Book Review: ASAP (XOXO #2) by Axie Oh

April 9, 2025February 27, 2024 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★
Audience: YA Contemporary Romance
Length: 352 pages
Author: Axie Oh
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: February 6th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

New York Times bestselling author Axie Oh’s ASAP is the much anticipated companion novel to beloved romance XOXO, following fan favorites Sori, the wealthy daughter of a K-pop company owner, and Nathaniel, her K-pop star ex-boyfriend, in a swoon-worthy second chance love story.

Sori has worked her whole life to become a K-pop idol, until she realizes she doesn’t want a life forever in the spotlight. But that’s not actually up to Sori—she’s caught between her exacting mother’s entertainment company and her father’s presidential aspirations. And as the pressure to keep her flawless public image grows, the last person she should be thinking about is her ex-boyfriend.

Nathaniel is off limits—she knows this. A member of one of the biggest K-pop bands in the world and forbidden from dating, he isn’t any more of an option now than he was two years ago. Still, she can’t forget that their whirlwind romance was the last time she remembers being really happy. Or that his family welcomed her into their home when she needed it most. . . .

So when Nathaniel finds himself rocked by scandal, Sori offers him a hideaway with her. And back in close quarters, it’s hard to deny their old feelings. But when Sori gets an opportunity to break free from her parent’s expectations, she will have to decide: Is her future worth sacrificing for a second chance at love?

VERY FRUSTRATING.

I adored XOXO and this was a big letdown. I felt like a lot of this book happened around the main character and she was on the sidelines. Sori was helping everyone else and doing things for other people while she was standing still. I would have loved to see her more involved in the plot.

And the second chance romance was on the eh side too. The third act conflict about had me throw my phone across the room. The level of unnecessary drama to drag out the story made much of it feel like filler plot lines rather than a cohesive novel.

The audio narrator was fantastic and that had me holding on. Otherwise this book left a lot to be desired for me.

Overall audience notes:

YA Contemporary Romance
Language: low
Romance: closed door

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Book Review: We Redeemed the Rain (Meadowbrook Ranch #1) by Ashley Dill

April 8, 2025February 10, 2025 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 438 pages
Author: Ashley Dill
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: November 19th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

“Everyone should find someone to share their story with.”

Exhausted and burnt-out, singer-songwriter, Bea Thompson, needs a break and some space from her once-promising career as an indie musician. Seeking refuge from the crushing pressures of the industry, she books a last minute stay at a special childhood sanctuary, the birthplace of her most treasured friendship, Meadowbrook Ranch. She only hopes the boy she found in the hayloft all those years ago still lives there.

Over the years, lone cowboy, Samuel Taggart (Tag), has built a name for himself as a stock contractor for the rodeo circuit. Shackled by the trauma of childhood sexual abuse, he’s resigned himself to a life of solitude at Meadowbrook Ranch, working around the clock for the only family he’s ever been able to count on—the horses.

But one stormy night, an unexpected visitor upends his quiet life. The girl from the hayloft—his long term pen pal—is back, covered head to toe in mud, and excited to see him.

After spending years pouring his heart out through letters to Bea, finally seeing her again face-to-face sends his heart into lockdown.

Will he trust his old friend with the painful storms of his past, or will the rain prove that some souls are too far gone for love?

We Redeemed the Rain, is a contemporary romance set in Central Texas and the first installment of Meadowbrook Ranch—an emotional series about trauma, healing, and love amid crisis.

BEAUTIFUL READ.

This was a heavy hitter and an emotional read that also brought the infused sense of hope and healing. I thought the tough conversations and themes were handled with care and were genuine to the story and creating a beautiful romance between two people who deserved each other.

I loved the Texas ranch setting. Going to rodeos, riding horses and taking care of all of the things that pop up in-between. I enjoyed seeing Bea and Tag work together and how Bea constantly met Tag where he was, yet also let him know she was a safe place to land. This was one of those reads that had me shouting for them to kiss. The near moments were tangible and I loved loved loved the way the slow burn was crafted around needed conversations and rough and tender moments.

Incredible writing, all the cowboy content, and just a book I could NOT put down. I loved everything about this story and the message it created. I could comment on so many little plot decisions that made this book sing. It’s those small moments that bring a story home for me and gosh dang, I love Tag and Bea.

Overall audience notes:

Contemporary Romance
Language: low
Romance: closed door
Violence: mild – moderate
Content Warnings: child sexual assault, child abuse, PTSD (including dissociative episodes), suicide attempt (recounted), substance abuse

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Book Review: Love Interest by Clare Gilmore

April 7, 2025February 26, 2024 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★☆
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 335 pages
Author: Clare Gilmore
Publisher: Griffin
Release Date: October 10th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A sparkling adversaries-to-lovers romcom set at a magazine publisher in Manhattan. When Casey and Alex are forced into proximity, they soon realize falling for each other is just as much of a risk and as it is a reward.

Casey Maitland has always preferred the reliability of numbers, despite growing up the daughter of two artistic souls. Now a twenty-four-year-old finance expert working in Manhattan, Casey wonders if the project manager opening at her company – magazine powerhouse LC Publications – is a sign from the universe to pursue a career with a little more sparkle. That is, until she’s passed over for the job in favor of the board chairman’s son.

Alex Harrison is handsome, Harvard-educated, and enigmatic. Everybody loves him – except for Casey. But when the two are thrown on the same project, they both have something to prove. For Casey, it’s getting tapped for a transfer to the London office and fulfilling her dreams of travelling. For Alex, it’s successfully launching a brand that will impress his distant father.

As work meetings turn into after hours, Casey and Alex are drawn to each other again and again, but neither can avoid the messy secrets and corporate intrigue threatening to tear them apart. What they discover about their workplace might change everything – including the dreams each of them is chasing.

LESS OFFICE, MORE ROMANCE.

That’s honestly how you can boil down this entire review. I really loved Alex and thought he was a handsome cinnamon roll. And I even enjoyed the FMC, Casey too! Both were great characters. I did like them together, I just needed more of them connecting and hanging out (without work being involved so much) to really feeeeeel this romance.

There’s A LOT of office content. Honestly some of it was even going over my head at various points because I just didn’t care. I love an office romance, but there can be too much. This was that case. I found myself skimming over those portions to get back to Alex and Casey. Casey also tended to have random inner monologue tangents that took me out of the story too.

All to say, I would read another book by this author. I know it was a debut so I’m curious to see how the growth of writing goes in another romance.

Overall audience notes:

Contemporary Romance
Language: moderate
Romance: 3ish brief, low explicit open

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Book Review: The Deathly Grimm (The Forest Grimm Duology #2) by Kathryn Purdie

April 6, 2025March 27, 2025 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★
Audience: YA Fantasy
Length: 400 pages
Author: Kathryn Purdie
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Release Date: March 25th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

The spellbinding sequel to Kathryn Purdie’s bestselling dark fairytale, where our main characters must return to the forest—and its monsters.

The story hasn’t ended yet.

After surviving the Forest Grimm and defeating the Wolf, Clara and Axel have made it back to their village, the one place they can be safe behind the forest’s borders. But when the forest itself begins luring in more villagers, it’s clear that Clara and Axel have only treated the symptoms of the forest’s curse, not the cause—and it’s getting worse.

Burdened with visions of the past and learning to navigate her fragile new relationship with Axel, Clara finds herself entering the forest with Axel yet again to discover the truth once and for all: the identity of the murderer who caused the curse. As they fight murderous woodsmen with incomprehensible riddles, ladies who will drag you into an eternal dance, and ghosts with the power to wield the forest against them, Clara and Axel realize the stakes are higher than ever. If they don’t survive the dark, deadly twists of the forest once more, not only will they never escape, they may also no longer have a home to escape to.

Romantic, eerie, and beautiful, The Deathly Grimm is the triumphant conclusion to Kathryn Purdie’s bestselling Forest Grimm duology.

Thank you to Wednesday Books for the gifted copy.

BETTER AS A STANDALONE.

And I rarely say that, but I mean it this time.

I had a hard time getting through this one because it felt very much the same as book one. Clara goes back into the woods, meets some fairytales that have gone awry, figures out who the bad guy is (who is obvious from the start) and saves the day. Which was practically what happened the first time.

There was also a forced issue in the romance. I think it was trying to add tension, yet it didn’t come across as such. I wanted to love them and that never happened.

It was overall just a dry read. I don’t have much to say because I hardly felt anything while reading other than I was ready to be finished with this book.

Overall audience notes: