Book Review: From Lukov With Love by Mariana Zapata

February 19, 2022February 21, 2022 GoodeyReads2 Comments

Rating: ★★★★☆ (4.5)
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 538 pages
Author: Mariana Zapata
Publisher: Self published
Release Date: February 1st, 2018
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

If someone were to ask Jasmine Santos to describe the last few years of her life with a single word, it would definitely be a four-letter one.

After seventeen years—and countless broken bones and broken promises—she knows her window to compete in figure skating is coming to a close.

But when the offer of a lifetime comes in from an arrogant idiot she’s spent the last decade dreaming about pushing in the way of a moving bus, Jasmine might have to reconsider everything.

Including Ivan Lukov.

BRB SWOONING.

AHHH.

Every dang time Ivan Lukov started talking to Jasmine you bet I was SWOONING. Holy cow that man can give a loving speech. He can hype me up any day. I loved him. I loved his support and sweet and small ways he cared for Jasmine. Building up that friendship and partnership into something more. My heart can’t handle that many skips in one book!

In typical MZ fashion there’s a long wait for the pay-off with this one. Dare I say a bit too long? At least for me the first 100-200 pages were a bit slower than usual. There was a loooot of hatred and disgruntlement that were the crux of Jasmine’s life. And at last, once she started taking small steps back towards her ultimate goals things started to open up.

Wow do I love a sports romance and this was no different. I love that this was about figure skating!! I felt like I learned a lot about the sport and it was the perfect counter balance against the romance. One didn’t outshine the other. Another wonderful MZ read. I’m slowly working through her books and now that this has been my fifth, I’m still in awe at how addicting these stories are.

Overall audience notes:

Contemporary Romance
Language: very strong and often
Romance: one open door
Trigger/Content Warnings: fatmisia and body shaming, misogyny, sexual harassment, stalking, bullying

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Book Review: Furia by Yamile Saied Méndez

January 24, 2022 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ☆☆☆☆
Audience: YA Contemporary + Romance
Length: 350 pages
Author: Yamile Saied Méndez
Publisher: Algonquin Young Readers
Release Date: September 15th, 2020
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

An #ownvoices contemporary YA set in Argentina, about a rising soccer star who must put everything on the line—even her blooming love story—to follow her dreams.

In Rosario, Argentina, Camila Hassan lives a double life.

At home, she is a careful daughter, living within her mother’s narrow expectations, in her rising-soccer-star brother’s shadow, and under the abusive rule of her short-tempered father.

On the field, she is La Furia, a powerhouse of skill and talent. When her team qualifies for the South American tournament, Camila gets the chance to see just how far those talents can take her. In her wildest dreams, she’d get an athletic scholarship to a North American university.

But the path ahead isn’t easy. Her parents don’t know about her passion. They wouldn’t allow a girl to play fútbol—and she needs their permission to go any farther. And the boy she once loved is back in town. Since he left, Diego has become an international star, playing in Italy for the renowned team Juventus. Camila doesn’t have time to be distracted by her feelings for him. Things aren’t the same as when he left: she has her own passions and ambitions now, and La Furia cannot be denied. As her life becomes more complicated, Camila is forced to face her secrets and make her way in a world with no place for the dreams and ambition of a girl like her.

AMAZING.

Wow did this book hit me. It was amazing. I love a great sports book and this ranks up there.

Furia covered so many topics. Camila is immersed in a world where she isn’t as valued as she should be. Wanting to play soccer, fall in love, and escape from her situation. She was incredibly strong and I love her passionate nature. Camila had resiliency that brought me to tears and I felt like this book taught me a lot too.

Getting into a deep dive of Argentina and the way that soccer is tied to many lives and the issues that continually plague the country was intense. Reading about missing and murdered girls and domestic abuse were tough subjects to cross but I love how Méndez approached it all. And I love how Camila and her mother were able to lean on each other. When Camila brought up breaking the [domestic abuse] cycle it was powerful.

The little romance was so sweet. A bit of second chance + childhood friends. I wish the ending didn’t feel so rushed with the romance and everything else that had happened. I wanted a little more epilogue-ish rundown of how Camila’s family was doing, etc. I do love that Camila’s love of soccer and wanting to continue to play was clearly the forfront of the story. Besides the hurried ending I did love where Camila ended up.

A book that will easily resonate with many. I can’t recommend this enough. The audio was great too if you’re interested in reading it in that format!

Overall audience notes:

YA Contemporary + Romance
Language: some
Romance: kisses/make-outs
Trigger/Content Warnings: domestic abuse (physical, verbal & emotional), teen pregnancy, mentions of kidnappings and murder of young girls

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Book Review: Kulti by Mariana Zapata

October 21, 2021July 4, 2021 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆
Audience: Contemporary romance
Length: 570 pages
Author: Mariana Zapata
Publisher: Self-published
Release Date: March 20th, 2015
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

“Trust me, I’ve wanted to punch you in the face a time or five.”

When the man you worshipped as a kid becomes your coach, it’s supposed to be the greatest thing in the world. Keywords: supposed to.

It didn’t take a week for 27-year-old Sal Casillas to wonder what she’d seen in the international soccer icon – why she’d ever had his posters on her wall or ever envisioned marrying him and having super-playing soccer babies.

Sal had long ago gotten over the worst non-break-up in the history of imaginary relationships with a man who hadn’t known she’d existed. So she isn’t prepared for this version of Reiner Kulti who shows up to her team’s season: a quiet, reclusive shadow of the explosive, passionate man he’d once been.

A NEW FAVORITE.

All Rhodes Lead Here and Kulti are officially my favorite MZ books.

THIS SOCCER ROMANCE WAS EVERYTHING.

I absolutely loved Sal. The focus was clearly on her and her soccer career. I adored her as a character and the type of person she was. Sal was loyal and kind with a temper. Enter in Reiner Kulti who is silent as stone and immovable in emotions. CHEMISTRY FLIES. I love how they went from barely acquittances, to actual friends, and THEN to a romantic relationship. It all felt so natural and hot dang was fantastic. I love MZ’s ability to make me swoon over every tiny hand hold or hug. Those soft moments when you realize that stone is actually clay and is forming a new bond right in front of your eyes.

You won’t even notice that this is 600 pages. The progression is flawless and the pacing is everything I love about a stellar slow burn. My heart was an absolute puddle in the last pages with confessions and acknowledgements of feelings. A PUDDLE. Wow does Rey know how to lay out some tender words when he wants too. His support for Sal was EVERYTHING.

I really loved this story. It was heavily focused on the soccer season and yet never felt like it was overshadowing the fact that this is a romance book. Both plots wove seamlessly and I am smitten. Not to mention, smitten with the side characters too. Sal’s Dad was a GEM. And made me laugh and smile along with her other friends. I have nothing but good things to say about this book and highly recommend for anyone looking for a sports romance to turn their heart to mush.

Overall audience notes:

Contemporary romance
Language: some strong
Romance: kisses to open door scenes
Trigger/Content Warnings: slut-shaming

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Book Review: The Cheat Sheet by Sarah Adams

October 19, 2021August 18, 2021 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 300 pages
Author: Sarah Adams
Publisher: Self-published
Release Date: August 17th, 2021
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Is it ever too late to leave the friend-zone?

Hi, my name is Bree Camden, and I’m hopelessly in love with my best friend and star quarterback Nathan Donelson (so is half of America, judging by the tabloids and how much the guy dates). The first step is admitting, right? Except, I can never admit it to him because he clearly doesn’t see me that way, and the last thing I want is for things to get weird between us.

Nothing but good old-fashioned, no-touching-the-sexiest-man-alive, platonic friendship for us! Everything is exactly how I like it! Yes. Good. (I’m not crying, I’m just peeling an onion.)

Our friendship is going swimmingly until I accidentally spill my beans to a reporter over too much tequila, and now the world seems to think me and Nathan belong together. Oh, and did I mention we have to date publicly for three weeks until after the Super Bowl because we signed a contract with…oops, forgot I can’t tell anyone about that!

Bottom line is, now my best friend is smudging all the lines and acting very un-platonic, and I’m just trying to keep my body from bursting into flames every time he touches me.

How am I going to make it through three weeks of fake dating Nathan without anything changing between us? Especially when it almost-sort-a-kinda seems like he’s fighting for a completely different outcome?

Send help.
XO Bree

ABSOLUTELY ADORABLE.

Y’all.

Sarah Adams has done it again. WHAT A GEM OF ADORABLE CUTENESS OVERLOAD.

Nathan was *everything*. I was in love with that cinnamon roll of a man and did not hate for a second that he was a NFL quarterback. All of the sweet things he did for Bree to show he cared. And WOW do I love a group of friends coming together to help and support each other. I loved all of his teammates and I found myself laughing multiple times because of all of the antics.

Bree was great too! I really liked her as the heroine and found her feisty and utterly loyal companion. Someone with so much strength and still filled with a soft heart. Watching both of these two dance around each other brought out all of the angst. Bree occasionally annoyed me because I felt like she was resisting Nathan too much, but it didn’t detract from my overall impressions.

Everything flowed beautifully. The writing, as always, amazing. The pace moved well, I’m pretty sure after the first two chapters I was already shouting KISS ALREADY. And that’s the kind of feelings I was all over for Nathan and Bree’s story.

I can’t leave this review without telling you THAT ENDING WAS PEFECT. The impeccable way that that rolled out. I sat there smiling at my book with tears in my eyes because I didn’t even know I needed that kind of movie-like closing. Every book of Adams becomes my new favorite.

Overall audience notes: