ARC Review: The Make-Up Test by Jenny L. Howe

September 10, 2022July 25, 2022 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 336 pages
Author: Jenny L. Howe
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Release Date: September 13th, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

ONE TO WATCH meets BEACH READ in this smart, swoony, romantic comedy, in which two college exes find themselves battling against each other—and their unresolved feelings—for a spot in a prestigious literature Ph.D. program.

Allison Avery loves to win. After acing every academic challenge she’s come up against, she’s finally been accepted into her dream Ph.D. program at Claymore University, studying medieval literature under a professor she’s admired for years. Sure, grad school isn’t easy—the classes are intense, her best friend is drifting away, and her students would rather pull all-nighters than discuss The Knight’s Tale—but she’s got this. Until she discovers her ex-boyfriend has also been accepted. Colin Benjamin might be the only person who loves winning more than Allison does, and when they’re both assigned to TA for the same professor, the game is on.

What starts as a personal battle of wits (and lit) turns into all-out war when their professor announces a career-changing research trip opportunity—with one spot to fill. Competing with Colin is as natural as breathing, and after he shattered her heart two years ago, Allison refuses to let him come out on top. But when a family emergency and a late night road trip—plus a very sexy game of Scrabble—throw them together for a weekend, she starts to wonder if they could be stronger on the same team. And if they fall for each other all over again, Allison will have to choose between a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and what could be a twice-in-a-lifetime love.

Charmingly bookish and unequivocally fat positive, The Make-Up Test embraces the truth that people can sometimes change and grow, even when you least expect it.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC.

FAIL.

Oh how I wasted an evening reading this book.

This is marketed as a ROMANCE, so I fully expect my main couple to spend time together and have some flirty banter, maybe some angsty looks and be begging them to kiss. This second chance romance gave me none of that. Most of pages were spent dissecting other literature books (like Beowulf) for the main characters PhD program. I did not care. I still do not care.

There was also a lot of obvious page filler scenes. Gimmicky games like, two truths and a lie, scrabble, a quiz night. They didn’t add anything to the story because they barely even involved the love interest, Colin.

I had some other issues with other page filler things as well. And I never felt connected to the romance. I think I was exhausted from skimming over a lot of hoopla that anytime the couple actually had tie to talk (or actually, argue) I wasn’t feeling it.

I’m going to stop here, this one just did not work for me.

Overall audience notes:

Contemporary Romance
Language: some
Romance: one open door
Trigger/Content Warnings: fat shaming, emotionally abusive father

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Book Review: Maid of Dishonor by Gracie Ruth Mitchell

September 9, 2022September 29, 2021 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ☆☆☆☆
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 291 pages
Author: Gracie Ruth Mitchell
Publisher: Self-published
Release Date: September 23rd, 2021
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Samantha Quinn
Baseball lover. Plant mama. Eternal friend zone dweller.

I know exactly three things:
1) My heart will forever belong to my best friend, Carter.
2) Carter’s heart will never belong to me.
3) I will therefore die alone, surrounded by my houseplants, probably old and grouchy like my eighty-two-year-old landlady, Winifred.
But now Carter’s cousin wants my help planning her wedding, while Carter wants my help stopping it. How am I supposed to both plan and sabotage a wedding at the same time? How do I talk to Carter about weddings all day without my heart fracturing? And how, how, how do I ditch this stupid friend zone once and for all?

Carter Ellis
P.E. teacher. Baseball coach. Also, attractive. Very, very attractive.

I am not secretly in love with my best friend. I absolutely am not. That would be stupid and reckless and a terrible idea all around. I swore I would never fall in love, and that’s not going to change now.
Except…one tiny little kiss has all sorts of feelings rising in my chest. Feelings I was certain I buried a long time ago. But it doesn’t matter; I refuse to give in. I will laugh with her, talk with her, and dry her tears, but I will not fall in love with Samantha Quinn.

MOSTLY CUTE.

I liked this much better than the first book by the author I read. The romance was a lot better. Humorous banter and flirty moments. Some super soft, cinnamon roll scenes and wow did I flat out swoon at the confession at the end. All good things in my book!

What I struggled most with (and was able to block out somewhat) was the utterly ridiculous side plot. I know it was there to push the romance forward but it was SO UNBELIEVABLE. There’s no way Maya would honestly consider marrying someone clearly horrid. Just, no. That too me out of the story every time it was brought up.

Otherwise, solid, sweet contemporary romance. It was quick, had the HEA I always adore and I found myself smirking and laughing at some of the antics. I look forward to what the author will write next.

Overall audience notes:

Contemporary Romance
Language: none
Romance: kisses/make-outs
Trigger/Content Warnings: side character who’s being cheated on

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Book Review: How Sweet It Is by Dylan Newton

September 5, 2022September 20, 2021 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ☆☆☆
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 352 pages
Author: Dylan Newton
Publisher: Forever
Release Date: July 13th, 2021
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

What happens when the queen of romance falls for the king of horror–you get “a hilarious rom-com comp,” perfect for fans of Beach Read. (Kirkus, starred review)

Event planner Kate Sweet is famous for creating the perfect happily-ever-after moment for her clients’ dream weddings. So how is it that her best friend has roped her into planning a bestselling horror writer’s book launch extravaganza? But the second Kate meets—or rather, accidentally maims—the drop-dead-hot Drake Matthews, her well-ordered life quickly transforms into an absolute nightmare.

Drake Matthews is tired of the spotlight and tired of his reputation as the Knight of Nightmares. He’s really a nice guy! But he’s not prepared for Kate, a fearless agent of chaos in steel-tipped stilettos, or for that sweet sting of attraction he feels for her. She’s inspiring him to take his writing in a whole new direction—one that no one expects. Because now Kate and Drake are changing up the rules, and this plot twist might just surprise everyone . . . including themselves.

ALL THE FALL VIBES.

Sometimes I just really love the atmosphere of a story. The surrounding aura that creates a well defined structure (even in a contemporary vs. fantasy). For How Sweet It Is, there was an inherent sense of fall and Halloween and I ADORED it all.

Kate and Drake were pretty dang sweet on each other. I thought from the get-go they had a humorous meet-cute and a natural progression to their relationship. I liked the banter and how sweet on Kate that Drake was. I loooove getting the hero’s POV chapters and a few throughout this book helped me get inside his head too.

I didn’t love all of the conflict. It felt very forced, especially since Kate explicitly explained the problem and apologized (it was a true accident) and Drake refused to listen. And I’m sitting here wondering how you just slept together and are all about trusting and then threw that out the window the first chance you got? Eh, no good there. Otherwise, a strong romance, but the conflict can easily bring down a story for me.

The event planner meets horror novelist was fun and inventive as far as couples go in romances I’ve read so far. I love the Halloween release party at the end and all of the antics that went into creating a fantastic party. I’d be open to reading another book by Newton and seeing what other stories may entail.

Overall audience notes:

Contemporary romance
Language: some
Romance: kisses to open door
Trigger/Content Warnings: cheating recounted, mentions of domestic abuse, PTSD (military related), suicide mentioned, terminal cancer recounted, death of a mother recounted

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ARC Book Review: Eloise and the Grump Next Door (Oakley Island Romcom #1) by Emma St. Clair and Jenny Proctor

September 4, 2022August 19, 2022 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 320 pages
Author: Emma St. Clair and Jenny Proctor
Publisher: Self-Published
Release Date: August 15th, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

I’m not sure which is worse–the lawyer handling my grandmother’s estate or the attack pelican living on the screened-in porch. Just kidding–I’ll take the pelican any day.

After graduation, I thought I’d be off to grad school, doing research on my favorite poet. Instead, I’m renovating my late grandmother’s home and posting about the process on Instagram. Talk about a detour …

But here I am. Turning Gran’s beach house into a bed and breakfast–a process that would be a lot easier if I didn’t have to deal with the grumpy lawyer living next door. It doesn’t help that the night Jake and I met, I got a little tipsy, and he had to carry me back to my hotel.

But the longer I stay on Oakley Island, the more I feel a connection to my childhood and to my grandmother. This isn’t the life I dreamed of, but dreams can change. Especially when new dreams include a future with Jake. On the outside, he might be pricklier than a puffer fish, but I catch glimpses of a delicious, cinnamon roll center.

Did I mention the tattoos he hides underneath those crisp button-down shirts? Yowza.

When I’m suddenly presented with the academic opportunity of my dreams (former dreams?), my picturesque life on Oakley starts to unravel.

A part of me wants to stay. If only a certain tattooed grump didn’t seem so determined to send me away …

Eloise and The Grump Next Door is a grumpy sunshine, closed door romantic comedy. The Oakley Island Romcom series follows three very different sisters as they renovate the house they inherited and find love on the island along the way. Each book will have sizzling chemistry but no spice.

Thank you to the authors for an eARC!

ABSOLUTELY LOVED.

I expected nothing less from this duo. It is the pairing I didn’t know I needed and now want ALL THE TIME. Bless them for giving us a full series together.

The chemistry between Lo and Jake was off the charts. I am hit or miss on age gap and this one HIT. It was played so well and I loooooooooved it. And the forced proximity? THE BEST. I LIVE FOR FORCED PROXIMITY. Add in a house that needed renovated and a grandmother who has passed away and still subtly matchmaking. The rest of the charming side characters (like Jake’s nephew) won me over too.

And the KISSING SCENES? THE SIZZLING HEAT Y’ALL. This is what I love about an amazing closed door romance. The heat can still be brought with without actual spice. I loved all of the little moments watching these two fall in love.

I couldn’t put this down and easily read it in a day. I just loved everything about it. It made me feel good, happy, light. And those are the kind of reads I often reach for. I’m so excited to continue this series and can’t wait for more.

Overall audience notes: