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carysbeesbooks's reviews
446 reviews
Fake It 'til You Make It by Laura Carter
3.5
Fake It Till You Make It follows Abbey and Ted, two people who've just had their relationships fall apart. When Ted and Abbey run into each other in their new apartment building, a case of mistaken identity leads to a fake dating scheme to convince their exes (and Abbey's family) that they've happily moved on. BUt they're not only keeping secrets from the people around them, Ted and Abbey are keeping secrets from each other. When those secrets come out, will the growing feelings that these two have for each other stand the test?
I thought this book was cute! I love a fake dating trope and I think this book pulled it off really well. Abbey and Ted were both interesting characters who overcame lots of their own insecurities through the book, realising that people really could love them for who they actually were, rather than the fake versions of themselves they were trying to be. I liked the relationships that Abbey had with her best friend and sister and the exploration of her relationship with her parents was interesting too. I wish we'd gotten a bit more insight into some of Ted's relationships as I don't feel like these were shown as in depth as Abbey's.. I really enjoyed how sweet and light hearted this book was too. Even though it did have some more poignant, emotional moments, most of it was very easygoing, which was just what I needed. The slow-burn was great, with Abbey and Ted going from enemies, to reluctant allies, to friends and, finally, to falling for each other.
While I did enjoy this book, I did struggle with some aspects of it. The lying was a bit too much for me in some places. There were so many times that both Abbey and Ted could've come clean to each other and then let their insecurities stop them from doing so, which I found frustrating at times. I had to suspend my disbelief quite a lot to believe that they would both get past being lied to for so long by the person they want to be with, particularly considering how both their previous relationships ended. I also felt like some of the storylines were dropped and never really went anywhere - Abbey's job search, Abbey's sister's story (maybe one we'll get in another book?), Ted's relationship with his business partner to name a few. I would've loved even just a short epilogue to tie up some of these loose ends.
Despite some of my issues, I found this book really entertaining and was really immersed in the story. If you're looking for a cute, quick, light hearted rom com then I would definitely recommend checking out this book!
I recieved a digital ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publishers in return for an honest review. All of the opinions above are my own.
I thought this book was cute! I love a fake dating trope and I think this book pulled it off really well. Abbey and Ted were both interesting characters who overcame lots of their own insecurities through the book, realising that people really could love them for who they actually were, rather than the fake versions of themselves they were trying to be. I liked the relationships that Abbey had with her best friend and sister and the exploration of her relationship with her parents was interesting too. I wish we'd gotten a bit more insight into some of Ted's relationships as I don't feel like these were shown as in depth as Abbey's.. I really enjoyed how sweet and light hearted this book was too. Even though it did have some more poignant, emotional moments, most of it was very easygoing, which was just what I needed. The slow-burn was great, with Abbey and Ted going from enemies, to reluctant allies, to friends and, finally, to falling for each other.
While I did enjoy this book, I did struggle with some aspects of it. The lying was a bit too much for me in some places. There were so many times that both Abbey and Ted could've come clean to each other and then let their insecurities stop them from doing so, which I found frustrating at times. I had to suspend my disbelief quite a lot to believe that they would both get past being lied to for so long by the person they want to be with, particularly considering how both their previous relationships ended. I also felt like some of the storylines were dropped and never really went anywhere - Abbey's job search, Abbey's sister's story (maybe one we'll get in another book?), Ted's relationship with his business partner to name a few. I would've loved even just a short epilogue to tie up some of these loose ends.
Despite some of my issues, I found this book really entertaining and was really immersed in the story. If you're looking for a cute, quick, light hearted rom com then I would definitely recommend checking out this book!
I recieved a digital ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publishers in return for an honest review. All of the opinions above are my own.
Business Casual by B.K. Borison
4.5
Seeing this on NetGalley was such a pleasant surprise! I read and enjoyed the first three books in the Lovelight Farms series in 2022 and definitely thought that Mixed Signals was the last we'd seen of this series. I am so glad I was wrong! Business Casual very quickly became my favourite of the Lovelight Farms books for sure! I fell in love with both the main characters almost immediately and loved seeing the development of their relationship! The communication between Nova and Charlie was absolutely top tier and their golden retriever, black cat vibes were simply fantastic! Throughout the whole Lovelight Farms series, I've loved the found family aspect and that was true in this book too. It was so great to see Charlie find his place in the world after feeling for so long that he doesn't belong anywhere, and the way Nova helped him to finally feel like he belonged was beautiful. I'm also a sucker for a hurt/comfort trope and B.K. Borison wrote that perfectly into this novel, while never taking away from the fact that Nova was strong enough to take care of herself even while learning to accept help from Charlie and the rest of her friends and family. I'm sad to say goodbye to this series but I can't wait to reread and fall in love with the books all over again!
I recieved a digital ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publishers in return for an honest review. All of the opinions above are my own.
I recieved a digital ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publishers in return for an honest review. All of the opinions above are my own.
Ready or Not by Cara Bastone
4.0
The pregnancy trope is hit or miss for me and this one was most definitely a hit! I listened to some of Cara Bastone's audiobooks at the end of last year and loved them so, when I saw it on NetGalley, I knew I needed to read this one! I'm so glad I did because I loved it! Shep and Eve had me kicking my feet and giggling out loud. The relationships between Eve and the other people in her life were realistic and nuanced. I especially loved seeing her relationships with her older brothers, and it was cool to see a less common family set up. I wasn't sure about the inclusion of Ethan (the father of Eve's baby) at first, but I came to really like the depiction of a flawed journey towards healthy co-parenting. As is the usual for Cara Bastone, Ready or Not is very low angst, which I LOVE! Shep and Eve have such healthy communication the whole way through the book and their relationship quickly became on of my favourite rom-com relationships. I think the only reason this isn't a five star read for me is because the ending felt a little rushed for me. I do understand why it ended where it did. This is a book centred around a pregnancy, so it makes sense to end it when the pregnancy is over, but I'm greedy and I would've liked to see a little more of the lives of Eve and Shep (and Ethan) after the birth. I guess I was just left wanting more, which isn't really a bad thing.
There's not really much else to say. I adored Ready or Not! This book has it all, sweet AND spicy, great communication, complicated and deep friendships, a lovely, honest, sweet love interest and a fantastic main character. I immediately ordered the paperback so I could have this beautiful book on my shelves and I can't wait to reread it over and over again as well as reading anything else that Cara Bastone comes out with!
I recieved a digital ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publishers in return for an honest review. All of the opinions above are my own.
There's not really much else to say. I adored Ready or Not! This book has it all, sweet AND spicy, great communication, complicated and deep friendships, a lovely, honest, sweet love interest and a fantastic main character. I immediately ordered the paperback so I could have this beautiful book on my shelves and I can't wait to reread it over and over again as well as reading anything else that Cara Bastone comes out with!
I recieved a digital ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publishers in return for an honest review. All of the opinions above are my own.
Hate Mail by Donna Marchetti
2.5
I really struggled to know how to rate this book. I started off really not enjoying it, then I kind of liked the middle part, then I got to the end and just felt a bit... meh. I'm really disappointed that I didn't love it because the cover is gorgeous, I love the title and the synopsis sounded right up my alley! I just couldn't get on board with the two love interests (even though I guessed the plot twist as soon as Jake asked Naomi out). I think I would've enjoyed both stories separately, which is why I'm giving this book 2.5 stars, but for me they just didn't work together. I thought the romance with Jake was a really sweet neighbour romance and the romance with Luca was a fun childhood-enemies-to-lovers storyline but having them alongside each other in the same book kind of put me off both of them. I also took issue with the amount of lying (by omission, but still) that Naomi and Jake did. I didn't find it believable that they would ride off into the sunset with each other after finding out about all the deception, even with the third-act breakup. All in all, this was a disappointing read for me. I thought it had potential but the deception, miscommunication and immaturity just took away most of my enjoyment.
I recieved a digital ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publishers in return for an honest review. All of the opinions above are my own.
I recieved a digital ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publishers in return for an honest review. All of the opinions above are my own.
Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross
3.0
Divine Rivals was one of my most anticipated reads for 2024. I see it all over bookstagram and booktok and everyone raves about it so I was excited to see what all the fuss was about. Well, I read it and, in my opinion, it was just okay. The romance was sweet in lots of places and I liked the letters that Roman and Iris sent to each other but the fantasy aspect of the story fell flat for me. I think I would have enjoyed this book more if it was written as a historical romance with the only magical aspect being the type-writers that the two MCs use to communicate. The world building and magic system was just not detailed enough for me to be fully immersed and spoiled some of the romance for me.
Match Me If You Can by Sandy Barker
2.0
This book was a miss for me unfortunately. The first 40% or so were great! I thought the premise of the book had promise and the writing was enjoyable for me. However, after Tristan had met and rejected the first potential suitor, things started to go downhill for me. I was kind of expecting Match Me If You Can to turn into a marriage of convenience romance between the two leads (and it did, 90% of the way through the book) but instead I had to read about Tristan going on dates with other women, even proposing to one, while Poppy watched from the sidelines. I unfortunately felt barely any chemistry between the two main characters, even when I was being constantly told that their chemistry and mutual attraction was off the charts, so when they did finally share their first kiss, I felt kind of bored. I found myself struggling to finish the book, and when I did get to the end all I felt was "meh". This was not a bad book, the writing was snappy and funny at times, and I really do think the premise had potential. Sadly, Match Me If You Can just didn't hit the mark for me, and I won't be picking up the next book in the series.
I recieved a digital ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publishers in return for an honest review. All of the opinions above are my own.
I recieved a digital ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publishers in return for an honest review. All of the opinions above are my own.
Cross the Line by Simone Soltani
4.0
This book has officially reignited my love for Formula 1 romances! It had everything I could ask for in a romance novel: developed characters, swoonworthy love confessions, tension for days and NO THIRD ACT BREAKUP!!!! I repeat: this book has no third act breakup!
Cross the Line follows Dev Anderson, a Formula 1 racer whose image needs a massive overhaul after his (now ex) social media manager sabotaged his accounts, and Willow Williams, a recent graduate who is desperately looking to kickstart her career. Oh yeah, and Willow just happens to be the younger sister of Dev's best friend! When Dev offers Willow the job of fixing his image, the two of them find themselves struggling to maintain the purely professional relationship that they've promised to have.
First of all, the representation is this book is phenomenal in my opinion. Willow has hypermobility, and her chronic illness was handled so well. The book acknowledged the challenges without ever treating Willow as less than capable of living a completely whole life, a trap I've seen other authors fall into when writing about chronic illness. Both leads are biracial, white and Indian in Dev's case, and white and Black in Willow's, and I loved how the cultural representation was woven into the narrative. The Bollywood references were so enjoyable (and made me want to rewatch some of my old faves) and the author even tackled some of the tougher aspects of being a POC in the sporting world. One thing I would've loved to see is more of a look into Willow's cultural background as well as Dev's, but I loved diving into all the Indian wedding celebrations.
The character and relationship development was the strongest aspect of this book in my opinion, something you would hope for in a character based story. The friendships between Dev, Oakley, Mark and Chava were such a breath of fresh air, and I loved Willow's friendships too, even though they were long distance. Willow's friendship with Mark was also a nice addition, and the communication between all the characters was great. I really enjoyed seeing both Willow and Dev's relationship with Oakley too, and his reaction to their relationship really felt like that of a real older brother, rather than some of the cavemanesque reactions I've seen in past brothers-best-friend tropes.
The only reason this isn't a five star review is the epilogue (and this is me being really nitpicky because I truly adored the book). I felt that the events that happened in the epilogue, set one month after the conclusion of the main plot, would've been better suited to earlier in the book. As it was, it felt like a last minute addition that the author was using to try and tick a box in a list of Formula 1 tropes and it kind of fell flat for me. However, this is such a small issue for me, so it should in no way affect your decision on whether to read this book!
Overall, Cross the Line was an absolute delight to read! The low-angst, sweet and spicy, super cute romance was just what I needed from a Formula 1 rom-com. The writing was fun and easy to read and I'm waiting with extreme anticipation for whatever Simone Soltani has for us next!
I recieved a digital ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publishers in return for an honest review. All of the opinions above are my own.
Cross the Line follows Dev Anderson, a Formula 1 racer whose image needs a massive overhaul after his (now ex) social media manager sabotaged his accounts, and Willow Williams, a recent graduate who is desperately looking to kickstart her career. Oh yeah, and Willow just happens to be the younger sister of Dev's best friend! When Dev offers Willow the job of fixing his image, the two of them find themselves struggling to maintain the purely professional relationship that they've promised to have.
First of all, the representation is this book is phenomenal in my opinion. Willow has hypermobility, and her chronic illness was handled so well. The book acknowledged the challenges without ever treating Willow as less than capable of living a completely whole life, a trap I've seen other authors fall into when writing about chronic illness. Both leads are biracial, white and Indian in Dev's case, and white and Black in Willow's, and I loved how the cultural representation was woven into the narrative. The Bollywood references were so enjoyable (and made me want to rewatch some of my old faves) and the author even tackled some of the tougher aspects of being a POC in the sporting world. One thing I would've loved to see is more of a look into Willow's cultural background as well as Dev's, but I loved diving into all the Indian wedding celebrations.
The character and relationship development was the strongest aspect of this book in my opinion, something you would hope for in a character based story. The friendships between Dev, Oakley, Mark and Chava were such a breath of fresh air, and I loved Willow's friendships too, even though they were long distance. Willow's friendship with Mark was also a nice addition, and the communication between all the characters was great. I really enjoyed seeing both Willow and Dev's relationship with Oakley too, and his reaction to their relationship really felt like that of a real older brother, rather than some of the cavemanesque reactions I've seen in past brothers-best-friend tropes.
The only reason this isn't a five star review is the epilogue (and this is me being really nitpicky because I truly adored the book). I felt that the events that happened in the epilogue, set one month after the conclusion of the main plot, would've been better suited to earlier in the book. As it was, it felt like a last minute addition that the author was using to try and tick a box in a list of Formula 1 tropes and it kind of fell flat for me. However, this is such a small issue for me, so it should in no way affect your decision on whether to read this book!
Overall, Cross the Line was an absolute delight to read! The low-angst, sweet and spicy, super cute romance was just what I needed from a Formula 1 rom-com. The writing was fun and easy to read and I'm waiting with extreme anticipation for whatever Simone Soltani has for us next!
I recieved a digital ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publishers in return for an honest review. All of the opinions above are my own.