Lily wants nothing more than to become an editor in children’s fiction, but she finds herself stuck in nonfiction. Lily finds solace when she ends up corresponding with her favorite fantasy author. She thinks their friendship is something special until he ghosts her.
When Lily meets her new neighbor Nick, she’s unexpectedly drawn to him. But Nick is keeping a secret from her. He’s the fantasy author she was corresponding with. He has his reasons for using a pen name and keeping people from getting to close. But how long will he hide this secret from her before it escalate out of control?
I am so excited to start reading The Neighbor Favor by Kristina Forest. Girl next door + friends to lovers + love interests who are in the book publishing world and they send anonymous letters to one another…swoon!
SYNOPSIS
In this heart-fluttering romance by Kristina Forest, a shy bookworm enlists her charming neighbor to help her score a date, not knowing he’s the obscure author she’s been corresponding with.
Shy, bookish, and admittedly awkward, Lily Greene has always felt inadequate compared to the rest of her accomplished family, who strive for Black excellence. She dreams of becoming an editor of children’s books but has been frustratingly stuck in the nonfiction division for years without a promotion in sight. Lily finds escapism in her correspondences with her favorite fantasy author, and what begins as two lonely people connecting over e-mail turns into a tentative friendship and possibly something else Lily won’t let herself entertain–until he ghosts her.
Months later, still crushed but determined to take charge of her life, Lily seeks a date to her sister’s wedding. And the perfect person to help her is Nick Brown, her charming, attractive new neighbor, whom she feels drawn to for unexplainable reasons. Little does she know that Nick is an author–her favorite fantasy author.
Nick, who has his reasons for using a pen name and for pushing people away, soon realizes that the beautiful, quiet woman from down the hall is the same Lily he fell in love with over e-mail months ago. Unwilling to complicate things even more between them, he agrees to set her up with someone else, though this simple favor between two neighbors is anything but–not when he can’t get her off his mind.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.
SYNOPSIS
It’s hard being the most popular girl on the ice planet. The alien men are falling all over themselves to impress me in the hopes that I’ll take them to my furs. But they don’t know my secrets – none of them do. And they don’t realize that behind my smile, I just wish they’d go away.
I don’t want any of them. I want someone else – someone with a gorgeous blue body, big horns, and the most intense gaze ever. He’s the only one that knows the truth. Maybe with him, I can work through my fears of the past…. but I’m pretty sure he wants more than just friendship.
He wants forever, and I’m not sure I can give it.
REVIEW
I was excited to dive back into our favorite blue aliens in Barbarian’s Prize. This book picks up right where the last book leaves us and this time we get Tiffany and Salukh’s story. Tiffany has had some trauma when the aliens abducted her before landing on Not-Hoth. She’s not keen on male attention and doesn’t really care that all of the males want to resonate with her. She doesn’t want to resonate with any of them and doesn’t want that choice taken away from her.
Salukh sees Tiffany’s hesitation and is always giving her a wide berth. He knows that she spooks easily, but he feels it in his gut that she is his mate. When Tiffany finds away to keep the other males away from her, she asks Salukh to help her practice being intimate once again. Will Salukh be able to help her even though she doesn’t want to resonate or mate with anyone, including him?
While I enjoyed Salukh and Tiffany’s story, I wasn’t prepared for the emotional trauma that Tiffany was facing after her assault/rape with the aliens on the ship. This book was definitely a lot more serious compared the previous others before. The Bachelor-ish side story wasn’t a favorite, but I still enjoyed the interactions with everyone from previous books.
I’m looking forward to reading the next book in the series!
I study my rows of planted seeds, hoping for a sprig here or there. Right now, there is nothing, just an upraised row in the snow where the dirt was piled back onto them. Frustrated, I move down the row I’ve marked with a few sticks, but there’s nothing to be seen. Surely plants here can’t be that different from plants on Earth, can they? The snow is throwing me off, but it’s still water, and plants need water to grow. I shove my fingers into my glove and then kneel near one of the small mounds, digging. There has to be something. If there’s even a hint of a sprout on one of my seeds, I’ll have hope.
I dig down maybe a foot into the snow and stop when I see a hint of pink threading through the white. Sure enough, one of my seeds has sprouted and is pushing its way through the snow. It’s working! Excited, I pile the snow back on top with a pat and get to my feet. Wait until I tell Salukh!
As if my thoughts have summoned him, a familiar male silhouette appears on the ridge, burdened by a kill. He seems to be walking strangely, and I dust the snow off my hands and
surge forward. Is he hurt? He’s moving slow. For a moment I almost think it’s one of the elders, but there’s no mistaking the way Salukh’s horns curve up at the ends, or his long fluttering hair. He drags a dead dvisti behind him and cradles one arm against his chest, and my heart hammers. Does he need the healer? Maylak’s at the other cave, though, and it’s at least a half a day’s journey to get to her. “Salukh, are you all right?” I call as I push through the snow to get to his side. “Can I help?” “You can help,” he agrees, and as I get to his side, he thrusts a cloak-covered bundle into my arms. “Cursed thing
bit me all the way here.”
I blink in surprise as the bundle tries to leap from my arms and bleats angrily. I tighten my grip on it and stare at the hunter. “What is this?”
“A dvisti kit. The mother was lame and so she became fod- der for my spear. But I could not kill the young one. I brought it for you.”
“Me?”
“Yes, you.” He drops the spear on the ground, letting his kill tumble into the snow, and then rotates one big arm, rub- bing sore muscles. “Ah, that feels good.”
I try not to watch as he rubs one big blue bicep, but . . . mercy. Those are big biceps. Hard, too. The creature in my hands wriggles, and my attention turns back to it. “I . . . Do you guys even do pets?”
“Sessah has a two-teeth he feeds back at the main cave.” “And no one tries to eat it for dinner?” I don’t want to get attached to something only to come home and find someone roasting my pet.”
“I will not allow them to touch it.” His words are so sure, so bold.
I feel a weird surge of warmth and smile at him.
He reaches forward to uncover the creature’s head, and then two big, blue, khui-lit eyes are gazing at me. The head is tiny, a bit like a fawn, but covered in long, crazy fur like a sheepdog. It bleats angrily at me.
And I laugh because it’s so ridiculous looking and cute at the same time. It’s all nose and googly eyes and shaggy hair. “I love it.”
He gives a masculine grunt. “I am glad it pleases you.” “It’s sweet of you to think of me,” I admit. I’m endlessly
showered with useful things by the other guys, but this is the first time someone’s thought to give me something completely . . . frivolous. And a pet truly is frivolous in a setting like this, but I really love it, and I love that Salukh was so thoughtful. “Thank you.”
His gaze burns into mine. “I have been thinking upon your words, Tee-fah-nee.”
I shiver. The way he says my name always makes me think he’s mentally caressing each syllable, and it makes me feel things that I thought were long gone.
He steps forward and he doesn’t touch me, though he is close enough that our faces could practically press together if we were the same height. As it is, I’m staring at a lot of broad, velvety-blue pectorals. The baby dvisti in my arms snaps at a bit of fringe on his vest and begins to chew on it.
I suddenly feel flushed and overheated despite the ever- present ice. “My words?”
“You wish to practice in the furs.” His intense look pins me in place. “I wish to be the male you practice with.”
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 the publisher.
SYNOPSIS
Sparks fly when a romance novelist and a documentary filmmaker join forces to craft the perfect Hollywood love story and take both of their careers to the next level—but only if they can keep the chemistry between them from taking the whole thing off script.
Felicity “Fizzy” Chen is lost. Sure, she’s got an incredible career as a beloved romance novelist with a slew of bestsellers under her belt, but when she’s asked to give a commencement address, it hits her: she hasn’t been practicing what she’s preached.
Fizzy hasn’t ever really been in love. Lust? Definitely. But that swoon-worthy, can’t-stop-thinking-about-him, all-encompassing feeling? Nope. Nothing. What happens when the optimism she’s spent her career encouraging in readers starts to feel like a lie?
Connor Prince, documentary filmmaker and single father, loves his work in large part because it allows him to live near his daughter. But when his profit-minded boss orders him to create a reality TV show, putting his job on the line, Connor is out of his element. Desperate to find his romantic lead, a chance run-in with an exasperated Fizzy offers Connor the perfect solution. What if he could show the queen of romance herself falling head-over-heels for all the world to see? Fizzy gives him a hard pass—unless he agrees to her list of demands. When he says yes, and production on The True Love Experiment begins, Connor wonders if that perfect match will ever be in the cue cards for him, too.
The True Love Experiment is the book fans have been waiting for ever since Fizzy’s debut in The Soulmate Equation. But when the lights come on and all eyes are on her, it turns out the happily ever after Fizzy had all but given up on might lie just behind the camera.
REVIEW
I watched so many Bachelor and Bachelorette shows growing up, that I’m kinda over them at this point. But put them in a rom-com and I am all over them! This is definitely the case with The True Love Experiment.
We first meet Fizzy in The Soulmate Equation where she hangs out a lot with her bestie Jess. She’s a super fun and bubbly character who is a romance author and has a fun social/dating life. Fast forward a bit and Fizzy is struggling with not only her romantic life, but also writing her next romance. She’s lost her muse and is having a hard time getting her words down.
Connor Prince is a documentary filmmaker and single father. He’s not big on reality types of TV shows, but his boss tells him the network needs him to come up with something big. When Connor realizes that his ex-wife’s favorite romance author is Felicity Chen aka Fizzy -a beautiful woman who Connor recently saw at a bar – Connor immediately realizes this is who he wants for the reality show. But their first encounter doesn’t exactly end on good terms. Felicity thinks Connor is a bit of a douche-bag and immediately says no to the show, unless Connor agrees to her very specific terms. When Connor says yes, Fizzy realizes this could be fun and she could potentially find her soulmate. The more these two work together, the more they realize that their chemistry seems to be flaring offset while the rest of the contestants wonder who Fizzy will end up picking.
Recent Christina Lauren books have been hit and miss for me. But The True Love Experiment was a definite YES. I loved Fizzy’s character so much, which isn’t a surprise because I also loved her in The Soulmate Equation. She’s fun, bubbly and appears to be so carefree. It’s only when we get to know her that we realize she has insecurities and vulnerabilities too. The fact that she’s a romance author is *chefs kiss*. I loved those passages when she talks about how so many people look down upon the genre, and for what? I feel her vulnerabilities so much – not only with her writing, but with her family too.
Here am I am, proven a liar again when I say I don’t like single parent romances. Because Connor is so lovely and so caring with his daughter. He’s not perfect, and I love that he owns up to his past as ugly as it might be. His relationship with his daughter and his ex-wife were honestly always so fun and added a lot to the story.
The True Love Experiment had me laughing out loud, but also pulling on my heart strings. There were some beautiful angsty moments where I had tears rolling down my eyes. I just wanted Fizzy and Connor to be happy together. If you’re looking for a rom-com with great banter, humor and a spicy romance I highly recommend The True Love Experiment.
I just started reading my copy of Things We Never Got Over (book 1 in the series) and I love all of the characters already! I’ve laughed out loud so many times and have also highlighted passages that have pulled on my heart strings. I am already looking forward to Nash’s story and look at this cover – gorgeous 😍.
SYNOPSIS
Nash Morgan was always known as the good Morgan brother, with a smile and a wink for everyone. But now, this chief of police is recovering from being shot and his Southern charm has been overshadowed by panic attacks and nightmares. He feels like a broody shell of the man he once was. Nash isn’t about to let anyone in his life know he’s struggling. But his new next-door neighbor, smart and sexy Lina, sees his shadows. As a rule, she’s not a fan of physical contact unless she initiates it, but for some reason Nash’s touch is different. He feels it too. The physical connection between them is incendiary, grounding him and making her wonder if exploring it is worth the risk.
Too bad Lina’s got secrets of her own, and if Nash finds out the real reason she’s in town, he’ll never forgive her. Besides, she doesn’t do relationships. Ever. A hot, short-term fling with a local cop? Absolutely. Sign her up. A relationship with a man who expects her to plant roots? No freaking way. Once she gets what she’s after, she has no intention of sticking around. But Knockemout has a way of getting under people’s skin. And once Nash decides to make Lina his, he’s not about to be dissuaded…even if it means facing the danger that nearly killed him.
Readaholic Book Reviews 