Tag: contemporary romance

ARC Book Review: Every Beat After by Sara B. Larson

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 384 pages
Author: Sara B. Larson
Publisher: Shadow Mountain
Release Date: June 2nd, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

She’s guarding a borrowed heart. He’s locked his heart away. But the connection igniting between them might become the one thing they can’t live without.

Years after a life-saving heart transplant, Liv Karlsson lives in the fragile space between gratitude and fear—thankful for every heartbeat and afraid of when they might stop. Running her family’s cozy Swedish bakery gives her purpose, but mounting financial pressures and the shadows of her past leave her wondering: Is she truly living . . . or simply existing?

Then Hunter moves in next door. Guarded, cynical, and annoyingly attractive, he’s everything Liv avoids—and he’s also unfortunately her roommate’s cousin. But when he unexpectedly steps in to help Liv save the bakery with a new marketing plan, their reluctant partnership sparks something neither one is prepared for. He pushes her. Challenges her. Sees her. Suddenly, the girl who’s spent years protecting her heart finds it racing for someone who might just understand her better than anyone ever has.

But just as Liv begins to imagine a future worth fighting for, a devastating revelation threatens to unravel everything. Now Liv must face the ultimate test: Will she find the courage to love, or will fear take it all away?

Thank you Shadow Mountain for the gifted ARC.

HEAVY, BUT GOOD.

That would be my biggest note before going in is checking the content on it because the headspace for the story takes a lot out of you. I’m pretty sure this is my first book by SBL and I gotta say, I liked it! I would definitely read another.

Outside of the romance I loved the close friendships that Liv had. There were spaces to be argue as well as take care of all while knowing that the friendship wasn’t easily fractured. I adored her friends and maybe we’ll get a book for each of them???

The romance was very much the definition of slow burn. From enemies to maybe we’re friends to maybe I actually want more to love. I liked the tension between Liv and Hunter. It wasn’t an easy road but a path that felt worth it in the end. There’s themes surrounding forgiveness and trauma, grief and losing loved ones.

I could have used a little bit longer of an ending? I felt like some of it was wrapped up a touch too quickly compared to the slower pace of the book overall. Still a good book though and one I’d recommend when you’re in the right headspace.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: mild
  • Content warnings: drunk driving resulting in loss of life (recounted), themes surrounding heart transplant and life changes associated, medical emergencies and hospital stays

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Monthly Reading Wrap-Up: May 2026

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What time is it?
SUMMERTIME.

  • Daggermouth (The Heart #1) by H.M. Wolfe
  • Beast Becomes Her by Crystal Seitz
  • [ALC] Seek the Traitor’s Son (The Burning Empire #1) by Veronica Roth
  • Into a Golden Era (Timeless #7) by Gabrielle Meyer
  • [ARC] Magic at Midnight by Courtney Millecam
  • Honey in Her Veins by Ruth McKell
  • [ARC] Rival Season (Hockey Boys of Loft 3B #2) by Rival Season
  • Release Me (Shatter Me: The New Republic #2) by Tahereh Mafi
  • [ARC] Stars, Stripes & Summer Nights by Celeste Dador
  • The Sea Spinner (Reign of Remnants #2) by Julie Johnson
  • Smoke in the Mirrors (Slanted London #2) by Jessica Scarlett
  • [ARC/ALC] Rebel Heiress (The Diamonds #3) by Amalie Howard
  • Annie Knows Everything by Rachel Wood
  • [Reread] Empire of Storms (Throne of Glass #5) by Sarah J. Maas
  • [ARC] Little Miss Goody Two-Shoes by Shelbey Kendall
  • Beneath the Wreckage (Wrecked #5) by Catherine Cowles
  • [ARC] Every Beat After by Sara B. Larson
  • The Paris Match by Kate Clayborn
  • An Honorable Love (The Gentlemen’s Gamble) by Audra Wells
  • The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
  • [ARC/ALC] Shadow Reaper (Shadow Reaper #1) by Lynette Noni
  • Unsteady (The Undone #1) by Peyton Corinne
  • Cross Court (The Off Court #2) by Vai Denton
  • His Face is the Sun (Throne of Khetara #1) by Michelle Jabes Corpora
  • [ARC/ALC] Hard to Love (The Lost Girls #1) by Stacy Williams
  • [Novella] S’more of You (Summer Lovin’ Collection) by Tessa Bailey
  • [Novella] Girls Just Wanna Have Sun (Summer Lovin’ Collection) by Rachel Lacey
  • [Novella] One Hot Summer Wedding (Summer Lovin’ Collection) by Falon Ballard
  • [Novella] Save a Horse, Keep a Cowboy (Summer Lovin’ Collection) by Jessica Peterson
  • [Novella] Summer Staycation (Summer Lovin’ Collection) by Sarah Grunder Ruiz
  • [Novella] Summer Thaw (Summer Lovin’ Collection) by Rebecca Jenshak
  • The Gravewood (The Gravewood #1) by Kelly Andrew
  • [Reread] Tower of Dawn (Throne of Glass #6) by Sarah J. Maas
  • Fever Dream (Emerald Lake #1) by Elsie Silver
  • Made for Mayhem (Mayhem Hockey Club #2) by Aimee Vance
  • The Roommate Rule by Georgie Stone
  • Fury Bound (The Wolves of Ruin #2) by Sable Sorensen
  • [ARC] Hopeless Necromantic (The Catseye Chronicles #1) by Shiloh Briar
  • Dolly All the Time by Annabel Monaghan

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Book Review: I’ll Paint You a Sunset Someday by Bex Alexander

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Rating: ★★★
Audience: Dystopian/Contemporary Romance
Length: 396 pages
Author: Bex Alexander
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: January 27th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

There’s nothing worse than being alone, in Hallee’s humble opinion. Extremely ironic, considering The Gift of Forgetting forces a fresh start every New Year’s Day, rendering it nearly impossible to get attached to anyone. Surely the promised “wild and free” life wasn’t supposed to include Hallee’s obsessive hyperfixation on questioning her purpose—right? After all…what purpose would that serve?

Unfortunately, drowning herself in copious amounts of vanilla lattes doesn’t medicate her growing anxiety. (What a surprise!) So when Dean, a true gentleman with galaxy eyes and a kind heart, offers an escape from her ever-present intrusive thoughts, getting attached doesn’t seem like such a challenge.

Hallee and Dean are better together. They’re a cup of coffee while watching the sunrise, the first flower after a long winter, and a desperate wish on a shooting star. But as New Year’s Day quickly approaches, they’re forced to face the ultimate question…are people permanently marked by the experiences of their lives? Can the great love of Hallee and Dean prove that hearts remember—even if minds do not?

In the end, love conquers all…doesn’t it?

CONFUSED & BORED.

The cover does not match the book and that left me befuddled. The summary does give you a hint at what’s coming and the more I read the more it felt dystopian more than anything else. Especially since the two years used were 2046 & 2095.

While I totally see what theme the author was going for and the message she was trying to convey (and I do think it was a good message) the execution lacked. I just kept waiting for more? More plot? Definitely needed less insta-love (though I guess it made sense? But something felt off about it). I mean, as you can see, this book left me going up and down on my thoughts.

I don’t think I’ll read another book by this author unless it doesn’t have a dystopian-esque element to it.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary/Dystopian Romance
  • Language: mild
  • Romance: make-outs

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Book Review: It’s a Love Story by Annabel Monaghan

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Rating: ★★★.5
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 368 pages
Author: Annabel Monaghan
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s
Release Date: May 27th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

From the USA Today bestselling author of Nora Goes Off Script, a novel about a former adolescent TV punchline who has left her awkwardness in the rearview mirror thanks to a fake-it-till-you-make-it mantra that has her on the cusp of success, until she tells a lie that sets her on a crash-course with her past, spending a week in Long Island with the last man she thinks might make her believe in love.

Rules for a love story: There are none. It’s all a lie.

Jane Jackson knows that true love is a lie. Laughter is the only truth—you can’t fake a belly laugh. Jane should know, she spent her adolescence as “Poor Janey Jakes,” the barbecue-sauce-in-her-braces punchline on America’s fifth-favorite sitcom. Now she’s a Creative Executive at Clearwater Studios and she’s living by a new mantra: Fake it till you make it.

Except, she might have faked it too far. Desperate to get her first project greenlit and riled up by pompous cinematographer and one-time crush Dan Finnegan, she opened her mouth and a big fat fib fell out. She claimed that Jack Quinlan, hottest popstar of the moment, has promised to write an original song for the soundtrack. Jack may have been her first kiss—and greatest source of shame—but she hasn’t spoken to him in twenty years.

Now, Jane must turn to the last man she’d ever want to owe: Dan Finnegan. Because Jack is playing a festival in Dan’s hometown on Long Island, and Dan has an in. A week in close quarters with Dan while facing down her past is Jane’s idea of hell, but Dan just might surprise her. While covering up her lie, can they find something true?

I AM TIRED.

I don’t know if it’s been a bad string of romances lately or if they have become repetitive to me. At least the third act moments. It’s been the same dang thing every dang time and I am exhausted of seeing the FMC repeat herself.

Besides my issues with how the third act felt everything was honestly good. This is a SUMMER romance and I loved all of the beach moments, biking around a small town and strong family dynamics. It’s humorous and heart felt and I enjoyed the audiobook a bunch too.

I did like 90% of the romantic plot line. It’s a slow burn with unlikely friends who FALL IN LOVE. I loved how much I could feel those emotions. It’s really tender and I loved the focus. There were a few small things that felt unfinished with the main plot line? But it’s alright. I still plan to keep reading books from AM!

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: mild
  • Romance: low explicit open door
  • Violence: low

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