Tag: montlake

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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Book Review: Dance of a Burning Sea (Mousai #2) by E.J. Mellow

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Rating: ★★★☆
Audience: Fantasy Romance
Length: 512 pages
Author: E.J. Mellow
Publisher: Montlake
Release Date: October 19th, 2021
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Within the world of Aadilor, there is a hidden place called the Thief Kingdom, where both magic and pleasure abound. There, the Mousai, a trio of deadly sorceresses bound by oath and blood, use their powers to protect the kingdom’s treasures.

Niya Bassette brings the potent gift of dance to the Mousai, but behind her tempting twirls, she carries a heavy secret—that the infamous pirate lord, Alōs Ezra, has been threatening to exploit for years. Now banished from the Thief Kingdom for smuggling, Alōs resurfaces in Niya’s life with a plot to hold her hostage, leveraging what he knows to extort a pardon from the Thief King.

But Niya makes her own deal with Alōs to guard her secret and guarantee her freedom—yet in doing so binds herself aboard his pirate ship, where she must navigate deadly waters, a bloodthirsty crew, and her own traitorous heart. Soon, a simmering attraction between her and Alōs threatens their delicate truce and makes for a tumultuous ride on the open seas. Far from her kingdom, Niya is entangled in a dangerous dance indeed.

Welcome to the world of Aadilor, where dark deeds can mask noble hearts and the most alluring of sways often ends with a burn. Care for a spin?

From award-winning author E. J. Mellow comes the thrilling second installment in the Mousai series, featuring a powerful sorceress who finds her loyalties tested by a ruthless pirate lord.

WANTED TO LOVE.

Another overall miss for this series. I think it’s me? Fantasy standalones within a series is a struggle for me. I love long sagas or one and done with fantasies. The difference seems to always leave me wanting.

The enemies to lovers vibes here worked for me a lot of the time. I liked the back and forth and plenty of forced proximity and banter. Where I struggled with was a particular [spoiler] scene that took me out of the story. After that point things kind of fell flat and I was speeding up the audio to move along.

I did enjoy all of the pirate related saga. On a treasure hunt type quest, hanging with the crew and some good battle scenes did fit the story well. The bond between the sisters and Dad is also one of my favorite parts. I love close knit family connections and find this a unique aspect to the fantasy genre.

I’m tempted to read the third, but will probably wait a bit like I did with this one.

Overall audience notes:

  • Fantasy Romance
  • Language: some strong
  • Romance: two open door
  • Violence: med-high
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: whipping, loss of life, murder, physical and magical altercations

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