That Prince is Mine by. Jayci Lee | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: That Prince is Mine

Author: Jayci Lee

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 400

Publication Date: 7/30/24

Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin

Categories: Adult, Romance, Contemporary, Interracial Romance, Foodie Romance, Royal 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 St. Martin’s Griffin for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

A love-averse Korean royal court cuisine instructor in search of a perfect-on-paper husband is waylaid from her practical, heartbreak-proof plan when she meets a gorgeous professor—and prince in disguise—who will do anything to prove to her that love and happily ever after can be theirs.

Emma Yoon runs a small business as a culinary instructor in Los Angeles teaching Korean royal court cuisine to young ladies striving to marry into the exclusive upper crust Korean families. She has built her business alongside her renowned Korean matchmaker godmother, which brings her one step closer to her dream of opening up a culinary school on her own. But when her godmother’s fellow matchmakers decide to meddle in Emma’s love life in a bid to sabotage her godmother, and indirectly push Emma’s dream out of her reach, she must go on a series of arranged first dates and find herself the perfect-on-paper husband to help save both, her godmother’s reputation and her dream–even if she’s not ready for love. But when she meets Michel Aubert, a professor at USC, after a series of disastrous first dates, she wonders if she might reevaluate her position on love.

Prince Michel Aubert is bound by duty and responsibility to his country, but an arranged marriage is the last thing he wants. If he is going to spend the rest of his life in service of his people, then he at least wants someone he loves and trusts by his side while doing it. He needs to find a woman who loves him for who he is before his engagement to his handpicked bride is announced. Emma Yoon might be just the woman he is looking for.

Content Warning:

This one was a cute, fluffy romance. Emma is a culinary instructor who’s matchmaking godmother is trying to find her a husband. Michel is a Prince disguising himself as a professor at USC. For the most part the romance is straight-forward and kind of reminds me of the movie The Prince & Me, except with older characters. I thought their romance was very sweet with some spicy scenes here and there, but for the most part I thought this story was wholesome.

I did like the family themes in this book. Emma is Korean-American and she has a great support system in her dad, brother and godmother. I loved the Korean foods mentioned in the story. On the other side, I loved Michel’s relationship with his cousin, Gabriel. Both characters valued family and I thought they made a good match.

There isn’t much conflict between Michel and Emma except for the part of him being a prince and what that means for her when he tells her about it.

My Thoughts:

This one is an easy read. It’s a fluffy romance without much conflict. I thought the family, different cultures, and food themes were nice. Emma and Michel’s romance is very sweet so if you are into sweet, easy romances, you will enjoy this one.

Find me here: Instagram (bookstagram📚) | Instagram (crafts🎨) | Twitter (X) | Etsy (Shop)

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

BLOG TOUR | Secret Crush Seduction by. Jayci Lee ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

BLOG TOUR} Temporary Wife Temptation by. Jayci Lee ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

The Dating Dare | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️💫

ARC Review | A Sweet Mess ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Not Another Love Song by. Julie Soto | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Not Another Love Song

Author: Julie Soto

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 384

Publication Date: 7/16/24

Publisher: Forever

Categories: New Adult, Romance, Contemporary, Rivals to Lovers

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

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

Two string players fight their attraction for each other as they compete for center stage in this spicy and emotional romance.

Gwen Jackson and Xander Thorne are both musical prodigies, but each has had very different paths to success. Xander was born into classical music royalty, while Gwen had a natural ear for music that was nurtured by a kind shop owner.

After Gwen performs at his friend’s wedding, she’s mortified when she realizes Xander has no clue who she is—despite having worked together for a year at the Pops Orchestra. But she’s more furious that he arrogantly critiques her performance.

When Gwen is offered the role of First Chair of the orchestra, something Xander had secretly coveted for years, their existing hostility goes up a notch. But their respect for each other’s music is undeniable, and their onstage chemistry off the scale. As they begin to explore their feelings for one another, suddenly they’re box office dynamite and the fragile romance that’s growing between them is in danger of being crushed beneath a publicity stunt…

Content Warning: grief, strained parental relationship

+ Ama from Forget Me Not appears in this book! I don’t know if this is a series with standalones that can be read without starting from the beginning but it was so nice to see Ama in this book. The supporting cast in this book is great like Declan her roommate, her colleague Mei at the orchestra and Mabel who helped raise her.

+ Gwen is a hardworking violinist longing for some stability in her life because her mom and grandfather has passed, her dad is not anyone she knows and so she’s been without family. She has one person on her side, Mabel, who taught her how to play the violin and she’s more than good at it. When she meets Xander and they finally interact it’s like musical magic between them! Did Gwen have challenges to navigate in her life now that she becomes first chair in the Manhattan Pop Orchestra? Absolutely, and at times she was too trusting even when her gut told her something was wrong. I wanted her to stand up to people more often but she did it eventually.

+ Xander has always been in the limelight since he was a child. He is a virtuoso on the cello but that wasn’t always the case. His relationship with his mother is strained, and even though he is successful he’s not exactly free to make his own choices like he’s always wanted. There are hard choices he has to make but in the beginning I thought his interest in Gwen was a bit flighty too and maybe tied to the fact she was this new shiny thing that could take his place.

+ The romance is like the music that Xander and Gwen are making together, beautiful in all its complexity. The steamy scenes between them are some of the best I’ve read because it’s sexy and steamy but filled with care and love too without being too cheesy. I just felt like their romance had such a good balance of angst, sweetness, and heat. And hello, who knew a violin and cello could be so sexy – I mean the cello scene…🔥 There is so musical terminology to describe their desire and I thought it was so good.

+ Speaking of music – okay I am not an expert at anything music related. I learned piano when I was young and Beethoven is my favorite but I can’t listen to classical all day or anything but this world of the orchestra and musicians was so fascinating to me! I loved the history between Xander’s mom and Gwen’s mentor, Mabel. There’s a lot of drama going on in the classical music world, at least in this story there is!

My Thoughts:

I honestly wasn’t sure how I’d feel this one because I wasn’t sure if I was in the mood to read a romance with classical musicians but wow, I didn’t expect how steamy it was going to get. Strings are some of my favorite instruments to listen to in classical music and who knew a cello was such a sexy instrument! The love story between Gwen and Xander really is a grand thing as they come together with their love of creating and playing music and also to push each other in the right ways. There is angst, desire, steam, sweetness, and I was rooting for them both. Loved this one!

Find me here: Instagram (bookstagram📚) | Instagram (crafts🎨) | Twitter (X) | Etsy (shop)

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Forget Me Not by. Julie Soto | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Dungeons and Drama by. Kristy Boyce | Book Review

Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Dungeons and Drama

Author: Kristy Boyce

Format: paperback (borrowed)

Pages: 304

Publication Date: 1/9/24

Categories: Young Adult, Romance, Contemporary

When it comes to romance, sometimes it doesn’t hurt to play games. A fun YA romcom full of fake dating hijinks!

Musical lover Riley has big aspirations to become a director on Broadway. Crucial to this plan is to bring back her high school’s spring musical, but when Riley takes her mom’s car without permission, she’s grounded and stuck with the worst punishment: spending her after-school hours working at her dad’s game shop.

Riley can’t waste her time working when she has a musical to save, so she convinces Nathan—a nerdy teen employee—to cover her shifts and, in exchange, she’ll flirt with him to make his gamer-girl crush jealous.

But Riley didn’t realize that meant joining Nathan’s Dungeons & Dragons game…or that role playing would be so fun. Soon, Riley starts to think that flirting with Nathan doesn’t require as much acting as she would’ve thought…

Content Warning:

Riley is a theater kid who loves musicals and for punishment she is forced to work at her dad’s game shop. A boy from her high school who she’s never talked to named, Nathan also works at the store and she goes from a girl singing musicals to learning how to play Dungeons and Dragons with him and his friends. Riley working at the shop is not quite the punishment after awhile as she forges a growing bond with her dad and make a lot of new friends.

This is a fun young adult story, perfect for teen readers. I adored Riley and her best friend, Hoshiko and also Riley’s relationship with her mother. I enjoyed seeing her open her world and learn more about her dad’s love for gaming! I have minimal knowledge of D&D but I know enough from my husband and son about the game and it was cool to see how Riley learns and joins the game.

The fake dating was super cute!

My Final Thoughts:

I really enjoyed this one! I feel like the book cover captures this book so correctly. It’s sweet, funny and heart-warming. It’s filled with theater kids and gaming kids and when the two worlds combine it’s so much fun!

Find me here: Instagram (bookstagram📚) | Instagram (crafts🎨) | Twitter (X)

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

This Summer Will Be Different by. Carley Fortune | Book Review

Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: This Summer Will Be Different

Author: Carley Fortune

Format: ebook (borrowed)

Pages: 361

Publication Date: 5/7/24

Categories: Romance, Contemporary, Chick-Lit

This summer they’ll keep their promise. This summer they won’t give into temptation. This summer will be different.

Lucy is the tourist vacationing at a beach house on Prince Edward Island. Felix is the local who shows her a very good time. The only problem: Lucy doesn’t know he’s her best friend’s younger brother. Lucy and Felix’s chemistry is unreal, but the list of reasons why they need to stay away from each other is long, and they vow to never repeat that electric night again.

It’s easier said than done.

Each year, Lucy escapes to PEI for a big breath of coastal air, fresh oysters and crisp vinho verde with her best friend, Bridget. Every visit begins with a long walk on the beach, beneath soaring red cliffs and a golden sun. And every visit, Lucy promises herself she won’t wind up in Felix’s bed. Again.

If Lucy can’t help being drawn to Felix, at least she’s always kept her heart out of it.

When Bridget suddenly flees Toronto a week before her wedding, Lucy drops everything to follow her to the island. Her mission is to help Bridget through her crisis and resist the one man she’s never been able to. But Felix’s sparkling eyes and flirty quips have been replaced with something new, and Lucy’s beginning to wonder just how safe her heart truly is.

Content Warning: death of a loved one

I’ve been meaning to read a book from this author and now that I finally did I can knock that off my list.

This is a romance between Lucy and her best friend’s brother, Felix. It has flashbacks through the years from the moment they met to where they are now in the present and how it was always a secret, casual thing between them but the sparks are undeniable. Life happens between the times they are together, they date different people, Lucy gets close to their family and she loses someone she loves very much. Through it all are memories of the times they are together where everything feels right between them but what does that mean for a future between them?

I liked the setting of Prince Edward Island and Toronto since I don’t read much books about those places. It did give lots of summery vibes especially when it flash-backed to times spent on PEI.

I thought this one was okay. Maybe I went in with high expectations but I felt like everything was so predictable and I didn’t love the ending where they decide to be together and then few days later they go back to taking it slow? No, I wanted it to be happy ever after by then but nope, had to have the dose of reality at the end where they have to find themselves first. I also didn’t feel connected to the characters. I felt like I was just coasting through the story. And I was also getting frustrated with Bridget’s (her best friend) secret taking so long to be revealed.

My Final Thoughts:

I think I wanted more depth to this story. It was just okay for me but I think I will try her most popular book to see if she’s an author I’ll continue to read because I did like some elements of the story. Maybe I just went in with high expectations.

Find me here: Instagram (bookstagram📚) | Instagram (crafts🎨) | Twitter (X)

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Happily Never After by. Lynn Painter| Book Review

Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Happily Never After

Author: Lynn Painter

Format: ebook (borrowed)

Pages: 313

Publication Date: 3/12/24

Categories: Romance, Contemporary

Their name? The objectors.
Their job? To break off weddings as hired.
Their dilemma? They might just be in love with each other.

When Sophie Steinbeck finds out just before her nuptials that her fiancé has cheated yet again, she desperately wants to call it off. But because her future father-in-law is her dad’s cutthroat boss, she doesn’t want to be the one to do it. Her savior comes in the form of a professional objector, whose purpose is to show up at weddings and proclaim the words no couple (usually) wants to hear at their ceremony: “I object!”

During anti-wedding festivities that night, Sophie learns more about Max the Objector’s job. It makes perfect sense to her: he saves people from wasting their lives, from hurting each other. He’s a modern-day hero. And Sophie wants in.

The two love cynics start working together, going from wedding to wedding, and Sophie’s having more fun than she’s had in ages. She looks forward to every nerve-racking ceremony saving the lovesick souls of the betrothed masses. As Sophie and Max spend more time together, however, they realize that their physical chemistry is off the charts, leading them to dabble in a little hookup session or two—but it’s totally fine, because they definitely do not have feelings for each other. Love doesn’t exist, after all.

And then everything changes. A groom-to-be hires Sophie to object, but his fiancée is the woman who broke Max’s heart. As Max wrestles with whether he can be a party to his ex’s getting hurt, Sophie grapples with the sudden realization that she may have fallen hard for her partner in crime.

Content Warning: profanity

This one was cute! Max takes on side gigs at an “objector” at weddings which is something I’ve never heard of before but it’s pretty clever if people actually pay someone to do something like that. He objects at Sophie’s wedding and then they become friends. They have great banter and growing chemistry but I really love how they just start off as friends.

Both Max and Sophie have issues about love but I think it’s fun watching them get to the point where they both realize falling for each other might not be a bad thing after all. Especially with all the amazing sex they have together!

I thought Sophie’s roommates were the cutest! Larry really had quite a personality. I did think it was interesting that Asha was her best friend but was barely in the book at all. Larry was more of a best friend to her it seems, which was fine since he was my favorite character probably!

I did think the reason for the fake dating or fake situationship was kind of weak I mean – Max’s dad wanted him to keep Sophie in his life so that he could buy a boat? (He needed the approval from his wife who would be happy that their son Max is dating kinda thing). Also, the third-act break-up was not it. I don’t know that they had to fight over something to do with his ex when she is barely mentioned. It wasn’t the biggest conflict since they were “just friends with benefits”, but the fact that Max had to really evaluate how he felt about his ex kind of bugged me. And there were some things with the writing that made me cringe, like his nickname being Maxxie 😅. Also they use a lot of profanity if you’re not into that.

My Final Thoughts:

I thought this one had a fun premise and two characters that really got into the “objector” role. It never gets deep I think which works for Sophie and Max since they weren’t looking to fall in love but with all the time they spent together getting to know one another it seems inevitable, they just have to stop fighting it. The banter between them was fun and easy. I had my issues here and there but it’s a super quick read and Sophie’s roommates were such fun characters! Overall, it was good – I can see this as a rom-com movie.

Find me here: Instagram (bookstagram📚) | Instagram (crafts🎨) | Twitter (X)

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Betting on You by. Lynn Painter | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Love Wager by. Lynn Painter | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Better Than the Movies | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Six of Sorrow by. Amanda Linsmeier | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Six of Sorrow

Author: Amanda Linsmeier

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 336

Publication Date: 6/25/24

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Categories: Young Adult, Horror, Contemporary, LGBT+, Mystery, Magical Realism

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!

Sixteen years ago, six girls were born on the same day—and now, on their birthday, one of them is missing. From the author of Starlings comes a story about small-towns, friendships, and the terrifying things your parents don’t tell you, that’s perfect for fans of Yellowjackets.

For most of her life, Isabeau and her five best friends were inseparable—amazingly enough, the six girls even shared a birthday. Then a rift caused their friendships to fracture, and Iz lost everyone except Reuel, the only one who didn’t abandon her.

Until now. The night of their sixteenth birthday, Isabeau leaves Reuel sitting on her front porch and heads home—and in the morning, Reuel is missing. She’s gone for three days, and when she reappears, there’s something wrong with her. She’s sick. Really sick. And she doesn’t remember anything that happened while she was gone.

If there’s any bright side to the situation, it’s that Reuel’s peculiar disappearance brings the six girls back together. Their sisterhood feels as strong as it was years ago, but when another one of them disappears, they all agree that they must have more in common than simply their birthday. They all feel it. Something’s been waiting for them, and that something has come to claim them one by one.

Deep in their bones, they know—it’s just a matter of time until they they’re all taken. And if they don’t save themselves, no one will.

Content Warning: body horror, illness, blood, parental death, underage drinking

This book was giving me The Craft vibes throughout and I love that movie. Obviously, it wasn’t The Craft, because but it had all the vibes – group of high school girls, vows of being best friends, blood vows, things happening to the girls.

Sorrow is a small town, but one with a backstory. There are six girls with the same birthday, if that’s not suspicious, I don’t know what is. Isabeau is one of these girls and there is a feeling these girls once upon a time were close best friends but not anymore, at least not with Isabeau. But something happens on their sixteenth birthday and it’s a race to figure out what is going on with the girls.

There are some heavy issues that are brought up in this book such as lost friendship, family problems, grief, and problematic parent/child bonds. I like how they face their problems eventually though and there is actually a happy ending even though this was a horror story.

Speaking of horror, this is set in a small town with a backstory about a witch named Sorrow. The horror is happening to the girls, where they are disappearing, or going through some illness and bleeding out of their eyes and such.

My Thoughts:

I thought this was pretty entertaining especially with premise of a small creepy town called Sorrow and six girls having the same birthday. What these girls uncover is something dark but the darkness makes way for the light and love of their friendship as they are reunited again. I think that was my favorite part of the book – the friendship. It would have been nice if there was more witchcraft in this book but that’s just for my personal preference!

Find me here: Instagram (bookstagram📚) | Instagram (crafts🎨) | Twitter (X) | Etsy (Shop)

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Starlings by. Amanda Linsmeier | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

King of Sloth by. Ana Huang | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: King of Sloth

Author: Ana Huang

Format: ebook (borrowed)

Pages: 466

Publication Date: 4/30/24

Categories: Romance, Contemporary, Series

He’d never wanted anyone enough to chase them…until he met her.

Charming, easygoing, and rich beyond belief, Xavier Castillo has the world at his fingertips.

He also has no interest in taking over his family’s empire (much to his father’s chagrin), but that hasn’t stopped women from throwing themselves at him…unless the woman in question is his publicist.

Nothing brings him more joy than riling her up, but when a tragedy forces them closer than ever, he must grapple with the uncertainty of his future—and the realization that the only person immune to his charms is the only one he truly wants.

***
Cool, intelligent, and ambitious, Sloane Kensington is a high-powered publicist who’s used to dealing with difficult clients.

However, none infuriate—or tempt—her more than a certain billionaire heir, with his stupid dimples and laid-back attitude.

She may be forced to work with him, but she’ll never fall for him…no matter how fast he makes her heart beat or how thoughtful he is beneath his party persona.

He’s her client, and that’s all he’ll ever be. Right?

Content Warning: grief, death of parents, strained family relationships

+ This one started off really good. I always thought Sloane was a strong character from book one – she’s the publicist who works hard and is good at her job. She kind of has a reputation as cold and an “ice princess” which is interesting because I felt she was fiery and somewhat of a machine that a princess. Also she doesn’t have a good relationship with her family. But I always found her a good friend when she appeared in the first two books of this series.

+ Xavier is charming, handsome and caring but kind of lacking direction. He also has some demons he’s struggling with along with a strained relationship with his father. He’s an heir to a billionaire fortune he doesn’t want so he tries to find his own way. Sloane is basically his “babysitter” trying to rehab his party boy image and I thought her being hard of him was kind of funny because he didn’t seem bothered by it at all. But with his party boy image I was assuming he would be a “bad boy” but he really wasn’t. He’s actually a sweet and nice guy, not ruthless at all which was not what I was expecting.

+~ I feel like the romance started great but sort of lost steam after the midway point only because they are both dealing with some challenges in their own separate lives. Obviously they don’t lose feelings for one another and only get better the longer they date, but I wanted more angst maybe but they are more of a comfort to one another which is nice – I just wanted some tension. Maybe because they got together so soon in the book and I wanted their back and forth to be drawn out a bit longer?

~ I really wish this was under 400 pages because I was losing interest at the 60% mark and that makes me wonder if I just didn’t care after they started dating because I knew they would be okay. The rest of the book was about Xavier trying to start his own business and Sloane dealing with family drama, because her family is awful. But I was skimming some of these pages at the end.

My Final Thoughts:

I really liked how this book started off but then it fizzled out for me in the second half. I think Sloane and Xavier are a cute couple, I just wanted more tension to build between them before they got together. I do like how they are there for each other though. I think I had this misconception that Xavier would be ruthless and be a real bad boy but in actuality Sloane is the ruthless one and she has to be in order to whip him into shape! Overall, I enjoyed the first part of the book but I kind of got bored with the second half.

Find me here: Instagram (bookstagram📚) | Instagram (crafts🎨) | Twitter (X) | Etsy (shop)

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

King of Greed by. Ana Huang | Book Review ⭐️⭐️

King of Pride by. Ana Huang | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

King of Wrath by. Ana Huang | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Check & Mate by. Ali Hazelwood | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Check & Mate

Author: Ali Hazelwood

Format: ebook (borrowed)

Pages: 352

Publication Date: 11/7/23

Categories: Young Adult/New Adult , Romance, Contemporary, Chess, LGBT+

In this clever and swoonworthy YA debut from the New York Times bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis, life’s moving pieces bring rival chess players together in a match for the heart.

Mallory Greenleaf is done with chess. Every move counts nowadays; after the sport led to the destruction of her family four years earlier, Mallory’s focus is on her mom, her sisters, and the dead-end job that keeps the lights on. That is, until she begrudgingly agrees to play in one last charity tournament and inadvertently wipes the board with notorious “Kingkiller” Nolan Sawyer: current world champion and reigning Bad Boy of chess.

Nolan’s loss to an unknown rook-ie shocks everyone. What’s even more confusing? His desire to cross pawns again. What kind of gambit is Nolan playing? The smart move would be to walk away. Resign. Game over. But Mallory’s victory opens the door to sorely needed cash-prizes and despite everything, she can’t help feeling drawn to the enigmatic strategist….

As she rockets up the ranks, Mallory struggles to keep her family safely separated from the game that wrecked it in the first place. And as her love for the sport she so desperately wanted to hate begins to rekindle, Mallory quickly realizes that the games aren’t only on the board, the spotlight is brighter than she imagined, and the competition can be fierce (-ly attractive. And intelligent…and infuriating…)

Content Warning: grief, dysfunctional family

+ My most favorite thing about this book has to be about the chess world. After watching The Queen’s Gambit on Netflix a few years I found the competitive world of chess so fascinating! Maybe because the lead was a female chess player. But I like that about Check & Mate that the lead is a female chess prodigy because we get to see her experience while playing in a male dominated game. I loved all the scenes about the competitions and training even though I have minimal knowledge of chess myself, I found it really interesting.

+ Mallory is a character who is really going through some stuff. A situation with her late dad has left her blaming herself for the state of her family and she feels totally responsible for taking care of them, but she’s only 18 years old. She may be a chess prodigy but she put chess aside when things went down with her dad – and she’s far behind the competition in ranking. She basically knows nothing about the competitive world of chess.

+ The supporting cast is so also one of my favorite parts of this book, especially Oz. He is so cranky and snarky, but I thought he’s snide remarks were so funny. What a personality. And I like that he called Mallory out on her bs when everything fell apart. Mallory actually had a good support system of friends, family and new colleagues but she wasn’t very good at accepting their help because of this guilt she carried inside her. I also particularly liked the rheumatoid arthritis representation, with Mal’s mom. My best friend has rheumatoid arthritis and I’ve see her go through some major challenges all her life.

+~ I thought the romance between Mallory and Nolan was cute and the rivals to lovers trope was fun and full of tension. But I also wanted more from their relationship, but that’s just personal preference – a little more angst maybe? Or just more scenes with Nolan? Mal did keep running from him in the beginning so it’s mostly in the second half that they get more scenes together which is a shame because I wanted him there from the moment she met him. I do think because of both their personalities and past trauma that maybe they both had some things to work through – mostly for Mal though. I loved when they did finally act of their attraction.

~ I did like Mallory’s devotion to her mom and sisters. But her sisters are a handful and sometimes it got annoying. There is a lot of cultural pop and Gen Z references, but I didn’t mind it.

My Final Thoughts:

I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about this one because of all the chess but I loved it! I just wish there was more Mallory and Nolan time in the book and maybe less of Mal’s sisters, but overall I enjoyed this one a lot!

Find me here: Instagram (bookstagram📚) | Instagram (crafts🎨) | Twitter (X) | Etsy (shop)

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Bride by. Ali Hazelwood | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

The Love Hypothesis by. Ali Hazelwood | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Funny Story by. Emily Henry | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Funny Story

Author: Emily Henry

Format: ebook (borrowed)

Pages: 400

Publication Date: 4/23/24

Categories: Romance, Contemporary

A shimmering, joyful new novel about a pair of opposites with the wrong thing in common.

Daphne always loved the way her fiancé Peter told their story. How they met (on a blustery day), fell in love (over an errant hat), and moved back to his lakeside hometown to begin their life together. He really was good at telling it…right up until the moment he realized he was actually in love with his childhood best friend Petra.

Which is how Daphne begins her new story: Stranded in beautiful Waning Bay, Michigan, without friends or family but with a dream job as a children’s librarian (that barely pays the bills), and proposing to be roommates with the only person who could possibly understand her predicament: Petra’s ex, Miles Nowak.

Scruffy and chaotic—with a penchant for taking solace in the sounds of heart break love ballads—Miles is exactly the opposite of practical, buttoned up Daphne, whose coworkers know so little about her they have a running bet that she’s either FBI or in witness protection. The roommates mainly avoid one another, until one day, while drowning their sorrows, they form a tenuous friendship and a plan. If said plan also involves posting deliberately misleading photos of their summer adventures together, well, who could blame them?

But it’s all just for show, of course, because there’s no way Daphne would actually start her new chapter by falling in love with her ex-fiancé’s new fiancée’s ex…right?

Content Warning: dysfunctional parents, cheating

I went into this one with lower expectations and not reading any reviews because I didn’t totally love the last book she put out. And I’m glad I went in without knowing anything because I really loved this one.

Daphne is a librarian who has just been dumped by her fiancé, Peter. But the break-up forced her to move out of their place so she ends up moving in with Peter’s new girlfriend’s ex-boyfriend, Miles. Sounds messy right?

I felt for Daphne because she’s left unmoored in a town she moved to because of her ex boyfriend. She’s trying to come to grips with the break-up, and trying to figure out why the men she loves keep leaving her disappointed. Yes, she has daddy issues because her dad was such a deadbeat, and that plays into her insecurities and fears about relationships, but she really thought Peter was the one who could fix all of that. I also liked how she was someone who had a hard time making friends but in the book she opens up a lot with Miles’ help but also from her own initiative to want to change that part of her life.

Miles, the roommate, is such a fun and chill character. He’s such a nice, sweet guy but he has issues too growing up with a narcissistic mother. Daphne and Miles together had such great banter and I loved their growing friendship and attraction to one another. I loved their chemistry even if that had moments they had to really back off from it because they weren’t in the right head space. I love that they both get to the right place together.

There are a lot of family issues brought up in the book. Daphne has issues with her dad who is barely in her life but her bond with her mom touched my heart so much and made me tear up. I love their bond. Miles’ childhood was horrible because he had a narcissistic mother and his father was gone a lot but it really messed with his mental health and how he viewed himself.

My Final Thoughts:

This one hit me in the feels! I loved the cozy town, Daphne being a librarian, the crew at the library, Miles, the friendships made along the way and the love that grew between Daphne and Miles. I felt the story had great tension to hold my attention, enough steam to make me gasp, so much love to be found in different relationships throughout the book – I even ended up tearing when Daphne and Miles had their first real fight. I was rooting for them so hard and I love that they had their happily after because these two characters deserved it.

Quotes From the Book:

“Life, I’d learned, is a revolving door. Most things that come into it only stay awhile.”
Funny Story by. Emily Henry

“If a person lets you down, it’s time to reconsider what you’re asking of them.”
Funny Story by. Emily Henry

“You can’t force a person to show up, but you can learn a lesson when they don’t.”
Funny Story by. Emily Henry

“I want to push as hard as possible against all the bruises in my heart, until it changes me. Until I learn to stop fucking everything up.”
Funny Story by. Emily Henry

“I don’t want to hurt him. I just don’t want him to hurt me either. “
Funny Story by. Emily Henry

“I’m a cynic. And a cynic is a romantic who’s too scared to hope.”
Funny Story by. Emily Henry

“Flags so red, they veered toward maroon.”
Funny Story by. Emily Henry

Find me here: Instagram (bookstagram📚) | Instagram (crafts🎨) | Twitter (X) | Etsy (shop)

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Happy Place by. Emily Henry | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Beach Read by. Emily Henry| Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Book Lovers by. Emily Henry | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

People We Meet on Vacation by. Emily Henry | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Some Mistakes Were Made by. Kristin Dwyer | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Some Mistakes Were Made

Author: Kristin Dwyer

Format: ebook (borrowed)

Pages: 384

Publication Date: 5/10/22

Categories: Young Adult, New Adult, Romance, Second Chance Romance

You can’t always go home again.

Ellis and Easton have been inseparable since childhood. But when a rash decision throws Ellis’s life—and her relationship with Easton— into chaos she’s forced to move halfway across the country, far from everything she’s ever known.

Now Ellis hasn’t spoken to Easton in a year, and maybe it’s better that way; maybe eventually the Easton shaped hole in her heart will heal. But when Easton’s mother invites her home for a celebration, Ellis finds herself tangled up in the web of heartache, betrayal, and anger she left behind… and with the boy she never stopped loving.

Content Warning: drugs, prison, neglectful parents

Having read this after listening to The Tortured Poets Department was such an experience! I didn’t mean for that to happen by the way but that’s what happened. And so many songs were resonating with what was happening in this book and Easton is a tortured poet for sure! What a coincidence right?

Ellis has made it – she graduated from high school in San Diego, a town that isn’t home. Now she is invited back home to Indiana, for a 50th birthday party for the woman who practically raised her and the three boys she was close to when she lived with them. Dixon, and Tucker are like brothers to her but Easton, is something more. There are events that happen in the book leading up to the moment Ellis and Easton are separated which sets off a hard journey for them to get back together.

There is angst, mutual pining, and so many feelings that aren’t communicated between Ellis and Easton. Their love story is so sweet but heart wrenching because she’s the girl from the wrong side of the tracks and Easton is the boy with loving parents and an easy upbringing. They are together, then torn apart, then thank you for the happy-ending, brought back together. I almost thought it wasn’t going to happen though, it got frustrating, but eventually they broke through to one another. A lot of things had to happen, like Ellis really facing her demons and Easton being patient through it all and telling her how he feels. I was sort of rooting for them, but also rooting for them not to be a toxic kind of love.

I loved how Sandry (Easton’s mom) took Ellis in. I love how Tucker became her best friend. But I also love that people in her dysfunctional family loved her too and showed it, like Tenny, her cousin and her grandma. This story showed that families are complicated but there can be love there too. I appreciated the layers of this story.

My Final Thoughts:

I loved this book and I think this author is becoming a must-read author for me. I can’t wait to read more of her books!

Quotes From the Book:

“I’m so sick of waiting to be saved or waiting for find myself because I’m too afraid the person I find will disappoint someone else.”
Some Mistakes Were Made by. Kristin Dwyer

“I stand here and feel other. Not quite one of them, but not quite something else. It’s how I feel everywhere.”
Some Mistakes Were Made by. Kristin Dwyer

“Because all the people who love me don’t want to keep me, but I can’t stop feeling like I need to please them.”
Some Mistakes Were Made by. Kristin Dwyer

“I forgot about this. People who can laugh at shitty things. People who don’t think the sky is falling when something small goes wrong. They call it perspective. Or being jaded. Or worse, a grateful attitude. Really, it’s just survival. A word I hate as much as I own.”
Some Mistakes Were Made by. Kristin Dwyer