stephsbooktalk's reviews
812 reviews

Thank you so much to the author for an advance copy!

This book will be released on March 25th, 2025.

I have connected with this author over our love of Philly sports so when I saw her post and market that she was writing a Philly version of the Savannah Bananas, I was like yes please!

This is slated to be a 7 book series and there are plenty of players that we were introduced that likely get their own book to shine. In this first book it is focused on an aging catcher who is not ready to hang up his mitt yet. JT was giving the option to join the struggling Philly Sillys skipping over the Triple A and Double A minor teams to help refocus him back to the game. If you know anything about the Savannah Bananas schtick, it's that they sing and dance and act silly all while playing baseball. This is TOTALLY not JT's personality at allll. And the only thing that is keeping him there is Cadence Andrews, the team's choreographer.

JT and Cadence did not have a good start. Cadence was trying not to make the crush on her favorite player so obvious which came off as not so nice. And JT was very serious and found it hard to find his footing in this new space. He was very standoffish and it came off as being difficult. One of my favorite niche tropes/moments in a romance novel are when the couple is at a night club or somewhere where they dance. In this case, the first spark between them occurred when they went line dancing with the rest of the team. The intimacy that is created between the couple (in any book) really showcases during these dance scenes. That moment is what broke the mold for JT and Cadence.

This is my first by the author and she had promised that there would be spice. And boy was there!! Iwancio had a way of writing the closeness between JT and Cady that was very descriptive and just so HOT! The chemistry between the two is just perfection. JT wants to court her and not have it be all sexual (even though there was a lot of sex happening). I do wish we got to see more of their vulnerable conversations and them connecting on a relationship level.

I love that we got a lot of the side characters that in a way felt natural to the storyline. We got to see JT start off a little apprehensive of his new teammates but then by the end has warmed up to them. You could really feel the sense of love between the teammates which just made me smile (also because it reminded me of the Phillies team dynamic.

Iwancio did a great job with incorporating Ranger (soon to be Ender) and Tiffiny into the story and giving us a sense that something is going on between the two of them. Which will set us up for book 2! Looking forward to see what is happening between the two of them and where in the timeline will their story be compared to this book.

I really enjoyed reading this & recommend this to anyone who loves a workplace, spicy sports romance and a bonus if you love Philly!

PS - The author had originally wrote the Philly Sillys players mirroring closely to the current Phillies lineup but she advised that she will be changing the character names.

Thank you so much to PRH Audio for the complimentary audio!

This book is out now.

This is my 2nd Adrienne Young book and I really need to go back and read her non fantasy books! She has this way of writing that just draws you in. Just like with the last book I read by her (Spells for Forgetting) she gives you this atmospheric description that allows you to picture the setting clearly.  This is a mystery about a woman who comes back to her hometown after leaving years ago to settle her brother's affairs after his sudden death. She doesn't feel that the death was just an accident but that he was murdered. She just feels like something wasn't right and starts doing her own investigating. She learns a lot about her brother whom she thought she knew but really didn't. Also coming back to her hometown allowed her to face on some of the demons she was running from. 

Even though the book was not very long, I felt that the pacing was a little slow. Seeing her interact with those in her past especially with her first love Micah really kept me going (when he said "Don't go back to San Francisco" - swoon). I was invested in the story enough to want to see how it ends. I want to try to be vague but there was a storyline/theory that was a lead and I found that to be very intriguing! There ends up being two mysteries that get solved in this. I was not able to piece together the reveal so it did surprise me when it happened. 

I paired my reading with the audio and queen Christine Lakin knocked it out of the park! I love any of the books I listened to with her narrating. She just has a way of bringing out these characters while also make listening to the story so relaxing. 

PS: This cover is absolutely gorgeous and drew me in without even knowing what this was about!! 

Mini Audiobook Review: 4.5 - Thank you so much to William Morrow for the complimentary book!

This book is out now!

I received this book from William Morrow and thought let me give this a shot! I had not previously read The Collective which I knew made its round last year on bookstagram which others raved over. I did the audiobook for this and it was SO addicting!! I started it at the tail of my work day and proceeded to listen to it for the next two hours because I just was so invested. I felt that it read really quick and Jennifer Pickens narration made it an easy listen. This book is told from 3 different point of views (Meg, Lily (Meg's daughter) and Nathan (Meg's dad). Each have a unique perspective on the events that are taken place in this book. I don't want to give away too much but the general premise is Meg wrote a book when she was 14 that found a cult following 20 years later mixed that with her father's persona as a musician in the 70s that thought there were ties to the Devil and you have a wild ride!!!

I highly recommend if you love conspiracy theories, cults, and being kept on your toes!

Thank you so much to SMP Romance for the advance copy!

This book will be out on Feb 18th, 2025.

Last year I was fortunate enough to receive an advance copy of Lindsay's book and we became IG friends bonding over our love of Harry Styles. I was even more fortunate enough to be able to meet Lindsay on a few occasions and she is such a delight! I was super excited to get an advance copy of this and the book delivered!

The way that this book starts off is a flashback to the first time our FMC Ali meets the MMC Graham. They meet at pub in London while playing a drink game. After some not so wise choice they both end the night with matching tattoos and a one night stand. She comes back to America without ever exchanging any sort of info with Graham that is until 8 years later when their paths cross in Baltimore. I love how we got this set up and the very first meeting between these two.

I kept thinking of the song "The One That Got Away" as the dance between Graham and Ali begins when the company she works for hires her to plan Graham's wedding. I'm sure you are thinking, this is a romance so how do we get a happily ever after? That's where the fun of the book is! We learn the reasoning behind the wedding (marriage of convenience), why he is here in the states and get to see the tension between Ali and Graham grow the more they spend time together. There is a moment where they get snowed in together - wheww!

I did not think that Lindsay could top Jake but Graham might take the cake? For the sake of this being a book, I was able to look past the whole "does it count as cheating if he's not really dating the woman he is supposed to be marrying?" Once I learned the condition of the engagement, I was able to put that aside to really watch the magic between the two. There was this natural chemistry that started that night in London. They just played so well off one another. Even though Graham was trying so hard to resist Ali out of respect for Claire (his best friend turned fiancee), he just couldn't. And even Ali tried so hard to maintain her crush since he was technically a client.

I absolutely love how incorporated all the Jewish traditions in this! And how Graham just seamlessly fit in with her family during these traditions. It just made my heart melt! Lindsay had a grand gesture in her first book and there was the most heartwarming grand gesture that happens during a very big moment for her Bubbie.

I think one of the many reasons why I love reading Lindsay's books is the way that she makes her characters relatable. Ali feels like she is a mess. She is trying to figure out what she wants to do in life and feels like she is constantly messing up. She feels the weight of pressure to be a certain way especially with being in the shadow of her big sister, Sarah. Even though I am technically a big sister (and I was a little of Sarah) and felt like I could relate to Ali. Even with pushing 40, I still feel like I am constantly making the wrong choices and messing up.

This is an interconnected with Till There Was You but you could totally read this as a stand alone. We do get an update on Jake and Lexi. There is a lovely moment when all the friends come together and are there for Ali.

I apologize that this became such a long review but I just really loved this one so much!

PS: One thing I can always count on is Harry Styles/One Direction references - keep em coming!

Thank you so much to Berkley Romance for the advance copy of this & the free book #BerkleyPartner!

This book will be out in March 4th.

The Kiss Countdown was Etta Easton's debut book and was absolutely charming! I was not sure if this book was going to be its own new story or set in the same universe as TKC. Turns out our female lead is the little sister of the male, Vincent, from The Kiss Countdown.

Just like with the first one, this was just also enjoyable!! Brianna is a Vice Principal with a very difficult principal and is upset when he chooses to use funds to redo the football field instead of a new library, she takes matters in her own hands. There was this cool opportunity to be a part of a Mars simulation with other staff members for a chance to a good chunk of money that would be used to upgrade the library.

Six weeks in a Mars simulation? Should be no issue but what Brianna was not expecting is to be trapped with her workplace crush and the principal's son Roman. She already is nervous around him but this is going to have them force to work together. I felt kind of bad for Roman because Brianna thought the worst of him. She thought he was there to jeopardize her chance at getting the funds. And this was throughout majority of the book.

Then you have Roman who never gave her any reason to doubt him besides being the son of her boss. He was doing his best in achieving the different missions. He was very open with his crush on Brianna. It was hard for her to navigate their mutual feelings for one another. She was technically his superior and even though they weren't in school, it still was a school event and was with other peers. No matter how much she tried, she just could not resist him. I know they were in this simulation and its not like they could properly date but I would have love to have seen them get to know each other more. It kind of was like "oh I like you, let's sleep together." Which yes happens but we usually get to see the couple get to know one another and build an intimacy.

Easton did not spend too much time with giving insight into the first book. But just enough of VIncent (he is a astronaut) and Amerie to give insight into their lives currently. Also got to see some of Brianna's relationship with her sister Camille who seems like such a wonderful person.

i love the concept of being in this controlled environment away from everyone over the summer. In my head I just picture the movie The Martian and the different space tasks that they had to do.

I started this book doing tandem reading but ultimately ended up just reading with my ears. Sisi Aisha Johnson did such a great job with narration! She gave just enough sass and confidence that was needed for Brianna. I also like how she embodied the other cast of characters that were in the simulation.

Looking forward to see if Easton sticks with space theme books (which I would be here for) or where she would pivot too!

Mini Audiobook Review: Last year I was sent a copy of Five Broken Blades and thought let me give this a try. And I loved it! I was so excited to learn that there was going to be a 2nd book and here it is.

I attempted to do tandem reading with the audio and the ebook and it just wasn't working for me so I went solely on the audiobook. All the narrators from 5BB returned which was so nice! I loved all their narrations the first time around especially the males. I love how each POV was not terrible long and the storylines kept moving because of this.

I was so happy that we got to see some romance progress between Aeri and Royo. Royo is such a big teddy bear and I just wanted to squeeze him. He just was so smitten by Aeri and was so scared to make any sort of move on her. It was very sweet to read. And then you had Aeri who was ready and waiting for him to make the move.

Similarly to reading Onyx Storm, did I always understand what was happening? Nope. But I had a great time while listening to it! I could follow majority of what was happening but some parts I was a little lost. There was something happened towards the end that I audible gasped and texted a friend who is also reading the book.

It was already announced we are getting the 3rd book later this year and you bet I will be back with the group and see if the story will be wrapped up!

PS: I ended up borrowing the book from my local library and since my copy of 5BB was an ARC, I got to admire how beautiful the physical copy is! The artwork inside and on the edges - gorgeous!

Thank you so much to Berkley for the advance copy!
Thank you so much to PRH Audio for the complimentary ALC!

This will be published on Feb 18th.

If you have never read a Kimberly Lemming book before, you are in for a treat!!! She is doing what no one else in contemporary romance.
This book was so off the wall in the best way. I will admit I did not know what was happening some of the time in the middle but that didn't stop me from enjoying the ride.

Now I don't know if I would necessarily call this your traditional rom com. In my brain I was thinking we were going to get these characters in a rom com movie but that was not the case. Somehow Lemming is able to take an alien abduction (along with a lion) in this alternate world funny. There were several times I found myself laughing out loud. And the lion that was abducted with Dory is a talking lion (named Toto) who ends up becoming her sidekick through this journey.

As mentioned there was an alien abduction but not only that we get dinosaurs, Earth simulation, action pack adventure and TWO alien love interests (Sol and Lok) plus a talking intern that looks similar to an owl with a Tamagotchi! Could this even be a reimagining of The Wizard of Oz? I can see some similarities if I really stretch my imagination. Dory's frenemy with the intern was always funny to read. It just always seemed to be around and at the most inconvenient times. Dory's internal monologue and her can't believe this is happening was funny! She even was kind of breaking the fourth wall pretending she is talking to a camera thinking she is being punked.

If you have read Lemming before, you know she does not back down on the spice. And in this one is no exception. She falls for two aliens who know she how to make her feel wonderful. The Intern gave Dory some sort of serum and well that acted as an aphrodisiac and she could not stop the desire that was building. There was a moment towards the end of the book where they are in a middle of a high speed chase and Sol decides now is the time to make a move. "We are...we are in the middle of a high speed chase! Why the hell are you choosing now to cop a feel? You are unbelievable." It was a good time.

I paired my reading with the audio as historically when I read her books I had listened via audio. Long time Lemming narrator Hazel Addison lended her voice to this one. And she just really brought Dory and all the characters to life. It just came off so authentic and she was able to make her tone match the humor in the book.

This book looks like it is becoming a series so I'm looking forward to seeing what will happen in the next book and will they be joining Dory, Toto, Sol and Lok in this world?

If you like suspending your belief while reading and looking for something totally different in a romance, I recommend this one!

Mini Audiobook Review: Thank you so much to Berkley #partner for the free book!

Last year I had read The Neighbor Favor and I know I enjoyed it but wasn't too memorable. But this one, Kristina knocked it out of the park!

Violet and Xavier were once high school sweethearts and were now reunited in Vegas. Things get carried away and they *almost* got married. But when Violet accidentally spills to a news outlet that she was married, Xavier and her had no choice but to give in to the rouse of them being married.

I love a fake dating trope and this one was so good! The tension between Violet and Xavier was done so well! Them being in a relationship previously and knowing each other made it all better. Violet injuries her foot which forces her to be back in her hometown a lot longer than anticipated. And since they are telling people they are married, they now have to share a space in his apartment where the sparks begin. They both just fell back into their orbit which made them getting into a real relationship easy peasy. Xavier was so sweet and was attentive to Violet. I did get nervous when she had gone back to work and Violet was really busy with her career. But they were able to figure out what worked best for them.

I thought the narrators for this were excellent. Benjamin Charles had such a deep tone that just made me melt while listening to him. Aure Nash was such a fresh voice and had just enough sweetness for Violet.

Angel and Lyric were introduced in this book (if they were in the first, I'm sorry I forgot) which is a great segway into the next book in the series!

Thank you so much to Putnam for the advance copy!
Thank you so much to PRH Audio for the complimentary ALC!

This book will be out on Feb 11th.

Listen I love Falon Ballard. I will never call her a guilty pleasure. I just simply love her books! They are cute, unserious and just a fun time! Because sometimes that is what you need. And this one was just that.

I have to be honest though this might be the first FMC of hers that was really unlikeable. Immediately Campbell Andrews turned me off! I know that was the point so we can see the character growth throughout the book. Now did Campbell fully get there? I wouldn't say she made a full 100% turn around but she got pretty close.

I will say that this book premise is what I thought another contemporary book that came out in the last year was going to be. I love the fact that we get swept into an alternate universe where Campbell wakes up with perfect hair and makeup, closet filled with pretty dresses, everything she could need ready for her. But she is not alone, her neighbor is none other than Ben, her date from the night before. Cam has no interest in relationships or love. She is work centric and set in her ways. Going to this alternate universe she is forced to be without work, her cell phone all the things she was attached to. Ben and Cam's date the night before was pretty bad but the (magical) waitress Mimi saw something in them that neither of them saw in each other. Mimi is also a character that is in the alternate universe and is the key to them getting back home.

Ben is honestly just too good for Cam. He is just so patient with her. And for some reason he is attracted to Cam. They connected as friends and Cam looked to him as be a constant. She was attracted to him but as the book goes on she just looks to him to be a sounding board. They both are in this situation and need each other to get out of their situation.

I paired my reading with the audio. Carly Robins was able to take the dialogue and really make Cam come across as unlikeable. The book felt like it went fast and I think that was because of the audio and how easy was listening to her.

Was this my favorite Falon book? No (that belongs to Right on Cue) but I was intrigued and got sucked into the story. I think if you are looking for an unlikeable character in a fluffy romance set in an alternate universe - give this a read!

PS: Sweetheart count 68 times

Mini Audiobook Review: This book initially was not on my radar until a few people in one of my chats were talking about it and I thought why not!  

I wanted this book to grab me more but often times I felt like I was drifting off and not really caring about the characters. I was really interested in the beginning and then middle is where it lost me. This could very much have been a bad timing/me issue. The two characters Farzan and David worked well together and that made the intimate scenes extra spicy!!! There was a moment in the beginning where some flatulence occurred and I had to chuckle because of the normalcy of that in relationships.  

David was singularly focused on passing his master sommelier test and moving to another state. Which didn't leave him much room to start any sort of relationship with Farzan. But ultimately they just could not stay away from each other

Once again, this very much could have been me but I kept getting the two characters confused. I don't know how it happened but my brain just couldn't get the two straight. I am not sure why my brain couldn't but for a good while it took me a bit to align who was David and who was Farzan. 

Please review other ones because there are so many glowing reviews for this! I would check out other books by this author as I really think it was just bad timing for me.