REVIEW: Not in My Book by Katie Holt

REVIEW:

Not in My Book was a pleasant surprise--I went in totally blind, not knowing anything other than it looked like it would be a romcom. As you can see in the synopsis, we learn that Rosie and Aiden are taking a writing workshop and are mortal enemies. They're almost the caricature of enemies--narrowed eyes and sneering words--lots of zingers exchanged between them and you could just tell that all of that animosity was going to add up to some hot stuff later. It totally did. But in order to get there Rosie and Aiden had to be forced together, which happened thanks to their poor behavior and their exasperated professor. They were forced to co-write a novel together, despite the fact that they didn't write the same genres (and he actually detested romance, which is what she wrote). So in order to pass the class, they begrudgingly started writing and that's where the fun really began. As readers we got to see bits and pieces of their novel layered on top of their story--a fun addition--and got to see how much they mirrored each other.  We got to see Rosie and Aiden's love story mimicked in their shared writing; they got to know each other through the writing and because of their writing. 

I really enjoyed the set up of the story, as well as the story of Rosie taking a risk and moving to NYC to live her dream. I also appreciated that her move there wasn't easy and yet she was so determined that she pushed through as best as she could. If there was anything that didn't work as well as the other parts, it was the big break up scene-their blow up was so big and Rosie's decisions because of it were so hasty that I found it a smidge unbelievable. That being said, it wasn't a dealbreaker and I am looking forward to all the things Katie Holt writes next. 

 

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SYNOPSIS: 

The Hating Game meets Beach Read in this sexy and hilarious contemporary romance from a debut Peruvian-Tennessean voice.

Rosie, an idealistic and passionate Peruvian-American who has grown up without strong ties to her culture, leaves her Tennessee hometown to pursue her dream of making it in New York as a writer. But her plan is derailed when she ends up in class with her arch-nemesis and ex-crush, Aiden Huntington—an obnoxious, surly, and gorgeous literary fiction writer who doesn’t have much patience for the romance genre, or for Rosie.

Rosie and Aiden regularly go to verbal battle in workshop until their professor reaches her breaking point. She allows them to stay in her class on one condition: they must co-write a novel that blends their genres.

The reluctant writing duo can’t help but put pieces of themselves into their accidentally steamy novel, and as they slowly get to know each other, they try to put their differences aside. Meanwhile, their manuscript-in-progress provides an outlet for them to confess their feelings—and explore their attraction toward each other.

When Rosie and Aiden find themselves competing against each other for a potentially career-changing opportunity, the flames of old rivalry reignite, and their once-in-a-lifetime love story is once again at risk of being shelved—unless they can find a way to end the book on their own terms.
 

REVIEW: Mile High by Liz Tomforde

OUR REVIEW:

I've been seeing Mile High float around the book universe for a little while and decided this week was the week to give it a shot. I was intrigued by this one because I saw many reviews love it and yet the first few reviews of Goodreads seemed to not. I didn't let either of those sway me and jumped in. 

There were many things I enjoyed--hockey + romance + main characters of color were all wins for me. I honestly don't think I've read a hockey romance where mmc (Zanders) and fmc (Stevie) were both Black. That, of course, is probably my fault, but it was nice to have that diversity. I also enjoyed that the main male characters were self-aware and wholeheartedly advocated for therapy--what a nice surprise. And, I appreciated that the focus on family wasn't just about the biological ones, but also the ones we make. 

So Zanders and Stevie. Where to start? He's a man who loves casual hook ups, clothes, hockey, and his best friend. He comes off, initially, as arrogant and a smidge insufferable. Stevie? Stevie is his flight attendant on the private plane his team has chartered. She's a girl who loves her volunteer work, thrifting, and her brother. Immediately these two rub each other the wrong way and yet can't seem to keep their eyes off each other. As we spend more time with them, we get to see what they're really about--their insecurities, their hopes and dreams, and their fears and hurts. 

The more they see each other, the more intrigued they become, and eventually, they find that their accidental run ins whet their appetite for each other and they finally give in. The rest of the novel is reading about how they navigate this secret relationship, the obstacles they have to overcome, and the learning and healing they gain from being with each other. 

While this was a little on the long-ish side, it wasn't enough of a reason for me to not like it or not want to read more of the series; I'm curious about the other novels in this series and how she develops the themes she introduced in Mile High

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SYNOPSIS:

ZANDERS

Chicago hockey isn't complete without me - everyone's favourite player to hate. I know my role, and I play it well. In fact, I thoroughly enjoy spending the majority of my game time in the penalty box before leaving the arena with a new girl on my arm each night.

What I don't like is the new flight attendant on our team's private plane. She works for me, not the other way around. But I'll be sure to remind her of that, and I can guarantee, by the end of the season, she'll be begging to quit her job.

But every road trip blurs the lines, and I can't quite figure out if I keep pushing that flight attendant call button in order to push her buttons, or if it's more than that.

STEVIE

I've been a flight attendant for years. I thought I'd seen it all, but when my new job lands me onboard working for the most egotistical and self-righteous diva in the NHL, I start to second guess everything. Including the promise I made to myself of never hooking up with an athlete again . . . no matter how annoyingly tempting he may be.

Evan Zanders is unfiltered, unapologetic, and too attractive for his own good. He loves his image, but I hate everything about it.

Everything but him.
 

REVIEW: Under Loch and Key by Lana Ferguson

OUR REVIEW:

These writers I love, they really have me going outside of my comfort zone these days and Lana Ferguson is no different. I really loved The Nanny and The Game Changer so anytime she publishes something, I jump on it. This time she's got me reading and imagining a romance with a Lochness Monster and a woman named Key. Here's what I appreciate about the way Ferguson does it: she sets things in a real place, with characters you can easily imagine being 'real', and she injects it all with humor and love and all of the other pathological things that romance requires. Then, and only then, does she nudge us into the direction of monsters. 

So while monster romance is really not my thing, I still found myself having fun with Lachlan and Key and their tension and history and all of the things that made them click. Admittedly, I did not always have the patience for their narrative, so sometimes I felt the urge to skim and I'm not really sure where or why that always happened, but there were places that just felt long. If you asked me now, which parts they were, I couldn't tell you, but as I was reading, I didn't always find it to be as consuming as I wanted it to be. That being noted, I still had fun reading it and felt satisfied when I put it down, so a solid 3.5 read for me.

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SYNOPSIS:

A woman discovers that not all monsters are her enemy—the opposite, in fact—in this new paranormal romance by Lana Ferguson, author of The Fake Mate.

Keyanna “Key” MacKay is used to secrets. Raised by a single father who never divulged his past, it’s only after his death that she finds herself thrust into the world he’d always refused to speak of. With just a childhood bedtime story about a monster that saved her father’s life and the name of her estranged grandmother to go off of, Key has no idea what she’ll find in Scotland. But repeating her father’s mistakes and being rescued by a gorgeous, angry Scotsman—who thinks she’s an idiot—is definitely the last thing she expects.

Lachlan Greer has his own secrets to keep, especially from the bonnie lass he pulls to safety from the slippery shore—a lass with captivating eyes and the last name he’s been taught not to trust. He’s looking for answers as well, and Key’s presence on the grounds they both now occupy presents a real problem. It’s even more troublesome when he gets a front row seat to the lukewarm welcome Key receives from her family; the strange powers she begins to develop; and the fierce determination she brings to every obstacle in her path. Things he shouldn’t care about, and someone he definitely doesn’t find wildly attractive.

When their secrets collide, it becomes clear that Lachlan could hold the answers Keyanna is after—and that she might also be the key to uncovering his. Up against time, mystery, and a centuries old curse, they’ll quickly discover that magic might not only be in fairy tales, and that love can be a real loch-mess.

 

REVIEW: Blindside Beauty by Lex Martin

OUR REVIEW:

I can't believe this series is over; it's been my one guaranteed dose of football + (sometimes surprise) babies + and the women these men can't seem to live without and it's been such a fun series to read. The final book in this series pairs together a nanny, Abigail, and the newest quarterback, Nick, in town. She needs a job to pair for the trip she sacrificed for her previous loser boyfriend and he needs help watching his daughter while he's wrapping up his final season of football. As I've come to expect in this series, the two don't immediately hit it off--she accidentally bumps into his car (with her car) and leaves a bad impression, but desperate times call for desperate measures, and eventually Abigail and Nick find an arrangement that works for them. 

After calamity strikes, Nick offers to house Abigail and that's when their romance really heats up. As much as they'd like to deny their feelings, they just can't, and before you know it they're trying (and failing) at being FWB. Despite what they tell themselves, they can't help but fall for each other and the rest is history. Of course there are some incidents and obstacles along the way, but the thing I love about romance is that I know I'm going to be happy at the end and Blindside Romance definitely gives me that HEA I crave. 

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SYNOPSIS: 

My football player ex cheated on me, so the last thing I need is to fall for another quarterback. Especially when he’s still mourning his baby mama who tragically passed away.

After I accidentally plow my car into Nick Silva’s bumper, I can’t blame him for not hiring me to be his daughter’s nanny, but I’m still salty about it. I need the money to go on a trip of a lifetime, one my ex didn’t want me to take.

The worst part is Nick just moved in next door.

I’m sure he associates me with my dirtbag ex—his former teammate—so I try to avoid my neighbor whenever possible.

But when his new babysitter gets locked out of the house, leaving Nick’s four-year-old alone inside, I attempt to rescue her by breaking in through a window.

Unfortunately, I have a wardrobe malfunction and end up flashing my goodies to the whole neighborhood, Nick included.

Because of my embarrassing heroics, Nick’s now convinced I’d be a great nanny.
The trouble with football players is they’re very persuasive, so I agree to take the job but immediately regret it.

Who needs to see a gorgeous, shirtless man jumping rope and doing push-ups in gray sweatpants? Who wants to watch a sexy, single dad snuggle his little girl and read her bedtime stories? Who enjoys working closely with a walking, talking thirst trap every single day?

Fine. I do. I want all of that, but I already swore I’d never date another jock after the last one stomped all over my heart, so this bookworm needs to play it safe.

But rumor has it Nick has a new girlfriend, which helps me maintain appropriate boundaries.

Because I won’t be blindsided by another quarterback again.

Blindside Beauty is an angsty nanny romance featuring an adorkable, accident-prone bookworm and a struggling, grumpy single dad. If you enjoy close proximity, enemies-to-lovers vibes, opposites attract, small towns, and college football, you’ll love this steamy final addition to the USA Today bestselling series Varsity Dads.
 

REVIEW: Real Americans by Rachel Khong

OUR REVIEW:

So, I was intrigued by the synopsis and the first pages, and then within chapters, I felt a little less enchanted. Lily's story felt a little disconnected and I don't know if I ever fully understood her. I powered through, though, and decided to give Nick's story a chance. I told myself if I didn't connect within his first few chapters, I'd throw in the towel. That didn't happen. I found Nick's story so compelling and frustrating and I couldn't put it down. In retrospect, knowing a little of Lily and Matthew's story (Nick's parents), helped me understand Nick better, but I just didn't love that part of the story. 

Should I backtrack for a minute? Probably. 

This novel is told in three generational perspectives. We start with Lily. We learn that she is a poor, seemingly purposeless, intern, living in NYC in 1999. She meets Matthew at a work party and she falls for him, while never feeling like she's good enough for him. They're together for a while, then she ghosts him, only to reunite with him later. They end up married and having Nick. I'm glossing over quite a bit, but essentially, what I got from her part was her fraught history with her mom, her distress at being poor and a bit at a loss for who she was or what she should be doing, until she met Matthew. Even after meeting him, there was a sense of her being not really sure of her place in the world. Things happen and her part ends mysteriously and we jump into Nick's story when he's in high school. 

I think what was so compelling about Nick's story was how easy it was to connect to him; you understood his angst and its source. And while he, too, was a little lost at times, he seemed to be more decisive and eager to figure things out. He, as they all were, was definitely flawed and frustrating, but it was easier to follow his narrative. 

The last part of this novel was reserved for Lily's mom, Mei (May). Her story was also quick and easy to read, Threaded with persistence and a desire for something better, she constantly suppressed her deepest wants for a shot at a future that wouldn't look anything her past. Her story is filled with things you'd never want to live through, and is really just sad, which doesn't excuse what she did to Lily and Nick, but it made a lot more sense, when you found out her backstory. The very end of her part brings us to the present and we see that her life isn't sunshine and daisies, but she gets one last chance to right some wrongs and tell her story. 

So while it didn't start out as promising as I wanted it to be, it ended so much stronger than I thought it would. It definitely left me with things to consider and that's something I always appreciate. A very solid 3.5 read for me. 

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SYNOPSIS:

From the award-winning author of Goodbye, Vitamin: How far would you go to shape your own destiny? An exhilarating novel of American identity that spans three generations in one family, and asks: What makes us who we are? And how inevitable are our futures?

Real Americans begins on the precipice of Y2K in New York City, when twenty-two-year-old Lily Chen, an unpaid intern at a slick media company, meets Matthew. Matthew is everything Lily is not: easygoing and effortlessly attractive, a native East Coaster and, most notably, heir to a vast pharmaceutical empire. Lily couldn't be more different: flat-broke, raised in Tampa, the only child of scientists who fled Mao’s Cultural Revolution. Despite all this, Lily and Matthew fall in love.

In 2021, fifteen-year-old Nick Chen has never felt like he belonged on the isolated Washington island where he lives with his single mother, Lily. He can't shake the sense she's hiding something. When Nick sets out to find his biological father, the journey threatens to raise more questions than answers.

In immersive, moving prose, Rachel Khong weaves a profound tale of class and striving, race and visibility, and family and inheritance—a story of trust, forgiveness, and finally coming home.

Exuberant and explosive, Real Americans is a social novel par excellence that asks: Are we destined, or made, and if so, who gets to do the making? Can our genetic past be overcome?