Tag: Book Review

Book Review: You, with a View by Jessica Joyce

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 352 pages


Author: Jessica Joyce
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: July 11th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Two weeks on the road… stuck in a car with your high-school enemy.

Noelle Shepard is grieving the loss of her beloved grandmother when she discovers decades-old photos and letters that hint to a forbidden love in her gram’s past. Needing to know the full story, she creates a TikTok video appealing for information – and it goes viral.

Through her video, she manages to track down her grandmother’s secret love, Paul, who offers to take her on the honeymoon road-trip he and Gram planned but never got to go on.

Noelle jumps at the chance to make this one last connection with her grandmother. There’s just one problem – Paul’s grandson is Noelle’s frustratingly handsome high-school rival Theo.

And Theo has to come, too.

It’s only two weeks. Surely Noelle can survive that long? But with one car between them – and often only one bed – it doesn’t take long for things to heat up…

REAL GOOD.

I loved this audiobook and I loved this story. It was incredibly well put together. The road trip worked well and learning more about Noelle’s grandmother and her love story really squeezed my heart.

And the romance?? Immaculate banter and chemistry. They really had things going for them from the beginning. I adored Theo and was smitten by how much he cared. The third act made me a little cranky and I also got thrown by the random psychic reading that influenced the plot way too much for me?

Otherwise though, a solid romance read. The side characters were incredible. One of my favorite aspects was that Noelle had a supportive and loving family. I don’t feel like that’s seen very often in adult romance and I loved the support. I look forward to more books by this author!

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: strong
  • Romance: 3-4 open; moderate explicit
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: loss of a grandparent, strained family relationships

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ARC Book Review: The Christmas Letters by Jenny Proctor

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Holiday Romance Novella
Length: 191 pages
Author: Jenny Proctor
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: November 28th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Can an old letter spark a new flame?

When Tess Ravenel gets herself stuck inside a bathroom stall in one of Charleston’s most historic buildings, she isn’t exactly thinking about her dating life. But then the paramedic who comes to her rescue has a voice that sounds like butter and enough charm to make her forget she’s seconds from having a panic attack.

If only he were interested.

Andrew McKay has a mysterious Christmas pen pal, a woman who replied to a newly found letter he sent to Santa back when he was a kid. After weeks of correspondence, it’s clear she’s funny, smart, interesting…and an awful lot like Tess Ravanel—the woman he’s already blown off twice for good reason.

Tess and Andrew couldn’t be more different, but when their worlds collide, fate (and a little Christmas magic) set them on a crash course for love.

The Christmas Letters is a closed door sweet holiday romance with lots of chemistry but no spice. This book was first published in 2019 but has been heavily revised and updated.

Thank you to Jenny Proctor for an eARC.

HOLLY JOLLY.

I thought this was a lot of fun. It’s fast paced with that instant connection kind of vibe that (if written well) works beautifully in a novella. And all of those things came together for me here. I adored Drew and Tess. Yay for dual POV’s that help give sides to both stories.

The letter writing was a cute quirk and I liked how it was approached vs. all the ways miscommunication could have ruined it. The grand gesture was wonderful. This was perfect for the season and just gave me all the best warm fuzzies.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Holiday Romance Novella
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: loss of parents (recounted)

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Book Review: Talk Santa to Me by Linda Urban

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Rating: ★★
Audience: YA Contemporary Holiday Fiction
Length: 280 pages
Author: Linda Urban
Publisher: Atheneum Books
Release Date: September 27th, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A teen girl gets the perfect second try at a first kiss in this young adult romantic comedy.

Francie was born in a stable. Really. Granted, it was the deluxe model with the light-up star on the roof, one of the many Christmas items for sale at her family’s Hollydale Holiday Shop. Their holiday gift empire also includes the Santa School, which was founded by Francie’s beloved grandpa, who recently passed away.

Francie’s always loved working in the shop, but lately Aunt Carole has been changing everything with her ideas for too-slick, Hollywood-inspired Santas and horrible holiday-themed employee uniforms. Aunt Carole’s vision will ruin all the charm and nostalgia Francie loves about her family’s business…unless she does something about it.

But this winter is about more than preserving the magic of Christmas. Francie is saving up for a car and angling to kiss the cute boy who works at the tree lot next door—hopefully it will be good enough to wipe her fiasco of a first kiss from her memory.

As the weather outside gets more and more frightful, can Francie pull off the holiday of her dreams?

NOT FOR ME.

I think I’m calling it on trying to read YA contemporary holiday books. I have been let down a few too many times.

This book was short, and full of wanderings that didn’t help the plot at all. Which made the book boring and feel long. I didn’t need snippets about work uniforms or multiple pages of the letters begin written to kids (they weren’t different). I wanted more character growth, more relationships, and an overall better dynamic.

And if you thought this had romance, it really doesn’t. Francie kind of pines after someone for most of the book and then sometime after halfway they kissed. Very anticlimatic.

No point of continuing this review. I’ve moved on from this book.

Overall audience notes:

  • YA Contemporary Holiday Fiction
  • Language: a little
  • Romance: kisses
  • Trigger/Content Warning: loss of a loved one (recounted)

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ARC Book Review: The Binding Season (Fallow Creek #3) by Claudia Cain

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Paranormal Horror / Romance
Length: 382 pages
Author: Claudia Cain
Publisher: Black Sheep Books
Release Date: November 30th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Cassandra Reilly has faced monsters and devastating losses. Now she’s overcome death itself, completing the rite to become the Witch of Fallow Creek.

It’s a shame it didn’t work.

Cass has survived the rite, but with an unexpected result: she can’t control her magic. Haunted by ghosts and struggling with her damaged family, she already has enough to deal with when a body is found in the woods, and the local Fae task her with tracking down the killer.

But this murder is more than it seems. Power never comes unchallenged, and not everyone is happy about the new Witch.

This challenge might be more than Cass can handle.

Thank you to the author for an eARC.

NEW SERIES FAVORITE.

Y’ALL. THIS BOOK.

This is definitely my new favorite of the series and ohhhh my gosh I loved it so much. My favorite (of course) was how much romantic development I finally got! This slow burn was going to end me and YAYYYYYYYY. Basically my giddy little self this entire book. Merich must be protected at all costs.

I loved this edition and how we got to see a little more of the world and characters in the woods. While focusing on one issue I loved seeing the hints toward the final showdown coming in book four. The complex sibling dynamics are wonderful as always. I love how they protect each other and fight and love and all the things a tight knit family unit does.

This is as gruesome as always (and I’m not even a horror reader, THESE are my exception). The Binding Season is an hidden gem that I need more readers to get their hands on.

Overall audience notes:

  • Paranormal / Horror + Romance
  • Language: a little
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: high
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: mild body horror, near death experiences, blood/gore depiction

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