Tag: kate watson

Book Review: Planes, Reins, and Automobiles (Catching Feelings #2) by Kate Watson

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Holiday Romance
Length: 342 pages
Author: Kate Watson
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: November 14th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

She’s sunshine. He’s frostbite. They’ve got 1,600 miles to go before Christmas—and he’s about to discover his new enemy might be his anonymous online soulmate.

Oliver Fletcher has one goal, and he’s not happy about it: get home for his brother’s wedding. After extreme weather cancels every flight, his only option is to share the last (and smallest) rental car with the last (and most infuriating) woman he could ever want to be stuck with.

Poppy Lewis is everything Oliver isn’t—joyful, optimistic, and prone to random acts of kindness. She finds the perpetually cynical ex-athlete totally maddening. Their only truce is found online, where Oliver (GreenArrow11) trades secrets with his anonymous confidante (GracieLou).

But Poppy IS GracieLou. And as the cross-country journey forces them together through storms, car troubles, and not enough hotel rooms, Poppy discovers her new enemy might be her anonymous online soulmate. But when her career as a sentencing advocate collides with Oliver’s family tragedy, the truth she’s been hiding could destroy everything.

Oliver demands justice; Poppy champions compassion. As their disastrous road trip pushes them closer, Oliver must confront the truth: the woman who drives him crazy might be the only one who can stitch his broken heart back together.

It’ll take planes, reins, and automobiles to get them back home to their families. But once the secrets are exposed, will they ever want to see each other again? Or never want to be apart?

Planes, Reins, and Automobiles is a forced proximity, enemies-to-lovers romance with grumpy-sunshine vibes, secret identity reveals, and sizzling slow-burn tension. This standalone closed door romance is brimming with delicious chemistry and witty banter without explicit scenes or language—perfect for readers who love You’ve Got Mail and road trip romances.

HOLIDAY CHAOS.

I’ve been enjoying this series from Kate Watson and loved reading another holiday themed romance from her repertoire. I’ve loved Oliver’s character and have been waiting to see his romantic story line at the front. I was worried from the beginning how the secret identity would play out but I think it was thoughtful and worked out well here.

Going in I knew there would be many travel related shenanigans. Absolutely made me anxious but I think Watson did a great job in execution of the chaos. It didn’t feel cheap and I started to love the adventure they were on. The sassy banter and softer moments of care mixed with alllll of the forced proximity.

This book is slightly heavier than a “rom-com.” I don’t think it weighed down the story but it was a different edge than I had initially anticipated.

I had a few small things about why I went with a four star but this is what I get for not writing my review quick enough and I have forgotten the standout ones. I’m still looking forward to Kate Watson’s next book!

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Holiday Romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: minor
  • Content warnings: a sibling with a TBI, loss of a parent, a parent who’s incarcerated, emotional manipulation and abuse

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Book Review: Since We’ve No Place to Go by Kate Watson

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Holiday Romance
Length: 330 pages
Author: Kate Watson
Publisher: Little Biks Creative
Release Date: November 19th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Caught in a blizzard with the baseball player she despises, a sports analyst is about to see if holiday cheer can thaw even the coldest hearts.

SCATTERED.

It’s like I liked this but also some stuff took me out of it?

I thought the banter was fantastic. It’s cheeky and full of great quips. I loved Cooper pushed Liesel’s buttons without being over bearing and it made for some solid moments. I loved the baseball dynamics and it has a soft sports vibe (no games are played, but baseball is definitely part of the story).

I loved Liesel’s over bearing family. They drove me a bit crazy but I also appreciated the sentiment of their care and love so it worked well. This book is also a little bit heavier than I was expected and I found myself really invested in a part of the plot and loved how that worked out for the conclusion.

There’s definitely a good amount of showing, and yet there was just enough telling too that I noticed and it bugged me? I would have loved to just have had enough more show. I do love a good argument scene though and this one was great. Some momentum issues, but this was my first book by Kate Watson and I would try another!

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Sports Holiday Romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses
  • Content Warnings: a parent with agoraphobia, loss of a mother (recounted, grief depicted)

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Book Review: Truly Medley Deeply (Sweet as Sugar Maple #5) by Kate Watson

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 374 pages
Author: Kate Watson
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: April 3rd, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Lucy Jane

The first rule of touring? Don’t fall for your crew.

Especially not the grumpy, emotionally caged, impossible-to-read sound guy who acts like tolerating pop-country singers is pure torture.

Patrick “Patty” O’Shannan clearly doesn’t want to be here. He does his job and barely looks at me unless it’s to scowl. But my last sound engineer quit days before the start of my first tour, and Patty? Well, he was my only option.

The deal is simple: he helps me survive the tour, I help him save his family’s bar, and then we go our separate ways. No complications. No getting attached. No wondering why a small-town bartender is so impossibly good at music.

Only, things get complicated fast.

Like when a rowdy fan gets too close, and Patty steps in before security can. Like when I struggle writing a new song, and he mumbles the perfect lyrics. Like when a booking mix-up leaves us with only one bed, and suddenly, the space between us isn’t enough. Like when I admit I’ve never been kissed, and the label wants me to kiss the famous Connor Nash—and Patty looks at me like it might just break him.

Now, every glance is charged, and every accidental touch lingers. But Patty has secrets, and the closer we grow, the riskier things get.

Can I really fight for the man who refuses to fight for himself? Or should I walk away before I lose everything—including my heart? Truly Medley Deeply is a swoony closed-door rom-com full of delicious banter and crackling chemistry but no explicit scenes or cursing. Books in the Sweet as Sugar Maple Series can be read in any order.

Thank you to the author for a gifted copy.

THIS WAS SWEET.

I’d like to note first off that I haven’t read any of the previous books in this series and didn’t have any issues. There are many moments with the characters from the other stories and I think that would have meant even more to me had I read them though.

The sweet and satisfying moments woven throughout brought some swoony moments. What really sealed the deal for me was the communication. Before things got wildly out of hand both Lucy and Patty would take a beat and actually lean on the trust they had been building throughout the book. It was sincere and well written and gosh I love when couples talk!!

I have some minor quibbles with a few plot points that didn’t quite work for me. Which is fine. I did like the little touch of mystery because hidden identity is one of my favorite tropes. The sass and banter between Patty and Lou worked well and I did feel the chemistry between them.

I don’t think I’ll go back and read the previous books from this series but I do want to continue reading Watson’s new releases.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: low
  • Content warnings: parental abandonment, car accident (recounted)

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