arc review

Just For The Summer

Just For the Summer is out today! Thank you to the publisher for the advanced copy.

Abby continues her streak as World’s Best Romcom Author! She has the ability to make me laugh and cry at the same time like no other author I’ve ever read.  I’ve loved every book she’s written and this is no exception.

This is a book about two people who both have the same love curse – everyone they date meets the love of their life after they break up. They decide to short term date each other (just for the summer) and pouf! Their curses will be canceled out. We follow them on a series of dates, and of course real feelings develop along the way.  

We first met Justin in Yours Truly as a supportive side character so I was so glad to watch him get his HEA. He was truly just a good dude, always there for everyone else even when it’s to his detriment. I love an upstanding, big hearted man who’s not afraid to talk about his feelings.

Emma is a travel nurse, moving around from destination to destination, never settling or putting down roots. She had a rough upbringing which affects her in every way, the only person who’s ever had a piece of her heart is her BFF. She had a real journey to go on here to accept love into her life, and though I found her frustrating at times, I appreciated her character arc and growth.

Together they were adorable. I loved their dates, planned and otherwise, and how they quickly became part of each other’s lives. They had such a great easy going relationship, it just felt so right. The full cast of supporting characters were excellent. I loved both the ones we got to revisit from previous books, and the new ones we were introduced to.

There also were plenty of easter eggs to her previous books, but I think you could read this one okay as a standalone if you wanted. It might be slightly less impactful if you haven’t read at least her two last books though. 

Definitely recommend but check your TWs!

The Other Side of Disappearing

This was a soft and gentle story that I don’t quite know how to categorize. It’s an intriguing family drama, interwoven with a mystery, but it’s also a tender romance. The prose is beautifully written, quietly beautiful in a way that had me pausing often to reread.

The family drama is the main event to me, and I loved the relationship between Jess and her sister and how it grew and changed over the course of the book. My heart broke for them both, the walls they’ve had to build and how complicated their relationship had become. 

Though it’s somewhat the background story, I have to rave about the romance between Jess and Adam. Adam is such a gentle giant, so fully committed to supporting Jess however he can. Their relationship unfolded so softly, so gently, so tenderly. I just loved Adam so much!

All that being said, it was a little on the slow side for me. The mystery unfolded slowly, the romance developed slowly, I was ready for something, anything, to happen. That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy it, because I did! I’m not sure the story would have worked as well at a faster pace anyway. I realize this is contradictory. 

Overall though I thought it was really good, especially if you love more of a quiet, understated, thoughtful story!

Fangirl Down


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I was so excited to see Tessa Bailey had a golf romance! Thank you to the publisher for the ARC.⁣
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This was such a solid romcom! I know what to expect from Tessa Bailey at this point and it delivered on exactly what I wanted from her. It’s low angst, hilarious, and spicy. I can’t say it was hugely different from a lot of her other books, aside from the golf stuff, but I can’t say I really want anything different from her either.⁣
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I found myself laughing out loud often, especially at Wells’ befuddlement over his feelings for Josephine which is my favorite hallmark of Tessa’s books. He fancied himself a cold jerk with a juicy booty but he was so so so soft for his lady and I loved how he was so protective but also knew she was a badass and treated her like an equal, while also being growly and possessive. He cared in such big and small ways and it was a delight.⁣
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Josephine was a great character, and I loved the Type 1 diabetes rep. I feel like I learned some new things so that was great! She didn’t want to be only known for her T1D diagnosis and I loved how strong she was on her own. She really tamed the beast in Wells while also not letting herself get walked over. ⁣
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The two had great chemistry, it had the fan-yourself spice and dirty talk I expect from Tessa 🍑 and I just really had a great time reading it! It’s funny, it’s spicy, it’s entertaining. Definitely recommend for Tessa fans! ⁣

Ready or Not

Ready or Not is out now! Thank you to the publisher for the ARC.

Well, this was a delight. I know surprise pregnancy is a controversial trope but I actually love it and this was such a good spin on it.

Eve discovers she is pregnant after a one night stand and everything in her life begins to change (as pregnancy is wont to do). Her best friend is taking the news weird, her baby daddy is torn, and her best friend’s brother starts showing up for her when no one else is. The story carries us through her pregnancy as all these relationships start to grow and change.

Eve was an excellent heroine. She didn’t always get it right but it was admirable how she kept picking herself back up and trying. Life was not going the way she expected, she didn’t have her dream career and then to be impregnated by a bartender she hooked up really wasn’t in her plan but I loved how she just kept going. It’s told only in her POV so it’s really her story, and one I thoroughly enjoyed. 

Shep might have been the most perfect MMC I’ve ever read. I loved Shep. He is everything I don’t normally love in a MMC – blond, golden retriever, good guy. Such a good good guy. He has pined for Eve for years, so when his chance came to be there for her he took every opportunity to grow closer to her but also to be there for the baby. 

The way their relationship progressed had me downright giddy. It wasn’t all that steamy, but it was intimate and adorable. It’s a relationship of small touches and acts of service. There’s a scene where he massages her hand that made me take a sip of water because I was getting overheated. I just loved them!

I loved not just Eve and Shep but also the supporting characters. Willa is the best friend anyone would want, she would do anything for you even if it was hard for her. Ethan, the baby daddy, was struggling in such a very realistic way. He didn’t handle everything perfectly but in such a real feelings way.

I will say there were parts that felt perhaps a bit over the top about motherhood and how magical it is (one of the side characters, to summarize, said you’re self centered until you become a mother, then you become other centered and care about other people once you have children which had me blinking in confusion) but I tried not to let that bother me. 

Overall though, I loved this book. I loved it so much. It’s a top read of the year for me and I know these wonderfully flawed characters will stick with me for a long tim

Meegan

Happy Monday! How was your weekend?

Meegan releases tomorrow, thank you to the author for the ARC. 

It was so fun being back in Meegan’s world! Meegan has appeared in many of the author’s backlist books as a side character, a supportive bestie, and the romantic interest that gets left behind. 

She meets her match in Olin, the autistic tech millionaire who needs a fake girlfriend to get people off his back about dating. Olin is tall, handsome, and extremely wealthy so he practically has to beat women off with a stick but until he finds a woman who stimulates him mentally and physically, he’s not interested in dating just because. Their mutual friend Xeni introduces them, and Meegan agrees to help him out

The two grow closer as they attend a series of events, and the lines between fake and real immediately blur but Meegan’s not sure if Olin’s up for her kinky bedroom activities. Thankfully Olin loves to learn new things and throws himself into learning the dom/sub lifestyle with a little help from some friends.

This is of course spicy, filled to the brim with exploration and toys and kinks, but it’s also about finding your missing piece, the person who completes you and lets you know you’re great the way you are. I loved how accepting they both were of each other’s proclivities and how they found a home in each other.

The exploration of the BDSM/kink club world was a good one I thought, though it’s not one I know much about so I don’t really know. It was helpful to me to learn about it alongside Olin. 

The author has a really easy reading style of writing, light but touches on heavier topics with a deft hand and I always enjoy the time spent lost in the pages she writes!

I will say, I haven’t read the author’s entire backlist so some of these side characters were confusing to me. I have read Xeni and Rafe so it was great seeing those characters again but there were about a million cameos that got hard to follow. 

Overall though I loved it! 

Ashes of You

Hey! Happy Thursday. Ashes of You is out today. I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. 

I loved this addition to the Lost & Found series! Lawson is officially my favorite Hartley (sorry Roan). I am forever a sucker for the single dad/nanny trope. The forbidden vibes are just the best, along with the close proximity and throw in an age gap and I am a goner!

Lawson is the oldest Hartley sibling, a single father with his hands full not only with his three boys but also as a small town chief of police. He finally agrees to hire a nanny to help out at home, but he didn’t expect his best candidate to be someone he helped rescue years ago. 

Hallie has a lot of trauma in her past and is trying to live her life again unafraid, and I loved her relationship with Lawson and how supportive he was, but I also really loved her relationships with his boys.  Lawson fights the good fight to ignore his attraction to his much younger nanny, but eventually the close proximity wins (though this is definitely a slow burn!) and the two can’t fight their feelings anymore.

The romance was so well developed and the suspense portion will have you thinking everyone is a suspect! I loved this book, I love this series, I love the Hartley family. I’m so sad it’s over but can’t wait to see what comes next!

I Wish You Were Mine

Happy Thursday! I Wish You Were Mine by Jessica Peterson is out today 🎉  I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. 

This is book two in the Harbour Village series but can easily be read as a standalone.

I loved this! It’s got all my favorite things including:

*single dad/nanny

*age gap

*surprise pregnancy

*close proximity 

*small town

*all the spice

Maren is hired to be nanny to Tuck’s young daughter, and the two are immediately attracted to each other. I loved how their relationship progressed. Tuck tried not to be a creeper to his much younger nanny but the lust eventually won out. It wasn’t an easy path to HEA for them but I’m always glad when a book discusses mental health issues and therapy. 

It was sweet, it was spicy, it was charming, it had a cute kid, and all my favorite tropes! I really enjoyed it.

Shots and Barbs

Shots and Barbs is out today! I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is book two in the Deep Earth Dating series – you could possibly read it as a standalone if you don’t care about how humans and monsters came to be living side by side on Earth. The history is all explained in book one, Berries and Greed, but that doesn’t really affect the plot of this one at all.

I’ve got to be honest, after reading Berries and Greed (which I loved) I wasn’t so sure about getting Nuni’s story. He’s a peacocking frat/gym bro who wasn’t necessarily very nice to his little bro (the MMC of Berries and Greed)  historically. He meets his match in Anita, the competent workaholic event planner in charge of his firm’s anniversary party. 

They seem very different at first – he’s chatty and boastful while she’s quieter and more reserved, but they bring out the softer side of each other, along with their competitive sides. And their horny sides. The competitive nature of their relationship results in the best banter, I was genuinely laughing out loud throughout the whole thing. 

Like I said, I wasn’t so sure about Nuni at the beginning but he absolutely won me over by the end. If Thatcher Kelly is your favorite Max Monroe character but you wish he was a 7 ft tall monster you’ll love Nuni. 

It’s pretty low angst, just two type-A hotties hooking up a lot while pretending it’s just sex but obviously falling for each other. There’s also a forbidden romance edge to it since Anita shouldn’t be dating her client per her workplace’s rules.

It did feel a little long in parts but I still enjoyed it and thought it was a lot of fun!

Grumpy Santa

Grumpy Santa is out today! I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. 

This was a quick and sweet but spicy romance filled with all the tropey goodness you’d expect from Kat Baxter. In this we get a surprise pregnancy, boss/employee, grumpy sunshine, small town romance.

There are lots of connections and cameos from previous stories from the author, which is good because I had to rely on that previous knowledge to really get the feelings between Audrey and Jared. All these books are quick and insta-love but because of the way this story is presented (present, past, present) it feels extra quick with not a lot of time building the romance.

Overall though a quick and fun read!

BLURB

Audrey

I’ve been in love with big, brooding Jared Sawyer ever since he hired me to work in his hardware store. He scowls a lot and growls more than he talks, but there’s something about him that makes me feel like I’m right where I’m supposed to be. After one explosive night in his arms, I’m even more certain we belong together. But then he never mentions the way he kissed and held me, or the naughty things he whispered in my ear.

How is it possible that what felt like forever was just a one and done?

Just when I’m sure that the only consequences of our night together are awkward silences at work, I find out Jared left me with more than a broken heart.


GOODREADS LINK: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/200271720-grumpy-santa


PURCHASE LINKS 

US: https://amzn.to/3tb25Re
UK: https://amzn.to/3RuKrkV
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Free in Kindle Unlimited

Among the Heather

Among the Heather is out now! I received an arc in exchange for an honest review.

I love returning to Ardnoch! This world the author has built is my favorite – so cozy, so beautiful, so atmospheric. Among the Heather is book two in The Highlands series, which is a spin off of the Adair Family series.

In this we have characters we’ve met in the previous books – Aria, who is managing Ardnoch for Lachlan, and North, an up and coming hollywood star who’s laying low at Ardnoch after a scandal breaks about his past. The two are immediately attracted to each other but Aria, whose father is an extremely famous movie director, is distrustful of actors after being used by so many of them to try to get to her father. But, throw in a bit of forced proximity, a meddling sister, and intense chemistry and the two start a “no strings” affair … but will it turn into more? 

I loved both characters – Aria is so prickly but in an understandable way given her past. I loved her journey to self acceptance and her relationship with her family. I always love when we get a curvy heroine! North is just a superstar book boyfriend – so supportive, so loving, so open and willing to communicate his feelings. He definitely falls first and he made me cry at one point and I’m not usually a crier so that shows how much I love him.

There’s also a good bit of steam, some suspense, a gorgeous setting, and great secondary characters. I love this book, this series, this world, and this author. Definitely recommend!