Kate
This is the RS Grey that I know and love. Three Strikes and You're Mine is the perfect blend of humor, tension, and steam. It's refreshing when both of the main characters are on the same page and know what they want and go for it with very little drama involved. That may not make an interesting story for some but I really enjoyed it.
A Girl Called Samson is a story loosely based off of the real Deborah Sampson, a woman whom disguised herself as a man in order to join the army and fight in the Revolutionary War.
When this book was first announced, I was so excited because I am such a fan of Amy Harmon and her historical romances are some of my most favorite books. She has an effortless way of taking an ugly moment in history and creating beauty in it. She does the same with Deborah's story, leaving me sobbing and happy and hopeful at the same time.
This was my first book by Katherine Center so I wasn't sure what to expect going into it. There were aspects of this book that I really enjoyed and there were some that just didn't make a whole lot of sense to me.
Hello Stranger could sort of be considered a love triangle which is typically one of my least favorite tropes, however this is a love triangle with a twist and I actually really liked the way it was done here. The twist was refreshing and not something I've read about before in a romance novel. And the love interest(s) are super sweet so that was a plus.
My hang-ups with this book are basically everything about Sadie's family. I just thought the whole evil step-sister plot was over the top and unnecessary and then it was wrapped up too nicely at the end.
Overall, it was an enjoyable read and I'll definitely give Katherine Center another shot.
Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
This might be my least favorite book by RS Grey. Usually her books are fun and filled with charm and witty banter. This book was so boring, like she wasn't even into writing it. Both MCs are filthy rich and that was extent of their personalities. They barely spend any time together to form a relationship/feelings. Also if I have to hear the word “betrothed” in a contemporary romance one more time, I'll scream.
I usually love most things MZ writes but this one was a miss for me. I can take her usual toilet humor in small doses but it just seemed like it was dialed up quite a few notches in this book. The first half of the book was so hard to get through, I nearly considered DNFing. Thankfully the second half got a little better but I was overall disappointed.
This left me feeling a bit indifferent. I'm not sure what I expected or wanted going into this as I was satisfied with the way Lily's story ended in IEWU and didn't think a sequel was necessary but since Colleen caved to the BookTok crowd and wrote one, I figured I should read it.
One thing I was hoping that this book would include was Ryle finally facing some consequences for his actions. We didn't really get that unfortunately. I feel like there was actually too much of him for a story that was supposed to be about Lily and Atlas.
I am always wary when my favorite authors branch out and write something a bit different than what I am used to reading from them but shame on me for ever questioning Christina Lauren. I really loved this book. It was the perfect mix of second chance romance and adventure/mystery. It was such a fun read with all kinds of twists and turns that kept me on my toes. Highly recommend!
This book felt less like a follow up to Boyfriend Material and more like a spin-off about Luc and Luc's friends' weddings where Oliver was just a background character for the majority of it. It was a drag to get through if I'm being honest. I was hoping the sole focus would have been on Luc and Oliver and their wedding planning with sweet and chaotic moments thrown in but this just wasn't it.
The only saving grace, in my opinion, was the end which was a bit unconventional but it felt the most like the old Luc and Oliver from Boyfriend Material so I was happy to see it end the way that it did.
RS Grey is always so hit or miss for me. This one was a big miss. The story is kind of all over the place.
It's not really a student/teacher romance as the title would suggest as Emelia is in Professor Barclay's class for all of a few days before she drops it. Then after a brief, out of left field interaction in a bar bathroom, they don't see each other for 4 years. There wasn't enough of a relationship established between them at that point for me to believe that they'd still be pining for each other after all that time. Emelia's backstory was also very far fetched that I spent the majority of the book asking myself why is this relevant? So this was just not the book for me.
Really late to the game with this book but better late than never I guess. I enjoyed the story as much as possible knowing going into it that both of the main characters were going to die at the end. (Not a spoiler when it's the title of the book!)
My only complaint is that because I knew the outcome going into the book, I didn't let myself get as attached to the characters as I normally would. According to BookTok, I should have been in a massive puddle of tears at the end but because I knew what was coming, it was not as emotional of a read for me as it could have been. But overall, it was an intriguing read and kept me on the edge of my seat. Definitely recommend!
2.5-3 stars. Very much like the Katherine Heigl/Josh Duhamel movie Life as We Know It. It was just an ok read for me. I thought it was missing that certain spark that pushes books into 4/5 star territory.
At first, I thought the MMC was overly harsh to the FMC even though they were both new to parenting. There was really nothing redeeming about him after that point. Supposedly the characters have been in love with each other all along but I didn't really feel a connection between them at all.
Then the twist the author throws in at 90% was really unnecessary and didn't add much to the story.
Overall, not a terrible read but not very memorable.
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for honest review.
I am always blown away by Amy Harmon's ability to tell a captivating story, regardless of genre. She has not disappointed me yet. The Unknown Beloved really hooked me from the first chapter and didn't let go until I finished it. There is something for everyone in this story. Murder, mystery, history, romance, and even some supernatural bits thrown in.
What I am most impressed with is that this book is loosely based on true events. The Mad Butcher of Kingsbury Run was a real serial killer in 1930s Cleveland. A lot of the characters in this story were real people. You can tell that extensive research went into this book and Amy wove the fictional love story into the true pieces so wonderfully.
The story begins in 1923 Chicago. Ten year-old Dani Flanagan sneaks out of her home to check on a litter of kittens. When she returns, she finds her parents dead and her home an active crime scene. Officer Michael Malone is tasked with transporting Dani to her only remaining family in Cleveland.
Fast forward 15 years and Cleveland has a serial killer running rampant that no one can seem to catch. Having been involved in the takedown of Al Capone and believed to be one of the best in the business, Michael Malone is assigned to the case to try to uncover any information about the murders.
While in Cleveland, Michael's close friend and colleague Eliot Ness books him a room at the home of a family of seamstresses. Upon his arrival, he meets Daniela Kos who just so happens to be the same Dani that he helped 15 years before. He is instantly transfixed by her and she, him. Over the course of the story, Malone finds that Dani has skills that may be useful in his search for the Butcher. As they try to solve the mystery of the Mad Butcher of Kingsbury Run, their romance blooms and it's slow and sweet and torturous all at the same time.
ARC provided by NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing in exchange for honest review.
Very Hating Game-esque with two rival teachers who are tasked with chaperoning a group of students on a summer trip to Rome. The banter between the main characters was great. I could definitely feel the tension rising between them as the story progressed. My only complaint is this book had literally ZERO steam.
I'm very torn by this book. On one hand, I liked it. It was a very emotional read. I don't usually get emotional over Colleen Hoover's books but this one had me getting choked up several times throughout the story. I really felt for Kenna. I felt her pain and remorse over everything that happened. I also felt for Ledger and Scotty's parents and understood why they made certain judgements, even if I didn't necessarily agree with them.
On the other hand though, I finished the book feeling less than satisfied with it. It ended the way I had hoped it would but I felt like it was too rushed and needed a bit more oomph before it came to the conclusion it did. This book would have benefited from another 50-100 pages.
Overall, not my favorite book by CoHo but still a compelling read.
I tend to avoid books involving pregnancy/babies because more often than not, there is messy ex drama or someone decides to keep their baby a secret because why should the father deserve to know? and I'm just not here for it. But something about this book lured me in and I am not upset about it.
Gemma is a 32-year-old divorcee with health issues that make it difficult for her to conceive a child. Fed up with her meddling family who can't help but point out her flaws any chance they get, she decides to take matters into her own hands and become a mom all on her own via IVF. There's a key ingredient needed in the baby-making process, however, and instead of choosing an anonymous donor, she asks longtime family friend Josh if he would be interested in donating to her cause.. Little does Gemma know that Josh has been pining for her for years.
The best part about this book was Josh. He was so patient and kind to Gemma, even when she may not have deserved it. Gemma was hard to like at times. She came across as a judgy bitch more than once but by the end of the book, I couldn't help but root for her. I also could have done without the Ian storyline. But otherwise, this book was delightful. I couldn't put it down and definitely stayed up way too late in order to finish it.
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for honest review.
I don't know if this book was based off of One Direction/Larry fanfiction but I think it has too many similarities to not be somewhat based on them. Two members of a boyband begin a relationship with each other but their management team forces them to keep their sexualities and relationship a secret?? Yeah.
The romance was not the greatest. The main characters were very one-dimensional. I often couldn't tell who's chapter I was reading. Just kind of blah overall. The side characters were more interesting.
I enjoyed this book a lot, although I wish characters in fake dating situations would get over this whole “this person that I am secretly in love with can't POSSIBLY like me back and they are only fake dating me for other reasons” thing because that gets annoying after a while. JUST ADMIT YOU WANT TO REAL DATE.
Going into this book, I was expecting a rom-com but I would consider this more of a contemporary romance as there was not a whole lot of comedy. Unfortunately it didn't grip me as much as The Ex-Talk did. I never felt fully connected to the characters and it felt like a chore at times to get through. I understand the importance of authors writing stories that focus on mental health, however I wish this book would have been marketed that way rather than as a romantic comedy as I had certain expectations going into it and instead it ended up being a book dealing with some pretty heavy topics that I typically need to be in the right headspace to enjoy.
ARC provided by Edelweiss in exchange for honest review.