BLOG TOUR} Meet Me in London by. Georgia Toffolo | ARC Review

Welcome to the blog tour for Meet Me in London by. Georgia Toffolo!

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Meet Me in London

Author: Georgia Toffolo

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 336

Publication Date: 9/28/21

Publisher: HQN

Categories: Adult, Romance, Contemporary, Fake Engagement

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

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

What do you do when your fake engagement starts to feel too real…

Aspiring clothes designer Victoria Scott spends her days working in a bar in Chelsea and her evenings designing vintage clothes, dreaming of one day opening her own boutique. But these aspirations are under threat from the new department store opening at the end of her road. She needs a Christmas miracle, but one is not forthcoming.

Oliver Russell’s Christmas is not looking very festive right now. His family’s new London department store opening is behind schedule, and on top of that his interfering, if well-meaning, mother is pressing him to introduce his girlfriend to her over the holidays—a girlfriend who does not exist. He needs a diversion…something to keep his mother from meddling while he focuses on the business.

When Oliver meets Victoria, he offers a proposition: pretend to be his girlfriend at the opening of his store and he will provide an opportunity for Victoria to showcase her designs. But what starts as a business arrangement soon becomes something more tempting as the fake relationship starts to feel very real. But when secrets in Victoria’s past are exposed, will Oliver walk away, or will they both follow their hearts and find what neither knew they were looking for…?

I definitely get the holiday romance vibes in this story with the setting of London and the department store. I can picture Christmas in London being very romantic!

Victoria as a character has some sad history, she’s struggling to make her dreams come true as a fashion designer. On the other hand, Oliver is a wealthy business man who conveniently is helping his family open up a new department store – I think you can guess how this one plays out!

The romance is predictable because it’s a fake dating story so we already know what happens there but they had good chemistry in and outside of the bedroom. You definitely see the attraction grows since they have to pretend to be engaged.

Content Warnings: accident trauma

I didn’t connect to the characters and the story was quite predictable but it’s a quick, holiday romance read so I took it for what it was.

Why you should read it:

holiday romance story
fake dating trope
Christmas setting in London

Why you might not want to read it:

predictable

My Thoughts:

This one wasn’t for me even though I think it would make a really good holiday romance movie on Hallmark channel or Netflix. It’s got the setting and story right for a holiday romance, I just wish I could connect more to the characters.

📚 ~ Yolanda

About the Author:

Georgia Toffolo is a broadcaster and TV personality. She has been a firm favourite with the public right from the start of her TV debut, Made in Chelsea, all the way to winning over the hearts of I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here in 2018.

Georgia turned her eye to fashion and has curated two sell out collections with fashion retailer Shein. An ambassador for many British brands, both large and small, Georgia has also collaborated with Dyson, Baileys, Emma Bridgewater, Great British Racing, Foreo and Malibu amongst many more.

Most recently, Georgia has dived into the world of fiction by publishing her debut novel Meet Me in London with publishing house Mills and Boon. This is the first of an original series of four books following a group of lifelong friends and bringing personal anecdotes to life with humour and charm.

BLOG TOUR} The Matzah Ball by Jean Meltzer | ARC Review

Welcome to the blog tour for The Matzah Ball by Jean Meltzer!

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: The Matzah Ball

Author: Jean Meltzer

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 416

Publication Date: 9/28/21

Publisher: MIRA

Categories: Contemporary, Romance, Holiday Romance, Hanukkah Romance, Second Chance 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 MIRA for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Oy! to the world

Rachel Rubenstein-Goldblatt is a nice Jewish girl with a shameful secret: she loves Christmas. For a decade she’s hidden her career as a Christmas romance novelist from her family. Her talent has made her a bestseller even as her chronic illness has always kept the kind of love she writes about out of reach.

But when her diversity-conscious publisher insists she write a Hanukkah romance, her well of inspiration suddenly runs dry. Hanukkah’s not magical. It’s not merry. It’s not Christmas. Desperate not to lose her contract, Rachel’s determined to find her muse at the Matzah Ball, a Jewish music celebration on the last night of Hanukkah, even if it means working with her summer camp archenemy—Jacob Greenberg.

Though Rachel and Jacob haven’t seen each other since they were kids, their grudge still glows brighter than a menorah. But as they spend more time together, Rachel finds herself drawn to Hanukkah—and Jacob—in a way she never expected. Maybe this holiday of lights will be the spark she needed to set her heart ablaze.

This Hanukkah romance was a first for me. I’ve never read one but for the most part I enjoyed this one.

I like the representations that are in the story. Rachel has myalgic encephalomyelitis or chronic fatigue syndrome and it is explained very well and I really got the sense of how it affected her whole life. I learned so many things about Jewish culture in this book, and it was kind of neat to see Rachel and Jacob’s different perspectives on observing certain rules and traditions.

The romance is very sweet – I mean, it started from when they were twelve! It’s a childhood camp crush that turns them into enemies somewhat but wow can these two hold grudges.

I liked that we saw Rachel finding the beautiful things about Hanukkah. She’s Jewish but is secretly in love with Christmas, obsessed with Christmas more like – and she works through some of that. As for Jacob, he has some family issues to deal with and I love his grandmother, such a sweet and fearless woman!

Content Warning: parent abandonment, death of a parent, chronic pain

There are some phrases I found throughout the book that made me cringe. Maybe it was trying too hard with the humor, maybe it is Rachel’s personality? Whatever it is, it didn’t work for me.

Their “romance” started at twelve and they break each other’s hearts (as much as you can at camp when you are 12!) and still hold a grudge almost 18 years later – honestly?…that seemed pretty immature to me and unbelievable. I guess it’s supposed to come off sweet and innocent? But I wasn’t feeling it. Also, I felt like there was no chemistry between them until very late into the book, so yes this is a very slow burn. The miscommunication between them totally bugged me.

Jacob, no matter how handsome and rich he is, didn’t do it for me. I thought he was so clueless not only about Rachel and romance, but even about event planning! He’s supposedly this amazing party organizer but so many things didn’t work when he was planning the Matzah Ball – where are his work connections? He’s in NYC, I would think he’d know how to get the best decorations for a party. I was confused, he can’t mess up that bad, can he? But he did. I was not impressed. That wasn’t the only inconsistent thing in the book, Rachel has CFS but the ending was over the top with her running and climbing and sneaking into the event to make her grand gesture to Jacob. I mean…she must have tanked a lot of red bull to do that, but isn’t the consequences on her body going to be awful? I guess he was worth the pain to her.

Why you should read it:

CFS representation, chronic illness
learn about Jewish customs and Hanukkah
you like sweet holiday romances

Why you might not want to read it:

immature grudge between the couple
lacking chemistry between couple

My Thoughts:

If you like Hallmark movies, you will like this book. It has a slow burn romance, some wild shenanigans, a man going through some emotional family issues, and a Jewish woman living with a chronic illness and secretly loving Christmas, and a heartbreak judge that’s been held onto for 18 years. I had a few issues with it, especially that the couple lacked chemistry and I want lots of it in a romance book. Also that the grudge between the two is really silly. The best parts of the story was learning about Jewish customs and chronic fatigue syndrome. The family aspects of the book really stood out.

📚~ Yolanda

About the Author:

Author Jean Meltzer studied dramatic writing at NYU Tisch, and served as creative director at Tapestry International, garnering numerous awards for her work in television, including a daytime Emmy. Like her protagonist, Jean is also a chronically-ill and disabled Jewish woman. She is an outspoken advocate for ME/CFS (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome), has attended visibility actions in Washington DC, meeting with members of Senate and Congress to raise funds for ME/CFS. She inspires 9,000 followers on WW Connect to live their best life, come out of the chronic illness closet, and embrace the hashtag #chronicallyfabulous. Also, while she was raised in what would be considered a secular home, she grew up kosher and attended Hebrew School. She spent five years in Rabbinical School.

Author Website | Facebook: @JeanMeltzerAutho | Instagram: @JeanMeltzer | Goodreads

The Highland Fling by. Meghan Quinn | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

Title: The Highland Fling

Author: Meghan Quinn

Format: eBook (Kindle Unlimited)

Pages: 349

Publication Date: 8/24/21

Publisher: Montlake

Categories: Romance, Contemporary, Adult

In this steamy tale by USA Today bestselling author Meghan Quinn, an American searching for her purpose escapes to a Scottish town but finds more questions than answers when she meets a brooding yet handsome handyman.

Freshly fired from her third job in a row, Bonnie St. James has lost her way. So when she and her best friend stumble upon a “help wanted” post to run a coffee shop in the Scottish Highlands, they apply on a whim. Who knows? Maybe traveling to a new place is just what she needs to figure out her next move.

When the friends arrive in the tiny idyllic town of Corsekelly, they instantly fall for the gorgeous Highland landscape and friendly townspeople. But Bonnie finds a less-than-warm welcome in Rowan MacGregor, the rugged local handyman. Busy wrestling his own demons, Rowan’s in no mood to deal with the quirky American—even if she is a bonny lass.

As Bonnie and Rowan’s paths inevitably cross, insults—and sparks—fly. Can the pair build on their similarities to help each other find purpose and direction…and maybe romance too? Or will their passionate tempers fling them apart?

I have never read a Meghan Quinn book even though I see her all over Amazon! I was in the mood for a romance and one on kindle unlimited since I pay for a subscription. I’m glad I gave this one a try.

The first thing I loved was the friendship between Bonnie and Dakota. You get the impression right away they are more than best friends, more like sisters. They are in their mid-twenties, Bonnie is trying to find her path but Dakota is pretty much set in hers. At Dakota’s insistence they apply for a job in the highlands of Scotland to run a coffee shop for six months. What seems like a joint venture becomes something more of a growing experience for their friendship, they grow apart and then come back together even stronger. I also liked the LGBT+ representation with Dakota. She meets someone and has her own growth with overcoming her past relationship that really hurt her.

As for the main romance of the story, Bonnie meets Rowan, who is this gruff Scotsman who aggravates her! But we get two perspectives here, so we can see how Bonnie gets under his skin also. Their back and forth teasing and antagonizing is a slow burn, with some funny moments, but when they finally get together, it’s hot! They do face some challenges in their new relationship but this is where the story brings us to an emotional level I wasn’t expecting.

Bonnie and Rowan can relate to one another because they are both people who are trying to figure out their future. Both want more out of their lives. Bonnie wants to find out what she’s good at, Rowan knows what he is good at but never had his father’s approval – actually he deals with a lot of family emotional drama under the surface. I thought the book was just about two people flirting and aggravating one another until the story got deep with Rowan’s family history and on the other side of the coin Bonnie goes through some really challenging moments with her friendship with Dakota. I enjoyed the growth from all of them a lot.

Content Warnings: illness, grief

Bonnie was a bit too much at times – she loves cake and she hasn’t had sex in awhile. She’s very quirky, very much Dakota’s opposite. I like that she loves to have a good time but at times she just doesn’t know how to back off so her personality could get cringy at times.

For the most part of the book, the story is light hearted, Bonnie is trying to find her way and keeps running into Rowan. But the end gets into a sad mood when Rowan goes through some personal stuff. I was not expecting it. I enjoyed the second half of the book much more than the beginning.

Why you should read it?

hot scotsman and beauty of the highlands
enemies to lovers romance
it’s starts off light hearted but story gets emotional

Why you might not want to read it?

Bonnie’s quirky personality may turn you off

My Thoughts:

I thought this story was cute, once I got used to Bonnie’s personality. I enjoyed Bonnie and Dakota’s friendship and adventure in Scotland. And it’s awesome that Dakota’s love life could share in the spotlight too because it is a F/F relationship. Bonnie and Rowan’s relationship was also fun especially when they were aggravating one another, but their romance definitely faces challenges when they face their personal demons. I didn’t expect this to be very emotional but I was surprised by the ending and how much the main characters grow. I’d definitely read another book from this author in the future.

📚 ~ Yolanda

How Not to Fall in Love by. Jacqueline Firkins | ARC Review

My Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

Title: How Not to Fall in Love

Author: Jacqueline Firkins

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 239

Publication Date: 12/21/21

Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers

Categories: Young Adult, Romance, Friends to Lovers, Contemporary

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

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

A hardened cynic and a hopeless romantic teach each other about love in this swoony and heartfelt contemporary romance that’s perfect for fans of Tweet Cute and The Upside of Falling.

Harper works in her mom’s wedding shop, altering dresses for petulant and picky brides who are more focused on hemlines than love. After years of watching squabbles break out over wedding plans, Harper thinks romance is a marketing tool. Nothing more. Her best friend Theo is her opposite. One date and he’s already dreaming of happily ever afters. He also plays the accordion, makes chain mail for Ren Festers, hangs out in a windmill-shaped tree house, cries over rom-coms, and takes his word-of-the-day calendar very seriously.

When Theo’s shocked to find himself nursing his umpteenth heartbreak, Harper offers to teach him how not to fall in love. Theo agrees to the lessons, as long as Harper proves she can date without falling in love. As the lessons progress and Theo takes them to heart, Harper has a harder time upholding her end of the bargain. She’s also checking out her window to see if Theo’s home from his latest date yet. She’s even watching rom-coms. If she confesses her feelings, she’ll undermine everything she’s taught him. Or was he the one teaching her?

How Not to Fall in Love is a really quick, light hearted, young adult romance story. It’s about a girl named Harper who works at her mom’s bridal shop, helping her alter dresses for excited and stressed out brides. Being in the bridal industry has made Harper a cynic about love. It doesn’t help that her quirky best-friend and next door neighbor, Theo, falls in love easily and gets his heart broken often. So she tries to help him not fall so fast by giving him lessons in dating.

As for Harper she finally talks to Felix, her crush, and tries to show Theo how to keep things casual except it’s a bit challenging for Harper because Felix is perfect. Theo and Harper both date other people but it’s clear that the person Theo really likes is Harper. She’s pretty clueless about it until she thinks it’s too late for them.

I think I should note the boys in this book – cry! Yes, they both do and that’s rare to see in books. Theo is sensitive, very quirky, dorky, so smart and oh so cute. I can definitely see why Harper started falling for him – he seems to give really good hugs, emotional support and vocab lessons! They have such a cute friendship filled with affection. Felix, on the other hand is perfect as well, it just came down to who knew Harper the best, and that was Theo.

Harper has to pick between two boys so if you aren’t into love triangles then you might not be into this love story.

I think the “lessons” Harper was supposed to help Theo with was kind of lost in the story. I didn’t see too many lessons going on, just some advice she’d give him about when to call a girl back and such. Also I thought it was weird that Harper was giving lessons when she only had one ex-boyfriend and wasn’t the dating type – it took her awhile to talk to Felix. For awhile all she did was stare at him from the shop window.

It’s a sex positive book which was nice because yes, teens do have intercourse. I’m glad Harper’s mom was there for her to talk about her love life.

I’m not a fan of this book cover! I really think they could make it as cute as the story is, at least.

This one is a really quick read and I think it’s such a sweet love story between two best friends. I enjoyed Harper and Theo’s relationship a lot. I thought the love triangle was handled pretty well considering Felix was a good guy too and it was no fault of his that things didn’t work out – sometimes, that’s just the way it is in young love. If you like a friends to lovers romance story, you may enjoy this one.

📚 ~ Yolanda

Just Haven’t Met You Yet by. Sophie Cousens | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Just Haven’t Met You Yet

Author: Sophie Cousens

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 400

Publication Date: 11/09/21

Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons

Categories: Adult, Romance, Contemporary

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

Thank you you to G.P. Putnam’s Sons for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Laura’s business trip to the Channel Islands isn’t exactly off to a great start. After unceremoniously dumping everything in her bag in front of the most attractive man she’s ever seen in real life, she arrives at her hotel only to realize she’s grabbed the wrong suitcase from the airport. Her only consolation? The irresistibly appealing contents of the case: a copy of her favorite book; piano music; and a rugged, heavy knit fisherman sweater only a Ryan Gosling lookalike could pull off. The owner of this suitcase is Laura’s dream man–she’s sure of it. Now, all she has to do is find him.

The mix-up seems written in the stars. After all, what are the odds that she’d find The One on the same remote island where her mom and dad had first fallen in love, especially as she sets out to write an article about their epic romance? Commissioning surly cab driver Ted to ferry her around seems like her best bet in both tracking down the mystery suitcase owner and retracing her parents’ footsteps. And if beneath Ted’s gruffness lies a wit that makes their cab rides strangely entertaining, so much the better. But as Laura’s long-lost luggage soulmate proves difficult to find–and as she realizes that the love story she’s held on a pedestal all her life might not have been that perfect–she’ll have to rethink her whole outlook on love to discover what she really wants.

This is a fun story about a woman who takes a business trip to the Channel Islands, Jersey, to be exact, to hunt down information about her parents’ romance story. But she picks up the wrong luggage at the airport and comes up with this Mr. Perfect dream scenario in her head about the luggage owner so she decides to find him.

Laura is a wild woman! Haha, talk about concocting fantasies in her head about the mysterious luggage owner but she is funny, nice, romance obsessed and such a funny character. She goes to Jersey on a work assignment and finds out a lot about her family history and uncovers some truths that break her heart. But she also meets two men who become potential romances for her, but which one will she choose?

The whole cast of characters are fun as well from her best friends Dee and Vandy, who give love and life advice to everyone she meets on Jersey.

The men she meets on Jersey are quite different. Ted, her cab driver, is scruffy, older and going through a divorce. Jasper, the luggage owner is perfect, they like the same music and have the same goals and yet….Ted is who she keeps thinking about. She’s only known these men for a few days so it is almost an insta-love/insta-attraction kind of thing.

I liked the emotional parts of the book as well when it came to Laura and her memories of her mom. Ted also has moments with his dad who has Parkinson’s. There was a nice sense of family being important in the story and I love that.

I learned about Jersey! I never really knew anything about it or the Channel Islands so it was nice learning about the island.

Content Warnings: grief, marriage troubles

Ted is going through a separation and I think I would turned off by that but it really did seem like it was an ended relationship, the paperwork just needed to go through. Laura knew about it at least, it wasn’t secret.

Why you should read it:

cute rom-com story
sentimental and heartwarming
the cast of characters are funny and entertaining

Why you might not want to read it:

a little bit of insta-love/ or insta-attraction

My Thoughts:

This was a fun rom-com that was exactly what I needed for this holiday season. No it’s not a holiday romance but it gave me the romance feels and the sentimental ones especially when the characters were surrounded by family. I loved the setting of Jersey because I learned something new. Laura is a fun main character who finally gets the meet-cute, two guys to choose between, clarity about her family and a chance to stand up to her overbearing boss. I enjoyed this one a lot!

📚 ~ Yolanda

The Love Con by. Seressia glass | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: The Love Con

Author: Seressia Glass

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 320

Publication Date: 12/14/21

Publisher: Berkley Books

Categories: Adult, Romance, Contemporary, Cosplay, Friends to Lovers, Fake Dating

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

He’s cosplaying as her boyfriend but their feelings for each other are real in this romantic comedy from Seressia Glass.

Sometimes Kenya Davenport believes she was switched at the hospital–how else could a lover of anime, gaming, and cosplay come from STEM parents? Still, Kenya dreams of being able to turn her creative hobby into a career. She finally has a chance to make it big when she joins the reality show competition Cosplay or No Way.

There’s just one catch: the challenge for the final round is all about iconic pairs, and the judges want the contestants’ significant others to participate. Unfortunately, Kenya is as single as can be at the moment. Luckily her best friend, Cameron Lassiter, agrees to be her fake boyfriend for the show.
Roleplaying a couple in love will force them to explore what they’re hiding under the mask of friendship. Can Kenya and Cam fake it until she makes it, or will she be real about her feelings, knowing it could cost her the best friend she’s ever had?

This book caught my eye because of the very colorful cover and the synopsis about two cosplayers falling in love! I’ve never read a book about cosplayers before so this is a first for me and it was delightful!

I like Kenya a lot because she’s beautiful, fierce, unique, creative, plus size and confident! She has her insecurities, especially when her parents are grilling her about her future, but for the most part Kenya is mentally strong and she has to be because she is in a high stakes television competition and in the final round.

Her love interest is her best friend and fellow cosplayer, Cameron. She doesn’t know he’s been into her for a long while now, but he’s hoping the fake dating will help her imagine him as a something more and a potential real boyfriend. This boy is crazy about her and I love how he helps her make her dreams come true. Cam is there to defend her, help her, calm her down, protect her and he even lets her grow. He is a keeper!

If the best friend vibes is the sweetest, then let me tell you that the physical attraction between them is the hottest. Problems arise when Kenya’s parents get involved, Cam’s ex and the show trying to cause drama but they navigate it with an awesome communication session.

As for the cosplay stuff, I thought it was a cool competition and different! There is so much work that goes into cosplay so I’m glad it got a spotlight in this book.

Content Warnings: microaggressions

Kenya is black and plus sized and she deals with a lot of microaggressions from one of the judges on the show, a producer from the show and Cam’s ex. Kenya has to rise above it all or else they paint her as the angry black female on the competition. She is strong and I can see why Cam is deeply in love with her. Kenya really is a queen.

This is a quick read and the fake dating starts almost right away, there is no build up at all – so I had to get my bearings a little but we get lots of information later about Cam and Kenya’s relationship and get a good feel for their friendship.

Why you should read it:

diverse
cosplay
friends to lovers, fake dating romance
Kenya is fabulous

Why you might not want to read it:

needs more build up to their attraction, it’s instant

My Thoughts:

I like that this was something different for me, in that the two main characters are into cosplay. It was fun to see them in the process of building the costumes and seeing their friendship turn into physical attraction and love. I enjoyed Kenya’s character a lot! She is amazing and I can see why Cam is in love with her, and vice versa. This one is a light read and left me feeling happy for the couple at the end.

📚 ~ Yolanda

Bad Lands by. Stacey Marie Brown | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Bad Lands (Savage Lands, #4)

Author: Stacey Marie Brown

Format: eBook (own)

Pages: 359

Publication Date: 10/5/21

Categories: Urban Fantasy, Romance, Suspense

Some myths should just stay buried.

Brexley’s journey has led her to the most coveted object in the world. In discovering the Nectar, Brexley finds other secrets and truths she was not ready for, ones that destroy everything she has ever known, confronting a power within herself she is not ready to face.

Magic is a balance. Things come at a cost. In saving lives, Brexley destroys her own power, cutting the connection with the infamous legend. When faced with devastating loss and destruction, the fabric of friendship, trust, and love are put to the test.

Trying to forget her grief, Brexley delves deeper into stopping Istvan, uncovering the depths he will go to gain power. She is thrown deep into the underbelly of greed and deceit, leading her back into the depths of hell.

Where only one survives.

Sometimes I wish a series would stick to being a trilogy because I don’t want to lose interest and I am starting to lose it for this one. I liked how we got to finally know more about Brex’s history at the end of book three. Of course she’s dealing with a lot after what happened in the cliffhanger from book three, she’s definitely processing it. We get even more information about Brex’s past, her family lineage, what happened with the druids, and what it means for her (they don’t know that yet).

I did like how my favorite guy Ash is always by her side, no matter what, Brex with power or without. I like all her friends making an appearance also, they are always so supportive of her.

I only got really into the book when Killian reappears, love him, even though Brex is totally Warwick’s – I still like Killian. It looks like something might be happening with him and Rosie and I love that for both of them!

Content Warnings: violence

I don’t like that the series is getting too long and it’s taking forever to figure out Brex’s powers. This story does a full circle and the beginning of the book comes back around and I thought we were done with that. I get that Brex has no power and it would make another prison scene more interesting? But now to be forced to see all the people she cares about get tortured now…like, here we go again? I’m kind of tired of it. I get it’s a setback for Brex but I just wanted to see her done with that phase of her life.

Warwick did nothing for me in this one too. Brex needs him to be there and more communicative in her low points, and maybe that’s why I was so happy she had Ash and other people in her life. I’m kind of tired of him being such an alpha and always claiming her. We already know they are end game for one another.

I’m over Caden and Hannah. Like can they just not be in the series? 😒

Why you should read it:

you are invested in the series and want to see what happens next
find out more about Brex’s family background
the secondary characters are great

Why you might not want to read it:

repetitive
doesn’t feel like the story moves forward

My Thoughts:

This was an okay read for me compared to the previous three books in the series. It was nice learning more about Brex’s family history and seeing her as human but I could do without some of the more repetitive parts of the story. My interest in this story got only stronger when Killian made an appearance. Not sure if I’ll just wait for all the rest of the books to publish and just binge it in one go.

📚~ Yolanda

BLOG TOUR} You Can Go Your Own Way by. Eric Smith | ARC Review

Welcome to the blog tour for You Can Go Your Own Way by. Eric Smith!

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: You Can Go Your Own Way

Author: Eric Smith

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 272

Publication Date: 11/2/21

Publisher: Inkyard Press

Categories: Young Adult, Grief, 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 Inkyard Press for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

No one ever said love would be easy…but did they mention it would be freezing?

Adam Stillwater is in over his head. At least, that’s what his best friend would say. And his mom. And the guy who runs the hardware store down the street. But this pinball arcade is the only piece of his dad that Adam has left, and he’s determined to protect it from Philadelphia’s newest tech mogul, who wants to turn it into another one of his cold, lifeless gaming cafés.

Whitney Mitchell doesn’t know how she got here. Her parents split up. She lost all her friends. Her boyfriend dumped her. And now she’s spending her senior year running social media for her dad’s chain of super successful gaming cafés—which mostly consists of trading insults with that decrepit old pinball arcade across town.

But when a huge snowstorm hits, Adam and Whitney suddenly find themselves trapped inside the arcade. Cut off from their families, their worlds, and their responsibilities, the tension between them seems to melt away, leaving something else in its place. But what happens when the storm stops?

I’ve read one other book from this author and what I love about his work is that he writes about young adults and gaming. In You Can Go Your Own Way, we have old school gaming – pinball machines and on the opposite end we have the esports cafes that are overtaking these gaming arcades from the 80’s. As an 80’s kid myself the pinball machines are nostalgic, along with the many 80’s/90’s music references.

Adam and his mom are trying to keep their dad’s pinball arcade alive, but the dad of his ex-friend Whitney, who is now an esports cafe owner wants to buy their place and turn it into another cafe location. Adam and Whitney both run the social media accounts for their family businesses and constantly get into a twitter war. But through a series of events, Adam and Whitney find themselves talking again and making up in a deeper way.

Adam is dealing with a lot of grief from his dad’s passing and it was heartwarming how he wanted to keep the pinball arcade because of it. He goes through an emotional journey because he knows he will have to let go of the arcade soon, but does that mean he has to let go of his dad too? I think it’s wonderful how Adam comes to the decision to let go in his own time and his own way.

Whitney is the popular girl with her clique and she goes through some changes as well. She realizes with her dad’s new fame and wealth, people only want her for her connection to him. She has to navigate some of her feelings and work up the nerve to tell her dad how she feels. I liked seeing how she and Adam befriend one another again and confront the issues between them.

Content Warnings: grief

I did sympathize with Adam but Whitney does come off as the popular girl who dissed people. She has remorse over how she used to act when she was her clique of friends – but I don’t know that I saw a major change in her except being friends with Adam again.

The romance was a bit lacking for me. It’s supposed to come off as a friends to enemies to lovers kind of thing but the “lovers” part comes so fast. I just didn’t feel it between them but then again, I like my enemies to be really hating one another. The way they get together eventually is sweet and cute, but I just wanted more passion.

Why you should read it:

story has a good message
nostalgia – pinball machines, 80’s
quick read

Why you might not want to read it:

needs more romance

My Thoughts:

I wish I connected more to the characters and story but my lack of connection didn’t take away from the message of the story. This book is a look into the past and how to move on into the future with Adam dealing with his grief over his father and losing the pinball arcade they loved as a family. It gives some great lessons about appreciating what is important, being present in the moment and learning to let go in order to let other blessings in.

About the Author:

ERIC SMITH is an author and literary agent from Elizabeth, New Jersey. When he isn’t working on other people’s books, sometimes he tries to write his own. He enjoys pop punk, video games, and crying during every movie. He lives in Philadelphia with his wife and best friend, Nena, and their son, Langston. WWW.ERICSMITHROCKS.COM

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The Best Laid Plans by. Cameron Lund | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: The Best Laid Plans

Author: Cameron Lund

Format: eBook (borrowed)

Pages: 368

Publisher: Razorbill

Publication Date: 4/7/20

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

High school senior Keely Collins takes on firsts, lasts, and everything in between in this sweet, sex-positive rom-com for fans of Meg Cabot and Jenny Han.

It seemed like a good plan at first.

When the only other virgin in her group of friends loses it at Keely’s own eighteenth birthday party, she’s inspired to take things into her own hands. She wants to have that experience too (well, not exactly like that–but with someone she trusts and actually likes), so she’s going to need to find the guy, and fast. Problem is, she’s known all the boys in her small high school forever, and it’s kinda hard to be into a guy when you watched him eat crayons in kindergarten.

So she can’t believe her luck when she meets a ridiculously hot new guy named Dean. Not only does he look like he’s fallen out of a classic movie poster, but he drives a motorcycle, flirts with ease, and might actually be into her.

But Dean’s already in college, and Keely is convinced he’ll drop her if he finds out how inexperienced she is. That’s when she talks herself into a new plan: her lifelong best friend, Andrew, would never hurt or betray her, and he’s clearly been with enough girls that he can show her the ropes before she goes all the way with Dean. Of course, the plan only works if Andrew and Keely stay friends–just friends–so things are about to get complicated.

Cameron Lund’s delightful debut is a hilarious and heartfelt story of first loves, first friends, and first times–and how making them your own is all that really matters.

First times are so awkward and I think the author captures that perfectly in this story. Keely is a virgin, and she thinks she’s the only one left at school who hasn’t done it. But when she meets a college guy who she wants to lose her virginity to, she doesn’t know how to go about it and asks her best friend Andrew to help her out.

Keely has a pretty good high school life. She’s part of the “in” crowd and gets invited to all the parties. Andrew’s best friends even consider her one of the guys. Her group of girlfriends are varied, Hannah, she totally clicks with, and Danielle not so much. These kids party, hook up a lot (except Keely) and they are soon going to graduate and get out of there – they definitely have that last hurrah vibe going on.

Keely and Andrew’s relationship is super cute. They are best friends but when things get hot and heavy, they try and go back to being best friends but it’s hard because Keely is starting to have feelings. It doesn’t help that Andrew is liking a new girl every week!

I like how the story shows how different everyone’s first time experience is with sex. It’s also awkward, and hopefully not humiliating (like Danielle’s experience), but no one wants to seem inexperienced even though they are! Also the story delved into the double standards of what happens when a girl loses their virginity, versus a guy losing theirs – totally not fair that right away a girl can be called a slut and a guy a stud.

Content Warning: slut shaming, underage drinking, misogyny

I wished Andrew and his friends stood up for Danielle more when someone was writing stuff about her on school walls. Or when Ryder was mouthing off and saying stupid things. It doesn’t seem like the girls at that school did much to defend her either, which was interesting so both guys and girls were slut shaming her. A lot of the guys in this book got away with being players and boy behaviors, which was annoying but I guess that was the point – to show the double standards between guys and girls.

Why you should read it:

sex positive
best friends to lovers
high school dating dramas

Why you might not want to read it:

high school dating dramas
the boys are so annoying 🤦🏻‍♀️
slut shaming and virgin shaming

My Thoughts:

The guys in this book are getting it way too easy. I liked how the story showed the double standards that girls face when it comes to sex. I thought Keely and Andrew’s friends to lover arc was cute. I found Keely’s concerns about being a virgin something that girls can relate to and all the other girl’s thoughts about sex was something I heard over the years from friends growing up as well. So overall I enjoyed the story and all the high school drama going on.

📚~ Yolanda

Mad World by Hannah McBride | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Mad World (#1)

Author: Hannah McBride

Format: eBook (Kindle Unlimited)

Pages: 520

Publication Date: 10/14/21

Categories: Bully Romance, New Adult, Romance, Contemporary, Alpha Male, Prep School

I’m Madison.
I spent the last seventeen years in a trailer with my mom as she rolled from one addiction to the next. All I wanted was to survive high school and get out of this place. Finding out I had a long lost twin sister on the other side of the country seemed like something out of a movie.

Too bad I didn’t realize it was a horror movie.

Now I’m Madelaine.
We were only supposed to switch lives for a summer. But then the unthinkable happened and now I have the chance to be my twin for the rest of my life. I get the fancy house, the rich father, and the elite school.

But all of those things come with a price I don’t think I can afford.

Maybe taking over my dead twin sister’s life isn’t as easy as I thought it would be.

Mad World is the first book in a new series by Hannah McBride . It contains dark themes (including bullying) that may be triggering for some readers.

Well this was unexpected and I borrowed this book on KU because of the cover – I went in knowing nothing but came out pleasantly surprised.

This is a bully romance – it has many triggers, it has a few alpha males but compared to other bully romance I’ve read in the past (and took a break from reading) this one is pretty tame. I wish more bully romances were as mild as this one!

I enjoyed the plot – twin sisters, separated at birth, find each other. They swap lives for what is supposed to be only the summer, but when Madelaine doesn’t come back…Madison continues to impersonate her because there are some business deals on the line that would affect her dad’s wealth among other things. Her dad has also agreed to take care of her mother who has a drug problem. But it’s not easy impersonating the twin she barely knew – when she reaches Pacific City she finds out Madelaine is reviled, and hated for very good reasons. Madison also learns some crazy dark, f’ed up secrets that Madelaine was keeping. The story isn’t original but it was very entertaining.

The small circle around Maddie is her ex best friend, Bex, and her fiance, Ryan and his friends. I actually liked seeing this group come together. Bex is there for Maddie when she finds out the truth, and out of Ryan’s friends, my favorite is Linc who is that goofy, funny guy who can’t keep his mouth shut. Ash is intriguing too but only because you don’t know much about him. I liked getting to know all of them.

Ryan is an alphahole but so mild compared to some other bully romances I’ve read. And this is a new adult so if you want heat, you can find it here. Ryan can be a jerk, jealous and possessive but you can tell Maddie is his soft spot. I liked seeing them do the fake dating, even more so when he knows she’s not Madelaine and they really get to know one another. He has his issues though, don’t these alphas all have them? This is the kind of bully romance I can handle because it’s enemies to lovers with just a tiny slight edge, and I’m addicted to enemies to lovers romances.

Content Warnings: sexual abuse, bullying, drug abuse, physical abuse, sexual assault, attempted rape, pedophilia

Bully romances are dark – it’s why I tend to stay away from them but I was intrigued by the synopsis and I usually don’t like twin stories either but I wanted to see if Maddie could pull off the switch. And engaged at 17? What is THAT about? I had to know. I do wish they were just all in college because she is underage and engaged to Ryan who is 19 I believe? Of course in bully romances they defy all rules – usually the alphas are so filthy rich that they can do whatever they want. I always think it’s crazy in these romances that these rich kids rule their little worlds with money and power. And they are barely even legal, it’s a bit ridiculous but super entertaining!

So much abuse – drugs, physical, sexual – it’s all there. Some of these characters are vile. But I’m going to continue reading the series just to see Maddie get revenge (I HOPE). I think she needs to gain a little bit of Madelaine’s ruthlessness to survive this though…will she toughen up? I hope so. And take these guys and some girls down. 😠

There were some typos in the beginning of the story so I hope it’s more cleaned up in the sequel.

Why you should read it:

enemies to lovers romance, and you like to see an alpha male fall in love
entertaining as heck – if you like chaos, rich people drama, school drama
to see if Maddie can pull it off

Why you might not want to read it:

bully romances turn you off
dark topics – see content warnings

My Thoughts:

I needed to get out of my reading slump so I read something out of my comfort zone and it worked. I was entertained by this story a lot and I was invested to see if Maddie would pull off being her sister. There are so many ways I think the sequel could go after that cliffhanger of an ending and I’ll be here waiting patiently for book two.

📚~ Yolanda