Book Review: Love Redesigned (Some Kind of Love #1) by Jenny Proctor

May 7, 2023March 22, 2023 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 297 pages
Author: Jenny Proctor
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: June 23rd, 2020
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

When Dani’s dream job working for an elite fashion designer in New York explodes in her face, she’s left broke, broken, and practically homeless. She only has one option: leave the city and go home to Charleston to throw herself on her twin brother’s mercy. The only problem? Alex lives in Charleston too.

Stepson to Dani’s former boss, Alex had good reasons for ghosting Dani, especially since she was still loyal to head designer Sasha Wellington—the woman trying to take his stepfather’s company down. But when Dani reappears in his life, his feelings quickly reignite, complicating everything.

Despite their reservations, Alex and Dani find plenty of ways to spend time together. (A wedding dress heist? Why not?) As they unravel the real reasons why Alex left New York—and Dani—will they be able to rediscover the happily ever after they always hoped for?

Thank you to Jenny Proctor for the gifted audiobook!

GREAT AUDIO.

Oh boy do I love a dual narration audiobook! I thought both narrators did a great job with their characters and really brought this book to life. At about 9 hours, it’s a quick read filled with a sweet romance.

I liked the second chance nature of this one. There’s some good give and take on both sides as I waited to learn why Alex left Dani a year ago. I do wish there would have been some more romantic interaction between them, but I did like what I got at least!

Dani had some good character growth. Initially she’s a bit naïve about her boss, and I liked the progression of Dani standing up for herself and figuring out the best way to take down those who were apart of some nefarious activity.

The fashion setting made me wish that I could see all of these beautiful clothes brought to life. I thought this was a unique idea in the sweet romance world.

Overall audience notes:

Contemporary Romance
Language: none
Romance: kisses
Trigger/Content Warnings: loss of parents to cancer, embezzlement

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Book Review: The Changeup (The Vegas Kings #1) by Emily Childs

May 5, 2023June 5, 2022 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★
Audience: Contemporary Sports Romance
Length: 320 pages
Author: Emily Childs
Publisher: Victorious
Release Date: April 26th, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

He’s baseball’s biggest heartbreaker. Now…he’s stealing mine.

Parker Knight is a smooth-talking pitcher with a smile for days and a roster of broken hearts behind him. Those are only a few reasons why a guy like him is never getting near my heart.

After making a cross-country move to prove I deserve a place within my dad’s baseball empire, the last thing on my mind is a play boy pitcher.

But when we randomly meet off the field, it’s clear Parker has no idea I’m the team owner’s daughter. He thought I was going to be his next conquest. I didn’t mean to shut the guy down so hard, and I certainly didn’t expect to oversee his foundation on my first day at the office.

No one has ever seen the real guy behind the bad boy of baseball, but the more I get to know Parker, the harder it is to ignore the feelings I’m catching.

I’ve had my heart broken too many times before. How can I trust it with the biggest heartbreaker of them all?

NOT IT Y’ALL.

Well. I shall continue my quest for the ultimate baseball romance. This ain’t it folks.

Things started off fine, I can’t say I was sold initially but I gave it a chance.

Everything was a bit insta-love. I thought the banter started off well, then by halfway there’s major pronouncements of love and other things that just didn’t click.

I also never liked the female main character. She was weirdly obsessed with things like the Titanic? And she had all sorts of self loathing that I don’t love reading about and need to be addressed personally without the love interest’s involvement.

Mostly I think this book was trying too hard. And it’s hard to keep explaining that one major point, but that’s what it boiled down to for me. Trying to create emotions for me that I wasn’t feeling whatsoever.

On to the next.

Overall audience notes:

Contemporary Sports Romance
Language: very little
Romance: make-outs
Trigger/Content Warnings: discussions of traumatic brain injury from car wreck, bullying, harassment, blackmailing, absentee parents, loss of parents (off-page)

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Book Review: Something Wilder by Christina Lauren

May 3, 2023June 5, 2022 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 384 pages
Author: Christina Lauren
Publisher: Gallery
Release Date: May 17th, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Growing up the daughter of notorious treasure hunter and absentee father Duke Wilder left Lily without much patience for the profession…or much money in the bank. But Lily is nothing if not resourceful, and now uses Duke’s coveted hand-drawn maps to guide tourists on fake treasure hunts through the red rock canyons of Utah. It pays the bills but doesn’t leave enough to fulfill her dream of buying back the beloved ranch her father sold years ago, and definitely not enough to deal with the sight of the man she once loved walking back into her life with a motley crew of friends ready to hit the trails. Frankly, Lily would like to take him out into the wilderness—and leave him there.

Leo Grady knew mirages were a thing in the desert, but they’d barely left civilization when the silhouette of his greatest regret comes into focus in the flickering light of the campfire. Ready to leave the past behind him, Leo wants nothing more than to reconnect with his first and only love. Unfortunately, Lily Wilder is all business, drawing a clear line in the sand: it’s never going to happen.

But when the trip goes horribly and hilariously wrong, the group wonders if maybe the legend of the hidden treasure wasn’t a gimmick after all. There’s a chance to right the wrongs—of Duke’s past and their own—but only if Leo and Lily can confront their history and work together. Alone under the stars in the isolated and dangerous mazes of the Canyonlands, Leo and Lily must decide whether they’ll risk their lives and hearts on the adventure of a lifetime.

WELL, THAT WAS DIFFERENT.

And I think I liked it?

I don’t read a lot of romantic suspense but I’m pretty sure this would fit well into that category. What started out as a general retreat into the back country for some R&R quickly turned wild. I was shocked when after those first few chapters things went in directions I couldn’t have even predicted.

The second chance romance was alright. I did like Lily and Leo. I’m glad they were finally able to discuss what happened all of those years ago, even if I wasn’t totally on board with it all. There’s a nice slow burn between them and I’m always here for a fantastic happily ever after.

All of the antics amidst the treasure hunt were really fun. I do like that this was very much an escapism type read. It was completely different than usual CL books and I leaned into the flair this story was handing out. Some of the final twists surprised me and I’m perfectly satisfied with how everything went down in the end. A good story, a wild chase, and another CL book I liked.

Overall audience notes:

Contemporary Romance
Language: some strong
Romance: open door
Violence: high
Trigger/Content Warnings: gun violence, death, parental abandonment, death of parent (off-page)

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ARC Book Review: Practice Makes Perfect by Sarah Adams

May 2, 2023April 24, 2023 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 352 pages
Author: Sarah Adams
Publisher: Dell
Release Date: May 2nd, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

When the owner of the local flower shop in Rome, Kentucky, makes a questionable agreement with a tattooed bad boy, a delightful friends to lovers romance begins to bloom–from the author of When in Rome and The Cheat Sheet.

Annie Walker is on a quest to find her perfect match-someone who nicely compliments her happy, quiet life running her flower shop in Rome, Kentucky. Unfortunately, she worries her goal might be too far out of reach when she overhears her date saying she is “sounbelievably boring.” Is it too late to become flirtatious and fun like the leading ladies in her favorite romance movies? Maybe she only needs a little practice…and Annie has the perfect person in mind to become her tutor: Will Griffin.

Will–the flirtatious, tattooed, and absolutely gorgeous bodyguard–is temporarily back in Rome, providing security for Amelia Rose as excitement grows for her upcoming marriage to Noah Walker. He has one personal objective during his time in town: stay away from Annie Walker. But no sooner than he gets settled, Will soon finds himself not only breaking his rule, but tasked with far more than simply providing security.

Will wants no part in changing the sweet and lovely Annie, but he can’t bring himself to say no to her request, so he officially agrees to teach her how to be the next leading lady of Rome, Kentucky, and find the love of her life-even if he doesn’t believe in love himself. Between faking a relationship so the meddling town doesn’t catch on to what’s really happening on their practice dates, and tutoring lessons that convince Annie to add passion to her list of must-haves in a mate, it doesn’t take long for the lines of their friendship to blur…

Thank you to PRHAudio for the audiobook and the publisher for an eARC.

THIS IS MY NEW FAVORITE.

The Off-Limits Rule has reigned supreme for awhile now. AND HAS BEEN DETHRONED BY THIS GREATNESS. Oh my goodness. I binged this book in a few hours and could not put it down. SARAH ADAMS YOU BEAUTIFUL SOUL. This was an incredible read filled with heart, finding your path, laughter and all the LOVE.

I absolutely adored Will and Annie. They had explosive chemistry from the minute they met. And DUAL POV MAKES ME FERAL. I got everything I could ask for in Will’s POV and seeing his side of the story. What a cinnamon roll. I am not going to recover from his off the charts book boyfriend status. He is next level. He is the goal.

Sweet Annie rang true to my introverted heart and I adored her character. I loved who she was, who she became and everything in between. Another amazing heroine in an Adams book is no surprise.

The way that steam was achieved without the spice sent me. I LOVE BOOKS LIKE THIS. It’s another refrain in the books don’t always have to have explicitness to be magnificent. You won’t miss it for a second because Practice Makes Perfect still packs all the heat.

READ IT Y’ALL.

Audiobook review: LOVED. I adored both narrators and I loved the way they told the story. I felt like I could see the characters and it easily made my reading experience better.

Overall audience notes: