hookedbythatbook's reviews
3098 reviews

Tangled Up in You by Christina Lauren

5.0

Tangled is my favourite Disney princess movie and Christina Lauren captured those charming and endearing qualities perfectly in Ren and Fitz. 

This entire book was such a delight. I couldn’t help but be swept away by Fitz and Ren and her wide-eyed innocence. Just like the movie, there was Fitz and then he was just Edward. Ren stripped away all his pretend layers until he was completely bared to her. 

Some of their travels were maybe a bit slow, but I enjoyed their interactions and their growing friendship. Every step they took served to bring them closer together. The actions and ramping anxiety leading to the culmination of finding Ren and her parents had me at the edge of my seat and my eyes flying across the pages. 

There are many parallels between Tangled Up In You and the movie, but enough differences to give this story a unique feel. I enjoyed this excellent Tangled retelling filled with heart, hope, and courage. 

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

One Cursed Rose by Rebecca Zanetti

4.0

This is the beginning of a new series built around an innovative fantasy world idea, and dark romance readers will find plenty to love. 

I’m more on the fringe when it comes to dark romance, but I’m a huge Rebecca Zanetti fan, so there’s no way I was missing out on this book. 

The meld of magic and technology that this world is based on was brand new to me. I found the idea of social media interaction fuelling the power and influence of the four founding families very intriguing. The world building was thorough and consistent, although it took a while to make sense of how it all worked, and it was difficult at times to imagine it visually. 

Thorn was menacing, paranoid, obsessed, and delightfully predictable in his actions towards Alana. I think I would’ve liked it better if Alana had embraced her own dark attraction to Thorn right from the start and used it, instead of posing some token resistance on multiple occasions and then inevitably giving in to her feelings. 

I was riveted by the concept of this world, the intense feelings, and the nail-biting action. If you like your heroes possessive and brooding, then this super hot dark romance is just the thing. 

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

My Royal Showmance by Lexi Blake

4.0

A chance meeting at a bar, followed by an unforgettable evening and some amusing antics at a reality dating show, leads to a playful, heart-warming romance. 

Anika was passionate about her job and she embraced her newest assignment with gusto, albeit somewhat reluctantly. She took all the unexpected changes in stride with grace and a quiet strength. Her friends and her mom went above and beyond to make sure that Anika is safe. All these phenomenal women added so much heart and dimension to the story. 

Luca was an absolute sweetheart and it was clear that he wasn’t going to choose anyone other than Anika. His reasons for participating in the reality show were well-defined and made sense. Their flirty interactions had me smiling all the way through. 

I didn’t like the way Anika’s boss treated her, even though Anika had nothing but praise for her mentor. The “reality” of reality tv was excellently done and I liked the variety that the other contestants provided. Their little on-air confessionals were hilarious. 

Overall, this was a fun, charming story that also competently dealt with harassment in the workplace. I can’t wait to read Harper’s story. 

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

The Scot Who Made June Hot by Fenna Edgewood

3.0

Cameron and June’s journey back to each other was fraught with feelings of betrayal and it definitely wasn’t easy or comfortable. 

I was wondering how the author was going to get June out of her loveless marriage, and that outcome was quite a doozy. June and Cameron had suffered ever since they were cruelly and deliberately kept apart when they were young and very much in love. Cameron was quite mean to June initially and I felt really sorry for her. She was just trying to survive. 

There were a lot of plot lines to keep track of, between June and Cameron’s past, June’s present struggles, and her husband’s nefarious dealings. The story was maybe slightly too short to explore all of these with enough detail, so it felt a bit jumbled together at times and not that easy to untangle. And while I commiserated with June and Cameron, I wasn’t all that invested in their relationship. They did have some emotionally charged moments together, which I enjoyed. 

This is shaping up to be a very entertaining series and I can highly recommend it if you like steamy historical romance. 

Thank you to the author for providing me with a copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

Kilt Trip by Alexandra Kiley

4.0

I fell in love with Scotland and Addie and Logan as a couple, as Logan tried to show Addie the magic in the country. I loved the detailed descriptions of the people and the landscape and the way it opened Addie's heart to love again. Addie's continuing grief after her mother's death was so palpable and it painted all the experiences in a bittersweet light. This was a beautiful, sweet romance, but also a kind of poignant love story between Addie, her memories of her mother, and Scotland. 

Betting On You by Lynn Painter

4.0

For the Love of Summer by Susan Mallery

4.0

A feel-good story about finding family in unexpected places and appreciating the one you already have. 

Erica and Allison were both dropped into an impossible situation not of their own making. The only thing binding them in any way was Summer, Erica’s daughter and Allison’s stepdaughter. Summer turned out to be quite the tenacious bit of glue. I had mixed feelings about her. She was only 16 with a whole lot of good intentions, but she did manipulate her mother quite a bit without taking her feelings into consideration. 

I really liked Erica and Allison. They were very different people. Erica’s steely core was the backbone that kept this whole menagerie of a family together. Allison was forced to develop her own inner strength, it was sink or swim for her. Luckily, she didn’t have to do it on her own. It was very heartwarming to see these two women grow closer and form a stronger new-found family. 

The romance between Erica and Killion was like a gentle, meandering river that cut through everything and brought Erica a much-needed safe space. It also wore her defenses down gradually, so that she could see the potential future available to her.  

The story started out a bit slow, but it was engaging and I was heavily invested in the outcome for all of these characters. I can recommend this if you like an emotional family drama with strong female characters front and center. 

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

My Season of Scandal by Julie Anne Long

5.0

This series just keeps getting better and better. The clever and witty writing style draws you in and makes you feel as if you are in that parlor in The Grand Palace on the Thames. Speaking of parlors, there is one scene where the group has to decide on what book to read aloud next that had me laughing, the dialogue is superb. Dot is still one of my favourite characters, but all of them add so much dimension and pure reading pleasure. As for Dominic and Catherine, they had spades of chemistry between them and I enjoyed their emotional relationship journey. Usually, I'm not bothered by an age gap, but for some reason this one didn't sit that well with me at all times. But Catherine is plenty mature despite her youthfulness and she handled difficult situations with poise and grace. This series is well worth it if you like steamy historical romance. I think it's best to read this series in order.

 

The Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren

5.0

I'm not a vengeful person. Generally, I don't rub my hands in glee when someone gets their comeuppance (okay, maybe a little bit). But I have to tell you, I cannot remember the last time I harboured so much loathing for a character as Liam's father. And Liam was fighting to be free in the best way he knew. Then Anna showed him what he could do and have if he had someone firmly in his corner. This book made me feel all the feels. I loved Anna and Liam and their banter and their developing relationship. Who am I kidding, I loved everything. Read this if you like a strangers-to-lovers steamy romance with incredibly emotional character arcs.

Liar's Point by Laura Griffin

5.0

 A thrilling police procedural that had me at the edge of my seat and guessing right until the end. 

From the moment Cassandra discovered the body of her friend, we were skillfully kept in the dark with just enough crumbs to make us realize that Cassandra was involved, but not knowing how. The story unfolded at a fast pace, with the police scrambling to make sense of the scant evidence in their possession. The unsettling suspense drew me in and I sacrificed a lot of sleep to finish this, I just couldn’t put it down. 

Nicole and Emmett were both very likable characters, but very reserved. And despite a decade long crush, neither were prepared to cross that line. The connection between them was pretty obvious and strong, and it pushed and pulled at them until they couldn’t keep it contained anymore. I loved how they resolved their workplace/relationship conflict at the end. 

I can highly recommend this entire series if you like romantic suspense. This book stands well on its own, but don’t miss out on the others. 

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.