I received an ARC from Alcove Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
With an excruciatingly slow start and a lot of focus on the bacheloI received an ARC from Alcove Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
With an excruciatingly slow start and a lot of focus on the bachelor, this was not a good fit for me. I was bored as the first half really focuses on the show and all the dates with Josh.
With Lauren firmly in the closet and Krystin not even aware there is a closet, it just didn’t feel very sapphic. When I read a sapphic romance I like for it to feel like a sapphic romance. I can’t even really remember them interacting with each other much before 20%?
I was impressed the authors made such a bold choice to make Lauren such an unlikeable character in a romance. She rude, selfish, manipulative and the list goes on and on. She goes onto the show only wanting to grow her influencer following and I saw basically no growth in the end for her. Or, not real growth as I can completely see her going back to who she was in no time.
Krystin, on the other hand, was sweet and naïve and a little boring. She was there to actually find love and I felt bad that her first relationship would be with someone like Lauren. She deserved better.
I also had a huge issue with the third act breakup situation. It stems from an assumption made by one character which then leads to them no longer speaking. Then the two don’t even get back together on their own. It takes a third party to get them speaking again and it frustrated me a lot. Nothing about them being together makes me think they have a lasting kind of love.
Honestly, I don't know what to say about this that hasn't already been covered. If you loved "Those Who Wait" then I can almost guarantee you're goingHonestly, I don't know what to say about this that hasn't already been covered. If you loved "Those Who Wait" then I can almost guarantee you're going to love this. I got very similar vibes. Haley is the absolute best at pining, oblivious idiots that have been dating without realizing it, and friends-to-lovers. Absolutely recommend! ...more
After Marigold Lavender’s announcement she was gay in “The Last Lavender Sister” I was hoping we’d get her story. And here it is! I was also really haAfter Marigold Lavender’s announcement she was gay in “The Last Lavender Sister” I was hoping we’d get her story. And here it is! I was also really happy to catch up with Aster and Brynn as I really liked them.
I thought this was a pretty good read. Marigold and Alexis are opposites and this has a bit of an enemies-to-lovers trope, which I love. Alexis is a food critic and writes a pretty vicious article about Aster’s restaurant. Marigold takes offense and makes a video that goes viral and gets Alexis “canceled” and fired from her job. Afterwards, Alexis decides to go back to Homer Bluff (Marigold’s hometown) and lay low for a while and reflect on her career choices.
Marigold and Aster have great chemistry right from the beginning. I really liked how they were with one another and the care they showed for the other. I loved all the family dynamics. We don’t always get to see such loving family support in romance but “Marigold” has it in spades.
My main problem was the whimsical way in which Marigold speaks and goes through life. After a while she started irritating me and it lessened my enjoyment. I also had issue with all the witty banter. I’m good with it when it’s among close friends/relatives but it’s too much when it’s with strangers as well. Everyone has witty banter with everyone here. Alexis would meet someone for the first time and there would be witty banter. I just found it odd and unbelievable, especially with how Alexis is when we first meet her.
My favorite thing was Alexis’ arc. Her development was great and I found it fun to read. Although, how one person with no following can cause someone to be canceled is something that I found to be a bit of a stretch. Regardless, I liked how it opened her eyes to want to makes some changes for a happier life.
I received an ARC from Bold Strokes Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review....more
I realize I’m in the minority with this one; but I just did not love this. Others will probably enjoy this more than me, I’ve seen ratings that prove I realize I’m in the minority with this one; but I just did not love this. Others will probably enjoy this more than me, I’ve seen ratings that prove this. However, it had too many of my personal dislikes to get invested and enjoy this.
Adley (from Beers’ previous “Dance with Me”) and Sabrina meet in a bar, there’s immediate attraction. They decide to start a friends-with-benefits type of situation but it doesn’t turn out like they plan. They spend time basically dating and getting to know one another. They have one caveat that they won’t speak about work. Convenient as one owns a local ice cream shop and the other is bringing in an ice cream chain.
The first issue I had was the insta-lust. While the “dates” do an okay job of getting Adley and Sabrina to know one another, it’s more about the physical. There’s too little emotional connection.
They spend about a month being in lust and then there’s a big blow up once Adley finds out Sabrina’s business will likely put Adley’s ice cream shop out of business. They then spend the next year apart. There is mutual pining and tons of internal monologuing about the other, however, there is no connection between the two. It was difficult for me to believe the month they were together was enough to sustain a year apart. This leads to another pet peeve of mine. Most of what we know about the characters and them as a couple is from internal monologues or conversations with their best friends. There’s just not enough actual dialogue between the two.
Another big thing for me was the characters voices. They were all pretty much interchangeable for me, including Scottie and Teagan, the best friends. You could change up any character and the scene would have stayed basically the same.
There were a couple of other minor things that are really more about me than anything else. For example, the nicknames. Everyone, including side characters, have nicknames for everyone else. It annoyed me every time I saw it.
On the plus side I got a small glimpse into Scottie and Marisa’s relationship. I was happy to see they were still going strong and happy.
Like I said earlier, there are many others that enjoyed this far more than me. So, take this review with a grain of salt.
I received an ARC from Bold Strokes Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review....more
This is the second time I’ve come across a Scottie in sapphic fiction. It gave me a laugh because I don’t think I’ve ever heard that as an actual nameThis is the second time I’ve come across a Scottie in sapphic fiction. It gave me a laugh because I don’t think I’ve ever heard that as an actual name in anyone in real life.
Scottie is coasting through life when she’s strong armed into taking dance classes by her best friend. Scottie agrees but she’s not aware it’s where she’ll be meeting Marisa as her dancing instructor. Marisa happens to be the woman Scottie’s ex-girlfriend dumped when she met Scottie.
Sounds kind of crazy, right? To be honest, I wasn’t sure how I’d feel going in because I’m not big on dancing and the blurb didn’t do much for me. But somehow, by the end I was really rooting for Scottie and Marisa and I ended up really enjoying this. I think this could be called a low-angst, low stakes romance and it was nice to curl up and read this cute and fluffy romance. It was especially nice after reading two high stakes romances back-to-back.
Scottie and Marisa were a super sweet couple. They had fun chemistry and I loved all the time they spent together. We only get Scottie’s first-person point of view and I think that’s why I loved Marisa so much. She’s on the mysterious side and I had a bit of a crush on her. While I thought Scottie was okay, I didn’t necessarily love her as the narrator all the time. There wasn’t anything wrong with her, she just wasn’t my favorite.
I had two issues that took this down to 4 stars for me. Everything being magically solved in the end was one. The other was that it was outside forces that brought Scottie and Marisa together in the end, which felt a bit like emotional manipulation. I prefer when the characters actively work to get together so that left me a little disappointed.
I received an ARC from Bold Strokes Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review....more
I received an ARC from Bold Strokes Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I think most fans of Brayden will appreciate this. A lot of wI received an ARC from Bold Strokes Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I think most fans of Brayden will appreciate this. A lot of what she’s known for is here such as the witty banter and the quirky side characters. And while I didn’t dislike this, I also didn’t love it. I think I was more disappointed than anything and that’s on me. I went into this thinking it would be heavier and angstier since Peyton is an ex-con who is trying to reacclimate to life outside of prison. It does have its moments but it mainly just a light and sweet romance.
The third act breakup also irritated me. I know Brayden loves them but I could see this one coming from a mile away. I was really hoping she’d go another way but alas, she did not.
So, while I didn’t love this, I think it may work if you’re looking for a sweet romance that features a lingerie shop and some steamy card writing. ...more
This book ended up being such a nice surprise. The main trope featured is fauxmance and I liked how Burke handled going from a fake relationship to a This book ended up being such a nice surprise. The main trope featured is fauxmance and I liked how Burke handled going from a fake relationship to a real romance.
Olive, an ER nurse, is on a flight when she is tasked with saving another passenger’s life. The video of her heroics goes viral and she finds herself the center of attention. The pilot of the flight, Stella, wants to use the publicity to try and finally get the promotion she’s been after.
Not only does this deal with a fake relationship but there are several heavy issues that we don’t see a lot in romance. Olive, our main character, suffers from anxiety and is dealing with grief and loss over her brother that’s in a coma. There’s also family drama with both Olive and Stella that takes up quite a bit of time. There also happened to be an ex-girlfriend that liked stirring up trouble for Olive.
Even though there were some heavy moments, I liked how the author used humor to offset them. It wasn’t all doom and gloom and sad. Stella especially was good with calming Olive down and finding humor in things.
While I didn’t really care for Stella in the beginning (just a nurse!), she did eventually grow on me. She sticks her foot in her mouth quite a few times that left me shaking my head.
This wasn’t exactly perfect as it had some small issues. Like, I couldn’t understand how quickly the video went viral and how long it was talked about. Another thing, I thought it got a bit bogged down in the middle with their insecurities and self-doubt. I was also peeved that the relationship between Olive and her family was really resolved in the end. That issue actually felt more realistic but I selfishly wanted to see it fixed.
Despite the few issues, I really enjoyed this debut romance from Andie Burke. I’m excited to see what she comes up with next.
I received an ARC from St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review....more
“The Last Lavender Sister” is a slow-burn, small-town romance. This is a standalone, at least for now. Aster Lavender is the youngest of her sisters a“The Last Lavender Sister” is a slow-burn, small-town romance. This is a standalone, at least for now. Aster Lavender is the youngest of her sisters and that’s where the title comes from. I’ve seen people question if this is part of a series but as of right now, this is it. I wouldn’t mind seeing a follow up featuring another sister if Ms. Brayden is so inclined.
I have to start by saying this doesn’t quite follow the Brayden formula that you may be used to and I’ll admit, I liked it. “The Last Lavender Sister” spans several years and I enjoyed seeing the growth and changes the main characters go through, especially Aster.
I absolutely loved Aster. In the beginning she’s a little on the meek and quiet side. Her older siblings have always gotten the attention and she’s used to being in the background. Over time, she gains confidence and really comes into her own. And while she’s quiet and lets other’s get the attention, she speaks up for herself with her wants and needs. She spends her days making doughnuts, reading books and dreams of leaving her hometown. She wants love but has convinced herself it will never happen in her sleepy little town. Then Brynn Garrett comes to town and shakes things up.
Brynn is taking over for the local vet for some time and starts a friendship with Aster. She has just gotten out of a long-term relationship where she was cheated on so she’s not in a hurry to trust and love again. I really liked Brynn in the beginning. She’s funny and confident and the perfect foil to Aster. However, as time went on, I liked her less and less. While she clearly cares for Aster she also came across as selfish with some of her decisions and it made her unlikeable towards the end.
As the story spans several years Aster and Brynn’s relationship changes and evolves as they do. Brayden really took them (and me) on an emotional journey, there are some highs and lows. Some of them I enjoyed and some not so much.
Even though I spent some time frustrated I still really enjoyed the book. Aster and Brynn have a lot of chemistry and I loved the humor, heart, and banter that is expected in a Brayden book.
I received an ARC from Bold Strokes Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review....more
Loading...
