The premise of this book is that Ryan has been in love with Jessie since they were children, but Jessie started dating Hugh when they were still in hiThe premise of this book is that Ryan has been in love with Jessie since they were children, but Jessie started dating Hugh when they were still in high school and feels obligated toward Hugh's family. At their ten year high school reunion, Jessie and Ryan have a moment. This leads to Jessie and Hugh taking a break. When Ryan invites Jessie to the Hamptons for the 4th of July, things really heat up between them. But is it just a physical thing or could it be something real?
Although this was better than the first Yahrah St. John book I tried, I really struggled with the fat shaming surrounding Ryan. There was a lot of value judgment in his looks and what he eats and how he exercises based on how he used to look compared to now. I just didn't love how that was handled. I also ultimately didn't love the relationship between Ryan and Jessie even though there kept being parts of it where I would sink into their story. For me, Ryan was really pushy and I like, sort of understood, but also like... Jessie JUST got out of a decade long relationship, so it didn't seem unreasonable for her to need some time. At the same time, Jessie was so dumb about like, everything? And also, communication really would have helped the two of them figure things out. I also just felt like there were weird dynamics between them but I would have given the book three stars if it had stuck the landing. Unfortunately, I just didn't buy the HEA at all in the end.
(And there's this random storyline thrown in with Jessie's mom and Hugh's dad that was just kind of gross. Idk.)
Anyway, regardless, I like where the overarching series is headed and I'm looking forward to what's going to happen with Black Crescent.
Thanks to Netgalley and Harlequin for the opportunity to read and review this book!
Merged review:
The premise of this book is that Ryan has been in love with Jessie since they were children, but Jessie started dating Hugh when they were still in high school and feels obligated toward Hugh's family. At their ten year high school reunion, Jessie and Ryan have a moment. This leads to Jessie and Hugh taking a break. When Ryan invites Jessie to the Hamptons for the 4th of July, things really heat up between them. But is it just a physical thing or could it be something real?
Although this was better than the first Yahrah St. John book I tried, I really struggled with the fat shaming surrounding Ryan. There was a lot of value judgment in his looks and what he eats and how he exercises based on how he used to look compared to now. I just didn't love how that was handled. I also ultimately didn't love the relationship between Ryan and Jessie even though there kept being parts of it where I would sink into their story. For me, Ryan was really pushy and I like, sort of understood, but also like... Jessie JUST got out of a decade long relationship, so it didn't seem unreasonable for her to need some time. At the same time, Jessie was so dumb about like, everything? And also, communication really would have helped the two of them figure things out. I also just felt like there were weird dynamics between them but I would have given the book three stars if it had stuck the landing. Unfortunately, I just didn't buy the HEA at all in the end.
(And there's this random storyline thrown in with Jessie's mom and Hugh's dad that was just kind of gross. Idk.)
Anyway, regardless, I like where the overarching series is headed and I'm looking forward to what's going to happen with Black Crescent.
Thanks to Netgalley and Harlequin for the opportunity to read and review this book!...more
Christmas in Rose Bend features a really fun small town (Rose Bend) going all in for Christmas featuring Nessa, a woman really going through it and alChristmas in Rose Bend features a really fun small town (Rose Bend) going all in for Christmas featuring Nessa, a woman really going through it and also a Grinch, Nessa's half-sister, Ivy, whom she has guardianship over after their father passed away, and Wolf, the lumberjack-esque man with a loving family and some hidden scars/depths. What I love about this book is that Simone really captures the way a small town gossip mill can run (perhaps slightly exaggerated) and how a community can really come together, while showing how sometimes people stay more on the outskirts. It just feels very true to life and the characters all feel like real people, although that one Jenna person does feel a little like a caricature of a mean girl. Anyways, setting that aside, I really like the small town portrayal in this book a lot. All of the events sound super fun and maybe a little over the top, but also, I would vacation in Rose Bend in a heartbeat.
Besides the setting of this book, Simone really crafts an intricate character web here with this intense distance between Nessa and Ivy, who experienced their father completely different from one another. For Ivy, her father was loving and present, whereas for Nessa, her father walked out of her life when she was 12 (I think) and it felt to her like he never really looked back. So the two have a very strained relationship between them. Meanwhile, Ivy warms up to Wolf and the other Dennison's so quickly and she really starts to explore this town and have a ball. Nessa, on the other hand, is a little bit wary. She's convinced that she's going back to Boston at the end of this trip, that she'll return to her job at the ER and hopefully those pesky panic attacks won't come back, and is just hoping she and Ivy can make some in roads. What she wasn't planning for was the way that Wolf keeps breaking down walls between them and there are real feelings there even though there shouldn't be. Wolf is actually dealing with the return of his ex-girlfriend and feels very drawn toward Nessa while his ex-girlfriend's return heralds the very real danger he knows exists for falling for Nessa. He's already been left by one woman who wasn't content to stay in his small town. He's also carrying around some guilt over the death of a friend.
So, basically, what I'm saying is that there are a lot of feelings happening in this book. The sense of community is so strong and there are a lot more stories waiting to be told in this town. I look forward to reading more in the series in the future!
Thanks to Netgalley and HQN for the review copy! I actually listened to this via Hoopla through my library though and would definitely recommend the audiobook, which features the short story, A Kiss to Remember as well.
Merged review:
Christmas in Rose Bend features a really fun small town (Rose Bend) going all in for Christmas featuring Nessa, a woman really going through it and also a Grinch, Nessa's half-sister, Ivy, whom she has guardianship over after their father passed away, and Wolf, the lumberjack-esque man with a loving family and some hidden scars/depths. What I love about this book is that Simone really captures the way a small town gossip mill can run (perhaps slightly exaggerated) and how a community can really come together, while showing how sometimes people stay more on the outskirts. It just feels very true to life and the characters all feel like real people, although that one Jenna person does feel a little like a caricature of a mean girl. Anyways, setting that aside, I really like the small town portrayal in this book a lot. All of the events sound super fun and maybe a little over the top, but also, I would vacation in Rose Bend in a heartbeat.
Besides the setting of this book, Simone really crafts an intricate character web here with this intense distance between Nessa and Ivy, who experienced their father completely different from one another. For Ivy, her father was loving and present, whereas for Nessa, her father walked out of her life when she was 12 (I think) and it felt to her like he never really looked back. So the two have a very strained relationship between them. Meanwhile, Ivy warms up to Wolf and the other Dennison's so quickly and she really starts to explore this town and have a ball. Nessa, on the other hand, is a little bit wary. She's convinced that she's going back to Boston at the end of this trip, that she'll return to her job at the ER and hopefully those pesky panic attacks won't come back, and is just hoping she and Ivy can make some in roads. What she wasn't planning for was the way that Wolf keeps breaking down walls between them and there are real feelings there even though there shouldn't be. Wolf is actually dealing with the return of his ex-girlfriend and feels very drawn toward Nessa while his ex-girlfriend's return heralds the very real danger he knows exists for falling for Nessa. He's already been left by one woman who wasn't content to stay in his small town. He's also carrying around some guilt over the death of a friend.
So, basically, what I'm saying is that there are a lot of feelings happening in this book. The sense of community is so strong and there are a lot more stories waiting to be told in this town. I look forward to reading more in the series in the future!
Thanks to Netgalley and HQN for the review copy! I actually listened to this via Hoopla through my library though and would definitely recommend the audiobook, which features the short story, A Kiss to Remember as well....more
The Christmas You Found Me made me cry on a plane and while waiting for my ride to pick me up from the airport. I picked it up after reading no furtheThe Christmas You Found Me made me cry on a plane and while waiting for my ride to pick me up from the airport. I picked it up after reading no further than single dad because that’s the thing I’ve been wanting to read constantly lately. Turns out I maybe should have read on a bit to mentally prepare myself. However, I will say that Morgenthaler provides a list of content warnings at the front of this book and is pretty careful with her readers and this book overall has a lot of softness wrapped around the tragic situation facing our main characters. So let me tell you a bit about the book.
On the day Sienna Maple's divorce is final, her best friend, Jess (they/them), has an advertisement drawn up advertising for Sienna's husband for hire. Guy respond to the ad, because he is quite desperate to have some stability for his daughter who is in Stage 5 renal failure. He needs to show that his life is stable so that his daughter can remain on the transplant list. Initially Sienna is like, "this is bananas, I cannot marry a stranger." And then, she obviously marries the stranger for Emma's sake. From there, the three of them slowly become a family, but also not too slowly because this book is paced fairly quick. In addition to Emma's health issues, Sienna is also dealing with the fact that her dad is in a long term care facility because of his dementia. So there's a lot of heaviness. Also, her ex-husband wasn't violent, exactly, but they did not have a good or safe feeling relationship.
Despite all of those circumstances, the relationship between Guy and Sienna is incredibly soft. The two of them care for one another deeply and do their best to make the other's life better. From making Sienna making Guy sandwiches to Guy helping feed the animals without being asked, the two of them truly do their best to improve the other's life and it's gorgeous. I also like the emphasis on loneliness and how physical affection can be so healing--specifically hugs.
This book is deeply emotional and also it had moments of feeling like being wrapped in a blanket. I'm sure this book is not for everyone, but all in all, I'm very glad I read it and I hope to read more from Morgenthaler in the future set in this town. The side characters were all intriguing and I really enjoyed getting to know them as well.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-ARC!...more
I listened to Second Night Stand and I enjoyed it! It's somehow simultaneously an easy read and a stressful one. I think that stems from the fact thatI listened to Second Night Stand and I enjoyed it! It's somehow simultaneously an easy read and a stressful one. I think that stems from the fact that this book takes a fun reality talent competition idea and pairs it with two characters who both desperately need either the money or the validation of winning the competition. Izzy, also known by her stage name Blue Lennox, has invested all of her money into a theatre to be a safe space for her burlesque troupe only to discover that the theatre is a money pit. She is also so convinced that she has to always be Blue Lennox and cannot just be Izzy. Then we have Lillian, a classically trained Black ballerina, whose mother has really convinced her that she cannot be anything less than perfect. Ever. Both of them are dealing with a lot of big emotions and angst because of their respective issues, which makes this book have a serious tone. At the same time though, the overall plot and the romance between the two feels more "Casual" by Chappell Roan coded. Like a will they won't they be serious about one another, if that makes sense. I enjoyed this book and am looking forward to the next book by these co-authors because I think they will likely improve in pacing and hopefully managing to strike a more consistent tone throughout the novel.
Thanks to Netgalley for the e-ARC, though I listened to this book via a copy I purchased myself. ...more
A Photo Finish is book two in Elsie Silver's Gold Rush Ranch series, and happens to be the book that introduces ViolThank you Netgalley for the e-ARC!
A Photo Finish is book two in Elsie Silver's Gold Rush Ranch series, and happens to be the book that introduces Violet, the sister of the Eaton boys who are the MMCs in the Chestnut Ridge series, which I (and everyone else) am obsessed with. For a while with this book, I was pretty sure it was going to be right up there with Heartless as a favorite book in the Elsie Silver series, but ultimately, nothing can actually top Cade Eaton and Willa for me. That said, this book brought the angst, the tension, and the full cast of found family that makes Elsie's writing shine, in my opinion.
Essentially, Violet and Cole had an online relationship wherein Violet had posted one artistic nude and Cole responded and they struck up a virtual friendship. Fast forward, and something went down and now Cole and Violet are both living at Gold Rush Ranch and they are... not getting along well. Throw in some forced proximity, a horse, and a lot of tension and eventually, the two of them manage to find their way to one another.
Important things to know about this book: First, Cole is a veteran and has a prosthesis that he refuses to let anyone know about and has a lot of internalized self-consciousness about it. I would call it ableism, but it doesn't exactly feel like that? But anyway, he's working through that throughout the book. Second, Cole's also dealing with PTSD, not just from the war, but from watching his dad die during a horse race. Given what Violet's career is (a jockey), there's some tension.
I loved the way this book takes a very reticent hero (Cole) who is so wildly reluctant to open up, to talk about his feelings, and puts him in situation after situation to let the way he can't stop caring shine through. And Elsie's plotting really shines through here because I am a huge fan of "romance reasons" but there's not a single bit of that here. The plot all makes sense, it doesn't feel like there's an author in the background manipulating things. Now, Billie (Violet's BFF) may be pulling some strings in the background, but that's another story. ;) I also adore the relationships between all the characters, main and side. I love the tension between Violet and Cole and loved even more when they eventually give into it. I think this book would have benefited from me reading it in dead tree form because there was a lot that I wanted to highlight and for some reason my ARC copy wasn't letting me do that.
(Also, also, there's a line from Cade in here that made me want to fling myself into his arms for a hug and also re-read Heartless, but I've resisted thus far.)...more
Christmas is All Around was like reading a Hallmark movie (with the addition of kissing and more) paired with Book Lovers in that the characters make Christmas is All Around was like reading a Hallmark movie (with the addition of kissing and more) paired with Book Lovers in that the characters make reference to the idea of tropes and things that they're experiencing at the same time. Set in London, Christmas is All Around follows Christmas grump, Charlotte, who starred in a Christmas movie when she was 9 and has genuinely hated it ever since. Now an artist, Charlotte would very much like to put her past acting career very far behind her, but the public's desire for a follow up movie has gotten very loud and out of control. So Charlotte moves from NYC to London to stay with her sister for six weeks before Christmas. Her sister's in-laws are staying in the apartment above them and Alice, the baby, is very loud and Charlotte is not necessarily much of a baby person. Pretty quickly, we wind up meeting our love interest at one of the various Christmas shenanigans Charlotte gets dragged along to and he is a stressed out boy. Graham is the oldest son and is now responsible for his crumbling estate and feels so much pressure. He also has two sisters and a best friend we get to know throughout the book. The two of them have a pretty immediate connection that neither of them quite know what to make of, but slowly, they let themselves explore whatever it is between them. Overall, I really enjoyed the book and appreciate Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy. ...more
I loved Cotugno's writing in Birds of California, which is the main reason why I requested this ARC. There's also the fact that I'm a huge Taylor fan I loved Cotugno's writing in Birds of California, which is the main reason why I requested this ARC. There's also the fact that I'm a huge Taylor fan and even though things that feel like fanfic of Taylor and Travis freaks me out in so many ways, I was still intrigued by the premise of Heavy Hitter on the basis of my love for her/them alone. Heavy Hitter is about Lacey Logan, who is a superstar who knows, objectively, how lucky and fortunate she is to have the life she does. She is strategic as all get out about her career (a singer) and channels a lot of Taylor attributes as far as that goes. She also, though, is pretty isolated and doesn't really have a best friend, unless you count her assistant whom she obviously pays. Lacey has a chance encounter with Jimmy Hodges, a professional baseball player (catcher), and the two of them really hit it off, both conversationally and in a sexy kind of way. Jimmy also gets his own perspective chapters and in those we learn about how he's struggling with retirement thoughts (reminded me a bit of Jason Kelce, tbh).
Even as I'm writing this review, I'm still trying to sort out how I feel about it overall. When I could turn off the part of my brain that wanted to compare everything Lacey said to Taylor Swift, things went pretty well for me and Heavy Hitter. My problems were when I couldn't quite separate myself from making those comparisons. And, in all fairness, I think that while Cotugno certainly draws from things that are probably inspired by Taylor, she gave Lacey a distinct personality. But then there would be things like Lacey talking about Easter eggs and I was like, "Taylor??" So, you know. But that's also not something that's going to bother everyone, so do with that what you will. I certainly don't think I would recommend this book to you if you actively dislike Taylor Swift, but maybe there's a sweet spot between enjoying her music and being a HUGE fan like I am where the enjoyment will be easier to find. Before I move away from the sort of negatives, let me get my biggest out of the way, which is, this book just ends!! It felt so abrupt. I was like, excuse me?? And then there's an epilogue but it didn't tell me anything I wanted to know. The agony, honestly.
Anyway, moving away from the negatives, what I loved about this book was Cotugno's writing. I think she's a fantastic writer, who uses language pretty sparsely in my opinion, but gets her thoughts across tremendously well. She is able to put things into words that I struggle to even get across in the sanctity of my own brain. So I really appreciate that aspect of this book. I also love the chronic pain that Jimmy deals with and how that is represented. I think we got the realities of his career in terms of the physicality required, but with Lacey we get more of the burdens of super fame and I would have liked to see a mix of that for both of them.
Overall, I enjoyed this book a lot, despite the things that didn't quite work for me. It won't be on my list of favorites at the end of the year, but I certainly wouldn't discourage anyone from picking it up.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-ARC. ...more
This has been my favorite Reese Ryan book to date. It's a second chance love story between Max and Quinn, who are unexpectedly reunited when Quinn becThis has been my favorite Reese Ryan book to date. It's a second chance love story between Max and Quinn, who are unexpectedly reunited when Quinn becomes the PR lead on a joint project between their two family's companies. It was an incredibly abrupt ending between the two of them and there's a lot of tension because Quinn is none too pleased to be around Max again, but she's also determined to excel at her job.
I don't know that I can fully articulate why I enjoyed this book so much, but it was just such a delight to read. I don't normally like second chance romances, but something about this one just really swept me away. I absolutely adored what Max did after their breakup, but I won't spoil anything. I loved seeing the family members in the background and I'm anxious for the next books in the series. I love Cole, but I think Reece Ryan is saving him for last.
I just really liked this one and would definitely recommend if you're in the mood for a quick category romance to hit the spot.
Thanks to Netgalley and Harlequin for the opportunity to read and review this book!
Merged review:
This has been my favorite Reese Ryan book to date. It's a second chance love story between Max and Quinn, who are unexpectedly reunited when Quinn becomes the PR lead on a joint project between their two family's companies. It was an incredibly abrupt ending between the two of them and there's a lot of tension because Quinn is none too pleased to be around Max again, but she's also determined to excel at her job.
I don't know that I can fully articulate why I enjoyed this book so much, but it was just such a delight to read. I don't normally like second chance romances, but something about this one just really swept me away. I absolutely adored what Max did after their breakup, but I won't spoil anything. I loved seeing the family members in the background and I'm anxious for the next books in the series. I love Cole, but I think Reece Ryan is saving him for last.
I just really liked this one and would definitely recommend if you're in the mood for a quick category romance to hit the spot.
Thanks to Netgalley and Harlequin for the opportunity to read and review this book!...more
To say that I didn't enjoy this book honestly feels like it might be an understatement. Lindo-Rice had me somehow inThanks to Netgalley for the e-ARC!
To say that I didn't enjoy this book honestly feels like it might be an understatement. Lindo-Rice had me somehow intrigued and also so convinced that these two characters needed to do a lot of either growing up or therapy on how to reckon with their own demons before they tried to have a relationship built on the ground of Maddie working as Axel's assistant and feeling like she had no boundaries because he bulldozed over them. I somehow liked neither of the characters and so while I was pleased to see character growth from beginning to end, I couldn't really believe it? It felt unearned somehow. I wish I knew how to better explain what I mean, but these characters felt so two-dimensional. They were certainly struggling with real things. Axel is a celebrity and used to other people catering to his whims. He's kind of an awful boss in that regard, although he tries to make up for it with expensive gifts he mostly lets Maddie pick out for herself. And Maddie is deeply insecure and lets Axel run right through her boundaries and then gets mad at him constantly for doing so. And I can understand why, but it was something about the way the two communicated that really kept me from buying into their shifting dynamic. That said, the writing was certainly compelling and it kept me reading, so I would still recommend it. I'm definitely inclined to try Lindo-Rice again in the future, but I may look a little more into what the tropes are before I do!
Merged review:
Thanks to Netgalley for the e-ARC!
To say that I didn't enjoy this book honestly feels like it might be an understatement. Lindo-Rice had me somehow intrigued and also so convinced that these two characters needed to do a lot of either growing up or therapy on how to reckon with their own demons before they tried to have a relationship built on the ground of Maddie working as Axel's assistant and feeling like she had no boundaries because he bulldozed over them. I somehow liked neither of the characters and so while I was pleased to see character growth from beginning to end, I couldn't really believe it? It felt unearned somehow. I wish I knew how to better explain what I mean, but these characters felt so two-dimensional. They were certainly struggling with real things. Axel is a celebrity and used to other people catering to his whims. He's kind of an awful boss in that regard, although he tries to make up for it with expensive gifts he mostly lets Maddie pick out for herself. And Maddie is deeply insecure and lets Axel run right through her boundaries and then gets mad at him constantly for doing so. And I can understand why, but it was something about the way the two communicated that really kept me from buying into their shifting dynamic. That said, the writing was certainly compelling and it kept me reading, so I would still recommend it. I'm definitely inclined to try Lindo-Rice again in the future, but I may look a little more into what the tropes are before I do!...more
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