Book Review: The Dating Plan (Marriage Game #2) by Sara Desai

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Rating: ☆☆☆☆
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 352 pages
Author: Sara Desai
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: March 16th, 2021
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BOOK SUMMARY:

Daisy Patel is a software engineer who understands lists and logic better than bosses and boyfriends. With her life all planned out, and no interest in love, the one thing she can’t give her family is the marriage they expect. Left with few options, she asks her childhood crush to be her decoy fiance.

Liam Murphy is a venture capitalist with something to prove. When he learns that his inheritance is contingent on being married, he realizes his best friend’s little sister has the perfect solution to his problem. A marriage of convenience will get Daisy’s matchmaking relatives off her back and fulfill the terms of his late grandfather’s will. If only he hadn’t broken her tender teenage heart nine years ago…

Sparks fly when Daisy and Liam go on a series of dates to legitimize their fake relationship. Too late, they realize that very little is convenient about their arrangement. History and chemistry aren’t about to follow the rules of this engagement.

YAY FOR FAKE DATING.

This was a charming read!! With one of my favorite tropes: fake dating/fake fiance I was charmed from the beginning. I listened to it on audio too and really enjoyed that format.

I don’t think this was anything ground-breaking in the contemporary romance department but I found it an easy, entertaining read that flew by. I had a hard time putting it down and found myself smitten with Liam. His antics had me bursting out with laughter (especially playing with a sword, NOT a euphemism haha). I loved his story and learning everything about him and his family. His connection with Daisy was instantaneous and the fire was immediately lit again. I adored the banter and romance between them.

What I did not love were the very cringey love scenes. Something about the dialogue and the way it was written did not mesh well with me. It was like the initial banter and flow went out the door to try and add steam when I think it could have been directed in a better manner.

I also haaaated the conflict/resolution. It was roll my eyes, bad Hallmark movie worthy. I couldn’t believe how Liam handled it and everything that went along just to stretch out the story. I wish something else would have been used to further the plot rather than this gross miscommunication.

I love that Daisy was an engineer and found her niche among her friends and her job. It was an aspect I always appreciate in a story. It was nice to get both points-of-view between Liam and Daisy to get the full scoop from both sides.

Overall audiece notes:

  • Contemporary romance
  • Language: some strong
  • Romance: kisses to open door scenes
  • Violence: motorcycle crash
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: domestic abuse (off-screen), parent abandonment

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Book Review: Romancing Her Rival (Promise of Forever After #2) by Joanna Barker

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Regency Romance Novella
Length: 156 pages
Author: Joanna Barker
Publisher: Love Letter Press
Release Date: August 5th, 2020
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

He stole her inheritance. She stole his heart.

Daphne Windham has depended upon one thing her entire life: inheriting her beloved great-aunt’s estate, Cheriton Hall. With her mother desperate to marry her off to the highest bidder, Daphne is relieved to escape to Cheriton for the summer—until she learns that her aunt has decided upon a different heir entirely. Cole Everard, the steward’s son and Daphne’s childhood friend. Former friend, that is.

Raised on the grounds of Cheriton, Cole Everard never imagined he would be named heir, but he is determined to prove himself worthy of the position. Unfortunately, that is easier said than done, especially when Daphne arrives claiming he is anything but worthy. Instead of their close friendship, Cole is met with cold indifference—which would sting much less if he wasn’t entirely in love with her…

Hurt and betrayed, Daphne believes her only choice is to undermine her new rival and reclaim what is rightfully hers. But that plan becomes increasingly difficult, what with Cole’s infuriating charm and kindness. When fate offers Daphne a second chance, will she take it or risk it all for the promise of love?

Romancing Her Rival is the second in a series of books about five friends. The other four novellas will be written by authors Sally Britton, Megan Walker, Heidi Kimball, and Arlem Hawks.

SMITTEN.

An absolutely charming regency novella. I was grinning for ear to ear by the closing scenes and I am falling more in love with Barker’s books as I go!

This is a super quick read (150 pages) and is excellently paced. I liked that there was enough background mentioned between Daphne and Cole to know that they had a history prior to the book. I feel like that’s always really critical for a novella. An established past helps fuel the connection we get to see on page.

And what a connection it was!! I immediately saw the chemistry between our main couple and I loved the progression of their romance. The critical conflict scenes weren’t out of bounds I I am here for a passionate confession of feelings accidentally in front of the other person.

Super smitten with this whole read. One of those moments wondering why it took so long for me to pick it up in the first place. Can’t wait to read more!

Overall audience notes:

  • Regency Romance Novella
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: emotionally manipulative parenting

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Book Review: Shortcake by Lucy Watson

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Rating: ☆☆☆
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 413 pages
Author: Lucy Watson
Publisher: Self-published
Release Date: September 19th, 2019
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Things Emelia Anderson would rather do than share a house with Benjamin Crawford:

1) Get strapped to a chair in a restaurant full of loud-chewers.

2) Parachute into the Australian Outback armed with only a blowdart.

3) Live her best life as an ice road trucker in the Alaskan Tundra.

Benjamin Crawford thinks Emelia conned his dying grandmother into leaving her half of an estate worth millions, so let’s just say he’s not her biggest fan either. Not even close.

Now they have to live together for the next thirty days while renovating the family home. Or the estate will transfer to the one person Ben hates more than Emelia, and she’ll have to move back to the one place she wants to forget more than Ben.

Did I mention Ben look likes man-candy and smells like testosterone? Not that Emelia notices. She spends a lot of time not noticing things about Ben.

TOOK SOME TURNS.

What started out pretty well, dropped significantly as the book went on.

I LOVE enemies to lovers. Will read it all day, every day. The way this was portrayed was a lot more intense than I appreciated. Some dialogue crossed lines that I was uncomfortable with and wow do you really feel the hate between them.

As things progressed, some scenes were sweet and I felt myself more invested in their story. I snort-laughed through some of the antics and found the whole plot neat! I love some forced proximity and there was plenty of that around.

Towards the end, things took an oddly dark turn? I’m fine with heavier subject matter in a romance when it’s interspersed throughout and works with the story. The conversations seemed thrown in to maybe create some kind of dynamic that I’m still not fully understanding.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary romance
  • Language: strong, often
  • Romance: kisses to open door scenes
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: mentions of substance abuse, mentions of suicide, mentions of drunk driving, a loved one with a terminal illness

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ARC Book Review: The Suite Spot (Beck Sisters #2) by Trish Doller

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Rating: ☆☆☆☆
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 288 pages
Author: Trish Doller
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Release Date: March 8th, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Trish Doller’s The Suite Spot is a charming romance novel about taking a chance on a new life and a new love.

Rachel Beck has hit a brick wall. She’s a single mom, still living at home and trying to keep a dying relationship alive. Aside from her daughter, the one bright light in Rachel’s life is her job as the night reservations manager at a luxury hotel in Miami Beach—until the night she is fired for something she didn’t do.

On impulse, Rachel inquires about a management position at a brewery hotel on an island in Lake Erie called Kelleys Island. When she’s offered the job, Rachel packs up her daughter and makes the cross country move.

What she finds on Kelleys Island is Mason, a handsome, moody man who knows everything about brewing beer and nothing about running a hotel. Especially one that’s barely more than foundation and studs. It’s not the job Rachel was looking for, but Mason offers her a chance to help build a hotel—and rebuild her own life—from the ground up.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an eARC.

GENTLE.

That was the vibe of this entire book. A gentle and loving slow-burn romance that was the kind of read I didn’t know I needed when I picked it up.

I looooooved Rachel. I thought she was a strong single Mom. She’s trying to figure things out and make the best decisions for her and Maisie. I liked that she was vulnerable and honest. And I love the way Rachel connected with Mason. Mason was one of the those dreamy quiet heroes. A solid presence who’s continually there and does the tiny things that make your heart skip a beat. There’s exploration of themes of loss, finding a second chance at love all underneath a beautiful backdrop on an island in Lake Eerie.

It’s fast paced but never in a way that felt rushed. Plenty of months fly by as Rachel and Mason swirled around each other in an ever closing vortex. I couldn’t get enough of their quiet moments and it had just the right touch of steam.

There’s lots of goodness here. I do wish there was a bit longer of an ending or even an epilogue. Lots of heartstrings were pulled and this book gave off a beautiful message of hope.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: a little
  • Romance: two brief open that quickly fades to black
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: divorce (recounted), single parent, loss of a child (recounted), sexual assault (occurs in the first chapter)

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