Asia

4/5

This was so cute! I actually liked Tara and Holly, although the fight at thee nd felt forced.

I LOVED however, Levi and his cameos throughout the book. He and Hannah are my favourite. AND THEIR STORY ONLY CONTINUES I LOVE THEM SO MUCH.

I can't believe this is the end of the series. I was convinced that we'd get a book about Cole too! We need it, Helena! We need Cole's book! I know he's happy with Sawyer but we need to know everything about he golf club arson, THE PRIEST?? EXCUSE ME? His friendship with Tara and Miriam and everything, how he got back access to his trust fund, HIS JOB. Please, we need his book!

4/5

That was a good book! I much prefer the previous two books but this one but this one was entertaining too!

Eleanor was a badass succubus/vampire who was imprisoned in a crystal and magically compelled to obey the owner. Ben was a socially awkward werewolf who loves knitting and wearing cozy jumpers (why does it sound so hot??). He accidentally becomes the owner of said crystal but vows to never order Eleanor around.

It was entertaining book, but a frustrating one too. Despite promising to research how to break the curse, Ben doesn't do anything but googling it. Seriously, it takes 70% of the book until Eleanor asks Alzaphraz about the solution! Why did no one thought to ask him? And honestly, I hated that there wasn't even one scene of the Scooby gang brainstorming and coming up with various solutions, even if they didn't work. That would be better imo.

Also, I knew who it was instantly.

Ngl, as much as I liked the book, the majority of this ranking is thanks to Astaroth's reappearance. He's just the best. And Lilith grew on me too. I just love him and Calladia so much and he was his snarky self I love. Also - a suit and tie to barbeque? Hell yes.

3.5/5

It was a fun and cozy read. Perfect for autumn, especially with a cup of warm tea, curled up under a blanket.

I enjoyed it. The characters were interesting and the plot engaging. The spice was spicying too. I enjoyed it and wished to move to Scotland for a while too!! Although I wouldn't survive without a hot shower!

3.75/5

I love it when I'm right. I knew this girl would be an old friend and who the real villain was. It was fun to be right about it!

It was a fun read although I had to force myself to focus on the book at times. I liked the characters and their relationship, although the plot dragged on, and then too rushed at the very end to tie loose ends. I didn't like it.

It was a fun idea and I didn't hate the book, but I didn't love it either. I don't know, I guess it wasn't really my thing even though I love a good old fake dating trope.

I realized (around 25%) that it was the second book in the series (shame on you, Goodreads for not letting me know beforehand - I mean you have the option to assign books to the series. And this is book 2!) but I didn't feel the need to read book 1. Even if I liked Harry and Kay.

Although now I really want to know if there are any mentions of Samantha or forgetting someone in the first book. But not enough to read it.

4,75/5

I loved this book so much. I still prefer The Fake Out, but The Wingman is a close second.

Hayden seems to be a fun-loving, no-string-attached golden retriever, but he is so much more than that. He's a great friend, protective, always taking care of other people man, who just wants to be loved. He hates the reputation of a player he acquired and he'd rather settle down with the girl of his dreams. The problem? She's not only his best friend. She's also his other best friend's ex.

Darcy was a shy wallflower who really blossomed into the woman she was always meant to be. She took risks and learned a lot and I loved seeing a new side of her, and how she grew and changed away from her ex's influence. She's super strong, even when she doesn't believe in herself, but she had Hayden by her side every step of the way and I loved that she finally started seeing him for who he is, rather than who she thinks he is.

I loved their story. They're best friends and didn't really want to destroy that, but they took a chance. I'm so glad that Hayden was so patient with her. I LOVE a boy obsessed and iI love how much he spoiled her! All those gifts and he never wanted anything in return. I love it.

This story was similar, yet different from the previous books in the series. Certain elements reminded me of Pippa and Jamie's story (sex toy, roommates), and Rory and Hazel's story (gift-giving, a boy obsessed, lingerie), but Stephanie managed to make it Darcy and Hayden's story their own. It was much softer and gentler than the previous books, without losing any intensity.

The spice was great too. I LOVED it. The toy scene? Perfection. The wall sex? I giggled and kicked my feet up when I read that Hayden wanted to do it, all because of Darcy's throw-away line at the beginning of the book. I love how all of the threads weaved together into a beautiful story and picture, allowing characters to grow, separately and together.

Stephanie can pull the lack of the third-act breakup trope so well, too. She creates tension and drama but not from within the couple. They're stronger together and they grow together, and they go through all of this together. There are no unnecessary misunderstandings that could get resolved in a single conversation but that are dragged on, like other authors like do to. She can create a drama that is meant to make the couple stronger rather than break them apart and I absolutely love it.

Thank you, Stephanie Archer, for providing me with the ARC. It was incredible and I'm so grateful that I was allowed to read this book earlier. It was one of my most anticipated releases of the year and I looked forward to every newsletter with updates. And The Wingman definitely became one of my favorite books I've read this year.

And I wanted to thank Stephanie for the ARC again. The Fake Out was the first ARC I've ever received and it started my adventure with ARCS and proper reviews and I'll always be thankful for that. To get another arc from my favourite author is a privilege and I'm very grateful.

Darcy and Hayden made my entire day and I didn't want the book to end. And I can't wait for Alexei and Georgia's book!! Sounds like either an accidental marriage in Vegas, or a marriage of convenience, and I ADORE those tropes! Plus I love how antagonistic they are towards one another and I'm looking forward to their book! (and the moment when Alexei finally calls Georgia his wife in that possessive way!)

3.75/5

“Since we're talking romance and personal relationships, I don't suppose you're willing to comment on the whole Sig Gauthier situation. You know, with his step—”
“That's their story to tell,” Burgess interrupted with a headshake. “Not mine.”

Oh, COME ON!!!

Honestly, when I started reading this book I had NO idea that I would be invested in a step-sibling romance. Come on, I've been avoiding this trope the entire time. But now?? Tessa?? Hello?? What kind of spell did you ou6t on me?? I'm so invested in Sig and Chloe, I NEED their book now!

That being said, their relationship (and Wells and Josephine cameos) were the only things I liked about this book.

Which is a shame, really. I was really excited to read about them when I read The Fangirl Down earlier this year and got to their first meeting. I was fascinated. And then I started reading this book...

When Tallulah refused the position and it looked like she would be moving in with Chloe, I put the book down for 3 days. Because that wasn't the story I was interested in. I picked it up today and it got better, and around. 15% I started annoying it... Up until the 70% when the drama with Lissa happened. And then the third act breakup pissed me off so much, that I wasn't invested in their relationship anymore.

I mean, after the shit Burgess said, I didn't even want him and Tallulah to end up together anymore. Just no. I only kept reading to get more of Chloe and Sig... And I am SO invested in those two, please, Tessa, don't have their parents marry!! I just want them to be together and happy!

That was cute, I loved it!

I love Philippa already. I'm glad we got more of her now and we're getting into her mind more. Her mother is dreadful and I hope that somehow Phillipa will have a life that she wants, not one her mother does.

Can't wait for her to know the true identity of Great Aint Wynchester!

3.5/5

I liked it though not as much as I expected. I thought it would be more interesting, to be honest. It wasn't boring, but I wasn't engrossed in the plot either. It was enjoyable but definitely not my favourite.

Some of the plot points were dragged out and some weren't fleshed out enough. The characters were interesting but not enough. I was expecting more.

5/5

Holy shit, I'm in awe.

Around 2 years ago I stumbled upon a tiktok of a woman talking about Arthurian legends. More specifically, what if someone time-travelled back to the Dark Ages because she was, in fact, the queen Guinevere? I was immediately hooked and interested. It was so simple and yet brilliant.

Over the course of the next 2 years, I followed Paula on tiktok and followed her journey of writing and publishing this book, and I am so grateful that I can be a small part of its journey too and read the book before publication.

I have to be honest: I was hesitant to read this book, as someone who is not exactly a fan of time travel and hates amnesia. And I was very scared that Paula would fall into the trap so many authors before her did, and have them follow certain aspects of Arthurian legends and make it canon in her story. I was so relieved to see that she avoided it and delivered a beautiful love story instead!

I love characters so much. Vera is a headstrong, badass woman who tries to live her life despite many problems awaiting her, and Arthur, the myth, the legend, the everything is such a generous person who tries his damned best and he was hurt far too many times but who still tries despite it all.

Matilda's an excellent chambermaid/lady's maid and a good friend. Lancelot is known as one of the best knights of the round table, and here he's all that -as well as a cocky little shit whom I love. Merlin is stubborn and laser-focused and I have a complicated relationship with him, but I enjoyed his character too. Percival is amazing, I just love him and his energy. But my absolute favourite (other than Arthur) was Gaiwan. He was everything. I immediately loved him, which only grew with each page. He's just so good and kind and he tries and he's smart and... I can't wait for the next book to see more of him and the rest of the characters. The found family vibes were everything.

The plot was amazing. It was a slow read in the first 30% of the book, with a lot of unnecessary details at times, but it all faded away. The further I read the better the writing has become and I was hooked. I read this nook in one sitting and now I'm depressed that I have to wait for so long for the next books.

It had everything: love, friendship (oooh, this one platonic relationship was everything, i need a friend like that too), adventure, a good backstory, amazing characters, and a complicated but very interesting magic system and world.

You can easily follow the plot even if you don't know Arthurian legends. I know only the basics (literally what Vera does) and I could follow everything pretty easily. The references were great, and the author changed a lot of things in a fun and creative way. I was very interested in the story and the characters. I laughed, I cried, I screamed, I was flabbergasted and shocked, and I enjoyed the book so very much it was a pleasure to read it.

I- The damn ending nearly broke me, I did not expect t. I might have guessed one or two things (in a very vague way at the very end) but the rest of them were unexpected. In hindsight the foreshadowing was great, but they all flew over my head and I'm only connecting the dots right now. I'm very interested in the next book in the series and I hope they will answer the questions that I have now.

All in all, it was a fantastic book and I'm excited for more!

Thank you, Paula Lafferty (and NetGalley) for this opportunity and for providing me with the eARC.

The only good thing about this book was the cover.

What do you mean that in the description you say that the female main character USED TO have a crush on the guy but she's over it, but ON THE FIRST PAGE SHE GETS BUTTERFLIES WHEN SHE LOOKS AT HIM??? That's not “being over someone”. That's literally the opposite! Why do you market the book like that when it's not what the book is about? Seriously! It's an asshole move.

Speaking of assholes, Cameron was horrible. So cocky and icky and CREEPY. Oh, he told her to get lost but now he's acting like nothing happened? And it feels like Maddie has literally no self control and no agency at all because when he says jump, she asks how high. Oh, she “hates” him but still sleeps with him willingly and can't even think straight. Seriously? How are you even attracted to him if you hate him that much?

And I hated how controlling he was. Literally the first party she went to and he starts criticising her for TALKING to a guy while he almost fucked a girl in the guest room of her house??? For fucks sake. What a red flag. And it really annoys me that has mother dying is used to justify his assholish behaviour. “Trauma” doesn't give someone a free pass to be a dickhead.

And honestly, I'm over books where the brother thinks he has any say in whether or not his best friend is seeing his sister. Why is it such a popular trope?

The book felt like it was written by a 14 year old wattpad writer and not in a good way. I had to dnf it around 20%. It was that bad.

2.5/5

I liked the first half of the book much better than the second half. I enjoyed Millie getting training with Phillipa but then the author chose to drop trauma casually with no warning whatsoever. Main character being whipped by her stepmother? Check. Her best friend being sexually assaulted by her father (which was really a throwaway line?)? Check. Sexual trafficking of young girls? Check. I mean what? Seriously? What the hell, author. There was NOTHING to point in that direction before this scene with Ivy. And I'm just supposed to... What, congratulate you for trauma dumping your readers with no warning? Absolutely not.

It was supposed to be a silly romcom and turned into I don't even know what. And the way the author didn't deal with ANY of that and just brushed it off... Am I supposed to be happy?

So the two members of the Devil something society (?) were caught and killed. Does it stop the group from kidnapping any more young girls? Is queen Victoria informed? Is Prime Minister? What does Beau think about the betrayal of his closest friend? Or the fact that he was killed in self-defence by his bride? Who knows? Certainly not the readers cause the author chose to not reveal any of that. As though it wasn't important.

If it wasn't important then why include it in the book, that's my question. If you're not going to round up the plot and the reader has more questions than answers, then the plot wasn't really all that good in the first place, was it.

I struggle to find any things I liked about this book. The evil stepmother trope is so overdone and here it was just too much, and to see her not suffering any consequences was just frustrating. The other woman being a bitch and not getting her due either was anticlimactic as well. Why include her in the first place if you're not going to do anything about it? There are better ways of making your Maine female character jealous. Better ways.

I'm just frustrated and disappointed by this book. It could use sensitivity readers for sure. I mean so much trauma with no resolution whatsoever? And why would I care about the main characters happy ending if the whole trauma dump just sucked all the enjoyment I had of this book? Seriously.

Thank you, NetGalley, for providing me the ARC.

Tentative 4/5

I liked it though the second half dragged on. And I just knew that the secret would be the reason for the third act breakup and that Connor would be blamed. It was typical and I hated it. Just once can you all write romance books without a third-act breakup? If authors can't write the books without the breakup, if they can't I produce a conflict some other way than they shouldn't write. Because it's always the same thing, over and over.

Overall I enjoyed it (except for the third act breakup lol) and I'm intrigued now. I will definitely read more books in the series (because the book was set up as the introduction of the series, with Shadow Council and the like), and I want to know more about Winter (and Erikson! Cause they're gonna get together, right? Right?). Missy isn't my favourite character but hopefully I'll like her more in the next books (if they're getting written lmao).

Thank you, NetGalley and Dialogue Books for sending me the ARC.

4.25/5

For a book that's marketed as that “a witch breaks a hex and gains magic”, I'm disappointed that there was no breaking hex until 48% of the book, and gaining magic until 60% of the book. I mean seriously, half of the book was mostly just exposition. I was expecting something else whatsoever, but tbh, I liked this book anyway.

It was cute and nice and I vibed with it. It's a cozy read for Halloween and I recommend this book.

Delia was quirky and fun, and Max was broody and stoic - until he wasn't. I loved how much he liked Delia from the start, despite the fact that he shouldn't, but when he accepted it, he didn't let anything stand in their way. I understand Delia's freak out about accidentally bewitching him, and I'm somehow glad that she wasn't angry about the role he played in everything since the beginning.

The background characters were fun too. I love how Luc embraced life in the village, and how Amy wanted more, and the Merryweather witches who were so excited to find out the truth. But my favourite one was Nikki. He was amazing, fun, well-written, mysterious and just great. I loved him.

The ending was a surprise but an interesting one! It kept me on my toes and I did shed a tear. The book was great and I thoroughly enjoyed it. hope that the author will continue to write books in this universe - I would love to read stories about Amy, Luc, and Nikki. And to revisit Delia and Max, of course.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the digital ARC of this book in exchange fir my honest opinion.

4/5

So. I didn't know it was the THIRD BOOK IN THE SERIES when I started to read it. Admittedly, I didn't read the whole description, but Goodreads didn't tell me that either. And then I saw some hints about Rich, a guy she was supposedly dating but not really, and some allusions to what happened previously and I was 20% in but decided to look it up. And wouldn't you know, there are more books about Phoebe.

I just wish Goodreads included this bit of information before I started reading this book lmao.

So yes, I had to read “Something Wicked” and “Spell Bound” first. Ugh. Okay. Onto this book!

After reading the previous two books, I actually appreciate the characters more.

It was fun to see Phoebe being invited to be a part of investigation since everyone knew she would just try to solve it on her own. And her partnering with Rich was amazing because it gave them more opportunity to spend time together. But I wish it was ore focused on romance, you know? The plot was all and good but I was hoping for more Rich/Phoebe content. At least their first official date. And we didn't get it.

But they FINALLY kissed??? And it was amazing. Too bad nothing else happened haha.

Overall, the book is well written but the plot of the murder mystery was confusing and over the top. And I think the author forgot a few things from her previous books - for example, Rich already knew that Phoebe was a witch, because he told her that Eudora asked him to keep an eye on her. But in this book Phoebe suddenly didn't know about that? And was shosked when she found out? She already learned about it in the previous book! A little consistency, please.

Also, there are some stylistic choices I would have done differently. For example text messages I would have preferred them to be in cursive, or even in quotation marks to differentiate them from the narration. And put them in separate paragraphs. There's nothing like this here, which makes it hard for the reader to figure out that they're part of the dialogue.

But the book was good although I wa disappointed in the lack of romance. And the fact that NetGalley didn't advertise this book as the third one in the series. It can't really be read as a standalone imo, and the marketing should have reflected it.

4.25/5

That was so fun!! I loved it!!

I loved Phoebe and Rich although I hoped he would have told her all of this earlier. And HE KNOW WHO/WHAT SHE IS?? AND THIS IS HOW THE BOOK ENDS?M Thank God I have the rest of the books in the series because honestly, what the hell.

I feel like there were too many descriptions of making tea or Phoebe's routine that didn't push the plot forward so I just skipped them. I would have loved more romance between Rich and Phoebe. I would have loved for him to be so obsessed with her and not be able to be apart from her, but oh, well, can't have everything.

The book was cozy and fun. I loved the friendship between Amy and Phoebe, and Imogen and Phoebe. I hope for more Leo and Daphne, and of course, Rich's relationship with Phoebe in the next books.

4/5

I liked it but I wish Rich was more obsessed with Phoebe. lmao I need more romance!! The mystery is all great and fun but I keep hoping for more scenes between Phoebe and Rich. I mean they didn't even kiss yet!

2.75/5

It's not a terrible book, but it's not my favourite one either.

The first scene of Quinn meeting Noah was already a terrible one and it only went downhill from there. He was dragged by his friend Ivy to Noah's panel, and then, she poured her drink on his trousers so it looked like Quinn wet himself. And THEN everyone (including Noah) saw his wet pants and came to the same conclusion. But did Ivy apologize or say it was her doing? No, not until Quinn left, humiliated. And even then people thought that Quinn had an accident.

And it only went downhill from there. Quinn was so shy and anxious he could barely speak to other people and it was annoying how Ivy didn't respect his boundaries and forced him to do things he didn't want to. Eventually Quinn realized that he had to do them by himself (fear of eviction etc), but being in his head was annoying. I was waiting for Noah's point of view and was disappointed that we never got any.

The book was cheesy and predictable. The writing wasn't the best and the author threw random words like “werk” which seemed really out of place and we're jarring. The small town setting was cute and Christmas books are always fun, but this one wasn't for me. But perhaps other people like it more!

Thank you NetGalley and One More Chapter for giving me access to this ARC.

3.25/5

TW: slut-shaming, discussions of SA of a background character

So. I have mixed feelings about this book. On one hand, I kind of enjoyed the story between Jake and Ella. The push and pull, bickering, banter and chemistry. It was all there. Plus all the Taylor Swift references (that were WAY more subtle than the description would have you believe, I promise - like the fact that Jake, the football player, wears number 87). But, the heavy topics this book tried to tackle blindsided me. I wasn't ready for any of it.

The main character is slut-shamed throughout the entirety of the book, either because someone learns about her mother (more of that later), or because people from her past judge her. Her mother was a hooker and everyone assumed that Ella was the same. So they slut-shamed her, called her names, turned her life into hell, even now, 19 years after graduating high school. They all judged her. All except the MMC, of course.

And then there was a minor character (MMC's best friend) being almost raped by her then-boyfriend when they were younger. Again, there was no trigger/content warnings, nothing. It was all out of left field, for the shock value I guess? To make the stakes even higher? I'm not sure. And I'm not sure if the blade attitude of this girl “what happened, happened I put it in the past now and I don't care if the media goes after my daughter if i reveal it” was the way to go.

Aaaand Ella's mother. She's dead now, but the way they handled that... I guess the author tried to be woke and show that sex workers are just people blah blah blah but they way she did that was just inconsiderate imo. Because that character left a letter to her daughter. In which she told her that she was good at what she did and that she enjoyed it. Because that's what her daughter wanted to hear, right? But that's not all. That character tried to justify it that she only spread live and what can be more pure than that?

You, lady, (the character and the author I guess for trying to justify it in that way), are delusional. You weren't “spreading love”. You had sex with both married men AND school boys for money. There was nothing noble about this. Stop trying to turn it into something it wasn't. You. Had. Sex. For. Money. With. Married. Men. And. School. Boys. Your. Daughter's. Classmates. For. Money. You didn't “spread love”. You spread something, but it sure as hell wasn't love. And you didn't care that your children were judged and BULLIED by the entire town for your actions! You admitted you liked pretty things and having sex. That was enough. The whole “spreading love” was bullshit and you know it.

Aaaand now I'm angry.

The ending was rushed. The author tried to wrap it all up in a neat little bow but it felt forced and rushed. I'm glad that the characters ended up together but for a romance there was too much horniness and less... Well, romance. Sure, they were attracted to one another. But in love? I don't buy it.

Also, the book made it seem like the MCs were strangers who only met 2 years prior, spent the night together, and now we're thrown together by life. That's not true. They both grew up in the same small town, went to the same school (he was 2 years older than her), somehow he ended up at her prom and they kissed, and two years prior they simply slept together. After knowing each other since they were kids. So it wasn't really strangers to lovers the book description tried to sell.

Thank you, NetGalley and Boldwood books for the copy of the book. This is my honest review.

4/5

That was a heartwarming story, I quite enjoyed it.

We have Charlee and Oliver, two souls brought together by a school project. They start writing letters and let it turn into something more. So they plan to meet. Unfortunately, the circumstances prevent them from doing so. Now years later, they have another chance.

I liked this story. I loved the description of nature and how appreciative of it they were. But I also loved how both Charlee and Oliver were affected by one another and tried to move past what happened but they couldn't just forget. Although I think the reason why Oliver couldn't meet her remained a mystery for too long. I understand what the author tried to do but for me it dragged on for a bit. I hate the miscommunication trope and while it wasn't bad here, I was hoping for something better.

The reasons why they couldn't write later... I don't like it lol. This whole Emilio issue was so dumb, it's like the author tried really hard for the characters to have obstacles on purpose but this but was forced. I didn't like it.

I enjoyed the story though and how much they reconnected after years. The spice was good but there was some tenderness in Oliver toward Charlee and I loved it. He was so gentle and amazing!! A cinnamon roll here is much better than an alpha man imo.

I received the ARC via NetGalley.

2/5

Before the plot even starts, before prologue, we're introduced to 6 couples (yes, 6!) and 2 women who apparently dont even have their own book yet? Who apparently will be important to the plot of the book.Im'm already exhausted. It's worth to mention, that the note from the author starts by saying that The Scenic Route is the first book in the new series... And according to NetGalley it's a standalone book.

If it's a standalone, why do I need to know all these characters from the previous books and series? Not only was Introduced to he backstory of each characters but also how they fell in love. It was completely unecessary. If the book was well-written - which I now doubt it - then we don't need all of this introduction because we can find out who they are from the context clues of the plot.

But I digress.

The story was interesting, and faced paced. Bit everything was fast paced. Both the investigation and the love story. I'm not a fan of I sta lust and the way the male main character was so in love with her and accepting of that fact was weird but it wa dthe sudden realization a Nd acceptance of female love interest that was jarring to me. So they shared a bed a couple of times, got married drugged in Vegas (more of that later) and had sex and they're suddenly in love? They knew each other for a week. If even that.

And while I usually love surprise Vegas weddings none of the description actually suggested anything like that. In fact it did the opposite of that. Because according to the blurb, they were supposed to be dating during the investigation - there was none of that. And, the female lead was supposed to make a decision, whether to be with him or not. Like it was literally in the description. That she would struggle with that choice, be conflicted etc.

There was none of that either.

Why include the “why date a mountain man” and “Felicity will have to decide what's most important to her: staying one step ahead of her “enemy” or giving herself a freedom to experiece adventure of a lifetime” of you're not gonna deliver? Felicity just went along with it with no hesitation, there was no decision to make???? She was just like “yup okay whatever” what was that???

Also, the Vegas wedding. It raised some suspicions that weren't confirmed??? But it took me out of this book and made me hate and distrust Bennet immediately. Because it was like that: Felicity and Bennet were on a stakeout in a bar, someone spiked their drinks and in the high state they decided to get married. Okay. Fine. The questions arose the next morning: because Bennet remembered everything while Felicity didn't. And Bennet's a big guy so if the dose was small... Did he knew what was happening? Was he just drugged and went along with this? Because she was. Or, more nefarious, if the dose was small enough, was he only a little tipsy, but still able to make good decisions and then decided to just marry her while she obviously couldn't give him her full consent given the state of her at the time? Those were literally the question Felicity ahs and she just... Brushes them off?? Excuse me?? If someone I trusted(or began to trust) did something like this to me while I was vulnerable and unable to say no, I would be horrified. Not horny. That would be it, the trust would be broken and no amount of grovelling would ever get it back (and there was none of grovelling. None at all). And the author just brushed the issue off! After Felicity's initial freakout, she just brushed it off and never mentions it again. Seriously?? No, don't do that! If he took advantage of her, that's not cute or romantic!! It's horrifying!

Another thing that annoyed me: the murder club. All of those women (especially Lou) were horrible and nosy and just the worst. And the female lead who was supposed to be a bounty hunter, so someone smart, just told them all the truth with no hesitation? She didn't even know them. But she immediately spilled the beans and then was surprised that the guy she was after knew about her being there? Please. Let's apply some logic here.

While it was a fun book, everything unravels when you think about it. I took offence about the consent (or lack thereof) and how it was brushed off. Just no. It took me out of the story and I couldn't enjoy it after that.

Like seriously, did he know hat was happening? Because if he had the same dose of drug as she was, there was no way he was that high. His body built and mass would protect him somewhat. If he was tipsy, he could still make decisions and then decided to take advantage of her. I hate that. That ruined the book for me (even more than over the top third act drama - and it wasn't even wrapped properly. What about their mom? And I was seriously thinking that Charlie book would be next since she was on the case AND was mentioned the most -and in epilogue we got Nora, very randomly?? Makes no sense. There was no build up to it at all. Ughhh. (Also a note from me but if authors do epilogues, make them about the main couple. Don't bring out the entire new pov that aha nothing to do with the main couple, it's not wanted nor needed. If you want to set up the next book, leave context clues and easter eggs throughout the plot instead. It's much more satisfying that way.

DNFed at 54%

Listen. I was very excited for this book until I actually got it. When I started reading it, I immediately disliked it but I tried to finished it, I really did.

There were too many unnecessary details in the writing. I don't need to know that someone crouched down to find cookie cutters in the cabinet and then rose to cut the cookies. Just say “and then he cut the cookies” or something like that. There were so many unnecessary details that didn't drive the plot forward at all, like why do I care that Lawrence appliances were too expensive? Nothing came out of it anyway. It felt like a high school student writing anything on their essay just to reach a certain word count. Unnecessary and distracting.

From what I've seen, people didn't like Elena but liked Lawrence, but I had the opposite problem. I love Elena, she was witty, strong, hardworking and opinionated. Lawrence, on the other hand was an anxious mess who had a boner for his granda. Seriously that's how he acted. His Nanna this, his Nanna that... Just give it a rest. You're an adult man, act like it. He was so annoying, honestly, I couldn't stand him most of the time.

The relationship between Lawrence and Elena was too insta love for me, and poorly developed. There were too many scenes they didn't spend time together and the focus was on other characters (cough Carmen cough) and I felt like they didnt really know each other. I couldn't feel the connection between the characters at all.

It was disappointing. I hoped for something else, tbh. It wasn't my cup of tea, but In sure this book will get many fans for it's Christmas small town feels.

3.5/5

That was an interesting book, though it wasn't as captivating as I hoped. it took me 6 days to read it. 6. days. where it should have taken me 2 at most. And not because i was busy (although i couldn't read at work), but because when i put it down for the night, I didn't have any desire to read it the next morning. Honestly, half the time I didn't even remember that I was reading it.

The first 20% or so was the most intriguing to me. Nora and Sebastian met, had insane chemistry from the get go and he was about to ask her out - but circumstances forced him to leave her bookstore, while she began pretending to be her best friend's girlfriend for his sister's wedding. Alright. The same day/week, Sebastian found out that his best friend wants her to pretend to be his girlfriend at her brother's wedding. of course, it's the same wedding.

Okay, I love it. I was super excited to see the longing between Nora and Sebastian, how they're drawn together but knowing they can't ever be together because the other person is in a relationship and they genuinely like their partners, dammit... Imagine my disappointment, where, when Sebastian and Nora reunite at the wedding, the truth about their fake relationship comes out INSTANTLY. The was no longing, no angst, nothing. They immediately learned that they're in the same boat but decided not to pursue a relationship. And I'm left like... So what's the point?? The blurb of this book clearly suggests that while Nora and Sebastian are very attracted of each other, they keep secrets - from each other too. Alas, that's not happening.

So if you're reading this book expecting longing, angst, yearning, and guilt for being attracted to a person who's in a relationship, while they pretend to be in one too - it's not the book for you. Nora and Sebastian learn instantly that the other person is faking it for whatever reason and they know that they're both currently single. The drama comes from mostly the bride and groom's families, AND the fact that Sebastian moves around a lot for work, while Nora wants to stay in the one place she calls home. That's the drama.

I was hoping for something else. I mean it was still a good boo, but the synopsis misled me. I was expecting something else, and therefore, my ranking is lower.

Also, the remaining 70-80% of the book dragged on. I loved the drama between the groom's and the bride's family, but that's it. I didn't like that Nora and Sebastian spent so much time together, knowing they shouldn't. especially not at the wedding. I know that that was the book and a story but it didn't excite me at all. I would have been more interested if they did it while believing the other was in a relationship. I don't condone cheating and I never read books with this theme, but they were both fake dating so it doesn't count, right? But I just wanted them both to feel guilt over that and that the drama would be them finding out that their respective relationships weren't real.

The sex scenes were well-written and interesting. especially the photo booth scene was excellent, I loved it The third act was the weakest part of the whole book for me, with all the drama between bride and groom distracting from the main relationship.

All in all, it wasn't the worst book, but it wasn't the best either. i was simply expecting something different.

4.5/5

That was so fun! I usually love Regency romances and this one wasn't the exception. The writing was clever and fun, the characters amazing, the plot interesting and engaging.

I loved both characters. And I loved the relationship between Silena and Peter. I loved how she tried to get him to marry someone, bu fell for him instead, and how he couldn't even imagine marrying anybody else, not even for a moment. I wish we had more of them - I would have loved a prologue with their first meeting all all the encounters that happened since then that were vaguely referenced in the book. Because at first, it seemed as if the book began in the middle and I missed a huge chunk of the plot or a backstory. I would have loved to see more of when Peter first came to England and met Silena - perhaps a few flashback scenes interwoven into a plot would have explain their relationship and connection beer. But other than that, I enjoyed the book.

I wish we met Will, though. I hoped he would come back at the end of the book to meet Peter. His relationship with Selina was supposedly special, and I get that he was hurt after what happened to his family - though I hoped he would have come back at the end. Perhaps in the next book? I would like him to come back and perhaps become interested in Lydia? I would have loved to see that.

All in all, the book was amazing and I will definitely check out Alexandra Vasti's books.

Thank you, NetGalley and Atlantic Books for proving me with the ARC of this book for my honest review.

1.75/5

I was disappointed by this book. I was expecting something better, frankly.

For a book that is marketed as a Pride and Prejudice sapphic retelling with magic it lacks the most important part of the book: the romance between the characters. The chemistry just wasn't there, there was no banter or any connection, really. Is it a retelling? A bad one. It's more of a distorted copy - one that includes all the iconic lines from the original book like “it is the truth universally acknowledged” etc. Unfortunately, the style it was written affected the book.

Jane Austen lived in 19th century so she wrote the way she spoke. It feels authentic because it was authentic to her. Unfortunately, Natania tried to copy Austen's style too much. It didn't feel genuine or effortless - it felt pompous and disgenuous.

The characters weren't written well. Poppy was a fun character, but the rest weren't. Where Edith was supposed be a brooding Darcy and Poppy a light-hearted Elizabeth, it gave them a role reversal. Darcy (Edith) was the one who struggled trying to keep the family together from cousins who tried to take away everything, while Elizabeth (Poppy) ... What, exactly? There weren't many elements from Darcy's live in Poppy, perhaps except for a loving sister. But unlike the original book, Poppy wasn't the eldest and she didn't have to be a parent to her siblings.

Like I mentioned, the writing was just bad. The chapters were long and pov changed between the paragraphs so fast, it was jarring. I couldn't get into a mind of one character and try to understand their motives and try to like them, before I was ripped away from them, forced into someone else's pov and the process began from the start again. I didn't like that, and it made me enjoy the book even less.

Thank you, NetGalley and Rebellion publishing for providing me with an ARC for my honest opinion.

1/5

I didn't like this at all. The writing style wasn't for me and the whole book was more of a “tell, don't show” which I'm not a fan of.

Isabella and Leo didn't have any chemistry whatsoever and it didn't even feel like Leo was in love with her. We were told that he was but as usual, it wasn't shown well. Also, we were reminded how they were kind of cousins all the time which took away the joy for me and made me dislike them as a couple (granted, they're not literally related: Leo is the first cousin of Isabella's sister in law - (though is she her sister in law is she is married to her husband's brother? Who knows). But anyway we were reminded how they were kind of a family and that's why Leo was trustworthy.

It took away all of the excitement for me. Also, for her he was just a stranger, and the description of the book lets us believe that Leo was Isabella's friend. That's why I wanted to read this book, I thought it would be friends to lovers where Leo loved Isabella for years and lined for her but didn't do anything about it because she was married. Not but now that she's not, he finally has his chance.

That's not what the book is about.

The writing is awkward and stiff, the characters are less than appealing and the plot is kind of boring tbh. I was hoping that Isabella would enjoy her encounters with Leo more, but all she did was to think about her list all the time which made the moment she realized she loved him and then accepted it, out of nowhere. There wasn't any foundation of it tbh.

I didn't enjoy the book at all. Thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for an ARC for an honest opinion.