Tag: contemporary romance

ARC Book Review: The Wild Card (Sheet Cake #4) by Emma St. Clair

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 353 pages
Author: Emma St. Clair
Publisher: Self Publishing
Release Date: November 6th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Is twenty-three too old for running away? I sure hope not. Because, right now, that’s my current and only life plan.

Desperate to escape the dome of control my father has dropped over my life, I visit my brother in Texas–with no plans to use my return ticket home.

But after spending every cent of my savings to pay off my student loans, I need a job. Stat. Otherwise, I’ll be forced to ask my brother for help and admit how bad things have gotten at home.

So, when the production company I’m interviewing with in Sheet Cake, Texas wants proof that I’ve got long-term roots here, I invent a fake local boyfriend.

Which would have been fine had they not asked to meet him. Today.

I do what any woman in a desperate situation would I grab a man who’s giving off boyfriend vibes and ask to borrow him for an hour.

Too bad I didn’t recognize that man as Collin Graham, who just so happens to be the brother of my brother’s wife. (Confusing, I know–but the important part is that we are NOT related.)

When I finally realize who he is, two things are very he knew it was me the whole time, and this fake boyfriend thing is going to be a lot more complicated now that I actually got the job.

On the plus side, fake dating serves Collin’s purposes as well. We’re both a little lost, both deep in life transition–and apparently both struggling with the fake part of the relationship.

I hadn’t planned on coming to Texas and falling in love, especially not when the name of the game is playing pretend. But would dating Collin for real be such a bad thing?

That depends–on how long it takes the reasons we started faking to begin with finally catch up to us both.

The Wild Card is a fake dating (and fake fake dating) closed door romantic comedy with all the sizzle but none of the spice. Set in the fictional town of Sheet Cake, Texas, this rom-comcan be read as a standalone but pairs best with the other books in the series.

Thank you to the author for a gifted copy.

GOOD TO BE BACK.

I’ve been waiting for this book for a long time and it was worth the wait y’all. I loved being back in Sheet Cake, and I loved seeing all of my favorite characters again. This is easily one of my favorite fictional small towns and I will come back again and again.

I loved this book was soft. It’s low angst but high in the tender and loving moments. Feeling seen and learning to trust and being open to communicate. I love the realistic and romantic nature of Collin and Molly’s relationship.

There’s the usual small town shenanigans and chaos. I love the text threads and family interactions, all of the fake dating schemes and how you know from the start nothing is fake. I’m so happy Collin got his love story!!

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: low

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Book Review: Wreck My Plans by Jillian Meadows

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Rating: ★★★☆
Audience: Holiday Romance
Length: 301 pages
Author: Jillian Meadows
Publisher: Avon
Release Date: October 8th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A sweet and spicy holiday romance between a spirited artist who returns to her small town for Christmas, and her older brother’s best friend, a serious architect who pushes all her buttons—but whom she can’t seem to stay away from. 

Lena’s plans are simple. Surprise her family for Christmas, don’t tell them she lost her job, and most importantly, spend the week relaxing with the people she cares about.

But when she arrives in Juniper, she discovers she’s not the only unexpected guest this year. Her older brother’s best friend, Gavin, is back after disappearing three years ago without a word. He has the kind of charm Lena has always been drawn to, but she knows he’s also the kind of temptation she needs to stay far away from.

Gavin has built his architecture career out of planning strategies for dealing with the unexpected—but he didn’t have a strategy for the possibility of seeing Lena again. Though he’s been dreaming of her since the day he left, he can’t risk giving in to his feelings when they could upend the only family and home he has ever known.

New try to be friends again. Just friends.

But as the pieces fall into place about why Gavin left, staying friends is the last thing on his mind…and on Lena’s. All the plans they’ve made might end up completely wrecked. And for once, maybe they want it that way.

Thank you LibroFM for the gifted audiobook.

EHHHHH.

I feel very mixed about this book. There’s plenty of holiday cheer and it definitely fits that vibe. I loved the rambunctious family dynamics and how much I wanted to be apart of Lena’s family too.

Gavin brought some swoon. I love a man obsessed and from the first chapter you could tell he was gone. And while I loved that, I do also think that angst was trying too hard. I wanted a bit more burn in those aspects and not feeling like I was playing catch-up.

And, as a personal preference, four chapters in a row (+ more later in the book) just really isn’t my jam. Add that in to the lets get it out of our system plot and I struggled with the physical intimacy throughout. Lastly adding in a third act that made me want to shake Lena a bit and it brought this book down for me.

So not all bad, but not all good either. I’m not upset I picked it up, but now I’m hesitant to read more from this author.

Overall audience notes:

  • Christmas romance
  • Language: moderate
  • Romance: open door
  • Violence: low
  • Content Warnings: mentions and recounts of being in the foster system, a car wreck (no one is injured)

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Book Review: Saved by Noel by Tracy Baack

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Rating: ★★★☆
Audience: Holiday Romance
Length: 301 pages
Author: Tracy Baack
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: November 1st, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Everyone says to dream big . . . but how do you turn those big dreams into reality?

From the time she was a little girl, Clara’s dream has been to write romance movie scripts for her favorite television channel. But not just any love stories—Christmas romance is her particular obsession. Unfortunately, that dream has taken a back seat to the demands of her real job as a copywriter and manager.

Clara’s big break comes when her late aunt leaves her an inheritance with one stipulation she must spend the money on something to help her achieve her writing dream. And Clara knows just what to do with it. She purchases a small cabin in the woods to serve as a writing retreat. With the perfect cozy atmosphere, Clara is finally ready to prioritize her lifelong goal.

However, she’s sidetracked when an unfortunate mishap lands her face-to-face with Clark, the town handyman. After an initial spark of attraction, Clara soon discovers that Clark is decidedly not a Christmas enthusiast. She quickly gets distracted by the broody man she can’t forget and the small town that embraces her as one of its own.

Will Clara get so sidetracked helping Clark and the town that her dream slowly dies? Or will they be just the inspiration she needs to make all her dreams come true?

Calling all Hallmark Christmas movie lovers! Saved by Noel is the perfect book for anyone who loves cozy Christmas romances. You’ll find all the heart-melting, feet-kicking swoon with zero explicit content in this closed-door, kisses only sweet romance.

MIXED THOUGHTS.

This is my first book by the author, and while not my faaavorite. I would read another and am curious what stories she’ll write next. Sometimes a holiday romance just doesn’t quite click for me and I had that issue here.

It is a charming book, very Hallmark-esque (with some meta vibes because she wants to write holiday scripts). What I struggled with was the initial Clara had about the town and it not being Christmas-y enough. Some thing bugged me with the way she approached Clark about it and I thought the plot needed another layer. After that though I think it settled better into the banter and cute moments. There’s some good small town moments and I think had a sweet ending.

Overall audience notes:

  • Holiday Romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses

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Book Review: Last Night Was Fun by Holly James

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 368 pages
Author: Holly James
Publisher: Avon
Release Date: June 10th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

You’ve Got Mail meets The Hating Game! Vying for a promotion against a bitter rival as the only female data analyst for a professional baseball team, Emmy finds solace in the text-flirting relationship that started as a wrong number exchange—unaware that the man she’s texting is the one she’s fighting for the promotion.

Emmy Jameson lives by three no dating, no sharing personal news at work, and baseball above everything. As the only female data analyst for a professional baseball team, Emmy is constantly trying to prove herself.

Especially when she’s put up for a senior analyst position against her arrogant, infuriating coworker Gabe Olson. Sure, he’s gorgeous and smart and he was a baseball star in college who knows the sport inside and out, but so does Emmy. She is not going to lose to him again. There will be no distractions this summer. Not even her sister’s pending destination wedding in Mexico for which she needs to find a plus one.

But then she receives a text from an unknown number with a simple  “Last night was fun.” When she strikes up a conversation with the mystery texter, they realize that he was given a fake phone number after a bad date that just so happened to be Emmy’s. Despite her rules, Emmy can’t deny the instant connection she feels and soon finds herself falling for the stranger on the other side of the screen…and inviting him to her sister’s wedding.

Thank you to Avon Books for the gifted copy.

IT WAS FUN.

This was a new to me author and I did like it y’all!!! Random book mail success story here.

I thought most of it was super cute. I loved the texting conversations and banter and the way that the reader knows what’s happening but the characters haven’t clued in yet. It’s got an overall sweet quality to the story line.

BUUUUUT. Y’all know I will rant about a ridiculous third act and here we are. I haaaaate the let me interrupt you ten times rather than just letting you finish one sentence so I can understand what’s happening trope. Gabe deserved ONE SENTENCE. Meh.

Anyways, I think I would read another book from this author. It was a quick read that was overall on the lighter side and hit the spot.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: mild+
  • Romance: 2ish open door
  • Content warnings: loss of a brother (recounted, addiction)

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