Regina
Confession up front: I've been rooting for Fabio since meeting him in “Dear Adam”, so I was already a bit biased going into his and Grace's story. :)
I have a soft spot for geeky heroes, anyway, and best-friends-to-lovers is one of my favorite tropes. Fabio makes a great geeky hero, and Grace is a wonderful match for him.
The supporting cast is a lot of fun, too, and that goes for Fabio's Grandma and Grandpa as well as for the Chu family (Cookie! <3) and Grace's friends Nora and London.
I really liked the contrast between Fabio's “This is it, Grace is the one for me” and Grace still figuring out what she actually wants, and I was very happy with how the story played out.
On the way to the happy end, I smiled a lot, snort-laughed some, and once I wished there would have been someone giving me their Hello Kitty tissues...
Bonus points for the spa shenanigans!
What I truly like about Nala Henkel-Aislinn's books is that they always make me smile. :)
Granted, this one made me cry and swoon as well...
I loved getting to know formidable legal technician - NOT a lawyer ;) - Rally (whom I'd ‘met' first in Blueprint For Love, book #1 in the series) and her match Phil (once again, one of the reallyreally good guys). They make a great couple, and they deserve each other (in the best possible sense).
The supporting cast is awesome, too - especially Rally's boss Gordon. And Rally's BFFs, of course, whose stories I want to read now, too...
4.5 / 5 stars
And here I thought mission #5 was my favorite of the series...
Well, let's just say that Morin dials it up to 11 in ‘Walk Like a Magician', and Esper definitely cements her status as a badass not to be trifled with. Holy cannoli!
And I'm happy to see that Wesley Wesley seems to have a regular place on the team now! :)
Best-friends-to-lovers is one of my favorite tropes, and I read this cute YA story in one sitting.
I just adore the #BFF series!
It's always fun to get to know one of the girls better - and Lena's family, especially her dad <3, were great supporting characters.
And I like that Ian is one of the good - if somewhat waffling - guys.
This was fun! :) I've wanted to read Suzie and Luke's story ever since meeting them in Love at First Fight.
And, having met some of my closest friends online first, I get how you can feel close to someone you've never met IRL.
Since I am usually more a fan of the friends-to-lovers trope, I liked how the existing online friendship took away the insta-attraction aspect, at least from Luke's side.
From Suzie's side, it still felt a bit insta-y since she didn't know that she'd already developed a crush on Luke's gaming alter ego. But hey, teenage hormones work pretty insta-y, pre-existing crush or not... :D
Now I'm looking forward to read Matt's story (though I'm still tempted to thwack him upside the head, because... seriously?!)!
Cute YA Romeo and Juliet story with some minor niggles.
Charlie and Jackson are likeable main characters, though Jackson - while I appreciate that he's one of the good guys - stays a bit too bland and passive for my taste.
The sibling drama seems a bit blown out of proportion, and we don't get real closure on the storyline with the ex.
That being said, I liked that Charlie had a friend like Daria in her corner, and that even somewhat-nemesis Sammi turned out to be a decent human being.
Looking forward to reading more books in the series (and by this author in general)!
Engaging YA story with relatable protagonists and a fun supporting cast. Emerick and Nora make for a great “opposites attract” story, and I enjoyed getting to know them.
Bonus points for well-written secondary characters, their families and friends added both depth and (sometimes) comic relief.
I'm looking forward to reading Fabio's story next (well, whenever it comes out...)! :)
Grace and Scott are likeable and relatable protagonists (not that I've ever been a celebrity with drug problems, or ever worked in Hollywood at all, but hey...).
Their story feels real, and I love seeing their relationship grow from mutual dislike into something bordering on respect, then a tentative friendship, and then - finally! - into so much more.
The problems and hang-ups they face are realistic and dealt with in a grown-up manner.
This is the first book in the series I have read, but now Rising Star is definitely on my TBR pile!
What a wonderful book! I love Kat Colmer's writing and storytelling. Her characters feel real, I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know MJ and Luke, and they were easy to root for - through all their silliness, angst, sadness, joy and pretty much all the feels. <3
In all probability, I may never listen to Unchained Melody again without getting a big, silly grin on my face...
Bonus points for Rosie - she's definitely one of my favorite characters, and she adds so much fun and heart to the story.
I'll admit it took me a while to warm up to Avery - but by the end I felt all the warm fuzzies for her and Seth. They complemented each other well and had great chemistry.
I particularly liked the idea of the Hollywood teenie star being absolutely starstruck - there were some truly funny moments right there. :)
I hope this is the first in a new series!
Now this was... different. :)
The Unbelievable, Inconceivable, Unforeseeable Truth About Ethan Wilder is not your usual YA high school drama (though there is plenty of that, too, of course).
I enjoyed the mystery, the Southern small-town quirks, the cast of characters - especially the Doherty women who are truly a force to be reckoned with.
Thoroughly enjoyable story of friendship and love. And ghosts. And brownies. Among other things... :)
What I like about Roseanne Beck's stories are how her characters feel real. They are far from perfect, they struggle, they do the best they can, and they occasionally fail. And sometimes, they're hilarious (I'm looking at you, Marge!).
This was a fun, pretty much drama-free, and quick read. :) It was a bit sexier than some of her other books I've read, but it still had the same feel-good, chick-lit-y vibes I like about Kate O'Keeffe's stories.
Taylor and Jake make a cute couple, and the supporting cast of friends and family are another reminder of why I like Kate's books so much. :)
I wonder if this is going to be another series with the fortune teller as a common link?
My second book in this series (after Overnight Sensation), and I'm thoroughly hooked on the world of the Brooklyn Bruisers.
I adore Becca and Nate, they are realistic and likeable leads, and they make a great match in this friends-to-lovers romance.
Bonus points for: Bingley! And for Nate being such a nerd at times. And for all the other little details that made me swoon and laugh and sigh.
Like the first book in the series, this could also be titled: “Can't Put Me Down” - or... “Can't Wait for the Next Book”.
I simply love the stories about the Sinclair sisters, and while Donna and Duncan's story touches on more serious issues, there's still Janet Elizabeth Henderson's trademark humour and enough Scottish small-town shenanigans to make this a worthy successor to “Can't Tie Me Down”.
I loved the description of Duncan's return to teach at the Mac, and it's because of details like this that I adore her stories so much.
Confession: I have a soft spot for pretty much everything geek / nerd / dork. So this book is right up my alley, especially since it's well written, with fun characters I liked to spend some time with, and a YA twist to a classic (Lysistrata). :)
My only complaint would be Rhino. I mean, what the hey?
I'm having a hard time putting my thoughts into words that will do the book justice.
In the beginning, I was close to giving up on the story several times, because, frankly, I didn't like the two main characters very much.
While Sasha simply felt a bit bland to me at first (she did grow on me after a while, though), I flat out disliked Taylor for a good portion of the book.
And yes, I understand where he's coming from, and how a heartbreak like he lived through can royally mess up a person's life, but still... The way he treated his friends, pretty much all the people who loved him and stood by him despite all his douchebaggery? That made it really difficult for me to feel any kind of connection or even sympathy.
Still, the story is well written, it comes to a satisfying resolution, and I did like the supporting cast of characters.
3.5/5
The more stories I read about the Ponderosa Resort, the more I fall in love with the whole Bracelyn clan - and in this, Mark is no exception, and Chelsea and Libby <3 are a wonderful addition to the ever growing family.
As always, it's the little details - not to mention a generous dose of humor and heart - that make Tawna's stories so special.
Definitely one for my (also ever growing) list of favorites!
Can't wait for James's story!
