The cover? Stunning. Unfortunately I didn't really connect to the story.
I can tell when I'm not connecting because I'll be flipping from the Kindle apThe cover? Stunning. Unfortunately I didn't really connect to the story.
I can tell when I'm not connecting because I'll be flipping from the Kindle app to TikTok... Instagram... Reddit... every few pages.
I think the story had a lot of potential but I had a lot of questions that seemed to be resolved in one big infodump at the end. Also, he's a spider but spends the entire book (his time with her) in human form. C'mon! Monsters are fun! ...more
I loved book 1 in this series and was so excited for book 2... but this one fell so, so flat.
Both Dean and Solange felt two dimensional to me, and thI loved book 1 in this series and was so excited for book 2... but this one fell so, so flat.
Both Dean and Solange felt two dimensional to me, and the way they spoke and thought (their inner monologues) were so cringe I kept rolling my eyes. After a while I was like... what am I reading?...more
Not every book you read has to be a new favorite, with groundbreaking plots and gorgeously written prose. There's something to be said for the books tNot every book you read has to be a new favorite, with groundbreaking plots and gorgeously written prose. There's something to be said for the books that are like a PB&J - satisfying, comforting, familiar.
I related to a lot of different parts of this book. The hero, Matt, is Filipino like me. While I didn't grow up surrounded by extended family, I could relate to the pressure and perennial closeness you feel to the people you're related to. Also, the "nice to your face, rude behind your back" act his family had for girlfriends they didn't like.
Candace is what some would call an unlikeable heroine. She was actually very likeable and relatable to me but… she's not soft. She's not sweet. She's capable and smart and she knows it. She has pulled away from her family after the death of her mother and doesn't want to move home to take care of her dad, though it's what's expected of her. She's complicated, and her relationship with her family, her friends, her work … are not perfect.
So yes, I found her very relatable.
I read this book immediately after The Widow of Rose House, a historical romance with a paranormal twist that had really clever prose that fit the time period and style. This book was different, obviously, because it takes place in present day San Francisco. So I do think going from one to the other changed my initial thought of Circling Back to You, but by the end I found the easy to read writing and dialogue was part of the charm.
I didn't love the jump from friends to something more, because it almost felt too easy with too little lead up (she would barely admit they were close friends, and they didn't know each other outside of work). The plot was fairly predictable but enjoyable still, as Candace kicked ass and took names as she figured her shit out. ...more
I LOVE THIS SERIES. Kimberly Lemming, hear me now… I need 100 more. ASAP. Preferably Ambrose’s book and then Bash’s.
The whole world the author has crI LOVE THIS SERIES. Kimberly Lemming, hear me now… I need 100 more. ASAP. Preferably Ambrose’s book and then Bash’s.
The whole world the author has created is so genuinely fun. It’s fantasy, BUT it feels different from a lot of other fantasy series, where the life and death stakes are constantly reiterated and the book… the characters… the relationship… the dialogue are all super serious.
No, this series has drunken fights and silly banter, a heroine who reads shifter romance and tentacle porn. The world is just a lot more lighthearted, despite the high stakes. It makes fantasy fun.
So we open with the heroine Brie, who’s the best friend of Cinnamon (the heroine of book 1) being harassed in a bar by a human man attempting to “court” her. One thing leads to another and she throws a drink spiked with a love potion, only for it to hit Felix - the blonde werewolf from book 1. She’s horrified, he’s smitten - he swears they’re imprinting, she worries about him being unable to consent due to the love potion.
So while she’s trying to break the spell, he’s trying to convince her their love is 4 real. Oh, and some local ladies are disappearing.
Try it. You’ll like it!
She’d come around. I just had to be patient. Calm. Avoid dairy.
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“I promise not to ravish you in the night. We can put a wall of pillows up, if that would help.” She widened her eyes and nodded. “Oh, of course, a wall of pillows! The one true way to stop a werewolf! Why didn’t I think of that?”
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“Beloved, not that I don’t trust you with my life, but do you know what you’re doing?” “Not at all,” she said. “But Fallon said it was a do or die situation, so let’s give it a try.” “Wasn’t fucking our way out of this also an option?” “Fucking our way out is Plan B.”
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A low thumping sound knocked against the porch railing, but it was too dark to see what it was. “Alright,” he said. “Is your tail wagging?” I asked. “No.” The thumping stopped. He is strangely adorable for a monster. ...more
It’s a historical romance set in the US (Montana)… a mail order bride… a Black heroine… a throuple... and avaI absolutely loved the concept of this book.
It’s a historical romance set in the US (Montana)… a mail order bride… a Black heroine… a throuple... and available on Kindle Unlimited!
The writing was good. The premise, excellent. But this book quickly fizzled for me because the entire plot was “other woman” drama.
It’s funny… I haven’t read a book with “other woman” drama in so long I was completely caught off guard. I forgot that was even a thing. It wasn’t like jealousy over a past lover, it was like… the entire plot of the book was this other woman trying to insert herself in the heroine’s relationship with one of the guys, sowing seeds of doubt, and the hero was somehow oblivious. And even though the other hero knew, he did nothing to assuage the heroine’s feelings or talk to the other guy about it??
Also, the author said (on here, in an answer to someone’s question) that the heroes are bisexual and in love with each other. I really didn’t get that vibe. It was very MFM, no sword crossing, I can’t even remember if they kissed on page and I read this yesterday. ...more
I feel like Goldilocks because I read Everything's Better With Lisa first today and said it was too long... then I read this book (Gingerbread Kisses)I feel like Goldilocks because I read Everything's Better With Lisa first today and said it was too long... then I read this book (Gingerbread Kisses) and I'm going to complain it's too short... who do I think I am?!
This was cute. I liked the characters, and the quick dynamic between Mark and Liz's daughter, Maya. But the actual relationship was glossed over, because they had an initial date and then a few pages that summed up a few weeks up dating up to "I love you"'s. I don't need my characters to fall in love in a novella - you can leave that for the epilogue, or even open ended and not at all. But sometimes insta-love, especially with two brand new characters, feels... lacking....more
This is the longest book from Lucy Eden I've rea, the steamiest, and probably also my least favorite.
I think Lucy has mastered novella length storiesThis is the longest book from Lucy Eden I've rea, the steamiest, and probably also my least favorite.
I think Lucy has mastered novella length stories and this one kind of dragged for me. So much happened but it felt more mundane than exciting. And I know CJs a baby but he had basically no personality - I thought he was 2?
I read The New Year Resolution and this novelette, Together Again (both by the same author) back to back. Again, I think novelettes just might not be I read The New Year Resolution and this novelette, Together Again (both by the same author) back to back. Again, I think novelettes just might not be for me because it's kind of "blink and you'll miss it".
I'd love to read a longer story from this author....more
I've been jamming with novellas a lot this year but I think novelettes might be a little too short, unless they're pure steam (like The Husband SitterI've been jamming with novellas a lot this year but I think novelettes might be a little too short, unless they're pure steam (like The Husband Sitter by Jessa Kane).
This one had enough implied backstory to not hinder it (he's her best friends brother, she just bought a house near him, they've had a rocky relationship since they kissed and he shortly got back with his ex a year ago) - but I couldn't help feeling like nothing happened.
Also, there were a few grammatical errors.
I'm going to leave off a rating because I'm not sure how to rate it....more
This was a really cute, short, holiday novella. FYI there is no steam, which I didn't realize until after I finished, but it was totally fine without This was a really cute, short, holiday novella. FYI there is no steam, which I didn't realize until after I finished, but it was totally fine without it.
It's a friends to lovers story with hero pining, and hero going home with the heroine to be her fake boyfriend for the holidays...
I loved so much about this book! First of all, the cover… I mean it had to be said, it’s stunning - when I say I like illustrated covers THIS is what I loved so much about this book! First of all, the cover… I mean it had to be said, it’s stunning - when I say I like illustrated covers THIS is what I mean.
Then of course the setting and set up, not only on the island but the cast of characters we’re seamlessly introduced to. I think it helped that they’ve all basically grown up together so there’s a built in history. I’m excited for each to get their own book, the author set up a bunch of potential plots.
And yes: the food was all so wonderfully described. The heroine Cherisse is a baker and runs her own business, and I was constantly hungry while reading.
I really enjoyed both Cherisse and Keiran. Cherisse was cheated on by her ex, who’s in the music industry like Keiran, and that on top of rumors about Keiran’s reputation… and their long standing status as enemies means she’s not particularly warm to him. I actually enjoyed how closed off and nervous Cherisse was about getting involved, because I can so relate. Getting out of a bad relationship and swearing off men only to try a “lets hook up without feelings” thing? Yeah… sounds familiar to me my freshman year of college.
I didn’t love the third act conflict, mainly because lying will never do it for me. I also wish we got an epilogue, a flash forward of even just a month later to see them together, post-her sister’s wedding. But this was seriously a great and entertaining read, I’m super excited for book 2....more
Like 2.5/5 ... I’m feeling a little torn on this book.
I liked the premise of the series - Mistress Media is a billion dollar company founded and run bLike 2.5/5 ... I’m feeling a little torn on this book.
I liked the premise of the series - Mistress Media is a billion dollar company founded and run by women, who happen to all be lesbian/queer and running in the same BDSM circles. Each story follows a different woman’s love story.
I liked the premise for this book: Yvonne is a wealthy woman who would be wealthier if she married soon… her father’s will stipulated she’d get her inheritance if she married within 10 years of his death. She happens upon Ruby, an escort, in a Vegas bar, one thing leads to another… marriage of convenience.
There’s also a BDSM element, as Yvonne becomes Ruby’s dom/mistress.
Something was missing for me from this book. I read fast, and if a book clicks with me I will finish it ASAP. I read book drawn out over four days because I’d read a little bit and find myself flipping to something else, getting pulled into do something else… I was shocked it’s under 300 pages.
I feel like the emotional aspect of their relationship wasn’t there for me. When they were questioning their feelings or “in love” I didn’t really buy it because I didn’t think the groundwork was there - like time spent together, secrets shared, etc.
I did enjoy the writing and most of the pacing, so I’m going to check out more from this author in the future.
CW: homophobia, past abuse, consensual non-consent, BDSM, sex work...more
From page 1 I was captivated by Iris and Declan. There’s something so good about a strong and competent heroine, eThis book was SO. FREAKING. AMAZING.
From page 1 I was captivated by Iris and Declan. There’s something so good about a strong and competent heroine, especially one who doesn’t take shit from a brooding and abrupt hero. The banter between the two of them and among others was top notch.
The doctor checks the scans. “It looks like you have a boxer’s fracture. Her face brightens. “That sounds badass.” I glare at her. “Calm down, Muhammad Ali. I wouldn’t count today as a victory by any means.” The doctor’s eyes lighten. “Next time, avoid any initial contact on the fourth and fifth knuckles.” “Please don’t encourage her.”
I loved the tempo that the two of them fell in love. The attraction was there, bubbling under the surface, but I appreciated that Iris was the practical and pragmatic one - I’ve never understood when characters too quickly throw rules out the window for the sake of horniness. It made it feel so real, especially when Declan had to be the one to come to terms with his emotions first.
The amount of highlights I have in this book of all the sweet lines… I could cry. I rarely annotate physical books anymore but I want to get a physical copy just to highlight and tab it to heck. The words to express emotions was such a good touch… IYKYK.
I ended the book feeling very satisfied but if I had one tiny complaint it’s only that I wanted just a little more resolution to the book - I would have loved more details on what happened between Declan and his father, Declan and Dreamland Tokyo, Iris and going to college. ...more
This is the first romance I've ever read where a main character has a sibling with DownI'm kind of conflicted about this book!
Lets start with THE GOOD
This is the first romance I've ever read where a main character has a sibling with Down Syndrome. My younger sister has Down Syndrome and I immediately started crying when I read about Ani, Zahra's younger sister. I related a lot to Zahra for her relationship with Ani - wanting her to have independence; working with her on a program (in Zahra's case, a mentoring program; in mine, Special Olympics); and the importance of your partner getting along with and respecting your sibling. It just made me very very emotional. (As far as accurate representation goes, the spectrum is so wide there isn't one "right way" to portray a person with Down Syndrome. My sister is empathetic, tall (5'8"), can read chapter books to a middle or high school level, and can write - but I've worked with adults with DS who are nonverbal, or who cannot read. But I appreciated that Lauren didn't infantilize Ani.)
Also good was the setting. An obvious play on Disneyland, I definitely struggled at the beginning because I was picturing Zahra as a huge, stereotypical Disney Adult. But it's really a great setting for a romance novel because we as readers can imagine the theme park and culture around Dreamland so well.
The banter between Zahra and Rowan a lot.
When she's touring the theme park to get the "guest experience" and they go on rides together: "Why are you really spending so much time with me? Don't you have other things to do and people to torment?" He offers a noncommittal shrug. "Maybe I enjoy hearing your screams." "Freak."
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"Heartburn?" I prop my sunglasses back on my nose. "Yup." "Interesting. I always wondered if you had your heart surgically removed to save you the trouble." "I tried. Turns out the doctor didn't feel comfortable with the low survival rate." "Those cowards."
Okay onto the NOT AS GOOD
I don't know if I actually LIKED either of the main characters. So even if the story was perfect, I don't think I would've given this book a 5/5 because of that.
This book was a walking HR red flag. I love workplace romances but sometimes I struggle with them because the power imbalance is so wrong in real life. I know, I know - "it's not real" ... but I was an Executive Assistant for a few years so sometimes I'm sensitive. I think because Rowan was basically the owner / a face of the company, it made it feel a tad more icky... on top of that, he straight up lied to her about part of his identity, so that made it feel ickier.
He was an asshole! Repeatedly. And I don't think the groveling made up for it.
Last: I think when you make one of the issues/conflicts of your book capitalism and corporate greed... it really makes things complicated. So I applaud Lauren for tackling that very real issue - especially when you compare Dreamland to Disneyland, where tickets and annual memberships are rising and it feels it's getting more exclusive... but the "solution" at the end really felt like a bandaid. Like... yes it could theoretically help over time, but it was an oversimplified, idealistic solution that was slapped onto the story at the last minute to go, "poof! now everything is cool!" Maybe that's just a hazard when you have a book set around a company modeling itself after Disney? ...more
Archeron had never heard of a demon who had fallen - and so gently too - for a mortal. It felt impossible. Worse than that, it felt dangerous. I posteArcheron had never heard of a demon who had fallen - and so gently too - for a mortal. It felt impossible. Worse than that, it felt dangerous. I posted a TikTok where the woman made a joke about having sex with her sleep paralysis demon to my Instagram story and got several people recommending this book to me. Obviously, I was intrigued. I really liked the writing in this book, especially at the beginning - we're immediately pulled into the story, into Penelope's fear and anguish. The dynamic between her and the demon Archeron is instant and interesting... we learn as she does if he means to harm her, what he can do to her (wink wink nudge nudge), and how "real" it is. There's a list of content warnings before chapter 1 but the one I want to call out is consensual non-consent. "I'm going to make you scream.""No!""And no one is going to hear you.""God-"He leaned over her, his mouth on her ear. "God is the last person you should be asking for help." I think the story fell off a bit for me with the inclusion of the war plotline. I'm not sure if we'll be getting more demon's stories and that'll continue the overarching plot of the war between the two demon factions (I didn't fully get it), but it made this story feel a bit crowded to me. I think the plotline of Penny learning about Archeron and coming to terms with the murder of her father would have been sufficient, especially for a book this short (168 Kindle pages). I kind of glossed over the war bits and they didn't seem to come to anything....more
I do love a single parent romance, so I knew I was going to enjoy this one. There was an added emotional layer - it’s both Liz and John’s first ChristI do love a single parent romance, so I knew I was going to enjoy this one. There was an added emotional layer - it’s both Liz and John’s first Christmas without their spouses, who they each lost about six months ago. They’re accidentally double booked in the same cabin on the resort we saw in book 1 of the series, and they feel inexplicably drawn to one another.
Liz is a human with a shifter son who is also drawn to John, as a strong presence and potential teacher as they’re both wolf shifters.
Just a cute and low angst paranormal holiday romance!...more
It was very short, for one - only 130 Kindle pages - and it was split into two parts, the first from thThe way this book was written was SUPER unique.
It was very short, for one - only 130 Kindle pages - and it was split into two parts, the first from the heroine’s POV, the second from the hero’s.
The writing style was… kind of like storytelling. Like the character was recounting something that happened, rather than reacting to it in the moment. In some places it felt more like summarizing, but not (always) in a bad way*.
I enjoyed the competence of the heroine Aurora aka Rory, a go-getter and hard worker who knows how capable she is and easily handled her boss, Luis Pine. I’ve always felt conflicted about boss/assistant romances because I used to be an Executive Assistant and the actual power imbalance is dangerous, and the idea of hooking up with a boss is gross. Did I cringe at their accidental phone call? Yes. BUT, I liked the love story a lot, regardless.
*To finish: the ending was a bit rushed to me, but to be expected from a novella. And I thought that given the super short nature of the book, it was well done....more
We pick up getting dropped to the middle of the heroine, Ruby’s, problem: her father was cursed by a fox demon This 70 page story packed so much fun.
We pick up getting dropped to the middle of the heroine, Ruby’s, problem: her father was cursed by a fox demon and now all the weaponry he makes are horny and tell jokes. Within the first paragraph he’s striking a dagger on the anvil that is screaming, “Yeah, hit me harder, daddy!”
Yeah… buckle up! Because Ruby is setting off to make apologies to the fox shifter because no one wants to buy a sword that’s going to call them a tuna fish hoe, and her companion is a long sword that takes on the persona of “Alexis” and is equal parts sidekick and friend.
This was after Ruby told her sword she didn’t want to sleep next to the fox shifter because… it’s too intimate.
The sword let out a loud snort. “I love that you’re willing to let a man you just met clap those cheeks, but not those emotions. Respect.
This book was one that started off… not great for me. I really didn’t know if I was going to be able to get through it, because I kept leaving my KindThis book was one that started off… not great for me. I really didn’t know if I was going to be able to get through it, because I kept leaving my Kindle app to scroll on TikTok - a classic sign I wasn’t “jiving” with the book I was reading.
Then it got better… SO much better!
So what didn’t work for me at first? The author has a very quippy style of writing and fits in jokes all over - and a bunch were great, especially once the story between the hero and heroine started rolling. But at the opening of the story the heroine, Cinnamon, is drunk and wandering around her town’s festival, basically just being… drunk and obnoxious. That + meeting her family the next day (her siblings are Chili and Cumin) I was kind of like - “this is ridiculous.”
But I kept going and I’m SO glad I did.
This was definitely a “road trip romance” as Cinnamon and the hero Fallon are setting out to destroy chalices created by an old witch, that’s ruining the lives of other demons. The adventures they had on the way, the side characters we get to meet (like Felix and Ambrose), the banter between them - it was all so genuinely FUN.
The author was able to write this dark world where demons have been living as slaves or going insane as a lighter story - and I always think that when an author has the ability to do that, take a subject matter with dark materials and make it feel light to the reader, it’s so great.
CW: slavery, violence, attempted robbery/rape
Some of my fav quotes (minor spoilers below):
“I mean, I’m going to take you as my wife when this is all over.” “That wasn’t part of the deal, demon!” I imagine my retort would sound a lot stronger if it didn’t come out so desperately. “Then you shouldn’t have been so horribly interesting.”
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I leaned in closer and traced my fingers on his bicep. “Well, there is one thing I’d like you to do.” Returning his eyes, I peered up at him and batted my eyelashes. The stunned look on his face nearly made me lose my composure, but I held on. He recovered quickly and ran a hand down my side. “What might that be?” Unable to hold in the giggles any longer, I grabbed him by the horns and guided him to sit under the pouring water. “I want you to take a bath.” Then kneeling down next to him, I moved my lips next to his ear and whispered, “You stink.”
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“You’re just going to have me run around naked on this island?” I asked. “Of course not. I’m not a monster.” He paused his movements to glance up at me. “You can have a towel.” “My, how sweet of you.”...more
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