Tag Archives: 5 stars

ARC — Chef’s Choice — TJ Alexander

“‘Reste ici pour toujours,’ he murmured. Stay here forever.”

Genre: Romance, LGBTQIA
Actual Rating: 5 stars
Spicy Meter: 2 fire emojis
Content Warnings: Displays homophobia, biphobia, transphobia, and deadnaming. Describes unhealthy power and family dynamics. Contains some sexual content and references.

“Chef’s Choice” follows Luna O’Shea, a recently fired trans woman, as she fake-dates a multimillionaire to appease his family—ish. Jean-Pierre is a french trans men in search of miracle, as he has been tasked to re-create his grandfather’s famous restaurant menu. He isn’t the most avid cooker, but he is set on trying, as his inheritance depends on it. And ultimately that’s where Luna comes in, as she will be helping him through this quest—after all, she’s part of the family, right? At least for the time being.

Okay, hear me out, I love the fake-dating troop as much as the next gal, but what I truly loved about this book was how amazingly well defined all characters were. I loved how Luna and JP were so stubborn to address the feelings that were starting to bubble between them. I loved how they incorporated the cooking aspect into this book—in book one of this series, “Chef’s Kiss”, we got to see two chefs get to know each other through shared experiences, and now, in “Chef’s Choice”, we get to see two people who knew nothing about cooking get to know each other through the craft.

This is absolutely the perfect series for cooking and culinary lovers. I would highly recommend this Amazon’s Editor’s Pick for Best Romance if you’re looking for a queer romance with that sweet, ol’ fake-dating pizzazz.

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

Publication Date: May 30, 2023

Re-Read — Catching Fire — Suzanne Collins

“You know, you could live a thousand lifetimes and not deserve him.”

Genre: Young Adult, Dystopian
Actual Rating: 5 stars
Spicy Meter: 1 fire emojis
Content Warnings: Too many content warnings to name, this book is about children being forced to kill each other, most literally against their will. Contains some romantic content, but nothing sexual.

“Catching Fire” follows Katniss Everdeen once again, a year after she’s been crowned victor along with her “star-crossed lover” Peeta Mellark, after the last Hunger Games took an unprecedented turn—a turn that seems to have ignited the start of a revolution.

Oh my God, now I remember why this book was always my favorite of the trilogy. “Catching Fire” is extremely suspenseful, ending with the twistiest of plot twists. We get to meet a ton of new characters that win your heart almost immediately, we get some more Katniss and Peeta frenemies ensamble, and of course, we get the action-packed show that this series by Suzanne Collins always guarantees. Good thing we now have both all the books and all the movies to resort to after finishing this “Catching Fire” re-read—I still remember how anxious I was waiting for the third book, “Mockingjay” to be published, back in 2010.

I would once again recommend either reading this or re-reading this book ASAP, it is the superior one out of this trilogy and the movie, in this case, truly can’t compare.

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Re-read — The Hunger Games — Suzanne Collins

“Here’s some advice. Stay alive.”

Genre: Young Adult, Dystopian
Actual Rating: 5 stars
Spicy Meter: 1 fire emojis
Content Warnings: Too many content warnings to name, this book is literally about children being forced to kill each other, most literally against their will. Contains some romantic content, but nothing sexual.

“The Hunger Games” follows Katniss Everdeen, a 16-year-old who volunteers to participate in a yearly, deadly, pointless, televised competition that pins down 24 teenagers against each other until only one victor remains. Why does she volunteer, you ask? Well, because her little sister, who’s only 12-years-old, had been randomly chosen as that Games tribute and she couldn’t simply let her die. As simple as that.

I rated this book at 5 stars back in 2010, and now, almost 13 years later, I will do it again this was an absolute amazing 5-star read. If I could’ve read it in a single sitting, I would’ve—all the characters are either extremely lovable or extremely easy to hate, so emotions are high and the adventurous, wildly dystopian world that is described does not disappoint. I am rereading this series to get ready to 1) read the prequel and then 2) watch the movie of said prequel, and I just must say that I am so happy I re-grabbed these books.

I would recommend either reading this or re-reading this book ASAP, the movies are pretty similar to the books but it’s a complete different experience—in the movies we see the world as a whole, while in the book we see the world through Katniss’s eyes (which is so so much better, in my opinion).

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Funny Feelings — Tarah Dewitt

“I don’t know what I believe in as far as a higher power, Fee, but I know that I now believe that rainstorms always precede something amazing because you came into our lives on the tail end of one.”

Genre: Romance
Actual Rating: 5 stars
Spicy Meter: 3 fire emojis
Content Warnings: Discusses parental death, dysfunctional and unsupportive parents, bullying, and ableism. Describes a panic attack. Contains explicit sexual content.

“Funny Feelings” follows Farley (Fee) Jones, a standup comedian, and her manager, Meyer Harrigan, a retired comedian who had absolutely stepped out of the spotlight due to personal reasons—but that was until he met Fee. Seeing her talent, but most of all, looking at her compassion, Meyer takes her on and is set to having her succeed… even if that may mean fake dating her for a while, just to create some buzz around a tour Fee might potentially be an opener for.

Fake dating, double pining, and found family all wrapped up in a stand up comedy setting? Sign me up. I can’t believe I didn’t read this book sooner, as this niche read was specifically catered for me.

Objectively speaking there isn’t a third act break up in “Funny Feelings”, yet I was most literally sobbing with this read. With just one book, Tarah Dewitt has pretty much become an instant-buy author for me. With humor and grace and a little slow burn, Dewitt has built a world where you can feel nothing but sympathy for her characters. I cannot wait to keep going down her backlog books.

If you like stand up comedy and that good, ol’ fake dating trope, grab “Funny Feelings” immediately, it is exactly what you’re looking for.

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ARC — The Last Word — Katy Birchall

“This job is not your be all and end all. It’s a job. It’s not who you are.”
“That just goes to show you don’t know me at all.”

Genre: Romance
Actual Rating: 4.5 stars
Spicy Meter: 1 fire emoji
Content Warnings: Deals with gaslighting, cheating, and horrible working conditions.

“The Last Word” follows Harper Jenkins, a celebrity journalist, as she tries to coexist with a new editor, Ryan Jansson, who was hired for at magazine she works at… just that Ryan isn’t too new to her—they were both interns at the same paper a decade prior, and following a whirlwind romance, have barely talked since. Will they collaborate, ignore each other, or perhaps fall into old habits? That’s for you to find out and for Katy Birchall to tell.

“The Last Word” will be amongst one of my favorite reads this year, I can feel it. It reminded me so much of one of my favorite books (“The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo” by Taylor Jenkins Read), although it was following a vastly distinct story.

The use of alternating timelines kept you on your toes, and the characters, both main and secondary, were all so unique, relatable, and intriguing. Set in London’s journalism scene, I genuinely wanted to know where this story was going at all times.

With it’s second-chance, enemies-to-lovers romance, “The Last Word” will capture your heart in a beat. Also, if you enjoy workplace romances, like “The Hating Game” by Sally Thorne, I would absolutely and highly recommend this read. It’s a bit of a slow and dry burn, but the conclusion is oh-so sweet, it’s worth it.

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

Publication Date: May 2, 2023

Blog Tour ARC — What The Hex — Jessica Clare — Hex #2

“You’re obscene.”
“You love it.”
“Jupiter help me, I really do.”

Genre: Romance, Fantasy
Actual Rating: 5 stars
Spicy Meter: 4 fire emojis
Content Warnings: Describes toxic relationships and mentions animal death. Contains explicit sexual content.

“What The Hex” follows Penny Roundtree, a hopeful familiar without a warlock or witch, and Willem Sauer, a 270-year-old warlock, as they participate in a downright illegal arrangement—she’ll be his familiar while he’ll teach her the magic he isn’t even supposed to partake in. But when doubts begin to rise, they have to act as a couple to justify the amount of time they’re spending together, even though they’re as different as opposites can get.

This book had all the cards stacked against it and it still won my heart over. Because, although I was looking forward to this series as a whole, I came into this sequel a bit biased and disappointed when I read it would be following Penny—I found Penny to be extremely annoying and a bit naïve in “Go Hex Yourself.” So now, tell me, why did I love this second installment so much?

Warlocks are meant to teach their familiars, and oh, did Penny have a lot to learn and Willem a lot to teach. I absolutely loved how the characters in the first installment were present in “What The Hex”. Nowadays, series tend to be more standalone-ish, and you’ll get a small crossover here and there and that’s it, but this was not the case with Jessica Clare’s Hex series. Here, Reggie from “Go Hex Yourself” was ever present in Penny’s life, be that through texting or through actual in-page time together. It was definitely different to other series I’ve experienced lately.

In general, this was a fluffy but spicy piece that’ll have you finishing up the whole 336 pages in one sitting, running for that HEA. If you like witchy and magical romances, then don’t hesitate on grabbing the Hex series—its magic system is complex enough to entertain but simple enough to understand and leave enough space for romance and some plot development.

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Review posted as part of a blog tour.

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

Publication Date: April 4, 2023

ARC — The Plus One — Mazey Eddings — A Brush With Love #3

“I’ve known Jude my entire life. He lived on the same block as us growing up, and he and Collin were best friends from the jump. But he and I have always been, like, these fundamental opposites. Even as a kid he was serious; had a certain sharpness about him. And I was nothing but soft spots. (…) And he and I fought all the time. And it was always about the silliest stuff. A snarky comment, a mean look, breathing too loud . . . I could always get under his skin, and I kind of loved it. It meant he saw me.”

Genre: Romance
Actual Rating: 5 stars
Spicy Meter: 5 fire emoji
Content Warnings: Describes and discusses panic attacks, medical trauma, and war and PTSD. Contains explicit sexual content.

“The Plus One” follows Indira Papadakis and Jude Bailey, two childhood frenemies that are forced to walk down the aisle—not of their own wedding, but of Collin Papadakis’s, Indira’s brother and Jude’s best friend. Not only that, but they’re actually all living together for the few weeks before the wedding, for various reasons. Will they be able to coexist around each other? Or will their bickering ruin the party, perhaps even before it starts?

Jude was so haunted by his experiences as an emergency doctor that it killed me, Indira was so set on dealing with her emotional baggage that it inspired me. When I thought Mazey Eddings couldn’t make me fall in love any harder for a set of characters, she gave me “The Plus One.”

These novels all technically work as standalone romances, yet they’re part of a series because they take place in the same world, revolving around a mismatched group of (rather lovable) friends. Indira was never a friend of the group that stood out to me—Lizzie was my fave from book one. But gosh, Indira had my heart on her sleeve about 20 pages in.

Enemies to lovers isn’t my favorite trope, but this was carried out so perfectly I am reconsidering my biases. This was a 5-star read all-around. No beating around the bush with that.

“The Plus One” will be one of my most recommended romance read of 2023, so grab it. No need to hesitate. You’ll love this one, even if you haven’t read the other books in this series. Even if, like me, enemies to lovers isn’t your favorite set up.

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

Publication Date: April 4, 2023

Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake — Mazey Eddings — A Brush With Love #2

“You don’t understand what a privilege it is to know you. (…) You don’t understand how it changes a person to hear you laugh.”

Genre: Romance
Actual Rating: 5 stars
Spicy Meter: 4 fire emoji
Content Warnings: Revolves around an unplanned pregnancy. Describes and discusses panic attacks, living with ADHD, and very emotionally abusive and gaslighting parents. Contains explicit sexual content.

“Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake” follows, well, Lizzie Blake, a baker with ADHD, after a one-night stand ends with her being pregnant. But one-night stands are her thing and they definitely used a condom… an expired condom, that is—hence the baby that’s now growing inside of her. And so in comes Rake, the one-night-stand-turned-baby-daddy, who is an Australian businessman that is offered the opportunity to move to the States. Rake decides to move across the globe and is eager to take on the responsibility of being the father—but Lizzie doesn’t do relationships, and least of all under these conditions. So they’ll be friends and coparents and ignore the definite spark that keeps growing between them.

This book broke me. It absolutely shattered me. Seeing how people treated Lizzie because of her ADHD and life decisions tore me apart. Rake was literally the perfect bundle of Australian sunshine that Lizzie needed to bring structure and, most of all, understanding to her life. I am not the biggest fan of unplanned pregnancies in books but holy did I love this read. This trope was carried perfectly, I don’t see how Mazey Eddings could’ve made this book any better.

I would highly highly highly recommend this series in general, but if you were to read only one book by Mazey Eddings, then definitely let that be “Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake.”

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The Charm Offensive — Alison Cochrun

“I don’t think happily ever after is something that happens to you, Dev. I think it’s something you choose to do for yourself.”

Genre: Romance
Actual Rating: 5 stars
Spicy Meter: 2 fire emoji
Content Warnings: Discusses mental illness and panic attacks, ableism, racism, and homophobia. Contains sexual content.

“The Charm Offensive” follows Charlie Winshaw, a tech entrepreneur turned reality TV star, and Dev Deshpande, a producer for said reality TV show. This TV show, Ever After, is set to find the perfect princess for the perfect prince. But Charlie is all but perfect, and he isn’t even sure why he’s looking for a princess. So, when Charlie and Dev suddenly click, they definitely can’t act on it. Dev isn’t looking to be anyone’s little secret (he’s over that), and Charlie has a contract signed. And so Ever After continues.

There has not been a single Alison Cochrun book that I haven’t loved—but “The Charmed Offensive” takes the cake and has every single cherry on top. This book made me feel so many things—yes, love, but also frustration and self-consciousness and just plain mad at both main characters at different points in time.

I connected so much with the characters and the story, I can’t not recommend to every single person I’ll come across. If you still haven’t read this gem, and you like queer romances, then what are you waiting for? Grab this without hesitation.

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ARC — Too Soon For Adiós — Annette Chavez Macias

“My grandma used to say that the universe worked in mysterious ways. It was the only explanation I could come up with for how I’d ended up becoming a chef just like the biological father I never knew. Or how I ended up eating tacos in his restaurant almost thirty years after I was born.”

Genre: General Fiction, Romance
Actual Rating: 5 stars
Spicy Meter: 1 fire emoji
Content Warnings: Discusses parental and child death. Describes a sexual assault and physical abuse. Contains some sexual innuendos, but it’s closed doors.

“Too Soon For Adiós” follows Gabby Medina, an ex-sous-chef, as she learns to live after her mother’s death. She was left without her adopted father at a young age and now loses her mother at 29—she is all alone. That is, until a stranger introduces himself as her biological dad at her mother’s funeral. She wants nothing to do with him, for obvious reasons. But when things take a turn for the even-worse, she wants to leave the only place she’s called home and is driven to Sonrisa, New Mexico, her bio-father’s small hometown, where she’ll meet new people and grow into new places.

Do not be bamboozled by the cute cover: this book follows a heartbreaking story, and it touches on very difficult topics like terminal illness, serious debt brought on by someone else, sexual assault, domestic violence, and so much multigenerational trauma.

The romance portion of this book is closed doors, but gosh, the sexual tension between them is so palpable that although their love was slow to burn, it was 100% worth the 65% wait.

I think these are my favorite types of books—both general fiction and romance sprinkled together. It’s as close to real life as fiction gets. I loved the small town setting, I loved almost every character, I loved watching Gabby grow and learn that being soft doesn’t have to mean being weak.

I cannot recommend this novel enough. Immerse yourself in this story if you’ve enjoyed books like “Georgie, All Along” by Kate Clayborn or “Commonwealth” by Ann Patchett, where life is woven as the complicated thing it can be.

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

Publication Date: March 21, 2023

“Mijita, that’s what love is, (…) losing yourself in someone else.”