Regina
Sweet and funny. :) Shane was an adorable cinnamon roll hero, and although he had the whole “but he's my best friend's kid brother” thing working against him at the beginning, he found a way to show Hope that he was, in fact, a perfect match for her. Even if she was mostly clueless and blind to his attempts to romance her like in the rom-com movies she enjoys so much.
PSA: Contains plenty of dad jokes (which I've somehow come to expect of Liwen's rom-coms... :D).
Le swoon!
I really liked Lynn in the earlier books and was chuffed to bits to finally read her story. And Joey turned out to be such a cinnamon roll of a hero... Le swoon! I loved the meet-cute, and I respect Lynn's decision to keep Joey at arm's length at first.
Reconnecting with the extended Brooks clan (including Mango, of course ;) ) was a hoot! (I expected nothing less. :) )
Technically, “Stout of My League“ can be read as a standalone, but as the blurb says, I'd recommend reading the series in order, both for the full Brooks family experience and because... spoilers!
Wonderful introduction to this new spin-off series!
I really enjoyed Ciara and Alex's meet-cute and I can't wait to read their story! Gimme, please? (Okay, so I might be a tad biased, considering I've read Kait's “Kilted Hearts” series and loved it. But even if you haven't, this prequel is a lovely introduction into Kait's Scottish storyverse.)
A truly delightful - and definitely NOT ugly! - story (potential color clashes notwithstanding).
I am a sucker for (former) friends-to-more stories, and the premise with Kenzie's synesthesia throwing a wrench in the works drew me in from the get-go. Both Kenzie and David were so easy to root for, and I was cheering Kenzie on to overcome her preconceptions. Though I'll admit that I can totally relate to Kenzie's yearning for structure and a (seemingly) simple framework to help navigating her life, misguided as it might be in her case.
I also loved getting to know David's and Kenzie's families and friends, and I thoroughly enjoyed the banter and the family dynamics.
Overall, this was a sweet and funny (and clean) read that might have kept me up past my bedtime a time or two.
But wait, there's more (drama)!
The final book in the Judson family saga starts off great, in true Tawna Fenske fashion, with a misunderstanding for the ages that had me LOL! I loved Lana and Dal - both on their own and together - and I truly enjoyed seeing them grow closer, despite their personal hang-ups and general snafus along the way. And while I'm sad that this is (probably?) the end of this series, now that all the Judson siblings have found their HEA, I feel like this story, with all the drama worthy of an Academy Award, is quite a fitting finale for this showbiz family.
ALL THE FEELS!
Wow... just... wow! Jake has been my favorite Fox sibling for a while now, and this story was just perfect for him! I adore Ryan and Ari, and they are a wonderful addition to the Fox family. Without giving too much away, this story had everything: love, loss and overwhelming grief, and yet so much hope - and not to forget a healthy dose of laughter, all wrapped up in a messy, funny, heartwrenching, and heartwarming tale. Bonus points for the whole extended Fox clan once again coming together to save the day.
Cute, well-written romance that made me laugh a couple times. I really liked Dustin (I'm quite partial to cinnamon roll heroes, go figure ;) ), and I mostly liked Mackenzie, although I'll admit that I would have liked to shake some sense into her quite a couple of times. I can't believe just how many chances of coming clean she didn't pursue.
Note re: audio version: I really liked how Liz Krane's narration brought everyone to life!
If you've read book #3, you've already met the heroine: Trina, the Midwestern Matchmaker who, however, has not met her own match yet. Or has she? Her story turns out to be a second-chance-at-love kind of deal, but it's not quite going according to her plans. Against all odds - and some major idiocy on his part - she reconnects with big-shot Chicago real-estate mogul Heath. On their way to their HEA, they both need to deal with some baggage, and although a large part of the story is dealing with Heath's grieving the loss of his family, it is also a story of hope, of new beginnings, and - being a Whitney Dineen rom-com - hilarity.
“Do you want to be Salt or Pepper?” <3
The series is off to a fantastic start - Maya and Sloan might just be my new favorite Christina-Hovland couple! I love these two to pieces, and seeing their accidental marriage of convenience turn into so much more was just wonderful! Excellent banter, off-the-charts chemistry... Maya and Sloan equally cracked me up and melted my heart. And I especially appreciated their way to talk the important stuff out. As usual, the great cast of supporting characters (who will hopefully get their own storys) dialed the fun up to 11. Can't wait to read more in this series!
This came as a total surprise for me, but Asher's giving Liam a run for his money as my favorite Hockey House guy. And Lani? I adore her and love her to pieces! These two gave me all the warm fuzzies, and they are so perfect for each other. I appreciated the way Katy Archer handled yet another serious issue and found the perfect balance between heart-wrenching and heart-warming (and hot!).
Can't wait to read Baxter's story! (Oh, and I hope there will be a “Football Frat-not-a-real-frat” spin-off, too!)
And the adventure continues!
I had so much fun following “exasparatingly capable” shero Sloane and her more-bickering-family-than-professional-crew along on this second chapter in her quest to find her uncle Vin. I'm also getting more and more invested in Gareth's search for his missing ships, not to mention that delicious slooooooow burn relationship developing between the two quite reluctant MCs.
On to book 3!
Honeymoon - take 2!
If Triana and Ty's first attempt at a honeymoon was a doozie, the second time around does not go any smoother... But where would be the fun for us readers if it ever did? :)
This new adventure fits in perfectly with the rest of the series: once more, Triana manages to get herself into one hilarious and absurd situation after the next. I truly enjoy these madcap adventures, the quirky cast of characters, and - of course - the popculture (pardon: Ancient TeVe) references,
More, please?
Gotta love Kaitlyn with a K and Banks!
From their first meet-cute-turned-sour to their well-deserved HEA, I was rooting for this strong shero and her not-so-bad-boy hockey player. While they both hat some stuff to work through - not to mention deal with plenty of career-related snafus - they complemented each other so well, and the banter was just... chef's kiss!
Bonus points for Olivia and Roman from book #1 being the good friends and awesome human beings both Kaitlyn and Banks deserved to have in their corner.
(Also, I can't wait for the next of the Storm Chasers to get their HEA! More, please?)
Merged review:
Gotta love Kaitlyn with a K and Banks!
From their first meet-cute-turned-sour to their well-deserved HEA, I was rooting for this strong shero and her not-so-bad-boy hockey player. While they both hat some stuff to work through - not to mention deal with plenty of career-related snafus - they complemented each other so well, and the banter was just... chef's kiss!
Bonus points for Olivia and Roman from book #1 being the good friends and awesome human beings both Kaitlyn and Banks deserved to have in their corner.
(Also, I can't wait for the next of the Storm Chasers to get their HEA! More, please?)
Fun rom-com suspense with a great cast of characters!
Christina Hovland has a knack for creating characters that are sometimes super-easy to root for, sometimes tugging at all the heart-strings, sometimes just hilarious - and sometimes all of the above. The cast of The Honeymoon Trap Confessions is no exception and I enjoyed getting to know Luce and Will and their friends (and their families - with exceptions ;) ). Both Lucy and Will had a lot of growing up to do until they were ready for their HEA, but it was oh, so worth it!
The suspense part fit in well with the rest of the story - and it gave us Neilson - another favorite character of mine. :)
More, please?
If you like Kait Nolan's romance books and are not absolutely anti-suspense, then Harper Jackson's stories are a perfect match. (Well, duh.) I loved getting to know and explore this new world of Hatterwick and the island folk, not least of all Rios and the other Wayward Sons, and I especially adored Hoyt and Caroline. hearteyes
The suspense part kept me on the edge of my seat and turning the pages right until the end.
I am definitely looking forward to reading more about the Wayward Sons and the ladies who manage to steal their hearts.
Fake dating, you say? Yes, please!
This tale of teenage heartbreak leading to revenge plans involving fake dating and swoonworthy not-so-fake kisses proves once more why Maggie Dallen is one of my favorite YA authors.
I found Bailey and Zack very easy to root for, and their attempts at navigating their new “relationship” ranged from hilarious to heartwarming to OMG-get-your-act-together-already. It didn't make things easier for these two that they both had some baggage to work through before they could fully admit that the lines between pretending and the real deal had become quite blurred a while ago.
How to Get Revenge on a Cheating Ex is an entertaining read that made me smile - with an occasional evil laugh thrown in, too.
ETA: Love the audiobook, too, the narration is spot-on!
Entertaining romance with a dash of amateur sleuthing.
I had fun getting to know Emily and Owen and their story had the familiar mix of hilarious hijinx and sweet romance that I've come to expect from a Gigi Blume book. Bonus points for Emily apologizing after treating Owen unfairly based on bad intel. And I absolutely adored Cyrus and the relationship Owen has with his little brother.
Love, love, love Zoe and Cal!
I didn't think I could love this series any more than I already did after reading Try Me and Charm Me, yet here we are. From the moment Zoe appeared on the page, I was a total goner for her and her take-no-prisoners approach to life. Cal never stood a chance - and neither did I. :)