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A review by lauren_miller
Stranded Hearts by Kris Bryant, Amanda Radley, Emily Smith
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.25
Thank you to Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books for the ARC. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy, and all thoughts and opinions are my own.
I decided to pick this up because A) it's pride month and I haven't read a damn thing even remotely queer in ages, and B) I wanted to give novellas a shot again. I have to say, I love this format! It was so refreshing to enjoy the "falling in love" or "falling back in love" stage of each romance and then leave the rest to the imagination. Each took about 45-ish minutes for me to read too a.k.a. the perfect "before bed" treat! My favorite thing about these novellas was learning about the industries of the characters; I know absolutely nothing about disaster protocols, stock trading, or air ambulances, so being dropped into those professions was fascinating!
Here are my thoughts on the individual stories:
EF5 -- Like I said, I've been privileged enough to never live through and thus know nothing about natural disasters and the protocols that follow, so I found all that just as entertaining as the romance. And both Katy and Alyssa were very endearing to me. Their their forced proximity was so. satisfying. I love a good "we're about to die, so let's try not to focus on how hot the other is" moment haha. Overall, this was definitely my favorite out of the novellas; there was something so genuine and precious about it.
Trapped Tycoon -- I don't really like age gap romances, so while I didn't jive with that part of the story, I found the characters, Clara and Francesca, to be dynamic and funny. The banter was pretty good! Please note that there is a lot of internal ageism in this story (i.e., Francesca emphasizing how OLD and past her peak she is at 53 years old...), which was kind of depressing. Thankfully (and strangely, I guess) that didn't hinder the getting together. Out of the three, this was my least favorite and the most... unrealistic? It was well-written and I'd love to pick up something else by the author though, something that I'm more likely to enjoy.
Wings Over Boston -- Out of the three, this was definitely the hottest! The chemistry between Ryland and Tess was palpable the entire story and, well, I'm a sucker for a good second chance romance. Despite the passion coming to a head, the author managed to really emphasize how both characters have matured in their time apart, so when they come together, not only is it fiery, but it's also healthy—I love that! I would definitely consider picking up something else from this author too.
So, in summary, I had fun reading this! Nothing too serious (minus the almost drowning and the prevalence of western beauty standards) and satisfactorily queer! Solid 3 out of 5 stars, ★★★☆☆
I decided to pick this up because A) it's pride month and I haven't read a damn thing even remotely queer in ages, and B) I wanted to give novellas a shot again. I have to say, I love this format! It was so refreshing to enjoy the "falling in love" or "falling back in love" stage of each romance and then leave the rest to the imagination. Each took about 45-ish minutes for me to read too a.k.a. the perfect "before bed" treat! My favorite thing about these novellas was learning about the industries of the characters; I know absolutely nothing about disaster protocols, stock trading, or air ambulances, so being dropped into those professions was fascinating!
Here are my thoughts on the individual stories:
EF5 -- Like I said, I've been privileged enough to never live through and thus know nothing about natural disasters and the protocols that follow, so I found all that just as entertaining as the romance. And both Katy and Alyssa were very endearing to me. Their their forced proximity was so. satisfying. I love a good "we're about to die, so let's try not to focus on how hot the other is" moment haha. Overall, this was definitely my favorite out of the novellas; there was something so genuine and precious about it.
Trapped Tycoon -- I don't really like age gap romances, so while I didn't jive with that part of the story, I found the characters, Clara and Francesca, to be dynamic and funny. The banter was pretty good! Please note that there is a lot of internal ageism in this story (i.e., Francesca emphasizing how OLD and past her peak she is at 53 years old...), which was kind of depressing. Thankfully (and strangely, I guess) that didn't hinder the getting together. Out of the three, this was my least favorite and the most... unrealistic? It was well-written and I'd love to pick up something else by the author though, something that I'm more likely to enjoy.
Wings Over Boston -- Out of the three, this was definitely the hottest! The chemistry between Ryland and Tess was palpable the entire story and, well, I'm a sucker for a good second chance romance. Despite the passion coming to a head, the author managed to really emphasize how both characters have matured in their time apart, so when they come together, not only is it fiery, but it's also healthy—I love that! I would definitely consider picking up something else from this author too.
So, in summary, I had fun reading this! Nothing too serious (minus the almost drowning and the prevalence of western beauty standards) and satisfactorily queer! Solid 3 out of 5 stars, ★★★☆☆