Book Review: Heartbreak for Hire by Sonia Hartl

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Rating: ☆☆☆
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 320 pages
Author: Sonia Hartl
Publisher: Gallery Books
Release Date: July 27th, 2021
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Brinkley Saunders has a secret.

To everyone in the academic world she left behind, she lost it all when she dropped out of grad school. Once a rising star following in her mother’s footsteps, she’s now an administrative assistant at an insurance agency—or so they think.

In reality, Brinkley works at Heartbreak for Hire, a secret service that specializes in revenge for jilted lovers, frenemies, and long-suffering coworkers with a little cash to spare and a man who needs to be taken down a notch. It might not be as prestigious as academia, but it helps Brinkley save for her dream of opening an art gallery and lets her exorcise a few demons, all while helping to empower women.

But when her boss announces she’s hiring male heartbreakers for the first time, Brinkley’s no longer so sure she’s doing the right thing—especially when her new coworker turns out to be a target she was paid to take down. Though Mark spends his days struggling up the academic ladder, he seems to be the opposite of a backstabbing adjunct: a nerd at heart in criminally sexy sweater vests who’s attentive both in and out of the bedroom. But as Brinkley finds it increasingly more difficult to focus on anything but Mark, she soon realizes that like herself, people aren’t always who they appear to be.

WAFFLING.

That’s who I felt by the end. That I was waffling back and forth between how the story came to a conclusion. Everything was okay. This one wasn’t my favorite though.

I think I never got off on the right foot for the story. I don’t love one night stand tropes so when that happened right off the bat I was already wondering if this was going to circle back around. I will say, in the middle I adored Mark and Brinkley. There relationship went a whole lot better than I hoped and I was feeling the vibes between them. [The spice was too much for me and I did have to skip a lot, FYI].

The premise was interesting and luckily played out as it should. I thought the Heartbreak idea was unique at least. I just didn’t want it to be all of Brinkley’s personality. She had some good learning moments and came into her own by the end, which we love to see!!

I didn’t love the ending. It wrapped up way too quickly. And also…Mark was really in the wrong and I don’t know if I would have forgiven him that quickly. It closed out in a rush so I don’t even know how I feel about Mark and Brinkley at this point.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: some strong
  • Romance: multiple open door
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: emotional abuse and gaslighting, cheating recounted

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Book Review: Remembering Jamie (Brotherhood of the Black Tartan #5) by Nichole Van

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Historical Romance
Length: 382 pages
Author: Nichole Van
Publisher: Fiorenza Publishing
Release Date: September 8th, 2021
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Miss Eilidh Fyffe always assumed her life would follow a predictable pattern—meet a charming man, fall in love, marry, and live happily ever after. But when an accident damages her memory, she is left with only questions. Has she already fallen in love and married? If only she could remember…

Master Kieran MacTavish has spent six years searching for his lost wife. But, turns out, finding Eilidh alive is only the beginning of the battle. She has no memory of him—no recollection of their courtship, love, or handfasting. Refusing to be discouraged, Kieran relishes the chance to make Eilidh fall for him all over again. Surely he can rekindle the flame of their love.

But the intervening years have changed them both. Eilidh is crippled by grief—the deaths of her father, her younger brother, Jamie, and others overwhelm her. And the more Kieran comes to know this new Eilidh, the more he is haunted by the woman she once was.

Throughout it all, one question looms large—
Is your love still your love if the person they once were no longer exists?

UTTER ROMANTIC PERFECTION.

Yes, I said it. PERFECTION. ALL THE DANG STARS. BEST BOOK OF THE SERIES.

You name it, I probably shouted about it. Oh my gosh this was a stunning read. All of the previous four books have been leading up to this moment. This second chance romance + amnesia plot was built up to the desperate need to know what would happen between Kieran and Eilidh.

This was full of swoony moments. Full of blushes and recovering memories. Full of down right sob worthy scenes and cheers at final reveals. I felt all of the emotions and teared up more than once because the PAIN, the LOVE, the beautiful HOPE will send you to your knees. The kind of love here is timeless. It is everything wonderful about romance books.

I’m trying to stay vague because it is the last book and I don’t want to spoil things throughout. So PLEASE TRUST ME AND READ THIS SERIES!!! It’s one of my new favorite historical romance series ever. There’s many different tropes, connections, character backgrounds and more. Van did an incredible job crafting this from start to finish and I am in complete awe.

Overall audience notes:

  • Historical romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: closed door (between married couple)
  • Violence: mild
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: prior substance abuse (specifically alcohol), miscarriage (flashback chapters, on page, descriptive, please read with care), childbirth, ship explosion and loss of life (flashback), PTSD, depictions of grief, suicide ideation

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Book Review: The Flight Girls by Noelle Salazar

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Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆
Audience: Historical fiction romance
Length: 384 pages
Author: Noelle Salazar
Publisher: Mira Books
Release Date: July 2nd, 2019
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A stunning story about the Women Airforce Service Pilots whose courage during World War II turned ordinary women into extraordinary heroes

1941. Audrey Coltrane has always wanted to fly. It’s why she implored her father to teach her at the little airfield back home in Texas. It’s why she signed up to train military pilots in Hawaii when the war in Europe began. And it’s why she insists she is not interested in any dream-derailing romantic involvements, even with the disarming Lieutenant James Hart, who fast becomes a friend as treasured as the women she flies with. Then one fateful day, she gets caught in the air over Pearl Harbor just as the bombs begin to fall, and suddenly, nowhere feels safe.

To make everything she’s lost count for something, Audrey joins the Women Airforce Service Pilots program. The bonds she forms with her fellow pilots reignite a spark of hope in the face war, and–when James goes missing in action–give Audrey the strength to cross the front lines and fight not only for her country, but for the love she holds so dear.

Shining a light on a little-known piece of history, The Flight Girls is a sweeping portrayal of women’s fearlessness, love, and the power of friendship to make us soar.

ABSOLUTELY A NEW FAVORITE.

Read in a day alert. If you’re a historical fiction fan, add to your TBR ASAP. Oh my gosh I’m in a puddle over here, little bird. *cue tears*

I loved the story of Audrey and her cohorts turned closest friends. What a hard life so many of them chose to walk to support the fight in WW2. Not being recognized until long overdue for everything they gave in the fight against Germany. I haven’t learned much about this facet of history and appreciated getting a nuanced story.

THE ROMANCE. Definitely the forefront of this book and it was everrryyything. EVERYTHING. I was begging the author to give me a happy ending. Waiting for this book to make me sob (which tears frequently hit my eyes throughout). Nothing short of miraculous how those final pages went down. Perfect ending. My heart is still feeling all of the emotions Audrey and James love story elicitied.

Seriously, if you’re at least a romance fan. Read this one. It was a stunning book and I can’t believe myself for letting it sit on my shelf for so long.

Overall audience notes:

  • Historical fiction romance
  • Language: some
  • Romance: closed door
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: war themes (specifically Pearl Harbor), multiple deadly plane crashes, a loved one MIA, PTSD, depictions of grief and depression

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Book Review: Only A Monster (Monsters #1) by Vanessa Len

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Rating: ★★★★☆ (4.5)
Genre: YA Urban Fantasy + Romance 
Length: 416 pages
Author: Vanessa Len
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: February 22nd, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

With the sweeping romance of Passenger and the dark fantasy edge of This Savage Song, this standout YA contemporary fantasy debut from Vanessa Len, is the first in a planned trilogy.

It should have been the perfect summer. Sent to stay with her late mother’s eccentric family in London, sixteen-year-old Joan is determined to enjoy herself. She loves her nerdy job at the historic Holland House, and when her super cute co-worker Nick asks her on a date, it feels like everything is falling into place.

But she soon learns the truth. Her family aren’t just eccentric: they’re monsters, with terrifying, hidden powers. And Nick isn’t just a cute boy: he’s a legendary monster slayer, who will do anything to bring them down.

As she battles Nick, Joan is forced to work with the beautiful and ruthless Aaron Oliver, heir to a monster family that hates her own. She’ll have to embrace her own monstrousness if she is to save herself, and her family. Because in this story . . .

. . . she is not the hero.

MONSTROUS.

Y’all. This book was incredible. I was hooked within the first few chapters and it rarely let up as this urban fantasy unfolded. Not generally one for urban in my fantasies, I ended up loving how this played out in London. I think the time-traveling aspects were exactly the right thing needed for this story that this combination led to my inability to put this book down.

Joan wasn’t a bad main character, but I did struggle with some aspects of her personality. I liked that she was incredibly loyal to her family and trying to solve many mysteries around her, buuuut, she was also a mega people pusher. It was bothersome to continually shove her thoughts down someone’s throat until they capitulated. Besides that, Joan made some tough decisions and worked with what she had, and for that, I liked her.

There’s some how a combination of fated mates (with an enemies kicker) + a potential love triangle? Honestly not sure what I’m supposed to do with that kind of romance information. I really look forward to how this expands in future books because it is wildly interesting and can go so many ways.

The magic system within the monster world is fascinating. There’s a lot to explore with the King, mysterious woman, Court of Lions and more. I think this book did a good job of giving the answers needed for THIS read, but leaving enough out there for the future books.

Overall audience notes:

  • YA Urban Fantasy
  • Language: very little
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: mild blood/gore
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: mass murder event, loss of loved ones, weapons use, mentions of torture (side character), racism, psychological torture, kidnapping

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