Tag: montlake

Book Review: A Tribute of Fire (The Eye of the Goddess #1) by Sariah Wilson

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Rating: ★★★
Audience: Fantasy Romance
Length: 524 pages
Author: Sariah Wilson
Publisher: Montlake
Release Date: November 1st, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

The fate of a cursed nation depends on a princess who must outwit a mortal enemy and outlast the trials of a death-defying ritual in a thrilling adventure by USA Today bestselling author Sariah Wilson.

Lia is the princess of Locris, a dying desert nation cursed centuries ago by an earth goddess—one still worshipped by the thriving and adversarial nation of Ilion. Every year, Ilion offers the goddess a sacrifice: two Locrian maidens forced to compete in a life-and-death race to reach her temple. In a millennium, no maiden has made it out of Ilion alive. This year, Lia is one of the hunted.

An education in battle gives her a fighting chance, but the challenges are greater than she feared: Lia’s beloved but untrained sister Quynh has been put in the path of danger. The winding streets of Ilion itself have been transformed into a labyrinthine maze of countless choices and dead ends. And if the risks weren’t significant enough, Lia is reluctantly drawn to the commandingly attractive Jason, an Ilionian sailor she loathes to trust and desires like no man before.

The tribute game is on. It’s up to Lia to lift the goddess’s curse, restore Locris to its former glory, and change the fate of every young woman destined to follow in her path.

AWKWARDLY LUSTY.

Hm. Well, I wanted to enjoy this but someone needs to make sure I stop reading books by this author because they just aren’t for me (which is okay, I’ve tried). The ideas and the bones of the book are all here. It’s an interesting concept and difference scenes and concepts were good. The writing in general was fine, but some romance choices were odd.

The main couple kisses within the first few chapters in this weird lusty moment that felt out of pocket. And then throughout the whole book were these odd innuendo comments and discussions. Then every time the main couple was together, the same thing. Overly lusty dynamic without any true relationship progression. I was taken out of the story every single time.

While the plot has an obvious twist, I didn’t mind it because it worked for the story. But was it enough for me to read book two? I don’t think so.

Overall audience notes:

  • Fantasy romance
  • Language: low
  • Romance: innuendo throughout, some almost scenes
  • Violence: high
  • Content Warnings: loss of life, near death experiences

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ARC/ALC Book Review: Falling Into Place by Allison Ashley

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 320 pages
Author: Allison Ashley
Publisher: Montlake
Release Date: August 19th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Finding a date for a reclusive bachelor is her job. It’s also a risk when she becomes the perfect match in an emotional and hopeful romance by the author of If Tomorrow Never Comes .

Accountant and freelance personal stylist Carly Porter, daughter of a compulsive gambler, knows the personal cost of a bad bet. But when she partners with her best friend, Sasha—publisher of a floundering fashion magazine—Carly can’t resist. The highly publicized makeover of an Oklahoma City bachelor could boost sales and be Carly’s ticket to her dream profession. The bachelor in question is none other than Sasha’s older brother, Brooks.

Hardly the party boy Carly remembers from high school, Brooks is now an antisocial, work-obsessed physician still struggling with a devastating loss. But if it means helping his sister, he’s in. It’s Carly’s job to get him out of those lived-in scrubs, style him to the nines, and bring Brooks back to life. But so far, the only real connection is between Brooks and Carly—and falling for a client could cost Carly the career she’s worked so hard for.

To move forward, they’ll both have to overcome their painful pasts. And whatever the risk, maybe even take a chance on love.

Thank you to BookSparks and Montlake for the gifted ARC.

ADORED.

Oh yes, this was everything!! I loved how sweet this story was. Gosh it was adorable. The low angst books are really hitting right now and I can’t get enough of them. I loved the set-up for this book. It was realistic and charming and there’s something about two people finding their passion and pursuits for the future that soothe the soul.

Carly and Brooks feel like soul mates. They have this beautiful chemistry that constantly brought them near each other and an undeniable need to be together. I think the heaviness of this book was balanced well between the flirting and dates and all of the sister moments. I didn’t feel weighed down by reading Falling Into Place, rather it brought hope that love (from family or a partner) can help us be better and accept that love in our lives. I sincerely loved Carly and Brooks as separate characters and together.

The audiobook narrator was good but it did bug me that this book didn’t have two because it was dual POV. I would occasionally have to remind myself who’s POV chapter I was listening to because it wasn’t obvious.

Anyways, another Allison Ashley book I just loved!!!!

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: mild
  • Romance: 2-3ish vague/brief open door
  • Violence: low
  • Content Warnings: loss of loved ones (multiple mentioned, on page and recounted), grief depiction

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ARC Book Review: If Tomorrow Never Comes by Allison Ashley

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 314 pages
Author: Allison Ashley
Publisher: Montlake
Release Date: April 1st, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Fate connects two people in life-changing ways in a deeply romantic and emotional novel about hope and second chances by the author of Would You Rather and The Roommate Pact.

Uncertain of what tomorrow brings, Elliott Holland decides to live it up—on the eve of a stem cell transplant to treat her leukemia. It’s destiny when she crosses paths with handsome and charming Jamie Sullivan. The chemistry is magic. So is a beautiful evening that ends with a bittersweet kiss goodbye and no expectations of ever seeing each other again.

One year later, Elliott’s future looks good. Her cancer is in remission. Her career in graphic design is taking off. And she’s finally met Carly, the young woman whose stem cell donation gave Elliott a second chance at life. Then, in a twist of fate both blissful and unfair, she meets Carly’s boyfriend. It’s Jamie, the man Elliott kissed like it was her last day on earth. Neither of them has ever forgotten it.

Now, the most difficult decisions of all lie ahead. Whatever risks there are to the heart, one need wins to grab hold of everything that can make someone feel alive again.

Thank you to Spark Point Studio for the ARC.

SWEET AND TENDER.

I sat down with the intention of reading a few chapters and ended up reading the whole book. Which is two fold, I did enjoy the story, but I do think a few things were missing for me.

I loved how the story was tender. It’s a very true to life kind of read and the complexities of hard decisions and wondering which way you’re supposed to go. Trying to be passionate and following your dreams but having to deal with anxiety of some truly heavy things. The themes were some of my favorite parts of this book. It’s not a light book, but it does have hope of new beginnings within. Jamie and Elliot absolutely made me believe in the love at first sight and their immediate chemistry was easy to fall in love with.

I do think it was a little too slice of life for me. I was missing a romantic edge to it that would sweep me away. Which I know can go both ways for different readers. This is just where I felt it was losing some steam during the middle of the book.

I absolutely loved the friendships and support that were woven throughout for both Elliot and Jamie. A loving sister, an incredible best friend and parents, and a few others that really made this book beautiful.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: mild
  • Romance: fade to black
  • Content Warnings: themes of cancer (specifically leukemia) throughout

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Book Review: The Chemistry of Love by Sariah Wilson

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Rating: ★★★☆
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 347 pages
Author: Sariah Wilson
Publisher: Montlake
Release Date: February 1st, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

True love requires a little research and development in a funny, heart-racing romance by Sariah Wilson, the bestselling author of The Paid Bridesmaid.

How can Anna Ellis, a geeky, brilliant, and hopelessly smitten cosmetic chemist possibly win over Craig Kimball, the man of her dreams—who also happens to be her boss? The answer is Craig’s empathetic (and handsome) CEO half brother, Marco. The makeup mogul knows Craig for the ridiculously competitive rival he is. Whatever Marco has, Craig wants. That can be Anna, if she’s game to play.

All Anna and Marco have to do is pretend they’re falling in love and let the rumors begin. If the experiment in attraction works, a jealous Craig will swoop in and give Anna her happily ever after—if it weren’t for one hitch in the plan. There’s more to Marco than meets the eye. With every fake date, Anna’s feelings are starting to become dizzyingly real.

Blame it on chemistry. It’s unpredictable, exciting, and occasionally combustible. If Anna and Marco are really falling in love, who are they to argue with science?

SO CLOSE.

Okay. I legitimately loved a lot of this book. I read it in a day. Kept going back to it kind of enjoyed. I thought the premise was fun and unique. I liked the cosmetics and chemistry combination and it made for a lot of great dialogue and witty puns. The love interest, Marco? FIRE. He was a super swoony gem. Just the sweetest and I loved all of the fake dating aspects that arose too. And the kisses were perfectly fiery which sells me on a fantastic book too.

BUT BUT BUT

There’s only so much obliviousness I can take from a FMC. Her best friend having to tell her multiple times that Marco was in love with her, refusing to believe that Craig could be anything but a perfect angel and not ever learning how to accept a compliment bugged me. It was 90% through the book and all of this was still happening in one capacity or another.

If Anna had been even a little more self aware I would have bumped this higher.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: make-outs
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: loss of parents (car wreck & complications from anorexia)

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