Maybe This Time 🌸

This was my second Kasie West read and I think my expectations were too high after starting with On The Fence. This was another sweet, YA, romance but it wasn’t as addictive. An enemies to lovers, but waaaay too much time spent as enemies. Still, I liked the ‘breaking free from a small town’ theme and there were some cinematic moments. 6.5/10 🌸

Sophie dreams of being a fashion designer in New York one day, but today she’s just a florist in a small town in Alabama. She attends the same 9 events every year, with her best friend Micah whose family does the catering. This year a washed up celebrity chef Jeff Hart is in town to help, with his arrogant son Andrew tagging along. 9 events, 9 encounters and a chance to fall in love? Maybe this time!

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💛Adding some YA to my reading list and loving it! On The Fence by @kasiewest was such a sweet read, I couldn’t put it down and finished it in one sitting.

Charlie is a self proclaimed tomboy, growing up the only girl in her family and youngest of 4, she spends most of her days on the basketball court, on the soccer field or in a headlock. Until she gets a job at a local boutique and starts spending time with other women for a change. With so much changing in Charlie’s life, she falls back on her “honorary 4th brother” / the boy next door, Braden. Their late night chats over the backyard fence help them solve their problems, but soon she’s starting to see Braden in a different light. But would sharing her feelings mean losing a friend?

This was such a satisfying read, I love a good friends to lovers trope, with all the jealous antics. There are some flaws in the “female finding herself” plot having to include her discovering makeup and skirts, etc. in order to finally be herself. But beyond the cliches I seriously enjoyed this book. Braden’s barely concealed jealousy and the brothers’ protectiveness, while archetypal, is the stuff my cheesy YA dreams are made of. 9/10 💛

💍 The Bride Test by @hhoangwrites 💍

Another winner from Helen Hoang. I really enjoy her matter of fact writing style, the humour sneaks up on you and is always so heart warming.

This story follows Esme, a young Vietnamese mother who is brought to America by a woman looking for a wife for her son. Khai is a young successful accountant who feels he is incapable of loving anyone. In actuality, his autism causes him to process emotions differently. Esme is determined to crack his stony heart, and create a better life for herself and her daughter. After a summer of hijinks, some uncomfortable moments and ultimately getting to know each other, Khai and Esme both learn their worth and that they deserve to be loved.

I’m sure there are some romanticized stereotypes throughout, but I really enjoyed this story. I’m giving this one an 8.5/10 💍

Beautiful Stranger by @ChristinaLauren 💙 8.5/10 🔥

“He was my comfort food. The thing you indulge in every now and then, without guilt, knowing that it grounds you even as it’s probably not at all good for you.”

Chicago girl leaves her old life behind and meets British boy in NYC. Girl discovers she’s into voyeurism and agoraphilia, a tale as old as time! This was a super sensual story and really different from a standard erotic romance, which was refreshing. I had no idea where things were leading or what to expect. Max and Sara complimented each other so well, Max’s understanding of Sara and not trying to change her was amazing.

I liked this story so much better than the first in the series, Beautiful Bastard, and this is probably an unpopular opinion, but I even liked it just a little more than the fan favourite Beautiful Player!

Confession time ⏰

For me, fast reads = great books, slow reads = disliked.

I don’t know what it is, but I’ve learned this about myself. Typically, if I couldn’t put it down and finished the book in a day or two it’s because I loved it. If I don’t finish the book in a few days, even if I don’t realize it yet, it’s usually because I’m not loving it and when I finally do finish (because I almost never DNF) I end up disliking it. Regardless of book length.

Can you guess which book in this pic was my slow read/dislike? Hint: it’s not Colleen Hoover because she is a god.

Does the same thing happen to you? Or does your read speed never change?

Truth or Beard ❤️ another reread of this one and it still gives me all the feels.

When Duane looks at Jessica like he’s “making plans”

Bethany Winston’s advice that “Everybody loves the Beach Boys and pie” 🥧

No matter where they go Duane is always “home” for Jessica. Her dream is to see the world and his is to be with her.

I just love a small town romance theme. What are some of your favourite tropes?

Hooking Up by @helenahunting 

Holy moly🔥🔥🔥 this book lives up to its name. Since I read this series out of order, I kept hearing about Amalie and her catastrophic wedding to the human parasite Armstrong. Finally getting to read all the gory details of him cheating on her at their wedding ceremony (and the act being broadcast to everyone at the wedding via his microphone), couldn’t stop cringing. Amalie decides to take her honeymoon to Bora Bora solo and bumps into Lex (the one that got away/Armstrong’s cousin) at the airport, then the plane, then the island! But he’s just a meaningless distraction.. right?…

This story was mainly steam, but steam done well! A healthy dose of eroticism in my reading every now and then keeps things interesting lol. If you’re looking for a sweet connection, hilarious antics and some raunchiness Hooking Up is the book for you. I’m giving it a 7/10 overall but a 9/10 on the steam factor 🔥 oh babyyyy

🧢👓Undercover Bromance by @lyssakayadams One of the first books in a long while that I finished in 2 days 👍

While I enjoyed the first book of the series (Bromance Book Club) I wasn’t obsessed with it like the rest of bookstagram, giving it a 7/10. But this second one I couldn’t put down! I’m giving this one an 8.5/10.

Mack is the charming, hulking, night club owner that is behind the Bromance book club, using the things he’s learned from reading romance novels to woo women. But he can’t seem to get serious about anyone in particular. Liv is Thea’s feisty, independent sister we were introduced to in book one, and she doesn’t need anyone or anything. That is until she finds out her boss is a psycho and only Mack can seem to understand and help her expose him. Together they make a great team and learn to rely on each other through tough times. Trigger warning: this novel covers themes of sexual abuse.

Mack is hilarious and such a good person he’s an easy character to love but there were times where I thought Liv was a little too harsh. I understand her character needed to grow and it does make you appreciate the change in her when she finally trusts Mack and opens up. All in all a great read with a few meta moments, examining classic romance novel tropes and feminist theory. I love that Mack’s fave romances are enemies to lovers lol 😂

#romancereview #undercoverbromance

Making Up by Helena Hunting *featuring my new mint plant in an upcycled candle jar and my newly propagated spider plant babies 🌱

Making Up is book #3 in the Shacking Up series and as always, I am reading them completely out of order 🤪

Cosy works in a Vegas sex toy shop while finishing her college program in hotel management, when a handsome customer named Griffin walks in one day to buy “bachelor party necessities”. He also happens to be in the area for a few months on business, despite the age difference this could be the perfect set up for Cosy, who doesn’t get attached. That is until this fling starts to feel more and more serious…

Be warned: this book, like the whole Shacking Up series, is ultra steamy!! Typical of this series it’s filled with silly situations and light humour but also a connection with depth. I’m not really a fan of the virgin trope, but I liked the fact that at least Cosy wasn’t portrayed as an innocent giving up her virtue. She works in a sex shop, works hard to pay for school and knows what she wants. I liked that the age gap in the characters wasn’t glossed over, and they had some serious chemistry. I’m giving this one a 7.5/10 🔥

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I just had to read The Honey Don’t List by Christina Lauren even with the reviews, and, alright I’ll admit, it was not my fave…

I liked James and Carey’s relationship, but the story itself, as they assist their horrible bosses Mel and Rusty through their decaying marriage in the spotlight, was so anxiety inducing. As authors they did such a great job of creating characters to despise, but unfortunately for me that meant I disliked most of the scenes the bosses are in.

All in all I had low expectations going in because of other online reviews, and I was pleasantly surprised to enjoy the romance, but I’m giving it a 6/10. Combining a love story with an HGTV premise is like a marriage of my two favourite things, and it could’ve been so much more satisfying.

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