ARC/ALC Book Review: Falling Into Place by Allison Ashley

August 19, 2025July 30, 2025 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 320 pages
Author: Allison Ashley
Publisher: Montlake
Release Date: August 19th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Finding a date for a reclusive bachelor is her job. It’s also a risk when she becomes the perfect match in an emotional and hopeful romance by the author of If Tomorrow Never Comes .

Accountant and freelance personal stylist Carly Porter, daughter of a compulsive gambler, knows the personal cost of a bad bet. But when she partners with her best friend, Sasha—publisher of a floundering fashion magazine—Carly can’t resist. The highly publicized makeover of an Oklahoma City bachelor could boost sales and be Carly’s ticket to her dream profession. The bachelor in question is none other than Sasha’s older brother, Brooks.

Hardly the party boy Carly remembers from high school, Brooks is now an antisocial, work-obsessed physician still struggling with a devastating loss. But if it means helping his sister, he’s in. It’s Carly’s job to get him out of those lived-in scrubs, style him to the nines, and bring Brooks back to life. But so far, the only real connection is between Brooks and Carly—and falling for a client could cost Carly the career she’s worked so hard for.

To move forward, they’ll both have to overcome their painful pasts. And whatever the risk, maybe even take a chance on love.

Thank you to BookSparks and Montlake for the gifted ARC.

ADORED.

Oh yes, this was everything!! I loved how sweet this story was. Gosh it was adorable. The low angst books are really hitting right now and I can’t get enough of them. I loved the set-up for this book. It was realistic and charming and there’s something about two people finding their passion and pursuits for the future that soothe the soul.

Carly and Brooks feel like soul mates. They have this beautiful chemistry that constantly brought them near each other and an undeniable need to be together. I think the heaviness of this book was balanced well between the flirting and dates and all of the sister moments. I didn’t feel weighed down by reading Falling Into Place, rather it brought hope that love (from family or a partner) can help us be better and accept that love in our lives. I sincerely loved Carly and Brooks as separate characters and together.

The audiobook narrator was good but it did bug me that this book didn’t have two because it was dual POV. I would occasionally have to remind myself who’s POV chapter I was listening to because it wasn’t obvious.

Anyways, another Allison Ashley book I just loved!!!!

Overall audience notes:

Contemporary Romance
Language: mild
Romance: 2-3ish vague/brief open door
Violence: low
Content Warnings: loss of loved ones (multiple mentioned, on page and recounted), grief depiction

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Book Review: The Backtrack by Erin La Rosa

August 15, 2025July 19, 2024 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance + Magical Realism
Length: 304 pages
Author: Erin La Rosa
Publisher: Canary Street Press
Release Date: July 16th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Life, rewound …

Nearly twenty years ago, Sam Leto left her small hometown of Tybee Island, Georgia, to pursue her dreams of becoming a pilot. While she’d prefer to keep flying away from her painful childhood memories, her beloved grandmother Pearl decides it’s time to sell the family home. Reluctantly, Sam is summoned back to pack up the house.

The 2000s nostalgia from Sam’s old bedroom hits Fall Out Boy posters, drawers of roll-on body glitter and even her favorite CD player with a mixtape from her best friend, Damon Rocha. Damon was always a safe place and Sam often wonders what if her teenage self admitted her feelings for him back then…

Mysteriously, the CD player still works all these years later. And somehow it has the power to show Sam an alternate version of her life.

Song by song, Sam receives flashbacks from her past—senior prom, graduation, leaving home. But the memories aren’t as she remembers them; they show what could have been. Suddenly, Sam knows exactly what would have happened if she’d taken a chance with Damon—and she can’t help feeling she made a terrible mistake leaving Tybee all those years ago.

I TRIED.

I really wanted to enjoy this one, but it felt very lackluster in the romance department. I thought the idea was clever and wasn’t bugged by the magical realism aspects (like I am known to be at times). I loved the nostalgic vibes this gave me and how seeing the flashbacks of what could have been didn’t show a “better” path, just a different one. I loved that message and theme throughout.

The romance was missing something. I didn’t feel that swoon and chemistry between Sam and Damon. They had this chance for reconnection, and did take it and I thought that would create some more heat.

The audiobook production was good and I liked that it was a quick listen. I also enjoyed that this was less spicy than the author’s previous books (personal preference). But I do find myself on the fence now about reading whatever’s next. I’m starting to have more misses than hits.

Overall audience notes:

Contemporary Romance + Magical Realism
Language: moderate
Romance: 1 open door
Content Warnings: brief mention of miscarriage, depression, parental abandonment

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ARC Book Review: You and Me, For Real by Hayley Elliot

August 14, 2025August 7, 2025 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 368 pages
Author: You and Me, For Real
Publisher: Lighthearted Reads Publishing
Release Date: August 14th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

She swore she’d never be in front of the camera again, but now she’s falling for a Hollywood heartthrob with a tabloid-worthy secret.

Former child reality star Ashton Reid is done with fame and dreams of a quiet life and finally opening her own animal rescue. But establishing a non-profit requires funding and, therefore, publicity. For Ashton, this means facing her crippling anxiety anytime a camera is pointed in her direction. Despite her best efforts to avoid all things Hollywood, when celebrity Griffin Ford rushes into her shelter carrying an injured dog—with his impossibly muscled arms and notorious abs—she’s helpless against those almond eyes. The dog’s eyes, that is.

Actor Griffin Ford is desperate for his first meaningful role. Tired of being seen as nothing more than washboard abs on an angsty teen drama, he’s agreed to a fake relationship with his co-star to guarantee the lead in her father’s next movie. But when the contract requires more than he’s bargained for, he begins to question the future he always imagined. To take back some ownership of his life, Griffin adopts a new dog—despite being clueless about pet ownership.

Drawn to Ashton’s authenticity, Griffin recruits her to train his new rescue. In return, Griffin helps her navigate publicity and social media for her foundation. Outside the glow of Hollywood, it doesn’t take long for Ashton to see that Griffin is more than the hunk he portrays on TV. As their professional and personal lives intertwine and their attraction grows stronger, their chemistry becomes undeniable. But when the heat of the spotlight threatens to expose Ashton’s past and Griffin’s secret, the two must fight for what’s real between them, or risk becoming another casualty of fame.

Thank you to the author for an eARC.

HOW CUTE.

That’s the vibe. It’s a ultra sweet rom-com that is meant to be light hearted and I always enjoy picking up one of these books. All of the dog content was fun too. I don’t think I’ve read a book with this much dog information and as someone who used to work with them, it was a nice throwback.

Griffin and Ashton were just flipping cute together. I loved the depth of the moments they had together alongside the humorous and flirty texts. There were some solid friendships too that I think added to the plot and made this an easy read.

There was some pieces of the drama that aren’t my favorite type to read about and I wish played a smaller role. All in all though, I think this was a wonderful debut and I look forward to future books from Hayley!

Overall audience notes:

Contemporary Romance
Language: none
Romance: kisses
Violence: low
Content warnings: strained parent relationships

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ALC/ARC Book Review: For the Record by Emma Lord

August 14, 2025August 1, 2025 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★.75ish
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 336 pages
Author: Emma Lord
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Release Date: August 12th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

An electrifying rom com of rivalry and redemption, perfect for fans of Emily Henry and Daisy Jones and the Six, from New York Times bestselling author Emma Lord.

Once the most notorious rivals in the music scene, pop princess Mackenzie Waters and punk rockstar Sam Blaze electrified audiences as their bands clashed on stage. But behind the scenes, their simmering tension grew into something more — until suddenly both bands fell apart, and the idea of Mackenzie and Sam did, too.

Two years later, Sam has traded the rockstar lifestyle for a quiet life raising the son he didn’t know about. Meanwhile, Mackenzie is dealing with a postoperative change in her voice by only singing under a pseudonym. The only way to revive their public careers? A joint comeback album.

With fans over the moon and their futures on the line, Sam and Mackenzie face their biggest challenge yet: giving up the old rivalry and learning to work together. But as old sparks fly and new secrets emerge, they set off a chain reaction neither of them could have anticipated — one that proves that sometimes, the greatest hits are the ones yet to be written.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the gifted audiobook and SMP Romance for the eARC.

I THINK I LIKED IT?

Here we are with the second adult romance from Emma Lord and I still enjoy her YA/NA books more. This wasn’t bad, but there’s some kind of imbalance still between the plot and romance that bugged me.

What I will say is the banter and flirting was TOP NOTCH between Sam and Mackenzie. It was perfectly heated and the audiobook narrator nailed it. I was in love from the get go with Sam’s persona. WE LOVE A MAN DOWN BAD FOR YEARS.

And I also loved the blended family, co-parent situation. It was wholesome and for the good of the child and I appreciated seeing a healthy dynamic like this in a book.

One of the sub-plots kind of overtook Mackenzie and Sam’s story in the last quarter of the book. And while it was great to see Mackenzie reconnect with her friend and finally get some details that had been withheld the entire book I thought it could have been a lesser plot point (alongside that third act, booooooooo).

I am still a fan of Emma Lord and will continue reading her books. Definitely try the audiobook if you plan to read this one!! It’s dual POV so there are two narrators!!

Overall audience notes: