Actual rating - 4.5 (the cover is NOT to my taste and did back-shelf this for a bit for me).
Former college and professional basketball star Elle CochrActual rating - 4.5 (the cover is NOT to my taste and did back-shelf this for a bit for me).
Former college and professional basketball star Elle Cochran is suddenly a foster parent to high-schooler Vanessa, who is encouraged to join the school basketball team. After a disasterous pro-career ending in injury and depression, Elle is anxious about re-entering the world of basketball, even as a spectator. So when the coach asks Elle to help co-lead the team, Elle is reluctant but finally says yes, even if it is mostly to get closer to the adorable Julie.
Julie is utterly star-struck by the woman who's poster she had taped up in her teen-hood bedroom, and is elated to get a chance to work alongside her hero. When Elle offers to coach Julie in dating and relationships, she jumps at the chance to explore her sexuality.
what a great book. i had so much fun with Julie and Elle, and I love how tenderly Julie's sexuality was discovered. Julie has landed on the ace//demisexual label, but isn't quite keen on even having a label, and Elle is comfortable to explore that with her. Elle herself has depression, and seeing how her depression was also hard and hopeful. There's no easy "cures" or "solutions" in this romance (as there should not be, because that's not how it works) but seeing how Elle and Julie fell in love and made it work was so gorgeous.
basically if anita kelly writes it, i'll read it. period....more
Animation director and recent-ish widow relocates for a contract job at an Irish animation study to run away from her grief. Leaving Texas behind is dAnimation director and recent-ish widow relocates for a contract job at an Irish animation study to run away from her grief. Leaving Texas behind is difficult, but Lark Thompson is immediately charmed by Galway and her sparse sublet. She also believes the home next door is a B&B, but when she accidentally receives a package for the business and it turns out to be an order of ... body bags, Lark discovers her neighbors is actually just neighbor. and he's a mortician. and the house is a funeral home.
Callum Flannelly is used to being misjudged, both in his profession and by his romantic interests, so he isn't surprised when Lark at first expresses horror that he's her neighbor, but is shocked when they immediately strike up a friendship and she quickly finds the value in his work...and in him. Callum also needs a wife in order to keep his family's business and legacy out of the clutches of his terrible absentee father, but Lark only seems to be interested in helping him date other women.
What follows is a lovely romance that made me giggle and made me swoon a whole lot. this is a truly nice debut, and i so appreciated the author's content notes in the front matter. Just because some of the topics were heavy, they didn't detract from the romance itself. I thought grief, death, and love were all tenderly handled. PLUS Callum's demi-sexuality, his stutter, and Lark's grief.
What kept me from giving this solid debut five stars was the sub plot about Lark's toxic coworker. While realistic (shitty men keep being shitty), it didn't feel necessary to the story when the need for more than one reason for Lark not to stay in Ireland could have just ... not been this jerk. Sadly, sexual harassment and intellectual theft and micro aggressions are all too real. I just felt bad for Lark having so much to deal with (however realistic it was).
Other than that, I loved, and will be back for more from the author.
content notes are included in the front matter of this book, provided by the author....more
may all contemporary romances featuring partners who fiercely defend each other, especially against toxic family. who aren't perfect, but are perfect may all contemporary romances featuring partners who fiercely defend each other, especially against toxic family. who aren't perfect, but are perfect for each other. gosh i loved these two a whole lot, their online gaming 'meet cute friendship' of mistaken identity (she thinks he's a 20something and he think she's his mother's age), and their gentle love story. Nerds falling in love, my fav!
Also, Maggie is a great mom to her kid, and I loved seeing the balance of her "do as I say, not as I do" and his pushback on that. Aiden's demi // bisexual identity is also lovingly explored and Maggie's casual acceptance, ability to help Aiden find the word's to describe himself, and fierce defense against his biphobic sister-in-law//ex-fiancee were just the best. I also appreciated that Aiden was not forced to forgive his family's toxic behaviors, instead finding balance and boundaries.
Honestly, imagine this as a slower-paced and middle aged Hackers lol (with a takedown of toxic family instead of a capitalist overlord). I loved Otter & Bogwitch and I hope you do too!
This is definitely a slowburn, but with heat payoff that made sense for the story! Also, loved the caretaking scenes when Aiden hurt himself SO much - especially since Aiden (as a end-of life nurse) is usually the caretaker.
CW: grief, parental death (in the past), toxic family - countered, biphobia, countered....more
too much curling, not enough romance for me. appreciated the asexual rep and the adult ADHD rep, but these two did not spend nearly enough time togethtoo much curling, not enough romance for me. appreciated the asexual rep and the adult ADHD rep, but these two did not spend nearly enough time together for my personal romance reading preferences.
if you like a lot, and i do mean A LOT, of sportsing event description with your romance, definitely give this a go...more
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