koistyfishy's reviews
360 reviews

4 Ginger Massage Oil Stars ⭐️
Spicy Level:🌶️🌶️.5/5

So this was much better than It Happened One Summer because Hannah isn't a vapid, self-absorbed princess like her sister and Fox is just an adorable simp...

Note: While this could essentially be read as a standalone, I wish that were possible because I did not enjoy It Happened One Summer. BUT that does give a lot of backstory into who Hannah and Fox are and what their friendship means and how their friendship started... and THIS BOOK MIGHT not be as impactful without that foundation.

𝙎𝙮𝙣𝙤𝙥𝙨𝙞𝙨:
Hannah Bellinger moved back to LA to continue as a production assistant for her director Sergei (and crush). For the months she has been in LA, she and Fox Thornton have been secretly testing as friends. But when Sergei needs a remote historical location, Hannah recommends Westport. However, she cannot stay with her sister as Brendan's parents are visiting so she is forced to room with Fox and they are of course, "just friends". To make Sergei jealous she and Fox devise a plan to pretend to be "casually dating" but the more time she spends with Fox, and the more she learns about the man underneath the cocky smile the more the lines between friends start to get blurry... and the more Fox's feelings start becoming more real too...

𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙁𝙚𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨:
Okay, I used to think that I hated Tessa Bailey because as mentioned I did not "gel well" with "It Happened One Summer" and for me it was absolutely awful. BUT YOU KNOW WHAT I LOVE... When you give an author another chance and every book following that have made my heart smile and sing. I adored this SO MUCH!

Hannah, while being the younger sister felt miles and miles more mature than her sister. I think because she didn't come off as spoilt, wanting to work for herself and not use her name and clout to push her forward. She is tenacious and wants to achieve it on her own.

Fox was a broken little cinnamon roll. He's spent his whole life being told he is nothing but a player and good time, so it takes a long time to learn that he can be loved and appreciated and be accepted for who he is and not what he looks like.

Their relationship was beautiful, their chemistry was not as blatant and in your face as Piper and Brendan, but I think that's what I loved about it more, because of the SLOW BURN between these two. That chemistry blossomed into such a deep and meaningful connection! I do not always like Friends to Lovers romances, but this was cute and sweet and adorable, and the pining these two have for each other, and the longing, the banter, the adorable text relationship they have, and how they make each other better people was so heartwarming and gooey, and I ate it up.

I listened to this in Audio and Lauren Sweet did such an amazing job of portraying the emotion, character and story. I think this might also be why I have changed my mind a little about Tessa Bailey's books, because I liked her narration more than her sister's book...

𝙏𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙨:
▶ Small Town Romance
▶ Forced Proximity
▶ Friends to Lovers
▶ Slow Burn
▶ Sister's Boyfriend's Best Friend
▶ Third Act Breakup
▶ Nicknames

and 𝙈𝙞𝙘𝙧𝙤 𝙏𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙨:
▷ Soup
▷ Undertable Touching
▷ Texting

I think there might be more but since I listened to this in Audio I probably missed a few obvious tropes

Overall a cute adorable heartwarming story that I think anyone who loves Friends to Lovers should read! 

3 Little Wolf Stars ⭐️
Spicy Level:🌶️🌶️/5

I’m honestly disappointed with this book. After loving Wicked Dreams and Wicked Games, this one just fell a little flat for me.

Note: This is book 3 of the Fallen Royals Series and not a standalone so please if you care about possible spoilers from the previous books, I advise you don’t read on and rather go read those first and then come back! Else… CARRY ON!

𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙁𝙚𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨:
I’m going to skip over the synopsis, but the book picks up right where book two ends with Caleb finding Margo after she was kidnapped from the Car Accident...

What frustrated me the most was the pacing. I’m not sure if it was my mood, the vibe, or just how I was feeling generally while reading, but after two whole books of push-and-pull between these two characters, it started to get irritating and feel VERY DRAGGY.

EVERYTHING in the story felt like it was dragging, and one of my biggest issues was that I’d accidentally come across a spoiler about who "Unknown" was. So all I could focus on was waiting for that reveal to finally happen, and it took so long to get there because of all the back-and-forth between Margo and Caleb. It was fine in book one, and cool in book two, but by book three, it felt repetitive and a little weak. Then when it finally happened the plot moved so quickly that I could hardly almost catch up with all the twists and turns and reveals all culminating in the end and it made them feel messy.

That being said, I still enjoyed the series overall. It was a wild ride with many emotional highs and lows and plot twists, and I loved seeing how Margo and Caleb grew individually and as a couple. Caleb, even though he’s still the quintessential alpha-hole, learned to soften a bit, becoming sweeter and more romantic toward Margo without losing his "alpha" edge.

I especially appreciated Margo’s character growth, particularly in her relationships with her foster parents and her biological father. Those aspects wrapped up nicely and gave her the closure she needed and the HEA she deserved, which felt satisfying.

One thing that really bugged me was that Margo never finished her painting of Caleb’s eyes. It was mentioned that he submitted it, got an A, and then... nothing. In all the drama, that detail was just dropped, and I wish it had been resolved. WHAT DO HIS FINAL EYES LOOK LIKE DAMMIT

Another minor frustration was Riley's character felt weird and annoyingly secret. She felt more like a background character, and I missed her usual vibrance and bubbly personality. SOOOO I GUESS I CAN'T WAIT TILL HER AND ELI'S BOOK TO KNOW WHAT THAT WAS ALL ABOUT!

Despite my mixed feelings about this book, I do enjoy S. Massery’s writing style. She does bully Romance well, and I’m excited for the series to finally continue (even if it's not yet Eli's book).

𝙏𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙨:
▶ Dual POV
▶ High School Romance
▶ Bully Romance
▶ Alphamale
▶ Obsessive, Possessive and Jealous MMC
▶ Touch Her You Die
▶ Cages her with his arms
▶ More
▶ Hand Necklaces
▶ Childhood Best Friends

Overall, while Wicked Promises wasn’t my favourite, this series still holds a special place for its drama, angst, and unforgettable characters.

Thank you to S. Massery and Valentine PR for my gifted copy.
All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

3 Greedy Stars ⭐️
Spicy Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️.5/5

So this is basically like book 1 but throwing another dick into the story who likes to be called sir…

𝙎𝙮𝙣𝙤𝙥𝙨𝙞𝙨:
This starts directly after the epic cliffhanger of book 1 and, as I eluded to, we meet another one of Hunter's loverboys, Kabir Spencer, who is just as hypnotised by her vagina as Greedy and Levi. We also meet Hunter's infamous mother, who gives us a magnificent view of why Hunter is as fucked up as she is. This, like book 1, is told in MultiPOV and Dual Timeline, but this timeline has moved to post-Hunter leaving the US and dealing with the miscarriage in London, and how that trauma brings her closer to Spence. Now in the present, the three need to navigate their interesting sexual dynamic and relationship, and how they all fit together (literally and figuratively) with Hunter.

𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙁𝙚𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨:
Abby Millsaps has this amazing ability that has made me love and hate Hunter AT THE SAME TIME. Past Hunter is infuriating, annoying, and stupid. She makes the worst decisions and is impulsive, and basically, all I wanted was for her old self to grow up and for the new her to just open up and talk. She keeps going on about how she got so much better and learnt how to communicate with the therapist she went to, but I SAW NONE OF THIS PUT INTO PRACTICE.

Kabir was something else; I did not expect the PERFECTION of this man. He was sex on two legs, and the dominant personality he added to the Harem had me kicking my feet, and squealing. He also has a deliciously dirty mouth and a sexual appetite that is just as perfect! At one point, while listening to this, my husband walked in and heard a “scene,” and the blush HE FORMED!!!!

Greedy is still my favourite of the boys, but I still think it’s because he is such a broken sweetheart who just wants Hunter to love him, and I think it’s because at times he is too good for Hunter. I still don’t know why he is such a love-sick fool for the girl that keeps breaking his heart... BUT IT IS WHAT IT IS...

Levi was fantastic as we got to see more of him embracing who he is and his sexuality. While it was alluded to previously, it was all “past” mentions, whereas in this, we see Levi on-page being open to exploring his feelings and what that means for his relationship with Greedy (and Kabir)... (and Hunter).

The plot is generally up and down and highly emotional, so prepare for a rollercoaster where you just hold on tight and try not to yell GREEDY!

From an Audio perspective, this was both spectacular and annoying (BUT NOT FROM THE NARRATION POV), more from the production POV. The narrators did an epic job at their characters, and I know my panties melted every time one of the boys spoke because their voices, accents, and portrayal were AMAZING. June Deborahae also did a really great job of portraying Hunter and her emotional journey. She goes through some rough times in this, and it’s heartbreaking, and even harder listening to that struggle in voice, and quite frankly, it was nailed in this!

Now, why the production annoyed me is because normally, when you have dual narration, you have four voices to get used to. There’s the FMC narrator and the voice she uses when speaking for the MMC, and then the male narrator who has his voice and his interpretation of the FMC’s voice. Essentially, two distinct voices for each character.

I believe this book would have benefited more from a duet narration (or the equivalent of a duet involving four narrators) rather than the standard dual type. Keeping each narrator confined to their own chapter meant that not only did Hunter’s character have to voice Levi, Kabir, and Greedy, but the other boys had to do the same. So, each character ended up having four different voices, leading to 16 voices in total. The only reason I could tell them apart was that the boys had different accents, so when characters switched accents, I could pick it up.

Without the various accents corresponding to different locations, it probably would have been harder to figure out who was speaking when. I feel like I wouldn’t have been taken out of the story so often if the production had gone in the direction of letting each person voice their own lines, and having the character whose chapter it is narrate the rest. That way, if Hunter was speaking in one of the boys’ chapters, the narrator who voiced Hunter would deliver her lines. I would have enjoyed it more if I hadn’t needed to keep up with 16 different voices in my mind, especially since four was already enough to handle in terms of the plot. There are just so many people.

𝙏𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙨:
▶ University Romance
▶ Brother's Best Friend
▶ British Billionaire
▶ Step Brother
▶ Reverse Harem
▶ Second Chance Romance

𝙎𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙆𝙞𝙣𝙠𝙨:
➢ BDSM
➢ Edging
➢ Bondage
➢ Degradation and Praise

and 𝙈𝙞𝙘𝙧𝙤 𝙏𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙨:
▷ Look at Me
▷ Forehead Kisses
▷ Takes Care of Her
▷ Rolled Sleeves/Forearms
▷ Chin Lift
▷ Dirty Talk

Overall I enjoyed this, the audio was fun, sexy and entertaining and THE DAMN CLIFFHANGER... means I want to know what happens next!

Thank you to Netgalley, Dreamscape Media and Abby Millsaps for the gifted audio copy!
All thoughts and opinions are my own! 

3 "Are you following me" Stars ⭐️
Spicy Level:🌶️🌶️.5/5

I read this book a while ago, and all I really remember is that it felt meh and way too long.

𝙎𝙮𝙣𝙤𝙥𝙨𝙞𝙨:
Zanders is a typical playboy, with a different girl every single night in every single city where he plays an away game. He keeps a list on his phone, and it’s rarely the same girl twice. This persona is partly crafted by his agent because it brings in the money, but deep down, that’s not who Zanders truly is. It just takes him a while to figure out that constant playboy antics aren’t as fun as he thought. Their private charter team plane gets a new flight crew, which brings in Stevie Shay, who immediately does not fall for Zanders’s charm when she’s doing the exit row briefing. Zanders decides he likes her challenge and on purpose tries to get a rise out of her until she ends up in his bed. There’s definitely sexual attraction between them, but Stevie has vowed never to date another professional sports player. But fate keeps putting them in the same circles, and when Stevie wants a little fun but no heartache, who better to provide it than sexy Zanders who can’t wait to slide into her panties?

𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙁𝙚𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨:
I really liked Stevie. She’s a bit curvier than most "typical" girls in magazines and self-conscious about her appearance and her self-worth, always feeling like she’s never been valued by anyone but her brother. Her mother expected her to be some perfect pageant princess, which isn’t who she is, and constantly put her down while uplifting her brother because he’s a star athlete. As a result, Stevie is very hard on herself, closed off, and finds it tough to show vulnerability.

Zanders, on the other hand, fears commitment because of his abandonment issues. His mom left his dad, and whenever she reaches out, she only wants money. Also when his mom left, his dad only focused on his work. So Zanders feels unlovable and unworthy, thinking he doesn’t deserve happiness and most especially doesn't think he deserves love.

The initial tension between them is spectacular! Their banter was on point, funny, spicy, and they could stand toe-to-toe with each other. They grew into friends who helped each other work through their trauma, forming a sweet bond. It was adorable how each one made the other’s dreams and ambitions their own. It was just wholeheartedly cute!

I also really appreciated the supportive, wholesome side characters. Eli and his family brought that “found family” vibe to Zanders, eventually welcoming Stevie into the mix, which was cute and endearing. Every scene with them made me smile, letting us see the real Zanders behind the media playboy image. Watching him dote on his "niece" hinted at what he’d be like if he had a family of his own AND IT WAS SO CUTE!

Why the book ended up as "meh" for me in the end is even though their trauma is valid, it took ages for them to deal with it. The book felt like it was trying to be more emotionally deep than it needed to be, adding an extra 150 pages of them navigating trauma even after they were together. It dragged out the story longer than necessary and could have wrapped up more succinctly.

𝙏𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙨:
▶ Forced Proximity
▶ Sports Romance (Hockey)
▶ She Falls First - He Falls Harder
▶ Flight AttendentXHockey Player
▶ Third Act Breakup
▶ Grovelling
▶ Panic Attack Rep

and 𝙈𝙞𝙘𝙧𝙤 𝙏𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙨:
▷ Nicknames
▷ Brat
▷ Good Girl
▷ Hand Necklaces
▷ "Mine"
▷ Beg Me
▷ Chin Lift
▷ "Lift your hips for me..."
▷ "Hold on to the..."
▷ "Sit on my face"

Overall, it wasn’t a bad read, I enjoyed reading it by the pool. It was lighthearted at times, sexy at others, not awful, but definitely not my favourite. 

4 Tinkerbell Stars ⭐️
Spicy Level:🌶️🌶️🌶️/5

This was good, but not Offside good...

𝙎𝙮𝙣𝙤𝙥𝙨𝙞𝙨:
This follows Seraphina Carter (the younger sister of the MC in Offside) who had a one-night stand with an amazing guy at a Halloween Party, but they don't exchange names. Now she moves into her Brother's "Hockey" House with his teammates and is a little surprised to find out one of her new roommates IS THE GUY! Tyler Donahue the GOALIE on her brother's team, and one of his best friends who her brother will literally murder if he found out that he and her had sex. So cue the tension-filled and crazy dynamics because these two have an undeniable attraction, magnetism, and sexual tension towards each other so will they or won't they?

𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙁𝙚𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨:
So I am going to jump into why I preferred Offside to Shutout, and it was because it felt like Carter and Bailey felt more mature. Now, even though this one dealt with serious topics of mental illness and cancer, it just felt a little bit more juvenile in how the characters were dealing with the situation. And I don't mean juvenile as in "bad" at how they are being handled, I just meant that these felt like young adults needing to learn how to handle difficult situations. It's blatantly obvious these are university students. Their issues, lack of communication, behaviour, and just how they acted felt very "college and young adult", and it didn't feel as mature and emotionally driven as we had seen in Chase and Bailey's story.

Sera has ADHD and she struggles with it and it's impacts her life. She's also got a lot of stress and anxiety relating to her mother's cancer diagnosis and the implications of what that means for her and her possible future.

Tyler is the silent broody type. He doesn't open up very easily, and he doesn't communicate easily, so the fact that he does so with Sera is a big thing. He was just an utter sweetheart in how well he handled her mental illness as well as being there to support her. Way more than her brother because he NEVER NOTICED she was actually struggling... Like worst bro award ever!

AND THAT IS WHY THIS FELT SO OFF FOR ME... because I absolutely loved Carter in the previous book and he just felt very different from that guy that I adored because in offside he was so thoughtful and caring. Yet in this, he was huffy, aggressive and immature at times and it really bothered me that he didn't even realize that his sister was struggling with what she was going through, even if she didn't open up to him until the end.

Overall there was a lot of non-communication that happened and I think that is something that you learn as you become a little bit more of an "adult" as Sera chose not to talk about her struggles and because of that internalisation this ended up having a bigger impact on her.

𝙏𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙨:
▶ Hockey Romance
▶ Forced Proximity
▶ One Night Stand
▶ Brother's Team Mate and Friend
▶ Broody Goalie X Party Girl
▶ Roommates to Lovers

and 𝙈𝙞𝙘𝙧𝙤 𝙏𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙨:
▷ Under Table Touching
▷ Cages her with his arms
▷ Rolled Sleeves/Forearms
▷ Pierced MMC
▷ Brat
▷ Brings Her Drinks/Food
▷ Texting (a lot)
▷ Good Girl
▷ Were you mauled by a bear?

In the end, I didn't hate this... I think I just had higher expectations given how much I loved Offside that I thought this would be just as amazing! 

3.5 Flovely Stars ⭐️
Spicy Level:🌶️🌶️/5

This is a multi-POV story following Hunter and her ever-growing collection of boys, but in this book, that collection is just Greedy and Levi.

𝙎𝙮𝙣𝙤𝙥𝙨𝙞𝙨:
This synopsis is hard because this story is told in two timelines, and a lot of the present timeline deals with the events from the past.

Hunter is back in North Carolina, living with her stepfather and stepbrother after living in Europe for a few years. However... her history with her stepbrother (Greedy) is far from ordinary. Before their parents got married, Hunter and Greedy were in a relationship (doing things "siblings" shouldn't be doing...), but they never told their parents. Something significant happened between them, and the book gradually explores this backstory - SO I AM NOT GOING TO SPOIL THIS but it is a major trigger so there is an Author Note about this at the start. On the day Hunter found out Greedy would be her stepbrother, she ran away to Europe. Now that she’s back, Greedy’s best friend, Levi, who is also a mutual friend of hers needs somewhere to convalesce from a football injury. Levi can’t return home because his mother is a pious "pray away the gay" type, and being bi causes issues. To help, Hunter tells Levi’s mom they are in a relationship, and Levi moves in with her and Greedy. This sets the stage for tensions to boil over as the three of them navigate their complex dynamic.

𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙁𝙚𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨:
Let’s talk about Hunter. I really dislike past Hunter. It’s a recurring theme throughout the book: she’s selfish, impulsive, and often outright annoying. She makes reckless, thoughtless decisions that are hard to sympathise with. The only saving grace is that these were choices made in the past, and she is not the same person, so the carrot dangling in front of your face, keeping you reading, is SHE GETS BETTER AND YOU WANNA SEE WHO SHE IS NOW. Present-day Hunter shows some growth, which makes her more tolerable, but the shadow of her past actions lingers.

Greedy, on the other hand, in my opinion, is too good for Hunter. He is sweet, thoughtful, and continues to pine and miss the girl right in front of him who won’t give him a second of her time. It’s sad to watch how he aches for her and how sweet and kindhearted he is.

I can’t help but feel like Hunter’s appeal defies logic, making her very much a Mary Sue. There’s this bizarre trope at play where it seems like every man who touches her is immediately obsessed. Honestly, it’s hard to understand why... she’s not that great as a person, especially when considering her past interactions. The only plausible explanation? She must have some kind of magical, spellbinding vagina that hooks men because the fact that so many men lust after her defies reason.

The narrative does a decent job of blending the past and present, and there are moments of genuine emotional depth, especially with the moments of Levi and his struggles with his family and his identity. It was this weird push and pull where the boys were definitely the ones keeping me hooked because I couldn’t really feel a connection to Hunter, given her actions.

A large part of this book did annoy me because the drama and angst are brought about by the fact that these CHARACTERS CHOOSE NOT TO TALK AND COMMUNICATE. There is no miscommunication, just a refusal to open up about the actual struggles.

𝙏𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙨:
▶ High School & Collage Romance
▶ Forced Proximity
▶ Second Chance kinda
▶ Step Siblings
▶ Ex's (and Step Brother)'s Best Friend
▶ Forbidden Romance
▶ Fake Dating
▶ Dual Timeline
▶ Reverse Harem

and 𝙈𝙞𝙘𝙧𝙤 𝙏𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙨:
▷ Look at Me
▷ Mine
▷ Dirty Talk
▷ Chin Lift
▷ Rolled Sleeves/Forearms
▷ Forehead Kisses

Overall, this has good and annoying qualities. The writing is captivating, and I do applaud Abby Millsap for making me dislike and like a character AT THE SAME time... I am intrigued to see where Hunter and her ever growing collection of boys goes... 

5 Cockroach Stars ⭐️
Spicy Level: 0/5 Closed Door but there is STEAM

I don’t think Katie Bailey can write a bad book. This is only the second book I’ve read from her, but she has an amazing ability to craft incredible characters and piece together the cutest plots that keep you hooked and invested from the very beginning.

𝙎𝙮𝙣𝙤𝙥𝙨𝙞𝙨:
Olivia Griswold is a flight attendant who has just made the big decision to leave London and move to Atlanta, where her brother plays professional hockey for the Atlanta Storm. However because he is just starting a new relationship and she doesn't want to impose on his space, she moves in with the roommates of HELL. Olivia also hates Christmas, so when her roommates make it impossible to stay at her apartment she agrees to move into Aaron Marino's house and to be his date to a Christmas Gala. The issue is Aaron loves Christmas, is her brother's teammate and best friend, and is also Olivia's arch-nemesis because he broke her heart as a teenager.

𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙁𝙚𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨:
I loved Olivia, even though she’s my total opposite because I’m a sugar plum fairy when it comes to Christmas, I adore the holiday, but she shows that not everyone feels the same way. She’s the absolute embodiment of a Grinch. She has her reasons for not liking Christmas, but what I admire about her is that she doesn’t let her feelings impact anyone else. That’s a big part of her personality, she doesn’t want to inconvenience anyone. She’s had to grow up quickly, dealing with everything her parents went through. She’s fiercely independent and moving in with someone is a huge step for her because she is always the person who will willingly sacrifice her own comfort and happiness just to avoid putting anyone out. Her efforts might seem admirable to some but ultimately she is punishing herself and it's so heartbreaking.

Aaron is the Elf to her Grinch. He’s all about the holidays. He’s a golden retriever in human form; sweet, enthusiastic, and full of good vibes. Sure, he’s a bit cocky, but honestly, can you even be a first-line professional hockey player without a little cockiness? Underneath it all, he’s the sweetest guy. Someone who is flirty, thoughtful, and incredibly respectful of her boundaries. He’s exactly the kind of MMC you want to see in a romance.

One thing I absolutely love about Katie Bailey’s writing is how she creates rich, full-bodied characters that carry the story to the next level. Even though this is only the second book of hers I’ve read, both stories have left a lasting impression because her characters feel so real and alive.

I love a good grumpy-sunshine trope and love it even more when she is grumpy... AND BOY does this book nail it. It’s one of my favourite dynamics because it opens up so many possibilities for tension, frustration, and, most importantly... delicious banter. And Katie Bailey delivers on the banter. These two are hilarious together, with magnetic, complementary energy that makes their relationship profound and their chemistry untenable.

While this book doesn't have spice, it won't feel like you're missing out. It has one of the BEST steamy water scenes I have ever read and GOD I LOVE THAT TROPE SO MUCH!

𝙏𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙨:
▶ Hockey Romance
▶ Forced Proximity
▶ Enemies to Lovers
▶ Brother's Best Friend and Teammate
▶ Christmas Romance
▶ Slow Burn
▶ He Falls First
▶ One Bed
▶ Reverse Grumpy Sunshine

and 𝙈𝙞𝙘𝙧𝙤 𝙏𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙨:
▷ Grey Sweatpants
▷ Backwards Cap
▷ Steamy Shower Scene
▷ Soup
▷ View is Amazing (Looking at her)
▷ Nicknames

Overall I adored everything about this! The journey Olivia goes on with her golden retriever hockey player is everything I wanted. This book is a must-read for fans of a grumpy-sunshine romance, with witty banter, and all the festive feels.

3 Heliotrope Stars ⭐️
Spicy Level:🌶️.5/5

I struggled with this one, and I’m still battling with where I’m landing on my overall thoughts and feelings.

𝙎𝙮𝙣𝙤𝙥𝙨𝙞𝙨:
This follows Piper Doyle, a photographer, who on the day of a photo shoot, gets into a car park accident where some asshole drives into her and makes it seem like it’s her fault. Later, at her brother’s engagement party, she meets "said asshole" again and realises he’s one of her brother’s best friends and a billionaire who owns a perfume company - Vincent Forde.

Vincent, trying to escape his crazy ex, persuades Piper to pretend to be his girlfriend. While seated at their table, they interact with a couple who own a farm in Hawaii that happens to have a perfect plantation of the missing flower ingredient Vincent needs for a new perfume he’s been struggling to source. So, he strikes a deal with Piper: he’ll help her start her new business if she helps him secure the flower from this couple, so she has to start working for him all the while pretending they are dating.

𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙁𝙚𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨:
My main concern with this book is that some aspects just didn’t gel for me. First, I didn’t find their bickering or banter very cute. At times, it felt malicious and vicious rather than playful. I get that Vincent is a very "business-minded, focused billionaire; but honestly, the series title nailed it - he’s a total ass. I just didn’t see the appeal of him most of the time (but I do have to admit some aspects were cute)

Piper, on the other hand, is almost too talented. No matter what’s thrown at her, she just excels effortlessly. It’s like she’s spectacular at everything she does, and it feels a little unrealistic. For example, she steps into a creative director role at the company with ease, but where did those skills come from? Yes, she’s a photographer, but photographers specialise in different areas. She’s introduced as a wedding photographer, but suddenly, she’s also a product photographer, a high-fashion photographer, and an editorial photographer...all of which require very different skills, techniques, and expertise. It just didn’t make sense...

The dialogue, particularly the quips, also felt a bit fake. They came too easily and felt overly smart-alecky, making them come across as disingenuous. Overall, the characters felt like generic versions of classic stereotypes: the overly preppy, perfect-at-everything photographer trying to make her way in business, and the surly, grumpy billionaire with a bad grasp of his own emotions.

A lot of the story felt surface-level, missing the deeper emotional connection I needed. It felt like a diluted version of this type of romance, without enough standout moments to sell their chemistry, connection, or romance.

That said, I don’t regret reading it. It’s a sweet story, and if you’re looking for a workplace romance with some enemies-to-lovers vibes, it’ll give you what you want. However, it’s not going to blow you away. The plot moved too fast at times, with frequent time jumps that didn’t leave enough room to develop their relationship. This hindered the chemistry, as we weren’t often shown their connection evolving.

𝙏𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙨:
▶ Workplace Romance
▶ Enemies to Lovers
▶ Brother's Best Friend
▶ Fake Dating
▶ Billionaire Romance
▶ Found Family/Band of Brothers
▶ One Bed
▶ She Falls First - He Falls Harder
▶ Third Act Breakup

In the end, I’m still not sure how to feel. It’s not bad, and it’s not terrible to read. It's not the last book I'll read by Leslie North...because I am intrigued by her style. If the tropes it has appeal to you, this book will deliver the scratch to your itch...

Thank you to Netgalley, Relay Publishing and Leslie North for the gifted copy.
All thoughts and opinions are my own.