The blurb mentioned The Prince and Me, one of my favorite movies, so how could I resist this new story from Sophia Gonzales. Danni is an American who The blurb mentioned The Prince and Me, one of my favorite movies, so how could I resist this new story from Sophia Gonzales. Danni is an American who moves to a small European country of Henland for her step fathers work. She is a very talented pianist and gets a scholarship spot at a very prestigious boarding school there. It also happens to be the school where the Crown Princess Rosemary attends. I thought this would be light and breezy but it is a more serious story. Danni is welcomed into a new friend group that includes Rose. But the previous year has been rocky and hard, especially for new friends Molly and Rose. And there is a huge amount of pressure on Rose because of her title and position.
I don鈥檛 want to give away details and some of the drama was predictable. But I clung to every word as I turned the pages. There is teenage impulsiveness and dealing with bullying, outing, and anxiety. But one of my favorite things was the depth of friendship. A scene of Molly and Rose discussing the tragic event of the previous year and how they dealt with it was honest, mature and forgiving.
This is a great YA read for young teens and up. And kudos for the beautiful cover. Thank you to St. Martin鈥檚 Press, Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the eARC and I am leaving an honest review. ...more
April is lonely and works from home in her tech job. In order to reach out of her isolation she leaves an anonymous note in a used book for Westley. HApril is lonely and works from home in her tech job. In order to reach out of her isolation she leaves an anonymous note in a used book for Westley. He is the hot employee at the local bookstore. Laura, a widowed mom, purchases the book and discovers the note. She thinks that is from Westley. With that misunderstanding April and Laura continue to write to each other. It is a different plot but the note in the book reminded me of The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams.
The pace is slow and is more of a friendship triangle than straight romance as the blurb suggests. I do like the found family aspect and seeing how connections play out. But I didn鈥檛 love Westley whose biggest complaint is how he is treated because he is handsome. The story overall is sweet but I didn鈥檛 feel much when I finished it....more
I enjoy Rachel Solomon and have given five stars to her last three novels. Her characters are always unique and sometimes struggle with mental health I enjoy Rachel Solomon and have given five stars to her last three novels. Her characters are always unique and sometimes struggle with mental health or other issues. This story has the added bonus of being a love letter to Amsterdam where the author now lives. The fact that I just purchased tickets to Amsterdam last week made me enjoy the story a little more.
Dani Dorfman impulsively applies for a job in Amsterdam after her last relationship blows up and she gets fired from her job. She is shocked when she gets the position with a new start up and even more shocked when she unexpectedly runs into Wouter van Leeuwen. He was an exchange student her parents hosted when she was in high school. They were each other鈥檚 first everything before time ran out and he returned to Holland. When her job and housing isn鈥檛 what she expected Wouter has a solution for them both. A marriage of convenience that would benefit both of them.
First I want to say I love the cute cover but did the illustrator get a description of the characters? She has a large port wine stain and he is balding. Maybe that wouldn鈥檛 grab readers attention. Second, I have been to Amsterdam and to many of the touristy places mentioned in the book. Reading this made me more excited for my future trip there. Third, I liked the characters and story. Dani has struggled with her mental health and she is managing with the help of medication. But after having survived an extremely premature birth she has been overly protected and watched over by her parents and has struggled to find what to do with her life. I had a little harder time understanding Wouter and his family鈥檚 concerns about him. Together they are sweet and I love him helping her learn the language. I can believe they鈥檇 connect again easily as their initial romance had been integral to both of them. And I like that they don鈥檛 draw out the will they won't they question. I also appreciate the LGBTQ representation with both of MC鈥檚 sisters.
This is a lovely story if you enjoy characters that are struggling a little in life or still trying to figure out where they fit in. Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the eARC and I am leaving an honest review. ...more
Smugglers Cove is almost two separate stories. The first of the book shares an extensive family history before getting on to the story of siblings MadSmugglers Cove is almost two separate stories. The first of the book shares an extensive family history before getting on to the story of siblings Madison and Lincoln. They grew up with privilege and wealth. Their mother was loving and father was distant. After their father is arrested for fraud their lives change but they push forward to their own careers. Later they find they have inherited a dilapidated marina in the small town of Smuggler鈥檚 Cove. They plan to sell hoping for profit, but stumble into a mystery.
Michael鈥檚 has a unique style of writing. With so much sharing of background I was left wondering where the story was going for a while. The main characters are likable and there is mystery, a stolen treasure map and possible treasure hunters to deal with. Only when it ended on a somewhat of a cliffhanger did I realize this was the beginning of a new series. I would read the next book if only to find out what happens to the MC鈥檚. But I鈥檓 not sure based on this book that I鈥檇 commit to a whole new mystery series of books. Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for the eARC and I am leaving an honest review....more
This is my second novel this week with a trans MC. I wanted to like this more but honestly I had issues with the plot and writing. Kelly is at nursingThis is my second novel this week with a trans MC. I wanted to like this more but honestly I had issues with the plot and writing. Kelly is at nursing school when she gets the word her father has passed away. Wanting to support her mother, she travels the two hours home for the funeral. At the services she runs into Teresa who was her high school girlfriend before she transitioned. Kelly actually broke things off between the pair as she knew she was more interested in dating women.
I thought it odd that Kelly was going to propose to Teresa but they hadn鈥檛 discussed his plan for joining the military right after high school. Teresa thought joining was a result of the breakup. And all this was only seven years ago. I had to laugh a little at the contrivance of Teresa being at the funeral to cover it and write an obituary for the newspaper she works for. For at least thirty years my city's newspaper鈥檚 obituaries, cost by the word and are written and paid for by the family, unless you are a public figure. I actually double checked to see if the story was set in an earlier time period. It is not. It is realistic to me that they would want to catch up with one another.
There was time to hike and get meals together but more words were spent on what was being ordered instead of building a relationship. It was like the story was fine with, we liked each other in high school and now we both like women. I was also disappointed to not get more details on the physical side of transitioning, are they on medications, how it impacts intimacy etc. The emotional side is covered somewhat by how Kelly has had to deal with her family鈥檚 reaction. I thought there was a missed opportunity to make better connections with both siblings after the passing of their dad. And lastly so much time was spent on can they make long distance work and what his future career path would be and then it was left very open ended. I like my romances tied up more than that. An epilogue or something down the road may have helped me believe these two were compatible for the long haul. When I get nit picky like this I know the book didn鈥檛 work well for me. But it may work better for others.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for the eARC and I am leaving an honest review. ...more
Birdie comes from wealth and privilege. Her father is a somewhat absent real estate developer. And she has grown up on social media thanks to her inflBirdie comes from wealth and privilege. Her father is a somewhat absent real estate developer. And she has grown up on social media thanks to her influencer mother. When she damages an expensive car her father decides as punishment she needs to stay at their beach home and have a summer job to learn responsibility. Cass would never dream of being friends with the girls that come to her small island home and stay weeks in their island mansions. But in addition to her job as a lifeguard she wants an internship with Birdie鈥檚 father. So when he asks Cass to supervise Birdie, making sure that she gets to work etc, she doesn鈥檛 feel she can say no.
I love the cover for this book and the premise is a good set up. Birdie is spoiled but she is also stressed at the life her mom choreographs for her. This is a sweet YA novel and is kissing only. The story goes quickly from opposite to romance. I would have liked their relationship to be more developed beyond, oh, you like girls too. The author gets around that a bit as they played together at the beach as children. Appropriate for teens and up. Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group, Penguin Young Readers for the eARC and I am leaving an honest review....more
This beautiful cover invites you to the small lakeside town of Bramble, Kentucky. Marlow Heddings wants to go somewhere quiet and start over. She was This beautiful cover invites you to the small lakeside town of Bramble, Kentucky. Marlow Heddings wants to go somewhere quiet and start over. She was married and worked for her husband鈥檚 family company till she learned he was cheating on her. To make matters worse he is cruel and drags out the divorce only to die before it is settled. In Bramble she rents a guest house from Cort. He is the town handyman and a former Marine. She settles in, makes friends and works at the local Tavern till she can decide on how to set up her small business. Sparks fly between her and Cort. There is more shared in the blurb which gives away almost too much of the story.
This is the gentle kind of book you want to read while snuggled up and enjoying the sun rise or set. The characters are likable and the town is filled with well meaning busy bodies. Her MC鈥檚 communicate well and are caring and forgiving. I like that there are no miscommunications or last minute break ups. I was disappointed that intimacy is behind closed doors but that may be the standard for this author. This is the first book in a new series and I will be on the lookout for the next. Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for the eARC and I am leaving an honest review. ...more
I am new to this established author and found this book delightful. Sloane Carrick is a writer for Bride magazine. While covering a wedding for her woI am new to this established author and found this book delightful. Sloane Carrick is a writer for Bride magazine. While covering a wedding for her work she becomes an alternate bridesmaid because she is the right size for the dress. There she gets partnered up with groomsman Wilder Hayes. He is handsome and cocky. They share a perfect cupcake and kiss in a closet at the reception. Sloane is surprised to get assigned to cover more weddings from the friend group not realizing they have a connection to her magazine owner. She also didn鈥檛 realize that Wilder is the owner's son.
I like that Wilder doesn鈥檛 have any real connection to his father鈥檚 companies so there isn鈥檛 a power imbalance nor is her job at risk. He is flirty and willing to put in the effort to win an official date with her. He is wealthy so she does enjoy a little extra pampering like a seat upgrade on an international flight or a personal shopper when her luggage gets lost. But otherwise they are a real couple trying to get to know one another. The banter is fun and can easily slide into dirty talk. I felt like they got to know each well before turning up the heat at the traditional 65 percent point. I did enjoy that while he is a player, he is smitten first.
I really didn鈥檛 have expectations for this book and came away pleasantly surprised and feeling happy. Thank you to Tor Publishing Group, Bramble and NetGalley for the eARC and I am leaving an honest review. ...more
(3.5 Stars) The story is set in 1927 with the location Idaho Springs, a small mining town where gold was first discovered in Colorado. Julia Holte cam(3.5 Stars) The story is set in 1927 with the location Idaho Springs, a small mining town where gold was first discovered in Colorado. Julia Holte came to town with her sister Rose and her husband. Her family accepts that she鈥檚 always been a little wild and Tom-boyish. Her drinking and making strange bets has her on the bad side of the crusty town sheriff. She gets a job working in the office of the town mine. There she meets Eleanor and her son Peter. Elenor came to the town as a mail order bride. She married and settled into the hard life only to have her husband leave after she had her Peter. She provides for her and her son by washing the mining uniforms by hand.
I鈥檝e been to Idaho Springs and it still has a mine tour of the original gold mine. It is very typical of many mining towns in the picturesque Rockies. This story is rather wholesome but feels realistic. Elenor and Julia are endearing as they go slowly from friendship to attraction. They have to be careful and yet are accepted by those that love them. The side characters enhance the story. I love sisters that love unconditionally and support each other.
I enjoyed the story. The pace is slow but it allows the characters to grow on you. I wanted them to find a way to be together. Thank you to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for the eARC and I am leaving an honest review.
Grace Woodhouse has come out as trans right before her senior year of high school. The previous year she had a girlfriend and was the star kicker for Grace Woodhouse has come out as trans right before her senior year of high school. The previous year she had a girlfriend and was the star kicker for the football team with the potential to play college ball. While there are a few hecklers, her old team captains ask her to return to the team as their kicker in hopes of a championship year. They have her back.
This is very much a football YA sports story. Grace just wants to be able to kick and be part of the team and doesn鈥檛 actively seek outside publicity. I like football and understand the rules so that part of the story is easy for me. Grace is already out but there is push back from some in her school and the other teams they play. There is a good friend group that includes her old girlfriend. The book is made more plausible as there have been female high school kickers. I appreciate the team work and friend relationships. This is an age appropriate YA teen story for ages 12 and up. Thank you to NetGalley and Levine Querido for the eARC and I am leaving an honest review. ...more
Andie begins her new job as a book publicist. Her first book campaign assignment is for a debut novel written by Jack. She knew Jack in college years Andie begins her new job as a book publicist. Her first book campaign assignment is for a debut novel written by Jack. She knew Jack in college years ago and there is a big mysterious rift between them that doesn鈥檛 get explained till over three quarters of the way in the story. In the meantime she has to be on tour with him promoting his book in Europe. Andie is also still processing her grief over the death of her father five years ago.
Sadly, I didn't love Andie. She needs some real therapy to help with her grief. And she comes off so rude to Jack without ever letting him explain his side of the things. And honestly when I learned what his side was, I wasn鈥檛 on his side either. I just didn鈥檛 find this funny or romantic. It does cover more serious matters but that isn鈥檛 how the book is advertised to me as a reader.
I would give the writer a second chance as the more serious topics (are handled well. This just wasn鈥檛 the 鈥渟parkling rom-com鈥� I expected. Thank you to Penguin Group, Penguin Books and NetGalley for the eARC and I am leaving an honest review. ...more
Savanna Potter is a perky can do person that is beloved in her small hometown. But she has suffered a lot of losses including her parents and the auntSavanna Potter is a perky can do person that is beloved in her small hometown. But she has suffered a lot of losses including her parents and the aunt who took her in and raised her. On a weekend in Charleston she has a chance meeting and hook-up with the right person but at the wrong time. They agree to meet up again in a year but Dr. Kyle Remington doesn鈥檛 show up. A few months later Kyle arrives in Dreamer鈥檚 Bay. She is embracing small town living and wanting Savanna as well.
Brayden is delightful, as usual, with her witty banter. This is a fairly light and breezy LesFic romance. There are some side plots. But the easy romance between Savanna and Kyle is the focus. I think the only extra thing I wanted was to know more about Kyle. Everything is from Savanna鈥檚 POV and you see Kyle mostly in Savanna鈥檚 world. It was almost as if her character was irrelevant to the plot other than for her work crisis. Why did she change careers? Does she have a family that she stays in touch with? But with that said this is the kind of book I pull easily from my shelf to read again on a day when I want a quick pick me up.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for the digital copy and I am leaving an honest review. ...more
The first of a new series from Ashley Herring Blake. I love Ramona Riley. She left her prestigious design school to return home to help raise her younThe first of a new series from Ashley Herring Blake. I love Ramona Riley. She left her prestigious design school to return home to help raise her younger sister Olive, twelve years ago. The buzz of her small New Hampshire town is that a big budget romcom is going to be filmed in Clover Lake. This could be the chance to get back into costume fashion design if she could meet her design hero. The co-star of the romance is Dylan Monroe. Dylan was raised haphazardly but rock star parents of whom bring out a lot of anger and abandonment issues. Add in people often using her for connections and she is wary of relationships.
Ramona gets asked by Dylan to show her the ropes of waitressing for her role in the movie. And then asks her to show her some normal things to do around town. What she isn鈥檛 expecting is to remember that once, when they were 13 the two shared a first kiss in a hidden cove. I loved Delilah Green, not so much for the main romance, which was great, but what put it on the top of my shelf was the story of her connection to sister Astrid. This book has a sister story also that touched my heart, although it wasn鈥檛 as big of a part of the story as in Delilah.
Romona and Dylan connect and get physical but they aren鈥檛 always honest. Their lies of omission are going to catch up to them and you can see it coming. I think I wanted to see Dylan work on her anger issues more than a vague overdue conversation with her parents. Or to speak up for herself to her manager and publicist. I never felt she took responsibility for her own life, career and choices. Romona understands responsibility and I liked her choosing herself when given the chance. Best friend April was great and I will gladly read her story. Blake writes more complex situations and relationships. As a celebrity romance this is fine but because there are more layers I need more closure for the extra emotions. I am probably going to need to read this a second time to catch some of the nuances I missed as I blazed through a first reading. I did love the cross-over appearance of Iris Kelly and Stevie from the Bright Falls series.
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the digital copy and I am leaving an honest review. ...more
(4.5 Stars) Lydia Drake continues to impress me in her storytelling. Miss Caroline Devereux has been doing all she can to keep her family afloat. She (4.5 Stars) Lydia Drake continues to impress me in her storytelling. Miss Caroline Devereux has been doing all she can to keep her family afloat. She has been using her writing to keep away creditors for the debts racked up by her father. But her latest move is extreme even for her. She decides to blackmail Gabriel, the new Earl of Rockford. She doesn鈥檛 want money from him but instead wants him to marry her.
I enjoyed this historical romance. I love that Caroline has found a way to make a path for herself. I laughed at her plotting her life as if it were a novel and thinking of the outcomes. I love that they both choose to be caught and blackmail isn鈥檛 necessary. You gotta love when he falls just as hard. I was a bit frustrated with all the meddling at the end but of course I wanted to get to my HEA.
This is the author's second book in the Debutantes of London series and it also is in the same world as her Renegade Dukes series. I like the crossover characters and am hopeful that I have correctly identified a few potential leads for her next story. Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for the digital copy and I am leaving an honest review....more
By happenstance of my reading pile did I happen to read two celebrity romances back to back. Chloe Anderson lives in the small coastal town of StillwaBy happenstance of my reading pile did I happen to read two celebrity romances back to back. Chloe Anderson lives in the small coastal town of Stillwater, NC. She has written a best selling romance novel and it is going to be filmed locally. A lister Liam Hamilton gets cast as the male lead. She isn鈥檛 thrilled as his reputation as a player precedes him. When he arrives before filming the pair actually hit it off. He proposes a mutually beneficial fake relationship. His image will get a wholesome boost and she will get more followers for her socials and can coach him on how he plays her leading man.
While the story is somewhat predictable it is also enjoyable. I鈥檝e never read stories from Denise Hunter but she has written many books as a Christian author. I think clean contemporaries can be hard to write and she does it with ease. And while she is a Christian author religion doesn鈥檛 play a role in the story other than Chloe鈥檚 mom mentioning her church. Thank you to HarperCollins Christian Publishing for the audio book and I am leaving an honest review. ...more
(3.5 Stars) This isn鈥檛 a typical romance and while there is a good story, it wasn鈥檛 a great fit for me. The book begins with Stella returning to the U(3.5 Stars) This isn鈥檛 a typical romance and while there is a good story, it wasn鈥檛 a great fit for me. The book begins with Stella returning to the US and her old friend group after following her relationship to London for three years. There are some hurt feelings as she settles back into with her gang as she sort of ghosted them while she was away. One of the friends is Cole and we get told that the two have loved each other since they met in college years before. But Stella wants the forever love and Cole doesn鈥檛 believe in monogamy.
I love the busy body friends and there is some good pining and longing. There is honesty, feelings and messiness. The book feels realistic leaning towards women鈥檚 fiction. But I didn鈥檛 love Stella and with everything told from her POV, struggled at times engaging with the story. The story does get spicy but I missed why they both had feelings all those years ago. Maybe I needed a few flashback scenes with more description than how hot they looked. I am still going to round up because the story is good. I just didn鈥檛 fall in love with it. Thank you to NetGalley and Bold Strokes books for the ARC and I am leaving an honest review. ...more
This is a delight. A book celebrating the diversity of grandparents and the ways they interact with their grandkids. It made my heart warm to think ofThis is a delight. A book celebrating the diversity of grandparents and the ways they interact with their grandkids. It made my heart warm to think of Pat Benatar and her husband and fellow musician writing this book. The illustrations are colorful and the rhyming makes the story flow. I especially like the different names grandparents can be called. My mother鈥檚 special name is 鈥淐oach鈥�. This can be enjoyed by younger readers and I would love to read it to my students on grand parents day in my school. Thank you to Sourcebooks Kids and NetGalley for the temporary ARC and I am leaving an honest review. ...more
I love the creativity of this book. There are no words on the pages. Instead there are illustrations and it encourages the reader or looker to imagineI love the creativity of this book. There are no words on the pages. Instead there are illustrations and it encourages the reader or looker to imagine the sounds that are being made. Some are easy, like the sound of an ocean wave or a fly buzzing. But others are more challenging, leaving me wondering what that would sound like or making up my own sound because there isn鈥檛 a correct answer. I found this clever and imaginative. There are a lot of pictures so for younger children it may be better to do parts at a time and not try to do the book all in one sitting. Thank you to NorthSouth Books Inc., for the ARC and I am leaving an honest review.
(3.5 Stars) I was excited for this story as I have really enjoyed previous books from the author, Cool for the Summer (2021), Bicoastal (2022), Home F(3.5 Stars) I was excited for this story as I have really enjoyed previous books from the author, Cool for the Summer (2021), Bicoastal (2022), Home Field Advantage (2023) to name a few. The premise starts off fun. Everette 鈥淓vie鈥� Riley arrives at a private boarding school called Camden Academy. Because of her name she is mistakenly assigned to the male dormitory. I am not sure that a private school couldn鈥檛 have figured out a better solution but I went with it. Her plan is to reinvent herself and become who she wants to be. But her reputation is already taking a hit because of her living situation. She does make friends with her upstairs dorm mate Salem Grayson and his twin sister.
It is shared in the blurb that the two agree to help each other. He agrees to let her help him make better choices (more join in, less weed and emo). He in return is supposed to help her be less good. That part of the plan really never made sense to me even though it is explained. The book has so many sweet and good things going for it. Salem鈥檚 sister is there for humor and good LGBTQIA representation. The activities like a talent show, movie nights, doing laundry and even poker nights are very wholesome. But the flip side is the easy acceptance of casual hook-ups, (not on the page). I kept thinking these students are sophomores and where are the adults and dorm monitors. Fifteen is barely the age of consent in my state. I would have been more comfortable if they were a couple of years older.
The friendship to love story itself is wholesome and sweet. But I did not like Salem鈥檚 casual situationship. It hit too close to the reason Evie wanted to be away from home in the first place. I enjoyed Adler鈥檚 writing style and ease of storytelling. The banter is very fun as well. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin鈥檚 Press, Wednesday Books for the ARC. I also had an audio copy from Spotify audiobooks and I am leaving a voluntary review. (I switched between both.)...more
(4.5 Stars) The third full length novel in the Huntresses series. The Huntresses are a friend group of Artemis Lancaster. She has taken a group of wom(4.5 Stars) The third full length novel in the Huntresses series. The Huntresses are a friend group of Artemis Lancaster. She has taken a group of women under her wing who may be overlooked by the ton as they are not the most prosperous or better connected. They have matched up and become friends with a similar group of men called the Pack. In this story the Gent鈥檚 and Huntresses are gathering as a large holiday house party.
Eve O鈥橠oyle and her sister Nia鈥檚 family has had some financial setbacks. Eve has been told that the family will not be able to send her back to London for another season in favor of giving her younger sister a chance for a match. Nia is unaware of the situation. They are able to attend the holiday party only because Duke Seymour has been tasked to escort them on the journey. His overly cranky grandmother will be their chaperone. Duke is a born negotiator and peacemaker. Sadly his home life is always a balancing act with him trying to find peaceful and diplomatic solutions to his parents' many complaints. Friendship and affection grow during the journey between Eve and Duke. But of course things go off the rails when his parents invite themselves to the house party.
I liked this story a lot as it was full of complexity and fun. I liked getting to know the MC鈥檚 in this story before they were joined by the larger friend group. I enjoyed the games and entertainment that would have been common in the day. This can be read as a stand alone novel but you will enjoy it more if you have read other books in the series. The author sets this in the same world as her other series, Lancaster and Joquil Brothers, and I love seeing the occasional crossover character visit.
This is a must read for fans of the author and is enjoyable if you like clean, wholesome romances. I usually like stories to have a less open ending but I was happy where this finishes. I can鈥檛 wait for the next gathering of the Huntresses and the Pack. Thank you to Covenant Communications and NetGalley for the digital copy and I am leaving an honest review. ...more
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