ARC – Page 10 – andrea's galley

ARC — Make A Wish — Helena Hunting — Spark House #3

“Have faith in the power of true love, my dear, it conquers all.”

Author: Helena Hunting
Narrators: Stella Bloom and Jason Clarke

Genre: Romance
Actual Rating: 4.5 stars
Narration: 5 mikes
Spicy Meter: 3 fire emojis
Content Warnings: Discusses age gap relationships, parental death, death during childbirth, dysfunctional relationships, and gaslighting. Contains explicit sexual content.

“Make a Wish” is the third and final installment in the Spark House series, and it follows the youngest Spark sister: Harley. She used to be a live-in nanny for a toddler named Peyton, but that was until she tried to kiss the girl’s widowed father, Gavin, and they upped and left to the other side of the State. Harley never saw them again, she moved on to work with her sisters in their boutique hotel, and that was that. Until Gavin and the now 9-year-old Peyton move back and they naturally reconnect. Will Harley get over what happened years ago and be able to move on to what the future could hold? Or will her embarrassment win this time around?

Hear me out: this book is part of a series, yes, but it works so so well as a standalone novel. And you can trust me with this one, because I have not read any of the other Spark House books and I was not only able to understand what was going on, but I was able to love the novel and all the characters as a whole.

And then when it came to the narration of this ARC audiobook—it was simply perfect. Stella Bloom’s voice was soft and really expressed Harley’s quirkiness, and Jason Clarke… Oh, Jason Clarke. His voice was so so deep. It was absolutely immaculate. I recently found out all the other audiobooks for this series are narrated by this pair and I can’t wait to get my hands on those.

The age difference and change in power dynamics was a bit weird, I’m not going to lie. I sometimes doubted Gavin’s intentions and really thought all he wanted was another live-in nanny. Also, that 9-year-old acted more like a 5- or 6-year-old, it got to be a bit annoying, yet I still honestly enjoyed this book—hence the aaaalmost perfect star rating.

I can’t speak for the rest of the series, but I would highly recommend “Make a Wish” if you’re looking for a romance that leans more towards the complex. Touching topics like childbirth death and losing both parents at a young age, this is a bit of a heavy read—but it still finds ways to be heartwarming.

If you enjoy age difference and second chances at love, then “Make a Wish” is most definitely for you.

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

Publication Date: January 24, 2023

ARC — Exes and O’s — Amy Lea

“A die-hard, emotional romantic and a guy who only believes in one kind of happy ending? That’s a recipe for disaster if I ever saw one.”

Genre: Romance
Actual Rating: 5 stars
Spicy Meter: 3 fire emojis
Content Warnings (as given by the author): Emotionally abusive ex, on-page gaslighting, portrayal of child with illness, mentions of deaths of loved ones, and deliberate use of the word crazy throughout. —I’ll add that it contains sexual content.

“Exes and O’s” is a heartwarming story that follows Tara Chen, a NICU nurse and bookstagrammer, as she tries to find her own second chance romance by contacting her exes with the help of her forever-single-but-never-alone firefighter roommate, Trevor Metcalfe. Little did they know that looking for secondhand love, they’d find it in each other.

The duo Christina Lauren portrayed it just right in their cover art endorsement: you’ll be laughing out loud with this one. I rarely find rom-com books funny, but Amy Lea really did it with “Exes and O’s.”

The main characters were so likable yet realistically imperfect. Tara was just the right amount of annoying and clingy to get the point across, but she wasn’t obnoxiously undesirable to the point that you wanted to skip her dialogue. The contrary was true, actually, I loved Tara and Trevor’s banter and Tara’s inner monologue in general.

The chemistry between the main characters slowly builds and it literally killed me in the process—I’m not the biggest fan of slow burn romances, but Tara and Trevor were worth the wait. In my opinion, they both deserve the world, we must protect them at all costs.

Mark my words: “Exes and O’s” will be between the best romance books of 2023.

If you enjoy books with grumpy-sunshine character pairing, then you’ll love Tara and Trevor, and if you’re a fan of the close proximity trope, then “Exes and O’s” is the perfect romance book for you.

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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: January 10, 2023

“I don’t need another man who makes elaborate promises he can’t commit to, Trevor. I need someone who’s going to be open and honest with me. I want someone who is willing to try.”

(…) “If there’s anyone in this world I want to try for, it’s you.”

ARC — The Rom-Com Agenda — Jayne Denker

“Do I belong here?”

Genre: Romance
Actual Rating: 3.5 stars
Spicy Meter: 2 fire emojis
Content Warnings: Discusses death of parent/foster parent, grieving, breakups, struggling to make ends meet, potential homelessness, and an honest addiction to an ex.

“The Rom-Com Agenda” starts with a rejection. Eli is proposing to Victoria, is utterly turned down, and Leah is there to witness it all. Talk about secondhand embarrassment. Now, months later, Eli and his friends are trying to have Eli go through an extreme makeover in order to win Victoria back when she comes back to the States, all with the help of Leah, who volunteers to help him after befriending Eli’s sisters. Little did they know, they were lowkey made for each other. Through rom-com movies and mishaps, Eli and Leah get to really know each other, and question all about the future they envisioned apart—and how that might look if they were together.

I have to be honest, throughout this book I defaulted at times to just reading the dialogue. Eli’s back and forth was driving me insane. His sisters’ and friends’ obsession with meddling with his life felt so forced and unrealistic. Take this book as a true fiction romance—this could never happen in real-life.

I was so hyped for this book and I just simply didn’t vibe with it. The jokes weren’t funny, the dialogue was iffy, and the romance was alright. Leah and Eli seem like a good match, I just hated how they got there.

I would recommend this book, perhaps, as a palette cleanser between tough books. It’s lighthearted mostly and is an easy read. The pop culture and rom-com movie references were awesome—it just wasn’t as life-changing and heartwarming as I was expecting it to be.

If you click here, you’ll be redirected to Goodreads, so you can add the book to your TBR list.

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

Publication Date: January 10, 2023

“When we said we are family, we meant it.”

ARC — Back In A Spell — Lana Harper

“I don’t think I’m as amazing as you think I am. (…) But thank you anyway, for thinking it.”
“You’re right. (…) What you are is even better than that.”

Genre: Romance (advertised as LGBTQIA+ as well, but I did not see it tbh)
Actual Rating: 5 stars
Spicy Meter: 5 fire emojis
Content Warnings: Discussed unhealthy relationships, abandonment, chronic illness in a parent, and child neglect. Contains explicit sexual content.

“Back in a Spell” is the third installment in the The Witches of Thistle Grove series, and it follows Nina Blackmoore, of the Blackmoores that used to essentially own Thistle Grove and all its magic for decades, as she goes for a one night stand after being pretty much left at the altar by her ex. What she did not expect was that she’d end up being magically bonded to said one night stand, Morty Gutierrez, a normie who lowkeyloki hates the Blackmoores because they keep trying to buy off his family’s business.

Well, this was the first Lana Harper book that’s made me cry, I’ll give it that. Like literally sob. That’s how much and how deeply I connected with the main characters, Nina and Morty.

But there is one thing I need to disclose pretty early on—Morty is described on the summary of the book as nonbinary, but it isn’t really addressed much throughout the advanced reader copy of the book. Perhaps that changed in the final copy, but I still felt like it was something that I had to bring up. Tho, the fact that his nonbinary expression was overlooked didn’t quite stop me from loving this book.

“Back in a Spell” has been my favorite The Witches of Thistle Grove book so far and that really caught me by surprise because I hated no founding family more than I hated the Blackmoores, I swear. Yet Nina truly stole my heart. And then bring in Morty, a normie we already learned to love in the other books, and I fell in love with his humor and true admiration for all things magic. I think their match was meant to be, beyond them being bonded by a goddess.

I would highly recommend this series as a whole, but I would like to remind everyone that these books, although part of a series, still work pretty well as standalones. Lana Harper makes sure to give you the context and background in every single story she’s told, and it’s been truly awe-inspiring. I really wish I could live in Thistle Grove, even if I fell under the glamour that makes all magic seem normal for us normies.

If you’re a fan of close proximity romance, aren’t afraid of things getting too explicit, and you enjoy books with monumental personal growth and character development, then “Back in a Spell” is for you.

If you click here, you’ll be redirected to Goodreads, so you can add the book to your TBR list.

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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: January 3, 2023

And finally, Lana Harper isn’t a new found love for me—she’s been one of my favorite authors ever since I grabbed her books for the first time. So, here are some excerpts from my reviews of the books in this series, just so you can get a sense about how wonderful The Witches of Thistle Grove series is:

About “Payback’s a Witch”
“I was essentially in a reading slump and this book is entirely responsible for me getting out of it.”
“I would recommend this book to any readers who enjoy LGBTQIA+ romances, witchy books, and who like series like Riverdale and the Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. This book is fast-paced and dynamic, you’ll definitely finish it in one sitting if you have the time.”

About “From Bad to Cursed”
“Thistle Grove is such a cozy, warm setting. I personally wouldn’t mind living there—or reading 10 more stories set in it either.”
“Sadly, “From Bad to Cursed” does not have the LGBTQIA+ aspect that the previous book had going for it, but I must say the romance aspect of this second installment is still heartwarming and fun.”
“I would recommend this book to fans of the close-proximity troupe and for all who enjoyed the character dynamics and setting of the first book in this series: “Payback’s a Witch”.”

ARC — The Wrong Kind of Weird — James Ramos

Genre: Young Adult
Actual Rating: 3 stars
Spicy Meter: 1 fire emoji
Content Warnings: Has some bullying and miscommunication.

“The Wrong Kind of Weird” follows Cameron Carson, a self-proclaimed geek, as he travels through the ins and outs of love in high school. Cameron is secretly hooking up with Karla Ortega, who’s by all definitions popular, but she isn’t the best at showing him appreciation when they’re around people. So it’s really weird for Cameron when Mackenzie Briggs, a nice and funny girl, becomes his friend and isn’t afraid of other people knowing.

I think my enjoyment—or lack thereof—when it came to this book was completely my fault. I just never really connected with the main character. I don’t think it’s because he’s male, because I’ve loved narrators of all genders, but there was definitely something that was keeping me from connecting. Maybe I’m not as ‘Young Adult’ as I think I am.

One thing I did like, though, was how, slowly, Cameron began understanding his worth—and Mackenzie’s worth as well. “The Wrong Kind of Weird” is definitely a coming-of-age story and, although I expected more romance sprinkled in it, I truly loved all the characters as a concept. What I didn’t enjoy as much were the dialogues and the way Cameron narrated. I’m not sure how to explain it, it’s like I was rooting for the characters but just didn’t want to listen to them speak or think.

Anyways, I would definitely recommend this book to a younger audience. This would be a phenomenal gift for any young reader that’s just now learning how to fit into their crowd by being themselves. I’m just not sure if I would recommend it to anyone 25+.

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

Publication Date: January 3, 2023

ARC — Twice in a Lifetime — Melissa Baron

“Okay, she typed. Okay, weirdo, I’ll humor you.”

Genre: Romance
Actual Rating: 5+ stars
Spicy Meter: 4 fire emojis
Content Warnings: Discusses and describes car accidents, suicide, and physical therapy. Describes panic attacks. Has explicit sexual content.

“Twice in a Lifetime” follows Isla, an insecure graphic designer that, due to her struggles with generalized anxiety disorder, decides to leave Chicago for rural Missouri. All is well until, one day, she receives a text message from her non-existing husband(?). Isla knows she’s not married but Ewan assures her he is actually texting from the future, in hopes to change their fate. Isla, naturally, doesn’t believe him—until he send her an all-too-real picture of them on their wedding day. In this novel, you’ll get butterflies and heartbreak tied with a pretty little ribbon. Isla’s and Ewan’s story is as unique as it get.

I had not give a book 5+ stars in quite some time, but this book is taking that cake. “Twice in a Lifetime” has been one of my favorite reads this year. With distinct characters and a beautiful setting, sometimes the time traveling aspects of this book weren’t even the most unique part. I fell in love with Isla and Ewan and the love so pure they had for each other—even breaking through timelines.

This fast-paced read delivers on all fronts: it’s steamy and hot, it’s heartfelt, it deals with difficult and uncomfortable topics, it’s sweet, (oh, and did I mention that it’s steamy and hot?). There was a lot of character development, a lot of sincere communication between the characters. You could clearly see how they fell for each other. It truly made me believe in soulmates and that, perhaps, I’ve found the Ewan to my Isla as well.

I would highly recommend this book if you’re looking for a unique, fantastically romance. When reading the description, you might think it’ll be like “Landline” by Rainbow Rowell (which I rated at 3 stars last year), but it couldn’t be further from it.

“Twice in a Lifetime” would be the perfect holiday gift this season. Definitely add it to your cart if you’d like a fast-paced novel that’s more than just a steamy love story.

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

Publication Date: December 6, 2022

“One of these days, she’d learned to get comfortable with good things happening to her as well as bad things. One day, her heart and her mind might be able to tell the difference between the two.”

ARC — Pride & Puppies — Lizzie Shane

“I’m just saying in real life the Darcys don’t always turn out to be Darcys.”
“So date a Bingley.”

Genre: Romance
Actual Rating: 4 stars
Spicy Meter: 2 fire emojis
Content Warnings: Mentions parent death. Also, dangerous levels of mutual pining.

“Pride and Puppies” follows Dr. Charlotte Rodriguez as she swears off men and is set to adopt a puppy instead of looking for another boyfriend. And so in comes George Leneghan, her neighbor and coworker who actually has an incredibly well-behaved dog—so he must have all the tips and tricks she’ll need. As they start spending more time together, Charlotte may or may not be developing feelings she swore she wouldn’t towards George, feelings George had always had for her.

This is for all the Pride and Prejudice (2005 movie) lovers. No, you don’t really need to have seen the movie (or read Pride and Prejudice) to enjoy this book, but it just makes it so much more fun. It was a bit slow-paced for my liking, but I loved the characters and the lightheartedness of it all.

Charlotte and George are both so weird and socially awkward, I loved it. Their friendship growing into something more felt so natural. I truly fell in love with this novel—and it has nothing to do with the fact that I, too, love Colin Firth (and Matthew Macfadyen) as Mr. Darcy.

If there is one thing that I didn’t like that much about “Pride and Puppies” is how the doctor/rehab/medicine part of it was a bit vague and not really in the forefront of either the plot or the narrative in general. I’m guessing this could be a plus to some people, but, in my case, my boyfriend is a doctor and I love medical dramas so it would’ve been cool to kind of get that viewing off his story.

Either way, I would highly recommend you go buy this book, be it for yourself or for someone else. It really has that vibe of being a good gift book. I’ll definitely keep an eye out for it this holiday season.

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ARC provided by NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) in exchange for an honest review.

Publication Date: November 22, 2022

“Other little girls could keep their Prince Charmings. She was devoted to Mr. Darcy.”

ARC — The Wilderwomen — Ruth Emmie Lang

“The birds are singing… I’m here to stay.”

Genre: Fantasy, Fiction
Actual Rating: 3.5 stars
Spicy Meter: N/A, it’s clean
Content Warning: It revolves around parental abandonment, but also includes car accident, pregnancy, and injury details.

“The Wilderwomen” follows, well, the Wilder women—Nora, and her daughters, Zadie and Finn. Well, it mostly follow Zadie and Finn, as Nora has been missing for the last 5 years. But Zadie and Finn aren’t your normal 23- and 17-year-olds, respectively—they’re somewhat magical. Zadie can see the future (of sorts), while Finn can relive other people’s memories, something they call “echoes”. So when, after being missing for so long, Finn can sense an echo from their mom, she convinces Zadie to go on a roadtrip, as she’s sure Nora wants to be found.

I feel like I could’ve enjoyed this book more at another point in my life. For instance, a year ago, I loved reading some nonsensical magical realism (I’ll blame it on me rewatching Jane The Virgin), but right now it just didn’t resonate with me.

Don’t get me wrong, “The Wilderwomen” is exceptionally well-written, and will keep you hooked, I just felt like I wasn’t fulfilled after reading this book.

Zadie and Finn are very likable characters, but I couldn’t care less about Nora, so I was just annoyed half the time. I liked the Sixes, the people who have a sixth sense, that they met in their roadtrip. I loved loved loved the writing. I just didn’t love the story as a whole.

I would recommend this book to readers looking for an escape, a magical read that’ll make you question if you’re the sane one or if magic is really real. If you’ve enjoyed other magical realism reads like “The House in the Cerulean Sea” by T.J. Klune or “The Midnight Library” by Matt Haig (which also has a character named Nora, lol), then you’ll love “The Wilderwomen”.

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

Publication Date: November 15, 2022

ARC — The Creative Lives of Animals — Carol Gigliotti

“We do not give meaning to the lives of animals; they are able and willing to do that themselves. They plan their future, build their homes, fabricate bowers for their beloveds, defend themselves from predators they fear, (…). Their lives have meaning for them. To their detriment and ours, we have until recently dismissed and neglected the critical importance of that knowledge.”

Genre: Science, Nonfiction
Actual Rating: 4 stars
Spicy Meter: N/A
Content Warning: N/A

The number of science books I read in comparison to the number of fiction books I read is basically negligible. I think that’s because I already work in a science-focused area, and it’s easier to escape the pressures of being a marine zoologist by reading about made up worlds where people live extraordinarily different lives from what I’ve experienced in mine. But a science book here and there usually doesn’t disappoint.

Just by reading the premise and the introduction to this book, I was instantly reminded of Frans de Waals’s “Are We Smart Enough To Know How Smart Animals Are?”, which is one of my all-time favorite animal behaviour books. So it was no surprise to see Carol Gigliotti quoting this same book later on, on her first chapter.

Written under different prompts, this book will give you a glimpse, both through theory and case studies, into why animals do the things they do. Discussing topics like animal intelligence, communication, building, amongst other things that make animals different, yes, but not necessarily superior, to humans.

This is a well-researched, but heavy read. I would only recommend this book to readers interested in biology, ecology, and animal behaviour. If these aren’t amongst your interests, you might find this book a bit boring. In my case, it served as a reminder of why I love my field of study and why I do what I do and study what I study.

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

Publication Date: November 22, 2022

ARC — To Get To The Other Side — Kelly Ohlert

“Chickira? Henrietta? Princess Lay-A. Hennifer Lopez! Clucky Charm? I’m going to call you Chick-Chick.”

Genre: Romance, Comedy
Actual Rating: 3.5 stars
Spicy Meter: 1 fire emoji
Content Warnings: Discusses sick animals, bullying, child abuse, and frustration and unhealthy parental relationships after practicing a professional sport. Has some sexual innuendos.

“To Get To The Other Side” follows Trixie, Bear, and Chick-Chick—two roommates and a chicken found abandoned in the streets of Chicago. Trixie found Chick-Chick in the middle of the street and, by trying to sneak her into her not-pet-friendly apartment, is kicked out by her landlord. That’s when she finds an ad about a so-called Bear, who’s looking for a roommate and doesn’t mind pets…ish. Obviously a chicken was a bit unexpected, but Trixie and Chick-Chick end up falling right into his routine… perhaps falling in too well. To the point he’s thinking she could be more than just a roommate.

I think the best way to describe this book is as weird? The writing isn’t horrible but the story is just odd. Love at first sight and then close proximity and kind of enemies to lovers for a hot second… and a chicken? Found in the middle of the street? I don’t know. I love fiction just as much as the next chick (no pun intended), but this really wasn’t it for me.

This is a sort of closed-doors-romance, where we know they bang but we don’t know anything about it, if that makes sense. So I wouldn’t call it a clean romance per se, but I also can’t give it much of a spicy rating as is.

I think I didn’t enjoy this book quite as much as I expected. (I’ll blame it on judging a book by its cover). It’s supposed to be a romantic comedy, but I didn’t find any of it funny—more like I found it all very unrealistic. I read to escape my reality, but not in this whimsical, idealistic way. Life isn’t like this. People don’t talk like that.

Trixie is annoying, Bear (who the hell is called Bear?) is fictional at worse, and the name of the chicken is Chick Chick. Need I say more?

I would recommend this book if you’re looking for a short, silly read. No substance, all fluff—and clean fluff at that.

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