bekkasbookclub's reviews
180 reviews

The Partner Plot by Kristina Forest

funny lighthearted medium-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? Yes

4.0

"There were multiple iterations of their love. Violet and Xavier then. Violet and Xavier now." The Partner Plot by Kristina Forest
When I read The Neighbor Favor, I knew I'd enjoy the rest of this series. This fake dating/marriage, second chance romance was done so well! I'm really becoming a fan of second chance romances, and this one won me over. I really liked how Violet and Xavier found each other again, and they were trying to figure out how to fit into each other's lives. Their age helped them when it came to communicating (I hate miscommunication tropes), because when problems popped up, they were able to work through them. I also enjoyed the little snippets we got into their high school relationship. Showing their history was important to their story because it makes them getting back together that much sweeter. I would definitely recommend this if you want a mature second chance romance with healthy communication!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

The House of Eve by Sadeqa Johnson

5.0

I loved, loved, LOVED listening to The House of Eve on audio. Set in the 1950s, you have Eleanor and Ruby, two women of a similar class with aspirations of making something better for themselves, end up in similar situations. However, their circumstances turn out very different. Eleanor's situation brings her into an elite, wealthy Black family. Ruby's situation puts her future in jeopardy and essentially alone. Their points of view alternate with different narrators for Eleanor and Ruby. As the story moves along, you know at some point they will intersect, and I loved how it played out. The House of Eve discussed coming into womanhood and motherhood for these women in such a captivating way. I would definitely recommend this if you want a thought-provoking historical fiction. 

Bride by Ali Hazelwood

4.75

YES, YES, YES. Ali Hazelwood has won me back with this monster romance. After reading Love on the Brain, I was a little less than impressed because I felt that it was basically The Love Hypothesis all over again. However, I feel Hazelwood has found her stride and this is what she needs to be writing from now on (I mean, can we get a sequel with Serena and Koen). This was such a fun read and I enjoyed almost every minute of it. I loved the marriage of convenience aspect between a vampyre and werewolf. It’s no surprise that vampyres and werewolves are supposed to be enemies, so this had some elements of “enemies to lovers.” Learning about this paranormal world was fun but I do wish it had a little bit more world building, we really only got that the humans, vampyres, and werewolves stay in their designated regions and are “okay” with one another but mostly keep to themselves. This was definitely a slow burn, which you would expect in a marriage of convenience. *SLIGHT SPOILER* When the mention of werewolves having mates, I pretty much guessed which way it was going to go, but it didn’t ruin it for me. It made me want to keep reading and find out what happened. This is what Ali Hazelwood needs to write and I want more monster romance from her in the future!

Evil Eye by Etaf Rum

challenging emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

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

4.75

I LOVED A Woman Is No Man, and was very excited to read this book. Evil Eye deals with much heavier topics, and has an overall darker feel. Yara is a young mother, who isn't feeling fulfilled with life. She wants and expects more, but is stuck with typical motherly/wifely duties. I know some have said this book was repetitive, but you have to remember wanting to change and making changes are different things. The kinds of changes Yara was dreaming about were life changing and realistically would take time. I also felt Yara was very brave for standing up for herself to make the changes she wanted, and ultimately break the cycle for her daughters. I feel Yara's situation is very real, and could have very well stayed stuck, like most women. I think this book is thought provoking to anyone who is a mom or thinking of becoming one. 

The Art of Scandal by Regina Black

emotional hopeful reflective medium-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? Yes

4.25

This book is an excellent mixture of a taboo relationship and age gap romance. Rachel is the Black wife of Matt, a white male politician, who on his 40th birthday finds out that he has been cheating on her because he accidentally sent her a d pic. Now, I’m not going to lie, I’m never down for cheating because you were cheated on, but I do understand what led Rachel to her actions. With that said, I was able to put it to the side and I really loved seeing Rachel grow into herself, and out of her soon to be ex-husband’s shadow. While I’ve never seen the show Scandal, I’ve a lot of comparison to this book and that show, but I think this book would make a great mini-series drama. Nathan is a great love interest, and I love that he had his own issues to overcome as well. Even though he was technically younger than Rachel, I felt he was mature in the ways she needed him to be. As the story progressed, the romance did slow down a bit, but the pace remained steady. This was a great debut, and I can’t see what else the author puts out next. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders

Moderate: Sexual content

Same Time Next Year by Tessa Bailey

lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Was this story fully believable? No. Was it a short, fun read? Yes. Sumner is definitely a golden retriever boyfriend but his crush on Britta could crossover into obsessive territory. However, he made it hard not to like him. Britta had a tough exterior and it was sweet seeing her walls come down. I don't know much about hockey, but their marriage of convenience seemed a bit risky given that Sumner had no guarantee of making it to the NHL. Overall, this was a quick, spicy read and a fun romance for Britta and Sumner.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Moderate: Abandonment

The Celebrants by Steven Rowley

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

4.0

 "We weren't meant to see everything, we weren't built to do everything, we aren't capable of knowing everything. At a certain point, peace has to be found with the choices we've made." The Celebrants by Steven Rowley
This book is truly a love letter to friendships and "found families." A group of five friends decide to have living funerals after a friend dies unexpectedly. They can call on "the pact" at any time and everyone comes together to let the person know how much they are loved. As heavy as this subject sounds, its full of humor. This book is very character driven but the 28 year period gives you a lot of time to learn and care about these characters. I would pause on picking this one up if you are triggered by death or funerals. Otherwise, this is a beautifully written book and a great reminder to tell you loved ones you love them. 

A Perfect Vintage by Chelsea Fagan

adventurous medium-paced

4.5

A Perfect Vintage is the perfect summer read. Set in the Loire Valley, it’s the perfect setting for a reverse, age-gap romance. Lea Mortimer is a great protagonist and Théo is a wonderful love interest. Their “taboo” relationship isn’t because of Lea being older than Théo, but because she’s working on upgrading his family chateau. Théo was so mature for his age, making their 12 year difference a great fit. It was frustrating seeing Lea resist her connection with Théo for so long. Once she gave in to her feelings, I needed more and more of them. Along with reading how their romance developed , I enjoyed reading about all the updates Lea was making to the chateau. This made me want to travel and have my own summer in France. I would definitely recommend this if you’re looking for a book to sweep you away with romance and the French environment.
Thank you Orsay Press and NetGalley for an advanced digital copy to review. 

Homebodies by Tembe Denton-Hurst

challenging informative slow-paced

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

4.0

I finished this book and really had to think about how I felt about it. Mickey’s life is a mess and she’s stuck in this weird, in-between phase of her life. I thought this book would be mostly about the aftermath of posting an open letter about her work experiences. However, that wasn’t addressed until the last 20-25% of the book. Most of it was about Mickey being home and her unresolved feelings toward her ex. I was torn between this storyline, and it gave big “WE WERE ON A BREAK!” vibes. Mickey’s relationship with Lex seems loving, yet complicated. They’ve been together for a few years but hit some major bumps when Mickey loses her job. I felt Mickey’s handling of their relationship was a bit unfair. However, Lex also had her own faults too. Mickey is realistically flawed, giving her character depth and tremendous room for growth. Homebodies is a very character driven, detailed story. This left me wanting more from the ending. Overall, I think it was a good debut for the author. This is one I would recommend if you enjoyed Maame due to similar themes and events. 

Summer Reading by Jenn McKinlay

funny lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This is the first romance I’ve read where our male lead is the “bookish nerd,” while our female lead has dyslexia. I love that the author took time to make reading this book inclusive with neurodivergent friendly font and formatting. The romance between Sam and Ben was cute but a little too insta-love for me. What I really enjoyed were their side stories; Sam trying to connect with her younger half-brother Tyler and Ben trying to find his biological father. Seeing the bond between Sam and Tyler grow was so heart-warming. Overall, I think it was a cute read with a fun, sweet romance. I’d recommend this is your favorite trope is insta-love with a fun meet-cute.
Thank you Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for an advanced digital copy to review.