Tag Archives: Contemporary

Play Smart by Aly Stiles

Book Review, , , ,
Overview

Title: Play Smart
Author: Aly Stiles, SmartyPants Romance
Series: Work For It #5
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Contemporary romance
Pace: Medium
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2022

Thoughts

I love how Play Smart manages to build not only on Street Smart and touches on the rest of the Work For It series, but it also builds further upon the Elements of Chemistry series. There were so many easter eggs in this story that I noticed and absolutely loved. I can’t imagine how many more there will be when I do a reread. It’s always fun when you read series that are interconnected and notice all of those little nods to other stories. But when it’s the SmartyPants Universe and all of these nods are to other peoples’ works… priceless.

But to the actual book (I could go on forever about how amazing the whole SmartyPants Universe is). Play Smart is wonderful. It follows Marcus’ (from Street Smart) roommate as he too tries to enter the corporate world. I’m looking forward to another tale about the third roommate, but again, I digress. I love that Nash is kind of ridiculously sexy. Intelligent, moody, musician who is forced into the corporate world because… money. Although, as with all of the wonderfully flawed characters that I love, there are many moments when he kind of needs to get over himself and act like an adult.

Contrastingly, Paige is actually a little bit stuck up. She is pretty quick to judge, which makes the conflict between her and Nash from the beginning kind of priceless. But, I love that she is willing to try and see things from another point of view. In fact, as she realises how wrong her initial impressions were, she is able to correct her thinking. And eventually save the day. I can’t wait to see how this benefits Martin and has major impacts in the future.

Chad is a character that you love to hate from Street Smart, as is Reedwether. I loved their bumbling reintroduction in this tale. I mean, there isn’t a moment that they’re in that didn’t have me giggling and smiling. I mean, honestly, it concerns me that they actually reminded me of people who are that truly clueless in real life. Stiles has created these characters that are kind of scary in the fact that they hold power and are morons, but are also just wonderfully hilarious. They act as a great counterpoint to the intensity of Nash and Paige’s developing relationship and all of the espionage that is occurring to drive the rest of the storyline. Honestly, this whole story was just brilliant and wonderful. Thoroughly enjoyable and one of my favourite reads this year.

<- Smart MouthLook Smart ->

Image source: BookBub

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Dewey Belong Together by Ann Whynot

Book Review, , , ,
Overview

Title: Dewey Belong Together
Author: Ann Whynot, SmartyPants Romance
Series: Green Valley Library #7
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Contemporary romance
Pace: Medium
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2021

Thoughts

This was an incredibly and wonderfully different spin on the enemies-to-lovers trope. For starters, the enemies have only ever met online and never in person. For another thing, only one of the couple believes that they are enemies – Maxine is sure that “Wrath” is her mortal enemy. But it’s definitely a one-sided feeling of antagonism. Mostly though, I love that this story is one that features two people who have spent ten years getting to know one another and being a part of each others’ lives, only to find that in person they are vastly different to what they expected. Definitely a romance for the modern day.

Not only was this a fun and unique romance, but I also love how Whynot addresses the sexism in the gaming community (one of many). I mean, just because she’s good, everyone assumes that Max is a man, and when she does actually correct those misconceptions and assumptions, there are a lot of people who are actually mad. Because she doesn’t have a penis. I mean, seriously? What is with everyone’s obsession with genitalia? Whynot makes some wonderful commentaries on just how people try and negotiate this space and how ridiculous it is.

On the topic of gender and sexuality and all of that nonsense, I love that Jonathan actually goes through his own journey of discovery before even meeting Max. I mean, someone who grew up in a small-town acknowledging that they have feelings for another (they think) man, and just… dealing with it. Is phenomenal. In fact, there is a great discussion in this about being pansexual, and also the pointlessness of actually labelling your sexuality. You like who you like.

Lastly, Whynot does a great job of talking about bipolar disorder. There is such a negative stigma attached to any mental health, and she is able to address it in a way that is realistic and accepting. A reminder that, honestly, we all have our own battles to fight, and bipolar is no different in that sense. But also the challenges of living with a condition that is chronic forever, you might be able to treat it and deal with it, but it is always there.

I loved this SmartyPants Romance book, not just because I thought that it was a fantastic modern day romance, but also because I love how Whynot deals with some pretty serious issues. She deals with bipolar, mental health, abuse, sexism, and so many different things. But in a way that maintains the seriousness of the issues, whilst also giving you a light and happily ever after kind of read.

<- Love in DeedHotshot and Hospitality ->

Image source: Amazon

Love in Deed by L.B. Dunbar

Book Review, , , ,
Overview

Title: Love in Deed
Author: L.B. Dunbar, SmartyPants Romance
Series: Green Valley Library #6
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Contemporary romance
Pace: Medium
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2020

Thoughts

Bev and Jedd, with their future romance and it’s place in the SmartyPants Romance world was touched upon in Love in Due Time. So I’ve kind of been intrigued to see how it would unfold. Having said that, Bev wasn’t exactly the kind of heroine that I was chomping at the bit to read about. But then you finally get to their story. And you know what? Whilst I didn’t still fall completely in love with Bev, her story is heartbreaking and you can begin to understand just why she acts the way she does. Although this story doesn’t necessarily feature my favourite characters, it actually is some of my favourite growth of characters.

Bev’s bitterness, whilst limiting and kind of horrible, is also amazing. I knew that it would be a bit more difficult to read (there’s a bit of a note in the front from the author, and things are hinted at it Love in Due Time). I really wasn’t expecting the depth of abuse and nastiness though. But, again, it was actually Bev’s growth that I loved the most. She finally begins to come to terms with her past decisions and actions and takes back her own life. The nasty and bitter cycles that she’s fallen into pretty much just fall away and she finds her inner strength again. It was also fun contrasting the current Bev to the Bev that Jedd remembers – how that backbone and steel spine have always been there and it just takes a bit of a push for her to find it.

For me, this story was mostly about Bev and her growth, the fact that she falls in love on the wayside is just a nice bonus. And I really loved the fact that Jedd’s presence is the catalyst for her change, not the cause. As much as I’m a big believer in love, I don’t enjoy the idea that it takes love to actually fix us. That’s a personal journey and a personal decision, but love can be a great catalyst. Jedd’s constant pushing is a great catalyst and it made me appreciate all of the character dynamics in this even more. It was most definitely beautiful.

I don’t read many contemporary romances (or, for that matter, many books) that have differently abled leads. I love that this is a romance that feature two differently abled individuals. Ones who have to overcome the change in their circumstances to move forward with their lives. And, at the beginning you have someone who is still dwelling on the past which has led to her restrictions, and one man who has just embraced it and decided to move forward and embrace life. Sure, there’s been a process for both of them, but I love how people’s first impressions of them are not glossed over and ignored. Rather, it is acknowledging that people will jump to conclusions and that’s on them, not the person they are judging.

This is a fantastic romance that has a whole lot of character growth. Dunbar brilliantly works with her characters in this story to give a textured tale that I look forward to reading again and again. On every rereading, I feel that I will appreciate the phenomenal characterisation on a whole other level. Something that wonderful authors are able to do.

<- Carpentry and CocktailsDewey Belong Together ->

Image source: Amazon

No Whisk No Reward by Ellie Kay

Book Review, , , ,
Overview

Title: No Whisk No Reward
Author: Ellie Kay, SmartyPants Romance
Series: Donner Bakery #1
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Contemporary romance
Pace: Medium
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2019

Thoughts

I thought that Joel and Sophie were a really lovely couple, although there is definitely the instant attraction moment for them, there is also a nice, slow build of their relationship. It’s the way that they slowly get to know one another that I truly enjoyed and found kind of adorable. I mean, the attraction and yumminess in their relationship is brilliant, but I love how they get to know one another slowly.

Although the relationship is built on Joel and Sophie slowly getting to know one another, there Meet Cute is incredibly, well, cute. Not only is it because Sophie has an accident (and is also the reason that she ends up stuck in Green Valley for a little while), but it’s also Sophie’s reactions to their first meeting. I mean, who wouldn’t worry that the tall, handsome stranger walking towards you on an abandoned road isn’t a serial killer? It would definitely be one of the first thoughts that crossed my mind.

In fact, all of Sophie’s inner dialogue throughout this had me smiling and laughing out loud. It sounded a little bit too close to my own at times, the rambling, the disjointed-ness and the sheer humour of her inner cynic. Plus, interwoven throughout all of this was the many different bits of yummy food. Food that made me constantly want to go and bake while reading this – I didn’t, because I also didn’t want to put my book down.

I used to watch some of those competition cooking shows – not many, but a few. And I never really thought about what happened to those who flamed out. I mean, they’ve done it on national tv, so surely there’s going to be ramifications. But I never really thought all that much about it. No Whisk No Reward actually made me consider what, not only the social and job-related ramifications can be, but also just how that impacts the psychological health and wellbeing of the individual too. It was a really nice moment towards the end when Sophie finds a way to move beyond this.

Although Sophie and Joel’s romance is a Green Valley story, I love that it wasn’t about a couple that was ever going to stay. Rather, it was a moment in time for them that they’ll always remember, but they decide to move on to the next steps in life. A lot of familiar, wonderful faces to while away the time, but also a nice reminder that sometimes small town romances aren’t about stagnating in a small town.

<- More SmartyPants RomanceDough You Love Me? ->

Image source: Amazon

The Vintner’s Vixen by Rebecca Norinne & Jamaila Brinkley

Book Review, , , ,
Overview

Title: The Vintner’s Vixen
Author: Rebecca Norinne & Jamaila Brinkley
Series: River Hill #1
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Contemporary romance
Pace: Slow
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2018

Thoughts

This fun little contemporary romance might actually have one of my favourite Meet Cutes ever. It’s a little bit horrific, but also a really fun way to dive into this world. I mean, getting off on the wrong foot is one thing – meeting because literally millions of dollars worth of priceless vines have been mistakenly ripped out? A whole other level of awkward and wonderful in their meeting. The fact that neither lead is actually at fault for this moment, but it occurs through the sheer stupidity of others just makes it all that much better.

Normally I feel like male romantic leads are a little bit balanced with some of their behaviours. Noah on the other hand is a full knob. I mean, he manages to just edge on the side of not completely pissing you off, but it’s a damn close thing. You can understand why there are some difficulties between the couple to begin with – and even sympathise with him. Then, in the second half of this book, there’s not really any sensical reason for his behaviour, and it did make it a little bit harder to relate to him. Luckily, he starts to try and fix his behaviour just as you’re about to throw in the towel on this relationship. I actually was at a point where I was almost excited at the idea of Angela NOT ending up with him.

Angela on the other hand is incredibly lovely and bubbly. Some of the comments that she’s received from others in Hollywood actually reminded me quite a bit of reading Busy Philips’ biography. The “curvy best friend trope” that still needs to lose weight. Honestly, I could spend this whole review just writing about how well Norinne & Brinkley approach the different body types conversation. Angela is able to show a complete love and acceptance for her own body. And I love that past her seemingly ditzy outer shell, she is able to carve out exactly the life she wants with a spine of pure steel.

Although Noah might have really bothered me, and I did have moments when I didn’t actually want Angela and Noah to end up together, because I seriously loved Angela, this was a really nice romance. It flirted that line of frustration without quite going over the line. Having said that, I did want a  little bit more grovelling from Noah. Angela is most definitely a whole lot more understanding and kind than I would be! Now I just can’t wait to read more romances in this small town.

<- More Rebecca NorinneThe Distiller’s Darling ->

Image source: Kobo

Jock Rule by Sara Ney

Book Review, , , ,
Overview

Title: Jock Rule
Author: Sara Ney
Series: Jock Hard #2
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Contemporary romance, Sports romance
Pace: Medium
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2018

Thoughts

Jock Row was a wonderfully sweet and easy read. A nice, quick one to while away a few hours. Which, of course meant I was hoping for the exact same thing when I decided to read Jock Rule. And I wasn’t disappointed. This was a fun, light and incredibly sweet read. A few little hurdles along the way, but almost none – just the kind of romance that I need to read every now and then.

I thought Kip was the most wonderfully, dreamily abrasive man I have read about in a long time. Alright, a lot of it is a shield and something he’s using to try and keep people at arm’s length. But, I love that a lot of it is also just his personality. I also just love how his nickname is Sasquatch and he is considerably large and intimidating. Definitely a character that I want more of. Abrasively honest, but also grudgingly caring, particularly when he starts to realise that he has feelings for Teddy.

Teddy is a nice counterpoint to Kip’s gruffness. She is incredibly sweet, and struggles a little to stand up for herself at moments throughout this story. Having said that, for all that I enjoyed her sweetness, my favourite moment was definitely when she finally stood up for herself with Mariah. For much of this storyline, she is aware that her “best friend” is just not treating her properly. But, when she finally calls her on it and just realises that she honestly doesn’t care enough to engage in the nonsense? Beautiful. Also a little reminiscent of my own growing a few years ago…

Kip’s sister Ronnie has got to be one of my favourite wing women. She is hilarious and witty, sassy to a fault and takes great pleasure in aggravating other people. The way these two relate is such a beautiful, healthy sibling relationship. And realistic, they’re not exactly subtle with each other, and not afraid to aggravate one another in their honesty. I particularly love how she fits into the epilogue. It had me giggling out loud as these wonderful characters rode off into their happily ever after.

This was such a great, but admittedly quick story. Not only is it about Teddy growing up and finding her own feet in a new adult world, but it’s also a very quick falling in love. Although, I did enjoy the fact that this is based on banter and a friendship rather than just being insta-lust and insta-love. I definitely can’t wait to read more of this series when I need a nice, sweet and happy diversion.

<- Jock RowJock Road ->

Image source: Amazon

Acute Reactions by Ruby Lang

Book Review, , ,
Overview

Title: Acute Reactions
Author: Ruby Lang
Series: Practice Perfect #1
Rating Out of 5: 3.5 (Liked this)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Contemporary romance
Pace: Slow
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2015

Thoughts

This is a very simple and sweet contemporary romance. It’s definitely got absolutely no surprises in it and was a total breeze to read. One of those stories that I thoroughly enjoyed, but wouldn’t necessarily want to reread again and again.

Ian and Petra both have quite a few issues to get over for them to finally get together. In fact, the way that they meet and the ethical / moral greyness around this is actually the least of their worries. Petra might fixate on this, but ultimately, it’s actually their own nonsense that is a massive hurdle.

Having said that, I do love that this story brings up the morality of daring a patient. I mean, that’s how they meet and get to know one another, but there is nothing untoward throughout. In fact, Ian does everything he can to make sure Petra doesn’t look like she’s doing the wrong thing. In fact, it’s all of those nuances of doctor patient relationship that I liked. It’s a similar difficulty I’ve faced working in disability – you form connections with people being around them that much and in their lives, but you somehow have to also remain professional. It’s a hard line to walk.

I knew that Danielle (the ex) would be an issue in this story – I mean, there was nothing really all that great about her from the beginning. I didn’t actually anticipate just how low she would stoop and what she was likely to do though. It kind of made my teeth hurt if I’m being honest.

Sometimes this was a frustrating read (because people getting in their own damn way), but all in all I did enjoy this. It was a nice, light and fluffy read with just enough questions about morality to make me intrigued and happy.

<- More Ruby LangHard Knocks ->

Image source: Amazon

Beef Cake by Jiffy Kate

Book Review, , , , ,
Overview

Title: Beef Cake
Author: Jiffy Kate, SmartyPants Romance
Series: Fighting for Love #2
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Contemporary romance, Sports romance
Pace: Medium
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2020

Thoughts

It’s taken me a little while to get to the next book in the Fighting for Love series, mostly because there are just so many amazing books on my shelves and I get very easily distracted. And it was just as good as the first book in this series. Kate is an amazing writer, and as with Stud Muffin, I loved that they have a genuine understanding of the world of MMA and the dedication that it takes to go pro. Plus, Frankie and Gunnar are a wonderful pair of leads that had me struggling to put this book down from the very beginning.

Frankie is an incredibly prickly female lead, absolutely nothing like Tempests firey nature, she’s just… prickly. And somehow the name Frankie just highlighted how damn prickly she is. I loved how well the name suited her from that very first appearance. And then, there’s the mystery of just who her dad is. The little hints that are shown throughout this novel had me constantly guessing. But, when her scars are revealed, I did guess. And correctly. But, even then, Frankie’s journey of discovery and acceptance were fantastic and incredibly emotional.

Then there is Gunnar, he is wonderfully driven. Not just in his MMA career, but also just how he is willing to drive himself to keep working at the relationships in his life. Not just with Frankie, but also the rest of the Erikson brothers. He is so adorably driven, but, he is also constantly checking for Frankie’s consent. Making what is sometimes a bit of a creepy trope into something that was wonderful and actually quite sweet. He also is willing to take that step back to let Frankie process her demons. I love that the couple actually take a little bit of time apart in this story so that Frankie is able to work on herself, rather than relying on somebody else to prop her up.

Getting your head screwed back on straight can be an incredibly difficult thing to do. I mean, admitting how messed up you are and then opening up is ridiculously hard. I loved how Frankie had the guts to face up to that and do the damn work. And, it is hard work. Both Gunnar and Frankie put in a whole lot of hard work throughout this story, not just towards their relationship, but also towards their own health and goals. I absolutely loved this story and will most definitely read it again multiple times.

<- Stud MuffinEye Candy ->

Image source: Goodreads

The Assist by Rebecca Jenshak

Book Review, , , ,
Overview

Title: The Assist
Author: Rebecca Jenshak
Series: Smart Jocks #1
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Contemporary romance, Sports romance
Pace: Medium
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2018

Thoughts

The Assist is a very cute college romance. It’s an easy read, new adult romance. The fact that it also features a jock and an overly bubbly sorority girl just made it that much cuter. Plus, I love that Blair, whilst being a sorority girl is surrounded by positive female relationships. A lot of the stories I read feature not-so-healthy female relationships, ones that I’m annoyingly familiar with, but want to see less of, lets normalise the female relationships in this story – the ones that are supportive and have your back no matter what.

I love how from the very first moment, Blair is able to completely put her foot in it. She makes assumption after assumption and just… speaks before she thinks things through. Yet, somehow, that blundering assuming thing that she does is really quite endearing and cute. Rather than coming of as judgy and entitled, she comes across as a little bit oblivious and kind of sweet. She also has the loyalty towards Gabby, and I love how the prologue introduces their friendship, while the rest of the story continues it on. It also helps to set up how she’s going to fit into the world in later books…

The Assist highlights the horrors of sexual harassment. It starts out as a challenge to overcome, and difficulty in Blair’s way. But, as a nice dark counterpoint to the niceness of the romance it works really well. Blair’s plight shows just how horrifying sexual harassment and online harassment can truly be. And also the long-term ramifications and impacts which can occur. The abusive ex in Blair’s history is horrible, and I love that whilst he does actually get his poetic justice, there are still many lingering effects on Blair’s life. Sometimes it’s just a little too hard to put the genie back in the bottle.

As a counterpoint to Blair, Wes is kind of an absolute idiot. He is confident in his role in the college and has a brilliant statistical mind. Yet, he also is completely unable to look on the bright side of things. He’s also so oblivious to the ramifications of his actions to Blair that it’s almost painful. However, for all of his self-centred idiotry, he does eventually get his shit together. And I love how he is able to figure out a new future and find a way to move on from his dickishness. Definitely a fun completion to this story and one that I will probably read again in the future.

<- The CatchThe Fadeaway ->

Image source: Kobo

Hooking Up by Helena Hunting

Book Review, , ,
Overview

Title: Hooking Up
Author: Helena Hunting
Series: Shacking Up #2
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Contemporary romance
Pace: Medium
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2017

Thoughts

Amalie and Lexington are yet another fantastic couple from Helena Hunting. I love that they actually get a Meet Cute before the events of this book. And, in the fun little novella Getting Down, you can already feel the tension and attraction between the two. It very, very quickly builds in this novel, but you already kind of feel it before you even open the first page. The fact that they also have to face a whole lot more drama and horribleness than Ruby and Bane in Shacking Up just makes it incredibly difficult to put this book down.

Amalie’s husband / ex, the horrible man that instigates all of the crap in this is actually freaking terrifying. I mean, horrible and manipulative exes are a pretty common story point. But the way he is so damn entitled, knowingly abusive and borderline stalkerish. That is seriously scary. That, and that he actively admits to grooming her with his emotional abuse. And that the only reason he ever showed an interest in Amalie is to one-up Lexington. I mean, seriously, there is no end to the horribleness that is this man. And the discomfort I got from reading about him.

This might start out as a bit of a holiday romance, but it is immediately clear that this couple is going to be in it for the long haul. I kind of hate that everyone jumps to some kind of horrible conclusions about Lexington’s motives. Yet, it’s Lexington is happy to be involved with Amalie in whatever way works for her, with no pressure or expectations placed upon her. The constant comparisons that can be made between Lexington’s treatment of her and the ex-who-shall-not-be-named helps to drive home the difference in a healthy relationship and a seriously unhealthy one.

I’m glad that although there are obviously some scars that Amalie carries from her wedding gone bad, but it was such a short stint that it’s not so horrifying. Both members of the couple are able to start to move on from the past pretty quickly, making this a fairly easy read still. Don’t get me wrong, it is definitely filled with a whole lot more heart hurting drama than Shacking Up, but definitely not as much as some of the other angsty books on my shelves.

<- Getting DownI Flipping Love You ->

Image source: Amazon