Asia

2.5/5

The FMC is frustrating. She's what, 25? And she acts like a 16-year-old child.

So she wants to get married after first date because her best friends are in love and she doesn't want to be a third wheel. jesus. Okay, fine. It's stupid and I rolled my eyes more than once, but fine, okay.

BUT. She wants to marry for convenience, doesn't want to fall in love, and wants the marriage to help her get customers for ehr small business. But when MMC proposes that marriage, when he tells her that he needs a wife of convenience and his popularity will bring those customers to her, she's suddenly no longer interested... Why? Because he doesn't want to fall in love with her?

And she thinks he's lying. Even though he has evidence that he's telling the truth that his family is Kardashian kind famous, she's like "you're lying! You're only trying to make fun of me!" It came compeltely out of nowwhere and she really acted like a 5 year old child, So annoying and frustrating, ughhhhh.

Like he even told you his famous sister is pregnant! Something he wouldn't have done as a joke because he loves his sister and she wants to keep it a secret! And you still think he's lying to you?? What the hell??

It's like the book starts one storyline or the idea and then doesn't follow through. Oh, they're suppsoed to be lovey-dovey for the cameras but they're not and for like 20% of the book nobody finds it weird or comment on it, until the author finally rememebrs "hey, this is a fake relationship romance". They click at her instead of talking to her and Jordan is super angry but the book ignores this and doesn't explain it at all even when it's from his point of view.

Most of the book ios also "tell, don't show" which I hate. There's a lot of talk bout what happened, but in past tense - none of these things happen on screen, especially in the second half when they're home. We need to see Jordan and Zinna get closer and start merging their life and spend time together in order to believe their fake relationship becoming real, but none of them is on screen. Except for one short grocery scene, everything else is mentioned in one sentence. Makes no sense whatsoever. How am I supposed to believe that they're falling in love for real when you don't even give me any scenes of them together?

The OW drama came out of nowhere and had no leg to stand on. The ending was so stupid too, because what do you mean that the man who left his family because he hated the reality show and only came back temporarily to protect his sister is now considering having his own reality show?? Are you kidding me??? And Zinna ALSO hated being recorded and now she's suddenly all in? Fuck that shit.

Also, Zinnia's obsession with her friends being together was so tiring, jist give it up already for heaven's sake.

I didn't believe their love story at all. So much was all unsaid or happened off-screen, it was stupid. Even the reality show aspect was bad and it never felt real. When they finally confessed their love at the end, I didn't feel anything and didn't believe that because there's no foundation for them. They're suddenly in love but where was this earlier? Where was the taking care for each other and quiet moments and anything at all? Not in this book.

Tropes:

- fake relationship

- marriage of convenience

- reality show

- opposites attract

- grumpy and sunshine

4/5

I can't believe that this series is over already. I loved this family and this series and all their adventures.

Jacob was amazing and I'm glad his story is finally here. Vivian was amazing, I loved how annoyed she was with Wynchesters from the beginning, but that she took time to get to know each one of them and judge them for who they are, instead of her preconceived notions. And I love how every single Wynchester accepted her immediately as part of their family, long before she even showed any interest in Jacob.

Quentin was annoying though. The way he treated Vivian as his maid and never thought to change it, his annoying obsession with the Wynchesters... He never even apologized for keeping secrets. I don't like him.

The public proposal was so over the top and kind of annoying too but I didn't mind as much. Maybe because it's a historical romance so it doesn't matter how long they've been courting before.

The relationship between Jacob and Vivian was great though and I love how they learned to both accept the other, and how much they grew. Vivian learned that sometime you need to bend a law and that publishing under a pseudonym isn't as big of an offense as she thought, and Jacob learned to listen to her and to be brave.

And I loved the cameos of all Wynchester and their loved ones. Chloe and Faircliff, who started it all(with their child too!), Tommy and Phillipa, Graham and Kuni (my favourites), who also got what they wanted for so long, Marjorie and Andrew, and Elizabeth and Stephen. I loved seeing them and learning where they are now in their life and that they're still loving and wonderful Wynchesters they've always been.

I will miss this series and those characters. They're awesome.

3/5

It was... nice? I guess? Kinda bland and boring but it wasn't the worst book I've read. Sabrina was a rather confusing villain, like why did she do that to Blythe? She had absolutely no reason too. And it was just confusing, with Brigg's father's mistress band all that. It wasn't well-written either.

4/5

I liked and hated this book in equal measure.

First, the things I loved: Levi. He was amazing. I love how oblivious Bee was too about him, it was hilarious. I loved the misunderstanding about him thinking she was married and then finally him realizing "oh, she isn't". I love how in love with her he was.

I enjoyed the NASA aspect of it, Bee and Levi's initial anonymity, their work on the helmets etc.\

Penny and Lily were fun and I liked them too!

What I didn't like... Actually the rest.

- she's fainting all the time. It's not a quirk the author thinks it is;

-as a Pole, I'm sowhow dosturned with Bee's obsession with Maria Skłodowska-Curie. And that's her name. Maria. Not Marie. Maria. Also, the author only called her twice with her full, Polish name, the rest of the time, she called her "Curie" or "Dr Curie". That's not her name! Her name is Maria Skłodowska-Curie. Skłodowska being so important, that Maria insisted everyone kept calling her by her Polish name, didn't react when someone only called her by her husband's name, and Poland was so important too her that she named the Polon after our country. Funny how the book full of fun facts about her life doesn't mention that. It was fun at the beginning but the full book is full on obsession about Maria which is very stalkerish and again, not a fun quirk she thinks it is;

- why is every vegan character so vegan they punch you with the face about how vegan they are? Why is this always their entire personality? Bee had so many different things that make her interesting, but she has to be so vegan that she cries every time she sees a dead animal on the road. She's 28 and she full on sobs at every roadkill. And they're not dogs or cats she's crying ove, no, they're rodents. Rats, mice, racoons... Come on, now. You're 28 and you're crying over a dead possum???? Jesus Christ. I'd understand if Bee was 16, but 28???? No.

- Guy being evil came out of nowhere and was inconsistent with what happened earlier. It was Boris who wanted Bee come back to her job, it was Boris they threatened to let him buy Bee equipment and let her work there. It wasn't Guy. It was Boris. So why the fuck was Boris suddenly their bigegst ally while Guy was the bad... Guy?

- Don't even get me started on Annie because that's just annoying. What do you mean your ex best friend slept with your fiancé and is now crying, apologizing and you forgive her?? Jesus, I hate female characters with no fucking backbone. I don't want a FMC to be the bigger person. For once, I want them to tell her ex friends "go to hell, I hope you drown and your husband is cheating on you." For once. Let female characters be angry.

- The whole twitter drama. First, the Marie Curie account - it suddenly turned into anti GRE out of nowhere which is kind of bewildering, considering we dont have GRE in Poland and I don't even know what that is lmao. Exam, I presume.

- the second twitter thing: the secret identities. I'm disappointed, I thought it would be soemthing completely different!! I thought that Bee and Levi would fight and hate each other and have complicated love-hate relationship irl, while getting to know each other on the deeper lever online. And that their twitter identities would bring them close together. But noooo, nothing like this happened! Seriously, they didn't even blink twice when they discovered their secret identities. This whole thing could have been erased from the book and it wouldn't have changed a thing. I'm supper disappointed. It could have been so good...

- third act breakup. Completely unnecessary and pointless. It added nothing to the plot or their relationship. Ali just wanted some cheap drama and that's it. Disappointing.

Honestly, I'm not even sure I give this book 4 stars other than it was kind of fun? I liked the vibes I guess? Idk. Like I had fun reading this book but I disliked so many things too. I didn't hate them though, just disliked them. And they annoyed me. But I don't full on hate them so... 4 stars? Purely for vibes, I guess.

3.75/5

The book was boring tbh. I liked the first half and enjoyed it but the second half was boring. And the end was kind of open - did Catriona and Elias actually marry? I assume so but even the epilogue didn't mention them at all (only that Catriona had one daughter) which was weird because the book was about her.

I loved the chapters from the point of other characters! I loved Hattie, Lucie, and Annabelle's chapters And Sebastian's chapter too). I love Lucie and Ballentine so much, it was nice to see them elope.

The epilogue was heartwarming and great. I didn't anticipate a time skip, but I loved it. I loved that we saw women having the right to vote, it was a great ending to the story.

But I'm baffled at the choice of the narrator. Like I get that the author wanted Annabelle to narrate it, to tie it all with a bow so the story could go full circle, but there wasn't any mention of Elias, which made me wonder if he even married Catriona at all. It was great to see Lucie and Annabell's families together but I'd love to see it from Catriona's perspective, on how everything worked out for her and Elias, since the last book was about them, did Elias make his own business, did they return to Lebanon each winter, were their plans successful, etc. So the epilogue was weird in that sense because we know basically nothing concrete about them.

Though I liked how Anabelle reminisced of meeting Montrose all those years earlier at the exact same place haha.

Do you know when you're promsied a chocolate cake and you bite in, only to taste mint instead? And ypu were cracing chocolate? That's what this book feels like. It promises one thing, then delivers something else.

SPOILERS: They get divorced at 95%, there's a few months time skip and they get back together.

Why?

I loved this book even if some parts frustrated me. At first, hattie was very against photography and wanted to only paint. Then, she wanted to change her painting of Persephone but she never did. Then, she somehow changed her mind about the photography to make photos of the mienrs workers and their families and she never did it on page either, we're just suddenly finding ourselves at the photography exhibition in the epilogue. Then, she wants to keep studying at Oxford (which was one of her conditions for marrying Lucien), and then she suddenly takes a sabbatical. Then, she says she wants to take the photographs only when she know what she's doing, after which we suddenly find her teaching the whole class on how to operate a camera and develop pictures.

I'm sorry, did she take a class at all? Or did she started teaching immediately? Did she return to Oxford later? We don't know. It wasn't explained. And what happened to her lady's maid? Was she fired? I've no clue.

The ending reminded me of the movie The Vow starring Rachel McAdams and Channing Tattum. In the movie, the main character has a car accident and when she wakes up from the coma,k she doesn't remember her husband at all. He's trying to win her back and get her to remember, but they get divorced. Only to, at the last scene, have her fall in love with him again and havem agree to starting over. Emotional rollercoaster with basically no payoff, because while they get back together, they only did that after they got divorced. Completely horrible ending, it spoils that happiness and it's not the hea I want from my romance movies or novels.

And I loved the book, dammit. I love the "morally grey billionaire having a love-hate relationship with a woman he's obsessed with that he would give everything to", but that only works if the woman in question doesn't leave him high and dry for months, but finally agrees to work with him. And I loved the book, I loved their relationship, until the end where Hattie decided to have her girlboss moment and leave him. And for what? She get back with him a few months later in the next chaper.

And this is not even modern au, this is victorian era!!! Somehow she got divorced but you're telling me that they're together again and nobody bats an eye? That would mean social scandal for both of them and they're friends. Even friendship with a duchess or a viscount wouldn't have saved them. Noboidy would buy tickets for her exhibition. Nobody.

If it weren;t for the third-act DIVORCE, it would have been 4.5 or even 4.75. As it is, I can only rate this book 3.5 at most and even that feals like a reach.

3.75/5

This book was a rollercoaster. I was excited for this book, but the first half was boring, and it only picked up after the 50% mark.

I have conflicting feelings about the characters. I love both Lucie and Tristan, but I also dislike them. Tristan was too manipulative and heavy-handed and I hated that he never told Lucie the truth. And Lucie was too deliberatly and casually cruel to him.

I liked their romance but I had some problems with it too. I loved that Tristan helped them in the end with publishing the results etc and I loved that Lucie defended him in front of her own family (and his father). The book was lacking something, though.

2/5

It's a generous rating, too.

I hated it so much. It was so boring, I skimmed spicy scenes. It started out interesting but it grew boring real fast. Nothing was happening and the character's actions frustrated me.

I mean... We have a 34-year old man and a 30-year-old woman, making pinky promises every few chapters. What are they, five??? "Remember, pinky promise?" Come on. Be at least somewhat mature.

Then, there's that damn horoscope thing. She's so obsessed with it (all the sisters are) it's stupid. Then, HIS mother is trying to matchmake him with everyone she does and doesn't know and he doesn't even tell her to stop.

It was just so boring. Insta-lust isn't for me either. And don't get me started on serenading. Why. Just why, Chloe.

I disliked this book so much. The best part of it were just Christopher and Kate. That's it.

Tropes:

- fling / casual

- friends to lovers

- opposites attract

- grumpy & sunshine

4.5/5

I absolutely adored this book. It was both cozy and angsty, dramatic and wholesome.

Georgiana is so relatable when it comes to gay panic, she embodies it. I love her. I love her acting different roles to get what she wants, I love her fear and when she finally overcomes it. I love her desire to protect her family and her courage to reunite with them. She is everything.

Catriona. Cat. I absolutely adore her. I love how courageous she is, and how she loves in the light and doesn't let anyone shame her for it. I love how she stands with her convictions and believes in what's right. And I love how she inspires Georgiana to go after her desires.

The relationship was so wholesome, I loved them so much. I love how they complemented each other and both had their strengths and weaknesses but they both worked the best together. I loved their romance and their love and it was so good.

Their families were so good too! I loved Paula and Jem and Edith but it was Percy (and Ambrose) who stole my heart. I was so afraid they would push Georgie away like their father had done, but I'm so glad I was mistaken. I'm glad that Georgiana found acceptance in her family!

I loved this book, the gothic house in the background, the ghost, rose garden, mystery, intrigue, love. One of my favourites books I read this year.

Also, shoutout to my girl Iris, who always ends up helping the girls with one thing or another and is always down for scheming with them. She needs her own book too! I know the trilogy is over but perhaps a spin-off? With a certain Belvoir's owner's brother? Hmm?? I haven't imagined this, have I?

I loved this book and I'm so sad to see the Belvoir's world come to an end (unless we get a spin-off in the future? Perhaps? Please?). I loved this world and the characters and I'm going to miss them!

Tropes:

- enemies to lovers

- forced proximity

- work rivals to lovers

- opposites attract

- class difference

- forbidden relationship

3/5

I was so disappointed by this book. It started out great, I enjoyed it and I love a fake dating romance so I was excited for it. And then the couple got together at 70% and I knew there would eb a third-act-breakup. But I wasn't prepared for how stupid the reasoning would be and how much I'd hate the whole book and a relationship because of it.

But, first things first.

Bea is single, by choice. After her last toxic relationship, she's not ready for a new boyfriend. Cue her sister's machinations: setting her up on the blind date with Jamie, the guy Bea hates.

So Bea and Jamie hatch a plan: pretend to date to make their meddling friends invest in their relationship, and then stage a breakup so severe and painful that it would make their friends leave them alone.

And we all know where this is going, Jamie and Bea fall in love along the way and end up together. But, as much as I love Chloe Liese, she has this nasty habit of writing third-act breakups that make no sense.

Like this one.

Because Bea's twin sister, Jules, and her boyfriend, Jean-Claude, manipulated Bea and Jamie into dating. And then, when Juliet and Jean-Claude broke up, for some reason Bea thinks she can no longer date Jamie? Because her happiness will make her sister sad? So she BREAKS UP WITH JAMIE ALL TO STOP REMINING JULIET OF JEAN-CLAUDE. BUT, she of course tells him it's just a break... with no end date in sight. Which sounds just like a breakup to me. WHERE'S SENSE, WHERE'S LOGIC?

And THEN. THEN. Juliet's manipulations don't stop. Because "weeks later", the third sister Kate unexpectedly comes home, but Juliet leaves for Scotland! Without telling Bea, of course! And of course, Beatrice, who has NO spine, goes along with this with no protest or pushback.

But oh, wait, now that Jules's gone, Bea can date Jamei again! At least until Jules comes back. Because then, Bea will probably feel the need to protect her again so she'll break up with Jamie again... And he AGAIN will be the one to reach out and apologize. I hated this so much.

This entire conflict made me dislike Bea and her relationship with Jamie. I usually believe that romance books couples stay together forever, but not them. Not Jamie and Bea. She'll dump him soon enough for some reason or another.

I was going to read the entire series (I was excited for Christopher and Kate - I love enemies to lovers and enjoyed Taming of the Shrew) - but now I dread the third-act breakup of this couple. I know it will make me hate the book and the couple.

For once, I want the authors to stop using third-act breakup. If you need it to make the book interesting, then you can't write a couple being happy. If you must have a conflict, LET THEM TALK IT OUT LIKE ADULTS FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE, STOP WITH THE MISCOMMUNICATION.

TROPES:

- fake dating

- LGBTQ+ characters

- opposites attract

- meet ugly

- opposites attract

3.5/5

I was excited for this book but it was kind of frustrating and boring in the middle. I loved Rachel Lynn Solomon's books and I was hoping this one would be better but alas, it wasn't.

Shay and Dominic are both working on a public radio and they don't like each other much. When they have a chance to host a show together, there's one catch: they have to pretend they're exes who give relationship advice.

I liked the premise but I didn't like the execution much. I was entertained in the first 30% and then at the very end in the last 20% maybe? It picked up after the PodCon disaster. But tbh It was boring in the middle and I didn't care about their relationship or the story that much.

I disliked their boss since the beginning and it was frustrating to see Shay making herself smaller and accepting the misogynistic bs from him as if it was her due. And While it was interesting to see the reverse age gap, I was so over her calling Dominic a child and calling herself a millennial in every chapter while she bemoaned the age difference between her and Dominic. Is this something Americans are that obsessed with? The generations and "I'm a millenial, you're gen z, don't talk to me?" Really? Or it just this book?

The story was interesting, but I wish it were better.

Tropes:

- workplace romance

- fake relationship

- reverse age gap

- rivals to lovers

- forced proximity

- only one bed

-

2/5

I'm disappointed by this book, honestly. I was so intrigued by Sage and Belmont's relationship since the first book but I was so over them. It was underwhelming but also outrageous at the same time.

I didn't like their relationship nor the plot. I'm so annoyed that Belmont went to work in the mines AGAIN after everything was already settled and solved?? How long did he work there, though? Did he come back after New York, or did he took Sage back to San Diego? Who knows, honestly.

And don't get me started on the epilogue pregnancy. Ugh I know where this was going since that horrible spicy scene. I'm sorry, I usually love Tessa's spicy scenes but this one was so horrible and cringe!

I was glad to see all siblins (and their significant others) back in the picture althought I was hoping for more Aaron and his rebuilding relationship with Belmont. I was disappointed to see only one phone call, I was hoping for more.

This is the end of the series. Damn, it started out so well, I loved Rita's book so much and Aaron's book was my second favourite but I disliked this book so much. It's at the very far bottom.

Tropes:

- forced proximity

- return to hometown

- grumpy and sunshine

- friends to lovers

- epilogue pregnancy

- road trip

4/5

Aaron, a politician who lost his job has one chance to revive his career after a stupid mistake cost him everything: to convince a powerful senator to give him a chance and hire him. He never expected his boss's daughter to turn his world upside down.

Grace, the black sheep of her family, has been through something traumatic that Aaron unintentionaly reminds her of. She knows she should keep away from him, but the way he looks at her? No chance of that happening.

This is the second book in the Romancing the Clarkson's series, and I enjoyed it less than the first one. It was still interesting and it was fun to get into Aaron's mind, but I preferred Rita's story.

As much as I love his relationship with Grace, I was more interested in his relationship with his brother. I'm glad to see that both of them started to repair their relationship but I wish we saw more of them. I guess I see more in Bel's book.

The spice was significantly less intense which is something I didn't expect, based on who Aaron was. But it was so good to see him try to be more than a politician, to be a person Grace believed he was, even when he didn't believe in himself.

I'm interested in the life he and Grace will lead. It's such a different pace to what he's used to, too, travelling and sleeping in a different place each night, never really putting down the roots or having a home? At least not in the next few years. I guess he'll like helping people though.

I can't wait to see Peggy's story and then, finally, Belmot and Sage's. And to see all of the siblings and their significant others reuinite in New York City.

Tropes:

- bad boy

- opposites attract

- workplace

- forbidden romance

- forced proximity

3/5

I was so excited for this book but it disappointed me. I disliked Elliot and didn't enjoy their destructive relationship. I wasn't fan of him saying Our Father prayer every time he had sex with Peggy. And his devotion to Catholicism was almost fanatic, I wanted to shake hima nd yell "you're not a priest!".

Is this how Catholicism is likke in America? So glad I live in Europe if that's the case.

But then he started to grow and stopped using his religion as a crutch anymore and I was starting enjoying myself, what with Elliot and Peggy, Alice and Kyle... And then the ending. That damned ending.

1) I hate public love confessions and public proposals and this book had both.

and 2) I disliked that Peggy didn't say goodbye to her siblings and didn't say whether or not she would nbe in New York. Nothing, zero, zip, nada. They just left as if they couldn't wait until they ditch her.

And I disliked how Sage never actually answered Peggy's question about her or her family at all. Some friend that was.

All in all, this book was disappointing for me. Hopefully, the last one will be much better.

Tropes:

- forbidden relationship

- secret relationship

- second chance

- exes to lovers

- single parent

- sports romance

- enemies to lovers

- friends with benefits

- grumpy and sunshine

- opposites attract

4.5/5

This was such a good book! Very early Tessa Bailey for me and whew, I should have read it sooner.

Jasper and Rita. So different, yet so similar in some cases. Rita wants to go on a road trip with her estranged siblings, but the car breaks down near a small town. Jasper, the town's bad boy, finds them and he wants nothing more than to be someone worthy of Rita from the moment he sees her.

But with the impending departure, Rita can't get give Jasper what he wants. Especially when she's running away from a restaurant while he opens one.

This book was so good. I thought I could only read this one but I need to read the whole series. All of the siblings were super interesting and enjoyed getting to know them. The relationship between all of them was intriguing and I can't wait to read more of them.

Jasper and Rita were fascinating. I loved the push and pull, the dirty talk, the banter and the off-the-charts chemistry. And the spice. holy shit, the spice was so unhinged (the vibrator scene? Hello??) I loved it. Tessa, girl, I need you to bring back this type of unhinged spice in the Big Shots series too.

Tropes:

-bad boy

- black cat chaarcter

friends with benefits

- fling

- small town

- road trip edventure

- holiday/vacation

- forced proximity

- miscomunnication

- external conflict

- strangers to lovers

3.75/5

Whoa, what a ride!

I can't believe the series is till not finished but I'm glad because I love this world. But I just want to read the finale and find out what happened!

Evie and Trystan continue their quest of saving Rennedawn's magic. With absent parents, estranged siblings, and a spy who can help or stop them, they need to be a team to save their world. Next on the agenda: finding out the full of the prophecy and stopping king Benedict from destroying their magic. And with Tristan's powers not obeying him anymore, it won't be easy.

With magic dying, they need to find a way to turn Kigsley back into human - or he will remain the frog forever.

I enjoyed the book, although I have been annoyed by the lack of progress to uncover the spy's identity - untl the end of this book, and the plan. What was the spy talking about? Who's her? What is the plan? We don't know. I suspect we will find out at the end of the next book.

I laughed and giggled like possessed, I cried ugly tears and sobbed, I sighed and smiled throughout the book. It was an emotional rollercoaster and I can't wait to read more.

I love that Trystan and Evie's relationship progressed and I can't wait to see The Villain chasing after Evie now. It will be a refreshing change of pace.

Gideon and Keeley were suprising but I like them. And Becky and Blade are great together too.

The prophecy, on the other hand... I don't want to believe Benedict, but man, this was a wild reveal!

I'm super excited for future book(s)!

Tropes:

- fantasy

- fictional universe

- boss and employee

- workplace romance

- only one bed

- road trip

- grumpy & sunshine

- external conflict

- bad mc / good mc

4.25/5

What's better than a fake boyfriend to make your ex jealous? A revenge husband.

Ryan has beenin love with Emme for years, and when he hears she needs his help, he's more than happy to oblige. Emme is grateful, but she has reservations. She can't lose her best friend, so what happens when they divorce?

This book was great, although a bit too long. Emme was fantastic, I loved her sense of humor and chaarcter, but girl, you overthing way too much.

Ryan was awesome, I love me a guy who's obsessed with his wife and wants to outrageously spoil her.

He's so down for her all the time, I love this.

The third-act-breakup was unecessary, but I loved the grovel so much. It's one of the best grovel scenes I've ever read.

The book was great, the story awesome, but 50-100 pages too long.

Tropes:

- marriage of convenience

- fake relationship

- best friends to lovers

- only one bed

- sports romance

- grumpy & sunshine

- billionaire

- celebrity

5/5

I can't believe this is the end of the series. I loved it so much.

Rio, a hockey player, always believed in love; he has been searching for his soulmate for the past 6 years, while trying to forget about the fact that he found her when she was 12, when she moved next door.

Hallie, an intern for an interior design company, moves next door to the guy she spent years getting over. What's worse? She has to design his dream house, while not letting him get close again.

God, I love this book. Both Hallie and Rio were excellent characters, both with depth and compelling stories. Their relationship was complex and beautiful.

I usually dislike the flashbacks in the books, but I loved the ones here. They added to the story and made us realize who the characters really are and who they want to be.

Rio loved Hallie his whole life and even when he insisted he hated her, everything he did was still for her and them: the mixtapes, his new number, the house. And I'm glad he found his happy ending.

The whole book was amazing, although it could have been 50-70 pages shorter (including a shorter epilogue). But it was also the end of an era, the end of the entire series and it was hard to say goodbye. I loved every character and every couple.

Tropes:

- sports romance

- girl-next-door

- second chance

- childhood friends

- forced proximity

- found family

- friends to lovers to enemies to lovers

4/5

Danika needs change, but when she moves to Amsterdam, she doesn't expect her new life to be such a disappointment - or to see her ex boyfriend, Wouter, there.

Ex boyfriend, who, upon learning of ehr situation and sharing his own, proposes marriage. It wouldn't be real, of course: she'd have time to find a new job without worrying about visa, and he'd inherit the building from his grandmother, who wanted him to get married first.

Really, it's not like Danika and Wouter are in danger of falling in love, right?

This book was very cozy for me. I really enjoyed it, it was a perfect evening read. The characters were both complex but they felt real. I related to Danika's sense of feeling lost, without purpose, while everyone she knows have clear goals in their lives.

The relationship between Danika and Wouter was cute. I wish they'd talk to each other more, instead of botling everything up for so long. And I wish we got Wouter's point of view - I'd love to see his thoughts to seeing Danika again and those first weeks of marriage. Danika was a bit of an unreliable narrator and I'd love to see Wouter's side of things.

The writing was fantastic, I loved how the author weaved the present with the past. It felt natural and it was well-written. The setting was awesome too, it made me want to visit Amsterdam too.

I'd love to see this as a rom-com on a big screen too.

Tropes:

- marriage of convenience

- second chance

- roomates

- fish out of water

- forced proximity

4.25/5

Thank you, NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for free ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Ever since Robbie saw Skylar, who seemed to hate his guts, he knew she was the one. When he learned that she was in love with her brother's best friend, he leaped at the chance to fake a relationship and teach her a few tricks to make him jealous.

Skylar didn't want anything to do with a womanizer from a hockey team, but after losing a bet, she began to see a different side of him. With her family's annual competition looming close and her needing a partner, she agreed to fake a relationship with Robbie, hoping someone else might notice her. And when she so desperately needed to learn how to flirt and please a man - and who better to teach her than the guy who had no trouble with women?

So what, that Robbie was a giant who kissed like she was the last bit of water in the desert, and he was dying for more. So what that his touch was possessive, and with each new lesson, her walls crumbled down more and more until nothing was left? She couldn't possibly love Robbie, right?

I have to admit: I didn't care about Robbie in the previous books. I disliked his 'orgasm donor' persona and I was glad that he decided to change his behaviour in this book; he became a much more sympathetic character.

I love me a man who worships the ground his woman walks upon.

Skylar was a firecracker who put Robbie in his place again and again and he begged for more. I love a pathetic man who can't exist without a woman he loves, while she couldn't be less bothered.

The relationship between them was very fast-paced - it was only a week, after all, but somehow, it made it believable. I usually dislike insta-love, but Tessa has surprised me again, and I loved it in this book. I believed that they loved each other and wanted to move in so fast. I loved how protective Robbie was over Sky and how he read her family a riot act about their behaviour.

The spice was so hot I had to fan myself, and was this, perhaps, the first book without butt stuff? After all, as Queen Sabrina Carpenter says, never enter through the back door.

I loved this book, although not as much as Chloe and Sig's. Though I appreciate that there was less angst!

I can't wait to read Madden/Eve book, and perhaps, in the future, Elliot's book too! I want to know who the woman was in the picture he was looking at with such sorrow.

Tropes:

- fake relationship

- forced proximity

- love coach

- sports romance

- insta love (one sided)

- he falls first

- partners in crime

- strangers to lovers

- enemies to lovers (one-sided)

3/5

Rating right in the middle, as was the book. The first half was very boring; it only picked up at around 70%. I disliked Lydia and didn't much care for Ashford. I was intrigued by the diamond missing but not much else.

I suspected Waldo since the beginning of being abusive but I didnt like how it was handled in the book.

🌕ARC REVIEW🌕

Head Witch In Charge by Avery Flynn

4.75⭐

4.75/5

Leona is the heir to Sherwood family and will do anything for her loved ones - and if it means going on the road trip with her secret husband, she hates to secure the magical book and finally get that divorce from him, she'll do it. Gladly.

Erik Svensen is a bad guy. He knows it, and he won't pretend otherwise. He can't divorce Leone, no matter how much she threatens him, as she needs her and their marriage to save his siblings and take his father's family magic from him.

Of course, Leona doesn't need to know that. Or the fact that he still wants her.

I enjoyed the book. I laughed and I cried and I giggled and kicked my feet in the air.

Erik Svensen is so full of shit, I both love him and want to throttle him.

Which, coincidentally, is what Leone feels about him. Let the games begin.

If there is a song that perfectly describes Erik, it's Mastermind by Taylor Swift. "What if I told you none of it was accidental? And the first night that you saw me, nothing was gonna stop me?" The entire song screams Erik Svensen. I love that.

Leona is the personification of the eldest sister (or the one who has to act like one), with the whole world on her shoulders and her never being able to do something she wants. But unlike other people in her position, she has a loving mother and the family she can count on. She's not alone.

The relationship between Leona and Eric was hot and steamy, yearning and antagonizing, full of banter and naughty flirting. They're absolutely my favourite.

The only downside was that Leona didn't know Erik's identity when she married him, and that she never asked him who he was either before or after they married - after all, she knew that he knew her real identity. And the amulet she got from the satyr - why has she never used it? Will it help one of her sisters in the future, or is it just a plot hole? I hope we'll get to see it in the next book!

This book is perfect for fans of:

🌕 enemies to lovers

🌕 road trip adventure

🌕 secret relationship

🌕 Vegas wedding

🌕 estranged married couple

🌕 second chance

🌕 exes to lovers

🌕 only one bed

🌕 forbidden relationship

🌕 forced proximity

🌕 partners in crime

3,5/5

That was a good book but not my favourite. I loved the relationship between Lucy and Gregory but something was lacking. I'm not sure, maybe I was just tired of Bridgertons.

Gregory was a fun character and I adore him but he's not my favourite sibling. But you know who is? That's right, Anthony. I'm so happy he was there.

Him and Kate are hilarious and amazing and remain so. Although a missed opportunity to not see them with their children, considering that a big chunk of the book happens at Aubrey Hall. It would have been aamzing to see them with their children and see Gregory with his nephews and niece. Also, I would like to see how would Lucy react seeing Gregory with his little niblings.

As long as she doesn't stare at the back of his neck any longer.

Seriously, what was that? What a weird kink that was. I just have one question: why.

I was worried that Richard would turn out to be an asshole so I was glad I was mistaken. But also, I was very surprised that Lucy actually did marry whatever his name was. I'm glad she got the annulement, though!

All in all, it was a pleasant book but it wasn't my favourite.

Tropes:

- matchmaking

- friends to lovers

- unrequited love

- love triangle (maybe?)

4.5/5

I loved this book more than I thought I would. Hyacinth and Gareth were both amazing. I loved their bickering and back-and-forth.

I loved Danbury there too, and how loving she was towards her grandson and Hyacinth.

Gareth was great. I'm glad he had his grandmother there for him and then Hyacinth. I enjoyed him and I liked him UNTIL he decided to compromise Hyacinth. He should have told her the truth about his parentage, but instead, he decided to deceive her. I wanted her to slap him.

I'm glad she got angry, but I'm disappointed that she was the one who made the first move. Garthe should have been the one who begged on his knees for her forgiveness.

But all in all, I loved their relationship.

And as always, I loved seeing other Bridgerton siblings. Gregory was so sarcastic I can't wait to read his book. And Anthony was amazing, as always, That whole scene with his and Gareth was hilarious; I couldn't stop laughing.

The whole quest to find jewels was intriguing and I enjoyed it. The conclusion was hilarious too. I loved that.

Tropes:

- friends to lovers

- matchmaking mamas

- partners in crime

- forced proximity

-mystery

4.5/5

This book was emotional, sad, hopeful, and fun. Also, it made me root for a man.

Firstly, I loved the relationship between Francesca and John. It was so sweet and calm and pleasant, and they both loved each other dearly. His death was devastating and sudden to everyone.

And then there's Michael. He was so fun from the beginning. His sly sense of humor, his wicked words, everything made him instantly my favourite. I love how much he loved Francesca but John as well, and how much he respected and adored John. He never wanted this to happen and he felt such guilt over the course of the book. I'm glad he finally let go of that.

Francfesca was complicated. I loved her at first, but then she started using Michael, while refusing his proposal, but still usijng him for her pleasure. She lead him on for weeks while refusing to think about what she really wanted, to think about ho she was going to accomplish it. She just took and took from Michael while not giving him anything. I get that she was hurting and she wanted children and maybe wasn't ready for marriage, but she should have told Michael all this instead of leading him on. I think Michael was justified in wanting Francesca out of the house after he confessed his love and she still didn't give him an answer.

The infertility issues were very emotional but I'm glad everything worked out (it's a romance novel, I didn't expect anything else). I loved Michael's realization at the very end that he wanted the kids not just for Frannie but for himself too. The scene at John's grave was emotional and lovely and I'm glad that both Frannie and Michael relaized that this is what John would have wanted.

The second epilogue was amazing, I loved it. The spice was great too!

Tropes:

- second chance (in life)

- friends with benefits

- friends to enemies to lovers

- forced proximity