What a perfect ending to 'The Brightest Light' series.
Lila Callaghan (daughter of Cal & Grace from book 1) is caught stabbing her cheating ex-boyfriWhat a perfect ending to 'The Brightest Light' series.
Lila Callaghan (daughter of Cal & Grace from book 1) is caught stabbing her cheating ex-boyfriends tyres by Reed Abner, family friend and professor at the university. Embarrassed, Lila tries to avoid Reed as much as possible, which is difficult when her mother keeps inviting him to dinner. The two of them are pushed together when she has to take an internship in the youth centre that he volunteers for, with Reed working as her internship supervisor.
The Deepest End of Love is a slooooooow burrrrrrn. Lila and Reed circle each other for 50% of this book before anything happens between them.
Lila was a slightly frustrating character but her growth throughout this book is heartwarming. Reed was a great MMC, although my favourite will always be Cal. (Sorry not sorry).
I loved seeing Cal & Grace as parents, along with Maddie and James from book 2. The ending had me tearing up, especially Grandpa Cal with his grandson Samuel.
A fabulous ending to a cute series! Excited to see what else Lisina Coney writes!
Book includes: - Age Gap (24/36) - Grad student x internship supervision - Slow burn - Dual PoV
I received an advanced copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. ...more
So this is my first book from the Elite 8 Studio series so for those who are wondering if they can dive into any books in the series, the answer is yeSo this is my first book from the Elite 8 Studio series so for those who are wondering if they can dive into any books in the series, the answer is yes! In fact, it's made me want to go back and read a few of the others books because I was falling in love with the side characters alongside our main ones.
Felix is a neighbors-to-coworkers-to-more romance between a nerdy, bespectacled exhibitionist and his smitten voyeur.
Emmy manages to write characters that you can't help but adore. I just want to hug both Felix and Christian because they deserve the whole world.
This is truly a sweet MM romance within an interesting setting (hint - a porn studio). At this point, if Emmy writes it, I'll read it.
The book lost a star because the smut became a little bit repetitive for me and I did end up skimming near the end, but overall a brilliant read!
I received an advanced copy for free through the author and I am leaving this review voluntarily. ...more
Julie Soto has just solidified herself as an auto-buy author for me. I loved her first book 'Forget Me Not', but I'm utterly obsessed with 'Not AnotheJulie Soto has just solidified herself as an auto-buy author for me. I loved her first book 'Forget Me Not', but I'm utterly obsessed with 'Not Another Long Song'.
Gwen and Xander are both musical prodigies - and it isn't until Gwen performs at his friend's wedding that Gwen realises Xander has no idea who she is, despite the fact they work together and she's been semi-obsessed with his band for years. When Gwen is offered the role of 'First Chair', a position that Xander has coveted for years, their relationship becomes a lot more hostile. Cue the sexual tension both on and off stage!
I stayed up way too late to read this, and even woke up early to finish it! I adored absolutely everything about this book. The writing, the plot and the relationship development. The tension between Gwen and Xander is phenomenal. Xander's pining was *chefs kiss* and that cello scene. THE CELLO SCENE. That'll be living RENT FREE in my head for a while. The book cover giving us a little tease *fans self*.
Potentially the book of the summer for me!
Book includes: - Dual POV - Rivals-to-lovers - Tension & pining - He falls first - Musical prodigies
I received an advanced copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. ...more
This is the third highly anticipated release that has been a disappointment for me recently.
Phoebe and her best friend Hailey, the daughters of con This is the third highly anticipated release that has been a disappointment for me recently.
Phoebe and her best friend Hailey, the daughters of con artist parents, decide to try and live an honest life. This means 'running' away and setting up in the small town of Victoria, Connecticut living a life free of crime. One major problem, Hailey's big brother Rocky decides to tag along.
The biggest issue in this book, is that it spends too much time trying to lay the groundwork for both families, and while it was fun to see all their past shenanigans, the plot and pacing suffer. The time jumps are all over the place and the book goes from moving at a glacial pace to suddenly flying through a whole month.
I liked Phoebe and Rocky as characters, however I did not enjoy them as a couple. I wanted them to be steamy, toxic and pining for each other when in reality we got a dollar store Lo & Lily. The tension felt forced and both characters felt a lot younger than they were supposed to be.
My favourite part of the book was when all the siblings were together, and I wish the authors had brought them in a lot earlier. I hope we see the authors delve in deeper to the siblings, especially with the revelation at the end of the book!
The plot twist was completely unexpected, which I always love when a book surprises me!
Overall, I think if you're fans of the 'Addicted' Series by the authors, you'll probably find this an okay read. What was an interesting premise was bogged down with too much information thrown at us. But the writing is decent in places and this book does set up the sequel nicely, so I'll definitely be continuing the series for the time-being.
I received an advanced copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. ...more
After a social media blunder, F1 driver Dev's career is suddenly at risk. He's with a team that don't want him to do better than the otheRating - 3.5
After a social media blunder, F1 driver Dev's career is suddenly at risk. He's with a team that don't want him to do better than the other driver, and his reputation is in the toilet. He hires his best friend Oakley's little sister Willow to manage his social media accounts. Only, Dev kissed his best friend's little sister at a party last year and hasn't been able to stop thinking about it since.
As an F1 girlie I really thought this was going to be perfect for me. Alas, I honestly found this book lacking.
I loved the chronic illness rep, particularly as it's something I relate to so heavily and was handled really well. I loved some aspects of the F1 side of things, but felt like she could have done more. I think casual viewers of F1 would enjoy this book but for bigger fans, it'll definitely feel a little lacklustre. I did enjoy trying to work out who the side characters F1 equivalent was in the book.
However, this book just gave me a 'meh' feeling. Both the main characters were too 'sunshiney' for me. I like my sunshine with a side of grumpy! I found the MMC's obsession with how long it's been since he's had sex to be unnecessary.
Willow and Dev's behaviour around telling Oakley the truth honestly felt a little bit dramatic, and at one point when Willow is near to tears that he might discover them, I rolled my eyes so hard I gave myself a headache.
Overall, this book felt mediocre when it had the potential to be a 5 star. I enjoyed the writing style but unfortunately, I couldn't connect with the characters and the plot didn't hold my attention.
Includes: - Sunshine x Sunshine - Sports romance (F1) - Brother's best friend / best friends little sister - Workplace Romance - Chronic Illness Rep - BIPOC main characters - Secret dating - No third act break-up!
I received an advanced audio copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. ...more
Anna and West marry in order to get cheaper college accommodation. For two years, the two of them are husband and wife on paper, with Anna sleeping o Anna and West marry in order to get cheaper college accommodation. For two years, the two of them are husband and wife on paper, with Anna sleeping on the couch in their shared apartment. Before parting ways, Anna signs divorce papers and bids farewell to West with only a grubby couch to show for it.
Three years later, West returns asking for a huge favour. West needs Anna to attend his sister's wedding for him so he can access his full trust fund. Anna discovers that West is not only sitting on $400 million dollars, and is the heir to the sixth largest grocery store company in the US, but his name is actually Liam and they've been married for the last 5 years.
I adored this book! I loved Anna and West/Liam as both friends and a couple. Anna was a complete mess which provided some hilarious moment with West, who is the type to iron his boxers. I love a grumpy x sunshine trope and these two were perfect.
The writing style was strong as always, with humour dotted throughout. I burst out laughing several times reading this book and definitely read it all in one sitting.
Overall, one of my favourite books that I've picked up from Christina Lauren!
Includes: - Fake Marriage - Grumpy x sunshine - Third act break-up (minor) - Millionnaire romance...more
What a fabulous start to the Rose Hill Series! Ford x Rosie were perfect. PERFECT!
This is probably one of the easiest 5 stars I've gHAPPY RELEASE DAY!
What a fabulous start to the Rose Hill Series! Ford x Rosie were perfect. PERFECT!
This is probably one of the easiest 5 stars I've given for a while.
There's something about a socially awkward MMC who also acts like a complete DADDY that just hits right. I adored everything about him, and his relationship with his daughter was adorable. Elsie Silver writes the best MMC's.
Rosie was hilarious and knew how to put Ford in his place! She is the perfect love interest for Ford, and their banter was so clever and enjoyable. Elsie managed to write dialogue that didn't feel overly mean, and held a lot of sexual tension.
The side characters were brilliant, the bowling team especially, and you also get to meet the MMC for book 2. The sneak peak had me kicking my feet in excitement, and I cannot wait for Wild Eyes. However, the best character was Ford's daughter, our little storm cloud. I won't say too much but I fell in love with her so quickly!
Whilst the storyline was basic, I really didn't mind (or notice that much) because the characters were so enjoyable! I feel like I could talk about the banter between Rosie and Ford all day, but Elsie Silver really outdid herself with this one. I loved having two characters that matched each other's energy perfectly, whilst being complete opposites. The work emails between the two of them had me cackling. Plus, the smutty scenes were *insert fire emoji*. DADDY FORD CERTAINLY HAS A WAY WITH WORDS... and pens!
Tropes: - Single dad - Small town romance - Frenemies-to-lovers vibes - Best friend's little sister / brother's best friend - Billionnaire romance - Workplace romance (boss/employee) - Grumpy x sunshine - 'He's always cared for her' vibes
I received an advanced copy for free through Periwinkle Pony Team, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. ...more
"Drink some water," I said. The glass I'd gotten her was still mostly full. "Do you need anything else?" "I'm good," she said. "Thanks, Daddy". "Fuck o "Drink some water," I said. The glass I'd gotten her was still mostly full. "Do you need anything else?" "I'm good," she said. "Thanks, Daddy". "Fuck off with that," I said, but I couldn't help smiling.
DADDY. FUCKING. GUS.
*kicks feets*
I was both excited and anxious for this book.
I loved Gus and Teddy the moment they started arguing with each other in book 1, and I needed their story to be perfect. AND LYLA SAGE DELIVERED.
A single dad x nanny romance was the perfect story for them. The plot, the development, the tension was so well-done and you can see the growth in Lyla Sage's writing. This is definitely her strongest book to-date.
Gus x Teddy have to be my favourite in the series and Lyla has set the scene for book 4 perfectly. I am beyond excited for Dusty x Cam's book.
This book includes: - Dual POV - Single daddy x nanny - Banter - Small Town Romance - Grumpy x sunshine
I received an advanced copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. ...more
Amy Cameron accidentally receives an email intended for a 'Cameron A', so with a quick google search she forwards the email onto him, which starts an Amy Cameron accidentally receives an email intended for a 'Cameron A', so with a quick google search she forwards the email onto him, which starts an unlikely friendship. Amy shares what it's like being a violinist playing on the big stages and Cameron, his travels around the Antartica taking pictures. Unfortunately, Amy hasn't actually picked up the violin in two years and she works in a small theatre as their marketing and communications person. What happens when Cameron suggests they meet? Will she admit that she's been 'stretching' the truth? And is Cameron everything he said he was?
To say I'm extremely disappointed by this book is an understatement. There was so much potential and the writer made what could have been a very interesting plot, extremely boring.
1. This book has a slow start, and I can see readers losing interest quickly. The author really should have tried to get the stories (Amy & Cameron love story, as well as Amy's journey) going a lot quicker. Instead the first 30% of this book is just Amy's inner thoughts, which to be quite honest were extremely boring and repetitive. 2. Amy & Cameron don't actually meet until the 91% mark... and we get two underwhelming chapters with them. I don't feel like I know Cameron, which made it even harder to connect to the story. 3. The ending - I felt like we were missing a satisfying conclusion to ANYTHING in this book. How did Amy and Cameron move forward as a couple after lying to each other? How did Amy and her musical group get on? What happened with Harry and the cats? How did Amy move on with her terrible friends? I was honestly gobsmacked by the ending because the book felt like it just stopped right when things were getting good.
The fact that this is getting published at all blows my mind. The first 30% and the last 20% need to be completely rewritten in my opinion, and we need a few chapters with Amy & Cameron rather than their lacklustre first meeting and 7 page epilogue.
I received an advanced copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. ...more
Naomi and Luca have been pen-pals since the fifth grade (10-11 year olds for us non-US readers!). Instead of friendly letters, they pretty much just Naomi and Luca have been pen-pals since the fifth grade (10-11 year olds for us non-US readers!). Instead of friendly letters, they pretty much just send each other hate mail throughout the years, until one day the letters stop.
Two years later, Naomi is falling in love with her husky-eyed neighbour when the letters from Luca restart. Will she choose her gorgeous neighbour Jake or her childhood pen-pal (or penemy) Luca?
For a debut novel, this had an interesting plot that kept me up late into the night. Naomi's hunt for Luca was so entertaining and I loved how her work colleague was the one pushing her to do it.
Personally, I think the writing could have been edited for a smoother reading experience, but considering this is the authors first book I could ignore it for the most part. I just found some of the information we were given at times was unnecessary.
I suspected the plot twist early on but it was done in a way that I definitely second-guessed it up until the last moment, which I enjoyed!
Overall, this was a fun palate cleanser and a very easy read! Interested to see what else Donna Marchetti writes in the future.
I received an advanced copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. ...more
I honestly think there's something in my brain that just doesn't click with Danielle Jensen's writing. The same thing that happened with 'The Bridge KI honestly think there's something in my brain that just doesn't click with Danielle Jensen's writing. The same thing that happened with 'The Bridge Kingdom', happened with 'A Fate Inked in Blood'. I found this book such a struggle to get through, despite enjoying the plot.
I also found the romance to be... weird and I can't put my finger on why. Possibly because the dialogue between the two was cringey at times. It also felt like I'd read this exact same thing in other books.
I think if you struggled with Danielle Jensen's Bridge Kingdom series, you may have the same problem I did with this one. I am intrigued enough to read book 2, but it is not a series I would recommend to friends.
This book is perfect for those who are just starting in the romantasy genre.
I received an advanced copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. ...more
I knew I was going to struggle with this book. 'Better Than The Movies' was the perfect comfort read between two childhood frenemies. Seeing them two I knew I was going to struggle with this book. 'Better Than The Movies' was the perfect comfort read between two childhood frenemies. Seeing them two years later broken up after the death of Wes' father was like a shot to the heart.
And yet.
It felt so realistic and heartbreaking. 'Better Than The Movies' was that perfect romcom experience whereas 'Nothing Like the Movies' brings you back down to earth and shows you the devastation that grief can cause. Wes and Liz are soulmates and yet, life just keeps getting in the way.
My only frustration was that if these characters had literally had one conversation early on, this book could have been 100 pages shorter! I would loved to have seen more happy moments between the two characters.
While this didn't hit the same as the first book, I enjoyed it nonetheless. Lynn Painter is an auto-buy author for me.
I received an advanced copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. ...more
I adored Lisina Coney's debut novel and was extremely excited to read the sequel. 'The Darkest Corner of the Heart' follows the younger sister of SammI adored Lisina Coney's debut novel and was extremely excited to read the sequel. 'The Darkest Corner of the Heart' follows the younger sister of Sammy/Cal from book 1.
I really enjoyed Maddie's story, who we initially met in book 1 as an adorable 4 year old who loved ballet. Maddie is 21 years old and is days away from 'the big ballet' audition when she injures herself during practice. Her brother Sammy seeks out the best physiotherapist in the area which is where we meet James, our grumpy MMC.
Maddie and James are such a sweet couple and I really enjoyed how their relationship progressed. I did become slightly frustrated with how obsessive James was with the age-gap between them (10 years), and I felt his reasons for worrying didn't warrant how much he kept bringing it up. However, they were so cute together that it didn't ruin the book for me. The smut was also very well written and I need James to call me a 'good girl' and pull my hair.
There's just something about grumpy men who are completely soft for their girls that just has me... *dramatically sighs and clutches heart*. I also loved the snippets of Grace & Cal, and what they've been up to over the last 17 years. Those two truly have my whole entire heart!
This book touches on some sensitive topics and I thought the author handled them beautifully. I loved seeing Cal's and Maddie's mum, and her journey around alcoholism. It is not the most satisfying ending but it does the character justice.
The four stars is because I did find the beginning both slow and rushed, but I adore the world that Lisina Coney has created. Excited to see what else she writes and I hope this isn't the last we see of these characters!
I received an advanced copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. ...more
Hannah Bonam-Young continues to amaze me with her writing!
Chloe and Warren become unlikely roommates when they both fail social services final evaluHannah Bonam-Young continues to amaze me with her writing!
Chloe and Warren become unlikely roommates when they both fail social services final evaluations, which they need to pass if they want to become guardians to their younger siblings. They join an initiative that puts prospective guardians together to help them pass.
Chloe and Warren were both such wonderful characters, and I loved watching them grow together. If anything, I wish this book was longer because I could have read another 300 pages of Chloe & Warren together.
Next of Kin was so beautifully written and HBY is quickly becoming an auto-buy author for me!
Also, the bonus chapter was just wonderful - Willow's first day of school had me holding back tears! I believe this is only available in the traditionally published copy, which I can't wait to get my hands on!
Tropes: - Roommates-to-lovers - Found Family - Deaf Rep...more
I forgot how hilarious Catherine Walsh's book are! This book had me laughing throughout and I couldn't read this book fast enough. I may have stayed uI forgot how hilarious Catherine Walsh's book are! This book had me laughing throughout and I couldn't read this book fast enough. I may have stayed up late to finish it!
Megan is the town pariah after leaving golden boy Isaac at the alter and Christian is the village bad boy. They agree to fake date to get through the Christmas period and chaos ensures.
I loved Megan, I loved Christian and I loved them together. Their banter was honestly 11/10 and I could read 300 more pages about them.
This is the perfect Christmas read to curl up with on the sofa....more
Considering this is the authors debut novel, this is a fantastic book! It has an interesting storyline, strong pacing and characters I enjoyed.
Our FConsidering this is the authors debut novel, this is a fantastic book! It has an interesting storyline, strong pacing and characters I enjoyed.
Our FMC Demi works for 'The Corporation', a group of mercenaries who help to save children from sex trafficking. She is used to working on her own until her handler places her with another mercenary to help bring down a team. Our golden-retriever MMC Tener is smitten with Demi, who literally treats him like dirt on her shoe.
I enjoyed Demi for the most part but did I find her behaviour to be a little immature at times. However, her past is truly heartbreaking and you start to see why she pushes others away. Tener was just the sweetest and I adored his humour. This book does contain some darker themes which I felt were used appropriately, and not for shock value.
I did see the plot twist/betrayal coming as it was a little obvious, but that didn't ruin the book for me. However, Collateral lost one star due to the plot fizzling out for the smut for a big chunk of the book. The spicy scenes were very well written but I would have loved for them to have been interwoven with the plot.
A strong debut novel and I'd definitely read more from this author!
Tropes: - Dual POV - Grumpy/sunshine (FMC is the grump) - Spicy - Forced proximity - Work place romance - Protective/golden retriever MMC. - Dark themes (including sex trafficking, CSA)
I received an advanced copy for free through Love Notes PR, and I am leaving this review voluntarily....more
The premise of this book caught my eye and I was excited to read it. However, this book needs to go through another round of editing, the writing is rThe premise of this book caught my eye and I was excited to read it. However, this book needs to go through another round of editing, the writing is reading very young and I think more time with the characters would be beneficial to the story.
The lack of character descriptions didn't make this an easy-read and I honestly just felt like I had no idea who half the characters were. The author never really set the scene for the book and I could not connect to the story. The dialogue was cringey, unrealistic and at times completely unnecessary to the story or scene. The author used a weird writing structure throughout her book that was confusing, and I felt there was a lot of telling rather than showing.
Overall, what I thought was going to be an easy and enjoyable read was far from it. This book could be improved exponentially with another round of editing. I gave two stars because the idea and premise is good, but was just poorly executed.
I received an advance review copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Merged review:
The premise of this book caught my eye and I was excited to read it. However, this book needs to go through another round of editing, the writing is reading very young and I think more time with the characters would be beneficial to the story.
The lack of character descriptions didn't make this an easy-read and I honestly just felt like I had no idea who half the characters were. The author never really set the scene for the book and I could not connect to the story. The dialogue was cringey, unrealistic and at times completely unnecessary to the story or scene. The author used a weird writing structure throughout her book that was confusing, and I felt there was a lot of telling rather than showing.
Overall, what I thought was going to be an easy and enjoyable read was far from it. This book could be improved exponentially with another round of editing. I gave two stars because the idea and premise is good, but was just poorly executed.
I received an advance review copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily....more
This is the second book I’ve read from Juliana Smith and my thoughts are very similar to the first book I read by her.
Whilst the plot is Rating - 3.5
This is the second book I’ve read from Juliana Smith and my thoughts are very similar to the first book I read by her.
Whilst the plot is very basic, she has a very easy-to-read style that has me flying through her book.
The characters are enjoyable, and I was glad to see a bit more of Luke & Layla (from book 1). I felt like this book didn’t have too much of the Wells’ family involved, which I was sad to see but made sense for the most part.
I do wish that this series had some world building. I feel like there’s such a focus on characters, I can’t picture the city or the world these characters are interacting with. Juliana Smith has a lot of potential to be a standout writer but I’d love to see more detail put into the world.
I would describe this series as an easy-to-read palate cleanser, and I think fans of Sarah Adams would enjoy.
I received an advanced copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily....more
Grace meets a mysterious stranger at her local café and agrees to go on a date with him. She wakes up a few days later with the worst hangover imagin Grace meets a mysterious stranger at her local café and agrees to go on a date with him. She wakes up a few days later with the worst hangover imaginable, and a very strong craving for blood. This is a short novella that explores Grace's & Conrad's toxic relationship.
I found the last 20% of this novella to be the most interesting, but it still wasn't amazing. The plot was introduced very near the end and it has a lot of potential to be good, however there's a few key areas that let it down.
The biggest issues are: ◉ The writing is clunky and doesn't have a natural flow. There's a lot of repetition (which in a novella really should not be happening), weird analogies and some of the wording/phrasing is really odd. There's definitely a weakness around descriptions for both characters and places. The author does find her pacing in the last two chapters (once she started to develop the plot) but this novella could do with some major editing. ◉ Grace - our FMC makes decisions that frustrate me as a reader. My biggest one being her complete disregard for her own safety just because she's horny. Very hard to relate to a FMC when she does things that most women in their right mind would not do. ◉ The plot is non-existent in the first 70% of the novella and then we're treated to a '50 Shades of Grey' rip-off with vampires.
The ending did surprise me and I would be interested in reading the next novella, if the writing and editing improved. A lot of the issues with the writing should have been caught by the beta readers (that is if this novella had them!) or an editor to be honest.
Overall, this novella felt like it was trying too hard to be a 'dark romance' that it came across as cringey in places.
I received an advanced copy for free through the author and I am leaving this review voluntarily....more
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