Book Review: The Chemistry of Love by Sariah Wilson

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Rating: ★★★☆
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 347 pages
Author: Sariah Wilson
Publisher: Montlake
Release Date: February 1st, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

True love requires a little research and development in a funny, heart-racing romance by Sariah Wilson, the bestselling author of The Paid Bridesmaid.

How can Anna Ellis, a geeky, brilliant, and hopelessly smitten cosmetic chemist possibly win over Craig Kimball, the man of her dreams—who also happens to be her boss? The answer is Craig’s empathetic (and handsome) CEO half brother, Marco. The makeup mogul knows Craig for the ridiculously competitive rival he is. Whatever Marco has, Craig wants. That can be Anna, if she’s game to play.

All Anna and Marco have to do is pretend they’re falling in love and let the rumors begin. If the experiment in attraction works, a jealous Craig will swoop in and give Anna her happily ever after—if it weren’t for one hitch in the plan. There’s more to Marco than meets the eye. With every fake date, Anna’s feelings are starting to become dizzyingly real.

Blame it on chemistry. It’s unpredictable, exciting, and occasionally combustible. If Anna and Marco are really falling in love, who are they to argue with science?

SO CLOSE.

Okay. I legitimately loved a lot of this book. I read it in a day. Kept going back to it kind of enjoyed. I thought the premise was fun and unique. I liked the cosmetics and chemistry combination and it made for a lot of great dialogue and witty puns. The love interest, Marco? FIRE. He was a super swoony gem. Just the sweetest and I loved all of the fake dating aspects that arose too. And the kisses were perfectly fiery which sells me on a fantastic book too.

BUT BUT BUT

There’s only so much obliviousness I can take from a FMC. Her best friend having to tell her multiple times that Marco was in love with her, refusing to believe that Craig could be anything but a perfect angel and not ever learning how to accept a compliment bugged me. It was 90% through the book and all of this was still happening in one capacity or another.

If Anna had been even a little more self aware I would have bumped this higher.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: make-outs
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: loss of parents (car wreck & complications from anorexia)

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ARC Book Review: The Lily of Ludgate Hill (Belles of London #3) by Mimi Matthews

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Historical Romance
Length: 432 pages
Author: Mimi Matthews
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: January 16th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Fortune favors the bold—but is a confirmed spinster daring enough to loosen the reins and accept a favor from the wicked gentleman who haunts her dreams?

Lady Anne Deveril doesn’t spook easily. A woman of lofty social standing known for her glacial beauty and starchy opinions, she’s the unofficial leader of her small group of equestriennes. Since her mother’s devastating plunge into mourning six years ago, Anne voluntarily renounced any fanciful notions of love and marriage. And yet, when fate puts Anne back into the entirely too enticing path of Mr. Felix Hartford, she’s tempted to run…right into his arms.

No one understands why Lady Anne withdrew into the shadows of society, Hart least of all. The youthful torch he once held for her has long since cooled. Or so he keeps telling himself. But now Anne needs a favor to help a friend. Hart will play along with her little ruse—on the condition that Anne attend a holiday house party at his grandfather’s country estate. No more mourning clothes. No more barriers. Only the two of them, unrequited feelings at last laid bare.

Finally free to gallop out on her own, Anne makes the tantalizing discovery that beneath the roguish exterior of her not-so-white knight is a man with hidden depths, scorching passions—and a tender heart.

Thank you to the publisher for a gifted copy and PRHAudio for the gifted audiobook.

CHARMING SECOND CHANCE.

Audiobook notes: I love two narrators for a two POV romance. I thought both were amazing and I was swept away to historical England.

This was another good read for the series! It does lean a little away from romance and focuses a lot on grief and self growth and finally severing the ties that are holding you back. I absolutely adored Felix. He was carrying so much on his shoulders and worked hard to make things work the best he could.

Anne, I struggled with a little. I thought her Mom issues held her down for SO long and I was waiting for that freedom moment where Anne had the spotlight. Because when she showed up in that dress? I SWOONED. Felix has been pining for years and that man deserved a break. I actually loved that this didn’t have big flashback chapters and that we got to see more at present what was happening.

I loved seeing the other Belles and just being back in this world. Mimi Matthew’s books are always wonderful reads for me and this was no different.

Overall audience notes:

  • Historical Romance
  • Language: none-low
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: moderate
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: toxic parent, mentions of child labor

ARC Book Review: Lost Kingdom (Lost Kingdom #1) by Laurel Black

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: YA Fantasy
Length: 460 pages
Author: Laurel Black
Publisher: 
Release Date: January 17th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Stripped of her memories and her magic, Raven has been left for dead.

As a prisoner in the enemy’s mineral mines, her only clue to who she is and where she came from is the mysterious map tattooed on her hand—a map containing hidden secrets that some people would kill for.

Jeddak is one of those people.

A warrior from the Kovak tribe, he’s hunting for the powerful Zavien stone to pay the corrupt king’s ransom. If he doesn’t return home with it by the new moon, his betrothed will be executed.

When Jeddak discovers that a prisoner named Raven has the only map that leads to the artifact, he allies with her as they navigate treacherous lands and battle against ancient magical forces to unravel the map’s secrets. But can Raven trust this stranger who’s helping her? If the map gets into the wrong hands, thousands of people will die.

As their feelings for each other grow, their tenuous alliance begins to fray. Until Jeddak is forced to make a decision—betray Raven or forsake his kingdom.

Choose wrong, and he’ll lose everything. 

Thank you to the author for a gifted copy.

WOW.

This was an incredible debut. I am so happy that I got a chance to read it early! It had a lot of those classic YA fantasy moments, but still felt new and intriguing and I will absolutely need the second book as soon as possible.

I loved the slow burn romance. It is slowwww and that’s my favorite kind of burn. I like that it’s not a linear path either. Some ups and downs, reveals and jaw drops that I can’t wait to see continue. I spotted possible other angles and now I’m theorizing all the things for this book.

Dual POV is my jam and I’m grateful we had it here. Seeing the hidden identities and lost memory tropes play out so well as they progression of the story moved back and forth between Jeddak and Raven. I loved Jeddak’s animal sidekick (Kah!!) and was the perfect addition to this traveling adventure. I thought that the world building was laid out well and I liked that I got see almost the whole world in this one book.

A wonderful debut and one I’ll happily be hyping to others. Definitely one to take a chance on!

Overall audience notes:

  • YA Fantasy
  • Language: very little and light
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: moderate
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: sexual assault (brief, non-consensual kissing), non-consensual drugging, murder, loss of loved ones, blood depiction

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Book Review: The Heart of Betrayal (The Remnant Chronicles #2) by Mary E. Pearson

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: YA Fantasy Romance
Length: 473 pages
Author: Mary E. Pearson
Publisher: Henry Holt
Release Date: July 7th, 2015
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Held captive in the barbarian kingdom of Venda, Lia and Rafe have little chance of escape . . . and even less of being together.

Desperate to save her life, Lia’s erstwhile assassin, Kaden, has told the Vendan Komisar that she has a magical gift, and the Komisar’s interest in Lia is greater than either Kaden or Lia foresaw.

Meanwhile, the foundations of Lia’s deeply-held beliefs are crumbling beneath her. Nothing is straightforward: there’s Rafe, who lied to her, but has sacrificed his freedom to protect her; Kaden, who meant to assassinate her but has now saved her life; and the Vendans, whom she always believed to be barbarians but whom she now realizes are people who have been terribly brutalized by the kingdoms of Dalbreck and Morrighan. Wrestling with her upbringing, her gift, and her very sense of self, Lia will have to make powerful choices that affect her country, her people . . . and her own destiny.

THE TENSION.

This is a reread review.

Y’all, I forgot just how many people Lia kissed in this book and how much tension there is between all of the parties. What a ride. Here I am, with one of the few love triangle books I can get behind, loving every minute of this reread.

Another fast paced action filled book. I like the change of location and really getting to know both Kaden and Rafe on a deeper level. There’s a lot of great character building and you really start to see the cast grow up and take on the bigger life altering challenges in front of them. I LOVE the growth in Lia and she is continually a formidable FMC who stands in her truth each time.

For a middle book, I have zero complaints. Things keep moving, the intensity will leave you breathless, and all of those kisses will have you shouting at the pages. The world building is unique with the interweaving of the lore and past stories of the lands. I love how everything comes together. If you haven’t read this series it’s a must for backlists!!

Overall audience notes:

  • YA Fantasy Romance
  • Language: a little light
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: high
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: mentions of child abuse and whipping, kidnapping, physical altercations, weapons violence, battle themes

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