lisaluvsliterature's reviews
4125 reviews

Not Your Biggest Fan by Sara Ney

funny hopeful lighthearted reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No

4.0

So happy to have a new book by one of my favorite authors, and she did not disappoint! Starting with the crazy out there “meet cute” and follow up meeting. Followed up by both characters’ crazy families and/or friends. As usual we got a fast paced and fun rom-com. I loved the sports aspect of it, and how Harlow literally had no idea who Andy was, because even though she lived in a big football city, she didn’t really care about the sport. Of course, it’s not like her town’s football team was doing well enough that everyone knew players’ names like they do here in KC with our guys.

There were definitely some parallels to good old Kelce and Swift’s relationship, only the Swift was an actress in this story, and not at all like our beloved Taylor Swift, lol. The banter was fun as always with Ney’s books. I also loved how she had one character write a dating ad bio, as one time I even asked the author to write one for me, and I did use it for awhile, however I’m still single, so who knows how that went, lol.

Anyway, it was another fun, sexy, rom-com from Sara Ney, and I’m looking forward to the second book which we get a preview of who it’s going to be about at the end of this one!

Zoe Brennan, First Crush by Laura Piper Lee
Did not finish book. Stopped at 18%.

I really tried, because I liked the last book by this author. But just had problems getting into it. And in 2025 I'm not going to force myself to keep reading if I'm not enjoying.

How Do I Tell You by Nicola May
Did not finish book. Stopped at 9%.

Just couldn't get into it.  Maybe not my type of writing style?

Lucky Shot by Sabrina Bowen

hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

3.5

This was a short story, I thought from Amazon, but maybe not? Maybe it was a download from the author? Anyway, a really short story. Like only 3 or 4 chapters? Left hanging? But not in a bad way, just in a very basic, okay, now where is the full story way? I would have to pick up the book in the series that this goes with. And I hope to do that some day. I sat and read this one very quickly in the waiting room while my mom was getting her eye exam this past month. 

If the Ring Fits by Camilla Isley

emotional funny hopeful reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

I really enjoyed the first book, This is Not a Holiday Romance, so I was excited to read this one too. I really enjoyed this marriage of convenience story. The meet cute was a total NOT meet cute, in that both ended up puking in bathroom stalls right next to each other! But it was perfect to lead up to how the story was going to go.

There was so much of the usual miscommunication or not telling the other when the feelings got deeper, just as you would expect from a story like this. In fact it was a whole misunderstanding based on this type of issue that led to the 3rd act breakup. But that also played into the post-partum depression aspect of the story. It was nice how the two of them complemented each other in the relationship. And how Adrian really was trying to help her behind the scenes too.

Now, when we got to the end, I feel like it was a little rushed as well as removed from the situation with the break up and all that, but I wonder if the author was trying to make us feel like Rowena was feeling with her PPD?

In the end another good story from this author, and I think maybe there is a friends to lovers romance on the horizon with some of the characters left in the friend group?

Worst Wingman Ever by Abby Jimenez

emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Another winner as part of The Improbable Meet Cute series of novellas. Another author I am loving, Abby Jimenez. In a way had an epistolary aspect as the two only connected through some notes left on a car. However the story itself was told like a normal story with the two characters. I almost wasn’t able to listen though, as the storyline about Holly’s grandmother being in hospice and close to death brought up some feelings from last year with my stepdad, but I know I’ve got to move on because there are things that make me think of that everywhere now. In the end I loved the story, the meet cute, the coincidences that brought them together, all of it. Can’t wait to go on, but it will wait till I no longer have some of the audiobooks I’ve got from the library that keep becoming available.

Wedding Dashers by Heather McBreen

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective 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? Yes

4.5

The publisher reached out to me about this one, and it sounded good, but at first I wasn’t sure if I’d get to it. When I got kind of stuck with another ARC I was reading, I went ahead and picked this one up and was hooked immediately! The characters were so much fun. The whole trip itself, through England and Scotland to get to Ireland eventually, I loved it all! We got this from Ada’s POV, so there were times that I would be so mad at Jack for things he said or did, or didn’t say.

There was a lot there with the family, both Ada’s issues with her sister who used to be her best friend. And not knowing if Jack was good enough based on the other guys her sister had always dated, and she’d had to save her from. It all seemed so fast to Ada. It was Jack’s best friend who was the groom, and while he was all about what a good guy his friend was, he also was unsure about if the two should get married. But that was more based on his own relationship issues.

So many different catastrophes befell these two in their journey to get the veil to her sister, and also be there in time for the wedding, with canceled flights, missed trains or trains being canceled due to the strike, something I think was going on when I was in Scotland! Of course once it seemed like they might be able to move on and have their connection be true, there was a third act breakup, but it made sense the way it happened. And it was such a healthy way for them to get back together at the end. I loved it! I also now kind of want to find a woman to do my next tattoo I want, lol. Not sure why that would matter, but I’m just intrigued!

While the title at first made me think more along the lines of Door Dashers, except in this case maybe people who brought stuff to weddings, that’s not at all what the story was. It was a lot of fun, and I definitely recommend it! I hope to read more by this author in the future!

The Exception to the Rule by Christina Lauren

funny hopeful lighthearted reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

So I actually bought these e-books on Amazon a year ago? I also bought the collection on Audible for a deal shortly after that too. So when I was in between review books for audiobooks and was having trouble getting into the one for the read-along, I started this one. It is obviously a short and sweet listen and I loved this mostly epistolary style novel, told through emails till the very end. I adored it! And loved the actual in person meet cute after the email meet cute at the beginning of the story. Definitely the perfect story to start these off with!

Betting On You by Lynn Painter

emotional funny hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This was one I should have had read before the Gateway possible nominee vote. I might have fudged a bit and went ahead and gave it 5 stars on the ballot even though I hadn’t read it yet, when normally I just skip the ones I haven’t read. But I knew, and I was completely right that I would LOVE this one. And it is more than just a YA romance. The characters are dealing with divorced parents and how that affects them, and also how it feels when their parents start dating other people or get married, etc. As I mentioned with the adult title, Accidentally Amy, that I just read and reviewed, the banter that Painter writes is sooooooooo good! It made me smile, laugh out loud, and I just adored it! I also loved that the mom in the story was a KC Chiefs fan. Now, at one point towards the beginning, the mom was saying she was a Bobby Vinton fan, and honestly, I think most people with teenage daughters these days are around my age, and Bobby Vinton was before us. To me I’d think maybe Duran Duran or New Kids on the Block, someone from the 80s would be more fitting. I totally at one point was thinking of all the ways I would be so petty and what I would say to Charlie in that third act breakup that was sooooooooo perfectly done and necessary. The whole grand gesture was perfect though, and oh my gosh, I loved all the parts of the story with Puffball the kitten and Charlie. I loved, loved, loved this book! I already bought it for my school library before I got to read it, and now I can’t wait to share it, hand promote it, for my students! Which reminds me I need to do my favorite reads of the past year display at school again!

Accidentally Amy by Lynn Painter

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Technically I already owned this book on audio, and I actually started listening last year on my way to meet the author one day. But at her event, she mentioned that she was rewriting it to have both POVs and republish it with Berkley, and so I put it aside and when I saw the e-galley pop up on Edelweiss, I grabbed it! THEN! I saw a fellow blogger post about reading it on Goodreads, and I started wondering when I needed to read my e-galley. This was January 17th, when I realized that it came out on the 14th, and also after the publisher denied my request for another book by this author for this year, and oops, figured I better read it now! So I started reading it on my phone on my lunch break at work Friday, and of course was hooked, even as I read through the first 25% of the book that I’d kind of already listened to. 

So I loved it. The banter, the hilarious situations, the wonderful friends and family that made up the cast of characters in the book. This book had me laughing out loud, smiling at all the little KC Chiefs references in the book that the author threw in. I always love characters like Izzy, because her scatter-brainedness and run off at the mouth when nervous personality totally remind me of myself. I liked how Blake had to put the brakes on so quickly because of his background of people lying. Now, the whole PSL lie was a little bit extreme for him to be so judgy about, but he did get over that quick enough to be friends. The whole work issue for them not being able to date was realistic though and handled in a way that I also felt was realistic. The two came so close with their friendship to letting it go farther like they both obviously wanted, but I feel neither really got upset at the other or made drama when the other would pull back, again, very realistically and not just drama for drama’s sake. 

The way the big break up in the third act went was perfect. It wasn’t unreasonable, it wasn’t unexpected either, it made total sense. Again I loved the way the author did the big win back moment, from both characters, so maybe more than one moment! I mentioned the banter being great. I’m still giggling over the “I spoiled meat you.” All the times that Izzy would make up words or try to use words and Blake would call her on the non-word or silliness. But in a fun way again, love that banter and sarcasm! 

Once again I loved an adult rom-com from this author, she does so good whether it’s YA or Adult, I’ll read them all!