megreads613's reviews
377 reviews

First-Time Caller by B.K. Borison

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

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

4.25

I really loved this book, but any contemporary romance novel over 380 pages is hard-pressed to get five starts from me. 

The plot of this was cute, albeit a bit basic. But the chemistry between Aiden and Lucie was REAL. 

There were a lot of things that felt like toss-ins. You know when you’re at a frozen yogurt shop and you just load up your bowl toppings and it’s GOOD but it would have been better with like, two fewer toppings? That’s how this felt to me. 

A few things I found interesting/odd: 

I was really hoping for more of a classic single mom trope. I do love the family dynamic they all had, but I wanted more of Aiden and Maya bonding. At some points I forgot Lucie was a mum.

There were a few too many characters in this. I do appreciate the full community building but I found things a bit too complicated to keep track of.

The storyline with Aiden’s mom—I wanted more. Even at the end when he’s figuring his stuff out, we hear from his dad. And it of course makes sense in context but I wanted more

Unsteady by Peyton Corinne

emotional funny hopeful inspiring fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated

3.75

Binding 13 but make it hockey. 

Overall I really enjoyed this book, and I'm excited to read the next one. It's a good mix of The Off-Campus Series and the Boys of Tommenn, while still being its own thing. 

I found the characters a bit one dimensional, and things were too convenient. There were too many plot points and characters to keep track of, and I felt we didn't get a lot of closure. Some examples:
 

• It's mentioned that Bennett has a therapy dog, but it's never brought up again
• Liam's mom showing up and then being sent away, never heard from again
• The whole "Sadie getting custody" storyline was so minor—she's 21, how is this happening?? How is she allowed to keep the kids at the dorm some nights without CPS stepping in?? 
• Toren Kane...we get a mini-redemption arc, but very little explanation
• Sadie's former partner Luc
• Ro's ex-boyfriend Tyler

I also found the style to be a bit clunky. There were multiple times where I'd have to re-read a sentence or go back to read a paragraph because I wasn't clear who was talking, what was happening, or where the characters were. A lot of the time it felt like the author assumed we were all in her head and could follow along. 

All this to be said, I enjoyed reading this book! I felt the connection and I always love a found-family trope. It ultimately just felt too convenient and, at the end, too rushed. 

The Fall Risk by Abby Jimenez

funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

4.5

This was so cute!! A few too many millennial/meme references, but really good. 

The Favorites by Layne Fargo

challenging emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.75

I so desperately wanted to give this 5 stars, but it just went on about 75 pages too long for me. 

This book is very different than the typical romances I read, but I absolutely ate it up. The drama, the tension, THE YEARNING!!!!!!!! 

The pregnancy was an interesting way of giving Heath what he wanted without having Kay compromise her own wants. I will say I wished it was more of a one-night-stand than a sorta-relationship. Maybe because I liked Heath and Bella too much 😬

Lost with the Mountain Man by Tabatha Kiss

lighthearted fast-paced

3.75

Listen. The book is what it is. It’s spicy, it’s unrealistic, it’s fun. But to be honest I could have used more spice, and more SPECIFIC spice. But it was good. 

Better Than the Movies by Lynn Painter

funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes

4.25

This book really captured me. I used to say I don’t like YA, but I guess I just wasn’t reading Lynn Painter. Obviously some stuff felt a bit juvenile, but that’s the whole genre. 

The Joss plot line was a little stunted for me. We’re supposed to believe she’s overbearing or whatever, but all I saw was Liz being insecure and unable to communicate. But again, they’re teenagers.

The Au Pair Affair by Tessa Bailey

funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

4.0

I didn’t like this as much as the first one, but I still ate it up. These characters felt real, with real problems. I did find it odd

how touchy-feely and flirty they were together before they were dating , with Burgess being all “I don’t do casual” and Tallulah being all “I can’t get involved”. 

But otherwise I loved it. And I LOVED Sig and Chloe. 

Fangirl Down by Tessa Bailey

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

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

4.0

Not to sound rude, but I’m shocked how much I enjoyed this. Tessa has fallen short for me since Hook, Line and Sinker. I’ve found her writing to be forced and cringey. 

But this? This was a romp. I devoured it in less than 24 hours. She’s back! The characters were flawed but lovable, the romance was believable and not gross. The spice was warranted and not forced for the sake of it. 

I’d say it was about 70 pages too long for me, and it wasn’t PERFECT, but I’m excited to have Tessa back on my radar. 

Kill For Me Kill For You by Steve Cavanagh

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

3.75

This book was good! Not ground-breaking, but certainly had me gasping a few times. I think the problem is my friend had told me there were some unexpected twists, so my brain was working overdrive to find them. 

Keeping 13 by Chloe Walsh

dark emotional inspiring sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

3.75

I much preferred this Binding 13. I think because it felt like things actually happened, it wasn’t all build-up. Once again though, I find it hard to classify this as romance. 

I’m excited to read Joey’s books, but I’m even more excited to read Claire and Gibsie’s.