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ARC/ALC Book Review: In Your Dreams (When in Rome #4) by Sarah Adams

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 358 pages
Author: Sarah Adams
Publisher: Dell Romance
Release Date: December 30th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Madison Walker left Rome, Kentucky, determined to prove she could make it in the culinary world. But after years of chasing success in New York, all she has to show for it is a shattered confidence and a desperate need for a fresh start. Coming home isn’t part of the plan—until an unexpected job offer lands in her lap, giving her a chance to rebuild everything she’s lost: the head chef position at a new farm-to-table restaurant in her hometown. The only catch? It comes from James Huxley, owner of Huxley Farm, her brother’s best friend . . . and the last person she wants to work for.

James has always played it safe, keeping his head down and doing what’s expected of him in the family business and never contemplating anything different—until now when Madison’s happiness is on the line. He’s loved her quietly for years, knowing she’s never seen him as more than an annoyance. Now that she’s back, he’s determined to change that–even if it means he can only ever be her friend. The one problem? His charming, wildly successful younger brother, Tommy, seems determined to win her over first.

Then Tommy is called away on business and Madison and James are tasked with launching the dreamy farm-to-table restaurant on their own. But as the town starts meddling in their relationship, Tommy’s pursuit of Madison grows more relentless, and Madison’s fears threaten to hold her back, keeping things strictly professional becomes impossible. And when an unexpected disaster on opening night collides with a long-simmering sibling feud, both Madison and James will have to face their biggest insecurities—and decide if love is worth the risk or if some dreams are safer left untouched.

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

OH HOW I LOVED THIS.

I should have known that the moment I picked this up I wouldn’t be able to put it back down. Because y’all don’t even know how addictive this was to read. I LOVE A MAN DOWN BAD OKAY? And James is so far gone the only thing he could see was Madison.

Gosh dang the man created a restaurant just so she’d have a place to come home to and WE LOVE IT. I was obsessed with the dynamic between Madison and James. It’s filled with heated banter and longing gazes, soft touches and tender moments. I love the way they got to be together and I think the level of spice worked out beautifully for the story.

Not to mention I loved seeing all of the previous When in Rome cohort. This whole world is beautiful and I don’t think a page was wasted in Rome, Kentucky. I’ll miss it!!

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: moderate
  • Romance: 2 open door
  • Violence: low
  • Content warnings: loss of parents (briefly mentioned), physical altercation, smoking

Book Review: Anne of Avenue A (For the Love of Austen #3) by Audrey Bellezza and Emily Harding

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Holiday Romance
Length: 316 pages
Author: Audrey Bellezza & Emily Harding
Publisher: Gallery Books
Release Date: October 28th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Jane Austen’s Persuasion meets the Big Apple in this swoon-worthy holiday romance from the authors of the “charming” (Kristy Woodson Harvey, New York Times bestselling author) Elizabeth of East Hampton and Emma of 83rd Street.

Eight years ago, Anne Elliot broke Freddie Wentworth’s heart when she refused to give up her five-year plan for the sake of adventure. But despite big dreams, Anne, now thirty, is still living at home with hardly a plan in sight. Anne tries to be optimistic—she knows better than anyone that regret will get you nowhere—but that goes out when the window when, thanks to her father’s bad spending habits, her childhood apartment in is rented out to the very man still living in her head rent-free.

Freddie Wentworth never thought he would see Anne Elliot again after she dumped him for accepting a job overseas. He spent years trying to forget her, and he’s been mostly successful. So when a job opportunity takes him back to New York, he’s shocked to find out that Anne is not only his new neighbor, but also the former resident of his new Greenwich Village penthouse.

Nearly a decade after Anne and Freddie’s fateful romance, the only thing they still have in common is a desire to leave their relationship firmly in the past. But between a disastrous off-Broadway show and a drunken Thanksgiving dinner, nosey neighbors, and flirtatious friends, Anne and Freddie suddenly find their lives more intertwined than ever before. When old feelings start rising to the surface, they must decide whether to put their hearts on the line or walk away all over again. 

Thank you Simon Audio for the gifted audiobook.

GREAT READ.

I have enjoyed this series 10x over. I love the Jane Austen allusions and the heated romances and all of the angst and drama in between. This was no different. The audiobook was amazing and I was glued to my headphones during all of the holiday baking.

But you know what did bug me??? Anne’s Mom. I know she was supposed to be a central roll in the conflict yet I’m not sure it was resolved enough? I spent the entire book being cranky with her and Anne’s inability to stand up for herself.

While I wish there had been a bit better communication between Freddie and Annie I gotta say the second chance romance was great. I loved the slow burn and all of the unexpected ways they kept landing in each other’s lives. These two were clearly long lost loves and I loved the reconnection.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: mild
  • Romance: 2ish open door
  • Violence: low

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Book Review: The Serpent and the Wolf (Dark Inheritance Trilogy #1) by Rebecca Robinson

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Fantasy Romance
Length: 352 pages
Author: Rebecca Robinson
Publisher: Saga Press
Release Date: November 19th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Perfect for fans of Raven Kennedy and Thea Guanzon, Rebecca Robinson’s thrilling romantasy debut combines high-stakes political intrigue and a steamy, slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers romance.

All her life, Vaasa Kozár has been sharpened into a blade.

After losing her mother—her only remaining parent—to a mysterious dark magic that has since awakened within her, Vaasa is certain death looms. So is her merciless brother, who aims to eliminate Vaasa as a threat to his crown. In one last political scheme, he marries her off to Reid of Mireh, a ruthless foreign ruler, in hopes that he can use her death as a rallying cry to finally invade Reid’s nation. All Vaasa has to do is die.

But she is desperate to live. Vaasa enters her new marriage with every intent to escape it, wielding the hard-won political prowess and combat abilities her late father instilled in her. But to her surprise, Reid offers her a deal: help him win the votes to rise in power, and she can walk free. In exchange, he will share his knowledge about the dark magic running through her veins—and help keep it at bay.

This proposal may be too good to refuse, yet Vaasa and Reid’s undeniable attraction threatens to break the rules of their arrangement. As her brother’s lethal machinations take form, everything is at stake: Vaasa must learn to trust her new husband, but how can she, especially when their perfect political marriage begins to feel like the real thing?

SO FUN.

This is another one of those romantasy books that I don’t look too hard into and enjoy all the more. It’s chaos but it’s also marriage of convenience and that’s my favorite so of course I read it. I loved the anger and passion between Vaasa and Reid. It feels perfectly gritty for the setting and the slow burn burns well.

There’s probably a few plot intricacies that were a bit lost. I feel a fantasy romance needs a stable plot and while spice didn’t overwhelm the plot, it was too far in the background that I would get lost occasionally between all of the politicking.

But, I’m in love with the whole romance dynamic and will absolutely be needing to get my hands on book two. The audiobook was fantastic and I’m glad I took a chance on this one.

Overall audience notes:

  • Fantasy Romance
  • Language: moderate
  • Romance: open door
  • Violence: high

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Book Review: Fallen Gods (Fallen Gods #1) by Rachel Van Dyken

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Fantasy Romance
Length: 512 pages
Author: Rachel Van Dyken
Publisher: Bramble
Release Date: December 5th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

The legends of the past are never truly dead and buried . . .

Liv Olson has been drawn to Norse Mythology her entire life. After earning her degree and working as a curator at one of New York’s most prestigious museums, she gets an unexpected offer for her dream job in Norway – the same place her brother disappeared months ago – after a cryptic message about finding their long-lost father.

She finds herself surrounded by superstitious townspeople who refuse to even look at the water. Liv soon realizes that the small town of Vonn is nothing like it seems. Shops close before dark, and things she’s only read about seem to suddenly exist. To top it off , her new boss, Tristan, is insultingly mean and engagingly beautiful – and, as part of the job, she must live with him in his mansion.

As her life quickly unravels into chaos, she’s left wondering who’s pulling the strings in this mysterious place where nothing makes sense, yet everything feels familiar.

Her studies have always told her the gods are who you trust. But what happens when the man who’s destined to kill you – is your savior?

Rachel Van Dyken’s Fallen Gods duology is a steamy, dramatic myth retelling.

Thank you Red Tower Books for the gifted ARC and LibroFM for the audiobook.

YEAH I’LL READ THE SEQUEL.

While initially not on my radar, I’m pleasantly surprised and will be happy to get my hands on the sequel. I haven’t read a book with Greek mythology recently. There were some unique dynamics to the basis of the story I liked and the school setting worked well.

I loved the audiobook and would easily recommend that format too.

The characters and found family worked well. I do think the dialogue and stylistic choices came across more young adult than adult (but maybe this is more new adult? still though). Which bugged me constantly. I couldn’t quite find the vibe.

And calling this enemies feels really loose with the term too. A longer slow burn would have really sold them. I did think there were some good moments between them and I appreciate that it’s not spice focused.

The ending was wild and a big cliffhanger, my favorite.

Overall audience notes:

  • Fantasy Romance
  • Language: moderate
  • Romance: 2-3ish open; low/vague explicit
  • Violence: high

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