emileereadsbooks's reviews
1120 reviews

Thank you to the author for a free copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

This book is full of fun and relatable conflict for the couple. They have a lot of baggage to sort through to deal with their feelings for one another. But this book also shows how Laura deals with her own issues in order to be a person open to a relationship which I really appreciate. Plus Rob's acts of kindness are just so sweet.

Thank you to the author for a free copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

This is my favorite kind of friends to lovers book. They grew up together, they are best friends, and they realize they just can't be without each other anymore. I appreciate how well they know and are in sync with each other. I love Trevor because I love a cinnamon roll book boyfriend! Plus Lexi is a curvy heroine which we adore! Top 3 of the series for me.

 Thank you to the author for a free copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

This short novella will pull you in and have you swooning over Gregg & Felicia's story. It packs a fun punch for how long it is. Insta love is such a fun trope when done right. 

The fourth book in the Myrtle Hardcastle series takes us on a whole new adventure as Myrtle embeds herself into two cases involving her father. One in which his services as a solicitor are engaged to determine the identity of a young girl claiming to be the heir to a large fortune. The other, a murder that he supposedly witnessed as a hospital patient for which no body is found. Myrtle is in hot pursuit of the killer in an aim to save her father and validate his witness statement.
_____
This latest installment in the series making Mr. Hardcastle more of a central character fleshes out Myrtle's world even more for us. I loved Myrtle at it once again sleuthing, but I also loved that this story brought out her more tender side as it allowed her to deal with emotions brewing from the loss of her mother. This book also highlights Myrtles intelligence and naivety in a beautiful balance so we as the reader can anticipate what is coming in some instances before Myrtle and in others we get to experience the reveal as she presents it to us. 

If you haven't jumped into this series yet, I encourage you to do so if you love girl sleuths, a historical (Victorian) setting, and precocious animal sidekicks.

Val is a free spirited, leaving chaos in her wake artist.  Chevy is a straight laced, everything in it's place Sheriff's Deputy. Val has always had a crush on Chevy, who is also her best friend's brother. And Chevy has some complicated feelings about relationships because of his unfaithful father, so he's sworn off of love. But when Val announces she is leaving the country and suddenly finds herself homeless in her weeks prior to leaving, Chevy offers to provide a roof over her head before she jets off. The reality of Val's imminent departure paired with her close proximity has Chevy dealing with feelings he didn't know he could have. Can he deal with his emotional baggage so he can have a chance at love?
____

I love diving back into the world of Sheet Cake. And Chevy and Val are such a fun pair. I love how their friends rally around them to help them deal with their emotional health as they also push them together romantically. The banter between Val and Chevy is so fun and the nickname is actually adorable. I really liked how they took care of each other in different aspects throughout. And the kisses in this one are so memorable. One involves a fishing pole and had me LOLing! 

Another hit out of the park for Emma St Clair! 

This is a closed door rom com.

*Also there is a bonus chapter that cannot be missed! Sign up for the author's newsletter to get it!

Thank you to Jenny Proctor Books for the book to review. All opinions are my own.

Gracie knows one thing for certain. She is NOT interested in dating a hockey player. Hockey drew her parent's attention away from her and her classical music ambitions, so she's written off the sport as a whole. But she has to admit, even though she definitely won't date him, her professional hockey player neighbor, Felix is quite nice to look at. And as Felix shows up more and more in her orbit, she realizes maybe he's not the man she stereotyped him to be...
_____
Jenny Proctor scores a hat trick with this one! She nails the chemistry, character development, and entertainment value in this story. Her writing is seamless, so your reading experience is as well. I flew through this book and devoured all the depth she has packed into this rom com. Because these characters have adult conversations where they deal with their feelings and their hang ups, you get to enjoy so much more the pay off of their love story. Plus there are plenty of swoony flirty moments and kisses to keep you turning the page for more! 
_____
This is a closed door, kisses only romance. 

There is a bonus scene available by joining the author's newsletter. Make sure and check that out!

Thank you to Savannah Scott for the book to review. All opinions are my own.

Pierre Toussaint is a famous romance novelist. But he has gotten to live in anonymity behind his pen name, Amelie De Pierre. Which suits him just fine. But when his agent has the bright idea to unveil the man behind the book at a literary festival, he meets and is immediately drawn to one of his super fans Tasha.

Tasha is a book lover. She works as an assistant to authors, she narrates audiobooks, she has a Bookstagram. And when she literally bumps into the hot French man who, it turns out, is her favorite author,  she is taken aback by this new reality. And she is even more taken aback when his agent proposes to her on Pierre's behalf, or rather for Pierre's sake because he did not know about the ask before the question was posed. And when she says yes to becoming Pierre's wife to get him a visa, neither of them is prepared for what faking a relationship will do to their hearts.
_____
If you like the movie the Proposal, this book has very similar vibes. Tasha and Pierre have much to confront in their ownselves in regards to their feelings about romance. The have to contend with fictional ideals, their own fictional scenario, and their not so fictional feelings. I liked the community around Tasha and Pierre and how supportive they were and how they knew them and pushed them to confront their feelings. 

This story requires some suspension of belief with coincidences and the risks taken, but what good romance doesn't require you to take a leap of faith? 
_____
This is a closed door, kisses only romance. 

There is a bonus scene available by joining the author's newsletter. Make sure and check that out!

Thank you to Carina Taylor for the book to review. All opinions are my own.

Hazel and Tripp have been besties since middle school. And they both followed their parents' footsteps in adulthood. Tripp becoming a doctor, and Hazel becoming a mechanic. And those paths have kept them apart... Until now. Tripp is back in town and Hazel can no longer ignore the attraction she began to have for him in college. He's her best friend, but she has to avoid him to avoid these feelings! But, is she imagining it, or is he giving her signals that he likes her too? Which one will test the boundaries of their friendship to risk acting on this attraction?
_____
Perhaps one of the funniest opening scenes ever. Just go read Chapter 1 now (you can probably grab it as a Kindle sample), I'll wait... Okay, you're back now. Wonderful. Don't you want to read the rest now?! There are so many funny moments here. Hazel and Tripp have a teasing dynamic that plays well on the page. They are the couple you want to go on a double date with because they would be so entertaining. I love a friends to lovers trope, and this is a fun one. 
_____
This is a closed door, kisses only romance. 

There is a bonus scene available by joining the author's newsletter. Make sure and check that out!

Lincoln plays a superhero on the silver screen and dodges his fame outside of publicity related events. But when Lincoln's temper tarnishes his public reputation, he needs something to endear him to the people once more. His publicist is convinced that he needs to fake a relationship and then a very public proposal refusal, and she has picked out the perfect fake love interest, his college bestie, Hadley. He's been hung up on her since college, but he never made a move for REASONS. And he hasn't talked to her since he ghosted her to be a movie star.

Hadley is the music teacher at the high school in her home town. She lives an average life with her job, her great roommate, and her doting dad. She always harbored feelings for the handsome guy that bonded with her over vending machine snacks in the dorm, but too many things interfered with her ever acting on them.

Now with the two of them on this trajectory that includes dating with a definite end date, they have to deal with hiding their feelings that are opposite of fake from each other to avoid imploding each other's lives.
_____
I'm not a huge fan of the celebrity romance trope, so this one wasn't my favorite Sweater Weather book, but that being said, I did really like Hadley as a character. She is caring and kind and obviously endears herself to all those around her. This book revolves largely around miscommunication and it is a very slow burn. Both things that were working against my full enjoyment. However, once the characters start to open up to one another, things start to fly and it had a very satisfying ending. Plus the bonus epilogue is icing on the cake!
_____

This is a closed door, kisses only romance.

There is a bonus scene available by joining the author's newsletter. Make sure and check that out!

 

Thank you to Courtney Walsh for the book to review. All opinions are my own. 

Emmy is a hopeless romantic. Actually a hopeful romantic. In fact, she even has a secret podcast called m The Hopeful Romantic where she dishes out advice to readers on their love lives. But... She is giving advice based on ideals gleaned from romantic movies and books, not her own experience. In fact, her love life is basically nonexistent. But when an electrical issue causes her house to catch fire, she is carried to safety by one very attractive firefighter. And the feelings growing in her heart must be snuffed out, because that said firefighter is Owen, her best friend's brother, and her childhood crush. Owen is newly back in town, and not at all romantic. Plus, he is sworn off relationships and off limits as her bff's brother. But Emmy's heart doesn't listen to logic, so something's gotta give to help her get over this crush.
_____
Emmy is maybe one of the most relatable romance heroines I have read. She even says "Pajamas>Party" which perhaps is one of my life mantras. And her idealized version of love involving grand gestures and being swept off her feet contrasted with Owen's practical view of what love is, is such a beautiful representation of real life love that lasts. Courtney Walsh writing is effervescent and thoughtful. All the happy feels just bubble to the surface, even when characters are dealing with the hard realities of life.

Other key elements that I appreciated in this one were: Emmy's Bookstore, the friendship between Emmy and Owen's families, Owen's dyslexia representation, and that photoshoot!!!
_____
This is a closed door romance. 

There is a bonus scene available by joining the author's newsletter. Make sure and check that out!