jenngrandreads's reviews
559 reviews

All Too Well by Corinne Michaels

emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective 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? No

5.0

This was an excellent start to a new series and I can't wait to get to know the rest of Ember Falls. Small town romances are my fave, and add in a single dad firefighter??? I’m so in.

Their mutual pining, it’s-always-been-you love is so sweet!! They have a messy history, and really fight their feelings, but ultimately love wins all. And you can’t go wrong with that! I loved it!!

Undeniable Love by Samantha Chase

emotional funny hopeful reflective sad 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? No

5.0

I loved this book! There was so much depth to it. Jax and Lucy have a messy past, but life throws them together again when Jax opens a sports camp for disabled kids and Lucy is a pediatric PT. 

Their chemistry is magic, even though they fight it. And despite their history, they’re both so supportive of each other, and their community. 

There were also some SUPER fun side characters which I love!!

Before Us: A Contemporary Romance Trilogy by Shae Green

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

4.0

This book was much deeper than I thought it'd be when I started. It's about Antonio, who believes his accounts are being compromised, and Alex, a hacker, who's brought in to help him figure out what's going on. But it's not as simple as that!

This is not your happy, rose-colored-glasses type of romcom, the characters have deep trauma and hurt from growing up, there's mystery, suspense, a stalker(!!), but also friendship, healing, growth, slow burn, and some truly amazing banter!! There wasn't a whole lot of spice, but there was still a lot of sizzle!!

This was a great book from the start, and one I'd definitely recommend for someone looking to read a romance with much more depth to it than just the love story!

Tiny Fractures by J. V. Reese

emotional hopeful 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? No

5.0

Tiny Fractures is in no part a tiny book...in size or depth! Yes it's a "coming of age" romance, but it is also so much more! It's an epic love story about two high school sweethearts who have truly difficult lives. Their love story at times is beautiful, but at other times, it's intense, emotional, and traumatic. 

This book is written in dual POVs, and I loved getting to experience the story from more than one point of view! (I'm a sucker for dual POVs) Cat and Ran's story made me feel sad, angry, heartbroken, but I also felt love, hope, and happiness for the two MCs. And this is just book one in a series so it's not done yet! (Thankfully, since the book leaves us on a major cliffhanger!!)

I highly recommend this book, but I also recommend you read the trigger warnings before reading it. There are some deep, tough things in here too. But I seriously can't WAIT for book 2!!

Blooms of Darkness by Helen Domico, Anna Applegate

adventurous dark emotional funny inspiring mysterious 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? No

5.0

I absolutely LOVED Blooms of Darkness!!! I read a LOT of fantasy, and this book stood among some of the best!! I mean, the story, the banter, the friendships, the banter, the slow burn, the suspense, did I mention the banter?!

Kade Blackthorn is also a top tier shadow daddy MMC. He is morally grey, mysterious, but with a big heart when it counts. And his tension and chemistry with our FMC, Lana, is just AMAZING. 

There are also marriage trials giving major Bachelorette vibes, where men are competing for the hand of a princess, and not every suitor has her best interest at heart. Not to mention that she has an enormous secret that she hasn't told anyone. She doesn't actually have any magical powers. Uh oh!

Some of of my favorite tropes were in this book as well...enemies to lovers, slow burn, "who did this to you?" plus there's some really awesome friendships in here! 

I just cannot recommend this book enough!!

What We Keep by Jennifer Millikin

emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective 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? No

5.0

This book was SO good. I’m not always drawn to 2nd chance romances, but I couldn’t turn down one about a firefighter who married the woman he saved from a burning building, and I’m so glad I didn’t!! 

This book will break your heart in 2 and put it back together again. It’s so so good, I can’t even!

The Shadow of Polaris by D.L. Houpt

adventurous dark emotional inspiring tense 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? No

5.0

"The Shadow of Polaris" is a dark, gritty fantasy that has everything you'd want in an epic adventure. The book starts out with our FMC, Elpis, imprisoned for a crime she didn't commit. You slowly learn about her past, and the painful things that tried to break her. 

Once I got into it, I was absolutely absorbed in the story. The twists, the tension between our MCs, the unique magic system, and the most amazing pet companion ever: Arcturus the wolf!!
I enjoyed this fantasy immensely!! 

Read if you like:
- Friends to Lovers to Enemies to Lovers
- Animal companion
- Morally gray FMC
- Immortal gods
- Mythology
- Secret Identity
- Bada$$ FMC

Since We're Here by Chrissy Hopewell

funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing fast-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? No

5.0

This book was super cute!! From the way they meet, to the way they fall for each other, their story is one that had me HOOKED. Both MCs have guarded hearts due to past hurts when they meet. But they’re so drawn to each other, they can’t stay away, and end up being exactly what the other needs to heal their hurting hearts.

In the Details by Julia Wolf

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective 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? It's complicated

4.0

This book was super cute!! From the way they meet, to the way they fall for each other, their story is one that had me HOOKED. Both MCs have guarded hearts due to past hurts when they meet. But they’re so drawn to each other, they can’t stay away, and end up being exactly what the other needs to heal their hurting hearts.

The One Who Got Away by K.L. Shannon

emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

This debut novel was a delight to read! The characters were relatable, the description of the location was dreamy, and the MCs being a musician and a songwriter was a unique twist!

Our FMC, Hannah, was strong-willed and stopped at nothing to achieve her dreams. Our MMC, Rory, definitely had some growing to do throughout the book, but Shannon achieved this in such a vulnerable, compelling way, it made me endear his character greatly!

There were some unanswered questions in my mind, which is why it's 4 stars and not 5, but over all this was a great debut, very enjoyable and sweet.