A propulsive and uncommonly wise novel about one unexpected wedding guest and the surprising people who help us start anew.
It’s a beautiful day in Newport, Rhode Island, when Phoebe Stone arrives at the grand Cornwall Inn wearing a green dress and gold heels, not a bag in sight, alone. She’s immediately mistaken by everyone in the lobby for one of the wedding people, but she’s actually the only guest at the Cornwall who isn’t here for the big event. Phoebe is here because she’s dreamt of coming for years―she hoped to shuck oysters and take sunset sails with her husband, only now she’s here without him. Meanwhile, the bride has accounted for every detail and every possible disaster the weekend might yield except for, well, Phoebe―which makes it that much more surprising when the women can’t stop confiding in each other.
In turns uproariously, absurdly funny and devastatingly tender, Alison Espach’s The Wedding People is a look at the winding paths we can take to places we never imagined―and the chance encounters it sometimes takes to reroute us.
REVIEW
I have been telling everyone I know to read The Wedding People, and I could have sworn I wrote a review, but I guess not.
This book…it was so heartbreakingly beautiful. I don’t even want to recap the book because I feel like it’s best to go in blind. Be forwarned that there are heavy subjects covered in this book. But the author has a way of making something so sad and horrifying also beautiful.
I listened to the audiobook from start to finish and Helen Laser did an amazing job portraying Phoebe. There was more than one occasion where I had goosebumps and/or there were tears streaming down my face.
The Wedding People isn’t my usual genre (romance books), even so I loved this book and can’t say enough good things about it!
I received a complimentary copy from Berkley and audiobook from PRHAudio.
SYNOPSIS
A shimmering, joyful new novel about a pair of opposites with the wrong thing in common.
Daphne always loved the way her fiancé Peter told their story. How they met (on a blustery day), fell in love (over an errant hat), and moved back to his lakeside hometown to begin their life together. He really was good at telling it…right up until the moment he realized he was actually in love with his childhood best friend Petra.
Which is how Daphne begins her new story: Stranded in beautiful Waning Bay, Michigan, without friends or family but with a dream job as a children’s librarian (that barely pays the bills), and proposing to be roommates with the only person who could possibly understand her predicament: Petra’s ex, Miles Nowak.
Scruffy and chaotic—with a penchant for taking solace in the sounds of heart break love ballads—Miles is exactly the opposite of practical, buttoned up Daphne, whose coworkers know so little about her they have a running bet that she’s either FBI or in witness protection. The roommates mainly avoid one another, until one day, while drowning their sorrows, they form a tenuous friendship and a plan. If said plan also involves posting deliberately misleading photos of their summer adventures together, well, who could blame them?
But it’s all just for show, of course, because there’s no way Daphne would actually start her new chapter by falling in love with her ex-fiancé’s new fiancée’s ex…right?
REVIEW
What you can expect to find in Funny Story -fake dating + real feelings -forced proximity -roommates -slow burn 🔥 -small town -found family
When children’s librarian, Daphne finds herself literally without a place to live because her (ex)fiancé, Peter, decided to call of their wedding on the night of his bachelor party because he still had feelings for his childhood best friend Petra – Daphne’s not quite sure what to do. She moved her whole life to be where Peter was. In a wild twist of events Daphne finds herself rooming with Miles. Miles, whose ex-fiance is non other than Petra – the same woman that Peter decided to leave Daphne for.
Miles and Daphne are both mourning the loss of their respective relationships. Daphne’s not even sure if she wants to stay in Michigan. Seems like everything she has there is because she was a part of a couple. But soon, Miles and Daphne form an unlikely friendship. He’s there to show her how great Waning Bay, Michigan can be. And if they accidentally/on purpose post pictures where it looks like they’re in a relationship – so what? But when those fake feelings start to feel really real – will both of them be able to move on from their heartache?
I ended up reading like half of Funny Story in one sitting. The writing is so captivating – balancing funny moments with heartbreaking ones is a talent that Emily Henry has in spades. I loved how enigmatic Miles once until he opened up. And the slow burn between Miles and Daphne was soooo good. Fake dating when done right is one of my absolute favorite tropes and it was done so well in Funny Story. You know you love a couple when glances, accidental touches and of course the force proximity gives you butterflies. I loved loved love Miles + Daphne.
BUT, I also love the side characters in Funny Story. Everyone from Daphne’s library co-workers to the people around town made this story that much more special. Yes, there was heartache and character growth. Did I cry? Of course I did – this is an Emily Henry book.
I had the opportunity to listen to the audiobook of Funny Story and really enjoyed it! Julie Whelan is such a wonderful narrator and once again I love how she brought Daphne’s character to life. I could feel all the emotions that Daphne was going through – whether that was joy, excitement or frustration. If you’re a fan of audiobooks I highly recommend listening to Funny Story!
Funny Story was more of a rom-com compared to last year’s Happy Place. That’s another thing I love about EH’s books – they’re all slightly different. Some are more angsty while others are more like a rom-com! I love that she gives us a little bit something different each time.
Loved Funny Story and can’t wait to go back and reread my favorite parts.
Ranking Emily Henry books (they’re all 5 stars)
1. People We Meet on Vacation 2. Book Lovers 3. Happy Place 4. Funny Story 5. Beach Read
I received a complimentary copy and audiobook from publisher.
SYNOPSIS
A dangerous alliance between a Vampyre bride and an Alpha Werewolf becomes a love deep enough to sink your teeth into in this new paranormal romance.
Misery Lark, the only daughter of the most powerful Vampyre councilman of the Southwest, is an outcast—again. Her days of living in anonymity among the Humans are over: she has been called upon to uphold a historic peacekeeping alliance between the Vampyres and their mortal enemies, the Weres, and she sees little choice but to surrender herself in the exchange—again…
Weres are ruthless and unpredictable, and their Alpha, Lowe Moreland, is no exception. He rules his pack with absolute authority, but not without justice. And, unlike the Vampyre Council, not without feeling. It’s clear from the way he tracks Misery’s every movement that he doesn’t trust her. If only he knew how right he was….
Because Misery has her own reasons to agree to this marriage of convenience, reasons that have nothing to do with politics or alliances, and everything to do with the only thing she’s ever cared about. And she is willing to do whatever it takes to get back what’s hers, even if it means a life alone in Were territory…alone with the wolf.
REVIEW
Add Bride to your tbr if you love -were x vampyre -marriage of convenience -mystery & drama -slow burn -lots of “my wife” moments -🌶🌶
Misery is a vampyre that’s been living in the Human world for years now. She feels like she blends in as much as a vamypre can. She has a human best friend, she files down her canines and doesn’t hunt humans to drink their blood – she grabs blood from a blood bank of course.
When extenuating circumstances force Misery into accepting an alliance with the Were’s by marrying their alpha Lowe Moreland she tries to make the best out of a not so ideal situation. Misery’s father may be using Misery as collateral for this makeshift alliance, but Misery has her own agenda. Her best friend Serena went missing weeks ago and the only clue she left behind had to do with the Were alpha. Misery has to try to figure out what if anything Lowe knows about Serena’s disappearance.
The Were pack have each other’s back and they all listen to their Alpha. They don’t have any love for a Vamypre living among them even if she is Lowe’s wife. But soon enough Misery finds that her only friend might be a little girl who just happens to be Lowe’s sister. The more time Misery finds herself spending with the pack, the more she ends up liking them and their fearsome, protective Alpha. Will Lowe and Misery learn to trust each other while they are contracted to stay married for at least a year?
I also had the opportunity to listen the audiobook of Bride and really enjoyed it! The narration was performed primarily by Thérèse Plummer with the chapter introductions done by Will Damron. I enjoyed Thérèse Plummer’s narration as Misery. Her voice was perfect for Misery and I could always feel the depth of emotions from her narration – everything from humor and sarcasm to sadness and longing. If you’re a fan of audiobooks I highly recommend listening to this one.
I loved loved loved Bride. While this book felt completely different from Ali’s previous contemporary novels, I couldn’t stop reading it fast enough. It was darker and yet had all of the same traits I love about Ali’s books – smart heroines with plenty of sass and wit and a hero who loves her unconditionally. I love Misery and Lowe together and didn’t want this book to end. And that ending?! I definitely need more books in this universe.
I picked up Magnolia Parks on a whim. I tried to read it a few months (maybe a year ago?) when it was on Kindle Unlimited, but couldn’t get into it. Then I kept seeing it all over social media and decided to give it another go. And this time I was fully invested. I think it’s because I let myself want to read a messy book. There’s no clear HEA at the end of these books and the characters come across as shallow and often self absorbed. But they know this and that’s what makes me love them. Lots and lots of content warning if you decide to pick up these books so be warned. I’ll list them down below. If you do pick up the Magnolia Parks books let me know what you think! I’m fully invested and am dying to read the next book in the series. Each of these books was five star read for me.
Series Reading Order:
Magnolia Parks
Daisy Haites
Magnolia Parks: The Long Way Home
Daisy Haites: The Great Undoing
Magnolia Parks: Into the Dark (releasing February 13, 2024)
This books reads as a true series so it’s really important to read the books in order! I believe there are still two more Daisy Haites books, but I don’t think anything has been announced yet!
p.s. if you’re looking for the og covers I bought them from Blackwell’s. The new updated shoe covers are available at most retailers.
Content Warnings: drug use/abuse, overdose (on page), cheating (on page), death of a loved one, threats/attempted kidnapping.
**thank you to Dutton Books and PRH Audio for the gifted books and audiobooks.
Disclosure: The links below are affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize the purchase.
I’m going to start off this review by stating that Magnolia Parks is a book/series that is not for everyone. It’s messy in so many ways and the characters are all deeply flawed with a multitude of issues. CW: substance abuse, cheating, overdose, co-dependency. That being said, I absolutely loved it because at the moment I’m loving messy romances and this book was M E S S Y 🫠
BJ Valentine and Magnolia Parks have constantly been in each others orbit. They’ve known each other forever, dated for a bit but are at an impasse. BJ cheated on Magnolia three years ago and both of them cannot move on from that betrayal. This is a book about both of them trying to move on with their lives, but not really because they can’t. They have that kind of love that’s destructive and they can’t function without each other. Yet, all the people they bring in their orbit end up getting hurt 😞.
This was my first book by Jessa Hastings and I love her writing style! It’s eccentric and fun, but then there will be certain scenes or chapter that just gut me and leave my heart crying on behalf of these characters. I have so many highlighted sections of this book 🥲🥹
If you are a fan of audiobooks – I highly highly recommend the audiobook of Magnolia Parks. The narration was done by Benjamin Noble and Ella-Rae Smith and they were amazing. They embodied BJ and Magnolia perfectly.
If you’re looking for an unconventional romance book that’s angsty and swoony and full of heartbreak I would suggest Magnolia Parks. I’m already looking forward to the next book.
What you can expect to find in Daisy Haites: -witty dialogue -a love…square? (messy messy messy) -swoony scenes that leave you with tears in your eyes -angsty scenes that leave you with tears in your eyes -CHRISTIAN HEMMES
After finishing Magnolia Parks I was reeling. I needed to find out what happened with BJ and Magnolia. And so when the book starts off with Daisy…I was internally thinking wtf? Don’t ask why even though the book literally says Daisy Haites I was still expecting Magnolia to narrate 🙈. So yeah, I was kind of like what is going on?
And then…and then I started reading this book and completely fell head over heels in love with Daisy Haites 😍. Because she’s Daisy Haites and I love her inner monologue and dialogue with every single person in this book. But especially Christian Hemmes 🫠. Gah! The scenes between these two always left me feeling something…giddy, happy, heartbroken, excited…you name it.
So basically the gist of this book is that it’s kind of happening at the same time as Magnolia Parks, but we see it from the point of view of Christian, Daisy and her brother Julian. Julian was briefly mentioned in Magnolia Parks, but we learn more about him, his empire and his sister Daisy. A lot of shit goes down and I won’t really say much without giving the book away. I will say that this was one book I literally could not put down. I read it every chance I got.
I also had an opportunity to listen to the audiobook of Daisy Haites and this audiobook is literally one of my most favorite audiobooks of all time 🥹. I loved the narration done by Adam Hugill, Sabrina Bartlett and Michael Shelford. The audio narration was absolute perfection. I especially loved Sabrina Bartlett and Adam Hugill’s portrayals of Daisy and Christian – so much emotion in their performances! I can’t wait to go back and re-listen to the audiobook.
Daisy Haites is one of my favorite books of the year. I loved every single thing about this book ❤️. Yes, the characters are still messy. Yes, there are a lot of content warnings. And yes, each and every one of these characters is fucked up in some way. But they know that and that’s what makes me keep wanting to come back into this universe and picking up these books.
When this line has you crying 😭 6% into the book you know it’s going to be The Long Way Home for BJ and Magnolia to reunite. But you’re hoping against all hope that they get there some how.
I’ve been obsessed with this series since I started it roughly a week ago. The way Magnolia Parks ended, I wasn’t too keen on BJ and the way Parks and him separated. But I loved BJ’s character growth in Long Way Home. He is trying to be better – not only for Magnolia but also for himself and it made me love him more than I did previously 🥹.
Yes, there were certain parts where I was screaming at BJ and Magnolia 😫 I wanted more than anything for them to get their happy ending, but their pain runs deep and wasn’t easy to fix with a bandaid. Still – I love these two, their history and the way they so obviously love each other.
Other things I loved about Long Way Home: -Julian … also I can’t wait to get his POV in the next book -seeing Daisy and Christian again 🥲 -why December 3rd was so special to Magnolia and BJ 😭 -the funny scenes that had me laughing out loud!
Once again, the audiobook was fantastic and I can’t recommend it enough.
And I should have known that Jessa Hasting’s was setting us up for heartbreak when the ending seemed to be tied up too perfectly…what just happened?!?!?! 😮
I can’t wait to read The Great Undoing, but I’m going to try to pace myself so I can be ready for Into the Dark
I should have known going into Daisy Haites: The Great Undoing that this book would leave my heart in pieces when it ended 💔😭
Like the previous Daisy Haites book, The Great Undoing takes place at the same time as Magnolia Parks: The Long Way Home except that it’s told in the POV of Daisy, Julian and Christian. In the end of Daisy Haites we know that:
1. Daisy wants a “normal life” 2. Daisy and Christian break up ☹️ 3. Julian has broken Daisy’s rules and is going down a dark path.
I won’t recall what happens in the book because *spoilers* but I will break down why I love these characters so much.
Daisy: I’ve always been a Daisy girl – her fierceness, her bluntness, her love and loyalty are what make her so amazing in this series. I loved to see the character growth of Daisy in this book. She wants “normal,” but her normal has always been wherever her brother is. Is she truly happy now…living with Tiller? Or is this the life she desperately thinks she wants. And at what cost? The cost of losing her brother, the cost of losing the love of her life? Daisy always breathes so much life into her character and it was hard reading some of these chapters. But also – really funny? lol I love her humor. My favorite moments of Daisy are always those with Christian. These two are just meant to be. I won’t accept anything else. And a Daisy + Magnolia friendship – I was lol’ing A LOT.
Christian: This man and the way he loves Daisy 😮💨 Yes he was an idiot in the first Daisy Haites book but I loved him then and in this book I loved him even more 😍😍😍 I lived for the moments that he had with Daisy. But also his character was so much stronger and emotionally present in this book. I loved to see how far he’s come from the last book.
Julian: Okay first of all I am a Magnolia + BJ girlie – because their love is something unique and special. Yes they hurt each other and do all sorts of messed up things – but they’ve loved each other their whole lives. BUT seeing how untethered and how in love Julian was with Magnolia made my heart break for him. Like full on tears streaming down my face because ugh Julian 🥹 He deserves to be loved and by someone who will love him as fiercely as he does them. But with him being who he is – how is that ever going to be possible….poor Julian.
This ending left me broken 😭. I need more more more books with these three characters. I am SO excited for Magnolia Parks Into the Dark and I just hope for some snippets of these three characters so it can hold me over until we get another book with them.
p.s. as always the audiobook of Daisy Haites: The Great Undoing was fantastic. This series has my favorite audiobook hands down.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author.
SYNOPSIS
An ambitious wedding planner must work with her grumpy florist ex, whose heart she broke, on the most high-profile wedding of her career, in this spicy and emotional romance from popular fanfic author Julie Soto.
He loves me; he loves me not…
Ama Torres loves being a wedding planner. But with a mother who has been married more times than you can count on your fingers, Ama has decided that marriage is not the route for her. But weddings? Weddings are amazing. As a small business owner, she knows how to match her clients with the perfect vendor to give them the wedding of their dreams. Well, almost perfect…
Elliot hates being a florist, most of the time. When his father left him the flower shop, he considered it a burden, but he’s stuck with it. Just like how he’s stuck with the way he proposed to Ama, his main collaborator and girlfriend (or was she?) two years ago. But flowers have grown on him, just like Ama did. And flowers can’t run off and never speak to him again, like Ama did.
When Ama is hired to plan a celebrity wedding that will bring her business national exposure, there’s a catch: Elliot is already contracted to design the flowers. Things are not helped by the two brides, who see the obvious chemistry between Ama and Elliot and are determined to set them up, not knowing their complicated history. Add in a meddling ex-boss, and a reality TV film crew documenting every step of the wedding prep, and Ama and Elliot’s hearts are not only in jeopardy again, but this time, their livelihoods are too.
REVIEW
In Forget Me Not expect to find: -grumpy/sunshine -second chance romance -dual storyline with flashbacks + present time -spicy scenes 🌶️ -angst & pining 🥹
Ama Torres is busy living her best life running her own wedding planner business in the greater Sacramento area. She doesn’t do long term anything and is focused on making her business better than ever. When a celebrity couple asks for Ama to plan their wedding, Ama is ecstatic! This is her chance to put her name on the map. Only one teeny tiny problem stands in her way – she’s going to have to work alongside florist Elliot Bloom – her ex boyfriend who she hasn’t talked to in years. Will these two be able to put aside their differences and work together?
I haven’t read a book in one sitting in a very long time, but as soon as I started Forget Me Not I couldn’t stop reading. The chemistry between Ama and Elliot was off the charts. I loved the subtle way Ama just inserted herself into Elliot’s life, even though he wasn’t looking for a friendship. Elliot was so grumpy and grumbly and yet he had such a soft spot for Ama. Their slow turn from friends to lovers was so sweet and their fallout was equally as devastating.
Julie Soto knows how to write spicy scenes 👀🔥. The scenes between Ama and Elliot had me melting 🫠. The intimacy between Ama and Elliot was always present and the tension and chemistry build up was perfection!
My only small gripe is that I wish that maybe there was more communication between Ama and Elliot in the present. But even still, based on feels alone and the fact that I could not put this book down – this was an easy five star romance!
I also had an opportunity to listen to the audiobook and really enjoyed it. Both Callie Dalton and Teddy Hamilton did a wonderful job brining Ama and Elliot to life! I alternated between the physical book and the audiobook and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this audiobook!
If you’re looking for an angsty, swoony, second chance romance I highly recommend Forget Me Not.
p.s. I grew up in the Sacramento area my whole life and love how many local places I recognized reading Forget Me Not. Thank you, Julie for highlighting this amazing city ❤️
Okay first of all, yes I realize that this series was originally published in 2011 and I am so so so late to the game. But to be fair – it’s been all over my bookstagram and booktok feeds lately. I picked up the series on a whim when my library hold came through. And even then, I was thinking meh I should just return it and read it some other time (lol!). I also realzied that Hoopla has the audiobooks so I figured I’d listen to the books on my runs and if I liked the book I could check out the rest from the library…
Yeah I was obsessed with the writing style, the dystopian setting and the main characters. Juliette was obviously the most complex character, but I loved her relationship with Adam and oddly even found Warner intriguing but yeah also an asshole in Shatter Me.
**MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD**
And then I moved on to Unravel Me and … phew. At this point it’s a given that if there’s angst and major swooning involved I will most likely LOVE the book. There was heaps and heaps of angst and longing in Unravel Me. Why am I not surprised that I love this setting? It’s happened time and time again and I seriously love it every time – in the ACOTAR series, in the From Blood and Ash series…I love an arc with a morally grey hero who is an asshole but underneath has a heart of gold. It seems as though Aaron Warner was definitely the blueprint for this type of character.
Ignite Me was even somehow more angstier (is that a word?) than Unravel Me. I had so many conflicting emotions and had butterflies in my stomach during so many scenes. I know who I wanted as end game and it was always Warner + Juliette and Tahereh Mafi did not make their journey easy. But their banter, their chemistry and their understanding of one another was pure perfection!
The last 3 books of the series weren’t quite as strong as the first three. But still Tahereh was able to capture me with all the angst and backstory. The fact that Warner knew Ella his whole life and his father kept separating them??? Argh I hated Anderson so much.
What I did like about the last 3 books was the varying points of view that we got. Where books one to three were mainly told from Juliette’s point of view (except for the novellas), I really liked getting Warner and Kenji’s points of view. And that last novella Believe Me (sobbing as I’m writing this review) – ugh it was just pure perfection. Do I want more time with Aaron and Juliette? always, but the way it was wrapped up was perfect.
Will I ever be able to move on from this series? I’m in such a book slump and keep rereading my favorite parts of each and every book. What an amazing series. I can’t wait to read more from Tahereh Mafi!
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Berkley and audiobook from prhaudio
SYNOPSIS
‘Tis the season for a Bromance Book Club matchmaking mission! This time, they’re pulling out the mistletoe for everyone’s favorite country music star, Colton, and his second chance at love.
Country music’s golden boy Colton Wheeler felt the most perfect harmony when he was with Gretchen Winthrop. But for her, it was a love him and leave him situation. A year later, Colton is struggling to push his music forward in a new direction. If it weren’t about to be the most magical time of year and the support of the Bromance Book Club, he’d be wallowing in self-pity.
It’s hard for immigration attorney Gretchen not to feel a little Scrooge-ish about the excess of Christmas when her clients are scrambling to afford their rent. So when her estranged, wealthy family reaches out with an offer that will allow her to better serve the community, she’s unable to say no. She just needs to convince Colton to be the new face of her family’s whiskey brand. No big deal…
Colton agrees to consider Gretchen’s offer in exchange for three dates before Christmas. With the help of the Bromance Book Club, Colton throws himself into the task of proving to her there’s a spark between them. But Gretchen and Colton will both need to overcome the ghosts of Christmas past to build a future together.
REVIEW
Colton Wheeler had a pretty wonderful night with Gretchen. But when he decides he wants something more from their one night stand, Gretchen flees. Colton hasn’t seen her in over a year when she finally waltzes back into his life with something akin to a business proposal.
Gretchen hasn’t had the best relationship with her family. But when her wealthy family decides that they want Colton as their ambassador for their whiskey line they turn to Gretchen to seal the deal. Gretchen doesn’t want to be back in Colton’s presence, but will do what’s necessary to secure a position on the board of her family’s business.
Colton’s no young buck, and decides if Gretchen wants to snag him as an ambassador then she has to agree to go on a few dates with him. Gretchen finally relents and that’s how these two slowly start to spend more time with one another and get to know about what makes each other tick.
A Very Merry Bromance was a fun addition to the Bromance Book Club series! It was great seeing the bro’s together again. I was laughing quite a lot whenever they’d all be on the same page.
I enjoyed the dichotomy of Gretchen and Colton. Where Colton was all shine-y and had a ton of Christmas spirit, Gretchen was grumpy and less so inclined to even give Christmas a thought. These two were perfect for each other and I loved how patient Colton was in giving Gretchen the space she needed especially considering her strained relationship with her family (and d-bag of a brother).
I also had an opportunity to listen to the audiobook of A Very Merry Bromance and really enjoyed listening to Andrew Eiden as narrator. He did a great job voicing Colton and Gretchen and I was laughing out loud whenever all the bro’s were together.
Overall, I enjoyed A Very Merry Bromance and this series as a whole!
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.
SYNOPSIS
A charming and wildly funny new romantic comedy by Kerry Rea, author of The Wedding Ringer.
Lucy Rourke has two great loves in her life: the gorilla troop she cares for as a primatologist and the laundry list of reality TV shows she watches to escape the fact that her actual love life doesn’t exist. And like a reality contestant gunning for the final rose, Lucy’s laser-focused on one thing: getting promoted to head keeper. So when a wildlife docuseries hosted by hotshot TV personality Kai Bridges chooses her zoo as its summer filming location, she sees an opportunity to showcase her beloved gorillas to the world and land a starring role in her department.
When Kai and his film crew arrive, however, it’s obvious to Lucy that Kai cares more about sky-high ratings than the gorillas, and he considers her a camera-averse know-it-all whose wardrobe consists entirely of khaki. But she’s surprised to discover there’s more to him than his rugged good looks and cheesy catchphrases…and that maybe a promotion isn’t the only thing she wants. But when secrets from their pasts threaten to complicate everything, Lucy discovers that happiness and success aren’t the same thing—and that finding joy just might mean getting a little wild.
REVIEW
Lucy Rourke is a junior zoo keeper and loves her job taking care of her gorilla troop. If she could have it her way she’d change nothing about her job, except for getting that promotion she’s been aiming at. Soon she has an opportunity to show her boss that she is up for the promotion when TV hot shot Kai Bridges wants to film Lucy and her crew with the gorilla habitat.
Lucy and Kai start off on the wrong foot and it only gets worse from there. Lucy doesn’t have the best time public speaking and she abhors the camera. Kai and Lucy get on each others last nerves, until they realize they have a lot of similarities. Will they try to make a relationship work between them, knowing full well that Kai is set to leave at the end of filming?
After reading the synopsis of Lucy on the Wild Side I knew to expect an enemies-to-lovers rom-com, but I didn’t expect to also feel so much for these characters. I loved every secondary character in this book from Lucy’s grandmother to her half-sister. I was invested in this story and wanted these characters to end up happier than when we first met them.
Kai and Lucy had such great chemistry. And wowza (see what I did there 😉 did Kerry bring the heat in this book 🔥🔥. I loved this delicious slow burn. These two characters were so funny and likable and yet they each had so much trauma to get past. They were so patient, kind and understanding of each others feelings and that made me root for them even more!
I loved Kerry’s debut The Wedding Ringer when I read it last year and was really anticipating Lucy on the Wild Side and I have to say – if you haven’t read Kerry’s writing yet – please change that.
I had an opportunity to listen to the audiobook of Lucy on the Wild Side and overall enjoyed moving back and forth from the audio to the physical copy of the book. I will say that I didn’t enjoy the accent for Kai as much. Perhaps a South African accent is trickier to pull off? I’m not sure – but it was not my favorite audiobook.
If you’re looking for a rom-com filled with a lot of heart, I highly recommend adding Lucy on the Wild Side to your tbr!
CW: parental neglect, anxiety (public speaking), death of a beloved animal
Release Date: April 5, 2022 (audiobook)/July 5, 2022 (book)
Publisher: Berkley
I received a complimentary audiobook from the publisher.
SYNOPSIS
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis comes a new steamy, STEMinist novella…
It will take the frosty terrain of the Arctic to show these rival scientists that their chemistry burns hot.
Mara, Sadie, and Hannah are friends first, scientists always. Though their fields of study might take them to different corners of the world, they can all agree on this universal truth: when it comes to love and science, opposites attract and rivals make you burn…
Hannah’s got a bad feeling about this. Not only has the NASA aerospace engineer found herself injured and stranded at a remote Arctic research station—but the one person willing to undertake the hazardous rescue mission is her longtime rival.
Ian has been many things to Hannah: the villain who tried to veto her expedition and ruin her career, the man who stars in her most deliciously lurid dreams…but he’s never played the hero. So why is he risking everything to be here? And why does his presence seem just as dangerous to her heart as the coming snowstorm?
To read Mara and Sadie’s stories look for the novellas Under One Roof and Stuck with You available now from Berkley
REVIEW
Hannah first meets Ian when she’s still in school. Forced to write an informational interview on someone who shares the same career girls, she decides to write it on her friend Mara’s cousin Ian. Ian is a NASA engineer and Hannah’s career aspirations are to one day work as a NASA engineer. Their one short afternoon together turns in to so much more when they act on their attraction to one another. But Hannah doesn’t do relationships and tells Ian this. He is hurt, but understands and they part their separate ones.
That is until 4 years later when Hannah and Ian meet again at NASA when Hannah ends up working there. Soon they work together and are constantly in each others orbit. But when Hannah finds out that Ian may be keeping her from her ultimate goal her shields go up.
Only, when Hannah finds herself trapped in a snow storm on an expedition it’s Ian who comes to her rescue. Will she be able to put aside her differences to find out why he’s there when he challenged her project every step of the way?
Below Zero was a short and fun novella. At this point I expect Ali’s books to make me laugh, swoon and deliver on the 🔥 and Below Zero did exactly that. I do love a good time lapse and it was fun to see Hannah, Mara and Sadie first meet and get to know each other through the length of this novella.
Ian was the ultimate cinnamon roll hero and I loved how much he cared for Hannah. I needed to know what happened to put these two individuals who liked and respected each other at odds. I totally binged the audiobook to Below Zero which was narrated by Savannah Peachwood. I have listened to audibooks narrated by Savannah Peachwood in the past and feel like she did a great job narrating Hannah and Ian in Below Zero. I could always tell what the characters were feeling and ended up listening to a majority of this audiobook in one sitting.
I will say that out of the three novellas, this book maybe felt the most like a novella to me and I wanted to feel more of a connection to Ian and Hannah. Overall I did enjoy Below Zero and this series of novellas as a whole!
Release Date: March 8, 2022 (audiobook)/June 7, 2022 (book)
Publisher: Berkley
I received a complimentary audiobook from the publisher.
SYNOPSIS
Nothing like a little rivalry between scientists to take love to the next level.
Mara, Sadie, and Hannah are friends first, scientists always. Though their fields of study might take them to different corners of the world, they can all agree on this universal truth: when it comes to love and science, opposites attract and rivals make you burn…
Logically, Sadie knows that civil engineers are supposed to build bridges. However, as a woman of STEM she also understands that variables can change, and when you are stuck for hours in a tiny New York elevator with the man who broke your heart, you earn the right to burn that brawny, blond bridge to the ground. Erik can apologize all he wants, but to quote her rebel leader—she’d just as soon kiss a Wookiee.
Not even the most sophisticated of Sadie’s superstitious rituals could have predicted such a disastrous reunion. But while she refuses to acknowledge the siren call of Erik’s steely forearms or the way his voice softens when he offers her his sweater, Sadie can’t help but wonder if there might be more layers to her cold-hearted nemesis than meet the eye. Maybe, possibly, even burned bridges can still be crossed….
To read Mara and Hannah’s stories look for the novellas Under One Roof, available now, and Below Zero, coming soon from Berkley!
REVIEW
Stuck with You starts off with Sadie being stuck on an elevator during a power outage. Maybe not the best place to be, but it gets worse when Sadie finds out she’s stuck with the person she hates the most right now – Eric Novak. Erik and Sadie had one heated, perfect night together before Sadie finds out that he betrayed her in the worst way. Will being stuck in the elevator get them to work past their issues or make them worse?
Okay first of all, I absolutely love a book with flashback scenes and in Stuck with You the scenes alternated to being stuck in the elevator and Sadie and Erik’s first meeting. While I’m typically not a fan of insta-love, it worked for me in this case.
Ali’s writing is always fun, witty and has me laughing. She definitely brought the heat again in this novella 🔥.
Stuck with You was narrated by Meg Sylvan and I feel like she did a wonderful job narrating both Sadie and Erik! Erik is Dutch and has an accent and I could always tell when he was talking. This was my first audiobook narrated by Meg Sylvan, but I am definitely a fan.
Overall I really enjoyed Stuck with You. I will say that I enjoyed the first novella, Under One Roof in the series slightly more. Overall, would give Stuck with You 4.5 stars, but rounding up because I couldn’t stop listening to the audiobook and still thoroughly enjoyed the story.
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