Tag: Contemporary

Book Review:: Haunted Ever After | Jen DeLuca

Summer is the season for beach read romances. Fall is the season for darker stories of mystery and delicious twists. Haunted Ever After fills the gap between the two like it was conceived to bridge it. A ghost story romance set in a small-town in Florida is the perfect read for the end of summer as the days grow shorter, and the supernatural veil begins to thin.

Haunted Ever After Jen DeLuca Book Cover

Cassie Rutherford is looking for something to call her own. In a crazy real estate market, she ends up buying a flipped home in the tiny coastal town of Boneyard Key which boasts of being the most haunted town in Florida. Tourist towns all have a bogus kitsch to bring in money, but when strange things start happening around her historical home, and the locals claim authenticity, she realizes she may have been a little hasty in her move away from Orlando. But the sunsets from her backyard beach can’t be beat, and Nick Royer, the hunk who runs the cafe, might just be exactly what she’s been looking for.

Boneyard Key is the quirky, lovable setting we love in a small-town romance. The punny shop names, the locals-only hidden gems, the colorful cast of characters, and, of course, the gossip no one can ever escape.

Nick is a BK native with an abandonment complex that leaves him resentful toward outsiders and defensive about the town he grew up in. When Cassie has to use his shop to plug in her laptop so she doesn’t miss an important work meeting, he mistakes her for a workaholic tourist in a yummy, conflict-ridden meet cute I ate up like candy. Our lead characters both know who they are and are okay on their own, which makes their slow-fall romance all the more delicious.

The main conflict of the story is the mysterious haunting of the house Cassie bought. Abandoned for decades, she is the first person to reside in the house since the original owners in the early twentieth century. With the help of local historians, Buster the handyman, a bona-fide medium, and our hunky hero, they inch ever closer to the root of the issue.

I really appreciated that despite the twisty mystery, the tone remained in romantic comedy territory. This is a fun, light-hearted read that won’t scare you away with any dark twists. It has themes of female empowerment, strong community, and giving yourself permission to grow, change, and move on. This isn’t a psychological thriller, I had the twist figured out about a hundred pages before Cassie did, but it’s an interesting conflict that entangles and complicates the rising action of the romance.

I’m so glad I was fortunate enough to be chosen as an ARC reader for this book. I had a smile on my face through the whole thing. It was a joy to read, and I recommend it for any fan of romantic comedies!

Also, I now have an undeniable craving for a buffalo tender sub sandwich from Publix and a sunset walk on the beach. Unfortunately, I live in Colorado, so neither is in my immediate future – ha!

Details

Title:: Haunted Ever After (Boneyard Key #1)
Author:: Jen DeLuca
Genre:: Contemporary Romance
Publisher:: Berkley
Length:: 352 pages
Audio Length:: 10h 51m
Audiobook Narrator:: Jeannie Sheneman
Audiobook Publisher:: Penguin Audio
Published:: August 13th, 2024
The Litertarian Rating:: 4-Stars
Spice Level:: 1

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If you liked this book, check out…

Savor It | Tarah Dewitt
Thank You for Listening | Julia Whelan

Book Review:: The Most Fun We Ever Had | Claire Lombardo

This isn’t a book you read for entertainment. This is the type of book you read to remind yourself what it is to be human. To connect on another level to humanity itself. To recognize little pieces of yourself in the stories of others: the bright pieces, and the dark ones too. It teaches you things you don’t even realize you’re learning. It’s not a surface level book – it reaches deep parts of you that are often forgotten or neglected. It’s a revelation.

The Most Fun We Ever Had Claire Lombardo Book Cover

The tangled web of emotional turmoil within the Sorenson family is taut with tension. The steadfast love between Marilyn and David produced four beautiful daughters who are grown now and living their own lives. Wendy, the girl who was always too much as a child grew into a woman all too acquainted with grief. Violet, the good girl, has a picture-perfect life complete with two point five kids and a loving husband. Liza, the third child often forgotten in the chaos of her two older sisters, is still struggling to find purpose. And Grace, the baby, is being crushed by great expectations pressured by the weight of the family who all came before her. But when a fifteen-year-old secret walks back into their lives, the effects ripple through them all, bringing many old hurts and hidden feelings to a much-needed reckoning.

Lives are shaped by the butterfly effect. One little moment leads to the next, leads to the next. On and on we go. An overheard and misunderstood conversation can plant the seed that sets roots of anxiety and doubt deep in the psyche of a young girl. An avoided occasion can set long-burning embers of animosity to light that sizzle and pop for decades. Actions have consequences, and they won’t always be the ones you expect to confront.

The narrative is presented in a constant flow of the now and the before, exploring family experiences from multiple sides, because when things happen in a family, it isn’t only about one person. Everything affects everyone, to different degrees. Not only did I find it engaging all the way through, by the time we arrived at certain landmarks in the family history, I found myself simultaneously surprised and satisfied. We’re given so much context to understand the complex feelings between the family members. It feels real. It feels like the Sorenson’s are out there somewhere, having lived these lives we get to read about.

I don’t even know how you write a book this bold and beautiful. The complexity that is the Sorenson family is at once romantic and heartbreaking and tender and sometimes so cliche in a way that is simply human nature. Children are born with personalities, and they will cause tension and conflict and love and joy too. This family isn’t broken, but it isn’t perfect either. They are bound by love, in both the best and worst ways, and Lombardo highlights them both with skilled artistry.

I loved this book in the most surprising way, and I will cherish this experience of reading it for the first time as long as I can, because I know it won’t be the last.

Details

Title:: The Most Fun We Ever Had
Author:: Claire Lombardo
Genre:: Literary Fiction
Publisher:: Doubleday
Length:: 532 pages
Audio Length:: 20h 33m
Audiobook Narrator:: Emily Rankin
Audiobook Publisher:: Random House Audio
Published:: June 25th, 2019
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

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If you liked this book, check out…

Amazing Grace Adams | Fran Littlewood
The Last Love Note | Emma Grey

Book Review:: The Kiss Quotient | Helen Hoang

An evocative, unconventional romance if there ever was one!

The Kiss Quotient Helen Hoang Book Cover

Stella Lane is a high-functioning adult with Asperger’s Syndrome. Her ‘brand’ of autism helps her be a rockstar at her job as an econometrician, but her social life is not so easy – especially romantic relationships. Under pressure from her parents to find someone to settle down with, Stella decides she will hire someone to teach her how to behave, both in the bedroom & outside of it so she can win the affection of someone to have an ordinary relationship with. But how to accomplish this goal? Hire an escort, of course!

Michael Phan is the escort she chooses, and though his policy is to never sleep with the same client twice, after meeting Stella and realizing what she’s asking of him, he decides to make an exception – especially when she offers him a hefty sum for his services! Money is the only reason he got into escorting in the first place, so the dollar signs flashing before his eyes has him bending his own rules. The more money he gets, the more he can help his family & prove he is not the same as his despicable father.

As the two of them work through Stella’s issues, they realize that practice doesn’t feel so much like practice anymore, and that what is between them is anything but ordinary.

Obviously with the subject matter of the book, there is a lot of spice involved. When Stella makes up her mind about something – in this case, fucking – she pursues her goals with focused attention. At times I have to admit I felt a little uncomfortable with what was happening behind closed doors. Michael is hired to do a job, and all he’s doing is executing on those duties, and he does so with the upmost care and goes slowly when Stella needs it, but man, I just…is this something we want to read? The whole premise of the book is that there’s something wrong with Stella and she needs to please men in order to have a fulfilling life. These are conflicts worked through in the narrative, but it really rubbed me the wrong way.

With that said, a real relationship blooms between these characters and it is very sweet and genuine. Through the lessons Michael designs for Stella, they end up integrating into one another’s lives like any real relationship. Turns out he has lessons to learn from Stella, too.

If you like the fake dating trope or are looking for autism representation in a contemporary romance, this might be the one for you. For me, it just felt like the most extreme possible circumstances to accomplish a fake dating trope. While it is overall a decent romance, I had to suspend my disbelief too much to give it more than 3 stars.

Details

Title:: The Kiss Quotient
Author:: Helen Hoang
Genre:: Romance
Publisher:: Berkley
Length:: 323 pages
Audio Length:: 9h 36m
Audiobook Narrator:: Carly Robins
Audiobook Publisher:: Dreamscape Media
Published:: June 5th, 2018
The Litertarian Rating:: 3-Stars

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If you liked this book, check out…

The Unhoneymooners | Christina Lauren
Hate Mail | Donna Marchetti

Book Review:: We’ll Prescribe You A Cat | Syou Ishida

Cats are the heroes of the internet. They bring smiles to even the grouchiest faces. But what happens when you go to someone for psychiatric help, and they send you home with one as treatment?!

We'll Prescribe You A Cat Syou Ishida Book Cover

Shuta is a timid corporate drone in Kyoto with low mental health. Nothing has seemed to work for him, and when he hears of a unique clinic through the grapevine, he decides to give it one last chance. He is miserable at his job, and after a desperate plea to be seen right away, the doctor prescribes him a cat to look after. Shuta is stunned, and takes the carrier filled with a cat named Bee and a large bag of supplies home with him in a stupor of shock, wondering how in the world he ended up here.

This is the first of four parables in this book about the mysterious Nakagyo Kokoro Clinic for the Soul. Those in need of healing find themselves drawn in by the clinic by word of mouth and leave with a new feline companion. In each case, the cat draws attention to a true cause of turbulence in their life (whether they realized what it was beforehand or not), harking to a whole-istic type of medicine. Heal the soul, the rest will follow.

As the book progresses, an element of magical realism begins to seep through until it culminates in a resolution in the last chapter. I was happy to learn more about the elusive clinic-it is the string that runs through what would otherwise simply be a book of short stories.

We’ll Prescribe You a Cat has been translated by E. Madison Shimoda from the original Japanese. Something about the style makes everything feel a little bit exaggerated. The situations, the internal monologue of the characters, and even the dialogue. It feels like a cultural difference compared to more western-style novels, and it was refreshing to read, in a way. While there were plenty of details, it felt more descriptive than immersive for me.

This book is a charming reminder that humans need connection. Opening the door to new experiences will usually lead to new opportunities that would have otherwise passed you by. Sometimes the simple act of caring for another living creature is enough to bring us out of our own issues enough to make a meaningful difference. If nothing else, the cats in this book will make you smile.

Thank you to NetGalley & Berkley for sending me an ARC copy of this novel for free in exchange for an honest review.

Details

Title:: We’ll Prescribe You A Cat
Author:: Syou Ishida, translated by E. Madison Shimoda
Genre:: Literary Fiction
Publisher:: Berkley
Length:: 304 pages
Audio Length:: 7h 8m
Audiobook Narrator:: Naruto Komatsu & Natsumi Kuroda
Audiobook Publisher:: Penguin Audio
Published:: September 3rd, 2024
The Litertarian Rating:: 4-Stars

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If you liked this book, check out…

My (Not So) Perfect Life | Sophie Kinsella
Amazing Grace Adams | Fran Littlewood

Book Review:: DNA Duo(logy) | Christina Lauren

Book #1 | The Soulmate Equation

The Soulmate Equation Christina Lauren Book Cover

Summary:: GeneticAlly is a new dating service, pioneered by Dr. River Pena, that uses your DNA to find romantic matches. The science appears to be undeniable. The more genetic markers you have matching with someone, the more likely you are to find a successful relationship.

Jess’ best friend Fizz loves the idea. River frequents the same coffee bar Jess & Fizz do (them – to work, J on freelance statistics work, F on romance novels, Dr. Pena – for the lattes), and when he tells them about it, he gives them his card for them to stop by and check it out. Fizz is all in. She jumps in – vag first – into her pool of potential suitors. She and Jess discuss the ethics and ramifications ad nauseum (literally, I think they covered every question a reader could possibly have about the tech), and on a desperate, lonely night of single motherhood, Jess finally decides to submit her spit sample, too. What’s the harm? Her parameters are sky high. She only wants to see a match if their potential is essentially off the charts. Cut to, GeneticALLY calls her in for a meeting, and instead of a statistical analysis job offer, like she’s expecting, turns out she’s matched with the highest numbers the company has ever seen…with donor #1 – River Pena himself. With all of Jess’ responsibilities, is she willing to finally put her heart at risk? What about if the company offers her a big fat wad of cash to go on a few dates and see what happens, as a marketing ploy?

Book #2 | The True-Love Experiment

The True Love Experiment Christina Lauren Book Cover

Summary:: Serial dater “Fizzy” Chen has been off her love game ever since she found out she was ‘the other woman’ in the one romance she thought might actually go the distance. That’s a problem, for a romantic novelist. The words aren’t just uninspired, they’re not coming at all. With her next novel due soon and fans chomping at the bit for whatever comes next, she’s feeling the pressure. When an offer comes out of left field for her to be the star on an upcoming reality dating show that uses GeneticALLY technology to find her matches, it might just be the thing to push her out of her funk. And when she meets the producer (who is really a documentarian forced to make something popular work in order to get the funding he needs for his ‘real’ job), a hunky single dad, they work together to design a show that will be a smash, until it becomes clear she may not need to meet any of the contestants to get her mojo back after all. Except she has to. For weeks. And then go on a super romantic getaway with the winner. All with the man she really wants looking on from behind the camera.

Thoughts

Let’s just get this out of the way – both of these books are charming, wonderful reads. I’m learning Christina Lauren (a pseudonym for a best-friend writing duo) can be relied upon for that. I’m not even sure I could pick a favorite, under duress. Luckily, I don’t have to.

The premise is intriguing – what if all you needed to do was swab your cheek to sift the wheat from the chaff in your dating prospects? Was it fair? Did it mean you might be closing yourself off to real potential love because some computer said you weren’t compatible enough? Did a high match number make you more likely to fall in love, or stick with it longer, just because you both know there’s a big chance it’ll be worth it in the end? Did the results dictate the result just by knowing what they are? Do the numbers even mean anything at all? All of these questions and more are discussed in detail, lending itself to some deep philosophical ponderings about what love is, how we find it, and what makes it stick. I loved the depth this offered in the background of both stories. Honestly? Brilliant.

Jess and River’s romance is fraught with uncertainty. Jess is a cautious gal – she has to be, as someone shouldered with so much responsibility – her young daughter & her aging parents. She’s also a statistician. She’s not one to take risks. She’s done the math. There is some true romance in this book – River really steps up, once he accepts that the results are valid, and gives this connection the chance he hasn’t given love since he was burned in college. There’s a lot of pomp and circumstance, instigated by the company, but ultimately, their connection proves true, and despite the hiccups and whatever the test results may be, love is always a risk. It’s fake dating without it being fake. It’s a chance, just like love in real life.

On the other hand, Fizzy and Connor share a forbidden spark they both know they shouldn’t pursue. The timing is way off. Both of them need this show to be a hit, or their careers could be in ruins. But the sizzle between them refuses to die out. Maybe they just need to get it out of their systems – then they’ll be able to move forward with clear heads and do what they need to do…right?

I’m so impressed with Christina Lauren’s talent for crafting compelling love stories. They are romantic as hell with secondary plotlines playing into the bigger story so naturally while supporting the themes and complicating the stakes like the stories couldn’t be told any other way. One, or both of these ladies knows a lot about story structure, and it’s wielded like a weapon. Just try putting one of these down. I dare you.

Details

Title:: The Soulmate Equation (DNA Duo #1)
Author:: Christina Lauren
Genre:: Contemporary Romance
Publisher:: Gallery Books
Length:: 360 pages
Audio Length:: 10h 26m
Audiobook Narrator:: Patti Murin
Audiobook Publisher:: Simon & Schuster Audio
Published:: February 8th, 2022
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

Title:: The True Love Experiment (DNA Duo #2)
Author:: Christina Lauren
Genre:: Contemporary Romance
Publisher:: Gallery Books
Length:: 409 pages
Audio Length:: 10h 52m
Audiobook Narrator:: Jonathan Cole & Cindy Kay
Audiobook Publisher:: Simon & Schuster Audio
Published:: May 16th, 2023
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

Linky Links!!

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[Hardcover] [Paperback] [eBook] [Audible]

Goodreads
Author Website
Amazon Affiliate Links
[Hardcover] [Paperback] [eBook] [Audible]

If you liked this book, check out…

The Unhoneymooners | Christina Lauren
Business Casual | BK Borison
Funny Story | Emily Henry
The Rom-Commers | Katherine Center

Book Review:: The Last Love Note | Emma Grey

What comes after losing the ones we love? We hold the ones we have left more dearly & live the rest of our days the best we can. The Last Love Note is a beautiful story about love, grief, healing, and a strong woman forging a new path forward with the pieces left after life shatters around her.

The Last Love Note Emma Grey Book Cover

Kate and Cam fell madly in love in college and never looked back. They married and started a beautiful family. Life wasn’t a cakewalk — they had the usual problems of early marriage: jobs to navigate, whether to expand their family & when… Then things begin to fall apart with an unexpected diagnosis.

This is a story told in two timelines. One is the past, as Kate and Cam navigate the trials and tribulations of Cam’s diagnosis, the other is the present, with Kate on a work trip with her boss, Hugh, who has become a close family friend. Kate is still processing her grief, but it’s been a few years, and her friends are encouraging her to open herself back up to possibility. And Hugh, Hugh is there to help her find her way.

I imagine this book captures the complicated feelings of widowhood quite beautifully. The guilt, the betrayal, the responsibility, and the sheer surprise of any sort of feelings stirring up again. It is both utterly romantic, and heartbreaking. It is a beautiful story, and it was beautifully written.

On the side of flaws, I would say the pacing is overall quite slow. In contrast, the opening sequence was funny and punchy, but I didn’t feel it quite matched with the rest of the story, which was much more retrospective, and, well, gloomy. It also left me a little muddled as to what I should be paying attention to, if I’m honest. I go into books blind (no blurbs), and the false romantic interest threw me off until probably 25% into the book and I realized who we were really there to watch. In retrospect, I can appreciate the details, but it takes a minute to get into. However, if you stick with it, ye shall be rewarded.

This is the kind of book that lingers. I find myself thinking of it every once in awhile, even weeks later, and when I do, I get this big warm fuzzy feeling in my chest that makes me want to read it again. If you are a sucker for true romance, and don’t mind a little bit of real life heartbreak, you’re going to love it.

Details

Title:: The Last Love Note
Author:: Emma Grey
Genre:: Contemporary Romance
Publisher:: Zibby Books
Length:: 384 pages
Audio Length:: 10h 32m
Audiobook Narrator:: Leeanna Walsman
Audiobook Publisher:: Zibby Books
Published:: November 28th, 2023
The Litertarian Rating:: 4-Stars

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If you liked this book, check out…

This Summer Will Be Different | Carley Fortune
In The Likely Event | Rebecca Yarros
Amazing Grace Adams | Fran Littlewood

Book Review:: In the Likely Event | Rebecca Yarros

This book may have ruined me for all other romances. I stayed up until 3 am because it is unputdownable. I am still stunned as I sit to write this more than a week later, but I will try to piece together something coherent to explain the ways in which this book moved me.

In The Likely Event Rebecca Yarros Book Cover

This is where I normally provide a quick summary of the plot. In this case, I cannot do that. Don’t read the back. Don’t read the blurb. Don’t read any other reviews. Just pick it up, and read. Trust me.

The first four chapters gave me full body chills. Chills. I had to put it down after that because it was already getting late and I knew if I started one more, I’d never put it back down. I stewed over what I’d read the whole next day until I felt brave enough to pick it back up, knowing it would knock me out, in one way or another. I was right. I didn’t put it back down until I’d read every last word.

This is a love story, and the stakes are sky high. It’s about the universe conspiring to bring two people together, as many times as it takes. It’s about enduring love, tragic love, protective love, and being there in the ways that count, even if it can’t always be physically.

It’s about bearing vulnerabilities and sacrificing what might have been for what one day could be. It’s about life, about loss, about holding onto the family you find in others, and letting go of the ones that hurt you. It’s about taking risks for those you love, and not holding grudges for all the little hurts, or the big ones either. It’s about patience, and fighting for what you know is real, even if you’re the only one who still believes it.

There is so much packed in these pages, and the longing and yearning and waiting is enough to bring you to your knees. It is shaped to pull you in and wring you out in all the best and worst ways. I’m not sure I’ve ever felt this way about a book, and I’m not sure I ever will again. It is something special, and I’ll carry it with me, always. I hope you’ll read it too.

Details

Title:: In The Likely Event
Author:: Rebecca Yarros
Genre:: Contemporary Romance
Publisher:: Montlake
Length:: 350 pages
Audio Length:: 10h 30m
Audiobook Narrator:: Carly Robins, Teddy Hamilton
Audiobook Publisher:: Brilliance Audio
Published:: August 1st, 2023
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

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If you liked this book, check out…

Burn For Me | Ilona Andrews
This Summer Will Be Different | Carley Fortune

Book Review:: My (not so) Perfect Life | Sophie Kinsella

Life doesn’t always follow the plan, no matter how carefully and passionately you’ve outlined it. Even when you’re on track, the details of what you have to suffer through on the way to the end of the rainbow are often so frustrating, it might drive you to madness. Goals are not accomplished on a straight line. It’s more like a line graph with wild ebbs and flows making it look more like a Richter Scale reading than an exponential curve to success. But all the little detours move you forward, even when they seem like a step back, and eventually you learn that happily ever after looks a little different than what you once dreamed.

My (Not So) Perfect Life Sophie Kinsella Book Cover

Kat-Katie-Kat is chasing her dreams in London, working for a boss who is living a picture-perfect life. Demeter is everything Kat wants to be, except she’s also an aloof, often degrading, unapologetic bitch. Kat dreams of being a successful advertise marketer, but is struggling to get Demeter to notice she exists at all, let alone any of her design and campaign ideas. One day, a mystery man named Alex shows up needing help with a couple of things. Kat and Alex work well together, but when she finds out he’s one of the higher-ups, she realizes how out of her league he is. Then, she gets fired (not because of Alex). That was certainly not part of the plan. She’s on a desperate search for another job in her field, when her dad and step-mother call on her expertise to help launch their new glamping resort in the countryside. She’s afraid if she leaves London, she may never end up going back, but there are few other options unless she wants to sleep under a bridge in the name of staying put. The glamping endeavor gives Katie a chance to show off how great she is at her dream job. She’s so good, in fact, it accidentally draws in exclusivity-connoisseur Demeter and her family to stay. It is then Katie begins to see that a picture-perfect life isn’t always what it’s cracked up to be.

This book is far more than a romance. It’s an anthem. It is self-discovery and integrity and enlightenment. Katie’s story is at once a girl-boss-revenge story and a coming-of-age reinvention, with a dash of mean-girl-justice on the side.

I was surprised how much I loved this book. It has a depth that I wasn’t expecting. I expected another run-of-the-mill contemporary romance, but this was a book all about girl power and making the most of whatever opportunity is in front of you. And standing up for what’s right, even when you don’t have to. And…yeah, sure, some romance too. Katie’s is the kind of story that sticks with you because its lessons are so meaningful, and the whole thing is just so darned endearing.

This is the kind of story that leaves you with warm fuzzies. Read this if you’re looking for something to make you feel more empowered and uplifted. If you’re not looking for just-another-romance. If you enjoy Emily Henry books, or The Devil Wears Prada (goes glamping, lol). I hope you get as much enjoyment out of it as I did!

Details

Title:: My (Not So) Perfect Life
Author:: Sophie Kinsella
Genre:: Contemporary Romance
Publisher:: The Dial Press
Length:: 464 pages
Audio Length:: 11h 58m
Audiobook Narrator:: Fiona Hardingham
Audiobook Publisher:: Random House Audio
Published:: July 11th, 2017
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

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If you liked this book, check out…

PS: I Hate You | Lauren Connolly
Summertime Punchline | Betty Corrello
The Rom-Commers | Katherine Center

Book Review:: The Graham Effect | Elle Kennedy

What is it about sports romance? As someone with no interest in athletics whatsoever, I never thought I’d enjoy reading them, but I got curious and picked one off of KU (Kindle Unlimited – no risk!) and just see. Well. Ahem. Since then, I’ve read my fair share, and – no one is more surprised to hear what I’m about to say than I am – they’re awesome.

The Graham Effect Elle Kennedy Book Cover

Gigi Graham, daughter of legendary hockey phenom Garrett Graham, has her heart set on the Olympics. She’s played hockey her whole life and loves the sport. Trouble is, the national team is dragging their toes in finalizing their roster, and has hinted at her weaknesses behind the goal. Luke Ryder is the new co-captain of the men’s team, which recently merged with another (rival) college that went under. He’s had to work hard for everything his whole life, and is just hoping to not screw anything up for himself this last year of college. His reputation is hanging by a thread after an incident the year before. Garrett Graham is looking for a coach for a training camp he runs for youngsters, and Ryder wants the spot – badly enough to offer to help the renowned coach’s daughter to work on her hockey weaknesses in exchange for a good word with her dad. Sparks fly and secrets begin to pile up as Gigi and Ryder pursue the futures they’ve always dreamed of.

At almost 500 pages, you really get to sit in this story for awhile. For some, that might be a turnoff, but I almost always welcome large page counts, if the story supports them. Could it have been shorter? Of course. But with all the subplots introduced, the author really gives each their time in the sun and weaves through all the subtleties, creating a story just as complex as real life can be. And each thread was tied up nicely with a bow by the end. I was personally glad to have so much time with the characters.

This is the first book I’ve ever read of Elle Kennedy, but I’ve read this is the first book in a spinoff second-generation series. I like that idea. I’m assuming that Garret Graham was a hero of one of the first-generation books. He seems like he’d have been a great leading man back in the day *eyebrow wiggle*. I feel like there is enough of him in this book to satisfy fans of the previous series too. It’s always fun to see old characters make new story cameos, right?

I docked a star because the secrecy stretches on a little long for me. It kept coming up and I felt like I was reading the same we’re not ready to reveal ourselves yet over and over (maybe if it wasn’t spelled out so frequently it wouldn’t have bothered me as much). While I found this book compelling and entertaining and sweet, it was missing some deeper X-Factor for me I can’t quite put my finger on. All the elements were there, but it didn’t quite reach 5-star status for me (I don’t hand ’em out easy!).

I’d recommend this book for those who are big fans of sports romance, or are just looking for a good college romance to sink their teeth into for the summer. The great news is, if you like it, there are a lot more to keep you busy reading for some time to come!

Details

Title:: The Graham Effect (Campus Diaries #1)
Author:: Elle Kennedy
Genre:: Romance
Publisher:: EKI
Length:: 498 pages
Audio Length:: 14h 3m
Audiobook Narrator:: CJ Bloom & Teddy Hamilton
Audiobook Publisher:: Tantor Audio
Published:: October 31, 2023
The Litertarian Rating:: 4-Stars
Spice Rating:: 4

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If you liked this book, check out…

Play Along | Liz Tomforde
King of Wrath | Ana Huang

Book Review:: The Unhoneymooners | Christina Lauren

The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren is a fun and hilarious quick summer read that will have you turning page after page to find out what happens next. From the get go, this book grabs hold of your attention and doesn’t let go until the third act, where I personally felt it had some problems. Not enough to ruin the entire effect though, and of course, we get our happy ending.

The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren Book Cover

Olive is the unlucky twin. Cursed, really. Ami is the one who seems to get any and everything she wants. So when Olive is (almost) the only one who doesn’t get sudden and graphic food poisoning the night of Ami’s wedding, and is the only one who can redeem the honeymoon to Hawaii Ami won, it seems too good to be true. And it is. The only other person at the wedding who didn’t eat the tainted dinner, is the groom’s brother, Ethan — the one Olive has never gotten along with — and he’s taking his brother’s spot on the honeymoon trip. They’re reluctant to go together, but figure they can avoid each other and enjoy the tropics individually…that is, until they have a few run-ins with people they know and need to team up to navigate the complications.

This thing is built on tropes, folks. Enemies to lovers, misunderstandings, forced proximity, fake dating, one bed (it is the honeymoon suite after all) — I may even be missing a few. For me, sometimes the fake dating trope can be done real badly, but I think in this book the logic tracks, despite the extremely high likelihood they wouldn’t run into anyone they know there, let alone two such someones…in the same day. It may require a bit of suspension of disbelief, but if you can get there, the antics are pretty sweet.

It all works so well — until it doesn’t. When Ethan and Olive get back to real life and the unhoneymoon is over, things, of course, start to fall apart. I don’t want to spoil anything, but the third act conflict rubbed me the wrong way in this one. The trust between the two characters was broken (no cheating – can’t leave you guys hanging like that), and for me that’s hard to recover from. However, it was one of the more fun, funny, and entertaining books I’ve read this summer. Compelling, too. If you’re anything like me, you’ll fly through it. If you’re a fan of romantic comedy or just looking for a fun vacation read, this one is a great option!

Details

Title:: The Unhoneymooners
Author:: Christina Lauren
Genre:: Romantic Comedy
Publisher:: Gallery Books
Length:: 432 pages
Audio Length:: 9h 14m
Audiobook Narrator:: Cynthia Farrell & Deacon Lee
Audiobook Publisher:: Simon & Schuster Audio
Published:: May 14th, 2019
The Litertarian Rating:: 4-Stars
Spice Rating:: 3

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