First, thank you so much to Tyler at Berkley Publishing for always dropping amazing titles into my inbox!
I'll be totally honest, this one had a bit oFirst, thank you so much to Tyler at Berkley Publishing for always dropping amazing titles into my inbox!
I'll be totally honest, this one had a bit of a rough start for me. I wasn't sure how I felt about the writing, in the beginning there's acronyms and just certain phrases used that just really turned me off...but I skimmed over that and kept going to see if I could get to the 'good parts'.... and oh man I'm so glad I kept going!
This book had me all misty eyed and grabbing my heart by the end. I just loved it.
We follow our FMC, Josie and our MMC, Ryan who are both booksellers on the same block. Both of their small indie bookstores are owned by scummy business man Xander or Xavier and he's trying to save some coin and in order to do this one store and staff must go. Whoever has the most sales in the quarter will be deemed the winner and the other flat out on their ass...
Who will prevail?
Besties! This was the cutest! It makes me want to go back to every cutsie rom-com I've trashed and reread them bc maybe I was wrong! [image]
Anyway, this was everything I wanted and didn't expect it. It gave all the sweet You've Got Mail vibes with the cutest online conversations between these two. I burst out laughing on multiple occasions lol I have to go through my kindle for quotes in just a little bit.
I found myself pining for these two to get together and hoping that it would all work out. Josie was such a relatable character. She's the older sibling, and her mother wasn't the best growing up so Josie really stepped up and basically raised her younger sister. She's so caring and giving.
Growing up that way did caused Josie to close off a bit, she's always struggled with trusting people intimately and in general - which makes all the sense because of the way her mother was with her revolving door of relationships growing up. She never really felt like she had anyone she could wholeheartedly count on.
Ryan is the absolute sweetest! I wasn't really sure how I felt about him to begin with. The way the author describes his character is a little all over the place and I had a hard time nailing down wtf he actually looked like physically - extremely basketball player tall, broad shoulders, always wearing cardigans? Romance reader? Clark Kent/Superman vibes? LOL. I couldn't place this guy. For a while I really felt he was a little too feminine for my tastes - not trying to offend anyone, it's just very rare to find a man as obsessed with romance novels as this one was lol.
But he really ended up winning me over. Omg he might be one of my favorites in a while. He's the freaking sweetest and the most caring and he's a man who's on top of all the other goodies, he's very well spoken and good with his words. Our FMC isn't the only one you can win over with words lol. Loved him.
I wasn't a fan of a side character being named Cinderella.. and not a pet.. like a person. That was a bit cringe but I started to just ignore that that was her name at some point lol.
The pacing was really good, I found that the story both touched on some sensitive and relatable topics such as insecurity, childhood trauma, relationship trauma... just some real good stuff in here with positive messages on top of all the sweet goodness of the romance.
I absolutely adored this journey with Josie and Ryan and now I look forward to picking up some of the other cute covered romances I've seen from Ali Brady.
Highly recommend for all my bookish besties that love a good epistolary romance with laugh out loud moments that warm your heart!
We follow our FMC, Everly (so cutsie, so original) who is a successful model, married to her successful agent, until one day, tragedy strikes DNF @65%
We follow our FMC, Everly (so cutsie, so original) who is a successful model, married to her successful agent, until one day, tragedy strikes and their home appears to have been broken into. Everly's husband is shot and she's drugged and kidnapped.
Our MMC, Isaac, is a former detective with a major chip on his shoulder. Working the cold case of a girl who's missing. While trying to obtain some information from a confidential informant to potentially find some more clues on the disappearance and sinister involvement in said disappearance, he ends up being abducted as well.
When Isaac comes to in a small locked room with a chain secured around his ankle he meets Everly who is just on the other side of a thin yet impenetrable wall. (Think like the set of love is blind)
By the time these two are both in captivity together, Everly has been there for two years, presumed dead. They get to chit chatting and Everly is telling him about what she can remember of victims who have previously been detained in his 'cell' - they're all people who have gone missing in recent years.
All of this is fine, little boring but still fine. The fact that they start having a through a wall version of phone sex was a bit cringe to me though. I mean, listen - maybe hatch an escape plan together and then bang it out once you're free. Just a thought.
The MMC is being tagged a 'tortured hero' but I really didn't get those vibes from him honestly. I found him to be very one dimensional and only capable of anger. It's legit his only emotion. Borderline knuckle dragger.
I enjoyed this one - but idk after the cliffhanger in book 1... I was expecting FIRE and a Rebel Witch for real going into this one, but it fe 3 Stars
I enjoyed this one - but idk after the cliffhanger in book 1... I was expecting FIRE and a Rebel Witch for real going into this one, but it felt lukewarm and inadequate.
Less than enthused about writing a full review for this one. I might come back and edit later.
➽┶┶┶┶┶┶┶┶┶┶┶┶┶� Slight detour on the current reads again ...more
♥︎ Heather �(Semi-Hiatus)
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enemies-to-lovers
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