Andie
Books, Coffee & Passion
A beautifully written story, amazing red hot chemistry and funny, independent, strong characters make Bro Code a perfect “best friend's little sister” romance.
Ava's very focused, loyal, super hard working and lately she has no time to have fun or date. She is now facing a lot of work pressure after a significant change in her life and she's home again, trying to make her dad proud of her. She had a huge crush on Barrett, her brother's best friend, when she was younger, but she also thought he never really looked at her, even though he was always sweet with her as they were growing up. But Barrett is going to spend a few days in her parent's house, where she's staying too, and now that she realizes that their attraction is mutual, all bets are off, Bro Code be damned.
Barrett is just as focused and hard working as Ava, he's trying to make partner at the Chicago law firm where he works, so he is pulling crazy hours and his personal life has taken a back seat. Nick, his best friend, invited him to his father's retirement party so Barrett returns home, where he ends up spending time with Ava and their chemistry is driving him so crazy... But she's his best friend's little sister and he has to stick to Bro Code... right?
Ava and Barrett are absolutely perfect together, their banter is fantastic, I liked that they were both independent, hard working and witty. I absolutely loved how Barrett adored Ava's parents and how he considered them his family too, I think that, even more than Bro Code, his love for her family was the main reason that he tried so hard to resist his feelings. I was very surprised by the drama and tension added in the story, I was expecting for a different angst source due to this trope and I was pleasantly mistaken, loved the fact that I didn't see it coming!
Bro Code is a very entertaining, fast paced, steamy, sweet read, with funny, fierce characters and the perfect amount of angst, family moments and love.
A slow beginning. However, SK manages to make the reader uncomfortable from the very start.
It's not a scary book, but it's definitely creepy and disturbing.
I was very intrigued by where the story was going.
This book is amazing! I love this world! I know it's only February but I have no doubts that Skyward is going to be my TOP favorite of 2020.
Ride Dirty is the fourth book in the Raven Series and I've been counting the days to Caine's story!
Caine is Raven Rider's Sergeant-at-Arms, he's a loner, intense, tough, brooding alpha male that does whatever it takes for his real family: the Raven Riders. Caine has a huge heart, he's a fierce protector and he always puts his brothers first even though he tries to maintain a certain emotional distance. He meets Emma when she's in a dangerous situation and he saves her but his gut tells him that there's something off about all of it and that Emma might still be in danger...
Emma is a smart, sweet, sexy, funny kindergarten teacher with a normal life and a goofy dog. She finds herself in a risky situation but she's brave enough to fight back and she's also very lucky that Caine is close enough to rescue her. She's fascinated by Caine, the Raven Riders brotherhood and she can't help but notice how hot Caine is...
No one writes wonderful broken damaged heroes like Laura Kaye. I fall for each and every one of them. Caine is now my new favorite Raven Rider! He's got such a beautiful soul, his past is so heartbreaking and when he opens up to Emma... I just couldn't stop some tears from falling and my heart from breaking. He's absolutely perfect! I also loved that Emma was exactly right for Caine, the way they were drawn to each other and their chemistry... HOT!
Ride Dirty is a fast paced, beautiful, sweet, emotional love story. The Raven Riders are my favorite MC and I'm sad to say goodbye to this series, I really wish we could read more about them! (Yes Jagger, I'm looking at you!) Laura Kaye did an amazing job with this series, I highly recommend to anyone that loves romance and perfectly damaged heroes.
3.5 stars
Finally finished this book.
It was entertaining and I enjoyed a lot of it. There were so many things happening and yet this book felt way too long.
I think the most interesting aspect about Julian and Emma's relationship was the fact they were parabatai. The two of them together... the emotional connection was there but the chemistry not so much. Not my favorite couple in the Shadowhunters world.
I enjoyed a lot more some of the other characters like Dru, Ty, Kit, Diana and Gwyn. Even though I did enjoy Clare, Jace, Alec and Magnus' moments in the story, it felt like they had too many. That meant there were a lot of POVs and a lot of subplots that felt a little unnecessary.
That being said, there were a few important topics discussed in the book and I liked how it was done. The antagonists in the story, and what they were doing in pursuit of their evil objectives, were engaging too (even if sometimes it felt almost like Valentine 2.0 events).
The Blackthorns as a family are so incredible and I loved their moments together.
I wasn't a fan of the ending. Some aspects of it were well done, but how it ended... opens the door to refocusing (again) on characters the future stories should be moving on from. Not that I don't want those characters in the books, that will pick up the events after this book, but I don't think they should have such a chunk of page time.
Overall, a solid, entertaining conclusion to this trilogy.
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I fell in love while reading this blurb. I just had to know who would win Noely's heart! It was one hell of a ride, I loved every moment and even though I actually thought, at first, that I already had a favorite... Meghan Quinn pulled my heart strings so perfectly that I really couldn't choose!
First of all, my expectations were crazy high because the blurb was so good! I started to read Three Blind Dates the second it hit my Kindle and I couldn't put it down. I had to know, you know? #TheSuit, #TheRebel or #TheJock?! Honestly, it was like I was watching it on screen, like The Bachelor or something, I can't explain it exactly and this might sound a little insane but it's exactly how it felt for me.
Noely is a morning show host, she's beautiful, sassy, funny (I laughed out loud with her SO many times!), smart and genuine, she loves her job, her best friend and co host, her crazy brother and her sister-in-law and she's hoping to find love. But dating nowadays has so many rules and with her hectic schedule, it's definitely not easy. So, why not try a dating app?
Enter the Suit, the Rebel and the Jock. Meghan managed to kept me hooked through all of this amazing story, I was a little afraid that the fact that Noely was searching for her HEA and her soulmate while considering her options would make me loose my interest, because I'm not a huge fan of a triangle (square?) kind of thing but that never happened. The way everything happened, how the sequence of events was written and her inner dialogue made her story reasonable and consistent. It was so easy to relate to Noely, her choices, her doubts, her fears and her strengths. I was rooting so much for this girl!!! Anyway, I had a hard time choosing between the Suit, the Rebel and the Jock. I loved all three of them for different reasons and there were moments when I wanted to slap and kiss and hug (and jump?!) each one. Truly, I did. Meghan Quinn did an amazing job with this story and I am so excited for the next story... featuring one of Noely's dates... And if you want to know more, you have to read Three Blind Dates: highly recommended, a must read, a beautifully written romantic comedy.
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I loved Kylie Scott's Stage Dive series and when I saw that she was writing Sam and Martha's story, even though it's a novella, I knew I had to read it! If you haven't read Stage Dive series, let me tell you, you're missing out!
Honestly, I was excited to read about Sam, but I was still holding a grudge against Martha (Yes, David is my absolute favorite) so I was a little afraid that Martha's personality would ruin this story for me. That wasn't the case at all, I'm actually a little surprised about how much I enjoyed it. Sam is GOLD! Intense, smart, manipulative, strong, sweet, sexy, he's irresistible! Martha is not the most likable heroine, she's definitely different after a few years but she still is herself. She's still catty, impulsive and prickly, however she did soften her act and she tried to make a few amends. Sam has had feelings for Martha forever and now Martha's back with her brother, taking care of her nephew and Sam is just biding his time... Martha is hugely attracted to the quiet, intense bodyguard that sees right through her act and this red hot burning attraction is getting harder and harder to ignore...
Sam and Martha are opposites but they complement each other perfectly, I loved their amazing chemistry, the moments we get with David and Ev, Mal and Anne, Jimmy and Lena, Ben and Lizzy and their son Gibson, the hilarious moments between Gibson and Martha are also amazing and I really loved Sam's straightforwardness.
Strong is a great addition to this series and it made me wish for a, very possible, spin-off.
After reading Midnight Valentine, I started stalking Geissinger's new releases and I couldn't get my hands on Melt For You fast enough.
Honestly, I didn't think it could be as good as Midnight Valentine. I was wrong because my expectations were exceed: I loved it! After I started, I couldn't put my Kindle down so I've read it in one sitting, I was addicted since the very first moment that Joellen and Cameron laid eyes on each other.
Joellen is a smart, independent, beautiful (yes, beautiful!), sensitive, relatable woman, she's been in love with her boss for ten years and the fact that she was always invisible to him isn't exactly doing wonders for her self esteem. One day, when she's arriving home after work, she realizes she has a new neighbor who enjoys loud rap, she just wasn't expecting knocking on his door to complain about the loud music only to be wowed by a sexy, hot, Scottish dressed in nothing but a kilt...
Cameron is a very famous Scottish rugby player who is used to women falling to his feet, he's living temporally across the hall from Joellen's apartment and he's just being himself, partying, drinking with his loud music always pumping. So, when his neighbor knocks on his door, he's drunk and partying, so he lowers the music and slams the door on her... Talk about a rocky start!
I absolutely loved this story, the characters, their hilarious banter, their steamy moments, the relationship, their amazing chemistry, how Cam dealt with Joellen's self depreciation, their imperfect amazing love story, but mostly I loved the strong message in this book (to all the Evas out there - you'll get it if you read it).
Highly recommended to anyone who loves an imperfect amazing love story with strong, complex characters, lots of funny moments and intense chemistry.
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What attracted me first in this book was the amazing cover and then I read the synopsis and I knew I had to read it. I'm happy I did but I have to admit even though I do love retellings I am not familiar with Tristan and Isolde's story, so I can't say much about that.
What I can tell you is that the world building is AMAZING. At times I struggled to keep up with so much information. This is the first book in a 4 book series so there's a lot of details and information to remember but the mysterious world and the atmosphere are breathtaking.
Lyana, Cassi, Rafe and Xander are an interesting group of characters. I really liked Rafe's and Xander backstory, they definitely felt the most developed characters of the book. Rafe's story is something else, I loved it and his actions made sense considering his past. Also, it didn't hurt that he was a broody sarcastic cute guy. Lyana is a likable character, I liked how feisty and determined she was but she wasn't my favorite character, sometimes some of her actions were a little childish but still understandable. Cassi... well I liked her, hated her, pitied her, it was a roller coaster which means the character was well developed and I'm very, very, very intrigued about her character's future. She's definitely the wildcard in the story.
I was enthralled in this story and the entertainment level was great. There was not much happening by the middle of the story but in the end things were a bit chaotic, including the romance, and I wanted more from a certain character, Malek, but he ended up having a small role that I thought. I hope we get much more from him in book 2.
Overall, The Raven and The Dove was a very entertaining story with a unique, distinct atmosphere and world building and I enjoyed it very much. I'm excited for book 2!
Not sure what to say about this one, except I expected much more.
I was intrigued by Alicia's story at first. But as the story progressed, I started picking up some details that lead me to suspect someone. And I was hoping the story didn't go in that direction. Unfortunately, it did. And even though I didn't guess exactly what happened, I guessed too much of it. (if that makes sense)
Very middle of the road for me. The first half of the book had me hooked. The second part of it wasn't my favorite. So, it ended up being a 3-star read for me.
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3.5 stars
Falling Fast is a classic small town, slow burn romance.
Colton is a warrior, he survived a painful and traumatic experience, endured a tough year of rehabilitation but he's back on his feet. Literally. He fought hard to get his life back and he learned to appreciate things in a way he didn't before, he's a great guy but he's still dealing with some emotional scars. Also, he's sexy as hell!
Gia is a sweet, independent and kind woman. She drops everything in her life, including a job she loves and her best friend, to move back to her mother's small hometown in order to take care of her grandmother. She's a sweetheart with a huge heart, she feels an instant attraction when she meets Colton and their first meeting is kind of hilarious. Gia is a little too naive sometimes but I actually loved how patient Colton was with her and how he asked her to let him in. I did struggle a little with the crazy ex angle (yes, Colton's ex), it was a bit over dramatic, however I don't want to give much away.
Overall, Falling Fast is a sweet, heart warming, slow burn romance, with great secondary characters, perfect for a rainy Sunday on the couch. I'm curious about Tide's story... I'm hoping that he'll fall for Nat even though there was no hint in that direction (I think I didn't miss anything!) but they would be totally awesome together and I would definitely read their story!
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I enjoyed it a lot.
The art is amazing and I loved the characters. It's cute with lots of banter.
Can't wait to pick up the next volume.
Defiant Queen is the second book in the Mount trilogy and it picks up exactly after the crazy cliffhanger of Ruthless King.
Honestly, I have no words for Defiant Queen. Because it is EPIC! Let's keep this review vague because spoilers can definitely ruin this series, so I can only say that I absolutely loved Mount's POVs even if sometimes his mind is a very dark, dark place. There are glimpses to his past that I really enjoyed reading because it certainly shaped him. (Black, white and gold... loved the reason why Mounts likes those colors!)
Keira is a badass! When Mount thinks he has her exactly where he wants her, she's already slipping through his fingers. She keeps him on his toes but Keira is struggling not to surrender and also to survive Mount... And I almost didn't survive that ending!
Defiant Queen is hot, passionate, riveting, complex, dark, brilliantly written and it leaves you begging for more! This series is the most addictive EVER!
And now I only want to dive into Sinful Empire ASAP, I'm literally counting the days until release day.
This book didn't work for me. It started strong and very promising but then the story started to lose my interest. Maybe if the book was shorter, I would have been more invested in the story. I think there were too many perspectives and way too many details. It might've worked better for me, if some things were just edited out because the narrative got a little repetitive. There were a few creepy moments, unfortunately it didn't scare me or made me lose sleep and that's saying a lot because I'm a chicken!
I had high expectations about this book, but I was more scared before reading it than I was while reading it. I'm bummed.
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My Mechanical Romance was an entertaining, cute YA contemporary romance. Teo is a genius student, he's ambitious, and he has his entire life figured out. He also has a lot on his shoulders and he feels the pressure to be perfect in all the AP classes, soccer, etc. Bel is a quirky, sassy, genius girl who doesn't know what she's going to do with her life. She worries a lot about everything that's going on in her life, but she avoids making options. She thinks she's still too young to have it all figured out and she's struggling with her parents' divorce. Besides all of that, she hasn't really found her passion which makes her even more hesitant about college applications.
The beginning of the story wasn't the best. Teo was annoying and aloof and Bel seemed so passive and their interactions didn't make much sense at first. I don't think the rivals aspect of this story was done very well. I struggled a little with the pacing too. BUT then things started picking up and I started rooting for these characters.
I enjoyed most of the themes in the story, the differences between Teo's family (parents still married but too busy to be present in his daily life) and Bel's family (divorced parents that wanted to be present in her life) and how both of them navigated their feelings towards their families was super interesting. I also loved the discussions surrounding the fact that teenagers need to have everything figured out while they're so young and still in high school. Another aspect I really appreciated was the discussions about the discrimination girls face every day in STEM, especially WOC.
The secondary characters were interesting too, I loved Dash and Jamie and their friendships. Teo and Bel's relationship was great too (after a rocky start), I loved how their friendship evolved during the long discussions regarding the robots they were building. The way they opened up to each other was beautifully written.
Bel's character growth was amazing, it was great to see her find her passion and slowly become more confident in her intellectual worth. Teo played a huge part in this. That being said, I think Teo's character growth was less developed than Bel's. He had a few moments, towards the end when he understood certain things about himself, his father, and his behavior with Neelam but it felt somewhat flat and rushed. Also, Neelam was a tough character to like. As a female member of the robotics club, she was treated poorly by her male teacher and her male teammates. I was upset about that most of the book, which means this was done really well, and I wanted to like her but how she treated Bel during 90% of the story bothered me a lot. I totally understood why she wasn't exactly welcoming Bel into the club at first, I just don't think it made sense to drag that animosity that long.
Overall, a great YA debut. I enjoyed the diversity, the important topics discussed in the story, the character growth, and the romance between the MCs. On the other hand, the pacing wasn't the best and I think Teo's relationship with his parents could've been explored a little more. I loved the empowering message and the acceptance that it's okay to not have everything figured out at 17 or 18. I think this book will stay with me for a while.
Thanks to Holiday House for the ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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Mind-blowing. I stared at the very last word of this book as if I could conjure it to continue, that's how awesome Blood Match is. I literally sobbed at the end... Cliffhanger from hell almost killed me!
I think my brain is still stuck in the amazing world that K.A. Linde created and my heart... well my heart is still a little bruised.
First things first, if you haven't read Blood Type (the first book in this series) you have to read it in order to understand Reyna and Beckham's story and their world and after that you can pick up Blood Match and follow this compelling love story.
So, Blood Match picks up where Blood Type left off, Reyna is in serious trouble and Beckham can't help her because it could risk everything. The story starts slow but it kept me totally engaged, the mind games are absolutely insane and Reyna's interactions with Harrington, the world's most powerful vampire, are totally unpredictable. Honestly, I loved how the story kept building, the tension kept rising and how every action caused an extraordinary reaction (or twist).
Will Reyna survive Harrington's mind games? Is Beckham strong enough to fight Harrington? Survival is the ultimate challenge. And love... Love may or may not conquer all.
Compelling, unpredictable, intense, stunning, brilliantly written with a captivating story line, Blood Match is the real deal. Honestly, I would say this series is the best series I've read this year. Can't wait to get my hands on Blood Cure!
I absolutely have no words to describe Sinful Empire. After reading and loving the first two books, my expectations were crazy high when I started reading Sinful Empire. It's the last book of the trilogy and I wasn't ready to say goodbye to Mount and Keira!
I love this trilogy and honestly, after Ruthless King, Meghan March joined my one click authors and now after Sinful Empire I'm willing to bet that she's going to stay there - no expiration date! Sinful Empire is the perfect last book in an amazing, heart stopping (the cliffhanger in Defiant Queen almost killed me!), breath taking trilogy. Meghan managed to create not only the ultimate book boyfriend, Mount of course, but also one the strongest heroines I've ever read about, and one of my favorites for sure: Keira. Off the charts passion, fantastic character development, flawless writing and a very original plot, fast paced, exciting, with lots of suspense, twists and turns that I did not see coming and steamy moments, Sinful Empire has everything and it's stunning. Top 2017 favorite and I can't wait for Savage Prince!
I wanted so much more from this book. Everything happened too fast and everything was too insta. Too bad because it had potential.
Twisted Twosome can be read as a standalone even though Tucker, Racer's best friend, has his own book: My Best Friend's Ex. I haven't read Tucker's story but after reading Racer and Georgie's story, I think I'll probably pick it up to read it asap.
I loved Twisted Twosome! I laughed so hard while reading it, it's filled with funny dialogues, dirty comebacks, hilarious moments (I'll never be able to listen to Uptown Funk with a straight face from now on) and the sexual tension is off the charts.
Honestly, I had mixed feelings about Georgie at first because she seemed a little shallow but Meghan did an amazing job by showing how she didn't quite fit in with her parents and their expectations (I hated her Dad so much) and how hard she was working to make her dreams come true. Now, Racer was a whole different story, I loved him at hello! Even when he was being a jerk, he was so absolutely irresistible. Seriously, his inner dialogues are hysterically funny, he's smart, sexy, shirtless most of the time, witty, sweet, protective, hard working, I think it's pretty obvious I found a new book boyfriend!
Twisted Twosome has the perfect balance between funny moments, amazing chemistry and deep emotions. I'm a big fan of Meghan Quinn's humor and I hope Smalls gets a book too. If you love a funny enemies to lovers story with dual POVs, I highly recommend Twisted Twosome.