Well Matched by. Jen DeLuca | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Well Matched (Well Met #3)

Author: Jen DeLuca

Format: paperback (own)

Pages: 336

Publication Date: 10/19/21

Categories: Romance, Contemporary, Series

Single mother April Parker has lived in Willow Creek for twelve years with a wall around her heart. On the verge of being an empty nester, she’s decided to move on from her quaint little town, and asks her friend Mitch for his help with some home improvement projects to get her house ready to sell.

Mitch Malone is known for being the life of every party, but mostly for the attire he wears to the local Renaissance Faire — a kilt (and not much else) that shows off his muscled form to perfection. While he agrees to help April, he needs a favor too: she’ll pretend to be his girlfriend at an upcoming family dinner, so that he can avoid the lectures about settling down and having a more “serious” career than high school coach and gym teacher. April reluctantly agrees, but when dinner turns into a weekend trip, it becomes hard to tell what’s real and what’s been just for show. But when the weekend ends, so must their fake relationship.

As summer begins, Faire returns to Willow Creek, and April volunteers for the first time. When Mitch’s family shows up unexpectedly, April pretends to be Mitch’s girlfriend again… something that doesn’t feel so fake anymore. Despite their obvious connection, April insists they’ve just been putting on an act. But when there’s the chance for something real, she has to decide whether to change her plans — and open her heart — for the kilt-wearing hunk who might just be the love of her life.

An accidentally in-love rom-com filled with Renaissance Faire flower crowns, kilts, corsets, and sword fights.

I didn’t read book two in this romance series because I really wanted April story which is told in Well Matched. I found April an interesting character in Well Met because of her accident and also being a single mother. I’m so happy she gets to find love in this book.

Her so-called lover is Mitch, who is a friend and the school’s gym teacher! April decides to help Mitch out by going home with him and be his fake girlfriend in front of his family. The faking turned real in the bedroom when they realize that they are really attracted to one another. And who can blame April for falling for Mitch? He’s a good guy, a nice guy and he wears a kilt in the Ren Faire and has an accent!

My favorite parts of this series is always the action taking place in the Renaissance Faire. This time April decides to join in the fun and she realizes even though it’s grueling how much fun it is being with friends and working at the REn Faire.

There is a little hiccup between April and Mitch but it gets resolved in a timely fashion and they get their much deserved happily ever after.

Tropes: fake dating, single mother/gym teacher

Why you should read it:

you like the other books in the series
April and Mitch have great chemistry

Why you might not want to read it:

you didn’t like the other books in the series

My Thoughts:

It took me awhile to finish this paperback but only because May has been a crazy, busy month for me. I’m glad I finally finished it and I can see why it is so loved. Now I have to read the other two books in the series!

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Well Met by. Jean DeLuca | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Tokyo Dreaming by. Emiko Jean | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Tokyo Dreaming

Author: Emiko Jean

Format: audiobook (borrowed) /hardcover (own)

Pages:

Publication Date: 5/31/2022

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

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

Only…

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tropes: fake dating, love triangle

Why you should read it:

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

Why you might not want to read it:

love triangle

My Thoughts:

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

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

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

Love Wager by. Lynn Painter | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Love Wager

Author: Lynn Painter

Format: ebook (borrowed)

Pages: 315

Publication Date: 3/14/2023

Categories: Romance, Contemporary, Fake Dating, One Night Stand, Dating App

Hallie Piper is turning over a new leaf. After belly-crawling out of a hotel room (hello, rock bottom), she decides it’s time to become a full-on adult.

She gets a new apartment, a new haircut, and a new wardrobe, but when she logs into the dating app that she has determined will find her new love, she sees none other than Jack, the guy whose room she’d snuck out of.

Through the app, and after the joint agreement that they are absolutely not interested in each other, Jack and Hallie become partners in their respective searches for The One. They text each other about their dates, often scheduling them at the same restaurant so that if things don’t go well, the two of them can get tacos afterward.

Spoiler: they get a lot of tacos together.

Discouraged by the lack of prospects, Jack and Hallie make a wager to see who can find true love first, but when they agree to be fake dates for a weekend wedding, all bets are off.

As they pretend to be a couple, lines become blurred and they each struggle to remember why the other was a bad idea to begin with.

This one is a fun romance story about a guy and a girl who hook up at a wedding and then meet again on a dating app – but they don’t date each other. Instead they become friends and bet that the first one who finds love on the app gets a good prize.

Hallie and Jack are just pure fun together! I love that they put aside the one night stand moment that happened in the beginning and become friends. Because these two are amazing as friends, and it’s a slow burn to the moment they start sleeping together again. I loved the progression and their banter with one another.

There wasn’t too much drama between these two which felt right, even when there was one hiccup in the end between them. It already felt like no matter what you could tell Hallie and Jack were going to work it out because they were solid as friends and would make a great team as a couple.

Tropes: one night stand, fake dating, one bed

Why you should read it:

the banter between Hallie and Jack is so much fun
quick, easy, feel good rom-com

Why you might not want to read it:

My Thoughts:

I’ve only read one other book from this author and it was a YA book and I loved it. I enjoyed this one a lot too and it was exactly the kind of romance I was wanting to read at the moment: easy, quick, great banter between the characters, and lovers to friends to lovers again with great chemistry. I look forward to reading more books from this author!

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

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

Hello Stranger by. Katherine Center | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Hello Stranger

Author: Katherine Center

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 336

Publication Date: 7/11/23

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Categories: Romance, Women’s Fiction, Chick Lit, 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 St. Martin’s Press for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Sadie Montogmery has had good breaks and bad breaks in her life, but as a struggling artist, all she needs is one lucky break. Things seem to be going her way when she lands one of the coveted finalist spots in a portrait competition. It happens to coincide with a surgery she needs to have. Minor, they say. Less than a week in the hospital they say. Nothing about you will change, they say. Upon recovery, it begins to dawn on Sadie that she can see everything around her, but she can no longer see faces.

Temporary, they say. Lots of people deal with this, they say. As she struggles to cope―and hang onto her artistic dreams―she finds solace in her fourteen-year-old dog, Peanut. Thankfully, she can still see animal faces. When Peanut gets sick, she rushes him to the emergency vet nearby. That’s when she meets veterinarian Dr. Addison. And she’s pleasantly surprised when he asks her on a date. But she doesn’t want anyone to know about her face blindness. Least of all Joe, her obnoxious neighbor who always wears a bowling jacket and seems to know everyone in the building. He’s always there at the most embarrassing but convenient times, and soon, they develop a sort of friendship. But could it be something more?

As Sadie tries to save her career, confront her haunting past, and handle falling in love with two different guys she realizes that happiness can be found in the places―and people― you least expect.

Content Warning: mention of death of a parent, grief, bullying

This book was such a nice surprise especially because the main character is dealing with face blindness and she’s an artist who paints self-portraits!

The romance for the most part worked for me. I thought her romance with Joe was nice as they started as stranger and into friends and then something more. I wasn’t sure how everything would resolve itself in the end but it did – with a lot of explanations.

Aside from the romance, Sadie is also dealing with a lot of things with her family. Her mom passed away, her dad remarried and her step-sister is horrible. She doesn’t have a great relationship with her dad, or any of them. I’m glad Sadie had her best friend and her family to support her though. There was a moment where the family drama came to a head but there wasn’t a happily ever after for that part of Sadie’s life. And what was up with her step-sister Piper? I felt like Piper and Sadie acted like teenagers at times – which at times I thought was weird since they are adults.

I think I had some pacing issues with this one but I think because it wasn’t centered fully on the romance, I wondered why it was taking so long for the romance to get going. In the beginning of the story it’s mostly about Sadie, her accident, and how she was going to compete in the art self-portrait competition. I was wondering where the romance was – but it was there…just not on full display.

I really enjoyed the messages in this story though. I like that Sadie had to see things in a different way, and like her best friend Sue told her, maybe winning the art competition wasn’t the ultimate goal. Sadie was lost without her brain working as it did before, but she also found her way through every challenge which makes for a heart-warming story about growth.

Why you should read it:

Sadie has face blindness and we get to see her navigate her new normal
The romance between Sadie and Joe is sweet

Why you might not want to read it:

Sadie’s family drama – Piper, her stepsister is a bit much

My Thoughts:

It took me awhile to get settled in this one but once I did, I finished it quick. I found it to be a such a cute and unique romance because Sadie’s condition. And how can I not love Joe, who’s someone who loves to help others and he loves animals. He’s a winner and I’m glad he and Sadie get their happily ever after.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The Bodyguard by. Katherine Center | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Seven Rules for Breaking Hearts by. Kristyn J. Miller | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Seven Rules for Breaking Hearts

Author: Kristyn J. Miller

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 352

Publication Date: 5/16/23

Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin

Categories: Contemporary, Romance, Podcast

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!

Love breaks all the rules.

Margo Anderson is sworn off commitment. Alongside her best friend, Jo, she runs a viral podcast featuring rules for hooking up without catching feelings. So when Jo surprises her by deciding to get married and taking up a sponsor’s offer to host an all-expenses-paid wedding trip on Catalina Island, they have the whole internet to answer to.

In a scramble for content to appease their disappointed listeners, Margo cooks up a social experiment: Break all her own dating rules, just to prove that it’s a bad idea. And she’s found the best man for the job in the groom’s best friend and her old high school nemesis, Declan Walsh. He may be easier on the eyes than Margo remembered, but he’s sure to be as smug and annoying as he was before—there is no chance Margo will ever catch feelings for him . . . until she does.

The more time they spend together through cake tastings and wedding party activities, the more Margo can’t ignore their obvious spark, and she may actually be enjoying getting to know Declan. But can she let go of the rules to let him in?

Content Warning:

What happens when two women who have a podcast about how to be single and happy and then one woman defects and gets married? Well they definitely can’t continue making a podcast about staying single! So it’s definitely a problem between Go and Jo. They have to figure out how to move forward with their podcast, but it’s hard letting go – especially for Margo.

This rom-com has a little bit of everything that makes it a fun read. A wedding party travels to Catalina Island for two weeks, there’s an enemies to lovers kind of romance between Margo and her old classmate Declan (who happens to be the best man – she’s the maid of honor of course) and being stuck on an island for two weeks – well…anything can happen. And something does happen between Margo and Declan but it’s ruined by one person withholding information from the other. I thought the parts where they bickered was fun and they even got some steamy scenes. The two are opposites where Declan is more on the quiet side and doesn’t know his way around social media as compared to Margo who’s job requires she be on social media all the time.

Speaking of the job – Go and Jo are podcasters but we get mostly Margo’s perspective of the show because Jo is basically all but out of the duo. Jo fell in love and she’s getting married. Where does this leave Margo? A little bit floundering and trying to figure stuff out. I’d assume Margo and their group of friends are Millenials because they mention high rent prices and having to move back home to get their feet under them again.

I think the friend group/wedding party didn’t add much to the story. I would have like to get more out of them just to liven things up a bit. I also wanted a little bit more from Declan’s character but I guess that’s just how his personality is.

Overall, this is a good light-hearted romance and it would be a perfect book for summer time.

Why you should read it:

you want a light-hearted, quick and easy romance
it’s got a wedding party traveling and spending time together
Margo and Declan’s romance – plus there are sexy scenes between them

Why you might not want to read it:

My Thoughts:

This rom-com has a little bit of everything and I think it’s a great book for a summer read!

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo | Audiobook Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

Author: Taylor Jenkins Reid

Narrators: Alma Cuervo, Julia Whelan, Robin Miles

Format: audiobook (borrowed)

Pages: 389

Publication Date: 6/13/2017

Categories: Historical Fiction, Contemporary, LGBT+, Women’s Fiction, Romance, Audiobook

Aging and reclusive Hollywood movie icon Evelyn Hugo is finally ready to tell the truth about her glamorous and scandalous life. But when she chooses unknown magazine reporter Monique Grant for the job, no one is more astounded than Monique herself. Why her? Why now?

Monique is not exactly on top of the world. Her husband has left her, and her professional life is going nowhere. Regardless of why Evelyn has selected her to write her biography, Monique is determined to use this opportunity to jumpstart her career.

Summoned to Evelyn’s luxurious apartment, Monique listens in fascination as the actress tells her story. From making her way to Los Angeles in the 1950s to her decision to leave show business in the ‘80s, and, of course, the seven husbands along the way, Evelyn unspools a tale of ruthless ambition, unexpected friendship, and a great forbidden love. Monique begins to feel a very real connection to the legendary star, but as Evelyn’s story near its conclusion, it becomes clear that her life intersects with Monique’s own in tragic and irreversible ways.

Content Warning: domestic violence, misogyny, prejudice against LGBT+ community

This is another book that I thought met all the hype it got. Would I say that if I read it? I’m not sure because I was picking up the ebook and not really getting into the story yet in the beginning when I decided oh hey, maybe the audiobook is available to borrow and sure enough it was! I decided to listen to the story instead and I was hooked. The narrators, and there are three, did such a fabulous job. Their voices were engaging and really took on the roles.

What can I say about this book that hasn’t been said? Evelyn is a compelling character. She’s someone who reinvented herself for money, fame, success and security. She married seven men for all those reasons and even though it was basically her marrying to get to the top, I applauded her for being a woman who knew what she wanted in a time when women didn’t have much power on their own. And she was even bi-sexual in a time when it was not okay to be and she was trying to figure it all out, and hide it. She was a person who lied and manipulated people and situations to get what she wanted but I didn’t hate her. I totally understood all her motivations until the very end but it was fun and sometimes heartbreaking to see her life’s journey. The message about women taking their power is strong in this story and I like how the journalist took on some of Evelyn’s advice.

I loved the feeling of being an insider in a big movie’s stars life and seeing how some marriages were just contracts to hide secrets. It makes you think about what current celebrities do to create the narrative they want the public to be hooked on. What a world! And clearly never will be my world and I’m actually grateful for that – I don’t know how anyone can deal with fame and not knowing the truth of things, like who your real friends are. I’m so happy Evelyn had Harry. And I really loved the message about love and soul mates and how people aren’t stuck with just one. There are many different kinds of worthy love out there.

All the characters that came into Evelyn’s life really made the story well-rounded. Her relationships with these men and Celia were all so different and fascinating, some even scary and heartbreaking. Evelyn really was a force to be reckoned with, someone who never gave up even when she had struggles.

It took me two days to listen to this book which means if I read it, it would have taken me one day – but by the end of it I was thinking, wow, what a time Evelyn had!

Why you should read it:

a story about reinventing yourself, taking what you want and love
entertaining story and behind the scenes of a movie star

Why you might not want to read it:

not into historical fiction

My Thoughts:

Another bestseller and hyped book is crossed off my TBR list and I honestly think it deserves all the hype. The narrators did an amazing job with voicing the audiobook but that also is due to having good material to work with. I loved all the messages about love and woman power in the story. Overall, it is an epic life journey story.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Malibu Rising by. Taylor Jenkins Reid | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Ever Since by. Alena Bruzas | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Ever Since

Author: Alena Bruzas

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 288

Publication Date: 5/23/23

Publisher: Rocky Pond Books

Categories: Young Adult, Contemporary, LGBTQ+

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

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

An intense, beautiful debut about the power of finding your voice and sharing your story after trauma. Perfect for fans of Nina LaCour and Kathleen Glasgow.

Seventeen-year-old Virginia makes bad choices. In fact, she’s That Kind of Girl, according to the whispers. But as long as she has her tight group of best friends by her side, she’s able to ignore the gossipers. Until she finds herself spending time with Rumi, Poppy’s boyfriend. Breaking with tradition, she doesn’t hook up with Rumi. Worse, she falls in love with him.

While Virginia and Rumi’s relationship grows in secret, she discovers that his little sister, Lyra, is being groomed for abuse. The soon-to-be-abuser is a respected member of the community, and only Virginia knows who he is and what he does. If she stays quiet, Lyra will become a victim. But coming forward feels equally impossible.

Content Warning: drug use, grooming, child abuse, sexual assault, domestic violence, suicidal ideation

First off, I love this book cover – it’s beautiful. This is a story with heavy topics but it’s an important book. The thing that really hit me about the story was that it resonated with me and not because I experienced these things but I have friends who went through some of these things and the way these girls are a tight group of friends, reminded me of me and my friends in college. The partying, the secrets, the drama – I felt like I knew these girls in this story.

I know a Virginia, a few Virginia’s and that’s a sad and scary reality. But although Virginia and her friends’ story is scary, and heartbreaking – they are courageous and brave. The ending is full of hope which I loved. I also loved the diversity represented in the story.

This story is under 300 pages and it’s a quick read. I found the story powerful but the writing didn’t flow for me. It was a bit choppy at times and I always had to find my place again. I felt like I missed a word or a sentence and had to reread the previous sentence. I understand it’s supposed to probably reflect Virginia’s panic, pain and her fears, but sometimes it took me out of the story. Despite all of that, this story is devastating.

Why you should read it:

powerful story about child abuse and the courage to stop it from happening again

Why you might not want to read it:

lots of trigger warnings

My Thoughts:

If you can handle the trigger warnings then read this book. This is a story filled with pain, hard issues like abuse, but a story about courage as well. Stories like these are never easy to read but I like how we get Virginia’s story because she’s that girl who has a bad reputation, yet people don’t know what she’s been through. And even though she is scared of her abuser her bravery to speak about what happened saved someone else from him, no matter the consequences and that matters.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Love Radio by. Ebony LaDelle | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Love Radio

Author: Ebony LaDelle

Format: ebook (borrowed)

Pages: 320

Publication Date: 5/31/23

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

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

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

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

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

Content Warning: sexual assault

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

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

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

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

Why you should read it:

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

Why you might not want to read it:

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

My Thoughts:

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

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

A Hunger of Thorns by. Lili Wilkinson | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: A Hunger Thorns

Author: Lili Wilkinson

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 432

Publication Date: 4/18/23

Publisher: Delacorte

Categories: Contemporary, Fantasy, LGBT, Magic, Paranormal, Young Adult

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

Maude is the daughter of witches. She spent her childhood running wild with her best friend, Odette, weaving stories of girls who slayed dragons and saved princes. Then Maude grew up and lost her magic—and her best friend.

These days, magic is toothless, reduced to glamour patches and psychic energy drinks found in supermarkets and shopping malls. Odette has always hungered for forbidden, dangerous magic, and two weeks ago she went searching for it. Now she’s missing, and everyone says she’s dead. Everyone except Maude.

Storytelling has always been Maude’s gift, so she knows all about girls who get lost in the woods. She’s sure she can find Odette inside the ruins of Sicklehurst, an abandoned power plant built over an ancient magical forest—a place nobody else seems to remember is there. The danger is, no one knows what remains inside Sicklehurst, either. And every good story is sure to have a monster.

Content Warning: violence, death

The cover on this book caught my eye really quick. It’s gorgeous! As for the story, this is what I thought:

+ This is a dark fairy-tale and some parts of it reminded me of the book, The Hazel Wood. There are modern and fantasy elements and there are monsters and violence.

+ Maude is an unreliable narrator and a pretty good one meaning I couldn’t tell if what she was remembering was a dream, hallucination or a memory. As the story unfolds and the story comes together, it starts to make more sense. I did like the concept of the story.

+ I found the magic system intriguing and the world is unique. Maude is from a line of witches and magic in the town seems like it’s a forbidden thing. I also liked the fairy-tale characters that come to life, they were interesting!

~ The pacing didn’t work for me. Most of the action takes place in the second half of the book.

~ It took too long for me to feel like I understood the world. It’s contemporary with fantasy elements but in the beginning of the story I was trying to figure it out because it had some modern things like the power plant and the way the characters talk. I didn’t feel settled into the story until almost the end. I think if it was pure fantasy it would have worked much better for me.

~ I didn’t connect to the characters but it kept me hooked enough to finish because I wanted to see how Maude would fix things. Maude was a bit obsessed over Odette but I guess that’s something she was working out with her other issues about losing people in her life.

Tropes: unreliable narrator

Why you should read it:

you like dark fairytales, unique world building and interesting magic system
unreliable narrator

Why you might not want to read it:

slow beginning, got interesting in the end

My Thoughts:

I love the book cover and I love the concept of the story. I think the dark fairytale aspect of the story with the unreliable narrator was enough to keep me interested. The thing that was a miss for me was the pacing, which was too slow in the beginning with flashback memories that made the story feel like a dream at some points. Also the characters were interesting but I couldn’t connect to anyone. It seems like there will be a sequel but I’m not sure that I will continue the series. I think people who like dark fairytales like The Hazel Wood.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The Nanny by. Lana Ferguson | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: The Nanny

Author: Lana Ferguson

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 432

Publication Date: 4/11/23

Publisher: Berkley Books

Categories: 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 to Berkley Books for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

A woman discovers the father of the child she is nannying may be her biggest (Only)Fan in this steamy contemporary romance by Lana Ferguson.

After losing her job and being on the brink of eviction, Cassie Evans finds herself with two choices: get a new job (and fast) or fire up her long-untouched OnlyFans account. But there are no jobs to be found, and as for OnlyFans. . . . Well, there are reasons she can’t go back. Just when all hope seems lost, an ad for a live-in nanny position seems the solution to all her problems. It’s almost too perfect—until she meets her would-be employer.

Aiden Reid, executive chef and DILF extraordinaire is far from the stuffy single dad Cassie was imagining. She is shocked when he tells her she’s the most qualified applicant he’s met in weeks, practically begging her to take the job. With hands that make her hindbrain howl and eyes that scream sex, the idea of living under the same roof as Aiden feels dangerous, but with no other option, she decides to stay with him and his adorably tenacious daughter, Sophie.

Cassie soon discovers that Aiden is not a stranger at all, but instead someone who is very familiar with her—or at least, her body. She finds herself at a loss for what to do, given that he doesn’t remember her. As their relationship heats to temperatures hotter than any kitchen Aiden has ever worked in, Cassie struggles with telling Aiden the truth, and the more terrifying possibility—losing the best chance at happiness she’s ever had.

Content Warning: mention of death of a parent

A single dad and the nanny? I was definitely interested to see what would happen here especially since the nanny had an OnlyFans account. Here’s what I thought:

+ If you like steamy, hot scenes – this book is definitely for you. From the recollections of Cassie’s OnlyFans sessions with her favorite client to her and Aiden getting it one. Oh boy…this one is on fire!

+ The single dad trope I thought was done pretty good. He’s busy and needs some help and Cassie is definitely qualified.

+ My favorite characters in this book are Sophie who is definitely a typical 9 year old, playing on her Switch and thinking kissing is gross. She’s had some trauma and a busy dad so I totally understood her reservations. Also Wanda, Cassie’s best friend, an elderly woman with so much spunk is hilarious.

~ As much as I enjoyed the smutty scenes and I like that Aiden and Cassie have a connection. I wanted them to connect on a deeper level. I just didn’t feel it and honestly, I did feel like Iris (Sophie’s aunt) was correct to be worried that Aiden didn’t do enough for Sophie. He barely spent time with his daughter in this story and if he did, and was a bit more protective of her, even when it came to Cassie who was new to their family – I have been more endeared to him I think? I give him credit for trying but as a character – I felt like he was not putting enough effort. And you’d think as a chef with a famous restaurant he’d at least cook something good for Cassie but he never does! I was waiting for some amazing meal scene or something along those lines.

~ The conversations between Aiden and Cassie got repetitive at times and lacked the kind of banter I love in a romance. It would start off okay and they do well in the bedroom but outside of the bedroom I felt like they needed better communication skills.

~ Cassie is a sweetheart but honestly, sometimes she got on my nerves because she knows what sleeping with her boss would do and especially in the eyes of Iris. I’m glad Wanda was there to tell her what is up because that girl needed some guidance. Also when Cassie decides to leave – did she not think how that would affect Sophie who’s mom just died? So leaving without a goodbye is a good decision? Just little things like that bugged me.

Tropes: single dad, dad and the nanny, one house

Why you should read it:

hot sex scenes
single dad trope, live-in nanny romance
Wanda is the best character

Why you might not want to read it:

repetitive and need better communication between the characters

My Thoughts:

I was not expecting the blush factor in this book, it’s got some steamy scenes which I enjoyed! I just wish the two main characters connected better outside of the bedroom as well as they did inside of it because as much as I enjoyed the smut, I was skipping a few of it at the ending because I wanted the emotional parts of these two characters. Also their conversations felt repetitive. My favorite character is Wanda, Cassie’s spunky friend who is the closest thing to family that she has. She brought a lot of the humor into the story. Overall I thought the book was still enjoyable despite the some of the issues I had with it.