Every Summer After ARC Review

January 4, 2022January 4, 2022 ~ Tej ~ Leave a comment

Every Summer After by Carley Fortune

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Heat Level: 🔥🔥

Release Date: May 10, 2022

Publisher: Berkley Romance

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

SYNOPSIS

Six summers to fall in love. One moment to fall apart. A weekend to get it right.

They say you can never go home again, and for Persephone Fraser, ever since she made the biggest mistake of her life a decade ago, that has felt too true. Instead of glittering summers on the lakeshore of her childhood, she spends them in a stylish apartment in the city, going out with friends, and keeping everyone a safe distance from her heart.

Until she receives the call that sends her racing back to Barry’s Bay and into the orbit of Sam Florek—the man she never thought she’d have to live without.

For six summers, through hazy afternoons on the water and warm summer nights working in his family’s restaurant and curling up together with books—medical textbooks for him and work-in-progress horror short stories for her—Percy and Sam had been inseparable. Eventually that friendship turned into something breathtakingly more, before it fell spectacularly apart.

When Percy returns to the lake for Sam’s mother’s funeral, their connection is as undeniable as it had always been. But until Percy can confront the decisions she made and the years she’s spent punishing herself for them, they’ll never know whether their love might be bigger than the biggest mistakes of their past.

Told over the course of six years and one weekend, Every Summer After is a big, sweeping nostalgic look at love and the people and choices that mark us forever.

REVIEW

Percy meets Sam one summer when her family buys a cottage on the lake for a summer home. Percy and Sam immediately form a bond – both just starting their teen years. They form a sweet friendship and become inseparable by the end of that first summer and every summer after. Until one summer twelve years ago when Percy and Sam suddenly stop talking. What happened that summer and why haven’t they kept in touch? Percy is now headed back to Barry’s Bay for Sam’s mothers funeral. Will Sam and Percy move on from whatever tore them apart 12 years ago?

As soon as I started reading Every Summer After I immediately fell in love with both Sam and Percy. Their friendship was so sweet and pure when they first met. I loved watching them grow together through flashbacks as well as how rocky their relationship is in the present. What happened, why did they drift apart?? These are the questions I needed answers to even though I knew they’d break my heart.

Carley Fortune’s writing is so beautiful. I couldn’t stop reading and felt like I was right there with Percy and Sam every summer on the lake. I enjoyed every single secondary character in Every Summer After and each of them was essential to the story.

Every Summer After was heartbreakingly beautiful. This book was extremely hard to read at times and my heart broke on more than one occasion. Overall I would give Every Summer After 4.5 stars!

CW: cheating, death of a parent, bullying, panic attacks/anxiety.

Disclosure: Some of the links above 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.

December Reads

January 2, 2022January 2, 2022 ~ Tej ~ 2 Comments

I didn’t get a lot of reading done in December, but it was a very busy month so I’m not really surprised. Standouts for December included the Ice Planet Barbarians series, re-read of Fix Her Up and Every Summer After which releases in the spring. Hoping that 2022 will bring us a lot of amazing books 🙂

Fix Her Up by Tessa Bailey (re-read)

Any Duchess Will Do by Tessa Dare (audiobook)

Ice Planet Barbarians by Ruby Dixon

Every Summer After by Carley Fortune (ARC)

The Wedding Crasher by Mia Sosa (ARC)

Barbarian Alien by Ruby Dixon

Rock Bottom Girl by Lucy Score

Top 10 Romances of 2021

December 22, 2021December 21, 2021 ~ Tej ~ 3 Comments

2021 reading was a wild ride! I didn’t read quite as many books as I have in previous years, but I’m okay with that. Life was hectic, busy, chaotic and full of ups and downs this past year. The books I did read were pretty amazing for the most part.

The books listed below are my favorite 10 books that I read this year. Narrowing down the choices was so hard! There is a mix of books that were published from previous years, this year and even a few ARCs that are releasing in 2022. These were all five star reads for me and I highly recommend each and every single one!

The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood

The Love Hypothesis had everything I love in a rom-com –
Funny scenes that had the perfect banter⁣
Fake dating/forced proximity/only one bed…need I say more?? ⁣
The tension and build up of a slow burn between the MC’s⁣
Strong willed and confident women in STEM ⁣
Consider this book to be a true rom-com with so much awkwardness that I had to constantly shut the book because I was laughing out loud so much!

Dear Enemy by Kristen Callihan

Second chance romance and so much shared history and angst between the two.
Forced proximity situations that had me laughing out loud, yet swooning at the same time.
Slow burn and so much sexual tension
While Dear Enemy is a standalone, I definitely recommend the other book in this duology – Make it Sweet which technically takes place after Dear Enemy.
Highly recommend the audiobook to Dear Enemy -it was fantastic!

People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry

Friends to lovers
So much angst it had me swooning and tugging on my heart strings.
Timeline jumps that had me laughing and crying in equal measures and biting my nails at the anticipation of what was going to happen next.

Battle Royal by Lucy Parker

A romance featuring dueling bakers and a royal wedding⁣
Great British Bake Off or other baking shows vibes woven throughout thebook⁣
A grumpy/grumbly hero (who makes contestants cry), but might have a soft heart underneath
A spunky sunshiney heroine who loves glitter and all things sweet⁣

Hook, Line, and Sinker by Tessa Bailey

A slow burn with that steam we can expect from a Tessa Bailey book
Friends-to-lovers romance⁣
Hero and heroine who are both so vulnerable but are each others greatest support⁣
Angst, swooning and a book that will make you laugh and grin while reading it ⁣
Doesn’t release until 2022 – but I HIGHLY recommend it. Definitely read It Happened One Summer to get you ready for Hook, Line, and Sinker

The Royals Next Door by Karina Halle

Enemies to lovers/bodyguard romance
Slow burn⁣
Grumpy/grunty hero that is a cinnamon roll (and can make cinnamon rolls)⁣
Fiercely loyal and funny heroine who unapologetically loves romance ⁣
A romance that has wonderful mental health representation⁣

Lease on Love by Fallon Ballard

Forced Proximity
Great friendships throughout the book⁣
Humor mixed in with plenty of angst
This book was just…sigh so great. It was such a sweet and soft romance.
And although there was a lot of humor throughout the book, there was also a lot of discussion on grief and starting over that was written so beautifully.⁣

The Kingmaker by Kennedy Ryan

A second chance romance told over the span of years
Two very head strong characters who will not settle for anything less, but want only the best for each other
Political intrigue and issues being discussed that are still affecting us including: how indigenous people are being treated, clean energy, race, gender
The sweetest, swooniest and steamiest romance!

Duke, Actually by Jenny Holiday

Friends to lovers⁣
Slow burn romance⁣
Grumpy/sunshine (she’s the grumpy one)⁣
The cutest puppy⁣
Christmas-y vibes (but never felt over the top)
If contemporary romance met historical romance I feel like it would be Duke, Actually. Which sounds so strange – but works so well

The Wedding Ringer by Kerry Rea

Wonderful book about the loss of friendships, new friendships and the vulnerability that comes with both.
Sweetest romance with great banter. I had a grin on my face every time Willa & Liam were on the same page. I was constantly laughing out loud and rooting for the two to get together!
A book so profound and touching that I can’t possibly do it justice with my words – highly recommend!

Disclosure: Some of the links above 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.

Ice Planet Barbarians – Review

December 15, 2021December 14, 2021 ~ Tej ~ Leave a comment

Ice Planet Barbarians by Ruby Dixon

Genre: Fantasy Romance/Sci-Fi Romance

Heat Level: 🔥🔥🔥

Series: Ice Planet Barbarians #1

Publisher: Berkley

SYNOPSIS

You’d think being abducted by aliens would be the worst thing that could happen to me. And you’d be wrong. Because now, the aliens are having ship trouble, and they’ve left their cargo of human women – including me – on an ice planet.

And the only native inhabitant I’ve met? He’s big, horned, blue, and really, really has a thing for me…

REVIEW

Georgie finds her self abducted an on a strange icy planet. She’s alone, scared but bands together with the other women on the ship to take over the aliens. Now Georgie somehow finds herself the leader and sets out to find out if the planet is hospitable.

This is where she runs in to blue alien Vektal. As Georgie comes to know Vektal she realizes that 1) he totally has a thing for her and 2) he already considers her his mate. Georgie’s not sure if she wants to stay on the strange planet with Vektal or find a way back home.

Okay, so the hype was real with Ice Planet Barbarians. I have been hearing about this series for quite some time yet, but only recently decided to read the series when the cover got an overhaul (love the new cover by the way). I went in with a very open mind – which you will totally need to. And I ended up really loving Georgie and Vektal.

There was a lot of hot alien sex – so definitely be prepared. I liked the set up of characters though and I look forward to reading the next book in the series!

CW: rape (off page), kidnapping, dubious consent

November Reads

December 3, 2021December 7, 2021 ~ Tej ~ 2 Comments

I can’t believe that the year is almost over – where did it go?? I feel like at times this year was moving at a snails pace and then bam – it’s already December! I need to start thinking about my top list of books in 2021 already! I’ve read so many amazing books this year. While I didn’t read a lot this month, the books that I did read were spectacular. Standouts include The Wedding Ringer, Love, Lists, and Fancy Ships and Duke, Actually!

Duke, Actually by Jenny Holiday

The Wedding Ringer by Kerry Rea

People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry (re-read)

Beauty and the Baller by Ilsa Madden-Mills (ARC)

Beach Read by Emily Henry (re-read)

Love, Lists and Fancy Ships by Sarah Grunder-Ruiz (ARC)

The Fastest Way to Fall by Denise Williams (ARC)

First Love, Take Two by Sajni Patel

Disclosure: Some of the links above 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.

Love, Lists, and Fancy Ships ARC Review

December 1, 2021November 30, 2021 ~ Tej ~ Leave a comment

Love, Lists, and Fancy Ships by Sarah Grunder Ruiz

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)

The Fastest Way to Fall ARC Review

November 22, 2021November 22, 2021 ~ Tej ~ Leave a comment

The Fastest Way to Fall by Denise Williams

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Heat Level: 🔥

Release Date: November 2, 2021

Publisher: Berkley

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

SYNOPSIS

Britta didn’t plan on falling for her personal trainer, and Wes didn’t plan on Britta. Plans change and it’s unclear if love, career, or both will meet them at the finish line.

Britta Colby works for a lifestyle website, and when tasked to write about her experience with a hot new body-positive fitness app that includes personal coaching, she knows it’s a major opportunity to prove she should write for the site full-time.

As CEO of the FitMe app, Wes Lawson finally has the financial security he grew up without, but despite his success, his floundering love life and complicated family situation leaves him feeling isolated and unfulfilled. He decides to get back to what he loves—coaching. Britta’s his first new client and they click immediately.

As weeks pass, she’s surprised at how much she enjoys experimenting with her exercise routine. He’s surprised at how much he looks forward to talking to her every day. They convince themselves their attraction is harmless, but when they start working out in person, Wes and Britta find it increasingly challenging to deny their chemistry and maintain a professional distance.

Wes isn’t supposed to be training clients, much less meeting with them, and Britta’s credibility will be sunk if the lifestyle site finds out she’s practically dating the fitness coach she’s reviewing. Walking away from each other is the smartest thing to do, but running side by side feels like the start of something big.

REVIEW

Britta, a journalist for a lifestyle website is tasked with showing readers her experience with a body-positive fitness app. Britta wants to be more than an assistant at her company and this is the opportunity for Britta to shine.

Britta is paired with Wes – owner and coach of the fitness app that Britta is using. Their back and forth banter soon has them thinking more about one another. When an opportunity arises for Wes and Britta to finally meet in person, they realize that the sparks they have for one another might be worth acting on. But what about their professions? Are they willing to risk it all for one another?

I have to preface this review by saying that over the past year, my journey has been very similar to Britta’s. I found myself making lifestyle changes that at first started similar to Britta’s. Yes mine were more health related and weight loss was a part of my goal, but it wasn’t the end of my goal. I had to figure out how to incorporate this healthy lifestyle into my daily routine. Much like Britta does with running and strength training – it was a process. And unlike Britta, I didn’t have an amazing coach urging me on. So gosh, I wish I had this book a year ago when I was feeling not so good and scared and a bit lonely if I’m being honest. This book is not only an amazing romance, but also shows how it can be so uplifting if we have someone in our corner. Fighting for us. Telling us we can do it – just one more mile or a few minutes more.

Britta and Wes were so cute together in The Fastest Way to Fall. I loved their witty dialogue, their chemistry and the back and forth banter they always had with one another. Their story flowed so effortlessly. I will say that some of the side characters/names of the businesses did get lost a little (I had to go back and see who was who and where they were working), but overall I really enjoyed this romance with a side of body positivity!

Denise Williams is an amazing author and I always find myself flying through her books. I can’t wait to see what she writes next.

ARC Review The Wedding Ringer

November 12, 2021November 11, 2021 ~ Tej ~ 3 Comments

The Wedding Ringer by Kerry Rea

Genre: Women’s Fiction/Contemporary Romance

Heat Level: 🔥 Closed Door

Release Date: November 9, 2021

Publisher: Berkley

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

SYNOPSIS

A woman who wants nothing to do with love or friendship finds both in the unlikeliest ways in this hilarious and heartwarming debut by Kerry Rea.

Once upon a time, Willa Callister was a successful blogger with a good credit score, actual hobbies, and legs that she shaved more than once a month. But after finding her fiancé in bed with her best friend, she now spends her days performing at children’s birthday parties in a ball gown that makes her look like a walking bottle of Pepto Bismol. Willa dreams of starting fresh, where no one knows who she used to be, but first she needs to save up enough money to make it happen.

Maisie Mitchell needs something too: another bridesmaid for her wedding. After a chance encounter at a coffee shop, Maisie offers to pay Willa to be in her bridal party. Willa wants nothing to do with weddings–or Maisie–but the money will give her the freedom to start the new life she so badly desires.

Willa’s bridesmaid duties thrust her into Maisie’s high-energy world and into the path of hotshot doctor Liam Rafferty. But as Willa and Maisie form a real friendship, and Liam’s annoyingly irresistible smile makes her reconsider her mantra that all men are trash, Willa’s exit strategy becomes way more complicated. And when a secret from Maisie’s past threatens to derail the wedding, Willa must consider whether friendship–and romance–are worth sticking around for.

REVIEW

At one time socialite and social media darling Willa Callister had it all. A thriving career, blog & Instagram followers, a fiancé, a best friend who she shared everything with – a seemingly perfect life. Until one day Willa walked in on her fiancé and best friend in bed together. Now her life is nothing like it was before The Incident. Willa finds herself living with her sister and her family while she decides how to move forward with her life. When a chance encounter with a woman at a coffee shop has the potential to turn Willa’s life around – will she take the opportunity to let herself feel again? Or is she bound to harden to heart so that it never gets broken again?

I cannot put into words how much I adored this wonderful book. The Wedding Ringer took me by surprise, but in the best way. Right from the beginning the writing captivated me and had me laughing out loud and at the same time feeling the hurt and anguish that Willa goes through when she sees her ex best friend at a birthday party. The way Kerry Rea brings all of these emotions out and lets us feel them alongside Willa is amazing.

Friendship is such a key component in The Wedding Ringer. Friendships can be amazing; they can lift us up when we’re feeling down, help us with a should to lean on when we need it the most or just be there when we want to vent. But Willa has lost that with her best friend and the loss is profound. So I can see why Willa has such a hard time opening up to friendships especially with a whirlwind like Maise. Maise is the ray of sunshine that Willa didn’t even know she was missing in her life. I loved their friendship so much and how they were truly there for each other when they didn’t think they could rely on anyone else.

While the friendships were front and center in The Wedding Ringer, I loved the romance between Willa and dark and sexy Liam. The banter, the playfulness – gah! They were so damn cute together and I loved the way they slowly came around to one another.

I highly recommend The Wedding Ringer! This is Kerry Rea’s debut and I can’t wait to read more of her books!

CW: Anxiety, Depression, PTSD, Cheating (off page/not MC)

ARC Review Duke, Actually

November 10, 2021November 9, 2021 ~ Tej ~ Leave a comment

Duke, Actually by Jenny Holiday

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Heat Level: 🔥🔥

Release Date: November 16, 2021

Publisher: Avon

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

SYNOPSIS

USA Today bestselling author Jenny Holiday follows A Princess for Christmas with another delightful contemporary Christmas romance between a playboy baron and a woman who has said goodbye to love.

Maximillian von Hansburg, Baron of Laudon and heir to the Duke of Aquilla, is trapped. Under pressure from his domineering father, he must marry a suitable bride before he inherits a title that feels like a prison sentence. In New York to meet a prospective wife, he ditches his responsibilities and appears on Dani Martinez’s doorstep. He’s been intrigued by the no-nonsense professor since he met her at the Eldovian royal wedding and is determined to befriend her.

Newly single Dani is done with love—she even has a list entitled “Things I Will Never Again Do for a Man”—which is why she hits it off with notorious rake Max. He’s trying to escape relationships, and she’s resolved to avoid them at all costs. All they want from each other is friendship and a distraction from their messy lives.

As their bond begins to deepen, so does their attraction, until they end up in bed together. Falling in love was never part of the plan—Max’s family doesn’t see Dani as a perfect match, even as his heart tells him she’s the one, and Dani isn’t sure she can make it in Max’s world. Can they find the courage to live they life they desire, even if it means risking everything?

REVIEW

After Dani’s husband leaves her for a younger woman, Dani finds herself newly single. She’s finally able to do the things that she wasn’t able to when she was married – including spending more time with her family. Dani doesn’t want to find herself in a relationship anytime soon and nothing can change that.

Maximillian von Hansburg is known as a ladies man. On the surface, Max is carefree and nothing fazes him. But Max is feeling the pressure from his parents. They want Max to find a suitable wife before he inherits the title of Duke. Max had a perfect thing going with his best friend Marie, but she ended up finding her one true love (in A Princess for Christmas) and now he’s back to square one.

When Max finds himself in New York and calls on Dani – a tender friendship forms. Max and Dani already know of each other as both of their best friends are going to marry each other. But Max insists on befriending Dani. Dani isn’t quite so sure about the Depraved Duke, but soon finds herself actually liking him. Can they keep their relationship strictly platonic? Or will sparks fly?

I read A Princess for Christmas last year and remember really enjoying Max’s character. But I wasn’t quite sure what to expect in Duke, Actually. Well, I was pleasantly surprised at how much I absolutely loved this book. I loved the slow progression of friends-to-lovers between Max and Dani. Duke, Actually had the slowest of slow burns, but I never felt like the relationship was going too slow.

Both Max and Dani were so sweet with one another and yet I found myself grinning or laughing at their antics. Their relationship felt so real and that made me love this couple even more because of that. They had their own insecurities and vulnerabilities, and yet they completely understood each other and were always there for each other – no matter what.

I had the opportunity to listen to the audiobook of Duke, Actually and really enjoyed it. The audiobook was narrated by Stacy Gonzalez and I felt like she did a great job. The narration took me a bit to get into, but once I started really getting into the story – I ended up really enjoying all of the voices Stacy narrated. I could always tell when a character was upset or happy. I was constantly grinning when Dani and Max were texting and felt all of the burden Max was shouldering when he was interacting with his parents. Overall, I feel like Stacy Gonzalez did a wonderful job narrating Duke, Actually and highly recommend the audiobook!

If you’re looking for a sweet, tender, friends-to-lovers romance with Christmas-y vibes, grab your copy of Duke, Actually!

CW: Parental neglect/abuse

**Although Duke, Actually can be read as a standalone, I think there’s a lot of backstory on Max and Dani from A Princess for Christmas and would recommend reading the books in order.

October Reads

November 2, 2021November 2, 2021 ~ Tej ~ 3 Comments

October came and went in the blink of an eye, it feels! I started off the month strong, but didn’t end up reading a lot this month. Work, Halloween, activities with my kiddos during the day kept me pretty busy! I did a lot of re-reads this month because that’s what I felt most like reading. Favorites books included The Rebel King by Kennedy Ryan and a re-read of The Friend Zone by Kristen Callihan (moved my rating up from 4🌟 to 5🌟).