samwise_reads's reviews
37 reviews

4.0

Thank you so much to Valentine PR and the author for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
As someone who has had Piper Rayne on her radar for a long time, I was so excited by this book. The premise, the tropes, the setting... all of it sounded amazing, and I am so happy to say that it delivered.

This book follows Gillian, a single mother living in the same small town her high school sweetheart, Ben Noughton, left her in to pursue his dreams as a professional football player. Studying to become a lawyer and be the best mother she can be to her teenage son, she has tried to put the past behind her for the last 14 years. However, when Ben comes back to town and acts as the high school football coach, distancing herself from him proves to be impossible. And with a dual POV, you see that it is just as impossible for Ben.

The first thing that invited me into the story was the small-town feel. Growing up in a small town myself, I love how nostalgic these books can feel. Everyone knows everyone, which can be annoying at times and heartwarming at others. I loved how invested everyone was in seeing Gillian and Ben find their happily ever after, and I found myself teary eyed the farther I got and the stories of how the community really showed up for Gillian started to unfold.

I am a sucker for second-chance romances, and I think Piper really captured some of that angst and tension that surrounds two people trying to find their way back to each other. There were some really tender and beautiful moments between the two of them, especially as they navigated how to start a relationship while being mindful of the impact it could have on Gillian's son. That is a very real struggle, so I appreciated seeing some representation around that idea. You could tell that there was a deep history between them, and an honest love, so it was really special seeing it all play out.

AND THE SPICE. That was DELICIOUS. One of my favorite parts of second chances is when they discover how they never truly stopped *knowing* each other, if you get what I'm saying. And Piper absolutely made that chemistry palpable.

There were some moments that I wish we got a little more of- more insights into the actual breakup, more groveling, more attention to the DV aspect. However, I do recognize that this was intended to be a fast-paced book, and that not everything could be explored super thoroughly.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. The setting was perfect, the side characters were awesome (oh my god I can't wait for Jude's book), and the relationship between Gillian and Ben was really beautiful. I am excited to read more from this author and have a new small town romance to add to the collection.

Turning up the heat by Lizzy Hunter

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted

4.0

Thank you so much to Valentine PR and the author for an early copy in exchange for an honest review!

When I read the premise for this book, I was SO excited. I mean, a food writer/chef romance set in Northern California (like literally name dropped my little farm town)?! Yes, please.
Living in the Bay Area myself, and being a former hostess that ended up marrying the hottie in the white chef coat, so much of this book resonated with me. The dymanic between Oskar and Kelsey was so relatable and it was honestly a mirror in many ways.

Being in a relationship with someone in the industry isn't always easy. My husband and I have been together for nearly 8 years, and trying to maintain a schedule that leaves time for us when we work opposite shifts, with many nights where I only see him for a brief moment as he comes home from a long shift, smelling of fire and salt. It isn't really a feeling or experience that I ever expected to see reflected in a book, and I am so grateful to Lizzy for giving a voice to this very niche, yet real, experience.

Also, not to out myself or anything, but naughty times in a kitchen?! Yeah, I don't blame Kelsey and Oskar for staining the steel, if you catch my drift.

The spice in this book was so well done and had me absolutely BLUSHING. Oskar was some delicious book boyfriend material and I loved how demanding and stern, yet soft and gentle, he could be.
I loved getting the dual POV between Kelsey and Oskar, and seeing the way their love unfolded through each of their perspectives was really well done.

I loved the side characters and I would absolutely not be mad if we had books about some of them because, honestly, they were all so special.

Overall, I had so much fun with this one! If you are looking for a food lover's dream, California coast setting, band of lovable characters, spicyspicy spice, insta-lust mashup, this is absolutely the one for you!

The Summer of Perfect Mistakes by Cynthia St. Aubin

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

4.25

The Truth According to Ember by Danica Nava

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced