Tag: contemporary romance

Book Review: Texas Cooking (Texas Hill Country #1) by Lisa Wingate

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Rating: ☆☆☆☆
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 320
Author: Lisa Wingate
Publisher: Onyx
Release Date: September 2nd, 2003
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

No one is more surprised than Colleen Collins when she’s offered a job writing fluffy magazine articles about rural Texas cooking. But after only a few days in the charming little town of San Saline, the big-city reporter is falling for the local residents, and finding it impossible to resist the infuriating True McKittrick, a local boy-made-good whose mere presence makes her feel alive…and at home.

MADE ME SMILE.

I was out there searching for something light, could make me smile and just be a simple read. A friend recommended this and I wasn’t disappointed. Texas Cooking is nothing special, but it made me laugh, I was into the relationship and I just felt good after reading it.

Many of the remarks and antics in this book had me busting up. It really did feel like being in small town Texas. I enjoyed the atmosphere and the wide open spaces this setting brought on. It made me want to run to the countryside and see some true stars for the first time in awhile.

This romance was sweet natured and full of heart. Honestly, this easily read as a Hallmark movie. I loved Colleen and True’s interactions were cute. They both got to learn about each other and got some laughs and great kissing moments along the way. I love how it worked out and the conflict wasn’t over blown.

A very quick read and romance (took place over a week). I gratefully didn’t find it to be too insta-love because of the way it flowed into the story. The political/scandal happening where Colleen used to work felt out of place at times and kind of stuffed in there to add drama. I’m curious about the other books in this series though so I may check them out.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary romance
  • Language: a little
  • Romance: kisses / make-outs
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: mentions of losing a child (by drowning); racism

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ARC Book Review: Between You, Me, and the Honeybees by Amelia Diane Coombs

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Rating: ☆☆☆☆
Audience: YA Contemporary Romance
Length: 368 pages
Author: Amelia Diane Coombs
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Release Date: June 22nd, 2021
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Perfect for fans of Jenn Bennett and Sarah Dessen, this swoon-worthy novel follows a teen girl during her California summer of beekeeping, secrets, and stolen kisses.

Josie Hazeldine has just graduated from high school, and she’s ready for a summer full of sunshine, beekeeping, and…lying to her mom.

Josie’s mom couldn’t be more proud of her daughter going to college, something she never got to do. But Josie wants to stay in her California hometown and take over the family business, Hazeldine Honey. So that college acceptance her mom is thrilled about? Yeah, Josie turned it down. But she’s going to come clean—just not yet.

The neighbor’s artsy, adorable grandson who’s in town for the summer makes Josie’s web of lies even more tangled. He’s into Josie and the feeling is very mutual, but he’s a Blumstein—the sworn enemy of the Hazeldines and their number one competition in the annual Honey Show at the end of July. As their secret fling goes on, Josie knows she’s getting in way too deep to leave him behind when summer’s over.

Can Josie keep the boy she can’t stop thinking about without the secrets she’s juggling crashing down around her?

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an eARC.

IT WAS CUTE.

I feel like what I got most out of this was a lot of honeybee knowledge. Which I’m not complaining about at all because I really loved that aspect. I love when contemporaries have a new to me vibe and this one did with all of the apiary facts I learned.

Onto the romance side of things, it’s a quick/insta-ish romance. I didn’t find myself upset with that though (and usually I am). It was rooted in a summer style relationship and I liked how things flowed between Ezra and Joie. They were pretty dang cute and all of the honest and meaningful conversations between them was a really nice point.

Josie working through and with her anxiety hit home a lot for me. I loved this mental health rep and how it was portrayed. The addition of complex friendship was great too. While it made me irrationally angry, it went down exactly like I hoped. A lot of growth for Josie and committing to her passion and owning her truth by finally telling others. I love that she left people go and found her niche.

The story moved well. At times faster than I loved, and at times, slower than I loved. Yet I didn’t have a hard time picking this up to continue. I wanted to see where these characters were going and am grateful that they did indeed, go places! I love the pursuit of dreams with a long lasting summer romance to boot.

Overall audience notes:

  • YA Contemporary Romance
  • Language: some
  • Romance: kisses and brief open door scenes
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: anxiety, panic attacks, a loved one with Parkinson’s disease

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Book Review: In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren

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Rating: ☆☆☆☆
Audience: Contemporary romance
Length: 336 pages
Author: Christina Lauren
Publisher: Gallery Books
Release Date: October 6th, 2020
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

One Christmas wish, two brothers, and a lifetime of hope are on the line for hapless Maelyn Jones in In a Holidaze, the quintessential holiday romantic novel by Christina Lauren, the New York Times bestselling author of The Unhoneymooners.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year…but not for Maelyn Jones. She’s living with her parents, hates her going-nowhere job, and has just made a romantic error of epic proportions.

But perhaps worst of all, this is the last Christmas Mae will be at her favorite place in the world—the snowy Utah cabin where she and her family have spent every holiday since she was born, along with two other beloved families. Mentally melting down as she drives away from the cabin for the final time, Mae throws out what she thinks is a simple plea to the universe: Please. Show me what will make me happy.

The next thing she knows, tires screech and metal collides, everything goes black. But when Mae gasps awake…she’s on an airplane bound for Utah, where she begins the same holiday all over again. With one hilarious disaster after another sending her back to the plane, Mae must figure out how to break free of the strange time loop—and finally get her true love under the mistletoe.

Jam-packed with yuletide cheer, an unforgettable cast of characters, and Christina Lauren’s trademark “downright hilarious” (Helen Hoang, author of The Bride Test) hijinks, this swoon-worthy romantic read will make you believe in the power of wishes and the magic of the holidays.

A SWEET HOLIDAY READ.

Really enjoyed this one y’all. A quick read. Perfect atmosphere for the holiday’s and I was invested in the romance.

I wasn’t sure how I felt about the magical realism aspect of it, but it worked so well here! I love the way it was incorporated and that it didn’t over take the story. It fit the nature of the magical sense that the holiday’s always bring about. Mae even made me laugh a few times because of the reoccurrences until she figured things out.

Mae was a fun character to follow. I liked her determined nature and her willingness to help everyone around her. She was incredibly focused on keeping their family traditions alive, and I love how the book allowed her some growth into acknowledging sometimes things need to change.

Her relationship with Andrew was cute! A childhood friends type romance that caught on fire quick. This is one the lower steam side for CL books (which is what I like so I was all for). I’m not sure I was that into the conflict, but the resolution was incredibly sweet. I think if you’re a general fan of Christina Lauren books you’ll enjoy this one too.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary romance
  • Language: some throughout
  • Romance: kisses / heated make-outs; a few medium detailed love scenes

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Book Review: The Royal Treatment (Crown Jewels #1) by Melanie Summers

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Rating: ☆☆☆
Audience: Contemporary romance
Length: 281 pages
Author: Melanie Summers
Publisher: Indigo Group
Release Date: August 15th, 2017
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Ultra-private, ridiculously handsome Crown Prince Arthur has always gotten by on his charm. But that won’t be enough now that the Royal Family is about to be ousted from power once and for all. When Prince Arthur has to rely on the one woman in the kingdom who hates him most, he must learn that earning the love of a nation means first risking his heart.

Twenty-eight-year-old Tessa Sharpe, a.k.a. The Royal Watchdog, hates everything about Prince Arthur. As far as she’s concerned, he’s an arrogant, lazy leech on the kingdom of Avonia. When he shocks the nation by giving her the keys to the castle, Tessa has no choice but to accept and move in for two months. It’s lust at first sight, but there’s no way she can give in to her feelings—not if she wants to have a career or a shred of pride left when her time at the palace ends…

Can two natural enemies find their forever in each other’s arms, or will they ruin each other to save themselves?

EXCALIBUR.

I picked this up for what was hopefully going to be a distracted, royalty filled romance. Instead I was distracted by one thing that just bleh to me.

I couldn’t handle the Prince referring to his *manhood* as a scepter or Excalibur, over and over again. The first time or two, I shook it off, it fit the theme, okay sure. But the more it went on, the more I was just like…stop. Subtly was definitely lacking for this romance and I didn’t love it.

This did make me laugh at times and it was a quick read. The story was line was quirky and well put together for a royal romance read. My struggles with it didn’t detract from enjoying it. When the subtly was there, I did really like Tessa and Arthur. I thought the moments they were getting to know each other and flirting were cute.

I don’t plan on continuing the series since it wasn’t a total fit for me.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary romance
  • Language: some strong throughout
  • Romance: kisses / make-outs; a handful of open and closed door scenes
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: brief mention of losing a loved one from suicide

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