C. M. Stunich, my t-shirt does not thank you for the buckets of tears I cried while reading this book. Neither do my eyes, which have been swollen allC. M. Stunich, my t-shirt does not thank you for the buckets of tears I cried while reading this book. Neither do my eyes, which have been swollen all day. However, I’m not mad.
That. Being. Said.
I never want to have that slow of a burn in a nearly 1,000 page book again. Never, ever, again. That wasn’t fun and that’s partially why I couldn’t give this book five stars (the other part was Joules, but I can’t help it).
Let’s set the slow burn apart. Let’s set Joules apart (please). Now let’s talk about the book.
I want to wrap Tam and Lake up in bubble wrap and protect them for all eternity. I want to build them a perfect house on fifty million acres of land and its own boba tea shop, surround it with special forces soldiers, and let them have kids and live their lives out in peace with puppies and children who can grow up to be whatever makes them happy because their parents are just that awesome and know life can be so short.
Is any of this a constructive review? Not really. This book was cute and infectious. It was really freaking sad and vulnerable. I liked it a lot but didn’t adore it. But you should totally go and read it because I feel like Tam and Lake need more people squealing over them.
All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
Like the Taylor Swift song of the same name, How You Get the Girl is sweet, cute, lighthearted, and irresistible (to me, at least).
I absolutely adoreLike the Taylor Swift song of the same name, How You Get the Girl is sweet, cute, lighthearted, and irresistible (to me, at least).
I absolutely adored the first book in this series, 2022’s Love & Other Disasters (it’s on my shelf!). I didn’t like 2023’s Something Wild & Wonderful as much. I was worried about how I’d feel about this book but it turns out I shouldn’t have been because from the very start I fell in love with the amazing cast of characters and Anita Kelly’s absolutely hypnotizing dialogue and effortless storytelling.
This is a cute love story about a queer high school basketball coach who meets her childhood idol and crush via one of her players and somehow their lives slowly but surely become enmeshed via high schooler antics and interference, genuine care and concern for one another as human beings, holiday meet-ups, cats (just cats), “practice dates” (yeah, sure), and basketball (because of course).
The spice level is rather low but that’s absolutely fine because the chemistry and cuteness is off the charts. The romance is absolutely swoon-worthy because Julie and Elle are absolutely next-level sweet, sometimes clueless, and absolutely needed an intervention a time or two.
There is a lot to be said for mental health concerns and LGBTQIA+ rep in high school sports in this book too, and that was a great topic to see handled well. Kelly also tackles the topic of labels and identity and I thought the way it was written about in this book was not only intelligent but very moving.
This was another Anita Kelly winner. Loved it.
I was provided a copy of this title by NetGalley and the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
Even though I’d read a few of Jessign Reign’s books in the past I wasn’t aware of the upcoming release of Rent Paid in Full until about a month beforeEven though I’d read a few of Jessign Reign’s books in the past I wasn’t aware of the upcoming release of Rent Paid in Full until about a month before it happened and when I saw the synopsis I was like, “How in the heck did I miss this? This sounds beyond hot. I love rent boy books!”
And so began the salivating. I counted down the days until the release date, cursing all along that I didn’t have this book on my Kindle yet.
It was torture to wait but now I’ve read it and it was everything Id’ hoped it would be and everything all those bookstagrammers I hounded about it told me it’d be. I don’t know what possessed Jesse Reign while writing this but it needs to keep it coming because this was stupidfilthyhot, omgallthefeelings, and gjshhgjtbshgthjtj all in one and I had to go to bed and sleep it off before writing this review because I didn’t have words or know what to do with myself after I read it. It was an out of body experience and I don’t even believe in that.
From the first sentence of this book I was absolutely hooked on Ryan’s snarky, uptight, contradictory nature. That man would bite off his nose to spite his face and then automatically regret it but then deny that he’s regretful about it. His brain is a washing machine set on vicious cycle and I am here for it because it makes him an absolute wind-up toy for our other MMC, Miller.
If Ryan is snarky, uptight, and contradictory, then Miller is earnest, laid-back (but resigned), and amiable in nature. He’s like water to Ryan’s flame. Miller can go with the flow, become tempestuous waves, or make himself into a whirlpool and summon people to him like a beacon. Miller’s inner narrative about Ryan is some of the most entertaining and amusing writing I’ve read in a long time.
I love how Miller found a way to get Ryan out of his head and accept what they both wanted without Ryan completely sacrificing his pride. I loved watching the two of them develop and grow together as people and lovers. I loved the story and the third act was a thing of romantic beauty. The spice was some of the hottest I’ve read in a long time. I mean, I think I spent a lot of time saying curse words and blaming drugs while reading this. It’s just that brilliant and hot and right.
All opinions, thoughts, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you. ...more
I checked this book out on KU months ago and it sat there for quite some time and today I finally read it.
I feel like a dork for waiting so long to rI checked this book out on KU months ago and it sat there for quite some time and today I finally read it.
I feel like a dork for waiting so long to read it because this book was flippin’ fantastic!
Serial killers falling in love plus morbid comedy? Tell me a combination I love more. (There’s not many).
Unsurprisingly, I loved the morbid comedy more than the love story. I have a love/hate relationship with straight-up MF contemporary romances. They either have to be really funny or really dark for it to work for me. This one only works because of that perfect blend of morbid humor and violence. I ended up highlighting quite a bit of phrases, and all of them were funny ones, because I’m just not sentimental. Brynne Weaver has a great sense of timing with her writing, though, because she seems to sense when’s a good time to lighten the mood and when’s a good time to let everything settle for a little while.
Weaver just also has an impeccable writing style. It’s almost cinematic. Butcher & Blackbird could almost be a screenplay for how creative and vivid it is. I’d buy a ticket to see this movie (well, given my social anxiety I’d rent it).
It is a slow burn (at least in my opinion), but it’s well worth it when you do reach the spice. I wavered between whether this was medium or high on my spicy scale, and in the end I went with high because of the number of spice scenes and how enthusiastic those scenes are once they get there.
If you can handle the laundry list of TW/CWs Weaver warns you about at the beginning of the book, then I can’t recommend it enough. It’s a fun, engaging read.
All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
I finally found the time to read this book before the end of the year and I’m so happy I did because the cuteness factor of Assistant to the Villain cI finally found the time to read this book before the end of the year and I’m so happy I did because the cuteness factor of Assistant to the Villain can’t be denied.
Being as familiar as I am with Hannah’s TikTok and her skits that led to this book being written, I honestly expected this book to be a little funnier and a little more screwball than it ended up being. I’m not saying I was disappointed–I’m just saying I was surprised. The Evie Sage of this book isn’t the same as the one in the skits, and I found that treating them as two completely different animals was the way to go about it. If you try to compare them, the reading experience will be ruined. It just doesn’t work.
I found The Villain’s POV to be more interesting and his character more to my liking than Evie. I love getting glimpses into the brains of men who are all hard exterior and marshmallow center. The Villain isn’t a marshmallow for many, but for Evie? Oh, he’s all gooey sweet melty like a marshmallow before a fire. It’s adorable.
I must admit I didn’t see the turn coming. That’s unusual for me, so bravo! I knew ahead of time how it ended because this book was released in August and so I could hardly be mad about spoilers that have been floating around the online book communities for months.
It was a great read and one I really wanted to tick off my “10 Before the End” for 2023. I definitely recommend it and am looking forward to the next in the series!
All thoughts, opinions, views and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. This review was written without compensation. Thank you.
File Under: Book Series/Comedy/Fantasy/Romantasy/Fantasy Series/RomCom/Workplace Romance ...more
Discovering Damon is the third book in Cora Rose and Nicole Dykes’ immensely enjoyable Behind the Camera series, which features beautiful camboys fallDiscovering Damon is the third book in Cora Rose and Nicole Dykes’ immensely enjoyable Behind the Camera series, which features beautiful camboys falling in love. I really, really enjoy this particular subgenre of romance, whether it’s camgirls or camboys. To be honest, I enjoy any and all romance novels that delve into sex worker subgenres, because I’m sex positive and sex worker positive and believe that visibility helps in the destigmatization of sex workers as a whole.
This time around we have the outgoing, unapologetically femme Damon (gorgeous and fabulous from head to toe every day, thank you very much) who is house/dog sitting for Carter’s moms (in case you need a memory check, Carter is one of the MMCs from the first book in this series, Reaching Reed) and is lusting after their neighbor, a hunky mechanic named Tomas. Alas, Tomas is straight (because of course he is) but he’s also very nice. Damon is a smitten kitten but knows that even if Tomas gets a little…curious…that he probably should keep his distance because curious men have a tendency to break hearts.
Yes, this is a bi-awakening book with a more gay-for-you vibe, but I am honestly a sucker for anything Cora Rose writes and for this writing duo when paired together. It helps that I love a good mechanic character who’s secure in his masculinity enough to do face masks and let someone do exfoliating treatments on him. Tomas may be blue collar with calloused hands and more used to drinking cheap beer than champagne, but he’ll try just about anything for Damon, because Damon absolutely fascinates him. Revelations can come at any point in our lives, and that’s part of the appeal of bi-awkening and gay-awakening novels.
Tomas and Damon are so sweet and sexy together, all desperation and hunger in bed and cuddles out of it. The spice is on point and the fluff is cute as heck. I loved it.
I was provided a copy of this title by the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
Burned is the first book in the Rescue Ranch series by Ivy Jackson (a pen name author Dana Isaly has openly adopted specifically to write this genre oBurned is the first book in the Rescue Ranch series by Ivy Jackson (a pen name author Dana Isaly has openly adopted specifically to write this genre of romance novels as it doesn’t quite match the aesthetic of the books she writes under the Dana Isaly brand). When Dana announced the new pseudonym and new book I told her I wasn’t a big fan of western romances, cowboy romances, or small town romances, but I’d give it a try because I love her writing and I always want to try and be there to support my favorite independent authors. I know I can always just choose not to read the books after this if something went wrong and I didn’t enjoy Burned.
Burned unexpectedly charmed the pants off me. I’m completely serious. I wasn’t 100% sold on it, but it was a delight to spend the day in bed with (I’m still laid up with a broken ankle, and will be for who knows how many weeks further from now) and I don’t regret giving it a go at all. It was adorable, witty, snarky, spicy, and just a lot of fun.
Can we just start with Poppy? I loved Poppy. She reminds me of Beth from Yellowstone, but only if Beth had just a bit less of a foul mouth, a fairer temper, and actually liked and knew what to do with children. But Poppy has that spunk, that sassy mouth, that impulsiveness, and that…appetite that reminds me so much of Beth (which is the only way anyone can get me to stop and watch a minute of that show). Don’t even get me started with the way Poppy interacts with everyone on the ranch, from Rhett’s parents to even the most reluctant of rescue animals.
I cannot, simply cannot talk about this book without swooning over all the rescue animals. As a former animal shelter volunteer and a girl who grew up in a small dairy town full of ranches and farms, I loved the scenes with the animals almost more than the spicy scenes (which, if you know me, is absolutely hilarious). I adore animals and have the biggest soft spot for rescue animals. Reading the scenes with Poppy and Betty made my heart just squeeze so tight.
I know I should talk about Rhett, but there’s the rub with this book: I wasn’t a fan. I think this is where my issue lies with western and cowboy romances. I tend to almost always get turned off by the MMC. I wasn’t a huge fan of his personality as a whole, and his interactions with Poppy really made me question her life choices, especially given the length of the book. Had the book been longer and their relationship had time to develop more then maybe I could have come around, but it felt like whiplash to me. Or maybe I just have a thing against cowboys since I grew up around them and disliked almost all of them. Who knows?
Don’t let this reviewer’s opinion on Rhett Black affect your opinion on this book though! It’s a fantastic read that’ll carry you away to the beautiful big skies of Montana and a ranch full of cute kids and cute animals. You’ll love it.
I was provided a copy of this title by the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
Okay, so, hear me out. I’m not much of a romantic comedy girl, especially when it comes to rom com novels with little to no spice. This book and its pOkay, so, hear me out. I’m not much of a romantic comedy girl, especially when it comes to rom com novels with little to no spice. This book and its predecessor, however? I love these books. I adore them. They are cute as perfectly frosted cupcakes, sweet as sugar, and as funny as a food fight conducted with the assistance of magic. These books are like an explosion of colored sugar crystals, edible glitter, powdered sugar, flour, and clouds of candy floss/cotton candy have all exploded into a romantic, screwball mess. I like to think of these books as Bewitched, but make it screwball comedy. Or, My Girl Friday, but make it magical. Cary Grant would make a great straight man to our protagonist, Bailey, who just so happens to meet her biological mother and discover she’s descended from esteemed witch stock with less than a month to go before she’s supposed to be married to a very uptight and upper-crust family. At the same time she comes across her well-meaning but wacky biological mother she also manages to come into contact with Seton Atterbury, a man whom her extremely powerful witch mother impulsively brought into the future from 1930 when she saw him plummeting to the ground out of the window of a high-rise building in Manhattan.
Poor Bailey. All she thought she had on her plate were overbearing in-laws and stressing out about finding the right dress for the wedding. You make plans, the universe laughs, and it laughs hard.
I like to think the subtitle of this book should be: “A story about collateral damage”. There’s just so much collateral damage and schadenfreude coming from every direction, all angles, and to and fro so many people in this book. Heck, there’s even a house in this book that’s nicknamed the “Schadenfreude House” by one of the characters. It seems that no matter where you turn in this book, someone is getting hurt or affected in a negative way by someone else. Sometimes it has hilarious results, sometimes it has sweet results, sometimes it has dangerous results, sometimes it has downright hurtful results, and sometimes it’s a step away from death. I love it though, because it certainly keeps you on your toes.
The first book in this series, A Letter to Three Witches, was superior only be sheer fact that the mischief was a little more funny and we got to see and feel the physical presence of the series’ main antagonist, Tannith, but that doesn’t mean this book doesn’t have it’s own strengths. Esme’s continued soft spots for illegal witchcraft deeds done in the name of a soft spot in her heart continues to delight, and Bailey’s thespian parrot is hilarious. The fact that Tannith only grew in power after the events of book one certainly was interesting. And the sweet, soft romance inside this book is the kind of stuff that melts my cynical, black heart.
I can’t believe so many people are sleeping on this series. Give it a chance. Seriously. It’s cuteness personified.
I was provided a copy of this title by NetGalley and the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
File Under: Book Series/Contemporary Romance/Cozy Mystery/Found Family/Paranormal Fantasy/Paranormal Romance/Rom Com ...more
I thank the universe for sending the romance world Cora Rose. I honestly don’t remember what reading romances was like before her and I don’t think I I thank the universe for sending the romance world Cora Rose. I honestly don’t remember what reading romances was like before her and I don’t think I want to remember. What I do remember is that I wasn’t a huge rom com fan before her, but with one book she made me fall into instalove with her style, her characters, her charm, and the hilarious situations her characters somehow seem to end up in without it seeming completely cheesy. Let’s not forget her impeccable ability to embed her characters with dimension, depth, and a wealth of personality.
Exception is shorter than most Cora Rose novels simply because it’s part of a series in which all the novels are on the shorter side. They’re meant to be fast-burn and low-angst. But Cora wouldn’t be Cora if she didn’t do the book her way. It turned out magnificent.
Exception is hot, hot, hot! The spice is nice and plentiful, but not so plentiful that we don’t get plenty of plot and character development. The book is hilarious, full of marijuana-induced hijinks and a perverted kleptomaniac of a monkey. It’s also emotionally touching, with our opposites-attract main characters maybe not being as opposite as they think and coming together in the most auspicious of places.
It’s an excellent entry into the Unlucky 13 series and just a stellar rom com all on its own. I’m here for it.
I was provided a copy of this title by the author. All thoughts, opinions, ideas, and views expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
You have to understand something: I loved the Netflix limited series “The Queen’s Gambit” (no, I haven’t read the book). IBe still my freaking heart.
You have to understand something: I loved the Netflix limited series “The Queen’s Gambit” (no, I haven’t read the book). I’ve watched that entire series from start to finish so many times. You know what this book reads like to me? Like YA Queen’s Gambit but funnier, less serious, and with less substance and child abuse. I’m not saying that to be insulting because if you delved any deeper than this shallow comparison it’d be like comparing apples and oranges. I really just mean that they’re both brilliant, both filled me with joy, both made me swoon, and both made me want to go back and do it all again.
First off: Dude, I have a fierce adoration for rivals-to-lovers. I also have a serious book crush on the book boyfriends who are the ones to fall first. Don’t even get me started on the fact that Hazelwood didn’t fall back on trying to make Mallory and Nolan some sort of opposites-attract trope. This book was the best kind of catnip: A fiercely independent, intelligent, bisexual, sex-positive FMC (praise be to Cheesus) and a strong, independent, intelligent, gives-no-effs MMC who acknowledges he is white and a trust fund baby (yes, it does cause problems but SPOILERS).
Do I want to go into the plot of this book much? Not really. It’s a romance. A dramedy, if you will. It’s closer to that mixed bag of genre than a straight-up romantic comedy. I have a love affair with the logic and strategy behind chess, as well as the aesthetic of it all. Do I know how to play? Heck no. But I love watching.
The supporting players in this book are absolutely vital and so endearing. Mallory’s sisters are exactly what little sisters end up being: pains in the butt but you would die for them in the blink of an eye. Her mother? Both a tragic and loving presence in Mallory’s life. Mallory’s bestie, Easton, is what we all wish we had in our life-long besties. Then there are all the chess players, big, small, misogynistic, kind, female, and more who make up the tapestry of Mallory and Nolan’s chess world. Some you want to castrate and others you want to just hug.
I just can’t with this book. It was too adorable for words and I gobbled it up.
I was provided a copy of this title by NetGalley and the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. This review was written without recompense. Thank you.
File Under: 5 Star Reads/Contemporary Romance/LGBTQ Fiction/Rom Com/Sports Romance/Standalone Romance/YA Fiction/YA Rom Com/YA Romance ...more
When I go to open up a new Eden Finley, Saxon James, or a book concocted by these two evil geniuses together like this installment of the Puckboys serWhen I go to open up a new Eden Finley, Saxon James, or a book concocted by these two evil geniuses together like this installment of the Puckboys series, I always rub my hands together briskly before starting and let out a silly little giggle because I know without a doubt I’m in for a really good time and a really good book. So I snuggled down into my bed with my puppies and settled in for my definition of literary comfort food.
I asked, and they delivered: GOAL. I still don’t understand anything about hockey (even after reading hella hockey romances), but the jokes! The chirping! The personalities! The ups and downs of competition and the pros and cons of celebrity! Let’s not forget Oskar, who (along with other members of the Queer Collective) make some hilarious cameos or appear here and there to help give the plot a gentle nudge along.
Oh Aleks, you sweet little baby pansexual. The world is your oyster and you have no idea what to do with it all. At the beginning of this book everything is brand-new for Aleks: new town, new house, new team, and a finalized divorce after he and his wife grew apart. He wants to explore everything the queer community has to offer, but has no idea where to start. Enter the Queer Collective, a bunch of alcohol and bad decisions (which honestly should be a warning sign Oskar wears around and all of us know it), and one small accident with fire that brings two firemen to Aleks’ backyard. It’s one hell of a meet cute. One of the best I’ve read in at least the last year. I was living for it.
Gabe is one of the firefighters that responds to this odd and ultimately hilarious call, and let’s talk about that insta-lust, okay? The insta-lust was real and I’m a big fan, being prone to it in real life myself. The sparks fly, the chemistry is explosive, and neither of these two can list patience as a strong suit. They want hands, mouths, and more all over one another as soon as possible. The sooner the better. Trying to take it slow just doesn’t work.
Eden and Saxon get me in one of my weakest spots with the dirty talk. I’m weak for it. And they write it so well.
This book isn’t on the long side. It’s less than 300 pages, and it’s a quick read. The burn is fast, the writing is hilarious, the romance is pure fluff sweetness, and the friendships are so pure. It’s another winner from Finley and James, keeping them at the top of their game.
I was provided a copy of this title by the author. All thoughts, views, ideas, and opinions expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
Oh holy sweet cuteness I declare Christian a cinnamon roll that must be protected at all costs, if only from himself.
Saxon James just somehow knows hOh holy sweet cuteness I declare Christian a cinnamon roll that must be protected at all costs, if only from himself.
Saxon James just somehow knows how to write books that are 33% cute, 33% sweet, 33% sexy, and 1% angst. And no, I won’t be budged on those numbers. You would think that I’d get tired of it, but I absolutely NEVER tire of Saxon James, and that’s down to her versatility as a writer in every other way.
Saxon is not an author you go to for plot, and that’s okay. There are many great authors known for being stronger in other areas than plot. With Saxon, it’s characters. It’s like she has some sort of character generator in her head and it spits out the most fascinating motley crews for her to write the best stories for, and we get them in all shades of the rainbow. Sometimes their backstories are happy, sometimes they’re sad, but they’re always interesting. Best of all, all of her characters are unique, distinctive, and aren’t simply there for window dressing. They usually always have a role to play, however small.
I’m very, very picky about books with a plot that hinges on the fake relationship/engagement/marriage trope. Mainly because books with that trope make the main characters look like very stupid people who have no idea how to communicate, and then you get to the 80% mark in these books and the conflict always comes to a head with… you guessed it! A major communication problem! I had given up on reading them altogether until Saxon and Eden Finley lured me out with their Fake Boyfriends series.
Luckily, Saxon sees the errors in most fake relationship trope books, knows it well, and has found a host of ways to work around it. In this book, the way through is fast-burn, confidence, taking a leap of faith, determination, and words of affirmation. Boy, does it work. It works so, so well. The chemistry between Emile and Christian is through the roof from the moment they meet, and it makes the whole book absolutely combustible.
Christian’s found family of misfit artists are all going to be the stars in the rest of this series (save Molly, if I’m correct), and they’re all absolute peaches who you will want to hug and bake cookies for.
Well done, Saxon, for birthing yet another book series for us all to go crazy for!
I was provided a copy of this book by the author. All opinions and views expressed in this review are my own. Thank you.
Moorewood Family Rules was one of the first ARCs I requested for 2023, and it’s one of the ones I was most excited for. Was it everything I hoped it wMoorewood Family Rules was one of the first ARCs I requested for 2023, and it’s one of the ones I was most excited for. Was it everything I hoped it would be? No, but I’m not entirely disappointed because it sure was a lot of fun.
I love grifters. I love schemers and scammers. I love a good con. I really love it when the people who need to be put in check are put in check. I love watching everything about a good con come together, when all the disparate pieces finally fall into place. And this book is like a nice big pot of grifter stew with a side of bodyguard romance.
Therein lies the rub: I wasn’t completely on board with the romantic subplot. That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy it to a certain extent, but I thought it took away from the main themes of the book and the fun of the plot. I especially felt it took away from the motivations, goals, and power of Jillian, our protagonist. While it didn’t completely take away from her agency, it did give her someone else to hand power and decision-making over to, and that lowered my respect for her as a reformed con woman who is trying to turn her grifter family legitimate. It also made her look a little weak for putting her trust into a man she’s only known for a day or two after all she’s been through. Considering how paranoid grifters and players can be, I found it to be completely out of character for her to just accept this guy as a confidante, no matter how much she trusted the man who hired him for her (that is to say, implicity).
In short, for a reformed grifter who had been burned before by a lover and then burned by her family and gone to jail for it, she’s sure less paranoid than I would be under the circumstances.
The family dynamics in this book are very funny, though, and the highlight of the book. From inept younger grifters in the family who are hiding out overseas for fumbling their schemes, con men who are getting conned, clueless society matrons, slightly off-kilter elderly scheming great aunts who are obsessed with string cheese, and cousins who seem to think the most extreme measures should be the first resort instead of last, there are colorful and unique characters all throughout this book.
This is definitely more character-driven than plot-driven and I think that’s what threw me with this book. I think I wanted a little more of the family dynamic and the con plot in the place of the romantic subplot and was disappointed when that didn’t happen. While I felt Jillian needed a friend and someone to talk to, I didn’t think she needed a romance. She just needed an ally from outside the family. I would’ve loved to have seen more interactions and scenes involving the family and what Jillian was getting up to than yet another unnecessary romance.
I do think it’s a brilliant story and a ton of fun, though. It’s lighthearted, bright, and engaging. We all have weird relatives. This story just emphasizes how weird some relatives can truly be.
I was provided a copy of this title by NetGalley and the author. Any views, thoughts, opinions, or ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
When I reviewed the previous book in Cathy Yardley’s Ponto Beach Reunion series (Gouda Friends), I pointed out that a rom com has to do a lot to levelWhen I reviewed the previous book in Cathy Yardley’s Ponto Beach Reunion series (Gouda Friends), I pointed out that a rom com has to do a lot to level up right now to even hope to meet the same level as authors like Tessa Bailey, Christina Lauren, Lucy Score, and Meghan Quinn right now. That same statement is even more true today.
Sadly, this book isn’t nearly as good as “Gouda Friends”. That book was friends-to-lovers and all about living your best life. This book wants to be enemies to lovers, but is more “you broke my heart when we were younger and I pined like a Christmas tree for years about it so I’m really bitter and want to avoid you at all costs because I can’t let it go like a mature human being” on the FMC’s part and “I have a really high profile job and I love the money I make from it and I love routine and I’m not close to anyone but my sister but I live across the country from her and I’ve done some really shady stuff during my work while looking the other way but now I need help from the girl who I ignored and hurt years ago so I’m going to go and recruit her to help me do shady and illegal things to help get my job back”.
That’s not enemies to lovers, folks. That’s two characters I couldn’t stand from page one and I never grew to like them.
Cathay Yardley has the tools to write a great rom com on the comedy side of things. She’s great with the one liners, with the great supporting characters that make you crack up, and with some really humorous situations sprinkled throughout the book that lighten the mood in between the deeper parts of the plot. She also tends to excel with banter, when the characters have chemistry and are suited to one another. What Yardley doesn’t do well is the romance section. This series has no real emotional depth to it. It’s shallow and this book in particular just didn’t hit for me.
Thanks to NetGalley and Montlake for granting me access to this title. As per personal policy this review will not appear on any social media or bookseller website due to the 3 star or lower rating. ...more
Talk about a book destined for a ton of highlighted quotes!
The sarcasm and snark is real, folks, and it is HOT.
I don’t play hockey. I don’t watch hoTalk about a book destined for a ton of highlighted quotes!
The sarcasm and snark is real, folks, and it is HOT.
I don’t play hockey. I don’t watch hockey. I don’t even like hockey. I don’t even understand hockey except that the puck goes in the net and there’s a lot of fights and there’s a penalty box where grown men throw temper tantrums until they’re let back out. But Eden Finley (and, to an extent, Saxon James) have somehow made LGBQTQIA hockey romances my jam, and I think I loved “Shameless Puckboy” more than I’ve loved any of the other hockey romances written by either author.
I’m not kidding about the highlights, by the way. I found myself snickering, snorting, cackling, and giggling so much that I couldn’t help but highlight passage after passage because the banter was just so witty and vibrant, the dialogue so quick and funny I just don’t understand how these books aren’t on shelves at all major bookstores selling like hotcakes because they’re that good.
Maybe it’s just me, but this book was filled with such teasing, such sexual tension, and such chemistry it was like these two characters could be peeled off the page. It was so steamy and rich I got squirmy in the good way and regretted deciding to read in the living room with family around so I didn’t spend the day in bed.
And can we just talk about how this book hit some of the best buttons? Major exhibitionism? Check. A brat who isn’t a boy? Check. Two men who like it hard and fast? Checkity check check. Two men who really just want to take care of one another? Freaking SWOON. Conversation as foreplay? HELLO.
I loved this plot because I felt it felt like it wasn’t like some unrealistic fever dream that couldn’t ever happen in the world of hockey. The plot wasn’t overcooked or overcomplicated, it was just two men who had deep insecurities and had to decide what was more important to them in the end.
Now, I’m going to tell you if you haven’t read the previous two Puckboys books or aren’t familiar with Eden Finley’s Fake Boyfriend series you probably are going to be completely lost going into this book. You are going to want to read the previous two Puckboy books at least, even though I will recommend reading the Fake Boyfriend series as well to get familiar with the entire Queer Collective (the members of which do play a part in this book). It won’t be time wasted, however, because any time spent with either Eden Finley or Saxon James is never time wasted!
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.
File Under: 5 Star Books/Contemporary Romance/Books in a Romance Series/Books in a Romance Universe/LGBTQIA Fiction/LGBTQIA Friendly Reads/LGBTQIA Romance/Rom Com/Spice Level 3/Sports Romance ...more
In the first few pages of this book one of our two main characters, Alexei, is setting off on what I would call a “catharticReal Rating: 3.5 / 5 Stars
In the first few pages of this book one of our two main characters, Alexei, is setting off on what I would call a “cathartic hike” (which I am fond of myself”, or maybe you could call it a long, dark journey of the soul on the infamous Pacific Coast Trail (do yourself a favor and look it up, because this trail covers some of the most beautiful land and views on the west coast and stretches from Mexico to Canada). Anyway, he’s hiking to grieve and hopefully close off some chapters in his life so he can start over as a revision of his former self, hopefully without all that baggage on board.
It’s going well until he’s only been on the trail a nebulously short amount of time on the trail, when he suddenly has a funny, if terrifying meet-cute with fellow PCT hiker Ben. I had to admire both hikers for handling the situation at hand in this scene, considering I’d lose my marbles in the worst way. Alexei joins up with the other hikers Ben’s been blazing the trail with for a while until all the people and chaos gets to him and he decides he wants to get back to hiking solo. To his surprise, Ben asks if it’d be okay if he hikes along with Alexei until they get to Kennedy Meadows (a well-known refueling and rest stop on the trail). Alexei’s crush on Ben, along with how Ben seems to need a little saving here and there leads Alexei to agree to the proposition. And so our two intrepid explorers set off, with mutual chemistry, fascination, and awkwardness settled over them like a transparent cloak.
I didn’t hate this book, but I was disappointed by it. I live within a couple of hours of several PCT trailheads and have hiked small sections of it before. I wanted to backpack most of it before I was 50, but chronic back injuries and epilepsy took that away. And I love gay romance. The blurb for this book had me so excited I knew this was one of the titles I was most excited for this year. But I feel let down.
Kelly’s debut effort, “Love & Other Disasters”, was one of my favorite novels last year. It was effervescent. It was like champagne bubbles in a book. It was impeccably written. This book? It doesn’t shine like L&OD did. It’s just as well-written (save I thought the book lagged a little in pacing during the early part of Act II), and the epistolary section of the book in Act III made me sob like a baby (I seriously tear-stained my silk pillowcase something fierce), but the book as a whole doesn’t feel as polished. I never felt like it was much of a comedy, but closer to a dramedy, and I never felt like it fit into the grumpy/sunshine trope. I feel like marketing Alexei as grumpy is insulting and it does the character a grave injustice, especially given events later in the book.
I know I seem to be in the minority in not singing this book’s praises, but I call it like I see it. I’m still a huge fan of Anita Kelly’s writing style and their efforts to bring us contemporary romances for the OwnVoices crowd. I can’t wait to see what they bring us next.
I was provided a copy of this title by the author. All views, opinions, and thoughts expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
File Under: Gay Romance/LGBTQ Romance/MM Romance/Romantic Comedy/Rom Com/Contemporary Romance/OwnVoices/Books with a Psych Aspect/LGBTQ Fiction/LGBTQ Friendly Read/Spice Level 2 ...more
There is something so very comforting about opening a hockey romance written or co-written by Eden Finley, because you know you’re not just getting thThere is something so very comforting about opening a hockey romance written or co-written by Eden Finley, because you know you’re not just getting the new characters being introduced in this book; you’re also going to be getting cameos, mentions, and where-are-they-now tidbits concerning characters from all of the other interconnected book series in Finley’s great web o’ books. And every time one of them is mentioned or makes an appearance the wings on my black heart fluttered happily in fond recognition.
Fake marriage trope isn’t one of my favorites (that has more to do with my attitude toward marriage than the trope itself, but I digress), but I loved the way Finley and James ran it in this book. It was character-consistent, if you want to put it that way. Like, I wouldn’t have believed it with anyone else (I was married in Nevada, so I know how it works), but with these two, I totally believed what happened. I even fully bought into the reasons they went into the chapel and did the whole thing in the first place. It reeked of “bad, bad choices we make in Vegas when we’re screwed up in multiple ways and trying to support one another”.
I did have a stumbling block with the Queer Collective’s initial plan to try and “help” Tripp. It seemed almost mean-spirited toward Dex, in a way. I kind of just wanted to beg Dex and Tripp to leave, since their supposed friends didn’t want to listen to a word they said.
Most of this book takes place in hockey’s off-season, so there’s not a ton of hockey action. That’s both a plus and minus. In “Egotistical Puckboy”, most of the book took place during the season, so we got all that great on-ice banter. That made sense though, because that book was enemies-to-lovers. This book is a true besties-to-lovers book, though, so instead of the easy on-ice zingers and snarky banter that comes from verbal foreplay, we get a lot of verbal humor that comes from Dex’s immature sense of humor and his thick-headedness, and also a lot of humor coming from Tripp in the form of a sense of, “I just don’t know what to do with you and I’m not even going to try, so I’m just going to humor your adorable face.”
This book is very low-angst with a huge HEA payoff. Even the “confrontation” with the antagonist isn’t really a confrontation so much as like if a firework promises to be totally awesome and then only lasts maybe 20 seconds before ending.
Do I care about any of that? No. Not really. I don’t read books like this because I’m looking to search my soul or mine my brain or wrack my heart. I read them to feel light, happy, and better than I did before I started it. Did all those things happen? They sure as heck did. I highly recommend it. ...more
A contemporary rom com novel has to do a whole lot to level up in the publishing world right now. Pop culture, in general, iReal Rating: 3.5 / 5 Stars
A contemporary rom com novel has to do a whole lot to level up in the publishing world right now. Pop culture, in general, is falling back in love with romance, comedy, and all things formulaic and trope-tastic. And that’s okay! That’s perfectly fine. Society, over time, goes through cycles of loving different genres. Right now, that’s going on with romance novels in general and especially in a publishing market rife with romantic comedies.
This friends-to-lovers, living-your-best-life, hashtag WINNING rom com novel was okay, but it wasn’t as good as so many rom com novels are right now. (I seriously want to make cheese puns in this review but I’m holding back–you should all be proud).
The great thing about friends-to-lovers is the lack of meet-cute. Tam and Josh, our protagonists, have been best friends since grade school and have continued to be each other’s anchor well into adulthood. When Tam’s living situation in New York changes and she needs a port in a storm, she flies out to Ponto Beach to reunite with him and their large group of friends they’ve known forever (including Tobin and Lily, the couple from the previous book in this series). What starts as a chance for Tam to regroup and finally figure out what will make her happy in life turns into… well, trope trope trope.
The bad thing about friends-to-lovers? The 80% mark. It’s there and it’s incredibly uneventful and completely unsurprising. Really, it was more of a molehill both characters could’ve seen from miles away and come up with the answers way before the 80% mark. It made me roll my eyes a little.
Don’t get me wrong: It’s a cute book. But does it stand out from the hundreds of other cute books out right now? Not really. I’ll tell you one thing, though: I sure did get hungry while reading it.
Thanks to NetGalley and Montlake for early access to this title in exchange for a fair and honest review. ...more
When I’m reviewing books, I mostly review books from major publishers, but I still like to pick up the odd book here and theReal Rating: 3.5 / 5 Stars
When I’m reviewing books, I mostly review books from major publishers, but I still like to pick up the odd book here and there from independent authors when the blurb or cover piques my interest, because I truly believe supporting independent authors is something that benefits the entire reading community as a whole. Almost every author starts out as an independent author of some sort. Everyone has to earn their stripes somewhere, so to speak.
So, I’m going to lie: I picked up this random, independent romcom because of the following tidbits: charming hero owns hairless cat, luxury department store, New York City, and a female powerhouse marketing guru heroine sweeping in to save the day. We could almost just knock that down to the hero owns a hairless cat and there’s luxury shopping involved in New York City. I’m not even joking. I love books with luxury shopping. Especially shoes. (This book does involve shoe shopping, which makes me happy in my shopping pants).
Was it everything I was hoping for? In some ways, yes; in other ways, no. It was charming, irreverent, fun, sentimental, sexy, well-plotted, well-paced, and not too long. The flip side? The writing tended to be immature more often than not, the sentimental could tip into overly sentimental at times (causing it to come across as cheesy), and the ending was rushed.
As a whole, it’s an entertaining book worth a read. It will engage you and you will have a decent time reading it. Is it a must-read or a classic in the genre? No. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t give it a try....more
It’s not that this book is a bad book that led me to rate this at 3.5 stars: it’s that this book is just as frustratingly blaReal Rating: 3.5 /5 Stars
It’s not that this book is a bad book that led me to rate this at 3.5 stars: it’s that this book is just as frustratingly blah and has that paint-by-numbers feel to it as just about every wedding-centered rom-com it references. And while I can respect this book may please a great many people just the same as those sorts of movies please a great deal of people, it took me a great deal of patience and actively trying to focus to even finish it.
It didn’t help matters that I didn’t really like any of the characters much, either.
To me, the best parts of this book were the parts in which our main character, Amy, is doing her new job she invented for herself. Those scenes are the ones I looked forward to, mainly because it’s where I related to her the most. I’ve played crisis manager at more than one big event (including stepping in as a bridesmaid at a wedding as a replacement, even), and chaos is where I thrive best. I loved those scenes and really identified with Amy’s conflicting emotions regarding whether or not she was doing the right thing by donning a different persona with every wedding instead of being her authentic self. I may live in a blue state, but you never know where discrimination and prejudice could be hiding just behind a polite exterior.
I just wish this book had been less rote. Then maybe I wouldn’t have actively had to make myself pay attention to it in order to finish it.
Thanks to NetGalley, Random House, and Dial Press Trade Paperbacks for early access to this title in exchange for a fair and honest review. This review will not be tagged for either publisher or author on social media due to the nature of it. ...more
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