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a_stylish_bookworm's reviews
1386 reviews
Collided by Lauren Asher
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
3.0
liked the idea of the story with Liam, the IT guy for F1 racing and Sophie, the daughter of rival team owner. Liam is older and is instantly attracted to Sophie who is young and innocent. He discover her list of things she wants to do and decides to help her.
I like that they began as friends through the racing season and the tension between them are great. Sophie just seemed a bit too immature and needed to grow a bit for me. As for Liam, he just seemed like a horny guy and didn't haven't much depth.
I like that they began as friends through the racing season and the tension between them are great. Sophie just seemed a bit too immature and needed to grow a bit for me. As for Liam, he just seemed like a horny guy and didn't haven't much depth.
Never Planned on You by Lindsay Hameroff
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.0
This book had total The Wedding Planner movie vibe. We have Ali who is at crossroads with her life and recently moved back home and interning to be a wedding planner. Her big project is no other than a sweet couple that she had connection to the groom in college.
Graham and Ali are forced to work together for wedding planning while Graham's fiancé needs to go back to NYC for her job.
I really enjoyed Ali and Graham's character growth. Ali's family added humor to the story as well. What bother me the most is that the whole story felt like a temptation to cheat. There were so many opportunities for Graham to have those conversations and didn't.
Thank you @smpromance for a copy of this.
Graham and Ali are forced to work together for wedding planning while Graham's fiancé needs to go back to NYC for her job.
I really enjoyed Ali and Graham's character growth. Ali's family added humor to the story as well. What bother me the most is that the whole story felt like a temptation to cheat. There were so many opportunities for Graham to have those conversations and didn't.
Thank you @smpromance for a copy of this.
Get Lost with You by Sophie Sullivan
I really enjoyed Love, Naturally and was excited to be back in Smile. Though this is the second in the series, this can be read as a standalone.
This is a second chance, single mom romance with Jilly and Levi. Levi returns home to help his father who recently had surgery. While home, he runs into Jilly and old feelings brews.
I enjoyed their time together to get and also the time that Levi spends with her daughter.
I do have some issues with some of the plot, like her parents' dropping a big surprise and her brothers hiring someone without consulting her when they are a tight knit family. I also wished that the book was not written 3rd person POV, I don't feel as vested in the story.
Thank you @smpromance for a copy of the book.
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.0
I really enjoyed Love, Naturally and was excited to be back in Smile. Though this is the second in the series, this can be read as a standalone.
This is a second chance, single mom romance with Jilly and Levi. Levi returns home to help his father who recently had surgery. While home, he runs into Jilly and old feelings brews.
I enjoyed their time together to get and also the time that Levi spends with her daughter.
I do have some issues with some of the plot, like her parents' dropping a big surprise and her brothers hiring someone without consulting her when they are a tight knit family. I also wished that the book was not written 3rd person POV, I don't feel as vested in the story.
Thank you @smpromance for a copy of the book.
Seeing You by Samantha Chase
This is the 4th in the series and can be read as a standalone. This is a small town second chance romance between Billie and Marcus.
We have Billie who helps with Books and Beans as their baker and Marcus, an ex that hasn't been back in town in 10 years. We see how they are still so drawn to each other not the main rub is Marcus does not want
To stay in this hick town.
We learn more about their past as well as Marcus' reason for staying away. I was rooting for them and wanted to knock some sense into Marcus with his attitude about his home town.
The supporting characters added depth to the story and I was happy for their HEA. Now I need to go and read the rest of the series.
Carly Robins did a great job on pacing and narration and bringing the story to life.
Thank you @dreamscape_media for a copy of the audiobook.
hopeful
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
4.0
This is the 4th in the series and can be read as a standalone. This is a small town second chance romance between Billie and Marcus.
We have Billie who helps with Books and Beans as their baker and Marcus, an ex that hasn't been back in town in 10 years. We see how they are still so drawn to each other not the main rub is Marcus does not want
To stay in this hick town.
We learn more about their past as well as Marcus' reason for staying away. I was rooting for them and wanted to knock some sense into Marcus with his attitude about his home town.
The supporting characters added depth to the story and I was happy for their HEA. Now I need to go and read the rest of the series.
Carly Robins did a great job on pacing and narration and bringing the story to life.
Thank you @dreamscape_media for a copy of the audiobook.
Kade by Tijan
Did not finish book. Stopped at 20%.
DNF at 20%. I haven't read the other books in this series and may try to read it in order to see if I will enjoy it.
There was just too many characters for me to keep track on audio.
Thank you @dreamscape_media for the audiobook.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 20%.
DNF at 20%. I haven't read the other books in this series and may try to read it in order to see if I will enjoy it.
There was just too many characters for me to keep track on audio.
Thank you @dreamscape_media for the audiobook.
Out of the Woods by Hannah Bonam-Young
hopeful
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.5
Thank you @prhaudio @berkleyromance for a copy of this book.
This book is in the same universe as Out on a Limb and can be read as a standalone. This story is about a marriage in crisis between Sarah and Caleb. High school sweethearts, they end up going away for a hiking trip after a disastrous gala.
The story felt so real with a couple that questions their individuality and self reflection as they have been
together for so long. We get to see Sarah and Caleb as kids and how they got together as well as their time at the retreat.
The story centers on Sarah and a lot of grief with her mom. I wished we got Caleb's POV - without it, his character felt a little flat.
I enjoyed the counselor in the story that helped their journey. Victoria Connolly did a great job with the narration and brought all the feelings to life.
This book is in the same universe as Out on a Limb and can be read as a standalone. This story is about a marriage in crisis between Sarah and Caleb. High school sweethearts, they end up going away for a hiking trip after a disastrous gala.
The story felt so real with a couple that questions their individuality and self reflection as they have been
together for so long. We get to see Sarah and Caleb as kids and how they got together as well as their time at the retreat.
The story centers on Sarah and a lot of grief with her mom. I wished we got Caleb's POV - without it, his character felt a little flat.
I enjoyed the counselor in the story that helped their journey. Victoria Connolly did a great job with the narration and brought all the feelings to life.
Once Smitten, Twice Shy by Chloe Liese
Thank you @prhaudio @berkelyromance for a copy of this book. This is the last of the series and I have enjoyed each other sisters' story. As like the other books, this is a nod to Shakespeare's Twelfth Night.
What you find in this story:
- Disability representation
- Neurodivergent representation
- Second chance romance
- Fake dating
- No 3rd act breakup
I enjoyed Juliet and Will's love story. Their dates together were great and created an opportunity for slow burn tension. Liese knows how to create the burn and the payoff is always 🔥🔥.
It was fun to see the other characters from the previous books and a great way to end this series.
Charlotte North and Tim Paige's narration brought the characters to life.
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Thank you @prhaudio @berkelyromance for a copy of this book. This is the last of the series and I have enjoyed each other sisters' story. As like the other books, this is a nod to Shakespeare's Twelfth Night.
What you find in this story:
- Disability representation
- Neurodivergent representation
- Second chance romance
- Fake dating
- No 3rd act breakup
I enjoyed Juliet and Will's love story. Their dates together were great and created an opportunity for slow burn tension. Liese knows how to create the burn and the payoff is always 🔥🔥.
It was fun to see the other characters from the previous books and a great way to end this series.
Charlotte North and Tim Paige's narration brought the characters to life.
You Between the Lines by Katie Naymon
Did not finish book. Stopped at 20%.
DNF at 20%. This one just wasn't for me. I was intrigued by the premise but I could not get into it. I don't know how many times MFA was mentioned but it felt like it was every paragraph.
Thank you @readforeverpub for a copy of the book.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 20%.
DNF at 20%. This one just wasn't for me. I was intrigued by the premise but I could not get into it. I don't know how many times MFA was mentioned but it felt like it was every paragraph.
Thank you @readforeverpub for a copy of the book.
Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros
This for me was much better than Iron Flame. The first half of the book felt really repetitive and it was like reading Iron Flame again. The 2nd half of the book there was finally some good plot twists that grabbed my interest.
I was really hoping to see more changes with Xaden but it really never happened and we have to wait until the next book with the same cliffhanger as the last book.
My biggest gripe with this series is the lack of depth of characters. The side characters are so interchangeable and I can't recall any of the their names.
The dragons play a big role in the story and I will probably keep reading to see what happens.
I have not enjoyed this narrator from the first book but I do not want to invest in reading either. The narrator seems to start screaming and talking a lot faster during all the fight scenes.
medium-paced
- Strong character development? No
3.0
This for me was much better than Iron Flame. The first half of the book felt really repetitive and it was like reading Iron Flame again. The 2nd half of the book there was finally some good plot twists that grabbed my interest.
I was really hoping to see more changes with Xaden but it really never happened and we have to wait until the next book with the same cliffhanger as the last book.
My biggest gripe with this series is the lack of depth of characters. The side characters are so interchangeable and I can't recall any of the their names.
The dragons play a big role in the story and I will probably keep reading to see what happens.
I have not enjoyed this narrator from the first book but I do not want to invest in reading either. The narrator seems to start screaming and talking a lot faster during all the fight scenes.
The Love Lyric by Kristina Forest
Thank you @prhaudio @berkleyromance for a copy of this. I am so bummed that this is the last of the series of the Greene sister. We have Iris who is a single mom and meets Angel again during her sister's wedding.
Angel is R&B rising star and is also the latest ambassador to the brand that Iris works at. They end up working together and get to know each other better. I love them together. Angel is so attentive and in tune to Iris' needs.
Their romance and personal growth was so well done. I was rooting for their HEA. I love seeing the other Greene sisters and Calla, Iris' daughter, added some humor to the story.
J. Shani Michaels and Ian Hackney did a great job with the narration and I devoured this in a day.
hopeful
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Thank you @prhaudio @berkleyromance for a copy of this. I am so bummed that this is the last of the series of the Greene sister. We have Iris who is a single mom and meets Angel again during her sister's wedding.
Angel is R&B rising star and is also the latest ambassador to the brand that Iris works at. They end up working together and get to know each other better. I love them together. Angel is so attentive and in tune to Iris' needs.
Their romance and personal growth was so well done. I was rooting for their HEA. I love seeing the other Greene sisters and Calla, Iris' daughter, added some humor to the story.
J. Shani Michaels and Ian Hackney did a great job with the narration and I devoured this in a day.