Tag: contemporary romance

Book Review: Once Upon A Quinceañera by Monica Gomez-Hira

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Rating: ☆☆☆
Audience: YA Contemporary Romance
Length: 432 pages
Author: Monica Gomez-Hira
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: March 2nd, 2021
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Jenny Han meets “Jane the Virgin” in this flashy and fun Own Voices romcom from debut author Monica Gomez-Hira.

Carmen Aguilar just wants to make her happily ever after come true. Except apparently “happily ever after” for Carmen involves being stuck in an unpaid summer internship! All she has to do is perform! In a ball gown! During the summer. In Miami.

Fine. Except that Carmen’s company is hired for her spoiled cousin Ariana’s over the top quinceañera.

And of course, her new dance partner at work is none other than Mauro Reyes, Carmen’s most deeply regrettable ex.

If Carmen is going to move into the future she wants, she needs to leave the past behind. And if she can manage dancing in the blistering heat, fending off Mauro’s texts, and stopping Ariana from ruining her own quinceañera Carmen might just get that happily ever after after all. 

A LET DOWN.

This book really took me back. I was in a few friends quince’s growing up and all of the practicing, trying on dresses and learning new dances reminded me of the wonderful times those were.

There were many many ups and downs in Carmen’s journey. I think there was a bit tooooo much drama for me. Now that I’m thinking on it, I don’t remember many people giving out genuine apologies? Things felt brushed under the rug, even at the end. Carmen spent the entire (no, really) book angry. So angry at everything. I love a good character arc, but waiting until 95% to give it, was definitely too long to wait. Way more development was needed.

Mauro was super sweet at least! I liked his efforts in reconnectiong and understanding what happened intitially between him and Carmen. The enemies to lovers (+ second chance) trope is always a good decision so I wasn’t mad about that.

The plot was there and I enjoyed what I got overall. It was muddled on and off with many tangents that I didn’t know what the main focus was supposed to be. I didn’t like but maybe 2 (of the many) side characters. Nobody ever got better. No growth to be found by anyone who deseperately needed it. Waverly was an unsung hero and I wish more focus had been put on her friendship with Carmen.

Other aspects like Carmen working for a company that dresses up and princesses/princes for parties was fun. The parties with the little kids made me smile and was wholesomely sweet. Carmen’s video-editing hobby was really cool too! I would have loved to have seen even more of that as well.

Overall audience notes:

  • YA Contemporary Romance
  • Language: some strong
  • Romance: kisses to closed door scenes
  • Violence: a lot of yelling and familial conflicts, brief physical altercation
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: brief mention of sexual harrassment in the first chapter or two

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Book Review: Rustic Hearts (Poplar Falls #1) by Amber Kelly

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Rating: ☆☆☆☆
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 268 pages
Author: Amber Kelly
Publisher: Amber Kelly, LLC
Release Date: September 16th, 2019
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

The last place Sophia Lancaster wanted to return to was Poplar Falls. It’s the place that holds all the painful memories and unanswered questions she’s ever had. One phone call causes her life to take a turn, forcing her back to the town she hasn’t stepped foot in over twenty years.

And right into the path of Braxton Young.

His blue eyes, sinful smile, and rough exterior are no match for Sophia. She’s there for one reason, and it isn’t to fall in love. The sooner she can get out of this small town and back in New York City—the better.

However, fate doesn’t care for either of their desires. Instead, they’re forced to deal with each other, finding their differences aren’t as great as they thought. Each day brings them closer to friendship and the possibility of something more. The answers she seeks might not only break her and Braxton apart but also her heart.

SMITTEN.

That’s how the first book in this series made me feel. It’s totally Hallmark + some steam and I am here for seeing how the rest of these characters love stories play out.

I easily read this in a day and I love when shorter books feel like the perfect length. I got the answers I wanted, the cuteness I needed and I only wish the ending was a bit longer to get more of Sophie and Braxton.

Braxton and Sophie were definitely an enemies to lovers saga (which is probably the number one reason I enjoyed this). They clashed immediately, but the obvious fire was there too. I liked how each one had some misconstrued ideas about the other, but after listening to the facts and learning more about each other they both had changes of heart. Sophie and Braxton seeked to figure out each other and how they could fit into each other’s lives.

Side story that I looooooved was that Sophie was a jewelry designer!! I just thought that was really unique from the romances I’ve read and adored how it fit into her personality and her life at large.

Dude wow, did I really loathe Sophie’s Mother. Finding out what really happened made honestly angry that a parent would put their child in that situation (and lie about it). I didn’t see redemption there, but I guess at least Sophie worked it out.

The steam was a bit much more my preference, but it can be easily skipped and the story at large is lovely and engaging. I’m so glad Dallas’s story is next!!

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary romance
  • Language: strong
  • Romance: kisses to open door scenes
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: infidelity, divorce, loosing both parents in an accident

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ARC Book Review: The Roughest Draft by Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka

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Rating: ☆☆☆☆
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 336 pages
Author: Emily Wibberley & Austin Siegemund-Broka
Publisher: Berkley Books
Release Date: January 25th, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

They were cowriting literary darlings until they hit a plot hole that turned their lives upside down.

Three years ago, Katrina Freeling and Nathan Van Huysen were the brightest literary stars on the horizon, their cowritten books topping bestseller lists. But on the heels of their greatest success, they ended their partnership on bad terms, for reasons neither would divulge to the public. They haven’t spoken since, and never planned to, except they have one final book due on contract.

Facing crossroads in their personal and professional lives, they’re forced to reunite. The last thing they ever thought they’d do again is hole up in the tiny Florida town where they wrote their previous book, trying to finish a new manuscript quickly and painlessly. Working through the reasons they’ve hated each other for the past three years isn’t easy, especially not while writing a romantic novel.

While passion and prose push them closer together in the Florida heat, Katrina and Nathan will learn that relationships, like writing, sometimes take a few rough drafts before they get it right.

Thank you to Berkley and Netgalley for the eARC.

HARD FOUGHT HEA.

I find myself having a hard time writing this review. Even though I really enjoyed this book. From the get-go I wanted to know what happened between Katrina and Nathan. The slow unveiling of their history and magnetism pulled me in.

This book isn’t ooey-gooey romantic. No fluff, no adorableness, nothing of the sort. Fair warning because I was expecting something with a bit more of any of those listed above. It’s deep and intricate. It felt very adult (not in an explicit sense, but the context). Things really played out very real world. I found that I was thinking often on these kinds of situations and how the nuances of life can create breaking points and new connections.

Nathan and Katrina could have definitely used a sit down, drag out conversation (which admittedly, would have severely shortened the book). The way they expressed themselves through writing was intense. And that pinnacle moment where things were at last said pulled at my soul. Two people who had to fight for themselves as individuals and together. The title is very apt and the story inside far exceeds the idea of the roughest draft.

A bit heavy, but a hard won happily ever after. I loved getting a chance to read this duo’s first adult romance and look forward to what they write next. I didn’t want to speed read this at all because every single word seemed to matter. Every paragraph played into the novel. The engrossing nature had me finishing it in a day.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: some strong
  • Romance: one brief/vague open door
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: gaslighting, brief cheating (an unreturned kiss), depictions of anxiety, divorce

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Book Review: All Rhodes Lead Here by Mariana Zapata

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Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆
Audience: Contemporary romance
Length: 551 pages
Author: Mariana Zapata
Publisher: Self-published
Release Date: April 1st, 2021
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Losing people you love is hard.

Aurora De La Torre knows moving back to a place that was once home isn’t going to be easy.

Starting your whole life over probably isn’t supposed to be.

But a small town in the mountains might be the perfect remedy for a broken heart.

Checking out her landlord across the driveway just might cure it too.

I GET IT NOW.

My first Zapata book was, The Wall of Winnipeg and Me, and I thought it was…fine. I think it might have been over-hyped for me so I didn’t know how I would feel about another book. But decided, why not?

ENTER IN ALL RHODES LEAD HERE.

I get it all now. This is clearly the Zapata book for me and I LOOOOVED IT.

Oh my gosh, Rhodes is a new bookisk boyfriend forever favorite. I couldn’t get enough of his quiet, stoic ways. He was incredibly romantic in the best ways. I was wrapped up in every little (and big) way he showed Aurora he was falling for her hard. I don’t know how to better describe this other than it was some of the mest slow-burn romanticness I’ve ever read.

I thought Aurora was a great main character too. I cheered for her, wanted to hug her, she made me laugh and smile. Watching her work through her trials with a sense of hope that the next turn was going to be better was such a light. Aurora’s ability to smile and continue to love was fantastic.

All of these side characters had me wrapped around their fingers too. [Well, all of the positive characters — the terrible ones can go hide in a hole]. They all felt well built and had their own stories that wove well into the over-arching plot.

Even though some of these hikes went sideways, this book gave me major wanderlust. I would love to travel to some of these areas now and see them for myself.

What a gem of a book y’all. I will recommend this up and down if you’re looking to dive into a Zapata book.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary romance
  • Language: strong
  • Romance: kisses/make-outs to one open door scene
  • Violence: hiking mishaps (falling and getting injured)
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: loss of a parent, emotional/verbal abuse, gaslighting and intense manipulation, depression

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