ARC Book Review: Beg, Borrow, or Steal (When in Rome #3) by Sarah Adams

January 2, 2025December 10, 2024 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 384 pages
Author: Sarah Adams
Publisher: Dell Romance
Release Date: January 7th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Two feuding second-grade teachers (and neighbors) find themselves teaming up in this rivals-to-lovers romance by the New York Times bestselling author of The Rule Book and Practice Makes Perfect.

Emily Walker hates having her carefully crafted world disrupted by anyone, most of all her legendary nemesis, Jack Bennett. He’s the opposite of the wonderful heroes she dreams up in her double life as a romance writer, which is why Emily was perfectly happy when Jack left Rome, Kentucky, mid-school year, with his fiancée. The last thing Emily saw coming was Jack’s return at the start of the summer after calling off the wedding and ending his relationship, but he’s here to stay—as her colleague and her neighbor.

Jackson Bennett is glad to be back, eager to renovate his house and work on the next mystery novel under his bestselling pen name. But when he realizes he’s now neighbors with the one woman who has always pushed his buttons, he discovers something he’s even more excited for—thwarting Emily and her petty plans to sabotage his return.

With their chemistry-fueled animosity at an all-time high, Emily accidentally sends an email to their school’s principal that could reveal her secret literary side hustle. She needs to steal back her manuscript, and Jack—she hates to admit—is just the man to help her. Surprisingly, Jack agrees. Will their unlikely alliance put an end to their rivalry? Or could it lead to a steamy plot twist they never saw coming?

Thank you Dell Romance for my gifted ARC!

LOVE LOVE LOVE.

I sat down with the attention of reading a few chapters and then proceeded to stay up until 1 AM and found myself 220 pages in. That’s the kind of hold Sarah Adams and Jack and Emily’s story had on me. Oldest daughters unite because this spoke to my battle weary soul.

I loved the chemistry between Jack and Emily. Good heavens it leapt off the page. I could not get enough of the banter. It’s the level of snark and I hate you but I really don’t that plays so beautifully off of each other. The slow burn and heated moments and those walls come crumbling down. I thought this was utterly romantic and filled with swoon.

BUT ALSO, the growth and love between Emily and her siblings was beautiful. Some hard conversations were had, but ALWAYS such love and support. I adore this family dynamic and the way they all lean on each other in the good and the bad. Seeing all of these characters and the shenanigans of Rome, Kentucky again were worth the wait.

(and let it be known I am begging for details about book four….)

Overall audience notes:

Contemporary Romance
Language: mild
Romance: brief open door

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Monthly Reading Wrap-Up: December 2024

January 1, 2025 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

How is it the end of the year again? I wrapped it up with a few less books (reading Rhythm of War and Wind and Truth will do that to you). But a good month to end 2024.

Favorites of the month:

Rhythm of War (reread)
A Monsoon Rising
Beg, Borrow, or Steal
O Goalie Night
Wind and Truth
Exes Don’t
Holiday Hostilities
Is She Really Going Out with Him?
All the Missing Pieces
In the Wake of the Wicked

Least favorites:

The Island House

Merry Little Match by Celine Rachelle
[Reread] Rhythm of War (The Stormlight Archives #4) by Brandon Sanderson
Stranger Skies (Drowned Gods #2) by Pascale Lacelle
[ARC/ALC] A Monsoon Rising (The Hurricane Wars #2) by Thea Guanzon
Since We’ve No Place to Go
Servant of the Earth (The Shards of Magic #1) by Sarah Hawley
[ARC] Beg, Borrow, or Steal (When in Rome #3) by Sarah Adams
Have Yourself a Married Little Christmas by Claire Cain
The Serpent and the Wolf (Dark Inheritance Trilogy #1) by Rebecca Robinson
[ARC] Lady Anna’s Favor by Karen Tuft
O Goalie Night by K.M. Gillis
My December Darling by Lauren Asher
One Night Two Holidays by Ali Brady
[ARC] A Cruel Thirst by Angela Montoya
[ARC] Dating and Dragons (Dungeons and Drama #1) by Kristy Boyce
12 Days of Mistletoe by Jen Atkinson
That Time We Kissed Under the Mistletoe (Abieville Love Stories #4) by Julie Christianson
Wind and Truth (The Stormlight Archive #5) by Brandon Sanderson
Games Untold (The Inheritance Games #4.5) by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
[ALC] Immortal by Sue Lynn Tan
A Kingdom of Shadows (A City of Flames #2) by Rina Vasquez
An Honorable Deception (The Imposters #3) by Roseanna M. White
We Could Be Villains (The Vigil & Ante Files #1) by Megan McCullough
Twenty-Four Seconds from Now… by Jason Reynolds
[ALC] Breath of the Dragon (Breathmarked #1) by Fonda Lee and Shannon Lee
Exes Don’t (Fall in Love #3) by Leah Dobrinska
Holiday Hostilities (Cyclones Christmas #2) by Katie Bailey
The Island House (Getaway Bay Romances #1) by Elana Johnson
Is She Really Going Out with Him? by Sophie Cousens
[ARC] All the Missing Pieces by Catherine Cowles
In the Wake of the Wicked by V.B. Lacey
The Scholar and the Last Faerie Door by H.G. Parry

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Book Review: Better Hate than Never (The Wilmot Sisters #2) by Chloe Liese

January 1, 2025November 21, 2023 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Length: 360 pages
Author: Chloe Liese
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: October 10th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Childhood enemies discover the fine line between love and loathing in this heartfelt reimagining of Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew.

Katerina Wilmot and Christopher Petruchio shared backyards as kids, but as adults they won’t even share the same hemisphere. That is, until Kate makes a rare visit home, and their fiery animosity rekindles into a raging inferno.

Despite their friends’ and families’ pleas for peace, Christopher is unconvinced Kate would willingly douse the flames of their enmity. But when a drunken Kate confesses she’s only been hostile because she thought he hated her, Christopher vows to make peace with Kate once and for all. Tempting as it is to be swept away by her nemesis-turned-gentleman, Kate isn’t sure she can trust his charming good-guy act.

When Christopher’s persistence and Kate’s curiosity lead to an impassioned kiss, they realize “peace” is the last thing that will ever be possible between them. As desire gives way to deeper feelings, Kate and Christopher must decide if it’s truly better to hate than to never risk their hearts—or if they already gave them away long ago.

I THINK I LIKED THIS.

I will say what I loved the most in this would be the mental health rep, and the migraine rep. Those both stood out to me as well written and I deeply connected with many facets of that storyline.

And I will say, this was absolutely enemies to lovers. THE HATE Y’ALL. But alongside that was some great angst and tension. I loved the dancing and paint ball and taking care of each other when sick. Many delicious moments that ramped things up.

I struggled in the second half where I felt the plot was kind of dropped to the side and the spice took over the story. It went from 0-100 real fast and then never stopped.

Honestly though, I did enjoy this. It had a fantastic fall atmosphere and all of these soft nuggets that I love about Chloe Liese’s storytelling.

Overall audience notes:

Contemporary Romance
Language: strong
Romance: 4+ open
Trigger/Content Warnings: chronic migraines, death of parents recounted

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Book Review: One Small Secret (Gift-Wrapped Romance) by Esther Hatch

December 30, 2024November 20, 2023 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★
Genre: Contemporary Holiday Romance
Length: 214 pages
Author: Esther Hatch
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: November 13th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Ruben Palmer is on every woman’s Christmas wish list. Except mine.

I grew up with him and bested him in practically everything we did together–debate, grades, mini-golf, you name it. So I’ve built an immunity to his boy-next-door charm. Sure, sometimes I might accidentally type his name into my search engine, but his dimples, hotel empire and thirst-trap photos don’t tempt me. I’ve got my sights set on earning my way to the top of the Palmer Hotel empire, and nothing is going to get in my way.

Until my step-sister leaves her secret toddler with me before skipping town for three months. Now suddenly everyone thinks he’s mine, and instead of powering my way to the top, I’m struggling to not get fired. And instead of Ruben staying on the executive floor where he belongs, he’s invading my apartment, breaking dates with starlets, and looking disappointed that I decided to settle down with anyone except him.

But I know Ruben, and Ruben doesn’t settle down. So there’s no way I’m giving him my heart. Not even for Christmas.

WELL.

This wasn’t all bad, truly. I just feel like there was a whole lot going on for 200 pages and I think I got off on the wrong foot with the way the entire plot was set-up. It left me with more questions than answers.

There were a lot of good swoony moments and the kissing scenes were fantastic. I did like the second half more and I adored Ruben the most. He really did roll with the punches and had some of my favorite love confession scenes. I liked all of the holiday content and office place romance. There’s good banter and it’s witty. While things didn’t fully click for me, I look forward to more contemporaries from this author.

Overall audience notes: