anneka r. walker – GoodeyReads

Rating: ★★★
Audience: Historical Romance
Length: 288 pages
Author: Anneka R. Walker
Publisher: Shadow Mountain
Release Date: October 22nd, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Inexperienced in love, Jemma seeks help from her best friend, Miles, unaware that he has secretly loved her for years.

Brookeside, England, 1822

Jemma Fielding has always considered herself an independent woman, but to honor her beloved grandmother’s dying wish, she makes a promise that she will marry and fall in love. To fulfill her promise, she turns to the Matchmaking Mamas Society for assistance and is paired with the charming Mr. Bentley. Though he is everything Jemma could hope for in a match, she is clueless about how to win his heart. Desperate to make a good impression, she seeks guidance from her dearest friend, Miles Jackson, a humble rector with a talent for understanding matters of the heart.

However, Miles’s secret affection for Jemma has spanned years, and teaching her to love someone else threatens to betray his own heart. Trapped by his own selfless nature, Miles fears he will never be more than a humble rector in her eyes.

Even as he gives Jemma lessons in love, Miles grapples with the challenge of convincing her that Mr. Bentley may be a perfect gentleman but he is not the perfect match for her. Will Miles’s advice in romance jeopardize their years of friendship, or will it reveal the attraction that has quietly blossomed between them, proving that this time, the Matchmaking Mamas may have made a mistake? Miles must decide if he’s brave enough to confess his feelings to Jemma before she is whisked away forever.

Thank you Shadow Mountain for the ARC.

I’M TRYING.

I have realized that friends to lovers is a trope I struggle to get on board with and this unfortunately became another case with reading this book. I thought the writing was just fine and I did like the characters, I didn’t love the plot choices though.

There was too much focus on Miles and the girl that everyone thought he was supposed to be with even if there wasn’t any legs for that plot line to stand on. I was tired of hearing about Lisette and how forceful Jemma and others were about the situation. I didn’t mind the dating lessons and thought those provided good opportunity for some closeness.

I’m not going to keep going on here, this one wasn’t for me, and that’s okay.

Overall audience notes:

Historical Romance
Language: none
Romance: kisses
Violence: low

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Rating: ★★★
Audience: Contemporary Holiday Romance
Length: 202 pages
Author: Anneka R. Walker
Publisher: Self published
Release Date: November 2nd, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

BRIE

Things I should never have done:

Put my ex-boyfriend’s name on my Christmas wish list.
Grin dumbly at him when he shows up at my door.
Think it’s kismet that he’s staying on the other half of my duplex for the holidays and means we’re meant to be together. Because we’re not. He broke my heart in High School and never looked back.

ROCKWELL

Things I will never do:

Move back to Bearwood.
Repeat my parents’ mistakes by getting married.
Kiss Brie Holland under the mistletoe. I know how good her kisses are, and if I want to make sure number one and two don’t happen, I’m going to have to keep her safely in the friend zone until I’m out of Bearwood for good.

LACKED CHEMISTRY.

I did think some of this was sweet, but the first half was hard for me to wrap my head around. I couldn’t quite get behind some of the thought processes and choices that ultimately had me frustrated.

There was plenty of good Christmas spirit and the tiny dash of magical realism was charming. I liked the main characters in general and the second half was much better. It’s a sweet and simple holiday read that might work for you more than it did me.

Overall audience notes: