Tag: contemporary romance

ARC Book Review: Borrow My Heart (Borrow My Heart #1) by Kasie West

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: YA Contemporary Romance
Length: 320 pages
Author: Kasie West
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Release Date: June 13th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

When a girl overhears a guy getting verbally destroyed by his friends for being catfished, she jumps in to save the day—and pretends to be his online crush. A young adult romance from the critically acclaimed author of Places We’ve Never Been.

Wren is used to being called a control freak. She doesn’t care; sticking to the list of rules she created for herself helps her navigate life. But when a cute guy named Asher walks through the door of her neighborhood coffee shop, the rulebook goes out the window.

Asher is cute, charming . . . and being catfished by his online crush. So Wren makes an uncharacteristically impulsive decision—she pretends to be the girl he’s waiting for to save him from embarrassment. Suddenly she’s fake-dating a boy she knows nothing about. And it’s . . . amazing.

It’s not long before Asher has her breaking even more of her own rules. But will he forgive her when he finds out she’s not who she says she is? Wren’s not so sure. . . . After all, rules exist for a reason.

Thank you to PRH Audio for the gifted audiobook.

GREW ON ME.

I admittedly got into this and realized that maybe this book wasn’t going to work for me. Luckily, by the end I was pretty charmed and at least appreciated that this fit into a true young adult category and that that audience could enjoy it.

All of the dog content was adorable. I loved the shelter work and seeing Bean find his new home. The romance was sweet. I thought Asher was the cutest cinnamon roll and he and Wren got along well. There is a third act break-up, but I felt more forgiving in age context and I liked how both side apologized and made amends.

It’s a short book that’s light and fluffy but also filled with good themes and conversations. I didn’t LOVE all of the Tiktok content (that might be my age showing). All in all, maybe I’m not past my Kasie West era…yet.

Overall audience notes:

  • YA Contemporary Romance
  • Language: very little
  • Romance: kisses
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: parental abandonment

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Book Review: Dream On by Angie Hockman

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Rating: ★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 352 pages
Author: Angie Hockman
Publisher: Gallery Books
Release Date: July 5th, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

What would you do if your dream man turned out to be real?

When law student Cass Walker wakes up after surviving a car accident, she is flooded with memories of her boyfriend, Devin. The only problem? Devin doesn’t exist. But everything she remembers about him feels so real, like the precise shade of his coffee-brown eyes; the texture of his favorite hand-me-down scarf; even the slightly crooked angle of his pinkie, broken after falling off a trampoline in third grade. She knows he’s a figment of her imagination—friends, family, and doctors confirm it—but she still can’t seem to get him out of her head.

So when she runs into the real Devin a year later in a Cleveland flower shop, she’s completely shocked. Even more surprising is that Devin actually believes her story, and soon they embark on a real-life romance. With her dream man by her side and an upcoming summer job at a prestigious law firm, Cass’s future seems perfect. But fate might have other plans…

NOOOPE.

Y’all. This was not for me. I thought maybe, and was let down at every dang turn.

I did not like how this love triangle between brother’s was handled. It felt drama filled (and not the good kind). I continually felt annoyed with everyone involved and wish it would have been focused on her connection with one of the men.

This mostly was about the FMC struggling with her career choice. Which is fine, but the romantic plots were inherently weak and this combination took me out of the story.

NOT TO MENTION, and this may be considered a spoiler so read at will, there’s a OPEN DOOR love scene at the LITERAL last minute of the epilogue. Why is this enraging? I’m generally fine with a little bit of spice, or don’t mind skipping over, BUT, when you’ve created a book that comes off as sweet/super closed door and then add something in like that it creates a jarring effect. Don’t try to add something in that doesn’t fit with the entire vibe you’ve already created. It’ll make both camps (no spice & spice lovers) upset.

Ending this rant fest. I did not like this book and I think I’m done reading this author’s books.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: a little strong
  • Romance: one open door scene
  • Violence: low
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: short term memory loss & coma from a car crash, manipulative father

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ARC Book Review: Betting on the Best Friend’s Brother (Betting on Love #2) by Melanie Jacobson

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 320 pages
Author: Melanie Jacobson
Publisher: Four Petal Press
Release Date: June 14th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

I don’t want a dating coach. Especially not one I’ve been in love with since junior high.

My roommates say I’m a workaholic. But when my boss temporarily suspends my extra lab time, my best friend and bossiest roommate makes fixing my love life her summer project.

My love life is non-existent, but makeover schemes and blind dates with her weird library patrons are not the answer. When she takes drastic measures and calls in her brother, Joey—one of Austin’s hottest heartthrobs—to consult, it’s my worst nightmare.

I fell for Joey when I was fourteen, and no other guy has ever measured up.

I’ll do anything to keep Joey from finding out—including putting up with a bombshell transformation—if it hides my true feelings when he looks at me. He rejected me once, and it nearly broke me. I’ll never give him that chance again.

Opposites attract in this swoony romcom. A brilliant geneticist versus a hotshot trendsetter she’s secretly loved more than half her life. Dive in for meddling roommates, quirky neighbors, Ahab the cursing parrot, found family, a sneaky matchmaker, and makeover shenanigans.

Betting on the Best Friend’s Brother follows characters introduced in Book 1 of the Betting on Love series but is written as a standalone.

Thank you to the author for an eARC.

THIS WAS GOOD.

I love when a book feels easy to finish in a day because you’re enjoying it that much. I’ve been liking this new series and happy that book two was a great read (the first is currently my favorite!).

Sweet Ava and Joey were the definition of opposites attract and it played well into their chemistry. I wanted even more of them and wish it didn’t take until about halfway to some more proximity moments. The dating coach aspects were fun and I love that Joey kept crashing everything Ava was attending. JUST CAN’T RESIST.

I loved Ava. I loved that she stayed true to herself and also looked at how her currently work/life balance was affecting her. Working through the past and adding some fun back into her life. Joey was such a sweetheart too!

I do wish there was less Ruby. I know she’s the instigator of the bet and Joey’s sister, but I daresay it felt like she was in the book more than Ava.

Also, I have to mention that kissing scene was FIRE. AND MY FAVORITE. Everything I love about a sweet rom-com. Bring on the steamy kisses.

Realllllly excited to see who’s story is next!

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: very little
  • Romance: kisses
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: loss of a father (recounted), parental abandonment (recounted)

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ARC Book Review: American Gauntlet by Allie Lewis

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Sports Romance
Length: 452 pages
Author: Allie Lewis
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: June 14th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Two sisters. Seven teams. One grueling competition. One life-changing cash prize.


American Gauntlet is the number one reality TV competition in the nation, and when Dani Di Laurentis gets the call that she and her sister, Lana, have been selected as contestants, she knows this is her one opportunity to change her family’s life for the better. After months of intense training, she and Lana embark on the adventure of a lifetime as they attempt to take on the Gauntlet.
Dani soon finds out, though, that the American Gauntlet experience will be more than just excruciating physical challenges. Not only is she tackling grueling trials, fending off teams that are gunning for her, and dealing with the psychological warfare of the month-long competition, she also finds herself battling growing feelings for her biggest competitor, Joss.
But what none of the contestants know is American Gauntlet has game twists they never could’ve seen coming.
American Gauntlet is an action-packed love story, featuring a fast-paced plot and a sizzling romance without explicit sexual content.

Thank you to the author for an ARC.

NEW OBESSION.

I wish y’all could see how many tabs I put in this book. I LOVED IT SO DANG MUCH. It was the most unique sports romance I’ve read and was incredibly well balanced between the reality game show aspects + romantic moments.

I would like to start a petition for all love interests to be tall sunshine-filled Australians. Talk about some of the best fiery banter. OFF THE CHARTS. The chemistry could not be contained. I was obsessed with Joss and Dani. OBSESSED. Every moment was absolutely stunning.

“The only thing I’m wondering is what it would be like to be loved with that kind of fervor…what it would be like to be loved by you.”

And the competition was INTENSE. Think Survivor + Fear Factor. I loved the set-up and how each competition played out. There was just the right amount of time spent wondering WHO WAS GOING TO WIN and time spent getting to know the side characters and having a storyline outside of the Gauntlet.

I loved Dani’s growth. She grew so much over the book. Learning to value herself and that it’s okay to put yourself first sometimes. Reconnecting with her sister, being open to love, and showing off the sportsmanship that I love seeing.

“You’re the rain in the desert, Dani — and I’ll beg for you.”

I can’t get enough of this book and I NEED Y’ALL TO READ IT OKAY. If you’re looking for a unique sports romance with great characters, fierce events, self-discovery and the sweetest ending. TRUST ME YOU NEED THIS BOOK.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Sports Romance
  • Language: very little
  • Romance: make-outs
  • Violence: moderate
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: parental abandonment, a mother with past alcohol abuse, near drowning, allergic reactions, depictions of anxiety, mentions of cancer

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