5-Star Archives - Page 4 of 14

Book Review:: Only Between Us | Ellie K. Wilde

Fans of a great sports romance, buckle up – book two in Ellie K. Wilde’s Oakwood Bay series is here! Only Between Us is the steamy love story between pro footballer Brooks Attwood and a sassy Siena Pippen who is much more than she appears.

Only Between Us by Ellie K. Wilde Book Cover

I feel like Ellie K. Wilde understands what people want out of a sports romance novel. There is lots of personal conflict, coming of age themes, lots and lots of spice, and a protectiveness that comes with someone conditioned to be on a team. Once the girl is on yours, that’s it.

All of those boxes were ticked in this book, and well. Bad boy Brooks is grappling with the wind down of his career. He’s got his eyes set on his old team and will do anything to score a contract with them. What they want is for him to show he’s settled down in his personal life, because the press he’s gotten from prior escapades is a big distraction. When he literally runs into Siena on the practice field and a photo of them goes viral, he proposes a mutual deal: pretend to be in a serious, stable relationship and he gets what he needs, and she gets the attention she needs to keep her business afloat awhile longer.

Siena’s had a hard life. The parents that raised her are not her real parents, and when her dad leaves her his bait shop, she’ll do anything she can to keep it open. But she’s been burned by a football star before, and she is not interested in getting involved with another one.

They both have trust issues, and healing those together is one of my favorite things to find in a sports romance. It just hits in all the feels.

If sports romance is your thing, hey, you’re going to love this. And if you haven’t really delved into any yet…try it! I was so pleasantly surprised. They’re immersive and indulgent and a great little escape. If you like spice, you’re going to love these!

Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Details

Title:: Only Between Us (Oakwood Bay #2)
Author:: Ellie K. Wilde
Genre:: Sports Romance
Publisher:: Atria
Length:: 416 pages
Audio Length:: 14h
Audiobook Narrator:: TBA
Published:: July 8th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

Only In Your Dreams | Ellie K. Wilde
The Graham Effect | Elle Kennedy
Play Along | Liz Tomforde

Book Review:: The Four Engagement Rings of Sybil Rain | Hannah Brown

I admit I was expecting a lot less from The Four Engagement Rings of Sybil Rain. The premise is fairly high concept, and I thought it would be another cheesy ‘throw-away’ summer vacation romance, but this new novel from Hannah Brown is so much more.

The Four Engagement Rings of Sybil Rain by Hannah Brown Book Cover

When you hear someone has been engaged three times but never married, what do you think of them? Commitment-phobe? Too easily swept away by a little bit of romance? Indecisive? Not serious enough? It’s an embarrassing statistic (just ask Ross Gellar about his marital history), but unless you know the whole story, don’t be so quick to judge.

Relationships are complicated. We find people in different ways, and they can complement different sides of who we are. People also change and grow and need different things at different times in their lives. But when your third engagement blows up just days before the alter, even you might start to question what is wrong with you.

Oh Sybil, you beautiful soul. She is doing her best.

I really don’t want to spoil any of this story for you, so I won’t talk about the history of her love life except to say she has run into the latest of her three fiancées at a resort in Hawai’i and it leads to her confronting her past and learning to accept and love herself in a way she’s never been able to before.

This book is about growth and forgiveness. It’s about coming into your own, meeting yourself where you are, and understanding yourself in new ways. It’s an exploration of maturity and relationships and even mental wellness to some degree. It takes quite a bit to push me over the edge into top-tier territory, but Sybil Rain earned every last one of these five stars.

Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Details

Title:: The Four Engagement Rings of Sybil Rain
Author:: Hannah Brown
Genre:: Contemporary Romance
Publisher:: Forever
Length:: 320 pages
Audio Length:: 12h
Audiobook Narrator:: Cherami Leigh
Published:: June 24th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

What Happens in Amsterdam | Rachel Lynn Solomon
Hate Mail | Donna Marchetti
The Unhoneymooners | Christna Lauren

Book Review:: People We Meet on Vacation | Emily Henry

How is everyone sleeping on People We Meet on Vacation?! This is the last book on Emily Henry’s backlist for me to read and you know what? I’m just going to say it. It’s my favorite.

People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry Book Cover

Poppy is living her dream life as a travel writer in New York City but for some reason, she’s not happy. She hasn’t been, actually, since she and her best friend Alex had a falling out a few years back. They used to go on vacation every year, scraping together their pennies in college to go anywhere-but-here. That’s when she fell in love with travel. So she bites the bullet and sends that first awkward hey-haven’t-talked-to-you-in-years-but-what’s-up text and to her delight and surprise, things pick up as if no time at all has passed. Texting soon leads to planning a new trip, and this one will fix everything for good. Hopefully.

My god there is something about a years spanning will they won’t they best friends with a little something more MFEO romance novel. Seriously, send me every rec you can think of that follows this same trajectory because MY HEART IN THESE NOVELS JUST CANNOT. If you’re chasing that same feeling, read this one, but also In the Likely Event by Rebecca Yarros. That one is darker than this, but it’s the same can’t-put-it-down-gah-get-your-shit-together energy this one has. Both of these…they just have their own electricity.

Poppy and Alex are opposites. She’s talkative and friendly and wants to get the most out of life. Alex is quiet and reserved and is happy with the life he has at home with his brothers. They had a little when-harry-met-sally style meet-cute and a life-changing friendship was born. Poppy and Alex are more fun than Harry and Sally, if it’s not blasphemous to say (H&S is one of my favorite movies too – clearly I have a type), but their problems also run deeper and had my heart in my throat so many times.

I’m telling you, this book had me in a chokehold. The timing of the flashbacks building up all those ‘almost’ moments and the ones that were so close and personal and foundational to their friendship that also make the possibility of ruining what they have too much to risk…I mean, it was just *chef’s kiss*

It is turning into a movie (screenplay by Yulin Kuang who’s debut novel came out last year, How to End A Love Story), but I’m not sure if I can bear to watch it. This book has buried itself into my heart and has become a part of me. That’s what a good book feels like. And I’m going to sit with that awhile before I risk tainting it (ha!).

Seriously though, if you’ve been putting off reading People We Meet on Vacation because you haven’t seen it hyped at all compared to the great Emily Henry’s other works, stop it. Pick it up right now. It’s phenomenal. Get the audiobook, too. Julia Whelan makes everything better.

Details

Title:: People We Meet on Vacation
Author:: Emily Henry
Genre:: Contemporary Romance
Publisher:: Berkley
Length:: 400 pages
Audio Length:: 10h 46m
Audiobook Narrator:: Julia Whelan
Published:: May 11th, 2021
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

Book Review:: Writing Mr. Wrong | Kelley Armstrong

Wow! This is the first book I’ve read of Kelley Armstrong’s, but click over to her author’s website (button at the end of this post) to see her prolific backlist. It looks like she writes all kinds of genres, heavy in mystery, suspense, fantasy, and even horror. There are only two romcoms on there, and Writing Mr. Wrong is one of them. When I requested this audiobook from netgalley I had no idea what a seasoned author I was electing to take on, but it certainly blew me away. Now I’ve got all those others to add to my TBR.

Reader problems!

So Writing Mr. Wrong is about two mid-thirties kids who once went to school together. They had a will-they-won’t-they moment once that still haunts them, because they definitely won’t-they’d. A kiss born of genuine friendship and attraction turned into public mockery, and Gemma is still so upset about it post-messy-divorce that she used Mason as the inspiration to pen her debut romance novel that is just releasing. As part of the promo, a local TV show has her on and surprises her with an appearance from now pro hockey star Mason, who strikes an undeniable likeness to the highlander on her cover (by complete coincidence…right?). While the anchor tries to make this a humiliating moment for Gemma, Mason smoothes it all over with ease, and the public is here.for.it. Turns out Gemma’s prick of an ex-husband is a huge Mason Moretti fan, so when his PR suggests a harmless night out to fuel some gossip, she agrees.

This book is a masterclass in nuance. Mason has a golden heart, but he’s like a clumsy little puppy, doing everything in the exact wrong way despite his good intentions. He leaves a trail of wreckage behind him and can’t understand what he’s doing wrong. Sometimes he does bad things. Things that hurt people. But he’s not a bad person. Gemma knows Mason better than most, having worked with him at the school newspaper once upon a time. She knows he means well, and agrees to help ‘coach’ him through some of the problematic ideas he’s come up with, helping him see how he comes off to others.

I was honestly floored by how good this book was. The premise had the potential to be just another cheesy love story without a terrible amount of depth. Instead, we’re let into the intimacies of the relationship between these two imperfect humans and get to see them slowly navigate this meeting of their new selves. It feels natural. It feels authentic. It’s a joy to read. They both choose honesty, and that allows them to understand one another deeply, cleanse their pasts, and embrace a new, strong, future.

I really could go on and on about this one, but it is a solid 5 star read, and the reason I hold out and rate the majority of books with 4 stars. That last star means there’s something special, and folks, this one has it. The X-factor. The chops of a seasoned author. A delight to read. Thank you Kelley Armstrong. Can’t wait to see what else you’ve got up your sleeves of romance!

I listened to this as an audiobook and both narrators were amazing! Patricia Santomasso had Gemma’s sort of cynical tone down wonderfully, and I’m going to keep my eye out for more Sean Patrick Hopkins…it was delightful.

Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Details

Title:: Writing Mr. Wrong
Author:: Kelley Armstrong
Genre:: Sports Romance
Publisher:: Forever
Length:: 336 pages
Audio Length:: 9h 4m
Audiobook Narrator:: Patricia Santomasso & Sean Patrick Hopkins
Published:: June 24th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

The Perfect Rom Com | Melissa Ferguson
Wish I Were Here | Melissa Wiesner
Slow Burn Summer | Josie Silver

Book Review:: The Night We Lost Him | Laura Dave

I’m coming to realize that Laura Dave is one of my favorite authors right now. She’s an excellent atmospheric writer. The tone of her books is clear from the first page and blankets the entire narrative in a somber and mysterious aura. It’s right up my alley. Couple that with excellent character work, interesting narrative concepts, and prose as smooth as butter and you’ve got yourself a five-star book all day long.

The Night We Lost Him by Laura Dave Book Cover

Nora is a strong woman who will be okay no matter which way the story turns. But the death of her father, and her estranged brother’s insistence that there is more to the story, brings up deep personal conflicts within her that she suddenly needs to explore. It is this train of story that we need closure on, and not necessarily the mystery surrounding her father’s death – but because she can’t reconcile her own issues without understanding his last days, we need to know that too. It’s brilliant story building, and I was hooked all the way through.

My one complaint is something that probably makes her books all the more marketable: they’re not longer. I could read 450+ pages of one of her stories happily, and I know she’d fill it all in with scintillating details that would only enhance it all. However, she fits a damn good story into these 320 pages, and I have to call that just about perfect.

I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next!

Details

Title:: The Night We Lost Him
Author:: Laura Dave
Genre:: Contemporary Fiction
Publisher:: S&S/Marysue Rucci Books
Length:: 320 pages
Audio Length:: 7h 49m
Audiobook Narrator:: Julia Whelan
Published:: September 17th, 2024
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

The Villa | Rachel Hawkins
I Think I Was Murdered | Colleen Coble & Rick Acker
The Truth About the Devlins | Lisa Scottoline

Book Review:: Planes, Trains, and All the Feels | Livy Hart

I feel it is my duty to leave a review of this book after seeing so many bad reviews. Who are you people?! I’ve read this book twice and adored it both times. I can be picky with my five stars, but this one earned them all!

Planes, Trains, and All the Feels by Livy Hart Book Cover

Planes, Trains, and All the Feels gave me that feeling of finding a diamond in the rough through the library stacks. I think it was a random ‘available now’ title on Libby when I was looking for something fun to read.

BULLSEYE.

This book is fun, flirty, jam packed with disaster with plenty of sparky romance, and a foundation of meaningful character conflict that you’ll feel all the way in your heart.

Cassidy and Luke are just trying to get home. Not their actual homes (which are in the Carolinas), but the proverbial home, the home of their origin, where their families await them. Neither is exactly eager to get there, but the tether of obligation is strong, and they both pull toward California. Unfortunately, their plane has to divert and they get stuck in a tiny town with only a handful of rental cars and…it’s one thing after another from there.

Needless to say, they start off on the wrong foot and only collaborate due to necessity. But as disaster after disaster befall them and they have to depend on one another, they learn more about each other, and something changes.

Can you call a book a slow burn if it technically takes place over only a few days? I don’t care. This book is a slow burn as both Cassidy and Luke’s walls come down and authenticity begins to bleed through. By the time they get to California, you’ll be swooning and pining and just as caught up in the thrill of it as they are.

When I logged this book on goodreads, my jaw was literally on the floor seeing so many reviews of people disliking or not even finishing this book! I don’t understand. The only thing I can think is that these people were all expecting a different genre entirely? I’ve read some bad romance novels. This is not one of them. Please, ignore the one-stars on this one. Give it a chance! It’s endearing and so worth it.

That’s it. That’s my case. Do with it what you will. And happy reading.

Details

Title:: Planes, Trains, and all the Feels
Author:: Livy Hart
Genre:: Romantic Comedy
Publisher:: Entangled Trade
Length:: 352 pages
Audio Length:: 10h 52m
Audiobook Narrator:: Zura Johnson, James Cavenaugh
Published:: May 23rd, 2023
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

Emergency Contact | Lauren Layne & Anthony Ledonne
The Proposal Project | Donna Marchetti
Not in My Book | Katie Holt

Book Review:: A Psalm for the Wild-Built | Becky Chambers

What is it that drives us?
What is our purpose?
What happens when we actually achieve what we set out to do?

What comes next?

A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers Book Cover

A Psalm for the Wild-Built is a unique experience of a book that I highly recommend. It is set in a futuristic world where robots in the long-past “Factory Age” became sentient, and an aspirational-level society decided to split the world territory in half and let them pursue their own desires. This is all in the past when we meet Sibling Dex, a genderless monk with a seed of discontent sprouting within themselves. They change their vocation from a garden monk to a tea monk who travels the land with an ox-cart listening to the troubles of others over a well-made cup of herbal tea. It suspends the growth of discontent for a while, but eventually it resumes its invasive presence, rooting down deep. Just when it becomes impossible to ignore, a chance meeting with one of the robots, who hadn’t been seen or heard from in generations, disrupts their plans and the two of them contemplate philosophy on the trip of a lifetime.

The languid prose of this novel (novella?) gives the impression of an idyllic future where humans have made decisions for generations on the basis of morality and impact rather than efficiency and greed. The culture contemporary to the characters seems to be mostly one of leisure and desire. Currency is exchanged for goods and services, but neither the shop keepers nor the consumers are in any hurry. There are still traditional jobs somewhere, but we aren’t shown any examples outside of some complaints of visitors to Sibling Dex’s tea-wagon. I’ve heard this book referred to as both cozy and as a ‘hug-in-a-book’. I would have to agree. Both the setting and the language used to describe it is almost meditative in its attention to detail.

Where the book really shines in on the philosophy. When you give yourself space in your day/routine/life to think, thought usually occurs. It is a lesson we could all take away from it.

Sibling Dex is both curious and reflective. They have ambition; not for the sake of it, but because they feel it is their work is their calling and hope that if they succeed, their feelings of inadequacy might dissolve. They wonder about the good of the world and of nature and of people (past and present), sometimes almost in a way that sounds as if was prescribed to them in their early education. They have opportunity to ponder some foundational topics surrounding personal actions, moralit, consciousness, existence in general, and the motivation behind decisions made by figures long lost to the sands of time. It is an incredibly thought-provoking book I think is valuable for any reader.

My one complaint is with some of the jarring language choices surrounding Sibling Dex. At one point they are referred to having ‘hooked up’ with someone. They occasionally curse and say things like ‘my mom would be pissed’. It felt out of place among such an otherwise lullaby style writing. Then again, perhaps that was the point; an occasional reminder that humans have some sharp edges, no matter how hard we try to smooth ourselves out.

Details

Title:: A Psalm for the Wild-Built (Monk & Robot #1)
Author:: Becky Chambers
Genre:: Cozy Science-Fiction
Publisher:: Tordotcom
Length:: 151 pages
Audio Length:: 4h 8m
Audiobook Narrator:: Em Grosland
Audiobook Publisher:: Macmillan Audio
Published:: July 13th, 2021
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

Whale Fall | Elizabeth O’Connor
All the Water in the World | Eiren Caffall
Libby Lost & Found | Stephanie Booth

Book Review:: Wild Side | Elsie Silver

Buckle in for the third trip around the Rose Hill sun – it’s a heart-wrenching one!

There was a lot of healing in Wild Eyes with Skylar, but healing is the very heart of Wild Side. It begins with the death of Tabitha’s sister, who is Rhys’ tenant. She was a drug addict and mother to a young son. She did alright for awhile, but old habits die hard and she started living a life full of lies. When she died unexpectedly, Tabitha is shocked to discover she wanted Rhys to be the guardian of her son instead of her own sister. So begins one of the most awkward and tense relationships ever.

It’s a wild premise, but the execution of this story is perfection. If I’ve come to know one thing about Elsie Silver’s writing, it’s that she can spin a tale, and she absolutely did these characters justice.

I found the tone of this book far more somber than the two previous. There’s some cutesy romance stuff included (of course), but overall the themes are darker and more serious than what we’ve seen elsewhere in this series. The way the characters and their backstories play off the current situation is a thing to be studied. Rhys and his background, especially, explains everything about why he’s unable to walk away from a woman so hostile toward him in the beginning. Honestly, it’s perfect. And the way both of them are hyper-focused on the good of the boy left behind will get you every time.

I read there is only one more Rose Hill book left (out this September), and that makes me sad. However, I already know it’ll be a banger. This series has been something truly special, and Wild Side is a big piece of that feeling. Read it. Love it. Repeat.

Details

Title:: Wild Side (Rose Hill #3)
Author:: Elsie Silver
Genre:: Contemporary Romance
Publisher:: Bloom Books
Length:: 443 pages
Audio Length:: 12h 17m
Audiobook Narrator:: Jason Clarke & Samantha Brentmoor
Published:: March 4th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

Book Review:: Sounds Like A Plan | Pamela Samuels Young & Dwayne Alexander Smith

Sometimes a bookworm has to do some retail therapy, am I right? I picked this book up on a whim on one of those such occasions because it looks compelling and fun rejuvenating and man, I was not disappointed!

Sounds Like A Plan by Pamela Samuels Young & Dwayne Alexander Smith Book Cover

Jackson and Mackenzie are both PIs in their own struggling firms. Jackson specializes in high profile (read: rich AF) clients, and Mackenzie’s offices are figuratively on the other side of the tracks and actually falling apart. Both of them are in dire need of some cash flow, and what do you know, some random lawyer steps into both their offices, separately, offering a boatload of it if they drop everything to find a missing girl. They both think the case is theirs alone (why wouldn’t they) until they bump into each other while chasing leads (a few times). Turns out, the guy hired a few people and whoever finds the mark first gets the payday. The third PI in the bunch is a sleezebag who runs a stripclub so Jackson and Mac team up and will split the cash.

This book is exactly what it looks like. Fast paced, action-packed, filled with sexual tension – chef’s kiss! It was one thing after another for this dynamic duo, and I was screaming for them to get together the whole time. It was the perfect balance of thriller, comedy, and romance, and I flew through it!

I loved the way the characters played off one another. Jackson has a taste for the finer things and Mackenzie dabbles in Krav Maga. She’s tough as nails and Jackson is constantly surprised and delighted by her. I am so excited this is a series, because I think there is so much to dig into with their backstories, and I can’t wait to see what else might develop between them. *waggles eyebrows*

I really wavered giving this book 5 stars, and really, maybe I should. The part that bothered me was at the beginning their two narratives (dual POV) were almost an exact mirror of them taking the exact same steps, going to the exact same places, getting the exact same information in the exact same order. Eh. I thought that wasn’t necessary. It would have been more interesting if there was SOME variation there. Luckily that part only lasts maybe 15% of the book (?), and it’s not a deal breaker.

If you’re looking for a fun and flirty new thriller mystery series, I can’t recommend this one highly enough. Book two comes out later this summer!

Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Details

Title:: Sounds Like A Plan (Sounds Like A Plan #1)
Author:: Pamela Samuels Young & Dwayne Alexander Smith
Genre:: Crime Thriller
Publisher:: Atria Books
Length:: 320 pages
Audio Length:: 7h 21m
Audiobook Narrator:: Jaime Lincoln Smith & Angel Pean
Published:: July 9th, 2024
The Litertarian Rating:: 4-Stars

author website (Pamela)

Author Website (Dwayne)

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Book Review:: Wild Eyes | Elsie Silver

What I wouldn’t do to live in a place as beautiful and idyllic as Rose Hill. The first book in this Elsie Silver series is Wild Love, an absolute banger about Rosie and Ford. Wild Eyes is about Rosie’s brother and Ford’s best friend, one in the same man by the name of West Belmont.

West is a single dad minding his own business on his horse ranch in rural Canada. Down the road, his best friend built a recording studio, and when one of his artists shows up early, his sister offers his guest house for her stay. West doesn’t mind, he’s a pretty easy-going guy, but when his new tenant turns out to be Skylar Stone, the world’s current biggest country pop star, things get complicated. Skylar is struggling with bone-deep anxiety and no sense of the ‘real world’, and West is struggling to keep her out of his head.

Oh, my heart. This is a story about a young woman holing up somewhere to take inventory of her hurts and heal them, and the man who sees her, helps her, and holds space for her to do so.

West has two kids, a boy who doesn’t talk much and a spitfire of a little girl who reminds me of my own son. He’s the father we wish everyone could have. He loves his kids for who they are and would do anything for them. That’s how West loves. He accepts all the imperfections, admires the things that make people unique. He sees people. It’s his superpower. For Skylar, no one ever sees her, or asks her what she wants. They think they already know her and don’t bother digging further than that.

The two of them are so well matched. Skylar is in a place where she needs the peace and quiet ranch life offers, she needs the wide-open spaces and quiet to make some mistakes that won’t be broadcast to the masses. She needs someone to notice her for her, to show that they genuinely care, even if it’s hard to accept.

Boy, this Rose Hill series is one to sink deep into, I’m telling you. The concepts are a little tropey or corny maybe if you’re looking to be critical, but the way Elsie Silver crafts a story and creates romance in the most imperfect but beautiful of people…it’s stunning work. When you pick one up it’s impossible to put back down. Wild Eyes is another must-read for anyone who is craving a little bit of hopeless romance. They do get quite spicy, but hey, that’s half the fun!

Details

Title:: Wild Eyes (Rose Hill #2)
Author:: Elsie Silver
Genre:: Contemporary Romance
Publisher:: Bloom Books
Length:: 464 pages
Audio Length:: 10h 26m
Audiobook Narrator:: Teddy Hamilton & Savannah Peachwood
Published:: September 3rd, 2024
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars