Book Review: If It’s Perfect (The Wedding Business #1) by Summer Dowell

May 21, 2021October 27, 2020 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ☆☆☆☆
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 192 pages
Author: Summer Dowell
Publisher: Self-published
Release Date: October 22nd, 2020
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

One thing I learned this week: DO NOT flirt while at a client’s wedding. (especially with anyone in a tux)

Success-driven Hope Fletcher has some lofty goals for her life. But is it really too much to want a thriving cake design business by age 29? Marry a perfect (emphasis on the perfect) man by age 30? Then have the kids, dog, and house in suburbia by age 34? If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.

Dean. Wonderful, dreamy Dean who loves kids (and will eventually grow to love dogs) steps into Hope’s world. He’s the exact type of man she’s been looking for and she starts falling. Hard.

But will Hope’s perfect image of Dean crumble when she finds out about his past?

A clean, loud-out-loud romantic comedy that’s full of sarcasm and swoons!

SUPER SWEET.

And laugh out loud.

This was a charming and quick contemporary romance. I’ve really enjoyed Summer Dowell’s books and this is no exception. I’m excited to get more romances from this cast because I adored Hope and Dean.

I saw a lot of growth with Hope. Learning to handle her need for perfection in a more realistic way really resonated with me. I thought she had a great dynamic and I absolutely love her cake decorator career.

Combine Hope with Dean and I thought they were just precious. It was kind of fun to have this “perfect” relationship happen for most of the book, just waiting for the other shoe to drop. I actually burst out laughing (and in shock) when the reveal was announced. I like the way it was handled and that the drama didn’t drag out.

This was a delightful read that will put a smile on your face. Can’t wait to read more!

Overall audience notes:

Contemporary romance
Language: none
Romance: kisses

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Book Review: World’s Worst Boyfriend (Fake It #3) by Carina Taylor

May 13, 2021 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ☆☆☆☆
Audience: Contemporary romance
Length: 263 pages
Author: Carina Taylor
Publisher: Self-Published
Release Date: April 7th, 2021
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A romantic comedy adventure

Fletcher is the “World’s Worst Boyfriend” and I have the trophy to prove it—along with the consolation gift card I’ve already spent.

Entering him into the anonymous contest was cathartic and eye opening. It’s obvious I need to end this farce of a relationship… so, I do.

Too bad I’m still comparing every man I meet to Fletcher.
Too bad I can’t get him out of my mind—or my house, for that matter, with the way he’s always stopping by to ‘fix’ something.
And it’s especially too bad that I’m learning not everything is as it seems, and that maybe, just maybe, Fletcher had a good reason for his actions. (Although, there is no justification for the moldy laundry.)

What’s a girl to do? He says he’ll explain everything soon. But am I ready to face that explanation? What if he’s really not the worst—what if I am?

A romantic comedy adventure to make you laugh out loud!

A FUN ROM-COM.

Trope: disgruntled couple finding the love again.

Not usually my jam, but I really liked and appreciated the way that this one was accomplished! It’s a very quick read, I never felt like I wanted to put it down and enjoyed the humorous storytelling.

I like that this all felt legitmate. Saidy had concerns that I completely understood and I get why she was upset and frustrated. Since there is ALSO the point-of-view from Fletcher, you get his side of the story too. I love dual POV’s in romance books. It adds so much more.

This is a light-hearted book that had lots of good relationship nuggets. About not letting others dictate your relationship. Learning to listen and communicate. And what I love espcially is when the truth came out (and to me, it was a reasonable reason) neither party dragged it out. There was clearly love there and a commitment to their future.

It could have used maybe a bit of lengthening to deepen these characters and their arcs. I would have loved to have more of them on screen, with some angst. It felt that way towards the end, but not enough overall.

I like that the sub-storyline (which I’m not mentioning because it’s a minor spoiler) was wrapped up simply. Since the focus is on Saidy and Fletcher, I’m glad Fletcher’s side drama wasn’t a huge ordeal.

Overall audience notes:

Contemporary romance
Language: little light
Romance: kisses
Violence: nearly being shot, being wounded

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ARC Book Review: People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry

May 6, 2021March 29, 2021 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆
Audience: Contemporary romance
Length: 384 pages
Author: Emily Henry
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: May 11th, 2021
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Poppy and Alex. Alex and Poppy. They have nothing in common. She’s a wild child; he wears khakis. She has insatiable wanderlust; he prefers to stay home with a book. And somehow, ever since a fateful car share home from college many years ago, they are the very best of friends. For most of the year they live far apart–she’s in New York City, and he’s in their small hometown–but every summer, for a decade, they have taken one glorious week of vacation together.

Until two years ago, when they ruined everything. They haven’t spoken since.

Poppy has everything she should want, but she’s stuck in a rut. When someone asks when she was last truly happy, she knows, without a doubt, it was on that ill-fated, final trip with Alex. And so, she decides to convince her best friend to take one more vacation together–lay everything on the table, make it all right. Miraculously, he agrees.

Now she has a week to fix everything. If only she can get around the one big truth that has always stood quietly in the middle of their seemingly perfect relationship. What could possibly go wrong?

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.

LOVED THIS.

I can break down this review really simply.

I have a hard time loving these tropes: friends to lovers, second chance, and books with flashback chapters.

People We Meet on Vacation made me love them ALL. It was written so beautifully and magnetically that I devoured this in a day. I didn’t want to put it down, I needed to know what happened. The story was a journey and gave me plenty of wanderlust about traveling.

I LOVE Alex and Poppy. Goodness gracious. Their chemistry leaped off the page into fireworks. From the get-go I knew I was in for this book. I love the opposites attract vibes and watching their love story play out over the flashbacks. It was expertly accomplished. I can’t say enough good things about how this story. I wish I could read it fresh again.

Need I mention some tropes I do love that were also included? ONE BED, slow burn and tension for days. The angst here was real. Alex was such a cinnamon roll. Poppy was vibrant and larger than life. I just love them. LOVE THEM. I found myself smiling and laughing at the banter and antics. How things were going utterly wrong in one way and perfectly right in another.

I like to mention in romances if that conflict we all know is coming took away from the story. This time? It didn’t take away at all. It fit into everything I learned about the characters over the book. It allowed for growth from both characters and learning what they truly wanted and needed from their own lives as their’s collided.

What a book. I love Emily Henry’s romances!

Overall audience notes:

Contemporary romance
Language: some
Romance: kisses to brief open door
Trigger/Content Warnings: depicitons of anxiety, loss of a parent, bullying

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Book Review: The Boy’s Club (London Prep #2) by Jillian Dodd

May 5, 2021February 28, 2021 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ☆☆☆☆
Audience: New adult contemporary romance
Length: 438 pages
Author: Jillian Dodd
Publisher: Bandit Publishing
Release Date: May 21st, 2020
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

It’s only my second week at Kensington School, and things are getting complicated.

I thought my relationship with Harry was finished, but he came over late one night, apologized, and asked me to be his girlfriend. I swooned right there, in the middle of the street.

And we are definitely back together.
He calls me babe, brings me flowers, and is planning our first official date.
Our relationship is growing, and I’m starting to want him in ways I never expected.

I’m falling for him.

But then there’s Noah.
I live in his house and share a bathroom with him, and we’ve had a few intense moments.

But nothing compared to him sauntering into the room, declaring that I want him and that, at some point, he’s going to give in to me.

I know!
The nerve.
I’m not sure how I’m going to tell him that I’m dating his best friend again.
Or how I’m going to keep my eyes off his shirtless chest.

With tensions running high between Noah and me, Harry’s ongoing family issues, my new friendship with Naomi, and Mohammad’s party-planning skills, things are getting crazy.

CAN’T LOOK AWAY.

No really.

Someone needs to tell me how this ends.

Oh wait.

I’ll just keep devouring these books in a day instead.

Yes. Yes, I did pick this up. BECAUSE I HAVE A SIDE. And we all know, in a love triangle scenario if our side doesn’t win it usually ruins the series for us. Time will tell if that’s the case for me here. I’m really hoping it isn’t because I will be devastated.

I do struggle a touch with the age of these characters and imagine them in my mind 19/20 rather than 16. The underage drinking/partying/etc. is a lot at times. I really am watching some teen reality show play out in front of me. It’s addicting. I can’t stop reading.

But I kinda love it for those exact reasons too. They’re some books that feel totally different and immersive from my usual preferences of romance/genre that really sink their claws into me. I love that I can’t put these down and want to know what happens next. I love the quick pace and back and forth characters. The angst and drama. It’s all here folks.

Overall audience notes: