Book Review: The Beach Trap by Ali Brady

July 14, 2023August 2, 2022 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 384 pages
Author: Ali Brady
Publisher: Berkley Books
Release Date: June 14th, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Two best friends torn apart by a life-altering secret. They have one summer to set the record straight.

When twelve-year-olds Kat Steiner and Blake O’Neill meet at Camp Chickawah, they have an instant connection. But everything falls apart when they learn they’re not just best friends—they’re also half-sisters. Confused and betrayed, their friendship instantly crumbles.

Fifteen years later when their father dies suddenly, Kat and Blake discover he’s left them a joint inheritance: the family beach house in Destin, Florida. The two sisters are instantly at odds. Blake, who has recently been demoted from regular nanny to dog nanny, wants to sell the house, while social media influencer Kat is desperate to keep the place where she had so many happy childhood memories.

Kat and Blake reluctantly join forces to renovate the dilapidated house with the understanding that Kat will try to buy Blake out at the end of the summer. The women clash as Blake’s renovation plans conflict with Kat’s creative vision, and each sister finds herself drawn into a summer romance. As the weeks pass, the two women realize the most difficult project they face this summer will be coming to grips with their shared past, and learning how to become sisters.

IT GOT BETTER.

I admittedly was not sure I was feeling about this for a good half of the book. It leans towards fiction with a dash of romance and I’m really hit or miss on that type of read.

Blake was the bee’s knees. I adored her and all of the progress and growth she overcame dealing with family that never wanted her. There was a lot to process and I thought the addition of Noah on her team was what Blake needed to move forward. She worked on herself and accepting what was and wow did she make me want to take on all the house projects. I loved listening to her learn and try new things.

Kat bugged the living daylights out of me. Frankly, I still don’t like her all that much. The constant mentions of her influencer lifestyle and her hatred of Blake that didn’t even have a solid base made me roll my eyes. I will admit she DID exhibit some good character change and thank goodness for her love interest too.

The ending gave me all of the warm fuzzy feelings. I did love how everyone came together to fix the house. That all the needed conversations and emotions were thrown on the table. It turned out to be a sweet and emotional read that I’m glad I picked up.

Overall audience notes:

Contemporary Romance
Language: a little strong
Romance: brief open door; low explicit
Trigger/Content Warnings: parental abandonment, loss of a mother, a grandparent with Alzheimer’s

Instagram || Goodreads || The StoryGraph

ALC Book Review: The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston

June 22, 2023June 19, 2023 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance + Magical Realism
Length: 352 pages
Author: Ashley Poston
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: June 27th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Sometimes, the worst day of your life happens, and you have to figure out how to live after it.

So Clementine forms a plan to keep her heart safe: stay busy, work hard, find someone decent to love, and try to remember to chase the moon. The last one is silly and obviously metaphorical, but her aunt always told her that you needed at least one big dream to keep going. And for the last year, that plan has gone off without a hitch. Mostly. The love part is hard because she doesn’t want to get too close to anyone—she isn’t sure her heart can take it.

And then she finds a strange man standing in the kitchen of her late aunt’s apartment. A man with kind eyes and a Southern drawl and a taste for lemon pies. The kind of man that, before it all, she would’ve fallen head-over-heels for. And she might again.

Except, he exists in the past. Seven years ago, to be exact. And she, quite literally, lives seven years in his future.

Her aunt always said the apartment was a pinch in time, a place where moments blended together like watercolors. And Clementine knows that if she lets her heart fall, she’ll be doomed.

After all, love is never a matter of time—but a matter of timing.

Thank you to PRH Audio for the gifted audiobook.

I AM A MESS.

I received a DM saying to read this book and so I downloaded it ASAP and here we are a day later and I LOVED READING THIS SO MUCH (please pay attention to the trigger warnings at the end for some heavy topics).

The romance was DIVINE. It was this mix of wrong timing, second chance, when will I see you again magical realism that had me in a chokehold. Every time the nickname Lemon was uttered I melted all over again. This undeniable chemistry and sense of this is my person was off the charts. I love them. I love them so much and so happy they found a way to each other.

The way grief was woven in broke my heart. It was beautifully written and spoken about and I felt many of those sentiments in my soul. There was healing and finding the light and hope that surrounds us, that sometimes is hard to notice.

I devoured this audiobook. Absolutely recommend that reading option. The narrator brought the entire story to life and made this book even more phenomenal.

I loved this one and need all of y’all to go read it too.

Overall audience notes:

Contemporary Romance
Language: some strong
Romance: 2-3 open door; low-vague explicitness
Trigger/Content Warnings: suicide (recounted, grief and thoughts discussed throughout)

Instagram || Goodreads || The StoryGraph

Book Review: A Thousand Miles by Bridget Morrissey

June 2, 2023July 5, 2022 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 368 pages
Author: Bridget Morrissey
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: June 21st, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

After a decade of silence, Dee and Ben reunite for a road trip they once promised to take. It’s going to be a bumpy ride.

Dee Matthews is the cohost of the smash-hit podcast Did I Forget To Tell You?, where she interviews family, friends, and past lovers. Nothing is off limits, except for one man (known on the show only as Name Redacted) who happens to be her high school best friend Ben. During their senior year spring break, Dee and Ben took a road trip to visit Ben’s grandma. They buried a time capsule in her backyard, pledging to return in ten years to open it. Then their friendship fell apart in spectacular fashion. They haven’t spoken to each other since.

Ben Porter’s life since that moment has been unexciting but comfortable, until his grandma reveals a family secret that flips his whole world upside down. Her dying wish is for him to stop doing what is safest and go after what he really wants. He starts by showing up on Dee’s doorstep with every intention of fulfilling their long-ago promise. Despite her reservations, Dee can’t say no. This trip could be her chance to give her listeners the Name Redacted interview they’ve been begging for–and finally put her unresolved feelings for Ben to rest.

As the miles fly by, Dee and Ben’s friendship reignites. But the closer they get to reaching their destination, the more apparent it becomes that their attraction to each other cannot be ignored. Their last adventure ended in disaster, and they’re about to find out if any hope of a future together is in the rear view mirror.

MEH.

I’m writing this review only a few days after finishing this book and can hardly remember it. And that’s pretty much the crux of anything else I say after this point. It was fine, but not all the endearing.

I never liked the FMC, Dee. Something about her continually rubbed me the wrong way and I hated how she handled a lot of her interactions with Ben. Ben should have dropped his promise and moved right along. Admittedly, I did think there were some sweet moments. Those were very much overshadowed by everything else.

The podcast chapters were annoying. I didn’t think they added anything to the story (except for maybe the last one). It took me out and I just wanted to get back to the road trip. I did like the dual POV line-up because I love both sides of a tale.

And I think I’ve basically ran out of things to say, it was okay y’all. Moving along.

Overall audience notes:

Contemporary Romance
Language: some strong
Romance: fade to black
Trigger/Content Warnings: infidelity mentioned, grief/loss depiction, death of a grandmother

Instagram || Goodreads || The StoryGraph

Book Review: Two Wrongs Make a Right by Chloe Liese

May 2, 2023December 23, 2022 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 326 pages
Author: Chloe Liese
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: November 22nd, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Opposites become allies to fool their matchmaking friends in this swoony reimagining of Shakespeare’s beloved comedy, Much Ado About Nothing.

Jamie Westenberg and Bea Wilmot have nothing in common except a meet-disaster and the mutual understanding that they couldn’t be more wrong for each other. But when the people closest to them play Cupid and trick them into going on a date, Jamie and Bea realize they have something else in common after all—an undeniable need for revenge.

Soon their plan is in place: Fake date obnoxiously and convince the meddlers they’re madly in love. Then, break up spectacularly and dash their hopes, putting an end to the matchmaking madness once and for all.

To convince everyone that they’ve fallen for each other, Jamie and Bea will have to nail the performance of their lives. But as their final act nears and playing lovers becomes easier than not, they begin to wonder, what if Cupid’s arrow wasn’t so off the mark? And what if two wrongs do make a right?

I AM ANNOYED.

I was heading towards a decent four star in this one. Not too shabby.

BUT THEN.

I’m stuck on the third act break-up. It was a travesty. The whole book is centered around communication and healing and listening to one another. And then all of that gets completely thrown out the window???? And at 90ish% which just adds fuel to my flames. I am not happy with that at allllllllllll.

I was enjoying the romance between Jamie and Bea. They worked hard to be together even when they acted liked they didn’t want to. It was endearing and they both had opportunities to take care of each other and I adored those sweet moments. The steam was a bit eh. Most shoved in there to call it spicy, so I had to skip more than I expected. Not to mention, I thought the innuendo felt awkward throughout too. I liked the fake dating shenanigans and the intensity between them at least.

This just didn’t have the same vibes from her indie series. I don’t know if that’s a traditional publishing difference or what, it was missing that same air I originally loved. I’m on the fence about continuing the series.

Overall audience notes: