alliereadsromance's reviews
41 reviews

Hot Hex Boyfriend by Carly Bloom

funny medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

 “You don’t fall in love [...] It’s a decision.” From this paragraph, I knew this book would be for me. Sure, the sections leading up to it with the magic soup that never did any good, the elderly oddballs that insisted they were witches, and the sweet but long-suffering female lead happy to play along with the madness were all great. But the moment Max said these words, I knew I was going to have fun watching him fall. And lord was I right.

While I don’t usually go for books with one character overtly lying to the other, in this case, I couldn’t help but like Max despite his omissions and obfuscations. He was so stupid about all things love and human emotion, about happiness and joy. About the very idea of enjoying unserious things that I couldn’t help but like him. Paired with Delia, who was rarely very serious and loved most things ridiculous despite not believing in it, it was a perfect match.

Hot Hex Boyfriend included so many of my favorite things from the Grumpy/Sunshine trope, a man too dumb in love, meddling and outrageous family members, down to the cat familiar. There was not one thing I did not enjoy about this read. I very rarely take a chance on ARCs by authors I don't know but this was one case I was very happy I made the exception. 

Fake Dating a Witch by Brigid Hunt

medium-paced

4.5

 If small town romance with a side of magic is your vibe this book is for you. This bi for bi fake dating romance gives the most paper thin excuse for a burnt out witch and her high school crush who comes to her seeking a magical way to heal his injured hand to join forces in fake dating. Even they know their excuses are paper thin. Sirona is lying to herself that pretending to date him will help break an old family curse while Grant, who is feeling like a loser after his injury puts him behind in his residency, gets to have company at the class reunion coming up soon. Their lame excuses turn into something real pretty quickly and the they burn hot and heavy. The scene in the middle of the festival now lives rent free in my head. Both Grant and Sirona are so dumb in love it's frustrating, though Grant wins for being dumb in general, so blinded by what he thinks his life should be rather than what it could be. I spent a lot of time yelling at him in my head while reading because the big dummy deserves love and happiness and has it right there and can't see it. But don't worry, this is a true romance and does delivery a very happy ending for everyone.

Things I loved:
The richness of the magical world
Magic being an integrated and accepted part of the town
The quirky characters and vast family dynamics setting up for chances at a lot of interconnected sequels

I'll definitely be picking up the next book in the series. Many thanks to the author for the advanced copy. 

The Anti-Social Season by Adele Buck

emotional hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

 I’m the first to admit I’m an Adele Buck fan girl. So when Harlequin offered me an advanced copy, there was no way I couldn’t jump on the opportunity. I adored Fake Flame and knew Anti-Social Season would be just as good. And I was absolutely right.

First off, I got my favorite flavor of grumpy/sunshine in which one of them (in this case Simon) is a buttoned-up stickler for the rules and the other (Thea) is a giant goofball willing to do anything to make him crack. The balance of stiff and chaotic energy feeds my chaotic gremlin soul and I am 100% here for it every time. The fact that Simon was an undercover smex god who worked hard for his gold stars definitely didn’t hurt my love for him.

I will admit I would have loved a deeper dive into Thea’s anxiety issues. I think the topic was handled well but not given the depth of exploration that I would have liked from someone so bold and brash on the surface.

I’ve been reading Adele for years and I’ve loved watching her talent change and grow and I cannot wait to see what comes next from her. Whatever it is, I’m here for it! 

Dirty Dare by Mira Lyn Kelly

emotional hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

 I’m not usually one for second-chance romances, especially ones where someone messes up big time. In this case, I’ll make an exception. After playing his first season of professional hockey with the Chicago Slayers, Trevor heads back to his hometown. His spot on the Slayers isn’t guaranteed and his life with the Chicago farm team is rocky at best. Everything in his life is uncertain from where he’s going to be playing to where he’ll end up living. He just wants some peace and quiet.

Of course, being a hometown hero hockey star doesn’t lend to much quiet and running into your secret ex-boyfriend, the one you were willing to dump your entire future for, doesn’t leave much room for relaxation.

Kelly managed to pack a lot of emotional angst, longing, and spice into such a short novella. You can’t help but root for them, or roll your eyes when Cam insists it’ll be okay because this relationship has a set end date and he couldn’t possibly fall and get hurt (laughs at poor, poor silly Cam). This story has all of the humor and heart as the rest of the Slayers Hockey series and is a great peek at a character we don’t actually get to see in previous books. All of that, plus no third-act breakup makes this one of my favorites in the series. 

The Sin in Cinnamon by Ames B. Winterbourne

funny fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

 The Sin in Cinnamon is a short, spicy read. It's a lot of fun, a lot of weird, and a great addition to the series. Plus I'm a sucker for a good single mom story and this one did not disappoint. 

If You Want Me by Helena Hunting

funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

 I was gifted both the ebook and audiobook of this book. The audiobook was narrated by my favorite male narrator of all time and I had to quit listening. Why? Because it was taking the audiobook (at 1.7 speed) too long. I was so invested in this book and these characters from the painfully horrifying first meeting to the very end, this book had my by the throat. It's been a while since I've raced through a book as fast as I did this one. The slow burn was more like a high simmer, the payoff of it was delightful. While I wish Hollis would have groveled a little more (I am a sucker for a good grovel) overall this book was everything I wanted out of the second in the series. I cannot wait for the next book! 

Conner by Mary Warren
Did not finish book. Stopped at 42%.

I did not enjoy the writing style and there wasn't any real chemistry between the characters. 

Puck Me Secretly by Odette Stone
Did not finish book. Stopped at 15%.

Did not like the FMC and could not connect to the writing.

Lucky Strike by Janine Amesta

emotional hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

5.0

If you like prickly, stubborn women who think they're hard to love, swoony but damaged men, banter, and slow burns you're going to love this book. From their awkward first meeting to their happily ever after, Luna and Sam were perfection. I thoroughly enjoyed the push-pull of their relationship resulting from their individual traumas. The tension and the constant will they/won't they kept me turning the page all night long. It was also fun to see the return of characters from earlier books in the series and see their relationships progress from the outside. I'm sad to see this series come to a close but cannot wait to see what the author does next.

If You Need Me by Helena Hunting

funny lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

 

I'll admit it, I'm a sucker for the "I've been in love with them forever but am also an idiot and now they hate me" microtrope. After three books of watching Dallas and Hemi butt heads, it was fun to finally get to see more of them. This book is exactly what I've come to expect from Helena Hunting: quick, quirky, and more than a little ridiculous. Dallas is peak marshmallow and the power dynamic between the two characters is a lot of fun and a nice break from all of the dominating alpha hockey studs littering the genre. On a related note: Helena has really upped the spice in this series from everything that’s come before it and I am here for it, despite the fact I will never look at a cucumber the same way again. I do wish more had been done with the fact that Hemi is described as tall and curvy. We’re given the impression she might be plus size but nothing is really done with it. That aside, it was a fun book and the narrators were great. I am already anxiously awaiting the next release and have some hard ships for future characters.