Tag: contemporary romance

ARC Book Review: Sunday Supper by K. Sinko

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 321 pages
Author: K. Sinko
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: September 12th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

It’s fall in New York, arguably the most beautiful time to be in the city, but Bella Russo doesn’t care. After experiencing the unthinkable three times in a row, she gave up on everything, and her husband packed his bags and left.

Thick in the fog of her disappointment, Bella takes a series of DNA tests to find out what’s wrong with her. Little did she know one of her tests would reveal a dark family truth: her grandfather had a secret family, and she has an uncle she never met.

Even though Bella spends every Sunday supper with her family at her Nonna’s deli in Little Italy—famously known for her iconic meatballs—they never told her the truth. Could she trust them to tell her now?

When she researches her uncle, she finds out he owns several restaurants, so she visits one. Her uncle isn’t there, but instead, she ends up butting heads with the executive chef Wyatt Henderson. He’s a little too pretentious for Bella’s taste, and yet, Wyatt is obviously close with the uncle she never knew. Before she fully comprehends what she’s doing, she befriends Wyatt to get her answers.

Thank you to the author for an eARC.

SMITTEN.

Oh this book took over my evening. And then suddenly it was 1 AM and I was puddle finishing this beautiful story. I loved the way two difficult topics (mentioned in the content warnings below) were handled. The honest and hard conversations were had with raw human emotion and a clear strength of soul.

And let me tell you, this book screams FALL IN NEW YORK. I’ve honestly never had big designs on going to NY but this book might have just convinced me. The setting is beautifully landscaped and had me wishing I was wearing a sweater right now.

THE ROMANCE. Gosh. This is how you write that instant kind of connection. There’s a fantastic slow burn with immediate chemistry. I was all for Bella and Wyatt from the get-go. These two souls who feel so broken about some deep things in their lives and how they finally found that person who seems them as a whole.

There was just the right level of family drama too. I was intrigued and drawn into this family. I loved the journey. I loved this book. Read it!!

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: low-moderate
  • Romance: 2 open door scenes; low explicit
  • Violence: low
  • Content Warnings: erectile dysfunction, miscarriage (recurrent theme), cheating (FMC’s ex-husband), brief physical altercation, grief and depression

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Book Review: The Bombshell Effect (Washington Wolves #1) by Karla Sorensen

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Rating: ★★★
Audience: Contemporary Sports Romance
Length: 240 pages
Author: Karla Sorensen
Publisher: Dutch Girl Publishing
Release Date: June 14th, 2018
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

My new neighbor is a complete jerk. A tall, brooding, tattooed jerk. I tried to be nice, bake some cupcakes for him and his adorable daughter, and the only reaction I could come up with to his ice-cold reception was to shove those pink cupcakes right into his muscular chest.

In my defense, it was a rough week.

Being back in Seattle for the first time in years was hard enough, the fact that I was there for the dispersal of my father’s will made it even harder. I had no intention of staying, until I got a football stadium-sized surprise as my dad’s final gift to me.
No … really. He left me a football team.

It’s how I found myself in a conference room, staring down the veteran quarterback who wants nothing to do with a new owner. And that quarterback? It’s my tall, brooding, tattooed jerk of a neighbor.

Now he’s everywhere. Next door with his daughter. In meetings. Don’t even get me started on away games.
Luke Pierson is under my skin, and pretty soon, I’m not sure I want it any other way.

LACKING CHEMISTRY.

This is a super quick read, and I think that was a bit of the plot’s downfall. I just didn’t feel the chemistry between Luke and Allie. It was an attempt at enemies to lovers then it jumped to them jumping each other and I was left in the dust.

The single Dad trope was good. And I loved the Allie became the owner. There’s some good moments throughout and there’s plenty of solid football content too. And that third act? If you’ve read it, you know why that would make me a bit cranky.

I did like both characters on their own. Well built, mature and strong. I loved how great of a Dad Luke was and his consistent nature. Allie took a lot of new things thrown at her with such grace and poise. I loved the way she handled things.

I kind of want to try another book by this author, but I’m on the fence.

Overall audience notes:

  • Sports Romance
  • Lanuage: some strong
  • Romance: multiple open; high explicit
  • Violence: low
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: loss of a parent (off page)

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ARC Book Review: How to Hide in Plain Sight by Emma Noyes

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 400 pages
Author: Emma Noyes
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: September 10th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

The unbreakable bonds of family and love are explored in this brilliant and tender story from the author of Guy’s Girl.

On the day she arrives in Canada for her older brother’s wedding, Eliot Beck hasn’t seen her family in three years. Eliot adores her big, wacky, dysfunctional collection of siblings and in-laws, but there’s a reason she fled to Manhattan and buried herself in her work—and she’s not ready to share it with anyone. Not when speaking it aloud could send her back into the never-ending cycle of the obsessive-compulsive disorder that consumed her for years.

Eliot thinks she’s prepared to survive the four-day-long wedding extravaganza—until she sees her best friend, Manuel, waiting for her at the marina and looking as handsome as ever. He was the person who, when they met as children, felt like finding the missing half of her soul. The person she tried so hard not to fall in love with… but did anyway.

Manuel’s presence at the wedding threatens to undo the walls Eliot has built around herself. The fortress that keeps her okay. If she isn’t careful, by the end of this wedding, the whole castle might come crumbling down.

Thank you to Berkley for the gifted copy.

THE OCD REP.

This has got to be on the best and most raw representations I’ve ever read of someone with OCD. And as someone who has loved ones currently looking at potential diagnosis for OCD I was feeling all sorts of emotions. I was crying by the end which clearly means it gets five stars and a shout to say READ IT.

I loved the soft sub-romance too. Manuel was THERE. And he fought for Eliot. Those moments also made me cry. There were many heart wrenching moments. And the complicated family dynamics were incredibly well written. It was dramatic without feeling DRAMATIC. The variety of which that doesn’t cause me to roll my eyes but rather feel deeply engaged to the core issues that having a family + life’s knockdowns can cause. There’s grief and heartache and emotional turmoil woven throughout with quiet moments of levity and love.

I don’t tend to pick up books that don’t lean heavier to the romance plot line, so take that as you will for if you should read this book (you should though). It was profound, well balanced, with amazing mental health rep. I’m going to be thinking about this one for a long time.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: low-moderate, scattered throughout
  • Romance: 1-2 brief open door
  • Content Warnings: OCD representation (throughout, main theme), loss of a sibling, grief and depression depiction

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Book Review: Give Me a Sign by Anna Sortino

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: YA Contemporary Romance
Length: 320 pages
Author: Anna Sortino
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons
Release Date: July 11th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Jenny Han meets CODA in this big-hearted YA debut about first love and Deaf pride at a summer camp.

Lilah is stuck in the middle. At least, that’s what having a hearing loss seems like sometimes—when you don’t feel “deaf enough” to identify as Deaf or hearing enough to meet the world’s expectations. But this summer, Lilah is ready for a change.

When Lilah becomes a counselor at a summer camp for the deaf and blind, her plan is to brush up on her ASL. Once there, she also finds a community. There are cute British lifeguards who break hearts but not rules, a YouTuber who’s just a bit desperate for clout, the campers Lilah’s responsible for (and overwhelmed by)—and then there’s Isaac, the dreamy Deaf counselor who volunteers to help Lilah with her signing.

Romance was never on the agenda, and Lilah’s not positive Isaac likes her that way. But all signs seem to point to love. Unless she’s reading them wrong? One thing’s for Lilah wanted change, and things here . . . they’re certainly different than what she’s used to.

INFORMATIVE.

I looooved how much this book taught me. Easily my favorite aspect of reading this. And I also loved the way the audio was put together too. The whole production was fantastic.

I liked Lilah as a FMC. Very much a YA lead, and easily relatable to first love, finding your path and trying to enjoy those last breaths of summer. I loved the camp setting and all of the growth it allowed for. I do wish the book was a bit more positive overall. Not that it was heavy, but the negativity seemed at the front a lot.

The romance was super cute. I loved seeing Isaac and Lilah figure each other out and stumble as they connected. It was realistic and sweet and I liked how the ending was handled with them too.

This was a great debut novel and I think a solid young adult book for teenagers.

Overall audience notes:

  • YA Contemporary Romance
  • Language: a little
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: low
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: many accounts of ableism, accusation and wrongful police arrest

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