Author: GoodeyReads

ALC Book Review: Glimmers of You (Lost & Found #3) by Catherine Cowles

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Romantic Suspense
Length: 330 pages
Author: Catherine Cowles
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: August 1st, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

He hadn’t always just been my brother’s best friend. There was a time when he was mine, too. Until he disappeared from our small town when I needed him the most.

Now, Caden’s back. With his cocky smirk and infuriating nicknames. And I’m struggling to ignore his presence.

When my ex refuses to leave me alone, Caden steps in, suggesting that it will get my ex and Caden’s calculating father off both our backs if we just pretend to be madly in love.

There’s just one problem… Nothing I feel for Caden Shaw is fake—even when I thought I hated him. And there’s no denying how the touch of his lips sparks a flame I’ll never be able to extinguish.

As those pretend moments start to turn oh so real, someone’s watching. They’re not happy about Caden’s new role in my life. And they’ll do anything to rip me away from him—even burn us all to the ground.

Thank you to Catherine Cowles for an ALC and eARC.

ANOTHER WINNER.

I am back with another great review for Catherine Cowles Lost & Found series. Quick audiobook notes: I LOVE listening to these on audio!! The narrators do a fantastic job and I am always here for dual POV narration.

This book brought the suspense. I did not see many of these reveals coming! I had my eyes on certain characters, but once again, I was surprised by the final disclosure. I enjoy not trying to sleuth these out too much and savor the entire story as it comes.

I adored the relationship between Grae and Caden. The fake dating brought them together and the forced proximity brought the heat. I liked watching them find ways to reconnect and that Caden was able to apologize and work through some of his past trauma to find a place of healing with Grae. It’s sweet (and yes, a little spicy) and quick to fly through.

I am just a big time fan girl of Cowles books and can’t wait for the next two in this series!

Overall audience notes:

  • Romantic Suspense
  • Language: some strong
  • Romance: 3-4 open; moderate explicit
  • Violence: high
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: gun violence, arson, attempted murder, physical violence, stalker, losing a sister to cancer (recounted)

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ARC Book Review: The Art of Love and Lies by Rebecca Anderson

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Rating: ★★★
Audience: Historical Romance
Length: 288 pages
Author: Rebecca Anderson
Publisher: Shadow Mountain
Release Date: August 1st, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A free-spirited artist teams up with a no-nonsense detective to capture a thief who has stolen a priceless Michelangelo painting

Manchester, England, 1857 

Rosanna Hawkins is one of Manchester’s finest artists, even though no one knows her name. She reproduces “parlor versions” of classic masterpieces with near-perfect precision, which her employer then sells to the emerging upper-middle class families of Manchester.

When the largest art exhibition ever to be held in Manchester opens, Rosanna attends, excited by the chance to sketch such famous works. When she meets the handsome Detective Martin Harrison, who is head of security for the exhibition, she is immediately intrigued by his charm, confidence, and canvas-worthy good looks. The two spend many a flirtatious afternoon exploring the exhibition hall, discussing art and sharing their secret hopes. Rosanna dreams of painting something original and meaningful, and Martin hopes to one day shed the shadow of his father’s notorious past.

The couple’s blossoming summer romance takes a strange turn when Rosanna recognizes her own works on display in the exhibition hall. Someone is stealing paintings and replacing them with her parlor version reproductions. When the evidence casts suspicion on her, Rosanna must convince Detective Harrison of her innocence and proposes a plan to capture the real art thief.

It is a daring race to catch the criminal before he disappears with the most priceless piece in the collection—Michelangelo’s Manchester Madonna. If Rosanna and Detective Harrison fail, not only will the painting be lost forever but so will their chance to rekindle their romance and paint their own happily ever after.

Thank you to Shadow Mountain for the ARC.

NEEDED MORE.

The premise of this sounded truly promising. The execution? A bit lacking.

I think I really got off on the wrong foot with the insta-love. It didn’t work for me and when I clocked the percentage of the first kiss I was rather surprised. Rosanna and Martin DID grow on me and I think the core of their relationship was sweet. I just needed more of a burn to get there with them.

All of the facets about painting and artwork were interesting. I thought it was kind of cool to learn about different painting techniques and how reproductions were created and used in this time period.

In the end I really to have more from the plot. There was nothing surprising or enchanting about it. While I did like the main characters and I do think they exhibited some growth from the beginning of the book the plot itself was lacking in definition.

Overall audience notes:

  • Historical Romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: low
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: brief assault, physical altercations, theft

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ALC Book Review: The Honeymoon Crashers (Unhoneymooners #1.5) by Christina Lauren

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: About 5 hours
Author: Christina Lauren
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio Originals
Release Date: August 1st, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A perfectionist maid of honor and a carefree, surfer-bro best man team up to plan a wedding and end up finding a spark of their own in the first audio original from author duo Christina Lauren, a full-cast sequel to their New York Times bestseller The Unhoneymooners.

Ami is determined to break the Torres family wedding curse. Her own disaster of a reception ended with all the guests getting food poisoning, and she left her cheating husband soon after. But even though she’s still processing her own divorce, Ami won’t let her twin sister Olive’s day be anything but perfect. Olive may think she wants a private ceremony in Maui, where she and her fiancé Ethan first fell in love, but Ami knows better and secretly flies the whole Torres family out to surprise the couple. Now she and her meticulously organized binder have less than two weeks to get everything together for the big day, thousands of miles from home.

Enter Brody, Ethan’s best man, who happens to be living in Maui and insists on helping with the preparations. His playfully elaborate schemes and happy-go-lucky attitude are the last thing Ami needs. When sparks start to fly, could it derail all her carefully laid plans?

Equal parts hilarious and swoon-worthy, this full-cast production is your ticket to the ultimate destination wedding, bringing to life both a captivating couple and an unforgettable family. The Honeymoon Crashers is Christina Lauren at their charming, hilarious best.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and Book Club Favorites for the gifted ALC.

IT WAS SWEET.

Audiobook notes: I loved the full cast! It’s becoming my new favorite thing in the audiobook world. I thought everyone did an excellent job on narrating and I think the book was really fun in this format. There were even some well placed sound effects that added to the whole flair.

I didn’t know what to expect when I picked this up and I thought it was a quick and great read for summertime. I loved being back in this world and seeing Ami get her happily ever after.

Brody was flat out adorable. I loved his energy and personality and how he and Ami really balanced each other out. Definitely an opposites attract vibe combined with wedding planning and I was smitten. I liked all of the little moments they got and it felt realistic while being swoony.

If you’re looking for a book to listen while at the beach, this is an easy pick.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance Novella
  • Language: a little strong
  • Romance: 1-2 open door; low-moderate explicit
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: mentions of divorce and cheating (Ami’s ex-husband)

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ARC Book Review: The Roommate Pact by Allison Ashley

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 320 pages
Author: Allison Ashley
Publisher: MIRA
Release Date: August 1st, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

All of the fun, none of the heartache…as long as they stick to the agreement.

The proposition is simple: if ER nurse Claire Harper and her roommate, firefighter Graham Scott, are still single by the time they’re forty, they’ll take the proverbial plunge together…as friends with benefits. Maybe it’s the wine, but in the moment, Claire figures the pact is a safe-enough deal, considering she hasn’t had much luck in love and he’s in no rush to settle down. Like, at all. Besides, there’s no way she could ever really fall for Graham and his thrill-seeking ways. Not after what happened to her father…

Just as things begin to heat up way before the proposed deadline, Graham’s injured in a serious rock-climbing accident—and he needs Claire’s help to heal. She’ll do whatever it takes to nurse him back to health…even if it means moving into Graham’s bed and putting up with his little dog who hates her. But with this no-strings arrangement taking a complicated turn, keeping “for now” from turning into “forever” isn’t as easy as they’d planned.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an eARC.

GRAHAM.

I am a PUDDLE after sweet Graham took over my heart. I binged this book because I was wrapped up in the undeniable chemistry between Graham and Claire and I needed to get to every soft and fiery moment between them. The banter was stellar and I loved them. I loved them so much.

Friends with benefits is a tough sale for me, But I will say I liked the way Ashley went about it. I didn’t feel like the physical aspects were pushed just to add heat. There were true relationship building moments that got me on board with the dynamic and I JUST ADORED THEM. I loved seeing Graham open up to his vulnerable side and seeing Claire getting the things she deserved and working through what happened in her past.

I loved the medical jargon and adventure aspects. I liked the subtle side characters and their roles. And even getting to see Mia and Noah!! This book was a delight. I love the way Allison Ashley weaves a romance and two books in and I’m an official fan girl. She also writes fantastic heat (a little reminiscent of Sarah Adams) where the heat is building and fades out. My favorite level of steam.

Read it y’all!

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: light frequency but strong
  • Romance: multiple vague fade to black
  • Violence: moderate
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: loss of a father, airplane crash (recounted), trauma, medical discussions, rock climbing accident

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