ALC Book Review: Stranger Things Have Happened by Kasie West

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Rating: ★★★★.25
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 352 pages
Author: Kasie West
Publisher: Saturday Books
Release Date: April 14th, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Can fake dating lead to real love? In Kasie West’s next sexy adult romcom two people must decide where the lie ends and the chemistry begins.

Sutton knows she needs therapy. After all, she’s managing her newly opened restaurant remotely while taking care of her ungrateful sick mother. Plus, her boyfriend of two years just dumped her over the phone. But does therapy with a handsome stranger, who she has to pretend to be engaged to, in order to help her friend’s struggling relationship count? Probably not. Then why did she just agree to go? Because she’s had a few too many drinks? Because this stranger, Elijah, is smug and annoying and really, really handsome? Because she feels guilty that she abandoned her best friend, Tara, after high school and this might just make up for it? Whatever the reason, she has committed to this unhinged plan.

What the hell is Sutton doing?

Helping Tara prove a point: a good therapist can tell the difference between real love and fake love. That’s what she’s doing. But as they attend their sessions, Sutton and Elijah only seem to be proving one thing—the lines between pretend desire and real desire are very blurry. This true connection forming between them is threatening to unravel everything Sutton thought she knew about family, friendship, and her own heart.

Thank you Macmillan Audio for the gifted audiobook.

THIS WAS FANTASTIC.

Oh so I’m totally here for this?? Easily my new favorite adult romance from Kasie West. I flew through this without a thought because I was smitten with the relationship between Sutton and Elijah. The chemistry burned well and I loved the small ways they started showing up for each other. I think the concept of going to therapy to see if the therapist could tell was an interesting idea and fun for the story.

It lost me a little in the second half because the spice felt ramped up unnecessarily. And I had a few thought about the third act? But it wasn’t a total bother. I’m grateful things for Tara went the way I thought they should and the growth for all of the characters [except one who I won’t name].

And Sutton’s Mom bugged me too, but I digress.

I just really loved Sutton and Elijah together. They felt like a well matched pair and it was simple to fall into their love story. I loved all of the little pieces that made this book sing.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: mild
  • Romance: 4ish+ open door
  • Violence: low
  • Content warnings: absent parent, a parent recovering from a bad car wreck

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Book Review: Broken Souls and Bones (Stonegate #1) by L.J. Andrews

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Fantasy Romance
Length: 480 pages
Author: L.J. Andrews
Publisher: Ace
Release Date: April 29th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Together they’ll restore a divided kingdom—or burn it down—in this new romantasy from USA Today bestselling author and TikTok sensation LJ Andrews.

Lyra Bien intended to live a quiet life to avoid the attention of the magic-obsessed king in the fortress of Stonegate. Until Roark Ashwood—the prince’s silent guard and rumored killer for the crown—invades her village and uncovers the truth behind the silver scars in her eyes. To save her best friend from death, she’s forced to reveal her abilities, and is immediately claimed by the crown as the next melder.

To be the King’s melder is to be revered and feared in equal measures, but above all it is a slow death sentence. Lyra is determined to find a way to free herself and her friends from bondage. But first she must get more information from the silent, brooding sentry who first took her captive: Roark.

As Lyra gets closer to Roark, she soon learns he’s nothing like she assumed—and in fact everything she needs. The more they work as allies, the harder it becomes to ignore the growing passion between them. After a sinister truth is revealed, Roark and Lyra must choose to stand against all they know, or accept their dark destiny.

GREAT START.

I have been looking forward to this book since its announcement and I loooved the audiobook. It was a great story with a true slow burn that had an ending making me neeeed book two.

I was most invested in the romance. Watching the genuine connection from enemies to lovers was top tier. This is a trope that LJ Andrews continues to write incredibly well. There’s not a rush to lust. Providing banter and those moments to see each other in another light sets the scene for off the charts chemistry.

My mind did wander a bit in the first half and I struggled to stay fully engaged, and I think that settled in the back half. The characters and found family are another strong aspect that I often see in Andrews books. I feel like this gave the air of the usual cadence I’ve read in romantasy with some unique things that I loved seeing too.

Overall audience notes:

  • Fantasy Romance
  • Language: strong
  • Romance: 3+ open door
  • Violence: high

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ARC Book Review: Until Next Summer by Allison Ashley

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Rating: ★★★
Audience: YA Contemporary Romance
Length: 336 pages
Author: Allison Ashley
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Release Date: May 5th, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A teen starts to fall for the boy she and her best friend agreed was off-limits while building a relationship with the new guy in town at the same time in this seaside teen romance perfect for fans of The Summer I Turned Pretty.

Amelia’s summers in Cape Cod have always been about three spending as much time in the ocean as possible, hanging out with her best friend Kat, and crushing on Myles Ford, her and Kat’s forever dream boy. But this summer, Kat’s leaving their little beach town to get a head start on tennis training at her new boarding school. Kat’s always been the social one in their friendship, the one who made things happen, and Amelia’s just been along for the ride. Without Kat, Amelia’s…adrift.

Amelia’s job at the local seafood joint keeps her busy, and Pearl’s just so happens to employ the one and only Myles. As Amelia and Myles get to know each other, Amelia realizes there’s more to him than she thought, which complicates things when Myles starts to show interest in her. Because ever since Amelia and Kat decided Myles was the epitome of crush-worthiness, they agreed he was off-limits so no boy would ever come between them.

And when another boy comes into Amelia’s life—a newcomer in town who makes Amelia look at life differently—Amelia will have to risk her closest friendship for a romance fit for a Nicholas Sparks novel or take a chance on a boy who might not stick around for long?

Thank you Simon Teen for the gifted eARC.

I’M NOT SURE.

I just couldn’t get behind this one. I don’t read a lot of YA contemporary romances anymore but I love Allison Ashley’s adult romances so I wanted to try this one out too.

I did love the atmosphere of the plot. It has a very nostalgic summer quality to it where I wanted to be at the beach and pier too (a la The Last Song or The Summer I Turned Pretty). And that was probably my biggest win in regards to the book. I think most of it worked fine, though I am confused if there’s going to be a sequel?? I’m not going to lie, you’ll probably find me reading that too.

The love triangle didn’t work for me because it felt pretty obvious what direction it should go in and now I’m leery of the ending? Once again, not knowing if there’s another book coming. Some of the content (multiple underage drinking parties and a few sex discussions) make this for a little bit older of a YA crowd even though the writing was on the younger side of that spectrum.

I liked Amelia. I thought she felt like a teenager and responded overall, the way I figured. Which isn’t a bad thing. I don’t love friend to friend drama over a boy though and that bugged me as the book went forward.

Thoughts are all a bit scattered, but here we are.

Overall audience notes:

  • YA Contemporary Romance
  • Language: mild
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: low
  • Content warnings: loss of a parent (recounted), underage drinking, alcohol poisoning (small side character)

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Book Review: Carl’s Doomsday Scenario (Dungeon Crawler Carl #2) by Matt Dinniman

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Fantasy/Sci-Fi
Length: 371 pages
Author: Matt Dinniman
Publisher: Ace
Release Date: September 24th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

“The training levels have concluded. Now the games may truly begin.”

The ratings and views are off the chart. The fans just can’t get enough. The dungeon gets more dangerous each day. But in a grinder designed to chew up and spit out crawlers by the millions, Carl and Princess Donut need to work harder than ever just to survive.

They call it the Over City. A sprawling, once-thriving metropolis devastated by a mysterious calamity. But these streets are far from abandoned. An undead circus trawls the ruins. Murdered prostitutes rain from the sky. An ancient spell is finally ready to reveal its dark purpose.

Carl still has no pants.

They call it Dungeon Crawler World. For Carl and Donut, it’s anything but a game.

ENJOYABLE SEQUEL.

I don’t have much to say about this installment?? It was a good, but not GREAT sequel. There’s definitely enough momentum that I will be picking up book three. I still delight in the uniqueness of this series and how different it is from my usual stories. I find the world fascinating and I’m always curious where each turn will lead. I feel like there’s a lot we don’t know yet and I’m super curious where it’s all going to lead.

Carl and Princess Donut are humorous and easy to follow. I like all of the video game pieces and NPC’s. There’s more achievements and another level conquered. I’ll be getting to book three soooooon!

Overall audience notes:

  • Fantasy / Sci-Fi
  • Language: moderate-strong
  • Romance: none
  • Violence: high
  • Content warnings: murder and loss of life, near death experiences

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