The fourth book in the Bromance Book Club series, we get the story of the Russian hockey player Vlad, and his marriage of convenience to Elen 3 stars
The fourth book in the Bromance Book Club series, we get the story of the Russian hockey player Vlad, and his marriage of convenience to Elena, his childhood friend. When Vlad came to America to play for the NHL, he married Elena so she could come to the states and go to college. But Vlad never told Elena how he truly felt about her, and six years later she wants a divorce and to return to Russia.
Marriage of convenience is usually one of my favorite tropes in the romance genre, but this one lacked the usual angst and pining we often see with this trope. I thought Vlad was sweet and I would love to see more romances heroes like him. I thought Vlad and Elena lacked chemistry and all of their miscommunications seemed really trivial (and I am someone who doesn’t mind miscommunication in her romance). It was also the last minute danger at the end thrown in for dramatic effect (?) that made me roll my eyes. The moments with the other men were fun, but this is probably my least favorite book in this series so far....more
I have lots of thoughts and feelings about this book. First off, if anyone trolls this review in the comments I am blocking and deleting comments becaI have lots of thoughts and feelings about this book. First off, if anyone trolls this review in the comments I am blocking and deleting comments because it’s not that deep. I’ve never been a royalist, I’ve never been a fan of the monarchy. I never understood as an American why I should care about these people, especially when for a long time they were enforcing modern day colonialism. But with all the hate Meghan Markle gets over the years, it enrages me how her and Harry are treated by the press and the public. So I wanted to read from Harry’s own words his side of the story.
The amount of hate Harry and Meghan gets astounds me. And what drives me wild is when people who don’t listen to the interviews, who don’t read the book or they take quotes out of context, they are always the loudest opposers or criticizers. And often, they’ll say “H or M need to do this!” without realizing, they already have or are. So my two cents is: actually do your research before making comments because most of the time you sound like an idiot to those who have already educated themselves.
This book isn’t as salacious as the media makes it out to be. What stood out to me the most about this book was the story of a young boy whose mother was taken away from him at a too young age and the circumstances around that are wildly unconventional. My heart breaks for both Harry and William for them losing their mother at a young age and having to publicly deal with that.
Another thing about this book, a lot of it was about Harry’s military career, which didn’t really interest me. I am glad he’s proud of it, as he should be, but a large portion of this book was about it and wasn’t interesting to me.
As for the dynamics between Harry and William, I see both sides on a lot of things. Sibling dynamics are already complicated, and then you add in becoming king or being a spare and that really just sort of creates chaos. Harry talked a lot about how William didn’t want to talk to him at school and while that sucks, isn’t that something very normal that happens with older and younger siblings? I’m not sure Harry had the perspective of seeing other families go through the same thing. .
I felt Harry could have been a lot meaner when it came to his family. I read this book as he was presenting his side of the story and his facts when lies had been promoted about him for years. I can understand wanting to address wrongful misinformation being spread about oneself. I am sure that’s incredibly frustrating for the entire family....more
While at Oxford, Hannah’s roommate April was the life of the party, bright, “it girl”. So it came as a shock at the end of their first yea 3.75 stars
While at Oxford, Hannah’s roommate April was the life of the party, bright, “it girl”. So it came as a shock at the end of their first year April was murdered and the porter in their dorm was sent away for the crime. Now, the convicted man is dead and Hannah’s world us rocked when a reporter reaches out with new evidence that he didn’t commit the crime. Hannah revisits her past year, meeting April and the events that lead to her death and makes a shocking discovery.
I liked this book way more than I thought I would. Normally with Ruth Ware, the premise is fantastic while the execution lacks. And while this one went on a bit longer than it should, I felt everything came together very well. I didn’t guess right away what the ending was, and Ware did a good job planting some red herrings to distract the reader along the way. Where Ware exceeded with this book was the journey to the end of the book and the reveal. The characters were all well formed and interesting (if not a bit thick at times). A very enjoyable mystery and one of this author’s better books....more
Me Before You is a book I always meant to get to, and here I am 10+ years after release and I finally read it! I was concerned going in that 4 stars!
Me Before You is a book I always meant to get to, and here I am 10+ years after release and I finally read it! I was concerned going in that this book was going to be offensive almost about disabled individuals because I know many disabled people fight everyday for their rights. And I think this book covered a difficult subject well but I am still unsure about the overall message it sends. I have mixed feels as many would say.
I enjoyed the romance between Louisa and Will, grumpy sunshine romances are always fun. And the stories of everything Louisa did to try and improve Will’s life was done very well. I plan on continuing the series via e-audiobook when I am able to, but it’s not a priority series at this time. The movie adaptation of this book was really good, I actually kind of enjoyed it more than the book....more
A cute romance about a high school coach and an older woman, single mother. This Well Met series is honestly so fun and I enjoy getting los 3.5 stars
A cute romance about a high school coach and an older woman, single mother. This Well Met series is honestly so fun and I enjoy getting lost in some mindless entertainment while reading this series. And while I enjoyed this book a lot, I have a feeling I won’t remember much about it once time passes....more
The story of Alexis the café owner and Noah, her former hacker best friend. When Alexis gets hit by a bombshell about family she never kne 4.5 stars!
The story of Alexis the café owner and Noah, her former hacker best friend. When Alexis gets hit by a bombshell about family she never knew about, Noah does what he can to protect his best friend from potential harm. Even if that means working on himself and joining the Bromance Book Club…
I really liked this one! But found family is a trope I adore and this whole book fit that so well. Friends to lovers isn’t normally my favorite but this one just worked for me. The parts with Beefcake the cat were hilarious, and the group scenes with the men as well. But mostly, I felt this book was great because of all the parts with Alexis getting to know her family and Noah overcoming his grief from his dads death. I was glad to read a romance novel that was more than just the love story, it made it so much better....more
Well, it wasn’t at all Christmas-y, but there was murder (yay?).
Lily returns to her annual family Christmas game after the death of her belov 3 stars
Well, it wasn’t at all Christmas-y, but there was murder (yay?).
Lily returns to her annual family Christmas game after the death of her beloved aunt. But the stakes of the game are higher this year, with her and all her cousins locked in the house. The winner of the game gets the house. But Lily doesn’t want the house, what she wants is answers about her mothers death.
I saw this on a friends list about mystery books set during Christmas, and since holiday romance isn’t my favorite I thought I would give this one a try. I liked it, for the most part. But it was incredibly predictable and at times… well, boring. I felt no satisfaction by the end of the book and I can already tell in a couple of months (maybe weeks) that I will have entirely forgotten all about this book....more
Reread November 2023, still like it but don't love it
3.5 stars
Fleeing from a bounty placed on her head, space princess Ada von Hasenberg teams up w Reread November 2023, still like it but don't love it
3.5 stars
Fleeing from a bounty placed on her head, space princess Ada von Hasenberg teams up with renowned criminal Marcus Loch to flee her jilted fiancé. But Ada notices something suspicious about the ship they escaped on, and may have accidentally started a war.
I enjoyed this for the most part. I wasn’t super in love with the romance between Ada and Loch, I didn’t really feel their chemistry. And the story/plot felt like it dragged on forever instead of coming together seamlessly. I am interested in reading the other books to see if things improve, but I find myself more of a fan of Milahik’s Starlight’s Shadows series than I am of the Consortium Rebellion series....more
Hannah Brooks doesn’t look like she can take down a man twice her size, she looks more like a kindergarten teacher or the girl next door, but 4 stars
Hannah Brooks doesn’t look like she can take down a man twice her size, she looks more like a kindergarten teacher or the girl next door, but that’s what makes her a perfect bodyguard. The ability to blend in and seem non-threatening. So after her boyfriend breaks up with her (right after her mom dies) Hannah is ready to escape into her next assignment. Jack Stapleton is a well known celebrity thanks to his blockbuster superhero movies, and he needs a bodyguard who can also pretend to be his girlfriend. And Hannah is the perfect woman for the job.
I’ve only read one other Katherine Center book and I enjoyed it, so I pretty much got what I was expecting when I dove into this one. A cute romance (that is not at all steamy or spicy) but more focused on character development and along the lines of “women’s fiction”. I love the idea of a female bodyguard romance and this book delivered a good one.
The banter between Jack and Hannah was the best part of this book, you could really see the friendship they had slowly grow into something more. I normally am not big on celebrity romance but this one really worked because it didn’t cover Hollywood or fame and I appreciated that. We got two people dealing with the pain of their past and working together to try and make their future better. All the subplots with the side characters also were done really well and I liked seeing how all of those played out or got resolved.
Katherine Center is a great author and I think I need to make an effort to read more of her backlist in the future. She hasn’t disappointed me yet and her books are a nice break from reality....more
Taking place in the present, and ten years earlier (with a smidge of in between), this is the story of Chani and Gabe. Ten years ago, writer 4 stars!
Taking place in the present, and ten years earlier (with a smidge of in between), this is the story of Chani and Gabe. Ten years ago, writer Chani spent three days with movie star Gabe working on a story to help his career. Ten years later the two meet again for another story and old wounds are reopened.
This is one of those books where you have to tell yourself not to judge it by the cover (because to me, this book cover is truly awful) and just read it and enjoy. Second chance romance is one of my favorite tropes, and this was a good one. I don’t always love celebrity romance but this one was done really well, portraying Gabe more as a human than a star. Chani I liked for the most part, sometimes she could be a bit cringe, but I tried to give her grace with that.
Normally this would have been a four star read for me, but I have one little thing that annoyed me. All of the “then” parts the characters had insane chemistry… that just wasn’t present for the “now” parts and I thought that was kind of weird. Had that been maintained I think this would be a perfect book. Overall a great read and if you love audiobooks, this one was well done in that format....more
This is one of those books where when I was reading it, I enjoyed it. But when I would think about it after, I noticed a bunch of things I 3.5 stars
This is one of those books where when I was reading it, I enjoyed it. But when I would think about it after, I noticed a bunch of things I didn’t like or didn’t make sense.
I thought Astrid was such an intriguing character in the first book Delilah Green, so I was excited to read this one. But after I finished reading, other than a bad mother and some anxiety we really didn’t learn much about her. And the same with Jordan other than a terrible ex-wife, we didn’t really get to know Jordan either. And the romance was seriously lacking, it was tension and then suddenly together. It didn’t develop well for me. And the whole tv show plot was just so random and didn't fit well with the book as a whole. I honestly would forget about it until it was brought up.
I will say the book kept my attention the whole time and I enjoyed it while I was reading it. But like I said, it’s one of those books where when you sit down and really analyze this book there were a lot of issues.
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review ...more
When her car breaks down in the middle of nowhere, Alexis gets a tow from an unexpected and handsome stranger. Flash to the next day and she’s fleeingWhen her car breaks down in the middle of nowhere, Alexis gets a tow from an unexpected and handsome stranger. Flash to the next day and she’s fleeing his house after a one-night stand. But Daniel has gotten under her skin and Alexis goes back for me. The problem is, the two of them live in very different worlds and Alexis doesn’t know how Daniel would fit in hers.
I ended up loving this book and I did not expect to. I listened to the audiobook on the recommendation of a friend (thank you, Christy!) and I was really very hesitant to pick this one up because I actually hated The Friend Zone. It has two incredible narrators (Julia Whelan and Zachary Webber) and they really brought this story to life for me.
I really loved the relationship between Alexis and Daniel and how it developed. It was the story of two unlikely people who found something beautiful. And although I loved them, I was frustrated at times reading the book because I just wanted to shake Alexis and her choices. I understood why she made them, but the plot point of her being almost “ashamed” of Daniel and his life just seemed so elitist of her. I get that it was her background I just wanted her to wake up sooner.
Also I loved the little things the author threw in from her regular life. It was obvious the dog in the book was based off of the one she posts on tik tok. The author also owns a cupcake chain called Nadia Cakes (which are delicious, I’ve had them) and she references them in the book. That combined with a wonderful sense of humor just really made this book come together for me as whole and I am glad I gave this author a second chance....more
If there’s one thing I’m going to do, it’s read a Jane Austen retelling. Seriously, I love them. And Tirzah Price’s teen murder mystery take 4 stars
If there’s one thing I’m going to do, it’s read a Jane Austen retelling. Seriously, I love them. And Tirzah Price’s teen murder mystery take on Austen’s novels is just so much fun.
When Mr. Dashwood dies unexpectedly, sisters Elinor and Marianne work together to solve the unusual circumstances around his death. Very soon they suspect that he was murdered and embark on their own investigation. After being all but thrown out of their home by their brother, the sisters must relies on themselves and new friends to make a new start and solve their fathers murder.
You don’t see a lot of Sense and Sensibility retellings which is a shame because it’s one of my top two Austen novels. I loved this take on the story and though Price kept very true to the nature and personalities of her characters while changing other details such as occupation in the book. I always wish with every version of this story, that there was more of Brandon and Marianne. But this one really needed more than what we got.
At the heart of this story is two very different sisters who love each other dearly and in their own way, works hard to keep their family together and safe. I am SO excited for Manslaughter Park next year and I wish Price was adapting all six of Austen’s novels instead of just three (but I am greedy)....more
An odd romance, but a very cute one. Astra, a librarian recovering from an awful divorce, loves to visit the Christmas market in the city e 3.5 stars
An odd romance, but a very cute one. Astra, a librarian recovering from an awful divorce, loves to visit the Christmas market in the city every year. And every year Jack is there at the bakery waiting for Astra to visit, the problem is she never remembers him (because of Christmas magic). But this might be the year she finally does, and Jack will get the chance at the woman of his dreams.
I enjoyed this romance, it was very cute. I’m not huge on the holiday romance trope but wanted to give this book a chance. It’s one of the few times I’ve read a librarian in a romance book where the author didn’t get the entire profession completely wrong and that was to refreshing to read. And the romance between Jack and Astra was unique and fun, I just felt it dragged on a bit too long and could have been a little bit shorter. There were some last minute dramatics I didn’t care for and I think the book would have been perfect without them.
An arc was provided by the publisher via Netgalley ...more
Mallory is a Canadian detective in Scotland caring for her ill grandmother. When she is attacked while on a run one evening, she is transpor 5 stars!
Mallory is a Canadian detective in Scotland caring for her ill grandmother. When she is attacked while on a run one evening, she is transported 150 years earlier, into the body of a 19 year old housemaid. Confused and desperate to get home, she does her best to pretend she belongs there. Until there is a murder and Mallory may be the key person to solve it…
I’ve been a big fan of Kelley Armstrong ever since her Darkest Powers series and luckily she has a huge backlist of books. I got the audio of this one from the library and ended up loving it way more than I expected to. It’s an odd concept and can be difficult to market I think. But reading the actual book I fell into the story and all the wonderful historical facts and fun characters. Having a modern day detective investigate Victorian age murders in that time? It was actually a lot of fun.
I loved all the characters and felt they really brought balance to the story. Mallory a modern girl stuck in an old time, a doctor she works for who is a bit of an outcast based purple on his race, his half sister a widow and a chemist. They were all fantastic and I am excited to read the next book and equally sad it is not published yet....more
Pastry chef Liv Papandreas gets fired from her job when she drops a thousand dollar cupcake on a customer and then walks in on her boss sexu 4 stars!
Pastry chef Liv Papandreas gets fired from her job when she drops a thousand dollar cupcake on a customer and then walks in on her boss sexually harassing an employee. Her boss proceeds to black ball her in the restaurant industry and Liv sets out to take him down. Her unlikely ally is Mack, friend of her brother in law, who wants to help Liv take down her old boss. But they will both need help from the entire bromance book club.
How sad is it that while reading this book, it felt like a fairy tale that men would believe women when they were harassed and immediately leap to their defense, no questions asked? I know there are good men out there, but I was shocked by this in the book and that made me sad that I even have that doubt.
I thought Liv and Mack were excellently paired, the jaded pastry chef and the romantic hero at heart. Their banter was a lot of fun and the build up of their romance and relationship worked really well. I also enjoyed the side characters a lot, except maybe I am sensitive but all of the torture jokes from The Russian were not funny to me at all, it felt like an insensitive caricature of a culture. And I worry about that man’s intestines with all the cheese/farting incidents he has.
Filled with humor and heart warming moments, the bromance book club series is turning out to be a win for me and I am excited to read the rest of the series....more
One of the few witches in Britain, Mika Moon spends her life hiding her true identity and not making meaningful connections. Mika was orphaned at a yoOne of the few witches in Britain, Mika Moon spends her life hiding her true identity and not making meaningful connections. Mika was orphaned at a young age and raised by strangers; she’s used to being alone and keeping her head down. Mika is shocked when she receives a message from a stranger asking her to travel to a place called Nowhere House to raise three orphaned young witches. While there she becomes entangled in the lives of not just the children, but a handful of eccentric adults including a brooding and handsome librarian…
I’ve been hearing lots of buzz on this book and I am beyond glad it lives up to the hype. Reading this book felt like snuggling under a warm blanket with a hot cup of tea, it was cozy and heartwarming. It is very similar to Klune’s Cerulean Sea book, but I honestly thought this was way better. I loved Mika as a main character and how she grew to love everyone in Nowhere House. Just as much I loved how the three girls reacted to her presence and grew to love and trust her.
Jamie the grumpy librarian was just the chef’s kiss addition to this book. I loved the friendship and then romance that grew between him and Mika, and how the relationship relied on trust in order to grow. There were some twists that I didn’t expect but that made sense when I really thought about it. And I think everything tied together nicely by the end with minimal angst....more
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