Tag Archives: Romance

Enjoy the View — Sarah Morgenthaler — Moose Springs, Alaska #3

Author: Sarah Morgenthaler
Narrator: Elise Arsenault

Genre: Romance
Actual Rating: 4 stars
Narration: 5 mikes
Spicy Meter: 1 fire emojis (pretty closed-doors, I wasn’t made for these kinds of books, I’m exhausted)
Content Warnings: Describes animal cruelty and death, violence, and bullying. Mentions car accidents. Contains some sexual content.

“Enjoy the View ” follows River Lane, a Hollywood actress who’s now trying to make it as a director, as she films her first documentary—funded by the Alaskan government and aimed at the small town of Moose Springs. Little did she know that Moose Springs most definitely did not want to be filmed or showcased as a destination. With none of the permits she thought she’d have, she seta out to climb one of the mountains that surround the quaint town. This is where Easton Lockett comes in. As a mountaineer and search-and-rescue specialist, Easton is tasked with guiding them up the mountain. But one thing he did not expect was to fall for the director on the climb up.

Elise Arsenault comes back in to save the day. The only reason this book has a 4-star rating instead of a 3- or 3.5-star rating was because of Elise. I have loved how her voice seems different for every book, yet she keeps me paying attention. I wouldn’t change a thing about this narration.

Well, there’s definitely a theme here: a scruffy, local man falls in love with, unintentionally, with a beautiful outsider—betraying their locals-only rules that are being upheld by the townspeople in Moose Springs. Does anyone care if they date outsiders? No. But do they act like the world will absolutely fall apart if they do? Indeed.

“Enjoy the View”, as compared to the second book in this series, brings us back into the beautiful Alaskan wild. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, if you’re a fan of outdoorsy activities, wildlife, and remote locations, then you’ll adore Moose Springs.

This series as a whole reminds me of a milder, PG-13 version of the Wild series (I was really holing it’d get spicier with every book, but it didn’t). So, in other words, I loved it. I would highly recommend the Moose Springs, Alaska series.

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Mistletoe and Mr. Right — Sarah Morgenthaler — Moose Springs, Alaska #2

Author: Sarah Morgenthaler
Narrator: Elise Arsenault

Genre: Romance
Actual Rating: 3.5 stars
Narration: 5 mikes
Spicy Meter: 1 fire emojis (this one was also pretty closed-doors, if you ask me)
Content Warnings: Mentions car accidents and death of parents. Discusses sexual harassment. Contains some sexual content.

“Mistletoe and Mr. Right” follows Lana Montgomery, a socialite that comes from a working multimillionaire family, as she tries to win over the town of Moose Springs, Alaska. She’s been coming to this quaint, little town for ages, but now that she has some pull in her family’s company, she’s looking to change things for the better for Moose Springs—the only downfall is that Moose Springs doesn’t want change; it doesn’t even want tourists, really. So when some angry men attack Lana after she announces a new condo development, and Rick Harding, the owner of a local pool hall, steps in to her aid, he immediately catches her eye anew.

Elise Arsenault is an amazing audiobook narrator. I think I partially enjoyed this book as much as I did because of her narration.

I have mixed feelings about this book, because the Lana we see in “Mistletoe and Mr. Right” is definitely not the same Lana we met in “The Tourist Attraction”. And I loved this new Lana, but really disliked the inconsistency. She wasn’t as selfish or shallow this time around—she did not seem like the type of person that would leave their best friend alone, in a bar, in an Alaskan town her friend has never been to. You know, just saying.

I’ll leave a similar endorsement as I did for the first book in this series: If you’re a fan of outdoorsy activities, wildlife, and remote locations, then you’ll adore Moose Springs. And if you’re a sucker for mutual pining, then you’ll adore Lana’s and Rick’s love story.

This book kind if reminded me to a milder, PG-13 version of the Wild series. So, in other words, I loved it. I would highly recommend the Moose Springs, Alaska series.

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The Tourist Attraction — Sarah Morgenthaler — Moose Springs, Alaska #1

Author: Sarah Morgenthaler
Narrator: Elise Arsenault

Genre: Romance
Actual Rating: 4 stars
Narration: 5 mikes
Spicy Meter: 1 fire emojis (pretty closed-doors, if you ask me)
Content Warnings: Describes animal cruelty and death, violence, and bullying. Mentions car accidents. Contains some sexual content.

“The Tourist Attraction” follows Zoey Caldwell, a middle-class hard worker who’s best friends with a multimillionaire who lowkey owns a small town in Alaska called Moose Springs. This leads to Zoey taking a vacation in said town and meeting Graham Barnett, the owner of the unintentionally touristy diner called The Tourist Trap—they immediately hit it off. But it makes no sense. Graham hates tourists, and although he is friends with Zoey’s bestie, Zoey is definitely a tourist… So why does he keep wanting to hang out with her?

This is the first book I’ve listened to that’s been narrated by Elise Arsenault, but it won’t be the last—first, because the other books in this series are also narrated by her, and second, because I absolutely loved her voice.

This is your classical Grump-Meets-Sunshine trope love story, but now in an Alaskan setting. I don’t know who I loved the most, if Graham or Zoey, but what I do know is that they were destined to meet (and I would date them both).

If you’re a fan of outdoorsy activities, wildlife, and remote locations, then you’ll adore Moose Springs. And if you’re a sucker for grumpy guys who’ll take care of you when you’re drunk or defend you when assholes are around, then you’ll adore Graham Barnett.

This book kind if reminded me to a milder, PG-13 version of the Wild series. So, in other words, I loved it. I would highly recommend the Moose Springs, Alaska series.

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So This Is Christmas — Jenny Holiday — Christmas in Eldovia #3

Author: Jenny Holiday
Narrator: Cynthia Farrell

Genre: Romance
Actual Rating: 3.5 stars
Narration: 4 mikes
Spicy Meter: 3 fire emojis (it was all so awkward)
Content Warnings: Discusses homophobia, physical and emotional abuse, gambling addictions, chronic illness disabilities, and parental abandonment. Contains explicit sexual content.

“So This Is Christmas” follows Cara Delaney, a management consultant that is sent to Eldovia to fix the financial crises the country is currently facing due to their declining watch business, and Matteo Benz, the royal consultant of the King of Eldovia. Mr. Benz is set on making life as uncomfortable as possible for the visiting American, but little did he know that his stubbornness could lead to admiration, and perhaps even love.

The audiobook I listened to for this read was alright at best. I enjoyed the story more than the narration, and I didn’t even enjoy the story that much.

Apparently this is the last book in the series, which sucks because this definitely was not the conclusion I was looking for. It can’t really be called a royalty romance anymore, if you ask me—which would’ve been okay, had the two main characters had any true chemistry at all.

This book was more holiday-centric than “Duke, Actually”, which was nice, but I just could not get myself to like this pairing. I think Matteo and Cara were just chaste and in close proximity, and that’s what led to their hook ups. Also, their first kiss happened literally out of nowhere, it was plain out weird (and I know they felt weird about it too, but it still doesn’t justify it. Out in the wild that would be called assault, for real).

And finally, what kind of conclusion was that? This book felt like it didn’t have a real ending. I finished listening to this audiobook and was left wondering what the hell had just happened.

I think maybe just stick to the first two books in this series. “So This Is Christmas”, in my opinion, isn’t worth your time.

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Duke, Actually — Jenny Holiday — Christmas in Eldovia #2

Author: Jenny Holiday
Narrator: Stacy Gonzalez

Genre: Royalty Romance
Actual Rating: 5 stars
Narration: 5 mikes
Spicy Meter: 4 fire emojis (because it made me wait too long)
Content Warnings: Discusses homophobia, physical and emotional abuse, and parental death. Mentions cheating. Contains explicit sexual content.

“Duke, Actually” follows Max von Hansburg, Baron of Laudon and future Duke of Aquilla, as he acquaintances himself with Dani Martinez, a professor and recent divorcée who’s best friends with the soon-to-be husband of the Princess of Eldovia. As they strike up an unlikely friendship, you get to see them both grow into the individuals they’re meant to be—only to be brought back together.

I, once again, have absolutely no complaints about the audiobook recording. As compared to Charlotte North, who narrated the first book and who I’ve listened to various times before, Stacy Gonzalez is a new audiobook actor for me. I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for that name in future audiobooks, as I found her voice versatile and entertaining.

In this royalty romance you’ll get to fall in love with a player (or rake, if you will) that’s only so because he fears his position and future dukedom, and you’ll get to feel for the recent divorcée who, honestly, just wants it to be over with. I absolutely loved them both. Perhaps even more than I loved Leo and Princess Marie.

I feel like this was a tad bit less Christmas-centric as compared to the first book in this series, but perhaps its due to the fact that a whole year passed throughout the course of this book—so, even if we get glimpses at the holidays, it isn’t the only thing we see.

I think if I would recommend starting somewhere in this series, it would be “Duke, Actually”. It’ll definitely get you in a mood for other royalty romances, which is just what Jenny Holiday has to offer with her Christmas in Eldovia series.

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A Princess for Christmas — Jenny Holiday — Christmas in Eldovia #1

“He lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed the back of it.
Because why not? A cabdriver from the Bronx didn’t have that many opportunities to spend the evening with a princess, and when he did—especially if she was a sad princess—he should probably seize the chance to kiss her hand.”

Author: Jenny Holiday
Narrator: Charlotte North

Genre: Royalty Romance
Actual Rating: 5 stars
Narration: 5 mikes
Spicy Meter: 4 fire emojis
Content Warnings: Discusses parental death, grieving, and economic hardships. Mentions the refugee crisis. Has explicit sexual content.

“A Princess for Christmas” is the first book in the Christmas in Eldovia series, and it follows Princess Marie of Eldovia and Leo Ricci of…the Bronx? Leo is a cab driver that’s just doing his best. After his parents die, he is forced to drop out of college, become a taxi driver, and raise his little sister—while barely making ends meet. Then one day his sister spots a “princess” in distress outside of the UN building and they decide to help, even though he’s technically off duty. That’s when these two unlikely lovers meet, but that’s not how their story ends. “A Princess for Christmas” will take you on a Hallmark movie adventure to the European nation of Eldovia, where everyone can fall in love…with the beauty of nature, amongst other things.

This book was literally the definition of “don’t judge a book by its cover”, because, oh, did I hate this cover (but loved this book). I, honest-to-God, have the biggest crush on Leo. He was the perfect man. Someone who sees their own imperfections and seeks to be better, do better. Marie was also so relatable although she was a literal princess? Its kind of hard to explain.

I adored this audiobook. I will literally listen to anything Charlotte North narrates. I have listened to a few of her recording before. This time around, her voice was soothing but captivating. I legit wouldn’t change a thing, hence the 5 mike review.

So, by the time I’m writing this review, I have already read the others in the series, and I can’t really tell which one I liked best. But to hell with it, it’s the holidays season, grab all the books and enjoy these wintery love stories. You won’t regret it.

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Love at First Spite — Anna E. Collins

Genre: Romance
Actual Rating: 4 stars
Spicy Meter: 4 fire emojis
Content Warnings: Discusses cheating, breaking off engagements, and office romances. Describes fires and fire/explosion injuries. Has explicit sexual content.

“Love at First Spite” follows Dani Porter, an interior designer who just broke off her engagement to an entitled, cheating jerk, and Wyatt Montego, an unfriendly (but good-looking) architect that works in the same firm as Dani. When she sees the opportunity to buy and build in the plot beside her ex’s house (that was supposed to be her house), blocking its beach view—she takes it. The only problem is no architect will take her project, except for Wyatt. A serious and critical architect that has lowkey always had a thing for Dani, but she really doesn’t know that. Until she does.

Look, objectively I understand office romances are wrong—but holy, this was so good. All the characters were so likable and the story relatively fast-paced (although the romance not to so much). Dani and Wyatt have great chemistry, although miscommunication was a big stressor here.

The writing was good, but I did see a few plot holes here and there. I don’t want to go into details, but after reading this book, all I am thinking about are those pieces I’m missing.

Overall, I would highly recommend this romance book if you’re looking for a light-ish read that’ll make you go through a great range of emotions in 320 pages.

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Something Wilder — Christina Lauren

“I had to let you go once, (…) you think I’m letting that happen again?”

Author: Christina Lauren
Narrated by: Christina Lauren, Patti Murin, and Jon Root

Genre: Romance
Actual Rating: 4.5 stars
Spicy Meter: 3 fire emojis
Narration: 4 mikes
Content Warnings: Discusses parent death, murder, and kidnapping. Describes hiking and violent injuries. Has explicit sexual content.

“Something Wilder” follows Lily Wilder, daughter of a notorious treasure hunter, and Leo Grady, her first (and, really, only) love, as they are reunited by chance in the middle of the wilderness they adored. A series of events sends them through the treasure-hunting trip of a lifetime. This is definitely an adventure you don’t want to miss.

Have you ever wanted to tackle a lovers-to-estranged-enemies-to-lovers trope book? Well, here’s your chance. “Something Wilder” will take you on horse rides and hikes that only few get a chance to see, all while reuniting two soulmates that only drifted apart due to distance and miscommunication.

I liked the narration of this audiobook, but it took me a few chapter to get used to Leo’s voice—it just wasn’t my cup if tea, but then I learned to love it. If you’re going to grab this book, definitely consider listening to it as an audiobook, it helped the visualization aspect for me, which in this adventure book was a plus.

This wasn’t my favorite Christina Lauren book, both plot- and spicy-wise, but I still enjoyed it truly. I found it weird that the villains could rationalize truly insane behaviors, it almost had a cowboy-soap-opera feel to it. The bad guys were just ridiculous.

But either way, if you’re looking for an outdoorsy romance that has its fair bit of adventure, treasure hunting, and code breaking, then “Something Wilder” is for you.

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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 — The Happiness Project — Kirstie Pelling

“It seems the secret to happiness was there all along, a smiling face, winking at me from the froth.”

Genre: Romance, Women’s Fiction
Actual Rating: 3 stars
Spicy Meter: 1 fire emojis
Content Warnings: Discusses parent death and mental illness. Deep dive into cancel culture. I was honestly struggling so much to read this that I can’t recall anything else.

“The Happiness Project” follows Daisy Blane, a self-proclaimed Happiness Expert while she hasn’t even found happiness herself. That’s all you have to know about this book, really. She gets “canceled” and critiqued for just that a few times. She looks for happiness and love where there is none. But she gets her happily ever after, so at least there’s that.

There are two very unique things about this book: 1) there are no proper quotations just these ‘ ’ little guys and 2) the amount of times the narrator thinks/says “I” will drive you insane. ‘I did this and then I did that.’ It got repetitive and annoying after a while. It almost made me think about DNFing at one point, but I am sort of glad I stuck through.

This is a cute, lighthearted read that is trying to be quirky to a fault. I know we’re supposed to empathize with Daisy, but I just could not connect with her. One would think a panda-looking, adorable dog could save the day, but Doodle really wasn’t enough to save this one for me. This didn’t feel like the Romance books I love, it was much more Women’s Fiction with just a tiny sprinkle of Romance.

I’m not sure I will be recommending this book—unless you’re a big fan of first-person narration, then perhaps this book would be for you.

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

Publication Date: December 1, 2022