Author: GoodeyReads

Book Review: A Cross-Country Christmas by Courtney Walsh

GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 256 pages
Author: Courtney Walsh
Publisher: Sweethaven Press
Release Date: October 26th, 2021
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Lauren Richmond isn’t a fan of Christmas.

Which is why she rarely makes the trip home to the Midwest for the holidays. After all, she has plenty to keep her busy—namely, her duties as a set decorator on a TV sitcom.

But this December, Lauren‘s brother and his wife are expecting a baby, so her brother arranges a ride home for her with his good friend, Will.

Unfortunately for Lauren, she’s been trying to forget college baseball coach and childhood crush Will Sinclair for more than ten years.

Now, thanks to her fear of flying, she’s stuck in a car with him from California to Illinois.

She’s circumspect and organized. He’s flirty and spontaneous.

She’s convinced that people don’t change. He’s trying to prove to her (and himself) that he has.

On this cross-country road trip, they’ll both discover that history doesn’t exactly repeat itself. . . but like any good Christmas carol, it does have a second verse.

PULLED AT MY HEART.

This is one of those five stars that even when you noticed some flaws, the read still pulled at your soul in so many ways that it deserves the highest rating. What a great Christmas-time read and put me into the spirit of the season.

I love how even over the course of just a few days I felt drawn and attached to Lauren and Will’s second chance romance. A lot comes out when you’re stuck on the road for long periods of time, and wow did it! They were both deep and nuanced characters who I resonated with. I felt for them, I wanted to hug them, and I really wanted them to JUST KISS ALREADY. Don’t worry, I got that too.

Filled with holiday goodness I highly recommend this one for your TBR. Couldn’t get enough. It’s fast paced and easy to fly through. I love the theme of grace and choosing your own story, even when you need to rewrite a few pages. There’s hope in the future.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Holiday Romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: divorced and neglectful parents

Instagram || Goodreads

Book Review: The Son of Neptune (The Heroes of Olympus #2) by Rick Riordan

GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ☆☆☆☆
Audience: YA Urban Fantasy / Mythology
Length: 513 pages
Author: Rick Riordan
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion Books
Release Date: October 4th, 2011
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

PERCY IS CONFUSED. When he awoke from his long sleep, he didn’t know much more than his name. His brain fuzz is lingering, even after the wolf Lupa told him he is a demigod and trained him to fight with the pen/sword in his pocket. Somehow Percy manages to make it to a camp for half-bloods, despite the fact that he has to keep killing monsters along the way. But the camp doesn’t ring any bells with him. The only thing he can recall from his past is another name: Annabeth.

HAZEL IS SUPPOSED TO BE DEAD. When she lived before, she didn’t do a very good job of it. Sure, she was an obedient daughter, even when her mother was possessed by greed. But that was the problem—when the Voice took over her mother and commanded Hazel to use her “gift” for an evil purpose, Hazel couldn’t say no. Now because of her mistake, the future of the world is at risk. Hazel wishes she could ride away from it all on the stallion that appears in her dreams.

FRANK IS A KLUTZ. His grandmother says he is descended from heroes and can be anything he wants to be, but he doesn’t see it. He doesn’t even know who his father is. He keeps hoping Apollo will claim him, because the only thing he is good at is archery—although not good enough to win camp war games. His bulky physique makes him feel like an ox, especially in front of Hazel, his closest friend at camp. He trusts her completely—enough to share the secret he holds close to his heart.

Beginning at the “other” camp for half-bloods and extending as far as the land beyond the gods, this breathtaking second installment of the Heroes of Olympus series introduces new demigods, revives fearsome monsters, and features other remarkable creatures, all destined to play a part in the Prophesy of Seven.

GLAD TO SEE PERCY.

A good read! That’s how I feel about these books. I don’t want to shout at everyone that they need to read them now, but I also enjoy the ease of the writing and story. I love the characters and am excited that this one still includes some of my favorites from the original series.

It’s a bit of a slow start because it felt like a rehashing of what essentially happened to Jason in book one. After that point things picked up and I loved the additions of Frank and Hazel!

I remember chuckling a few times whenever new gods, muses and other mythological characters arrived. I love the antics and banter that come about. It’s definitely humorous and fits the younger crowd these books initally are set for. I feel like I don’t have a lot to say (like I mentioned at the beginning). This was a good one, needed more, but still would like to continue the series.

Overall audience notes:

  • MG/YA Urban Fantasy / Mythology
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: skirmishes, battles, attempted murder
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: loss of loved ones (including parents), amnesia

Instagram || Goodreads

Book Review: The Fastest Way to Fall by Denise Williams

GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 384 pages
Author: Denise Williams
Publisher: Berkley Romance
Release Date: November 2nd, 2021
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Britta didn’t plan on falling for her personal trainer, and Wes didn’t plan on Britta. Plans change and it’s unclear if love, career, or both will meet them at the finish line.

Britta Colby works for a lifestyle website, and when tasked to write about her experience with a hot new body-positive fitness app that includes personal coaching, she knows it’s a major opportunity to prove she should write for the site full-time.

As CEO of the FitMe app, Wes Lawson finally has the financial security he grew up without, but despite his success, his floundering love life and complicated family situation leaves him feeling isolated and unfulfilled. He decides to get back to what he loves—coaching. Britta’s his first new client and they click immediately.

As weeks pass, she’s surprised at how much she enjoys experimenting with her exercise routine. He’s surprised at how much he looks forward to talking to her every day. They convince themselves their attraction is harmless, but when they start working out in person, Wes and Britta find it increasingly challenging to deny their chemistry and maintain a professional distance.

Wes isn’t supposed to be training clients, much less meeting with them, and Britta’s credibility will be sunk if the lifestyle site finds out she’s practically dating the fitness coach she’s reviewing. Walking away from each other is the smartest thing to do, but running side by side feels like the start of something big.

I LOVED THIS SO MUCH.

New favorite alert.

New must read alert.

THIS IS THAT BOOK.

THE FASTEST WAY TO FALL is going to be a top contender for my favorite romance of the year. I LOVED IT. As someone who’s had a rocky path with safe diet/exercise practices and learning to love the body I’m in, this book meant so much to me. I love the way topics were approached and the validating sense of feeling good about the way you’re taking care of yourself rather than the numbers on a scale.

Wes had me swooning in a puddle wit how supportive he was. He was this steady presence and his conversations with Britta left me begging for more. The wedding scene?? The race scene?? IF YOU KNOW YOU KNOW because hot dang it was amazing. Book boyfriend alert.

Britta was an amazing, honest, strong heroine. Once of favorites of recent memory. I adored her with all of my heart. I felt seen by her. I felt her hope and her wants. Britta’s story was all encompassing and emotional. I would love to be her friend. Put Britta and Wes together and there chemistry was off the chart from the beginning. I love the email/texting component and how they finally met (taking care of someone who’s sick trope alert!!!).

This book sang to my soul and I highly recommend it be on you pick up.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary romance
  • Language: some strong
  • Romance: 1-3 open door scenes
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: eating disorder mentioned, a parent with alcohol and drug abuse

Instagram || Goodreads

Book Review: Home is Where You Are by Melissa Grace

GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ☆☆
Audience: Contemporary romance
Length: 328 pages
Author: Melissa Grace
Publisher: Self-published
Release Date: October 27th, 2020
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Olivia Sinclair left her dreams of a music career behind, along with her hopes for love and a family. With her husband having left her for more fertile pastures, she’s content to focus her energy on her thriving bakery, a new home, and an ornery rescue cat named Mama. That is until Liv’s best friend drags her to a concert where she meets the handsome (and much younger) frontman of the popular band, Midnight in Dallas.

Jaxon Slade is looking for a little inspiration. Up against a deadline, his ability to write music has escaped him. But when he meets Liv backstage, all of that changes. Jax is instantly captivated by her witty sense of humor and effortlessly beautiful voice. As the two grow closer, he begins to see a future with Liv by his side. All he has to do is convince her that their connection is worth the risk.

But when Jax suggests taking their relationship to the stage as a duo, fame makes some of the most painful details of Liv’s past public, testing her belief in their relationship and herself. Liv must decide between being the woman the world and her ex told her she was, or choosing the woman she was always meant to be. Home Is Where You Are, the first in the Midnight In Dallas series, is a story of love, friendship, and the family we choose.

NO.

Yeah, I should have DNFed this. I acknowledge that choice. I kept thinking there’d be a turnaround. There was not.

First mistake, the instant, first chapter, all consuming, I’m in love with this person. I know this can be accomplished well, but here, there was absolutely NO ANGST. None. I wanted to feel something for these two, but being thrown into love within the first chapter annoyed me. I knew nothing about anyone before the entire plot was laid out. You knew exactly where things were going. I could have told you the plot (including “twists”) without reading more than the first chapter.

The initial issues ramped up the pronounced drama throughout. There’s some good moments in here about a few things, but that was the small good I found.

I didn’t like how some of the characters were portrayed either. A lot of it bugged me.

I think I’ll stop here. It’s enough.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary romance
  • Language: strong
  • Romance: kisses to closed door
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: discussion of infertility and a past miscarriage, growing up in foster care, a parent with a drug addiction, losing a spouse to cancer, losing a spouse to an accident, divorce

Instagram || Goodreads