Only Between Us - Ellie K. Wilde ( 5 Stars!)

5 stars!

Tropes: fostered-MFC, fostered heroine, Professional-athlete-hero, Lift-each-other-up, equal-partners, supportive-partners, he falls first

This is a really sweet romance. I'm not sure how else to explain it. It is sweet without being overly sweet, although it breaches that boundary a bit. Sometimes authors go too far into the he-falls-first category and this one reaches that, but not quite.

The heroine understands the hero, doesn't hold the hero hostage for his feelings, and unlike most other heroines, is really bold and unapologetic for feeling desire for the hero. That was unusual and unique and I appreciated it. The hero acknowledges how the heroine is different than his ex. He takes care of her and wants to keep taking care of her the rest of his life. They embody partnership and that is a really sweet sentiment. Being there for the other person consistently and being open in communication is super important, and I am happy that this book highlighted that aspect.

Thanks to Netgalley and Atria Books for the e-ARC

Racing Hearts - Ann Adams (5 stars)

 

5/5 stars

Tropes: professional athlete mfc, athlete mmc, mmc coaches mfc, partnership, equality, olympics, rowing. 

This is such a sweet ( not in a sickening way) romance. The thing that struck me immediately is that the heroine knows herself, which is a novelty in romance books, honestly. She is very aware of how other people perceive her, how important rowing is for her, and how she doesn't care what others think.

Katherine is physically strong, and this is consistently demonstrated rather than just hinted at.  She is also very logical and practical about why things work/do not work for her. Her physique is also that of an athlete and she has muscles that demonstrate it. However, Adrian loves the way she looks and shows true appreciation for her. 

Adrian is a wholly sweet hero who is almost the polar opposite of Katherine, yet they seem to mesh together really well. He doesn’t disparage her, and whatever she thinks are her shortcomings, he treats them as her core personality. He thinks she is extraordinary from the very beginning, and that is also a very refreshing take. He is a true partner to her and can support her and making her a better athlete for it. Even though she scoffs at him and doesn’t seem to understand why he means ( literally), he is patient with her and gives her space to catch up. 

He was written so well that I almost forgot what he looked like and what his last name was. That’s when you know the personality outshines the looks (although I'm a sucker for green eyes, brown hair combo). He's not perfect; he has faults, and Kath can pick up on his insecurities, making their pairing that much more natural. 

Thanks to Netgalley and Ballantine for the e-ARC

Well, Actually - Mazey Eddings (3 stars for story, 4 stars for narration)

Tropes: Second chances, glasses-wearing-hero
Rating: 3/5 for story. 4/5 for narration

I'll rate it separately for the narration and the story line:

Narration:
4/5 I liked how Ms. Ariela Crow narrated it. Especially her emotions for the MFC were well spoke. Her narration for the MMC was muffled and gruff, and sounded fake (just being honest).


Story:
This had the potential to be a great story. Unfortunately, it turned out to be the biggest "Not like other girls" and 'not like other men' energy fest. It was so jarring, too. I was rooting for the MFC to be tough, but she would just lose her mind when the MMC showed up. For his part, he is shown to be a complete ass in the past, but now he's literally perfect?

Their interaction is also super weird. She hates him - no, she lusts after him, no, she hates him, no- she hates him. The fact that she can't even be honest with herself on this, shows no progress for her. She's way past growth. She has had no therapy, has not addressed her trauma. On the one hand, she literally blames her brothers and sisters for isolating her, but then she's super grateful that they were in her life.

I won't comment on how much the book focused on gender and sexual preferences.

Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the audio-ARC