Amanda
Suspense/thriller/horror isn't really my genre of choice, but Alyssa Cole is such a talented writer I gave this a shot anyway. I loved the NextDoor-style posts that started off a lot of the chapters, and the community garden/gentrification theme of the book reminded me of [b:Open House 46155804 Open House (Uptown, #2) Ruby Lang https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1565202407l/46155804.SY75.jpg 71108926], but obviously from a very different angle. I'm not sure what purpose Theo's Russian mafia connections and possible teenage-murderer backstory served, but it seemed pretty undeveloped and I think there was enough going on with him to make that unnecessary. Sydney's POV was stressful and exhausting, but that seemed to be the point - I was legitimately worried for her at times, which is a weird thing to think about a POV character in a work of fiction, but like I said, Alyssa Cole is just that good. The pacing was a little wonky toward the end, but I thought there was a really good gradual buildup of suspense throughout the earlier sections of the book. I probably wouldn't have read this if not for Alyssa Cole, but I enjoyed it more than I expected to.
(2.5, rounding up.) Both leads felt underdeveloped, especially Silas, even with the first-person alternating POVs. I didn't really buy the insta-attraction, either. I was excited when I realized that Liz was the dominant partner, but the sex scenes didn't really get into that as deeply as I would've preferred, and the whole thing about her being a former pro domme was never explored and just seemed to be there to set up the blackmail later on. Anyway. I wanted to like this but it just didn't quite hit the spot.
Considering how much I adored [b:Well Met 43189874 Well Met (Well Met, #1) Jen DeLuca https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1548353675l/43189874.SY75.jpg 67013218], this was something of a letdown. I didn't feel like there was sufficient groveling for the yearlong catfishing by Daniel, and Stacey forgave him way too easily for what most people would consider a pretty big betrayal - again with female characters basically gaslighting themselves into being okay with completely unacceptable actions by their love interests (looking at you [b:The Boyfriend Project 52211784 The Boyfriend Project (The Boyfriend Project, #1) Farrah Rochon https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1570712674l/52211784.SY75.jpg 73615834]), and seriously, y'all deserve better! Daniel was very underwritten as a character as well, probably because he wasn't really on the page all that much, certainly not enough for Stacey's decision at the end to make sense - you have a degree in fashion merchandising and some talent as a stylist and you quit your job to manage merch for a Ren Faire touring act? I understand wanting to get out of town, but that is a Choice. I liked Stacey and it was fun to return to this setting, but this wasn't quite what I was hoping for, unfortunately.(Review edited 5/21/21 - why did I give this three stars in the first place? Definitely a two-star situation.)
Really enjoyed this - there's a lot less pranking/hoaxing than I expected from reading the blurb/reviews, but that's fine with me. Thought the impetus for their big fight in the past could've used a little more explanation - clearly both their parents are terrible, but it never really explains how/why they decided to match their children up, or why they felt they needed to do it by potentially ruining Violet. The banter was fun, their various groups of friends are clear sequel-bait (and I'm here for it), the dresses are beautiful, all-around fine Regency fun.
[b:A Room with a View 3087 A Room with a View E.M. Forster https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1388781285l/3087.SY75.jpg 4574872] is one of my favorite books of all time (so much so that my cats are named Lucy and Charlotte), so maybe my expectations were too high for this, especially since I very much enjoyed the [b:Crazy Rich Asians Trilogy 40534004 Crazy Rich Asians Trilogy (Crazy Rich Asians, China Rich Girlfriend, Rich People Problems) Kevin Kwan https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1529076340l/40534004.SX50.jpg 62927792] and find Kevin Kwan's writing style almost compulsively readable - I didn't much care for this book but there was no way I wasn't going to finish it, if that makes sense. I don't know where the issue is exactly here, but I just don't think this story translated well to the modern-day setting at ALL. A lot of the characterization was really flat for me, and I think that's the biggest issue, since it definitely affects the plot. Lucie is supposed to be super old-money and insecure because she never felt good enough for the white side of her family, but I didn't think that conflict was ever all that well-developed, and certainly not enough for it to explain her actions here. George is barely even a character besides being hot and not talking a lot, and Kwan changes the role of his father (his mother in this version) so there's not that early connection with Lucie and yes, Cecil is the Worst, but I don't think there's enough development of the connection between Lucie and George to make them make sense. Also, imagine caring about the Social Register in 2018! Or thinking Odessa was “central Texas,” like I get that you want the new-money background for Cecil but please look at a map, if he grew up in Odessa why is his family trying to get into a swanky country club in Houston? Also, how do you not have the skinny-dipping scene?Things that I did like - Lucie's mom was delightful, Freddie was delightfully terrible, Cecil was at least as insufferable as in the original, I really want to visit Capri now. I don't think I recommend this - read A Room With a View instead, like I'm going to (for the dozenth time) now.
Beverly Jenkins is so good at creating fully-realized worlds in her novels - she does the research for her historical romances, and it shows. It's been quite a while since I read [b:Forbidden 25760151 Forbidden (Old West, #1) Beverly Jenkins https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1436290539l/25760151.SY75.jpg 45264426], the first book in the series, but since this takes place 15 years later and in a different location, I didn't feel like I was missing a ton. There's not a ton of conflict in this, and the one big external conflict/drama happens in the last 30 or so pages and is resolved in one chapter, so I honestly think it could've been cut out altogether. Regardless, Beverly Jenkins books have become sort of comfort reading for me, even if they're books I haven't read before - I know most of the characters will be good people, the bad ones will get their consequences, and everyone will end up happy. Plus, I'll learn something about history, all around a win.
Still wanted more kink but this one was much more enjoyable than [b:The Duke I Tempted 40019357 The Duke I Tempted (Secrets of Charlotte Street, #1) Scarlett Peckham https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1525996814l/40019357.SY75.jpg 61977414]. There was still a good amount of angst/drama/etc, but Constance and Julian were much more enjoyable as POV characters, especially Constance. Not sure I'll read the third book in this series, but I'm definitely keeping an eye on this author!
(3.5, rounding down.) This was quite a bit angrier/angstier than most of the historicals I read, and it was almost unpleasant at times - while I ended up enjoying it, the fights they had were intense and tough to read sometimes. I love a marriage of convenience and all that, but I wish it had been developed a little more why they actually like each other. Also, for a book about a duke who's a member of a secret BDSM club, this was surprisingly light on that aspect?
Liked it until the last 20% or so, when Daniel copies Samiah's keycard in order to get into the files he needs for his case. I understand why he did it but wow, what a good way to torpedo the career of someone you claim to care about/love. Of course, because this is a romance, it all works out for the best, but I feel like in reality, she'd face more consequences than a six-month probation and still being able to head their community relations team.. That was all wrapped up pretty quickly at the end, with a completely insufficient grovel by Daniel and Samiah talking herself into why it was okay for him to do what he did. This is the second book in a row I've read with the heroes keeping pretty major secrets from the heroines and the heroines forgiving them way too easily, and I have to say I'm not a fan. You all deserve better! At least a real apology!
3.5 stars, I think, rounding up. I liked Jasmine a lot and loved her cousins (I hope they get their own books, even though I don't think anything has been announced). The little excerpts from the Carmen scripts were cute as well. I would've liked to see some more development from Ashton - even though this is alternating POV, I didn't feel that I got as much insight into his motivations/character, and I was really annoyed with him for a large part of the book because of the secret he was keeping from Jasmine (which he then had the gall to blame her for, wtf?). I wish the clear anxiety/PTSD issues were addressed more extensively than in a little aside in the epilogue. Loved the setting of this one and it's definitely a high-heat romance if that's what you're looking for, but I really thought Ashton's secret went on way too long and Jasmine seemed to basically talk herself into justifying his decision to keep that from her for however many months it takes to shoot a TV season, which was disappointing to see in a character who'd been so excellent at standing up for herself.
4.5 stars, rounding down. I screenshotted so many passages from this to share on Twitter because this book kept making me laugh out loud while I read it. I'd call this more of a romantic comedy than a straight-up romance - it's first-person from Luc's POV and there's not much exploration of Oliver's baggage/situation until the last 75-100 pages. I loved basically every character in this (except the ones you're not supposed to love), especially Bridget and Luc's too-posh-to-live coworkers Alex and Rhys. (And Luc's mother and her Drag Race-obsessed friend, of course.)
Anyway. 4.5 stars instead of a full five because I thought the ending was pretty abrupt and this could've used a little bit of an epilogue for the happily-ever-after, but that's really my only nitpick. This was delightful.
Phenomenal and a foundational work for the current era of activism around criminal justice reform and racial inequality. If some of the history or analysis here seems basic/obvious/whatever, it's because this book changed the conversation about these issues. I'm ashamed I hadn't read it until just now, especially since I'm a defense attorney and this is the environment that I work in every day. This book is crucial and so important to understanding where we are and how we got here. If possible, read the 10th anniversary edition, which has an updated foreword from the author about developments since the original publication.
(Probably 3.5, rounding up.) Extremely readable and compelling story of the rise and fall of a fictional girl group in the early 2000s - I was 18-19 at the time this book is set, so it hurts my heart a little to tag this as “historical fiction,” but it also means I remember this era of pop culture extremely well. I wanted a little more characterization/depth to the other girls back in the Gloss days (especially Rose), and maybe a little more about what happened to them all after the split. I guess maybe that would've been too dark, but I found myself wanting to know what they'd all been doing since then. Very good for a debut novel and I'm interested to see what comes next from this author!
I just really enjoy this series all the way around - more so for the women than the brothers, honestly. I would read a series about the Yates daughters-in-law and Alanza that didn't have anything to do with romance and was just them hanging out and solving problems. This era/area of history isn't something I knew much at all about before reading this series, so we'll call it educational too. This book in particular stands out for making me enjoy the secret-baby trope, which I have never liked, and for Billie, who can more than handle herself in any situation. There's a reason why Beverly Jenkins is such a legend and this series shows it clearly.
3.5, rounding up. Very Western-centric, especially in the later chapters, and not sure why it took a detour into molecular gastronomy at the end when before that the focus had been on how people cooked at home, not in restaurants. (Though I'll admit to bias here since I find molecular gastronomy extremely annoying.) The writing style was engaging and easy to follow, and it honestly blew my mind to discover that some things I thought had been around forever, like a reliable can opener or a microplane grater, were less than 50 years old. A different perspective on the usual food writing!
I'll read anything Shea Serrano writes, even about topics I'm not that informed on - while I'm definitely a basketball fan, I don't know a whole lot about NBA history, but I learned a bunch here and kept YouTube handy to watch some of the highlights mentioned in this. (Scottie Pippen's dunk at Madison Square Garden? OMG.) Not five stars because some of the chapters got a little too stat-heavy and not as entertaining for me as the ones about who you'd choose to dunk on and Karl Malone vs. a bear.
Went back to the beginning of this series after reading [b:Destiny's Captive 20452171 Destiny's Captive (Destiny, #3) Beverly Jenkins https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1395032951l/20452171.SY75.jpg 31828911] for romance bingo, because I like the family and wanted to read the other brothers' stories. I really liked Mariah and her relationship with Alanza and the whole found-family aspect of this. I would've maybe liked a little slower burn on the romance - it all happening in a week seemed fast, but that's a pretty minor complaint. I also really enjoyed the background romance with Alanza. Since I've already read the third book in this series, I know how it turns out, but also this is a romance, so of course.
Suffers a little bit from being the last in a series, especially since the first quarter or so has a detour back to California and Noah's mom getting remarried. Not bad, though, especially since I'm going back and reading the first two books in the series now (so, mission accomplished, I guess!). Marriage of convenience, a little bit of enemies-to-lovers, some fun piracy and a focus on history that you probably didn't learn about in school. An excellent end to summer romance bingo!
Content warnings: sexual assault (in the past, but discussed, though not in detail), segregation/Jim Crow, attempted murder of a character.
(2020 summer romance bingo: I'm on a boat. Would work for set on island, secret identity, and maybe bootleggers.)
I read this for “midsummer ball” on Ripped Bodice romance bingo - there's like four balls and a London Season, so one of them is probably in midsummer. Pretty standard Julia Quinn, lots of banter and everyone has a title or six. From the blurb, I thought the secret identity/dressed as a maid thing would be more of the story, but it's all resolved in the first hundred or so pages. Not bad, but not anything that's really going to stick with me, I think.
(2020 summer romance bingo: midsummer ball. Loosely “set on island,” would also work for secret identity, debut novel, meddling matchmakers, and violet eyes.)
Hard meh, sadly. I've really enjoyed all the other Alisha Rai I've read, but this was not great. I'm not afraid of erotic romance, but I like a little more character development and maybe plot structure to go with it. Longer details/criticism behind cut: I didn't understand why Devi would just decide to go home with these two dudes she barely knew and immediately enter into a quasi-BDSM fling with them, I didn't think Jace's getting upset at her not wanting to go public about them within a week was reasonable, I didn't find the backstory/explanation for why these two brothers have this kind of relationship to be convincing at all, I don't think there was enough work done to show why Devi, who we're told is a shy/retiring type, would suddenly be into this (not kink-shaming at all, but I don't think the characters are developed enough to show this change occurring). Anyway. Possibly would've DNF-ed if not for summer romance bingo, but I'd recommend literally any other Alisha Rai over this one.
(2020 summer romance bingo: cover has a large piece of jewelry on it. Would also work for debut novel, possibly meddling matchmakers.)
Not sure if this is another book hangover from how much I loved [b:Take a Hint, Dani Brown 49976087 Take a Hint, Dani Brown (The Brown Sisters, #2) Talia Hibbert https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1572990974l/49976087.SY75.jpg 72583521], but this was ... fine? I certainly didn't hate it, but it didn't really ever click with me, which is a shame, considering the librarian and academia angles. The whole conflict with Victoria's department head didn't really go anywhere and seemed to wrap itself up with a little bit of a deus ex machina at the end. I also didn't really care for how all the growth/change seemed to be on Victoria's side - while I do like a cinnamon roll of a hero, things just seem more evenly matched when both characters need to work on themselves to be a good match for each other. This certainly wasn't unpleasant at all, but I had been looking forward to reading it and it just didn't quite meet my expectations. (Also, maybe this is a little nitpicky, but the book could definitely have used another copy-edit, there were enough typos and grammar errors that it got distracting by the end.) (2020 summer romance bingo: apple orchard. Would maybe work for meddling matchmakers, but I think that's all.)