Categories: Romance, Young Adult, D&D, Contemporary
Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**
Thank you to Delacorte Romance for giving me a chance to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
From the author of the nationally bestselling Dungeons and Drama comes another gaming romance that’s sure to win you over!
After moving to a new high school, Quinn is desperate for friends, so she joins a D&D group with their own livestream and serious rules—most no dating fellow party members.
But when sparks fly with a cute but irritating player, and ex-friends from an old campaign start stirring up trouble, she’ll need to figure out where her loyalties—and heart—lie beyond the game.
Content Warning: bullying, cyberbullying
I LOVED Dungeons and Drama, and so I though I’d read this one by the same author. Here are my thoughts:
Likes:
+ If you like Dungeons & Dragons (the game), you will probably enjoy this book. I’m neutral about it. I loved it in the previous book because it combined the game and the drama kids. I think this one is just most about D&D, which gives me more insight into the game.
+ The romance is cute, Quinn has joined a D&D group but one person in the group, Logan, doesn’t seem to want her there. It’s only because he doesn’t want his attraction to her to disrupt the group. Also Quinn is trying not to let her past haunt her.
+ The friend group was fun and I thought Quinn’s grandma was quite a personality!
Dislikes:
~ I’m an older reader, so I might just be too old for this kind of book now but there were some angsty, dramatic stuff that made me laugh. This one is definitely for the teen readers!
~ I thought it was interesting how for the most part the attraction is held back but when they couldn’t fight it anymore, Logan was saying some heated stuff and I thought, whoa this guy is 16? That was a little off to me.
Final Thoughts:
Can I just say I love whoever did the book cover for this book and the last one? This is what some of the adult romance books need for their cover art, especially when they do the cartoonish designs. Overall, I didn’t enjoy this one as much as I loved Dungeons and Drama but I think teen readers will really like this one!
Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**
Thank you to Love Inspired Trade for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!
In the heart of occupied WWII Paris, an elegant fashion house is the unlikely headquarters of a daring resistance network. Behind closed doors, courageous women vie to save loved ones and strangers alike from the Nazis in this powerful story of survival, friendship and second chances.
France, 1942
Once, Paulette Leblanc spent her days flirting, shopping and drawing elegant dresses in her sketch pad. Then German tanks rolled into France, and a reckless romance turned into deep betrayal. Blaming herself for her mother’s arrest by the gestapo, Paulette is sent away to begin a new life in Paris, working as apprentice to fashion designer Sabine Ballard.
But Maison de Ballard is no ordinary fashion house. While seamstresses create the perfect couture gowns, clandestine deals and secrets take place out of sight. Mademoiselle Ballard is head of a vast network of resistance fighters—including Paulette’s coworker and friend Nicolle Cadieux—who help escort downed military men and Jewish families to safety.
Soon Paulette is recruited as a spy. Working as a seamstress by day, gathering information at glamorous parties by night, Paulette at last has a chance to earn the redemption she craves. But as the SS closes in and Nicolle goes missing, Paulette must make life-and-death decisions about who to trust, who to love and who to leave behind…
Likes:
+ This story is about a resistance based out of a fashion house in Paris during World War II. We follow a few characters, most of them women, who brave this time to help soldiers and Jews escape occupied Paris.
+ The women in this book are taking very scary chances to help others but also to survive themselves as they watch their country turn on one another during Nazis occupation. I love how woman has a different story but similar heartbreak as they do what they can in war time. It is admirable and inspiring to see these women band together and use what power they have to help people.
+ There were some scenes, very few scenes with romance in it and I enjoyed it because it signaled hope for a better time. A slim hope for a future when the war ends. There are some twists in the story that I really enjoyed
Dislikes:
~ I felt like the ending was rushed, especially where the romance is concerned.
Final Thoughts:
I thought this was a very good read especially in times like these. The story of these women and men and their bravery to help those in danger is inspiring. If you like historical fiction, you might like this one.
Categories: Young Adult, Horror, Thriller, Survival Camp, LGBT+
Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**
Thank you to Wednesday Books for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!
Yellowjackets meets Girl, Interrupted when a group of troubled teens in a wilderness therapy program find themselves stranded in a forest full of monsters eager to take their place.
Devin Green wakes in the middle of the night to find two men in her bedroom. No stranger to a fight, she calls to her foster parents for help, but it soon becomes clear this is a planned abduction—one everyone but Devin signed up for. She’s shoved in a van and driven deep into the Idaho woods, where she’s dropped off with a cohort of equally confused teens. Finally, two camp counselors inform them that they’ve all been enrolled in an experimental therapy program. If the campers can learn to change their self-destructive ways—and survive a fifty-days hike through the wilderness—they’ll come out the other side as better versions of themselves. Or so the counselors say.
Devin is immediately determined to escape. She’s also determined to ignore Sheridan, the cruel-mouthed, lavender-haired bully who mocks every group exercise. But there’s something strange about these woods—inhuman faces appearing between the trees, visions of people who shouldn’t be there flashing in the leaves—and when the campers wake up to find both counselors missing, therapy becomes the least of their problems. Stranded and left to fend for themselves, the teens quickly realize they’ll have to trust each other if they want to survive. But what lies in the woods may not be as dangerous as what the campers are hiding from each other—and if the monsters have their way, no one will leave the woods alive.
Atmospheric and sharp, What the Woods Took is a poignant story of transformation that explores the price of becoming someone—or something—new.
Likes:
+ The main characters in this story are troubled teens sent to a survival camp by their family. They all have interesting, unique, tough stories about what landed them in the camp. There is a lot of trauma that each teen is working through while trying to survive the woods.
+ The camp in the woods is dark, creepy, scary and mysterious. When things happen that leave the kids stranded, they realize there is something menacing in the woods. The reveal was pretty creepy.
+ I like how the kids that are thrown together, work together to survive what is happening in the woods! I thought Devin was the strongest character and her background is especially painful because she grew up in foster care and bounced around. But I felt like she was really strong and the group was really lucky to have her.
Dislikes:
~ The beginning is a bit slow. The characters are all different in personality and have to try to earn one another’s trust, but it’s difficult for a few of them. So there is a bit of that in the beginning.
Final Thoughts:
This one was an interesting read especially when creepy things start to happen in the woods! The beginning was a little slow for me but I think if you like thrillers, you will enjoy this one.
Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**
Thank you to Delacorte Press for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!
What would you kill for?
When an ad for an internship with the Louisiana Veda Foundation poses this question, seemingly every high school student in the country rushes to apply. Arcadia “Dia” Gannon has been obsessed with Louisiana Veda, the late game designer whose obsessive creations have attained a cultlike status, ever since she and her mom played Disappearing Act—but Dia has never won anything in her life. So she’s shocked when she’s chosen as an intern, along with six other teenagers from around the world.
Little is known about Louisiana Veda. Her game-making empire, Darkly, was renowned for its ingenious, terrifying toys and games, rife with hidden symbols and secrets. But after Veda’s mysterious death, Darkly went bankrupt, and production was discontinued. The remaining games are priced like highly sought-after works of art, with the rarest and most notorious items commanding tens of millions of dollars at auction.
Now the interns are thrust into the enigmatic heart of Louisiana Veda’s operation, and Dia immediately questions everything: Who are these other kids? Why do they all seem to have something to hide? And why was she really chosen? It soon becomes clear that this summer will be the most twisted Darkly game of all.
Content Warning: violence
I saved this arc to read for Fall and honestly after reading it, it was the perfect book for spooky season:
Likes:
+ There is a famous, mysterious game maker named Louisiana Veda. Her board games are rare and highly coveted. So when a chance to win one of these games presents itself to Arcadia Gannon, she takes it. The whole history and mystery about Louisiana Veda is very fascinating and interesting! It kept me hooked to the story because of the lore about her life and the unique games she created. It made me want to see one of these games in real life! The story is dark, and thrilling with some good twists.
+ There is a group of kids who are chosen for this internship but they realize their internship is actually an investigation! One person will win the grand prize if they can help the company who manages Louisiana’s empire with their quest – so who will win? Can these kids trust one another? There are many instances where I didn’t trust any of the kids and I liked that it kept me guessing.
+ I love the atmosphere and how spooky the island is where the kids have to stay during their quest. It’s the island where Louisiana Veda lived and her game factory which is all boarded up now. It’s dark, creepy and these kids are always trying to go in there in the dead of night. And speaking of creepy – the game itself where the kids have to participate – is straight out scary (if I ever had to encounter that in real life).
Dislikes:
~ There is a love triangle that wasn’t needed but since it’s there, I wish was more developed.
Final Thoughts:
This book was really entertaining especially because of the game-come-to-life concept and how dark the lore and history is about Louisiana Veda. I was intrigued from start to finish loved all the chills and thrills I had while reading this! You won’t find me playing Valkyrie haha, but I would definitely want to see these board games because they sound amazing. I hope there is a sequel to this book because I feel like there’s more to be explored in this fascinating world of Darkly!
Categories: New Adult, Romance, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Series
Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**
Thank you to Harper Voyager for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!
Two hearts circle each other in the eye of the storm in this highly-anticipated follow-up to The Hurricane Wars—prepare for more enemies-to-lovers romance, magical adventures, and political schemes in this Southeast Asian-inspired world.
After a lifetime of war, Alaric and Talasyn were thrust into an alliance between their homelands that was supposed to end the fighting; however, being married to their sworn foe feels far from peaceful. Now Talasyn must play the part of Alaric’s willing empress while her allies secretly plot to overthrow his reign. But the longer the couple are forced together, the harder it becomes to deny the feelings crackling like lightning between them. When the time comes to act, can she trust him, or must she ignore her heart for the sake of so many others?
As the master of the Shadowforged Legion, Alaric has trained for battle all his life, but marrying a Lightweaver might be his most dangerous challenge yet. With tensions between nations churning, he needs to focus on the greater threat—the Moonless Dark, a cataclysmic magical event that could devour everything. Only he and Talasyn can stop it, with a powerful merging of light and shadow that they alone can create together. But saving their world from this disaster is a mere preface to his father’s more sinister schemes, and his wife is a burning flame in the darkness, tempting both his loyalties and his desires.
The Hurricane Wars aren’t over. It’s time to choose what—and who—to fight for. The world holds its breath amidst a whirlwind of new magic and old secrets that could change everything.
Content Warning: death, violence, war
I enjoyed the first book in this series called The Hurricane Wars. I wasn’t sure what would happen in book two but here are my thoughts:
Likes:
All my stars for this book is for the romance. Oh my, their marriage of convenience has them bickering, and then the slow burn turns into an actual inferno that ignites between them. It’s my favorite part of the whole book, Talasyn and Alaric and their spicy scenes! I think I love them so much because even when their in the throes of passion, Talasyn tries to still take the upper-hand and I think it’s so funny to see how Alaric reacts. They are definitely falling for one another but fighting it so hard.
As for the story around the romance, it is such a tricky situation for both. It’s truly an enemies to lovers romance because they both are in it for their own country but they will have to make a choice – they can’t always be enemies, can they? This fighting can’t keep going on especially since what’s happening to Talasyn and Alaric is going to complicate things.
It’s such a mix of fantasy and sci-fi but so far I think it works to make it a very unique world.
We get to see more of Alaric’s relationship with his evil father. His father is a horrible man so it will be interesting to see how Alaric breaks free of him.
Dislikes:
Honestly, I was so invested in Talasyn and Alaric’s romance that I felt like everything else took a back seat, which I didn’t mind but I can’t tell you much about what’s happening plot-wise to the story. I was always rushing a chapter to see if Talasyn and Alaric were in it. But there is a choice the both of them have to make.
My Thoughts:
I didn’t expect all the spice in this book but I loved it! Talasyn and Alaric together are so fun because she’s a spitfire and he calls her on it but adores that about her. They are such opposites. Now we just have to see them accept that they are falling for one another. As for the story, it will be interesting to see how Alaric deals with his father’s influence on his life. I’m so looking forward to book three!
Categories: Young Adult, New Adult, Fantasy, Romance
Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**
Thank you to Entangled: Red Tower Books for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!
A king by day. Shadow by night…
The Great Betrayal changed everything for the Allied Realm. Long ago, the kingdom’s noble houses rose up against the goddess… and for their treachery, the firstborn of each noble family was cursed.
One with perilous beauty. One with destructive knowledge. One with insatiable bloodlust.
But the royal house Mortara received the worst affliction of all. For while the king exists during the day, he fades into nothingness at night…until his twenty-first birthday, when he will be lost to the shadows forever.
Now an acolyte has arrived at court. Like all the second-born children of the Allied Realm, she’s destined to serve the goddess and become a Seer…only Cerise Solon has no gift of foretelling. In fact, she has no magical gift at all.
Instead, she’s surrounded by courtiers and priests—smiling sycophants whose hearts are filled with secrets and lies. And at the center of it all sits His Majesty Kian Hannibal Mortara, with his haunting eyes, sharp tongue, and an unerring ability to send her pulse skittering at the worst possible moments.
Falling for him is unthinkable. Because the king is the last of his line, and as the specter of his twenty-first birthday—and the full force of his curse—approaches, the kingdom holds its breath.
But there’s only one way to save a dying king… and it lies with the one person who’s hiding the biggest secret of all. Cerise.
Content Warning: violence, self-harm, death
Cerise is a second born acolyte who’s powers haven’t manifested yet and it seems like anyone who’s tried to “see” her path hasn’t been successful at doing so. So she’s sent to the Mortara kingdom to serve the king, Kian. He’s a half-king because he is solid in human form by day, and shadows by night.
I thought the world-building was really interesting. Their allied realm worships a goddess Shiera, but an event happened that cursed the people. Kian’s curse is to turn into shadow until one day he disappears altogether. But Cerise and Kian’s best friend, Daerick, are trying a way to break all curses. They made a good team and I thought with Kian in their group they were a pretty funny trio. Their investigation takes them on a quest filled with magic, danger, and some romance.
Cerise, was an interesting main character. She is sunshine personified – talk about someone who never really let things get her down. She came off as naive at times but I liked her heart and that she was not afraid to love. I’m so used to reading about strong females, that Cerise was kind of refreshing because it kept this story sort of light-hearted, in a way. There are dark times and themes in the book, especially with the priests at Mortara who self-harm themselves or believe in women having less power, but I like that she questioned things even though her faith in her religion was very strong.
The romance starts off slow, but there is a steamy scene and yes they both fall fast for one another but I felt like their romance fit the story. There isn’t too much drama between them and if there is, it’s solved with communication.
I liked how the story was questioning religion, and making certain choices. I also love the twist at the end that I wasn’t expecting.
I categorized this as YA and NA mostly because it felt like a YA book but the sex scene pushes it into NA. But there were a lot of times in this book I felt like it was very young adult. Maybe because of Cerise’s naivety? She acts young, as does Daerick and Kian but they ARE young (Kian is just shy his 21st birthday!) so it makes sense. I think I was hoping for them to act a bit older.
Final Thoughts:
This was a pretty quick read filled with mystery, romance, friendships, a quest, and a twist. I thought Cerise as miss sunshine was the perfect compliment to Kian’s shadow self. I do wish at times the characters were older but it wasn’t a huge issue. I look forward to reading the next book.
Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**
Thank you to Bramble for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!
New York Times bestselling author and BookTok sensation Carissa Broadbent returns with a brand new novel in the Crowns of Nyaxia series, Songbird and the Heart of Stone, where A Court of Thorns and Roses meets Dante’s Inferno, in an epic fantasy romance of love and treachery between mortals and gods.
Mische lost everything when she was forcibly Turned into a vampire—her home, her humanity, and most devastating of all, the love of the sun god to whom she had devoted her life. Now, sentenced to death for murdering the vampire prince who turned her, redemption feels impossible.
But when Mische is saved by Asar, the bastard prince of the House of Shadow with a past as brutal as his scars, she’s forced into a mission worse than execution: a journey to the underworld to resurrect the god of death himself.
Yet, Mische’s punishment may be the key to her salvation. In a secret meeting, her sun god commands her to help Asar in his mission, only to betray him… by killing the god of death.
Mische and Asar must travel the treacherous path to the underworld, facing trials, beasts, and the vengeful ghosts of their pasts. Yet, most dangerous of all is the alluring call of the darkness—and her forbidden attraction to Asar, a burgeoning bond that risks invoking the wrath of gods.
As her betrayal looms, the underworld closes in, and angry gods are growing restless. Mische will be forced to choose between the redemption of the sun or the damnation of the darkness.
Content Warning: death, violence, grooming
I love this series and was so surprised there was going to be a book three but I am so happy there is and that I was gifted an arc! Once I saw I was approved I had to push all books aside and read it. Here are my thoughts:
Likes:
Did I read this in two days? Yes I did! More like a day and a half because I was hooked but in a different way from how I was addicted to the first two books in this series. This is Mische’s story, Raihn’s best-friend/charge, and I was so intrigued about her. Whereas, the first two books was a story about the different vampire houses and had an intense trial – this book is about Mische’s upbringing with worshipping a God and how that worship shaped her life. There isn’t a trial in this story but a very big, dangerous quest which is filled with the dead and other monsters in the path to the underworld.
Mische was groomed as a young child to love and please a God and now that she’s a vampire she is questioning her self-worth and dealing with the dualities inside of her – the powers of both a Shadow vampire and a Dawndrinker who is devoted to Atroxus. I actually love how the author exposes her devotion to supposedly something good and show how in actuality it was harming her. It’s a toxic relationship she has with her God. What I like about Mische is her optimism and sunshine quality even if she’s only faking it to make it. She has some deep seated self-hatred and guilt festering inside her and that was sad to see.
Asar has an interesting history also – the bastard heir of the House of Shadow vampire king. He is the grumpy to Mische’s sunshine. He’s quiet, sarcastic, and has had a difficult upbringing as well as some traumas that have shaped him. He and Mische understand guilt and wanting redemption so badly, it consumes them. I like how he helped show Mische how the love for her God was harming her.
It’s such a slow, slow burn, I was craving for a nugget of romance in the beginning but this one is a slow build and I honestly didn’t mind because of the quest Asar and Mische is carrying out which is filled with so much action and danger. But when the romance finally presents itself, it’s good! I love them together.
There is a lot of background story about Mische’s past, Asar’s past and Nyaxia’s past! I find this world so fascinating and was very hooked to every detail of it. I love how the Descent is the way to the Underworld – it’s filled with spirits, monsters, wraiths, and it is filled with danger. This world keeps growing and I love it.
Dislikes:
I wanted more romance but I also liked that this wasn’t an insta-love kind of deal. They actually work as partners (even though technically they are enemies), the romance isn’t the main thing in this story, and I was surprised I didn’t mind it but by the midway point I wanted more flirting – but that’s just me.
Their quest takes them into the Descent which is the in-between space between the mortal world and the underworld. The door to the Descent is a house that is sentient, called Morthryn, but there are times where I was easily confused as to where the characters were. They always find their way back to Morthryn but sometimes I was disoriented trying to figure out where they were.
This is clearly an ARC copy and with that said, there were many typos which will probably get corrected in the final publication but it did trip me up a few times while reading.
My Thoughts:
This being Mische’s story, I felt like it was a very true Mische story. Her sunshine personality shines through even in the darkest parts of Morthryn and the Descent and that’s what I adore about her. That even with all the things she’s gone through from being groomed by a God, turning into a vampire, losing the people she loves and now being away from her friends, warring with her self-worth and questioning her path – she is able to survive and keeps going. This one is filled with so much action, darkness and light, more world-building, a super slow burn of a romance and then that ending cliffhanger! I’ll be counting the days until the next book!
Categories: Young Adult, Series, Urban Fantasy, Romance
Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**
Thank you to Tor Teen for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!
The forest is more dangerous than ever in this highly-anticipated, pulse-pounding, and swoon-worthy conclusion to the bestselling Luminaries trilogy.
Winnie Wednesday’s future is looking bright. Hemlock Falls is no longer hunting the werewolf, she and Erica Thursday are tentative friends, and Winnie finally knows exactly where she stands with Jay Friday.
With everything finally on track, Winnie is looking forward to the Nightmare Masquerade, a week-long celebration of all things Luminary. But as Luminaries from across the world flock to the small town, uninvited guests also arrive. Winnie is confronted by a masked Diana and charged with an impossible task—one that threatens everything and everyone Winnie loves.
As Winnie fights to stop new enemies before time runs out, old mysteries won’t stop intruding. Her missing father is somehow entangled with her search for hidden witches, and as Winnie digs deeper into the long-standing war between the Luminaries and the Dianas, she discovers rifts within her own family she never could have imagined.
What does loyalty mean when family and enemies look the same?
Content Warning: violence
I have finally finished this series! Here is the last book in the trilogy and here are my thoughts:
Likes:
+ Winnie and Erica work together finally which was nice to see. Winnie is thrown into the spotlight in this book and I liked that for her. There is more growth for her character.
+ I think a lot of questions were answered especially about the Dianas. There was a lot of action too but mostly in the second half.
+ When Jay was in the book, I thought he and Winnie were the sweetest couple. I just wish there was more of them but I know she had to have her personal journey.
Dislikes:
~ I felt this one was slow in the first half, kind of like book two, and then it picks up. But it took me awhile to get into this one, unfortunately. This one is mostly mystery in the beginning and just not something that was hooking me.
~ Jay mostly appears in the second half, which again, I wish he was there throughout the book. I was missing him and Winnie together.
Final Thoughts:
I loved book one of this series, but by this third book, I feel like I aged out of the series? If that makes sense. I do think the people who loved books one and two will love this third book! It’s a great conclusion.
Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**
Thank you to G.P. Putnam’s Sons for giving me a chance to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
A hilarious love story about a disillusioned divorcée who agrees to let her children play matchmaker.
Columnist Anna Appleby has left her love life behind after a painful divorce. Who needs a man when she has two kids, a cat, and uncontested control of the TV remote? Besides, she’d rather be single than subject herself to the hell of online dating. But her office rival is vying for her column, and no column means no stable source of income. In a desperate attempt to keep her job, Anna finds herself pitching a unique angle: seven dates, all found offline, chosen by her children.
From awkward encounters to unexpected connections, Anna gamely begins to put herself out there, asking out waiters, the mailman, and even her celebrity crush. But when a romantic connection appears where she least expected it, will she be brave enough to take another chance on love?
Content Warning: sexual harassment
I’ve read two books from this author and really enjoyed them so I was excited to see a new book from her! Here are my thoughts:
Likes:
+ Once I started reading, I got hooked into the story. I also like that this MC is 38 years old and divorced with two kids. She’s going through some things like being independent, taking care of her kids and navigating co-parenting and now trying to date again, even if it’s for her job. I like that Anna didn’t let things get her too down especially when things got tough as she juggles her life.
+ This is a workplace, rivals to lovers, slow burn romance. Anna is writing a column and takes on the challenge of dating again, but her kids have to pick her dates. I actually enjoyed her dates with these random men all the while growing a crush on her rival at work Will. Will’s a little bit younger than her, and their rivalry brought the chemistry which I loved. I enjoyed their romance!
+ I liked watching Anna grow. She dates, she starts to flirt with Will, makes new friends and then starts to remember that maybe she deserves some good things – just for herself. I even liked how she navigates the co-parenting with her ex-husband and their journey to communicating better.
Dislikes:
~ I wish this wasn’t close door because it was such a slow burn, I wanted a little more details and spice!
My Thoughts:
While reading this one, I felt like this would make a really cute rom-com movie on Netflix or something. I really enjoyed this one and maybe this author is becoming a must-read for me! I look forward to reading more books from her.
Publication Date: 10/1/24 (first published on 10/19/21)
Publisher: Avon
Categories: Holiday Romance, Workplace Romance
Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**
Thank you to Avon for giving me a chance to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
A sizzling, standalone, feel-good holiday romance from Tessa Bailey, New York Times bestselling author of It Happened One Summer.
Two weeks before Christmas and all through Manhattan, shop windows are decorated in red and green satin. I’m standing alone in front of the famous Vivant department store, when a charming man named Aiden asks my opinion of the décor.
It’s a tragedy in tinsel, I say, unable to lie. He asks for a better idea with a twinkle in his eye. Did I know he owned the place? No. He put me on the spot. Now I’m working for that man, trying to ignore that he’s hot. But as a down on her luck girl with a difficult past, I know an opportunity when I see one—and I have to make it last.
I’ll put my heart and soul into dressing his holiday windows. I’ll work without stopping. And when we lose the battle with temptation, I’ll try and remember I’m just window shopping.
I wanted to read a holiday romance and got approved for this one so here are my thoughts:
Likes:
+ Has anyone here watched the 80’s movie Mannequin? With Kim Catrall? I LOVED that movie as a kid lol…the mannequin came to life. Anyway this book sorta reminds me of that minus the mannequins coming to life. None of that happens here but the book centers around a department store, during the holidays and a young woman who’s dream is to design storefront windows. She gets the job, but of course falls for her boss.
+ The romance has a lot of spice and maybe a little too much for me. The attraction is instant and usually I want some build-up but this is a short book so I get why it built up quick. Anyway, if you like your holiday romance spicy, you’ll like this one.
+ I did feel the holidays vibes – department store, Christmas shopping, romance.
Dislikes:
~ Though I thought their romance was cute, I didn’t really feel invested. Also did he really just hire Stella because he was attracted to her? There were some things in the story that just made me go hmmm…
~ There was nothing about Stella’s window creation that hit me in the feels and I think for a holiday romance, I want to feel cozy, heartwarming feelings and I didn’t really feel it with this one.
My Thoughts:
This one was just okay for me but if you like spicy holiday romance, you might give this one a try. Also, this one is on Kindle Unlimited so if you have that you can find it there.
Past Midnight Book Reviews & More 