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13rebecca13's reviews
439 reviews
The Hot Henry Effect by Lucy Chalice
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This was a super fun STEM romance! I've read a few of these types of books but I think this has to be my favourite.
Scientist Clara first met engineer Henry when he was working on his PhD. Seven years later, Dr Clara Clandy heads up the cardiovascular team at a pharmaceutical company and they are about to collaborate with FraserTech, Dr Henry Fraser's company.
After seven years away from each other, Clara and Henry's friendship continues like no time has passed. They catch each other up on the last seven years of their lives and we learn that they lost contact when Henry moved to work in the States.
What Clara remembers most about Henry was that every woman he came in contact with was taken in by The Hot Henry Effect but he never noticed. He was only waiting for one person.
I loved the characters of Clara and Henry and even the supporting characters were so much fun. We get a little depth when it comes to Clara's trust issues and Henry's pining. All round, a nice little romance!
Scientist Clara first met engineer Henry when he was working on his PhD. Seven years later, Dr Clara Clandy heads up the cardiovascular team at a pharmaceutical company and they are about to collaborate with FraserTech, Dr Henry Fraser's company.
After seven years away from each other, Clara and Henry's friendship continues like no time has passed. They catch each other up on the last seven years of their lives and we learn that they lost contact when Henry moved to work in the States.
What Clara remembers most about Henry was that every woman he came in contact with was taken in by The Hot Henry Effect but he never noticed. He was only waiting for one person.
I loved the characters of Clara and Henry and even the supporting characters were so much fun. We get a little depth when it comes to Clara's trust issues and Henry's pining. All round, a nice little romance!
Love Game by Emma Rae
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0
This was a cute little read! I've read quite a few sports romances before but this is my first tennis one.
Elle Caraway feels stuck in her relationship with Jamie. She is financially dependent on him and she knows he has been cheating on her. After leaving teaching and becoming a chef, her agency gets her a job - personal chef to American professional tennis player Nicky Salco whilst he is in London for Wimbledon.
This is a live-in job and Elle quickly gets to know Nicky's entire team from Sydney, his assistant to his coach Ragnar and his fiancée Mackenzie who is forever asserting her authority.
Nicky and Elle become close during the nights when Elle is cooking for him but obviously it must be kept a secret.
Whilst I enjoyed the story as a whole I did feel like it went a bit 0-100. I wish there had been more of a build up between Elle and Nicky. There were a few occasions where I wanted to shout "what are you doing?!" at Elle but by the end, the decisions that she was making made sense. A sweet little romance!
Elle Caraway feels stuck in her relationship with Jamie. She is financially dependent on him and she knows he has been cheating on her. After leaving teaching and becoming a chef, her agency gets her a job - personal chef to American professional tennis player Nicky Salco whilst he is in London for Wimbledon.
This is a live-in job and Elle quickly gets to know Nicky's entire team from Sydney, his assistant to his coach Ragnar and his fiancée Mackenzie who is forever asserting her authority.
Nicky and Elle become close during the nights when Elle is cooking for him but obviously it must be kept a secret.
Whilst I enjoyed the story as a whole I did feel like it went a bit 0-100. I wish there had been more of a build up between Elle and Nicky. There were a few occasions where I wanted to shout "what are you doing?!" at Elle but by the end, the decisions that she was making made sense. A sweet little romance!
Iris Is More Than Okay by Natalie Cooper
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I love Jenna Coleman so when I heard that she was narrating Iris Is More Than Okay, I knew I'd love it. I love audiobooks but sometimes the narrator makes all the difference.
Iris is an engineer for a perfume company and she has her own routines. She runs on specific days and has a certain bench at her local park that she likes to sit at. When a stranger places himself next to her on the bench one day, she is not happy. She is less than enthused to bump into him at work the following day.
Hunter has been hired by her firm to analyse and see what they could do better. He is divorced and we learn that Iris was married also but no longer is.
As these two develop feelings for each other, it isn't easy. Secrets come out, coincidentally linking them together without them knowing it.
This is a beautiful story about loss, heartbreak, finding love and allowing yourself to move on. I loved the characters of Iris and Hunter together and separately. The exploration of their relationship was wonderfully paced and you really felt Iris's hurt. A beautiful story that I found absolutely no faults with.
Trigger warnings: suicide, gambling addiction.
Iris is an engineer for a perfume company and she has her own routines. She runs on specific days and has a certain bench at her local park that she likes to sit at. When a stranger places himself next to her on the bench one day, she is not happy. She is less than enthused to bump into him at work the following day.
Hunter has been hired by her firm to analyse and see what they could do better. He is divorced and we learn that Iris was married also but no longer is.
As these two develop feelings for each other, it isn't easy. Secrets come out, coincidentally linking them together without them knowing it.
This is a beautiful story about loss, heartbreak, finding love and allowing yourself to move on. I loved the characters of Iris and Hunter together and separately. The exploration of their relationship was wonderfully paced and you really felt Iris's hurt. A beautiful story that I found absolutely no faults with.
Trigger warnings: suicide, gambling addiction.
The Love Algorithm by Camilla Isley
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
The Love Algorithm is the third book in the True Love series. Last year I read Not In A Billion Years which was the first in the series but also my first ever Camilla Isley read. That story focused on billionaire Gabriel Mercer and I was so excited about the prospect of getting a book about his brother Thomas.
Thomas Mercer works at the family business and is advised by his father that he will be going to work in the robotics department where Research and Development is led by Reese. Reese, who is 28 with a PhD is understandably upset by the fact that Thomas is being handed this role with no prior knowledge or qualifications. She sees it as nepotism at its finest.
Of course these two hit it off and it is just the loveliest story. I know when I'm in a reading slump, Isley's books are easy reading palate cleansers and I just flew through this. I am not massively into science but you can tell that Isley knows her stuff and I questioned nothing. I loved the strong and clever female love interest and the very respectful character of Thomas.
I also loved Reese and Thomas's banter and if you're looking for an only one bed, billionaire, workplace romance with Star Wars puns, this is for you!
Thomas Mercer works at the family business and is advised by his father that he will be going to work in the robotics department where Research and Development is led by Reese. Reese, who is 28 with a PhD is understandably upset by the fact that Thomas is being handed this role with no prior knowledge or qualifications. She sees it as nepotism at its finest.
Of course these two hit it off and it is just the loveliest story. I know when I'm in a reading slump, Isley's books are easy reading palate cleansers and I just flew through this. I am not massively into science but you can tell that Isley knows her stuff and I questioned nothing. I loved the strong and clever female love interest and the very respectful character of Thomas.
I also loved Reese and Thomas's banter and if you're looking for an only one bed, billionaire, workplace romance with Star Wars puns, this is for you!
The Damages by Genevieve Scott
challenging
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Books about consent have been done a lot post-#MeToo era and Scott does it very well.
In the late 90s, Ros is a university student obsessed with her social status. Her roommate Megan is very innocent and is the antithesis of how Ros wants to be seen. During an ice storm, Ros invites Megan out with her friends to a bar and during that time Megan goes missing. Ros was supposed to be Megan's buddy during the storm so she is essentially blamed.
Fast-forward twenty years later to the COVID pandemic and Ros is now married to children's author Lukas, who went by Dutch whilst they were at university. Megan has now come forward to state that on that night, she was sexually assaulted by Lukas.
The Damages opens a fantastic discussion surrounding consent and this book would be perfect for book clubs. It takes a look at how men and women both view consent and how women previously would put things down as living in liberal times. An interesting and thought-provoking read for sure.
In the late 90s, Ros is a university student obsessed with her social status. Her roommate Megan is very innocent and is the antithesis of how Ros wants to be seen. During an ice storm, Ros invites Megan out with her friends to a bar and during that time Megan goes missing. Ros was supposed to be Megan's buddy during the storm so she is essentially blamed.
Fast-forward twenty years later to the COVID pandemic and Ros is now married to children's author Lukas, who went by Dutch whilst they were at university. Megan has now come forward to state that on that night, she was sexually assaulted by Lukas.
The Damages opens a fantastic discussion surrounding consent and this book would be perfect for book clubs. It takes a look at how men and women both view consent and how women previously would put things down as living in liberal times. An interesting and thought-provoking read for sure.
The Parcel by Leigh Suznovich
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
Before I started reading The Parcel I was in a reading slump. This book 100% got me out of it and I finished it in less than 24 hours.
Lyra Spinelli is in her mid-thirties and has recently split from her husband Derek after he admitted that he'd been having an affair. Lyra has Turner Syndrome and the two of them were fine with remaining child free, so when Derek's announces that his mistress is pregnant, it is gutting.
After moving into her new house, Lyra gets a glimpse of Taran Malloy, the local UPS driver. After a flirty exchange and Taran instantly bonding with Lyra's dog Brody, she thinks that a) he must be late twenties so way too young for her, and b) her divorce isn't even final yet so what is she doing?
The backstories to both of these characters are fantastic and dive into their familial relationships really well. I felt completely immersed, especially in the scenes where all the family got together. I loved the aspect of found family too.
I had never heard of Turner Syndrome before so this was really eye opening for me and having a female love interest with such a syndrome really sets The Parcel apart from other romance novels.
Taran is an absolute golden retriever of a man and his personal growth was lovely to read. Beautiful!
Lyra Spinelli is in her mid-thirties and has recently split from her husband Derek after he admitted that he'd been having an affair. Lyra has Turner Syndrome and the two of them were fine with remaining child free, so when Derek's announces that his mistress is pregnant, it is gutting.
After moving into her new house, Lyra gets a glimpse of Taran Malloy, the local UPS driver. After a flirty exchange and Taran instantly bonding with Lyra's dog Brody, she thinks that a) he must be late twenties so way too young for her, and b) her divorce isn't even final yet so what is she doing?
The backstories to both of these characters are fantastic and dive into their familial relationships really well. I felt completely immersed, especially in the scenes where all the family got together. I loved the aspect of found family too.
I had never heard of Turner Syndrome before so this was really eye opening for me and having a female love interest with such a syndrome really sets The Parcel apart from other romance novels.
Taran is an absolute golden retriever of a man and his personal growth was lovely to read. Beautiful!
Small Hours by Bobby Palmer
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I really loved Isaac and the Egg by Bobby Palmer so I was excited for a new release. This book is absolutely beautiful with stunning nature themes and a wonderfully important topic.
Jack Penwick loses his city job and whilst in a park, stumbles across a fox who begins talking to him. Jack's sister calls to let Jack know that their mother has left and knowing his father has what seems to be dementia, he begrudgingly heads back to his childhood home of Mole End. What transpires is a stunning novel surrounding family, connections, nature and it feels truly magical and emotional.
I will admit that I struggled a bit with the ebook (personal preference - nothing against the actual book!) so I switched to audio which was a fantastic experience. Stephan Mangan narrates beautifully and the addition of nature sounds and the style in which the fox's narrative is recorded really added an extra dimension.
A great follow up to Isaac and the Egg.
Jack Penwick loses his city job and whilst in a park, stumbles across a fox who begins talking to him. Jack's sister calls to let Jack know that their mother has left and knowing his father has what seems to be dementia, he begrudgingly heads back to his childhood home of Mole End. What transpires is a stunning novel surrounding family, connections, nature and it feels truly magical and emotional.
I will admit that I struggled a bit with the ebook (personal preference - nothing against the actual book!) so I switched to audio which was a fantastic experience. Stephan Mangan narrates beautifully and the addition of nature sounds and the style in which the fox's narrative is recorded really added an extra dimension.
A great follow up to Isaac and the Egg.
Keep It in the Family by John Marrs
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
John Marrs is just fantastic. I know before I go into one of his books that I am about to be blown away.
Keep It In The Family follows Finn and his wife Mia. Finn's parents Debbie and Dave have just purchased an old house that is in need of renovation but Mia thinks it is the perfect family home for her, Finn and their unborn child.
Debbie definitely gives overbearing mother-in-law vibes and has a high dislike of Mia, thinking she is not the right match for her son. Dave also has his own issues including a problem with alcohol.
Whilst renovating the house, they find old suitcases in the attic and are distraught to find skeletal remains of children inside. Obviously the police get involved but Mia then goes on her own hunt. Is she getting too close?
I don't want to give too much away with regards to the plot as you really should go in blind. Marrs weaves this story perfectly together and with the use of mixed media such as newspaper reports and television documentary transcripts, it really adds to the depth of the story. I didn't want to put this book down!
Any true crime lover will have their own thoughts on nature versus nurture and this is a great discussion point after reading Keep It In The Family.
Keep It In The Family follows Finn and his wife Mia. Finn's parents Debbie and Dave have just purchased an old house that is in need of renovation but Mia thinks it is the perfect family home for her, Finn and their unborn child.
Debbie definitely gives overbearing mother-in-law vibes and has a high dislike of Mia, thinking she is not the right match for her son. Dave also has his own issues including a problem with alcohol.
Whilst renovating the house, they find old suitcases in the attic and are distraught to find skeletal remains of children inside. Obviously the police get involved but Mia then goes on her own hunt. Is she getting too close?
I don't want to give too much away with regards to the plot as you really should go in blind. Marrs weaves this story perfectly together and with the use of mixed media such as newspaper reports and television documentary transcripts, it really adds to the depth of the story. I didn't want to put this book down!
Any true crime lover will have their own thoughts on nature versus nurture and this is a great discussion point after reading Keep It In The Family.
Sea Rift by J. M. Simpson
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Sea Rift in the fifth novel in the Castleby series and if you haven't read any of these books yet, you are missing out. I've read the other four books over the past couple of years and going back into this one felt like going home.
This series is set in the fictional seaside town of Castleby and is perfect for fans of small towns, found family, the RNLI and organised crime thrillers.
Sea Rift introduces hostage negotiator Nate Bennett who has just moved back to Castleby. He lived there as a child but after his daughter was stillborn and Nate having made the tough choice to have his wife Viv sectioned due to her mental health following the birth, he thinks the town will be perfect for a fresh start for them both.
At the same time, crime boss Mickey Camorra is sent a message in the form of a dead body and all the signs point to another crime organisation, the Taos.
There are lots of POVs from multiple characters but Simpson writes in a way that leaves no confusion, each paragraph leaves you wanting more until you find that it's hard to put the book down! It is meticulously planned and super fast paced. I was dying to know how everything tied together.
I loved getting back to the lives of my old favourites; Doug, Foxy, Steve, Maggie, etc. It felt like a hug!
I would say there are big trigger warnings for baby loss in this book but, wow! I feel like I want to go back and read them all again!
This series is set in the fictional seaside town of Castleby and is perfect for fans of small towns, found family, the RNLI and organised crime thrillers.
Sea Rift introduces hostage negotiator Nate Bennett who has just moved back to Castleby. He lived there as a child but after his daughter was stillborn and Nate having made the tough choice to have his wife Viv sectioned due to her mental health following the birth, he thinks the town will be perfect for a fresh start for them both.
At the same time, crime boss Mickey Camorra is sent a message in the form of a dead body and all the signs point to another crime organisation, the Taos.
There are lots of POVs from multiple characters but Simpson writes in a way that leaves no confusion, each paragraph leaves you wanting more until you find that it's hard to put the book down! It is meticulously planned and super fast paced. I was dying to know how everything tied together.
I loved getting back to the lives of my old favourites; Doug, Foxy, Steve, Maggie, etc. It felt like a hug!
I would say there are big trigger warnings for baby loss in this book but, wow! I feel like I want to go back and read them all again!
Somewhere in the Sunset by Estelle Maskame
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Oh this book is beautiful. This is the authors first foray into adult fiction having previously written YA novels and it is just gorgeous. I had read a lot of heavy books recently so was looking for a light palate cleanser. I didn't expect my heart to be broken!
It's Gracie Taylor's twenty-second birthday and her boyfriend of seven years has just left her. She is understandably heartbroken. They lived together, ran a popular couples YouTube account and had amassed a huge following across their social media. It feels like she's lost everything.
Weston Reed is a twenty-three year old rookie cop and his girlfriend of four years has broken up with him. She didn't feel appreciated by him and he realises just how much he took her for granted.
Their friends take them out to a nightclub and Weston and Gracie's paths cross. Both in similar situations, they find themselves supporting each other and getting each other through this tough time in their lives. They soon realise that it might be more than just a friendship.
I don't want to give too much away with how the book ends but I absolutely devoured this in less than 24 hours. I loved the characters and I could feel the turmoil that they felt of still being in love with their exes but feeling guilty for potentially starting a new relationship so soon.
My heart aches but the ending is beautiful. Gracie's character development is just what she needed.
It's Gracie Taylor's twenty-second birthday and her boyfriend of seven years has just left her. She is understandably heartbroken. They lived together, ran a popular couples YouTube account and had amassed a huge following across their social media. It feels like she's lost everything.
Weston Reed is a twenty-three year old rookie cop and his girlfriend of four years has broken up with him. She didn't feel appreciated by him and he realises just how much he took her for granted.
Their friends take them out to a nightclub and Weston and Gracie's paths cross. Both in similar situations, they find themselves supporting each other and getting each other through this tough time in their lives. They soon realise that it might be more than just a friendship.
I don't want to give too much away with how the book ends but I absolutely devoured this in less than 24 hours. I loved the characters and I could feel the turmoil that they felt of still being in love with their exes but feeling guilty for potentially starting a new relationship so soon.
My heart aches but the ending is beautiful. Gracie's character development is just what she needed.