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Book Review: A Brush with Love by Mazey Eddings

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 336 pages
Author: Mazey Eddings
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Release Date: March 1st, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Harper is anxiously awaiting placement into a top oral surgery residency program when she crashes (literally) into Dan. Harper would rather endure a Novocaine-free root canal than face any distractions, even one this adorable.

A first-year dental student with a family legacy to contend with, Dan doesn’t have the same passion for pulling teeth that Harper does. Though he finds himself falling for her, he is willing to play by Harper’s rules.

So with the greatest of intentions and the poorest of follow-throughs, the two set out to be “just friends.” But as they get to know each other better, Harper fears that trading fillings for feelings may make her lose control and can’t risk her carefully ordered life coming undone, no matter how drool-worthy Dan is.

Blood, gore, and extra-long roots? No problem. The idea of falling in love? Torture.

LOOOOOOVED.

I honestly didn’t know what to expect when I picked this up. I had friends give it five stars, I had friends give it one star. And here I am shouting, YOU SHOULD READ THIS BECAUSE I LOVED IT.

The way I burst out laughing at the meet-cute between Harper and Dan gave me all the good vibes for a great read. I adored these two. Even better there’s dual POV meaning we get allllll the action from both sides. I love that both struggled with different pieces of their lives and the overcoming brought fantastic resolution.

I felt incredibly seen by Harper’s anxiety. I’ve been in many of those same positions and unfortunately have responded the same too. I appreciate the representation and how it was handled. I loved that her friends were a safe place to be and that therapy and other help were also available.

The romance was just so dang SWOONY. I was in a puddle every time one of them started confessing real feelings towards each other. It was incredibly tender and sweet. The passion fueled arguments that I can’t get enough of were here too and I LOVE IT ALL. And a grand gesture to end it?! YUP. All amazing. This romance will wrap you up and make you feel whole.

Loved everything about this. Felt all the feelings from tearing up, to laughing, and feeling my heart beat out of my chest. It was a great audiobook too and highly recommend you get your hands on this one!

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: some
  • Romance: brief open door
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: anxiety, on page panic attacks, sexism

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ARC Book Review: The Last Tale of the Flower Bride by Roshani Chokshi

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Rating: ★★★
Audience: Magical Realism
Length: 304 pages
Author: Roshani Chokshi
Publisher: William Morrow
Release Date: February 14th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A sumptuous, gothic-infused story about a marriage that is unraveled by dark secrets, a friendship cursed to end in tragedy, and the danger of believing in fairy tales–the breathtaking adult debut from New York Times bestselling author Roshani Chokshi.

Once upon a time, a man who believed in fairy tales married a beautiful, mysterious woman named Indigo Maxwell-Casteñada. He was a scholar of myths. She was heiress to a fortune. They exchanged gifts and stories and believed they would live happily ever after–and in exchange for her love, Indigo extracted a promise: that her bridegroom would never pry into her past.

But when Indigo learns that her estranged aunt is dying and the couple is forced to return to her childhood home, the House of Dreams, the bridegroom will soon find himself unable to resist. For within the crumbling manor’s extravagant rooms and musty halls, there lurks the shadow of another girl: Azure, Indigo’s dearest childhood friend who suddenly disappeared. As the house slowly reveals his wife’s secrets, the bridegroom will be forced to choose between reality and fantasy, even if doing so threatens to destroy their marriage . . . or their lives.

Combining the lush, haunting atmosphere of Mexican Gothic with the dreamy enchantment of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, The Last Tale of the Flower Bride is a spellbinding and darkly romantic page-turner about love and lies, secrets and betrayal, and the stories we tell ourselves to survive.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ALC.

UNDERWHELMED.

Audiobook review: LOVED the audio. I thought the narrators (hello Steve West, I love you) were great. I didn’t have to switch audio speeds between them and thought it did enhance the story.

I wish I had more to say, but I am feeling completely MEH about this entire book. I have no distinct feelings and that’s saying something on it’s own.

I’m not sure where this book got the idea it’s a romance? But it is not. There’s some undertones and there is a marriage, yet that’s kind of it. This mostly focuses around one POV (that takes place in the past) and how that is affecting the bridegroom in the present. There was kind of a Narnia quality to this with a dark and fairy like overtone.

The writing gives an atmospheric vibe. I can see the gothicness with the spooky house that seems to know all. I didn’t have any complaints about the writing itself, more so, the execution of the plot.

A super toxic friendship that clearly goes predictably south didn’t bring anything new to the table. The set-up leads you to the inevitable conclusion.

Overall audience notes:

  • Magical Realism
  • Language: a little strong
  • Romance: multiple vague to closed door; low innuendo
  • Violence: medium
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: adult predation of a child, grooming, bullying, murder

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Book Review: Four Aunties and a Wedding (Aunties #2) by Jesse Q. Sutanto

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Rating: ★★★
Audience: Mystery
Length: 304 pages
Author: Jesse Q. Sutanto
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: March 29th, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Meddy Chan has been to countless weddings, but she never imagined how her own would turn out. Now the day has arrived, and she can’t wait to marry her college sweetheart, Nathan. Instead of having Ma and the aunts cater to her wedding, Meddy wants them to enjoy the day as guests. As a compromise, they find the perfect wedding vendors: a Chinese-Indonesian family-run company just like theirs. Meddy is hesitant at first, but she hits it off right away with the wedding photographer, Staphanie, who reminds Meddy of herself, down to the unfortunately misspelled name.

Meddy realizes that is where their similarities end, however, when she overhears Staphanie talking about taking out a target. Horrified, Meddy can’t believe Staphanie and her family aren’t just like her own, they are The Family–actual mafia, and they’re using Meddy’s wedding as a chance to conduct shady business. Her aunties and mother won’t let Meddy’s wedding ceremony become a murder scene–over their dead bodies–and will do whatever it takes to save her special day, even if it means taking on the mafia.

The aunties are back, fiercer than ever and ready to handle any catastrophe–even the mafia–in this delightful and hilarious sequel by Jesse Q. Sutanto, author of Dial A for Aunties.

SCATTERED.

Ohhhh sequels. I LOVED the first book in this series, and while I enjoyed this read, it’s not a favorite.

The wedding idea was fun. I liked seeing all of the Aunties and Meddy again. The setting was the perfect event for plenty of antics and hijinks. I laughed here and there at some of the wild things that were happening. But alongside that, I thought the theatrics were a bit over the top. A lot of it felt like filler to create a second full length book and I just wasn’t into it. I also reallllly missed Nathan too!! He’s BARELY in this and I thought he could have added a great counter balance to Meddy if he was allowed some more page time.

This was another great audiobook and I love the way it’s narrated. There’s some great lower key scenes where Meddy realizes and appreciates just how much her family is willing to do for her and I love the strength of the bond all of them have together. And when Nathan did make an appearance I love how he backed up Meddy as well. Really great familial connections and that’s the best part of this series.

Overall audience notes:

  • Cozy mystery
  • Language: some strong
  • Romance: closed door
  • Violence: low
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: kidnapping, physical altercations

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ARC Book Review: Just My Type by Falon Ballard

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Rating: ★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 368 pages
Author: Falon Ballard
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s
Release Date: February 7th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

To win the job of her dreams, a relationship-prone journalist needs to learn how to stay single in this heartwarming and hilarious new romantic comedy from the beloved author of Lease on Love.

Lana Parker has never been single for long. After a disastrous break-up with her high school boyfriend, Seth Carson, Lana’s bounced from long-term relationship to long-term relationship. She’s an expert girlfriend, even acting as the resident dating and relationship columnist for one of Los Angeles’s trendiest websites. But now, at the age of thirty, Lana suddenly finds herself single again, and she’s determined to stay that way, no matter how challenging.

That is, until her high school ex, Seth, now a journalist in his own right, takes an assignment at Lana’s site. Ready to put down roots after years of traveling and freelancing, Seth becomes not only Lana’s colleague but also her competitor. With their combative relationship history–and undeniable chemistry–they quickly find themselves pitted against each other in a battle of wits: writing an article series that goes against dating type. For Lana, that means writing about staying single and embracing it. For Seth, it’s learning to settle down and become boyfriend material. Whoever’s is most popular wins a highly coveted columnist spot that either could only dream of. But when the two square off against one another, it’s not only their careers on the line–it’s also their hearts.

Thank you to PRH Audio for the gifted audiobook.

NOT MY FAVORITE.

Audiobook review notes: I had no issue with the audiobook! I liked the narrator and thought it was well paced. I was able to keep up with the story easily.

After enjoying this author’s first book, I was hoping to like this one too. Aaaand I did not.

This was a poor execution of both enemies to lovers and second chance romance. I thought both Lana and Seth acted pretty childish for most of the book and I hardly saw any growth. I don’t mind a hot mess type of character to start with, but Lana needed a lot more change by the end for me to like her. And I never found that moment.

Themes of positive therapy and mental health were the high points here. There were multiple therapy conversations and working through past trauma that allowed the relationship to at least develop by the end. This also helped the weird boss situation that I’m not sure was ever truly resolved??

I wish at some point I felt like cheering on this couple. I’m feeling all sorts of disappointment over this let down. Lack of true chemistry, lack of character arcs and that competition just didn’t do it for me.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: some strong
  • Romance: two open door
  • Violence: low
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: emotionally unavailable parent, sexual harassment, parental abandonment, alcohol consumption

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