amateur_bookworm's reviews
590 reviews

Mr. Fixer Upper by Lucy Score

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lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Mr. Fixer Upper by Lucy Score is the first book of her King Siblings book. It is a romance with big “he falls first” energy that is sweet and has some spice. I honestly only picked this up because I want to read The Christmas Fix and that is the second book after this one. 

I adore Gannon’s persistence in his pursuit of Paige. I appreciate how capable Paige is presented with her work. I like the short, quick chapters that make for easy reading. The seasonal designations throughout the book are a fun way to track time jumps. And it sheds a serious light on the pay gap and limitations that women find themselves dealing with in the workforce. 

I did overall enjoy this one but a few things weren’t great for me here. It was a bit of a slow starter for me. I got tired of Paige constantly denying her feelings, looking at it as a choice between either a career or a love life with no way to balance the two. But Gannon really made the book for me and I was definitely rooting for him. And now I am SO ready to see Cat in a Christmas story! 
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Pucking Wild by Emily Rath

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emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Pucking Wild is the second book in Emily Rath’s Jacksonville Rays series. It’s a spicy romance with witty banter and big found family vibes. We see quite a bit of Rachel, Jake, Caleb and Ilmari from the first book in this story that features Tess and Ryan. 

First of all, Tess and I share the exact same sentiments about the beach and the sand and sunburn (it all sucks). Redheads unite! 

Second of all, I absolutely hate Tess’s ex and his character made me want to chuck my phone across the room while listening. 

Thirdly, this could’ve been a five star if Ryan’s nickname hadn’t been “Puppy.”  *Sigh*

The narrators are great. They are Amy Hall and Alex Kydd, two of the same narrators from the first book. I just don’t love audiobooks when the guy also does a girl’s voice during his chapters, and vice versa. Other than that, it was a perfect fit for the book. 

I cannot wait for Poppy’s story after the, ahem, glimpse of her situation in this book. 
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From Air by Jewel E. Ann

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emotional funny hopeful sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

From Air by Jewel E. Ann is a contemporary romance featuring a travel nurse and a smoke jumper, a firefighter who parachutes into remote wildland fires. It is the first book in her new Wildfire series. 

I’m not sure what it is about Jewel E. Ann’s writing style, but you don’t simply read her words—she makes you feel her words. I adore her writing. It makes me laugh, it makes me cry, I feel butterflies in the swoony moments, and I just can’t put it down until the very last page. This is the second book of hers that I’ve read and they have both been five star reads for me.

I love the witty banter throughout this book. I really felt the connection between Jamie and Calvin. And the dynamic between the roommates is great. I was not expecting to have this book rip my heart out and shred it into pieces before putting it back together again in the end, but it did just that. I cannot wait to read more of this new series and I plan to read some of her backlist while I wait. 
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Untying the Knot by Meghan Quinn

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slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Untying the Knot is a spin-off of Meghan Quinn’s Cane Brothers series. It falls chronologically between the second and third book in that series. It is a contemporary romance about a marriage in trouble. There are spicy scenes in it. 

Honestly, this is probably my least favorite Meghan Quinn book that I’ve read to date. I found Myla to be so unlikeable and unrelatable. Her character’s actions had me SO close to a DNF for this book. I was ready to throw in the towel at about 20%. 

The only thing keeping me engaged enough with the story to keep reading is the flashbacks of the start of their relationship. I really disliked present day Myla but I came around on her character a smidge with the flashbacks. I did enjoy the banter between characters. I am glad I finished it—but I also think I would’ve been just fine having not even started it in the first place. 
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A Long Time Coming by Meghan Quinn

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funny lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

A Long Time Coming by Meghan Quinn is the third book of her Cane Brothers series. It’s a sweet and spicy friends to lovers romance. This one is so cute and is definitely my favorite of the three books. 

I absolutely adore the way Breaker and Lia first met. A super secret Scrabble club at their college dorm, with Lia instantly razzing him about his abomination of a mustache. The banter is hilarious right off the bat. 

The dynamic between the brothers really adds to the story. I love the way they razz each other but they’re also close to each other. And, oh man, the way these powerful billionaires respectively swoon for the woman in each of their lives. 

It literally only took two pages for me to hate Brian, Lia’s fiancé. Don’t even get me started on his mother either. Lia’s quirkiness and sweetness are so endearing that you can’t help but root for the best for her the whole time. 

All three books in this series are lighthearted and easy reading. I did find this one to be a bit cheesy at times, but that just adds to it being a feel-good romance. 
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Two Can Play by Ali Hazelwood

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funny lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Two Can Play by Ali Hazelwood is a short novella that is available only as an audiobook. It’s a quick enemies to lovers romance with some spice.

I really enjoyed this one, even though I really don’t play video games. In true Ali Hazelwood fashion, there’s a women in STEM theme and it’s witty. The narrator is great and perfect as Viola. I just love everything Ali Hazelwood writes, and this one is no exception. 
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So Not Meant To Be by Meghan Quinn

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lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

So Not Meant to Be is the second book in Meghan Quinn’s Cane Brothers series. It’s a sweet and spicy romance that follows Kelsey and JP’s relationship from coworkers to enemies to more. It’s an easy and light read. I enjoyed the witty banter. 

My first opinion of JP was that he was a cocky jerk. I really didn’t see a redemption arc possible for him, but, wow, was I wrong about that. And when he finally tells Kelsey his real name? I swooned. I still just love the relationship Kelsey has with her sister. I could’ve done with more romance and less friend-zoning, but we finally got there in the end so it all works out. 
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Pucking Around (includes That One Night) by Emily Rath

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medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Pucking Around by Emily Rath is a smutty why choose hockey romance. It’s very spicy. If you want to listen to a bunch of pro hockey players 
f—k their hot doctor (and each other) in graphic detail then, wooooooweeeeeeee, do I have the audiobook for you. 

Oh boy. I don’t even know where to start with this one. First of all, I knew it was a why choose romance. But I didn’t know anything else, so color me surprised when that third male character’s chapter started. Wowza. 

All the narrators here are great. These guys can whisper into my ears anytime. Although, I always hate the guys doing the girl’s voice, but it is what it is. That Finnish goalie made it all worthwhile though. *sighs*

The edition I listened to included the novella prequel of That One Night. I’m really glad it did because it really laid the foundation for the book. 

I love Rachel. She’s so bold and hilarious. Caleb’s story broke my heart. Jake was my fave after the prequel novella but he actually got on my nerves a bit. And, Mars made the story. 

Ok, but let’s get to the nitty gritty of this one. This is not a book you read (or listen to) for the plot. There hardly is one. And yeah, some of the smut was way too over the top, even for me. Could it have been shorter? Absolutely. But it kept me very entertained during a grinding workweek. 
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A Not So Meet Cute by Meghan Quinn

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funny lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

A Not So Meet Cute is the first book of the Cane Brothers series by Meghan Quinn. It is a super cute and easy-reading contemporary romance. It’s witty and has some spice and is overall a lighthearted read. 

I liked Lottie right off the bat. But Huxley, well, it took some time for him to win me over. I love the bond Lottie has with her sister and that Huxley has with his brothers. I enjoyed the banter between Lottie and Huxley. Their journey from despising each other to acknowledging their real feelings for each other is a fun one. 

This is an enjoyable and quick read and I will definitely be continuing the series. 
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The Wedding People by Alison Espach

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emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

The Wedding People is a contemporary fiction novel in a writing style that I found to be unusual. I just wasn’t prepared for the uniqueness of the narrative style. I found it to be very similar to the style of Anxious People by Fredrik Backman—and I really disliked Anxious People. But by the end of it, I’m glad that I stuck with it because it turned out to be a great read for me. 

Honestly, I really hated Tuesday (aka Chapter 1). I thought it was the most random depressing shit I’ve ever read. It’s written as third person and is just basically rambling. It felt very chaotic. But, by Wednesday? I was finding the rhythm of the story. And then I was hooked into the plot by Thursday. Also, this book proves why destination weddings with a week-long itinerary can be a terrible idea lol. 

I’m glad I stuck with reading it through. I found myself beginning to enjoy the writing style and appreciate the uniqueness of it. Some of the life realizations in here are poignant and some are just dumb, but the randomness kept it entertaining. I read a lot of books, so I ultimately found the unique writing style to be refreshing and interesting. 
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