Tag: contemporary romance

Book Review: Haley and the Yeti (Love Tuscon #1) by Laura Langa

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 357 pages
Author: Laura Langa
Publisher: West East Publishing
Release Date: January 17th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Her grumpy neighbor wasn’t part of the plan.

After her soul-crushing breakup, Haley Kineman is stepping out of her comfort zone, moving to sunny Tucson, Arizona, and shooting for the stars—literally. When she’s not working as a phlebotomist, Haley’s striving to meet her celebrity crush who’s filming locally.

Haley has even enlisted her grumpy next-door neighbor—affectionately nicknamed Yeti—to help her get onto the movie set. With his long enviable locks, masculine beard, and alpine mountain physique, he’s an obvious choice for an ally.

All Yeti wants is to quietly develop software in his home office, but Haley throws his protective nature into overdrive after being injured in an incident. Then Yeti has no choice but to accompany Haley on her sight-seeing, thrift-shopping, iguana-saving adventures.

But Haley’s bright demeanor keeps messing with his head, making him consider things that aren’t possible. Because with Yeti’s damaging past, no woman would want him.

As their friendship deepens, Haley’s not sure if she should stick to her star-studded plan, or if a real love story is closer to home.

GOOD READ.

I was seeking a quick contemporary in the midst of reading a big fantasy and stumbled upon this! I really enjoyed it and look forward to reading Laura Langa’s next book.

This concept was kind of quirky, but it worked. The fact that the Yeti was called Yeti for most of this book made me chuckle. And I think it played well into his back story and the things he was working to over come. This had an insta connection vibe that I actually really liked and I could feel the growing chemistry between Haley and the Yeti.

I was a little confused by one the plot aspects with the famous guy? It seemed kind of random and I don’t know that it helped any of the story that much. I did appreciate that when a silly third act break-up could have happened that it was worked out in a much more natural manner.

It was a good read and I liked the audiobook a lot. Look forward to the next!

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: litttle
  • Romance: closed door
  • Violence: low
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: past verbally abusive/gaslighting relationship, past fire accident and trauma, donating blood

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Book Review: How to Fake It in Hollywood by Ava Wilder

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 368 pages
Author: Ava Wilder
Publisher: Dell
Release Date: June 14th, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A talented Hollywood starlet and a reclusive A-lister enter into a fake relationship . . . and discover that their feelings might be more than a PR stunt in this sexy debut for fans of Beach Read and The Unhoneymooners.

Grey Brooks is on a mission to keep her career afloat now that the end of her long-running teen soap has her (unsuccessfully) pounding the pavement again. With a life-changing role on the line, she’s finally desperate enough to agree to her publicist’s scheme… faking a love affair with a disgraced Hollywood heartthrob who needs the publicity, but for very different reasons.

Ethan Atkins just wants to be left alone. Between his high-profile divorce, his struggles with drinking, and his grief over the death of his longtime creative partner and best friend, he’s slowly let himself fade into the background. But if he ever wants to produce the last movie he and his partner wrote together, Ethan needs to clean up his reputation and step back into the spotlight. A gossip-inducing affair with a gorgeous actress might be just the ticket, even if it’s the last thing he wants to do.

Though their juicy public relationship is less than perfect behind the scenes, it doesn’t take long before Grey and Ethan’s sizzling chemistry starts to feel like more than just an act. But after decades in a ruthless industry that requires bulletproof emotional armor to survive, are they too used to faking it to open themselves up to the real thing?

BETTER THAN I THOUGHT.

I picked this up on a whim from a friends recommendation. It was even better than I could have hoped! And a lot deeper too.

The deeper angle was actually a really nice touch. I liked the exploration behind the darker side of Hollywood and the way grief can keep its claws in us. I’m very grateful that Ethan got the help he needed in the end and I liked a lot of the conversations with characters and development he had.

Fake dating is totally my jam. And while I do think this got off to a quicker start than expected I did like the relationship. They were real sweet on one another. While I’m usually not a Hollywood actor set-up fan, this landed in the exception column and I’m so glad it did.

I loved the audiobook and definitely recommend that avenue. A solid read that I’m happy I picked up!

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: strong
  • Romance: multiple open door; med-high explicit
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: child physical abuse mentioned, parental abandonment recounted, familial estrangement, divorce, dieting/weight discussed, alcohol abuse, drug abuse recounted, grief and loss depiction, death of a friend in a car accident, death of parent mentioned, stalking

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Book Review: But He’s My Grumpy Neighbor (But He’s a Carter Brother #1) by Annah Conwell

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 260 pages
Author: Annah Conwell
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: August 24th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

It’s not stalking if he’s your hot neighbor… right?

At least, that’s what I tell myself when Adrian Carter moves in next door.

His scowl should make me want to run in the other direction, but when I catch him smothering a smile around me, it makes me want to get to know him more.

And when Adrian starts to open up, I find myself falling in love with the cinnamon roll center hidden beneath his gruff exterior.

But between my emotional baggage and his aversion to relationships, it’s looking like we’ll never be more than neighborly.

But He’s My Grumpy Neighbor is a cozy grumpy/sunshine romcom for lovers of small-town romantic comedies. It has all the sizzling chemistry you love, without any explicit scenes. Check out the first book of the But He’s A Carter Brother Series, a series based around four strong, protective brothers finding love.

STOP IT RIGHT NOW.

This was absolutely one of my new favorite reads. OMG. It was the sweetest, gooeyest, tender and romantic book. I LOVED IT SO MUCH.

Thank goodness for some dual POV. I loved getting Adrian and Juliette’s perspectives and learning more about them. They were beautiful people on their own and putting them together was JUST THE BEST. I loved how long angst this was. There’s no third act, there’s no insane drama. It is COZY in all the best ways and will wrap you up like a warm hug. These two are sweet on each other from the beginning and the mutual pining is the best. I loved the grump x sunshine trope. The ONE BED (but keep it sweet) and the little dash of dating help. I am a melted puddle after devouring this.

I seriously can’t stop gushing about this book. It was the perfect sweet read. I am a big time fan girl now and I can’t wait for the next in the series!

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: low
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: mentions of emotional/physical child abuse (briefly recounted), mentions of loss of mother, panic attacks

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Monthly Reading Wrap-Up: August 2023

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Is it fall yet? We’ve made it to the end of formal summer and I really would love if the temperature would dip under 100 degrees.

Favorites of August:

  • What the River Knows
  • Check & Mate
  • The Jasad Heir
  • Bring Me Your Midnight
  • Realm Breaker
  • The Blonde Identity
  • Yumi and the NIghtmare Painter
  • Desire or Defense
  • How to Kiss a Movie Star
  • Belladonna
  • Babel
  • A Fate Inked in Blood
  • Just Don’t Fall
  • Foxglove
  • Garden of the Midnights
  • Flirtation or Faceoff
  • But He’s My Grumpy Neighbor
  • Assistant to the Villain

Least favorites:

  • An Empress of Air & Chaos
  • All’s Fair in Love and Christmas
  • The Invisible Hour
  • [ARC] What the River Knows by Isabel Ibanez
  • [Gifted] Thief of Sorrows by Kristen M. Long
  • You, with a View by Jessica Joyce
  • [ARC] Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood
  • An Empress of Air & Chaos (An Empress #1) by Noelle Rayne
  • The Jasad Heir (The Scorched Throne #1) by Sara Hashem
  • Bring Me Your Midnight by Rachel Griffin
  • A City of Flames (A City of Flames #1) by Rina Vasquez
  • This Violent Reckoning (The Curse of the Blessed #2) by Renee Dugan
  • [ARC] All’s Fair in Love and Christmas by Sarah Monzon
  • Realm Breaker (Realm Breaker #1) by Victoria Aveyard
  • The Blonde Identity by Ally Carter
  • Play Your Part by Kathryn Kincaid
  • Yumi and the Nightmare Painter (Cosmere) by Brandon Sanderson
  • [Reread] Desire or Defense (D.C. Eagles #1) by Leah Brunner
  • The Marriage Effect (Washington Wolves #3) by Karla Sorensen
  • [ARC] To Spark a Match (The Matchmakers #2) by Jen Turano
  • [ARC] How to Kiss a Movie Star (Hawthorne Brothers #4) by Jenny Proctor
  • Omen of Ice (Omen of Ice #1) by Jus Accardo
  • Slow Dance in Purgatory (Purgatory #1) by Amy Harmon
  • A Duet with the Siren Duke (Married to Magic #4) by Elise Kova
  • Belladonna (Belladonna #1) by Adalyn Grace
  • Hands Down by Mariana Zapata
  • Babel: An Arcane History by R.F. Kuang
  • [ARC] A Fate Inked in Blood (Saga of the Unfated #1) by Danielle L. Jensen
  • Prom Night in Purgatory (Purgatory #2) by Amy Harmon
  • [ARC] Betting on You by Lynn Painter
  • One of Us Is Back (One Of Us Is Lying #3) by Karen M. McManus
  • [ARC] Just Don’t Fall (Sweater Weather #1) by Emma St. Clair
  • [Reread] A Darker Shade of Magic (Shades of Magic #1) by V.E. Schwab
  • Face the Night by Lani Forbes
  • Heavenly Bodies (Heavenly Bodies #1) by Imani Erriu
  • The Invisible Hour by Alice Hoffman
  • Foxglove (Belladonna #2) by Adalyn Grace
  • [ARC] Garden of the Midnights by Hannah Linder
  • Heirs of Falcon Point (Falcon Point #0) by Traci Hunter Abramson, Sian Ann Bessey, Paige Edwards and A.L. Sowards
  • [ARC] Flirtation or Faceoff (D.C. Eagles Hockey #2) by Leah Brunner
  • Karma is a Witch (Deadlights Cove #5) by Aimee Vance and B. Perkins
  • House of Roots and Ruin (Sisters of the Salt #2) by Erin A. Craig
  • But He’s My Grumpy Neighbor (But He’s a Carter Brother #1) by Annah Conwell
  • Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer
  • [ARC] Unholy Terrors by Lyndall Clipstone

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