed the ending but I think wanted a little more…maybe further out in the future epilogue. I did this book for a buddy read with some fellow triangle bookstagrammers (which is such a great way to do a book) and some people loved that it wasn’t as nicely tied up…and I totally get that, I think maybe I just love a nice neat ending.

Things I loved: The banter, the things Poppy comes up with…seriously, the khakis line was gold. The AC thing really kept me laughing. The friends to lovers dynamic. This was a slow burn if I have ever seen one, which made it feel more realistic. The places they traveled, you felt like you were there.

Things I didn’t care for: The dual timeline always messes with my brain (personal preference). I don’t know if some of the family dynamics always added to the story. The big thing in Croatia…y’all we wanted so long to find out and then we got there…Seriously? (in Grey’s Anatomy voice)

People We Meet on Vacation is released on May 11th! Super grateful that this was a BOTM pick this month so I could read it early…really if you don’t have Book of the Month yet, you need to get it.

Love,

A

Week in Review: 4.20-4.26

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!

Hi, I’m Amelia and I went down a major binge of kindle unlimited books + “bookstagram made me do it” reads this weekend…I’m pretty sure this started with (no, I know) reading Xeni for the Friends to Lovers Challenge with Bad Bitch Bookclub which then promoted me to read the first in the series and then just went down the rabbit hole.

Is anyone ever mildly embarrassed to admit then read certain books based off the covers? Because I’m pretty sure if these books had illustrated covers the world would be jamming on them more. Here we are and I’m going to add them to my Goodreads and attempt to leave my irrational embarrassment at the door because these books deserve some love.

Finlay Donovan is Killing It – 4.25/5 This book was 100% Bookstagram made me do it and I really enjoyed it! It maybe wasn’t worth as much fanfare to me but also I had to read this over the weekend for a due date and I don’t like being rushed. Read if you like Dead to Me vibes.

To Love and to Loathe – 3.25/5 Historical romance is not my lane and I really should stay in my lane. I loved the concept of this book (the trope is a fav) but it fell a bit flat for me. Mini review on my Goodreads.

Maybe In Another Life – 4.25/5 So happy to finish one of the last TJR books in my TBR, one more left! Full review went up yesterday.

The Intimacy Experiment – 4/5  This was probably one of my most anticipated rates of 2021, it was definitely great and I think I liked it better than the roommate in terms of character development. Look forward to reviewing it fully later this week.

Between the World and Me (not pictured) – 4/5 This weeks audiobook was amazing! In the format of a father writing to his son, a deeply personal experience of being a black man in America. Highly recommend everyone to read.

Xeni (not pictured) – 4/5 Swoon, I loved these characters and the premise of this book. Such a good pick for friends to lovers challenge…be prepared to be mildly scandalized 🔥  I also read Rafe (3.5/5) which was the first in this series and it was also a solid rainy day read.

How Not to Marry a Billionaire (not pictured) – 3/5 ARC from NetGalley, thank you for providing for my honest opinion. Currently released and ready for reading. I’ll be posting a full review soon. But…maybe some thoughts are already on my Goodreads.

California Billionaires Series (not pictured) – 4/5  Who knew I had a billionaire theme this week, is it 2010? 😂 I saw this series recommended by someone on my feed + some great reviews on Goodreads and they didn’t disappoint. I genuinely liked all the characters, and cannot wait for the third book. These are free with Kindle Unlimited, so go read some really entertaining things happening in the land of California… Including a drunk Vegas wedding + fake relationships.

See you next week!

Love,

A