Secretly Yours by. Tessa Bailey | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Secretly Yours (#1)

Author: Tessa Bailey

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 384

Publication Date: 2/7/23

Publisher: Avon US

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

A steamy new rom-com about a starchy professor and the bubbly neighbor he clashes with at every turn…

Hallie Welch fell hard for Julian Vos at fourteen, after they almost kissed in the dark vineyards of his family’s winery. Now the prodigal hottie has returned to their small town. When Hallie is hired to revamp the gardens on the Vos estate, she wonders if she’ll finally get that smooch. But the grumpy professor isn’t the teenager she remembers and their polar opposite personalities clash spectacularly. One wine-fueled girls’ night later, Hallie can’t shake the sense that she did something reckless–and then she remembers the drunken secret admirer letter she left for Julian. Oh shit.

On sabbatical from his ivy league job, Julian plans to write a novel. But having Hallie gardening right outside his window is the ultimate distraction. She’s eccentric, chronically late, often literally covered in dirt–and so unbelievably beautiful, he can’t focus on anything else. Until he finds an anonymous letter sent by a woman from his past. Even as Julian wonders about this admirer, he’s sucked further into Hallie’s orbit. Like the flowers she plants all over town, Hallie is a burst of color in Julian’s gray-scale life. For a man who irons his socks and runs on tight schedules, her sunny chaotic energy makes zero sense. But there’s something so familiar about her… and her very presence is turning his world upside down.

Content Warning:

I’ve read two books from Tessa Bailey and loved them so when I saw this one I had to request it. Here’s what I thought:

+ This is an opposites attract story that has lots of sparks. Julian is a starchy, stuffy professor who lives by a schedule. And Hallie is everything he is not – she is messy, loves to be outside in the dirt, has three dogs, she’s a tornado. When these two come together, it’s full on attraction.

+ Speaking of attraction, the steam is hot in this one. I especially love when a grumpy, man who abides by order and schedules gets rocked off their center. They both lose control with one another which is fun, there’s some dirty talking and it’s exactly what I would expect in a romance written by this author.

+ I love the supporting case, especially Lavinia who is Hallie’s best friend. She’s funny and keeps it real! I thought Julian’s sister was an interesting character too and it seems like the next book in the series is about her.

+ This story is short, sweet and hot which is everything I want in my romance novels.

~ I love that this was a quick read at under 300 pages but I also do love when this author can really get into the characters and setting like she did with the Bellinger Sisters series. So if it had been just a tad bit longer with more details on the setting, and spending more time with the characters and building them up, then this would have been five stars.

~ The second chance romance part of the story had to do with the two in high school but he barely remembers her. And I wasn’t sure about the secret love letters – it was cute, but I didn’t see the point of them.

Tropes: opposites attract, grumpy x sunshine, small town setting, second chance romance

Why you should read it:

you want to read something short, hot and sweet
opposites attract trope and some dirty talking

Why you might not want to read it:

My Thoughts:

I enjoyed this story because it was short, and sweet but with lots of hot moments. I also love a good opposites attract story, it’s one of my favorite tropes. But I didn’t see why the secret love letters were needed. Despite that I’m definitely interested in reading the next book in the series.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Hook, Line and Sinker by. Tessa Bailey | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

It Happened One Summer by. Tessa Bailey | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Just My Type by. Falon Ballard | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Just My Type

Author: Falon Ballard

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 368

Publication Date: 2/6/23

Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons

Categories: Contemporary, Romance, Second Chance Romance, Rivalry

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

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

To win the job of her dreams, a relationship-prone journalist needs to learn how to stay single in this heartwarming and hilarious new romantic comedy from the beloved author of Lease on Love.

Lana Parker has never been single for long. After a disastrous break-up with her high school boyfriend, Seth Carson, Lana’s bounced from long-term relationship to long-term relationship. She’s an expert girlfriend, even acting as the resident dating and relationship columnist for one of Los Angeles’s trendiest websites. But now, at the age of thirty, Lana suddenly finds herself single again, and she’s determined to stay that way, no matter how challenging.

That is, until her high school ex, Seth, now a journalist in his own right, takes an assignment at Lana’s site. Ready to put down roots after years of traveling and freelancing, Seth becomes not only Lana’s colleague but also her competitor. With their combative relationship history–and undeniable chemistry–they quickly find themselves pitted against each other in a battle of wits: writing an article series that goes against dating type. For Lana, that means writing about staying single and embracing it. For Seth, it’s learning to settle down and become boyfriend material. Whoever’s is most popular wins a highly coveted columnist spot that either could only dream of. But when the two square off against one another, it’s not only their careers on the line–it’s also their hearts.

Content Warning:

I read a book from this author last called Lease on Love and loved it. So I definitely wanted to try her next book, Just My Type. Here’s what I thought about the book:

+ This is a second chance romance for two people that were high school sweethearts and everything went wrong when Lana goes off to college. I thought the author did a great job of making me feel the connection between Lana and Seth, even though they are broken up. I kind of love how it was in the lines of the sentiment “if you love something, set it free, and if it comes back to you, it’s meant to be” – or something like that. That’s how I saw Lana and Seth’s relationship.

+ Lana is a fun character who has many friends and seems to make them easily. She doesn’t have the best relationship with her mother, which is why the break-up with Seth hurt so much – his family was like a family to her and not only did she lose him, but she lost them too. The great thing about Lana is she’s willing to do things the right way if she and Seth got back together and that meant therapy and really figuring out how to be in a relationship with herself before jumping into something serious again.

+ The supporting cast with Lana’s best friend and her co-workers brought the humor in this story. The competition between Lana and Seth has them making lists for one another and tasks they have to complete and I thought the tasks were fun.

+ I was rooting for Lana and Seth all throughout the book and hoping they could heal the past so they can have a future and they have the happy ending I hoped for.

~ Lana and Seth obviously have a messy past and it was frustrating at times when they had the hardest time communicating what they wanted to say. Both parties did the other wrong but there was also a feeling of them being meant to be throughout the story. I could totally relate to Lana – even though I’m not one to ever go back to my exes – but I can see how a high school love like theirs would be something worth pursuing again if the time is right. I just wish they could have told each other the truth of their feelings before things got so messy.

Tropes: exes to lovers, second chance romance, workplace romance, rivalry, competition

Why you should read it:

you enjoy second chance romances and exes to lovers tropes
Lana’s friends are funny and the competition was a fun aspect of the story
there is a happy ending

Why you might not want to read it:

not into exes getting back together

My Thoughts:

I enjoyed this one a lot because Lana and her friends are a fun bunch. After learning about Lana and Seth’s past I was rooting for them until the very end. I love how they come to their happy ending! If you love second chance romances, definitely check this one out.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Lease on Love by. Falon Ballard | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

How the Grump Saved Christmas by. Claire Kingsley | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: How the Grump Saved Christmas

Format: ebook (kindle unlimited)

Author: Claire Kingsley

Pages: 339

Publication Date: 11/16/22

Categories: Romance, Holiday Romance, Christmas, Small Town Romance, Second Chance Romance

Hardworking Isabelle Cook has a serious problem. Her family farm, site of Tilikum’s Christmas Village, is in trouble. Big trouble. And worst of all? The man trying to buy it is none other than the grumpiest, grinchiest man of them all—Elias Stoneheart.

That’s a big nope. She’s not letting him get involved. Not with his heart made of coal.

Elias Stoneheart is in the business of making money, not friends. Especially when his boss is promising a long-awaited promotion. All he has to do is convince one struggling family to sell their farm.

The problem? It’s Cook Family Farm. And Isabelle Cook is his ex.

He might have history with Isabelle, but this is just business. A Christmas-loving farm girl is not going to come between him and his ambition.

And Christmas? He hates it. Christmas Village needs to go.

But as Elias spends time in the small town, holiday spirit—and Isabelle—get under his skin. And she might be the only one who can melt the ice around his heart.

Author’s Note: a sassy farm girl takes on a grumpy businessman in this stand-alone, snowy, small-town Christmas romance. Saucy banter, a guard donkey, plenty of holiday cheer, and a heartwarming happily ever after that will make you believe in the magic of Christmas.

Content Warning: parental neglect, miscarriage

How Christmassy can this book get? Look at that book cover – it screams holiday, small town romance. And that’s exactly what I got! Here’s what I thought:

+ This is Hallmark Christmas movie worthy! It’s set in a small town, a big company wants to buy the land where Christmas Village takes place every year and where Elias’ ex-love lives. So he comes back to help buy the land for his job and being back there reminds him of why the place is important to the community and the woman he loves.

+ It has a great cast of character with everyone pretty much getting a happy ending!

+ It’s a second chance romance and there is definitely a past between Elias and Isabelle and a past. Elias is such a Scrooge and Isabelle is the only one who can really open and melt his heart. So it was nice seeing him succumb to Christmas, the people around him and Isabelle again. It’s very heartwarming. There are sexy scenes but it’s very rushed, nothing very detailed.

~ It’s predictable but it’s what I expect of a holiday romance. It hit a lull for me in the middle because of it. Maybe I was wishing for a little more chemistry or heat between Elias and Isabelle?

~ It’s a lot of holiday cheer to the point of it maybe being too much with everybody getting their happy ending? But eh…you just gotta go with it!

Tropes: small town romance, second chance romance, a Christmas miracle

Spice Level: 🌶

Why you should read it:

you want a story with lots of holiday cheer, and happily ever afters
small town romance, second change romance, a snowy small time with a tight community
fun characters

Why you might not want to read it:

overload on happiness? lol…maybe too cheesy at some parts

My Thoughts:

If you are looking for a holiday romance where the guy is basically Scrooge and he has a second chance to “make things right” then this book is it. I wouldn’t be surprised if they made it into a Hallmark movie! I found this one enjoyable and heart warming. Was it predictable? Sure! But isn’t that why we read holiday romance?

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Built to Last by. Erin Hahn | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Built to Last

Author: Erin Hahn

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 336

Publication Date: 10/18/22

Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin

Categories: Romance, Contemporary, Second Chance Romance, Reality Home Renovation Show

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!

Shelby Springfield has spent the last ten years trying to overcome her past, sanding it away like she does the rough spots on the vintage furniture finds she makes over. But as a former child star, it’s hard to forget a mediocre pop career, a meltdown widely documented by the paparazzi, and a huge public break with her former co-star Lyle Jessup. It’s also hard to forget her other co-star and childhood sweetheart, Cameron Riggs — the one who got away.

Anytime Shelby has called, Cameron has come running… And then he runs right off again to chase stories around the world by making documentaries, too scared to admit what he really wants. But when Lyle stirs the pot, getting the two back in the spotlight with a home renovation show, Cameron can’t help but come on board.

There’s something in it for everyone — almost. Cameron wants to come home and set down some roots. Shelby wants to prove to the world she’s not the messy party girl anymore. And Lyle wants to twist the screws on his two childhood friends who had more chemistry than he could dream of with anyone. Sparks and sawdust fly as Shelby and Cameron film the pilot for “Homemade” and battle Lyle’s shenanigans at every turn.

Erin Hahn’s sparkling rom com debut, Built to Last, is a second chance romance sure to have readers falling in love fast.

Content Warning:

I thought the synopsis for this book was cute: second chance romance, and a home renovation show. Here’s what I thought:

+ Second chance romances aren’t my favorite trope but this one is cute and the chemistry between Shelby and Cam is there and has been there since they were kids and tv stars on a show together. Ever since then it’s been rough for both of them but they find their way back together. The best thing about second chance romances is the history the two characters have with one another – which I feel make their bond stronger. I thought the romance between them was well done.

+ I love a rom-com with a good supporting cast and Shelby’s friends in this book are some fun characters. There is one in particular I’m wondering about – is she going to have her own story? Seems like the ending was hinting to that.

+ I don’t watch a lot of home improvement shows anymore but even I know the popularity of them, especially Chip and Joanna Gaines. I barely watched their show but I remember them blowing up and now they have a magazine, merch…an empire! I love that Shelby’s passion got her out of the Hollywood life and back into Cam’s arms. Same for Cam – seems like he was jumping around doing lots of things before realizing he just wanted to be where Shelby is.

~ It took me awhile to connect to Shelby and Cam only because there was a bunch of drama in their past involving their ex-costar and Shelby’s ex-boyfriend Lyle, who is such a jerk. Lots of things seemed to come in between Shelby and Cam – and they hold back a lot until Shelby decides not to.

~ Lyle – why did he have to be there? Why did they have to do a show with him as their “boss” so to speak? I would have said no. 😅 He’s such a drama starter.

Tropes: second chance romance, friends to lovers, childhood stars finding their way

Spice Level: 🌶🌶🌶

Why you should read it:

a home renovation, second chance romance with a fun cast of characters (minus Lyle)
if you like HGTV and all the home improvement/home reno shows, you’ll like this one
Shelby and Cameron have a sweet romance

Why you might not want to read it:

a bit of a slow start and too much drama with Lyle – I wish they just didn’t do business with him

My Thoughts:

This one was cute and you will adore it if you like the second chance romance trope. These two have always been into one another so there isn’t really anything stopping them from being together this time except for themselves. Lyle and Marcella got on my nerves but the rest of the characters were fun. Shelby and Cam have a sweet happy ever after and the ending is left open for one of Shelby’s friends.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Dial A for Aunties by. Jesse Q. Sutanto | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

Title: Dial A for Aunties

Author: Jesse Q. Sutanto

Format: eBook (borrowed)

Pages: 299

Publication Date: 4/27/21

Publisher: Berkley

Categories: Rom Com, Murder, Mystery, Family, Second Chance Romance, Contemporary

What happens when you mix 1 (accidental) murder with 2 thousand wedding guests, and then toss in a possible curse on 3 generations of an immigrant Chinese-Indonesian family?

You get 4 meddling Asian aunties coming to the rescue!

When Meddelin Chan ends up accidentally killing her blind date, her meddlesome mother calls for her even more meddlesome aunties to help get rid of the body. Unfortunately, a dead body proves to be a lot more challenging to dispose of than one might anticipate, especially when it is inadvertently shipped in a cake cooler to the over-the-top billionaire wedding Meddy, her Ma, and aunties are working at an island resort on the California coastline. It’s the biggest job yet for the family wedding business—”Don’t leave your big day to chance, leave it to the Chans!“—and nothing, not even an unsavory corpse, will get in the way of her auntie’s perfect buttercream flowers.

But things go from inconvenient to downright torturous when Meddy’s great college love—and biggest heartbreak—makes a surprise appearance amid the wedding chaos. Is it possible to escape murder charges, charm her ex back into her life, and pull off a stunning wedding all in one weekend?

I finally got a chance to read Dial A for Aunties after seeing it all over my bookstagram feed a few months ago. I love the cover and the synopsis is definitely intriguing! It had me at Asian aunties.

The best thing about this book is learning about the immigrant Chinese-Indonesian family and their wedding customs. I love how they switch from Mandarin, Indonesian and English. There was even a word I was familiar with which gave me a very good laugh. The word in Ilocano (a Philippines dialect that my family speak) for eggplant is tarong and in Indonesia it is terong. I thought that was so cool and funny because of how they were discussing eggplant.

The humor with all the aunts was funny and yet chaotic, and at times even triggering – reminding me of my family and their mini dramas. I don’t know how Meddy could deal with being at their mercy though. But family is family and they definitely had on another’s backs in this scenario. Meddy really is a good daughter, she was patient with her aunties and even gave up her dreams of the future for her family.

There is an accidental murder and then a mystery at the wedding in this story. Try hiding a dead body at a wedding? Yeah…you’ll have to read the book to see how that pans out! It reminds me of an 80’s movie called Weekend at Bernie’s combined with Crazy Rich Asians! I could definitely see this book as a movie.

Trigger: sexual assault, car accident, murder

This book is not realistic – at least I hope it never is because we hope Meddy who is in an accident and messed up situation does the right thing and report the body…right? Haha…I was waiting for that moment to happen. But Meddy freaks out and goes to her family instead who come up with some crazy plans on how to dispose the body. It’s wild but it works – like I said above, I could see this as a movie.

What I really wanted more of was Nathan and Meddy getting back together. I loved their back story. So if this had been just a second chance romance minus the dead body – I would have loved it more.

Why you should read it:

quick read, light read, chaotic, humorous, fun
learn about Chinese-Indonesian immigrants and their culture
Nathan and Meddy’s love story

Why you might not want to read it:

hiding a dead body and trying to win back your ex sounds crazy and not cute? lol very weird mix
too many things going on at once

My thoughts:

Suspend your disbelief for this one! Once you do that, it’s wild and chaotic, and sometimes funny. You get to learn a lot about the Chinese-Indonesian immigrant family, which I enjoyed a lot. I also loved Nathan and Meddy, and their second chance at romance and really wished the story was more about that than hiding a dead body but it was entertaining at least. After doing a search it looks like this will be a Netflix movie and I look forward to watching it!

📚~ Yolanda

Book Review: Repeat

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

Author: Kylie Scott

Format: E-book

Pages: 304

Categories: Contemporary Romance, Memory Loss, Second Chances

Book Blurb:

When a vicious attack leaves 25-year-old Clementine Johns with no memory, she’s forced to start over. Now she has to figure out who she was and why she made the choices she did – which includes leaving the supposed love of her life, tattoo artist Ed Larsen, only a month before.

Ed can hardly believe it when his ex shows up at his tattoo parlor with no memory of their past, asking about the breakup that nearly destroyed him. The last thing he needs is more heartache, but he can’t seem to let her go again. Should they walk away for good, or does their love deserve a repeat performance?

MY REVIEW

Repeat is a second chance romance by the awesome, Kylie Scott. It’s an interesting story about a young woman named Clementine who loses her memory due to a head injury. So learning about who she was before and after her injury is quite fascinating. Especially when her “before” included a handsome ex-boyfriend, Ed, who seems to hate the sight of her. Interesting.

From that moment, I had to find out why, along with Clementine, Ed struggled with seeing her. Why did his friends hate her, what did old Clementine do before her injury? Was she really that awful? But there is also a mystery to be solved involving how she came by her injury – was it random or deliberate? If it was deliberate, who’s behind it? That mystery takes a back seat to the focus of the story though, Clementine and Ed’s second chance at love.

I love Kylie Scott’s writing but I had trouble getting into this story like I usually do with her other books. I wasn’t feeling Clementine or Ed until midway into the book. I think I just kept trying to piece together old Clem, but eventually I just wanted to forget about old Clem, because new Clem was pretty cool. She’s a survivor! Ed didn’t stand out much for me, except in the bedroom of course. 😬 And those bedroom scenes are sizzling hot. But I will say he’s very patient with her after getting rid of his anger for her.

I thought the ending was a little rushed but overall, I enjoyed reading this book and seeing Clementine find her new self and getting a second chance at love.