Love In Bloom is out now! Thank you to the publisher for the ARC.
I was so intrigued by this premise (city girl inherits her grandparents’ farm only to discover it’s hiding a secret) and I love any kind of “city person inherits a (building/business/etc) in a small town” kind of plot.
It was a cute low angst romcom. The FMC and MMC are into each other right away, and are together most of the book. The plot was more focused on her adapting to country life, uncovering the farm’s secrets, and planning a local festival rather than the romance, so it did border on women’s fiction for me, but that’s not a bad thing! Just depends on your preference.
Overall it was very cute if you’re looking for a low-angst romcom!
This Could be Us is out today! Thank you to the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I have said it before and I’m sure I will say it again, Kennedy Ryan is one of the most gifted storytellers I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading. Her writing is lyrical and tender and emotional and always transports me to another place.
Though there is dual POV, this is Soledad’s story. We first met her in Before I Let Go, though you could definitely read this as a standalone. After a series of devastating betrayals from her husband, she has to find a way to stand on her own for the first time in her adult life. She has three daughters to support, a career to build, and needs to find herself outside of married life. She finds herself very attracted to Judah, a man who for a lot of reasons she shouldn’t be with.
Because the majority of the story is Soledad finding herself, this was definitely in the women’s fiction territory. There is a romance for sure but it’s not the primary focus. Soledad’s journey was a great one and I loved watching her figure her place out. The way she cared for her girls, her friendships, her sisters, it was lovely.
Judah was an excellent character, so steady and sure in liking of Soledad. He’s a man who knows what he wants and is willing to be patient and play the long game to win. He wasn’t afraid to admit his feelings, or engage in a little light internet stalking to learn more about her and honestly, it was so great. What’s better than a man who shows he cares and is interested?
He’s a father to neurodiverse twin sons and their story was so beautifully told. I think the rep was so important and it was so interesting to read about how autism presents itself differently in his boys.
The two had such great chemistry from the beginning, I would have loved to see more of them together. They had an immediate attraction, then they’re not together for most of the book, then together just at the end – again, I think it’s more of a women’s fiction book so that makes sense but it did make it a little slow for me in parts.
Overall though this was such a great book from one of the best! It’s definitely going to stick with me for a long time.
Forget Me Not by Julie Soto releases tomorrow! Thank you to the publisher for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.
Well this was an amazing debut!
It’s a second chance romance between Ama, an up & coming wedding planner, and Elliot, her ex boyfriend and the florist already contracted to do the wedding Ama has just signed on to plan. It’s a well known influencer’s wedding that could launch her wedding planning career, so she’s forced to work beside the man who she shares a history with, which is unraveled through flashbacks as the book progresses.
Both characters were interesting and I liked Ama’s growth throughout the book, but the real winner for me here was Elliot. He comes across as grumpy and maybe a little rude but he’s so soft and gooey on the inside. He’s absolute book boyfriend material and I’m still swooning over the deliberate way he took care of Ama, even after she broke his heart. Also, he has a thigh tattoo.
Look, I’m not a fan in general of dual timelines (I lose interest when the timeline changes and I never feel like we get enough of them together in the present day because so much time is spent in the past) but I did appreciate that the past chapters were told from Elliot’s POV. He’s an outwardly stoic character so it was a much needed insight into what he was thinking.
The writing is light and funny but still emotional at times when it needed to be and it was honestly hard to believe this was a debut. There’s a good bit of steam, excellent supporting characters (I’m going to need Mar’s story next, thx), and a fun plot set around planning a splashy wedding.
Overall this was a really great read! Especially if you like dual timelines!
Yours Truly is out in one week! 🙌🏻 I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review and I’m so glad I did because this is one of the easiest five stars I’ve ever given (and I am stingy with 5s).
Every Abby Jimenez book I read is my new favorite, but I really think this one is my favorite favorite. The author has such an incredible way of balancing humor and emotional elements, I know every time that I will be laughing and crying within the same page.
This is Bri’s book, who we met in Part of Your World (but this can 100% be read as a standalone), and Jacob, the new ER doctor who seems to be in competition for a promotion Bri is seeking. They have a terrible start to their relationship, but that quickly turns around when Bri receives a letter from Jacob, who is better at arranging his thoughts on page than verbally. The epistolary elements here were some of my favorite parts of this, they were so funny and heartfelt without stopping the flow of the story.
I love that these were adults dealing with adult issues. Yes, there is some miscommunication happening, but for the most part they were mature adults who were just doing the best they could when life didn’t turn out like they expected. Bri is recently divorced from her husband of a decade, her best friend moved away, and her brother is in kidney failure needing a transplant. Jacob’s recent ex-girlfriend is marrying his brother and his whole family is looking at him for his reaction. I think this book will give a lot of hope to readers whose lives also didn’t turn out as expected.
I also especially loved the mental health aspects of the book. Mental health rep is never a one-size fits all endeavor because we of course all experience things differently but I have never seen such an accurate representation of MY anxiety as I did in this book. I am Jacob. He is me. I have never related to a MMC so much, or really any character.
Thank you to Abby for writing this and thank you to Forever for publishing it. The author’s note at the end really adds another dynamic layer to the story.
Romance Reviewed 