ARC Book Review: It’s Different This Time by Joss Richard

September 28, 2025September 17, 2025 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 432 pages
Author: Joss Richard
Publisher: Dell Romance
Release Date: September 30th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

In this sweeping, second-chance romance, a twist of fate forces two former roommates to move back into their beloved New York City brownstone and face the events that led to their estrangement—and confront their unresolved feelings for each other.

Subject 74 Perry Street

So begins the email that turns June Wood’s entire world on its head. Five years ago, she lived on Perry Street with her former best friend Adam Harper. But why is the management company reaching out to her about it now?

Still smarting from the news of her hit TV show being canceled, June has nothing else to lose. She boards a plane from Los Angeles to New York City to find out more about the mysterious email and the promised opportunity it alludes to. It turns out that, thanks to an unbelievable legal loophole, if she and Adam can live together in the stunning West Village brownstone for a month, it’s theirs. Any true New Yorker knows you don’t pass up prime city real estate, and that fall in the city is magical—so what’s there to think about?

And yet, though most things have changed in the time since they last spoke, one thing hasn’ June and Adam have unfinished business. They didn’t exactly end on good terms when they each went off to chase their dreams. Now, confronted with the consequences of their choices, they must navigate the minefield of their past the best way they know together.

Every day they move closer to owning Perry Street reveals misunderstandings, long-term resentments, and long-buried feelings . . . which are suddenly feeling very, very not so buried. But they’ve already lost their friendship once before, devastating them both. Can they risk losing it again for something a little different this time?

Thank you Dell Romance for the gifted ARC.

NOT ALL I HOPED FOR.

I liked this. I did. But the more I think about it the more I’m realizing it didn’t really invoke any emotion in me. I also thought it would be more fall adjacent (the cover seems to say so) and I wish that atmosphere had been more prevalent.

It’s a good enough second chance romance. Kind of typical careers (chef x actress) with an unique living situation. The flashback chapters added a little bit to the present plot but I would have loved more yearning and tension. By the time I got to the why the broke up the first time I was not surprised and honestly a little mad. I am incredibly tired of FMC’s running away.

Adam was super sweet and I did like him the most (give me dual POV!!). Learning more about him and seeing him on page was my favorite aspect of the book. And I did love June’s friend Chloe too!

It’s Different This Time is a debut and I would love to see what a sophomore book looks like from this author.

Overall audience notes:

Contemporary Romance
Language: moderate
Romance: 3+ish open door
Content warnings: loss of a mother (recounted, cancer), absent parents

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ARC/ALC Book Review: Roll for Romance by Lenora Woods

July 12, 2025June 28, 2025 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 368 pages
Author: Lenora Woods
Publisher: Dell
Release Date: July 15th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Two fledgling tabletop gamers find themselves falling for each other—both in and out of their weekly D&D sessions—in this charming, fantasy-tinged romance.

For years, Sadie Brooks has declined her best friend’s standing invitation to join his Dungeons & Dragons campaign. But when she unexpectedly loses her marketing job and flees New York City to spend the summer with him in small-town Texas, she also runs out of excuses to say no.

In the game, she becomes Jaylie, a powerful and self-assured human cleric blessed by the Goddess of Luck with spells to heal her companions. But in real life, Sadie believes her luck has run out, and she hopes the distraction will give her time to clear her head and plan next steps.

She never expected Noah Walker—the handsome, outgoing bartender roped into joining them—to factor into that plan. Like Sadie, he’s new in town. But with a taste for adventure, Noah never stays in one place for long. He’s something of a traveling bard—just like his character Loren, the charismatic, lute-strumming elf. While Jaylie finds herself succumbing to the bard’s charms over the course of their party’s travels, Sadie also begins to fall under Noah’s spell.

As their relationship progresses in both worlds, Sadie can’t help but wonder if they might last beyond the game. But when a surprising new opportunity opens in New York, she must face the truth about why she lost her job in the first place—and whether she and Noah have found something in Texas worth staying for. Torn between her career dreams in the city and the exciting uncertainty of a new adventure, she will have no choice but to roll the dice.

Thank you to Dell Romance and PRH Audio for the gifted ARC and audiobook.

IT WAS SWEET.

I love reading romances set in Texas so I had to have my hands on this one. It was cute! If you’re looking for a low angst, low tension, easy kind of romance, this would fit that bill. There’s not a lot to it and that’s kind of the charm? The plot isn’t heavy and sometimes that’s exactly what you need. I liked seeing Sadie learn what direction she wanted to take and finding the way to get there. Her chemistry with Noah was solid and they were both sweet one each other.

The one thing I struggled with was the multiple D&D/role playing scenes. I felt they kind of took over the story and I wanted more connection and build in the real time story rather than being stuck in the game for maybe 30%? or so of the book.

I liked it enough to read another by this author though. It was a genuine slow burn and the third act didn’t make me want to rage and I appreciate that.

Overall audience notes:

Contemporary Romance
Language: mild – moderate
Romance: 2-3ish open door
Violence: low

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ARC Book Review: Beg, Borrow, or Steal (When in Rome #3) by Sarah Adams

January 2, 2025December 10, 2024 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 384 pages
Author: Sarah Adams
Publisher: Dell Romance
Release Date: January 7th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Two feuding second-grade teachers (and neighbors) find themselves teaming up in this rivals-to-lovers romance by the New York Times bestselling author of The Rule Book and Practice Makes Perfect.

Emily Walker hates having her carefully crafted world disrupted by anyone, most of all her legendary nemesis, Jack Bennett. He’s the opposite of the wonderful heroes she dreams up in her double life as a romance writer, which is why Emily was perfectly happy when Jack left Rome, Kentucky, mid-school year, with his fiancée. The last thing Emily saw coming was Jack’s return at the start of the summer after calling off the wedding and ending his relationship, but he’s here to stay—as her colleague and her neighbor.

Jackson Bennett is glad to be back, eager to renovate his house and work on the next mystery novel under his bestselling pen name. But when he realizes he’s now neighbors with the one woman who has always pushed his buttons, he discovers something he’s even more excited for—thwarting Emily and her petty plans to sabotage his return.

With their chemistry-fueled animosity at an all-time high, Emily accidentally sends an email to their school’s principal that could reveal her secret literary side hustle. She needs to steal back her manuscript, and Jack—she hates to admit—is just the man to help her. Surprisingly, Jack agrees. Will their unlikely alliance put an end to their rivalry? Or could it lead to a steamy plot twist they never saw coming?

Thank you Dell Romance for my gifted ARC!

LOVE LOVE LOVE.

I sat down with the attention of reading a few chapters and then proceeded to stay up until 1 AM and found myself 220 pages in. That’s the kind of hold Sarah Adams and Jack and Emily’s story had on me. Oldest daughters unite because this spoke to my battle weary soul.

I loved the chemistry between Jack and Emily. Good heavens it leapt off the page. I could not get enough of the banter. It’s the level of snark and I hate you but I really don’t that plays so beautifully off of each other. The slow burn and heated moments and those walls come crumbling down. I thought this was utterly romantic and filled with swoon.

BUT ALSO, the growth and love between Emily and her siblings was beautiful. Some hard conversations were had, but ALWAYS such love and support. I adore this family dynamic and the way they all lean on each other in the good and the bad. Seeing all of these characters and the shenanigans of Rome, Kentucky again were worth the wait.

(and let it be known I am begging for details about book four….)

Overall audience notes: