ARC Audiobook Review: In the Weeds (Lovelight #2) by B.K. Borison

September 20, 2022August 18, 2022 GoodeyReads2 Comments

Rating: ★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 410 pages
Author: B.K. Borison
Publisher: Self-Published
Release Date: April 18th, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Evelyn St. James isn’t the kind of woman you forget.

Beckett Porter certainly hasn’t. One incredible weekend in Maine, and he’s officially a man distracted. He’s not unfamiliar with hot and heavy flings. He knows how it goes. But Evie wove some sort of magic over him during their tumble in the sheets. He can’t stop thinking about her laugh. Her hand pressed flat against his chest. Her smiling mouth at his neck.

Also, her eyes. And her legs.

So when she suddenly appears on his farm as part of a social media contest, he is … confused. He had no idea that the sweet and sexy woman he met at a bar is actually a global phenomenon: social media influencer Evelyn St. James. When she disappears again, Beckett resolves to finally forget her and move on.

But Evelyn St. James has a problem.

Feeling disconnected from her work and increasingly unhappy, she’s trying to find her way back to something real. She returns to the last place she was happy, Lovelight Farms and the tiny town of Inglewild.

It has absolutely nothing to do with the hot farmer she spent two incredible nights with.

Nothing at all.

In The Weeds is a sweet and steamy second-chance romance about finding your happiness. It features a grumpy farmer, a no-nonsense social media influencer, a small town of busybodies, and four very cute kittens. In The Weeds is a standalone romance and is part of the Lovelight series.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media and Netgalley for the audiobook ARC.

I LIKED SOME OF IT.

I didn’t like the original book in this series, Lovelight Farms, but I wanted to give the author another chance. And maybe it’s okay to say now that we don’t totally click. That’s okay too!!

Audio narration wise it was GREAT. I loved the narrators and the way the read the story. I could listen at 3x speed with no issues and I have zero complaints in that regard.

Story wise it got off to a start with a one night stand, which can be a hit/miss for some. It was okay for me as I was prepared for it and knew more story was coming. I liked the initial moments of Beckett and Evelyn reconnecting. I also loved the theme surrounding Evelyn in disconnecting from social media and finding some happy each day.

Beckett was the sweetest and I liked a lot of moments surrounding him too. There was a good emphasis on his background and I enjoyed knowing more of his story.

I did think the pacing was my biggest issue. It started off well then slowed down so much I was wondering if anything was actually going to happen. Playing house was fun and sweet, but there needed to be something else happening too.

All in all, I truly gave this book a chance and I wish I had loved it more, but the audio was an easy listen and I appreciated that aspect.

Overall audience notes:

Contemporary Romance
Language: some strong
Romance: multiple open door; medium explicit
Trigger/Content Warnings: social anxiety

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Book Review: Kiss and Tell (Creekville Kisses #3) by Melanie Jacobson

September 17, 2022August 16, 2022 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 220 pages
Author: Melanie Jacobson
Publisher: Four Petal Press
Release Date: August 12th, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

He’s back to hold her to a marriage pact they made ten years ago . . .

Tabitha Winters, glamorous celebrity chef, loves her life and growing empire in New York. But when her best friends buy the old summer camp where they worked as counselors, she can’t turn down their invitation to appear at the opening week fundraising gala . . . even if it means confronting the memories of her first love and its disastrous ending.

But she soon discovers someone is playing an elaborate prank on her as she catches glimpses of Sawyer Reed, the heartbreaker who has no business being at Camp Oak Crest. When she uncovers the truth with a well-crafted counter prank campaign, it’s wilder than she could have guessed: even though she hasn’t seen Sawyer since he broke her heart, he’s there to collect on a marriage pact they made when they were still dumb kids.

Tabitha could never resist a dare, and when Sawyer double dares her to give him a week to prove that they still have their old magic, she’s all in to prove that he’s wrong: they’ve been over since the day he walked away ten years ago.

Only she didn’t count on him knowing her better than he has a right to, or having the perfect dates to wear down her resistance. And she definitely didn’t plan on their attraction still burning hotter than the end-of-camp bonfire. In this summer camp setting, can Tabitha resist the pull of past memories while Sawyer’s knee-buckling kisses try to convince her of their future?

JUST WHAT I NEEDED.

Oh this book caught me at the right time, I LOVED IT.

I got major People We Meet on Vacation vibes. The summer camp theme was perfect and this couple? OFF THE CHARTS.

The use of flashback chapters worked effortlessly here. It gave me the necessary background to understand Tabitha and Sawyer’s past and really building up that angst in the present chapters. I loved all of the pranks (which actually made me laugh) and really feeling like I was out at camp with the rest of them.

There’s a lot of great themes in here, one being, therapy. I liked the positive connotation surrounding it and the way that multiple parties learned to express emotions and concerns in a safe and genuine way. I love seeing characters grow and it wasn’t only Tabitha that showed some needed change.

I LOVED SAWYER. Good heavens he was the perfect love interest. Super swoony (those kiss scenes? FIRE). I appreciated that he could admit his wrongs and speak his truths too. The way he tried to show Tabitha just how much he cared, and also listening to her when she needed to communicate to? ALL HERE FOR IT.

Fantastic romance. Perfect for summertime.

Overall audience notes:

Contemporary Romance
Language: none
Romance: kisses

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ARC Book Review: Adjacent But Only Just (The Penn-Leiths of Thistle Muir #2) by Nichole Van

September 14, 2022September 5, 2022 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Historical Romance
Length: 400 pages
Author: Nichole Van
Publisher: Fiorenza Publishing
Release Date: September 14th, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Viola Brodure, gentlewoman and celebrated authoress, faces a personal dilemma suited for a novel—everyone wishes for her to make a love match with Ethan Penn-Leith, the famous Highland Poet. And by everyone, she means everyone—her father, her adoring readers, the gossip columnists, and her patron, the overbearing Duke of Kendall. Why, even Queen Victoria herself has given a nod of approval to the match. After all, the popular novelist and the famous poet are the perfect heroine and hero for their own love story. A literary dynasty waiting to be born.

The problem, of course, is that Viola has never met Ethan, not in the flesh, at least. She has read about him and devoured his poetic writings, but does the man himself live up to his dashing reputation?

Malcolm Penn-Leith exists in twilight. He manages his farm, Thistle Muir, in the shadow of the Scottish Highlands. As the older brother of the renowned Ethan Penn-Leith, Malcolm tends to his prized cows while Ethan basks in the limelight. Harder still, Malcolm lives under a cloud of grief after the death of his wife five years ago.

But then Miss Viola Brodure arrives in Malcolm’s wee village, intent on meeting Ethan and beginning a courtship. Viola—petite, blond, shy, and English—is nothing like Malcolm’s late wife. And yet, Viola awakens a piece of his heart that he thought lost in the abyss of his grief.

For her part, Viola is surprised to find herself more attracted to the stoic Malcolm than the charming Ethan. So now what? She isn’t meant to fall in love with the man adjacent to Ethan Penn-Leith. That’s not the plot she had outlined. After all, Malcolm and Viola are not the match made in heaven that everyone wishes to see. As social pressures mount, can Malcolm and Viola overcome the weight of his past and the expectations of her future to forge a new path together?

Please note that the basic elements of this story first appeared in a novella entitled A Ring of Gold. This current novel is a greatly-expanded adaptation of that novella.

Thank you to Nichole Van for the eARC.

ALL THE DANG FEELS.

OHMYGOSHILOVEDTHISBOOKSOMUCH.

I don’t even know how coherent this will be because I am fully obsessed with all things Nichole Van and this book was another five star read from one of my favorite historical romance authors.

This book holds one of my biggest triggers: a widow/widower. I loved the way Van handled Malcom and his tender heart. The heart that missed his wife but also was starting to beat for someone new. I can’t count how many scenes and conversations had my eyes going misty. There were profound sentiments towards grief that I think would resonate with anyone who’s experienced a loss in their life.

AND VIOLA. She is my new favorite female main character. Because guess what? Being shy does NOT mean you are not also fierce and tenacious. It does not mean you’ll stand to be walked all over. I LOOOOOOVE that I got to read about a shy (hi, it’s me) woman who was a force and showing all that it’s not a weakness.

THE ROMANCE??? Holy heck. The fire between these two was off the charts. I loved the slow build. The nuanced looks and casual run-ins that turned to deep conversations. And when Viola went after what she wanted? I was squealing with joy at how an entire scene played out.

There’s even some cameos from some of the best men of The Brotherhood of the Black Tartan series. The epilogue is EVERYTHING. And I am in desperate need of Ethan’s book.

Overall audience notes:

Historical Romance
Language: very little
Romance: make-outs
Violence: low
Trigger/Content Warnings: blackmail, loss of a spouse (recounted), depictions of grief, asthmatic attacks

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Book Review: Maid of Dishonor by Gracie Ruth Mitchell

September 9, 2022September 29, 2021 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ☆☆☆☆
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 291 pages
Author: Gracie Ruth Mitchell
Publisher: Self-published
Release Date: September 23rd, 2021
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Samantha Quinn
Baseball lover. Plant mama. Eternal friend zone dweller.

I know exactly three things:
1) My heart will forever belong to my best friend, Carter.
2) Carter’s heart will never belong to me.
3) I will therefore die alone, surrounded by my houseplants, probably old and grouchy like my eighty-two-year-old landlady, Winifred.
But now Carter’s cousin wants my help planning her wedding, while Carter wants my help stopping it. How am I supposed to both plan and sabotage a wedding at the same time? How do I talk to Carter about weddings all day without my heart fracturing? And how, how, how do I ditch this stupid friend zone once and for all?

Carter Ellis
P.E. teacher. Baseball coach. Also, attractive. Very, very attractive.

I am not secretly in love with my best friend. I absolutely am not. That would be stupid and reckless and a terrible idea all around. I swore I would never fall in love, and that’s not going to change now.
Except…one tiny little kiss has all sorts of feelings rising in my chest. Feelings I was certain I buried a long time ago. But it doesn’t matter; I refuse to give in. I will laugh with her, talk with her, and dry her tears, but I will not fall in love with Samantha Quinn.

MOSTLY CUTE.

I liked this much better than the first book by the author I read. The romance was a lot better. Humorous banter and flirty moments. Some super soft, cinnamon roll scenes and wow did I flat out swoon at the confession at the end. All good things in my book!

What I struggled most with (and was able to block out somewhat) was the utterly ridiculous side plot. I know it was there to push the romance forward but it was SO UNBELIEVABLE. There’s no way Maya would honestly consider marrying someone clearly horrid. Just, no. That too me out of the story every time it was brought up.

Otherwise, solid, sweet contemporary romance. It was quick, had the HEA I always adore and I found myself smirking and laughing at some of the antics. I look forward to what the author will write next.

Overall audience notes: