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cozycritiques's reviews
64 reviews
Irresponsible Puckboy by Eden Finley, Saxon James
lighthearted
medium-paced
5.0
“Have you guys ever gotten the impression Dex is in love with Tripp as much as Tripp is in love with him, but he just doesn’t realize?”
- Irresponsible Puckboys
Tropes: Friends to Lovers, Sexual Awakening, Fake Dating, Marriage of Convenience, Accidental Marriage, Pining
Representation: LGBTQ+ (Gay, Pansexual)
Spice Scale: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
CW: Homophobia, Outing, Toxic Relationship
When I finished Egotistical Puckboy, my first thought was that if Tripp and Dex aren’t the protagonists of the next story, I’m going to be very sad. Thankfully, Eden and Saxon didn’t let me down on that front!
I loved the slight twist on the marriage of convenience trope and how well it worked with their relationship. The Collective makes another and more prominent appearance in this, which was endlessly entertaining. I can’t wait to see more from them as a group. This book also had a bit more of an external conflict/villain, which worked really well.
I adored both Tripp and Dex. The pining on Tripp’s end was sweet and heart aching at the same time. But Dex stole my heart. He was such a sweet, oblivious pansexual himbo. He was sincere, kind, and caring. He wore his feelings on his sleeve, even if he didn’t understand them all the time, and loved without hesitation, which made me melt. I think he is officially my emotional support himbo now. I’d protect him with my life.
- Irresponsible Puckboys
Tropes: Friends to Lovers, Sexual Awakening, Fake Dating, Marriage of Convenience, Accidental Marriage, Pining
Representation: LGBTQ+ (Gay, Pansexual)
Spice Scale: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
CW: Homophobia, Outing, Toxic Relationship
When I finished Egotistical Puckboy, my first thought was that if Tripp and Dex aren’t the protagonists of the next story, I’m going to be very sad. Thankfully, Eden and Saxon didn’t let me down on that front!
I loved the slight twist on the marriage of convenience trope and how well it worked with their relationship. The Collective makes another and more prominent appearance in this, which was endlessly entertaining. I can’t wait to see more from them as a group. This book also had a bit more of an external conflict/villain, which worked really well.
I adored both Tripp and Dex. The pining on Tripp’s end was sweet and heart aching at the same time. But Dex stole my heart. He was such a sweet, oblivious pansexual himbo. He was sincere, kind, and caring. He wore his feelings on his sleeve, even if he didn’t understand them all the time, and loved without hesitation, which made me melt. I think he is officially my emotional support himbo now. I’d protect him with my life.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia and Outing
Stolen Heir by Sophie Lark
dark
emotional
fast-paced
“They brought me into a dark and dangerous world, and then they armed me with books, dresses, ballet slippers . . .”
- Stolen Heir
Tropes: Mafia Romance, Dark Romance, Fairytale Retelling (Beauty and the Beast), Enemies to Lovers, Forced Proximity, Dancing, Age Gap, Foreign Languages
Spice Scale: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
CW: Violence, Kidnapping, Murder, Toxic Relationship, Suicide, Rape, Death, Grief
Stolen Heir was a surprisingly sweet and tender love story wrapped up in a dark, gritty, and captivating bow.
Nessa is naïve but really comes into her own through this and discovers an inner strength without losing her kind and generous nature. I enjoyed how her love of dancing was woven throughout the story. It added a nice contrast to the revenge and murder. I loved the friendship she developed with Klara and how it allowed them both to grow outside of their shells.
Miko may be tough on the outside, but his backstory is truly heartbreaking. Deep down, he is obviously a person who cares deeply and has just been hardened by immense trauma. However, throughout the book, you can see him really soften around Nessa. He is still a violent criminal, but he’s a cinnamon roll for Nessa, which I couldn’t help but love.
I'll admit, I was a little on the fence about mafia romances after reading Brutal Prince (I'm a fluff girly at heart). However after this book, I’m starting to get it and am cautiously excited to continue reading the series.
- Stolen Heir
Tropes: Mafia Romance, Dark Romance, Fairytale Retelling (Beauty and the Beast), Enemies to Lovers, Forced Proximity, Dancing, Age Gap, Foreign Languages
Spice Scale: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
CW: Violence, Kidnapping, Murder, Toxic Relationship, Suicide, Rape, Death, Grief
Stolen Heir was a surprisingly sweet and tender love story wrapped up in a dark, gritty, and captivating bow.
Nessa is naïve but really comes into her own through this and discovers an inner strength without losing her kind and generous nature. I enjoyed how her love of dancing was woven throughout the story. It added a nice contrast to the revenge and murder. I loved the friendship she developed with Klara and how it allowed them both to grow outside of their shells.
Miko may be tough on the outside, but his backstory is truly heartbreaking. Deep down, he is obviously a person who cares deeply and has just been hardened by immense trauma. However, throughout the book, you can see him really soften around Nessa. He is still a violent criminal, but he’s a cinnamon roll for Nessa, which I couldn’t help but love.
I'll admit, I was a little on the fence about mafia romances after reading Brutal Prince (I'm a fluff girly at heart). However after this book, I’m starting to get it and am cautiously excited to continue reading the series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping and Murder
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Rape and Suicide
Brutal Prince by Sophie Lark
dark
fast-paced
”I’m going to take control of Chicago’s most wealthy and powerful district. And then I’m going to parlay that into mayorship of the whole damn city. Because that’s what Griffins do. We grow and build. We never stop. And we never get caught.” - Brutal Prince
Sub-Genre/Tropes: Enemies to Lovers, Arranged Marriage, Forced Proximity
Spice Scale: 🌶🌶🌶
Content Warnings: Violence, Toxic Relationship, Kidnapping
This was my first mafia romance, so I’m not quite sure how I feel about it. Some things that would usually be red flags for me (toxic relationship, overly-controlling hero) were a little jarring, however not unexpected. That said, Brutal Prince was a fast-paced, easy read, and I was entertained while reading it. I loved the strong heroine, and her chemistry with Callum was great. It was definitely an escape from what I usually read, and I’m intrigued enough by the mafia setting and the writing style to continue exploring the series to see if I like it.
Sub-Genre/Tropes: Enemies to Lovers, Arranged Marriage, Forced Proximity
Spice Scale: 🌶🌶🌶
Content Warnings: Violence, Toxic Relationship, Kidnapping
This was my first mafia romance, so I’m not quite sure how I feel about it. Some things that would usually be red flags for me (toxic relationship, overly-controlling hero) were a little jarring, however not unexpected. That said, Brutal Prince was a fast-paced, easy read, and I was entertained while reading it. I loved the strong heroine, and her chemistry with Callum was great. It was definitely an escape from what I usually read, and I’m intrigued enough by the mafia setting and the writing style to continue exploring the series to see if I like it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Kidnapping
Minor: Toxic relationship
Spells Trouble by Kristin Cast, P.C. Cast
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
“Her life was about to change, in an amazing and magical way, but still. Change was big. Change was difficult. And Hunter wasn’t sure if she was ready.”
- Spells Trouble
Thank you, NetGalley and Wednesday Books, for the ARC.
Tropes: Witches, Paganism, Chosen One, Twins, Coming of Age
Representation: LGBTQ+ (Lesbian)
Spice Scale: 🌶🌶 (This may be surprising for YA. I explain in my review.)
CW: Death, Grief, Violence, Blood, Sexual Content, Toxic Relationship, Bullying
When I was a teenager, I fell in love with The House of Night Series, so, when I saw that P.C and Kristin Cast were coming out with a new series focused on witches, I knew I had to read it.
The thing I liked most about Spells Trouble is the world-building. Now, anyone who’s studied the Salem Witch Trials knows that the women accused of witchcraft were not “actual” witches, but in the case of Spells Trouble, at least one was: Sarah Goode. And that’s where this book starts. The prologue opens with her imprisonment and subsequent escape using magic. As someone who both read and was in a production of The Crucible in high school, I loved this nod to historical events.
The magic system seemed to be heavily inspired by modern Wicca, paganism, and witchcraft. The way the Casts describe spell work and the Goode girl’s connection to magic felt very real to me. It was well thought out and well researched, and it made reading it really enjoyable.
There was only one real warning I have. It’s a bit of a spoiler, but there’s a surprisingly in-detail sex scene in the middle of the book. It wasn’t terribly graphic, but this is marketed as a young adult book, and the characters are teenagers. So as an adult reading it, I felt uncomfortable. It especially didn’t help that Mercy’s boyfriend is misogynistic, and I spent more time than I would have liked waiting to find out if she would end up kicking him to the curb.
- Spells Trouble
Thank you, NetGalley and Wednesday Books, for the ARC.
Tropes: Witches, Paganism, Chosen One, Twins, Coming of Age
Representation: LGBTQ+ (Lesbian)
Spice Scale: 🌶🌶 (This may be surprising for YA. I explain in my review.)
CW: Death, Grief, Violence, Blood, Sexual Content, Toxic Relationship, Bullying
When I was a teenager, I fell in love with The House of Night Series, so, when I saw that P.C and Kristin Cast were coming out with a new series focused on witches, I knew I had to read it.
The thing I liked most about Spells Trouble is the world-building. Now, anyone who’s studied the Salem Witch Trials knows that the women accused of witchcraft were not “actual” witches, but in the case of Spells Trouble, at least one was: Sarah Goode. And that’s where this book starts. The prologue opens with her imprisonment and subsequent escape using magic. As someone who both read and was in a production of The Crucible in high school, I loved this nod to historical events.
The magic system seemed to be heavily inspired by modern Wicca, paganism, and witchcraft. The way the Casts describe spell work and the Goode girl’s connection to magic felt very real to me. It was well thought out and well researched, and it made reading it really enjoyable.
There was only one real warning I have. It’s a bit of a spoiler, but there’s a surprisingly in-detail sex scene in the middle of the book. It wasn’t terribly graphic, but this is marketed as a young adult book, and the characters are teenagers. So as an adult reading it, I felt uncomfortable. It especially didn’t help that Mercy’s boyfriend is misogynistic, and I spent more time than I would have liked waiting to find out if she would end up kicking him to the curb.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexual content, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Bullying
Playing the Palace by Paul Rudnick
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
”I want to know I’m in love, no not even know it—I want to understand why it’s called being in love.”
- Playing the Palace
Thank you, NetGalley and Berkley for the e-ARC.
Tropes: Royalty, Royal/Non-Royal, Opposites Attract, Instalove
Representation: LGBTQ+ (Gay), Jewish
Spice Scale: 🌶
CW: Vomit, Infidelity
A lot of people are saying that this gives off RWRB vibes, and I will admit that that is one of the main reasons I picked it up. But now that I’ve read it, I can say that the fact that an American falls in love with a Prince is the only thing these two books have in common. Playing the Palace isn’t trying to be Red, White & Royal Blue. It is entirely its own thing, and that thing is a wonderfully campy, messy, fairytale-esque tale of insta-love between two opposites.
I don’t read a lot of insta-love stories (I’m such a sucker for a slow burn), and I will admit that I have a feeling that this book didn’t get a lot of royal protocol strictly correct. But sometimes, it’s nice to take a break from the tension and drama of real life, and that’s what Playing the Palace is. It’s an escape. Sometimes you just want to read a story about two people falling head over heels in love.
Now, that’s not to say there isn’t any drama in this story—because there is. Carter and Edgar have to figure out how to navigate their relationship in the public eye, and there are many bumps along the way, mainly because, as I said, Carter is kind of a neurotic mess, and he doesn’t quite know when to keep his mouth shut. However, all of that drama that ensues is still lighthearted and is bound to make you laugh (sometimes from second-hand embarrassment).
Overall, this story was absolutely adorable, and if you’re looking for a quick read that will make you laugh and has fantastic side characters, I definitely recommend it.
- Playing the Palace
Thank you, NetGalley and Berkley for the e-ARC.
Tropes: Royalty, Royal/Non-Royal, Opposites Attract, Instalove
Representation: LGBTQ+ (Gay), Jewish
Spice Scale: 🌶
CW: Vomit, Infidelity
A lot of people are saying that this gives off RWRB vibes, and I will admit that that is one of the main reasons I picked it up. But now that I’ve read it, I can say that the fact that an American falls in love with a Prince is the only thing these two books have in common. Playing the Palace isn’t trying to be Red, White & Royal Blue. It is entirely its own thing, and that thing is a wonderfully campy, messy, fairytale-esque tale of insta-love between two opposites.
I don’t read a lot of insta-love stories (I’m such a sucker for a slow burn), and I will admit that I have a feeling that this book didn’t get a lot of royal protocol strictly correct. But sometimes, it’s nice to take a break from the tension and drama of real life, and that’s what Playing the Palace is. It’s an escape. Sometimes you just want to read a story about two people falling head over heels in love.
Now, that’s not to say there isn’t any drama in this story—because there is. Carter and Edgar have to figure out how to navigate their relationship in the public eye, and there are many bumps along the way, mainly because, as I said, Carter is kind of a neurotic mess, and he doesn’t quite know when to keep his mouth shut. However, all of that drama that ensues is still lighthearted and is bound to make you laugh (sometimes from second-hand embarrassment).
Overall, this story was absolutely adorable, and if you’re looking for a quick read that will make you laugh and has fantastic side characters, I definitely recommend it.
Content Warnings
Minor: Infidelity and Vomit
The Bookshop of Second Chances by Jackie Fraser
lighthearted
slow-paced
”But on the drive back the sun comes out and I’m feeling quite… positive. I wonder if I could live up here. Not forever, that doesn’t seem realistic. But I could definitely stay up for the summer, couldn’t I?”
- The Bookshop of Second Chances
Thank you, NetGalley and Ballantine, for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Tropes: Love After Divorce, Small Town, Vacation, Book Shop
Spice Scale: 🌶
CW: Infidelity, Miscarriage, Mentions of Death
After a divorce and losing her job, a move to Scotland is exactly what Thea needed. She starts making friends with the locals, finds joy in restoring her great uncle’s house, and even convinces Edward, the grumpy owner of the local bookshop, to give her a job. Although he hides his feelings for quite a while under a prickly exterior, from the beginning, it’s easy to see that Thea has an effect on Edward that no one else has. He hires her at the bookshop, despite never hiring women, he takes her to his little beach shed, and he buys her little presents whenever he goes out of town to buy or sell books. Despite how banter-filled and sassy most of their interactions are, it’s obvious how smitten he is with her—at least to everyone except Thea.
In terms of characters, I liked Thea, but I can’t quite decide how I feel about Edward. There were moments that I liked him, but there are some pretty significant red flags that are kind of hard to ignore and made it a little difficult to fully buy him and Thea as a couple. But overall, I liked to story. The plot is slow, but after reading a few fast-paced books, I enjoyed the change of pace. There are also several plot lines to follow besides the developing relationship between Thea and Edward—like Edward’s feud with his brother and Thea’s healing process dealing with the aftermath of her messy breakup—which made the book feel fully developed.
- The Bookshop of Second Chances
Thank you, NetGalley and Ballantine, for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Tropes: Love After Divorce, Small Town, Vacation, Book Shop
Spice Scale: 🌶
CW: Infidelity, Miscarriage, Mentions of Death
After a divorce and losing her job, a move to Scotland is exactly what Thea needed. She starts making friends with the locals, finds joy in restoring her great uncle’s house, and even convinces Edward, the grumpy owner of the local bookshop, to give her a job. Although he hides his feelings for quite a while under a prickly exterior, from the beginning, it’s easy to see that Thea has an effect on Edward that no one else has. He hires her at the bookshop, despite never hiring women, he takes her to his little beach shed, and he buys her little presents whenever he goes out of town to buy or sell books. Despite how banter-filled and sassy most of their interactions are, it’s obvious how smitten he is with her—at least to everyone except Thea.
In terms of characters, I liked Thea, but I can’t quite decide how I feel about Edward. There were moments that I liked him, but there are some pretty significant red flags that are kind of hard to ignore and made it a little difficult to fully buy him and Thea as a couple. But overall, I liked to story. The plot is slow, but after reading a few fast-paced books, I enjoyed the change of pace. There are also several plot lines to follow besides the developing relationship between Thea and Edward—like Edward’s feud with his brother and Thea’s healing process dealing with the aftermath of her messy breakup—which made the book feel fully developed.
Content Warnings
Minor: Infidelity, Miscarriage, and Grief
Just Last Night by Mhairi McFarlane
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
“This is what I never knew about loss—it’s also about what you gain. You carry a weight that you never had before. It’s never behind you. It’s alongside you.”
- Just Last Night
Thank you, NetGalley and William Morrow, for the e-ARC.
Tropes: Friends to Lovers, Slow Burn, Love Triangle, Found Family, Best Friend’s Sibling
Spice Scale: 🌶
CW: Death, Grief, Panic Attack, Past Abuse
This is one of those books that I think is going to stay with me for a while. When I read the blurb on NetGalley, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect—maybe some pining, intrigue, and uncovered secrets, a new love interest that changes the main character’s outlook on everything. And I did get that, but I also got a poignant look at loss, grief, and guilt and how those can affect even the tightest knit friendships and relationships. I think what I enjoyed the most is how powerful the relationships are in this story. While there is quite a bit of plot, the relationships between the characters really drive the narrative.
The portrayal of the friendship between Eve, Ed, Susie, and Justin isn’t just a rose-colored view of friendship. Yes, their friendship is full of fun and laughter, but it’s also raw and honest and messy. When Susie’s brother Finlay enters the scene, we get a look at the complexity of sibling relationships and how two people living through what seems like the experience can come out of it with two completely different versions of events. The romance in this is slow to start, only really beginning in the second half of the book, but it’s set up well and resolves nicely. It isn’t what drives the book, which I actually really enjoyed.
Just One Night takes a complicated and messy topic and manages to combine it with a sweet, slow-burn romance in a beautiful and powerful way.
- Just Last Night
Thank you, NetGalley and William Morrow, for the e-ARC.
Tropes: Friends to Lovers, Slow Burn, Love Triangle, Found Family, Best Friend’s Sibling
Spice Scale: 🌶
CW: Death, Grief, Panic Attack, Past Abuse
This is one of those books that I think is going to stay with me for a while. When I read the blurb on NetGalley, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect—maybe some pining, intrigue, and uncovered secrets, a new love interest that changes the main character’s outlook on everything. And I did get that, but I also got a poignant look at loss, grief, and guilt and how those can affect even the tightest knit friendships and relationships. I think what I enjoyed the most is how powerful the relationships are in this story. While there is quite a bit of plot, the relationships between the characters really drive the narrative.
The portrayal of the friendship between Eve, Ed, Susie, and Justin isn’t just a rose-colored view of friendship. Yes, their friendship is full of fun and laughter, but it’s also raw and honest and messy. When Susie’s brother Finlay enters the scene, we get a look at the complexity of sibling relationships and how two people living through what seems like the experience can come out of it with two completely different versions of events. The romance in this is slow to start, only really beginning in the second half of the book, but it’s set up well and resolves nicely. It isn’t what drives the book, which I actually really enjoyed.
Just One Night takes a complicated and messy topic and manages to combine it with a sweet, slow-burn romance in a beautiful and powerful way.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders
She Drives Me Crazy by Kelly Quindlen
lighthearted
fast-paced
“In the end, I walk away from my first car accident with a wounded ego, a dented bumper, and the looming dread of carpooling with the only person who could make my senior year worse than it already is.”
- She Drives Me Crazy
Thank you, NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, for the e-ARC.
Tropes: High School, Sports (Basketball, Cheerleading), Fake Dating, Enemies to Lovers
Representation: LGBTQ+ (Lesbian), BIPOC
Spice Scale: 🫑
CW: Bullying, Car accident
Enemies to lovers can always be a little scary to read because it’s either a hit or a big ol’ miss. The line between two people with a rivalry based on misunderstanding and two people toxically bullying each other is a fine one (especially when it comes to high schoolers). But She Drives Me Crazy is definitely a hit. Kelly Quindlen makes it clear that the animosity between Scottie and Irene is the first one, which is one of the things that made this book so enjoyable to read.
I really liked Scottie as a character. She’s close with her family, kind and supportive of her friends, dedicated to her team, and proud of her hometown. And although there were moments I found myself disliking her, I think those moments made her a more realistic character. I also liked Irene despite Scottie’s biased depiction of her at the beginning. She’s fierce, motivated, and confident, although a bit closed off.
She Drives Me Crazy is a cute, enjoyable, and easy read. The side characters are fun, well developed, and have their own storylines that I enjoyed as much as Scottie and Irene’s.
- She Drives Me Crazy
Thank you, NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, for the e-ARC.
Tropes: High School, Sports (Basketball, Cheerleading), Fake Dating, Enemies to Lovers
Representation: LGBTQ+ (Lesbian), BIPOC
Spice Scale: 🫑
CW: Bullying, Car accident
Enemies to lovers can always be a little scary to read because it’s either a hit or a big ol’ miss. The line between two people with a rivalry based on misunderstanding and two people toxically bullying each other is a fine one (especially when it comes to high schoolers). But She Drives Me Crazy is definitely a hit. Kelly Quindlen makes it clear that the animosity between Scottie and Irene is the first one, which is one of the things that made this book so enjoyable to read.
I really liked Scottie as a character. She’s close with her family, kind and supportive of her friends, dedicated to her team, and proud of her hometown. And although there were moments I found myself disliking her, I think those moments made her a more realistic character. I also liked Irene despite Scottie’s biased depiction of her at the beginning. She’s fierce, motivated, and confident, although a bit closed off.
She Drives Me Crazy is a cute, enjoyable, and easy read. The side characters are fun, well developed, and have their own storylines that I enjoyed as much as Scottie and Irene’s.
Twice Shy by Sarah Hogle
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
5.0
”Not to be dramatic, but I would rather drink battery acid than be in the throes of a crush. Crushes are fun in theory (ask me about my many dreamland husbands), but in reality, they’re energy vampires that are more trouble than their worth...All this emotional work, only to always end up being hurt by it? When I drag a glance over my dating history, the polls are conclusive. Nothing good ever comes from a crush.”
- Twice Shy
Thank you NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons, for the e-ARC
Tropes: Forced Proximity, Grumpy/Sunshine, Mistaken Identity, Roommates, Virgin Hero, No Third Act Breakup
Representation: Mental Illness (Anxiety)
Spice Scale: 🌶🌶
CW: Catfishing, Anxiety Attacks, Mentions of Death, Hoarding
The entire time I was reading this book, I felt like my heart had been wrapped up in a fuzzy blanket. It was so sweet and refreshing. From the start, it seems like your classic “grumpy and sunshine” trope, but the farther into the book you get, the more both you and Maybell realize that Wesley isn’t really all that grumpy after all. He’s shy, sweet, and giving. He pulled at all of my heartstrings. It’s no wonder that Maybell starts to fall for him, despite her best efforts.
Watching Maybell and Wesley fall in love was an absolute delight. The pacing was on the slower side, but I found it worked for the best with Maybell and Wesley. If they had gotten together any faster, it would have felt too forced. Their slow coming together was based on their bond over their love for Violet, through which they developed a fundamental understanding of each other. After reading this, I firmly believe that everyone needs a Violet matchmaking for them even beyond the grave.
- Twice Shy
Thank you NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons, for the e-ARC
Tropes: Forced Proximity, Grumpy/Sunshine, Mistaken Identity, Roommates, Virgin Hero, No Third Act Breakup
Representation: Mental Illness (Anxiety)
Spice Scale: 🌶🌶
CW: Catfishing, Anxiety Attacks, Mentions of Death, Hoarding
The entire time I was reading this book, I felt like my heart had been wrapped up in a fuzzy blanket. It was so sweet and refreshing. From the start, it seems like your classic “grumpy and sunshine” trope, but the farther into the book you get, the more both you and Maybell realize that Wesley isn’t really all that grumpy after all. He’s shy, sweet, and giving. He pulled at all of my heartstrings. It’s no wonder that Maybell starts to fall for him, despite her best efforts.
Watching Maybell and Wesley fall in love was an absolute delight. The pacing was on the slower side, but I found it worked for the best with Maybell and Wesley. If they had gotten together any faster, it would have felt too forced. Their slow coming together was based on their bond over their love for Violet, through which they developed a fundamental understanding of each other. After reading this, I firmly believe that everyone needs a Violet matchmaking for them even beyond the grave.
Much Ado About You by Samantha Young
lighthearted
medium-paced
5.0
“I do love nothing in the world so well as you.”
- William Shakespeare, Much Ado About Nothing
Tropes: Small Town, Vacation, Farmer, Book Shop, Friends to Lovers, Slow Burn
Spice Scale: 🌶🌶
CW: Alcoholism, Physical/Emotional Abuse
Much Ado About You checks so many romance boxes for me: a protagonist on a journey to figure out her life, a delightful and picturesque setting, a swoon-worthy love interest (seriously, swoon-worthy), a perfect meet-cute, meaningful friendships with secondary characters. There’s also plenty of Shakespeare references and a dog, which aren’t requirements for a good romance novel for me, but they’re definitely a plus.
Evie’s life in Alnster was like a dream. Her desire to feel that at home someplace is so real and the fact that she found it is something special. The town is beautiful, and it’s clear from the moment she got there that it’s where she belongs. Everyone in the town is kind, lively, and welcoming. They immediately take her under their wing, despite her being an outsider. She affects them as well, actings as a friend and confidant to many of the inhabitants.
Evie and Roane’s relationship was a delight to read. They spark up a friendship, but underneath it is this fantastic tension, because how could she not fall for him? He’s charming, sweet, caring, and incredibly protective over his younger cousin Caroline. Their romance is a slow burn but in the best way. They really get to know each other and intertwine their lives, so the payoff is well worth the wait when they finally get together.
This book completely charmed me. It goes on the list of books that will stay with me long after I’ve read it, and I wouldn’t be surprised if I reread it more than once in the future.
- William Shakespeare, Much Ado About Nothing
Tropes: Small Town, Vacation, Farmer, Book Shop, Friends to Lovers, Slow Burn
Spice Scale: 🌶🌶
CW: Alcoholism, Physical/Emotional Abuse
Much Ado About You checks so many romance boxes for me: a protagonist on a journey to figure out her life, a delightful and picturesque setting, a swoon-worthy love interest (seriously, swoon-worthy), a perfect meet-cute, meaningful friendships with secondary characters. There’s also plenty of Shakespeare references and a dog, which aren’t requirements for a good romance novel for me, but they’re definitely a plus.
Evie’s life in Alnster was like a dream. Her desire to feel that at home someplace is so real and the fact that she found it is something special. The town is beautiful, and it’s clear from the moment she got there that it’s where she belongs. Everyone in the town is kind, lively, and welcoming. They immediately take her under their wing, despite her being an outsider. She affects them as well, actings as a friend and confidant to many of the inhabitants.
Evie and Roane’s relationship was a delight to read. They spark up a friendship, but underneath it is this fantastic tension, because how could she not fall for him? He’s charming, sweet, caring, and incredibly protective over his younger cousin Caroline. Their romance is a slow burn but in the best way. They really get to know each other and intertwine their lives, so the payoff is well worth the wait when they finally get together.
This book completely charmed me. It goes on the list of books that will stay with me long after I’ve read it, and I wouldn’t be surprised if I reread it more than once in the future.