ALC Book Review: Stranger Things Have Happened by Kasie West

April 28, 2026April 11, 2026 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★.25
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 352 pages
Author: Kasie West
Publisher: Saturday Books
Release Date: April 14th, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Can fake dating lead to real love? In Kasie West’s next sexy adult romcom two people must decide where the lie ends and the chemistry begins.

Sutton knows she needs therapy. After all, she’s managing her newly opened restaurant remotely while taking care of her ungrateful sick mother. Plus, her boyfriend of two years just dumped her over the phone. But does therapy with a handsome stranger, who she has to pretend to be engaged to, in order to help her friend’s struggling relationship count? Probably not. Then why did she just agree to go? Because she’s had a few too many drinks? Because this stranger, Elijah, is smug and annoying and really, really handsome? Because she feels guilty that she abandoned her best friend, Tara, after high school and this might just make up for it? Whatever the reason, she has committed to this unhinged plan.

What the hell is Sutton doing?

Helping Tara prove a point: a good therapist can tell the difference between real love and fake love. That’s what she’s doing. But as they attend their sessions, Sutton and Elijah only seem to be proving one thing—the lines between pretend desire and real desire are very blurry. This true connection forming between them is threatening to unravel everything Sutton thought she knew about family, friendship, and her own heart.

Thank you Macmillan Audio for the gifted audiobook.

THIS WAS FANTASTIC.

Oh so I’m totally here for this?? Easily my new favorite adult romance from Kasie West. I flew through this without a thought because I was smitten with the relationship between Sutton and Elijah. The chemistry burned well and I loved the small ways they started showing up for each other. I think the concept of going to therapy to see if the therapist could tell was an interesting idea and fun for the story.

It lost me a little in the second half because the spice felt ramped up unnecessarily. And I had a few thought about the third act? But it wasn’t a total bother. I’m grateful things for Tara went the way I thought they should and the growth for all of the characters [except one who I won’t name].

And Sutton’s Mom bugged me too, but I digress.

I just really loved Sutton and Elijah together. They felt like a well matched pair and it was simple to fall into their love story. I loved all of the little pieces that made this book sing.

Overall audience notes:

Contemporary Romance
Language: mild
Romance: 4ish+ open door
Violence: low
Content warnings: absent parent, a parent recovering from a bad car wreck

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Book Review: Anytime I Want by Meredith Logan

April 12, 2026April 6, 2026 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★
Audience: YA Contemporary Romance
Length: 258 pages
Author: Meredith Logan
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: April 22nd, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

When I was seven, I made a boyfriend list. Now he’s sixteen and using it to win my heart.

Julia
The boy next door is a total dreamboat. Handsome, kind, and funny but he flirts with everyone- and did I mention he’s my brother’s best friend? And his parents are best friends with my parents? It’s complicated. When he decides to use my childhood boyfriend list to show me how serious he is about us, I have to decide if he’s worth risking all the complications.

Graham
I’ve been in love with her forever. But I’m kind of a screw up and she doesn’t trust me. I come up with a plan to use her boyfriend list to prove myself. I recruit our families, friends-anyone who can help us finally be together. But will it be enough to finally convince her to trust me?

A swoony YA romance about friendships, families, and first loves.

Thank you to the author for a gifted copy.

DEBUT VIBES.

This felt very much like a debut. I had some plot and writing issues throughout that made me focus on them rather than the story, but maybe I wasn’t totally invested in the story either? I had a hard time remembering that these were 16 year-olds because the writing often read younger than that.

I think a few of the aspects were cute. I do appreciate that it is written for a younger audience. Something you could give to a teen without worrying about content which is getting hard to find nowadays. There’s no language, nothing more than kissing and overall the vibe is light and without heavy themes.

Most often I was frustrated with the FMC. Julia was constantly downplaying and coming off as a *pick me* girl while Graham was trying his best to show [over and over and over] how much he liked her. Dare I say, he worked too hard.

The friendships are good and a positive theme throughout as well as the parents. I think having supportive people in your immediate circle is wonderful and hopeful. I loved all of those interactions.

Overall audience notes:

YA Contemporary romance
Language: none
Romance: kisses

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Book Review: Swept Away by Beth O’Leary

April 8, 2026April 15, 2025 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★☆
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 384 pages
Author: Beth O’Leary
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: April 1st, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Two strangers find themselves stranded at sea together in this epic new love story by bestselling author Beth O’Leary.

What if you were lost at sea…with your one-night stand?

Zeke and Lexi thought it would just be a night of fun. They had no intentions of seeing each other again. Zeke is only in town for the weekend to buy back his late father’s houseboat. Lexi has no time for dating when she needs to help take care of her best friend’s daughter.

Going back home with a stranger seems like a perfect escape from their problems. But a miscommunication in the dark, foggy night means no one tied the houseboat to the dock. The next morning, Zeke and Lexi realize all they can see is miles and miles of water.

With just a few provisions on the idle boat, Zeke and Lexi must figure out how to get back home. But aside from their survival, they’re facing another challenge. Because when you’re stuck together for days on end, it gives you a lot of time to get to know someone—and to fall in love with them.

WOW THIS WENT DOWNHILL.

I was fully in the 3.5-4 star camp for the first 60% of this book. I loved the idea of this romance. Being stuck out at sea is definitely not a contemporary romance plot I’ve read before and I love unique romance/settings. But after starting off with a one night stand, I was a little bereft. It held strong though with all of the open sea drama (and even though I have MANY questions about the sexual encounters + hygiene, I digress).

Then we got to the back on land drama and good heavens, WHYYYYYYY. The first twist tackled me like a blindside and about sent me over the edge, and then upon finding out a little more about the situation I absolutely fell off the edge. It soured the whole story for me and didn’t do anything for the characters.

This just didn’t feel like Beth O’Leary. I’ll cross my fingers for the next one.

Overall audience notes:

Contemporary Romance
Language: mild
Romance: fade to black
Violence: moderate
Content warnings: minor blood (cleaning + stitching of wounds), being lost at sea, loss of loved ones (recounted)

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ARC Book Review: Start at the End by Emma Grey

April 7, 2026April 5, 2026 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★.5
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 400 pages
Author: Emma Grey
Publisher: Zibby Publishing
Release Date: April 7th, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

This powerful sliding-doors novel asks the Are our futures already determined? Or are we able to change fate? A searingly emotional novel about love, loss, grief, and hope from the author of The Last Love Note and Pictures of You.

Thank you Zibby Books for the gifted copy.

WELL THIS WAS A SURPRISE.

I’ve enjoyed Emma Grey’s previous two books so I didn’t even bother with reading the summary before diving into this one and let me tell y’all…don’t read it. Go in blind because it is a journey my friend. Did the whole journey work for me? No, but I had no troubles WANTING to listen to this book needing to know how the stories were going to wrap up.

I did think it was an interesting concept and idea to execute (the author’s note does a great job elaborating on this and helped more of the story make sense for me). The sliding doors moment was confusing but once I got a better handle on what was happening I was shocked. I liked seeing the flawed and realistic nature of going through a terrible thing and the fallout and echoes it leaves on each person.

I’m not sure I *liked* everything that happened or the way certain situations went. And that’s okay, it made me think and ponder a lot and I always like when a book creates that kind of thought process for me. It’s fairly fast paced and the audiobook was wonderfully narrated.

Overall audience notes: