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stephsnextread's Reviews (390)
Did I pick up this book purely based on the cover and title? YES. But it was a fabulous decision! Not only did I love the love story (more on that later), but I learned so much about birds and looked up many of the birds mentioned for more information. Why do birds get more and more interesting the older you get!?
As for the love story, Celeste and John were adorable together. They were both such kind and real characters who were easy to love individually, and then were just perfection together. And it was a lot spicier than I was expecting from a wholesome activity like birding! Both characters are on personal development journeys and they truly help each other work through their struggles. I highly recommend this book for a sweet, unique summer romance!
As for the love story, Celeste and John were adorable together. They were both such kind and real characters who were easy to love individually, and then were just perfection together. And it was a lot spicier than I was expecting from a wholesome activity like birding! Both characters are on personal development journeys and they truly help each other work through their struggles. I highly recommend this book for a sweet, unique summer romance!
Note: This is the 2nd book in a series of 3 interconnected standalones. If you plan to read The Friend Zone, stop reading here because there are spoilers below for one of the characters.
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How’s this for a meet-cute…it’s the anniversary of her late fiancé’s fatal accident and Sloane is just trying to get through the day. She slams on her brakes to avoid hitting a dog, and the dog climbs onto her car and through the sunroof! It turns out he’s a duck hunting dog, and her fiancé was a duck hunter! Talk about a sign. Sloane takes the dog home and tries to find its owner. Jason eventually gets the messages, and it turns out he has been in Australia and his unreliable dog sitter lost his beloved dog. Sloane and Jason start texting, then talking on the phone, and then he comes to get the dog (and meet Sloane!).
Sloane and Jason are easy and natural together from the very start. Sloane is working through her grief and finding herself after she secluded herself for so long, and Jason helps her on that journey. They have the cutest first date, and the flirting is off the charts. This book was so fun and one of my favorites of Abby Jimenez!
Bonus: Each chapter starts with a song title, and the whole playlist is available on Spotify!
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How’s this for a meet-cute…it’s the anniversary of her late fiancé’s fatal accident and Sloane is just trying to get through the day. She slams on her brakes to avoid hitting a dog, and the dog climbs onto her car and through the sunroof! It turns out he’s a duck hunting dog, and her fiancé was a duck hunter! Talk about a sign. Sloane takes the dog home and tries to find its owner. Jason eventually gets the messages, and it turns out he has been in Australia and his unreliable dog sitter lost his beloved dog. Sloane and Jason start texting, then talking on the phone, and then he comes to get the dog (and meet Sloane!).
Sloane and Jason are easy and natural together from the very start. Sloane is working through her grief and finding herself after she secluded herself for so long, and Jason helps her on that journey. They have the cutest first date, and the flirting is off the charts. This book was so fun and one of my favorites of Abby Jimenez!
Bonus: Each chapter starts with a song title, and the whole playlist is available on Spotify!
The Wedding Party is book 3 of 6 in Jasmine Guillory’s series of interconnected standalones. This book starts in the middle of The Wedding Date timeline and also overlaps The Proposal timeline, which I loved. It was so fun seeing the other characters in the middle of their stories and knowing how they would end. It’s hilarious to imagine Maddie and Theo sneaking around during different parts of Alexa’s story. I also loved reading about Maddie’s mom as a set up for the next book in the series, Royal Holiday (which I read out of order at Christmas time).
The love story was a little disappointing for me though. I loved both Maddie and Theo in The Wedding Date, and I was so excited for their story. Much of the first half was booty calls even though they didn’t particularly like each other, which is just not a storyline that appeals to me. I continued reading so I could learn what happens to the characters, but I was not invested. Both characters say really hurtful things to each other as defense mechanisms throughout the book, and I couldn’t really see why they actually liked each other. It was hard for me to believe in their HEA.
The love story was a little disappointing for me though. I loved both Maddie and Theo in The Wedding Date, and I was so excited for their story. Much of the first half was booty calls even though they didn’t particularly like each other, which is just not a storyline that appeals to me. I continued reading so I could learn what happens to the characters, but I was not invested. Both characters say really hurtful things to each other as defense mechanisms throughout the book, and I couldn’t really see why they actually liked each other. It was hard for me to believe in their HEA.
I’ve seen mixed reviews on this one, and I honestly liked it more than I expected. It was a quick, easy beach read with such a serene lake resort setting. And the cover is absolutely gorgeous!
I enjoyed the dual timeline that kept me reading to find out what happened in the past and what would happen in the present. I also really liked learning about her complicated relationship with her late mother through both timelines. I wanted more of the romantic connection between Fern and Will in both timelines though. I felt like the author explained that the two just naturally clicked, but I didn’t necessarily feel that through the story. I also thought the 3rd act breakup was immature and anticlimactic. But with all that said, it was a light read for me that was a nice change of pace from some heavier books I’ve read lately.
I enjoyed the dual timeline that kept me reading to find out what happened in the past and what would happen in the present. I also really liked learning about her complicated relationship with her late mother through both timelines. I wanted more of the romantic connection between Fern and Will in both timelines though. I felt like the author explained that the two just naturally clicked, but I didn’t necessarily feel that through the story. I also thought the 3rd act breakup was immature and anticlimactic. But with all that said, it was a light read for me that was a nice change of pace from some heavier books I’ve read lately.
Get your tissues ready with this one! Nate and Izzy met 10 years ago when they sat next to each other on a plane (she was going to her sister’s for Thanksgiving and he was going to military basic training). They had an instant connection, and then their plane crashed into the river. They both survived and went on with their lives, but fate keeps bringing them back together. In the present timeline (2021), Izzy goes to Afghanistan as part of her job in politics, and Nate is assigned to protect her life.
I have been thinking about this book since I finished it, and it would be one that I may re-read! I loved the alternating between both past/present timelines as well as Nate/Izzy POV. Because the present timeline is set in a war zone, it is an intense read. I’m pretty sure I was crying by page 100. The story was so interesting to follow, learning about what has happened in both characters’ lives since they met. I loved the characters’ unavoidable connection and their unwavering care for each other. I thought the ending was really quick though, and I wanted a little more time with the characters before the story was over, but I loved every bit of it. It was emotional, it was beautiful, and I highly recommend!
I have been thinking about this book since I finished it, and it would be one that I may re-read! I loved the alternating between both past/present timelines as well as Nate/Izzy POV. Because the present timeline is set in a war zone, it is an intense read. I’m pretty sure I was crying by page 100. The story was so interesting to follow, learning about what has happened in both characters’ lives since they met. I loved the characters’ unavoidable connection and their unwavering care for each other. I thought the ending was really quick though, and I wanted a little more time with the characters before the story was over, but I loved every bit of it. It was emotional, it was beautiful, and I highly recommend!
Note: This is the 2nd book in the Powerless series. This review and book synopsis kind of spoil Powerless (but no Reckless spoilers here!) so proceed with caution if you haven’t read Powerless yet.
Paedyn is on the run after killing the king, Kai is tasked with finding her and bringing her back to the kingdom. We get to know the main characters better in this book, as well as understand their motivations and fears. There is really not a lot of the magic system in this book. It was really easy to jump back into Ilya but it felt a lot more like romance than romantasy without the powers being used much. I didn’t have a problem with this because I’m mostly a romance reader anyway; just something to know going in.
The book’s main plot is Pae and Kai’s journey back to the kingdom. The first part is slow. I wanted a bit more action and adventure, and I was wanting to see more characters from earlier in the series. However, the tension from Powerless was still very much there between Paedyn and Kai, and their journey kept me turning pages. The book definitely picked up and the ending made me so excited for Fearless (releasing April 2025). Reckless is very much worth reading, especially if you have enjoyed Powerless and Powerful.
Paedyn is on the run after killing the king, Kai is tasked with finding her and bringing her back to the kingdom. We get to know the main characters better in this book, as well as understand their motivations and fears. There is really not a lot of the magic system in this book. It was really easy to jump back into Ilya but it felt a lot more like romance than romantasy without the powers being used much. I didn’t have a problem with this because I’m mostly a romance reader anyway; just something to know going in.
The book’s main plot is Pae and Kai’s journey back to the kingdom. The first part is slow. I wanted a bit more action and adventure, and I was wanting to see more characters from earlier in the series. However, the tension from Powerless was still very much there between Paedyn and Kai, and their journey kept me turning pages. The book definitely picked up and the ending made me so excited for Fearless (releasing April 2025). Reckless is very much worth reading, especially if you have enjoyed Powerless and Powerful.
This is the best summer romance! The setting of the book is dreamy. Not only could I picture Prince Edward Island, but I could hear it and smell it from Carley Fortune’s descriptions too. PEI is officially on my list of places to visit. I also loved how Anne of Green Gables references were woven throughout the story.
I usually have a hard time with best friend’s brother tropes. There can be so much secrecy and betrayal of the best friend, which often puts me on edge for the whole book. The way this was written and the respect shown (as well as the fact that the friend is clearly hiding something too), I was able to put that aside and really enjoy the story. Lucy’s relationship with Bridget was so real. They are both keeping things from each other but in a way that is so realistic and understandable that I was just waiting for it all to come out to see if their friendship could withstand the secrets.
Now to Lucy and Felix—what a dream couple! Before they are even dating, you can tell they are something special. He notices her favorite breakfast and then cooks it for her. She notices what he likes to read and then sends him books. They are so naturally drawn to each other and both feel at home when they are together. I loved the past/present timelines to really see their magnetism. And hooray for no miscommunication and mature main characters! I absolutely loved it!
I usually have a hard time with best friend’s brother tropes. There can be so much secrecy and betrayal of the best friend, which often puts me on edge for the whole book. The way this was written and the respect shown (as well as the fact that the friend is clearly hiding something too), I was able to put that aside and really enjoy the story. Lucy’s relationship with Bridget was so real. They are both keeping things from each other but in a way that is so realistic and understandable that I was just waiting for it all to come out to see if their friendship could withstand the secrets.
Now to Lucy and Felix—what a dream couple! Before they are even dating, you can tell they are something special. He notices her favorite breakfast and then cooks it for her. She notices what he likes to read and then sends him books. They are so naturally drawn to each other and both feel at home when they are together. I loved the past/present timelines to really see their magnetism. And hooray for no miscommunication and mature main characters! I absolutely loved it!
Do you ever know a book is going to be five stars right at the beginning? That was this book for me. I was reading it via Libby on my Kindle, and I paused to order the paper copy around page 40. After finishing the book, it’s a strong contender for my favorite romance book ever.
It’s like Jessica Joyce followed the recipe for my ideal romance novel: second-chance romance (with a hint of friends-to-lovers), likable and fully relatable main characters, interesting side characters, strong female friendship, and swoon-worthy romance. There was the perfect balance between plot and romance, and no miscommunication! I laughed out loud, I shed tears, I enjoyed every minute of this book.
It’s like Jessica Joyce followed the recipe for my ideal romance novel: second-chance romance (with a hint of friends-to-lovers), likable and fully relatable main characters, interesting side characters, strong female friendship, and swoon-worthy romance. There was the perfect balance between plot and romance, and no miscommunication! I laughed out loud, I shed tears, I enjoyed every minute of this book.
This book is the 2nd book in Sarah Adam’s “It Happened in Charleston” series (two interconnected standalones). June (the FMC) is Jake’s sister from The Match. In my opinion, you do not need to read them in order to fully enjoy this story.
The Enemy is (obviously from the title) an enemies-to-lovers story, but I had a hard time with this at the beginning. It was missing a little of the tension that is usually present in enemies-to-lovers. However, it turns out that the hatred is actually just repressed love, so the “enemies” phase doesn’t last very long. June and Ryan have known each other for so long that it actually starts to read more like friends-to-lovers.
I loved June and Ryan together. He is very clear about his feelings for her, but she is cautious and protective of her heart after being cheated on by her ex. Ryan stays patient and steady in his feelings. Their flirting is a little high-school but that didn’t bother me because they were so goofy and comfortable with each other. In true Sarah Adams fashion, there are plenty of laugh-out-loud embarrassing moments, as well as swoony closed-door romance.
I enjoyed the audio narration by Connie Shabshab and Will Damron. Their voices matched what I would picture for the characters and kept me thoroughly entertained. I loved that it was dual POV and dual narration so we got to know both characters really well.
Thank you to Dreamscape Media, Sarah Adams, and NetGalley for the chance to listen to this ALC in exchange for my honest review.