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Wished

By Sarah Ready

Coming October 1, 2024

(4 / 5)

Anna has been in love with Max since she first met him 3 years ago. The problem is that he doesn’t notice her at all, she’s just one of the hired people cleaning his house. When she makes a wish on an heirloom necklace, an unexpected turn of events ensues.

Wished is the 4th book in Sarah Ready’s Ghosted series. Since there’s very little references to the previous books, it could easily be read as a standalone, though there are some possible spoilers in the epilogue if you intend to eventually read the earlier books.

I thought this was an enjoyable read. It’s not surprising that we experience some insta-love along the way, given Anna’s love at first sight and then reality changing from a wish. There’s some pretty intense feelings involved that turns up the spice. I enjoyed some of the philosophical aspects that the book explores, such as the impact of changed realities, freedom of choice, and the things that make people happy. There was at least one aspect of the scenario that was never really explained, though given the magical/paranormal aspect the story is based on, that might be explanation enough for most people. This book definitely brings a rollercoaster of emotions.

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

Freeing Mallory

By S. Ashley

(4 / 5)

Freeing Mallory is a romance that delivers a decent amount of spice while also providing an interesting story. Both of the main characters, Mallory and Baxley, have been through some traumatic things in the past, so there’s an undertone of grief, but it is interesting to see how they each face it and learn to move on. I found both of the main characters to be likable and more complex than I was expecting, and I enjoyed the relationship between them. There’s a twist along the way that didn’t really come as a surprise for me, though there were still aspects of it that I didn’t expect. The story was a bit of an emotional roller coaster, but I was happy with the way things ended.

June 10, 2024 by danimae1981 Fiction Paperback 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

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

On the Plus Side

By Jenny L. Howe

Coming soon on December 26, 2023!

(4 / 5)

Everly has not really been herself since the loss of her grandmother, and she’s afraid of being “too much” – too loud, too colorful, too big. So it’s easier to hold a job where she doesn’t have to show her art to other people and dress in dark colors to blend in with background. Then everything changes when she’s nominated to be a guest on her favorite reality TV show, On the Plus Side, a show that puts plus size people under a positive light. It’s an opportunity to find herself and follow her dreams, but it also means big changes and being in the spotlight. Add in the Thor lookalike from work and the grumpy cameraman from the show, and things could get interesting…

As a plus size person myself, I was drawn to this book that features a plus size main character. I really love the positive outlook it has for people of all sizes, stressing pride in who you are and not being afraid to show your true self. There are several plus size characters, so it gives our main character, Everly, a place to feel seen and like she belongs. The show she is on concentrates on both fashion and life changes, so it was great to see her embrace her art and look at how she could make a career out of it. Everly was a character that I could really relate to, and I loved watching her grow over the course of the story.

Of course, with this book being a romance, we know going in that there’s going to be a relationship that blossoms through the story, which I really enjoyed as well. There are definitely some ups and downs along the way, but it was great to see Everly find someone who truly respects her for who she is. It was a heartwarming story that made me feel like I could learn some things about myself along the way.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Griffin and NetGalley for the free advance copy of On the Plus Side! All opinions expressed in my review are completely my own.

December 17, 2023 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Romance 0

Love, Just In

By Natalie Murray

Coming soon on January 3, 2024

(4 / 5)

Love, Just In follows the story of Josie of Zac, written from Josie’s point of view. The two have been best friends since they were teenagers, though they have drifted apart over the past couple years, following the death of Zac’s fiancé. Josie, a news reporter, is temporarily assigned to work in the city Zac has moved to, giving them the opportunity to reconnect. The book alternates between “today” and various moments from Zac and Josie’s past together.

One of the big themes of this book is Josie’s anxiety, especially about her health. After losing two family members to breast cancer, plus the loss of Zac’s fiancé at a young age, Josie worries that she will get cancer and die young. The anxiety is so bad that it’s caused her to panic on live tv, affecting her career. The portrayal of this anxiety felt very real while reading Josie’s story. This specific anxiety isn’t something I see much in fiction reading, so it definitely brings some awareness to a very real condition.

I enjoyed Josie and Zac’s interactions with each other, both as friends and as a couple, so I enjoyed being able to see their current story and pieces of their history. At times it felt frustrating when I could tell that they were more than friends who weren’t acting on it, but it was also understandable given the issues each one of them needed to sort out first. It was an overall good story that kept my attention, was quick to read, and had a satisfying ending.

Thank you to Allen & Unwin and NetGalley for the free advance copy of Love, Just In. All opinions expressed in my review are completely my own.

November 8, 2023 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Romance 0

Ghosted

By Sarah Ready

Narrated by Sarah Naughton and Rob Brinkman

Coming soon on September 26, 2023

(4.5 / 5)

TW: suicide

I had the opportunity to listen to the audiobook version of Sarah Ready’s upcoming book, Ghosted. The narrators did a great job reading the book. A special thanks to NetGalley and Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) for the free advance copy of this book. The opinions expressed in my review are solely my own.

I went into Ghosted knowing it was a paranormal romance, but it ended up being so much more than I was expecting. It made me feel such a range of emotions, from laughter to tears. At times it did feel a little long, but then the story took a big turn in a direction I wasn’t necessarily expecting.

The author has a very descriptive style of writing, thoroughly painting the scenes throughout the book. Characters were complex and interesting, with side characters that had big personalities and their own character developments. All of this really brought the story to life.

I will note that Jillian, the main character, is a huge Star Trek fan, so many references to the show are made. I’m familiar enough with the various series to be able to appreciate the references, but readers not familiar with Star Trek might find themselves a little lost at times.

I don’t want to give away any of the plot here, so I’ll just say that I ended up enjoying this book so much more than I expected. It was hard to tear myself away from the story, and I finished the whole thing in just over a day. I would love to read more books by Sarah Ready!

I received a free review copy of this book, but all opinions are completely my own.

September 19, 2023 by danimae1981 Audiobook Fiction Romance 0

Miss Matched

By Wendy Million

Coming Soon on June 13, 2023

(3.5 / 5)

I had the opportunity to read a free advanced review copy of this book through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Keep in mind that the published version will have been edited from the advanced version I read.

Miss Matched is a 2nd chance romance that alternates between the points of view of the two main characters, Tayla and Simon. The premise: about six years ago, the two had a bad breakup after dating for a couple years. You can imagine Tayla’s shock when she uses an expensive dating service to find her soulmate, only to be matched with Simon.

Overall, this book was a fairly quick read that flowed well, but there were certain aspects of the story that just didn’t seem very believable, which is why I didn’t like it as much as I could have. From the beginning, the dating service seemed like a bit of a farse. Only women can use it, and it costs as much as a down payment on a house? Over the course of the book, we learn other shady things about the company, yet somehow all of this has managed to stay quiet for years? I also found the full story about Tayla and Simon’s original breakup, which is revealed gradually, seemed a bit too uncharacteristic for a couple who was supposedly so close.

I honestly thought Simon was a bit of a jerk, especially at the beginning of the book. He did eventually grow on me more though. One thing I noticed was that the “voice” between Tayla and Simon’s points of view felt too similar, and sometimes I even had to remind myself which character I was following.

Despite my complaints, I found this to be an easy read that kept my attention, and I really enjoyed the ending. While this book didn’t turn out to be a favorite for me, I’d be willing to read more books by this author in the future.

April 27, 2023 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Romance 0

Love & Panic

By Raina Ash

(5 / 5)

TW: mental illness, alcoholism, suicidal thoughts

This book pulled me in almost as soon as I started reading it, and I found it very hard to put down. It follows 2 main characters, Natalie and Dean, who are each struggling with mental health and trauma from their past. As someone who has anxiety and has experienced panic attacks, I thought the descriptions were spot-on and realistic. Natalie and Dean end up meeting in an unconventional way, but I loved how they each accepted the other for who they were and didn’t judge. The story was interesting with a lot of ups and downs that kept me invested in the story. I was glad to see a lot of growth in both of the main characters over the course of the story while also being realistic about how these things take a lot of work, time, and sometimes you fall backwards in the process, but that’s okay. The book left me with a feeling of hope and a positive outlook about a topic that often holds a lot of stigma. I really enjoyed the romance aspects of the story as well and found that it came to a satisfying conclusion. There’s a couple steamy scenes, but it’s not excessive. I thoroughly enjoyed this book! A special thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the free copy of the book and the opportunity to provide my honest feedback!

February 17, 2023 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Romance 0