Tag: contemporary romance

Book Review: Objection to Love (Greenbank Romances #3) by Karen Thornell

GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 295 pages
Author: Karen Thornell
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: March 2nd, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

One thing is for sure… law school was way easier than love.
September Miller has a ten-year plan for success, and it doesn’t include a personal life. So why does it hurt that her colleagues think she’s a bore and never invite her anywhere? And, more importantly, why is she enlisting her new next-door neighbor to fix that?

Garrett has barely moved in but somehow he’s already caught up in helping his neighbor learn how to have fun. It’s selfless of him and has absolutely nothing to do with finding the uptight lawyer attractive.

But maybe agreeing to spend every Saturday together wasn’t the best plan for either of them. September’s plans can’t be abandoned and there’s an expiration date on how long Garrett will be around. So what are they supposed to do when more than just Saturdays start to look appealing?

Objection to Love is a sweet romance with plenty of laughs and a happily ever after. It is the third book in the series but can be read as a standalone.

SO CLOSE.

This was SO FLIPPIN’ CLOSE to a five star read for me. I loved 85% of this book. The banter was perfect. Had me laughing and smiling along with Garrett and September. I even liked all of the lawyer puns. They were woven in really well and the writing had me wrapped up in this romance. I looove that Garrett had big golden retriever energy and wanted to help Em realize there is much more to life than working and trying to continually please your parents.

There were many little adventures and dates that had me swooning and loving every minute. I liked the adventure atmosphere and the combination of all of these little things that brought these two together.

BUT THEN. There was a third act break-up that honestly made me so cranky. I can’t get behind a single reason Em had for needing to end things with Garrett. Frankly, I’m still salty about it. Everything wrapped up fine after that debacle, but at that point my love had been lost. It’s a good book and if you don’t mind a traditional third act then I’d say go for it.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kissses
  • Violence: low
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: brief mention of loss of a father, references to child birth (side character), fetal surgery (side character), small physical injuries (i.e. sprained ankle)

Instagram || Goodreads || The StoryGraph

ARC Book Review: The Roads We Follow (Fog Harbor #2) by Nicole Deese

GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★☆
Audience: Contemporary Fiction + Romance
Length: 384 pages
Author: Nicole Deese
Publisher: Bethany House
Release Date: April 30th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

As the youngest daughter of a country music legend, Raegan Farrow longs to establish an identity away from the spotlight and publish her small-town romances under a pen name. But after her dream is dashed when she won’t exploit her mother’s fame to further her own career, she hears a rumor from a reliable source regarding a tell-all being written about the Farrow family. Making matters worse, the unknown author has gone to great lengths to remain anonymous until publication.

Raegan chooses to keep the tell-all a secret from her scandal-leery sisters as they embark on a two-week, cross-country road trip at their mother’s request and makes it her mission to expose the identity of the author behind the unsanctioned biography. But all is complicated when she discovers their hired bus driver, Micah Davenport, has a hidden agenda of his own–one involving both of their mothers and an old box of journals. As they rely on each other to find the answers they seek, the surprising revelations they unearth will steer them toward their undeniable connection and may even lead them down the most unexpected of paths.

Thank you Bethany House Books for the free copy.

BEAUTIFUL.

I really enjoyed this story. I was captivated from the get-go and there’s something about Nicole Deese’s writing that draws you in. I loved all of the themes of forgiveness, finding where you belong and reconnecting with your family. This felt authentic to me and I think that’s why it resonated so well. I could feel the complicated family dynamics and sometimes the backwards journey it takes to find balance and a place of peace with loved ones.

The romance was tender and sweet. It’s more instant attraction than I’m generally drawn too but I didn’t have that issue at all here. I felt that connection and that click between Raegan and Micah. I loved that they had the tough conversations, moments to breath, and some good kissing scenes too. This was also dual POV (which y’all know I love) and only added to the story getting Micah’s side and reasoning behind his choices too.

I loved all of the road trip antics. How the journey was up and down and ultimately ended exactly where I hoped it would. I loved all of these characters and watching the relatable nature that is life bring this family together.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: None
  • Romance: Kisses
  • Violence: Low
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: mentions of using diet pills/unsafe weight loss, loss of a parent, divorce, depictions of grief, alcohol consumption

Instagram || Goodreads || The StoryGraph

Book Review: Georgie, All Along by Kate Clayborn

GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 352 pages
Author: Kate Clayborn
Publisher: Kensington
Release Date: January 24th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Longtime personal assistant Georgie Mulcahy has made a career out of putting others before herself. When an unexpected upheaval sends her away from her hectic job in L.A. and back to her hometown, Georgie must confront an uncomfortable truth: her own wants and needs have always been a disconcertingly blank page.

But then Georgie comes across a forgotten artifact—a “friendfic” diary she wrote as a teenager, filled with possibilities she once imagined. To an overwhelmed Georgie, the diary’s simple, small-scale ideas are a lifeline—a guidebook for getting started on a new path.

Georgie’s plans hit a snag when she comes face to face with an unexpected roommate—Levi Fanning, onetime town troublemaker and current town hermit. But this quiet, grouchy man is more than just his reputation, and he offers to help Georgie with her quest. As the two make their way through her wishlist, Georgie begins to realize that what she truly wants might not be in the pages of her diary after all, but right by her side—if only they can both find a way to let go of the pasts that hold them back.

Honest and deeply emotional, Georgie, All Along is a smart, tender must-read for everyone who’s ever wondered about the life that got away.

LOVED THE HERO.

I think maybe this was a bit over hyped for me? As denoted by the four star rating. I did enjoy this a lot. I feel like there were little things here and there that weren’t my favorite.

Levi though? I LOVED HIM. I love the bad boy vibes + a super soft inside. He melted me many times over and his character was just my favorite. Loved everything about him!! Georgie was great too. I don’t remember having any major complaints either. I enjoyed seeing her work through a lot of things and finding where she wanted to land after some big life changes.

Occasionally I felt the romance was put too much on the back burner with other storylines and I wanted to get back to everything Levi and Georgia. Their interactions were the amazing. With some grump and sunshine, forced proximity and a small town, Clayborn really put together a great romance. This is the first by the author I’ve read (I DNFed her first book) so now I’m hopeful for reading another!

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: some strong
  • Romance: open door
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: estranged family, brief mentions of drug use, childbirth, emotional child abuse, alcohol consumption, loss of a mother mentioned

Instagram || Goodreads || The StoryGraph

ALC Book Review: Funny Story by Emily Henry

GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 384 pages
Author: Emily Henry
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: April 23rd, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A shimmering, joyful new novel about a pair of opposites with the wrong thing in common.

Daphne always loved the way her fiancé Peter told their story. How they met (on a blustery day), fell in love (over an errant hat), and moved back to his lakeside hometown to begin their life together. He really was good at telling it…right up until the moment he realized he was actually in love with his childhood best friend Petra.

Which is how Daphne begins her new story: Stranded in beautiful Waning Bay, Michigan, without friends or family but with a dream job as a children’s librarian (that barely pays the bills), and proposing to be roommates with the only person who could possibly understand her predicament: Petra’s ex, Miles Nowak.

Scruffy and chaotic—with a penchant for taking solace in the sounds of heart break love ballads—Miles is exactly the opposite of practical, buttoned up Daphne, whose coworkers know so little about her they have a running bet that she’s either FBI or in witness protection. The roommates mainly avoid one another, until one day, while drowning their sorrows, they form a tenuous friendship and a plan. If said plan also involves posting deliberately misleading photos of their summer adventures together, well, who could blame them?

But it’s all just for show, of course, because there’s no way Daphne would actually start her new chapter by falling in love with her ex-fiancé’s new fiancée’s ex…right?

Thank you to Berkley #BerkleyPartner for the ebook and PRHAudio #PRHPartner for the free audiobook.

ENJOYABLE AS ALWAYS.

Audiobook notes: It was Julia Whelan who narrated. NEED I SAY MORE?

Emily Henry books are just good. I love picking them up and I enjoy the journey that the main character goes on. Daphne had plenty to work through (understandably so) and the issues she had with her Dad was a connection I felt deeply. I love when books provide that sense of being seen and understanding that there is someone out there who has felt the same way you have.

The romance was sweet. I liked the unconventionality of it and how Daphne and Miles came together. The crossing of worlds and showcasing all there is to do and be where they were at now, and where they could go.

I love the magic (not literally) woven into the story of those little moments that make a life. Getting milkshakes and fries, finding a new beach to explore and loving the job you have. I adored all of the librarian content and the wonderful relationship Daphne had her with Mom.

Daphne and Miles are imperfect people with the weight of the past holding them back (without them even knowing sometimes). I loved the messy, the sincere and the emotion this book brought as the happy ending was found.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: moderate
  • Romance: 3+ open door; moderate explicit

Instagram || Goodreads || The StoryGraph