I was so excited for this second chance, fake dating romance and was unfortunately left disappointed. This was a second chance romance and Ki2.5 stars
I was so excited for this second chance, fake dating romance and was unfortunately left disappointed. This was a second chance romance and Kian and Hudson had dated for a year and a half and literally felt like strangers. I wouldn't have believed they had ever dated if they hadn't told us in the book. Kian was so insecure around Hudson and would CONSTANTLY bring up his money. If you guys had dated before, why are you still hung up on that? And we never even learn why they broke up. We just know that Kian was devastated and Hudson now wants to fake date at a dinner for his parents. I had a really hard time liking Kian and we had his POV for the entire book. He felt very juvenile and I didn't love how he talked about Hudson. And the third act break up was more annoying to me than anything, so it was really hard for me to enjoy this book. ...more
I was really enjoying the beginning of this book and how Renee was in the middle of a divorce and meets Lorenzo and they immediately hit it off. ReneeI was really enjoying the beginning of this book and how Renee was in the middle of a divorce and meets Lorenzo and they immediately hit it off. Renee doesn't want to move on while she's still married, though, and Lorenzo is pretty patient with her. As far as the plot goes, though, I wasn't a fan of the pacing. Lorenzo and Renee are officially together about halfway through the book, which I don't like in my romances. I wasn't a fan at all of the third act break up conflict and was surprised Lorenzo had kept that secret for the months they were together. These two characters just didn't communicate and it blew up in their faces. So while the beginning was good, it lost my interest as the story went on. ...more
This was such a beautiful and heartbreaking romance. I really love romances that take place with flashTW for drug use, self harm, death of a loved one
This was such a beautiful and heartbreaking romance. I really love romances that take place with flashbacks to the past, which is what this one was. We meet Eva and she's a romance writer and single mom. At an event she's at for books, Shane shows up. Shane is a literary fiction author, super successful, and also someone from Eva's past. They spent a week together when they were teenagers when things went horribly wrong. Shane and Eva have to confront who they were, who they are now, and what exactly went wrong in their past. There is so much trauma in their pasts and they are still trying to work through that both on their own and together. I really loved Shane's fight to be where he is now and Eva's experience as a single mom. Eva's relationship was so special with her daughter and I really loved her daughter's role in the story. The romance between Eva and Shane was just so powerful and I loved reading their story! ...more
This was such a cute and fun romance! Kareena is 30 and her family has been pressuring her to marry. Even though she has a successful career, she hasnThis was such a cute and fun romance! Kareena is 30 and her family has been pressuring her to marry. Even though she has a successful career, she hasn't been successful in life according to her family because she's still single. Prem, on the other hand, is still single because he lost someone in his life and doesn't believe in love. Kareena and Prem meet and have a one night stand gone wrong. Kareena is humiliated and angry, so when she sees Prem at a work event for her sister, she goes off on him. On a live stream. The world knows they hate each other, but they both need to get married for different reasons and decide to fake date to get what they want for their professional lives. Kareena is still trying to date on apps and with people her aunties set her up with, but it's impossible to find someone genuine and who she could see herself with. Unless she's on a fake date with Prem, that is. The two can't stop thinking about each other. I loved how they were fake dating and would rather be with each other than trying to date other people. Prem did get frustrating with how he would not go all in with Kareena because he was STILL adamant that love didn't exist. He had a lot to go through, though, which he eventually does before the end of the book. There was a lot going on in the plot of book and a lot of family dynamics, but I ended up enjoying that and this romance! ...more
This was so cute! I do think the ending was a bit abrupt, but I loved that the characters had a one night stand while they were both traveling. Jemma This was so cute! I do think the ending was a bit abrupt, but I loved that the characters had a one night stand while they were both traveling. Jemma included that in her book she wrote and is horrified when she finds out he's the neighbor of her family. IT was fun seeing them dance around each other and then get closer. Like I said, I wish the ending was a bit more fleshed out, but this was another fun novella in this series! ...more
I loved the first book in this series, so I'm happy I finally picked this one up. Marlie is working as a spy for the Union and met our hero 3.5 Stars
I loved the first book in this series, so I'm happy I finally picked this one up. Marlie is working as a spy for the Union and met our hero while volunteering in a prison he was a prisoner in. She meets him again when he's escaped and injured and needs a safe place to stay. Their romance was slow and sweet, but it was my least favorite thing about the book. I much more enjoyed Marlie's journey translating her mother's journal and uncovering who her father was. There are also a lot of moments where you don't know if Marlie and Ewan will be found out because there are Confederate soldiers always around and even staying in Marlie's house. There were some slower parts in the middle and the end and I wasn't as engaged in the story of our characters as I was in book one, but it was still an enjoyable historical romance. ...more
This started out as a great second chance romance! Briyana left town for college and before anything romantic could happen between her and La3.5 stars
This started out as a great second chance romance! Briyana left town for college and before anything romantic could happen between her and Lance. Now, she's back home after college and Lance is a hot-shot NFL player. They run into each other and Lance knows he wants Briyana now, but she's much more hesitant. I loved how they danced around each other but couldn't stop thinking about each other. They had to deal with their feelings from the past and what that meant for the present. Where things kind of petered out for me was about 80% into the book. The couple was pretty much established and there was just other drama that was involved that I didn't really care about. This had more to with their jobs, and if the conflict is not longer about the relationship, I'm not as interested anymore. But I love that our hero was an NFL player and that they had the chance to reconnect as adults! ...more
This was really cute! I don't think the audiobook is the way to go with this one because there are so many characters and I got a little confused whilThis was really cute! I don't think the audiobook is the way to go with this one because there are so many characters and I got a little confused while reading who was who and the timeline of things, but I thought the romance was cute and I felt so much for Zayneb and the prejudices she faced because she's Muslim. Adam has been recently diagnosed with MS and hasn't told his family yet, and I loved having a character with a chronic illness in a YA book. Both Zayneb and Adam are dealing with such serious and heavy things, so I loved they had the hope and happiness of each other while they were navigating their individual struggles. ...more
This one was definitely an interesting read that went in a direction I was not expecting. I'm not sure I enjoTW substance abuse, loss of a loved one.
This one was definitely an interesting read that went in a direction I was not expecting. I'm not sure I enjoyed how the second half of this book went. I felt like there was so much unfinished and I'm left wanting so many answers. We were leading towards a moment that was super important for Blade, but it had such a big build up and such little time spent on it when it actually happened. And we're supposed to believe Blade found closure and that's exactly what he had wanted. It felt like it was too convenient and just not authentic. Blade also has a father who is a former rock star, so a lot of things happened that seemed virtually impossible for anyone else who wasn't a millionaire. He flew to Africa at the drop of a hat, they had a tour bus with showers in Africa? Again, it just felt odd and like it didn't really fit in the story. I did enjoy the exploration fo the relationship between Blade and his dad and sister, but a lot left me wanting more. ...more
Ummm this was so good and this is one of Beverly Jenkins' books that I rarely hear people talking about! Grace works at a bank and her cousi4.5 stars
Ummm this was so good and this is one of Beverly Jenkins' books that I rarely hear people talking about! Grace works at a bank and her cousin asks her to bring a bunch of mail order brides from Chicago to Kansas for the men to marry. Grace decides to help her cousin and rounds up a group of women who want a husband in Kansas. The only thing Grace needs is a man to escort the women on the long trip. When Grace meets Jackson, her last hope of getting someone to escort them, I loved how fun their meet-cute was and how they immediately butt heads with one another. They are both very strong-headed and do not like to stand down. Grace and Jackson have undeniable chemistry, but they don't want to give in to their attraction. As they take this journey, though, it's harder and harder to ignore. I loved the journey to Kansas and really loved the growth of the attraction between our two characters. I didn't love the direction the book took at the end as much, but I still loved how much they had to fight to be together. I wasn't the biggest fan of a trope the was used and how stubborn Jackson was being, but I knew that we had two stubborn main characters who were bound to sabotage themselves. But this was just so fun and unique and I would definitely recommend picking this up! ...more
Wow this was SPICY. What a way to end the series! Nessa and Blue run into each other when Blue orders motorcycles for his MC from Nessa's business. HeWow this was SPICY. What a way to end the series! Nessa and Blue run into each other when Blue orders motorcycles for his MC from Nessa's business. He's instantly attracted to Nessa and lets her know it. They enter a pretty hot and heavy physical relationship. Their physical relationship was definitely there and you could feel the chemistry. I wish we got a little more romance between the two to believe they were actually falling for each other, but overall this was fun. We get to know both Nessa and Blue and see them interact with their families. This was a fun and quick series that has a trope for everyone! ...more
This was such an interesting contemporary YA romance with a twist of magic. Evie's parents are divorced and Evie doesn't believe in love anymore. ThenThis was such an interesting contemporary YA romance with a twist of magic. Evie's parents are divorced and Evie doesn't believe in love anymore. Then, when a strange interaction gives her powers to see the course of a relationship from start to end with a glimpse of a kiss, Evie DEFINITELY doesn't believe in love. Watching every romance end in heartbreak, who would? But then Evie finds herself at a dance studio and entering a dance competition with this boy who just might change her mind...but she's terrified of risking her own heart. This book was definitely complex in the emotions Evie feels and the things she sees about the people she loves the most. Her sister, her best friends, her parents...I think bittersweet is the perfect way to describe this book! ...more
This was such a great friends to lovers romance! Des and Trace wake up married in Vegas and Des is shocked. Especially with what happens between them This was such a great friends to lovers romance! Des and Trace wake up married in Vegas and Des is shocked. Especially with what happens between them once she wakes up and realizes they're married. Des and Trace have been best friends for the past 20 years, but they never got together because they were too young and naive and knew they'd ruin their friendships. Little did Des know, Trace has had feelings for Des for years now, but he knew Des loved her independence and was doing well on her own. I loved how Trace was the one admitting he had feelings and seriously wanted to give their relationship a try. Des was okay with being single because she's never needed a man or kids to be fulfilled. She grapples with her sudden desire for Trace and a life with him and it was just so sweet! I love this series of novellas and I can't wait to read the last one of the series! ...more
This was such an adorable Pride and Prejudice retelling! I love romances that revolved around food and this one definitely has a lot of baking. Liza lThis was such an adorable Pride and Prejudice retelling! I love romances that revolved around food and this one definitely has a lot of baking. Liza loves baking and her parents host an annual baking contest. She asks her mom if she can participate and instead her mom makes her one of the judges. What Liza soon realizes, though, is that her mom is using the baking contest as a dating contest where the guys are competing for Liza. Liza is mortified, but she is definitely interested in James, one of the contestants who she finds infuriating but also extremely intriguing and handsome. While the baking contest doesn't actually start until halfway through the book, there is necessary set up in the beginning of Liza and James' relationships as well as Liza's relationship with her mom and her sister. I enjoyed how much Liza's sister was in the book and how Liza and her mom's relationship developed and changed by the end of the book. The baking competition was really fun and I loved all of the food in this book! If you want a fun YA romance with a dating competition, I would recommend this one! ...more
I picked this up because Starlahreads was raving about it and I was excited to see my Hoopla had the audiobook. This one is about a boy named Andre whI picked this up because Starlahreads was raving about it and I was excited to see my Hoopla had the audiobook. This one is about a boy named Andre who just received a liver transplant. With his transplant, though, comes the ability to time travel and Andre finds himself traveling back to the 1960s and meeting a boy who lives in the house Andre currently lives with his family. The two start falling for each other, but Andre is trying to understand where his powers come from as he starts to also fall for someone from his current time. As a love triangle, this was cute, but I do think more development needed to happen with both romances. I feel like we didn't get enough time with Andre and his two love interests to actually believe he was falling for both of them. I did love the whole time traveling aspect of this book and how Andre was learning about how he came about those powers and how to control them. This was definitely a unique story and I really loved all of the characters involved, I just wanted a little bit more development of the romances. ...more
Lately, romances I've been picking up have started out SO GOOD and engaging, but then they kind of lose my interest by the end. The same thi3.5 Stars
Lately, romances I've been picking up have started out SO GOOD and engaging, but then they kind of lose my interest by the end. The same thing happened with this book. In the beginning, I was so into this story. Alicia is an ex-assassin and still has missing memories from her time as part of that organization. Alicia ends up finding a few people from that same organization and ends up turning to Cree, a detective, for help. Alicia and Cree have undeniable chemistry and find themselves unable to resist each other. I really enjoyed the beginning and how Alicia was trying to figure out her tie to these women she found herself stumbling upon, but about halfway through this book I was losing interest in the story. There was a lot of talk about people and who was involved with what. I got lost in all the names and connections and didn't find myself invested in that mystery. There was also this side-plot of Cree and another woman that felt very random and wasn't something I really loved. While the beginning was action-packed and so intriguing, I wasn't a fan of the pacing and end of this book. I preferred book one over this book, but I still recommend checking this series out!...more
When I started this book, I was really enjoying the story. Unfortunately, this ended not being a romance for me. Kell is a lawyer and gets a call fromWhen I started this book, I was really enjoying the story. Unfortunately, this ended not being a romance for me. Kell is a lawyer and gets a call from the woman who raised her that she needs her help after a murder in town. Kell shows up and immediately runs into Luke, a police officer who grates on her nerves. Luke and Kell end up working together to figure out who the murderer is while falling for each other in the process. I enjoy a good romantic suspense, but this was more of a romantic mystery with not a whole lot of suspense. I think the story dragged on a bit too long and, by the end, I really didn't care about the mystery. The romance was fine, but not strong enough to make me really love this book. I'm glad I gave this a try, but because I'm not a huge mystery fan when not a lot is really at stake, I didn't love this one ....more
At the start of this book, I was really enjoying the romance. I will say, I did question why Daisy never questions Liam about why he stood he3.5 stars
At the start of this book, I was really enjoying the romance. I will say, I did question why Daisy never questions Liam about why he stood her up for prom and broke her heart. You'd think after not seeing each other for 10 years after that night, she'd at least ask him what happened...instead, we don't have that until over 60% into the book. I thought the romance was cute, though, and I enjoyed how Liam and Daisy had to fake date. They have a history because Liam was Daisy's brother's best friend and it was fun watching them get to know each other again and grow to like each other as they went on fake date. I did, though, start to lose interest a bit during the last 30%. Liam didn't really grovel at all and the third act break up was annoying because it didn't really have a reason. If the couple just talked to each other, the last 30% could have been avoided. While it was a fun enough read, I was left wanting more at the end. ...more
What a pleasant surprise! I did not expect to enjoy this book as much as I did, but I could not put it down! From the start, I loved Meddy's relati4.5
What a pleasant surprise! I did not expect to enjoy this book as much as I did, but I could not put it down! From the start, I loved Meddy's relationship with her mom and aunts. Their banter and bickering was so cute, and I loved how Meddy's family showed up for her when she accidentally murdered her blind date. Did I mention how funny this book was? Because I laughed out loud and gasped so much while reading because of the crazy twists and turns in this plot. Does it get a bit over the top at times? Of course. But that's what made it so entertaining! I loved how the author really kept us on our toes and I had no idea where anything was going.
The only reason I took half a star off is because so much more could have been developed with the romance between Meddy and Nathan. I loved the few flashback chapters we had of them in college, but I would have loved more development in the present to show them reconnecting and falling in love again. I do think Nathan forgave Meddy a little too easily and I would have loved to see her grovel a bit more. But overall, I would definitely recommend picking this up if you're in the mood for a fun read! ...more
Such a beautifully written and complex story. This is a book I have always heard about, but I did not know exactly who the people in the elevator our Such a beautifully written and complex story. This is a book I have always heard about, but I did not know exactly who the people in the elevator our main character would talk to as he is on his way to kill the person who killed his brother. When I learned who those people were, this story instantly captivated me and I could not put it down. So many important and complex themes are discussed and the writing is simply stunning. I could not recommend this story enough! ...more