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amandas_reading_nook's Reviews (396)
I'll admit, billionaire romances aren't normally my thing, but I thought this was a pretty good one!
Our FMC, Eva, and her best friend's older brother, Aston, shared a kiss one night in high school, but then he up and left their small town and never looked back. Now, years later, Eva's best friend is getting married, and as the maid of honor, Eva has been tasked with helping plan the wedding with Aston. Even though he is the last person Eva wants to see, she agrees as she can see how stressed her friend is about planning the wedding in a limited amount of time. But in the years since that one fateful kiss, Aston has taken a position at his father's company, become a billionaire, and doubled down on his bachelor status. That is, until he sees Eva again and remembers everything he gave up that night.
The main reason why I don't typically enjoy billionaire romances is that the billionaire always starts out as an asshole, and I just don't think that you should have to fall in love to treat others with kindness. And while I would definitely describe Aston as an asshole, he more just liked to get under Eva's skin, versus doing stuff like cutting employee benefits for the company's bottom line or being rude to people, so I was mostly unbothered by his billionaire status. I actually really enjoyed all of the banter between him and Eva; it was very entertaining. I also thought that they had great chemistry from the start.
Though I will say that this book is marketed as an enemies-to-lovers, and I would not call Eva and Aston enemies in the slightest. There's definitely some hurt feelings between them, and Eva is holding on tight to that grudge, but this is more like dislike-to-lovers if I'm being generous.
Overall, I had a fun time with this book, and I do think I'll be returning to Cinnamon Springs whenever the next book comes out!
Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Our FMC, Eva, and her best friend's older brother, Aston, shared a kiss one night in high school, but then he up and left their small town and never looked back. Now, years later, Eva's best friend is getting married, and as the maid of honor, Eva has been tasked with helping plan the wedding with Aston. Even though he is the last person Eva wants to see, she agrees as she can see how stressed her friend is about planning the wedding in a limited amount of time. But in the years since that one fateful kiss, Aston has taken a position at his father's company, become a billionaire, and doubled down on his bachelor status. That is, until he sees Eva again and remembers everything he gave up that night.
The main reason why I don't typically enjoy billionaire romances is that the billionaire always starts out as an asshole, and I just don't think that you should have to fall in love to treat others with kindness. And while I would definitely describe Aston as an asshole, he more just liked to get under Eva's skin, versus doing stuff like cutting employee benefits for the company's bottom line or being rude to people, so I was mostly unbothered by his billionaire status. I actually really enjoyed all of the banter between him and Eva; it was very entertaining. I also thought that they had great chemistry from the start.
Though I will say that this book is marketed as an enemies-to-lovers, and I would not call Eva and Aston enemies in the slightest. There's definitely some hurt feelings between them, and Eva is holding on tight to that grudge, but this is more like dislike-to-lovers if I'm being generous.
Overall, I had a fun time with this book, and I do think I'll be returning to Cinnamon Springs whenever the next book comes out!
Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
What an absolute gem of a book! If you're going to read any romance this fall, let it be this one!
When Lou (Louisa) finds out that her long-term boyfriend, and overnight music sensation, Nate, has been cheating on her, the only thing she wants out of the break-up is the house where she's been living since Nate has been on tour. Nate agrees that she should keep it, but Lou quickly realizes that she can't actually afford the rent on her own. Inspired by her own heartbreak, she comes up with the idea to turn the house into a bed and breakfast for the heartbroken- a soft place to land for those trying to figure out what life looks like now. She just has to convince her landlord, who she soon learns is hiding a heartbreak of his own, that it's a good idea.
I absolutely loved this story! I have always been a sucker for romance books where the FMC is working through some kind of grief. I don't know why, I guess it just lends itself well to some beautiful writing, or some kind of reminder that we are never as alone as we feel, especially in our darkest moments. But typically in those books, the grief that our main character is working through is the death, or impending passing, of a loved one, and while going through a break-up, they are still grieving a loss; it was a bit of a different take on it, which I really enjoyed.
I also loved these characters. Our main characters were nuanced, well-developed, and both had a great arc over the course of the book. But even all of the side characters had depth and felt like real people, versus caricatures of real people. I can't deny that I have a soft spot for Lou in particular, as I really resonated with her imposter syndrome, people-pleasing tendencies, and her need to make sure everyone is ok. She just gets me, and I get her.
And of course, what is a romance book without a stellar romance? From the moment we met Henry and he agreed to Lou's crazy plan, I knew he was going to be one of my favorite book boyfriends. This is a man who yearns, everyone! And it was absolutely delicious. I thought he and Lou had great chemistry, and I loved how gentle and accepting they were of one another.
Much like Comeback Inn is for its guests, I think this book can be a soft place to land for anyone with a tender heart. I laughed, I cried, I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Comeback Inn, and I hope you will too!
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
When Lou (Louisa) finds out that her long-term boyfriend, and overnight music sensation, Nate, has been cheating on her, the only thing she wants out of the break-up is the house where she's been living since Nate has been on tour. Nate agrees that she should keep it, but Lou quickly realizes that she can't actually afford the rent on her own. Inspired by her own heartbreak, she comes up with the idea to turn the house into a bed and breakfast for the heartbroken- a soft place to land for those trying to figure out what life looks like now. She just has to convince her landlord, who she soon learns is hiding a heartbreak of his own, that it's a good idea.
I absolutely loved this story! I have always been a sucker for romance books where the FMC is working through some kind of grief. I don't know why, I guess it just lends itself well to some beautiful writing, or some kind of reminder that we are never as alone as we feel, especially in our darkest moments. But typically in those books, the grief that our main character is working through is the death, or impending passing, of a loved one, and while going through a break-up, they are still grieving a loss; it was a bit of a different take on it, which I really enjoyed.
I also loved these characters. Our main characters were nuanced, well-developed, and both had a great arc over the course of the book. But even all of the side characters had depth and felt like real people, versus caricatures of real people. I can't deny that I have a soft spot for Lou in particular, as I really resonated with her imposter syndrome, people-pleasing tendencies, and her need to make sure everyone is ok. She just gets me, and I get her.
And of course, what is a romance book without a stellar romance? From the moment we met Henry and he agreed to Lou's crazy plan, I knew he was going to be one of my favorite book boyfriends. This is a man who yearns, everyone! And it was absolutely delicious. I thought he and Lou had great chemistry, and I loved how gentle and accepting they were of one another.
Much like Comeback Inn is for its guests, I think this book can be a soft place to land for anyone with a tender heart. I laughed, I cried, I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Comeback Inn, and I hope you will too!
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
After being thoroughly unimpressed by Shatter Me, I decided to commit to finishing the original trilogy because multiple people told me the series got better. While that first book was so bad that it wouldn't take much for the other books to be better than it, I am still baffled that this series is so highly rated.
Everything about this series is so painfully underdeveloped- the characters, the relationships, the world, the revolution. I felt like there were simultaneously no rules and so many rules pertaining to their powers. Even the timeline was confusing. They needed weeks to plan their next move, and yet all of the page time was dedicated to rehashing the same arguments and not advancing the plot. And that ending was so unrealistic, it didn't make any sense.
I started this series because I was curious about Aaron Warner after seeing him pop up in the bookish space so often, but I should have just stayed curious. I will not be reading on.
Everything about this series is so painfully underdeveloped- the characters, the relationships, the world, the revolution. I felt like there were simultaneously no rules and so many rules pertaining to their powers. Even the timeline was confusing. They needed weeks to plan their next move, and yet all of the page time was dedicated to rehashing the same arguments and not advancing the plot. And that ending was so unrealistic, it didn't make any sense.
I started this series because I was curious about Aaron Warner after seeing him pop up in the bookish space so often, but I should have just stayed curious. I will not be reading on.
I was promised that this series would get better, and I fear I was lied to.
I have been looking forward to this book since it was announced, and it did not disappoint! Well worth the wait on Libby, lol.
I really liked the premise of this book, and I loved how fast-paced it was. I feel like, because the story moved so quickly, I didn't have as much time to ponder over how all the pieces were going to fit together, so I was very shocked by the ending. I also really liked the diary chapters. I thought they added a little extra something to the story and kept me invested in the mystery. I love Stacy Willingham's writing in general, and thought that this was just as suspenseful and atmospheric as her other books.
My only criticism is that I would have liked to see more interactions between Claire and the farm's owner. Or rather, I wanted to lean more into the cult aspect of the book and see more examples of how a man like that could get people to do what he wanted. Other than that, I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and I do recommend it!
I really liked the premise of this book, and I loved how fast-paced it was. I feel like, because the story moved so quickly, I didn't have as much time to ponder over how all the pieces were going to fit together, so I was very shocked by the ending. I also really liked the diary chapters. I thought they added a little extra something to the story and kept me invested in the mystery. I love Stacy Willingham's writing in general, and thought that this was just as suspenseful and atmospheric as her other books.
My only criticism is that I would have liked to see more interactions between Claire and the farm's owner. Or rather, I wanted to lean more into the cult aspect of the book and see more examples of how a man like that could get people to do what he wanted. Other than that, I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and I do recommend it!
This was such a sweet book!
Mallory Rosen, a self-proclaimed introvert, may not be crazy about her bland tech job, but she does love that the position is remote- a lingering side effect of the pandemic. She is perfectly content in the safe, predictable routine she's created for herself, but that all changes when her grandmother passes away and leaves her Pebble Cottage, her seaside home in Florida, all the way across the continent from Mallory's Seattle apartment. The cottage also comes with instructions to take care of her grandfather, so Mallory decides that none of her coworkers will notice if she's out of state for a few days and flies down to Florida to check on her grandpa and the house. But Mallory quickly realizes that both will need more work than she originally bargained for, and a few days suddenly turn into a few weeks. As she spends more time creating a new routine while getting to know her grandpa and the cute property manager who keeps popping up, Mallory can't imagine going back to her lonely apartment, but then she gets the notice that all employees are expected to return to the office.
This was almost like a second coming-of-age story, and I enjoyed the journey that our FMC went on while she figured out what she really wanted out of life. I think it was a great reminder that it's never too late to try something new, go after your dreams, or change them! I also loved watching her relationship with her grandpa grow. It felt very special that they were able to forge this new bond with each other later in life. I really liked all of the side characters as well. Everyone from her neighbor in Seattle, to the new friends she made in Florida, to the other senior residents at her grandpa's independent living facility felt like a real person that I might actually meet in real life.
My only real criticism is that the romance felt a little too insta-lovey. I wish we had spent more time upfront developing that relationship, because I was not feeling the chemistry between them at first, but once they actually started spending time together, the attraction made more sense to me.
Overall, I had a fun time with this book, and I would recommend it (especially if you are someone who prefers a less spicy romance)!
Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Mallory Rosen, a self-proclaimed introvert, may not be crazy about her bland tech job, but she does love that the position is remote- a lingering side effect of the pandemic. She is perfectly content in the safe, predictable routine she's created for herself, but that all changes when her grandmother passes away and leaves her Pebble Cottage, her seaside home in Florida, all the way across the continent from Mallory's Seattle apartment. The cottage also comes with instructions to take care of her grandfather, so Mallory decides that none of her coworkers will notice if she's out of state for a few days and flies down to Florida to check on her grandpa and the house. But Mallory quickly realizes that both will need more work than she originally bargained for, and a few days suddenly turn into a few weeks. As she spends more time creating a new routine while getting to know her grandpa and the cute property manager who keeps popping up, Mallory can't imagine going back to her lonely apartment, but then she gets the notice that all employees are expected to return to the office.
This was almost like a second coming-of-age story, and I enjoyed the journey that our FMC went on while she figured out what she really wanted out of life. I think it was a great reminder that it's never too late to try something new, go after your dreams, or change them! I also loved watching her relationship with her grandpa grow. It felt very special that they were able to forge this new bond with each other later in life. I really liked all of the side characters as well. Everyone from her neighbor in Seattle, to the new friends she made in Florida, to the other senior residents at her grandpa's independent living facility felt like a real person that I might actually meet in real life.
My only real criticism is that the romance felt a little too insta-lovey. I wish we had spent more time upfront developing that relationship, because I was not feeling the chemistry between them at first, but once they actually started spending time together, the attraction made more sense to me.
Overall, I had a fun time with this book, and I would recommend it (especially if you are someone who prefers a less spicy romance)!
Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
I went into this book without a single clue of what it was about (and I think you should too!), and it somehow managed to exceed all of my expectations still.
This really had it all: suspense, mystery, friendship, even a little bit of romance- and I ate up every second of it! Throughout the book, I had a few theories about who was responsible for everything that was happening, but I was completely wrong, and it turned out to be even more complex than I originally thought. I really enjoyed Daunis' character and how devoted to/involved with a community that didn't always accept her she was. I also appreciated how the author didn't shy away from showing the long-lasting effects of colonization and challenging the reader's perception of native people. I thought this was a beautifully written story, and I am looking forward to reading more by this author.
I know I'm a little late to the party, but I can't recommend this book enough. If you've somehow managed to also go this long without reading it, go pick it up immediately!
This really had it all: suspense, mystery, friendship, even a little bit of romance- and I ate up every second of it! Throughout the book, I had a few theories about who was responsible for everything that was happening, but I was completely wrong, and it turned out to be even more complex than I originally thought. I really enjoyed Daunis' character and how devoted to/involved with a community that didn't always accept her she was. I also appreciated how the author didn't shy away from showing the long-lasting effects of colonization and challenging the reader's perception of native people. I thought this was a beautifully written story, and I am looking forward to reading more by this author.
I know I'm a little late to the party, but I can't recommend this book enough. If you've somehow managed to also go this long without reading it, go pick it up immediately!
This is definitely one of the best thrillers that I’ve read this year! I really liked the setting of the college town and Megan Miranda never fails to create that spooky atmosphere that I love so much with her writing.
I did think this was a tad predictable, but there was one character that I was so sure had something to do with what was going on, but I was very wrong about them 😅. I also thought there was a missed opportunity for more of a heart to heart between the mom and daughter.
Overall, I had a fun time reading this and I would recommend adding it to your fall tbr!
I did think this was a tad predictable, but there was one character that I was so sure had something to do with what was going on, but I was very wrong about them 😅. I also thought there was a missed opportunity for more of a heart to heart between the mom and daughter.
Overall, I had a fun time reading this and I would recommend adding it to your fall tbr!