Scan barcode
ggbookrecclub's reviews
792 reviews
Off Camera by Chelsea Curto
lighthearted
slow-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? It's complicated
3.5
Public rivals with secret identities
⭐️ Rating: 3.5/5
🌶️ Spice: 3/5
📸 Rivals to Lovers
📸 Secret Identity
📸 FWB
📸 Football Romance
A secret identity trope always makes me a little nervous. Like who’s going to learn the other’s identity first and how long are they going to last before someone finds out? This book handled this so well. I think I was more anxious than the characters were. The characters were cute. The FMC and MMC are social media managers for rival football teams. While the well loved team may have the longevity and support of a solid fan base, the expansion team has that spunk with the ability to go rival at every turn.
This entire series is a lot of fun BUT there are so many grammatical errors. Like riddled with errors. I’m not sure anyone has proofread any of the books in this series.
⭐️ Rating: 3.5/5
🌶️ Spice: 3/5
📸 Rivals to Lovers
📸 Secret Identity
📸 FWB
📸 Football Romance
A secret identity trope always makes me a little nervous. Like who’s going to learn the other’s identity first and how long are they going to last before someone finds out? This book handled this so well. I think I was more anxious than the characters were. The characters were cute. The FMC and MMC are social media managers for rival football teams. While the well loved team may have the longevity and support of a solid fan base, the expansion team has that spunk with the ability to go rival at every turn.
This entire series is a lot of fun BUT there are so many grammatical errors. Like riddled with errors. I’m not sure anyone has proofread any of the books in this series.
Behind the Camera by Chelsea Curto
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? It's complicated
4.0
⭐️ Rating: 4/5
🌶️ Spice: 3/5
📸 Single Dad x Nanny
📸 Forced Proximity
📸 Forbidden Romance
📸 Football Romance
This series has been really entertaining. I will say that it’s riddled with grammatical errors, so if that bothers you, skip it. It also feels a little pieced together, like the series wasn’t fully planned out before it got underway. That being said, I did enjoy this story.
This is your classic single dad x nanny story. I will say it's a little weird that the first book in the series is the FMC’s dad. There's much more of a friend relationship between Maeve and the adults in this friend group.
🌶️ Spice: 3/5
📸 Single Dad x Nanny
📸 Forced Proximity
📸 Forbidden Romance
📸 Football Romance
This series has been really entertaining. I will say that it’s riddled with grammatical errors, so if that bothers you, skip it. It also feels a little pieced together, like the series wasn’t fully planned out before it got underway. That being said, I did enjoy this story.
This is your classic single dad x nanny story. I will say it's a little weird that the first book in the series is the FMC’s dad. There's much more of a friend relationship between Maeve and the adults in this friend group.
Caught on Camera by Chelsea Curto
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
When the kiss cam catches you with the coach…
⭐️ Rating: 4/5
🌶️ Spice: 3/5
📸 Fake Dating
📸 Friends to Lovers
📸 Football Romance
This was such a fun and flirty book. This follows some actual adult characters which is such a breath of fresh air. Shawn and Lacey are BFFs. She’s a pediatrician and he’s the head coach of DC’s football team. She’s trying to get back into the dating game and ends up taking her date to a game. Turns out he’s not a fan of the kiss cam and the operator will not give it up-how embarrassing. In a quick turn of events, the coach steps in. To save face with everyone, they fake date. It’s all fun until real feelings emerge.
⭐️ Rating: 4/5
🌶️ Spice: 3/5
📸 Fake Dating
📸 Friends to Lovers
📸 Football Romance
This was such a fun and flirty book. This follows some actual adult characters which is such a breath of fresh air. Shawn and Lacey are BFFs. She’s a pediatrician and he’s the head coach of DC’s football team. She’s trying to get back into the dating game and ends up taking her date to a game. Turns out he’s not a fan of the kiss cam and the operator will not give it up-how embarrassing. In a quick turn of events, the coach steps in. To save face with everyone, they fake date. It’s all fun until real feelings emerge.
Camera Chemistry by Chelsea Curto
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
Instant Chemistry 💥💥
⭐️ Rating: 4/5
🌶️ Spice: 3/5
📸 Strangers to lovers
📸 One Night Only
📸 Insta Love
This was a quick and dirty novella and I was here for it. It was a fun and different premise from any other romance book I’ve read. Two strangers doing a favor for a friend and falling for each other during a photoshoot.
⭐️ Rating: 4/5
🌶️ Spice: 3/5
📸 Strangers to lovers
📸 One Night Only
📸 Insta Love
This was a quick and dirty novella and I was here for it. It was a fun and different premise from any other romance book I’ve read. Two strangers doing a favor for a friend and falling for each other during a photoshoot.
Power Play by Chelsea Curto
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This might be the spiciest “teach me” book I’ve ever read.
⭐️ Rating: 5/5
🌶️ Spice: 3.5/5
🏒 Lessons
🏒 Grumpy x Sunshine
🏒 Fake Dating
🏒 Accidental Marriage
🏒 Workplace Romance
🏒 Hockey Romance
Power Play is the second book in the D.C. Stars book by Chelsea Curto. And it just might be my new favorite accidental marriage book. I absolutely love Piper and Liam.
If this series has taught us anything, it’s that being a woman in sports is really really hard. Piper is on the reporting team for the D.C. Stars. She’s not struggling, but the men in her department are struggling to treat her appropriately. The goalie, Liam, is your typical goalie. A little grumpy, keeps to himself, and has had a crush on Piper since the first day she ran right into him. Only then she was married, and now? She’s not.
Now that she’s ready to reenter the dating scene, Piper is unsure of her skills. Considering she’s been with one man and it was lackluster at best she vomits to Liam, asking him for help. On the outside this pair seems like they wouldn’t work, but the deeper they dive, everything just clicks into place.
If you read my review for Face Off, you’ll remember my comment on the proofreading. Well, unfortunately there were still quite a few errors. As this author grows and becomes more popular I’m hopeful that will improve. I would hate for a reader not to give her books a chance based on grammatical errors.
⭐️ Rating: 5/5
🌶️ Spice: 3.5/5
🏒 Lessons
🏒 Grumpy x Sunshine
🏒 Fake Dating
🏒 Accidental Marriage
🏒 Workplace Romance
🏒 Hockey Romance
Power Play is the second book in the D.C. Stars book by Chelsea Curto. And it just might be my new favorite accidental marriage book. I absolutely love Piper and Liam.
If this series has taught us anything, it’s that being a woman in sports is really really hard. Piper is on the reporting team for the D.C. Stars. She’s not struggling, but the men in her department are struggling to treat her appropriately. The goalie, Liam, is your typical goalie. A little grumpy, keeps to himself, and has had a crush on Piper since the first day she ran right into him. Only then she was married, and now? She’s not.
Now that she’s ready to reenter the dating scene, Piper is unsure of her skills. Considering she’s been with one man and it was lackluster at best she vomits to Liam, asking him for help. On the outside this pair seems like they wouldn’t work, but the deeper they dive, everything just clicks into place.
If you read my review for Face Off, you’ll remember my comment on the proofreading. Well, unfortunately there were still quite a few errors. As this author grows and becomes more popular I’m hopeful that will improve. I would hate for a reader not to give her books a chance based on grammatical errors.
Face Off by Chelsea Curto
lighthearted
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
Believe the hype!
⭐️ Rating: 5/5
🌶️ Spice: 3/5
🏒Reformed Playboy
🏒 Teammates to Lovers
🏒 Forced Proximity
🏒 One Night Only…
🏒 FWB
🏒 Secret Relationship
🏒 Hockey Romance
Oh my gosh, I’ve been seeing this cover EVERYWHERE on social media. The cover is cute and it’s been sitting on my TBR for a bit. Granted, the cover makes the main characters appear younger than NHL professionals; these are actual adults. Who partake in adult activities.. Sometimes I find it hard to break into reading new(to me) authors. But I’m so glad I did.
Emmy gets called up to the NHL, making her the first female player on the D.C. Stars team and in the League. The first time she met her captain it didn’t go so hot…. And then it got really really hot. I refuse to give away spoilers, but just know, there is major chemistry between our two leads. I’m a sucker for a reformed playboy and Maverick is a total simp.
There were a handful of grammatical errors. If that doesn’t bother you, this book is a complete home run. If errors drive you nuts and hinder your enjoyment of the story, I get it. Same. But this story was done so incredibly well that I let it slide. Here’s hoping that as the series continues, the editing improves.
⭐️ Rating: 5/5
🌶️ Spice: 3/5
🏒Reformed Playboy
🏒 Teammates to Lovers
🏒 Forced Proximity
🏒 One Night Only…
🏒 FWB
🏒 Secret Relationship
🏒 Hockey Romance
Oh my gosh, I’ve been seeing this cover EVERYWHERE on social media. The cover is cute and it’s been sitting on my TBR for a bit. Granted, the cover makes the main characters appear younger than NHL professionals; these are actual adults. Who partake in adult activities.. Sometimes I find it hard to break into reading new(to me) authors. But I’m so glad I did.
Emmy gets called up to the NHL, making her the first female player on the D.C. Stars team and in the League. The first time she met her captain it didn’t go so hot…. And then it got really really hot. I refuse to give away spoilers, but just know, there is major chemistry between our two leads. I’m a sucker for a reformed playboy and Maverick is a total simp.
There were a handful of grammatical errors. If that doesn’t bother you, this book is a complete home run. If errors drive you nuts and hinder your enjoyment of the story, I get it. Same. But this story was done so incredibly well that I let it slide. Here’s hoping that as the series continues, the editing improves.
Force Play by Lo Everett
challenging
emotional
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
3.5
I love that the playboy of the team is actually the biggest softy.
⭐️ Rating: 3.5/5
🌶️ Spice: 3/5
⚾️ Frienemies to Lovers
⚾️ He Falls First
⚾️ Marriage of Convenience
⚾️ Baseball Romance
This is the book that dragged me through the rest of the series. It was by far the best of the four. While still plagued with SO MANY typos. Like wow. So if you can bypass typos, this book is great. If you can’t, this series is not for you.
The storyline, why traumatic, was really good. Please check your trigger warnings before diving in. We’re talking about the loss of a parent, cancer, etc. This book was a lesson in manifestation. Also, if he wanted to, he would.
⭐️ Rating: 3.5/5
🌶️ Spice: 3/5
⚾️ Frienemies to Lovers
⚾️ He Falls First
⚾️ Marriage of Convenience
⚾️ Baseball Romance
This is the book that dragged me through the rest of the series. It was by far the best of the four. While still plagued with SO MANY typos. Like wow. So if you can bypass typos, this book is great. If you can’t, this series is not for you.
The storyline, why traumatic, was really good. Please check your trigger warnings before diving in. We’re talking about the loss of a parent, cancer, etc. This book was a lesson in manifestation. Also, if he wanted to, he would.
Calling it Safe by Lo Everett
lighthearted
slow-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
3.0
For a baseball romance, there’s minimal baseball.
⭐️ Rating: 3/5
🌶️ Spice: 3/5
⚾️ Friends to Lovers
⚾️ He Falls First
⚾️ Forced Proximity
⚾️ Previous Trauma for both
⚾️ Baseball Romance
I’m convinced at this point this series is just cursed to be riddled with typos. The amount of missing works, singulars instead of plurals, was wild. I gave up highlighting and correcting them. I’m not this book's editor.
I nearly gave up on this series. I found it so hard to get through this one. While I rated it higher than book 1 and 2, structurally, it is better. But the pacing drags. Originally I wanted to read book 2 and 4 of the series and I refuse to read them as a standalone. I honestly think you could and not miss too much, but still.
⭐️ Rating: 3/5
🌶️ Spice: 3/5
⚾️ Friends to Lovers
⚾️ He Falls First
⚾️ Forced Proximity
⚾️ Previous Trauma for both
⚾️ Baseball Romance
I’m convinced at this point this series is just cursed to be riddled with typos. The amount of missing works, singulars instead of plurals, was wild. I gave up highlighting and correcting them. I’m not this book's editor.
I nearly gave up on this series. I found it so hard to get through this one. While I rated it higher than book 1 and 2, structurally, it is better. But the pacing drags. Originally I wanted to read book 2 and 4 of the series and I refuse to read them as a standalone. I honestly think you could and not miss too much, but still.
Love in the Mix by Kat Fallons
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
After reading so many romance books, I rarely stumble upon something new. Well, this is my first DJ romance book. And I’d happily read another.
⭐️ Rating: 3.5/5
🌶️ Spice: 4/5
💜 MMF Romance
💿Stalker
💜 DJ Romance
💿Found Family
The multiple POVs really threw me for a loop here. Especially since it opens with the villain’s POV. That being said, this was a hot steamy read. Here’s a brief, mostly spoiler free synopsis: After facing multiple setups, DJ Luna is convinced to do a show. The Headliners, a duo, are taken by her. They have a wild and crazy night. While all parties want to keep in touch, outside forces make their lives difficult. Navigate a bit of a depressive episode, personal growth, facing fears, etc. and they figure out how to make it work. Three are stronger than one and justice is served. And scene.
I struggled a bit with the pacing. There were a few timeline jumps that were just kind of stringing together the spicy and cute scenes. Don’t get me wrong, I’d rather get a surplus of that rather than filler but it was hard to establish a timeline, especially with so many perspectives. It felt a bit like a novella that got stretched out to a short novel.
The bonus epilogue was very promising! It sounds like this world is getting expanded and I’m here for it. I’m hopeful that in the process we get to check in on our MMF throuple from Love in the Mix.
⭐️ Rating: 3.5/5
🌶️ Spice: 4/5
💜 MMF Romance
💿Stalker
💜 DJ Romance
💿Found Family
The multiple POVs really threw me for a loop here. Especially since it opens with the villain’s POV. That being said, this was a hot steamy read. Here’s a brief, mostly spoiler free synopsis: After facing multiple setups, DJ Luna is convinced to do a show. The Headliners, a duo, are taken by her. They have a wild and crazy night. While all parties want to keep in touch, outside forces make their lives difficult. Navigate a bit of a depressive episode, personal growth, facing fears, etc. and they figure out how to make it work. Three are stronger than one and justice is served. And scene.
I struggled a bit with the pacing. There were a few timeline jumps that were just kind of stringing together the spicy and cute scenes. Don’t get me wrong, I’d rather get a surplus of that rather than filler but it was hard to establish a timeline, especially with so many perspectives. It felt a bit like a novella that got stretched out to a short novel.
The bonus epilogue was very promising! It sounds like this world is getting expanded and I’m here for it. I’m hopeful that in the process we get to check in on our MMF throuple from Love in the Mix.
A Pack for Autumn by Emilia Emerson
emotional
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
5.0
This book is for the la la, the fall festival going, apple picking, gilmore girl watching fall girls.
⭐️ Rating: ♾️/5
🌶️ Spice: 4/5
🍂 MFMM Omegaverse
🍂 Black Cat + Curvy FMC
🍂 Golden Retriever MMC
🍂 Forced Proximity
🍂 They Fall First
🍂 Small Coastal Town
🍂 Primal Play
🍂 Praise
🍂 Hurt/Comfort
Can someone explain to me why I can write a five page essay for a book that was okay/good, but when a book is extraordinary all I can say is “I really really liked it.” So here I am, telling you, I really really liked this book. 🥹
There’s a reason this series has been dubbed, cozyverse. It’s exactly that-cozy. I’m a complete sucker for a black cat FMC and Autumn is so incredibly imperfectly perfect. I absolutely love all sides of her-the unsure, the brash, the fierce need to be independent. Swoon. And the Alphas? I loved that Easton expressed that he’s a little clumsy as an alpha. That because he was a bit of a late bloomer he’s not fully comfortable in this bigger/stronger body of his. So often in omegaverse books the alpha’s take the term alpha to the full extent. They’re big, confident, attractive, etc. But each of these alpha’s had some kind of insecurity, largely emotional. I refuse to give away any spoilers so I’ll say this-Starlight Grove is the perfect coastal small town. I want to partake in all of their festivals, drink their delicious pumpkin spice lattes, and shop in their bookstore.
Let’s chat spice. Holy hell, she did it again. Emilia Emerson always does spice so well. But man, did she outdo herself with this one. Like one of the first spicy scenes we get is DVP. And when I say Emilia Emerson does spice well, I don’t just mean that it’s a hot steamy scene. No no, like it actually makes sense. We’ve all read books where you literally have to stop and try to figure out where all the body parts are going(especially in omegaverse books) and it just kinda takes you out of the moment. Not here, I followed that just fine.
I look forward to the next installment, A Pack for Winter by Eliana Lee.
⭐️ Rating: ♾️/5
🌶️ Spice: 4/5
🍂 MFMM Omegaverse
🍂 Black Cat + Curvy FMC
🍂 Golden Retriever MMC
🍂 Forced Proximity
🍂 They Fall First
🍂 Small Coastal Town
🍂 Primal Play
🍂 Praise
🍂 Hurt/Comfort
Can someone explain to me why I can write a five page essay for a book that was okay/good, but when a book is extraordinary all I can say is “I really really liked it.” So here I am, telling you, I really really liked this book. 🥹
There’s a reason this series has been dubbed, cozyverse. It’s exactly that-cozy. I’m a complete sucker for a black cat FMC and Autumn is so incredibly imperfectly perfect. I absolutely love all sides of her-the unsure, the brash, the fierce need to be independent. Swoon. And the Alphas? I loved that Easton expressed that he’s a little clumsy as an alpha. That because he was a bit of a late bloomer he’s not fully comfortable in this bigger/stronger body of his. So often in omegaverse books the alpha’s take the term alpha to the full extent. They’re big, confident, attractive, etc. But each of these alpha’s had some kind of insecurity, largely emotional. I refuse to give away any spoilers so I’ll say this-Starlight Grove is the perfect coastal small town. I want to partake in all of their festivals, drink their delicious pumpkin spice lattes, and shop in their bookstore.
Let’s chat spice. Holy hell, she did it again. Emilia Emerson always does spice so well. But man, did she outdo herself with this one. Like one of the first spicy scenes we get is DVP. And when I say Emilia Emerson does spice well, I don’t just mean that it’s a hot steamy scene. No no, like it actually makes sense. We’ve all read books where you literally have to stop and try to figure out where all the body parts are going(especially in omegaverse books) and it just kinda takes you out of the moment. Not here, I followed that just fine.
I look forward to the next installment, A Pack for Winter by Eliana Lee.