ARC Book Review: The Breakup Tour by Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka

January 23, 2024December 8, 2023 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★☆
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 352 pages
Author: Emily Wibberley & Austin Siegemund-Broka
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: January 23rd, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A rising-star musician has a second chance at love with an old flame she remembers all too well in this swoony romance from the acclaimed authors of The Roughest Draft .

Riley Wynn went from a promising singer-songwriter to a superstar overnight, thanks to her breakup song concept album and its unforgettable lead single. When Riley’s ex-husband claims the hit song is about him, she does something she hasn’t in ten years and calls Max Harcourt, her college boyfriend and the real inspiration for the song of the summer.

Max hasn’t spoken to Riley since their relationship ended. He’s content with managing the retirement home his family owns, but it’s not the life he dreamed of filled with music. When Riley asks him to go public as her songwriting muse, he agrees on one he’ll join her in her band on tour.

As they perform across the country, Max and Riley start to realize that while they hit some wrong notes in the past, their future could hold incredible things. And their rekindled relationship will either last forever or go down in flames.

Thank you to Berkley and Netgalley for the eARC.

THERE WAS A LOT OF MUSIC.

And I totally get it, that’s the theme of the whole book. But dare I say, I felt like there were too many musically related things? I felt like every page was dedicated back to some song lyric Riley had written or how the day felt lyrical or about every little thing involving the tour. The whole vibe SCREAMED at you (and maybe that’s your thing??).

There were some solid second chance romance things though. I liked the bit of push and pull and there were tension filled moments too. I could truly feel the bond between them and that we’ll find out way back to each other-ness that I adored. Max was a lovable quiet guy who finally took the big shots he deserved.

Riley was a bit up and down for me. She frustrated me and I also saw her thought process. I think I was hoping for a turnaround about song writing in this book and not just one brief moment towards the end. The grand gesture deserves a star on its own though. I thought it was perfect, well placed and balanced for the story. Loved that so much!

Overall audience notes:

Contemporary Romance
Language: some strong
Romance: 2 open door; low explicit
Trigger/Content Warnings: mentions of divorce

Instagram || Goodreads || The StoryGraph

Book Review: The Duet (Falling for Franklin #3) by Hailey Gardiner

January 20, 2024December 6, 2023 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 350 pages
Author: Hailey Gardiner
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: August 8th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Connor Cane is strictly off-limits.

Which is terribly unfortunate, because I’ve had a crush on him for years. What’s a girl supposed to do when her brother’s best friend also happens to be an insanely handsome country music artist?

When we cross paths again at a friend’s wedding, I jump at the chance to write a song with him. Purely for professional reasons that have nothing to do with his good looks and charisma. Getting a cut on a Connor Cane album is just the leg up I’m needing in my songwriting career.

As our song gains traction leading up to the release of his record, so does the undeniable chemistry between us. But there’s a dark side to fame, and I become a target by association.

Flirting? Fine. Singing together? Necessary.

Falling in love with Connor Cane? A very bad idea.

A laugh-out-loud, brother’s best friend, sweet romance with wild chemistry and heart-stopping kisses. Books in the Falling for Franklin series are full length stand-alone novels and can be read in any order.

THE MUTUAL PINING.

I was a smitten puddle of goo after finishing this book y’all. I feel like I am officially a Hailey Gardiner fan girl. I love the way she writes stories and conveys love in such a beautiful and positive light.

The combination of mutual pining and banter was my favorite. Oh they way they battled with wits and charm and clearly I’m so into you vibes. GAH. It was everything. It was light but with the right level of passion and concern. The song writing aspects were great and I was just really invested in this whole thing.

I wouldn’t dub this an off limits romance with how a few things panned out in the story but that’s a minor issue. The grand gesture at the end WAS EVERYTHING I NEEDED AND MORE. I love a well placed moment like this and I just can’t get enough.

Overall audience notes:

Contemporary Romance
Language: none
Romance: kisses

Instagram || Goodreads || The StoryGraph

ARC Book Review: The Getaway List by Emma Lord

January 18, 2024October 28, 2023 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: YA Contemporary Romance
Length: 320 pages
Author: Emma Lord
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Release Date: January 23rd, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

The day of her high school graduation, Riley realizes two things: One, that she has spent the last four years trying so hard to be a Good Kid for her mom that she has no idea who she really is anymore, and two, she has no idea what she wants because of it. The solution? Pack her bags and move to New York for the summer, where her childhood best friend Tom and co-creator of The Getaway List ― a list of all the adventures they’ve wanted to do together since he moved away ― will hopefully help her get in touch with her old adventurous self, and pave the road to a new future.

Riley isn’t sure what to expect from Tom, who has been distant since his famous mom’s scriptwriting career pulled him away. But when Riley arrives in the city, their reconnection is as effortless as it was when they were young―except with one, unexpected complication that will pull Riley’s feelings in a direction she didn’t know they could take. As she, Tom, and their newfound friends work their way through the delightfully chaotic items on The Getaway List, Riley learns that sometimes the biggest adventure is not one you take, but one you feel in your heart.

Inescapably romantic and brimming with Emma Lord’s signature cheer, The Getaway List is an uplifting and romantic read that will settle into your heart and never leave.

Thank you to Wednesday Books for the eARC.

WELCOME TO NEW YORK.

Every time I read an Emma Lord book I think about how much I would have loved reading these when I was the characters age (18/19). There’s so many good themes about growing up, finding your path and making those life long connections that will hold you up when things get rough.

I was very much smitten with the friends to lovers romance. It was reallllly sweet and the clear chemistry between them is there from the GET GO. While this is not full romance (more sub plotish), there’s a lot to learn from Riley and Tom. I loved the dynamic between them and also how you could see both growing up, making mistakes and learning to communicate.

And I adored the friend group. This found family of new and old friends that just accepted everyone as they were, but yet found ways to push each other into new things when the time was right. I love these kind of powerful friendships and there’s even cute side romances between them too.

Filled with all the New York things, some good Taylor Swift references and those hard but necessary conversations with your parents, I highly recommend to pick this one up.

Overall audience notes:

YA Contemporary Romance
Language: strong (I will say this was the only issue I had for the YA audience)
Romance: kisses

Instagram || Goodreads || The StoryGraph

Book Review: The Chemistry of Love by Sariah Wilson

January 17, 2024January 24, 2023 GoodeyReads1 Comment

Rating: ★★★☆
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 347 pages
Author: Sariah Wilson
Publisher: Montlake
Release Date: February 1st, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

True love requires a little research and development in a funny, heart-racing romance by Sariah Wilson, the bestselling author of The Paid Bridesmaid.

How can Anna Ellis, a geeky, brilliant, and hopelessly smitten cosmetic chemist possibly win over Craig Kimball, the man of her dreams—who also happens to be her boss? The answer is Craig’s empathetic (and handsome) CEO half brother, Marco. The makeup mogul knows Craig for the ridiculously competitive rival he is. Whatever Marco has, Craig wants. That can be Anna, if she’s game to play.

All Anna and Marco have to do is pretend they’re falling in love and let the rumors begin. If the experiment in attraction works, a jealous Craig will swoop in and give Anna her happily ever after—if it weren’t for one hitch in the plan. There’s more to Marco than meets the eye. With every fake date, Anna’s feelings are starting to become dizzyingly real.

Blame it on chemistry. It’s unpredictable, exciting, and occasionally combustible. If Anna and Marco are really falling in love, who are they to argue with science?

SO CLOSE.

Okay. I legitimately loved a lot of this book. I read it in a day. Kept going back to it kind of enjoyed. I thought the premise was fun and unique. I liked the cosmetics and chemistry combination and it made for a lot of great dialogue and witty puns. The love interest, Marco? FIRE. He was a super swoony gem. Just the sweetest and I loved all of the fake dating aspects that arose too. And the kisses were perfectly fiery which sells me on a fantastic book too.

BUT BUT BUT

There’s only so much obliviousness I can take from a FMC. Her best friend having to tell her multiple times that Marco was in love with her, refusing to believe that Craig could be anything but a perfect angel and not ever learning how to accept a compliment bugged me. It was 90% through the book and all of this was still happening in one capacity or another.

If Anna had been even a little more self aware I would have bumped this higher.

Overall audience notes: