ALC Book Review: Unapologetic Love Story by Elle McNicoll

GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★.75
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 400 pages
Author: Elle McNicoll
Publisher: Saturday Books
Release Date: October 13th, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

The dazzling debut new adult romance novel from bestselling author, Elle McNicoll. For fans of Emily Henry’s Book Lovers, this is big-hearted and full of bite!

An unapologetic celebration of love, relationships, and the women who have historically been shut out of such stories, until now . . . Elle McNicoll is about to become everyone’s favorite new name in new adult romance.

Enter Raina Lewis, London’s hottest It Girl – effortlessly cool, endlessly intriguing, and beloved for her smash-hit podcast spotlighting autistic women. But not everyone’s convinced by the hype. Investigative journalist and ‘King of Cancel Culture’, Tom Branimir is sure there’s more to Raina than meets the eye. He’s determined to uncover her secret. That is… if he can just manage not to fall for her first.

Thank you Macmillan Audio for the gifted audiobook.

GREW ON ME.

I loved the way this story was approached. There were a lot of important themes and topics touched about for neurodiverse women. And I liked that at the forefront of the plot. The writing is good and I would be interested to read future books from this author. I also thought the audiobook narrator did a great job but I do wish there had been a separate narrator for Tom’s occasional POV’s. While I can’t speak to every thing in here there were moments where I was like YES THAT’S HOW IT FEELS and I love when a book does that. Raina was a great FMC.

As someone who is kind of tired by everyone having a podcast I didn’t love the continual conversations with podcasts, media, socials, etc. The amount of podcast content that comes across my feed already is plenty. But if you like these things, totally go for it. I think it will hit the spot.

I definitely needed a slower burn. 50%? Nah. I don’t feel like Raina and Tom actually had enough conversations and moments together to start adding spice. He’s very infatuated from the get go which felt insta-love adjacent? Though like I mentioned, it did grow on me. I did not like the third act whatsoever. The usual. BUT I did like the groveling from Tom and the grand gesture worked for me. That at least felt genuine to the plot in place.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary romance
  • Language: moderate-high
  • Romance: 3ish+ open door
  • Content warnings: ableism, misogyny, bullying, body shaming, eating disorder, toxic friendships

Instagram || Goodreads || The StoryGraph

ARC Book Review: Take Me Home (Honey Badger Creek #1) by Leah Brunner

GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Cowboy Romance
Length: 357 pages
Author: Leah Brunner
Publisher: Self publish
Release Date: October 22nd, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Harriet—Hattie—Townsend comes from wealth, is an Olympic show jumper, and the apple of her mother’s eye. Her life is perfect…

Until she discovers that her mother’s been lying to her since the day she was born.

With her world shattered, Hattie is determined to learn her true identity. She sets off on what’s supposed to be a quick trip to Whispering Pines Ranch in Montana, to meet her biological father—a successful equine breeder and ranch owner.

Hattie is less than thrilled when she’s met at the airport by a rusty pickup and her father’s broody ranch hand, Lincoln Galloway. The grump immediately dismisses her as a spoiled Pony Club princess, but she’s determined to prove him wrong.

Hattie and Lincoln have nothing in common—except for a love of horses and a penchant for getting on each other’s nerves. Their heated arguments quickly turn to heated touches, and they find themselves caught up in a whirlwind romance.

Hattie’s life back in California, and Lincoln’s scars, seem like an impossible bridge to gap. Leaving Hattie with a tough choice between the place where she grew up, and what now feels more like home…

Take Me Home is an adult romance with open door scenes. Closed door modifications are provided in the front matter for those wanting to skip these scenes. This book contains frequent innuendo and adult language, as well as grief over the death of loved ones (past) and a tumultuous parent relationship. Please use this content warning to make an informed decision before reading this book.

Thank you Leah Brunner for the opportunity to beta read this book!

I NEED A COWBOY.

Oh I had the BEST time beta reading this book. And I’m so excited that I can leave a review now just to shout how much I loved it!!!

I loved surly Lincoln x feisty Hattie. They played off each other well and the banter was bantering. Added in with some top tier trope choices and I was grinning from ear to ear. it also stood out to me that this was giving major The Simple Wild vibes (which is one of my favorite books!), so getting to have that aura in a whole different setting AND set-up was fantastic. I loved all of the mountain content and your girl now wants to do nothing but watch cowboy reels all day.

The romance is moderately paced with a it’s you quality. That undeniable moment that you’ve met your match. I’m a fan of conversations and arguments that all lead to genuine communication. And all of the side characters were TOP TIER. Don’t even get me started on Hank, Otto, Poppy, Madison, AND MORE. While I sat here and loved on this book it also made me very excited for future reads in this series too.

I liked that Hattie’s Mom was the instigator of I want greatness for you, at any cost rather than her Dad. I feel like it’s often the other way around and seeing this play out was just the right level of drama.

There’s so many scenes I want to love on in this review, but I’m also a fan of not knowing every tidbit going in so just TRUST ME, Leah Brunner has brought it and her cowboy era is going to be immaculate.

Overall audience notes:

  • Cowboy romance
  • Language: moderate
  • Romance: two brief open door
  • Violence: low
  • Content warnings: emotionally manipulative parent, loss of parents (recounted)

Instagram || Goodreads || The StoryGraph

ALC Book Review: It’s Beginning to Look A Lot Like Murder (Kiss, Merry, Kill #2) by Ally Carter

GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Holiday Mystery Romance
Length: 300 pages
Author: Ally Carter
Publisher: Avon
Release Date: October 13th, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

This limited deluxe edition paperback will feature stenciled edges and cover effects – available on the first printing only, so pre-order now!

A billionaire’s grandson and the housekeeper’s daughter square off in this cat-and-mouse holiday romance-mystery from the New York Times bestselling author of The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year.

Ella Chambers didn’t kill Liam Montgomery.

If she had, she certainly wouldn’t have done it outside his family’s mansion during the Christmas party of the year. She definitely wouldn’t have loaded his body into the trunk of her car. And she absolutely would not have announced to the town that the boy who ruined her life ten years ago was “so dead to her.”

But now Liam is missing—nothing but a bloody spot on the drive and a host of unanswered questions—and Ella is the only person who knows he’s still alive.

So it’s up to her to prove it.

Liam Montgomery didn’t want to die.

But, it turns out, when you’re the sole heir to a billionaire, someone might want you dead. Luckily for Liam, being dead works for him.

Now he’s on the hunt for a killer. Unfortunately, Ella is on the hunt for him.

She’ll have to prove he’s still alive to clear her name, but that’s easier said than done in a quaint mountain town where everyone knows your story but no one knows the truth. Can the billionaire’s grandson and the housekeeper’s daughter join forces to catch a killer? Or is their past too steeped in secrets and lies?

As the storm of the century blows in, every step will bring these two childhood rivals closer to a killer—and each other.

Because, this Christmas, only one thing is it’s beginning to look a lot like murder.

Thank you to the publisher for an ALC.

I LOVED THIS BOOOOOOK.


This might be my new favorite of Ally Carter’s. I was down bad from the beginning and it did not let up (complimentary).

The mutual pining between Ella and Liam was top notch. As was the banter. It was sassy and heated and full of *oh my gosh kiss already* nonsense that I adore. The cat and mouse vibes are 100% accurate and you have to go with the audiobook!! Dual narration was top tier. I loved both narrators.

I kind of forgot it was Christmas in this story? But that didn’t bug me at all. I was locked in to the mystery and wondering where things were going next. I liked the the drama and turmoil It does lean on the heavier side (see content warnings) yet it didn’t overwhelm the plot to me and worked well to amplify the themes.

The romance was tender and nuanced. I liked that they both learned new things about each other and found ways to work together. They both had a protective streak I was obsessed with. There was emotional depth and this longing for home (as a person) between Ella and Liam I could not get enough of.

Overall audience notes:
– Christmas Mystery + Romance
– Language: low
– Romance: closed door
– Violence: moderate
– Content warnings: loss of a parent (cancer), murder, attempted murder, gun violence, loss of a grandparent, other mentions of cancer

Instagram || Goodreads || The StoryGraph

Book Review: The Things Gods Break (The Crucible #2) by Abigail Owen

GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★
Audience: Romantasy
Length: 528 pages
Author: Abigail Owen
Publisher: Red Tower
Release Date: October 21st, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

She has won the games of the gods, can she stand against the titans? Lyra may have survived the Crucible, but now she faces an even more dangerous test – a deadly race against time begins in Tartarus.

The games continue in the thrilling and highly anticipated follow-up to the bestselling romantasy The Games Gods Play. Welcome to Tartarus!

AROUND AND AROUND WE GO.

This is the second sequel I’ve read from Abigail Owen that just did not work. I don’t know how or why this book was 21 hours when it just repeated itself OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN. If I hear one more thing about a lock or about how this isn’t the “real” Hades or a conversation surrounding not knowing what year it was I will lose it. BECAUSE SAME.

I’m not sure the plot went anywhere. I’m not sure the romance went anywhere. Being stuck in Tartarus for 500+ pages was a slog. The few small moments I liked did not outweigh my issues.

Will I read the third book? PROBABLY OKAY.

Overall audience notes:

  • Romantasy
  • Language: strong
  • Romance: open door
  • Violence: high

Instagram || Goodreads || The StoryGraph