allie lewis – GoodeyReads

Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Sports Romance
Length: 452 pages
Author: Allie Lewis
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: June 14th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Two sisters. Seven teams. One grueling competition. One life-changing cash prize.

American Gauntlet is the number one reality TV competition in the nation, and when Dani Di Laurentis gets the call that she and her sister, Lana, have been selected as contestants, she knows this is her one opportunity to change her family’s life for the better. After months of intense training, she and Lana embark on the adventure of a lifetime as they attempt to take on the Gauntlet.
Dani soon finds out, though, that the American Gauntlet experience will be more than just excruciating physical challenges. Not only is she tackling grueling trials, fending off teams that are gunning for her, and dealing with the psychological warfare of the month-long competition, she also finds herself battling growing feelings for her biggest competitor, Joss.
But what none of the contestants know is American Gauntlet has game twists they never could’ve seen coming.
American Gauntlet is an action-packed love story, featuring a fast-paced plot and a sizzling romance without explicit sexual content.

Thank you to the author for an ARC.

NEW OBESSION.

I wish y’all could see how many tabs I put in this book. I LOVED IT SO DANG MUCH. It was the most unique sports romance I’ve read and was incredibly well balanced between the reality game show aspects + romantic moments.

I would like to start a petition for all love interests to be tall sunshine-filled Australians. Talk about some of the best fiery banter. OFF THE CHARTS. The chemistry could not be contained. I was obsessed with Joss and Dani. OBSESSED. Every moment was absolutely stunning.

“The only thing I’m wondering is what it would be like to be loved with that kind of fervor…what it would be like to be loved by you.”

And the competition was INTENSE. Think Survivor + Fear Factor. I loved the set-up and how each competition played out. There was just the right amount of time spent wondering WHO WAS GOING TO WIN and time spent getting to know the side characters and having a storyline outside of the Gauntlet.

I loved Dani’s growth. She grew so much over the book. Learning to value herself and that it’s okay to put yourself first sometimes. Reconnecting with her sister, being open to love, and showing off the sportsmanship that I love seeing.

“You’re the rain in the desert, Dani — and I’ll beg for you.”

I can’t get enough of this book and I NEED Y’ALL TO READ IT OKAY. If you’re looking for a unique sports romance with great characters, fierce events, self-discovery and the sweetest ending. TRUST ME YOU NEED THIS BOOK.

Overall audience notes:

Contemporary Sports Romance
Language: very little
Romance: make-outs
Violence: moderate
Trigger/Content Warnings: parental abandonment, a mother with past alcohol abuse, near drowning, allergic reactions, depictions of anxiety, mentions of cancer

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Rating: ★★★
Audience: NA Mystery Romance
Length: 360 pages
Author: Allie Lewis
Publisher: Self-Published
Release Date: August 5th, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Three things Whitney is obsessed with: true crime podcasts, sticky notes, and coffee.
Two things Whitney knows for certain: she needs to focus on her future and she doesn’t want a relationship her senior year of college.
One thing Whitney never saw coming: Derek Mitchell.

When a dead body is found in the middle of Stratford University’s campus, Whitney Snow feels like she’s been dropped straight into one of the true crime podcasts she listens to every morning. She’s determined to help solve the case by whatever means necessary, but when Stratford’s golden boy, Derek Mitchell, offers to help with the investigation, Whitney isn’t so sure. Her one experience with Derek freshman year left her with a bad taste in her mouth from the guy every girl on campus seems to be obsessed with.

After Whitney reluctantly agrees to let Derek help her investigate the murder, things get even worse when rumors start spreading that the two are dating. Not wanting to rouse suspicion about what they’re really up to—especially with a potential murderer on campus—Derek and Whitney go along with this fake dating scenario. But as they work closely together to solve the case, the investigation isn’t the only thing that starts heating up. And as it turns out, the secrets buried deep within Stratford University may not be the only secrets that are brought to light.

Brought to Light is a new adult romance novel perfect for those who love a sizzling romance (without explicit sexual content) with a dash of murder mystery.

NOT TOO SHABBY.

I took a chance on a new debut author and in it found some good and some okay.

The setting? ADORED. There needs to be more college setting books. I loved the fall semester vibes and all that entailed. The vibes was definitely there.

Murder mystery? Lacking. It was strong in the beginning and strong in the end but the middle felt like a separate college romance story. These two plots moved alongside each other rather than being woven together. I needed a little more weaving to follow the flow and pacing better.

Romance? One of the best aspects. I thought it was really sweet. Whitney and Derek had some great chemistry and interactions. There were some cute dates and I loooove some good protection moments. The emotions at the end gave all the warm fuzzies of romantic ending.

Writing wise, I could tell it was a debut. There were times I could easily skim over some paragraphs because there was too much attention paid to nuances of the story that didn’t truly matter to the story.

I would definitely read another book by this author and look forward to what she has in store next.

Overall audience notes:

NA Murder Mystery + Romance
Language: a little
Romance: kisses
Violence: high
Trigger/Content Warnings: murder, attempted murder, kidnapping, physical altercations