Audrey

TW: Alcoholism, grief

It all started with Connor and the blonde. Connor and that stupid blonde! And she changed everything for him! Going off the grid into the mountains of the Adirondacks is the only option. Shutting herself off in the quietness of her mother's old bookstore is exactly what Sydney needs Walsh. A place to lay low.

Enter a hunky mountain man Sam Kirkland and his grumpy attitude. Throw in an alcoholic ex-girlfriend, a quick fender bender, a failing bookstore, and a forbidden romance, and you get Sydney's failed attempt at a quiet change of pace at life.

Sam and Sydney's animal-like attraction is hard to hide, although they know that with his situation with Liv and Jay, it has to be on the back burner. They can't be more than friends, but their feelings are electric. Sydney would love nothing more than to just forget Liv but Sam made a promise, and he will stick by it. Will Sydney be able to become the woman that she was before Connor? Can Sam finally learn to put himself first for his own happiness for once?

This story is about grief, pain, and learning that sometimes you need to be a little bit selfish. It's about learning to give in love and not feel guilty about it. It's about learning that you can't always fix people, sometimes it's something they need to do on their own.

This book was good, but not great. The liked the characters and the love story, but again it wasn't my favorite. I appreciated the mentions of grief and the journey into the topic of alcoholism, though I would have some notes for her on it. I enjoyed the male character more than the female character, she kind of seemed a bit stuck up at some points in the story.

I've waited a while to write this review because I kept forgetting to do it, so that kind of shows you how much of an impact it made. It's not super memorable. However, I still will read more of Lauren Accardo, she's a great writer and descriptor.

DNF @ 4%. Honestly I just didn't vibe with the characters and writing style.

Avery Clark is an anxious mess. Her photography business isn't doing too hot, her relationship with her father sucks, and she's still reeling from the abandonment of two important men in her life. She's shit out of luck.

And to make matters worse, her ex-childhood best friend, and secret first love, reappears out of nowhere. All of the feelings she had for Josh flood back to her, the infatuation and the heartbreak. Her closed-off mind is saying to keep him away but her heart is telling her to go for it. Josh wants to make up for lost time, he admits it's always been her. (Wink wink, nudge nudge) Will she open up her heart again?

I loved watching these two fall in love. Their love for each other was palpable, both as friends and as a couple. They both cared so much for one another, it was beautiful. I enjoyed the moments between them.

What I didn't like is how cut and dry the final conflict was given and resolved. Josh getting the opportunity to leave, knowing about it so early on, and not telling Avery seems so out of character in the arc that he had throughout the novel. He was so remorseful about abandoning her when they finally reconnected, it's hard to believe that he would keep this from her. Especially with her anxiety and how he knows every piece of her. And then when it gets resolved, it's quick and fleeting.

I also feel like the other characters weren't as developed as they needed to be after they were introduced. Her father and their shitty relationship were mentioned towards the beginning and then never again. No redemption, which I get because he was an asshole when he cheated on her mother. But still, was the introduction to his character needed, or could the situation just be mentioned? And then her mother was sort of mentioned in the beginning and then added towards the end in the redemption of her love story with Josh. I would have appreciated seeing her more. And Brooke, her best friend, they had a strong relationship in the beginning and it was fun to read but it felt like she was forgotten about towards the end.

However, I did really appreciate the mention and depiction of anxiety in this novel. It gave me the words that I needed to describe how I feel about my anxiety.

In the end, this was great in the beginning and middle, but ultimately fell flat for me in the end.

DNF @ 30% because it was boring. Who would aha e thought the reappearance of a missing child as an adult would be boring? Not me but alas...

DNF @ 20%, I was bored

DNF 30 pages in. Didn't suck me in like her last book did. Kinda bored me. Maybe I'll try again later

DNF @ 9% because I just didn't vibe with the characters, they felt very basic to me

DNF @ 40%

I love Tessa Bailey. I really do. But this book just isn't it. I can't stay focused on it at all, I don't want to reach for it either. I find myself not caring what happens, unfortunately. Both MC's just seem immature to me. He was sort of possessive and I kind of felt like she was annoying. It also hurts my little Cape Cod since it's based here. Oh well. I will read her future novels but not with this one.

Honestly DNFed like three pages in. Was not feeling it although the writing wasn't awful. I didn't like the male character and it felt too serious for a “funny” book.

DNF 30 pages in. Just boring tbh. Ugh. Someone get me out of this reading slump!

Nina and Ollie are...complicated. As the cranky Irish yacht chef and sassy ex-gymnast chief stewardess of Serendipity for the past ten years, they have had their ups and downs. To those around them, it's a constant “will they/won't they” situation, infused with thick sexual tension.

To each other, it's a lot more complicated. Nina's commitment-phobe attitude causes Ollie to give her an ultimatum, he will go home to Ireland if she keeps denying their love. She must decide whether she's ready to let go of her anxieties and jump in full force, or lose him forever. Nina revisits their past as she decides whether she's ready to take a chance on love.

I loved both Nina and Ollie in the first installment of this series so I was so glad to see that they were going to be the focus of this novel! And I was not disappointed! It was such a pleasure to see their love story in both the past and the present. I loved reading their banter with one another and seeing their devotion to each other as well.

I also enjoyed seeing Nina overcome her fears and work through such turmoil in her mind. It was so real. And seeing this kind of situation in a female instead of a male is refreshing to read. Usually, the man is considered the commitment-phobe but I liked the spin that Grunder Ruiz took on giving Nina that role.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I cannot wait for the next one to come out. However, it's hard for me to give five stars and this book just wasn't a five-star for me. But I did love it!

I didn't read this physically but I was with my mom while she listened to it. I only heard bits and pieces of it but she is a brilliant author. Wise beyond her years. It's such a heartbreaking story that's writing so beautifully.

DNF at 66%. .

Haven't been reading for a while because I've been so busy. I liked this but then the mafia was involved out of nowhere and I stopped liking it.

Ugh, another reading slump! Two books in a row, I started and didn't like within the first 20 pages! I think this was just too Hallmarky for me and moved so slowly. The dialogue was just fluff, to be honest. I believe that this would be the right kind of book for someone, but not me. Unfortunately, it's a no for me.

Merged review:

Ugh, another reading slump! Two books in a row, I started and didn't like within the first 20 pages! I think this was just too Hallmarky for me and moved so slowly. The dialogue was just fluff, to be honest. I believe that this would be the right kind of book for someone, but not me. Unfortunately, it's a no for me.

DNF @ 75%, the fact that I didn't pick this book back up for MONTHS shows you. The writing is fantastic. I cannot stand Grey, she's whiny and unwilling to understand for the man she loves. I love Ethan, yes he's been through shit but he has a major character arc. Grey? Not so much.

I am sitting here right now in Barnes and Nobles on the verge of tears if I'm being frank. Charlie Lastra will now and forever be my book husband. Sorry ladies.

Sharks don't have fairytale endings, especially with grump editors in the dingy town of Sunshine Falls on a trip with their bubblegum princess sister. Do they?

Nora Stephens laughs at Hallmark movies and typical romance books where one-half of the romantic leads move to a small town and falls in love with an inn owner, leaving behind their high-strung villainess of a girlfriend. However, her life is one, with her being the workaholic villainess. However, she has a good heart, she does it all to take care of her sister who became her responsibility when their mother died.

After another one of her boyfriends leaves her for a small town princess, Nora meets Charlie Lastra, a brooding editor who's kind of a dick. She immediately is drawn to him but also hates him as well. Their meeting does not go well, obviously. To lift up her sister's spirits, Nora's sister, Libby decides to take Nora on a trip to Sunshine Falls, a place from Libby's favorite book which is written by one of Nora's clients. Nora does anything to make her sister happy, and she wants to close the distance she has been feeling between them. She agrees but is unhappy about it.

To her surprise, she runs into no one other than, Charlie Lastra himself, in Sunshine Falls. Did I mention that he hates the book written about the town? The two end up bumping into each other and eventually start to work together, though the rude comments and digs don't come to an end. Nora starts to rethink her original opinion of not only Sunshine Falls, but Charlie. But sharks don't get happy endings. Do they?

I fucking loved this book with all my heart. One of the best books I've ever read. The banter between Nora and Charlie and the tension between them killed me, even after they got together. Charlie has a sweet side and so does Nora. She's no shark, she's just an anxious bitch like the rest of us, trying to control everything in her life that she can. And Charlie is no grumpy dick, he has been through shit. Emily Henry does an amazing job with her characters in this novel, giving every single one of them flaws, yet making them all redeemable.

Henry's writing is impeccable in this novel. Her descriptions of feelings, of sensations, are truly breathtaking and so refreshing. She does not hold back on the deep, deep feelings that human beings possess, she describes every single excruciating sensation so profoundly and so truthfully. Feelings feel poetic in her words.

This is a large claim, but this is the best book I've read. Emily Henry's writing in this novel is breathtaking, heartbreaking, and even frustrating at times, but it's truly impeccable. I highly recommend it, I cannot wait for the next one!

What's even better than burning your trashy, cheating ex-husband's things in a dumpster fire? The hot, kind-eyed firefighter that helped you evade an arson charge.

After catching her husband in bed with the ponytailed gym girl down the street, Violet Covington should remain calm. As South Carolina's favorite anonymous advice column's Dear Sweetie, she has relayed countless advisement on how to react in every situation in the politest and sensible manner possible.

All sense is thrown away when her fury sets in, (read dumpster fire) and she exposes her cheating husband in her not-so-anonymous anymore column. With her identity revealed, Violet decides to give the real, honest truth. With her new, no fucks given attitude, she worries her editor, her best friend because of her new, and hard-to-manage personality. And her ex, who she was always too eager to please, is worried about his chances of getting her back. However, Dez, the hot, kind-eyed firefighter, loves her just the way she is. Which wasn't supposed to happen.

Dez was supposed to be a fling. A rebound. But just like her new attitude, love is unpredictable. He loves her for the crazy, real person she is. Violet is at a personal crossroads in the midst of this “fling”. She still worries about how she'll be perceived and worries about hurting more people than she already has. Violet needs to realize that her happiness is important as well.

This story is about growth, unpredictable love, and the true meaning of the word consequence.

I liked this novel. However, I am writing this review so much later than when I originally read it. So, some things are a little fuzzy, meaning that obviously, it didn't leave too much of an impression on me. Although, I enjoy Libby Hubscher's writing style and I'm excited to read more of her works. I really enjoyed Dez as a character, he was so kind and so knowledgeable about self-growth.

I was excited about the premise of this book, it sounded really good, I love a good bookish romance.

I got like 13 pages in. I didn't expect a book to be so hard to read within the first twenty pages. I tried to push through but I just couldn't do it. The language just didn't flow well for me and it moves so slow, and that was just in the first couple of pages. Boring to be honest.

Fox Thornton. The Westport heartbreaker. Hannah Bellinger, the feisty short stack, who's heart Fox would never break. Will these two best friends be able to stay away from another while she breaks down Fox's emotional walls whilst he shows her what it's like to be the main character?

Ever since Fox and Hannah met through her sister, Piper, and his best friend, Brendan, the two have had this inexplicable connection. Cue the daily late night texts about what kind of music day they had while Hannah is in LA and Fox on his fishing charter. Cue the feelings sinking in.

When Hannah is in town working on a movie, she decides to stay with Fox, due to her ears being permanently scarred by her sister and Brendan. Being under the same roof makes it hard to fight and hide the attraction that Fox and Hannah feel towards one another. Cue Fox's reputation of being town harlot and Brendan's overprotectiveness of his future sister in law. Fox and Hannah are in for it, that's for sure. He's never felt this away about a woman, he's finally able to open the floodgates for her. But will they stay open?

This story is about working through your own insecurities and sharing them with the ones you love. It's about letting love in and learning not be scared of it. It's about taking chances and treating yourself like the main character.

Tessa Bailey did it again folks. She knows how to do it. She writes complex characters that have real life issues. She's able to show real and raw emotion in her words and the intensity of love as well. The way she uses the male love internet in this story as the one who is learning to break his walls down is beautiful. It's a great change of pace and shows the reality of life, that's it not always the women who need the help. Great story, great characters, a lovely book!

I loved this and to be honest, I cried at the end haha.

(I had a perfectly worded review of this. Then went to publish it and then it said “oh it looks like you've stumbled upon a bad link”. I am annoyed lol)

A love like theirs was no typical summer love, although that was the setting for their romance over the course of 6 summers. It was a love for the ages, two best friends falling for one another lakeside, it was destined to be. But she messed it up. Badly. She left it dead 12 years ago, but will it resurrect? Returning home, she's forced to relive her memories, the bad, the good, the ugly, and the downright hot. In the present, she must learn if old habits just die hard or if their love transcends.

Persephone Fraser and Sam Florek were instant best friends when Percy moved into the cottage next door. Inseparable besides the school years between their fairytale: summer. Unsurprisingly, although a painstakingly long limbo of teenage hormones and indecision, the two finally dive in. Into each other, a love unbreakable. Or so they thought. 12 years after a fateful night that ended it all, we find a Percy who is not unhappy with life but she lives life coasting, thinking of what it could be. The memories are painful, she avoids them at all costs. Until she receives bad news that shakes her world, the life she's built away from Barry's Bay and away from him comes to a halt. She rushes home where she is reminded of what was and what could have been, a harsh reality. Will Percy's mistake cause Sam to shy away from her forever, as she did to him all these years? Or does their summer love transcend time?

This story is about mistakes, young love that never dies, and learning to forgive, whether it's yourself or the one you love the most.

Carley Fortune's debut novel is beautiful. I am not one for competing timelines most of the time, but the story's setting over 6 long summers and one fateful weekend, is perfect for the characters and their love story. We learn about why Percy is the way she is, and we see why she's so damaged without Sam. And in the present, we see her redeem herself and although there are minor setbacks, we see her conquer the world and Sam.

Something that I appreciated throughout this story is the portrayal of anxiety and its realness, its descriptions of how a panic attack feels, and how it was not just in passing or thrown around carelessly. As someone who struggles with mental health, I applaud Fortune for her work in bringing that to mainstream media.

Another aspect I appreciated was how the sex in this novel added to the chemistry and build-up of the characters. Rather than just adding sex in just for fun, Fortune uses it to enhance the love story, creating sweetness and sometimes even sadness within their encounters. It was tasteful while at the same time being sexy.

I loved this book. However, it wasn't a five-star for me. That's because what Percy did was completely out of character for her to do and I felt as if things were left unresolved at the end of the novel. Charlie's character seemed a little forgotten towards the end as well. that being said, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I definitely recommend it!

Did they? But didn't they?

Co-writers, Nathan and Katrina ended their partnership four years ago for reasons unknown to the public or to those closest to them, coming as a shock after their two bestsellers. The two haven't even talked to one another in those four years until they team up to write one more book together to end their contract. They agree, grudgingly, as Katrina feels responsible for caring for her and her fiance's failing finances and Nathan's not selling books on his own.

The Roughest Draft is about the feeling behind the words, figuring out that fiction can be real, that if you finally say what you mean, it can be beautiful.

The reader is left in the dark in the beginning and we don't know what happened between them. It's torture, you learn in bits and pieces about their relationship as friends or possibly something more. And then you find out and you're struck, you yearn for them to figure things out. They know each other so well, every part of their being. And they write to each other, hiding behind their words, showing only parts of their true feelings. When it all comes out, whew.

This book was great, you could feel the tension between the characters, it practically leaps off the page. What I didn't expect was it to be a little bit raunchy. I brought this book to read while subbing for middle school and I was like um... That being said this book is awesome, both characters have a great arc, finding themselves but also each other. I appreciate Katrina's real struggle with depression and anxiety as well as Nathan's willingness to admit that he didn't necessarily know what love was.

I definitely recommend!

What do a Hot Yacht Chef, Hot Single Dad, and Hot Guy from the Bar all have in common? They are all Alex Hayes, otherwise known as Josephine “Jo” Walker's kryptonite. Goddamn, those neon green running shorts.

After family tragedy strikes, Jo is more broken than normal. And with her thirtieth birthday looming, she's less than thrilled to be reminded of everything she's lost. Not to mention her 30 before 30 bucket list, where she must kiss a stranger, skinny dip, get a tattoo, and more. Her motivation to finish the list is dwindling.

Which is where her nieces, Mia and Kitty come in. They vow to finish the list together over the course of the summer. This is no easy feat during the charter season, especially with a brand-new chef thrown into the mix, as well as a new neighbor who may not be a stranger to Jo. Jo's quest to finish the list is full of antics, heartbreak, and a little bit of romance. Throughout the summer Jo learns to open up her heart to the heartbreaks that have made cracks. She learns how to heal from her past and how sometimes healing just takes time. She learns that potential heartbreak is no match to letting others in to love her.

This story is about pain. Pushing it away, burying it, resenting it. But it's also about learning how to deal with it, figuring out that sharing and sitting in it won't make it better, but it will help. Grief will unfortunately always rear its head and this story shows us that you aren't in it alone. It's about living and loving life in the midst of it all.

I loved this book, it was so raw and real but at the same time hilarious. This book was amazingly light-hearted and heartbreaking at the same time. The characters were complex, real people who experience a shit ton of pain. There was no sugarcoating grief in this story, and it was nice to see a story that revolves around such a subject. It should be covered more, as people will and can relate to it.

I loved the banter between Alex and Jo, their love story was great, but definitely a slow burn (Heads up for my romance ladies who don't like that trope!). However, I equally loved the other relationships Jo both strengthened as well as started. The dynamics of family and friends were shown so well, and in different types of ways as well.

I've never read this author before, and boy oh boy, I definitely will be reading more. She's hilarious. Simple as that. Grander Ruiz knows what she's doing, adding humor to tragedy, she makes you fall in love with her quirky characters. I can't wait to see what other stuff she has to offer!

The hot gentleman on the subway is where it started for Alia Dunn. After she almost has a one-night stand with him, he ghosts her. Yet he haunts her when he becomes the production assistant on one of her dream productions for her travel network, but she's got bigger problems than Drew Irons on her set, and its name is Blaine, the host of her show.

Blaine is an alcoholic, and drug addict who can't get shit together in order to save his career as an actor. But stardom is nepotism, and he is cast as the host. Unsurprisingly, he sucks. Drew has to pretty much show him how it's done. And even though there's tension between the two, Alia is grateful for Drew. She becomes very grateful.

After a string of misunderstandings, Alia and Drew realize that both of them said things that they shouldn't have. There's an undeniable pull between them, and they decide to explore it. Under Alia's stringent rules, after all, she is his superior. Through their passion, more misunderstandings come to light, though Alia realizes she's falling for Drew, which scares the shit out of her. When Blaine messes things up big time again, tensions fly, and Alia must figure out what's real.

This book was awesome! One of the best books I've read in a while. I would give it like a 4.5 but alas, that's not possible. Alia had some trauma that made her act the way she does, sometimes cold but very protective of herself and those she loves. She's a well-rounded character, and it's super cool that she's a POC. And Drew was cool too, he had flaws but so did Alia, and he seemed genuinely so in love with her.

There was a good amount of sex in this book compared to most of the books that I read, but it wasn't bad! It was written well, not too over the top, it definitely solidified their romance and their attraction, and sometimes I feel like some books don't do that well, they just write sex to write it. It's pretty descriptive though so heads up if you're not into reading that sort of thing!

Overall, great book! Definitely recommend! Great writing and great characters!

A school teacher by day, an anonymous smut and romance podcaster by night, Piper Evans is a hermit more or less. She lives with her mother in their small house on the island, away from the business and the hustle and bustle. That is until her world is turned upside down by a pair of sunglasses and a black suit. Oh and the Duke and Duchess of England.

Harrison Cole, personal protection officer to Monica and Eddie, the Duke and Duchess, is a guarded man. There's no funny business with him, his walls are higher than the fence that has been put up to shield Piper's new royal neighbors from the press. However, the more he learns about Piper, the more he's willing to relax to the world. He's willing to let go, and have the kind of fun he hasn't had in a while. She transfixes him.

Piper Evans is a ball of fire, a mess in her words. She has a lot of trauma, including her mother and her own mental health issues. She's afraid to let people in because she's been hurt before. But Harrison validates her and her existence. Piper learns that she doesn't need to hold back, that she can be her whole self, and that her whole self is a lovely, beautiful mess.

This novel is about love and letting go.

I appreciated this novel's mention of trauma and mental health struggles. Most of the characters have some sort of issue that they have dealt with in their life. Harrison has PTSD, Piper has anxiety, Mrs. Evans has BPD and DPD, and Monica has dealt with lots of racism. These topics are not easy to discuss. And I'm glad they were brought to light. However, I wish they played a bit more of a role.

I loved the tension between Harrison and Piper, it was definitely a slow burn. However, the conflict didn't seem to be strong enough. It didn't shake or test them, they seemed to skirt around it scuff-free. I would have liked to see the two of them have more of a challenge that tests their relationship.

Karina Halle's Piper was a thrill to read. Her stream of consciousness was enjoyable to read. She was fucking hilarious. And Halle did a great job in creating chemistry and banter between Harrison and Piper.

I didn't dislike this novel, I liked it. However, to me, it fell flat. There was not enough at stake between the two. The conflict was a bit weak and resolved too quickly. It was only really ahead in the last half of the novel as well, very rushed. However, I appreciated and liked the characters. Not bad but not my favorite. As the shelf I put it on, it was meh.

Piper Bellinger is the typical LA party girl with a massive Instagram following as well as a lack of responsibility and discipline. She gets away with everything. That is until she is arrested for breaking and entering after throwing the wildest party of her life after her most recent dumping. Her step-father ships her off to her hometown, Westport, Washington to learn her lesson. She has barely any memories of the town, other than her deceased father had died there.

In tow with her sister, Hannah, she heads to the small fishing town that is anything but the glitz and glam of LA. Her attitude and disapproving glares get under the skin of gruff ship captain, Brendan Taggart. He doesn't like how she's walked into town with her attitude of arrogance and hatred towards his beloved town. Yet, despite his annoyance, he finds himself inexplicably drawn to her. He feels this urge to take care of her, which eventually leads to a growing flirtationship between the two. She understands him and he understands her, as the people, they are, not what the world expects of them. This story is about having faith. In others, and yourself. It's about finding love and yourself in the places you'd least expect it.

Tessa Bailey's writing is swoon-worthy and real. She does an amazing job in creating her characters with flaws. She makes you dislike the characters and then fall in love with them, something that's hard to do. Her portrayal of Breandan as this gruff, strong, and emotionally unavailable ship captain is phenomenal, as she breaks down his walls, giving him a sense of vulnerability as he learns to show real emotion. Brendan falls first and we get to hear every piece of it, and it's beautiful.

I loved this book. A lot. The only reason why I didn't give it 5 stars is because of the amount and the very graphic sex scenes. I'm no prude and I know others may like it, but there was a lot of it and some of it just wasn't for me. Details were described in full detail, so be forewarned folks. I didn't hate all of the sex scenes, but some of them were just a bit much, especially with Brendan's dirty talk. However, I loved the rest of the book and I am excited to read Hook, Line, and Sinker!