Tag: contemporary romance

ARC Book Review: Broken Harbor (Sparrow Falls #3) by Catherine Cowles

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Romantic Suspense
Length: 430 pages
Author: Catherine Cowles
Publisher: PageSmith LLC
Release Date: November 19th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Since the moment our lives fell apart, the only thing that mattered was making a good life for my son. A life where he was happy and safe. I just never expected to find that safety with a hockey player known for his brutal dominance on the ice and his recklessness off it.

But Cope Colson is so much more.

The gentle way he makes sure we’re okay. The playful care he shows my son. The way he truly sees me.

When my life comes apart yet again, it’s Cope picking up the pieces. Now, we’re living in his house, eating his incredible, chef-worthy meals, and it’s not just my son who’s falling.

It’s me.

Because when Cope touches me, I lose all sense. I’m no longer thinking about staying safe, I’m thinking about how my skin ignites with every glance, how I come undone with the barest brush of his fingertips, and when we give into temptation…I’m lost.

But Cope has secrets and so do I. And when the forces from our pasts emerge from the shadows, there’s nothing they won’t do to end our happiness once and for all…

Thank you to Catherine Cowles for my gifted eARC and audiobook.

STOP, DROP, AND WHAT?

I have been saving this for *just* the right moment and within a few chapters figured out I was going to be binge reading this book all day. CC has found us a hockey hero to fall in love with and I was here for all of Cope’s intense and passionate ways.

There’s always something to the way CC crafts these suspenseful stories. I love that I can spot many hallmark moments AND still be in full shock mode when the final reveals start happening. I loved the unhinged way this all came together and the way the discoveries were unveilved.

I loooved the romance. The beautiful swoony quality that makes me melt every time. I loved the way that Cope and Sutton took care of each other and became the person they turned to during the hard moments. Castles crumbling in the inevitable collision of this romantic affair.

Overall audience notes:

  • Romantic suspense
  • Language: moderate
  • Romance: 4 open door
  • Violence: moderate – high
  • Content Warnings: domestic abuse and violence, assault, gun violence, attempted murder, murder, loss of life

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Book Review: The Matchmaker by Catherine Walsh

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Rating: ★★☆
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 346 pages
Author: Catherine Walsh
Publisher: Bookouture
Release Date: April 18th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Katie Collins has barely ever left her tiny Irish village of Ennisbawn. Why would she? With its tightknit community, friendly local pub, surrounded by rolling hills and perfectly mysterious forests, it’s a place of peaceful beauty.

Or it was peaceful. Until Callum Dempsey turned up. A hot-shot (and, Katie has to admit, hot is annoyingly apt for him…) developer with zero eye for beauty or charm, in spite of his chiselled jaw. He’s not only building some hideous hotel just outside the village, but now he’s also planning to knock down Ennisbawn’s only remaining pub, to make way for a good view from the golf course.

It’s the final blow to the village and the last straw for Katie, who refuses to see her home disappear. Not to mention that the pub is the last connection to her parents, who had met at Ennisbawn’s once-famous matchmaking festival, both throwing coins into the wishing well that sits in the pub garden.

In an instant, Katie knows what to do. She’s going to uncover the now disused wishing well, she’s going to revive the matchmaking festival, and she’s going to single-handedly bring the town back to life again.

She might even help her two best friends find love as well. Since, heck, what’s another project when you’re taking on the world’s hottest, evilest man?

But what Ireland’s newest matchmaker doesn’t know is that even when someone’s really not your type on paper, love might be a little bit more than just a formula…

WAS THIS A ROMANCE?

I don’t feel like I had too high of expectations when I picked this up. I was just looking for a cute romance to entertain myself for an evening. And I feel like that romance was missing.

Most of this book was dedicated to Katie trying to stop a resort being built her in her small town. And while I was behind her trying to do so, it took over any other plot points and I got bored. I wasn’t interested in the multiple side scenes and kept waiting for things to actually happen.

Maybe in the second half there were a few good moments, but when you’re already feeling meh I wasn’t connecting to much at all.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: some strong
  • Romance: 2-3 low explicit open door
  • Violence: low
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: loss of parents (recounted)

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Book Review: The Holiday Mix-Up by Ginny Baird

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Rating: ★★★
Audience: Contemporary Holiday Romance
Length: 320 pages
Author: Ginny Baird
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Release Date: October 10th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Lonely-hearted waitress Katie Smith has nowhere to go for Christmas, and a huge crush on her gorgeous diner patron Juan Martinez. So when Juan asks Katie to pose as his girlfriend for holiday festivities at his family’s winery, Katie leaps at the chance… that is, until an accident lands Juan in a coma right after giving his folks the “news.”

Katie knows she should tell the Martinezes the truth, but when they immediately embrace her, Katie is reluctant to let her fantasy of a family holiday go. And then there’s Juan’s brother, Mateo, whose smile tugs at her heartstrings just right—and who tells her perfect Juan might not be everything he seems.

Second son Mateo Martinez loves his brother, but Juan’s plan to “rebrand and expand” Los Cielos Cellars has cost their family too much and put its entire tradition in jeopardy. Katie seems to understand, but she’s still committed to Juan… even when Mateo starts to wish her gentle heart and beautiful smile were committed to him instead.

With the winery at stake, secrets on all sides, and Juan due to wake up any day, can Katie and Mateo follow their hearts to a Christmas miracle, or will this mix-up ruin their chances?

IT WAS FINE.

I think this book could work for a good amount of people, I just didn’t have intense feelings about much of this. I thought the initial premise was intriguing. I thought it would go one way and it went another and I rolled with it. I thought most scenes were sweet and I did like the couple.

There were also LOTS of holiday cheer. I liked all of the activities and traditions throughout. Really brought that winter atmosphere. I also adored the tight knit family and learning their story too.

The third act did make me quirk my head a bit and I thought things were slightly blown out of proportion. Otherwise, that’s kind of it. It’s a short read and maybe for you??

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Holiday Romance
  • Language: a little
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: low

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Book Review: Guy’s Girl by Emma Noyes

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 384 pages
Author: Emma Noyes
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: October 24th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

The boy who couldn’t love and the girl who wouldn’t.

Ginny Murphy is a total guy’s girl. She’s always found friendships with boys easier to form and keep drama-free – as long as they don’t fall for her, and she doesn’t fall for them. She and her best guy friends have stuck to that. But then she meets Adrian Silvas, the only one who’s ever made her crave more, and Ginny begins to question her own rules.

Piece by piece, Ginny and Adrian begin to fall into something intoxicating, something dangerous. Ginny threatens to destroy the belief Adrian’s held ever since witnessing his own mother’s heartbreak: that love isn’t worth the risk. For Ginny, the stakes could be even higher. Letting Adrian get close could mean exposing a secret she’s long protected: her disordered eating.

Ginny isn’t looking to be saved by someone. But maybe she and Adrian can help each other – if they don’t destroy each other first.

Heartfelt and evocative, Guy’s Girl is a powerful story about true love, self-love, and growing up.

THIS BOOK.

Oh my gosh this book about took me out. It was an very hard book to read, and a very good book too. The eating disorders are a present theme throughout and are written in the rawest form. It pulled at every muscle in my soul and had me teary eyed at the gym finishing it.

I loved the romance. It also about broke me too. The struggle and push and pull between Ginny and Adrian was dramatic chaos in the best ways. I was anxiously waiting for them to find each other again and again and again.

There are so many hard hitting moments about not feeling good enough, the journey to finding your worth and being healthy too. I appreciate the reality of the roller coaster of a journey. Many things aren’t linear and this was balanced beautifully. Gosh I’ll be thinking about this book for a long time.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary + Romance
  • Language: moderate
  • Romance: 2-3 brief open door
  • Content Warnings: graphic depictions of multiple eating disorders, grief and depression

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