Tag: avon books

Book Review: Last Night Was Fun by Holly James

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 368 pages
Author: Holly James
Publisher: Avon
Release Date: June 10th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

You’ve Got Mail meets The Hating Game! Vying for a promotion against a bitter rival as the only female data analyst for a professional baseball team, Emmy finds solace in the text-flirting relationship that started as a wrong number exchange—unaware that the man she’s texting is the one she’s fighting for the promotion.

Emmy Jameson lives by three no dating, no sharing personal news at work, and baseball above everything. As the only female data analyst for a professional baseball team, Emmy is constantly trying to prove herself.

Especially when she’s put up for a senior analyst position against her arrogant, infuriating coworker Gabe Olson. Sure, he’s gorgeous and smart and he was a baseball star in college who knows the sport inside and out, but so does Emmy. She is not going to lose to him again. There will be no distractions this summer. Not even her sister’s pending destination wedding in Mexico for which she needs to find a plus one.

But then she receives a text from an unknown number with a simple  “Last night was fun.” When she strikes up a conversation with the mystery texter, they realize that he was given a fake phone number after a bad date that just so happened to be Emmy’s. Despite her rules, Emmy can’t deny the instant connection she feels and soon finds herself falling for the stranger on the other side of the screen…and inviting him to her sister’s wedding.

Thank you to Avon Books for the gifted copy.

IT WAS FUN.

This was a new to me author and I did like it y’all!!! Random book mail success story here.

I thought most of it was super cute. I loved the texting conversations and banter and the way that the reader knows what’s happening but the characters haven’t clued in yet. It’s got an overall sweet quality to the story line.

BUUUUUT. Y’all know I will rant about a ridiculous third act and here we are. I haaaaate the let me interrupt you ten times rather than just letting you finish one sentence so I can understand what’s happening trope. Gabe deserved ONE SENTENCE. Meh.

Anyways, I think I would read another book from this author. It was a quick read that was overall on the lighter side and hit the spot.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: mild+
  • Romance: 2ish open door
  • Content warnings: loss of a brother (recounted, addiction)

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Book Review: The Blonde Who Came in Form the Cold (Blonde Identity #2) by Ally Carter

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 336 pages
Author: Ally Carter
Publisher: Avon Books
Release Date: August 5th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Ten years ago, they joined the CIA.

Six years ago, he left the game.

Five years ago, they fell in love.

One year ago, she ran out into the cold with absolutely no intention of ever coming back.

And two minutes ago, they woke up, bloody and bruised and handcuffed together in the dark.

They don’t know where they are. They don’t know how they got there. And they have absolutely no idea who is after them or what this nameless, faceless villain wants.

The only thing that’s clear is that, after ten years of covers and chemistry, secrets and lies, these two rival spies have been sucked into their greatest mission yet, and now they’re going to have to team up to stay alive. (If they don’t kill each other first.)

Thank you to Avon Books for the ARC and LibroFM for the gifted audiobook.

OH I WAS OBSESSED.

OH MY GOSH THIS BOOK WAS SO GOOD. Frankly that’s all you need. ALL THE DANG STARS GO PICK IT UP.

I am such a puddle for a man SO DOWN BAD. The MMC (who gets his own narration!!!!) was incredible. I love him. I love him. I love him. I could give you a list of scenes that had me swooning non-stop and obsessing over his every move. And I adored the FMC too. The banter was off the charts and you could feel their chemistry from the first moment. These flashbacks were AMAZING. I’m not a flashback chapter fan and appreciated that these only added and shaped the story.

It’s fast paced, full of action, heat, romance and allllll the things. I loved the audiobook. I loved the book. I LOVED IT ALL.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance Mystery
  • Language: low
  • Romance: closed door
  • Violence: moderate

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Book Review: What I Did for a Duke (Pennyroyal Green #5) by Julie Anne Long

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Historical Romance
Length: 365 pages
Author: Julie Anne Long
Publisher: Avon
Release Date: February 22nd, 2011
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

For years, he’s been an object of fear, fascination…and fantasy. But of all the wicked rumors that shadow the formidable Alexander Moncrieffe, Duke of Falconbridge, the ton knows one thing for certain: only fools dare cross him. And when Ian Eversea does just that, Moncrieffe knows the perfect revenge: he’ll seduce Ian’s innocent sister, Genevieve—the only Eversea as yet untouched by scandal. First he’ll capture her heart…and then he’ll break it.

But everything about Genevieve is unexpected: the passion simmering beneath her cool control, the sharp wit tempered by gentleness…And though Genevieve has heard the whispers about the duke’s dark past, and knows she trifles with him at her peril, one incendiary kiss tempts her deeper into a world of extraordinary sensuality. Until Genevieve is faced with a fateful choice…is there anything she won’t do for a duke?

AN ENJOYABLE READ.

It sounds counterintuitive to say that I don’t feel like I have many words to say for this review. But to me, that’s not a bad thing either. I just really liked this book and had a good time picking it up randomly from a friend’s recommendation. It’s not my go-to genre. Yet it worked out and I am thinking of picking up more from this series.

I did read this without reading the others in the series and had no issues (that I noticed).

The banter between Alexander and Genevieve was fiery and I loved the way that Alexander worked for Genevieve’s attention. Not in an over bearing manner. It made me smile and they started to connect over true things they had in common which slowly started to bring the heat. It is a slow burn (with a little innuendo) and I live for slow burns.

Plot wise I’m not always that big of a fan of house party style historicals. Some of that was fine, and other times it felt like simple games as fluffer to add a scene to fill the story.

Overall audience notes:

  • Historical Romance
  • Language: some
  • Romance: 3-4 open; high explicit
  • Violence: low
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: loss of a wife (asphyxiation), loss of a baby (recounted)

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Book Review: So This is Christmas (A Princess for Christmas #3) by Jenny Holiday

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Rating: ★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 384 pages
Author: Jenny Holiday
Publisher: Avon Books
Release Date: October 4th, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

USA Today bestselling author Jenny Holiday concludes her beloved royal Christmas series with an unforgettable romance about a confident American woman and the strait-laced royal advisor who falls hopelessly in love with her.

Matteo Benz has spent his life serving at the pleasure of the Eldovian crown. His work is his life and his life, well…he doesn’t have much of one. When he is tasked to aid a management consultant who has been flown in to help straighten out the king’s affairs, he is instantly disturbed by her brash American manner–as well by an inconvenient attraction to the brainy beauty.

Cara Delaney is in Eldovia to help clean up the king’s financial affairs, but soon finds herself at odds with the very proper Mr. Benz. As intrigued by his good looks as she is annoyed by his dedication to tradition for its own sake, she slowly begins to see the real man behind the royal throne.

As they work together to return Eldovia to its former glory during the country’s magical Christmas season, Matteo discovers he is falling hopelessly in love with the unconventional American. But a man who has devoted his life to tradition doesn’t change easily. Can he become the man Cara needs, or will their love be another sacrifice to the crown?

DULL.

There’s a reason this book has a lower rating, it is dry. I HIGHLY enjoyed books one and two in this series and recommend going to go read those and skip over this one.

I never felt any chemistry between Cara and Matteo. They had an initial enemies vibe that kind of turned into a forced proximity angle, so the tropes are there, but between them? NOTHIN’. I can barely remember much about either of them at this point too.

The plot was nothing surprising either. There’s some holiday flair and I liked how things worked out in the end for Eldovia. Sleigh rides and skiing were good wintery moments that I’ll admit, had some charm.

This wasn’t it. I don’t really have much to say because nothing happened you wouldn’t suspect from the get-go. Everything felt forced.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Holiday Romance
  • Language: some strong
  • Romance: 2-3 open door; med-high explicit
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: mentions of a parent with a gambling addiction

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