What If You & Me by Roni LorenContemporary RomanceJuly 6, 2021, by Sourcebooks CasablancaAudio ARC Review by Melinda I really love parts of this book so much. This continues the Say Everything series and examines mental health, trauma, and disability in really interesting, yet romantic, ways, and I love all of that. I love that both Andi and Hill felt like real characters, they were fully fleshed out with realistic issues and flaws. Messy characters are my favorites, and these two Continue Reading
Kate’s Minis: Very Sincerely Yours by Kerry Winfrey and A Lowcountry Bride by Preslaysa Williams
Very Sincerely Yours by Kerry Winfrey June 15, 2021 by Berkley Contemporary Romance Very Sincerely Yours is an adorable book. Unfortunately, I don't have that much more to say about it. It follows romance novel conventions, including the third act break-up, has one of my favorite tropes (hidden identity), and is very sweet. This is obviously not a negative - sometimes this is what you're looking for in a book! But not a ton happens in Very Sincerely Yours, and despite the aforementioned Continue Reading
Melanie’s Minis: Happy Endings by Thien-Kim Lam & Talk Bookish to Me by Kate Bromley
Happy Endings by Thien-Kim LamContemporary RomanceMay 18, 2021, by Avon Up until about the last 20% of this book, I really loved it and it was a solid 5-star book for me. The female main character, Trixie, is a Vietnamese American who, much to her parent's dismay, sells sex toys for a living. It was a second chance romance with her ex-boyfriend, Andre, who had dumped her via a post it note when he learned about his mother’s cancer diagnosis (this all happens way before the book begins). I Continue Reading
Review: The Duke Undone by Joanna Lowell
The Duke Undone by Joanna LowellHistorical RomanceApril 6, 2021, by BerkleyARC Review by Angela I think the cute, artsy covers have confused me at this point, I just do not know what to expect when I open a book anymore. Joanna Lowell is a new to me author so that was no help either. The Duke Undone is waaaaaay more angsty (like whoa) and filled with dark themes than I expected. This isn't a bad thing, but between the alcoholism, PTSD, dyslexia, family members being locked away against Continue Reading
Melinda’s Minis: Sun of a Beach by Mia Sosa and Abel by Katee Robert
Sun of a Beach by Mia SosaContemporaryApril 8, 2021, by AudibleARC This is another audible original, which seems to be more and more of a trend with romance authors. Donovan and Naomi are given an assignment for the swimsuit edition of the magazine they work on and things are interesting since they dislike each other. Naomi began the novella in an ‘I would never date a co-worker’ frame of mind and changed to ‘I am in love’ mindset in the length of 24 hours basically. Donovan changes from Continue Reading
Review: Hot Copy by Ruby Barrett
Hot Copy by Ruby BarrettContemporary RomanceApril 13, 2021, by Carina Press Review by Melanie I genuinely did not know how to start this review, to be honest. I’d heard so many things going into it, I was fully expecting to absolutely love this book and much to my dismay...I did not. First of all, the blurb and the cover do this book no favors. Both give off a lighthearted rom-com vibe but there is a whole heck of a lot of issues addressed in this book that could trigger a lot of Continue Reading
Review: The Intimacy Experiment by Rosie Danan
The Intimacy Experiment by Rosie Danan Contemporary Romance April 6, 2021 by Berkley Reviewed by Kate The Intimacy Experiment is a novel with lots of promise. Unfortunately, I felt that Danan's sophomore book didn't quite deliver on the expectations I had. I'll start with what did work for me in The Intimacy Experiment. First, the characters. Naomi is a bad-ass boss bitch and Ethan is a cute cinnamon roll and neither of those things was the conflict between the two. I am a big fan of Continue Reading
Angela Minis: Reviews for books by KJ Charles, Kerrigan Byrne, and Sara Desai
The Gentle Art of Fortune Hunting by KJ CharlesLGBT Historical RomanceFebruary 24, 2021, by KJC Books Yeah, so I'm a KJ Charles fangirl. I admit it. Every new release I just want to grab up and read as soon as it hits my kindle, but on I also want to keep it in my pocket to look forward to when I need a pick me up after a bad day. The Gentle Art of Fortune Hunting features the grumpy/sunshine trope to perfection. Robin Loxleigh, Mr. Charm, is in London with his sister in order to secure Continue Reading
Review: Where There’s a Kilt, There’s a Way by Ella Stainton
Where There's a Kilt, There's a Way by Ella StaintonKilty Pleasures #2March 23, 2021 by Carina PressHistorical/Paranormal Mystery Reviewed by Kate Where There's a Kilt, There's a Way was not what I was expecting at all, based on the description and being labeled as a romance. It was disappointing to me as a reader, but I think that if you know what you're getting into, it could be an enjoyable reading experience. If it isn't a romance, what kind of book is Where There's a Kilt, There's Continue Reading
Melinda’s Minis: Just Like This by Cole McCade & The Beautiful Things Shoppe by Philip William Stover
Just Like This by Cole McCadeAlbin Academy #2LGBT Contemporary RomanceNovember 24, 2020 by Carina Adores The follow-up to Just Like That takes place at the same academy for young boys as the previous one. What I love about McCade’s writing is the emotional development between the characters. Rian and Damon are extremely different teachers with different backgrounds coming together to try to help a student in trouble. Their relationship is both steamy and a bit of slow-burn simmering Continue Reading