Tag: Book Review

Book Review: The Holiday Mix-Up by Ginny Baird

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Rating: ★★★
Audience: Contemporary Holiday Romance
Length: 320 pages
Author: Ginny Baird
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Release Date: October 10th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Lonely-hearted waitress Katie Smith has nowhere to go for Christmas, and a huge crush on her gorgeous diner patron Juan Martinez. So when Juan asks Katie to pose as his girlfriend for holiday festivities at his family’s winery, Katie leaps at the chance… that is, until an accident lands Juan in a coma right after giving his folks the “news.”

Katie knows she should tell the Martinezes the truth, but when they immediately embrace her, Katie is reluctant to let her fantasy of a family holiday go. And then there’s Juan’s brother, Mateo, whose smile tugs at her heartstrings just right—and who tells her perfect Juan might not be everything he seems.

Second son Mateo Martinez loves his brother, but Juan’s plan to “rebrand and expand” Los Cielos Cellars has cost their family too much and put its entire tradition in jeopardy. Katie seems to understand, but she’s still committed to Juan… even when Mateo starts to wish her gentle heart and beautiful smile were committed to him instead.

With the winery at stake, secrets on all sides, and Juan due to wake up any day, can Katie and Mateo follow their hearts to a Christmas miracle, or will this mix-up ruin their chances?

IT WAS FINE.

I think this book could work for a good amount of people, I just didn’t have intense feelings about much of this. I thought the initial premise was intriguing. I thought it would go one way and it went another and I rolled with it. I thought most scenes were sweet and I did like the couple.

There were also LOTS of holiday cheer. I liked all of the activities and traditions throughout. Really brought that winter atmosphere. I also adored the tight knit family and learning their story too.

The third act did make me quirk my head a bit and I thought things were slightly blown out of proportion. Otherwise, that’s kind of it. It’s a short read and maybe for you??

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Holiday Romance
  • Language: a little
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: low

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Book Review: Never Forgotten by Hannah Linder

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Historical Mystery + Romance
Length: 390 pages
Author: Hannah Linder
Publisher: Barbour Fiction
Release Date: November 1st, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

All He Wanted was Justice. All She Wanted was His Heart.
 
Georgina Whitmore, not accustomed to any man being unaffected by her charms, is plagued with the disappearance and rejection of Simon Fancourt. Twelve years later, Mr. Fancourt returns to British society with two children and a mad hunger for justice.
 
Racing against time, Simon works to uncover the men responsible for his wife’s horrific murder, protect his children, and fulfill his father’s unexpected will by marrying Georgina—the last thing in the world he wants to do.
 
Though her heart throbs to accept, she would rather lose him again than have his name without his love. She denies his proposal of matrimony, knowing it will cost them both. But as tragedies unravel and secret enemies narrow their sights on Simon, Georgina risks her life—and her reputation—to protect him and the children. Will the danger scorch them alive? Or will it, for the first time, open his heart to her?

Thank you to the author and Barbour Fiction for my gifted copy.

HEART-WRENCHING.

What I love about Hannah Linder books is how well she balances the darkness of the stories with light and hope. The mystery starts off with an immediate attention grabber and the need for justice.

I loved the twists and turns this story took. I appreciate having multiple points of view to add the dimension to different thoughts and perspectives. The unrequited love was a steady slow burn and I enjoyed seeing both characters learn and work on their flaws while using their strengths to persevere.

It’s emotional and complex and I loved how things came together in the end. I have enjoyed every single one of Hannah Linder’s books and can’t wait for future reads.

Overall audience notes:

  • Historical Mystery + Romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: moderate
  • Content Warnings: murder, suicide, blood/gore depiction

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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: Witch of Wild Things by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland

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Rating: ★★
Audience: Magical Realism Romance
Length: 320 pages
Author: Raquel Vasquez Gilliland
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: September 12th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Legend goes that long ago a Flores woman offended the old gods, and their family was cursed as a result. Now, every woman born to the family has a touch of magic.

Sage Flores has been running from her family—and their “gifts”—ever since her younger sister Sky died. Eight years later, Sage reluctantly returns to her hometown. Like slipping into an old, comforting sweater, Sage takes back her job at Cranberry Rose Company and uses her ability to communicate with plants to discover unusual heritage specimens in the surrounding lands.

What should be a simple task is complicated by her partner in botany sleuthing: Tennessee Reyes. He broke her heart in high school, and she never fully recovered. Working together is reminding her of all their past tender, genuine moments—and new feelings for this mature sexy man are starting to take root in her heart.

With rare plants to find, a dead sister who keeps bringing her coffee, and another sister whose anger fills the sky with lightning, Sage doesn’t have time for romance. But being with Tenn is like standing in the middle of a field on the cusp of a summer thunderstorm—supercharged and inevitable.

NOPE.

I wanted to enjoy this, I really did, but this entire book just felt ANGRY. Which then made me angry and then I wanted it to be over quick. I thought that the main character spent so much energy being upset over so many aspects of her life that it was draining her and that made it a pill to read.

There were some moments of the romance that I liked and parts of the second half were better than the first. But nothing stands out as truly something I enjoyed. I didn’t understand why some of the side plots were there. I don’t think the witchy/magic system played into the story well. And now I’m ready to move on to another book and not think about this one again.

Overall audience notes:

  • Magical Realism Romance
  • Language: strong
  • Romance: 2-3 open door
  • Violence: moderate
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: Threats of revenge pornography, domestic abuse recounted, parental abandonment, death of a parent/sibling recounted

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