Category: Office Romance

ARC Review First-Time Caller by B.K. Borison

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First-Time Caller by BK Borison

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Series: Heartstrings #1

Heat Level: 🔥🔥

Release Date: February 11, 2025

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and audiobook from prhaudio.

SYNOPSIS

A hopeless romantic meets a jaded radio host in this cozy, Sleepless in Seattle-inspired love story from beloved author B.K. Borison.

Aiden Valentine has a secret: he’s fallen out of love with love. And as the host of Baltimore’s romance hotline, that’s a bit of a problem. But when a young girl calls in to the station asking for dating advice for her mom, the interview goes viral, thrusting Aiden and Heartstrings into the limelight.

Lucie Stone thought she was doing just fine. She has a good job; an incredible family; and a smart, slightly devious kid. But when all of Baltimore is suddenly scrutinizing her love life-or lack thereof—she begins to question if she’s as happy as she thought. Maybe a little more romance wouldn’t be such a bad thing.

Everyone wants Lucie to find her happy ending… even the handsome, temperamental man calling the shots. But when sparks start to fly behind the scenes, Lucie must make the final call between the radio-sponsored happily ever after or the man in the headphones next to her.

REVIEW

okay first of all – he wears a thin gold chain 🫦 AND he keeps a list of her favorite things 🫠

I finished First-Time Caller a few months ago and I’m still thinking about it. I loved everything about this book. Single parent romances can be hit and miss for me, but B.K. Borison knew what she was doing with First-Time Caller. I loved loved loved Aiden + Lucie. If you’re looking for…

-forced proximity
-slow burn
-strangers to friends to lovers
-single mom
-found family/family bond
-tension
-she wants magic and love x he doesn’t believe in that
-she’s a mechanic

Okay hear me out – didn’t realize I was going to love this so much until I read it in First Time Caller…he has a gold chain and plays with it when he’s nervous or anxious – gah!!! (brought me back to Connell and his chain from Normal People). Okay…moving on now

THIS BOOK. This book was so so so good. I read Business Casual last year and didn’t think that BK Borison could top that, but she did. I have not watched Sleepless in Seattle (maybe I need to?) so I’m not sure how to compare this book to that movie, but I will say that I was hooked right from the beginning. I loved the dynamics with all the characters in this book. From Lucie and her ex (also baby daddy) to Aiden and his co-worker/best friend Jackson. Every person in this book had an important role to play and I appreciate that none of them were there just for the sake of it.

And the relationship between Aiden and Lucie 🥹 I loved the banter and tension between these two. Ugh. This is one of those books that I wanted to fly through and at the same time I didn’t want it to end. These two were just so good for one another.

If you are a fan of audiobooks, I highly recommend listening to First-Time Caller. I had an opportunity to listen to the audiobook and it was phenomenal. I feel like E.J. Bingham and Hathaway Lee did such an amazing job bringing life to Aiden and Lucie! I seriously enjoyed this audiobook rendition so much.

Only gripe with First-Time Caller … I didn’t want it to end.

Absolutely cannot wait for the next book in the series! BK Borison is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors.

I would recommend you add this book to your tbr!

Spotlight – With Love, from Cold World

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With Love, from Cold World by Alicia Thompson

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Date: August 1, 2023

Publisher: Berkley

A heated rivalry at a winter destination in Florida?! Say no more! When Lauren and Asa have to work together to try to save theme park they both work at will they be able to put aside their differences? And what happens when they both start actually enjoying spending time together?

I love a good rom-com and I look forward to reading With Love, from Cold World especially after really enjoying Love in the Time of Serial Killers last year!

SYNOPSIS

She has a to-do list a mile long and falling for her coworker isn’t on it–yet somehow he’s become her top priority in this romantic comedy from the national bestselling author of Love in the Time of Serial Killers.

Lauren Fox is the bookkeeper for Cold World, a tourist destination that’s always a winter wonderland despite being located in humid Orlando, Florida. Sure, it’s ranked way below any of the trademarked amusement parks and maybe foot traffic could be better. But it’s a fun place to work, even if “fun” isn’t exactly Lauren’s middle name.

Her coworker Asa Williamson, on the other hand, is all about finding ways to enliven his days at Cold World–whether that means organizing the Secret Santa or teasing Lauren. When the owner asks Lauren and Asa to propose something (anything, really) to raise more revenue, their rivalry heats up as they compete to come up with the best idea. But the situation is more dire than they thought, and it might take these polar opposites working together to save the day. If Asa thought Lauren didn’t know how to enjoy herself, he’s surprised by how much he enjoys spending time together. And if Lauren thought Asa wasn’t serious about anything, she’s surprised by how seriously he seems to take her.

As Lauren and Asa work to save their beloved wintery spot, they realize the real attraction might be the heat generating between them.

ARC Review – Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood

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Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Heat Level: 🔥🔥

Release Date: June 13, 2023

Publisher: Berkley

I received a complimentary copy of this book/audiobook from the publisher.

SYNOPSIS

The many lives of theoretical physicist Elsie Hannaway have finally caught up with her. By day, she’s an adjunct professor, toiling away at grading labs and teaching thermodynamics in the hopes of landing tenure. By other day, Elsie makes up for her non-existent paycheck by offering her services as a fake girlfriend, tapping into her expertly honed people pleasing skills to embody whichever version of herself the client needs.

Honestly, it’s a pretty sweet gig—until her carefully constructed Elsie-verse comes crashing down. Because Jack Smith, the annoyingly attractive and broody older brother of her favorite client, turns out to be the cold-hearted experimental physicist who ruined her mentor’s career and undermined the reputation of theorists everywhere. And that same Jack who now sits on the hiring committee at MIT, right between Elsie and her dream job.

Elsie is prepared for an all-out war of scholarly sabotage but…those long, penetrating looks? Not having to be anything other than her true self when she’s with him? Will falling into an experimentalist’s orbit finally tempt her to put her most guarded theories on love into practice?

REVIEW

What I loved about Love, Theoretically
-classic Ali Hazelwood humor
-the banter (gah the banter)
-the way I related so much to Elsie
-angsty in a way that I loved

Elsie Hannaway lives a double life…she’s an adjunct physics professor by day and offers herself as a “fake girlfriend” in the evenings. The extra gig in the evenings helps pay for some of Elsie’s bills; teaching alone definitely isn’t making all her ends meet. When Elsie’s most recent fake boyfriend ends up having a brooding older brother, Elsie doesn’t make much of it. She tries to avoid Jack Smith at all costs. Except Jack Smith ends up being on the hiring committee of a job that Elsie interviews for. Things get complicated when Elsie has to reconcile her two personalities while simultaneously trying to compete for her dream job.

Love, Theoretically was angsty, swoony, a bit taboo and messy (in the best way) and I absolutely loved this book. The romance between Jack and Elsie was slow burning, sexy and so damn sweet. I think my current boyfriend is whoever was in Ali’s most recent book and then she writes another hero who I can’t help but fall for. I loved how Jack saw through Elsie and didn’t let her be anyone but herself with him. Being vulnerable for your partner is scary and I felt all of these scary thoughts with Elsie while she slowly let go of her inhibitions with Jack.

But what I loved most about Love, Theoretically, was Elsie’s self discovery. I feel that so many of us deal with imposter syndrome. I know that I do – whether that’s in my field of work, at home or even on social media. It’s easy to fit ourselves into a slot to appease those of us around us. But what about what we want or what we truly believe. Sometimes those important parts of ourselves get pushed to the side and after that’s been happening for so long you forget about what really matters to you. I loved loved loved that Jack saw through this with Elsie. He was observant and sweet and never judging her – he only wanted to see her and want her to be her true self around him…swoon.

I also had an opportunity to listen to the audiobook of Love, Theoretically and really enjoyed it! Thérèse Plummer did an amazing job bringing Elsie’s character to life! I could always tell when she was excited, nervous, angry or happy! If you’re a fan of audiobooks I highly recommend Love, Theoretically.

Love, Theoretically definitely moved its way up there as one of my favorite Ali Hazelwood romances.

Ranking Ali Hazelwood books (they’re all 5 stars)
1. The Love Hypotehsis
2. Love, Theoretically
3. Love on the Brain

Highly recommend preordering Love, Theoretically. I can’t wait to have a physical copy for my shelf 🥰

Review – Flawless & Heartless by Elsie Silver

~ Tej ~ 1 Comment

Flawless & Heartless by Elsie Silver

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Genre: Contemporary Romance/Cowboy Romance

Series: Chestnut Springs #1 & #2

Heat Level: 🔥🔥🔥

I ended up reading this series after I kept seeing these books all over booktok and bookstagram! I’m so glad I decided to pick them up because I ended up reading both books in the Chestnut Springs series in a matter of just a few days. I love the world that Elsie Silver has created with this series. I’ll be the first to say that I’m not a big fan of cowboy romances and yet I could not stop reading and being fascinated with bull riding and ranching. So yeah – big fan of Elsie Silver 😍 I can’t wait to go back and read through her backlist! If you pick up either of these books I’d love to know your thoughts.

Flawless by Elise Silver

Review

Rhett Eaton has been felled by milk.

When the media catches wind of bull riding superstar Rhett Eaton saying that he hates drinking milk – one of his biggest sponsors drops him. Not only that – Rhett manages to come under heat after punching a reporter who wouldn’t get out of his face. So when his manager assigns him an associate from his office to watch over Rhett to make sure he doesn’t get into anymore trouble, Rhett does not anticipate it being his agents daughter Summer.

Summer just graduated law school and is looking to join her dad’s firm. This seems like a test to her and she’s willing to do whatever it takes to work with her dad and stay on at the firm. If that means making sure that Rhett maintains his good boy image, then Summer is willing to do whatever it takes. He doesn’t need any more scandals before he tries to win his third golden buckle.

Flawless had so many of my favorite things in a romance
-forced proximity
-slow burn
-often hilarious text messages
-dual POV
-angst
-spicy scenes
-a hero who seems like an asshole, but is actually a sweetheart
-a fierce/independent heroine who doesn’t judge the hero

I could go and on about why I loved this book. The chemistry, the banter, the way these two needed each other. Not because they felt incomplete, but rather because they lifted each other up. They were always there for one another and their relationship was built on that foundation.

I’m so glad I decided to read Flawless!

Heartless by Elsie Silver

Review

After finishing Flawless, I knew that I had to start Cade’s story with Heartless and I loved this single dad romance so much! Cade is striking out on finding nanny’s for his son, Luke. When Summer (Rhett’s fiancee from book 1) says she has the perfect candidate in mind for Cade, he doesn’t expect for it to be her HOT best friend Willa.

Willa’s not quite sure how she got roped into being nanny to a little boy for the summer while his grumpy dad works on the ranch. But she’s been feeling restless and decides a little change for the summer will be good for her. What Willa doesn’t count on is falling for both the sweet boy she’s caring for as well as his dad.

Okay, first off – I don’t usually gravitate towards single dad romances. I’ve read them in the past and they’ve been meh – but after reading and falling completely in love with link: Flawless I knew that I had to continue with the next book in the series. And oh boy – how I loved Daddy Cade and Willa together. These two had so much chemistry and the way they flirted with one another was so 🔥. If I’ve learned anything about Elsie Silver is that she definitely knows how to write those dirty talking heroes. The scene in the kitchen – iykyk

What worked for me the most was how these two individuals didn’t want to depend on another person. Cade has been used to holding down the fort. He’s always been the one to take care of his siblings and then his son when his ex-wife ran off. So it’s hard for him to be taken care of. Willa is the same – she’s always been able to move around. I loved her growth throughout the book and how content she was even though she didn’t have her whole life figured out yet.

What I love about Elsie’s books is that she’s able to bring all the elements I love in a romance
-hilarious banter
-angst
-texting – not just between Cade & Willa, but every single character in this world
-scenes that make me laugh out loud
-scenes that make me want to cry

I could go on and on about how amazing this series is! I’m anxiously awaiting the next book in the series!

ARC Review – The Devil You Know

~ Tej ~ 1 Comment

The Devil You Know by Elizabeth O’Roark

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Series: Devil #3

Heat Level: 🔥🔥🔥

Release Date: June 23, 2022

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Valentine PR

SYNOPSIS

There’s a devil on my shoulder, and every Monday morning she announces herself. She’s this delicious flame in my chest, a flurry of whispered suggestions in my ear. Suggestions I ignore…because every single one of them is about Ben Tate.

Ben—Stealer of Clients, Evicter of Homeless Women, Nemesis. Sitting across from me every damn Monday with his lovely, smug smile and his too-perfect teeth, the living symbol of everything I hate.

It’s been my policy to avoid him, but when a case comes into the firm—one that could change his career and mine—I make an exception. It means weekends and evenings by his side. It means enduring his smirk and his smart mouth and never taking the bait.

Until the night Ben says, “Beg.”
And that devil on my shoulder decides to make a few demands of her own.

REVIEW

Gemma is one one singular goal – to make partner in her firm. She’s sick of the all boys club and is willing to put in her time until she makes partner. Except this time she has to put in time with the one partner that annoys her the most – Ben Tate. Ben the person who stole her client as soon as he came on with the firm, the one who is constantly teasing her and pushing all her buttons. But the more time they spend together the harder it is to ignore their growing attraction. Will Gemma be able to prove that she’s willing to make partner at the firm and have a relationship with Ben?

Gah, how I loved The Devil You Know. After getting glimpses of Ben in the previous books in this series I was so excited to finally get his story. But I have to be honest – I totally fell in love with Gemma. Gemma who’s prickly on the outside, but soft and gooey on the inside. Gemma who has been burned so many times before that she doesn’t know who to trust and definitely not sure if she can trust the one person she wants to trust the most – Ben.

These two had so much chemistry together and I loved every single moment they had together. The banter was exceptional and there was SO MUCH ANGST. The angst had butterflies in my stomach and tears streaming down my face. I’ve already read and re-read my favorite parts.

I highly recommend this entire series and this book was everything I want in a romance book. If you’re looking for a forced proximity, angsty, workplace enemies to lovers romance – I highly recommend The Devil You Know.

CW: workplace harassment, cheating (past character), depression (secondary character), parental neglect.

Below Zero ALC Review

~ Tej ~ 2 Comments

Below Zero by Ali Hazelwood

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Series: STEMinist Novellas #3

Heat Level: 🔥🔥

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!

ARC Review – Peanut by Lucy Watson

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Peanut by Lucy Watson

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Heat Level: 🔥

Release Date: March 25, 2022

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author.

SYNOPSIS

A slow-burn friends-to-lovers standalone featuring Nick from Shortcake.

Note to self:

Next time your life falls apart, don’t hobble your broken ass back to your hometown to hide out. You think it will buy you time to glue yourself back together, but it won’t.

Why not?

Nicolas freaking MacGregor.

You remember him, right? Your stepbrother’s best friend. The boy you shared secrets with and maybe-loved once. The boy you asked to be your first kiss.

The one who shattered your glass heart into a million pieces.

Well, that Nick rents your grandpa’s guest house now. And yep, he still has boundary issues.

FYI, the lanky skater boy with a sweet smile and crooked glasses has turned into a tattooed Viking with a devilish grin and a body of lean-muscled perfection you will not think about. Ever.

You’re wiser now, Riley, so I know you won’t fall for him again. Right?

PS: When he smiles and his cheek creases in that near-dimple way, run.

Trigger Warnings: childhood abuse (not shown); mentions of weight (no sizes or scale numbers); discussions of mental health, including PTSD and anxiety; cheating ex (not shown); violence (in flashback); body shaming (by parent); cursing and vulgar language; explicit sexual content.

REVIEW

I just finished binge reading Peanut and this book…this book took my whole heart and ripped it apart and then put it back together again. Seriously I was sobbing into my pillow while staying up way too late reading this amazing book. I knew after reading and loving Shortcake that I needed the next book in the series ASAP and Lucy did not disappoint!

Peanut follows the story of Riley and Nick. These two group up together and shared their deepest darkest secrets with one another…until they didn’t anymore. Riley up and left to LA to pursue a dancing career and Nick stayed back to become a prolific tattoo artist. Riley is back after being gone for over a decade. Broke and needing a place to stay she ends up crashing at her grandfather’s house only to find out that her neighbor is – yep you guessed it – Nick. Will these two pick up their easy friendship? Even though Riley has always longed for more than that from Nick and he’s always shot her down.

I honestly cannot put into words how much I loved this book. I binge read it and every time I would look down to see what percentage I was at I wished there was more to this book. More Nick and Riley. More of the crew together again. More angst and swooniness and lovely lovely words written by the talented Lucy Watson.

At times, Peanut was not an easy read. But the writing was always beautiful and really tugged at my heartstrings. The love that Riley and Nick had for one another was so damn sweet and I was rooting for these two to get together right from the beginning. Their journey was filled with so much emotion.

Not only did I love Riley and Nick’s journey, but every single secondary character had an important part of the story. Nick’s co-workers and friends at the tattoo parlor were so much fun! When they were on the page I was guaranteed to be laughing. It was also a treat to see Nick’s friends from Shortcake including a few scenes featuring Ben & Emelia who I loved!

If you love a swoony, angsty, second chance, slow burn romance I would highly recommend you pre-order Peanut!

CW(from Lucy herself): childhood abuse (not shown); mentions of weight (no sizes or scale numbers); discussions of mental health, including PTSD and anxiety; cheating ex (not shown); violence (in flashback); body shaming (by parent); cursing and vulgar language; explicit sexual content

Love, Lists, and Fancy Ships ARC Review

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Love, Lists, and Fancy Ships by Sarah Grunder Ruiz

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Genre: Contemporary Romance/Women’s Fiction

Heat Level: Closed Door

Release Date: November 23, 2021

Publisher: Berkley

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.

SYNOPSIS

Sometimes a yacht, a bold bucket list, and a kiss with a handsome stranger are all a person needs to dive into the deep end of life.

For the last year, yacht stewardess Jo Walker has been attempting to complete a bucket list of thirty things she wants to accomplish by her birthday. Jo has almost everything she’s ever wanted, including a condo on the beach (though she’s the youngest resident by thirty years) and an exciting job (albeit below deck) that lets her travel the world.

Jo is on track until a family tragedy turns her life upside down, and the list falls by the wayside. But when her two nieces show up unannounced with plans to stay the summer, they discover her list and insist on helping Jo finish it. Though the remaining eight items (which include running a marathon, visiting ten countries, and sleeping in a castle) seem impossible to complete in twelve weeks, Jo takes on the challenge.

When she summons the courage to complete item number five–kiss a stranger–and meets Alex Hayes, all bets are off. As her feelings for Alex intensify and Jo’s inability to confront difficult emotions about her family complicates her relationships, she must learn to quit playing it safe with her heart before she loses what matters most.

REVIEW

Yacht stewardess Jo Walker is on a mission – to complete a 30 before 30 bucket list! She’s checked off so many of the items on her list and only has a handful of things left to do. But recently Jo hasn’t felt much like celebrating or ticking items off of a list. She lost her young nephew and she now feels lost and not so sure what brings her joy.

But Jo’s summer is about to turn upside down because her nieces are coming to visit for the summer! And they are adamant that Jo completes her list. One of the items on Jo’s list is kissing a stranger and Jo soon realizes that the stranger she ended up kissing would be no other than the yacht chef Alex or hot yacht chef as he wants to be known (lol!). As Jo and Alex grow closer, will she let down her guard and let him in or keep everything on the surface as she has been since her nephew passed.

Love, Lists, and Fancy Ships was such an emotional read for me. Sarah’s writing was so poignant and she truly writes beautiful prose. I would stop reading a passage just to reread it again. I felt Jo’s pain as well as the pain of her nieces and even her sister after losing a prominent figure in their lives. And while yes, the heavy parts of this book could be really heavy – I also found myself laughing or grinning like a fool at the antics of Jo and her nieces, or Jo and her best friend Nina or Jo and Alex (swoon)!

While LL&FS crossed over more to women’s fiction, the romance aspect was definitely prominent. I was longing for Alex and Jo to find their way to one another. They both had to get there on their own though and I loved their respective journey’s.

I highly recommend Love, Lists and Fancy Ships and can’t wait to read the next book in this series!

CW: death of a loved one, grief, parental neglect, cheating (not main character)

ARC Review A Lot Like Adios

~ Tej ~ 3 Comments

A Lot Like Adios by Alexis Daria

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Heat Level: 🔥🔥🔥

Release Date: September 14, 2021

Publisher: Avon

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.

SYNOPSIS

Hi Mich. It’s Gabe.

After burning out in her corporate marketing career, Michelle Amato has built a thriving freelance business as a graphic designer. So what if her love life is nonexistent? She’s perfectly fine being the black sheep of her marriage-obsessed Puerto Rican-Italian family. Besides, the only guy who ever made her want happily-ever-after disappeared thirteen years ago.

It’s been a long time.

Gabriel Aguilar left the Bronx at eighteen to escape his parents’ demanding expectations, but it also meant saying goodbye to Michelle, his best friend and longtime crush. Now, he’s the successful co-owner of LA’s hottest celebrity gym, with an investor who insists on opening a New York City location. It’s the last place Gabe wants to go, but when Michelle is unexpectedly brought on board to spearhead the new marketing campaign, everything Gabe’s been running from catches up with him.

I’ve missed you.

Michelle is torn between holding Gabe at arm’s length or picking up right where they left off—in her bed. As they work on the campaign, old feelings resurface, and their reunion takes a sexy turn. Facing mounting pressure from their families—who think they’re dating—and growing uncertainty about their futures, can they resolve their past mistakes, or is it only a matter of time before Gabe says adiós again?

REVIEW

Gabe and Mich (Michelle) grew up literally right next door to one another. They were the best of friends – always hanging out, even going so far as writing fanfic for their favorite show. But when it came time to go to college, Gabe left to go to California for a new start. He didn’t say goodbye to anyone, not even Mich.

It’s twelve years late and fate throws Gabe and Michelle back together. Gabe is now part owner of a sports club. Michelle is a freelance graphic designer. When Gabe’s partner reaches out to Michelle (without knowing her relationship to Gabe) she agrees to take on the job. Gabe finally gets in touch with Michelle and they agree to work together. They’ve missed each other and this will be a great opportunity to get back in each others lives.

But the more time Gabe and Mich end up spending together, the complicated their relationship becomes. Not to mention the strained relationship that Gabe has with his family. Will these two be able to forgive each other and themselves and move on?

I really enjoyed A Lot Like Adios. I am a sucker for a second chance romance and these two had so many emotional memories tied to the past. I loved the back and forth being tied in with their fanfic. It was perfect in so many ways, especially when the fanfic mirrored what was happening with Gabe and Mich in the present.

A Lot Like Adios brought the heat 🔥🔥. This book was spice. What I liked most about the sexual relationship between Gabe and Michelle was how open and honest they were with one another. There was bi rep as well as trans and the use of pronouns which is so wonderful to see in a romance.

The parts of this book that were pulling on my heartsrings hard were the parts with Gabe and his parents. Nostalgia can be beautiful, but it can also be heartbreaking. I know the feeling of being in a place you feel like you know so intimately and yet you feel like you’re a stranger. Those feelings were explored so well in A Lot Like Adios.

Overall I really did enjoy this book, I think even more than You Had Me At Hola! If you love a second chance romance, a meddling but loving family – definitely grab yourself a copy of A Lot Like Adios

The Ex Talk ARC Review

~ Tej ~ 2 Comments

The Ex Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomon

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Heat Rating: 🔥🔥

Release Date: January 26, 2021

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.

Shay Goldstein has been a producer at her public radio station for years and although she’s always wanted to be a host of her own show, she’s good at her job.

Dominic Yun is a recent graduate and colleague at the station and Shay really really doesn’t like him. Not only is he younger than her, but he’s constantly telling everyone how he went to grad school (yawn) and is going to be a great reporter. He’s already guest starred on her own show (!) and the boss seems to really like him.

When a turn of events has Dominic and Shay hosting their own show – The Ex Talk – about exes and them playing the exes (even though they’ve never actually dated) they start to spend more time with other. Both of them soon realize that maybe they didn’t hate each other as much as they thought they did.

I really enjoyed the concept behind The Ex Talk. I loved how bits of the show were incorporated into the book and a lot of those scenes had me laughing out loud. The slow burn between Dominic and Shay had me feeling all the butterflies. Dominic is such a sweet and likable cinnamon roll hero. I loved how Shay and Dominic seemed to understand one another’s idiosyncrasies. Both of them were going through some big changes in life and I really felt their vulnerabilities.

I learned a lot about public radio while reading The Ex Talk, which was actually quite fascinating! I don’t think I ever thought to think there’s producers running a talk show or that there are a lot of behind the scene individuals making a radio show run so smoothly.

Another aspect of this book I really liked was the diversity in this romance! I honestly haven’t read too many romances with Jewish representation and I loved how Rachel Lynn Solomon incorporated so many cultures (Korean, Nigerian, Indian) as well as LGBTQ representation in The Ex Talk. I love to see that happening more and more in romances.

If you’re looking for an enemies-to-lovers, fake (ex) relationship, office romance then grab The Ex Talk when it releases January 26, 2021!