Tag Archives: 5 stars

ARC — Artemis Made Me Do It — Trista Mateer

“The wolf caught me in his jaws
but when I cried out,
others only said:

I have seen the wolf many times
and he has not bitten me.”

Genre: Poetry, New Adult
Actual Rating: 5 stars
Spicy Meter: N/A
Content Warnings: As given by the author: blood/gore, body image, death/grief, domestic and emotional abuse, rape, sexual harrassment, and probably more.

“Artemis Made Me Do It” is more than just poetry and doodles. Trista Mateer has brought together impressive art that takes countless shapes and forms. Using images and different compositions, a story of hurt and healing is told through beautifully curated words.

“I resent my own resiliency.
I don’t want to bounce back.
I don’t want to be strong.”

This poetry book is heavy, don’t take those content warnings lightly, but it is worth the read. Although it is somewhat Greek-mythology-based, you don’t need extensive knowledge on every single god or demigod. Trista gave a small summary at the beginning of the book about who was who, and that should be more than enough to understand the poems in this collection.

“Grief makes you feel small, though you are not small. Grief makes you feel weak, though you are not weak.”

For someone who is continuously grieving, such as myself, this book was specifically hard. There is not a day that goes by that I don’t speak to my grandma, even though it’s been almost 3 years from her passing. It does make me feel small, but it doesn’t make me feel weak anymore.

I think Trista Mateer did an excellent job at capturing raw emotions through various forms. I would highly recommend this poetry book. It’s beautiful, yet heartbreaking. It touches on important topics and it breaks their mold. I’ll definitely be reading more of Mateer.

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ARC provided by NetGalley and Central Avenue Publishing (one of the first publishers that trusted me with their ARCs) in exchange for an honest review.

Publication Date: September 6, 2022

“I don’t know why
I keep their names
out of my poetry.
They don’t deserve it.

I KEEP THEIR NAMES
OUT OF MY POETRY
BECAUSE I MUST
ALLOW MYSELF
A SAFE PLACE.
I DESERVE THAT.”

ARC — Mr. Perfect on Paper — Jean Meltzer

“But love—”
“Doesn’t conquer all. (…) It doesn’t, Chris. Look at the divorce rates in America. (…) Do you know what every single one of those couples had when they got married? Love. They all stood in front of an altar and gazed into each other’s eyes, and that’s the problem with these modern notions of love. There’s too much staring into each other’s eyes, and not enough looking in the same direction.”

Genre: Romance, Comedy
Actual Rating: 5 stars
Spicy Meter: 1 fire emoji
Content Warning: Discusses antisemitism, generalized anxiety disorder, and mixed religion discrimination, and mentions car crashes, parent death, aneurysms, and head tumors.

“Mr. Perfect on Paper” is just about what the title suggests. Dara Rabinowitz is a modern Jewish matchmaker, having created a dating app called J-Mate, when she just still hasn’t found her Mr. Perfect. In comes, Chris Steadfast, a news anchor who moved to New York recently after losing his wife. Dara’s “Perfect Jewish Husband” list is broadcasted by her grandmother in live television, pushing in a series of events that lead to Dara and Chris working on a reality TV style segment where they try to find this Mr. Perfect on Paper. But what does it say of Dara when they actually find Mr. Perfect, but all she can think about is Chris (who fits basically none of her requirements)? Will she follow tradition or will she follow love? And why can’t she follow both?

I am not Jewish myself, but I enjoy so much reading and learning about different religions and beliefs, and I must say this is truly a blast for that. This books takes place during the High Holidays, and even though I had read about them before, Jean Meltzer really did deliver at subtly explaining and showing how these holidays are lived—and why.

I loved Dana’s mannerisms and Chris’s insecurities and empathy. They both felt really human to me. Did I like the outcome? I’m not sure, but I still gave it 5 stars because in the end I just wanted Dara to be happy, and that’s the best testament of how this book moved me. But, if what you’re looking for is spice, this book isn’t for you. You’ll get a few kisses and that’s it.

I would recommend this book to readers with exposure to the Jewish religion and traditions, or anyone whose willing to Google a ton of terms you might not understand (that’s what I did, and I loved it). If you’re looking for a light-hearted, clean romance, “Mr. Perfect on Paper” is perfect for you.

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

Publication Date: August 9, 2022

“But what I learned from this journey, from finding my real-life Mr. Perfect on Paper, is that love isn’t something that can be quantified on a list. Love is messy. And terrifying. It shows up when you least expect it, and complicates your life in every way. But it’s also…safe. And comforting. It allows you to be yourself completely, without judgment or fear, and it feels right.”

When He Was Wicked — Julia Quinn — Bridgertons #6

“Tell me something wicked.”

Genre: Historical Romance
Actual Rating: 5 stars
Spicy Meter: 5 fire emojis
Content Warnings: Discusses spouse and parent death.

“When He Was Wicked” is the sixth book in the Bridgerton series, and it follows Francesca Bridgerton, the sixth of eight Bridgerton siblings, as she is widowed extremely young. It also follows Michael Stirling, Francesca’s husband’s cousin, who is set to inherit her husband’s title after his untimely death. But Michael wanted anything but this. He loved Francesca in secret and he never wished for the title, but what if now he must have both?

I think this will be the winning underdog of the Bridgerton series. I haven’t bonded with Francesca, not through the books nor through the Netflix series. I was completely impartial to her, as I am to the other two younger siblings. But oh how I loved this book and the complex feelings it brought on. It felt like a forbidden romance even though it wasn’t. It felt like friends to lovers even though that felt wrong too.

Francesca is lovely and Michael is as wicked as the title suggests. I think this was my favorite Bridgerton book where spice is concerned. But it also broke me to see the player get played. Players are entitled to have true feelings, you know? And then there was Michael, being broken down time and time again, until he finally allowed himself to be happy.

I would recommend this book to lovers of the friends to lovers and widowed tropes. Naturally, if you’re a fan of the Regency Era, you’ll enjoy this too, but I feel like this story was a bit more timeless than the rest. I would highly recommend resorting to “When He Was Wicked” if you’re looking for a spicy read where the woman in the relationship takes a bit more initiative (given the context).

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“Why? It’s because I love you, damn me to hell. Because I’ve always loved you. Because I loved you when you were with John, and I loved you when I was in India, and God only knows I don’t deserve you, but I love you, anyway. (…) How’s that for a witty little joke? (…) I love you. I love you, my cousin’s wife. I love you, the one woman I can never have. I love you, Francesca Bridgerton Stirling.”

ARC — For Butter or Worse — Erin La Rosa

“You have excellent taste in wine and terrible taste in men, are you happy?”

Genre: Romance
Actual Rating: 5 stars
Spicy meter: 4.5 fire emojis
Content Warnings: Discusses panic attacks, relationships with a narcissist, and parent death.

“For Butter or Worse” follows Nina Lyon, a renowned, award-winning chef, and Leo O’Donnell, a restauranteur who’s made his family restaurant into a famous franchise. They have been cohosts (and nemesis) on a cooking reality TV show for 3 years, but things quickly go south when management decides to have their final episode for season 3 filmed live, and Nina ends up quitting mid-episode. To make matters worse, when Leo goes to Nina’s restaurant to apologize, they’re photographed in a compromising position, sparking up dating rumors…which actually end up helping both their restaurants? Seeing the effect their “relationship” has on their respective businesses, their publicist decides it’d be best if the fake date, at least for a while—they’ll just have to not kill each other while doing so.

Um, can I just say I can’t believe this is Erin La Rosa’s debut romance novel? The story she’s told is well written and complex without being pretentious. Both main and side characters were lovely but imperfect. I loved Nina, I loved Leo, I loved their family and friends, I loved and lived vicariously through their story. I found out I apparently love cooking themed romance novels? I can’t get enough of it. I just finished reading it and want to grab it all over again.

And on the spicy side… I’ll just say it didn’t disappoint. The last few novels I had read were sort of lacking on that front, but “For Butter or Worse” definitely delivered. Also, I found it hilarious how in the acknowledgements, Erin La Rosa thanks (and apologizes to) her cousin, Mela Lee, who’s an audiobook narrator and who narrated the audiobook version of this book—with sex scenes and all.

I’ll be recommending this book for the rest of the year. It’s that good and entertaining, there is not a single dull moment. It’s relatively fast-paced and the different points of view really built on the pressure between Nina and Leo.

If you enjoy fake dating romances, close proximity tropes, books with “famous” characters, or books that involve the culinary world, then “For Butter or Worse” is definitely for you. Also, just in general, if you’re looking for a steamy, generous read… then grab this novel as soon as you can.

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

Publication Date: July 26, 2022

“Believe it or not, I’ve dealt with bigger assholes than you.”
“Give me a chance. I’ll try harder.”

The Viscount Who Loved Me — Julia Quinn — Bridgertons #2

“You have to live each hour as if it’s your last and each day as if you were immortal.”

Genre: Historical Romance
Actual Rating: 5 stars
Spicy Meter: 4 fire emojis
Content Warnings: Discusses parent death and describes panic attacks.

“The Viscount Who Loved Me” follows Anthony Bridgerton, the eldest of the Bridgerton siblings and the one who inherited the viscountcy after their father’s death, and Kate Sheffield, the orphan (and the eldest) daughter of a modest family who’s in London for the season in hopes of marrying off her little sister. Anthony wants to marry Kate’s little sister but she is completely against it, given his reputation as a rake—or is it because she’s called to him as well?

Anthony, oh how I love you. Julia Quinn really did go for my heart with this one. We get to see Anthony’s inner monologue and repressed guilt, which is something that they tried to portray in the series, but in the book it’s even more intense, more heartbreaking. But not only that, we get to see Kate’s trauma up close, and we get to love her through it all too.

There is no real love triangle in this one, which I much appreciated. Anthony and Kate end up together under extremely different circumstances as those portrayed in the series. Anthony recognizes his love for Kate at another time and for another reason as well.

I would recommend this book a hundred times more than the first book in this series. It is the perfect book for fans of regency period dramas and romance book. If you’ve seen Season 2 of Bridgerton, the Netflix series, expect to be surprised. “The Viscount Who Loved Me” is almost nothing like Season 2, making it even better.

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“Listen to me, (…) and listen well, because I’m only going to say this once. I desire you. I burn for you. I can’t sleep at night for wanting you. Even when I didn’t like you, I lusted for you. It’s the most maddening, beguiling, damnable thing, but there it is.”

ARC — The Bodyguard — Katherine Center

“There’s nothing like the mutuality of a hug—the way you’re giving comfort but you’re getting it, too. I didn’t know what was real or fake anymore, but right then, it just didn’t matter.”

Genre: Women’s Fiction
Actual Rating: 5 stars
Spicy Meter: 2 fire emojis (stays PG13, but it’s great)
Content Warnings: Mentions cheating, cancer, car crashes, and discusses the loss of parents and alcoholism.

“The Hating Game” meets “Spoiler Alert” (or Starstruck, that Disney movie from the 2000s) in this exceptional novel about an Executive Protection Agent (essentially a bodyguard) and a superstar falling in love. “The Bodyguard” follows Hannah Brooks, a recently-dumped, ordinary-and-stumpy Executive Protection Agent, and Jack Stapleton, a famous actor who took a hiatus after a tragic accident that led to the death of one of his brothers. Now that Jack’s mother has been diagnosed with cancer, he steps back into society and is forced to get a security team—but refuses to scare his mother with the fact that he needs security at all. So in comes Hannah, who is lowkey forced to be Jack’s fake girlfriend while they stay at his family’s ranch. But when does faking end and reality starts? That’s for them to find out.

Oh God, I can’t even begin to explain how much I enjoyed this book. I loved the characters, I loved the plot and the writing, I hated the villains (for a change), and I just couldn’t get enough of the fanfiction feel of it all. I just have to mention it again: I can’t believe how good of a villain we got, I don’t know who I hated more: her ex boyfriend or her ex best friend, that’s all I’m saying.

Also, I can’t believe this is my first Katherine Center book, I’ll definitely be adding her to my TBR list. I really enjoyed her writing, her descriptions are there but aren’t long enough to be boring. The characters she crafted were both relatable and fantastical, in the best sense of the word. Both Hannah and Jack were so sweet. It’s like you know the things that happened in this book probably wouldn’t happen in real life, but they still technically could, and it would be wonderful if they did.

I also couldn’t tell you if this book was a slow burn or not, because it sort of was, but, at the same time, it felt like a romance from the start, even if that was fake. What I can tell you is that this book is filled with character development and growth, not just two shallow characters pining after one another.

I would recommend “The Bodyguard” to any readers who’ve enjoyed close proximity and fake dating trope books, like “The Spanish Love Deception” by Elena Armas, “The Unhoneymooners” by Christina Lauren, or “The Hating Game” by Sally Thorne. Also, if you’ve been into fanfiction at any point in your life, or if you’ve ever had a big crush on someone famous, this book is for you.

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

Publication Date: July 19, 2022

“To what we’ve held onto. And what we’ve lost.”

To Sir, With Love — Lauren Layne

“Because you said you loved him. Because you deserve your fairy-tale ending. And because I’d do anything for you, Gracie Cooper. Even if it means letting you go.”

Genre: Romance
Actual Rating: 5 stars
Spicy Meter: 1.5 fire emojis
Content Warning: Discusses parent loss, cancer and other sicknesses, and the loss of a business.

“To Sir, With Love” follows Gracie Cooper, the managing owner of her family’s champagne business in Midtown Manhattan, and Sebastian Andrews, who’s technically the landlord of where Gracie’s store is located and who’s company wants to buyout Gracie’s lease in order to build something else in its place. Gracie feels unexplainably pulled towards Sebastian from the get-go, but she feels like she’s cheating—even though she’s technically not—because she’s in love with an online pal she met in a blind dating app. But said online pal, who she calls Sir, is not even available, his friends set up his account as a joke, he isn’t even single. So, will Gracie get her happily ever after with Sebastian? With Sir? That’s for you to find out as you grab this read.

I think this will be one of my favorite books this year. I think that through it I finally understood that I love books where I know something the main character doesn’t. It’s pretty obvious from the start who Sir is, but seeing Gracie not know was a marvel. I think the progression of Gracie’s relationships were wonderful and realistic, and the ending was sweet and gratifying. The one thing I found it lacked was the spiciness I’ve come to expect and appreciate in a romance novel.

I would recommend this book to readers who love romance books but who aren’t looking for the too-explicit stuff, just looking for a cute love story. I feel like “To Sir, With Love” would be a great gift for a young reader, since it’s pretty PG.

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“I don’t think you can plan for the right time. Or the right woman. As far as timing’s concerned, maybe sometimes you’ve got to make it the right time and simply trust it’s the right woman.”

ARC — Fake It Till You Bake It — Jamie Wesley

“What happens in the supply closet stays in the supply closet.”

Genre: Romance
Actual Rating: 5 stars
Spicy Meter: 4.5 fire emojis
Content Warnings: Bullying and harassment.

“Fake It Till You Bake It” follows Donovan Bell, a football player who’s also the owner of a (hopefully) up-and-coming bakery, and Jada Townsend-Matthews, an ex-reality-tv-show-star, as they end up in a fake relationship that benefits them both—bringing traction to Donovan’s bakery and helping shed a must-needed good-light on Jada’s reputation.

I knew I was going to love this book from the get-go. I love football (and books about football players) and I love fake-dating romance books—and that’s exactly what “Fake It Till You Bake It” delivers. Jada and Donovan are charismatic and have undeniable chemistry, both physically and emotionally, yet they’re not perfect characters nor do they try to be, they have their stories and backgrounds and simply meshed together perfectly. I just finished this book and already want to grab and reread it all over again.

Also, I don’t know what it is with St. Martin’s Press books but they’ve never been a miss to me. If it’s a romance book and it’s published by them, I know it’ll be fire emoji x 5. Something as simple as fake-posing for a romance cover in the middle of a book club meeting was made incredibly tense and spicy, that’s all I’m saying.

I would recommend this book to every single contemporary romance book reader, specially those who enjoy rocky starts and the fake-dating trope.

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

Publication Date: June 21, 2022

“I promise to do better.”

A Court of Silver Flames — Sarah J. Maas — ACOTAR #4

Genre: Fantasy, Romance
Actually Rating: 5 stars
Spicy meter: 5+ fire emojis
Content Warning: (Very) Graphic violence and explicit sexual content.

“A Court of Silver Flames” is currently the last published book in the ACOTAR series, and it follows Nesta Archeron, Feyre’s eldest sister, as she comes to peace with all she’s had to face and all the power that flows through her veins. So in comes the great Illyrian warrior, Cassian, to help her along, in more than one way.

Oh God, I had forgotten you could love fictional characters this much. I am not ready to let this story go. I drew it on, reading this book in bits and pieces, just so I could keep going back to the comfort that were Nesta and Cassian, and Gwyn and Emerie and every single character in this world. SARAH J. MAAS NEEDS TO STOP PUBLISHING OTHER BOOKS AND COME BACK FOR ACOTAR #5 ASAP. Words can’t describe how much I need this.

And I mean, ACOTAR books have all had their fair share of spicy, romantic content…. but oh did Nesta and Cass take the cake. And all the fighting, and history, and alliances, and betrayals. This book could’ve been dragged on to a series of its own–and I kind of wish it had been.

If you like fantasy books with strong character development, then this is the book for you. Out of all the ACOTAR books, I feel like this one represented unconditional friendship the best. If you haven’t started on this fantasy series: WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?

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Maybe In Another Life — Taylor Jenkins Reid

“I know there may be universes out there where I made different choices and they led me somewhere else, led me to someone else. And my heart breaks for every single version of me that didn’t end up with you.”

Genre: Fiction, Women’s Fiction
Actual Rating: 5 stars
Content Warnings: Mentions car crashes, hit-and-runs, cheating, and miscarriages.

Do you believe things are meant to be? “Maybe In Another Life” follows Hannah Martin through two distinct timelines, both separated by a single, somewhat meaningless, decision. With alternating chapters, this book will show you two different perceptions of Hannah’s reality. So, will things be radically different for her or will things stay fundamentally the same? That depends on whether you believe things are meant to be or not, I guess.

I mean, might as well start off by saying that Taylor Jenkins Reid is one of my all-time favorite authors, so she already had that going for her, but I must say this book delivered more than it had promised. Plus, if you’ve been reading my reviews for a while, you must know that I am the biggest fan of alternating timelines and POVs. That is to say, “Maybe In Another Life” pretty much started with a baseline rating of 3 stars, so getting to 5 was pretty easy.

One of my Goodreads friends said this was one of their favorite books and I can totally see why. I wouldn’t say I had a favorite version of reality, but I did just want Hannah and her friend Gabby to be happy in both, in the end. I just wanted to know if things would work out either way. And in my opinion, they did. And this brings out some comfort to me, that no matter what we do, things will turn out the way they’re supposed to. Life will take its course into its own hands, and we’re just here for the ride.

I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy books with alternating chapters/timelines. Well, I’m not even sure if timeline is the word because they’re technically happening at the same time, it’s just different concurrent realities… but you get the gist. Also, if you like Taylor Jenkins Reid books in general, then definitely grab this one as well. I think this would be a really cool gift for the right reader, too, so definitely add it to your lists.

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“For some reason, I think I’ll feel better if things are meant to be. It gets me off the hook, doesn’t it? If things are meant to be it means I don’t have to worry so much about consequences and mistakes. I can take my hands off the wheel.”