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shaysshelf's reviews
150 reviews
Collide by Bal Khabra
3.75
This book had so much potential to be a 5 star read read for me!
Overall, I really liked this book. It was a sweet, fun and sexy hockey romance which can never really go wrong in my books! I adored the MMC and his character arc.
I went into this fully prepared to watch the hockey play boy MMC have to do the growing and maturing in the relationship, but that wasn't the case at all.
Yes, he was a hockey play boy who got around, but he seemed to be the mature one in the relationship. In the beginning I liked her. She was a strong and determined FMC which I appreciated. But the more I learned about her the more I recognized her immaturity and she came off as whiney.
The first moment that really gave me the ick is when the MMC was waiting for her to go on a Ferris wheel and another girl approached him, so completely out of nowhere she turned to the guy she had been talking to and told him to kiss her.
The next thing that rubbed me the wrong way was her relationship with her father. She is absolutely valid in her resentful feelings for him not being around much during her childhood because he was traveling as a professional hockey player. However, the way she handled that relationship was very immature in my opinion.
Max Meyers absolutely crushed the audio narration. They have become one of my favourite hockey romance narrators! Julia Knippen also did a good job!
Overall, I really liked this book. It was a sweet, fun and sexy hockey romance which can never really go wrong in my books! I adored the MMC and his character arc.
I went into this fully prepared to watch the hockey play boy MMC have to do the growing and maturing in the relationship, but that wasn't the case at all.
Yes, he was a hockey play boy who got around, but he seemed to be the mature one in the relationship. In the beginning I liked her. She was a strong and determined FMC which I appreciated. But the more I learned about her the more I recognized her immaturity and she came off as whiney.
The first moment that really gave me the ick is when the MMC was waiting for her to go on a Ferris wheel and another girl approached him, so completely out of nowhere she turned to the guy she had been talking to and told him to kiss her.
The next thing that rubbed me the wrong way was her relationship with her father. She is absolutely valid in her resentful feelings for him not being around much during her childhood because he was traveling as a professional hockey player. However, the way she handled that relationship was very immature in my opinion.
Max Meyers absolutely crushed the audio narration. They have become one of my favourite hockey romance narrators! Julia Knippen also did a good job!
Collide by Bal Khabra
3.75
This book had so much potential to be a 5 star read read for me!
Overall, I really liked this book. It was a sweet, fun and sexy hockey romance which can never really go wrong in my books! I adored the MMC and his character arc.
I went into this fully prepared to watch the hockey play boy MMC have to do the growing and maturing in the relationship, but that wasn't the case at all.
Yes, he was a hockey play boy who got around, but he seemed to be the mature one in the relationship. In the beginning I liked her. She was a strong and determined FMC which I appreciated. But the more I learned about her the more I recognized her immaturity and she came off as whiney.
The first moment that really gave me the ick is when the MMC was waiting for her to go on a Ferris wheel and another girl approached him, so completely out of nowhere she turned to the guy she had been talking to and told him to kiss her.
The next thing that rubbed me the wrong way was her relationship with her father. She is absolutely valid in her resentful feelings for him not being around much during her childhood because he was traveling as a professional hockey player. However, the way she handled that relationship was very immature in my opinion.
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for the ARC.
Overall, I really liked this book. It was a sweet, fun and sexy hockey romance which can never really go wrong in my books! I adored the MMC and his character arc.
I went into this fully prepared to watch the hockey play boy MMC have to do the growing and maturing in the relationship, but that wasn't the case at all.
Yes, he was a hockey play boy who got around, but he seemed to be the mature one in the relationship. In the beginning I liked her. She was a strong and determined FMC which I appreciated. But the more I learned about her the more I recognized her immaturity and she came off as whiney.
The first moment that really gave me the ick is when the MMC was waiting for her to go on a Ferris wheel and another girl approached him, so completely out of nowhere she turned to the guy she had been talking to and told him to kiss her.
The next thing that rubbed me the wrong way was her relationship with her father. She is absolutely valid in her resentful feelings for him not being around much during her childhood because he was traveling as a professional hockey player. However, the way she handled that relationship was very immature in my opinion.
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for the ARC.
Rising Sun by Donna Grant
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
3.5
overall 3.5 stars Yasmin & Ravi
ARC: 4 stars
This was a great read for the first book in a fantasy series. I honestly haven't read a lot of fantasy involving elves, so it was fun to learn more about these magical creatures. This story lead Yasmin & Ravi on an exhilarating quest. Yasmin, a human who seriously hates elves, is forced to lead Ravi, an elf not super fond of humans, to a top secret place of debauchery - a place she barely escaped with her life. They're on a mission to break in, retrieve a weapon that is intended to be used against the elves and get out alive without being caught.
It's an exciting adventure with some interesting world building. The character development is solid. It was heartwarming to see Yasmin open up to Ravi and Ravi fall for her once he begins to understand her more. Yasmin is a very strong FMC. She has been through some incredibly horrific things, but still opened her heart to take in and care for abandoned and abused human children, kept her word on the mission regardless of having several opportunities to attempt an escape and faced her trauma head on like an absolute bad@ss.
ALC: 3 stars
In fantasy books where the POV is regularly shifting, I think it's important to either have multiple narrators or distinctive voices for even internal dialogue between the various characters.
I'll be honest in saying Shane East isn't my favourite narrator. He didn't deliver a bad performance by any means, however I do feel like there was room for improvement or this book would have been better off if narrated by a female or a voice actor with more dynamic tone. Personally, I really don't like Shane East's version of a female voice and that's the main reason I'm not a fan of his narration. I feel as though I would enjoy it more if he did works in duet narration. As the only narrator, there were times were times where I couldn't tell whether he was narrating from the FMC or the MMCs POV, as even the internal dialogue was delivered with the same tone.
Thank you to NetGalley, Donna Grant and Tantor Audio for the ALC & ARC.
ARC: 4 stars
This was a great read for the first book in a fantasy series. I honestly haven't read a lot of fantasy involving elves, so it was fun to learn more about these magical creatures. This story lead Yasmin & Ravi on an exhilarating quest. Yasmin, a human who seriously hates elves, is forced to lead Ravi, an elf not super fond of humans, to a top secret place of debauchery - a place she barely escaped with her life. They're on a mission to break in, retrieve a weapon that is intended to be used against the elves and get out alive without being caught.
It's an exciting adventure with some interesting world building. The character development is solid. It was heartwarming to see Yasmin open up to Ravi and Ravi fall for her once he begins to understand her more. Yasmin is a very strong FMC. She has been through some incredibly horrific things, but still opened her heart to take in and care for abandoned and abused human children, kept her word on the mission regardless of having several opportunities to attempt an escape and faced her trauma head on like an absolute bad@ss.
ALC: 3 stars
In fantasy books where the POV is regularly shifting, I think it's important to either have multiple narrators or distinctive voices for even internal dialogue between the various characters.
I'll be honest in saying Shane East isn't my favourite narrator. He didn't deliver a bad performance by any means, however I do feel like there was room for improvement or this book would have been better off if narrated by a female or a voice actor with more dynamic tone. Personally, I really don't like Shane East's version of a female voice and that's the main reason I'm not a fan of his narration. I feel as though I would enjoy it more if he did works in duet narration. As the only narrator, there were times were times where I couldn't tell whether he was narrating from the FMC or the MMCs POV, as even the internal dialogue was delivered with the same tone.
Thank you to NetGalley, Donna Grant and Tantor Audio for the ALC & ARC.
Summer After Summer by Lauren Bailey
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
If you enjoyed Every Summer After by Carley Fortune, Summer After Summer by Lauren Bailey might be right up your alley.
This book offers a second chance at romance with a dual timeline, featuring star-crossed lovers Fred and Olivia. They meet at a young age, around sixteen, and come up with a five-year plan when they realize their relationship might not survive their current circumstances. However, before they can see it through, everything falls apart. Throughout the years, they find themselves crossing paths every five years or so, but the timing is never quite right.
Olivia returns home after a long absence, prompted by her father's need to sell the family estate in the Hamptons following her mother's passing and his own financial troubles.
The twist near the end of the story pleasantly surprised me; I had my suspicions but couldn't quite predict the outcome, which added to the enjoyment.
One aspect I particularly appreciated was the portrayal of Olivia as a female athlete. As a young tennis player pursuing a professional career, her journey was inspiring to witness, as she worked tirelessly to achieve her dreams.
While I found Fred to be an endearing character, with his flaws and questionable choices, I couldn't help but wish for more depth and character development for Olivia. Her lack of relationships with her family members was somewhat intriguing and I would have loved delving deeper into these dynamics.
Megan Tusing delivered a solid performance in narrating the book, but it didn't particularly stand out. While there were no issues with the narration itself, I couldn't help but wonder if the single point-of-view nature of the book affected Tusing's performance, especially considering Olivia's somewhat whiny persona.
Overall, "Summer After Summer" was an engaging read, and I'm grateful to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the ALC.
This book offers a second chance at romance with a dual timeline, featuring star-crossed lovers Fred and Olivia. They meet at a young age, around sixteen, and come up with a five-year plan when they realize their relationship might not survive their current circumstances. However, before they can see it through, everything falls apart. Throughout the years, they find themselves crossing paths every five years or so, but the timing is never quite right.
Olivia returns home after a long absence, prompted by her father's need to sell the family estate in the Hamptons following her mother's passing and his own financial troubles.
The twist near the end of the story pleasantly surprised me; I had my suspicions but couldn't quite predict the outcome, which added to the enjoyment.
One aspect I particularly appreciated was the portrayal of Olivia as a female athlete. As a young tennis player pursuing a professional career, her journey was inspiring to witness, as she worked tirelessly to achieve her dreams.
While I found Fred to be an endearing character, with his flaws and questionable choices, I couldn't help but wish for more depth and character development for Olivia. Her lack of relationships with her family members was somewhat intriguing and I would have loved delving deeper into these dynamics.
Megan Tusing delivered a solid performance in narrating the book, but it didn't particularly stand out. While there were no issues with the narration itself, I couldn't help but wonder if the single point-of-view nature of the book affected Tusing's performance, especially considering Olivia's somewhat whiny persona.
Overall, "Summer After Summer" was an engaging read, and I'm grateful to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the ALC.
The Deer and the Dragon by Piper C.J.
slow-paced
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
There were a number of elements about this story that I genuinely enjoyed, particularly the writing. It was easy to read, descriptive and smooth. The narration by Luna Rey was fantastic! I honestly continued listening to the end because of her narration. Her voices were consistent and well executed. Her narration was smooth and easy to listen too.
Something I struggled with was the pacing. Although the writing was good and the narration great, I found the pace to be quite slow and it didn't hold my attention at times. I lacked the ability to stay focused and interested in the story and even dozed off a couple times.
I found that the FMC, Marlow, lacked maturity. She clearly had a lot of trauma and struggled with her mental health, but even so. I would have loved for some more character development and self awareness. I typically love a quiet, brooding, alpha male, but I wanted more from our MMC. There is a lot of mystery surrounding him in the beginning of the book and I would have liked more time with him to become more invested in his character.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ALC.
Something I struggled with was the pacing. Although the writing was good and the narration great, I found the pace to be quite slow and it didn't hold my attention at times. I lacked the ability to stay focused and interested in the story and even dozed off a couple times.
I found that the FMC, Marlow, lacked maturity. She clearly had a lot of trauma and struggled with her mental health, but even so. I would have loved for some more character development and self awareness. I typically love a quiet, brooding, alpha male, but I wanted more from our MMC. There is a lot of mystery surrounding him in the beginning of the book and I would have liked more time with him to become more invested in his character.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ALC.
The Letters We Keep by Nisha Sharma
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
Ravi & Jessie
- college romance
- rich boy x poor girl
- good guy everyone likes who's actually a good guy
- he's giving Austin Ames vibes IYKYK - wants to be a writer, but parents have his future already pre-determined for him.
- dual pov
- letters from the past between chapters
- secretly hanging out
- forced proximity (working on an assignment together)
- opposites attract
- solving the mystery around the school's haunted legend
- virginia FMC
- women in STEM
This was cute and a very quick read. Jessie is an engineering student who is focused on working hard to keep her scholarship to get a career that will allow her to support her family. Ravi comes from a family of who has made major waves in the tech industry and has expectations of him following in their footsteps, except he has a passion for writing fiction and his family does not see that as a viable career.
I really liked the mystery surrounding the school's legend of the fire. When Jessie and Ravi find some old letters between secret lovers from 50 years ago they believe it's in relation to the legend and are determined to figure out who these star crossed lovers are. This and the battle of the library study room was a fun way to bring these characters who are seemingly outside of one anothers orbit together.
The Relationship development seemed like a medium-burn, but as soon as it hit, everything happened a little too fast for me. In one scene Jessie is freaking out about the fact that she had her very first kiss ever with Ravi, then we have a time jump where she has been avoiding him for a few days and next thing you know they are sleeping together. It just started to feel a little rushed to me in the second half.
Thank you to NetGalley and Skyscape for the ARC.
- college romance
- rich boy x poor girl
- good guy everyone likes who's actually a good guy
- he's giving Austin Ames vibes IYKYK - wants to be a writer, but parents have his future already pre-determined for him.
- dual pov
- letters from the past between chapters
- secretly hanging out
- forced proximity (working on an assignment together)
- opposites attract
- solving the mystery around the school's haunted legend
- virginia FMC
- women in STEM
This was cute and a very quick read. Jessie is an engineering student who is focused on working hard to keep her scholarship to get a career that will allow her to support her family. Ravi comes from a family of who has made major waves in the tech industry and has expectations of him following in their footsteps, except he has a passion for writing fiction and his family does not see that as a viable career.
I really liked the mystery surrounding the school's legend of the fire. When Jessie and Ravi find some old letters between secret lovers from 50 years ago they believe it's in relation to the legend and are determined to figure out who these star crossed lovers are. This and the battle of the library study room was a fun way to bring these characters who are seemingly outside of one anothers orbit together.
The Relationship development seemed like a medium-burn, but as soon as it hit, everything happened a little too fast for me. In one scene Jessie is freaking out about the fact that she had her very first kiss ever with Ravi, then we have a time jump where she has been avoiding him for a few days and next thing you know they are sleeping together. It just started to feel a little rushed to me in the second half.
Thank you to NetGalley and Skyscape for the ARC.
All My Love by Morgan Elizabeth
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
𝐩𝐮𝐛 𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞: May 3, 2024
𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬: Atlas Oaks #1
𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: contemporary romance
𝐩𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬: 383
𝐩𝐨𝐯: dual
𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬:
- childhood friends to lovers
- second chance, dual timeline
- rockstar x song writer
- small town
- forbidden romance
- close proximity
- has a dog
- it's always been you
- found family
- matching tattoos
- secret marriage
CW/TW:
- emotionally abusive parent
- death of a parent (off page)
- alcoholism
- depression
Wow. Morgan Elizabeth really stepped out of her comfort zone to deliver us this incredible story inspired by Sweet Home Alabama, the Notebook and Noah Kahan! I would have argued that this book is very TTPD coded - especially because I know Morgan is a Swiftie, but I had this ARC on my kindle before Tortured Poets dropped.
All My Love delivered so much emotion - the type of love, friendship, utter heartbreak and healing that can only be exchanged by those with a soul deep connection. Morgan rakes us through the coals of heartbreak outside of the primary relationship too. We have a young boy who lost his mother to cancer, then watched his father drink himself to oblivion, repeatedly be told he will never be good enough for the girl he loves and battling the same demons he resented his father for struggling with. We have a young girl who is verbally torn to shreds by her mother whom she is only seeking love and approval from, while constantly being pitted against her twin sister, battling depression and watching the love of her life spiral into the lifestyle of a rockstar.
The story had so much depth and impact - the love was all consuming, the hurt was shattering and both Stella and Riggins are the epitome of tortured poets. Stella is a successful songwriter who found her love of music writing songs with her childhood sweetheart, best friend and musician Riggs. It's been years since she left - he's been sober, unable to write songs and decides it's finally time to return to his small town when he finds out they've been married for years.
Thank you so much to Valentine PR and Morgan Elizabeth for the opportunity to read an ARC.
𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬: Atlas Oaks #1
𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: contemporary romance
𝐩𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬: 383
𝐩𝐨𝐯: dual
𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬:
- childhood friends to lovers
- second chance, dual timeline
- rockstar x song writer
- small town
- forbidden romance
- close proximity
- has a dog
- it's always been you
- found family
- matching tattoos
- secret marriage
CW/TW:
- emotionally abusive parent
- death of a parent (off page)
- alcoholism
- depression
Wow. Morgan Elizabeth really stepped out of her comfort zone to deliver us this incredible story inspired by Sweet Home Alabama, the Notebook and Noah Kahan! I would have argued that this book is very TTPD coded - especially because I know Morgan is a Swiftie, but I had this ARC on my kindle before Tortured Poets dropped.
All My Love delivered so much emotion - the type of love, friendship, utter heartbreak and healing that can only be exchanged by those with a soul deep connection. Morgan rakes us through the coals of heartbreak outside of the primary relationship too. We have a young boy who lost his mother to cancer, then watched his father drink himself to oblivion, repeatedly be told he will never be good enough for the girl he loves and battling the same demons he resented his father for struggling with. We have a young girl who is verbally torn to shreds by her mother whom she is only seeking love and approval from, while constantly being pitted against her twin sister, battling depression and watching the love of her life spiral into the lifestyle of a rockstar.
The story had so much depth and impact - the love was all consuming, the hurt was shattering and both Stella and Riggins are the epitome of tortured poets. Stella is a successful songwriter who found her love of music writing songs with her childhood sweetheart, best friend and musician Riggs. It's been years since she left - he's been sober, unable to write songs and decides it's finally time to return to his small town when he finds out they've been married for years.
Thank you so much to Valentine PR and Morgan Elizabeth for the opportunity to read an ARC.
It Kills Me by Penelope Sky
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Scarlett & Axel
This book came out swinging. We are introduced to Axel almost immediately and wastes no time to se the tone. That tone being that he wants Scarlett and is willing to do whatever it takes to get her.
This book gives major insta lust/love vibes. Axel is a playboy and the second Scarlett stops resisting him and changes her tune, he drops all his other girls and is entirely focused and committed to her.
I appreciate how smart Scarlett is. She has a good head on her shoulders and although she is definitely naive to who her father truly is due to his manipulations, I like that she isn't as naive as they think she is.
Because this is such a quick read/listen their relationship develops quickly. It's fast paced and leads with their mutual sexual attraction, but quickly develops into more. There is something enticing about the secrecy of it all, except they don't really do much different to dissuade her father from believing they are together.
I loved how deep we got to get with Axel so quickly. It was heartbreaking to see his reaction to Scarlett believing his side of the story in relation to his past - also the way he was so torn up about his father's reaction to him near the end. His character arc was fantastic.
Given this ended on a bit of a cliffhanger that was a "third act break up" my heart hurts for Scarlett, but I hope she is able to keep her head and use her logic through what is to come for her. I can't wait to see how her character arc develops.
The narration by Ramona Master and Michael Ferraiuolo was well executed. Michael in particular really brough Axel's character to life in my mind.
Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the ALC.
Tropes:
- mafia boss x different mafia boss' daughter
- workplace romance
- forbidden romance
- insta lust
- possessive MCs
- good guy with a bad guy reputation
This book came out swinging. We are introduced to Axel almost immediately and wastes no time to se the tone. That tone being that he wants Scarlett and is willing to do whatever it takes to get her.
This book gives major insta lust/love vibes. Axel is a playboy and the second Scarlett stops resisting him and changes her tune, he drops all his other girls and is entirely focused and committed to her.
I appreciate how smart Scarlett is. She has a good head on her shoulders and although she is definitely naive to who her father truly is due to his manipulations, I like that she isn't as naive as they think she is.
Because this is such a quick read/listen their relationship develops quickly. It's fast paced and leads with their mutual sexual attraction, but quickly develops into more. There is something enticing about the secrecy of it all, except they don't really do much different to dissuade her father from believing they are together.
I loved how deep we got to get with Axel so quickly. It was heartbreaking to see his reaction to Scarlett believing his side of the story in relation to his past - also the way he was so torn up about his father's reaction to him near the end. His character arc was fantastic.
Given this ended on a bit of a cliffhanger that was a "third act break up" my heart hurts for Scarlett, but I hope she is able to keep her head and use her logic through what is to come for her. I can't wait to see how her character arc develops.
The narration by Ramona Master and Michael Ferraiuolo was well executed. Michael in particular really brough Axel's character to life in my mind.
Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the ALC.
Tropes:
- mafia boss x different mafia boss' daughter
- workplace romance
- forbidden romance
- insta lust
- possessive MCs
- good guy with a bad guy reputation
Burnout by Rebecca Jenshak
challenging
emotional
hopeful
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
- professional dirt bike rider
- olympic medal gymnast
- dislike to lovers
- he doesn't do relationships
- she wants to try casual hookups after being cheated on
- hot tatted grumpy bad boy who is a total softie on the inside
- he's given up everything to take care of his family
holy smokes. 5 fricken stars. I've had so many 4 and 4.5 star reads recently, I really needed a solid 5 star book and Rebecca Jenshak really did it for me with this one.
I was obsessing over how much I loved Avery and drooling and swooning over Knox. Avery was such a fun character to me. She was super girly and loved all things pink, but was a total badass in the gym and never said no to a challenge. Having the mental strength to overcome the doubts of competing at a top tier level in any sport after a serious injury is an uphill battle. But the way Knox supported Avery and helped her overcome her fears and insecurities was so heartwarming.
Knox had to drop out of school to take care of his young brothers after his mother died of cancer (off page), his dad took off, and his older brother was away at college on a full ride football scholarship. He got a job, worked hard and gave up his own dream of riding/racing dirt bikes professionally. After his family convinces him to go pursue his dream, he finds himself getting kicked off his team because his teammate is an asshat. Now he needs to occupy his time training and proving he can be a team player in hopes that any team will pick him back up for the next season. His friend who is a trick rider convinces Knox to come out with his team. Knox finds himself paired up with Avery to do some gymnastics to improve his body control while he is executing tricks.
I loved every second of this book. Avery and Knox's chemistry was literal perfection. Their character growth was empowering and heartwarming. I loved that as readers we got to peel back Knox's walls layer by layer to find out who he truly is - the sweetest cinnamon roll with a crusty outside.
I'm a huge fan of romance novels where both the MMC and FMC are athletes. Rebecca really did Avery justice by showing off how many sides of Avery there were - competitive, fun, flirty, strong, determined, kind, caring, and so much more!
Excuse me while I go back and read Rebecca's entire back list.
Thank you so much to Rebecca Jenshak and Valentine PR for the ARC!
- olympic medal gymnast
- dislike to lovers
- he doesn't do relationships
- she wants to try casual hookups after being cheated on
- hot tatted grumpy bad boy who is a total softie on the inside
- he's given up everything to take care of his family
holy smokes. 5 fricken stars. I've had so many 4 and 4.5 star reads recently, I really needed a solid 5 star book and Rebecca Jenshak really did it for me with this one.
I was obsessing over how much I loved Avery and drooling and swooning over Knox. Avery was such a fun character to me. She was super girly and loved all things pink, but was a total badass in the gym and never said no to a challenge. Having the mental strength to overcome the doubts of competing at a top tier level in any sport after a serious injury is an uphill battle. But the way Knox supported Avery and helped her overcome her fears and insecurities was so heartwarming.
Knox had to drop out of school to take care of his young brothers after his mother died of cancer (off page), his dad took off, and his older brother was away at college on a full ride football scholarship. He got a job, worked hard and gave up his own dream of riding/racing dirt bikes professionally. After his family convinces him to go pursue his dream, he finds himself getting kicked off his team because his teammate is an asshat. Now he needs to occupy his time training and proving he can be a team player in hopes that any team will pick him back up for the next season. His friend who is a trick rider convinces Knox to come out with his team. Knox finds himself paired up with Avery to do some gymnastics to improve his body control while he is executing tricks.
I loved every second of this book. Avery and Knox's chemistry was literal perfection. Their character growth was empowering and heartwarming. I loved that as readers we got to peel back Knox's walls layer by layer to find out who he truly is - the sweetest cinnamon roll with a crusty outside.
I'm a huge fan of romance novels where both the MMC and FMC are athletes. Rebecca really did Avery justice by showing off how many sides of Avery there were - competitive, fun, flirty, strong, determined, kind, caring, and so much more!
Excuse me while I go back and read Rebecca's entire back list.
Thank you so much to Rebecca Jenshak and Valentine PR for the ARC!
How to End a Love Story by Yulin Kuang
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
This was such a beautiful story of love, pain and healing. A truly unique story with so much promise for what Yulin will bring us in the future!
It was sweet, spicy and tender. There were moments where rough edges were exposed and these two, the most unlikely of lovers, smoothed each other out.
There was so much to adore about this story. The characters and even the side characters were so well developed.
Grant is just... I have no words for the way I love that man. 🥹
Sometimes I find when books are written in third person it loses some of the emotional impact because of that degree of separation from the character. I think if this was written in first person it would have been a 5 star for me!
The narration from Andrew Eiden and Kathrine Chin was fantastic. They were such a delight to listen to.
It was sweet, spicy and tender. There were moments where rough edges were exposed and these two, the most unlikely of lovers, smoothed each other out.
There was so much to adore about this story. The characters and even the side characters were so well developed.
Grant is just... I have no words for the way I love that man. 🥹
Sometimes I find when books are written in third person it loses some of the emotional impact because of that degree of separation from the character. I think if this was written in first person it would have been a 5 star for me!
The narration from Andrew Eiden and Kathrine Chin was fantastic. They were such a delight to listen to.