Regina

5/5 when-worlds-collide stars

I've been a fan of Lacy Andersen's YA romances for a while now, and My Royally Cute Enemy is no exception. I had so much fun with this snobbish prince and his less-than-impressed hostess. It was easy for me to fall in like not only with both August and Tori, but also with their friends and family, and I thoroughly enjoyed the banter, the budding friendship growing into more, the swoony first (and second, and third) kiss... happy sigh

Bonus points for the little nods to previous books (in the first Sweet Mountain High series).
Not to forget nostalgic bonus points for reminding me of times when we'd read alllll about the European royals in Grandma's magazines.

This book started out really funny! I also liked both Taylor and Onyx, and I loved their banter. (And let's not forget about that magic first kiss, right?)
But I'm sorry to say that some elements just fell flat for me. Comedy is always tricky, you can't meet every reader's sense of humor 100% all the time. I felt that some scenes were just added for their slapstick nature, but they did nothing to move the story forward.
I also wasn't a big fan of the bit of drama with Onyx's ex - and especially not of Dylan who kept acting like an immature jerk pretty much every time he turned up. Why is anyone even friends with the guy?

3.5 / 5 stars

I am hooked!

For such a short read, this story packs quite a punch. Once again, Jeannie Lin's words paint such a vivid picture that the characters practically leap off the page (in perfect wuxia aesthetic, of course).
Lu Yan is a fantastic new hero to fight demons with! He and Jian complement each other beautifully - not only in battle- and I hope we'll get more adventures with this kicka$$ team!

Short and (mostly) sweet, though not quite what I expected

I really liked the blurb and that Layla and Will have a bit of a history together. The story started out fun, fluffy, and cute - exactly what I expected from a romantic comedy by this author. What I didn't expect was for this story to take a somewhat more serious turn, and I'm still not sure how I feel about that.

Another great addition to the series!

What I appreciate in Lacy Andersen's YA stories is that the characters cast in quite stereotypical roles (the flirt, the jock / movie star, the artistic diva...) still feel “real”: They are not perfect, they're struggling with real-life problems and getting to see their vulnerabilities makes them relatable.

I especially like Lexi as a heroine: on a personal level, how she's dealing with her insecurities and the HS drama, but also how she already has such a clear idea of the career path she wants to take - and the steps she needs to take to get there.

Zane fits right in with the other good-guy heroes in this series, and I would have liked to see at least part of this story from his POV.

I laughed, I swooned - and my heartstrings were thoroughly tugged!

The “Behind the scenes” had me laughing out loud even before the story proper got underway - and it just got better from there!

I loved the characters! Aimee and Noel make a wonderfully awkward couple, and I was equally rooting for them and cringing on their behalf throughout the story. I loved how Byron and Teisha were there for both of them, giving them tough love when needed (and boy, did they need it sometimes!).

I thoroughly enjoyed every single word of this wonderfully hilarious story, and I can't wait to read more in the series!

Short and cute, for fans of the insta-love trope.

I am probably the wrong audience for this book since I'm usually not a big fan of insta-love. But I am a fan of Maggie Dallen's books, so here goes.
The story was cute and had some funny moments, though the insta aspect was way over the top for me. And I found both Kat and Bryce at times endearing but at other times a little exhausting.

3.5/5 stars

I had so much fun with this wildly entertaining tale of mistaken identity! It already had me laughing at the very first text exchange, and it just got better from there.

Jen is such a sweetheart, and Gabe turns out to be a pretty decent guy for a lawyer. :) I LOVE these characters - not only the two MCs, but also and very, very especially Gabe's family. Can I adopt them? Where do I sign?

5/5 hilarious-but-heartwarming stars

TeamDawson FTW!

I might be a teeny tiny bit biased, because Dawson has been one of my favorite characters in the series, and I was rooting for him to get his HEA pretty much since book #1. And I loved getting to meet his family, dysfunctional as it might be - especially Grammy. :D
I also enjoyed getting to know Pepper, who had always seemed somewhat overshadowed by her brother. And, let's not forget, this story also contains a healthy dose of one particular Scottish maître pâtissier, and I'm here for all of it!

PSA: The three books in the series are best read in order since the stories are so heavily interconnected.

The name of the series pretty much says it all: “Sweet & Swoonworthy”, indeed!

While I'm still not a big fan of all things billionaire, I DO love Laurie Baxter's charming and funny stories. And Noah is thankfully not your run-of-the-mill alpha-billionaire but very much an (occasionally awkward) cinnamon roll of a hero. I think Sabrina - rather impulsive and funny - is a good match for him.
This story made me smile, it made me swoon, and although I felt the occasional urge to shake some sense into Sabrina, I enjoyed it a lot.

Ophelia + Xavier = XOXO, indeed! hearteyes

I reallyreally loved this story: it was equally funny, sweet, cringe-, and swoon-worthy. I adored Ophelia in all her impulsive glory and Xavier (truly one of the good guys), and I felt so bad for them when pretty much every one of their well-intentioned plans went so horribly, horribly wrong. (Which made the final resolution of that convoluted mess they managed to get themselves into all the sweeter. :) )

And while I might have been gnashing my teeth a tiny bit because I would have liked Ophelia and Xavier to get together a leeeettle bit sooner, Kathryn R. Biel's writing is excellent, as always. The setup for Ophelia's initial social media debacle, for example, is just... chef's kiss

I don't know if there are currently any plans, but but I would really love to read more rom-coms set in this world.

This third installment of the “Accidentally in Love” series is a funny - at times hilarious - opposites-attract, enemies-to-lovers story. As an introvert myself, I found it easier to relate to Ben than to outgoing Sera, who came on a little strong at times. Though, to be honest, my favorite character was Charley, Sera's super-genius teenage partner in crime.

While this was not my favorite book in the series (that title still belongs to “The Text God”), I'm looking forward to the next one!

All. The. Feels. And a perfect SNAFU.

Granted, I wouldn't call wrangling a herd (horde) of catty reality TV stars “normal,” but Jason and Emily, at least, are a two perfectly lovely, likeable protagonists. And their relationship is rock solid, as it should. Until they manage to mess it up and suddenly everything goes horribly wrong. And because these two are just so dang nice and fun and lovely, and care about each other so frakkin much, it is so, so painful to watch.

In contrast, the rest of the cast - especially the Not-Wives - are a hoot, at least for us readers who gets to enjoy the show from faaaar away beyond the fourth wall...

It's the humor and the heart - plus a million little details - that make this book, and the others in the series I've read so far, such a delight to read.

Funny, cute, adorkable - and chock-full of dad jokes. :)

Disclaimer: I loved Mimi and Nolan's story (Ten Things I Like About You), and I really wanted to read the second-chance story of Mimi's parents.

I loved both Peter and Piper, although I found them at times to be a bit frustrating. As before, in Ten Things, Nai Nai certainly was a force to be reckoned with, and I truly didn't envy Piper who struggled to get on her (ex-)mother-in-law's good side.

Another disclaimer: As I'm not a big fan of religion in the books I read for fun, I am not quite the target audience. But I am a fan of Liwen's writing, especially her rom-coms, so here we are. :)
(Plus, this time, she also brought dad jokes. Lots and lots of cringe-worthy, terrible, so-bad-they're-actually-funny-somehow dad jokes. )

Beauty and the Beast - and Mr. Puddles!

Noah is a perfect grumpy “beast” hero and Vi is a pretty sassy and amibitious “Belle.” They might be reluctant business partners at first, but oh, my, do sparks fly between these two! :)
Plus, Thorne Mansion is a perfect stand-in for an enchanted fairy-tale castle.

Although the story can be read as a standalone, it was lovely to reconnect with Sam, Brody, and Aramis, and other Maple Cove folks. Looking forward to reading more books in the series!

Engaging and entertaining!

Alicia Ellis is a new-to-me author (or rather, I am a new-to-her reader), but the blurb of this story got me hooked, and the book did not disappoint.

Lena is a smart and gutsy heroine, I enjoyed getting to know her - and I was rooting for her to solve the mystery (and hopefully prove her innocence). While I was able to guess some of the puzzle pieces, there were enough twists and turns to keep me guessing how everything fit together.
And I really need to know what happens next!

4.5/5 heart-melting stars

“I'll be right there with you. Anything goes wrong, I'll be the cheese again, okay?” Oh. My. Heart!

I thought “Let It Be Me”, the first book in the series, would be a tough act to follow, but Kait Nolan pulled it off perfectly. “Our Kind of Love” is a beautifully written story with Southern charm, small-town shenanigans, and lots of heart.

It's always a treat to (re-)visit Eden's Ridge and the Misfit Inn crew, and I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know Kyle and Abbey better. Their backstory, how they ended up from childhood best friends with a marriage pact to not talking to each other for a decade... it's a doozy!
There's plenty of drama, plenty of swoons, some heartbreak (dagnabbit, Kait!), but also plenty of lighter moments that made me smile.

“Regency layers and Texas heat do not mix well.”

Except, in this cute novella, they do. I already fell in serious like with too-nice-for-her-own-good “Disney Princess” Phoebe and her own “Mr. Bingley” AKA Johnathan when I first met them in “Dating Mr. Darcy,” and I had a lot of fun getting to know these two better.
While this novella doesn't have the comedic energy of Emma and Sebastian's story, I enjoyed it a lot.

What I like about R.H. Tucker's books in general, and this story in particular, is that nothing is ever black or white, his heroes and heroines are never perfect, and the “villains” may have redeeming qualities.

After two chapters, I was already in serious like with both main characters. Kat and Zach are both flawed, complex, and utterly human. They do occasionally mess up and make some seriously questionable choices.
But just like these two are not 100% perfect, not all the “Platinums” - easily seen as the “bad guys” here - are 100% evil.

So I'm looking forward to reading more in the series, especially about Bret (this could be fun!) and Kat's BFF Lexi, but I'm sure Abigail's story is going to be an interesting one, too!
More, please?

4/5 quirky and swoon-worthy stars

First of all, what I love most about this book is the cast of quirky characters, their banter, and the well-meaning meddling of certain friends and family members. Introverted Ellie is a kindred spirit, and I can relate to her more than I should probably admit. And Cruz is truly a perfect match for her, so much so that Ellie's over-the-top tropey search for the perfect romance hero feels all the more jarring and cringe-worthy.

But I had so much fun getting to know Ellie, Cruz, and their posse, I can't wait to read the next book in the series!

I'll be honest: this is not my favorite book in the series - the whole insta-love thing is usually not my cup of tea, and I got a bit frustrated with both Harley and Celia every now and then.
But the story was funny, and swoony, and tugged at my heartstrings - and sometimes all of these at once.
As I am a sucker for a great supporting cast of meddling friends and family, one of my personal highlights of this story was the first “meet the family” shindig to celebrate Harley and Celia's wedding.
(Plus: I am also a big fan of rule #17... :) )

4/5 don't-ever-stop-saying-I-love-you stars

Excellent teaser for the series!

This entertaining prequel novella can absolutely be read as a standalone story, but it sure makes me want to read more stories set in this world! I enjoyed getting to know Triana, who is - at this point in time - a fun and smart hacker-in-training and involuntary amateur sleuth. It was fun getting a glimpse of the world she lives in, especially all the little nods to how “our” human culture and language has evolved.

Thematically, the Heirs of Mana series is probably as far from my Germanic Black-Forest-Dweller roots as you can get. And, having read the Norse-centric series Gods of the Ragnarok Era and Runeblade Saga before, it was quite a culture shock - but not necessarily in a bad way.

Although it took me a bit to get the unfamiliar-to-me (and sometimes quite similar sounding) names straight, I enjoyed getting a first glimpse into the myths and legends of Hawai'i and Polynesia.
But despite all the differences to the Norse stories, there were many common concepts and elements between the two series, to make me feel quite at home in this different world.

As for the characters:
Namaka may not be the most likeable protagonist, but I found her journey, especially her developing relationship with Nyi Rara, intriguing.
I've had my problems with Pele (aka “the spoiled brat”), but after reading her story, Flames of Mana, I have come to (grudgingly) respect her a lot more.
To be honest, I still felt more sympathetic towards Poli‘ahu, whose story, Queens of Mana, is my favorite in the trilogy.
On a side note: My absolute favorite character is Kamapua‘a (or Kama), whose Boar-God possessed “Royal Egregiously Incorrigibleness” is apparently a far cry from his usual, quite dark, depiction in the legends, but provides a welcome comic relief.

4.5/5 stars

Sadie FTW!

I think Sadie turned out to be my favorite heroine in the series. Frankly, I'm a bit surprised at that since I adore the other ladies as well. Still, Sadie holds a special place in my heart.
I thoroughly enjoyed following Sadie and Grey on their reluctant journey to their HEA, and I appreciate how some romance clichés were turned on their heads (first date at Kismet, anyone?).

I do have one tiny complaint, though (YMMV): The slapstick felt a bit too much at times for me, and it wasn't always easy to distinguish between the “voices” of the four guys.

Still, I'm sad to see another fun series come to an end. I've grown very fond of Cape Kismet and its people, especially this group of friends. I would certainly enjoy reading more stories set in this world!

4.5/5 got-some-growing-up-to-do stars

Insta-love! Insta-love! :D

I've been waiting for this book ever since reading “Chasing the Sun” - I fell in love with Naomi in book #1, and I was curious to see what kind of hero would prove worthy for this amazing ;) heroine. And while I'm usually not a particularly big fan of insta-love, I'm happy with the way this story played out.

While Hunter may come across as a bit stuffy at first - and yes, “buttish” :D - he's still a fellow word nerd, so I'll cut him some slack. And both Naomi and Hunter have plenty to figure out for themselves, even without adding the potential of romance to the mix, so their initial reluctance to see where this mutual attraction may lead is understandable. But they have a team of wingmen (wing-siblings?) rooting for them, which is equally awesome, awkward, and slightly terrifying. :D

Speaking of the siblings, I love the twin-vibes Naomi has with Theo. And I am SO happy that Theo, one of my favorite characters in book #1, is also a part of this wild and swoony and slightly crazy and all-around - ahem - amazing trip!

Looking very much forward to the next (sadly final?) book in the series!