Romance

Fated

By Sarah Ready

Coming July 16, 2024

(3.5 / 5)

Fated is the 3rd book in the Ghosted series, though it takes place before the other books, so I think it could easily be read as a standalone. In this story, we follow Fiona, co-owner of her family’s famous watch company in Geneva. She has some abandonment issues and is afraid to fall in love. When she is gifted a family heirloom that will let her dream her desires, she is introduced to a different life on an island, with a husband that might be a chance for her to love.

I wanted to love this book… the premise was interesting, with beautiful settings and great descriptions. The pacing felt a bit slow for my taste, and I think I would have liked to see more of Fiona in the real world. The dream world definitely had more drama and complications than I was expecting. I think I felt a little uncomfortable with the premise of Fiona basically living the life of another person (Becca) in the dream world, who seemed to have different intentions when Fiona wasn’t there. Meanwhile Fiona is dating her friend, Max, in the real world while she falls for Aaron in the dream world. All that said, the end of the book really takes a turn that tugs at the heartstrings and kept me more invested in the story. I was happy about how it ended and like the hints toward the next book in the series.

Thank you to Swift & Lewis Publishing LLC | Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Members’ Titles, Sarah Ready and NetGalley for the free review copy of Fated! All opinions expressed in my review are completely my own.

It Started with a Book

By Camilla Isley

Coming July 5, 2024

(4 / 5)

After getting ghosted yet again, Leigh is fed up with dating. A mysterious romance book turns out to be the perfect escape, and her dreams bring her back to the fictional world and the gorgeous billionaire cowboy, Killian. But one morning, she wakes up to Killian physically there in her apartment. Is it too good to be true?

First off, I loved Leigh as a character, and I felt an extra special connection to her as a fellow avid reader, book reviewer, and woman in computer science. I went into this book knowing that I’d have to suspend reality a little bit, but I really enjoyed the interesting experience of “book character comes to life.” I liked the story within the story aspect and how it all became intertwined. This book hits on just about every romance trope you can imagine, but it doesn’t feel cheesy at all because the characters are actively pointing it out and joking about it. I loved watching Killian and Leigh adapt to their crazy situation. The romance is definitely a slow burn, but I think the character development along the way validates it. It was great to see Leigh gain a sense of trust and the ability to speak up. This was just an overall enjoyable, quick read from an author who doesn’t disappoint!

Thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the free review copy of It Started with a Book! The opinions in my review are completely my own.

May 15, 2024 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle New Adult Romance 0

Just Some Stupid Love Story

By Katelyn Doyle

Coming June 4, 2024

(3.5 / 5)

At their 15-year class reunion, Seth and Molly see each other for the first time since breaking up at the end of high school. Molly is a rom-com script writer who doesn’t believe in real romance, while Seth is a divorce lawyer who believes in soul mates. They make a bet about 5 couples from the class to determine who is right at the next reunion in 5 years… and one of those couples happens to be themselves.

Just Some Stupid Love Story alternates points of view between the two main characters, Molly and Seth. It took me a bit to warm up to Molly… she’s very cynical, especially about romance. As we learn about her past it becomes more understandable, but sometimes her self-sabotaging was really frustrating. The story covers the span of 5 years, so there are several jumps in time that highlight Molly and Seth coming together and drifting apart over the years. They both have a lot of self-reflection along the way, leading to a good deal of character growth. It was interesting to see how the relationships of other couples in the story evolved over time in addition to the main characters. Overall, the book was a little predictable but still a quick read that kept me engaged.

Thank you to Flatiron Books and NetGalley for the free review copy of Just Some Stupid Love Story! All opinions expressed in my review are completely my own.

April 30, 2024 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Romance Women's Fiction 0

A Wedding in the Sun

By Leonie Mack

Coming May 17, 2024

(4.5 / 5)

Jo and Adrián are on a flight to Spain to attend the wedding of their ex-spouses, not something either of them is looking forward to. When the plane has to make an emergency landing in France due to bad weather, the two “exes” end up traveling together, trying to get to their destination despite everything going wrong along the way.

A Wedding in the Sun was a quick and enjoyable read. I really liked both of the main characters, who felt so imperfectly human. While they are going through some incredibly difficult situations and are understandably stressed, over time they are both able to admit to their flaws and accept each other as they are. Both characters go through a lot of growth as they process the grief from their previous marriages ending. Despite so many things going wrong on their journey, there’s also a sense of optimism about the positive experiences they wouldn’t have had otherwise. I loved the adventure of the road trip, from the Pyrenees mountains to the beaches of Spain.

Thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the free review copy of A Wedding in the Sun! All opinions in my review are completely my own.

April 23, 2024 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Romance 0

The Love Algorithm

By Camilla Isley

Coming soon on April 26, 2024

(4 / 5)

Reese Campbell is a robotics engineer who has worked hard to have a successful career at Mercer Robotics. Thomas Mercer is the billionaire son of the head of the company and soon going to be the new CEO of Mercer Robotics. To learn more about the company, Thomas is assigned to follow Reese, but she considers it to be more of a “babysitting a billionaire” situation. When they meet, sparks fly, but with Thomas on track to become Reese’s boss, it makes for a complicated situation.

The Love Algorithm is the 3rd book in Camilla Isley’s True Love series. It could easily be read as a standalone, but it runs parallel to the other two books, so we get to see some previous characters along the way.

I’ve already read and enjoyed several of Camilla Isley’s books, and The Love Algorithm did not disappoint. This book follows the points of view of both main characters, and I found them to be very likeable. I love seeing successful women in engineering, and Reese was a great representative. Thomas was very down-to-Earth despite his billionaire background. I loved the interactions between Reese and Thomas. A special gem in this book was K-2P, a droid that Reese designed and had so much personality and sass, giving some literal laugh-out-loud moments. This was an overall enjoyable story that was a quick read and hard to put down!

Thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the free review copy of The Love Algorithm! The opinions expressed in my review are completely my own.

April 13, 2024 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Romance 0

Icon and Inferno

By Marie Lu

Coming June 11, 2024

(4 / 5)

Icon and Inferno is the 2nd book in the Stars and Smoke series. Pop superstar-turned-spy Winter Young and agent Sydney Cossette team back up a year later for another mission for the Panacea Group, this time in Singapore.

Icon and Inferno had a similar feel to the first book, with action, mystery, romance and thrills. I read the books together, but enough background information is given catch you up if it’s been a bit. Once again, I enjoyed the complicated relationship between Winter and Sydney, and the addition of their exes added extra tension. There are surprises along the way, though I’ll admit to having my suspicions about some of the things that happened beforehand. There’s a lot of action, and while sometimes it feels a little unrealistic, it gives it the kind of excitement you feel while watching a movie. It was definitely a quick read that was hard to put down. I’m not sure if there will be another book in this series, but I’d love to read more by the author, Marie Lu.

Thank you to Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group | Roaring Brook Press and NetGalley for the free review copy of Icon and Inferno! All opinions in my review are completely my own.

April 3, 2024 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Mystery Romance Thriller Young Adult 0

Falling for Fury

By Brittany Rianne

Released today!

(4 / 5)

Addison: 25-year-old law student who struggles with mental health and the expectations set by her dad. Noah: 29-year-old businessman who is determined to succeed to support his family but has sworn off love after the grief of losing his father. The two meet by chance and sparks fly, but is a relationship possible?

This book begins with a trigger warning, which I appreciated since I have had my own struggles with mental health. I’ll admit, in the beginning I had a hard time completely understanding the two main characters, but as I got to know them better, they both grew on me. On the surface, this is a romance story with good amount of spice, but it digs so much deeper with topics about mental health, family issues and personal growth. I liked the relationship between Addison and Noah, especially with how Noah embraced Addison as she was, instead of walking on eggshells like everyone else around her. I thought the book playlist (a song for each chapter) was a nice touch, even if I didn’t always listen to it while reading the book. This book is impressive for a self-published debut author – I would have never suspected this just from reading the book.

Thank you to Brittany Rianne for the free review copy of Falling for Fury! All opinions in my review are completely my own.

March 10, 2024 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Romance 0

Ex in the City

By Portia MacIntosh

Coming February 27, 2024

(3 / 5)

Nicole once lived an exciting life, touring with bands as a magazine journalist. But these days, she’s living the suburban mom life, in a relationship that is essentially over. Then rockstar Dylan, Nicole’s former best friend, shows up, and her past and present lives come crashing together.

This was one of those books that I wished I loved, but in the end I just didn’t feel the connection to the characters and story that I was hoping to. Don’t get me wrong, the story is written well, flowed well, had character growth, and was a quick read. I think I was partially put off by Nicole sticking around with Rowan (her ex) even though the relationship was over, and it took a bit to learn exactly where things went wrong with them. Plus I think I would’ve liked to see Dylan arrive in the story sooner and more of a relationship with him and Nicole. While this wasn’t quite the right book for me, it’s something I think other readers may enjoy, so definitely don’t write it off just based on my feelings about it.

Thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the free review copy of Ex in the City! All opinions in my review are completely my own.

February 16, 2024 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Romance 0

Your Blood, My Bones

By Kelly Andrew

Coming soon on April 2, 2024

(3.5 / 5)

It’s been 5 years since Wyatt left Willow Heath, her father’s homestead farm, and her childhood friends, James and Peter. Now Wyatt is 18, her father has passed, and she has inherited the farm. She returns with only the intention to burn it to the ground, until she finds Peter, imprisoned in the cellar. Now she must face her past and present, as the farm holds far more sinister secrets than she ever imagined.

This book was one that I have very mixed feelings about. On one hand, there were parts that felt drawn out or more confusing than they needed to be. We have the present-day timeline, along with memories from the past, and sometimes it was hard to tell when something was happening or exactly how all the pieces of the puzzle fit together. On the other hand, this book kept me wanting to read it, sitting for hours at a time. I really liked the writing, with fantastic descriptions and an overall unique feel to it. It was a blend of many genres – young adult, romance, fantasy, horror. At times I felt the vocabulary was a bit advanced for young adult, but again, this generally didn’t feel like a typical YA story. While not necessarily packed with action, the story held an eerie and mysterious feel throughout.

Thank you to Scholastic, Scholastic Press and NetGalley for the free review copy of Your Blood, My Bones. Opinions expressed in my review are completely my own.

February 12, 2024 by danimae1981 Fantasy Fiction Horror Kindle Romance Young Adult 0

It’s Complicated

By Camilla Isley

Coming soon on February 23, 2024

(4 / 5)

Jace, Aiden and Lori have been best friends for the past 15 years… they even share a doctor practice together. But it’s a little complicated – Jace secretly loves Lori, Lori secretly has a crush on Aiden, and Aiden is about to get married to Kirsten. Trying to make Aiden jealous, Lori convinces Jace to pretend they are in a relationship, making things even more complicated.

It’s Complicated was a very quick read for me. It held my interest, flowed well, and kept me wanting to read right until the end. I enjoyed the characters (quirks and all) and relationships between them. The story pretty much went how I expected in most parts, but this lighthearted read was just what I was looking for. I have enjoyed every book I’ve read by Camilla Isley, and this book was no exception.

Thank you to Boldwood Books and Netgalley for the free review copy of It’s Complicated! All opinions in my review are exclusively my own.

February 7, 2024 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Romance 0