The CEO I Hate The Lockhart Brothers #1 by Leslie North ( 3.5/5 Stars)

Tropes: Brother's best friend, drunken encounter, Firefighters, writers, CEO.

Overall it's 3.5/5 stars.

The pluses:
1. Heroine is professional writer/cartoonist
2. Hero is a CEO
3. Heroine has curly hair? I think?
4. Hero helps heroine land a job (on merit, duh!)


The thing that irked me was that the third act break up was extremely stupid. Literally. The hero is like 38 years old so for him to act like a 22 year old pissed me off. Also, there was no discussion about the TV drama that the whole book was focused on. No discussion of what the show was about, what the first season was about, what the second season was about. It was really weird.

And the heroine is so pretty and accomplished that random people hit on her and her CEO BF is crazy about her but her parents are setting her up with the most pathetic losers? Something isn't meshing.

Thanks to Netgalley and Relay Publishing

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

Gone Country - Hunter Snow (3/5 stars)

I struggled to read this book because the writing is so contradictory from line to another.

E.g. in one paragraph the MFC says that she absolutely hates the MMC and yet she follows him to his studio to make music with him (without discussing who the song belongs to), then shows up at a bar that he asks her to go to to sing it with him, and is then surprised when he sings it at the bar?

I mean, if you hate him that much, don't do what he is asking to do? Or if you are doing it, give at least a good reason to do it ( and yes, being attracted to him counts!), but she doesn't explain it at all!!!

Also, I'm sorry but the MFC is almost an alcoholic and that makes me really uncomfortable.

Thanks to Netgalley and Tellwell Talent for the e-ARC

Oaths & Vengeance Realm of Zadyra #1 by Susan Illene (4 stars)

4 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for providing the e-ARC. Views are my own

Tropes: other-world, elves, magic, literal-enemies, MFC is a softie, magical garden, powerful MFC, powerful MMC.

Aella is a powerful, magical elf and an orphan. She's 33 but still under the protection of her uncle, a sadistic elf who's leading the war against other elves. The story revolves around the war between the elves and their world slowly dying unless they find an artefact that gives life to their planet. This is book one.


1. The book took me a long time to read despite not being more than 400 pages long. I think it's because the author made a decent effort to make it action packed.

2. Good world building. I was not too invested in other magical creatures which don't play a role in the story. Wisps, centaurs... it didn't matter to me if they didn't move the plot in some way. I sort of skipped those paragraphs.

3. The story is intriguing. MFC who is under the control of her uncle by being cursed, she falls unconscious any time she leaves his territory. MFC who is cursed by not being able to fall in love.

4. The author allowed a world that allows both male and female elves to express themselves sexually without being judged. The rules are the same for both.

BUT
1. Despite a lot of action, I feel like the book could have been condensed. The number of times Aella went on portal trips but then nothing happened, could have been cut down.

2. The extra magical creatures didn't contribute much to the storyline. I think they could have been cut.

3. I kept thinking that according to the story, the MMC can't fall in love with the MFC, but then he was possessive of her, cared for her, craved her, listened to her limitations and followed them, allowed her liberty of his body, was gentle with her, missed her and lusted after her. What is love, if not this. I don't know what the author defines love as, but this is it.

4. Supposedly, the MFC could roam around wherever in the enemy kingdom without going unconscious so that really confused me.

I'll be anxiously waiting for the next installment when they try to reach earth.

Review of Steady Now by Liberty Stowe (3.5 stars)

3.5 stars

Tropes: rich-heroine, well-to-do-hero, texas, mechanic-hero, working-class-hero, maserati, posh-heroine, insta-lust, small-town, car-breaks-down

This is a new-to-me author, and I have to say that this book is readable. However, I'm not sure if the author got some external feedback, because the randomest things irked me and the timeline didn't make a lot of sense. We have no clue what lead to Wren running out like a bat from hell all alone. None. I know she got broken up with... but why? Who was this dude? We know she's rich, but why is she scared/irritated with her dad? No clue! No mention is made of her clothing ( e.g) so it was weird that she left her broken down car in a garage. What is she wearing? Where are her clothes?

I also feel like the MMC fell for her immediately. I mean, come on. Just cuz her name is Wren and she's petitie and she drove a sexy car? She is shown to be down to earth and friendly and that was a relief.

The hero is a mechanic/land owner who is also rich, yet grounded, yet 6 feet+ yet handsome, yet so sexy. Pretty stereotypical, I'd say. The fact that he has a son is discussed pretty late into the book. You'd think the guy thinks about his some somewhere between wanting to be with his new girl?

Thanks to Netgalley and RupertBossier for providing the e-ARC. Views are my own
 

Review of: Say It Out Loud A Novel by Ashley Schumacher (4.5 stars/5)

4.5/5 stars

Tropes: missed-connection, reconciliation, magic, regrets, life-in-a-decade, humor, celebrity, stage, acting, voice-actors, narration, twilight, twilight-is-feminist

BLURB:

"Juniper Green doesn’t believe in magic anymore. Not since her mom died, her dreams of a publishing career fizzled, and her podcast—the one bright spot in her life—was stolen out from under her. Now, at thirty-two, she’s living in her dad’s spare room and wondering if life peaked when she was a teenager with a stack of vampire books and an unhealthy obsession with enigmatic immortals.

Then comes the email: an invitation to audition for the lead role in the audio drama adaptation of The Meadow, the wildly popular vampire romance series that defined her teenage years. It’s a dream opportunity—until she learns her co-star is James Neely, the brooding, talented actor who played Romeo to her Juliet in a one-night-only college show before breaking her heart and disappearing from the stage and her life . . . right along with the magic.

To save the project (and her career), Juniper and James must revive their onstage chemistry, playing The Meadow’s star-crossed lovers for the microphones and social media alike. But as the lines between performance and reality blur, Juniper is left wondering: Can you rewrite the ending of a story you thought was over? Because love, like magic, is a fragile thing to lose . . . and to find again."

Review

Unlike other rom-coms or chick lits, this book portrays MFC in a much more realistic light and you are much more sympathetic to her plight. Usually the formula goes that the MFC is stupid and nothing has gone well her way. In this story, you can see how hard MFC has worked and she has been (somewhat) rewarded for it. She made a mistake and lost the brand she worked so hard for (unfortunate, but happens pretty frequently).

Also deals with the more realistic scenario of doing someone a solid favor and them completely dumping you when they get their chance. That's what MMC does to MFC who helps him be discovered by a talent agent during Romeo and Juliet performance. You'd think that the MFC is bitter and hates him, but she's pragmatic about it and has somewhat moved away, although she can't stop the what-ifs, especially after losing her podcast.

This book was sweet and nostalgic, not in a cloying way, but in a rather hazy summer's day way, where as a millenial, I was in sync with what the MFC felt. I feel like the pacing could have been better, especially when the two MCs meet up again ( hence the 4 stars), but perhaps the pacing is something the editor is responsible for, and not the author? As an intro to this author, this was a wonderful story.

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore | Del Rey for providing the e-ARC. Views are my own

Review of People Watching - Hannah Bonam-Young (2.5/5)

 Thanks to Netgalley and Ballantine | Dell for the e-ARC. Views are my own 2.5/5 stars.

This is my first foray into HBY's books. I'm not impressed. DNF at 40%.

Tropes: virgin-heroine, experienced-hero, moustached-hero, small-town-romance, Alzheimer

This book was just a collection of stereotypes. It's like the author made a checklist and checked off all things on it, without any regards to whether they made any sense or not.

1. Bisexual hero? Check
2. Virgin heroine? Check
3. Bi hero who has had 200 partners? AND mentions it to the virgin heroine? Check?
4. Hero who is (INSTANTLY TURNED ON) by the virgin heroine? Check?
5. Hero's (slight. ahem) sexual experience attracts heroine (REALLY, she didn't think that he has commitment issues? Like, at all? She was immediately turned on?)
6. Hero has had threesomes and thinks of them at opportune times, especially when he feels some sort of way about the heroine? Check. This one really made me feel the ick.
7. He speaks russian oh-so-fluently with the heroine's dad? Check


It goes on and on. I literally DNF it at like 40%.

He Falls First - Jill Shalvis (3.75/5)

 

Rating: 3.75/5 rounded up to 4.

Thanks to Netgalley and SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca for providing me the e-ARC. Views are my own.

Tropes: sweet romance, beta-hero, trauma-childhood, family-values, siblings, part-of-a-series, sassy-grandma, working-class-hero, working-class-heroine.

This is a sweet romance. I wish there were any other way to describe it, but sweet really does describe it well. The hero, Ryder, is the oldest sibling, takes cares of his family and all the kids were abused by their dad. Now their dad has had 2 strokes and is the sweetest ever, but the siblings are still reeling from the past abuse of their dad. Together, they own and run Colburn Construction.

Penny's mom is unstable and has left her grandma and younger (half?) brother alone. She gives up her job to help them out. She dreams of opening up her cafe, but is so bogged down from day to day, that she can't think straight. She works for the catering company that supplies lunches and snacks to the Colburn Construction.

I will concede that there is no doubt that the hero likes the heroine. All the people around him ALSO know that he likes her. He waits for her delivery and has (supposedly) bumped into walls because he was watching her. My issue is that I wish there were a little more anticipation between the two. The conflicts that each of them took a back seat, where as a reader you sort of discard their issues (they are not highlighted much at all, in my opinion). Because they kiss so naturally and are already so in tune with each other, it seems hard to understand why they aren't together already.

The about-face that Hank (the dad) had... I'm not sure if that was necessary? The relationship between the heroine's mom and herself could also have been explored much more to give more depth.

Rose In Chains - Julie Soto (Narrated by Ella Lynch) 3.5/5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and Hachette Audio/Forever for providing me the Audio e-ARC.

Narrated by: Ella Lynch

Tropes: Enemies to lovers, magic users, war-torn, literal enemies, treason

Trigger warning: Human trafficking, auctioning, non-consensual sexual acts, aggression, forced nudity.

I will split this review into 2 parts, the story and the narration.

Narration:
The narration gets a 2.5/5 for me. The narrator was fine. But I feel like this book would have really done so much better with a dual narration style and the male narrator would have suited the story so much more. Any time the female narrator spoke male dialogs, it took me out of the storyline and was absolutely jarring. The narrator was also British ( I believe?) and I had understood Julie Soto be an American writer. I understand that this book was supposedly Dramione fan fic, but if it were being adapted to a wider audience, the book could have been narrated differently

The story:
The story gets a 3.5/5 for me (rounded to 4 because GR does not allow 1/2 stars). I'll share the good stuff first:

1. The outline is pretty cool: Countries fighting right now. They didn't used to. The elite kids went to school together to prevent wars ( clearly this didn't work)

2. MFC is a twin. She has magical gifts that supersedes her male twin, but she has to play nice.

3. MFC is innocent and oh-so-pure, but fantasizes about Toven, the richest boy from behind enemy lines

4. The angst between the leads is nice. There are a couple supposed explicit scenes that were done well. Language alert. Open door explicit

5. The story has a potential to be a block buster.

6. The triggering aspects of this book are thought provoking. It was physically repulsive, but a much needed reminder of how POW have been treated, especially how women have been treated. Made me physically sick to read those scenes.


Problems:
1. There was very little context. From the get-g0 you are thrown into a panic situation with the killing of Rory and the main characters are not given any chance to be developed.

2. The back and forth between present time and the past was super jarring. The panic of the present made me want it to be over and being dragged in the past was like being tortured over and over. I wish the past had been explained in the present instead of as separate chapters. I literally just skipped the past chapters because they added nothing new to the story. You still get the whole context without reading them.

3. The pacing is really, truly BAD. For like middle 1/3 of the book (around 30%), NOTHING HAPPENS to Briony except that she is TIRED, and SO EXHAUSTED, and SO SLEEPY. This literally could have been summarized in ONE PARAGRAPH. As in, "The first month, Briony only slept and BATHED"

4. Which, by the way, HOW MANY BATHS DOES THIS GIRL TAKE? AND IN CAPTIVITY!!!! Too many, if you ask me. It irked me. She is probably the reason why future generations will have a water shortage.

5. The pacing again. Because of Briony's frequent napping and bathing schedule for 300 pages, the last 1/3 of the book is action packed, and (dare I say?) RUSHED. I wish I had gotten more of the last third. It was literally like the author wrote a 2 part series and the editor said, we'll make it a 3 parter and you can insert chapters of MFC just sleeping and bathing.

6. What even is the point of introducing jealousy in the mix, when the MFC and MMC are literal enemies and MFC's life is on the line? So redundant and displeasing (also the MMC and OW is shown to be intimate in front of the MFC -so.... ew!)

7. Why was the OW auctioned? No answers to that. Initially I thought it was because she was gay, but then I guess not?



Overall, it was enjoyable. I wish the story had progressed way more than it actually did. If I had read another novel this long, I'd have expected way more progression in the storyline.

The Weekend Crashers: A Novel Jamie Brenner (3.75 stars)

3.75 rounded to 4

Thanks to Netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for providing me the e-ARC. Views are my own.

Tropes: Multiple story lines, knitting retreat, sweet, older MMC, older MFC, mother-daughter-bond.

BLURB:
Maggie Hodges and her daughter Piper are looking forward to a restful knitting retreat in the picturesque village of New Hope, Pennsylvania. But instead, they are surprised to find themselves sharing their charming riverside inn with a rowdy bushcraft bachelor party. Undaunted by the clash of interests and personalities, Maggie suggests a lighthearted competition—a battle of crafts—that sparks a rivalry between the two groups, and perhaps something more. But as the weekend unfolds, old mistakes and buried resentments begin to surface, threatening to destroy Maggie and Piper’s cherished connection.

Review:
This is a sweet women's fic type novel with a romantic element. And I say element because it's all closed-door and even the outcome (when it happens), is left open ended. The mother-daughter bond is very clearly outlined so if you love this trope, go in and have fun.
The older MMC is a sweet dude who's lost his wife and is ready now to move on. Overall this book wasn't high angst or suspense. It was a sweet telling of people moving on and finding love. There's technically three parallel stories running around (Trigger warning, one of them had cheating involved and that left the most bitter taste in my mouth for the remainder of the story!)

Over & Out - Claire Wilder ( 5 stars!)

5 stars!

Views are my own. Thanks to Netgalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for providing me the e-ARC

Part of a series but works absolutely as a stand-alone!

Tropes: independent-mfc, celebrity-hero, dual-pov, banter, battle of wills, traumatized-mfc, traumatized mmc, funny

This was a funny/sweet book. I really, really, really liked it. The banter was natural, not forced and I am a fan. My first book from this author, won’t be the last. The book has dual POV and it gives tons of soul to the story. You can feel the angst through the different perspectives and truly root for the leads. The side characters have their own stories, but it can be read a stand-alone.

The ending was a little corny ( in my opinion), I don’t personally like public declaration of love, but that may be a me thing.

Absolutely one of the best reads this year.

Thirty, Flirty, and FOREVER ALONE - Christine Riccio (3.5 rounded to 4 stars)

Many thanks to Netgalley and Montlake publishers for providing the e-ARC of this book. Views are my own.

Tropes: chance-meeting, coming-of-age-at-30, writer-MMC, writer MFC.

I give it 3.5 rounded up to 4.  This book is for idealists, those who want things to be perfect because honestly, the dialog read one sided, like the response is what the MFC wants to hear instead of what the MMC actually says. I'm not even sure if I'm making sense, but there's something about the flow of the delivery that feels unnatural. The friends not knowing how triggered the MFC would be also irked me. She's single and she doesn't want to be a spectacle, but her BF who's getting married parades her around at her wedding as the ONLY single girl? 

I mean, come on. That's disrespectful. I'm surprised no one spoke up... It's a quick read. Not the most original premise and my heartstrings were not touched extensively (no, that's not a euphemism). 

Scars of Anatomy - Nicole Alfrine (3.5/5 stars)

Thanks to Netgalley and Wattpad WEBTOON Book Group | W by Wattpad Books for providing the e-ARC. Views are my own.

BLURB:

"Hotshot college quarterback Bronx Miller is on track to make it to the NFL, but while he’s hyper focused on football, that doesn't mean he doesn't have fun. In fact, he’s the most notorious player on and off the field. Even with a zero commitments policy, he’s never met  a girl who can resist him.

However, when he’s paired with straight-A, pre-med student Olivia McCausland as his anatomy lab partner, he realizes he may want something more. Olivia is quiet, thoughtful, and unimpressed by his big-man-on-campus status.

As the semester unfolds with study sessions and bets based on test scores, the pair grow close. Still, even as Bronx starts to let his guard down and shed his playboy persona, outside forces are determined to rip them apart.

While Bronx and Olivia may be more alike than they ever imagined, they’ll have to fight for a future together. Along the way, they’ll both learn that while scars come in various forms, they don’t decide someone’s future."

3.5/5

This is the first time I read a book completely in the guy's POV. So kudos to the author for attaining that. However, the way it was assembled really confused me because I thought the next chapter was the MFC's POV, but it wasn't.

Also, starting the book with how callous the MMC is was perhaps not the best way? Especially when he has a TON of sexual chemistry with a person who is not even the lead? I guess the author was trying to highlight how the MFC was not as beautiful as the other girl, but it actually did the opposite ( in my opinion).

The MFC was just too perfect. Straight A student, giggly, shy glances, sweet.... I mean, not that such people don't exist but they are not perfect ( unless her penchant for the MMC is taken as a character flaw, in which case, ouch!)

The Girlfriend Agreement (3.5 stars) - Rowan Croft

Thanks to Netgalley and Shire-Hill Publications for the e-ARC. The review is my own.

3.5 stars

Tropes: enemies-to-lover, multicultural, genius-lead, misunderstood hero


OK. I love stories where the lead come from 2 different perspectives, hate each other, then understand each other, and then fall in love. And this book introduces a new way to write about 'fuckboy' Damien.

The issue is that the transition between fuckboy Damian and hurt Damian is realllly abrupt. Almost to the point where it gave me a whiplash. The fact that he is so nonchalant about treating women like a commodity ( has a very, 'oh, well...' attitude about it) to being contrite doesn't feel organic.

Also...craigslist ad to advertise for a fake girlfriend? Who even goes on craigslist these days with the advent of facebook marketplace or nextdoor or whatever.

The FMC also fell victim to stereotypes: Kind, poor, genius, with a good head on her shoulders ecept when it comes to the MMC.

I wish the author had started the story from the middle half so we weren't superbly/intimately familiar with the MMC's attitude in the first half. In the 2nd half, he's perfectly fine. Pretty cool, in fact. There's a reason he's as antipathetic as he his, but I wish it had been hinted at earlier when he meets his folks for the first time ( in the book). I loved his relationship with his granma. The sense of community that he feels for his heritage.

Overall a good read.

Gloves Off - Stephanie Archer (Review: 5 stars!)

(Thanks to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for providing me an e-ARC. Review is my own)

Hold on to your horses, this one was really interesting.
5 STARS

Trope: true-enemies-to-lovers, marriage-of-convenience, secret-beta-hero, funny, independent-heroine, professional-heroine, strong-female-lead, hero-isn't-intimidated.

This is my first Stephanie Archer book and OH, MY. What an introduction.

The MFC is extremely independent, sporty, a medical doctor/researcher and $%^&* hates the MMC. He is a defenceman for the NHL team called Storms and ALSO $%^& hates MFC despite noticing her amazing shoe collection.


Take note authors: THIS IS A TRUE ENEMIES trope! The leads did not fall in love immediately in chapter 2. Their hate for earch other is OBVIOUS. They really go at each other. You can tell they really believe they hate each other. The MFC hates people in her space telling her what to do due to past trauma. The MMC hates rich snobby (hot) women due to past trauma.

They take their time addressing their preconceived notions about each other. The progression is AMAZING. It is Explicit open door and the writing in it is SO NATURAL yet exciting. Let's just say that the MFC is a control freak and the MMC really plays on it.


A wonderful, wonderful read. I immediately ordered all the other books in the series. One of my fave reads of the year.

Let's Make a Scene - Laura Wood ( 5 stars!)

 

(Thanks to Netgalley and Atria Books for providing me an e-ARC. The review is my own.)

Tropes: m-f, second-chance, long-term-love, slow-burn, humor, fiery-love, funny, friends-are-family, he-falls-hard, alpha-to-beta, beta-hero, independent-heroine.

Ok. Here it is. THIS IS A 5 STAR READ!
OMG. OMG. OMG.

From the first paragraph, I was hooked. The way Laura wrote the scenes made me feel like I was there. I have read over 150 romance books this year (to date). This book has become my favorite find yet!

Favorite things:
- The writing is impeccable. The description is so vivid that you feel it's happening right in front of you.

- The character arc of the MMC is STUNNING. Jack's growth from an asshole to a mature and understanding man is realistic. I have had so many encounters with former asshole classmates/collegues who have changed (for the better) as they have matured.

- The way this book is written, the movie, that MMC and MFC have been a part of, is a character and it acts beautifully to support the growth of our characters.

-I literally imagined Penelope Cruz and Javier because, why not? It's hard to maintain relationships in the entertainment industry and these two have ALSO worked on a movie a long time ago and reconnected and now they have a couple of kids, right? It made Jack and Cynthie's story plausible to me.

- The side characters were really well-written. I loved them all.

-No third act break up ( thank the good lord!)

- Funny, in an understated, every day. Not a deliberate, "I have to put in a joke here" way, but just naturally... pleasant.

- SLOW BURN! but not boring or draggy in ANY WAY. Everything was just sooooooo! Ooooph!


AAAAAH I love this book!!!!!

The way that the MMC and MFC looked back at their behavior was so... natural yet full of angst, that it really hits hard. It could be that I'm an older millenial but that the MFC and MMC both did therapy and destigmatized it really plays a big role. Bring in a diverse supporting characters in a very natural way ( sort of like the cast of Brooklyn 99) and you have a hit on your hands.

Going in my re-read pile.

Behind Enemy Bylines: A Novel - Kathleen Fuller

 

Thanks to Netgalley for providing the e-ARC for review. All views are my own.

3.5 stars.

Tropes: Second chance; sweet romance; older main characters; older heroine; older hero; reunion; behind-closed-doors.

Blurb:
"Sebastian Percival Hudson might have a lofty name but he's as down to earth as it gets, making his living traveling around the deep South and writing slice-of-life articles for the dying newspaper in his picturesque small town. Over the years he's had run-ins with Jade Smith, a type-A former reporter..."

Premise: The story starts in the 2000's and Seb and Jade both work together in Arkansas. They have been going out for about 4 months and Seb is ready to say 'I love you' to Jade ( and does). Jade is a foster kid and has just received news that she may be able to adopt her foster brother. She feels like it's not fair to Seb and breaks things off with Seb.


The next part is about 10 years later when Seb is 40 and Jade is undetermined age.
The pluses:
- Older MMC and MFC. MMC is around 40 and has greying hair.
- The whole culture around small-town newspapers and community
- Side story line about a teenager finding her place in Arkansas (coming from CA)

The best way to describe this story is that it is sweet. It is a very cute/behind-closed-doors, reunion/second chance. There are a couple of side plots that I wish had been explored more fully ( e.g Logan's story (the foster brother). MFC's mom. MMC's sister etc. Even the secondary characters needed to be more fleshed out. As it was, they were like Hallmark versions of stereotypical with not much depth.

Review: Caught Out - Ann Butler (4/5)

 From the Blurb

"Bad Press is her middle name

What does a socially awkward introvert do when she's trolled for not measuring up to her super model mum and gorgeous media personality sister?
If she's Amara Allen, she keeps her armour polished and her punch bag handy. After all, she'll need some way to cope when the trolling becomes too much.
Things start to look up when the man she's been watching for months and has pegged as one of the good guys asks her on a date. Maybe with him she can let her guard down.

As for Nicholas, the man in question, dating a social misfit who struggles to make conversation is not his idea of a good time. But what can he do when her mum is pulling his strings?"

Review

(eARC provided via Netgalley, 2025)

The story's about Amara and her crush on/interest in Nicholas Lewis, a furniture brand mogul. It's not explicitly stated in the book that she is ND so as a reader, you're wondering it, without any confirmation. I wish the author had explicitly stated it so everything fir in better.

Trinity, Amara's mother, gets Nicholas/Lewis (I wish the author had decided what to call him and then stuck with it) to date Amara for 6 months in exchange for a social media campaign. This means the story is a blackmail/extortion trope.

The problem is that you get the clash first. The book starts with Amara finding out so it colors all their interactions negatively (for me). The lack of verbal communication (makes sense in the instance of MFC being ND) makes this an awkward read for at least the first half of the book. The story could have had more visual cues to make up for it, but that's neither here nor there.

Now, a lot of people may have issues with Trinity (the mom) interfering with her child's love life, but it is pretty cultural, I think. SE Asians have their parents arrange their marriages so for us, meh, it's ok.

It's not explicitly stated how old Amara and Nicholas are (as far as I remember) so that aspect would have helped contextualize their interactions as well.

Open door explicit.

Review: How to Break My Heart - Kat T. Masen

 

Thanks to Netgalley for providing the e-ARC of this book.
Tropes: Childhood crush, jealous MMC, jealous MFC, billionaire MMC, working class MFC, tortured-hero.

This is my first book by Kat Masen, so I wasn't sure what to expect.

Premise: Everleigh (tragedeigh, anyone?) is best friends with Maddy (not Madeline, but Madelina) and sorta/kinda loves her older brother Aston. They never end up connecting ( almost, but not quite). It's about 10 years later and Aston is now a billionaire, works as CEO for his father's company and the story goes from there. Maddy is getting married and Everleigh and Aston are planning the wedding ( I mean a billionaire can't delegate a staff to do this?)

Good things:
- the writing style.
- it is open door explicit. Scenes are full of tension.
- plot twists

My questions:
- How did Everleigh (nickname Eva, which is NEVER used by anyone!) and Maddy connect? Like, how? When? Since Maddy's dad is so elitist, how did he let his (supposed) kids slum with the working class?
- There is literally no information about the MFC's parents or how she came to open a seemingly profitable shop that ONLY sells donuts and coffee. It irked me because: NOT IN THIS ECONOMY!
- The MFC also doesn't have many other friends, even though she grew up in this 'small' town near NYC. Like, how? Where's your support system, girl?
- The MMC is a billionaire at like 28? I can't tell because their ages are never explicitly stated.

If you can suspend your belief over these, it's a very enjoyable read. I really wish there were more day-to-day interactions between the lead. As it turns out, it was mostly about them hooking up. There were only a couple of times they actually helped each other out. We all know that chemistry doesn't make relationships last. But. Oh, well.

Apparently it is part of a series, but can be read stand-alone.

Handmade Chic - Laura Bennett

Excerpt

In Handmade Chic, Laura shares simple strategies for creating 40 small luxuries and high-fashion accessories, from a smart leather iPad portfolio to a feather-embellished evening bag. With sections organized in skill-building order and based on type of accessory—small leather goods, agendas and notepads, electronics, bags and wallets, and evening items—Laura offers patterns, easy-to-follow diagrams, and detailed instructions for fabricating each glamorous project, whether it involves sewing from scratch or embellishing a prepurchased garment. While showcasing her own creative designs, she provides readers with the basic techniques and encouragement they need to come up with variations and create their own signature pieces.
Packed with Laura’s signature flair and finesse, vibrant four-color photos, step-by-step drawings, and a complete list of suggestions on where to purchase materials, Handmade Chic is an accessible guide to at-home crafting that is elegant enough for the most modern, fashion-savvy of women.

Review
How can you make something hand made look high-end? Is there something wrong with all the crafts people do that makes them fall short of commercial stuff? To be honest, I've found the thing that counters this the creativity that goes into these projects. I love crafting and I've found that you can almost always create something on par with commercial stuff if you know what you're doing. Laura Bennett brings to the front is that the starting material is what basically gives your hand made stuff that extra special something that'll give you finished product the polish it requires. 

The material of choice for this book is (p)leather. I can understand it. Nothing speaks class as classic cut and sewn leather pieces and Laura is known for her classic cuts and designer pieces. 

I do feel, however, that other materials could have been included as not everyone is comfortable with the material she chose to portray. It would have been a better pitch if she had chosen some cheap polyester material and 'made it work', I guess. The other thing which I felt was lacking was that most of the stuff made were accessories which are fine but some old crafters would have preferred other items (or jewelry stuff maybe for kids so everyone can get on the bandwagon?) 

I did like the ideas however. The pattern is well explained. The thing are well made (no surprise), look expensive and yet easy enough to be tried. The ideas are aplenty and this book can and will serve as an inspiration to both novice and experienced sewers.