September 2024 Reads

 September 2024 Reads 

This month I read 19 books 

These books were 89% fiction

The most popular genres were romance, sports, and LGBTQ+

My average rating was 4.45 stars

The Books

➽ Mismatched by Anne Camlin

➽ Practice Makes Perfect by Sarah Adams

➽ Hook, Line, and Sinker by Tessa Bailey

➽ More Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa

➽ Forward Progress by Lisa Suzanne

➽ Love in the Scottish Fall Forrest by Beatrice Bradshaw

➽ The House of Hidden Meanings by RuPaul

➽ Mr. Penumbra's 24-hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan

➽ How to Keep House While Drowning by KC Davis

➽ Something Saved by Erin FitzGerald

➽ Check and Mate by Ali Hazelwood

➽ The Noh Family by Grace K. Shim

➽ Puck Me All Night Long by Wynter Ryan

➽ Delayed Penalty by Teagan Hunter

➽ Field Goal by Lisa Suzanne

➽ Rookie Mistake by Maren Moore

➽ Silver Fox Billionaire Boss by Evie Sterling

➽ The Club by Ellery Llyod

➽ The Serial Killer Guide to San Francisco by Michelle Chouinard

Something Saved by Erin FitzGerald Review

 

* This review is spoiler-free *

5/5 ⭐

Tropes

➮ Single uncle

➮ Cowboy romance

➮ Small town

➮ Nanny romance

Synopsis

When Morgan shows up on my doorstep wearing a pencil skirt and heels, demanding she be allowed to interview for the position I posted for a nanny, I'm reasonably sure she's joking. The woman the kids take to immediately makes it plain straight away that she has no experience as a nanny, and I wonder what's the real backstory to the slightly familiar-looking woman who doesn't seem to legally exist. In my experience, women have secrets and it turns out Morgan is no exception. Something about her begins to glue the pieces back together. I'm exhausted, fighting to fill the financial holes my father's big dreams have created, and the truth is that my third-generation ranch is under threat from developers with deep pockets. The bigger problem? The kids Morgan is nannying aren't actually mine yet. Can I live with what she's hidden, or is it best for everyone if I just cut her loose?

My Thoughts

It is truly so devastating to me that this is the last full-length story in this series. I am truly so in love with all of the characters and their entangled stories. I am going to have to deal with the angst-neglect I feel until the spinoff series next year. (I'm not crying, you are!) But for real, this series will forever have a place in my heart, this story included. 

I am so happy Grant finally has his happy ending. He's had the short end of the stick for this entire series so Morgan was definitely what he needed. Their angst was exactly what I've come to expect from Erin. They are such a natural pairing and draw out the best in each other. It certainly isn't simple for them to reach their happy ending but that is what makes it have that incredibly rewarding feeling. 

If it wasn't for Erin, I still wouldn't be a fan of kids in books. Brandt and Amelia are both precious and entertaining respectively. They added some very necessary propulsion to the plot. Without them, this story wouldn't have been nearly as impactful. Seriously, if you don't like single-parent figures, this series may very well change your mind as it did mine. Also, I want to highlight how fun of a character Alberte is as well. She pairs so well with the kids and provides some much-needed comic relief. 

Of all the books in this series, this one really excels at having an intriguing intermingled A and B plot. It gave a more sitcom feeling in that way which I didn't notice in the other books. It was a nice twist to the style of the series thus far that kept things interesting. I love it when the MCs in romance books grow both together and apart.

My favorite scene in the book was definitely when Jenna showed up. It was the justice for Grant moment I was hoping for and made me giggle. 

This book was also riddled with many fun references to all sorts of things. I won't go into specifics so you can find them on your own but they certainly brought me joy

This upcoming novella to wrap up the series has me intrigued and I cannot wait for it. Also, the series following Ashley's brothers should be quite entertaining. Thank you Erin for continuing to keep us well-fed.

Psssst, Erin if you are reading this, I think Morgan's family could make an interesting series on their own. Is this me begging you to never stop writing? Maybe...

This book does contain open-door spice. It can probably be skipped without missing too much important content. 

Overall, I highly recommend this series as a whole. Not only is it written by a woman who has my heart, but it will keep you up reading with angst to die for. The characters have wonderfully rich backstories that truly impact who they are today. Now that the series is (mostly) concluded, you have zero excuses to not binge the whole thing!

Thank you Erin for the arc! Trust me, I have nothing to lie about how much I adore this series

Love in the Scottish Fall Forest by Beatrice Bradshaw Review

* This review is spoiler-free *

4.5/5 ⭐

Tropes

➮ Single dad

➮ Forced proximity

➮ Grumpy x sunshine

➮ Opposites attract

➮ Age gap

Synopsis

Gennie Rivers lives for the thrill, both on and off set. Her wildest stunt yet is a gig on a film set in Scotland. Nathan, hiding from a scandalous past as a pop star, is determined to protect his little daughter Abby from the spotlight at all costs. When financial troubles force the protective single dad to rent out his land, the last thing he needs is a daredevil disrupting his carefully constructed peace. Forced into close proximity at his rural estate, the grumpy Scot and the free spirit from LA can’t resist their magnetic attraction. With the ghosts of past hurt and betrayal lingering, they must decide if they’ll take the greatest leap of all – trusting each other. 

LGBTQ+ Representation

5/5 🌈

There were nice levels of inclusion of LGBTQ+ side characters. They are naturally woven into the story and being queer is a normal part of their identity just as any other trait would be. 

My Thoughts

This was definitely my favorite of the series. You can tell how Bradshaw has been honing her craft through the series and this is the beautiful result. It was a well-balanced story with enchanting characters. I quite enjoyed my time with it.

The one part of the book that wasn't my favorite is that there were almost too many beautiful descriptions. At times it felt a bit over-narrated. I'd love to see more moments of dialogue that are just purely the dialogue. 

I really appreciated how self-aware Gennie was throughout, especially at the beginning. It was refreshing to see a character who knows she needs character growth and knows how she feels in a clear way. Nathan is also pretty self-aware but not as strongly as she is. Also just having a strong FMC in general is something I will always appreciate. 

Speaking of lovely characters, this book definitely awakened a phase in me of enjoying funny/sweet children in books. Abby was such a delight and her unbridled optimism helped propel the plot when needed. Now I just want to read all of the single parent books I have (don't worry I am already getting this desire fulfilled). 

I want to applaud Bradshaw once again for including queer side characters in her stories. It is nice to see and is done in an artfully subtle way. As she mentioned to me, she doesn't want to appropriate stories but knows.

As always, the scenery throughout is so aptly described. It felt like I was there with the autumn leaves along with the characters (if only it were actually fall weather outside). This series has definitely made me want to plan a trip to Scotland to see the beauty for myself. 

Oh my gosh, the tension in this one was unmatched by the rest of the series. It had me absolutely eating it up! It was the perfect balance of will they won't they combined with moments of non-romantic bonding. 

I will keep this part brief to avoid spoilers but I need to note my favorite scene was by far when Gennie gave Daniel a piece of her mind. It was peak entertainment and wholeheartedly well-deserved. 

There is spice in this story so if that is not your thing, this is not the series for you. That said, the spice is much more artfully done than a lot of spice in romance books.  

I received this book as an arc from the author. My review is honest and voluntary

Practice Makes Perfect by Sarah Adams Review

 

* This review is spoiler-free *

5/5 ⭐

Tropes

➮ Small town

➮ Practice partners

➮ Grumpy x sunshine

➮ He falls first

Synopsis

Annie wants to find her perfect match. Finding her dream man may be harder than she imagined. Annie starts to think the problem might be her. Maybe she only needs a little practice . . . and Annie has the perfect person in mind to be her tutor: Will.

Will the bodyguard is temporarily back in Rome, providing security for Amelia Rose as excitement builds for her upcoming marriage to Noah Walker, Annie’s brother. He has one personal objective while on the job: stay away from Annie and other attachments to this sleepy town.

Amid steamy practice dates and strictly “educational” tutoring lessons, Annie discovers there are more layers to Will’s usual stoic attitude. Maybe her love life doesn’t need to be perfect, it just needs to be real.

Best Quote From the Book

“I am the quiet one in my family. The one with her nose always in a book because she prefers worlds where she doesn’t have to interact with other humans. It’s so much easier to read about relationships than to foster them. Less dangerous too."

My Thoughts

I quite enjoyed the first book in this series, When in Rome. You can find my review here. This one was even better which I didn't even know was possible! Both Annie and Will are just so perfect. We ALL need someone as supportive as Will in our lives. 

I have to give massive props to Adams for creating characters who always make each other grow and blossom into their best selves. It gives the essence of a real healthy relationship which is always refreshing to see. They felt like two flawed people who both had things to gain in the relationship. The way their character development was executed was particularly sweet and fantastically paced. There were also no stupid third-act breakups so that's a nice bonus. 

I am truly so in love with both Will and Annie. I absolutely would want to be friends with both of them because they seem like such genuinely nice and fun people to be around. They support each other's passions and feel nicely fleshed out. They both do small gestures that show how much they care. 

It was overall such an entertaining story. There were emotional moments, deep moments, steamy moments, funny moments, and ones that made readers smile. It strikes the perfect balance and hits all of the notes I want a romance book to hit. 

Also, I love that Annie and all of her sisters are romance reader girlies of different kinds. It was definitely a full-circle feeling that truly encompassed all that Annie had become. 

There are a few spicy scenes that contribute to character development so if you don't like spice this probably isn't the best book for you. If you do like spice, this spice was particularly fun!

Overall, I highly recommend this one! It was a well-balanced and entertaining read with many lovely elements. All of the characters are well-rounded and fun to read about.  

August 2024 Reads

August 2024 Reads 

This month I read 23 books (yes I know that's insane, many audiobooks helped)

These books were 95% fiction

The most popular genres were romance, contemporary, and literary

My average rating was 4.22 stars

The Books

➽ Puck Up and Dance by Wynter Ryan

➽ Too Hot To Handle by Tessa Bailey

➽ Fumbled by Lisa Suzanne

➽ Escape from Mr. Limoncello's Library by Chris Grabenstein

➽ Just Partners by Evie Sterling

➽ Not in Love by Ali Hazelwood

➽ Counting the Cost by Jill Duggar

➽ Hooked by Emily McIntire

➽ Light 'em Up by Kelly Jamieson

➽ It's Raining Men by Dani Galliaro

➽ It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey

➽ Thank You for Listening by Julia Whelan

➽ False Start by Lisa Suzanne

➽ Wicked Serve by Grace Reilly

➽ Love Requires Chocolate by Ravynn K. Stringfield

➽ Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid

➽ Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

➽ The Break-Up Pact by Emma Lord

➽ Fair Catch by Lisa Suzanne

➽ Fix Her Up by Tessa Bailey

➽ The Fine Print by Lauren Asher

➽ Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa

➽ Big Hero Six: The Junior Novelization by The Walt Disney Company

Hooked by Emily McIntire Review

 

* This review is spoiler-free *

5/5 ⭐

Tropes

➮ Enemy's daughter

➮ Fairytale retelling

➮ Opposites attract

➮ Off limits

➮ Mistaken identity

➮ Grumpy x sunshine

➮ Dual POV

➮ Kidnapping

➮ Instalust

➮ Forbidden

➮ Mafia romance

Synopsis

James has always had one agenda: destroy his enemy, Peter. When Peter’s daughter Wendy shows up in James’s bar, he sees his way in. Seduce the girl and use her for his revenge. It’s the perfect plan, until things in James’s organization begin to crumble. Suddenly, he has to find the traitor in his midst, and his plan for revenge gets murkier as James starts to see Wendy as more than just a pawn in his game.

Wendy was hidden away most of her life by her wealthy cold father, but a spontaneous night out with friends turns into an intense and addictive love affair with the dark and brooding James. As much as she knows James is dangerous, Wendy can’t seem to shake her desire for him. But as their relationship grows, she learns more about the world he moves in, and she's unsure if she’s falling for James or Hook.

Best Quote From the Book

“Darling if I'm the dark, you're the stars."

My Thoughts

It took me a bit to really wrap up all of my thoughts and figure out a way to put them into words. For how dark this one was I am a bit surprised it is a five star but I truly cannot stop thinking about it and really want to continue the series. There is something about the pacing and nuggets of excitement in her writing that makes it really addictive. 

I also have to applaud the narrators for speaking with actual emotion and conviction when appropriate. Recently I've been listening to more audiobooks and wow there are a lot of lackluster narrators out there. The depth of emotion they can convey makes it quite engaging the whole time.

This twist on the original Peter Pan tale felt absolutely perfect. The modern setting with just enough nods to the original kept a lovely balance. I am also super happy to read a fairytale retelling that isn't fantasy. So so many retellings are fantasy and I don't like fantasy so I've always felt left out of an amazing concept. So thank you McIntire for letting us romance fans have a chance to experience it too!

I knew this was a dark romance booked but I was shocked by how quickly things took a very dark and violent turn. James' character is incredibly intense but it makes total sense. It fits really well into a modern-day villain. On the opposite end of the spectrum, I applaud McIntire for creating a multi-faceted villain character. Nobody is all good or all bad, we are all complex creatures. Wendy, James, and Peter strike an excellent balance between the good and bad elements of each of them. Their backstories are also fantastically deep without being overly confusing. 

It felt like the number of characters in total was quite well-balanced. There were a limited number of main characters but enough side characters to make the world feel full. That said, we aren't overintroduced to characters that play no part in the narrative. 

I will admit, the plot twist at the end originally made me a bit uncomfortable. I won't be explaining why to avoid spoilers but just know it isn't my favorite to be sure. For a spell, it was going to drag this star rating down just because of how much it initially made my skin crawl. After sitting with it for a while, I am happy to report that even with my distaste for it, it didn't diminish my enjoyment of the book as a whole in a notable way. Just be prepared for some questionable moral decisions and shocking reveals. 

Please please please look up trigger warnings before reading as there are a lot. Personally, I know I wouldn't be able to stand this one if not for the sped-up audiobook due to the graphic and heavy nature of a lot of the subject matter. This book has some very spicy spice scenes so do not read if that isn't your thing. 

Overall, the writing as a whole is so well-done which is what sold me on this one being a five star for me. McIntire writes balanced worlds with flawed characters with emotional depth and the perfect balance of harking back to the original story. If I had to summarize this story simply, I would call it a beautiful nightmare. 

Light 'em Up by Kelly Jamieson Review

 

* This review is spoiler-free *

4.75/5 ⭐

Tropes

➮ Hockey romance

➮ Enemies to lovers

➮ Matchmaking

➮ One night stand

➮ Brother's rival

➮ Workplace romance

➮ Dual POV

Synopsis

Annie is thrilled to be working in professional hockey since her brothers are all players. Her new role as skating coach to the New York Bears is the perfect fit. Except one of the guys is Logan Coates—the guy who sent her brother to the hospital in a memorable game three seasons ago. She wants nothing to do with him.

Logan doesn't need some tiny figure skater telling him what to do. Although he's a fourth-liner, he wants more ice time. Learning from Annie Bang, who hates his guts. She’s a pint-sized badass, that's sexy as hell.

Best Quote From the Book

“Your cold hands aren't getting anywhere near my beefy baloney"... my man-sized manicotti... zipper sausage? How about love stick? Magic wand?"

My Thoughts

I adored this story for including a badass woman doing better than all of the men around her. Of course she's faster with less effort, that's how queens do it! But seriously, she's a FMC we can all look up to who knows her worth and doesn't take any flack from the boys. I love to see it. While she is a petite woman, she doesn't let that become her whole personality. She is also iconic for standing up for figure skating and getting some skin in the game. Overall she's a fun character who I would love to be friends with.

 

Speaking of iconic, Logan and Ivan are iconic for loving country music. I love seeing two strong men in sports unafraid to show their love for music which is often teased. I adore Ivan, he needs his own series just so he can be his amazing quippy self. Another character I would adore being friends with. This book does a great job of demonstrating a platonic relationship full of trust with physicality purely from the nature of figure skating. We need more really close best friends who really have no feelings for each other.

The only thing I wasn't fully in love with was how there were moments that highly promoted good communication amongst everyone but it felt like it wasn't as fleshed out as it could be. The moment everyone starts talking, it all gets resolved. In reality, I feel like there would be more pushback and would take more time to get there, especially for Logan and his father. 

This book seems to me like it would be fantastic adapted into a movie. I'd especially love to see Annie and Ivan's skating routine to the song Beggin' as I just know it would be incredible. Or all of the cute moments such as Logan's jealousy that I will not spoil despite how much I want to gush about them. 

I will say this book does include open-door spice and a good bit of it. That said, if you don't find that cumbersome, it can be skipped

Overall, this book does a great job with lovable characters with personalities, flaws, and complex character dynamics more indicative of real life than the average romance. It would be fantastic as a movie and was an engaging read from cover to cover.

I received this book as part of a Literary Media Tours arc team. My review is honest and voluntary

July 2024 Reads

  July 2024 Reads 

This month I read 16 books 

These books were 94% fiction

The most popular genres were romance, contemporary, and sci-fi

My average rating was 3.95 stars

The Books

➽ Love on the Scottish Summer Coast by Beatrice Bradshaw

➽ Dishonestly Yours by Krista and Becca Ritchie

➽ Antidote by Shae Ruby

➽ The Second Wave by Krista Street

➽ Fake Dating My Billionaire Boss by Evie Sterling

➽ Small Town Sins by Ken Jaworowski

➽ Puck Me Baby One More Time by Wynter Ryan

➽ Compound 26 by Krista Street

➽ Christopher Robin: The Novelization by Elizabeth Rudnick

➽ Written in the Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur

➽ The Baller by Lulu Moore

➽ Jellypie Firefly by Mareka Stake and A. Theresa Graham

➽ The Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren

➽ So Not My Romantic Getaway by Evie Sterling

➽ Life's Too Short by Darius Rucker

➽ The Little Things by Lena Duke

So Not My Romantic Getaway by Evie Sterling Review

 

* This review is spoiler-free *

4.5/5 ⭐

Tropes

➮ Coworkers to lovers

➮ Fake dating

➮ Opposites attract

➮ Off limits

➮ Mistaken identity

➮ HEA

➮ Meddling friends/family

➮ Dual POV

Synopsis

I am stuck at a Hawaiian resort with my rival coworker… He’s terrible to work with but way too good at playing fake-boyfriend.

My Thoughts

One of Evie's best-written stories so far! It is super obvious that over the past year, she has greatly refined her writing style. This improvement has been very fascinating to see. I look forward to seeing it get even better in the future. 

In addition, this was the earliest in the story that I remember Evie's characters ever kissing. I'm used to her pacing being similar to a romance anime where the characters only kiss at the very end of a will-they-won't-they situation. It also felt steamier than before. This is a welcome change in my opinion. The steam made the tension higher which made the story more hard-hitting as a whole. 

There were a lot of smile-worthy moments. From adorable times with Jack's family (particularly his nieces). The animals involved also made me smile a lot. I think we would all benefit from a sea turtle as a therapist. The gorgeous setting of a Hawaiian island helped massively with this. Evie really made the setting part of the story without it taking over too much. 

The one part of the story I wasn't as in love with was how held back Hazel was by her overthinking. It felt like it took a very long time relative to the length of the book for Jack's free spirit to rub off on her at all. I really just wanted to shove them together and see her relax a bit more earlier on. 

Jack's character as a whole is super adorable. From him being a certified Swiftie, to his baby fever. I appreciate that while he is a daredevil masculine man, he also isn't afraid to like stereotypically girly things. His well-roundedness is so refreshing to see. I definitely wanted more of his perspective. 

I also really liked the way this book wrapped up. I will not spoil anything but I will say it is very fitting to who both Hazel and Jack have become by the end. 

Overall, this is definitely a top contender for my favorite book by Evie Sterling. The increased steaminess, beautiful setting, and well-written MMC caused me to smile a ton while reading. If are looking for a light-hearted summery romance to read while summer is still upon us, I recommend this one. 

I received this book as part of the haylingbookstorm street team for Evie Sterling. My review is honest and voluntary

2024 Quarter 2 Stats

 

2024 Quarter 2 Stats 

So far I have read 68 books

I have read 12,318 pages

I have listened to 236.7 hours of audiobooks

My most prevalent moods are emotional, lighthearted, and funny

I have read 21% fast-paced, 71% medium-paced, and 8% slow-paced

I have read 95% fiction and 5% non-fiction

My most popular genres are romance, contemporary, and LGBTQ+

I have read 52% digital, 33% audio, and 15% physical

My average rating is 4.1 stars