romance novel – GoodeyReads

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 368 pages
Author: Dylan Newton
Publisher: Forever
Release Date: May 17th, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

After one wild night together, two complete opposites plan to stay firmly in the friend zone, but life has other plans in this delightful romantic comedy, perfect for fans of Emily Henry and Abby Jimenez.

As a successful book publicist, Imani Lewis works night and day to promote her authors. It’s her dream job, but she’s become a total workaholic. So when her grandmother invites her to stay for the summer as she recovers from surgery, Imani happily agrees. But being back in the same small town as her one-night stand may not be quite the relaxing break she envisioned…

Zander Matthews wakes up every day determined to enjoy the present because he knows from his time in the Marines that tomorrow isn’t guaranteed. But he’s never gotten over the beautiful woman who blew through town a year ago, then disappeared. And he doesn’t want to be hurt again. So they agree to a deal: he’ll help Imani fix up her grandmother’s house as long as they stay firmly in the friend zone.

Whether it’s repairing tiles in his ceramics studio, dodging nosy neighbors, or soothing the most obnoxious parrot ever, Zander never fails to make Imani laugh. And soon their friendly banter is turning ever flirtier. But since Imani’s stay is temporary and Zander can’t be tied to anything beyond the most tenuous plans, will she be able to handle it when things get all fired up?

BETTER THAN THE FIRST.

Ohhh I loved this so much more y’all. New favorite of these brother books (because we get a third one right??!).

Zander never game up on Imani and I LOVE A MAN WHO FALLS FIRST. Probably my biggest highlight because I was full on smitten with everything he was doing to woo Imani.

I really liked a lot of the conversations throughout about growing up, stability, loss, and more. While I about found myself frustrated with the conflict, the conversations after were much more needed than I realized and I liked the switch up in the drama that usually plays out in these scenarios.

There were small tidbits throughout the plot I didn’t jive with. Nothing to go on about, but it drew me out enough to lower my rating. It was still much more enchanting than book one to me and I’m glad I took a chance on picking it up.

Fast paced and full of sweet moments (and a small dash of steam), I would easily recommend this as a good summertime romance read.

Overall audience notes:

Contemporary Romance
Language: some strong
Romance: one open door
Violence: low
Trigger/Content Warnings: PTSD, grief depiction, childbirth, loss of parents recounted

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Book Review: Unlikely Match by Laura Bradbury

April 26, 2023June 4, 2022 GoodeyReads

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 348 pages
Author: Laura Bradbury
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: May 26th, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Could the man I hate be the perfect match I need?

I’m Jules Kelly, a certified bohemian boss babe, whose hip tech company just won subsidized office space in the coolest co-working space in town. From a distance I seem poised to take over the world (or at least the travel industry), and I would be if it weren’t for two big complications:

1. A rare and seriously inconvenient disease is tanking my health by the day, and my only hope for a cure—a transplant—is moving further from my grasp.

2. A soulless database company is sharing my new office space, and its coldly gorgeous, judgmental, CEO is on a path to world dominance (at least in his mind).

Tom Davenport represents the very worst of bro culture in the start-up world. Naturally, we despise each other.

The thing is, as much as Tom’s antagonism annoys me, he has an uncanny ability to conjure up my fighting spirit and vitality at a time when my illness is robbing me of both. I’m drawn to him in ways I can’t (or would really rather not) understand.

A mysterious angel investor forces our companies to compete for a life-changing amount of money just when my relationship with Tom becomes infinitely more complicated. To make matters worse, things get cutthroat just as my time starts to run out.

In order to survive, I must decide if I can truly trust my most unlikely ally of all.

Unlikely Match is a high-stakes and steamy workplace romance that will leave you feverishly turning pages.

For those of you who love wry (and sometimes a wee bit dark) humor, emotional intensity, loyal friendships, insane chemistry, and forced proximity in the context of high medical stakes, Unlikely Match is for you.

REALLY DANG GOOD.

This was a buddy read win y’all. It wasn’t really on my radar until a friend asked to read it together and wow, it delivered.

I loved that this was a very unique romance. It’s also heavy. Yet, the author does a great job balancing all of the weight with a great love interest and a sweet romance + some seriously amazing friends and other side characters. I love learning more from books and this one brought a whole new disease to light for me. Also it increased my awareness of the nature of transplants and how that side of medicine works. It was extremely enlightening because the author went through this entire process.

The romance was filled with all sorts of witty and snarky banter centered around start-up culture. Two competing CEO’s that can’t get enough of snapping back at each other. It has a nice little rivalry vibe, but with immediate intent for a friendship. Tom is an utter cinnamon roll and I loved how gung-ho he was about being with Jules. And when he overstepped he could recognize that and establish boundaries. I loved the discussion around mental health and medicine and how going through something so traumatic can play a forever role in your life.

I wish there was a dash more lean on the romance side because I just loved them that much, but it was an amazing read that I could not put down. Highly recommend as something different in the romance genre!

Overall audience notes:

Contemporary Romance
Language: some strong
Romance: two brief open door
Trigger/Content Warnings: heavy discussion about the world of medicine in general (doctor’s visits, needles, hospitals, etc.), PTSD, grief, therapy scenes, transplant surgery and recovery

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Book Review

Book Review: The Do-Over by Bethany Turner

March 15, 2023May 6, 2022 GoodeyReads

Rating: ★★★☆ (3.5)
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 320 pages
Author: Bethany Turner
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Release Date: March 15th, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

When McKenna Keaton walks into the boardroom of Wallis, Monroe, and Burkhead, she expects to be named senior partner. Instead, she learns she’s being investigated for embezzlement. To wait out her unpaid leave, McKenna sublets her Upper West Side apartment and goes home to Durham, North Carolina, to save money. Saving face is going to be another thing entirely, but she assumes her problems will blow over soon.

While living in her childhood hometown, McKenna learns about a family curse that—if real rather than imagined—could suggest she has less than a year to live. This information is troubling (of course!), but it’s the reunion with former classmate Henry—Durham’s favorite son—that flips her world upside down. Henry is now a celebrated documentarian, back in town to premiere his latest masterpiece. Vulnerable to (and desperately needing) a distraction as her life falls apart, McKenna begins seeing the shy nerd from high school in a whole new light.

As she waits out the results of the investigation and wonders if her literal life is hanging in the balance, McKenna debates her future and questions her past. She might survive it all in one piece—but a new love and a newly-examined life might be the only things that can save her.

ENJOYABLE.

This was my first Turner book and I don’t think it’ll be my last. I really enjoyed this story and all the different nuances it held.

With a, we knew each other in high school and are now reconnecting, trope (one of which I didn’t know I’d love), I was wrapped up in this romance. It’s very fast paced and at times I could have used a bit more. Yet, it held some sweet moments. Some where I wanted to shake the characters, but a happy ending for all.

I liked that McKenna had a lot of opportunity for growth. She’s very much stagnant in HER mindset and making people understand that’s who and what she wants to be. While nothing wrong with that, I loved that she found ways to reconnect with her sisters, slow down a bit, AND still accomplish professional goals she was after. The bit of mystery with her career was a nice added touch.

There was a big theme of family history here and I’m not sure I’ve read much of that as a subplot. I really liked the background and passion McKenna’s Dad and Henry had for telling stories from the past. This plot wove well into the full story and I thought it was a unique writing choice.

I struggled with the conflict, that’s mostly why I took off that last 1/2 star. Just became frustrating and drawn out a bit too long. It was a fantastic audiobook and still a solid read and I look forward to more!

Overall audience notes:

Contemporary Romance
Language: none
Romance: make-outs
Trigger/Content Warnings: false accusations resulting in loss of job

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Book Review

Book Review: Meet Me in the Margins by Melissa Ferguson

March 3, 2023May 1, 2022 GoodeyReads

Rating: ★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 320 pages
Author: Melissa Ferguson
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Release Date: February 15th, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Savannah Cade is a low-level editor at Pennington Publishing, a prestigious publisher producing only the highest of highbrow titles. And while editing the latest edition of The Anthology of Medieval Didactic Poetry may be her day job, she has two secrets she’s hiding.

One: She’s writing a romance novel.

Two: She’s discovered the Book Nook—a secret room in the publishing house where she finds inspiration for her “lowbrow” hobby.

After leaving her manuscript behind one afternoon, she returns to the nook only to discover someone has written notes in the margins. Savannah’s first response to the criticism is defensive, but events transpire that force her to admit that she needs the help of this shadowy editor after all. As the notes take a turn for the romantic, and as Savannah’s madcap life gets more complicated than ever, she uses the process of elimination to identify her mysterious editor—only to discover that what she truly wants and what she should want just might not be the same. Melissa Ferguson’s latest—a love letter to books, readers, and romance—will leave fans laughing out loud and swooning in the same breath.

PASS.

If you only read that one word on this review, let it save you time. This was not a favorite in anyway and I honestly only kept to it because it was a crazy fast audio and I finished it in a day.

This book was trying to be a lot of things without accomplishing any of them that well. I liked the idea of a editor turned writer, falling in lover with her boss, standing up to her sister, ALL of these ideas are there, but I don’t think anything was executed effectively.

I marked at 60% when the love interests truly started hanging out and getting to know one another. All of the previous manuscript stuff could have worked in that favor, but not enough page time was dedicated to it. I thought they were super cute together and just wanted more!!

Also, I haaaate when exercise is used as an enemy trope (without any resolution). Savannah’s sister was the absolute worst and I don’t remember anything truthfully happening at the end where the sisters actually talked to each and figured things out? And what was with the random ex boyfriend sub plot?

I don’t know y’all. This book just wasn’t it. I’m stopping here.

Overall audience notes: