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thebookschack's reviews
26 reviews
The Irish Goodbye: A Novel by Amy Ewing
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
4.0
The Irish Goodbye audiobook is an absolute perfect way to spend a sunny summer afternoon, listening to in the car with the windows rolled down. Their romance gives an air of Hallmark vibes, with a great blend of comedy and emotional moments.
As someone that has lost her father, I was able to easily connect with Cordelia and her struggles to feel connected to the world around her. But watching as Niall became her anchor to not only Ireland, but also herself, warmed my little heart over and over again!
My only complaint was some of the voices that were used for the make actor, especially the female ones. If I was to read this book again, I would definitely use the physical copy.
As soon I finished reading, I immediately suggested it to two of my friends that are going to Ireland together, to inspire them to find their own Irish hotties!
As someone that has lost her father, I was able to easily connect with Cordelia and her struggles to feel connected to the world around her. But watching as Niall became her anchor to not only Ireland, but also herself, warmed my little heart over and over again!
My only complaint was some of the voices that were used for the make actor, especially the female ones. If I was to read this book again, I would definitely use the physical copy.
As soon I finished reading, I immediately suggested it to two of my friends that are going to Ireland together, to inspire them to find their own Irish hotties!
Love Overboard by Ada Barumé
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
3.75
I really enjoyed my time reading Love Overboard, it felt so wholesome and sweet. The friendships between all of the characters, especially Petra and Sophia, just warmed my little heart.
I was immediately interested in this one as soon as I heard luxury yacht, and sold when I heard enemies to lovers. I would have loved if we got to see a little more of the enemies to lovers troupe though, it almost feels as if they go back and forth with it a little too often for my personal liking.
I would also have loved a few more chapters from Jack’s POV, especially with a look into more of his personal background.
As mentioned before, I loved the friendships created in this book. I can easily imagine all of them sitting around a table, eating and laughing together as a big group. Seeing how they all interacted with each other ended up being my favorite part. I would even love to see a future book about Stuart and Petra, maybe even one about them planning their wedding?
Thank you to the publisher, author, and Net Gallery for giving me the opportunity to read this early.
I was immediately interested in this one as soon as I heard luxury yacht, and sold when I heard enemies to lovers. I would have loved if we got to see a little more of the enemies to lovers troupe though, it almost feels as if they go back and forth with it a little too often for my personal liking.
I would also have loved a few more chapters from Jack’s POV, especially with a look into more of his personal background.
As mentioned before, I loved the friendships created in this book. I can easily imagine all of them sitting around a table, eating and laughing together as a big group. Seeing how they all interacted with each other ended up being my favorite part. I would even love to see a future book about Stuart and Petra, maybe even one about them planning their wedding?
Thank you to the publisher, author, and Net Gallery for giving me the opportunity to read this early.
Name Your Price by Holly James
3.25
Name Your Price is such a fun and unique premise for a book! I loved the idea of exs having to have forced proximity, especially without being able to touch each other.
The beginning of the book, with their very public breakup, immediately had me hooked into seeing what kind of fun we would be reading about in the competition. The first 30% of the book was so fun, I loved seeing Olivia’s spicy side when it came to her dealing with Chuck.
However, the competition and the relationship ended up falling pretty short for me. I ended up being more interested in the story behind Olivia’s parents, instead of wanting to see the relationship between her and Chuck.
The sweet moments that pop up warmed my heart but there just wasn’t enough to keep me interested in seeing them end up together in a romance relationship. I just kept seeing them as friends, instead of something deeper.
I definitely can tell there are going to be some romcom readers out there that are going to love this book, but it’s not quite there for me.
Thank you to Net Gallery and Penguin Group for allowing me to do this arc read!
The beginning of the book, with their very public breakup, immediately had me hooked into seeing what kind of fun we would be reading about in the competition. The first 30% of the book was so fun, I loved seeing Olivia’s spicy side when it came to her dealing with Chuck.
However, the competition and the relationship ended up falling pretty short for me. I ended up being more interested in the story behind Olivia’s parents, instead of wanting to see the relationship between her and Chuck.
The sweet moments that pop up warmed my heart but there just wasn’t enough to keep me interested in seeing them end up together in a romance relationship. I just kept seeing them as friends, instead of something deeper.
I definitely can tell there are going to be some romcom readers out there that are going to love this book, but it’s not quite there for me.
Thank you to Net Gallery and Penguin Group for allowing me to do this arc read!
Fangirl Down by Tessa Bailey
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
5.0
Hands down one of my top five romance books of all time, number one for the year so far. I can’t stop thinking about it, and will need time to process how much l love it haha
Wild About You by Kaitlyn Hill
adventurous
challenging
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
I loved this book with all of my heart! I was already talking about with all my romance reading coworkers, before I had even finished it, telling them that they need to pick it up as soon as it comes out!
From the beginning, I could immediately connect with Natalie and her anxieties, as someone who has struggled with having an anxious disorder since I was young. I just hope that I am lucky enough to have a wonderful partner in my life, like Finn.
The love that they have for each other warms my heart, just thinking about it. Getting to see them grow together and bring out the absolute best in each other.
This is the perfect book for anyone that wants to dip their toe into the romance category and the will find themselves loving it fir ever, I wood bet money on it!
From the beginning, I could immediately connect with Natalie and her anxieties, as someone who has struggled with having an anxious disorder since I was young. I just hope that I am lucky enough to have a wonderful partner in my life, like Finn.
The love that they have for each other warms my heart, just thinking about it. Getting to see them grow together and bring out the absolute best in each other.
This is the perfect book for anyone that wants to dip their toe into the romance category and the will find themselves loving it fir ever, I wood bet money on it!
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Prime Time Romance by Kate Robb
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
5.0
I loved this book! It’s my favorite book I have read so far in 2024, I even managed to finish it in just under 24 hours (which I haven’t done in ages). The world building was amazing, and I could just imagine myself in this picture perfect island town. It reminded me of a mixture of Dawnson’s Creek, Riverdale, and maybe even a splash of Gossip Girl.
My heart felt so happy, seeing Brynn and Josh fall for the genuine version of each other. They bring out to the best in each other, and seeing them get their happily ever after makes my soul feel all warm inside!
Thank you to Net Gallery for the early read. I can’t wait to suggest this book to all my romance loving girlies!
My heart felt so happy, seeing Brynn and Josh fall for the genuine version of each other. They bring out to the best in each other, and seeing them get their happily ever after makes my soul feel all warm inside!
Thank you to Net Gallery for the early read. I can’t wait to suggest this book to all my romance loving girlies!
If I Stopped Haunting You by Colby Wilkens
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75
As a reader whose favorite words are spooky and spicy, this unique combination of both worlds immediately caught my attention. The story was such a fun twist on both the horror and romance drama, going back and forth between the genres as the novel progressed.
It was a tad difficult for the first half to want Pen and Neil to end up together, but as I got to see them grow together, that quickly changed in the second half of the book. The scene at the end with the tattoo filled my little soul with happiness.
The spicy scenes had me squealing with excitement but the historical horror side didn’t quite match the romance. I wish there had been a little more exploration into the ghosts stories and how they ended up trapped in the castle. The last 30 minutes almost fell a little flat, with it seeming to rush into an ending.
Thank you to the publishers and Net Gallery the early read!
It was a tad difficult for the first half to want Pen and Neil to end up together, but as I got to see them grow together, that quickly changed in the second half of the book. The scene at the end with the tattoo filled my little soul with happiness.
The spicy scenes had me squealing with excitement but the historical horror side didn’t quite match the romance. I wish there had been a little more exploration into the ghosts stories and how they ended up trapped in the castle. The last 30 minutes almost fell a little flat, with it seeming to rush into an ending.
Thank you to the publishers and Net Gallery the early read!
Plot Twist by Carmen Sereno
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I love contemporary romances, especially any with the enemies to lovers/ grumpy and sunshine troups, and this one had it all. For the first few chapters, I couldn’t even begin to understand how she would ever want to be with a man like Marcel, but as those cracks begin to show and grow with their together, I began to understand. After their time in New Orleans, I was on the edge just waiting for that next kiss between them to happen! A few times I even have to pause the book, to squeal to my own grumpy boyfriend about my favorite lines!
The only thing I would changed is more of an insight into Marcel’s history, especially after his talk with his dad, and to learn what lead Bucky to leave originally. Both of these questions just left part of the story feeling empty and rushed.
Thank you Net Gallery for the advance read!
The only thing I would changed is more of an insight into Marcel’s history, especially after his talk with his dad, and to learn what lead Bucky to leave originally. Both of these questions just left part of the story feeling empty and rushed.
Thank you Net Gallery for the advance read!
Crave by Maria Llovet
adventurous
dark
emotional
fast-paced
4.75
From the first page, I knew I was not going to be able to put this down until I finished it! I felt like I was holding my breath the entire time, just waiting to see what was going to happen next. The artwork alone took my breath away, you can tell that the artist made sure to reflect the dark and sultry feels of the store with the color palette and line work that was used throughout. This was my first graphic novel in about 5 years and hopefully there will be more readings from Crave in the future! There was a few parts that I wish had been expanded on but otherwise this was a truly amazing work of art.