Regina
It was quite easy to fall in love with Willa and Grady and to root for them both. Grady's bogus workarounds for circumventing Willa's two-date rule made me smile - especially when Willa didn't put up all that much of a fight. :)
I also adored the supporting cast, Willa's and Grady's friends and family - especially Grady's parents - and I loved how Kayla and Aislin always had Willa's back, even if that included some tough love.
While the story exhibits Tawna Fenske's trademark humor and had me grinning or snort-laughing quite often, it is also dealing with more serious issues like substance abuse or mental illness. My heart broke for Willa (I never thought a game of Monopoly would bring me to tears, but there you have it...), and it was gratifying to see her take on her challenges.
I loved how it all came together in the end, and I'm looking forward to reading more in the series (I'm looking at you, Kayla!).
5/5 heart-melting stars
Charming and funny enemies-to-lovers story.
Even though this is book #2 in the series, it absolutely works as a standalone story (book #1 is still on my TBR pile).
I had a lot of fun getting to know Addy and Justin and the quirky folks - and quirkier critters! - of Old Pine Cove, and I found myself rooting for Justin on his quest to win Addy over. There were some truly hilarious moments as well as swoon-worthy kisses, and Sophie-Leigh Robbins paints such a vivid picture that I could totally see this as a Hallmark-ish movie.
Looking forward to reading more in the series!
Super-sweet YA rom-com with a lot of heart. And hairy eyeballs.
I absolutely adored Hannah and Seth (and Ava, and Liam, and Seth's mom and dad, and Hannah's Grammy...), the story had just the right amount of drama, and there were lots of funny and swoony moments that made me laugh or happy-sigh, respectively.
One of my favorite quotes:
“According to Nolan, Hannah was fine, with a capital F. I couldn't agree more. She was fantastic, fun, and fascinating. And forgeous. Okay, that wasn't a real word, but it perfectly described how for-reals gorgeous she was in every way.”
This is the first book I've read by this author, but I have already preordered the next book in the series. And I also want to read the story of Seth's parents. And those of his uncles, while I'm at it. More, please! :)
Equally heartbreaking and hilarious, this story made me fall in love with Millie, Sterling, and Piper in a heartbeat. No one is perfect in Kathryn R. Biel's stories, the characters feel all too real with their hang-ups and struggles, and I found it easy to root for them - including Millie's Dad and her best friend Lisa.
Looking forward to reading Erin's story! :)
Merged review:
Equally heartbreaking and hilarious, this story made me fall in love with Millie, Sterling, and Piper in a heartbeat. No one is perfect in Kathryn R. Biel's stories, the characters feel all too real with their hang-ups and struggles, and I found it easy to root for them - including Millie's Dad and her best friend Lisa.
Looking forward to reading Erin's story! :)
Like the other books in this series I have read so far, I really enjoyed this story! I loved getting to know Hadley and Fletcher and their history, and it was fun to see them finding their way back together again.
Bonus points, as always in Brenna Jacobs's stories ;) , for a wonderful cast of supporting characters, including the friends and families (and, of course, Fletcher's whole firefighter team).
While it's not my favorite story in the series, I still like Georgia and Leo (and the rest of the Bruisers :) ), and I loved seeing them get their second chance. I thoroughly enjoy the world Sarina Bowen has created with the Brooklyn Bruisers “family” (I love all the stories in this series I've read so far), and I especially loved the solid friendship between Georgia and Becca.
I am not reading the series in publishing order, but the stories work pretty well as standalones - though it's fun to not only reconnect with some of my favorite Ivy Years characters (hello, Lianne and DJ!), but also get glimpses of what's to come later in the series.
I only recently discovered this new-to-me author, and I am hooked!
This cute, funny, and mostly drama-free rom-com hits the spot for me: I love the characters, Addison and Carter have great chemistry, I love their banter, and it was easy to root for these two from the get-go. I also enjoyed getting to know Addison's BFF Jessa and her husband Franklin, Addison's dad and stepmom Lydia, the Kentford crew including Isaac, as well as Heath and the pretty Daisy.
I'm definitely looking forward to reading more books in the series!
Beautiful, funny, heartbreaking - I loved this story!
I fell in love with Esme and Khai, and while the idea of arranged marriages or anything of that ilk feels beyond strange to me, I can see where Khai's mom is coming from.
I also loved Quan (well, who doesn't?!), and I can't wait to read his story!
(I also wish that more people IRL could be open enough to share their specific “instruction manual” - that could potentially prevent a world of hurt for everyone involved.)
What is better than Three Men and a Baby? Five Engineers and a Baby!
This delightful, funny, and heart-warming story is (so far ;) ) my favorite in the series.
I simly love the characters: Tessa and Ethan make a great team, first as friends, but just as well as a couple later. Add to that the rest of the quirky engineering team doing their pragmatic and hilarious best to support Tessa and her surprise addition to the family-slash-team, and Ethan's mom who provides not only a much needed baby support hotline but is an all-around lovely person (can I adopt her?).
Looking forward to reading more in the series, though this one will be a tough act to follow.
Super-cute enemies-to-more YA romance.
This was such a sweet, feel-good read, though at times I felt frustrated on Lauren's behalf, because it seemed like she simply couldn't catch a break (prom, anyone? Come on!).
The first book I've read by this author, but now the other books in this series are on my TBR.
Fun and cute YA Christmas novella with a Grinch-y heroine.
I had so much fun watching Chrissy struggle with the over-the-top Christmas pageant and getting slowly but surely ungrinched along the way - okay, maybe not totally ungrinched, but she's definitely less Grinch-y by the end. I loved the cast of characters, from best friend Nate and pretty boy Evan to Chrissy's family and the wacky townsfolk.
What a lovely (and funny!) story!
I loved every aspect of this book: I adored the characters, both Carrie and Matthew, as well as Sprite and the rest of Matthew's family, Carrie's friends Jamie and Celeste - and last but not least the furry critters who added their own quirky charm. The story was sweet, funny and well-written, and it provided an entertaining glimpse behind the scenes of “Romancelandia”.
This is the first book I've read by M.E. Carter and / or Andrea Johnston, but it sure won't be the last - at least the other two books in the series are already on my TBR, and I'm sure they will be joined by many more...
What can I say about this book (or this series, for that matter) without repeating myself ad nauseam? ...?
Okay, then I'll just go ahead and say it. Again. And again, if need be: I love this series so much!
Snowbound Squeeze is such a fun, quick read - Gretchen is an awesome heroine I would love to be friends with, and Gabe (sorry, I just can't bring myself to think of him as Gable) fits right in with the rest of the Ponderosa Resort heros: sort of a mess, vulnerable, swoon-worthy, funny.
My personal highlights of this story include (but are not limited to): Sally the Chainsaw, the blanket fort (love!), Jim and Bob, and - of course - the posse to the rescue.
Swoons, butterflies, and toe-curling kisses? Yes, please!
Maggie Dallen's sweet and charming rom-coms are perfect feel-good reads that never fail to make me smile (and swoon!). This first book in this new series hits the sweet spot, too: Addison and Colton might have been off to a rocky start, but I couldn't help but root for these two from page one. I thoroughly enjoyed watching them rise to the mutual challenge, both learning to open up, so they could truly get to know each other, falling both in like and - finally - in love. (All with a little help of well-meaning friends and family members, of course!)
This was a fun story, but the ending was a bit too cliffhanger-y for my liking. If all parts of the series take place during the same 10 days, it would make more sense to me to wrap them all into one omnibus instead of separate books.
That being said, I liked the characters, the reality TV show setting provides a fun twist, and I'd really like to see more questions answered (which will hopefully happen in the following books).
To be honest, this one was a bit painful to read. I felt for Eden and Dylan, and watching them make some truly cringeworthy decisions made me think about how everyone does things they probably regret later. (And no, that doesn't only apply to teenagers.)
That being said, I'm happy how things turned out for these two - even if things might have gone a lot faster/smoother, if only Dylan had talked to his best friend sooner...
This was a cute and fun read, a feel-good enemies-to-more story with a healthy dose of Christmas spirit. It's nice to reconnect with Norah, Gabe, and the rest of the Ocean Grove posse, too.
(Disclaimer: I'm reading the series out of publishing order, so I have yet to meet “mean girl” Sabrina. After reading her redemption story, I'm actually looking forward to getting to know her former, meaner version. )
It's been a while since I read the first book in the series. And to be honest, I kind of dreaded continuing, considering my favorite character would be missing. And while it didn't pack quite the emotional punch (for me, at least) as its predecessor, I still enjoyed some of the twists and turns the story took.
Looking forward to reading more in the series!
I LOVE this Invertary-Sinclair Sisters-Benson Security crossover!
To be fair, I'm a big fan of all three series, so I may have been mildly interested* even before I read a single word. And all the things I love about all three series came together beautifully in Agnes's story!
All the wackiness, all the banter, all the sexiness, all the strong family bonds, all the heart-warming feels - it's all there. Plus Betty.
In a way, this book feels like one big, fat family reunion. If your family is somewhat crazy and dysfunctional but still mostly lovable. Even Betty. Maybe.
I loved Agnes and Logan, not only do they make a fantastic couple, they both bring their awesome families into the mix. Special shout-out to Logan's daughter Darcy, who became one of my favourite Invertarians in a heartbeat.
* Who am I kidding? I was absolutely stoked!
John-Candy-type shenanigans meet Hallmark sweetness
With all the things going wrong on their cross-coutry trip, Wyatt and Georgia's story at times reminded me of Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, while at the same time it a very sweet, Christmas-sy Hallmark vibe.
The story is a fun and quick read, I enjoyed spending a little time with Wyatt and Georgia, though Reeses occasionally stole the show.