Tag: contemporary romance

Book Review: Daisy Haites: The Great Undoing (Magnolia Parks Universe #4) by Jessa Hastings

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 496 pages
Author: Jessa Hastings
Publisher: Dutton
Release Date: November 7th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

THE BRAND NEW NOVEL IN THE MAGNOLIA PARKS UNIVERSE FROM BOOKTOK ROMANCE SENSATION JESSA HASTINGS

“It’s the great undoing of my heart as I know it.”

Daisy Haites thought she’d left everything about her old life in the the crime, her family, and the man she loves. But when her safety is threatened once again, she finds herself back under the watchful eyes of her gang-lord brother, Julian , and her ex-boyfriend, Christian , both desperate to keep her safe.

Everything gets more complicated when beautiful, broken-hearted socialite Magnolia Parks enters the scene and Julian finds himself entangled with her. Because, for Julian, falling in love isn’t just unwelcome—it could be deadly for everyone involved.

WAS THIS SUPPOSED TO MAKE ME FEEL BETTER?

Y’ALL. WHAT AM I DOING WITH MY LIFE. Why am I still here reading this series? But I can’t stop?

I will say that this is my favorite book of the series so far. Because I love Julian so dang much. BUT I AM HURT. I AM HURT BY THIS BOOK. And I can’t even address everything because that would be way too spoilered fill for y’all. But IYKYK.

And I guess I like Daisy? I don’t know, she was still as frustrating as Magnolia and BJ. But maybe to a slightly lesser degree. Circle back when I read the next book.

This review was completely nonsensical so TL;DR, yeah I’m reading the next book.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: moderate – strong
  • Romance: brief open door
  • Violence: moderate
  • Content warnings: infidelity, alcohol and drug use, death of a sibling, car accident, kidnapping

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Book Review: Past Present Future (Rowan & Neil #2) by Rachel Lynn Solomon

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: NA Contemporary Romance
Length: 384 pages
Author: Rachel Lynn Solomon
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Release Date: June 4th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

They fell for each other in just twenty-four hours. Now Rowan and Neil embark on a long-distance relationship during their first year of college in this romantic, dual points of view sequel to Today Tonight Tomorrow .

When longtime rivals Rowan Roth and Neil McNair confessed their feelings on the last day of senior year, they knew they’d only have a couple months together before they left for college. Now summer is over, and they’re determined to make their relationship work as they begin school in different states.

In Boston, Rowan is eager to be among other aspiring novelists, learning from a creative writing professor she adores. She’s just not sure why she suddenly can’t seem to find her voice.

In New York, Neil embraces the chaos of the city, clicking with a new friend group more easily than he anticipated. But when his past refuses to leave him alone, he doesn’t know how to handle his rapidly changing mental health—or how to talk about it with the girl he loves.

Over a year of late-night phone calls, weekend visits, and East Coast adventures, Rowan and Neil fall for each other again and again as they grapple with the uncertainty of their new lives. They’ve spent so many years at odds with each other—now that they’re finally on the same team, what does the future hold for them?

LOVED THIS.

There was something so true to life in this book that spoke to my previous college aged self on multiple levels. I loved that I got to see Neil and Rowan struggle. It was the good kind of struggle, the one where you know they’ll make it, they just have to tousle with some things. And tussle they did. Exploring the depth of their relationship, making long distance work, learning to communicate, figuring out college, it’s all there and it’s all beautiful. I feel like we don’t get many books of a couple after they get together and I didn’t find this story boring or slow in any context. The plot was exactly as it should be to see Neil and Rowan and that invisible string between them.

I loved both of these characters together and separate. And those are the best kind of books for me. Neil’s depression was such a hit to my soul and the representation of that was so well handled. Seeing both of them navigate friendships and new cities brought back a lot of the same things I used to feel in school. I loved this book (the audio is great) and it’s definitely worth picking up if you enjoyed the first.

Overall audience notes:

  • NA Contemporary Romance
  • Language: low-moderate
  • Romance: 3 vague open door
  • Content Warnings: parent who’s incarcerated, depression depiction

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Book Review: A Novel Love Story by Ashley Poston

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Rating: ★★★☆
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 384 pages
Author: Ashley Poston
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: June 25th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A professor of literature finds herself caught up in a work of fiction… literally.

Eileen Merriweather loves to get lost in a good happily-ever-after. The fictional kind, anyway. Because at least imaginary men don’t leave you at the altar. She feels safe in a book. At home. Which might be why she’s so set on going to her annual book club retreat this year—she needs good friends, cheap wine, and grand romantic gestures—no matter what.

But when her car unexpectedly breaks down on the way, she finds herself stranded in a quaint town that feels like it’s right out of a novel…

Because it is.

This place can’t be real, and yet… she’s here, in Eloraton, the town of her favorite romance series, where the candy store’s honey taffy is always sweet, the local bar’s burgers are always a little burnt, and rain always comes in the afternoon. It feels like home. It’s perfect—and perfectly frozen, trapped in the late author’s last unfinished story.

Elsy is sure that’s why she must be here: to help bring the town to its storybook ending.

Except there is a character in Eloraton that she can’t place—a grumpy bookstore owner with mint-green eyes, an irritatingly sexy mouth and impeccable taste in novels. And he does not want her finishing this book.

Which is a problem because Elsy is beginning to think the town’s happily-ever-after might just be intertwined with her own.

NOT MY FAVORITE.

Well, this is officially my least favorite of Ashley Poston’s books. I’ll definitely be reading the next one, this one just fell into the miss category.

I think there was too heavy of a focus on the fictional town. I don’t mind that these books have magical realism, but a whole town that was derived from the FMC’s favorite book series, while charming, was the only thing Eileen could focus on. She felt like a side character in her own book. I will say that Eileen did have some decent character growth overall and she had a good journey.

And THEN, there was this twist involving the romance towards the end that had me fully stop in my tracks while listening. Like why???? It took the romantic aspects out of this book even more. While there were sweet moments and I kind of thought they had some chemistry, I am meh about this book.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: moderate
  • Romance: 1-2 open door
  • Content Warnings: loss of a loved one (car crash)

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Book Review: Daisy Haites (Magnolia Parks Universe #2) by Jessa Hastings

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Toxic Contemporary Romance
Length: 494 pages
Author: Jessa Hastings
Publisher: Dutton
Release Date: August 8th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

All twenty-year-old Daisy Haites has ever wanted is a normal life, but as the heiress to London’s most notorious criminal empire, it’s just not in the cards for her.

Raised by her older brother, Julian , after their parents were murdered, Daisy has never been able to escape the watchful gaze of her gang-lord brother. But Julian’s line of work means that Daisy’s life is . . . complicated.

And things don’t become any easier when she falls hard for the beautiful and emotionally unavailable Christian Hemmes , who happens to be one of the few men in London who doesn’t answer to Julian.

Christian’s life is no walk in the park either, since he’s in love with his best friend’s girlfriend, Magnolia Parks .

He’s happy enough to use Daisy to throw off the scent of his true affections—until she starts to infiltrate those, too.

As their romance blossoms into something neither was anticipating, Daisy and Christian must come to terms with the fact that in this life everything comes at a price. Relationships intersect and tangle, and Daisy, Christian, and Julian will learn that sometimes life’s most worthwhile pursuits can only be paid in blood.

DAISY REALLY PMO.

I think I liked Magnolia Parks better than this one????

The first bit, was (once again), wildly confusing as you’re thrown into the chaos of all of these people’s lives and missing the context of many things. Once that started feeling settled, I could finally understand what was happening and all the intricacies of they dynamic between Daisy and the boys.

I actually enjoyed the organized crime plot line with Julian. I am deeply curious about his story and where it will go and why everyone is obsessed with him (yes, I already put book three on hold).

Daisy just really made me mad (IYKYK). Those last few chapters made me want to throw my phone through a wall. The self sabotaging dynamic is not one for me and I swear if that doesn’t change soon I might rip a part book three (though I think that’s Magnolia’s book so??? I don’t know, it’s all complicated).

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: strong
  • Romance: brief open
  • Violence: moderate
  • Content warnings: kidnapping, attempted murder, gun violence, murder (recounted), loss of loved ones, substance use

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