Kirstie
I've read a handful of editor and writer books but this one was honestly really good and is not an enemies to lovers book... Really was more of a friends to lovers. I won't lie that by chapter 2 or 3, I knew the plot twist of this book. I saw it from a million miles away. I know what you must be thinking, “How is this book so good when you predicted the twist less than 20 pages in?” Well young grasshopper, it is just the beginning of this story.
Lanie is a romantic which is great because she is an editor for the best selling romance author at her publishing company. She has loved Noa Calloway's books for a decade. She wanted to work at this publishing house just because this is where Noa publishes. After 7 years, she finally has the opportunity to be the main editor for Noa and the opportunity to finally meet her! After 7 years of emails back and forth, tense games of online chess and quick remarks, she will meet her idol. Yet... it doesn't go as planned.
Meet Noah Ross. The face behind Noa Calloway. The secret identity and now one that Lanie has to keep. She needs to get this manuscript out of him. Noah doesn't feel the spark for New York anymore. Feels like he has gotta all the love stories out of it but Lanie is determined to make him fall in love with some part of New York again. I really liked Ross. He was super funny right away. I could see he would take the seriousness out of Lanie.. Bring her the happiness. she so rightfully deserves.
I really enjoyed Lanie. I just loved her inner monologue. She brought something to the page... what is that thing called? Oh yeah! Voice. I so rarely get to feel a character off the pages these days. She wears funky clothes from her grandmother, wants to learn how to ride a motorcycle, eats on the train and has fun brunches with her friends on Saturday's. Maybe I just want to have that fun life in New York. Who knows! But she was a fun character to read about and she felt realistic. Like I could be her.
Let's talk about Ross and Lanie's friendship. I felt sparks right away. Ross had this snarky fun quips back and forth with Lanie. They felt easy. Over time, I saw how they were opening up to each other and how they were slowing picking away at each others barriers. The ending though! Lauren.. please I need an epilougue. It can't just end open ending like that! I must live through their love now that they finally have it :( Also, I would love to read a book like the Two Thousand Picnic's in Central Park. That sounds like a super cool and new way to read a romance novel.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and it was fun to read something by Lauren Kate again. It has honestly been ages since I read the Fallen series and it was so fun to read her first adult romance novel. Thank you to NetGalley for giving me this advanced reader's copy in exchange for my honest review.
Its been a while where I find a book that makes me laugh out loud, feel butterflies and makes me want to tear up but somehow Mr. Wrong Number did that for me. The writing honestly had so much voice from the main characters. Oliva was full of life and spunk. She was sarcastic, clumsy and such a lovable character. I could feel her energy radiating off the pages and it made me want to keep reading.
When it comes to relationships, I die for playful banter and thrive for that in my own relationships so I loved reading a book where that comes into play. Oliva and Collin's enemies to lovers troupe was fun to read mostly because of their comebacks to each other. I love reading about two people that can tell each other to sod off then slowly start realizing that they are falling for each other. There was a good amount of the miscommunication troupe and it did get a bit annoying by the end but they figured it out.
Overall, this was a very cute and playful read. I read it in one sitting and I recommend it to anyone looking for a book that will make you laugh, wrinkle your nose and make your stomach flip a few times. Thank you to NetGalley for giving me an advance readers copy for my honest review.
Never thought I'd love a book about a weather anchor and a sports anchor but here I am! Weather Girl was so cute and it kept giving me warm gooey feelings in my chest while I read.
Weather Girl follows Ari Abrams who is all sunshine until she isn't. The work force has become a hostile environment with her two bosses. They are a divorced couple and is making the workplace hard to be at with their constant jabs and bickering. This is when Ari and Russell decide to get them back together.
During the time they get them back together, they start to form feelings for each other and it is the most pure thing probably when it comes to adults falling for each other. AND THEY ARE SO CUTE. The way Ari described Russell was just adorable how she kept constantly wanting to touch him and how he would blush. How she even found his round belly attractive. It was all mushy to me and I ate it right up!
Russell seemed like the perfect gentleman for Ari and the person to help her through her issues. The person to love her regardless of them and it made me feel seen.
I recommend this book to anyone looking for a cute work romance. Where they slowly fall for each other and are the perfect fit. I want to thank NetGalley for giving me this ARC for an honest review.
I cannot describe how happy I was to receive this book as an ARC from Netgalley. The book Gods smiled upon me and they did not disappoint. I absolutely loved Book Lovers by Emily Henry.
Nora is described as a shark in the literary agency world. She goes to bat for her clients, is always there for them after hours and takes shit from no one. She is out for blood and is a workaholic. I enjoyed the hard edges of Nora but also the hidden soft parts of her she doesn't let any one see but her loved ones.
When her sister, Libby, asks her to go on a vacation with her to Sunshine Falls, the city in her favorite clients book, she agrees but she also agrees because it is her sister. She can't say no to her sister and they're off for a 3 week vacation together. Nora doesn't know what to expect from Sunshine Falls but the trip will change her entire life.
This book is full of heart ache, sisterhood, love for books and more. I fell into the story so easily and enjoyed every character I read about. I loved how it broke the fourth wall due to Nora being a literary agent and she talked about tropes and how her life could never be like those romantic novels people read about. She actually is the person someone meets before their life partner.
Honestly my favorite part was watching Nora and Charlie fall together. Their quick banter back and forth is my favorite type of love language. You get to slowly see their walls fall and then eventually fall for each other. The ending was chefs kiss because I was waiting to see how it would play out. Part of me almost thought it wouldn't but then I remembered whose book I was reading
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. Emily Henry always makes me love her characters. She brings forward the good and bad about them which makes you fall for their quirks even more. This wasn't my favorite of hers. People We Meet on Vacation is still mine but this is a close second.
4.5 ⭐️Okay, where can I get myself a guy like Daniel? He had a golden retriever personality and I loved every second of it. This book was so cute and I always love a story where I am pulled in instantly but also drawn to the characters so much that I feel like I know them.
Part of Your World is about Alexis and Daniel. Two people that are polar opposites in every way but they come together so beautifully. I literally swooned when reading Daniel's POV. He was the sweetest and had a pure soul. I was thrown off by the age gap at first but mostly just because it was brought up so casual. 37 year old woman and a 28 year old man? How crazy! Kidding but it was refreshing to read.
They definitely had things in common though due to the fact that they both had legacies in their lives and they were assumed to continue on those legacies. Alexis' felt more like an obligation the become the chief at her family hospital where Daniel's was pure excitement to continue the legacy of being mayor.
I really enjoyed this book! I teared up at a few parts where I felt my own heart breaking for the main characters due to their differences and thinking they could not be together. I felt like the ending was brought together wonderfully. I am always a sucker for happy endings.
This book was given as an ARC by NetGalley for an honest review.
This was honestly better than the original HP books. I loved it so much and I have a new found love for the Dramione ship. This FF is 18+ and I would read up on the trigger warnings before getting into it. It is definitely a verryyyy dark romance. I plan on reading some of SenLinYu's other AO3 reads now!
3.5 ⭐️ I'm such a sucker for books about books and this one did not disappoint. Meet Me in the Margins is about an assistant editor named Savannah that is secretly working on a romance manuscript. She tried selling it to another publishing company but was shot down when she was told that it needed work but if she could get it done quickly, they will consider it again. She has 45 days to rewrite her entire manuscript when she notices someone has written feedback in the margins and decides to try and get them to help her edit her book before the deadline. They secretly write back and forth to each other through her manuscript but who is this mystery man that Savannah is sort of liking?
Will is the new VP of editing at her publishing house. Savannah has been spending more time with him and starting to enjoy his company. All while trying to rewrite her manuscript, figure out who the mystery editor is and be there for her sisters engagement.
I did quite enjoy this book but it was missing the spark between the main love interests. I really liked Will. I think he had a good personality and he was snarky. He and Savannah just didn't spend that much time together and I feel like we missed out on more of a love buildup.. Maybe the book was just a bit too short but I would have loved more. It felt like a Kdrama where there's just build up the entire season then they just kiss the last two minutes of the final episode.
If you're looking for a cute find yourself romance novel about an author, then this one is for you. This book was given as an ARC by NetGalley for an honest review.
I was so excited to get my hands on Curse Touched after finishing Shadow Touched in one sitting. Curse Touched picked up right where the first book ended and we finally got POV of Lochlan! I love when I get to get into the mind of the main characters love interest.
Curse Touched follows Kenna after the attack with her and her friends at the end of book 1. She has been taken to the school of witches where she meets the head mistress and Isla's brother, Noah. She is basically a prisoner there while she tries to learn about herself, what the head mistress wants from her and how she can get out to get back to Lochlan.
She learns more about her purpose, how she can control her powers a bit more but then she hears that Isla has been taken and needs to be saved. She breaks out of the school with Noah and meets up with Lochlan and Kade. I was so sad to see what happened to Isla! I hope to read more about her in book 3 and how they are able to get back to normal. I really enjoyed her and Kenna's friendship.
The entire book follows Kenna while she tries to understand her powers, work with everyone to try and break the curse but also get closer to Lochlan. I loved the little snippets into his mind, it was so refreshing to read about his past because as a reader, you are able to piece together more information that you would not get from Kenna. I loved how their bond got stronger and their love grew over the book.
The ending though! Curse Becky Moynihan for her cliffhanger endings! She knows what she is doing too with those author notes right at the end! I really enjoy this series though. I cannot wait to read book 3 but now I must wait probably over a year! :(
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Demi has everything she thought she would ever want. A cafe that she will take over one day, a boyfriend that is successful, an awesome family and friends. Her best friend Anna and her put together a five year plan for their lives. Demi wants to take over the cafe, have a lovely boyfriend and be happy. This all comes crashing down one day. Everything she thought she had has disappeared. Her father has given the cafe to her oldest brother and her boyfriend is not who she thought he was.
Demi made the decision to go to Italy to get away but also learn about her culture. She wants to prove to her father that she should run the cafe and come back with a new business plan. What she didn't expect though is to meet a cute Italian guy on the plane named Leo. She later finds out that he is part of the family feud between her family and his.
That was such a cute read! I know it is basically stating the obvious but it was so Italian with the family feud and secret love between the families. Leo was very charming and there were moments where I was hoping he wasn't using her to get between the family feud but he was genuine the entire time. Leo and Demi were so cute together and their love made my heart ache. I definitely feel like we were told about their love more than showed sometimes. We got lots of kissing but that was about all. I wish I felt more of a physical as well as emotional connection between the two love interests. I think that would have made me connect with them a lot more.
Overall, this was a very cute book that made the main character grow and mature even when you a bit older. It really showed that you don't have to have it all together by 25. I enjoyed the characters. They were all fun and colorful. I could hear the Italian accents through the dialogue and it made me smile.
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
OK this book is super cute! I was hooked from the beginning and I really loved all of the characters. Ali Hazelwood's writing really helped me connect to the characters and feel for them. There were multiple times where I was tearing up slightly or laughing out loud.
The Love Hypothesis follows Olive Smith. She is a Ph.D candidate that is working toward helping catch the early stages of cancer. The book starts out where she is talking to another candidate and wondering if she should continue to work toward getting a Ph.D and they talk it out and she is then convinced that she should continue working to solve for this. Olive came off to me as someone who nervous, awkward but has the capabilities to rule the science world. I loved that about her.
The first chapter starts out with Olive kissing someone. But not just anyone... Dr. Adam Carlsen. The meanest most brutal professor toward all of the students. She was trying to prove to her best friend, Anh, that she was over the guy she dated for a bit because Anh was showing that she was interested in him but wouldn't date him due to the girl code.
This puts Olive in a weird spot because Anh spreads the rumor that her and Dr. Carlsen are dating. This causes them do decide to fake date for a few months to get Anh to belive that she is over Jeremy but also so Dr. Carlsen can prove to the board that he deserves to have his funds released since he is not a flight risk for the program. Over time, Adam and Olive become closer and get to know each other. I could tell that Adam liked her due to how he was reacting to her or quickly responding to doing the silly things she wants to do. I really liked Adam and all of his snappy comebacks. Constantly calling her a "smart-ass". Be still my heart. I love playful banter. Also, love two nerds falling in love.
Overall, this book was super cute, a fast read and I really enjoyed the characters. I cannot wait to read another one of Ali Hazelwood's books. I cannot believe she is a debut author! She is something special. I definitely recommend my romance lovers to pick up this book!
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I love me a grumpy love interest with a cheerful woman to help him get out of his ways. I Hate You More follows Ruby Taylor who is helping out of of her senior home patients win a dog show. She meets the owner of the show and judge, Spencer Wilson, who is grumpy and judges her overweight golden retriever as soon as he seems him.
Ruby is determined and full of confidence. I really enjoyed that about her character. Reading how determined she was to win best in show and train Weezy to the best of her abilities even though he wouldn't listen to her was funny. I could invision Weezy ignoring her, falling asleep and running away any chance he got.
Spencer was a ruler maker, strict and grumpy judge that you could see had a heart of gold underneath it all. I enjoyed reading in his POV with how conflicted he was and how Ruby made him react.
Overall, I enjoyed the story but I felt a bit disconnected between the two love interests. I knew they were attracted to each other but it felt like a lot talking about feelings instead of showing the chemistry between them. I give this book a 3.5/5 stars!
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I really wanted to love this book because it had great potential. I love accidentally married in Vegas books because they are always fun and spontaneous. You really get to see the characters work together to make their marriage work. Sadly, that was not the case with this book.
The Mistletoe Pact follows Evie and Dan when they are in their 20s and make a pact together that if they are still single during Evie's 30th birthday then they will get married. Well surprise! It happened but it was instant regret the next morning even though they have both been pining for each other since they made the pact.
I think it just felt too real? That seems weird to say but I read for something to happen to people that wouldn't happen normally. I did not feel a connection between the main characters. The back and forth became too much near the end. The slow burn was too slow. I did enjoy the ending though but it just felt too late.
This book could have been something special and I am sad it fell flat for me. Also, considering it is a Christmas book, it had no Christmas spirit. I received an ARC of this book from the publisher from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Lynette Noni is the queen of cliffhangers and she knows it based off her acknowledgements! After reading The Prison Healer, I had to get my hands on the second book and was super excited when I was given the ARC for The Gilded Cage by NetGalley.
The second book is a bit slower than the first but you learn a lot about Kiva and her family, the royal family she is staying with and also what it would take for her family to take over the throne. I was so interested in how Kiva was going to go about betraying the royal family for her own. At the end of The Prison Healer, it really seemed like Kiva was dead set on her goals. This book wasn't as action packed as the first but it was still super enjoyable to read. I enjoyed reading about Kiva and her back and forth pull with her conscience. There were so many times where I wasn't sure if she was lying to herself or the readers. The friendships with each member of the royal family were fun to read about, especially Caldon. I think he has become my favorite character in the series now.
I'm really excited for the third book and I cannot wait to read it! This series is becoming one of my favorites. I know Lynette Noni will not disappoint when the time comes for me to read it. I am honestly worried about reading it and how she will end it! This series is full of betrayal.
Witch Please was soooo cute! I couldn't stop smiling throughout this read and I cannot wait for the next book already.
Witch Please follows Danica Waterhouse, a modern witch, that is co founder of Fix-it Witches, a magicial repair shop. That fact alone makes me laugh because I have never really thought about normal jobs witches could do with their magic. One day while working, she meets Titus Winnaker, a bisexual baker that needs his oven fixed. Danica and Titus are instantly attracted to each other. There is only one problem for Danica, he is not a witch to keep her witch bloodline going because her family is known for losing their magic if they do not marry a full blooded witch, according to her grandmother.
The book is full of cute banter, adorable dates and conflict due to the push and pull of Danica's feelings for Titus. I really enjoyed their relationship and how easy it felt outside of the main issue. Titus was super funny in his POV with how he is worried about a curse on him when it comes to dating. He has yet to have a long term relationship or had sex. I looked forward to reading his POVs because his awkward personality was refreshing to read.
If you are looking for a cute read with a little bit of spice, look no further! Get your fill of a cute awkward baker and a cool witch.
I was over the moon when I was given this ARC to review. This was my next most anticipated book by Katee Robert and she did not disappoint.
Electric Idol follows Psyche and Eros and their fake marriage. I am a sucker for the fake marriage trope. Readers get more of a glimpse into the politics within Olympus where the only way to make sure Psyche is safe is to marry her. No one would kill family, right?
I really enjoyed Eros point of view. His back and forth with himself and his morals was interesting to read about. How he started out this cold blooded murderer and became someone worthy of love. I really enjoyed his mind and how he felt about Psyche. It was also fun to read about Psyche after learning about her in Neon Gods. She was always there for her sisters but we got to learn more about how loyal and amazing she is. It was fun to read about her influencer persona and how she played the game well politically.
This book was spicy, fun and full of suspense on what would happen next. I'm honestly really excited for the next book if it is about Callisto.
The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling has been described as Hocus Pocus but they fuck and I can definitely see that connection. This book follows two characters, Vivi and Rhys. Vivi is a young witch who has just gotten her heart broken by Rhys after a steamy summer fling and she decides to do a funny curse on him with her cousin. Nine years later, Rhys returns back to the town to recharge the town's ley lines and be there for founders day. While he is making his way through the town, bad luck strikes him too many times and once he see's Vivi again, they realize together that the curse she put on him nine years ago is real. They must work together to break the curse and learn more about the town along with Vivi's family history.
This was a super cute read. It honestly felt like a normal contemporary romance but with witches. I loved the dynamic that Vivi and Rhys have. I am a sucker for sarcastic romances where the two main love interests know how to poke fun at each other and make jokes.
I definitely feel like there could have been more though. It felt like the story was a bit rushed. Not in the writing sense but the plot. Each chapter something major would happen and it would be resolved by the end of the chapter. I loved Vivi and Rhys relationship but I could see it needing to be flushed out more or have more moments together. Those felt super quick as well.
Overall, it was a super cute and easy read. It brings a twist to a normal contemporary read. I would recommend picking it up for any romance and magical lovers.
Lydia was a really annoying main character. I get that she was a virgin but every time she said “the sex” “are we going to have the sex?” I wanted to punch her. Eventually she got a bit better but I felt like she needed to mature a bit quicker since its such a short book. Debating if I want to read the next book in the series.
Denise Williams is quickly becoming one of my favorite romance authors. Her debut novel “How to Fail at Flirting” was one of my favorite reads last year and when I got the opportunity to read an advance copy of her new novel, I jumped for joy!
The Fastest Way to Fall was full of so many positive messages, a cute romance and a sense of being. I loved how the main character was already pretty happy with herself and when she got this opportunity to write about testing out a fitness app, she didn't make it about losing weight or needing to be skinny to feel better about herself. I really feel like so many readers will feel more confident about themselves and feel like they too can workout to just feel better physically than to just lose weight and appease to today's standards. Especially when a cute guy that has no judgy motives will cheer them on!
If you're looking for a cute romance that will make you feel butterflies, maybe tear up a bit and possibly get your in the mood for a run then you should read this book! But honestly, it was so body positive it made me super happy.
I can't wait for Denise Williams next novel because you know I will be picking it up!
Britta is witty and knows how to write a killer piece to bring in an audience. She never downplayed her appearance or never let the reader know she wasn't plus sized. I enjoyed being inside of her head and reading about how she is confident in herself even though she had a few bumps in the road. (Don't we all?) Her journey with fitness really resinated with me because I went through a similar transformation with myself and fitness.The way Wes talks, really made me love him instantly. How he would ask how Britta was doing and how her workouts made her feel. Never judged her eating habits and just encouraged her to do small little improvements. It is nice to read about since so many people out there have to deal with people telling you to put the burger down or go for a run every once in a while. I hope his character made people feel safe and that there could be someone out there for them like that. Her friendship with Wes was very obvious in the beginning that it would become something more. Their back and forth cute little remarks and jokes felt natural. I enjoyed reading about it as it grew into something more and how he was such a good influence on her. The ending made me tear up a little and I really wanted to keep reading about their cute little life together.
This series was decent as I was reading the first few books but I just feel it going down hill. I decided after learning that you need to read like 5 other books throughout the series (that aren't even in the Fae Chronicles) to learn what is happening, that I will not be finishing this series. It feels like it is getting more sloppy as the books go on anyway. Bummer!
I literally cried for the second half of this book. It was such a cute read and I really fell for Poppy and Alex. Their friendship was so raw. They reminded me so much of my long term friendship and it made me sad but happy at the same time. I think I need to take a page out of Poppy and Alex's book and go to therapy now.
I started out not really liking this book but over time, it won me over little by little. Cade is a punctual, smart and driven young woman that is helping her parents run their art gallery. Her aunt dies and she goes to her funeral when she meets Selena after she has given her toast about her aunt and her vagina. (That was honestly pretty funny). Cade's aunt has given Cade and Selena her house but it is pretty worn down and Cade wants to fix it up and sell it.
Selena honestly annoyed me for a while. She felt way too upbeat and was using that personality to mask her real issues. Cade was a bit stuck up and looked down on a lot of people. They were complete opposites. Over time, like I said, they grew on me. They showed that their different personalities really helped balance each other out. They were also pretty cute together.
Overall, this was a cute book and I enjoyed it but it just didn't fully do it for me. I am looking forward to reading Karelia Stretz-Waters books in the future though. Definitely has potential! I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
The Intimacy Experiment is a spin off of The Roommate by Rosie Danan. I enjoyed this one much more than the first book because it felt more realistic. The main character, Naomi, had real problems and it was more of a character improvement/growth story than just a romance novel. Reading about her character in The Roommate made her seem strong, closed off and sometimes a bitch. I enjoyed reading about her past and becoming a porn star. She showed real emotion, fear, and growth throughout the story. I liked the slow burn romantic aspect of the story because Naomi was learning to trust and love for the first time. Ethan was the perfect person to help her through that journey and I was really happy with the ending. I feel like I learned a lot about modern intimacy as well from Naomi's seminars.