Tag: berkley romance

Book Review: Guy’s Girl by Emma Noyes

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 384 pages
Author: Emma Noyes
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: October 24th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

The boy who couldn’t love and the girl who wouldn’t.

Ginny Murphy is a total guy’s girl. She’s always found friendships with boys easier to form and keep drama-free – as long as they don’t fall for her, and she doesn’t fall for them. She and her best guy friends have stuck to that. But then she meets Adrian Silvas, the only one who’s ever made her crave more, and Ginny begins to question her own rules.

Piece by piece, Ginny and Adrian begin to fall into something intoxicating, something dangerous. Ginny threatens to destroy the belief Adrian’s held ever since witnessing his own mother’s heartbreak: that love isn’t worth the risk. For Ginny, the stakes could be even higher. Letting Adrian get close could mean exposing a secret she’s long protected: her disordered eating.

Ginny isn’t looking to be saved by someone. But maybe she and Adrian can help each other – if they don’t destroy each other first.

Heartfelt and evocative, Guy’s Girl is a powerful story about true love, self-love, and growing up.

THIS BOOK.

Oh my gosh this book about took me out. It was an very hard book to read, and a very good book too. The eating disorders are a present theme throughout and are written in the rawest form. It pulled at every muscle in my soul and had me teary eyed at the gym finishing it.

I loved the romance. It also about broke me too. The struggle and push and pull between Ginny and Adrian was dramatic chaos in the best ways. I was anxiously waiting for them to find each other again and again and again.

There are so many hard hitting moments about not feeling good enough, the journey to finding your worth and being healthy too. I appreciate the reality of the roller coaster of a journey. Many things aren’t linear and this was balanced beautifully. Gosh I’ll be thinking about this book for a long time.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary + Romance
  • Language: moderate
  • Romance: 2-3 brief open door
  • Content Warnings: graphic depictions of multiple eating disorders, grief and depression

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Book Review: Mrs. Nash’s Ashes by Sarah Adler

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Rating: ★★★★☆
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 352 pages
Author: Sarah Adler
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: May 23rd, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A starry-eyed romantic, a cynical writer, and (the ashes of) an elderly woman take the road trip of a lifetime that just might upend everything they believe about true love.

Millicent Watts-Cohen is on a mission. When she promised her elderly best friend that she’d reunite her with the woman she fell in love with nearly eighty years ago, she never imagined that would mean traveling from D.C. to Key West with three tablespoons of Mrs. Nash’s remains in her backpack. But Millie’s determined to give her friend a symbolic happily-ever-after, before it’s (really) too late—and hopefully reassure herself of love’s lasting power in the process.

She just didn’t expect to have a living travel companion.

After a computer glitch grounds flights, Millie is forced to catch a ride with Hollis Hollenbeck, an also-stranded acquaintance from her ex’s MFA program. Hollis certainly does not believe in happily-ever-afters—symbolic or otherwise—and makes it quite clear that he can’t fathom Millie’s plan ending well for anyone.

But as they contend with peculiar bed-and-breakfasts, unusual small-town festivals, and deer with a death wish, Millie begins to suspect that her reluctant travel partner might enjoy her company more than he lets on. Because for someone who supposedly doesn’t share her views on romance, Hollis sure is becoming invested in the success of their journey. And the closer they get to their destination, the more Millie has to admit that maybe this trip isn’t just about Mrs. Nash’s love story after all—maybe it’s also about her own.

THIS WAS SO GOOD.

I didn’t really have plans to pick this up and a friend’s raving review convinced me to give it a go. AND I LOVED IT. I’m so happy I read it!

THE EMOTIONS. I felt them all throughout. The flashback chapters hurt my heart and when a reveal happened that I wasn’t expecting I was almost in tears. The writing just brought out all of the feels.

The romantic banter was amazing. I was laughing and swooning Hollis and Millie. They really had this enigmatic chemistry and the road trip antics were well placed. I’m not usually a road trip fan, but I love the way this story worked in its favor. I do think the physicality of their relationship surpassed what I love seeing, that’s a me thing though.

It’s a wonderful audio book. A deeply heartfelt story and I was in love from all sides.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: some strong
  • Romance: 3-4 open door
  • Violence: low
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: loss of a loved one

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Book Review: The Ex Vows by Jessica Joyce

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 400 pages
Author: Jessica Joyce
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: July 16th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Estranged exes must stick close together to save their best friend’s wedding after a string of disasters in this swoony and steamy second-chance romance.

Georgia Woodward lives by her lists, none more so than the one about her ex, Eli Mora. It’s full of the ironclad dos and don’ts they’ve been following since she returned to the Bay Area after their cataclysmic breakup five years ago.

With the wedding of their mutual best friend, Adam, looming, and them about to step into their roles as best woman and man, Georgia’s never needed it more. She refuses to threaten their tight-knit friend group with her messy—and still very present—feelings. The rules on that list will keep her cool, calm, and compartmentalized.

What’s not on her list? Eli arriving from New York with a new rule-breaking attitude or the all-inclusive venue burning to the ground, leaving the bride and groom in dire straits. Nor does she anticipate Adam asking her and Eli to help him make a miracle happen. Together.

As Georgia and Eli rush up to Napa Valley to pull off the perfect wedding, their old chemistry comes back in technicolor. Somewhere between cake tastings gone wrong, disastrous DJ auditions, and Eli’s heated attention, Georgia starts recognizing the man she fell in love with before. And if she lets herself break her rules, she might find what they’re building isn’t the something old that ruined them—it’s a chance at something new.

I LOVED IT.

This is one of my new favorite second chance romances. I loved the anxiety rep with Eli. That was easily some of the best moments for me.

I didn’t know how I would feel about the wedding antics but I think the side characters set the right vibe for all the shenanigans, and while they were ridiculous I started to love them too. I loved the subtle flashbacks and seeing the communication start to flow.

The banter and tension were fantastic. Gosh I was just smitten with Eli. And I loved seeing growth from Georgia too. And the paper rings??? ARE YOU KIDDING ME.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: moderate
  • Romance: 3+ open door
  • Content Warnings: parental abandonment and divorced recounted, anxiety and panic attacks

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Book Review: The Comeback Summer by Ali Brady

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 480 pages
Author: Ali Brady
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: May 9th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Two sisters have one summer to crush their comfort zones and save their grandmother’s legacy in this sweet, sexy, and heartfelt novel by Ali Brady, author of The Beach Trap .

Hannah and Libby need a miracle. The PR agency they inherited from their grandmother is losing clients left and right, and the sisters are devastated at the thought of closing. The situation seems hopeless—until in walks Lou, an eccentric self-help guru who is looking for a new PR agency. Her business could solve all their problems—but there’s a catch. Whoever works with Lou must complete a twelve-week challenge as part of her “Crush Your Comfort Zone” program.

Hannah, whose worst nightmare is making small talk with strangers, is challenged to go on twelve first dates. Libby, who once claimed to have period cramps for four weeks straight to get out of gym class, is challenged to compete in an obstacle course race. The challenges begin with Hannah helping Libby train and Libby managing the dating app on her sister’s behalf. They’re both making good progress—until Hannah’s first love rolls into town, and Libby accidentally falls for a guy she’s supposed to be setting up with her sister.

Things get even more complicated when secrets come to light, making the sisters question the one relationship they’ve always counted each other. With their company’s future on the line, they can’t afford to fail. But in trying to make a comeback to honor their grandmother, are they pushing themselves down the wrong path?

I ENJOY THIS AUTHOR.

Second book by Ali Brady and I am once again very much a fan. I love the way that sister relationships are combine with romance and self discovery and everything in between. Libby and Hannah both had to learn to stand completely on their own and I looooved seeing that journey for them.

I really liked the romances! Both are totally different and brought a great angle to the general story. There were a lot of tough conversations and heartfelt moments + a little bit of spice. Everything was squeezing my heart and I was very grateful for the HEA at the end.

It’s a fantastic audiobook. It’s a great story. The romance plays a significant role. Just all good things. Looking forward to the next book!

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: light strong
  • Romance: 2-3 open; low-moderate explicit
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: side character with a parent who has a degenerative disease, mentions of parents divorce, weight/body themes

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