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3.69 AVERAGE
3.69 AVERAGE
3.5 stars.
FULL REVIEW IN Aisha's Book World
After her husband Julian dies, Isabel “Izzy” O’Sullivan still wants a baby, so she goes to the Swiss fertility clinic where they planned to do the procedure due to Julian being sterile. Enter Grayson Koh, F1’s recently retired billionaire superstar and Julian’s best friend to stop her plans. Why? Because the sample she’s about to use in the fertility process is his, not Julian’s! Instead, Grayson comes with an outrageous proposal: Izzy will have a baby—his baby—by doing it the traditional way.
Ms. Cinelli did a good, solid start for the The Fast Track Billionaires’ Club trilogy with this book. Izzy and Grayson’s romance is credible, and their chemistry is spectacular. Looking forward to the next installment of the trilogy. I have the feeling it will be great.
• ARC given by Amanda Cinelli & Harlequin Books via Netgalley. Thanks for your trust.
FULL REVIEW IN Aisha's Book World
After her husband Julian dies, Isabel “Izzy” O’Sullivan still wants a baby, so she goes to the Swiss fertility clinic where they planned to do the procedure due to Julian being sterile. Enter Grayson Koh, F1’s recently retired billionaire superstar and Julian’s best friend to stop her plans. Why? Because the sample she’s about to use in the fertility process is his, not Julian’s! Instead, Grayson comes with an outrageous proposal: Izzy will have a baby—his baby—by doing it the traditional way.
Ms. Cinelli did a good, solid start for the The Fast Track Billionaires’ Club trilogy with this book. Izzy and Grayson’s romance is credible, and their chemistry is spectacular. Looking forward to the next installment of the trilogy. I have the feeling it will be great.
• ARC given by Amanda Cinelli & Harlequin Books via Netgalley. Thanks for your trust.
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
This has a unique storyline with FI racing golden boy Grayson and Izzy the past family friend nanny- now BFFs widow, and their scandalous offer. We get Dublin and Singapore as settings. The high rolling lifestyle of a F1 driver and the past coming back to haunt him. These two have past and deep chemistry from the start. It was a fast, fun, and entertaining read with these two.
I enjoy Cinelli’s writing and this was another winner- can’t wait to see where she goes with this series! F1 racing was a fun plot line.
I enjoy Cinelli’s writing and this was another winner- can’t wait to see where she goes with this series! F1 racing was a fun plot line.
Nice story that flowed really well and with immersive POV throughout. Premise is a tad over the top, but felt like a scandalous, juicy soap opera tidbit, so if that's your jam, you're going to love it! The heroine felt a little too perfect, to be honest, but that can be overlooked for this quick read. Really enjoyed Amanda Cinelli's writing style - she's definitely on my radar now
4 Platonic Banging Stars
Tropes: Racecar Driver Hero, Widow, Husband's Best Friend, Pregnancy Pact
The DRAMA in this one! Holy cow.
Okay, here's the deal. Izzy O'Sullivan is trying to get artificially inseminated with her dead husband's sperm, only to have his best friend, the hot, brooding Grayson Koh, burst in and say that isn't happening. Why? Because the sperm isn't her dead husband's, it's Grayson's. Oops! So clearly, the solution to this problem is for Izzy and Grayson to have a baby the more natural way and platonically co-parent. I can see no emotional problems coming from this plan. Surely not.
I really appreciated the representation in this one. Grayson's Singaporean heritage is not super discussed, but I am excited for more East Asian love interests to get some spotlight in the modern era. Izzy's struggles with dyslexia and her emotional baggage from growing up in the foster system were well described. I also enjoyed how much Grayson loved her curves. I feel like it's still pretty rare to see a plus-sized heroine who is relatively neutral about her body, and it was refreshing.
The middle part of this book gets a bit too montage-y for my tastes, but the climax (no pun intended) was really sweet. Speaking of climax, this book was pretty steamy for a Presents. And the sexy times were solid.
A fun Presents, overall, notable for how relatively normal the two leads are. The setup is far wackier than the characters, and sometimes that's just what the doctor ordered.
Shoutout to K.C. Sheridan for excellent audio narration.
Tropes: Racecar Driver Hero, Widow, Husband's Best Friend, Pregnancy Pact
The DRAMA in this one! Holy cow.
Okay, here's the deal. Izzy O'Sullivan is trying to get artificially inseminated with her dead husband's sperm, only to have his best friend, the hot, brooding Grayson Koh, burst in and say that isn't happening. Why? Because the sperm isn't her dead husband's, it's Grayson's. Oops! So clearly, the solution to this problem is for Izzy and Grayson to have a baby the more natural way and platonically co-parent. I can see no emotional problems coming from this plan. Surely not.
I really appreciated the representation in this one. Grayson's Singaporean heritage is not super discussed, but I am excited for more East Asian love interests to get some spotlight in the modern era. Izzy's struggles with dyslexia and her emotional baggage from growing up in the foster system were well described. I also enjoyed how much Grayson loved her curves. I feel like it's still pretty rare to see a plus-sized heroine who is relatively neutral about her body, and it was refreshing.
The middle part of this book gets a bit too montage-y for my tastes, but the climax (no pun intended) was really sweet. Speaking of climax, this book was pretty steamy for a Presents. And the sexy times were solid.
A fun Presents, overall, notable for how relatively normal the two leads are. The setup is far wackier than the characters, and sometimes that's just what the doctor ordered.
Shoutout to K.C. Sheridan for excellent audio narration.
emotional
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It’s alright, nothing to run home and tell mama about
*Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin for gifting an eARC in exchange for review*
There were moments that I really loved in this book and some really beautiful pieces of dialogue between the two main characters, but ultimately the story kind of fell flat for me. And ultimately I ended up disliking it more than I liked it.
Isabel and Grayson are former acquaintances linked together by a tragedy involving Isabel's late husband and Grayson's childhood friend (see: frenemy). When Isabel decides she wants to have a family and get pregnant by her late husband, she is shocked when Grayson interrupts her fertility appointment with claims that something is wrong. And what follows is a story of two people fighting an attraction that becomes harder to ignore the longer they spend time together.
Off the premise alone, I was ready to fall head over heels for this couple and their story but the longer the book went on, the more frustrated I got with the back and forth of "I want you, but I know you could never want me like that" and "Its best if I keep myself at a distance less you discover how much I actually want you, its better for you-- even though I haven't been 100% honest with my feelings for you." And its possible that my dislike of the miscommunication trope and third-act breakups (although these two characters weren't really "together" so I'm not sure it counts as a breakup) clouded my ability to enjoy this book, but every time I thought the characters had finally had a breakthrough, there would be another moment of miscommunication or inner monologue insecurity that sabotaged the moment and when this was still going on 77% into the book, it felt like I was reading in circles. I'm just glad the characters got it together by the end-- even if it was in the final 10%.
There were moments that I really loved in this book and some really beautiful pieces of dialogue between the two main characters, but ultimately the story kind of fell flat for me. And ultimately I ended up disliking it more than I liked it.
Isabel and Grayson are former acquaintances linked together by a tragedy involving Isabel's late husband and Grayson's childhood friend (see: frenemy). When Isabel decides she wants to have a family and get pregnant by her late husband, she is shocked when Grayson interrupts her fertility appointment with claims that something is wrong. And what follows is a story of two people fighting an attraction that becomes harder to ignore the longer they spend time together.
Off the premise alone, I was ready to fall head over heels for this couple and their story but the longer the book went on, the more frustrated I got with the back and forth of "I want you, but I know you could never want me like that" and "Its best if I keep myself at a distance less you discover how much I actually want you, its better for you-- even though I haven't been 100% honest with my feelings for you." And its possible that my dislike of the miscommunication trope and third-act breakups (although these two characters weren't really "together" so I'm not sure it counts as a breakup) clouded my ability to enjoy this book, but every time I thought the characters had finally had a breakthrough, there would be another moment of miscommunication or inner monologue insecurity that sabotaged the moment and when this was still going on 77% into the book, it felt like I was reading in circles. I'm just glad the characters got it together by the end-- even if it was in the final 10%.
Quick Summary: A never too late for love, pregnancy romance
My Review: The Bump in Their Forbidden Reunion by Amanda Cinelli is a Harlequin Presents novel. It is associated with The Fast Track Billionaires' Club books.
About the Book: Retired racer Grayson Koh had a dark, delicious encounter with Izzy O'Sullivan that left him completely shaken. Before he had a chance to pursue her, she disappeared. Not only had she departed from his presence without a word, but she had also been linked to his best friend. Will he win the race for her heart?
My Final Say: I'm happy to say that I enjoyed this romance novel very much. Even though the initial scene in this story was peculiar, it set up the relationship and arrangement between this couple very well. The tension between Grayson and Izzy was palpable. From the minute they shared their first private moment until the final Elite One race, they sizzled.
Rating: 4/5
Recommend: Yes
Audience: A
Status/Level:
My Review: The Bump in Their Forbidden Reunion by Amanda Cinelli is a Harlequin Presents novel. It is associated with The Fast Track Billionaires' Club books.
About the Book: Retired racer Grayson Koh had a dark, delicious encounter with Izzy O'Sullivan that left him completely shaken. Before he had a chance to pursue her, she disappeared. Not only had she departed from his presence without a word, but she had also been linked to his best friend. Will he win the race for her heart?
My Final Say: I'm happy to say that I enjoyed this romance novel very much. Even though the initial scene in this story was peculiar, it set up the relationship and arrangement between this couple very well. The tension between Grayson and Izzy was palpable. From the minute they shared their first private moment until the final Elite One race, they sizzled.
Rating: 4/5
Recommend: Yes
Audience: A
Status/Level:
I reviewed an ARC for Amanda and I love the elements of the racing world that Amanda weaves in (e.g., special helmet designs!). I also enjoyed that Amanda doesn't shy away from making Grayson and Isabel's arrangement begin in a stilted and pragmatic way and they really have to navigate the difficulties of bringing their disparate lives together.
medium-paced
'The Bump in Their Forbidden Reunion’ by Amanda Cinelli is my first book from this author. I should also mention it is also part of the Harlequin Presents line so there is just a hint of the spice in it. The characters that Amanda brought into this story were so well done and you could feel the spark of the main characters right when they met.
Izzy and Grayson are a couple you just need to have together as they bring out the best of each other and they listen and take in every little detail about the person. ‘The Bump in Their Forbidden Reunion’ does show that sometimes the plans we have don’t go as planned but if two people are meant to be they will be together. And when these two are together the sizzle is just unstoppable.
I liked the fact that this didn’t take place in the US and that they both came from different backgrounds. Amanda was able to paint a picture with her words and as you read this book you’ll be able to picture the story she is telling. ‘The Bump in Their Forbidden Reunion’ is a nice solid four stars and a level 2 on the spice. I have no doubt you will enjoy this book. You can get this book on January 23, 2024, wherever you get your books, and trust me when I say you will enjoy this book