Tag Archives: 4 stars

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 — Play to Win — Jodie Slaughter

“ “Six.”
The age she was when she met Leo Vaughn.
“Thirty-one.”
Like the day in July she’d kissed him for the first time.
“Fourteen.”
The number of wildflowers he always brought her, two more than a dozen to make up for the fact that he couldn’t get her store-bought ones.
“Twenty-one.”
The most times he’s told her he loved her in one day.
“Fifty-eight.”
The number of days it had taken her to leave the house again after he’d left.”

Genre: Romance
Actual Rating: 4 stars
Spicy Meter: 3 fire emojis
Content Warnings: Revolves around abandonment. Touches on infidelity and death of parent. Contains explicit sexual content.

“Play to Win” follows Miriam Butler as she reunites with her estranged husband, Leo Vaughn, in hopes of getting a fast divorce after winning more than 200 million dollars in the lottery.

I was lucky enough to get ARCs for both the book and the audiobook, and I absolutely loved it. Lacy Laurel was the perfect voice for Miriam and for this novel, I can’t believe I hadn’t heard her narrate any other books before.

Jodie Slaughter’s “Bet on It” was amongst one of my favorite books last year. It was charming and spicy and so well-written. “Play to Win” brings exactly that to the table. I just couldn’t give it a 5-star rating because of the nature of this second chance romance—I’ll blame it on my abandonment issues, but leaving your spouse for 8 years just isn’t right under any circumstance and with no explanation, there is no redemption after that. And getting reunited after she won the lottery? I don’t know… was he aiming for her or the money? If I were Miriam, I wouldn’t know—and that’s all I could think about throughout.

Don’t hesitate to grab “Play to Win” if you’re looking for a fast-paced, spicy romance novel. The characters are likable and almost relatable if you can imagine yourself winning literally hundreds of millions of dollars in the lottery.

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ARC provided by NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio in exchange for an honest review.

Publication Date: July 11, 2023

ARC — Unorthodox Love — Heidi Shertok

Genre: Fiction, Romance
Actual Rating: 4 stars
Spicy Meter: 1 fire emoji
Content Warnings: Deals heavily with infertility and parental sickness. Mentions cancer.

“Unorthodox Love” follows Penina, an Orthodox Jewish 29-year-old that at this point has lost all hopes on getting married—she’s infertile and no proper Orthodox Jew will be okay with not having children of their own. But then in comes an indecent proposal—she is to marry a wealthy (secretly gay) Orthodox Jew in exchange for solving all her family’s monetary problems. It’s a perfect arrangement… so why can’t she stop thinking about Sam, the perfectly secular, objectively attractive, son of her boss, who’ll now be her interim boss as his father is receiving cancer treatment. It makes no sense, he is all she can’t have, so why even give it a second thought, right? Well, wrong.

I loved Heidi Shertok’s writing, it was both engaging and entertaining. I am usually not the biggest fan of clean romance but I must say “Unorthodox Love” left me completely content with this love story. It is truly astonishing this is a debut novel, I honestly can’t wait and see where Heidi’ll take us next.

I don’t think I’d ever heard Caitlin Thorburn as an audiobook narrator but oh, will I be keeping an eye out for her as well. Her voice was absolutely perfect for this novel, she truly found a way to portray Penina in all her anxiously-correct glory, with all her doubts and her inner battles.

I hate when a main character or heroine in a romance novel has to leave aside her beliefs (let that be religious or otherwise) to find a happily ever after. I am so so happy this was not the case for Penina.

Don’t hesitate to grab “Unorthodox Love” if you’re looking for a clean workplace romance where opposites attract and religion is a prominent subject (and where an adorably awkward meet-cute was in play).

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

Publication Date: July 11, 2023

ARC — Ciao For Now — Kate Bromley

Genre: Romance
Actual Rating: 4 stars
Spicy Meter: 1 fire emoji
Content Warnings: Describes toxic relationships and mentions death of a parent. Contains some sexual content.

“Ciao for Now” follows Violet Luciano as she and a few of her colleagues embark to Rome for a fashion internship. Little did she know that as soon as she got there she would stumble into her mentor’s son, ruining his computer, and effectively laying on the worst first impression ever—an introduction that leaves them as, essentially, enemies… But if they’re enemies, then why do they feel this pull towards each other? Better look away, I guess.

I have read other books by Kate Bromley, so I can’t say I’m completely surprised I adored this book—her writing style has captivated me before and her quirky characters always capture my heart. Now, sprinkle in some more forbidden romance, in true Kate Bromley fashion, and you had me hooked.

“Ciao for Now” is the perfect summer-y read. Set in Rome, this read will have you wanderlust and wishing you, too, will follow your dreams wherever they might go. Sitting just over 300 pages, this was a short, quick read, perfect for some airport hopping, so don’t hesitate to grab this book if you’re looking for a lighthearted, heartwarming enemies-to-lovers romance.

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ARC provided by Graydon House and Harlequin Trade Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

Publication Date: June 6, 2023

ARC — Double-Decker Dreams — Lindsay Macmillan

“Back up and start at the beginning.”
“The beginning. (…) It goes like this: I fell in love this morning.”

Genre: General Fiction, Romance
Actual Rating: 4 stars
Spicy Meter: 1 fire emoji
Content Warnings: Discusses sexual harassment and uncomfortable working conditions.

I didn’t love how accents were written on the page (“Just go talk to ‘im, what d’ye have to lose?”? Yeah, that’s a no for me), but I was able to ultimately look past that and enjoy this sweet sweet love-at-first-sight romance.

This book is sold as only that—a romance, and a general women’s fiction read—but in my opinion it should be labeled under comedy as well, this was a big rom com for sure. The way Kat had these idealized conversations in her head were just hilarious and although yeah, it touched up on some inner, bigger problems, in true Lindsay Macmillan fashion apparently, I still think it was a bit more lighthearted than her debut romance novel, “The Heart of the Deal”.

I would recommend this read if you struggle with idealizing your partners or crushes and are looking to see that reflected in a main character—Kat was far from perfect (aren’t we all?), but it was so fun to follow her through her adventures in crowded London in search for her bus prince Alexander—spoiler alert, his name wasn’t Alexander and he wasn’t even from London either. Overall, this was a very entertaining read, it didn’t disappoint.

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

Publication Date: June 6, 2023

ARC — All the Right Notes — Dominic Lim

Genre: Romance, LGBTQIA
Actual Rating: 4 stars
Spicy Meter: 1 fire emoji
Content Warnings: Displays homophobia, transphobia, outing, and sexual assault. Describes cheating and death of a parent.

“All the Right Notes” follows Quito Cruz, a piano player and composer, as he follows his father’s wish to put on a magical performance for a charity event in his small hometown. In doing so Quito gets back in touch with his past—a past that goes by the name of Emmet Aoki, a past that really hurt Quito and might’ve even stole his inspiration. But the thing is that only with Emmet, a now famous star, will Quito be able to put on the performance this event deserves, and so he must overlook said past and present chemistry to work this through. Here’s hopin’ Quito will come out of this unscathed.

So, I ended up hearing about this book thanks to “Behind the Scenes” author Karelia Stetz-Waters and God was it a worthy recommendation. Told through two different timelines, the then and the now, Dominic Lim has brought to life a heartwarming queer story for all Broadway and musical lovers. How is this even a debut novel? This is insane.

I want to make clear that even if you don’t know much about music and choir and Broadway, you can still most definitely enjoy this book—but obviously if you’re a musical fan, don’t hesitate at grabbing this book. Additionally, I would highly recommend this read if you’re a fan of that double timeline writing and of some nostalgic, second-chance romance.

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ARC provided by Forever in exchange for an honest review.

Publication Date: June 6, 2023

ARC — Love at First Set — Jennifer Dugan

Genre: Romance
Actual Rating: 4 stars
Spicy Meter: 2 fire emoji
Content Warnings: Discusses classism and toxic relationships. Contains sexual content.

“Love at First Set” follows Lizzie McCarthy, a gym manager-ish, after she inadvertently breaks the gym’s owners’ daughter’s wedding apart. And so in comes Cara Manderlay, the daughter of the owners of that said gym Lizzie works at, and the most recent runaway bride. The day before the wedding she realized she wasn’t happy with her decisions or her life after a casual conversation with Lizzie and so she up and left. It definitely had nothing to do with Lizzie and their tangible attraction. Obviously. And no one can find out it was Lizzie who catalyzed that disaster, because if they do she’ll definitely be out of a job—and a dream job at that.

Well, I had been looking forward to this read for a long time and I am glad to say it didn’t disappoint. Was it a bit repetitive at times? Yes. Were some characters annoying and downright hatable? Yes. But did I absolutely love this queer romance? Also yes.

I’m not the biggest fan of that instant attraction trope, but here Jennifer Dugan found a way to make it work because, yeah, Lizzie and Cara were instantly attracted, but they also got to know each other more before some action actually happened.

Are you looking for a queer romance that touches on topics like dysfunction families and wealth disparities? Then “Love at First Set” is for you!

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ARC provided by Avon Books in exchange for an honest review.

Publication Date: May 30, 2023

ARC — The Ones in Between — Lillian Lumley

“They say your first love is the hardest to forget. But even then, if I had known what was coming: the debilitating heartbreak; the many tears I had yet to shed; the love; the hope and all the ones in between, I knew I would do it again, simply because of how it would end.”

Genre: Romance
Actual Rating: 4 stars
Spicy Meter: 2 fire emoji
Content Warnings: Describes a crowd surge. Contains sexual content.

“The Ones in Between” follows Charlotte (Char), an Australian girl, as falls in and out of love, falls in and out of casual affairs… Well, ultimately, we follow her as she grows up. This was a true, slice-of-life novel, and it was truly amazing how it captured both dumb mistakes and moments of clarity along the way.

This book gave me real “All Of The Girls You Loved Before” by Taylor Swift vibes and I loved it. Beyond that, it had been a while since I had felt so connected to a character, having someone be so relatable to my past and my history. As Char, I too had my long list of ex lovers and rebelled a bit, and as Char, I too found my happily ever after against what I thought were all the odds.

I adored Lillian Lumley’s writing style and the way she decided to portray this young adult story—each chapter being a “character card” of a boy Char dated or liked at some point. Told in chronological order, this read felt like growing up all over again, living through Charlotte all the trauma high school and uni and life can and will send your way.

I would highly recommend this read if you’re looking for a messy love story, but more than a love story—the story of a life.

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ARC provided by Lillian Lumley and Shawline Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

Publication Date: May 25, 2023

ARC — Someone Else’s Bucket List — Amy T. Matthews

“She assumed it was what all old women did. Had sisters who plonked themselves at your kitchen table and annoyed you, from the cradle to the grave. It had never occurred to her that cancer might get in the way.”

Genre: General Fiction
Actual Rating: 3.5 stars
Spicy Meter: 1 fire emoji
Content Warnings: Discusses grief, cancer, and death at a young age to a very impactful detail.

“Someone Else’s Bucket List” follows Bree and Jodie Boyd, two sisters who may have been complete opposites but who ultimately loved each other for who they were. Bree was a travel influencer, who was completing a bucket list before she was diagnosed with cancer and sadly succumbed to it. Now, with 1 million followers waiting on Bree and surmounting unpayable medical debt, Jodie receives the task to finish of Bree’s bucket list and if she does, said medical debt will be payed off. It’s a no-brainer, right? Bree has to finish this bucket list, if only to feel closer to her sister—even if one of the remaining items is falling in love, and how the hell is she supposed to do that?

I felt so much while reading this book—I cried, I laughed, I was lowkey very anxious as I identified deeply with Jodie. Overall, this book was a rollercoaster and I enjoyed almost every part of it. I’ve been mostly reading romance this year, so it was honestly impressive how this book caught my attention even without the upfront romance factor. The characters were lovable and the read truly entertaining, it read like it would be a really awesome movie.

Are you looking for a women’s fiction read focused on sisterly love, life after loss, and jumping out of your comfort zone? Then “Someone Else’s Bucket List” is perfect for you.

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

Publication Date: May 23, 2023

The Co-op — Tarah Dewitt

“When you have a bad day ma fille, think about it from beginning to end. Walk your way through it. Was it really a bad day, or was it a few bad moments? What part of your day would you like to hold onto before you close your eyes? Find that good bit, and let it be the thing you go to sleep to.”

Genre: Romance
Actual Rating: 4 stars
Spicy Meter: 3 fire emojis
Content Warnings: Discusses unsupportive parents, death of family members, cheating, and abandonment. Contains explicit sexual content.

“The Co-op” follows LaRynn Lavigne and Deacon Leeds, two ex-summer lovers as they reunite years later when they’re left with their grandmothers’ inheritance: a broken-down Santa Cruz building, which they now co-own, that once held a ton of love—including their short-lived fling. But they don’t have the money to renovate and sell said building… Well, they kind of do, but LaRynn doesn’t have access to her trust funds until she’s married, and that she is not. Until she is? LaRynn agrees to marry Deacon for the sole convenience that they’ll be able to remodel the place and sell it for a profit, and then definitely part ways. Sounds simple enough, right?

This was such a cute read. I didn’t resonate as much with the characters as I did with “Funny Feelings” but that didn’t keep me from sniffling at some parts and giggling at others. Home renovation books aren’t my favorite, but these two made it bearable—you could clearly see LaRynn’s and Deacon’s chemistry from a mile away.

I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy that good, ol’ marriage of convenience trope and who are looking for a fast read that’ll end in a truly spectacle happily ever after.

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