christinareadsontheroad's reviews
613 reviews

I'll Keep Her Safe by Jen Morris

emotional hopeful medium-paced

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

4.25

There Are No Words by Dani Ryan

emotional funny lighthearted slow-paced

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

3.5

Unthinkable by Dani Galliaro

emotional reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

Ruck Me Harder: Sexy as Sin by Allie Lasky

emotional funny medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.0

 Thank you to the author for the review copy. I've really come to love Allie's books since finding her Hannukah novellas in December - it’s my brand of romance, humor, emotion and character development. In Ruck Me Harder, Viv and Tony had a one night stand at the Olympics – she’s a rugby player, he’s a gymnast – but they lose contact and their perspectives on that night couldn’t be more different. Viv sees that as her low point and chooses to become sober, where Tony sees Viv as the one who got away. 3 years later, Tony’s little sister is now on Viv’s professional rugby team so they reunite and are faced with being around each other and the feelings that weren’t contained to just one evening. I’m a fan of sports romances that feature sports that don’t often get attention, so learning more about the ins and outs of womens rugby, mens gymnastics, and sports sponsorships was interesting as a reader. What kept it from being a 5-star for me was I had a hard time buying into their romantic relationship, even though they both definitely put in the work to be with each other. This might have been a situation of the right story but I read it at the wrong time, but I am absolutely going to keep reading Allie’s books. 

Pen Pal by J.T. Geissinger

This book was BONKERS. Obsessed. 

Falling for the Forward: A Fake Marriage Hockey Romance by Brenda Rothert

emotional funny lighthearted fast-paced

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

4.5

 

Thank you Hambright PR & the author for the review copy. 

Oh I’m a total sucker for guardianship romances - add grumpy + hockey player + marriage of convenience into the mix, and I’m not going to be able to put the book down. This was such a fun romp, with both completely silly moments and tender, caring moments navigating grief for both Carter and his nieces. The slow burn was a fast read (184 pages), and I can absolutely see myself returning to it in the future when I need a little pick-me-up rom com. 

 

Go Luck Yourself by Sara Raasch

emotional funny 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? No

4.5

 

Thank you @brambleromance and @sara_raasch for sharing a copy with our group so we could participate in a traveling ARC! It’s such a fun time to read a book with a group of friends, and make little annotations along the way. It’s also really fun when it’s a book you’ve been anticipating for months - I was obsessed with The Nightmare Before Kissmass and Go Luck Yourself lived up to my expectations for sure. 

I think it’s helpful to read Nightmare before reading Go Luck Yourself to really appreciate the dynamics between the characters, as well as to understand the holiday world. I was surprised by the range and depth of emotions I felt reading the story, with Kris and Lochlan both struggling with familial expectations and charting their own way. However, I was not surprised by how their enemies/rivals to lovers chemistry exploded off the page. I’m loving this world and series and I hope we get (at least one) more story! 

 

Just One Season by Chrissy Hopewell

emotional funny lighthearted 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? No

4.5

 

Thank you to the author for sharing a review copy. 

I’ve been so lucky to follow local-to-me author Chrissy Hopewell’s writing since her first book, and Just One Season kicks off a new romance series based in Fort Collins, Colorado that I think hits all the chords for the sports romance lovers. 

Tropes:

Sports Romance (hockey team, soccer references)

Single Dad MMC

Found Family

Fake Dating Arrangement 

Found Family 

Hilarious Group Chat & Meetings

Dog with an identity crisis 

Slow Burn (open door)

I really loved Just One Season - it strikes a perfect balance of a romantic comedy – hilarious moments and conversations (I had so many highlights with the note “lol” throughout the story) with some heavier topics woven in (toxic parents & ex, childhood cancer in the past). Kellen is so protective of his daughter and family, and Lucy is recovering from the controlling environment her dad created while also crafting her next professional and personal moves. I definitely felt the chemistry between “Kellcy” and found their relationship to be realistic with its swoony moments but also the safeguards they tried to keep in place to protect their hearts. Meeting the side characters – Kellen and Lucy’s friends, teammates, and family – really completed the story for me while also making me very excited for future stories in this world. I stayed up way past my bedtime to finish reading this book in one day because I couldn’t put it down. 

 

You Between the Lines by Katie Naymon

emotional slow-paced

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

3.25

Thank you Forever & Hachette audio for the review copies. 

This had moments that I enjoyed, but overall I really struggled with the story, specifically the main character’s POV. This will absolutely be a hit for folks who love angsty, poetic, messy characters and books about writing - the comps to Beach Read are deserved. With that said, I am looking forward to reading more from this author in the future.

Take Me Home by Melanie Sweeney

emotional funny reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

 

Thank you @prhaudio for the free audiobook. 

I downloaded this book on a whim and then let it sit on my audio shelf for months, waiting for the day when I needed something a little different to shake things up. What I wasn’t expecting was to be shown a mirror into my soul and parts of my personality that ended up being topics in therapy (lol). Jokes aside (even though, I did really bring up this book in therapy), I absolutely loved the road trip, the returning to the hometown, the years of pining, the reckoning of family relationships, and overall vulnerability displayed throughout the story by Ash & Hazel. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t moved to tears at a few points as well. The audiobook, performed in 10 hours 28 minutes, went by quickly because of how immersive the story was from start to finish. While the timeline spans over the holiday season, this book can really be enjoyed at any time of year.