chelsealistens2books's reviews
33 reviews

Iced Out by CE Ricci

emotional hopeful lighthearted reflective relaxing 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

“Iced Out” 🏒 This is the perfect truly rival, enemies to lovers trope! The twist of them becoming college teammates is so good. Oak and Quin are opposites from their upbringings to  personality but they have so much more in-common than they realize. CE Ricci writes beautiful MM romances and I love all her books, I wish more were available in audio like this one (and the second in this series) because the narrators being the characters to life so well. The third book in this series is available in print.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
🌶️🌶️🌶️.5
🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Homophobia

Weak Side by S.J. Sylvis

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted relaxing slow-paced

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

4.5

“Weak Side” 🩰 A little twist on roommates/forced proximity trope that was on point! (Pun intended.) The college registrar mixes up your first and last name so you ended up in dorm room with the star hockey captain, who fakes date you to get back on your cheating ex (but who also is already falling for you and is perfect for you but you don’t realize it). ✔️✔️✔️ This has almost every trope including the rich x poor childhoods, fake dating, close proximity, found family/close friends, roommates to friends to lovers, reformed jock x ballerina, slow burn, banter, angsty - and it all works together seamlessly. This SJ Sylvis book is fantastic and can’t wait for more of her in this series and others!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
🌶️🌶️.5
🎧🎧🎧🎧

The Deal by Elle Kennedy

emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective relaxing medium-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

5.0

“The Deal” 🎶 This book is the goat! The best, original hockey romance that will make you fall in love with the MMC plus the college hockey romance trope, fake dating trope, jock x tutor trope, trauma healing and so much more. Elle Kennedy gave us the perfect book boyfriend in Garrett Graham and the rest of the Briar universe does not disappoint at all! Read trigger warnings as both the main characters had suffered abuse and trauma in their childhood and teens. This is the first book in the Off Campus series (which is set to become a TV show), the next series is Briar U that continues side characters stories, and the current series is Campus Diaries which starts the next generation (the daughter of the main characters from The Deal). My only dislike of the audiobook is the female narrator, she sounds so much older than Wellsy should be.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️
🎧🎧🎧.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Drug use and Alcohol

Minor: Cancer and Death

The MMC’s father is abusive. The FMC was drugged and raped in high school.

Binding 13 by Chloe Walsh

challenging emotional informative inspiring reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.25

“Binding 13” 🏉 This is not a happy, smutty romance but it’s extremely touching and well written. Prepare to listen with tissues because Chloe Walsh will take you on a roller coaster with this series. It’s a very slow burn, very detailed to make it great into a TV series. The humorous banter was definitely needed with the heaviness of Shannon’s life. Johnny falling in love with the girl who needed him desperately was so great. My only thing was that Johnny was so focused on becoming a rugby star for Ireland that he would known it would have been silly to play for his school when he needed to be in top shape for his future and club team. I love the accents in the audio narration. Definitely read the trigger warnings. Also, the worst way to end - sorry Chloe but the cliff hanger choked me, (I’m happy Keeping 13 was already out when I listened to this series).
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.25
🌶️ (only because sex it talked about a lot but no smut)
🎧🎧🎧🎧

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Miscarriage and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Homophobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Religious bigotry, Abortion, and Abandonment

For the FMC in this book her Dad is abusive in every way towards the entire family.

Goodbye Paradise by Sarina Bowen

emotional informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

“Goodbye Paradise” 🐄 The storyline is so captivating and a twist on MM that I wasn’t excepting. Sarina Bowen brings the love and angst, so make sure to you bring the tissues. But, and unfortunately, it felt ripped from the headlines and a sad reality that too many people are still living in. Definitely look up the trigger warnings before listening to this incredible audiobook! Teddy is always a perfect narrator and really brought the emotions of Josh and the story to life.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️.5
🎧🎧🎧🎧.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, and Violence

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Rape, Sexual assault, and Trafficking

They are fleeing a religious cult so many of the CW and TW are briefly talked about, but the one main character is physically assaulted at the beginning of the book.

Him by Elle Kennedy, Sarina Bowen

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing medium-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

5.0

“HIM” 🏒🥅 The HIM series is incredible and made me love MM romances! Not to mention it’s co-written by the hockey romance geniuses Elle Kennedy and Sarina Bowen! HIM was my first MM audiobook that has the perfect narrators that truly bring the characters to life. I have listened to this entire series more than 5 times this year alone. If you want to try out MM romance books with gay and bisexuality, this series is the best to start with. You will fall in love with Wes and Jamie and their love!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Homophobia

He's Not My Type by Meghan Quinn

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective relaxing slow-paced

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

5.0

“He’s Not My Type” 🌳 The chef’s kiss to an amazingly written book is a perfect full cast narration as the audio! This Meghan Quinn hockey series is a must but each book gets more hilarious (and spicier)! This is book four in Meghan’s hockey series, and the first three books give a backstory to Halsey and Blakely plus their too involved friend group in the best ways! When listening to this be prepared to crack up most of the time so you may not be able to listen to at work. When I need a laugh I re-listen to this book and the next one.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧

Brooklynaire by Sarina Bowen

funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing 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

“Brooklynaire” 👔 This was my first billionaire romance book but it was neatly within the a hockey series (I recommend the entire series)! Sarina Bowen is one of my favorite authors. The complexity of the characters in this book are really what made me love it. A nerdy, tech genius, billionaire MMC who’s also possessive and caretaking with a strong and independent heroine who is also self-doubting especially when it comes to the relationship is show how easily relatable. The audio narrators are some of my favorites as well so it really brought the characters to life! Love Nate and Becca and their story continues in the rest of the series.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️.5
🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧

Consider Me by Becka Mack

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective relaxing medium-paced

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

4.25

“Consider Me” 🗞️🏒 Who doesn’t love the famous playboy who falls fast and hard but has to work for it?! Becka Mack hits a home run (wrong sport I know) this entire series and the audio narrators bring the characters to life so well. You’ll love Carter Beckett, even his stupid decisions, because his love for Olivia is the reason we read (and listen to) romance books. Carter is hilarious in the rest of the series too but listen to the books in order.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️.5
🎧🎧🎧🎧.5

Icebreaker by Hannah Grace

emotional reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.5

“Icebreaker” ⛸️ I was not expecting how hilarious and hot this audiobook is for a spicy romcom! Loved the main characters of Hannah Grace’s Icebreaker, and the story line of enemies to lovers with a  college hockey captain and figure skater was great. There’s a lot spice especially if you’re new to romance novels. Make sure to read the trigger warnings before.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Body shaming and Eating disorder

The FMC has issues with her weight especially because her skating partner makes comments when she gains a few pounds. She does not eat properly especially for how much she works out. The MMC helps her with a better food plan and eating enjoyable things. She talks to a therapist towards the end of the book.