ALC Book Review: The Ex-Mas Holidays by Zoe Allison

September 26, 2023September 11, 2023 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★
Audience: Contemporary Holiday Romance
Length: 400 pages
Author: Zoe Allison
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: September 26th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

It’s hard to escape your ex when you’re working together over Christmas in the Scottish Highlands, but being stuck together might be the best possible present in this sparkling new contemporary romance.

Maya Bashir is dreading her drive home for Christmas and having to explain that she’s just left her high-paying job and a long-term relationship, so a brief detour to her friend’s festive party doesn’t seem like such a bad idea. Until Maya walks in to find the last person she wants to see. Sam, the boy who broke her heart eight years ago. And he’s serving drinks. Naked.

Sam Holland is working an extra job on the sly to help his friend get by. But little did he expect Maya Bashir to come barrelling back into his life, learning about his secret side-hustle and taking back her old job alongside him at his daytime role as a ski instructor on the slopes of the Scottish Highlands.

As both Sam and Maya realize that their reason for heartbreak so many years ago wasn’t entirely as it seemed, they must learn to stand up for what they want the most…or else miss their second chance at love.

Thank you to PRHAudio for the gifted audiobook.

HARD NO.

Honestly, I don’t even want to write this review, but also, it’s my due diligence to give my thoughts for this. Definitely not going on any of my 2023 holiday recommendation lists.

Things started off fine, I was liking it overall and curious to where things were going. Enter in, Sam’s girlfriend. Who was there for 75% of the book. And then proceeded to cause chaos. I saw what the author was trying to accomplish with that relationship, but to me it didn’t come off well. She was cruel to be cruel and add drama that didn’t need to be there. This entire book is ONE BIG MISCOMMUNICATION. That if it had been solved by 30-40% would have been fine.

I also liked Sam until the third act where he used the for your own good break-up line and I laughed at my audiobook thinking NO WAY IS THIS HAPPENING AT 90%.

Maya was fine. A BIIIIIIG conversation/conflict avoider. At all costs. And that got old because every plot line began to drag out longer than necessary.

I’m just cranky. This book made me cranky.

Overall audience notes:

Contemporary Holiday Romance
Language: some strong
Romance: 3ish open door
Trigger/Content Warnings: gaslighting and emotionally abusive girlfriend

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Book Review: The Blonde Identity by Ally Carter

September 24, 2023August 9, 2023 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Ally Carter
Length: 304 pages
Author: Ally Carter
Publisher: Avon Books
Release Date: August 8th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A fast-paced, hilarious road trip rom-com about a woman with amnesia who discovers she’s the identical twin sister of a rogue spy… and must team up with a rugged, grumpy operative to stay alive.

It’s the middle of the night in the middle of Paris and a woman just woke up with no memory.

She only knows three things for certain:

1. She has a splitting headache.

2. The hottest guy she has (probably) ever seen is standing over her, telling her to run.

And oh yeah…

3. People keep trying to kill her.

She doesn’t know who. Or why. But when she sees footage of herself fighting off a dozen men there’s only one explanation: obviously. . . she’s a spy!

Except, according to Mr. Hot Guy, she’s not. She’s a spy’s identical twin sister.

Too bad the only person who knows she’s not the woman they’re looking for is this very grouchy, very sexy, very secret agent who (reluctantly) agrees to help her disappear.

That’s easier said than done when a criminal organization wants you dead and every intelligence service in the world wants you caught. Luckily, no one is looking for a pair of lovesick newlyweds on their honeymoon. And soon they’re lying their way across Europe–dodging bullets and faking kisses as they race to unravel a deadly conspiracy and clear her sister’s name.

But with every secret they uncover, the truth shifts, until she no longer knows who to trust: the twin she can’t remember or the mysterious man she can’t let herself forget…

Thank you Bibliolifestyle and Avon books for the gifted copy.

PURE FUN.

This is outside of my usual romance reads and I LOVED it all the more for that fact. I like mixing it up sometimes and this was the perfect thing I needed.

I thought our two mysterious leads stole the show. I loved the banter. I loved all of the running and hiding aspects. Having to fake date and find safe spots together. Learning more about each other. It’s so good. And you kind of get swept away in the speed of their romance alongside the speed of the plot.

The reveals were awesome. I liked the bit of unreliability that came with the narration and watching the chips fall where they may as the plot thickened. It’s a short book, definitely fast paced and a book I truly adored.

Overall audience notes:

Mystery / Contemporary Romance
Language: light
Romance: closed-door
Violence: high
Trigger/Content Warnings: gun violence, murder, kidnapping, near death experiences

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Book Review: Bewitched by You by Kendra Mase

September 13, 2023October 2, 2022 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★
Audience: NA Contemporary Romance
Length: 340 pages
Author: Kendra Mase
Publisher: Self-Published
Release Date: September 27th, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Luella Pierce is having a mid-witch crisis.

Her best friend is top of her class and currently on a fast track to land her dream job. Her coven members have all found their passions in life and are excited to start their next chapter. Even her arch nemesis and Barnett University’s star football player, Ryan Gardner, has future plans. Sure, they’re to become a permanent nuisance in her life, but still. Everyone else seems to have life figured out except her.

Lu’s big plans? Procrastinating the future by throwing all her energy into creating the most fantastic Samhain–Halloween–celebration BU has ever seen. That is, if she can convince the student council she won’t perform any satanic rituals.

Cue the eye roll.

But when Ryan sustains a career-ending injury and Lu receives an offer from her sweet yet meddling coven matriarch that causes her to rethink everything, Lu also begins to question if the strongest magic may be taking a chance on love.

And herself.

Bewitched By You is a standalone new adult contemporary romance featuring a handsome, people pleasing football player and a quirky yet disheveled modern day witch finding home in a small college town. Perfect for readers who can’t resist the charm of Practical Magic or the sweet swoons of a romantic comedy with an emotional happily ever after.

IT WAS ALRIGHT.

I’m a sucker for these types of covers and I admit to this being a total cover download. I did like it overall in the end at least.

The romance is really one note and very much what I would expect to see in a college relationship. I liked Luella and Ryan. They were sweet on one another and I felt the chemistry between them. It was lacking in any form of angst (something I like even a dash of) as they steadily moved through their relationship. There were some truly good moments between them and I enjoyed the support they gave each other as life landed on them.

Plot wise it’ll give you all the whimsical and fall season vibes. There’s not much past that, buuut I know that’ll be a hit with others looking for something simple. I didn’t like the mean girl moments or some of the drama that resulted from it. But I did find it a quick read that put me in the mood for all things autumn.

Overall audience notes:

NA Contemporary Romance
Language: some
Romance: one brief open door
Trigger/Content Warnings: bullying, loss of a mother (recounted), season ending sports injury

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Book Review: Seoulmates by Susan Lee

September 11, 2023September 30, 2022 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: YA Contemporary Romance
Length: 320 pages
Author: Susan Lee
Publisher: Inkyard Press
Release Date: September 20th, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Hannah Cho had the next year all planned out—the perfect summer with her boyfriend, Nate, and then a fun senior year with their friends.

But then Nate does what everyone else in Hannah’s life seems to do—he leaves her, claiming they have nothing in common. He and all her friends are newly obsessed with K-pop and K-dramas, and Hannah is not. After years of trying to embrace the American part and shunning the Korean side of her Korean American identity to fit in, Hannah finds that’s exactly what now has her on the outs.

But someone who does know K-dramas—so well that he’s actually starring in one—is Jacob Kim, Hannah’s former best friend, whom she hasn’t seen in years. He’s desperate for a break from the fame, so a family trip back to San Diego might be just what he needs… that is, if he and Hannah can figure out what went wrong when they last parted and navigate the new feelings developing between them.

Her ex-boyfriend wants her back. Her former best friend is in town. When did Hannah’s life become a K-drama?

KIND OF LIKED.

I went up and down with this book way too many times. Maybe it was supposed to be like a K-drama? (I haven’t read one so I can’t attest to this, but that could be where I missed the full connection with this).

The relationship was pretty sweet and I liked the returning friendship vibes that blossomed into more. Hannah and Jacob were solid YA characters. Nothing flashy or anything outside what you’d expect, but they did the job.

Plot wise, it’s fine. I’ve read some others I’ve loved more with this same kind of vibes and this was a pretty straightforward set-up. It’s a cute story with some dramatic flair that might work well with others.

Overall audience notes: