Book Review: Kiss My Cupcake by Helena Hunting

July 24, 2022July 24, 2022 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ☆☆☆☆
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 368 pages
Author: Helena Hunting
Publisher: Forever
Release Date: August 11th, 2020
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Blaire Calloway has planned every Instagram-worthy moment of her cupcake and cocktails shop launch down to the tiniest detail. What she didn’t plan on? Ronan Knight and his old-school sports bar next door opening on the very same day. He may be super swoony, but Blaire hasn’t spent years obsessing over buttercream and bourbon to have him ruin her chance at success.

From axe throwing (his place) to frosting contests (hers), Blaire and Ronan are constantly trying to one-up each other in a battle to win new customers. But with every clash, there’s also an undeniable chemistry. When an even bigger threat to their business comes to town, they’re forced to call a temporary time-out on their own war and work together. And the more time Blaire spends getting to know the real Ronan, the more she wonders if it’s possible to have her cupcake and eat it too.

As two neighborhood shop owners battle for business, they prove opposites attract in this outrageously funny romantic comedy from the USA Today bestselling author of Meet Cute.

INTRIGUED.

An audio contemporary romance that gave me the happily ever after I was hoping for! This was such a sweet read and it felt like a newer plot than those I’ve read previously. Though it did have my favorite trope, enemies to lovers!!

I adored Ronan. He was strong and the right kind of snarky. He also knew how to apologize and lift those up around him. He was kind and I thought the chemistry between him and Blaire was pretty magical. Blaire is full of absolute fire and I loved that for her. A bit “not like the other girls” nonsense, but otherwise a great character. I liked the opposites attract themes here too between a bar and a bakery.

Blaire’s family was a bit all of the place . It felt really forced to have THAT much drama surrounding them in the handful of scenes they were actually on page. That plus the very heavy innuendo were my only pitfalls. The steamy scenes are definitely steamy, but easily skippable, so those of either preference can easily enjoy this read. There’s no overly dramatic miscommunication issue. I thought the ending and the epilogue were absolutely precious and the kind of sweetness I love seeing in a contemporary.

This was my first book by Helena Hunting and it’s intrigued me enough to take a look at some of her backlist titles!

Overall audience notes:

Contemporary Romance
Language: some strong
Romance: kisses to open door
Trigger/Content Warnings: loss of loved ones

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Book Review: Lease on Love by Falon Ballard

July 23, 2022March 1, 2022 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 352 pages
Author: Falon Ballard
Publisher: GP Putnam
Release Date: February 1st, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Beach Read meets The Flatshare in this warmly funny and delightfully sharp debut rom-com about a down-on-her-luck young woman who turns an innocent mix-up between a dating app and a roommate app into a new chance at love.

After getting passed over for an overdue—and much needed—promotion, Sadie Green is in desperate need of three things: a stiff drink, a new place to live, and a one-night-stand. When one drink turns into one too many, Sadie mixes up a long-ignored dating app for a roommate-finding app and finds herself on the doorstep of Jack Thomas’s gorgeous Brooklyn brownstone. Too bad she’s more attracted to his impressive real estate than she is to the man himself.

Jack, still grieving the unexpected death of his parents, has learned to find comfort in video games and movie marathons instead of friends. So while he doesn’t know just what to make of the vivaciously verbose Sadie, he’s willing to offer her his spare bedroom while she gets back on her feet. And with the rent unbeatably low, Sadie can finally pursue her floristry side hustle full-time. The two are polar opposites, but as Sadie’s presence begins to turn the brownstone into a home, they both start to realize they may have just made the deal of a lifetime.

IT WAS SWEET.

I flew through this audiobook in a day. It was great! Definitely recommend the audio for those who love that option!

This was a low angst, high sweetness kind of romance. I liked the roommate aspects and how they absolutely adorable these two were texting, talking, and generally just being there for each other as Sadie found a new pathway in her life. Sadie and Jack made my heart melt.

I struggled with Sadie’s character at times. Her final moments of grow didn’t fully have a breakthrough until 90+%. That didn’t leave much room for exploration past that point as things wrapped up pretty swiftly after. It also made me not love how the entirety of the conflict went down.

Besides that issue, this romance was great. I loved her friend group and the support there was for everyone to find happiness in their own way. I couldn’t get enough of all of the flower talk and loved the floral glow up Sadie went through.

Overall audience notes:

Contemporary Romance
Language: strong
Romance: multiple open door
Trigger/Content Warnings: loss of parents (off page, a main theme), emotional/verbal abuse of a child (mentioned)

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Book Review: XOXO by Axie Oh

July 20, 2022August 23, 2021 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ☆☆☆☆ 1/2
Audience: YA Contemporary Romance
Length: 352 pages
Author: Axie Oh
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: July 13th, 2021
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Cello prodigy Jenny has one goal: to get into a prestigious music conservatory. When she meets mysterious, handsome Jaewoo in her uncle’s Los Angeles karaoke bar, it’s clear he’s the kind of boy who would uproot her careful plans. But in a moment of spontaneity, she allows him to pull her out of her comfort zone for one unforgettable night of adventure…before he disappears without a word.

Three months later, when Jenny and her mother arrive in South Korea to take care of her ailing grandmother, she’s shocked to discover that Jaewoo is a student at the same elite arts academy where she’s enrolled for the semester. And he’s not just any student. He’s a member of one of the biggest K-pop bands in the world—and he’s strictly forbidden from dating.

When a relationship means throwing Jenny’s life off the path she’s spent years mapping out, she’ll have to decide once and for all just how much she’s willing to risk for love.

ABSOLUTELY ADORED.

This book was so dang cute!! I loved it. It also made me very hungry and all of the Korean dishes sounded delicious. I loved the cultural aspects too and being in Seoul and getting an idea for what being a K-pop star entails. Learning about training, the schools, how groups are formed. It was great getting a better understanding of a world I didn’t know much about.

The romance was precious. I thought Jenny and Jaewoo had a fun and interesting meet-cute. There were many unique aspects to a young adult contemporary romance and it was a breath of fresh air. A quick meeting led to a bit of slow burn as they tackled feelings for one another. I love the Jenny was a cellist and both had their complete own lives and passions they enjoyed. Choosing to be together was something they both wanted and I love a good, mushy ending scene. If you’re looking for a celebrity / forbidden romance in YA form, this is one to read!!

Full of tight friendships, those mean girls you expect, and running away from paparazzi, I definitely felt like I was watching a drama. Though it never went over board. I love how natural the movement of the story went and how easy it was to read. I was enamored from chapter one and I can’t wait to read more from this author.

Overall audience notes:

YA Contemporary Romance
Language: very little
Romance: kisses / make-outs

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Book Review: Head Over Heels by Hannah Orenstein

July 15, 2022August 19, 2021 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ☆☆☆
Audience: Contemporary Fiction + Romance
Length: 323 pages
Author: Hannah Orenstein
Publisher: Atria Books
Release Date: June 23rd, 2020
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

The past seven years have been hard on Avery Abrams: After training her entire life to make the Olympic gymnastics team, a disastrous performance ended her athletic career for good. Her best friend and teammate, Jasmine, went on to become an Olympic champion, then committed the ultimate betrayal by marrying their emotionally abusive coach, Dimitri.

Now, reeling from a breakup with her football star boyfriend, Avery returns to her Massachusetts hometown, where new coach Ryan asks her to help him train a promising young gymnast with Olympic aspirations. Despite her misgivings and worries about the memories it will evoke, Avery agrees. Back in the gym, she’s surprised to find sparks flying with Ryan. But when a shocking scandal in the gymnastics world breaks, it has shattering effects not only for the sport but also for Avery and her old friend Jasmine.

NOT WHAT I WAS EXPECTING.

The cute rom-com cover hides the fact that this a lot closer to women’s fiction (nothing against the genre, just now what I was expecting upon picking it up). When I was looking for a contemporary romance I found a bit more and it ended up being alright.

I really loved all of the gymnastics aspects. I think coming off of watching the Olympics recently really had me stoked for a book along the same lines. I liked learning more about training aspects, coaching and other pieces. From that world it dove deeper into the abuse and mistreatment of gymnastic athletes. That took over a good portion of the plot and didn’t always connect back to the main characters.

That lack of connection made the scenes where Avery and Ryan were together not mesh well. They didn’t have great chemistry, just kind of started dating, then not, then dating, then not. And it was wishy-washy nonsense for most of the book.

While it brought awareness to many important topics the addition of the romance actually didn’t fit in. I think it should have leaned one way or the other more and would have been a more solid story.

Overall audience notes: