Tag Archives: SmartyPants Romance

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

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Smart Mouth by Emma Lee Jayne

Book Review, , , ,
Overview

Title: Smart Mouth
Author: Emma Lee Jayne, SmartyPants Romance
Series: Work For It #4
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Contemporary romance
Pace: Fast
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2022

Thoughts

Growing up, I always wanted to have a twin – there is something that seems so fun about twin shenanigans. And now I get to read an incredibly fun story about a twin mistaken identity. Alright, that mistaken identity lasted for only a very small handful of chapters, because Tom eventually does correct Gwen’s assumption. But, still, it is a great way to start a story. Especially since this moment of mistaken identity is what finally lets Tom spend time with the girl he is somewhat unhealthily obsessed with… it gets healthier when they actually converse and communicate, but still.

I really loved Gwen in Heart Smart, she was a nice counterpoint to some of Max’s grumpiness. And I love how she ends up actually being quite a good friend to Holly. The fact that she got to go on to get her own novel was just beautiful. And glorious. And gave me all of the happy feelings. Having said that, she was honestly kind of a scaredy cat. Kind of painfully at moments if I’m being honest. But, after getting a well-deserved kick up the backside, she actually finds her bravery. The final scene where she takes charge and show her brave was painful even through the pages of a novel, but so damn good.

I love how Max and Holly are able to make another appearance in this novel. They were such a wonderful couple, and seeing how they’re going later on in life was incredibly fun and brilliant. I also love how Max absolutely demolishes Gwen at one point and makes her actually stop and look at herself and reflect. Both Max and Holly are just a wonderful couple, and their brief cameo made me so incredibly happy. As did the mention of the 50’s list from Book Smart.

Tom might be a lovely and kind of puppy-adorable character, but his constant feelings of guilt do get to be a bit much throughout this story. I kind of get where they stem from, but honestly, if it wasn’t for his damn twin being such a knob, he’d realise that things that happen when you’re a kid aren’t really your fault. His infatuation is kind of sweet, and I do love how he starts to actually make moves towards fixing his relationships, rather than just feeling guilty for moments of the past that aren’t exactly his fault.

This was just a too damn cute story. Not only was it a fantastic getting to know you, removing misconceptions story, it was just all round cute. I love every dive I take into the SmartyPants Romance world, but there is something a little bit extra lovely about Emma Lee Jayne – probably because she features those who are neurotypical (ADHD).

<- Book SmartPlay Smart ->

Image source: Goodreads

Book Smart by Amanda Pennington

Book Review, , , ,
Overview

Title: Book Smart
Author: Amanda Pennington, SmartyPants Romance
Series: Work For It #3
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Contemporary romance
Pace: Fast
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2022

Thoughts

This novel is definitely one of my favourite friends-to-lovers stories. There is something wonderful about Melanie and Cameron, you are hoping for their eventual get-together from pretty much the first page. But it also has all of those wonderful moments and complications that you kind of expect from this trope. And they’re both just so damn cute about their crushes on one another, even if they are also both kind of oblivious to each other’s indicators…

Melanie is a complete kook in this book and kind of self-centred. Which is her hurdle to overcome in realising how much Cameron means to her. But anyway, I love that even though she’s a little self-centred, she’s also incredibly kind and giving. A fun little dichotomy throughout. The fact that it’s her idea to follow a 50’s list to meet men that acts as the catalyst… priceless. Actually, pretty much every moment in which Melanie tries to follow the list and just epically fails is completely priceless. And had me laughing out loud a few times throughout my read through.

Cameron, although adorable is kind of a dope. Many of the moments and confusions throughout this would have been completely solved if he had’ve stepped forwards and actually said something. Instead of relying on some weird, arbitrary expectations of interest-indication. But I also love that although I got a bit frustrated with him throughout, Pennington still made him so completely dorky and loveable. The way Cameron is also able to begin to truly come to terms with and find closure after his stroke was also incredibly fun. In fact, it introduced me to another side character that I would love to experience more of – his best friend. Maybe there will be a future SmartyPants Romance book featuring him…?

The shenanigans and mishaps throughout this book make a beautiful romance sassy and funny. There is the moment when Melanie is escorted by a security guide (I smirked a whole lot when this happened) and then there’s the whole almost killing a workmate fiasco. I would most definitely read a book written by someone who tried to use the 50’s list to meet men today – especially if there were as many mishaps as happened in this beautiful romance.

<- Heart SmartSmart Mouth ->

Image source: Goodreads

Code of Honor by April White

Book Review, , , ,
Overview

Title: Code of Honor
Author: April White, SmartyPants Romance
Series: Cipher Security #2
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Contemporary romance
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Year: 2020

Thoughts

I absolutely loved this romance, it was fun, cute and adorable. It just makes me want to dive right into the next and the next and the next Smartypants Romance book. Which honestly always happens when I read one of these books. I’ve also had a great new author to add to my shelves. Finally, the creation of this romance was so damn wonderful that I can’t wait to read Code of Matrimony – Colette was so lovely and sweet in this and I look forward to getting to know her better in the next novella, when there are wedding bells on the horizon.

Darius’ description as a Disney prince is yummy. I also like how he has a POC background and how this is responsible for some of his hang-ups. I mean, his parents flee from Israel because of political persecution, which then informs his whole life. Completely understandable. But he then becomes so rigid in these lines he drew for himself that he almost let’s Anna get away. That’s not even starting on the racist bullshit that is touched on within this glorious novel…

Anna is too gorgeous. Totally get what it’s like to have a broken filter and not really be capable of lying. I mean, I wish that I could control my facial expressions and mouth and actually lie. However, unlike real life, this is really endearing in a romance novel. Though I wish I had her super ninja powers. The fact that she learnt all of her ninja powers to be more like her DnD character…even more stupid in love with this character!!

Seriously enjoyed the mystery and crime that tied them together. The whole story was a bit open ended how that was left though. I might be a bit of a sucker, but I love it when there are consequences for the bad guy. Maybe it’ll happen in the follow up novella? Now I’ll just have to dive in in the hopes that the bad man gets his comeuppance.

<- Code of ConductCode of Matrimony ->

Image source: Goodreads

Carpentry and Cocktails by Nora Everly

Book Review, , , ,
Overview

Title: Carpentry and Cocktails
Author: Nora Everly, SmartyPants Romance
Series: Green Valley Library #5
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Contemporary romance
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Year: 2020

Thoughts

I knew Willa and Everett’s story was going to be adorable from their first glimpses in Crime and Periodicals. But I didn’t quite expect this level of intensity. Or outside drama. I mean, I knew Willa had crap to deal with, but I didn’t quite expect either of their baggage to be so intense. Which, of course meant that it was seriously difficult to put this down and go to bed at night…

Everett’s issues were a little bit less intense than Willa’s, and I also found them to be a little bit disjointed. He has so many self-confidence issues with women because of his geekiness.  And the fact that women don’t want a hot, geeky, lumberjack in their lives. Personally, I just can’t picture this. I mean, who would NOT want that man in their lives and their bed? Maybe his issue is actually shyness, or I’m just projecting because that’s what I’d want in my bed…

Unlike Everett’s backstory, Willa’s actually broke my heart a little bit. Firstly, she has a mother who is just horrible and passive aggressive. Then there’s her ex-husband who is seriously terrifying. I mean, it doesn’t matter if he only hit her once. The man is a damn stalker and bully. It definitely hurt to read about. But then there’s her sisters. They’re freaking amazing. Like Ruby in Crime and Periodicals, Gracie is full of sassy teenage spunk. Spunk that helps her older sister find herself. (Not to mention that Ruby makes plenty of appearances too). And Sadie and Clara are most definitely “crazy sisters” but are willing to kick butt and take names in solidarity with their sibling.

Carpentry and Cocktails is yet another fantastic SmartyPants Romance and Nora Everly tale. It has all of the great cameos from other stories and hints at the next Monroe brother to fall. It was a constant struggle to try and out this book down, one that I honestly didn’t fight too hard against. One that I look forward to picking up again and again in the future.

<- Shelf AwarenessLove in Deed ->

Image source: Amazon

Shelf Awareness by Katie Ashley

Book Review, , , ,
Overview

Title: Shelf Awareness
Author: Katie Ashley, SmartyPants Romance
Series: Green Valley Library #4
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Contemporary romance
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Year: 2019

Thoughts

I know that this is a romance. And I did most definitely love the lead couple Zeke and Finley. But I’m sorry. The true dream team in this story were GramBea, Dot and Estelle. They are freaking amazing and wonderful. And in every scene, they’re in, they completely steal the show. I definitely love stories with tough old birds who are done with not being themselves, instead loving running riot on the world. That, and the fact that they’re able to beat a potential badge to a pulp with their handbags. Iconic scene there.

Finley finding her husband cheating as the catalyst for her life change and move isn’t really a new mechanism of change. However, the fact that this happened with a man. Wow, that was a whole new twist. One that I really really appreciated, mostly because I seemed to have read a chunk of books with the whole cheating spouse as a driver in a bit of a hit. So, having a guy cheating spouse? It was a fresh new spin and a great way to give Finley some more challenges to overcome beyond being cheated on.

I loved how Zeke’s main challenge to overcome is in finding his bio family. For him, part of that is a positive journey, the other part, not so much. Interspersed within all of this is the ways he is co Stanley challenging Finley. Taking her cosplaying might be one of my favourite literary dates. Again, it was just adorable and fun to read about. And have a thing for geek men.

This was a gorgeous romance, one that I thoroughly enjoyed and would love to read again. Katie Ashley has definitely been added to my pile of loved authors. But what I loved the most about this was that throughout the whole story, Zeke and Finley help each other to heal from their past hurts and move on. They figure out who they are without losing themselves in a new relationship.

<- Prose Before BrosCarpentry and Cocktails ->

Image source: Marieke’s Books

Stud Muffin by Jiffy Kate

Book Review, , , ,
Overview

Title: Stud Muffin
Author: Jiffy Kate, SmartyPants Romance
Series: Fighting for Love #1
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Contemporary romance
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Year: 2019

Thoughts

They say, “hell hate no fury like a woman scorned”. And oh boy, do I get that. We are old and we are powerful. And in Tempest’s situation, damn, I feel like she was actually almost calm. I totally get her anger at Asher and why she goes a little off her rocker. I think I probably would, too in her situation. The fact that it starts off the story with a good giggle (driving a truck into a damn is wonderful), just makes it all that much more amazing.

I’m loving stories with fighters as a lead, I am very involved in my own MMA/BJJ gym, so it’s this great feeling of coming home when I read about it. Knowing a number of people who actually want to go pro in the UFC, I completely understand the complete world-view alteration that comes along with a serious injury. God, I was put for a few months with a pregnancy and found that insane, knowing that I’ll never get back to the point of skill? Definitely a huge adjustment. But makes for a very yummy male lead.

As I just mentioned, martial arts gyms are a very familiar world to me. As is the whole idea of using kickboxing as a way to control your emotions. Jiffy Kate gets that feeling of calm that descends on you perfectly. Also, the adrenaline and that feeling of physical potency that comes along with being in control of your own body. I love how Cage encourages Tempest to do things that are a bit out of the world of “normal” to control her anger. And that she chooses to stand up for him and herself when people begin to question her decisions.

Poetic justice and the bad guys being regretful of their stupidity always make me happy. As do beautiful romances. This novel has both. Asher does something truly despicable, gets screwed over and you just sit back smiling at the instant karma. Tempest not only finds a new love and hobby, but she figures out how to shine again. I love that Asher spent so long dragging her down, and not only do his actions screw him over, but they also allow Tempest to finally shine.

<- More SmartyPants RomanceBeef Cake ->

Image source: Amazon

Neanderthal Seeks Duchess by Laney Hatcher

Book Review, , , ,
Overview

Title: Neanderthal Seeks Duchess
Author: Laney Hatcher, SmartyPants Romance
Series: London Ladies Embroidery #1
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Historical romance, Regency romance
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Year: 2022

Thoughts

Since this is a historical romance remaining of Neanderthal Seeks Human, I had a pretty good idea of what to expect out of this story. But, wow, this was brilliant. And very cleverly done. I loved how the key aspects of Regency Romances (that I love) were captured and used to retell an amazing tale that I already loved.

Even though this is a retelling, Neanderthal Seeks Duchess is a great story that stands all on its own. Although many key moments from Neanderthal Seeks Human were used, the way that Hatcher was able to spin things in a myriad of unexpected ways. The Meet Cute was adorable, the hints of the future stories, and Quinton’s ability to woo Jane were all fantastic.

I’m a total sucker for a good regency romance (second fastest growing shelf in my collection at the moment). That Hatcher is able to combine this love with my other pretty encompassing love for Penny Reid worked really well for me. I’m glad that Well Acquainted is already out (I just have to save the money). I’m so excited to see how Elizabeth and Nicholas’ relationship is modified for the world of regency romance.

Like everything in the Smartypants Romance world, I loved this story, the writing was brilliant, the characters sassy and delightful, and the plot line had enough going on that I couldn’t wait to find out what happened next. Now I just have to exercise all kinds of self-control to not run straight out and buy the next book in the series.

<- More SmartyPants RomanceWell Acquainted ->

Image source: Booktopia

Not Fooling Anyone by Allie Winters

Book Review, , , ,
Overview

Title: Not Fooling Anyone
Author: Allie Winters, SmartyPants Romance
Series: Lessons Learned #2
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Contemporary romance
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Year: 2022

Thoughts

I’m not going to lie. I was looking forward to reading this just because of the boxing connection. Although my chosen sport isn’t boxing, that atmosphere and level of testosterone in a room is seriously familiar. And for whatever reason, it made me feel completely at home from the very first page. Plus, Ethan is just too damn cute in Under Pressure. Such a happy go lucky character who just rolls with the moody people in his life.

Like Under Pressure, Not Fooling Anyone partners someone with a pretty big grudge with someone who is cheerful. That perfect ying yang balance in a relationship. But that’s really where the similarities end. Ethan is this completely happy, cheerful, go with the flow kind of character. He’s kind of got the calmness in the world that I wish I had in fact. He just stubborn through everything and finds the light wherever he looks. Lexis on the other hand has more walls than you can count. For good reasons of course. But still, a very prickly porcupine.

I’ve had a few books come across my shelves lately with the fake relationship trope. And they’re honestly always fun. I particularly liked that this one was set up because of a psychology experiment. And, as completely predicted, their growing feelings for each other actually worked really well into the study. Plus, Lexie’s acknowledgement of her pettiness in using their “relationship” to stoke the jealousy in a girl who was horrible in the past… not going to lie, I think we’ve all imagined a similar level of petty revenge.

Not Fooling Anyone does come with a warning at the beginning. If there’s issues with drug abuse or even sexualising assault, it may not be the best contemporary romance to grace your shelves. Having said that, even though Winters deals with some pretty heavy issues, the amount of pure cuteness and emotion throughout this story stop it from being dark in any way, shape or form. A beautiful story and I can’t wait to read more by Allie Winters.

<- Under PressureMore Allie Winters ->

Image source: Goodreads

Under Pressure by Allie Winters

Book Review, , , ,
Overview

Title: Under Pressure
Author: Allie Winters, SmartyPants Romance
Series: Lessons Learned #1
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Contemporary romance
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Year: 2021

Thoughts

I’m learning that any book in the SmartyPants Romance world is going to be a huge hit for me. But the fact that Under Pressure includes psychology (which I’m currently studying) and boxing (I love martial arts) just made me all that much happier. I love how Tyler and Mia both have stress issues, and choose to study stress. But both deal with it in such different ways, although both ways were completely legit and relatable.

Tyler’s back story was kind of difficult and hard to read. It was kind of heartbreaking to read actually. Yet, even with the hard lumps he’d been dealt, he was also kind of an idiot. There were many moments throughout that I just wanted to reach through the pages of the book and give him a smack. But, unlike some of the other more annoying male leads I’ve read, I still kind of adored Tyler, in spite of his stupidity.

Mia is in contrast is an incredibly sweet and endearing lead. I loved the way that she is able to balance out Tyler’s rougher edges. That, and when she finally learns to stand up for herself, my heart kind of melted a little bit. Mia might be the perfect balance to Tyler’s rough edges, but Tyler is able to balance put Mia’s sweet nature and encourage her to be herself. In fact, the romance aside, one of my favourite parts of this is when Mia takes a stand and starts to fight for herself.

The constant mention of Hogwarts houses made me fall in love with this book even more. The fact that it’s a Hufflepuff and Slytherin? That just made me so much, much, much more happy. It’s a brilliant trope that I don’t come across super often, but definitely need more of in my life. Then there are the yummy, steamy set scenes to round out my enjoyment and happiness in this book.

<- More SmartyPants RomanceNot Fooling Anyone ->

Image source: Goodreads