If you loathe instalove then beware, this book is probably not for you. It takes place over a handful of days leading up to ChristmasRating: 3.5 stars
If you loathe instalove then beware, this book is probably not for you. It takes place over a handful of days leading up to Christmas, and the leads basically go from virtual strangers to soulmates in 0.2 seconds. There is some relationship development - it's not a fated mates, love at first sight thing - but the development is definitely very fast-tracked. If you're into characters who are the fish out of water type finally finding their kindred spirit, then you'll love this book.
I don't really remember Pearl much from the rest of the series - which I suppose it one of the main aspects of her character, haha. She sort of falls to the background in the rest of the series behind her much louder sisters. It was lovely getting to know her a bit better. Owen seems like a nice enough chap, but there doesn't seem to be a whole lot to his character besides he's kind of grumpy and his entire personality seems to be doing things for others. But he has a corgi named Mr. Shorty, so I suppose he's a keeper!
This is a fluffy, cozy little holiday novella good for curling up with alongside some cocoa on a snowy winter's evening. A nice little nightcap on the rest of the series.
This is book 4.5 in the Duke's Daughter's series, and is a holiday novella that takes place at the end of the series. It can be read as a stand-alone, though readers of the full length novels in the series will appreciate the true depth of the wackiness of Pearl's sisters!
A digital ARC of this book was provided by the publisher via Edelweiss+ for review. All opinions are unbiased and my own.
If you loathe instalove then beware, this book is probably not for you. It takes place over a handful of days leading up to Christmas, and the leads basically go from virtual strangers to soulmates in 0.2 seconds. There is some relationship development - it's not a fated mates, love at first sight thing - but the development is definitely very fast-tracked. If you're into characters who are the fish out of water type finally finding their kindred spirit, then you'll love this book.
I don't really remember Pearl much from the rest of the series - which I suppose it one of the main aspects of her character, haha. She sort of falls to the background in the rest of the series behind her much louder sisters. It was lovely getting to know her a bit better. Owen seems like a nice enough chap, but there doesn't seem to be a whole lot to his character besides he's kind of grumpy and his entire personality seems to be doing things for others. But he has a corgi named Mr. Shorty, so I suppose he's a keeper!
This is a fluffy, cozy little holiday novella good for curling up with alongside some cocoa on a snowy winter's evening. A nice little nightcap on the rest of the series.
This is book 4.5 in the Duke's Daughter's series, and is a holiday novella that takes place at the end of the series. It can be read as a stand-alone, though readers of the full length novels in the series will appreciate the true depth of the wackiness of Pearl's sisters!
A digital ARC of this book was provided by the publisher via Edelweiss+ for review. All opinions are unbiased and my own.
Did I start reading Christmas romances on Halloween this year? MAYBE, DON'T JUDGE ME. Warren would understand me, haha.
I'm actually kind of mad at thDid I start reading Christmas romances on Halloween this year? MAYBE, DON'T JUDGE ME. Warren would understand me, haha.
I'm actually kind of mad at this book, because it was SO GOOD and now it's OVER. HOW DARE.
I fell so hard for Warren and his totally bonkers, totally lovable family. I also really liked Reed once he removed the candy cane stick from his Grinchy butt, lol. The chemistry between Warren and Reed is SO GOOD, with Warren basically crushing hard from moment one and Reed being mildly surprised at his late-in-life bi-awakening. This book is very low angst, so come for the Christmas hijinks and stay for the cuddles and eggnog-flavored condoms. Also, I'm not sure how Lee Blair does it, but this book is somehow sort of a slow-burn instalove story? It doesn't make sense but it's SO GOOD, AHHH.
If you love hilarious moments, Peppermint mochas, abundant Christmas cheer, and cozying up on a couch with a couple of dachshunds to watch Christmas movies, this is the book for you! (Also, are there actually people who haven't seen Empire Records? I don't buy it, sounds fake to me.)
24 Dares of Christmas is a standalone, but it's set in the same world as Lee Blair's Tap That Brewery series as well as the novella (I think it's Perfect Blend. This was my first book by Lee Blair, but you'd better believe the first book in the Tap That Brewery series, Pitcher Perfect. is next on my TBR!! To my knowledge, this book doesn't have any spoilers for the other set in the same world.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are unbiased and my own.
This might be one of the hottest romances I've ever read, especially considering it's such a slow burn. I also sobbed through an entire chapter and a This might be one of the hottest romances I've ever read, especially considering it's such a slow burn. I also sobbed through an entire chapter and a half. What I'm saying, go read this glorious book. ...more
Holy Hannah this book is hot! This is an age gap and hurt/comfort slow burn romance with one of my personal faves - a doggy catalyst Rating: 4.5 stars
Holy Hannah this book is hot! This is an age gap and hurt/comfort slow burn romance with one of my personal faves - a doggy catalyst to the romance! Haha. Despite being a hurt/comfort and being a lot about Garrick's very difficult physical recovery after a serious injury, the overall tone of the book is quite upbeat and cute.
I adore the chemistry between Garrick and Rain, and I might aspire to basically be Rain's grandma when I grow up. I also really appreciate the disability rep in High Heat - I would love to see more disabled MCs in romances (and, let's face it, in all genres). There are some VERY steamy sex scenes in this one too, if that's your jam.
This is the second book in the Hotshots series, but can be read as a standalone. I think there are some spoilers for the first book in the series, Burn Zone, which also includes Garrick getting injured I think. I definitely plan to go back and read the first book, since I started with this one.
A digital ARC of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley for review. All opinions are unbiased and my own.
Always a Bridesmaid would make a really good rom-com movie. There are some really great moments, like when Violet tries to light her wedding plan bindAlways a Bridesmaid would make a really good rom-com movie. There are some really great moments, like when Violet tries to light her wedding plan binder on fire and the expression on Ford's face every time the battered (and slightly burnt) thing makes an appearance, that would just be REALLY great in a movie. And I adore the whole vibe on tomboy Addie and her "bridesdude/man of honor" pulling down the high-brow tone of the wedding planning events like picking out the dress or deciding a color/flowers/cake, and Lexi just throwing her hands up in southern belle exasperation at them with Violet being a bridge for their group. Also, who doesn't love a rom-com with some cute German Shepherd puppies in it? Wedding planning, puppies, a will-they/won't-they relationship... It's perfect! This whole book just has this great feel-good rom-com movie vibe to it and I need it to be a movie post-haste!
It's not all fluff and frosting though - Violet and Ford have some fairly difficult backstories, and both need to deal with their dads (who have starring roles in said stories) throughout the course of the book. I appreciate the personal growth they both go through, though a couple of times I wanted to slap Ford upside the head because he was being an idiot. I do wish his plotline with his family had been a little more resolved. It's awesome how many different relationships are navigated and the growth we get to see throughout this book, not just the romance between Violet and Ford but also Violet's relationship with her sister and her father/stepmother and Ford's friend group's shifting dynamic as one friend marries outside the friend circle and another couple within the group connect romantically and what that means for them all. In addition to being an EXCELLENT romance, Always a Bridesmaid looks at what it means to be friends and family as well.
This is the second book in the Getting Hitched in Dixie series, but can be read as a stand alone. I really disliked the first book for some reason, and you don't need it to get the full benefit of this next book in the series. Still, if you want more of Addie and Lexi (and the crazy dude-bro group of guy friends that includes Addie), check out the previous book in this series, Just One of the Groomsmen.
An ARC of this book was provided by the publisher via Edelweiss+ for review. All opinions are unbiased and my own.
CW: death of a child (in the past, but remembered in detail on page), cancer (on page)
I'm definitely not kidding about the CWs - I normally struggle sCW: death of a child (in the past, but remembered in detail on page), cancer (on page)
I'm definitely not kidding about the CWs - I normally struggle some with kids in danger on TV shows and in movies, and didn't realize how hard this was going to hit me even though Jake lost his son prior to the events of the book taking place. I may have had to go hug my babies a couple of times reading this, so if that's triggering for you please be aware of what you're in for. This is a beautiful book but will definitely be difficult for some folks.
I was SO GLAD to return to Moonflower Bay (aka Matchmaker Bay) and all of the small town wackiness that goes on there. Fair warning though, this book is at time quite sad and heavy. I probably spent about a third of it leaking from the eyes because my heart hurt so much for Jake or for Nora or for them both. They develop this beautiful friendship that, much like the lake they love, has various moods - at times silly and playful, at times serious, always there supporting and buoying each other up.
Nora and Jake are often off in their own little bubble, as Jake doesn't seem to open up well to many people, so the focus of this book falls more on them and to some extent their small circle of friends. Because of this, there's a bit less focus on all the wacky town antics than in the previous book (though let's be real, there are still PLENTY of amazingly wacky town antics!) Jenny Holiday masterfully weaves themes of friendship, love, and grief into this amazing story about letting go, holding on, and letting love lead you forward.
This is the second book in the Matchmaker Bay series, and can be read as a stand alone with some minimal spoilers for the first book, Mermaid Inn. There's also a bit of set-up for the third book, which I CAN. NOT. WAIT. FOR.
An ARC of this book was provided by the publisher for review. All opinions are unbiased and my own.
I love a good enemies to lovers romance, because both hate and love require such passion, and there can be such a fine line between the two. After allI love a good enemies to lovers romance, because both hate and love require such passion, and there can be such a fine line between the two. After all, the opposite of love isn't hate, it's indifference. And so much of the animosity between Sara and Colton seems to stem more from misunderstandings and fear than from actual dislike of each other. This book was like rolling in enemies to lovers catnip and it was g-l-o-r-i-o-u-s.
If you've read others reviews I've written, you'll see me say over and over again that the best romance novels are based on more than just the relationship between the lead characters; they also feature personal growth on the part of one or both main characters as well as featuring storylines around and development of the relationship between the lead characters and the other people in their lives. Miranda Liasson gives the reader so much of this in Then There Was You, and it's beautiful. Sara comes home to be with her aging grandmother, who is suffering from dementia and they're losing her a bit at a time, so Sara and her family have to deal with what that's like. Sara and her siblings also lost their mother to cancer when Sarah was a preteen, and there are several aspects of the storyline dealing with Sara and her younger sister Gabby and their quest to find ways to be closer to their deceased mother, as well as Sara and her relationship with her stepmother. She also joined her Dad's family medical clinic when she moved home, so that's a whole other familial relationship to navigate and grow. Then there's the whole matter of her fiance leaving her 2 days before their wedding the year before... And that's just Sarah, and that's not everything! Then there's Colton, whose police father was shot while on duty when he was young, then his mother drank herself to death leaving him in the care of his grandmother and to take care of his 12-years-younger sister - who is now 18 and a woman on the cusp of adulthood. Drama drama drama.
Needless to say, this isn't "just a sex book," and anyone who tries to tell you that romance novels are shallow or meaningless, this is one to throw at their head and be like "Try actually READING a romance novel before you decide they don't talk about any real, deeper issues." That being said, this book has some very hot sex scenes as well. I also love how completely open, candid and natural Sara and Colton are with each other - their chemistry is amazing and hot but at the same time so comfortable and down to earth. And then one of them would say or do something that would set the other one's insecurities off and it would be sparks and catfighting all over again, and it was hot and cold like hot caramel over ice cream. YUMMY.
Then There Was You is the first book in the Angel Falls series and can be read as a stand alone. From the blurb online, it looks like the second book, The Way You Love Me, will be about Sara's sister Gabby, who is a side-character in this book.
An copy of this book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I kept picturing Sadie as Rosa from Brooklyn99. So now that you've got that mental picture in your head, we can continue with the revRating: 3.5 stars
I kept picturing Sadie as Rosa from Brooklyn99. So now that you've got that mental picture in your head, we can continue with the review!
I love a good enemies to lovers romance, and Sadie and Caleb sure have that great antagonistic spark that can only be born from the friction of great attraction. There's not really any reason WHY they should so deeply dislike each other though, and really the "enemies" dynamic of their relationship seems to be all surface. I'm curious if they have more run-ins in the other books in this series that help build up that dynamic more. While I've read some of the other books in the series, I've read them in a completely random order and there are just SO MANY CHARACTERS, I can’t keep track of them all.
Playing for Keeps does have my most favorite element of a romance novel, and that's plotlines and development outside of the romance relationship between the lead characters. Sadie has some personal growing to do, learning not to self-sabotage or to run from her fears, as well as working on her relationship with her family. And then Caleb also has his own personal journey to go through, learning to have a good work-life balance and that he doesn't need to keep making up for his vulnerable past.
The Sadie and Caleb interactions are also super amazing. Their chemistry is great, and I love how constantly surprised Sadie is by him. Caleb is basically perfect - sexy, brilliant, endlessly patient, but with a rough and dirty edge, and then he's a little emotionally distant and damaged and disconnected just so he's not TOO perfect. And everytime Sadie pushes him away, expecting him to push back and he just backs off… *heart shattering sound effects* I smiled so much reading this book, but I also moaned aloud in pain a few times.
Playing for Keeps is the seventh book in the Heartbreaker Bay series, and can be read as a stand-alone. I don't think there are any major spoilers for earlier books (other than who ends up with who, because as book 7 there are of course 6 other couples in the series, most of whom show up as side characters in this book). Given how heavily Ivy featured in this book, I'm going to guess that the next book in the series, Wrapped Up In You, will be about her - which I am so there for!
An ARC of this book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I really appreciate that Debbie Burns gives her characters so many flaws and dimensions and makes them so *real* and relatable. The cRating: 3.5 stars
I really appreciate that Debbie Burns gives her characters so many flaws and dimensions and makes them so *real* and relatable. The characters she writes are so damaged and broken in so many ways, and their flaws are what make them truly special and beautiful. Tess especially comes from a pretty tough background, but the love she has with her Nonna is so great. (And oh my gosh, her Nonna is giving Patrick a run for his money as my favorite character in this series! Where do I get myself a Nonna like that?) She's also got such grit, and just keeps picking herself up and pushing on through, and it's wonderful. I want to hug her and squeeze her and buy her a macbook too.
Then Mason is learning some hard lessons (and Georges is basically his like a fairy godmother, no? I love Georges. Nonna and Georges forever! Debbie Burns gives such good side character...) and while he's made some mistakes he's also got this just solid gold good corn-fed Iowa boy thing going on, and mmpfh. Yummy. Get you a man who names his stray dog after Tolkien, because *melt*.
For all that I loved Tess and Mason individually (and all of the side characters), as I'm writing this review I can't actually recall much about their chemistry together. I feel like there was a lot of telling and not much showing - like them both having some connection to Tolkien's line in the poem about "All who wander are not lost." Clearly that line resonated really deeply with both of them, but as a reader that fact was just told to me and didn't register on an emotional level. So while I really liked this book and the characters, it was missing a certain something/spark/chemistry between Mason and Tess to make it really connect with me and be a WOW POW 5 STAR! read for me.
My Forever Home is the third book in the Rescue Me series, but can be read as a stand alone. There are some minor (reading the back-cover-blurb-level) spoilers for the second book in the series, Sit, Stay, Love, but you don't need to read the series in order to enjoy this book. Characters from the first books in the series show up as side characters in this one (and I'm still holding out for Patrick to be an MC in a later book in the series, PLEASE!) My Forever Home is written in the third person limited POV and alternates between giving the reader a deeper insight into Tess and Mason's POV, and is a "clean" romance with a fade-to-back on the more suggestive content. ...more
When I picked up Consumed it was with the impression that it was a suspense/thriller novel, as it was in fact listed under the genre Mysteries & ThrilWhen I picked up Consumed it was with the impression that it was a suspense/thriller novel, as it was in fact listed under the genre Mysteries & Thrillers. While there are some mystery/thriller elements to this book, it reads much more like a contemporary romance or romantic suspense than a mystery thriller. Even then for a book billed as a thriller/suspense, the book is 408 pages and there's really no true suspense until page 339. That's 83% of the way into the book before the action and danger actually kicks in, for all you math nerds. Now, maybe that's because this is the first book in the series. While some elements of the suspense/mystery/detective plotline are wrapped up, there are definite larger, over-arching plot elements that are left unresolved. I imagine that those elements will be a larger plot that is uncovered and revealed throughout the course of the series. As it stands though, this doesn't really read as a mystery/thriller to me. Happily, however, mysteries and thrillers aren't my usual genre, while romance IS, so I wasn't too terribly bummed by the bait-and-switch.
The blurb on the inside of the front cover bills this as "an arson investigator hunting down a deadly serial killer setting fires throughout her hometown" and it's just... it's just so not that at all. A couple of vagrants died in some fires, most of which happened before she became an arson investigator. There is no serial killer... There IS a rather grisly murder and fire (possible arson? it's never really resolved?) that's touched on briefly and then kind of goes nowhere that was just sort of... confusing? I haven't read anything else by J.R. Ward so I don't know enough to know if that will come back in a later book and is carefully and cleverly planted to put down roots and grow fruit later, or if it's just totally random. WHO KNOWS?!
Despite this book being outside my usual genre, and then surprise actually in my usual overall genre but a subgenre I don't typically care for (I don't like romantic suspense), I still really enjoyed this book. It was really compellingly written, and the characters felt real and flawed and I cared about what was happening with them. The book is written in the third person limited POV and switches from following several different characters so the reader gets a deeper dive into the feelings and motivations of a few different characters in the book, including Anne, the ex-firefighter who lost her hand in a job gone bad and is trying to pick up the pieces in her new career as an arson investigator, and her old flame (pun intended) and fellow firefighter Danny, who has a whole closetful of his own skeletons. Anne and Danny obviously drew me in as the characters around whom the romantic plot revolved, but what keeps me from going "YOU GUYS, this is clearly just a romantic suspense novel" is that we also get that third person limited POV from a couple of other characters. There's Anne's brother Tom, the Fire Chief and kind of a dick who has some issues of his own to work out. Judging by his weird hot-and-cold chemistry with the mayor, I'm assuming he's going to be the "lead" of another book in the series, because in all honesty this book was ABOUT Anne and Danny, and everybody else was side characters even if there were sections that focused on some others. There was also some focus on Rizzo, another firefighter who works at a different station than Anne and Danny, under Tom's command (from what I gathered?) So maybe Rizzo will be another focus as the series continues.
I really love how much all of the characters develop over the series, especially Anne and Danny. Anne has to learn to live her life with the loss of her left hand, to learn new ways of doing things and also to learn to love her body for what it can do and for how strong and resilient it is. There's a lot of fear and shame she needs to overcome and she truly grows as a character - plus, she's totally bad ass. Danny also has a lot of his own shit to deal with, and throughout the book the characters deal with grief, disability, depression, substance abuse, psychiatric care, burnout... There are a LOT of issues brought up, and I think it's great that they're addressed in very real ways, even if those real ways are even just having the character admit how uncomfortable they are talking about them. There are also some sort of problematic moments when it comes to some of the sex scenes, but I guess I'm not going to complain about "He put his sex into hers" today, as this review is long enough at this point!
I really enjoyed reading Consumed, and I look forward to reading the next book in the series and seeing where J.R. Ward takes it from here. ...more
Like Cats and Dogs has a very Odd Couple vibe. Laura is the Oscar to Spencer's Felix; she is messy and he's neat, she's a dog person Rating: 3.5 stars
Like Cats and Dogs has a very Odd Couple vibe. Laura is the Oscar to Spencer's Felix; she is messy and he's neat, she's a dog person and he's a cat person, she likes loud pop music and pizza and he likes Vivaldi on vinyl and is doing a raw diet. I love the opposites-attract aspect of this book, and I'm tagging it at enemies to lovers even though they're not really ENEMIES, but sort of, but not...?
I love the Laura and Spencer are both on a bit of a personal growth journey, and there's a lot of give and take and learning, both about each other and learning to love oneself. I love that they end up lifting each other up (but it's based on a Hallmark Channel Original Movie, so is that surprising?) It's a little tropey/cliché. They both rent the same vacation house and NONE of the hotels nearby accept pets/have an opening? Really? OK, fine, willing suspension of disbelief engaged... That being said, I really loved the personal growth both Laura and Spencer went through as they realized things about themselves and their pasts that were keeping them trapped, and then they both work to break free of the things that are binding them.
The bad: The last quarter or so of the book gets kind of messy, with him being mad at her and then suddenly fine at the exact second she's suddenly mad at him, and vice versa, which is lame and I didn't appreciate it. It also lost a star for me because they're sharing this house for two weeks and suddenly they're super in love? OK... Except SPENCER YOU HAVE A GIRLFRIEND. I don't care if your relationship is luke warm, I just don't appreciate a hero that lies to his girlfriend and then falls in love with another girl while he's in a relationship. Uncool. Also the epilogue events happened stupidly suddenly, which was a turn off for me.
Added back half a star for this bit of inclusiveness: "People of all genders had been matched together." Love the non-binary inclusive language there. I think there was also mention of a man and his boyfriend/husband buying some art that was super casually thrown in there, which again, I appreciated. It was enough to round my Goodreads rating up to 4 stars instead of down to 3 for the 3.5 star rating on this book. Honestly, if the epilogue hadn't been included, it would have been a solid 4 star read for me.
That being said, it was a fun read and engaging and well-written. This is definitely a fun summer romance for a beach read or a quick read while on vacation. Like Cats and Dogs is fun and light-hearted with main characters I found myself rooting for. ...more
This was just st so short that it felt kind of rushed and I just didn’t have time to connect with the characters. I’m sure I’d have enjoyed it a lot bThis was just st so short that it felt kind of rushed and I just didn’t have time to connect with the characters. I’m sure I’d have enjoyed it a lot better if I’d read other full novels from the series. (This is Book #1.5, a novella.) I did like how each chapter starts with a flashback to their relationship 10 years ago....more
I was in a book slump and had already picked up and rejected several books; then I picked up Three Day Fiancée and didn't put it down until I'd finishI was in a book slump and had already picked up and rejected several books; then I picked up Three Day Fiancée and didn't put it down until I'd finished it. From the moment Caitlin and Taylor meet, their relationship is pure romantic comedy gold. As with any book that focuses on the pretend engagement trope, the plot requires a certain suspension of disbelief, but isn't some element of the fantastic what you want out our your rom-coms? (Because it's definitely what I want out of mine.) And from Caitlyn's no good, horribly, very bad day she's having when she meets Taylor; to the scavenger hunt and games of truth or dare at Grams' anniversary weekend party; to the zany antics at the Animal Attraction's first annual pet shelter fundraiser ball, this book sure delivers!
Caitlin is a great leading lady, and it's amazing how real she is being strong, sexy, and funny and at the same time so damaged and vulnerable because of the scars of her past. And Taylor. *Dreamy sigh* I think Fiona says it best: "Right… Nobody likes a guy who treats his dog like a family member and adores his grandmother and little sister." Taylor is just swoon worthy, and I love how patient he is with Caitlin's steam trunk of baggage. I fell in love with Taylor's family every bit as hard as I fell in love with the main characters, which made for a really enjoyable read. They're all so fun, and I found myself grinning like a moron through pretty much this entire book.
This is the second book in the Animal Attraction series, but can be read as a stand alone. There aren't spoilers for the first book, Dear Jane, as far as I could tell, though Jane is a side-character in this book. I assume the third book will be about the third founder of Animal Attraction, the painfully shy Fiona, and I can NOT wait to read that. It also has mention of or brief appearances by the characters from an earlier series, the Anderson Brothers: Sleeping with the Boss (Anderson Brothers #1), Neighbors with Benefits (Anderson Brothers #2), and Chance of a Lifetime. Upon finishing this book I immediately went and bought all four of these books, and I think that says more about how amazing Three Day Fiancée was than any review ever can. ;)
I appreciated how realistic this story seemed. So many romances are about two super-hot main characters, but this one is about a somewhat gangly (but I appreciated how realistic this story seemed. So many romances are about two super-hot main characters, but this one is about a somewhat gangly (but still lean and hot, don't get me wrong) runner-slash-book hoarder and a short, muscular ex-cop with a knee injury and some extra pudge around his middle. Elliot and Simon are both flawed, which makes them much more real and accessible. Elliot has his horrible past relationship and his book hoarding tendencies, while Simon has his bum knee and hasn't come out to his family yet, and they both are trying to figure out what to do with their futures now that their past plans have been smashed to smithereens. Their first dates are awkward and their sex is sometimes bumbling and messy (and not in the sexy-messy way, but in a much more normal every day sort of way). It's like instead of reading some glossy highly-idealized romance with a shirtless Fabio on the cover, you're reading the story of your neighbor down the street. It's fantastic and a really refreshing point of view.
I love that Elliot builds his little neighborhood library to help with his book hoarding tendencies, and that the start to find ways to deal with his pain and his problems besides buying more books. As something of a book hoarder myself, and someone who finds comfort in buying more books even though my physical TBR bookshelf is taking over my house (to say nothing of the books I've actually read, and let's not even think about the virtual mountains of ebooks…) I really connected to Elliot. And as a passionate reader, I felt so touched and proud right along with him when people showed such an active interest in his little library and his books. As part of the bookish community, I also know this connection with other people who love books as much as I do, and how such an introverted hobby can be turned into something so wonderful to connect with other like-minded people. I also felt heartbroken with Elliot when someone vandalizes his library, and had a stupid smile on my face at the resolution of this story. I became so emotionally invested in the lives of these people who could totally be my neighbors (if, y'know, they didn't live in California and I lived half the country away in Minnesota, not to mention that they're fictional… but that's just semantics).
*I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review....more
I really appreciated a heroine who is very thin. I feel like there are more and more plus-sized heroines, which as a plus-sized gal myself I really loI really appreciated a heroine who is very thin. I feel like there are more and more plus-sized heroines, which as a plus-sized gal myself I really love and appreciate. I don't see many books featuring a heroine at the opposite end of the spectrum, so I loved that Fiona is almost painfully thin despite having a very healthy appetite. As someone who struggled with depression, I also really connected with Fiona and her own struggles with what I interpreted as depression and possibly OCD. What a fantastically multi-layered and non-traditional heroine!!
The house party/competition aspect of the plot was great, and reminded me a bit of Lenora Bell's How the Duke Was Won. Again I found myself loving Fiona, with her vast practical knowledge and rather dry wit. The other "competitors" were more caricatures than real characters, but that sure made for fun reading! I love that Fiona and Alisdair don't have the insta-love or even insta-lust that you see in so many romance novels, but instead have a slow warming toward each other, with several set-backs due to understandings and insecurities. The last quarter or third of this book had tears just streaming down my cheeks and my heart aching in my chest, which I love in a romance novel (as long as there's a HEA at the end!). I love the vulnerabilities of both main characters, their journies and their growth. And then there is this:
"But fear, I know, isn't always a rational thing." He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it. "If you wish, I'll teach you. If you trip, I'll catch you. And if you prefer not to, I won't persist."
Well swoon, Alisdair.
This is the second book in The Penhallow Dynasty series, but it can be read as a stand alone. The first book is about a distant cousin of Alisdair's and has only a very brief passing mention in this book. There are no spoilers for the first book, You May Kiss the Bride, in this book, so you're also totally safe to go back and read book 1 spoiler-free.
This book was great on so many levels. Kelsey and Kurt are both great characters dealing with issues from their pasts, as well as trying to do their bThis book was great on so many levels. Kelsey and Kurt are both great characters dealing with issues from their pasts, as well as trying to do their best to get through each day and build a better future. I love Kelsey's history with depression, her rainbow color-of-the-day T-shirts, and how she takes one of the shelter dogs home with her each night. I appreciate the amount of diversity in this book - Kurt is dealing with PTSD, Kelsey struggles with depression, Patrick (a wonderful side character) has Asperger's.
The romance storyline doesn't really feel front and center of this book to me. It splits its focus on Kurt dealing with his PTSD, his family issues, and the loss of his grandmother; running rehab for 37 dogs rescued from a dog fighting ring in a falling apart mansion, with a specific focus on a few of the individual dogs' stories, as well as issues with protesters and the like; the relationship with Ida (another really great side character). There are also many themes of fate in this book, which at times got a little sappy for me. The sex scenes are also told in a very fade-to-black manner, so this book is definitely more sweet than steamy. At times it got a little too saccharine sweet for me, which is what inevitably made me rate it 4 stars instead of 5. The writing is great, I loved the characters and the world they built, and this book make me want to go adopt a cat exactly like Mr. Longtail.
This is the second book in the Rescue Me series, but can be read as a stand alone novel. The first book, A New Leash on Love, is about Megan and Craig who do feature some as side characters in this novel, but the spoilers are really limited to things you already know from reading romance (i.e. that they wind up together and live happily ever after). There is also some set up that makes me really hopeful that the next book will be about Tess and Patrick.
*I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.
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