Category Archives: Uncategorized

ARC — Sideline Confidential — Brooke Bentley

“There sure are a lot of egos around here.” (…)
“The biggest ones aren’t even on the field.”

Genre: Sports Fiction, General Fiction
Actual Rating: 4.5 stars
Spicy Meter: 1 fire emoji
Content Warnings: Touches on subjects like workplace inequality, double standards, and misogyny. Describes workplace harassment and discrimination.

“Sideline Confidential” follows Blake Kirk, a recent journalism masters graduate, as she starts on her dream job: being a reporter for her hometown professional football team. She expected some resistance from this male-dominated field, but not as much as she ultimately received—as a whole set of rules have been made just for her, with her superiors always second guessing her reliability and professionalism. Because why would a woman want to work on the sports field other than to get with a football player, right?

This was such an eyeopening read—but as a huge football fan, I can’t say I’m completely surprised. I, too, work in a male-dominated field (yay for all my STEM girlies, we’ve got this) but what I’ve experienced is nothing to the extent to what Blake had to face working for her hometown’s football team. It wasn’t just that she wasn’t allowed around the players in private, it was how fraternizing was encouraged for male employees but condemned for female employees. It was how the author of this book was a female sports reporter as well, and how the things depicted in this book, although fiction, hold a thread of truth.

PSA: You don’t need to know much about football to enjoy this book. What you do need to know is that it touches on hard topics, focused on workplace inequality and discrimination based on gender. If you’re looking for quick read that tackles heavy subjects for women, then “Sideline Confidential” is exactly what you’re looking for.

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ARC provided by PR by the Book and Green Leaf Book Group in exchange for an honest review.

Publication Date: August 15, 2023

ARC — Magnolia Parks — Jessa Hastings — Magnolia Parks Universe #1

“How many loves do you get in a lifetime?”

Genre: Romance
Actual Rating: 4 stars
Spicy Meter: 2 fire emojis
Content Warnings: Describes drug use, abuse, and overdose. Touches on child death, emotional abuse, and panic attacks. Contains some sexual content.

“Magnolia Parks” is the first book in the Magnolia Parks Universe series and, well, it follows Magnolia Parks, to no one’s surprise. These books are being re-published with new covers through Dutton, but I bet you’ve heard all about them, I know I had. This book follows Magnolia Parks and her childhood sweetheart, BJ Ballentine, as they continuously shatter their own hearts over and over again. Through rebounds and way too much back and forth, they’ll take you on a wild ride in London’s luxurious scene.

Look, I hate cheating. I hate books about cheating, I hate songs about cheating, it’s my big no no for tropes. So tell me, why did I love Magnolia Parks? But well, I did. This book is for the Gossip Girl girlies that love that toxic Blaire and Chuck romance arc. It wasn’t as explicit as I thought it would be, but that tension really brought me through.

If you’re looking for a book that’ll give you a glimpse on the scandalous lives of Manhattan’s London’s elite, then “Magnolia Parks” is it. As part of a series, I’m glad to find out this isn’t the last we’ll see of Magnolia, as the third installment is back on with her point of view, I legit can’t wait to see where this mess will lead her to.

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ARC provided by NetGalley and Dutton in exchange for an honest review.

Publication Date: August 8, 2023

ARC — The Witch is Back — Sophie H. Morgan

“A man begging her to marry him. But not because he chose her. Because she was the other name on the contract. And what a contract it had proven to be.”

Genre: Romance
Actual Rating: 4.5 stars
Spicy Meter: 3 fire emojis
Content Warnings: Touches on subjects like child abuse, physical and emotional abuse, and abandonment. Revolves around sickness and death of a parent. Contains sexual content.

“The Witch is Back” follows Emmaline (Emma) Bluewater and Bastian Truenote as they reunite after years of no contact—after Bastian called off their engagement by legit running away and never speaking to her again. That was until Bastian walks back into Emma’s life, asking to be married, preferably as soon as possible, because Bastian’s mother was literally dying because they didn’t fulfill their marriage contract—a contract that not even one of the most powerful magical families, the Truenotes, can out-hex. How romantic.

Told in third person and through two points of view, “The Witch is Back” is an entertaining, witchy book that’ll have you hooked right from the start. The history between the two main characters is palpable and I was honestly dying to know what exactly drove them apart to begin with.

This book is for you if you’re looking for a magical childhood friends-to-lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers, second-chance romance with some marriage of convenience and forced proximity sprinkled in. I would highly recommend this book for any readers that enjoy witchy romance book, “The Witch is Back” does not disappoint.

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ARC provided by NetGalley and Harlequin in exchange for an honest review.

Publication Date: August 15, 2023

ARC — Tilly in Technicolor — Mazey Eddings

“I just want to write something that makes people feel seen.”

Genre: Romance, Young Adult
Actual Rating: 5+ stars
Spicy Meter: 1 fire emoji
Content Warnings: Displays gaslighting, miscommunications, and explosive fights.

“Tilly in Technicolor” follows Tilly Twomley and Oliver Clark, two neurodivergent teens that are summer interns at Ruhe, a new eco-friendly nail polish company. They are off to the summer of their lifetimes, traveling through Europe and learning more about themselves—and each other.

I think I had never liked a clean, YA novel as much as I loved this one. Both Tilly and Ollie and every single side character won my heart over. Tilly’s coming of age is moving and the way she stands up for her dreams despite her fears and her parent’s disapproval really moved me.

I cannot recommend this read enough. Grab “Tilly in Technicolor” if you’re looking for a sweet, clean romance with neurodivergent characters. Also, anyone up for a trip around Europe? Because that’s what this book is serving, it is most literally the perfect summer read.

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ARC provided by NetGalley and Wednesday Books in exchange for an honest review.

Publication Date: August 15, 2023

ARC — Text Appeal — Amber Roberts

Genre: Romance
Actual Rating: 4 stars
Spicy Meter: 2 fire emojis
Content Warnings: Touches on subjects like workplace sexism and having anxiety about job security. Contains explicit sexual content.

As soon as I saw this book marketed as one for Olivia Dade fans, I knew I had to get my hands on it—and I must say, Amber Roberts did not disappoint. “Text Appeal” follows Lark, the only woman programmer at a firm, in the aftermath after she accidentally projects an unsolicited, scandalous picture in front of her coworkers during a presentation. Now unemployed and needing that cashflow, she starts sexting for pay, at the suggestion of a friend. But how is she supposed to come clean to her best friend (and unrequited crush) Toby? That’s a problem for future Lark, perhaps.

I know some say this book was a bit of a slowburn, but I absolutely loved the pacing of this romance. And so, while the story’s pacing was engaging and quite funny at times, a few plot points felt predictable. The inevitable third-act conflict (you’ll see it coming a mile away) leans a little too hard into the classic miscommunication trope, which isn’t it for me. Still, the chemistry between these characters is just so intoxicating. I was giggling, kicking my feet, that’s all I’ll say.

“Text appeal” is for anyone who’s ever overanalyzed a text (or twenty-two), secretly fallen for someone online, or just needs a feel-good escape filled with laughs and swoony moments.

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ARC provided by NetGalley and Alcove Press in exchange for an honest review.

Publication Date: August 08, 2023

ARC — Lush Lives — J. Vanessa Lyon

Genre: Fiction, Romance
Actual Rating: 3.5 stars
Spicy Meter: 1 fire emoji
Content Warnings: Touches on racism, gentrification, and navigating power dynamics in relationships.

“Lush Lives” follows Glory Hopkins is an artist who is quietly craving connection (and gallery representation). She recently inherited a brownstone in Harlem after her aunt passes away and she isn’t quite sure what to do of this or her life.

This book was too much of a slowburn for me. The writing was intriguing at times but by the time the romance aspect sparkled, it had already lost my attention. I did love the art aspects of this book and I really did feel for Glory.

If you’re into introspective romances with a side of smart commentary on societal dynamics, then “Lush Lives” is for you. This isn’t your typical romance—it’s richer, deeper, and full of imperfectly human characters, so if you’re into slowburns then you’ll be into this book.

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ARC provided by NetGalley and Glove Atlantic in exchange for an honest review.

Publication Date: August 1, 2023

ARC — The Space Between — Sarah Ready

“Okay, I’m ready. (…) Tell me what happened in the space between when I was gone and when I was there.”

Author: Sarah Ready
Narrator: Rachel F. Hirsch, James Fouhey

Genre: Romance, New Adult
Actual Rating: 5 stars
Narration: 4 mikes
Spicy Meter: 1 fire emoji
Content Warnings: Discusses parental death, robbery, and substance abuse and addiction. Details someone dying of cancer, cheating, and a motorcycle crash. Contains sexual content.

“The Space Between” follows two new yorkers that simply couldn’t be more different. Jace Morgan is an aspiring musician from the Bronx while Andrea Leighton-Hughes is a wealthy Upper East Sider that was immediately drawn to this musician playing at a park. Their connection is instant and their love is palpable, so why do people keep getting in the way? Following them through 13 years of miscommunication and a lot of time apart, this book will have you rooting for true love through and through.

Do not, I repeat, DO NOT be bamboozled by a pretty cover. This book deals with pretty heavy subjects, in true Sarah Ready fashion as it seems.

Now the question is: have I been devastated yet again by another Sarah Ready book? Well yes, yes I have. This shouldn’t even surprise me at this point but holy did this book break me. Between miscommunications and downright bad luck and bad timing and bad things happening to good people—I was beyond broken. This book will be sticking with me for a while.

I would highly recommend this read if you’re a sucker for first loves and aren’t too afraid of sad things happening in romance novels.

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ARC provided by NetGalley and W. W. Crown in exchange for an honest review.

Publication Date: July 25, 2023

ARC — Just Friends — Madison Wright — Nashville is Calling #3

“I didn’t get to make a wish.”
“That’s a shame, because I hear butterfly wishes are even more powerful than shooting stars or birthday candles.”
“Is that so?”
“Oh yeah. It’s quantifiable. Scientific.”

Genre: Romance
Actual Rating: 4 stars
Spicy Meter: 1 fire emoji
Content Warnings: Mentions cheating and describes an injury. Contains some romantic content.

This book is the textbook definition of butterflies in your stomach. I absolutely fell in love with Best Friend Alex and Hazel. Told through two points of view, “Just Friends” is an adorable romcom about exactly that—two friends that decide to set each other up on blind dates when all they really want is to date each other. This slow burn almost killed me.

“Just Friends” is the third book of a series but it works just as well as a standalone—take it from me, I legit haven’t read the previous installments (yet) but still thoroughly enjoyed and understood the story it was setting out to tell.

I would highly recommend this sweet novel to all readers that enjoy that good, ol’ friends-to-lovers trope, and who are looking for a relatively clean and closed doors romance.

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ARC provided by NetGalley and the author in exchange for an honest review.

Publication Date: July 14, 2023

ARC — Someone Just Like You — Meredith Schorr

“What if this has been a prank all along? His biggest one yet. Making Molly ‘Mole’ Blum fall for him so he could break my heart.”

Genre: Romance
Actual Rating: 4 stars
Spicy Meter: 2 fire emojis
Content Warnings: Discusses parental divorce and parental separation. Talks about life-changing physical injuries after an accident. Contains sexual content.

“Someone Just Like You” follows Molly Blum and Jude Stark, two childhood frenemies who now, a decade later, have to cooperate through the planning of their parent’s conjoined wedding anniversary celebration. But what if their rivalry and dislike came from a place of love and not so much of hate? That’s for them to decide.

This was a fun and relatively fast-paced read, yet I couldn’t look past how immature the main characters were most of the time. They were supposed to be in their late twenties/early thirties but it felt more like late teens to me. There is just no way someone my age would act the way they were acting, is all. This made it a little harder to read along but all in all it wasn’t a bad read.

Definitely grab this book if you’re a fan of the childhood enemies to lovers trope, you won’t regret it.

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ARC provided by NetGalley and Forever Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

Publication Date: July 25, 2023

ARC — Ticket to You — Florence Fields — Wonderings #1

“We need to figure out what you have for the trip that can work on our shoots. Hiking boots, a warm hat, base layers, that sort of thing. Then first thing tomorrow morning we can go shopping to fill in the gaps.”
“I have a feeling it will be less about filling gaps and more about filling a massive, gaping hole. Like, meteor-sized.”

Genre: Romance, New Adult
Actual Rating: 4.5 stars
Spicy Meter: 2 fire emojis
Content Warnings: Discusses parental abandonment, death in the family, and trust issues. Contains sexual content.

“Ticket to You”, from debut author Florence Fields, follows Ophelia Brooks and Adam Abrams, two journalists that objectively couldn’t be more different—Ophelia is all about fashion journalism while Adam writes for an outdoorsy magazine (literally, the name of the publication is Outdoorsy). A mutual friend wanted to set them up at their company Christmas party but they end up having a not-so-cute meet-cute and became instant enemies. So, what happens when budget cuts lands them flying off to an abroad trip together three months later? They have to help each other on their respective endeavors, so will they end up appreciating their separate arts a little more or will their rivalry and annoyance win this one out? Grab this read and find out.

Never had I ever related so much to the fashion industry as I did reading into Ophelia’s thoughts and inner workings—she sees fashion as art and I can now say I agree (although I’ll keep sticking to my jeans and Taylor Swift merch, thank you). Nonetheless, I’m not going to lie, her name really did throw me off. Nothing against any Ophelias out there, but this character’s name just didn’t fit her or her story in my opinion.

Would I change anything else about this book tho? Absolutely not. I legit read it in one sitting. Grab “Ticket to You” if you’re looking for a heartwarming romance with two grown and mature adults and no real third-act break up. It’s a bit of a slow burn but oh, is it worth the wait.

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ARC provided by NetGalley and Florence Fields in exchange for an honest review.

Publication Date: July 23, 2023