Those Summer Nights by. Laura Silverman | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Those Summer Nights

Author: Laura Silverman

Format: hardcover (borrowed)

Pages: 373

Publication Date: 8/23/22

Categories: Young Adult, Romance, Contemporary, Coming of Age

After recovering from a life-changing injury, a teen girl must navigate a new summer job, an ex-best friend, and two surprisingly attractive coworkers in this romp of a rom-com for fans of Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian.

Hannah used to be all about focus, back before she shattered her ankle and her Olympic dreams in one bad soccer play. These days, she’s all about distraction—anything to keep the painful memories of her recent past at bay, including the string of bad decisions that landed her at boarding school for a year.

Enter Bonanza, the local entertainment multiplex and site of Hanna’s summer employment. With its mini golf course, bowling alley, and arcade—not to mention her hot, flirty coworker Patrick—Bonanza seems like the perfect way to stay distracted. Until her boss announces the annual Bonanza tournament, a staff competition that brings her past Olympic nightmares crashing back into her present.

On top of that, the Bonanza staff includes Brie, the ex-best friend she cut off last year, and Ethan, her brother’s best friend who became unreasonably attractive in her year away and who accepts her, even knowing her worst secrets. Under the neon lights of Bonanza, Hannah must decide whether she can find a way to discover a new self in the midst of her old life.

Content Warning: alcohol abuse

I wanted to read something with a summer theme and saw Those Summer Nights at the library so I checked it out.

This story follows Hannah and is told in the present with flashbacks of her last year when she lost her grandmother and also got an ankle injury that killed her soccer dreams. She’s competitive, she’s grieving, she’s not someone I connected to or liked but she does have growth. Hannah made some bad choices while she grieved her grandma and her soccer dreams and now she’s facing the consequences. She’s pushed away her friends, especially her best friend Brie and she turned to alcohol, partying and hooking up with boys.

Now she has to follow a recovery plan which includes staying away from partying, finding a job and finding a new passion. She finds a job at the local arcade where it seems everyone goes to work for the summer including her younger Joey, his best friend Ethan and even her ex-best friend Brie. Hannah makes some new friends, repairs her relationship with Brie and even falls in love.

I didn’t think the story would be so heavy with the grief aspect and Hannah spiraling but I could tell she loved her grandmother very much. As far as the romance goes, she falls for her brother’s best friend – which is a friends to lovers romance. It’s cute and they have lots of chemistry but as a personal preference I didn’t like that he was younger, especially her younger brother’s bestie lol…but that’s just ME.

Tropes: found family, friends to lovers

Why you should read it:

it’s a good teen story about making bad choices and learning how to fix mistakes
there is a fun found family story with Hannah and her new coworkers
cute romance

Why you might not want to read it:

Hannah isn’t the most likable MC

My Thoughts:

Sixteen year old me would have devoured this book. As an adult I was a little annoyed with how Hannah chose to deal with grief over her competition dreams and the loss of her grandmother. Obviously she was turning to other coping mechanisms like hooking up with boys but I think she’s relatable and she has had a lot of growth. I was expecting something more light-hearted but overall a solid read.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Bellegarde by. Jamie Lilac | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Bellegarde

Author: Jamie Lilac

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 320

Publication Date: 7/11/23

Publisher: Harperteen

Categories: Young Adult, Romance, Coming of Age, Retelling, Historical Fiction

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

Thank you to Harperteen for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Ooh la la! A historical rom-com with a modern twist — perfect for fans of Bridgerton, A Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue, and She’s All That.

Evie Clement has perfected the art of avoiding attention as she works at her family’s bakery and dreams of a life where she can trade dusting flour for designing dresses. Her focus is on honing her sewing skills–she doesn’t need to be fawned over by some teenage boy.

Least of all Beau Bellegarde–the playboy of Paris, the second son of the ultra-wealthy Bellegarde family, the most popular guy in their prestigious high school. Others may swoon over his rakish charm and winning smile, but not Evie.

Unfortunately for Evie, Beau needs her. His conniving step-brother has roped him into an impossible bet: turn the biggest wallflower they know into the winning Bellegarde Bloom at the annual Court of Flowers Ball, or lose his entire fortune.

Evie can’t understand why Beau has taken an interest in her, but she can’t help but be intrigued…

Can love bloom in the most unexpected of places?

“The She’s All That historical romance retelling of my dreams! When I wasn’t savoring the lush, descriptive prose, I was eagerly devouring the smart, perfectly paced, heart-pounding romance. There’s no doubt about it: Jamie Lilac makes a sparkling debut. — Brian Kennedy, author of A Little Bit Country

Content Warning:

I was obsessed with She’s All That when it came out in 1999 so when I saw this was a retelling, I had to request it! I think the story did a great job with retelling She’s All That and I like that Evie is a promising fashion designer, sort of like how Laney Boogs was an artist in the movie. It was fun reading the book, but because I know the movie so well there weren’t too many surprises for me in Bellegarde.

I thought Evie and Josephine were fun characters. The best friends had each other’s backs and seem to have lots of fun together. Beau was just okay – he was definitely a carbon copy of Zack from She’s All That but I didn’t feel anything for him. I kind of wanted Evie to end up with the duke!

As for the setting – I like that it takes a historical fiction approach with it being in Paris, France and the popular kids have titles and wealth. In my imagination I could imagine some opulent scenes if they were ever to make this story into a movie on Netflix. t would be cool to see Evie’s fashion creations come to life. The only thing that was a little bit jarring for me was that the characters spoke in modern speech and it took me out of the story a bit. I thought overall the story was cute and I think it will appeal to younger readers.

Why you should read it:

retelling of She’s All That
teenage drama and romance

Why you might not want to read it:

it’s historical fiction with modern speech

My Thoughts:

I found it fun seeing how the story compared to the movie and it pretty much follows the whole thing minus a few changes here and there. For me it was just okay, but I think this will definitely will appeal to younger readers.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Tokyo Dreaming by. Emiko Jean | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Tokyo Dreaming

Author: Emiko Jean

Format: audiobook (borrowed) /hardcover (own)

Pages:

Publication Date: 5/31/2022

Categories: Romance, Contemporary, Coming of Age, Princess, Family

When Japanese-American Izumi Tanaka learned her father was the Crown Prince of Japan, she became a princess overnight. Now, she’s overcome conniving cousins, salacious press, and an imperial scandal to finally find a place she belongs. She has a perfect bodyguard turned boyfriend. Her stinky dog, Tamagotchi, is living with her in Tokyo. Her parents have even rekindled their college romance and are engaged. A royal wedding is on the horizon! Izumi’s life is a Tokyo dream come true.

Only…

Her parents’ engagement hits a brick wall. The Imperial Household Council refuses to approve the marriage citing concerns about Izumi and her mother’s lack of pedigree. And on top of it all, her bodyguard turned boyfriend makes a shocking decision about their relationship. At the threat of everything falling apart, Izumi vows to do whatever it takes to help win over the council. Which means upping her newly acquired princess game.

But at what cost? Izumi will do anything to help her parents achieve their happily ever after, but what if playing the perfect princess means sacrificing her own? Will she find a way to forge her own path and follow her heart?

Return to Tokyo for a royal wedding in Emiko Jean’s Tokyo Dreaming, the sequel to the Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick and New York Times bestseller Tokyo Ever After

I listened to this as an audiobook and then read the last few chapters (because I read faster lol). But I finally read book two of this series and it follows Izumi who is the daughter of the Crown Prince of Japan. After the events of book one, we find out her mom and dad still had feelings for each other so her mom agrees to go to Japan to see where the relationship would go.

Back in Japan Izumi and her mother have to adjust to royal life and it seems to be going well until some things catch up to them. I don’t know that I loved the love triangle. I think Eriku is a great guy and everything was easy and fun with him but her heart was still with Akio even though he basically disappeared from her life. I didn’t quite feel it for her and Akio though like I did in book one.

But I think Izumi grows a lot and she tries to figure out what she wants to do – college or not? And her mom tries to figure out if the royal life is for her. I did like that Izumi became friendly with her cousins.

Tropes: fake dating, love triangle

Why you should read it:

because you enjoyed book one
It’s like The Princess Diaries but set in Japan

Why you might not want to read it:

love triangle

My Thoughts:

I think this one was a sold sequel and if you are into The Princess Diaries type of stories, you may enjoy this one. I also love that it’s set in Japan and we get a peek into the culture and the royal life. I look forward to reading more from this author.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Tokyo Ever After by. Emiko Jean | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

10 Truths and a Dare by. Ashley Elston | Audiobook Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: 10 Truths and a Dare (Messina Family, #2)

Author: Ashley Elston

Narrators: Sophie Amoss

Format: audiobook (borrowed)

Pages: 291

Publication Date: 5/4/2021

Categories: Young Adult, Coming of Age, Graduation, Romance, Teen, Family

It’s Senior Week, that magical in-between time after classes have ended but before graduation, chock-full of gimmicky theme parties, last-minute bonding, and family traditions. Olivia couldn’t be more ready. Class salutatorian and confident in her future at LSU, she’s poised to sail through to the next phase of her life.

But when the tiny hiccup of an unsigned off-campus P.E. form puts Olivia in danger of not graduating at all, she has one week to set things straight without tipping off her very big and very nosy extended family. Volunteering to help at a local golf tournament should do it, but since Olivia’s mom equipped her phone with a tracking app, there’ll be no hiding the fact that she’s at the golf course instead of all the graduation parties happening at the same time. Unless, that is, she can convince the Fab Four–her ride-or-die cousins and best friends Sophie, Charlie, and Wes–to trade phones with her as they go through the motions of playing Olivia for the week.

Sure, certain members of the golf team are none too pleased with Olivia’s sudden “passion” for the game. And sure, a very cute, very off-limits boy keeps popping up in Olivia’s orbit. But she is focused! She has a schedule and a plan! Nothing can possibly go wrong . . . right?

Content Warning:

How did I not realize this is from the same author as 10 Blind Dates until after I read the book?! I loved 10 Blind Dates and I think the author is on a roll with these family themed stories.

This is a really cute, fun and heart-warming coming of age story. Olivia comes from a tight-knit community and an even tighter large family, which made this story very wholesome. I loved the family aspects of the story because I could relate to growing up with all my cousins around me. Plus her cousin Charlie is the life of the party. I love her close bonds with Charlie, Sophie and her boyfriend Wes.

Olivia gets caught in a big dilemma and instead of telling her parents the truth, she tries to fix the situation by making up class hours and lying to them and almost everyone else she knows (except Charlie, Sophie and Wes). It was super funny when it was Charlie’s turn to help her out. And what is up with Olivia’s mom? I thought my parents were strict but maybe it’s a good thing I grew up in the age of no technology because if my mom tracked me back then – I’d be in a lot of trouble lol. I just thought her mom was so overbearing. Also I don’t think I’ve read a book with golf in it!

The romance is cute, the graduation events and parties sound like so much fun, and it ends happily.

Tropes: girl might not graduate from high school

Why you should read it:

you read 10 Blind Dates and want more Sophie’s family
a sweet love story
the family bond

Why you might not want to read it:

I think 10 Blind Dates was better

My Thoughts:

This one has been on my TBR for awhile so I’m glad I get to cross it off my list! I thought it was a cute book about family and graduation. I think I read it at the right time too since it’s graduation time!

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Book Review | 10 Blind Dates ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Love Radio by. Ebony LaDelle | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Love Radio

Author: Ebony LaDelle

Format: ebook (borrowed)

Pages: 320

Publication Date: 5/31/23

Categories: Romance, Young Adult, Coming of Age, Contemporary

Prince Jones is the guy with all the answers—or so it seems. After all, at seventeen, he has his own segment on Detroit’s popular hip-hop show, Love Radio, where he dishes out advice to the brokenhearted.

Prince has always dreamed of becoming a DJ and falling in love. But being the main caretaker for his mother, who has multiple sclerosis, and his little brother means his dreams will stay just that and the only romances in his life are the ones he hears about from his listeners. Until he meets Dani Ford.

Dani isn’t checking for anybody. She’s focused on her plan: ace senior year, score a scholarship, and move to New York City to become a famous author. But her college essay keeps tripping her up and acknowledging what’s blocking her means dealing with what happened at that party a few months ago. And that’s one thing Dani can’t do.

When the romantic DJ meets the ambitious writer, sparks fly. Prince is smitten, but Dani’s not looking to get derailed. She gives Prince just three dates to convince her that he’s worth falling for. Three dates for the love expert to take his own advice, and just maybe change two lives forever.

Content Warning: sexual assault

Love Radio is a sweet simmering story about two teenagers, Prince who is a Dj on Love Radio giving out love advice (from a 17 year old?!) and Danielle, who is an aspiring writer with big dreams but a painful secret. These two falling in love did remind me of the romance movies Danielle’s mother is obsessed with like Love Jones (that movie came out when I was in college and I loved it and the soundtrack). Speaking of Danielle’s mom being obsessed with 90’s movies – I guess I could relate to her very well. And boy did I feel my age when Danielle and Prince mention loving Lauryn Hill and wishing they were alive when she was big! 😅 I went to a Miseducation of Lauryn Hill concert back in 1999 when I was in Los Angeles for college. I was blown AWAY and in awe…but I just had to let out a big laugh when Dani says “I wish I was born around the time she was making music.” I felt my age lol.

Prince is a capable young man who is already working, maybe not getting the best grades in school, but he’s also taking care of his younger brother and a mom who has Multiple Sclerosis. He’s a good guy and the way he woos Danielle shows it. Danielle is navigating a lot of feelings. She wants to go to NYC and become a writer and love doesn’t have a place in her life right now but Prince is going to try his best to convince her she can have her dreams and love too.

The romance between Prince and Danielle is a slow burn and I like that they get to know each other slowly because Danielle has trust issues and triggers. Prince is always so careful around her because he knows she’s holding back a piece of herself and I appreciated that about him. Prince may be giving love advice on the radio but they are both young with their lives ahead of them so it really touched on lots of coming of age topics like friendship, family, college and dating.

I do think because it was a slow burn there were some lulls in the story but I still read this in one sitting. I loved all the mentions about music, writing, and Detroit history in the story as well.

Why you should read it:

sweet, slow burn
love the 90’s/00’s romance movies and music references
heartwarming love story

Why you might not want to read it:

might come off a little boring because it’s a slow burn

My Thoughts:

I enjoyed this story a lot because of the nostalgia in the music and movie references and I liked seeing a boy trying to woo a girl slowly. Prince and Danielle are two young people who is just trying to get through high school and figure out what’s next while slowly falling in love. This one was a cute read!

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

My Sister’s Big Fat Indian Wedding by. Sajni Patel | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: My Sister’s Big Fat Indian Wedding

Author: Sajni Patel

Format: ebook (borrowed)

Pages: 368

Publication Date: 4/19/22

Categories: Romance, Young Adult, Teens, Indian Wedding, Family, Coming of Age, Contemporary

A fresh, witty rom-com romp set against the backdrop of a high-profile music competition and a riotous Indian wedding

Zurika Damani is a naturally gifted violinist with a particular love for hip hop beats. But when you’re part of a big Indian family, everyone has expectations, and those certainly don’t include hip hop violin. After being rejected by Juilliard, Zuri’s last hope is a contest judged by a panel of top tier college scouts. The only problem? This coveted competition happens to take place during Zuri’s sister’s extravagant wedding week. And Zuri has already been warned, repeatedly, that she is not to miss a single moment.

In the midst of the chaos, Zuri’s mom is in matchmaking mode with the groom’s South African cousin Naveen—who just happens to be a cocky vocalist set on stealing Zuri’s spotlight at the scouting competition. Luckily Zuri has a crew of loud and loyal female cousins cheering her on. Now, all she has to do is to wow the judges for a top spot, evade getting caught by her parents, resist Naveen’s charms, and, oh yeah . . . not mess up her sister’s big fat Indian wedding. What could possibly go wrong?

Check out this book cover! It is so vibrant that it caught my eye and I had to borrow it. This is what I thought:

+ This is a coming of age book set around Zurika’s older sister’s wedding. Zurika is thinking about college, thinking about her love of music and trying not to disappoint her family.

+ I love that this is set around an Indian wedding! I love weddings and I love learning about other cultures and how they celebrate weddings. I could just picture the colors of the celebration and the food. I think it’s beautiful how an Indian wedding is centered around tradition and family.

+ Outside of Zurika’s coming of age challenges, this story is about family. Zurika has cousins who help her try to get to an audition and encourage her musical talents. Her parents and the elders of course want her to pursue law or medicine but eventually they let her make her own choices with the help of Zurika’s sisters standing up for her. I love that her family is complex and relatable. I love how much fun she has with her cousins!

+ The romance between Zurika and Naveen is super sweet! They go from strangers, to friends, to a little something more and it’s cute.

~ So the wedding celebrations take place in the span of one week, and so this is a bit of insta-like. I won’t say love because clearly it’s not there…yet.

Why you should read it:

you get to learn about Indian weddings and the fun they have with all the celebrations leading up to the actual wedding
a sweet romance
perfect for teens – Zurika is relatable

Why you might not want to read it:

I think it’s more geared towards teens – but it’s still a cute story

My Thoughts:

I think this is a cute story with some Indian wedding celebration fun and a sweet romance. I love that it centers around family and it’s got a beautiful book cover.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Cool for the Summer by. Dahlia Adler | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Cool for the Summer

Author: Rachel Gillig

Format: audiobook (borrowed)

Pages: 272

Publication Date: 5/10/21

Categories: Young Adult, New Adult, LGBT+, Romance, Coming of Age

Lara’s had eyes for exactly one person throughout her three years of high school: Chase Harding. He’s tall, strong, sweet, a football star, and frankly, stupid hot. Oh, and he’s talking to her now. On purpose and everything. Maybe…flirting, even? No, wait, he’s definitely flirting, which is pretty much the sum of everything Lara’s wanted out of life.

Except she’s haunted by a memory. A memory of a confusing, romantic, strangely perfect summer spent with a girl named Jasmine. A memory that becomes a confusing, disorienting present when Jasmine herself walks through the front doors of the school to see Lara and Chase chatting it up in front of the lockers.

Lara has everything she ever wanted: a tight-knit group of friends, a job that borders on cool, and Chase, the boy of her literal dreams. But if she’s finally got the guy, why can’t she stop thinking about the girl?

Cool for the Summer is a story of self-discovery and new love. It’s about the things we want and the things we need. And it’s about the people who will let us be who we are.

This is one of the books I’ve been waiting to read and I’m surprised I actually listened to the full thing as an audiobook (I usually cannot finish an audiobook) but this one was short, under 300 pages so this was definitely doable. This is what I thought:

+ I like how this is a coming of age story about Lara and her finally getting the crush of her dreams to look at her, popular boy, Chase – but yet harboring a secret summer affair with a girl, named Jasmine.

+ Apparently this has a Grease inspired vibe to it, but queer. I thought it was cute! “Summer lovin’, had me a blast!” Lara definitely had a blast with Jasmine and then she shows up up Lara’s high school and she has to figure out how she feels about both Chase and Jasmine. And I do like how it was okay for Lara to try to figure things out, even though if it got a bit messy, I like that as a character she was allowed to feel all her chaotic feelings about Jasmine and Chase. She’s a teenager, she’s not going to know herself overnight.

+ I do think this leans more towards new adult mostly because of Lara’s sexual experiences with both Jasmine and Chase. It’s not super graphic, but it does get hot and heavy.

~ I had to pay more attention to the story of course because it was an audiobook and maybe I missed some things but I think I got the gist of things. Lara is always in her feelings about Jasmine and Chase, so we are in her thoughts a lot. There’s a lot of angst. And at times I was impatient with her back and forth feelings but mostly because it was an audiobook. So that’s on me.

~ The flashbacks had me paying attention hard to this audiobook, because if I didn’t, I would think it was all in the present.

Why you should read it:

coming of age book about trying to figure things out, Lara trying to figure out if she likes girls, boys or both

Why you might not want to read it:

it’s one of those stories where a lot of things could be cleared up if the main characters would actually talk to one another

My Thoughts:

The best thing about this book for me was Lara’s coming of age story and trying to figure out who she is and who she likes and being okay with all of that, which is a great message for readers.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Friday I’m in Love by. Camryn Garrett | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Friday I’m in Love

Author: Camryn Garrett

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 288

Publication Date: 1/10/23

Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers

Categories: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult, Teens, LGBT+, Coming of Age

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

Thank you to Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

It’s too late for a Sweet Sixteen but what if Mahalia had a Coming Out Party? A love letter to romantic comedies, sweet sixteen blowouts, black joy and queer pride.

Mahalia Harris wants.

She wants a big Sweet Sixteen like her best friend Naomi.
She wants the super cute new girl Siobhan to like her back.
She wants a break from worrying–about money, snide remarks from white classmates, pitying looks from church ladies . . . all of it.

Then inspiration strikes: It’s too late for a Sweet Sixteen, but what if she had a Coming Out Party? A singing, dancing, rainbow-cake-eating celebration of queerness on her own terms.

The idea lights a fire in her, and soon Mahalia is scrimping and saving, taking on extra hours at her afterschool job, trying on dresses, and awkwardly flirting with Siobhan, all in preparation for the Coming Out of her dreams. But it’s not long before she’s buried in a mountain of bills, unfinished schoolwork, and enough drama to make her English Lit teacher blush. With all the responsibility on her shoulders, will Mahalia’s party be over before it’s even begun?

A novel about finding yourself, falling in love, and celebrating what makes you you.

Content Warning: racism, n word use in classroom setting, parental issues

What drew me to this book was the colorful, vibrant cover. The synopsis sounded intriguing and here is what I thought about the book:

+ This is a great book for teens. Mahalia has turned sixteen but instead of a big sweet sixteen party that her mom can’t afford she thinks of doing a coming out party instead. And she will save up her paychecks from her part-time job to be able to afford the party. I love that Mahalia has a plan, she works, she goes to school, and she helps her mom who is a single mother.

+ Mahalia is queer and I like how we get to see her crush on a girl and see how it goes. The representation in the story is fantastic. I loved the playlist Mahalia makes for Siobhan – it gave a deeper glimpse into Mahalia’s personality.

+ I like that Mahalia is sixteen, and acts sixteen. She’s going through a lot of teen related things like trouble in her friendship, crushing on someone and hoping something happens, stress from trying to save money for a party and helping her mom out when money gets tight. She’s very relatable! Her life isn’t perfect but this book was all about hope.

+ I thought the romance was cute – Siobhan is the girl Mahalia is crushing but she has a boyfriend. It’s very confusing for both of them but I think it’s realistic.

~ Adults may find this book a bit cheesy but remember this is for teens and I think it’s perfect for that age group.

~ There is the use of the N word when Mahalia’s class reads a classic novel in class but I like that it brought up race issues that Mahalia has to go through, such as feeling uncomfortable in class

Tropes:

Why you should read it:

a great coming of age and coming out story for a black, queer sixteen year old
Mahalia is relatable – she goes to school, works part time, and helps her mom out – she’s also falling in love and having some challenges with her bestie
perfect book for it’s target audience

Why you might not want to read it:

might read too young for adults — because it is targeted for teens

My Thoughts:

I think teens would love this book because Mahalia is a relatable sixteen year old. She deals with typical issues that a queer, black girl who is being raised by a single mother, would go through. Mahalia wants to through a coming out party, she wants the girl who she likes to be into her too and she wants her best friend to be on the same page as her. There are some challenges she deals with but I think she handles each situation very well. I like that she was putting in the work to throw her own party. I thought the tone of this book was hopeful, and I love the happy ending where Mahalia gets to celebrate how amazing she is.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon

A Merry Little Meet Cute by. Julie Murphy & Sierra Simone | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: A Merry Little Meet Cute

Format: ebook (borrowed)

Author: Julie Murphy & Sierra Simone

Pages: 418

Publication Date: 9/19/22

Categories: Romance, Christmas, Holiday, Adult

Cowritten by #1 New York Times bestselling author Julie Murphy and USA Today bestselling author Sierra Simone—a steamy plus-size holiday rom-com about an adult film star who is semi-accidentally cast as a lead in a family-friendly Christmas movie, and the former bad-boy pop star she falls in love with.

Bee Hobbes (aka Bianca Von Honey) has a successful career as a plus-size adult film star. With a huge following and two supportive moms, Bee couldn’t ask for more. But when Bee’s favorite producer casts her to star in a Christmas movie he’s making for the squeaky-clean Hope Channel, Bee’s career is about to take a more family-friendly direction.

Forced to keep her work as Bianca under wraps, Bee quickly learns this is a task a lot easier said than done. Though it all becomes worthwhile when she discovers her co-star is none other than childhood crush Nolan Shaw, an ex-boy band member in desperate need of career rehab. Nolan’s promised his bulldog manager to keep it zipped up on set, and he will if it means he’ll be able to provide a more stable living situation for his sister and mom.

But things heat up quickly in Christmas Notch, Vermont, when Nolan recognizes his new co-star from her ClosedDoors account (oh yeah, he’s a member). Now Bee and Nolan are sneaking off for quickies on set, keeping their new relationship a secret from the Hope Channel’s execs. Things only get trickier when the reporter who torpedoed Nolan’s singing career comes snooping around—and takes an instant interest in mysterious newcomer Bee.

And if Bee and Nolan can’t keep their off-camera romance behind the scenes, then this merry little meet cute might end up on the cutting room floor.

Content Warning: fat phobia, internet slut-shaming

It was the cover for this book that attracted me. It made me wonder about the cutesy cartoon art but…with red trees? It seemed a bit unconventional for a holiday rom com to have so much red on the cover with pink – and the synopsis was different and intriguing. This is what I thought:

+ There are a few things I was happy to see in this book: a plus size character who is an adult film star, people that work in the adult film industry, bisexual main characters, it’s a very sex positive book. Both characters are likable and I also totally enjoy the subtle Christmas vibes to the book as well – it’s not a book surrounding Christmas but the fact that the story is based on filming a holiday movie around Christmas time gives it enough holiday vibes.

+ I thought the romance between Bee and Nolan was sweet and spicy. I think it was a good balance. I expect nothing less from an adult film star and a has-been bad boy from a boy band! They are both trying to break into different careers and don’t want to mess up. I think it helped that both characters were likable.

+ I thought the secondary characters were fun! I liked Sunny who is Bee’s best friend, Luca was funny and I even enjoyed Gretchen (the director). I think having Bee’s parents and Nolan’s family in the story also added the wholesome, holiday vibes to the story as well.

~ I didn’t mind the raunchiness between Bee and Nolan, but it would have been nice to feel more of a connection between them outside of the lust. I did like that they had a moment apart when the conflict of story came to a head, and it was cute when they are back together again – but I feel like I wanted more from the ending? In all fairness it keeps the light hearted, rom-com, Hallmark movie vibe (just with a little more sexiness). But to me the story started off good and then fizzled out at the end.

~ They only know each other for 2 weeks – so yes, it’s insta-love, just to warn those who aren’t into that.

Tropes: insta love, characters trying to change their public image, forced proximity, co-workers

Spice Level: 🌶🌶🌶🌶

Why you should read it:

you want to read a spicy holiday romance
Bee and Nolan’s romance and sexy times
it’s a light hearted rom-com

Why you might not want to read it:

it’s insta lust and love

My Thoughts:

As a holiday romance, I think it’s great how spicy and steamy it is. The characters are likable and it has enough Christmas vibes to add some wholesome element to the story even with all the raunchiness. I think the whole cast together was fun. Bee and Nolan are cute together but I did wish there was more of an emotional connection between them – but on the other hand I still enjoyed the lighthearted feel about this book

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Salt and Sugar by. Rebecca Carvalho | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Salt and Sugar

Author: Rebecca Carvalho

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 368

Publication Date: 10/31/22

Publisher: Inkyard Press

Categories: Young Adult, Romance, Coming of Age, Rival Familys, Culinary, Teen Readers

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

Thank you to Inkyard Press for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

The grandchildren of two rival Brazilian bakeries fall in love despite their families’ feud.

Trust neither thin-bottomed frying pans nor Molinas.

Lari Ramires has always known this to be true. In Olinda, Brazil, her family’s bakery, Salt, has been at war with the Molinas’ bakery across the street, Sugar, for generations. But Lari’s world turns upside down when her beloved grandmother passes away. On top of that, a big supermarket chain has moved to town, forcing many of the small businesses to close.

Determined to protect her home, Lari does the unthinkable—she works together with Pedro Molina to save both of their bakeries. Lari realizes she might not know Pedro as well as she thought—and she maybe even likes what she learns—but the question remains: Can a Ramires and a Molina truly trust one another?

Content Warning: death of loved one, illness

This was a fun, young adult romance book (leans more towards teen readers) about two rival families and they cook delicious Brazilian food! So if you like foodie romances, you will like this one. Here’s what did and didn’t work for me:

+ I love all the food and Brazilian culture. I like that this was also set in Brazil! Both families have bakeries and bad blood between them but eventually they work together to fight the big box chains encroaching on their towns. But if you love food romances, this has a lot of different foods I never heard of or even tried and it makes me want to go somewhere and try Brazilian food.

+ There is definitely a Romeo and Juliet feel to this book, minus the death of our MC’s but the rivalry is there. Lari and Pedro hate one another because of their family history. When they are put together in a cooking club at school, there is a lot of fighting between them at first but then eventually they start to open up and admit they have an attraction. I feel like the romance is perfect for teen readers.

+ Good side characters like the other kids in the cooking club.

~ I found Lari sometimes acting a bit childish, she fought with Pedro a lot and I didn’t quite connect to her. It took me awhile to get into the story. She was grieving her grandmother and also trying to figure out how to help her mom not lose their shop but still – at times she was always fighting Pedro too hard.

~ Speaking of childish, everyone seemed so volatile in this story. Pedro and Lari’s moms went at it all the time and you would think they would act a little bit better in front of their children. The fights became repetitive at some point and silly.

Tropes: rivals to lovers, enemies to lovers, family rivals, Romeo and Juliet inspired

Why you should read it:

it’s got Brazilian bakery goodies and culture, it’s set in Brazil also
rival families, enemies to lovers
story about family

Why you might not want to read it:

more geared towards teen readers
lots of dramatic family feud fighting – a bit repetitive

My Thoughts:

I loved that Salt and Sugar is centered around Brazilian food and that it’s set in Brazil. I definitely saw the Romeo and Juliet inspiration with the two feuding families but I did wish the fighting was taken down a notch. It’s a story about family, cooking, trying to have a better life and keeping the community authentic, while fighting the big corporate store. There’s also a little love story between Pedro and Lari and of course a happy ending. Overall I thought this one was a cute romance that teen readers would enjoy.