Love & Lattes by. Beth Reekles | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Love & Lattes

Author: Beth Reekles

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 384

Publication Date: 10/22/24

Publisher: Delacorte Romance

Categories: New Adult, Romance, Contemporary, 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 Delacorte Romance for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

From the author of the bestselling phenomenon, the Kissing Booth, comes another sizzling story about an overachieving girl who unknowingly kisses the one guy she shouldn’t the night before her new internship begins.

One summer internship. Two complete opposites. And a connection neither expected…

Annalise Sherwood has worked herself to the bone to get a place on a prestigious internship program and nothing is going to stop her now. Work hard, play later, that’s her motto. She figures one night letting her guard down won’t hurt, though – especially when it ends with the best kiss of her life.

But to Anna’s horror, she discovers that the mystery guy she kissed that night is none other than Lloyd, the company CEO’s son. Born with a silver spoon in his mouth, he’s everyone’s favorite guy and a total charmer, swanning around like he owns the place. And from the moment they meet again, he rubs Anna up the wrong way.

As the summer and the internship wane on, Lloyd seems to be finding any excuse to annoy Anna, and she’s not afraid to give it right back to him. But when a lot of late night working brings them unexpectedly closer, she begins to wonder if there’s more to him than she originally thought..

Content Warning: strained parental relationships

Likes:

+ Annalise is an intern and she’s making new friends, learning the ropes and also trying to avoid a workplace romance with the guy she met before she realized with is the CEO’s son. I like how we see her journey trying to succeed on her own. Also she has some mom-issues that eventually get worked out by the end of the story

+ The romance interested me more in the second half of the book. For the first half, Annalise and Lloyd are trying to figure out how to remain being coworkers and fighting an attraction. But it really develops more in the second half when they can’t fight it anymore. But even from there it’s not easy for them.

Dislikes:

~ I didn’t really love either character. Lloyd seems like a good character in the beginning but I thought he came off as a jerk in some situations, especially when more things about Anna are revealed. As for Anna, I think there was too much back and forth, debating on her feelings about Lloyd. I can see how both of them got frustrated but I didn’t like Lloyd.

~ The romance is too slow, like I said, too much back and forth between them.

Final Thoughts:

I enjoyed this story more in the second half than the first and I didn’t quite warm up to Lloyd so overall I thought it was an okay book.

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Dishonestly Yours By. Krista & Becca Ritchie | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Dishonestly Yours (Webs We Weave, #1)

Author: Krista & Becca Ritchie

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 464

Publication Date: 7/2/24

Publisher: Berkley

Categories: Romance, Crime, Family, New Adult

Starting fresh is the only way Phoebe can escape a life of crime, but her best friend’s older brother complicates honest dreams in this gripping new series from the authors of the Addicted series.

Phoebe Graves grew up in a family where deception and seduction are as commonplace as breathing. The Graves and her best friend Hailey’s family have been on the run their whole lives, but after a high-stakes con job goes south, Phoebe and Hailey decide to run away and start over. The small Connecticut town they settle in seems too good to be true.

The biggest flaw in their plan is Hailey’s frustratingly handsome brother, Rocky, who insists on coming with them. Living honestly isn’t in his DNA, and his past with Phoebe is downright messy. He’s everything she wants, but nothing she can have.

Phoebe worries that Rocky will tempt them back into their old ways, where lying is second nature. She doesn’t want Rocky to mess up the new life she’s begun for herself. The longer she stays in town, the more she realizes what it means to have a reputation—and what a normal life with the man she loves could look like.

Content Warning: crime, sexual assault, mentions of rape, toxic parental relationships, hazing

I’ll admit I gravitated to this book because of the cover! I love the colors and then the synopsis got me intrigued so this is what I thought of the book:

Likes:

+ Two best-friends who have lived a life a crime (forced upon them by their toxic parents), now wants to try living life the right way, a life free of crime in Victoria, Connecticut and honestly when Phoebe mentions Hailey’s favorite movie is Mystic Pizza – I was like oh…I’m going to like this because I was obsessed with Mystic Pizza lol. I love the relationship between Phoebe and Hailey, they are best-friends but like sisters for how long they’ve known each other and all the things they have been through. And they have been through a lot.

+ I think the whole crime family storyline is fascinating with how they lived their lives by just doing a con every time they needed money. Phoebe and Hailey and their siblings have been so manipulated by their parents that all the only real way they know how to live is to manipulate others too so it was interesting to see if Phoebe and Hailey could stop their habit of conning their way through life. I like that they are giving it a real good effort.

+ The forbidden romance between Phoebe and Rocky is filled with angst, passion, but also a deep, deep love. They can’t be together for fear of their parents manipulating that love – which is so sad to me. Rocky is her best friend’s brother and they have such a history together and know each other inside and outside of a con. So really, the two of them know each other’s best and worst sides. I thought they were perfect together and was rooting for them. They do have some steamy scenes.

Dislikes:

+ The fake-dating with Phoebe and Jake was kind of weak but I know there is more about Jake we need to learn about. He is hard to gauge and has lots of secrets also.

My Thoughts:

This story is filled with drama as expected from some characters who only know a life of conning but I found it addicting the more messier things got! I loved Phoebe and Hailey’s friendship and Phoebe and Rocky’s angsty love and I definitely will be reading book two to see what happens when their parents come to town and also I want to know more about Jake.

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The Dagger and the Flame by. Catherine Doyle | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: The Dagger and the Flame (The City of Fantome, #1)

Author: Catherine Doyle

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 510

Publication Date: 10/1/24

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Categories: New Adult, Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Series, Enemies 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 Margaret K. McElderry Books for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

In the dark underbelly of a beautiful city, two rival assassins are pitted against each other in a deadly game of revenge, where the most dangerous mistake of all is falling in love in this searing young adult fantasy.

In Fantome, a kingdom of cobbled streets, flickering lamplight, beautiful buildings, and secret catacombs, Shade-magic is a scarce and deadly commodity controlled by two enemy the Cloaks and the Daggers—the thieves and the assassins. On the night of her mother’s murder, seventeen-year-old Seraphine runs for her life. Seeking sanctuary with the Cloaks, Sera’s heart is set on revenge. But are her secret abilities a match for the dark-haired boy whose quicksilver eyes follow her around the city?

Nothing can prepare Sera for the moment she finally comes face-to-face with Ransom, heir to the Order of Daggers. And Ransom is shocked to discover that this unassuming farm girl wields a strange and blazing magic he has never seen before. As the Cloaks and the Daggers grapple for control of Fantome’s underworld, Sera and Ransom are consumed by the push and pull of their magic…and the deadly spark and terrible vengeance that keeps drawing them back together.

Content Warning: violence, death, domestic violence, abuse, profanity

I was looking for an enemies to lovers romance and I got it with this book! Here are my thoughts:

Likes:

I’ve been craving for an enemies to lovers romance and this one has banter, violence, and sizzling chemistry that had me riveted. Now I say this is new adult because there was steamy scene. But I loved the cat and mouse between them – and the sending notes to one another scenes? Loved it.
I enjoyed the world building and how the Cloak (thieves) and Daggers (assassins) are rival organized crime groups. Central to these two sides is Seraphine who’s mother was basically a drug manufacturer (the drug being Shade) and was killed by a Dagger. Now Sera is out for revenge and I like the twists in the story. It doesn’t help Sera’s dreams of revenge that Ransom is tasked to kill her.
I love Pippin, Sera’s dog.
Both Sera and Ransom have found families but Sera’s found family is tighter and more trustworthy whereas Ransom’s is a little more cutthroat. I definitely felt for Ransom, poor guy.

Dislikes:

I wanted more interaction between Sera and Ransom in the first half but it’s a slow burn between them.
The beginning of the story is slow but I’m glad I stuck it out.

My Thoughts:

I found this story pretty entertaining and I loved that it was enemies to lovers with some blood involved. This story has action, found family, a lot of chemistry between two rivals, magic and some interesting twists. I was rooting for Sera and Ransom until the end, so we’ll see what happens in book two!

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Other Books By This Author:

Cursed Crowns by. Catherine Doyle & Katherine Webber | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Twin Crowns by. Catherine Doyle & Katherine Webber | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Book Review | The Storm Keeper’s Island ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Vendetta (Blood for Blood, #1) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Inferno (Blood for Blood, #2) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Mafiosa (Blood for Blood, #3) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A Fire in the Sky by. Sophie Jordan | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: A Fire in the Sky

Author: Sophie Jordan

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 336

Publication Date: 9/24/24

Publisher: Avon

Categories: New Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Dragons

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 eARC in exchange for an honest review!

New York Times bestselling author Sophie Jordan returns to the high-stakes, sweeping world of dragons, romance, and drama first evoked in her bestselling young adult Firelight series, in a brand-new epic adult romantasy series.

Dragons are extinct. Witches are outcast. Magic is dying.

But human lust for power is immortal.

Dragon fire no longer blisters the skies over Penterra, but inside the lavish palace, life is still perilous…especially for Tamsyn. Raised in the glittering court alongside the princesses, it’s her duty to be punished for their misdeeds. Treated as part of the royal family but also as the lowliest servant, Tamsyn fits nowhere. Her only friend is Stig, Captain of the Guard…though sometimes she thinks he wants more than friendship.

When Fell, the Beast of the Borderlands, descends on her home, Tamsyn’s world becomes even more dangerous. To save the pampered princesses from a fate worse than death, she is commanded to don a veil and marry the brutal warrior. She agrees to the deception even though it means leaving Stig, and the only life she’s ever known, behind.

The wedding night begins with unexpected passion—and ends in near violence when her trickery is exposed. Rather than start a war, Fell accepts Tamsyn as his bride…but can he accept the dark secrets she harbors—secrets buried so deep even she doesn’t know they exist? For Tamsyn is more than a royal whipping girl, more than the false wife of a man who now sees her as his enemy. And when those secrets emerge, they will ignite a flame bright enough to burn the entire kingdom to the bone.

Magic is not dead…it is only sleeping. And it will take one ordinary girl with an extraordinary destiny to awaken it.

Content Warning: violence, death, abuse, whipping

I haven’t read a Sophie Jordan novel in years but I got asked to read this one so I was curious. I think I read one YA novel from her and a few historical romance books but like I said it’s been awhile.

Tamsyn is a whipping a girl. Yes, she is the girl who gets the punishment meant for the royal princesses. It’s an awful situation for her but because she’s an orphan, it is actually a better station than Tamsyn could have ever dreamed of, at least that’s what she thinks or is trained to believe. She’s a part of the royal family but also, not.

Fell, is a hardened, ruthless warlord who believes his hard work defending the borders deserves a price and what he wants is to marry one of the princesses. I think you can guess what happens in this story at least for the first part. The first half of the book is predictable but the second half had some interesting surprises!

I was definitely entertained by the steamy attraction (very instant attraction) between Tamsyn and Fell. There are a few spicy scenes between them. Unfortunately, I think that’s the only thing they had going for them as a couple – the physical chemistry, because I didn’t think there was enough time for their relationship to grow at all in this story. And although I read this book in one night, I didn’t feel connected to any of the characters. There is also someone in Tamsyn’s life from the royal court, Stig, who was a close friend and is in love with her. But, I wasn’t feeling Stig’s point of view in the story since she never really considers him or has any romantic feelings towards him. I would have rather had like more chapters devoted to Tamsyn and Fell getting to know one another.

I definitely liked the dragons but again, it comes mostly at the end of a story and sets things up for a sequel.

My Thoughts:

This story had me hooked even though I wasn’t connecting much to the characters. I was into the drama of the arranged marriage and wanted to see how that was going to turn out. The first half was predictable but I think the second half got me intrigued because that’s when the dragons are actually introduced. I think I may continue the series just because the ending was quite a cliffhanger and I want to learn more about the dragon shifters.

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Fear the Flames by. Olivia Rose Darling | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Fear the Flames (#1)

Author: Olivia Rose Darling

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 384

Publication Date: 9/17/24

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Categories: New Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Dragons, 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 Delacorte Press for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

An exiled princess teams up with the last man she thought she could trust in the start of a dazzling and unforgettable epic fantasy romance series.

As a child, Elowen Atarah was ripped away from her dragons and imprisoned by her father, King Garrick of Imirath. Years later, Elowen is now a woman determined to free her dragons. Having established a secret kingdom of her own called Aestilian, she’s ready to do what’s necessary to save her people and seek vengeance. Even if that means having to align herself with the Commander of Vareveth, Cayden Veles, the most feared and dangerous man in all the kingdoms of Ravaryn.

Cayden is ruthless, lethal, and secretive, promising to help Elowen if she will stand with him and all of Vareveth in the pending war against Imirath. Despite their contrasting motives, Elowen can’t ignore their undeniable attraction as they combine their efforts and plot to infiltrate the impenetrable castle of Imirath to steal back her dragons and seek revenge on their common enemy.

As the world tries to keep them apart, the pull between Elowen and Cayden becomes impossible to resist. Working together with their crew over clandestine schemes, the threat of war looms, making the imminent heist to free her dragons their most dangerous adventure yet. But for Elowen, her vengeance is a promise signed in blood, and she’ll stop at nothing to see that promise through.

An immersive fantasy filled with a sizzling reluctant-allies-to-lovers romance, a world to get lost in, dangerous quests, dragon bonds, and an entertaining band of characters to root for, Fear the Flames marks the stunning debut of Olivia Rose Darling.

Content Warning: violence, death

I thought this started off strong but I think it fizzled out for me in some parts. Here are my thoughts:

Likes:

It’s a romantasy. I love romance with my fantasy. It’s an enemies to lovers situation. Cayden is a Commander with a ruthless reputation and Elowen is a Queen of her own kingdom but she is hunted by her father. Cayden makes a deal with Elowen to help protect and get her dragons while she helps him by standing with Vareveth in the coming war.
The banter between Cayden and Elowen was entertaining. I liked their banter and of course they are attracted to one another. There are a few steamy parts.
Elowen is bonded to some dragons but have been separated them since she was a child. I was excited that this story had dragons.
Elowen’s relationship with her best friend was cute.

Dislikes:

Not enough dragons! It’s mostly at the end of this book.
I felt like I wasn’t invested enough in Elowen’s turmoil about her past, her present with leading her secret kingdom and then her bond with her dragons. I think because she’s such a strong character, it felt like everything was handled and she didn’t really need help. I just didn’t connect to her.
The story didn’t flow well for me.

My Thoughts:

I think this one was okay. I loved that this story had dragons but it’s really only a little glimpse of them. I did enjoy the romance aspects of the story but I do wish I connected more to the characters. Overall, if you like dragons and romantasy definitely give this one a try.

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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!

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

The Dixon Rule by. Elle Kennedy| Book Review

Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: The Dixon Rule (Campus Diaries, #2)

Author: Elle Kennedy

Format: ebook (kindle unlimited)

Pages: 526

Publication Date: 5/14/24

Categories: Romance, Series, Sports Romance, New Adult, Hockey

Diana Dixon has a lot going on this summer. She’s rehearsing for a ballroom dance competition, juggling two jobs, and dealing with an ex-boyfriend who can’t take the hint it’s over. Yet despite all that, she still has plenty of time and energy to tell Shane Lindley to screw off.

Shane just moved into her apartment building and seems dedicated to sleeping his way through her entire cheerleading squad. Sure, he’s a tall, gorgeous hockey player, but he’s messing with her turf. This calls for some ground rules: no parties in her apartment, leave her teammates alone, and—most importantly—leave her alone.

What Diana doesn’t realize is that Shane’s sick of hookups and tired of being on the rebound after his long-term girlfriend called it quits. He wants a relationship. And when his ex comes back into the picture, he pretends he has one to make her jealous…and who better to play the girlfriend role than his sassy new neighbor?

Despite Diana’s reluctance to break her rule, a fake relationship is the perfect solution for her own ex issues, and soon she can’t deny something is sizzling between her and Shane. Something hot and completely unexpected.

And it might just be getting a little too real.

Content Warning: stalking, physical abuse, death of a parent, grief

This is book two in the Campus Diaries series and I think I like this one more than the first one minus the kinky sex scene which works for some people but for me was an ick.

I like Diana Dixon a lot and I liked her when she was in the first book also. She’s got a good head on her shoulders, she’s independent, hard working, sassy with the guys and a good friend. As for Shane, he’s one of the hockey guys but I like how he’s a girlfriend kinda guy. He’s been trying to get over his ex and has a bad reputation for hooking up with the cheer team, which Diana’s is on. He misses being in a relationship which is opposite of his friends who are so big into hooking up constantly.

The two of them together with their different personalities really appealed to me. There was fun banter between them and lots of chemistry. I thought their interactions with one another at their apartment complex was so funny especially with the HOA meetings and their little community! As for the spice – there is some kink in this book and I’m not judging but that was a scene I could have done without. They are definitely a friend group that is not shy with each other but it’s a no for me! I wanted to close my eyes lol…and I don’t usually feel like that when reading a book.

The conflict comes with both their exes. Diana is dealing with Percy who is becoming a stalker. Her story takes a darker turn with Percy being physical and I didn’t expect that at all. Whereas Shane deals with his ex coming back into his life and wondering how he feels about her. There’s a dark turn to his story also when it comes to his family, which was also unexpected.

I like the Campus Diaries stories so far but I feel like there is a common theme with them. Despite their cartoonish book cover designs that make you think it will be a spicy new adult romance – they actually have some heavy themes and usually it’s thrown in at the end of the book. I don’t know if I like that format, because I feel like things get rushed at the end. Also, the two books I’ve read are 500+ pages long and I don’t think it needs to be. But at least this one was a quicker read because I love Diana and Shane and there was less hockey in this one compared to the first book.

My Final Thoughts:

I liked this one better than The Graham Effect except for that one scene that I wish I could have closed my eyes on lol. For the readers who like kinky sex, you’ll love this one. I usually like angst between two people but Diana and Shane didn’t need it. I love how they are enemies or maybe more frenenemies turned into lovers. Their romance progression was fun and they were both funny together. Like I really believe they are the most solid couple after everything they went through together and know they’ll be together forever. I just wish the books weren’t so long and things get thrown in at the end making some things feel rushed. I’m afraid to read Beckett or Will’s book because it’s definitely going to be kinkier and I can’t with the friends watching one another having sex.😅 So we will see if I read the next book in the series, depends who it will be about!

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Book Links:

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The Graham Effect by. Elle Kennedy | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Misfit by. Elle Kennedy | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Bad Girl Reputation by. Elle Kennedy | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️

Good Girl Complex by. Elle Kennedy | ARC 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!

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

The Love Hypothesis by. Ali Hazelwood | 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

“We keep having the same argument with words that circle the same hurt over and over again.”
Some Mistakes Were Made by. Kristin Dwyer

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Book Links:

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The Atlas of Us by. Kristin Dwyer | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Beautiful Villain by. Rebecca Kenney | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Beautiful Villain

Author: Rebecca Kenney

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 400

Publication Date: 7/16/24

Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca

Categories: New Adult, Romance, The Great Gatsby Retelling, Vampires

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

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

Seven years ago, I lost him for good. Now he’s back, but is he still the Jay Gatsby I used to know…or is he something more? Something…darker.

Daisy Finnegan is looking forward to the endless golden freedom of summer. She doesn’t want to think about life after college, or the newly awakened power of her voice, which has a way of making people do frightening things. But when her cousin goes missing at an exclusive house party, Daisy confronts the mysterious host…only to discover the wealthy recluse is Jay Gatsby, her childhood sweetheart―now sinfully hot and impossible to deny.

It isn’t long before Daisy becomes entangled in a web of dizzying wealth and lies and obsession darker than she could have dreamed―culminating in a shocking act of violence that shatters the summer haze and threatens to drown them all.

But it isn’t until Gatsby is shot through the heart―and survives―that Daisy discovers the truth of how Gatsby clawed his way up in the world by selling the secret of immortality to the highest bidder. Now with her friends’ lives at stake, her own untested power still volatile, and an unimaginable threat closing in, Daisy will have to face an impossible choice: side with the man who claimed her body and soul…or with the monsters who would see him lost to her forever.

An addictive and truly original spicy New Adult retelling of The Great Gatsby with a magical twist.

Content Warning: abuse

I never read The Great Gatsby but I did watch the movie with Leonardo DiCaprio mostly because of that Lana Del Rey song, Young and Beautiful.

Daisy is a young adult who is out of college, doesn’t have much direction, she broke up with her abusive ex-boyfriend, and just got invited to an infamous party thrown by some mysterious guy people refer to as Gatsby. The name is familiar to Daisy and wonders if it’s the same Jay Gatsby she was best friends with when she was younger, before she moved to a new town.

I thought this was a fairly quick read because I wanted to see how the vampire element would fit in the Gatsby story and I thought it did it pretty well. I like that the explanation about how vampires are created is different from the usual lore. Jay is such mysterious, wealthy young man, that it makes sense he would be a vampire.

Daisy and Jay’s attraction happens very quick and things get spicy between them almost right away. Their feelings for each other from when they were younger resurfaces but they do make an effort to get to know one another since so much has changed – especially with Jay.

I can’t say I connected to anyone in this story. Also, there is a lot of pop culture references in the book – if you aren’t into that, then just know it’s there.

My Thoughts:

I thought this one was okay. I did think it was a pretty good retelling of The Great Gatsby only from what I saw and remembered from the movie. The vampire storyline worked pretty well but I just didn’t connect to the characters. I think I wanted more drama and maybe have it be a little more darker because sometimes it felt like a young adult story just a very spicy one.