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shaysshelf's reviews
149 reviews
Bright Lights and Summer Nights by Kat Singleton
4.5
šš«šØš©šš¬:
- Fake dating
- Football player mmc
- Social media influencer mmc
- grumpy x sunshine
- Billionaire
- Forced proximity
- Age gap
Iām so sad this series is over. I loved all of these stories and characters so much!
Preston Rhodes is the ultimate book boyfriend! This. Man. He will have you in a choke hold from the first time you meet him. He is hot as hell and is absolutely obsessed with Emma in the best possible way. Emma is completely relatable. Sheās a fun girl who is silently suffering with her insecurities about her lack of direction in life.
Emma is spending the summer in the Hamptons to find herself when instead she finds herself crashing Prestonās sisterās wedding events and being caught up in a fake dating scheme with him.
The meet cute between Preston and Emma was so entertaining. Emmaās sass added a fun element to their fantastic banter and their chemistry was beyond off the charts. It didnāt take long for them to fall into bed (or a sauna, or massage table?) together because they were SO hot for each other.
Kat is a master of writing spice. She gives us 6 chapters in a row of tension, build up and spice which I loved, but afterwards I still wanted more because the connection between these characters is delicious!
Their relationship developed quite quickly and then we got a 2 month time jump to show that they have spent more time together and got to know one another given they burned so fast and bright. After that we got several more time jumps a few months at a time. Iām personally not a huge fan of lots of time jumps, however they worked and were necessary for the plot in this book.
Thank you so much to Kat Singleton, her team and VPR for the opportunity to read an ARC!
False Start by Kandi Steiner
4.0
ummm excuse me!? This is not the Kyle we all grew to be annoyed by in the previous books in this series. The redemption arc?! YES PLEASE.
It always blows my mind when the MMCs completely take you by surprise by exposing their history or trauma and show you the real person behind the mask/public persona. That's exactly what we get from Kyle in the fifth installment of the Red Zone Rivals.
THIS MAN IS OBSESSED. and as a result, so am I.
This book reads a little insta-lovey, BUT I will almost always give that a pass when it's a second chance romance. You know they've had feelings for one another before, so it's easier to believe they would fall back into that quickly.
I really loved this book and thought it was a great way to round out this series.
*spoilers ahead*
I'm not an accidental pregnancy girlie, but oh my god I did not mind that this was accidental pregnancy at all! I think it's because they were both genuinely so excited to be parents, the fact that she is a single mom and therefore has a child already, and that this is second chance. ESPECIALLY given how devastated Kyle is to find out the truth about their past. ughhhhhh it was just very good. very very good. I hate when the unexpected child becomes a point of conflict and there isn't even a flicker of doubt in either of them.
It always blows my mind when the MMCs completely take you by surprise by exposing their history or trauma and show you the real person behind the mask/public persona. That's exactly what we get from Kyle in the fifth installment of the Red Zone Rivals.
THIS MAN IS OBSESSED. and as a result, so am I.
This book reads a little insta-lovey, BUT I will almost always give that a pass when it's a second chance romance. You know they've had feelings for one another before, so it's easier to believe they would fall back into that quickly.
I really loved this book and thought it was a great way to round out this series.
*spoilers ahead*
I'm not an accidental pregnancy girlie, but oh my god I did not mind that this was accidental pregnancy at all! I think it's because they were both genuinely so excited to be parents, the fact that she is a single mom and therefore has a child already, and that this is second chance. ESPECIALLY given how devastated Kyle is to find out the truth about their past. ughhhhhh it was just very good. very very good. I hate when the unexpected child becomes a point of conflict and there isn't even a flicker of doubt in either of them.
Fated by Sarah Ready
3.5
"Fated" by Sarah Ready is like a cross between "The Seven Year Slip" and "Freaky Friday."
Although the story was a bit slow to grab my attention initially, it became truly interesting once the FMC and we, the readers, started to realize what was happening and how the magical realism element worked.
Max deserves better, but Aaron deserves all the good things in the world. I adored Aaron; he is an absolute gem of a human being. I just wanted to hug him and find a way for these two characters to come together and live happily ever after. Thankfully, thatās what we got in the end, though it was quite a journey to get there.
I am always struck by the creativity of magical realism, as it makes magic feel real. Sarah Ready crafted a unique magical component in this story that made me very invested in the characters and their story arcs.
Fiona's character arc focused on her desire to be loved but her struggle to let anyone in, fearing they might hurt her again. She feels she can love freely in her dreams but is afraid to love anyone in real life. Watching her discover what itās like to be truly loved and how she proceeds with her relationship decisions is both frustrating and satisfying in the long run.
Shakira Shute's performance was good, but it didnāt particularly stand out. The narration didnāt immediately draw me in or keep me engaged at the beginning. I contemplated DNFing in the first 20%, and I wondered if that was due to the narration. However, after reading a few other reviews, it seems many people weren't thrilled by the beginning of the book. It is worth sticking with it, as the payoff is worth the slow start.
Thank you to NetGalley and Swift & Lewis Publishing LLC for the ALC.
When We Lied by Claire Contreras
4.0
I really enjoyed When We Lied by Claire Contreras. The story features a morally grey hero who is also a professional hockey player, which was an intriguing combination for me. Iāll definitely need to go back and read the first book in the series!
Finn is the classic broody, alpha-hole type in the best morally grey way, while the female lead is a sweet sunshine that everyone wants to bask in. I loved the development of their relationship. What starts as a one-time hookup evolves into a deeper connection over time, spiced with early attraction but enriched by the journey they share. Their bonding over investigating Finn's sister's mysterious circumstances serves as the perfect catalyst for their relationship.
My only minor issue with the book is that it felt a bit longer than necessary at times. There were a few moments where I just wanted them to resolve things quicker, but thatās probably just my impatience.
The twist was well-executed! I didnāt see it coming until shortly before it was revealed, which added to the suspense and enjoyment.
The audiobook narration was fantastic, particularly Janine Grandaās performance. She truly embodied the characters and brought them to life.
Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape for the ALC!
Over the Limit by K. Bromberg
4.25
I would do just about anything for Lachlan Evans. This man was an unproblematic King in the wake of Blair's relationship with Rossi.
In the beginning I struggled with Blair's character, because she came across as a bit of a doormat. She allowed Rossi to behave terribly and say whatever hurtful thing he wanted to her entirely unchecked because he was familiar.
It wasn't until Lachlan had his internal "f- it" moment that Blair began to accept that Rossi's complete disregard for her and her feelings were not at all acceptable.
Lachlan was the man who wanted to worship the ground she walked on. Even when there were limitations and restrictions on what their relationship could look like in the beginning to protect both of their careers, he went out of his way to ensure she knew how he felt and what she deserved.
I appreciated exploring this different component of F1 in book three of this series: fighting for your seat on the grid and contract negotiations. This is a big component of Formula 1, but it's not typically a pretty side. K. Bromberg did a great job of exploring a new facet of this sport.
Thank you to Valentine PR and K. Bromberg for the early copy of Over The Limit.
In the beginning I struggled with Blair's character, because she came across as a bit of a doormat. She allowed Rossi to behave terribly and say whatever hurtful thing he wanted to her entirely unchecked because he was familiar.
It wasn't until Lachlan had his internal "f- it" moment that Blair began to accept that Rossi's complete disregard for her and her feelings were not at all acceptable.
Lachlan was the man who wanted to worship the ground she walked on. Even when there were limitations and restrictions on what their relationship could look like in the beginning to protect both of their careers, he went out of his way to ensure she knew how he felt and what she deserved.
I appreciated exploring this different component of F1 in book three of this series: fighting for your seat on the grid and contract negotiations. This is a big component of Formula 1, but it's not typically a pretty side. K. Bromberg did a great job of exploring a new facet of this sport.
Thank you to Valentine PR and K. Bromberg for the early copy of Over The Limit.
Heart Restoration Project by Beth Merlin, Danielle Modafferi
3.75
Tropes:
- dislike (him) to lovers
- misunderstood FMC
- chateau renovation
- reality tv show
- small town
- discovering town secrets
- workplace romance
- reality tv star from a famous family
- small town in France
- grumpy x sunshine
Plum Everly is a long time reality tv star who is trying to find herself in all the personas she has put on for the cameras over the years. She is the outcast of her family and is afraid of disappointing them further.
Plum goes through an interesting character arc. She is struggling with her personal identity and thinks she has finally found herself and love after heartbreak, only to realize not everything is as it seems. She struggles through her hurt and betrayal, but finds a new passion and excitement for what she wants in life through the struggle.
I would say this is light on the romance, because she is with a different character for a good chunk of the book which personally isn't my favourite, but I really loved how everything ended up coming together in the end.
Caroline Hewitt delivered an incredible performance. She executed a flawless progression of Plum learning french and delivered everything in an American accent then the gradual progression to her figuring out proper french pronunciations. Her french accent for the french characters was easy to understand but also very good!
- dislike (him) to lovers
- misunderstood FMC
- chateau renovation
- reality tv show
- small town
- discovering town secrets
- workplace romance
- reality tv star from a famous family
- small town in France
- grumpy x sunshine
Plum Everly is a long time reality tv star who is trying to find herself in all the personas she has put on for the cameras over the years. She is the outcast of her family and is afraid of disappointing them further.
Plum goes through an interesting character arc. She is struggling with her personal identity and thinks she has finally found herself and love after heartbreak, only to realize not everything is as it seems. She struggles through her hurt and betrayal, but finds a new passion and excitement for what she wants in life through the struggle.
I would say this is light on the romance, because she is with a different character for a good chunk of the book which personally isn't my favourite, but I really loved how everything ended up coming together in the end.
Caroline Hewitt delivered an incredible performance. She executed a flawless progression of Plum learning french and delivered everything in an American accent then the gradual progression to her figuring out proper french pronunciations. Her french accent for the french characters was easy to understand but also very good!
Special Delivery by Arnold Miles
3.5
Special Delivery gives us all the MM smutty-smut-smut. If that's what you're looking for you will enjoy this one. It's lighter on the romance and plot outside of the relationship and sexuality-awakening, so if you're looking for something more plot focused, this might not be for you.
The book is written from Tom's point of view. Tom loves and frequently enjoys no-strings-attached casual sex. He meets Matt, a straight ally, and they immediately hit it off and become great friends. Matt has never been interested or attracted to men before, but as his friendship with Tom grows and deepens he finds that for the first time, he is curious about and attracted to a man.
Tom is incredibly respectful and patient as he allows Matt to explore and discover his own sexuality. Tom introduces him to the idea of possibly identifying as demi, because Matt seems to struggle with having a physical connection to anyone he does not have a personal connection with.
This entire book was presented in a very sex positive light. There was no stewing in feelings of shame or negativity during Matt's self-discovery and Tom was nothing but supportive and open with him.
The narration was great. Nathan Wolfe delivered an enjoyable performance I had no qualms with. I did notice an audio editing error in the epilogue, and I believe there was one other editing error I noticed, but I cannot remember which chapter it was in. Given this was provided to me as and advanced listener copy, I hope they catch those errors before the audiobook is published, but it definitely happens!
Thank you to NetGalley and Arnold Miles for the audio ARC/ALC.
The book is written from Tom's point of view. Tom loves and frequently enjoys no-strings-attached casual sex. He meets Matt, a straight ally, and they immediately hit it off and become great friends. Matt has never been interested or attracted to men before, but as his friendship with Tom grows and deepens he finds that for the first time, he is curious about and attracted to a man.
Tom is incredibly respectful and patient as he allows Matt to explore and discover his own sexuality. Tom introduces him to the idea of possibly identifying as demi, because Matt seems to struggle with having a physical connection to anyone he does not have a personal connection with.
This entire book was presented in a very sex positive light. There was no stewing in feelings of shame or negativity during Matt's self-discovery and Tom was nothing but supportive and open with him.
The narration was great. Nathan Wolfe delivered an enjoyable performance I had no qualms with. I did notice an audio editing error in the epilogue, and I believe there was one other editing error I noticed, but I cannot remember which chapter it was in. Given this was provided to me as and advanced listener copy, I hope they catch those errors before the audiobook is published, but it definitely happens!
Thank you to NetGalley and Arnold Miles for the audio ARC/ALC.
The Love Hack by Sophie Ranald
1.75
This just didn't do it for me.
The concept was cute, but the execution fell completely flat for me.
I found the FMC to be unlikeable and lacked any sort of substance. She came across as a bit of a clueless doormat and honestly didn't experience much growth.
The MMC on the other hand? Had a crush on the FMC, hooked up with one of the girls with her at her sister's bachelorette party, then realized that even though he still liked the FMC he would just keeping hanging out and hooking up with this other girl for like 85% of the book.
Then suddenly they're together after she flew half way around the world, so she could stalk her sister's husband to prove to herself that he's maybe, probably going to cheat on her sister, then she decided to not tell her sister until it was dragged out of her.
I liked the work setting, but the fact that they were with different people for most of the book and the insanely excessive amount of shy looks and blushing on both of their parts made them sound like children with their first crush.
The best part about this book and the only reason I really continued to listen to it is because Harrie Dobby's narration was very well done. Even though the story didn't work for me, she still delivered an enjoyable performance.
Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape for the ALC.
The concept was cute, but the execution fell completely flat for me.
I found the FMC to be unlikeable and lacked any sort of substance. She came across as a bit of a clueless doormat and honestly didn't experience much growth.
The MMC on the other hand? Had a crush on the FMC, hooked up with one of the girls with her at her sister's bachelorette party, then realized that even though he still liked the FMC he would just keeping hanging out and hooking up with this other girl for like 85% of the book.
Then suddenly they're together after she flew half way around the world, so she could stalk her sister's husband to prove to herself that he's maybe, probably going to cheat on her sister, then she decided to not tell her sister until it was dragged out of her.
I liked the work setting, but the fact that they were with different people for most of the book and the insanely excessive amount of shy looks and blushing on both of their parts made them sound like children with their first crush.
The best part about this book and the only reason I really continued to listen to it is because Harrie Dobby's narration was very well done. Even though the story didn't work for me, she still delivered an enjoyable performance.
Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape for the ALC.
Leather & Lark by Brynne Weaver
3.75
I loved most of this book, but it was no Butcher & Blackbird. I'm not sure if I went into this with unrealistic expectations, because I loved how unique B&B was, but there were parts of this one that fell flat for me.
First of all, the pizza scene. The content warnings made it sound like the pizza scene was going to be worse than the cookies & cream ice cream scene, and it just didn't shock me the way the cookies and cream scene in B&B did? Maybe because it wasn't directly related to either of the MCs?
I really liked the way this book started out - it truly set the unhinged scene and the enemies to lovers vibes I was excited about. Also, marriage of convenience is always a trope I will get excited about, because I love the creativity or humanity behind the reasoning for getting married.
That said, once Lachlan and Lark actually got married, all the delicious tension and chemistry established just completely fizzled out for me. There seemed to be a long stretch where nothing really happened and the story felt unnecessarily dragged out. Even once the spice hit, I wasn't convinced they had any chemistry anymore, so it felt kind of forced. They ended up convincing me and pulling me back in towards the end, but I do feel the middle was missing some vital components to make this book truly what I hoped it would be.
What I really loved was that Lachlan had no idea how deranged and unhinged Lark was until after he found her trophies. I liked that she caught him off guard and was the furthest thing from what he expected. I also loved the dichotomy of her love for all things pretty, sparkly and crafty and how polarizing it was to how vindictive and vengeful she could be.
I also found there were less moments where the comedy really hit the way it did in B&B. I found myself laughing frequently while reading/listening to B&B, and I don't recall really laughing much at all in L&L except perhaps in the fireworks scene at the beginning?
This sounds like a lot of criticism, but Butcher & Blackbird truly set the bar high. I still really enjoyed this book, but it doesn't compare to B&B in my mind, and it definitely could have been shorter or built up in the middle.
When discussing this book with a friend, she mentioned she felt this could have been a situation of an indie author going trad and losing their voice, and although I seriously hope that's not the case, I can't help but think she may be on to something with that point.
As is expected, the duet narration by Samantha Brentmoor and Eric Nolan was great. It was particularly risky that Lark was such a musical character and loved to sing, but Samantha didn't shy away from singing when required. I'm not 100% sure if it's because I listened to the audiobook at 2x speed or if it was intentional, but there were many times where Samantha was laughing or giggling to portray how the interaction played out, but every single time she laughed it sounded absolutely unhinged - even in moments, where an unhinged laugh wasn't necessary, that's how it came off and I didn't always love it when it wasn't warranted. But, take that with a grain of salt - as I said, I listened at 2x speed and that could have been part of the reason it sounded that way.
First of all, the pizza scene. The content warnings made it sound like the pizza scene was going to be worse than the cookies & cream ice cream scene, and it just didn't shock me the way the cookies and cream scene in B&B did? Maybe because it wasn't directly related to either of the MCs?
I really liked the way this book started out - it truly set the unhinged scene and the enemies to lovers vibes I was excited about. Also, marriage of convenience is always a trope I will get excited about, because I love the creativity or humanity behind the reasoning for getting married.
That said, once Lachlan and Lark actually got married, all the delicious tension and chemistry established just completely fizzled out for me. There seemed to be a long stretch where nothing really happened and the story felt unnecessarily dragged out. Even once the spice hit, I wasn't convinced they had any chemistry anymore, so it felt kind of forced. They ended up convincing me and pulling me back in towards the end, but I do feel the middle was missing some vital components to make this book truly what I hoped it would be.
What I really loved was that Lachlan had no idea how deranged and unhinged Lark was until after he found her trophies. I liked that she caught him off guard and was the furthest thing from what he expected. I also loved the dichotomy of her love for all things pretty, sparkly and crafty and how polarizing it was to how vindictive and vengeful she could be.
I also found there were less moments where the comedy really hit the way it did in B&B. I found myself laughing frequently while reading/listening to B&B, and I don't recall really laughing much at all in L&L except perhaps in the fireworks scene at the beginning?
This sounds like a lot of criticism, but Butcher & Blackbird truly set the bar high. I still really enjoyed this book, but it doesn't compare to B&B in my mind, and it definitely could have been shorter or built up in the middle.
When discussing this book with a friend, she mentioned she felt this could have been a situation of an indie author going trad and losing their voice, and although I seriously hope that's not the case, I can't help but think she may be on to something with that point.
As is expected, the duet narration by Samantha Brentmoor and Eric Nolan was great. It was particularly risky that Lark was such a musical character and loved to sing, but Samantha didn't shy away from singing when required. I'm not 100% sure if it's because I listened to the audiobook at 2x speed or if it was intentional, but there were many times where Samantha was laughing or giggling to portray how the interaction played out, but every single time she laughed it sounded absolutely unhinged - even in moments, where an unhinged laugh wasn't necessary, that's how it came off and I didn't always love it when it wasn't warranted. But, take that with a grain of salt - as I said, I listened at 2x speed and that could have been part of the reason it sounded that way.
Not in Love by Ali Hazelwood
slow-paced
3.5
Not in Love - Ali Hazelwood
* Women in STEM
* He's obsessed, falls first & falls harder
* Her spiciest book yet
* Rivals to lovers
* Workplace romance
* Secrets
I have really mixed feelings and I'm not sure how to rate this one just yet. But I'm leaning towards 3.75. I liked this book, but I wanted so much more from it at the same time.
Rue grew up impoverished. She is self-proclaimed, weird with food, due to her childhood trauma surrounding food insecurity. She also struggles with reading people and navigating social cues. She exudes a number of traits similar to that of people on the autism spectrum, but it is unclear throughout the entire book (unless I missed something) if she is on the spectrum, or if some of these traits are related to her upbringing.
Eli is a golden retriever. He will essentially do or be anything to get Rue's attention. It's endearing the way he wants to learn everything about her and do everything he can for her. There are times it comes off slightly desperate but he's just so gone for her it's cute. Also, I love his dog Tiny!
I found Not In Love lacked plot, and the very minimal plot that was there was very predictable. I would have liked the reason for the "villain's" actions and decisions to be more complex than just "I didn't have a choice, half heartedly blaming another person who is no longer in their life, then turning around and doing it again with zero justification other than "what else was I supposed to do?" and a disingenuous "sorry".
90% of this story was Rue putting up walls and Eli doing his best to smash through them, but like.. respectfully.
This couple did have chemistry, and the amount of spice in this book clearly demonstrated it. Rue struggled with social interactions and communication, so Eli resorted to communicating with her almost exclusively through hooking up. I would have liked to see some more relationship development outside of the bedroom.
I did really like the trauma bonding and sharing of the horrible stories about themselves. It helped demonstrate the level of trust they were working on developing.
I absolutely loved the work Rue was was working on and appreciated how it connected to her story. I hope it is something that could actually be created one day.
Ali always does an excellent job of representing women in STEM and the struggles with living that academia life. There is no question she did that again.
One thing that I found slightly frustrating though, was as someone who considers myself well educated, there were so many uses of unnecessarily large or overtly complex words that were unrelated to the science. As someone who is not a scientist by trade, I expect to not know all the science-y verbiage, but there were several situations where I found myself stopping to google a word that I was unfamiliar with, that was entirely unrelated to the science. It made me question my own vocabulary. I understand that Ali is an incredibly well educated woman, but some of the language and syntax felt unnecessarily complex.
Thank you to NetGalley, Berkeley Romance and Alida Hazelwood for the opportunity to read and advanced copy of Not In Love.
* Women in STEM
* He's obsessed, falls first & falls harder
* Her spiciest book yet
* Rivals to lovers
* Workplace romance
* Secrets
I have really mixed feelings and I'm not sure how to rate this one just yet. But I'm leaning towards 3.75. I liked this book, but I wanted so much more from it at the same time.
Rue grew up impoverished. She is self-proclaimed, weird with food, due to her childhood trauma surrounding food insecurity. She also struggles with reading people and navigating social cues. She exudes a number of traits similar to that of people on the autism spectrum, but it is unclear throughout the entire book (unless I missed something) if she is on the spectrum, or if some of these traits are related to her upbringing.
Eli is a golden retriever. He will essentially do or be anything to get Rue's attention. It's endearing the way he wants to learn everything about her and do everything he can for her. There are times it comes off slightly desperate but he's just so gone for her it's cute. Also, I love his dog Tiny!
I found Not In Love lacked plot, and the very minimal plot that was there was very predictable. I would have liked the reason for the "villain's" actions and decisions to be more complex than just "I didn't have a choice, half heartedly blaming another person who is no longer in their life, then turning around and doing it again with zero justification other than "what else was I supposed to do?" and a disingenuous "sorry".
90% of this story was Rue putting up walls and Eli doing his best to smash through them, but like.. respectfully.
This couple did have chemistry, and the amount of spice in this book clearly demonstrated it. Rue struggled with social interactions and communication, so Eli resorted to communicating with her almost exclusively through hooking up. I would have liked to see some more relationship development outside of the bedroom.
I did really like the trauma bonding and sharing of the horrible stories about themselves. It helped demonstrate the level of trust they were working on developing.
I absolutely loved the work Rue was was working on and appreciated how it connected to her story. I hope it is something that could actually be created one day.
Ali always does an excellent job of representing women in STEM and the struggles with living that academia life. There is no question she did that again.
One thing that I found slightly frustrating though, was as someone who considers myself well educated, there were so many uses of unnecessarily large or overtly complex words that were unrelated to the science. As someone who is not a scientist by trade, I expect to not know all the science-y verbiage, but there were several situations where I found myself stopping to google a word that I was unfamiliar with, that was entirely unrelated to the science. It made me question my own vocabulary. I understand that Ali is an incredibly well educated woman, but some of the language and syntax felt unnecessarily complex.
Thank you to NetGalley, Berkeley Romance and Alida Hazelwood for the opportunity to read and advanced copy of Not In Love.