Tag: indie author

Book Review: Safe Harbor (Scoops Series #1) by K. Sinko

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: YA Contemporary Romance
Length: 310 pages
Author: K. Sinko
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: June 20th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Melanie’s twin brother made a life-altering mistake, and now her entire world is about to change.

After years of getting straight A’s at Garrison Prep so she could have a shot at getting into Yale, Melanie’s parents announce they are moving to Haverport, a small beach town off the Connecticut coast, to give her brother Duncan “a fresh new start.”

Skeptical that anything will actually change at home, Melanie decides to spend that summer before her senior year working at the local ice cream shop, Scoops By The Sea, where she meets Calvin—tall, broody, and pretty much on a mission to make Melanie’s training absolutely miserable.

Yet while her job and the people at Scoops were meant to be a distraction from her life that was falling apart, Melanie finds them to be a lifeline in the torrential sea of terror she faces at home. And even if Calvin may seem reclusive, Melanie soon learns what it means to truly open up her heart and share the pain that torments her, especially when disaster completely shatters her life once again.

Safe Harbor is a sweet young adult romance featuring the intensity of two people falling in love for the first time, a pack of fiercely loving co-workers that feel like family, and a small town that has an obsession for festivals, fireworks, bonfires, and 32 delicious flavors of ice cream.

INCREDIBLE BOOK.

It took ONE brief scene on a video to convince me to download this. And then it took my only a few chapters to be completely hooked and emotionally invested in this story. I LOVED IT.

It’s complicated. Deep. Hard to read at times and will bring out all sorts of emotions. While occasionally frustrated with Melanie, I completely understood that she is SEVENTEEN and dealing with some really heavy stuff (check trigger warnings). I love that Calvin was the perfect love interest for her. Someone to talk to, to be there, and to calm the chaos. It was swoony and sweet and this brought out all of the quintessential summer reading vibes that I have been seeking.

I adored the found family groups at Scoops and I’m now excited to read other stories in this series. It was beautifully written, captured all of my attention and now I need everyone to go read it too.

BUT BRING TISSUES.

Overall audience notes:

  • YA Contemporary Romance
  • Language: a little
  • Romance: make-outs
  • Violence: moderate
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: a sibling dealing with substance abuse/addiction (alcohol), death of a loved one

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Book Review: Advanced Physical Chemistry (Chemistry Lessons #3) by Susannah Nix

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Rating: ★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 274 pages
Author: Susannah Nix
Publisher: Haver Street Press
Release Date: March 16th, 2018
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

After four lousy boyfriends in a row, chemical engineer Penny Popplestone swears off men until she can figure out why they keep cheating on her. But her no-men resolution hits a snag when the mysterious and superhumanly hot barista at her favorite coffee shop strikes up a friendship with her.

Penny strives to keep things platonic, but when Caleb gives her the kiss of her life, she realizes he wants to be more than just friends. Tired of always being “good little Penny,” she throws caution to the wind and pursues a no-strings fling with the hottie barista. It’s not like they have anything in common beyond scorching physical chemistry, so what does she have to lose?

Only her heart.

Now, this fanfic-reading, plus-size heroine faces an unsolvable problem. What do you do when being apart is unbearable…but being together is impossible?

Advanced Physical Chemistry is the third in a series of standalone rom-coms featuring geeky heroines who work in STEM fields.

IT WAS OKAY.

I don’t know if I would have kept reading this if it wasn’t for speeding up the audiobook.

For a STEM heroine there wasn’t even much STEM conversation? I guess I was expecting a lot more since that seems to be the theme of this series and it wasn’t here. Much more about knitting and coffee. Which was alright, but nothing exciting.

There was practically no chemistry between these two. Penny decides she wants a friends with benefits relationship (other thing I don’t love) and instead of watching them realize their feelings for each other it was mostly them arguing. Caleb never wanted to talk about anything important and Penny wanted to make him talk about things. I never got behind the thought that they would actually make it past the end of the book (even though the epilogue says otherwise).

Meh. I don’t even feel like writing this review because of how unmemorable this book was. Moving on.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: some strong
  • Romance: multiple open door
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: cheating (not between the main couple), rough parent relationships

ARC Book Review: How to Kiss a Movie Star (Hawthorne Brothers #4) by Jenny Proctor

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 325 pages
Author: Jenny Proctor
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: August 18th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

He’s Hollywood’s biggest star. She wouldn’t know him from the pizza delivery guy.

I’m a wildlife biologist in a tiny mountain town, not some kind of law-breaking celebrity stalker. At least not on purpose.

It was an accident when I wandered onto the property of one of Hollywood’s hottest movie stars. Five minutes ago, I’d never even heard of Flint Hawthorne. I definitely didn’t know he lives in Silver Creek.

When I’m detained for trespassing, the last thing I expect is to trade my handcuffs for a designer gown. All I wanted was permission to conduct my research on a remote corner of his estate.

Now I’m walking the red carpet of a Hollywood movie premiere as Flint’s (very fake) girlfriend.

At least, the relationship is supposed to be fake. But the way he slips his arm around me, his breath tickling my ear, the chemistry feels like something real.

The trouble is, I’m not really built to handle his fast-paced celebrity life. Most days, I prefer the company of squirrels to people. I should be glad we’re only pretending.

I’m just not sure my heart got the memo.

Perfect for fans of swoony romantic comedy, this series finale from bestseller Jenny Proctor hits all the right notes!

Books in the How to Kiss a Hawthorne Brother series are connected but can be read in any order.

Thank you to the author for an eARC.

MY NEW FAVORITE EVER.

I don’t know how to be coherent when I really want to shout I LOVE THIS BOOK SO MUCH GO READ IT RIGHT NOW. It was everything I could have hoped for in closing out this series and I am a puddle of emotions over the ending.

FLINT AND AUDREY. I think what really sells me on an amazing romance is when I love the characters separate AND together. The chemistry was well timed and the banter was on point. AND HE FELL FIRST. AND FELL HARD. Oh my gosh, Flint Hawthorne. And I adored Audrey. She was brave and so very brilliant and I love how these two opposites came together.

The plot had all of the little moments I could have hoped for. And while being closed door/sweet it still brought that little bit of heat you could feel burning off the pages. I love an intense kiss scene and this one had multiple. And the third act was beautifully and realistically handled and I’m all in my feels again just writing this review.

Not to mention I LOVE the whole Hawthorne family. Getting to see where they are, the text conversations and just the SUPPORT.

I love Jenny Proctor’s books! Incredibly excited to see what’s next.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: make-outs
  • Violence: low
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: unwanted grabbing, harassment by media

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ARC Book Review: A Cross-Country Wedding (Road Trip Romance #2) by Courtney Walsh

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 323 pages
Author: Courtney Walsh
Publisher: Sweethaven Press
Release Date: November 1st, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A fun-loving free spirit.
Her buttoned-up best friend.
And a cross-country wedding that could drive their platonic relationship toward something else entirely.

Simon Collier is my friend. Heck, he’s been my friend for most of my adult life—and we couldn’t be more different. I love late-night karaoke. He’s a homebody with a piano I’ve never heard him play. I relish being the center of attention while Simon prefers to fade into the background. My dresser is a disaster. He alphabetizes his fridge. I suppose we’re a little like sunshine and rain. It’s why our friendship works. Even though we’re total opposites, we get along like peas and carrots. He’s constantly saving me after failed romances, and I push him to live a little. . .even if that means dragging him out of his comfort zone.

If I can make him laugh, it’s a win. He’s my safe person. Secure, reliable, fun to poke fun at. Simon Collier is my friend. But now, all that might change.

After another predictable break-up, I find myself in need of a plus-one for my best friend Lauren’s cross-country wedding. A wedding that reenacts the road trip where she and her fiance, Will, first fell in love. And despite his fussiness, Simon is the safest person to bring along because I’m not in the market for any more messy feelings.

Our friendship has been intact for over ten years, surely we can handle a week crammed in a car, sharing meals and playlists and nighttime secrets and single beds.

Right?

A Cross-Country Wedding is a sizzling but sweet, friends-to-more road trip romance. It is the second in the Road Trip Romance series & while it reads as a stand-alone, it may be best enjoyed after reading A Cross-Country Wedding.

Thank you to the author for an eARC.

PERFECT FOR SUMMER.

This was a fun take on the road trip trope and I appreciate that I never felt like it was dragging over the miles and miles traveled. There were a lot of humorous stops and kitschy things to see and the pages really did fly by.

I struggled a bit with the FMC, Maddie. I will say that I did see growth from her as the book went on. But those initial chapters + the flashbacks had me seeing a very uneven relationship dynamic that I didn’t love. I’m grateful she acknowledged those things in the end and was able to, at last, communicate and help Simon.

Simon was an absolute gem. I adored his personality, nature and everything in between. He was sweet, supportive and kind. The one bed was used immaculately here and that first kiss? YES SIR.

An enjoyable read that has such a great summertime vibe to it. I loved seeing Lauren and Will too.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: strained parent relationships

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