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

Dishonestly Yours by Krista and Becca Ritchie Review

 

* This review is spoiler-free *

5/5 ⭐

Tropes

➮ Angsty

➮ Grumpy x grumpy

➮ If he can't have her no one can

➮ Best friend's brother

Synopsis

Phoebe grew up where deception and seduction are commonplace. The Graves and her best friend Hailey's family have been on the run their whole lives. After a high-stakes con goes south, Phoebe and Hailey decide to start over. The biggest flaw in their plan is Hailey's brother, Rocky, who insists on coming with them. Living honestly isn't in his DNA, and his past with Phoebe is messy. He's everything she wants, but nothing she can have. Phoebe worries that Rocky will tempt them into their old ways. She doesn't want him to mess up their new life. The longer she stays in town, the more she realizes what it means to have a reputation--and what a normal life with the man she loves could look like.

Best Quote From the Book

“If I fuck you, it won't be for power or for the money or for them. It'll be because I love you and every ounce of my being couldn't contain the love I have for you, no matter how much I should've."

LGBTQ+ Representation

4/5 🌈

There is some minor but included lesbian representation in this book. It is positively portrayed in a casual way. 

My Thoughts

Oh my goshhhhh! This book is INCREDIBLE. It is fighting for my top book of this year with The Trouble with Love and Ink. Super super easy 5-star to give! I've never read any books from these sisters before but that is clearly going to have to change. You already know I'm looking to their backlist to get holds at my local library. Please inject this story into my veins. Everything about this story is purely incredible and just what I needed. 

This book is super angsty, dark, and drama-filled and I am here for it. This book was in the trenches pulling me out of a potentially major slump. This story had the depth and action-packed elements I have been craving. This was a perfect start to reading a few stories on the darker end of things. 

This book absolutely flew by! I had to break it up into chunks due to being busy but I know I would've totally binged this if I were less busy. I totally ate it up and adored every moment. This factor is a good part of why I knew this gave me the 5-star feeling. 

I want to take a moment to just appreciate the strawberry motif throughout the story. It really humanized Phoebe and was a nice thing to continually circle back to. It felt like how someone actually passionate about something would have it as a small part of their life all of the time. 

Every single one of the characters in this book is fantastically written. They are all morally grey and create an interesting love-hate relationship with the reader. Even during conning moments, I am tempted to root for the characters. They are all just so addictive. I want to be in their inner circle (hopefully not by being conned lol). Not just Phoebe and Rocky, absolutely all of the kids and even the side characters and parents. Some of them are more devilish than others which made them even more appealing. Their various complicated relationship dynamics and inherent trust (or distrust) in one another made them perfect for the plot. There genuinely wasn't a character I didn't like. I really really want to see more from this group.

There were a ton of moments when I was genuinely laughing out loud and reading parts out loud to people I was around. The banter and quips the boys had in particular were especially amusing. The blend of humorous moments with more serious moments was totally perfect. If I ever write my own book, I hope I can achieve this balance. 

Speaking of wanting more, that cliffhanger at the end has me foaming at the mouth for this to become a major series and never end. I was shockingly satisfied with the answers that were given in the story versus the things that are still secret to perfectly set up for a continuation. I need more. Krista and Becca, I am begging for the next installment to come out as soon as possible because I need it. 

This book is definitely a dark romance. There are violent and graphic moments that may be triggering to some readers. There is also open door spice of various levels. If those are not your vibe, sadly this is not the book for you. 

If you couldn't tell from the extreme ranty length of this review, I adored it! I will probably skip the blub on Instagram for this one so I can squeeze in more review. If you can handle it, you need to read this. Just go, go get the book for yourself, it is worth every penny. 

I received this book as an arc from Valentine PR. This review is honest and voluntary

Love on the Scottish Summer Coast by Beatrice Bradshaw Review

* This review is spoiler-free *

4/5 ⭐

Tropes

➮ Second chance

➮ Grumpy x sunshine

➮ Forced proximity

➮ Childhood sweethearts

➮ Slow burn

➮ Sibling rivalry

➮ Miscommunication

Synopsis

Kirsty Munro unexpectedly returns to her Scottish hometown to run her parents' café, only to collide with her first love and heartbreaker, Connor Bannerman. In the scenic Scottish town of Cairnhaven, old sparks reignite amid unresolved tensions. Thrust together, they face a crucial choice: can they forgive and give love a second chance?

LGBTQ+ Representation

4/5 🌈

While the representation in this book was brief, it did feel significant. Kritsy's best friend identifies as bisexual and has dated both men and women. This aspect of her identity is relevant to her character and does help propel the story a bit. Overall this was a nice hint of rep without being too overt but portrayed as completely normal and okay.

My Thoughts

There were a few little nods in this book that made me smile. For example, the characters in the book listened to my favorite Bon Jovi songs. These little touches added a lot to the reading experience to help ground it in the real world and the current zeitgeist. 

For adults coming back together, I would've loved to see more communication from Kristy and Connor. There were more than a few moments I wished they would just be honest about how they were feeling instead of bottling everything up. That said, their banter was absolutely great. Honestly, their best communication is through banter. 

A lot of my negative feelings about this book were because I simply wasn't in the mood for it. If I had been, it would've been a higher rating most likely. The pacing of this book is superrr slow which I just wasn't looking for as I am feeling a bit slumpy lately. The slow burn was slowly burning, that is for sure. 

I felt like this book felt even more Scottish in terms of slang and attitudes than the previous books in this series. The beauty of the coast was very apparent. That said, there was almost too much description of the visuals and facial expressions and whatnot. All of this description minorly bogged down the plot. I found myself skipping through to the dialogue to get through with it if I am being honest. 

I do applaud Bradshaw for writing characters that actually help each other and bring each other to a new form of growth. It was refreshing compared to a number of books I have read lately. There needs to be more books where both of the characters actually help each other grow, not just get together because that is allegedly the thing to do. 

This book is definitely spicy which is the point of the story. If you don't like reading spice, this is not the book for you.

Overall, this book was not the right book for me at the time which definitely impacted my thoughts about it. The pace is slow, there is a lot of description, and the miscommunication was a bit much. If you are up for a slow-paced story, this would be a better fit for you. 

June 2024 Reads

  June 2024 Reads 

This month I read 10 books 

These books were 90% fiction

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

My average rating was 4.08 stars

The Books

➽ Desolation and Epiphany by James W.A.

➽ Iona Iverson's Rules for Commuting by Clare Pooley

➽ Single Dad Billionaire Boss by Evie Sterling

➽ Something Sacrificed by Erin FitzGerald

➽ Pillow Forts and Hurricanes by Margherita Scialla

➽ Pucker Up Cowboy by Zee Irwin

➽ Tomorrow, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

➽ Protective Billionaire Boss by Evie Sterling

➽ Just For the Summer by Abby Jimenez

➽ Flying by Jordana Blake