Tag Archives: Contemporary

Bride and Tested by Brenda St John Brown

Book Review, , ,
Overview

Title: Bride and Tested
Author: Brenda St John Brown
Series: Bennett Brothers Bridal #1
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Contemporary romance
Pace: Slow
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2022

Thoughts

This is a very funny and light rom com. Which I kind of knew it would be since I’ve already read The Blind Date Diaries and I found it had much the same kind of light tone to it. There really aren’t any surprises in this, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Sometimes it’s nice to have an entirely cute and predictable read. And this one was still good enough that I read it cover to cover.

I love that this is the story of a wedding planner, whose own wedding completely fell apart. I mean, Evie is able to get her feet back under her fairly quickly and is pretty damn tough. But it’s still a little bit of a tough moment to overcome. Plus, Evie is such a go-getter. Someone who is so damn driven and determined. A lot of that I admire in a lead female. Although sometimes her drive and vision for the future actually undermined her own happiness.

Lincoln is also a driven individual (I love when they’re both driven). Yet, he also has to face up to his own short comings and mistakes. And find a way to fix them. Alright, some of those “mistakes” actually weren’t on him at all. But they are still things he needs to overcome. And some of his own damn personality traits. Some of them are actually Evie’s. And his brothers, and really, there is just a whole clusterfuck of history there.

Against the romance of Lincoln and Evie are the brides that Evie must organise. I love that Brooke is cast as this incredibly difficult bride. And, in some ways she totally is. But what comes off as a truly horrible person turns out to be kind of a lovely, albeit a little off kilter woman. She’s definitely not as difficult as everyone anticipates and is kind of entertaining in the challenges that she provides. A great way for both Lincoln and Evie to reconnect and find their way back to each other.

<- More Brenda St John BrownBride and True ->

Image source: BookBub

The Year We Fell Down by Sarina Bowen

Book Review, , , ,
Overview

Title: The Year We Fell Down
Author: Sarina Bowen
Series: The Ivy Years #1
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: 2014

Thoughts

The Year We Fell Down is a very cute new adult romance with a bit of a twist – the female lead is differently abled. And I freaking loved it just for that alone. But, then, you get into the story line and the character development and it just keeps on getting better. I mean, I would (and will) read this again and again. On the one hand it’s a wonderfully sweet and easy contemporary sports romance. On the other, it features people who are not necessarily considered to be mainstream and are struggling with challenges that I can’t even begin to fathom.

Corey is an absolutely phenomenal lead. I mean, yes, she has her wallowing moments. And who wouldn’t if they lost their ability to walk in the last year of high school? But, overall she is incredibly tough and positive. In fact, one of my favourite parts throughout the romance wasn’t even romance related – it was when she decided to start getting out of her own comfort zone and find new friends. And, when they start to treat her with kid gloves, she willingly decides to try and destroy them.

Hartley is a good partner for Corey, although, admittedly, he’s a bit of a bonehead. Whilst you get to understand just why he is a bit of an idiot by the end of the story, some of his decisions are still a little hard to accept. Particularly when, even knowing his trauma, you can see that his actions are hurting others. That, and the fact that he’s just a typical bonehead. I mean, seriously boy? But, it does all work out in the end, and his decisions aren’t so questionable that you don’t kind of love him anyway.

This is a great story. Not only is it a great romance and tale of two friends becoming more. But it’s also a really good story about growing up. Both Corey and Hartley are able to grow up with each others’ assistance and build an epic friendship to boot. The fact that this is the basis for their whole romantic relationship just makes it all that much better. Definitely a romance that I look forward to reading again.

<- More Sarina BowenThe Year We Hid Away ->

Image source: Amazon

The Worst Best Man by Mia Sosa

Book Review, ,
Overview

Title: The Worst Best Man
Author: Mia Sosa
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Contemporary romance
Pace: Medium
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2020

Thoughts

I bought this book because it was suggested somewhere in my many sources of book getting. And the cover was awesome. But then when I read the blurb, I was both excited to dive into this, and a little bit tenuous. I mean, it’s a story about a woman falling for her ex-fiancée’s little brother. I’m always a bit uncertain about stories in which somebody dates or has an interest in siblings. But, as it turns out, that cringe factor was dealt with beautifully and this was actually a fantastic novel. One I’ll probably enjoy reading again.

For all of the potential challenges, this was a funny and cute romcom with minimal angst. A great, fun, and easy diversion that I honestly couldn’t put down. There’s not much drama, but just enough that you can’t actually stop thinking about what you’re reading. This could also be because the characters are also pretty brilliant.

I love that part of Max’s character growth is realising that he doesn’t actually need to be competition with his brother all of the time. I mean. It takes him ages and a big driver is actually the competition thing. But the moment he takes a step back and just tries to Stanton his own two feet, he really starts to become impressive. Plus, it helps to remove quite a few obstacles from his relationship with Lina.

Lina’s growth on the other hand is accepting that her passions and emotions aren’t always a weakness. Yes, I understand that she continues to need to bottle them up because of sexism and racism,  but that its entirely okay to let others in once in a while. It helps her to even create more meaningful professional relationships as she is able to incorporate all aspects of herself into her life, without completely shutting down a part of herself.

Not only are Lina and Max great leads and fun characters with a lot of development. They also have the best castor secondary characters. Natalia in particular is freaking brilliant, I love her unapologetic aggression and joy for life. Something I actually wish I could embrace a little more fully sometimes.

<- The Wedding CrasherMore Mia Sosa ->

Image source: Amazon

Ten Trends to Seduce Your Bestfriend by Penny Reid

Book Review, ,
Overview

Title: Ten Trends to Seduce Your Bestfriend
Author: Penny Reid
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 knew that this was going to be awesome because we’ll, it’s Penny Reid and she’s amazing. And it’s a grump sunshine romance. And the name implies that it’s about best friends. All of which made me excited. But it was also nothing like what I expected. For starters, Byron and Winnie aren’t actually best friends. And this deals with a whole heap of things that I truly wasn’t anticipating. All of which just made it THAT much better.

Winnie is incredibly sweet, but I love how it’s actually her hangups that cause quite a few issues. And how she gets called on it. She’s also kind of oblivious to the true characters of some of the people around her. Which is kind of sweet but also incredibly naive. Byron might be a little naive in his own ways, but he is actually a whole lot more self-aware and willing to improve than Winnie is.

Byron is a great character; I love that he struggles pretty severely with social interactions but is aware of this fact. His coping mechanism might not necessarily be the greatest, but at least he tries to work on his short comings. Maybe the thing I loved most about Byron though is the fact that he is completely sincere and honest in all of his interactions.

Amelia works as a fantastic best friend to both Winnie and Byron. She is able to love them both for exactly who they are (which I think is what we all want) and try to help them find their HEA. She is also happy to call them both out when they’re being a little bit too martyred. Mostly though, I just love how she is able to encourage both Byron and Winnie to step out of their comfort zones.

Ten Trends to Seduce Your Bestfriend is not just a fantastic romance, it also talks about two really important social issues. The first is the ways in which male entitlement can be incredibly toxic. All of Jeff’s behaviours throughout this are incredibly cringey and honestly made it impossible to like him even a little bit. Secondly, and what I enjoyed most, was discussions about how to be a woman in STEM. It’s difficult and a big reason why I actually stepped back from a career in this field. I love that through her writing, Reid points out that there is no one way to be smart, and that you can be involved in STEM, but also love fashion and makeup. A lesson we all need to learn.

<- More Penny ReidMore SmartyPants Romance ->

Image source: Amazon

Sugar and Spite by Rin Chupeco

Book Review, , , ,
Overview

Title: Sugar and Spite
Author: Rin Chupeco
In: Hungry Hearts (Caroline Tung Richmond & Elsie Chapman)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Family, Food
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Year: 2019

Thoughts

There is something about the idea of magic being tied up in cooking that I’ve always enjoyed. I mean, cooking is, for me, an act of love and giving, and magic is much the same thing (if you’re looking at white magic that is). Which meant that I was already predisposed to enjoy this story from the very beginning. The fact that it explored another culture was just another moment of joy for me. And nailed that final feeling of joy into my happy, little coffin.

I love that the Lolas in this spend a lot of time subtly trying to teach the difference in vengeance and standing up for oneself. I mean, vengeance for vengeance sake isn’t right. But also, letting yourself be completely run over by others isn’t right either. It’s definitely a fine line, and one I’m sure is easy to blur. But it definitely is one that works.

This story deals wonderfully with the past and the present. Family traditions and modern spins. It’s a great story that is about women, power and striking out on your own. One that I looked forward to diving into again in the future.

<- The Grand Ishq AdventureMoments to Return ->

Image source: Goodreads

The Grand Ishq Adventure by Sandhya Menon

Book Review, , , ,
Overview

Title: The Grand Ishq Adventure
Author: Sandhya Menon
In: Hungry Hearts (Caroline Tung Richmond & Elsie Chapman)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Food, Romance
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Year: 2019

Thoughts

I loved this little romance, it was sweet and cute. And, although I completely guessed that Prem was the one writing in and just why he was writing in, it was still a fun journey. After all, what better way to get advice on how to approach the person you are interested in, than by asking them? The fact that this involved food and gaining courage… well, it just made it all that much better.

Honestly, I kind of want to try this challenge – I mean, I’ve eaten out by myself before, but I’ve never done so without using some kind of “shield”. The idea of going out to a restaurant and eating out alone, without a shield, and just enjoying the world flow by. That kind of appeals, and scares me. Plus, doing so in new locations and with new experiences… that just makes it all that much more appealing.

I love that this is a story set in the between time of adulthood. That moment when you are about to jump into college and your first forays away from the parents. But, you’re not quite read to do so. Throughout this tale, the narrator sees people from her high school – and in a way says goodbye to that part of her life before embarking on the next steps. Her journey is not just about finding bravery in being alone, but also in saying goodbye to the past. A seriously enjoyable short story.

<- Kings and QueensSugar and Spite ->

Image source: Goodreads

Lilac Lane by Sherryl Woods

Book Review, , ,
Overview

Title: Lilac Lane
Author: Sherryl Woods
Series: Chesapeake Shores #14
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Contemporary romance
Pace: Slow
Format: Novel
Year: 2017

Thoughts

This was a really nice, sweet and peaceful ending to the Chesapeake Shores series. Honestly, I did get to a bit of a point with the last few books that I started losing interest. Which is why it took me a little while to finish off this series. Not because the books weren’t still enjoyable. But it’s a romance series that features the O’Briens, and it started to have people so distantly connected to them that you started to lose sight of the main family…

Having said that, this is still a romance filled with the O’Briens and their meddling ways. Which, of course is seriously enjoyable and kind of hilarious. I mean, it’s literally a whole family (four generations) of meddling matchmakers. They might have everyone’s best interests at heart, but man are the manipulations and things that they push for kind of intense. It’s fun to read about and made me laugh. But kind of the exact thing that would drive me up the bloody wall.

This is a really easy read, again, I found myself very connected to the O’Briens, and although Kiera is distantly related to them, I just wasn’t as invested in her happily ever after moment. In fact, it was when the father-daughter relationship between Deanne and Bryan started to come to light that I got more invested in this story. I liked the romance. But it was most definitely the parent-child relationship which drove my need to finish this novel.

Admittedly, I thought that Kiera was going to be a much tougher battle to find her happily ever after. And I was expecting a whole lot more fireworks. On the one hand, I like that she wasn’t and that happily ever after was so easily achieved. On the other, it was just so not what I was expecting. And I really enjoy feisty women who like to fight and get in their own damn way!!!

For as much as this was probably my least favourite Chesapeake Shores book, it was a nice way to round out the series. You can see that everyone in the adult generations is content and have found their happily ever after. And you don’t necessarily feel like you need anything more in this. Everyone has come full circle and you can cheerily wave goodbye to the happy, sleepy town.

<- Willow Brook RoadMore Sherryl Woods ->

Image source: HarperCollins Australia

The Setup by Rachel Van Dyken

Book Review, , ,
Overview

Title: The Setup
Author: Rachel van Dyken
Series: Bro-Code #4
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: 2019

Thoughts

This was a very easy, sweet and quick read. It isn’t actually the first book in the series, which I don’t generally like to start so late into a series. But it was in my Dating the Boss book box on my kobo… so I figured why not? Although it gives hints as to the relationships that have come before, it is completely easily read all on its own.

I mean, you know from the title, and the way that this story starts that this whole relationship is going to be part of a set up. But the journey to get there is still really fun. There’s nothing wrong with having a totally predictable story line, if it’s well written and still a fun journey. And this is definitely the case in this story. Just too damn gorgeous.

It was a bit of a change having a virgin for a male lead. It seems to be a bit of a trope in romances that the girl is the less experienced one. So I kind of liked that this was turned on its head a bit. But, it really wasn’t a big plot line. More so a moment of character understanding and development. An understanding as to just why Finn is who he is and some of his wonderful history. Again, I seriously enjoyed how Van Dyken was able to so seamlessly include this in her characterisation.

Jillian has so much damn lovely sass. And as anyone who reads my reviews knows, I love a lead female with a whole lot of sass. I really enjoyed her. And the way she was able to consistently hold her own. Even when she maybe should actually watch her mouth a little. Completely adorable and wonderful. Finn is a great counterpoint to this. He’s a bit of a fool, but all round a good guy. And that’s ultimately the important part of having good leads – they’re flawed, but still loveable.

<- Avoiding TemptationMore Rachel van Dyken ->

Image source: Goodreads

Dare to Touch by Carly Phillips

Book Review, , ,
Overview

Title: Dare to Touch
Author: Carly Phillips
Series: Dare to Love #3
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Contemporary romance
Pace: Slow
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2015

Thoughts

I like that in Dare to Desire, there were hints about the beginnings of a relationship between Olivia and Dylan. However, unlike some romances, I wasn’t immediately invested in the idea of them. And, even after reading their novel, I still wasn’t quite invested in their relationship. I mean, I really hoped for their happily ever after. And I was invested enough that I wanted to finish the rest of their tale, but I also didn’t feel the need to greedily gobble up every word.

Olivia’s background is kind of sad as its slowly revealed. At the beginning of this story, you kind of think that she’s a bit of an ice queen and it’s a little bit difficult to understand just why. But, as the truth unfolds, you do begin to understand her behaviour a bit better. What I liked more about her history though is the fact that Dylan completely calls her out on her behaviour. I mean, yeah, she has a pretty sad back story. But basing all of her decisions on the fears of a teenager and hiding in on herself for something that happened a long time ago? Definitely needed to be called on that.

Marcus “Big”’s story is kind of annoying to read. Because he is so obviously being taken for a ride. And you know that it is going to end in some kind of dangerous altercation. But it’s also understandable – I mean, my goodness its hard to believe that some people are that naïve, but I’ve also met people who are like that, so its frustratingly real. You also know that it’s going to end badly for everyone involved. And that it will put Olivia in some kind of danger. Danger that then makes her face up to the ways in which she is running scared.

Whilst this wasn’t’ my favourite ever contemporary romance, it was a good and enjoyable one. and, although I wasn’t necessarily heavily invested into this, I still read it cover to cover. A perfect way to distract myself and fly away in storyland for an hour or two.

<- Dare to DesireDare to Hold ->

Image source: Kobo

Baby, It’s Cold Outside by Kait Nolan

Book Review, , , ,
Overview

Title: Baby, It’s Cold Outside
Author: Kait Nolan
Series: Rescue My Heart #1
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Contemporary romance, Small town romance
Pace: Slow
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2018

Thoughts

I read Snowed in With the Ranger before digging into this, but rather than being a prologue, there was a whole lot of overlap. In fact, the first three chapters were just a shortened and slightly different version of the entirety of Snowed in With the Ranger. Which made the start of this a little bit difficult to read. And confusing. But, still enjoyable.

All in all, this was a cute and light romance. And now I want to read more about the world of the Misfit Inn. I mean, it seems like such a picturesque location to travel to. And I always love a good small town romance. There’s just something too cute about being in a small town, with slightly meddling, but well-meaning individuals being around. I look forward to spending some more time delving into this sweet and cute little world.

I did enjoy how this romance resolved itself a little bit differently to what I expected. Instead of them reconnecting shortly after the bit that separates them, it is resolved months afterwards. It was enjoyable to have a storyline that doesn’t just resolve instantly. After all, this was a bit of an insta-love story (which I’m not always a fan of), but I like that it wasn’t an instant fix.

Lastly, it’s good fun that both of the characters in this are writers with writers block. And that they’ve realised that they need balance and a personal life to truly be able to be creative in their professional lives. It’s a good reminder that we all need a little balance in our lives to fulfill our dreams.

<- Snowed in With the RangerWhat I Like About You ->

Image source: Amazon