Recommended Reading by Paul Coccia Review

 

* This review is spoiler-free *

4.25/5 ⭐

Tropes

➮ Matchmaker

➮ Friends to lovers

➮ Small town

➮ Miscommunication

➮ Grumpy x sunshine

Blurb

In this opposites-attract YA rom-com inspired by Emma, a failed romantic gesture puts a damper on a queer teen bookseller’s summer of book matching and matchmaking until a handsome lifeguard and romance skeptic waltzes into his bookstore. Sometimes you get a second chance at happily ever after when you least expect it...

Curvaceous, clever, and an avid reader, seventeen-year-old Bobby Ashton never misses a main character moment. So when it comes to asking out his crush, he plans a romantic gesture grand enough to go down in local history. Unfortunately, though, his extensive knowledge of every rom-com trope ever doesn’t prepare him for how tragically he misreads the situation. Suddenly Bobby’s very public romantic gesture turns into an ordeal so embarrassing it could be a villain origin story.

Having masterfully shattered every plan for his perfect summer before college, Bobby’s last resort is working at his uncle’s sleepy bookstore. Soon, Bobby is expertly recommending books for customers to perfectly cure what ails them. Attempting to rebound after a breakup? There’s a book for that. Trying to tame your crochety coworker? There’s a book for that too. Then a plot twist Bobby never saw coming walks through the door in the form of Luke, an unfairly attractive and staunchly anti-romantic lifeguard.

Bobby’s blossoming connection with Luke reminds him of some of his favorite tropes: grumpy sunshine, quippy banter, and even forced proximity. But after his last romantic disaster, should Bobby use all the tricks in his arsenal to turn Luke’s head? Or is he misreading all the signs again? Do grand gestures really need to be so…grand?

LGBTQ+ Representation

5/5 🌈

This one has all of the rep you could possibly ask for. It has gay, lesbian, pansexual, drag queen, and ally representation. Every queer character in this book is unapologetically queer and it is a notable part of their character. Some are much more open about their identity while others are more quiet about it which reflects real life quite well. 

My Thoughts

This story was so camp which definitely grew on me as the story went on. At first, I will admit, Bobby's blunders felt like a lot and were a bit of a cringe factor but Coccia let the rest of the story unfold in such a way that it totally made up for it and made for a surprisingly well-rounded character. 

Bobby went from a bumbling idiot to someone who sometimes actually looks before he leaps. The genuine character development is what made this story special. I was genuinely nervous at first that the only redeeming quality about him would be how purely camp he was. Luke was a true catalyst for him to grow simply by showing him another perspective. Their eventual communication was genuine and refreshing. 

Seeing an unapologetically gay and plus-sized MC was refreshing. I hope this openness and pride continue throughout more releases this year. It can make many queer people feel more seen in literature. 

My favorite character by far in this story was Gladys (the OG, read the story and you will know what I mean). Her wit and quips towards Bobby were the best. Seeing her slowly warm up was the best. Characters like her are one of my favorite microtropes. 

I received this book as an arc from Hear Our Voices. My review is honest and voluntary.

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.  

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. 

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. 

Single Dad Billionaire Boss by Evie Sterling Review

 

* This review is spoiler-free *

4.75/5 ⭐

Tropes

➮ Forced proximity

➮ Single dad

➮ Age gap

➮ Billionaire

➮ Off limits

➮ Gumpy x sunshine

➮ Dual POV

Synopsis

Let’s be real, a single dad billionaire looking to hire a nanny: sign. me. up. What I didn’t sign up for was a man who looks like he stepped out of a romance novel. The complaint is: that he’s off-limits. We unexpectedly get snowed in together and both of us clearly feel the connection, but this can not happen. Reality begs me to resist. My heart wants to augment reality. 

Best Quote From the Book

“Life is not about worrying and mistrusting everyone, it's about going after and cherishing the things that matter. It's okay to be afraid, but not when it gets in the way of love."

My Thoughts

I do not tend to gravitate towards books with single parents. Often times the kid is in the way, annoying, or so rarely included it makes me wonder why they were even written into the story. This book had me praying that Zoe would be a cute and sweet kid. Thankfully, Zoe blew me away. For a 5 year old she has a lot of spunk and is incredibly funny and charismatic. A lot of her lines were my favorites in the whole book. I feel like we all need to approach life a little more like Zoe sometimes. There were times that her language skills did seem a bit above what I would expect for a 5-year-old which did take me out of the story for a brief period. 

Zoe was not the only character from this story I adored. Once I got to know Ella and Jacob I was quite enamored by them too. Truly I have never met characters with such a similar sense of humor to my own. Their jokes and quips had me laughing out loud. They have immaculate jokes from cover to cover. I also love how they write notes for each other. They are already excellent communicators who have experience tackling disagreements from the moment they met. 

As is the case with all of Evie's books, this one was on the shorter side. I basically read this whole book in one sitting (minus a lunch break). The beauty of the shorter style is that any parts of a story that may have dragged on are not included. 

This one is the first I have read of her billionaire bosses series. I love how even earlier on in her writing career Evie excels at writing sweet and funny romances. Of all of the books of hers I have read so far, this is one of the funniest. I would say the humor is on par with Fake Dating and Matchmaking 101. This story is also the one that I would say is most begging for a sequel. I could absolutely see the need for another story when Zoe is older. 

The only reason this book is not a 5-star is that it includes another rushed engagement. I would've preferred that instead of them getting engaged so fast, it was left off with Ella and Jacob simply dating. 

Ella is a social worker who has a special place in my heart. As a psychology major, I took a lot of classes related to social work. It was obvious that Evie did her research about how social workers build trust with kids and how ethics work in the profession. This realism made me love the story even more. 

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

The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood Review

 

* This review is spoiler-free *

4.75/5 ⭐

Tropes

➮ Fake dating

➮ Professor x student (not in a class)

➮ STEM romance

➮ Grumpy x sunshine

➮ BIPOC FMC

Synopsis

Olive doesn’t believe in lasting romantic relationships–but her best friend does. Convincing Anh that Olive is dating was always going to take more than hand-wavy Jedi mind tricks: Scientists require proof. Like any biologist, Olive panics and kisses the first man she sees. That man is Adam Carlsen, a young hotshot professor. Olive is floored when Stanford’s reigning lab tyrant agrees to keep a secret and be her fake boyfriend. When a science conference goes haywire, Adam surprises her again with his unyielding support and even more unyielding abs. Olive discovers that the only thing more complicated than a hypothesis on love is putting her own heart under the microscope.

Best Quote From the Book

“I'm starting to wonder if this is what being in love is. Being okay with ripping yourself to shreds, so the other person can stay whole."

LGBTQ+ Representation

5/5 🌈

Two notable side characters end up in a gay relationship. Said relationship is totally accepted and even celebrated. While minor, their representation is very positive. In addition, Olive considers herself demisexual. This part of her identity is explored within the story and shapes her view on romance. 

My Thoughts

This is my first dive into Ali Hazelwood's books and I can say with passion that I was not disappointed. This book wonderfully balances comedy, science, and romance in such a way that kept me entranced from beginning to end. 

Hazelwood does an excellent job of covering the challenges involved with being a BIPOC woman in science. Olive struggles to be taken seriously and constantly has to prove herself worthy of being in the field with many white older men. This book provides the depth of day-to-day challenges that help make the representation worthwhile and rewarding. This book is excellent at the concept of being a mirror for some and a window for others. (If you have not heard of this concept let me know and I will gladly explain it in more detail).

The tension Hazelwood is able to create feels palpable. I truly adored the moments when Olive and Adam were forced together. Their passion and chemistry (pun intended) worked so well. By the end, they became a functioning couple with communication and all. Seeing the moments where Anh encourages them to act lovey-dovey was incredibly hilarious. Particularly the sunscreen scene (I seriously almost listened to that one twice). 

Every character in this book was fantastically written. From best friends to the antagonist, they all contributed to the plot and entertainment value of the story. I wish I could've seen even more of them and how their presence and meddling impacted things for the fake couple.  

The one area I thought was lacking was more of Adam's feelings. At first, he was not particularly expressive so it was hard to get a read on how he felt. There is a lot of getting to know Adam with everything except for how he feels about things. 

This book had way more actual plot than I was expecting. As I was listening to the audiobook I kept assuming I must be near the end because so much had already happened but no. There was more! I love that Olive and Adam had to really go through some trials and tribulations to get to the point where they knew they needed to address everything.  

One of my favorite parts was the great roasting of Tom by all of the characters. I found myself quite literally laughing and fist-pumping because all of it was so well-deserved. I won't dive into why he is so unlikeable but trust me, he absolutely is!

This book does contain open-door spice. That said, it can be skipped without missing anything particularly important to the plot. 

Overall, this is one of the top romances in my eyes. While not quite at the level of giving me that 5-star feeling, I highly highly recommend it. All of the characters are fantastic and there is so much plot for readers to immerse themselves in. It is also genuinely funny a lot of the time which adds to the appeal!

Crushing on the Grumpy Best Man by Lila Marlow

 

* This review is spoiler-free *

4.25/5 ⭐

Tropes

➮ Grumpy x sunshine

➮ Enemies to lovers

➮ Opposites attract

➮ Forced proximity

➮ Dual POV

Synopsis

In an attempt to make peace, Max Waltons invites Jessa on a cruise back to Europe after her best friend and his brother's wedding. At the wedding, they butt heads a lot. Now that they are stuck on a cruise together, will they be able to play house and get along?

My Thoughts

This book is pretty much the definition of short and sweet. It is naturally very fast-paced. I enjoyed a fun vacationy read to get me in the warm weather mood. I would've loved to see the book slow down the pace a bit. 

It really felt like the characters barely knew each other and were suddenly in love. Readers don't get to know the characters all that much beyond their attraction. Particularly, I would've liked to see more of them before the wedding. Perhaps the other books in the series would help with that.

My favorite part of this book by far is all of the scenes where they have to play house with Emil. The little one is just so cute and sweet. He propelled the plot a lot simply by existing. 

I am a bit sad that the ruined vacation trope happened again in this book. This is really just my request for people to be able to have a nice vacation in a book. That said, I will forgive it this time because this book did need the conflict. I liked how the conflict was handled. 

Overall if you want a short, sweet, lighthearted, and vacationy read, this book is for you. It is a spice-free enemies-to-lovers story. I would've liked to see it be a tad bit longer but I appreciate that it trims out unnecessary parts of the story. 

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

Something Lost by Erin Fitzgerald Review

 

5/5 ⭐

Tropes

➮ Grumpy x sunshine

➮ Small-town romance

➮ Single dad

➮ Secret admirer 

➮ Age gap

➮ Dual pov

➮ Cowboy

Synopsis

When the Senator said he'd send an aide to draft a counter to the proposed pipeline that would bisect his ranch, the last thing more expected was Lana. The pull to her is stronger than he'd like. Lana's past is shadowy. He wonders if it's the reason she wants to leave DC. When a tragic accident results in a terrible misunderstanding, both of their lives are torn apart. Mark realizes some people don't want them together. Is it possible the biggest obstacle between him and happiness... is himself?

Best Quote From the Book

“Loving someone is easy at first, because you see only the best. Real love has history. It's practiced and chosen. It sees the ugly things and stays anyway."

My Thoughts

My first 5-star read of the year! I don't think I will be forgetting this cast of characters any time soon. My favorites are Mark's sons and his housekeeper Julie. They are incredibly amusing and endearing. 

Many times in this book I was cracking a smile because of funny or cute moments. Beyond just Mark and Lana, all of the characters are excellent at being naturally funny and comedic timing. Especially how absolutely nobody in this book is subtle about pushing Mark and Lana together. If only Mark weren't so stubbornly dumb this book would've been around 100 or more pages shorter. That said, I would not desire to miss out on anything that unfolded.

This book is long. I wish this book was shorter just so I could reach a satisfying conclusion faster. Even so, there isn't a moment I would cut out. I was flat-out drinking up the drama like it was the perfect daytime tv soap opera with a cowboy twist. 

Even if this is a 5-star read, there are a few small things that bothered me that seem worth addressing. Mark abandons Lana for almost 2 years I believe. If he was simply willing to communicate so much frustration could've been avoided. There is also a child in this book who would absolutely have fetal alcohol syndrome but that isn't mentioned at all. Despite the mother drinking heavily up to 4 months in, the baby is allegedly perfectly healthy. 

This book does include spice scenes. That said, the dirty jokes sprinkled throughout are actually quite funny.  In addition please look up a full list of trigger warnings before picking up this book because it dives into a lot of potentially triggering topics. 

I received this book as part of a release team. My review is completely voluntary.

A Love Catastrophe by Helena Hunting Review

 

* This review is spoiler-free *

3.75/5 ⭐

Tropes

➮ Opposites attract

➮ Dual pov

➮ Grumpy x sunshine

➮ Cat lover and dog lover

Synopsis

Kitty Hart is a popular cat-sitter known as the Kitty Whisperer. Recently she has found her life to be lacking excitement and she hopes the new client will bring back some excitement. Miles Thorn is a dog person who has his mother's cat Prince Francis thrust upon him. When he desperately needs Kitty's help, they get off to a clumsy start. This book follows their hilariously wacky story. 

Best Quote From the Book

“Losing someone you're close to is... like having a piece of your soul go missing that you can't ever get back."

My Thoughts

When I first saw there was a book with both cats and hockey I was like "sign me up!" The cat content in this book was hilarious and adorable the entire time. I think romance may be considered a subplot. It's almost entirely about trauma and Prince Francis, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. 

Speaking of trauma, it felt a bit like their relationship was built on trauma bonding which just isn't healthy. Perhaps this is my psychology brain kicking in, but how much of their connection is just them wallowing in both losing a loved one? I am not sure what else other than that they even had in common. If they had more to bond over, the relationship would've been much healthier. 

I will also say if you do decide to read this book, keep an eye out for the Telsa key scene. It genuinely had me laughing out loud. It showed the complete bumbling clumsiness Kitty and Miles both have. As a clumsy person myself, I relate to how often they accidentally end up in various situations. 

This book does have some spicy scenes. When these spicy scenes are read out loud (as per the audiobook), they are rather dorky and a bit cringy to witness. It probably would've been better if I were reading the physical book.  If you are looking for good spice this isn't the book.

Overall this book was good for a romcom. It had me laughing often and I liked seeing what hijinks Kitty and Miles will get themselves into next. The spicy scenes were a bit awkward to listen to so I would recommend the physical version of the book. I don't think this book did anything special or was particularly memorable. Even so, it was a nice read. Lastly, I would've liked to see more bonding that isn't related to their trauma. 

Twisted Love by Ana Huang Review

 

* This review is spoiler-free *

4.5/5 ⭐

Tropes

➮ Brother's best friend

➮Dual POV

➮ Forced proximity

➮ Grumpy x sunshine

➮    Alpha male

➮ Interracial romance

➮ Billionaire MMC

Synopsis

Alex Volkov is a billionaire with a cursed past. He desires to get revenge on those who have wronged him. He meets his best friend's little sister Ava Chen, who has a lot of trauma of her own. When forced to become neighbors, their stories begin to combine more than before.

Best Quote From the Book

“You want the world to think you have no heart when in reality, you have a multilayered one: a heart of gold encased in heart of ice. And one thing all hearts of gold have in common? They crave love."

My Thoughts

I love seeing a book with a main character that is a photographer. I have a passion for photography and capturing the beauty of the world around me. It is so beautiful to see a character have that same passion. That said, I would've loved to see a bit more with Ava interacting with her career. We see a lot of Alex's career (which makes sense for the plot), I would've loved to see more of hers. 

Ava's friendship with Bridget is truly iconic. Seeing them take on the world together and always have each other's backs is the friendship dedication we all dream of. I could easily read a whole book of their friendships before Alex was nearly as involved in Ava's life. 

Alex's protective nature is by far one of the best parts about him. You can tell everything he does has protecting Ava in mind. While a lot of what he does ends up being quite toxic, I appreciate that it comes with good intentions. 

This book (and series overall) is incredibly tropey. There are a lot more tropes than I listed at the top of this review including a third-act breakup that can make the book a bit hollow. That said, all of these tropes are written incredibly well. Listening to the audiobook read like a movie. I could easily picture all of the characters doing what the did and saying what they said. All of the chracters are well-established and clearly fleshed out. 

My biggest complaint about this book is how difficult I found it to root for Alex. There are a number of awful things he does that if this were real life, I would encourage Ava to run for the hills. He is often not a good person and has a lot of trauma and resentment that hinders him as a person and as a character. I almost didn't want them to end up together in the end for Ava's sake. Even so, when Alex stops being toxic, they do make a very cute couple. 

Notable spice warning for this book. There are a lot of chapters in this book that surround spice. If you do not like that sort of thing, I would say these scenes are skippable as they do not involve the plot too much. I would also like to warn that there are some quite dark themes including kidnapping and violence in this book. Please review all of the trigger warnings before reading this book. 

In sum, I defintely enjoyed this book, if I view in with the lens of a tropey romance book. It isn't going to change your life, it isn't a must read. If you like these tropes, it will fulfill your craving well. It is good for the tropes it has and has a good cast of characters.