ARC Book Review: The Bodyguard by Katherine Center

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Rating: ★★★★☆ (4.5)
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 320 pages
Author: Katherine Center
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Release Date: July 19th, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

She’s got his back.
Hannah Brooks looks more like a kindgerten teacher than somebody who could kill you with a wine bottle opener. Or a ballpoint pen. Or a dinner napkin. But the truth is, she’s an Executive Protection Agent (aka “bodyguard”), and she just got hired to protect superstar actor Jack Stapleton from his middle-aged, corgi-breeding stalker.

He’s got her heart.
Jack Stapleton’s a household name—captured by paparazzi on beaches the world over, famous for, among other things, rising out of the waves in all manner of clingy board shorts and glistening like a Roman deity. But a few years back, in the wake of a family tragedy, he dropped from the public eye and went off the grid.

They’ve got a secret.
When Jack’s mom gets sick, he comes home to the family’s Texas ranch to help out. Only one catch: He doesn’t want his family to know about his stalker. Or the bodyguard thing. And so Hannah—against her will and her better judgment—finds herself pretending to be Jack’s girlfriend as a cover. Even though her ex, like a jerk, says no one will believe it.

What could possibly go wrong???
Hannah hardly believes it, herself. But the more time she spends with Jack, the more real it all starts to seem. And there lies the heartbreak. Because it’s easy for Hannah to protect Jack. But protecting her own, long-neglected heart? That’s the hardest thing she’s ever done.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an eARC.

LOVED THIS.

I love this author!! Another fantastic romance filled with heart, growth, and swoon heroes. I always look forward to Center’s books and this was no different. I adored the unique plot set-up and all that unfolded. A bodyguard and an actor?! Yes please.

I found myself laughing out loud so much. There’s something to the perfect dose of snark Hannah provides at key moments in her journey. She’s grappling with a lot and the touches of humor fit in well. I liked that alongside the laughter were deep conversations too. Handling the loss of a family member, substance abuse and more. This keeps the romance in the spotlight, but tackles other things life may hold too.

Hannah and Jack were SO SWEET. This was a slow burn romance with just a dash of forbidden. I loved the build and hope these two had. A beautiful friendship blossomed before deeper feelings were acknowledged and I loved all of the quiet moments between them!!!

A few of the small side plots seemed a bit random? Like the ex-boyfriend drama. It felt necessary for Hannah’s story originally, yet when it started popping up in other places I thought it was superfluous.

Besides that tiny tidbit, GREAT READ. Loved it. Can’t wait for more.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: a little
  • Romance: make-outs
  • Violence: mild
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: kidnapping, gun violence, mother with cancer, loss of a mom due to substance abuse, car wreck, substance abuse (specifically alcohol), suicide ideation (and near attempt), physical altercations

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Book Review: The Worst Best Man by Mia Sosa

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Rating: ☆☆☆ 1/2
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 359 pages
Author: Mia Sosa
Publisher: Avon
Release Date: February 4th, 2020
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A wedding planner left at the altar. Yeah, the irony isn’t lost on Carolina Santos, either. But despite that embarrassing blip from her past, Lina’s managed to make other people’s dreams come true as a top-tier wedding coordinator in DC. After impressing an influential guest, she’s offered an opportunity that could change her life. There’s just one hitch… she has to collaborate with the best (make that worst) man from her own failed nuptials.

Tired of living in his older brother’s shadow, marketing expert Max Hartley is determined to make his mark with a coveted hotel client looking to expand its brand. Then he learns he’ll be working with his brother’s whip-smart, stunning —absolutely off-limits — ex-fiancée. And she loathes him.

If they can survive the next few weeks and nail their presentation without killing each other, they’ll both come out ahead. Except Max has been public enemy number one ever since he encouraged his brother to jilt the bride, and Lina’s ready to dish out a little payback of her own.

But even the best laid plans can go awry, and soon Lina and Max discover animosity may not be the only emotion creating sparks between them. Still, this star-crossed couple can never be more than temporary playmates because Lina isn’t interested in falling in love and Max refuses to play runner-up to his brother ever again.

ALMOST ALL GOOD.

I was looking for a quick contemporary romance with a good HEA. I found that this was mostly the case here so it’s fine.

Who did I love most? MAX. Goodness he was the sweetest. I adored his demeanor and the way he interacted and doted on Lina. Super romantic, super into it. Lina was a fiercely strong woman running her own business and I loved her tenacity. It was also fun seeing her career as a wedding planner and different things that comes with.

The spice was definitely too high for me and had to skip more than I expected (which if you love spice, maybe check this one out!). Besides that my only real complaint was the dreaded conflict. I thought we’d be out of the woods, but noooooo, Max decided all of a sudden that he was going to be upset over something I thought he had decided wasn’t a factor and then things went downhill. The resolution was cute and all, I guess, I was just ready to be finished by then.

Besides that glaring miscommunication, a really solid read. The audio was a good listen and it really does fly by. A lot of cute scenes, funny shenanigans and all of the Brazilian culture was awesome to read about.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: some strong
  • Romance: kisses to very open door scenes
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: being left on wedding day

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Book Review: Compared (The Sweet Rom”Com” #1) by Kortney Keisel

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 324 pages
Author: Kortney Keisel
Publisher: Self-published
Release Date: January 4th, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Meg

Confession: I’m attracted to my student’s dad. Let me give you Tyler Dixon’s resume: thoughtful, manly, father of the year, widower, ridiculously attractive (basically the opposite of a dad bod).

This might sound like good news for someone like me—someone who dreams of getting married and becoming a mom—but it’s not. Getting involved with a parent is grounds for immediate removal at my school, and right now, my fragile heart can’t handle being fired. My mom just died. My boyfriend broke up with me, and to top it all off, my dad started dating again. Stable employment is the only good thing I have. Risking my job and my heart is the most foolish thing I could do.

Tyler

Being a widower isn’t like the movies. There’s not a block of women knocking on my door, bringing me casseroles every day. No, real life is work, laundry, and groceries—all while being both the mom and the dad. I’m pretty much failing at this single-parent thing. I don’t have time to date. Which is good since the only woman I’m interested in keeps pushing me away: Miss Johnson. Emphasis on the Miss—as in, my son’s teacher. It’s hard to convince a woman to go out with you when she’ll get fired. But it’s either pursuing Meg, despite her job, or the never-ending depths of loneliness—no big deal.

Compared is a witty, heartfelt rom-com with a teacher/parent romance, an irresistible single dad, and swoony chemistry that will have you rooting for a happily-ever-after while keeping the romance closed-door.

THIS WAS GOOD.

I’ve mentioned before that I didn’t love Keisel’s YA dystopian series. Didn’t get past the first book. BUT, I had heard wonderful things about her turn in contemporary romance and thought I’d give it a shot. Happily surprised that this was a hit and I will be continuing this series!

I adored Tyler. I love the single Dad trope and this one was so tender and soft. Coping with grief and loss (Tyler is a widower) was at the forefront, but the way that it was presented was touching. I felt the emotions from him, and also appreciated the lighter, make me laugh kind of moments too. I thought that Tyler and Meg had a great connection and their meet-cute hit it off just right with the banter. Meg grew on me over the book and I liked her enough by the end.

What wasn’t my favorite was the the ridiculous ex-boyfriend who kept showing up for no reason. Meg and him broke-up, lets move on and not keep bringing him back for “drama”. I also didn’t love the push/pull towards the end. It was repetitive. I liked the all out argument and conversation leading to some moments of reflection, and then coming back together. That’s where it should’ve stopped.

Anywho, this was great. I liked the story and the couple a lot. I would love more stories with the other sisters (that’s where this is going right?!). I liked the side characters and the general nature of the book itself. Looking forward to the next.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: make-outs
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: depictions of grief, loss of a parent and wife (not on page, recounted often)

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Book Review: A Taste for Love by Jennifer Yen

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Rating: ☆☆☆
Audience: YA Contemporary Romance
Length: 304 pages
Author: Jennifer Yen
Publisher: Razorbill
Release Date: February 2nd, 2021
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

For fans of Jenny Han, Jane Austen, and The Great British Baking Show, A Taste for Love, is a delicious rom com about first love, familial expectations, and making the perfect bao.

To her friends, high school senior Liza Yang is nearly perfect. Smart, kind, and pretty, she dreams big and never shies away from a challenge. But to her mom, Liza is anything but. Compared to her older sister Jeannie, Liza is stubborn, rebellious, and worst of all, determined to push back against all of Mrs. Yang’s traditional values, especially when it comes to dating.

The one thing mother and daughter do agree on is their love of baking. Mrs. Yang is the owner of Houston’s popular Yin & Yang Bakery. With college just around the corner, Liza agrees to help out at the bakery’s annual junior competition to prove to her mom that she’s more than her rebellious tendencies once and for all. But when Liza arrives on the first day of the bake-off, she realizes there’s a catch: all of the contestants are young Asian American men her mother has handpicked for Liza to date.

The bachelorette situation Liza has found herself in is made even worse when she happens to be grudgingly attracted to one of the contestants; the stoic, impenetrable, annoyingly hot James Wong. As she battles against her feelings for James, and for her mother’s approval, Liza begins to realize there’s no tried and true recipe for love.

MOSTLY CUTE.

I read this in about a day (via audio book). I loved the fast pace and all of the baking. It made me want to whip out my mixer and try out new recipes. The GBBO allusions were clear, but the addition of the “dating pool” idea was humorous.

The other side plots were a biiiiit much. I felt like they added extreme levels of drama and took away from the romance. I didn’t know where I was supposed to see the focus. There were many side stories that didn’t truly affect the main character or even necessarily the love interest. All of this took me out of the novel multiple times.

What I got of the romance was pretty cute. It was a very little enemies to lovers, but once misunderstandings were put aside I thought Liza and James were adorable. I would have really loved to see even more of them and have the story feel like it was directed at them.

Overall audience notes:

  • YA Contemporary Romance
  • Language: a little
  • Romance: kisses
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: body shaming, racism, sexual assault mentioned, cheating

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