Tag Archives: ARC

ARC — Too Wrong to Be Right — Melonie Johnson

“Do you think he loves her because of, or in spite of, how awful she is?”

“Both. (…) I think when you love someone, you love them inspite of their flaws, but at the same time, it’s their flaws that make you love them even more. It makes them real. Makes them yours.”

Genre: Romance
Actual Rating: 4.5 stars
Spicy Meter: 2 fire emoji
Content Warnings: Revolves around a funeral home. Discusses death, loss, trauma from past relationships, and neglectful parents.

“Too Wrong to Be Right” follows Kat Kowalski, a florist with the dream of opening up her own and unique flower shop, and Mick O’Sullivan, one of the owners of a local funeral home. After a tumultuous run-in during a funeral service, the pair become friends—friends who feel oddly attracted to each other. But Kat has sworn off these kinds of connections. Her hunches always lead to Mr. Wrongs and now she’s set on finding Mr. Right. But what if Mr. Right on paper isn’t right for her, while Mr. Wrong in theory is?

This was one of the funnest reads I’ve had in a while. This lighthearted, strangers-to-friends-to-lovers romance was something else. Through this book you’re introduced to various groups of friend and two wonderfully quirky families—oh, and two unique pets—and I was there for it. I actually wish I had had more time with them. *cough cough* Please make this a series Melonie, I am begging you.

If you’re looking for a friends to lovers romance, think “Beach Read” by Emily Henry vibes, then “Too Wrong to Be Right” is exactly right 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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ARC provided by NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.

Publication Date: February 28, 2023

P.S. CCC Nights are a mood and right up my alley, lowkey wanting to implement this with my gym rat friends.

Blog Tour ARC — A Game of Hearts and Heists — Ruby Roe

Genre: Romance, Fantasy
Actual Rating: 4 stars
Spicy Meter: 4 fire emojis
Content Warnings: Describes parental death, assassination, and general violence. Contains really explicit sexual content.

“A Game of Hearts and Heists” follows Scarlett Grey, an assassin who’s fallen to ruin, and Quinn Adams, a medic-turned-poisoner. This dark fantasy romance follows these two enemies as they’re forced to work together and ignore their sexual attraction… Until they don’t. But how are you supposed to work alongside someone you don’t trust? Specially when there is so much at stake.

Ah, the sweetness of enemies to lovers in a fantasy world. Fantasy is one of my favorite genres, yet this is my first fantasy read of 2023—and I am so glad this was it. With dual POV, this sadistic story is told beautifully. Ruby Roe has portrayed the most tormented characters and I was there for it. With so many twists and turns, this book will tempt you to read it in one sitting.

I would recommend this read if you’re into dark fantasy romance or are just looking for a unique sapphic story to read. So, grab this steamy romance and see for yourself how enemies can love better than any common lover.

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

Or you could click here, and be redirected to Amazon, so you can order the book.

ARC provided by Paper Myths and Ruby Roe/Sacha Black in exchange for an honest review.

Publication Date: February 10, 2023

ARC — Take The Lead — Alexis Daria

“It’s just you and me, dancing together.”
“And millions of people watching on live TV.”
“You’re not dancing with those people. You’re only dancing with me.”

Genre: Romance
Actual Rating: 5 stars
Spicy Meter: 3 fire emojis
Content Warnings: Discusses racism, sexism, and emotional abuse. Contains explicit sexual content.

“Take The Lead” follows Gina Morales, a latina New Yorker that’s made it in Hollywood as a professional dancer, and Stone Nielson, a TV survivalist who’s made it to the spotlight essentially against his will. Gina is part of the profesional dancer cast of “The Dance Off”, a Dancing-With-The-Stars-esque TV show, and her partner for the season is Stone. They’re are opposite as opposites get, yet their attraction and connection are undeniable. Too bad Gina has sworn off workplace romances… Right?

This book exceeded my expectations in every way. I loved and connected with the characters more than I expected; and I was entertained and captivated by a topic I’m not particularly interested in (dancing and reality TV). I wouldn’t change a single thing about this novel.

I am a fan of Alexis Daria’s writing but I had not read her debut before. Now, with its re-publishing, I am endeared even more. Alexis was my first auto-buy author, and it seems like it’ll be staying that way.

This book is as steamy as they get, in true Daria fashion. I would highly recommend this book if you enjoy close proximity romances and opposites attract situations. Oh, and aren’t afraid of some sexy dancing and dancing, if you know what I mean.

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

Or you could click here, and be redirected to Amazon, so you can order the book.

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

Publication Date: February 14, 2023

ARC — Planning Perfect — Haley Neil

“I can practically see a Pinterest board version of the reception coming together with fairy lights and mismatched vintage china settings and a simple white cake with berries dotted along one side for a pop of color.”

Genre: Young Adult
Actual Rating: 4 stars
Spicy Meter: N/A, it’s clean
Content Warnings: Discusses racism, queerphobia, and ace-phobia.

“Planning Perfect” follows Felicity (Fe) Becker, a high schooler who’s in the asexual spectrum, as she helps plan her mother’s wedding. Looking for a venue for a destination wedding, Felicity’s long distance friend, Nancy, offers up her house and adjacent apple orchard and so it’s set. But as they spend more time together, Felicity’s and Nancy’s friendship blossoms into something more… But what could that something be, given Felicity’s asexuality? Anyways, she doesn’t have time to date because one of the wedding guests is an event planner with a very competitive internship program so Felicity has no time for anything else but to plan the perfect wedding.

This book really resonated with me, as a new adult, because I am currently in the midst of planning my wedding and I now know all too well the hassles and stresses of planning such a particular event. It was also super interesting to listen to Felicity’s inner monologue. My brother is within the asexual spectrum and seeing how Felicity thought really gave me another perspective as to how that could feel and the struggles they can face.

I really enjoyed how these chapters were being separated, instead of just “Chapter One” etc. etc., they used chapter divisions to give context about when things were happening, life for example “Two hours and six minutes after the engagement” or “Twenty one days until the wedding” and so on and so forth. That made flashbacks and the timeline in general more understandable and I loved it.

This was such a unique YA read. I feel like it’s the perfect gift for young readers who are just starting to get into the world of reading and romance. With a very diverse set of characters that goes through extensive personal growth, we get to see a lovely story unfold in a beautiful forest-y setting.

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 Holly Ruck and Bloomsbury YA through Edelweiss Plus in exchange for an honest review.

Publication Date: February 14, 2023

“Sure, Nancy knows that I’m on the ace-spectrum, but I don’t think she realizes what that means.
She wants intimacy; she wants passion. I can’t be the one to give those things to her.”

ARC — Not Your Valentine — Jackie Lau

Genre: Romance
Actual Rating: 4 stars
Spicy Meter: 4 fire emoji
Content Warnings: Discusses parental abandonment and going viral over something embarrassing. Contains explicit sexual content.

“Not Your Valentine” follows Helen Tsang, a chemistry lab instructor, as she decides that the best way to get people to stop asking her about her relationship status after having a very public break up was to start fake-dating her high school best friend.

This book is your perfect fake-dating, friends to lovers novella. It’s also described as a grumpy/sunshine situation—I honestly didn’t see it that way, but that doesn’t mean I loved it any less. Set around Valentine’s Day, this is a perfect seasonal read for February. The cover doesn’t have much to do with the actual story and I hate misleading covers, but it’s cute so I’ll let it pass.

I would highly recommend this novella if you’re looking for a short romance that’ll give you all the spice and all the aw’s you’ll need for days.

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

Or you could click here, and be redirected to Kobo, so you can order the book.

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

Publication Date: January 24, 2023

ARC — The Friendship Breakup — Annie Cathryn

“I am grateful for the experience of our friendship. Rather than continuing to force the friendship at the cost of losing myself, it’s okay to recognize the friendship has run its course and served its purpose, and to let it go. (…) When I think back to the term BFF, I realize the promise of forever isn’t always guaranteed. It’s more like forever for now.”

Genre: Women’s Fiction
Actual Rating: 5 stars
Spicy Meter: 1 fire emoji
Content Warnings: Discussed unhealthy relationships, infertility, divorce, and friendship breakups (duh).

“The Friendship Breakup” follows Fallon Monroe, a mom-of-one and aspiring chocolatier, as she travels through life after her best mom friends ghost her, and refuse to tell her why.

It took me a while to finish this book but that’s only a reflection on how busy I have been—because once I grabbed it with a bit of free time, I couldn’t put it down. How is this Annie Cathryn’s debut? It’s astounding.

The climax was so cathartic, reminding us that sometimes its okay if things get messy. The premise in general was captivating and beautifully executed. I literally would not change a thing about this book.

This book is heartbreaking in a way that, I feel, most of us will understand. In early adulthood and I can only assume that beyond, we lose friends. Only a lucky few have had the same friends since childhood. Even if you have a few old friends, new ones tend to come and go—and sometimes we don’t even know why, and sometimes the reasons don’t even have much to do with us. That’s why I related so much to Fallon, even if I am not more than just a dog mom and engaged to be married.

I looked at “The Friendship Breakup” and I pondered about where me and my friends and my significant other will be 10 or 20 years from now. How much would change, how much would stay the same. I’ll be carrying this book with me for a while.

I would highly recommend this to any young or new adult, no matter what stage of your life you’re in. It’s described as a mom-com, but really it’s so much more. “The Friendship Breakup” will bring you lessons of friendship, relationships, parenthood, and following your dreams. Seriously, I cannot recommend it enough.

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

Or you could click here, and be redirected to Amazon, so you can order the book.

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

Publication Date: February 7, 2023

ARC — The Sweet Spot — Amy Poeppel

Genre: Women’s Fiction
Actual Rating: 3 stars
Spicy Meter: N/A
Content Warnings:Mentions parental death, cheating, and abandonment.

“The Sweet Spot” follows multiple points of views to tell a story of three women—women at different stages of life and who don’t particularly like each other—as they face the oddest of situations. Lauren is a ceramic artist who’s happily married and has 3 kids. What she was not intending was to cause Melinda’s husband to leave her after 30 years of marriage, simply by giving a small pep talk to the art curator who was having an affair with Melinda’s husband. Melinda worked in HR at a firm for years, but after finding herself forcefully retired after an incident, she ends up working as a school receptionist. What Melinda was not intending was to get Olivia fired after Olivia had a confrontation with Melinda at the mistress’s store and it goes viral on Tiktok. And what none of them expected was to find a baby upon their doorstep.

Getting to meet Lauren first, Melinda second, and Olivia last, these interlacing points of view bring us a story that’s so sad and improbable that it’s comical. These three ladies and a few of the side characters have so many flaws that aren’t regularly portrayed in fiction. Amy Poeppel gives us a very unique story in “The Sweet Spot.”

But I can already see from the reviews on Goodreads that my opinion is the unpopular one this time around. I really enjoyed the whimsicality of the characters, but the story never fully captivated me. I did not DNF this book out of pure willpower and stubbornness, because I honestly was done with this narrative at around 20%.

It’s complicated because the book is really well-written and the characters are thoroughly constructed and fairly unique, yet I did not empathize with any of them. I was not interested in their story and their lives and their problems. Lauren’s struggles with her commissions, Melinda’s grudge over someone steeling her husband, and Olivia’s unemployment after a meltdown inspired barely any emotion in me.

Although this book wasn’t my cup of tea, I would recommend it to readers who have enjoyed books by Sally Rooney, especially “Conversations with Friends”, and books by Frederik Backman, especially “Anxious People” and “My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry”.

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

Or you could click here, and be redirected to Amazon, so you can order the book.

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

Publication Date: January 31, 2023

ARC — The Second You Are Single — Cara Tanamachi

Genre: Romance
Actual Rating: 4 stars
Spicy Meter: 2 fire emojis
Content Warnings: Mentions miscarriages in the second trimester, childhood cancer, and cheating. Discusses fat shaming and abandonment issues after divorce and other negative romantic experiences.

“The Second You Are Single” follows Sora Reid, a freelance writer who pitches the concept of ‘Solo February’ after a series of negative dating experiences. Little did she know that it would go viral and that, in the middle of all of it, she’d run into her childhood best friend, Jack Mann. Jack, who is now a pastry chef, had the hugest crush on Sora growing up, and can’t wait to reconnect. But Sora can’t. Solo February, and all… They’ll have to wait ‘till March. Sure, that’s plausible. Unless they don’t.

Well, having been in a stable relationship for the last 7 years, I thought I wouldn’t relate that much to the Solo February challenge, but I was a tiny bit wrong there. This was still a very fun and empowering read, having Solo February branch into self cafe rather than just having it be a men-ban.

I loved all the representation in this book—from different cultures and ethnicities, to different bodies. I did feel like they went a little overboard with Sora’s love for bacon, it seemed satirical at best, but if I kind of block that out this book was near perfect. We got to see how Sora and Jack reconnect and get to know each other as adults, we see the tension and chemistry build, this wasn’t exactly some unrealistic insta-love story.

I would highly recommend this book. It feels like the perfect Valentine’s or Galentine’s Day gift, so definitely add it to your wishlists and TBRs!!

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

Or you could click here, and be redirected to Amazon, so you can order the book.

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

Publication Date: January 31, 2023

ARC — Josh and Gemma the Second Time Around — Sarah Ready — Josh and Gemma #2

“I loved you yesterday. (…) I love you today. (…) I’ll love you tomorrow.”

Author: Sarah Ready
Narrators: Erin Mallon

Genre: Romance
Actual Rating: 5 stars
Narration: 5 mikes
Spicy Meter: 4 fire emojis
Content Warnings: Describes eclampsia and memory loss after being in a coma. Contains explicit sexual content.

What happens after the happily ever after? That’s what we’re set to find out in this sequel. “Josh and Gemma the Second Time Around” follows Gemma as she readjusts to the reality that love sometimes isn’t what you think. It isn’t fireworks all the time. It isn’t a fairytale. It is hard, and it changes over time. After a critical event, Gemma is left feeling… nothing? Not even for Josh, the man (and baby daddy) who has always made her feel too much. Josh is willing to give it another go—but is Gemma?

Erin Mallon is something else. She’s slowly becoming my favorite female narrator, that’s all I’m saying. Her voice really took us through this heart-wrenching journey.

But, ultimately, this book is as heartbreaking as it is heartwarming. I am so mad at Sarah Ready for doing this to us, I legit could not handle it. But at the same time I am so grateful that she gave us more Josh and Gemma.

Throughout this book, we get to see more of the characters we loved and hated the first time around. In the first book we got to explore heavy topics like infertility, IVF, and miscarriages. In this second book we get to see what happens when life doesn’t go as expected. How “in sickness and in health” can be applied even before you’re officially married. We see Gemma land in a coma after suffering from pre-eclampsia. We see her lose her feelings. We see her come back.

I cannot recommend this series enough. Yes, it has nice tropes, like dating your brother’s best friend, etc., but it’s so much more than that. These books bring true human emotions, they explore narcissism, they describe trauma—Sarah Ready really exceeded my expectations with “Josh and Gemma the Second Time Around.”

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ARC provided by NetGalley and Swift & Lewis Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

Publication Date: January 26, 2023

ARC — Georgie, All Along — Kate Clayborn

“This will be so good for you, Georgie. (…) You’ll finally be able to do all the things you want to do.”

Genre: Romance
Actual Rating: 5 stars
Spicy Meter: 4 fire emojis
Content Warnings: Discussed unhealthy relationships with parents, vandalism and crime, and being fired. Mentions drug use and fire arms. Contains explicit sexual content.

“Georgie, All Along” follows Georgie Mulcahy, a former Hollywood personal assistant, as she moves back to her small hometown to help her pregnant best friend on her last trimester and to figure out what she wants to do with her life moving forward. Whilst cleaning her besties storage room, they find a notebook they wrote right before starting high school, where they documented all the things they wanted to do back then—and then ended up not doing any of them. Georgie takes this as her sign. This notebook-bucketlist-thingy will help her find herself—and with the aid of her best friend and Levi Fanning, the older brother of her biggest teenage crush who’s crashing at Georgie’s parents’ place, she might accomplish just that.

Okay, so, thanks to this book, Kate Clayborn has become an instant-buy author for me. Like, “Georgie, All Along” was the last book I read in 2022 and yet I still know it will end up in my 2023 wrapped, right among my favorite reads of this year. It wasn’t just the spicy aspect to it, even though it was great—this book had so much character growth and development. The miscommunications are infuriating but justified. The love is not a slow-burn but it takes its time to settle in.

If you’re looking for a book that’ll make you feel things, then look no further. “Georgie, All Along”, in all its small town glory, will make you sniffle quite a bit. I don’t remember ever rooting for two characters as strongly as I rooted for Georgie and Levi. I’m all for a supportive significant other. I would legit date them both.

As Levi is a former bad boy, do expect to read about some triggering events. They don’t go into explicit details with drug use and such, but these things are mentioned, so if that isn’t your speed, maybe be careful about this one—although it, overall, isn’t the most prominent matter.

I would highly recommend this book to readers who enjoy close proximity tropes and former-bad-guy vibes, and who aren’t afraid of some spiciness in their reads. The chemistry between Georgie and Levi is undeniably, and they’re making it everyone’s business (and I’m here for it).

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 Kensington Books in exchange for an honest review.

Publication Date: January 24, 2023

“It’s a bucket list, (…) except you’re doing it to start something, not to end it. What’s the opposite of a bucket?”

p.s. I would give so much for a friendship like Bel and Georgie’s.