Regina
Having met both main characters in previous books, I really enjoyed getting to know Stella and Carson (and Pete) better in this fun enemies-to-lovers story.
I like that both “glamorous socialite” Stella and “somewhat arrogant Michelin-star chef” Carson are more than the roles they were cast in, and their vulnerabilities make them into human beings rather than cardboard cutouts.
I loved how their friends and family tried to help Cupid out. :)
Siggy makes an ineresting heroine and I had a lot of fun following her escape from a less than ideal past, reconnecting with friends and family and finding her own HEA.
Since the story is written in a single (namely Siggy's) POV, I'm kind of missing a better insight into Will's head (and heart). I truly would have liked to get to know him better. It would have been interesting for me to get his take on Siggy's shenanigans.
Holl Kerr paints a vivid picture of the Oceanic Aphrodite, and especially the passengers and crew we get to meet. Bonus points for Reuben, the Scottish barista, who serves some good old-fashioned wisdom along with his frappucinos.
I like Holly Kerr's writing, and this light-hearted first-in-series novella makes me want to read more about the people connected to - and making connections on - the Oceanic Aphrodite.
Being a list-making geek myself, I loved this story so much, I don't even know where to begin...
Oliver is a great hero - he is far from perfect, but he's smart, he's funny, he's geeky, he's kind... In short, he's the kind of guy I probably would have crushed on in high school. :)
I enjoyed learning why Ainley Bishop is worthy of all the thoughts and effort Oliver put into making and checking off his list.
I loved getting to know Oliver's BFF Viney, his “sort-of fairy godfather” Hank, Oliver's mom and dad, and of course his little brother (Sherlock! <3).
The story had me both laughing out loud and crying, I was rooting for Oliver to get his girl and for Ainsley to learn to stand up for herself, though their actions sometimes made me cringe on their behalf.
I kept quoting my favorite parts to my sis, and I even put off writing this review for a bit because I didn't know if I'd find the right words to express all the feels I had reading this story. (I'm still not sure I did. :-p )
While Hard Hitter didn't evoke the over-the-top swoons like Overnight Sensation and Brooklynaire, it still has all the things I love so much about Sarina Bowen's stories:
The characters feel real, their story is equally funny, sexy, and heart-wrenching, and the side-plot with Ari's ex adds some suspense, too.
Doulie and Ari are easy to root for, and I enjoy following their developing relationship.
But sometimes - as in all of Sarina's books I've read so far - the supporting cast (in this case the hockey team and their posse) absolutely steal the show, and I also found myself crossing all available digits on the Bruiser's way to the play-offs...
Looking forward to reading more in the series!
I'd wanted to read Sammi's story pretty much since meeting her in Courtside Crush.
I like it when the head cheerleader gets to be more than the stereotypical queen bee, and I'll admit that her story didn't quite turn out as I expected.
Jeremiah seemed a bit too good to be true, but hey - I'm all for good-guy heroes, so I'm not really complaining.
I've enjoyed all three books in the series so far, and I'm looking forward to reading the next.
This was a fun read!
I think what I liked most about the story was Davin - hands down. I liked how, over the course of the story, he learned to open up and let some happiness, colour, and even over-the-top peppy goodness (in short: Avery) into his life.
I also like how the author plays with various rom-com clichés and blatantly and unapologetically hits the reader over the head with them. :)
What didn't work for me was Davin breaking the 4th wall - that would have worked better with a visual medium like comics/graphic novels or movies IMO.
Overall, an enjoyable read.
4/5 stars
(I'd give the first 70% (or so) of the story 4.5 stars, it kind of fizzled out for me after that to more of a 3.5 star rating.)
What an absolutely delightful story!
I adore Flora and Dean - their meet-cute is definitely on the memorable side, they make great friends and an even greater couple.
I also enjoyed M.K. and Clay's romance - and the part they play in their respective BFFs' lives.
Bonus points for Flora's dislike for heels, assorted geeky references, and - last but not least - for Dean's last name being Coulson. ‘Nuff said.
This cute and funny story is the first book I've read by Holly Kerr, but it sure won't be the last!
4.5/5
When the head cheerleader out-geeks the geek... <3
I'd never thought I'd say this, especially after Matt's less-than-stellar behavior in the first two books, but this turned out to be my favorite story in the series!
Having met goody two-shoes Julia before, the particular way she fell from grace took me a bit by surprise - but, as a geek myself, I was delighted to find out just how big a closet-geek Julia actually is.
Getting to know a bit more of her backstory explained a lot about her tendency to hide potential vulnerabilites behind that perfect cheerleader mask.
A geeky hero being compared to Clark Kent is pretty cliché, but in this case it actually makes sense, not only because Matt is an aspiring journalist. :)
In the greater scheme of things, I was curious to see how Margo would finally be able to forgive Matt for all the drama he caused with the by now infamous hashtag #GeeksGoneWild. I'm happy that their friendship was able to survive the drama, and one of my favorite scenes is probably the group text/phone call in which Margo and Suzie (try to) set Matt straight.
“Go on, dazzle me, Professor Jones.”
The Nerd Next Door is a funny, sexy rom-com with my favorite kind of hero, Professor Ted Jones, nerd and comic book aficionado par excellence.
And Haley made it really easy for me to root for her pretty much from page 1.
I had so much fun following those two through all the awkwardness, misunderstandings, and mishaps on their way to their HEA. And I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know their friends and (furry) family, too. :)
This is the first story I've read by this author, but I'm happy that I already have a couple more of her books on my TBR. And, having met Haley's BFF Liv, now I want to read her story, too...
Merged review:
“Go on, dazzle me, Professor Jones.”
The Nerd Next Door is a funny, sexy rom-com with my favorite kind of hero, Professor Ted Jones, nerd and comic book aficionado par excellence.
And Haley made it really easy for me to root for her pretty much from page 1.
I had so much fun following those two through all the awkwardness, misunderstandings, and mishaps on their way to their HEA. And I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know their friends and (furry) family, too. :)
This is the first story I've read by this author, but I'm happy that I already have a couple more of her books on my TBR. And, having met Haley's BFF Liv, now I want to read her story, too...
Building Fences features probably one of the funniest meet-cutes I've read recently. Plus, it gave me ALL THE FEELS. <3
Caroline and Levi were easy to root for, and the supporting cast of characters made me want to read more books about the folks of Cedar Creek.
This is the first book by this author I've read, but I have already two more on my Kindle, and I suppose more titles from her backlist will soon follow.
4.5 / 5
- Absent father: Check
- Evil stepmother and stepsisters: Check
- Lost shoe: Check
The usual trappings of the trope are firmly in place to make Gabby's life less than easy.
What I like about Kate O'Keeffe's interpretation of the story is that Gabby is actively working on a plan to get herself and her little sister out of the difficult situation their father has left them in.
Which is still easier with a little help from Cole, who makes a swoon-worthy Prince Charming to complement Gabby. I also appreciated how his side of the story played out - family drama and clashes with “Man Bun” included.
While the insta-love was a bit much for me (I'm not the biggest fan of that particular trope, but that's just me), I still enjoyed the story overall and couldn't help but fall in love with Gabby and Cole a little myself.
Bonus point for a fun supporting cast including the “Ellas” (looking forward to reading their stories) and Cole's family, especially cousin Avery and her twins.
A Diamondback with an attitude? Yes, please!
Once again, Janet Elizabeth Henderson has proven why she's one of my few auto-buy authors, pretty much no matter what genre she wants to write in.
I love her romantic supsense books as well as her rom-coms - and putting all of that goodness into a dystopian sci-fi setting works wonderfully.
Friday and Striker are awesome protagonists und had me rooting for them from page one - and let's not forget that damn snake! <3
The story delivers fast-paced action, off-the-charts chemistry between Friday and Striker, a wise- and badass team, all the feels - and it feels pretty much like a “gateway drug” for this whole new series. Can't wait for more Red Zone books!
What a nice surprise!
Off Center is a cute YA romance story with some laughs, but it also touches on some heavier issues.
I loved Lane's letters to Jillie <3 , her developing friendship with Andie, and - of course! - Mackey (what's not to love?). :)
TBH, I'm always a bit sceptic before delving into a multi-author series* where I only know one of the authors. This is the first book I've read by this author, but it won't be my last (two more of hers are already on my TBR pile).
I'm also looking forward to reading more stories in this series. :)
* In this case a series of loosely linked standalone stories with some minor crossovers, and you don't have to have read the first book to enjoy Off Center.
And now for something completely different...
With Hotel Caledonia, J.S. Morin ventures into - at least for the Black Ocean books and the various spin-off series - unfamiliar territory with this whodunit reminding me of the “genre-classics” like Agatha Christie or Dorothy L. Sayers.
Only... on an alien planet. Under water. And with magic and dolphhins and my favorite crew of do-gooders.
Cute rendition of the fake fiancé trope!
I had a lot of fun with Ben(ji) and Abby (what's not to love about those two?), and especially their circle of friends and Abby's quirky family.
I especially liked how the close-knit world of the tennis circuit clashed with the close-knit world of small-town life, and how Abby and Ben figure out how to make it work.
I am definitely looking forward to reading more books in this series!
This book wasn't easy to rate or review for me.
The story touches on some serious issues, and the way Abi deals with her share of problems might not always be relatable for me.
That being said, this is still a Kelsie Stelting book which means it's well written, I generally like the main characters - and the supporting cast has some really great moments!
I adore Abi's grandma, and I'm glad Abi finds her posse who stick with her through thick and thin (ha!).
I love this series!
Who'd've thunk that player Clay could redeem himself and make quite a credible rom-com hero? To be honest, I had my doubts - but Roseanne Beck pulled it off beautifully.
I already liked non-stereotypical yoga teacher Ellie in the previous two books, and she's a fun heroine who is a perfect match for Clay.
Ellie's family adds some hilarious family dynamics to the mix, Nana makes a special guest (ghost?) appearance, and St. Jude, the patron saint of hopeless causes, earns an honorable mention.
All in all, 4.5/5 stars.
And now please excuse me, I need to go and google what the cry of an ocelot sounds like.
What a great start to this series (although I read book #2 first, either can be read as a standalone).
I enjoyed getting to know Griffin (another one of the reallyreally nice guys) and Alice (who starts out in not only one but several pickles and is surely in distress but no helpless damsel) and follow them on their journey from co-workers to roommates to friends and more.
What I like about Susannah Nix's characters generally, and Griffin and Alice particularly, is that they are both likeable but still have their own quirks and hang-ups, making them more ‘real' for me and easy to root for.
I don't know how many more books Susannah Nix has planned to write in the Starstruck series, but I want to read every single one!
This opposites-attract story is a fun addition to the Cranberry Hill series.
I love Summer as a heroine, because she feels real, she fesses up and apologizes when she's messed up, and because she's passionate about the people and the things that are important to her.
Landis makes a great counterpart as the not-quite-your-typical media tycoon, and I enjoyed how their relationship evolved over the course of the story.
Bonus points for the supporting cast, in this case Katy and Mitch, Carson (looking forward to reading his story!), and - of course - Landis's mother, Evelyn.
And now for something completely different...
Thematically, Tides of Mana 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, and I'm curious to see how her quest for vengeance on her sister Pele will play out in the long run (my prediction, based on my experience with Matt Larkin's Norse series: everybody dies :-p).
My absolute favorite character so far 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.