Tag: Netgalley

Book Review – PS I Hate You by Lauren Connolly

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Book Review

Title – PS I Hate You

Author – Lauren Connolly

Release Date – December 3, 2024

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the ARC.

PS I Hate You by Lauren Connolly is a book that will break your heart and piece it back together again slowly, just like the puzzles Maddie loves to put together. The story of Maddie and Dom is rich, full of layers, and as they all reveal themselves, you’ll find it impossible to put the book down until everything has been revealed.

When her brother dies, Maddie is devastated. They were close, she was all she really had. When his best friend, and the person who broke her heart at the age of 19, Dom, reveals that they’re to embark on a journey together across eight states to scatter his ashes, she is initially reluctant. There are many things she would rather do than be stuck with Dom.

But, as they take on this final request from her brother, Maddie finds she doesn’t hate Dom as much as she initially thought. Through saying goodbye to her brother, she and Dom find a connection neither of them thought was still there.

Connolly beautifully blends the romance between Maddie and Dom with the grief of losing a loved one. Not only that, she intricately weaves in a story of hope and fear of abandonment through the entire book.

PS I Hate You broke my heart, and I found myself reaching for the tissues often. At one point I had to take my glasses off and wipe my eyes. The prose is rich, the storyline complicated and Maddie and Dom are two people you can root for. If you enjoy a rom com with complicated depths, this is definitely the book for you.

Book Review – Her Knight at the Museum by Bryn Donovan

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Book Review

Title: Her Knight at the Museum

Author: Bryn Donovan

Release Date: November 12, 2024

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley for the opportunity to read the ARC. My review is my honest opinion.

Her Knight at the Museum by Bryn Donovan is a romance that will have you turning the page. Was the book a little corny at times? Yes. Did that make me love it any less? No. Donovan has done her research about Medieval Times, and even with the stretches she made to make the plot points work, as a historian, I was very satisfied.

The love story between Griffin and Emily felt a little rushed and instalove, but that didn’t detract from anything. Their chemistry was great, the spice levels in the book were high, and I was rooting for Emily to fall just as hard as Griffin for the entirety of the book.

I am a huge fan of time travel romances, and it’s very rare that you find one where the historical man is brought forward in time. Watching Griffin try to make sense of the modern world was definitely my favorite part of the book. I need to find more books with this premise, and read them.

There was a storyline involving the FBI and art theft that definitely kept me stressed out throughout the story, but it was a good stress, if that makes sense.

If you love time-travel romances, this is definitely the book for you. I also heard rumors this is going to be turned into a Hallmark movie, if that is true, sign. me. up.

Book Review: The Truth According to Ember by Danica Nava

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Book Review

The Truth According to Ember by Danica Nava

Release Date: August 6, 2024

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Thank you Berkley and NetGalley for the ARC. This is an honest review.

Whenever I see a Native author with a mainstream published book, I go out of my way to read it. The fact that this time it’s a Rom Com?! My favorite genre?! Score. I’m so lucky that I could read an early copy of Nava’s debut novel. The book was funny, hit all the romance beats nicely, and even though it was a tad predictable, was a very enjoyable read.

Ember wants to be an accountant and to bring herself out of poverty, so she tells a few lies to get a well-paying job. At her new job, she meets sexy IT Guy Danuwoa. The two instantly hit it off, but Ember can’t seem to stop telling little white lies. As their romance blooms, and she advances at her job, Ember has to juggle the lies she told with the truth she wants to live.

The romance in this book was top-notch. You could feel the chemistry between Danuwoa and Ember immediately. Rooting for them was easy. The tension at Ember’s work as she navigated the lies she told in order to get the job was uncomfortable, and I think it was meant that way. The side characters were great, and I actually wish we got to see a few of them more than we did. I would have liked more interactions between Joanna and Ember and even between Sage and Ember. Native culture was prominent and Nava really could give social commentary almost subtly. I loved the way she wove in the racism and misogyny into the storyline.

The book has a lot of miscommunication between Danuwoa and Ember, which is my least favorite romance trope, which is the reason my rating was brought down a little. Plus, I was able to call out some of the book’s end game fairly early on. But really, if you don’t mind the miscommunication trope, this book was nearly perfect. This was a spectacular debut novel. I look forward to reading more from Nava in the future.

Book Review: Heartsong by TJ Klune

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Book Review

Heartsong by TJ Klune

Release Date: January 30, 2024

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Thank you Tor books and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

The third book in the Green Creek series, and the third time I’ve gotten to read and review and ARC of it, Heartsong is just as good as the first two books in the series.

Following Robbie Fontaine and Kelly Bennett, at first, the book did not win me over. The book starts off a little confusing. I thought I was reading a flashback. However, after a couple of chapters, I caught on with what Klune was doing, and I was hooked. How else could I finish a nearly five hundred page book in a day? Well, a snow day helps, but also the compelling plot, the rooting for the success of the Bennett Pack.

As always, Klune’s language is beautiful, and like the previous books, this is full of angst. However, it is a romance, so you can expect a happily ever after in the end. You’ll simply have to ride the waves and shed some tears along the way.

The last chapter of the book sets up the final book in the series beautifully, and I cannot wait to get my hands on it.

While you may be tempted to read this book based on this glowing review, it is book three in a series, and you will not really understand what exactly is happening if you jump in right here. I suggest you start with the first book, Wolfsong, and go from there. But do read these books. They’re wonderful.

Book Review: Raiders of the Lost Heart by Jo Segura

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Book Review

Raiders of the Lost Heart by Jo Segura

Release Date: December 5, 2023

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley for the advance copy. The following review is my honest opinion.

Raiders of the Lost Heart by Jo Segura is a fun rom com adventure. It really reminded me of the recent Sandra Bullock movie, The Lost City. Both had the same vibes.

Raiders follows two rival archaeologists, Corrie and Ford, as they go in search of the long lost remains of Corrie’s ancestor. What follows is a textbook enemies-to-lovers bickering/flirting relationship. However, it’s not all by the numbers with this trope. You get a jungle backdrop, an intense backstory, and an adventure worthy of Indiana Jones and Lara Croft.

The book will leave you wanting more. It’s impossible to put down as you want to see more of their adventure, and more of the steamy relationship. And let it be known: there is steam.

If you’re a fan of enemies-to-lovers, archaeological adventures, and ancient mysteries, this book is definitely for you!

Book Review: A Winter in New York by Josie Silver

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Book Review

A WINTER IN NEW YORK by JOSIE SILVER

RELEASE DATE: October 3, 2023

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

After reading A Winter in New York by Josie Silver, all I want to do is eat gelato. And after you read it, you will too.

The book follows Iris in her first year living in New York after previously living in London. She has left an abusive relationship behind, and is still grieving the loss of her mother. The one constant in her life is the secret gelato recipe her mom had made her her entire life. As she attends an Italian festival, she finds a door that looks familiar. Turns out, it’s the gelato restaurant from her mom’s past, the source of the secret gelato recipe.

Enter Gio, the handsome widower, and son of the gelato owner. There’s been a family tragedy, and they don’t have the recipe…but Iris does. What follows is the gradual falling in love between these two lost souls as they work to find the lost recipe.

While I really liked this book, the characters were amazing, I felt the secrets Iris kept from Gio were kept for much too long, and I felt the ending was very rushed. I feel like Silver could have drawn it out a little bit more. However, that minor gripe aside, the book was an emotional rollercoaster. It had me smiling, crying, and sighing at the romance of it all.

Josie Silver is one of my favorite romance authors and look forward to reading her books every year. I was not let down with this book. It had every element I love in a Silver book: realistic characters, realistic problems, a tad of a tragic background, overcoming grief, romance, and hope.

A Winter in New York is the perfect addition to your holiday TBR list.

Book Review: The Takedown by Carlie Walker

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Book Review

THE TAKEDOWN by CARLIE WALKER

RELEASE DATE: October 3, 2023

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkely for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Takedown by Carlie Walker is a wonderful romantic suspense meets romantic comedy. The characters are rich, and the chemistry between Sydney and Nick is palpable, and one of the best buildups I’ve read in a romance this year.

Sydney is a CIA operative, and the FBI has pulled her from duty because her sister is marrying a Boston crime lord. It’s her job to get close enough to his bodyguard, Nick, to find out where the next big hit is going to be. Oh, and under no circumstances should she fall for the target. Simple, right? Maybe not.

The plot has so many twists and turns it keeps the typical tropes (enemies to lovers, there’s only one bed, etc.) feeling fresh. The comedy is also real, and I found myself chuckling aloud. More importantly, the relationship between Sydney and her sister, Calla, was touching, and probably my second favorite part only to the romance.

I devoured this book in a day, and I highly recommend giving it a read. Since it takes place during Christmas, you could even add this to your December TBR.

Book Review: Friends Don’t Fall in Love by Erin Hahn

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Book Review

TITLE: FRIENDS DON’T FALL IN LOVE by ERIN HAHN

RELEASE DATE: OCTOBER 17, 2023

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Friends Don’t Fall in Love by Erin Hahn is a friends to lovers romance for the ages. The story is about Craig and Lorelai, who are best friends and fall in love. Craig is a country music writer and producer, while Lorelai is a former country music star who is now unpopular.

While the first person present narration is not my favorite, I could get over it and really enjoy the story. Craig and Lorelai’s relationship felt so natural and I could root for them through the book.

The third act break up is always painful, but this one wasn’t, and I think it is because of the friendship they have.

If you like friends to lovers tropes in romance, you should really give this one a try. Bonus points for celiac representation. I always like to see authors adding in personal touches and using their platform to raise awareness of things like this.

Book Review: Love, Holly by Emily Stone

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Book Review

LOVE, HOLLY by EMILY STONE

Release Date: September 26, 2023

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Love, Holly by Emily Stone is a holiday romance that doesn’t completely revolve around the holiday season. We see three different Christmases, but the book is about so much more than that. It is about family, fate, and learning to accept things you may not believe.

Holly meets Jack during a pit stop as she and her sister are driving to a family Christmas getaway. There’s an instant connection. However, something causes them to lose contact after that first meeting. Three years later, Holly is part of a Dear Stranger letter exchange to help lonely people during the holidays. When she reads this year’s letter, she immediately feels a connection and knows she needs to find the letter writer.

What follows is a heart-wrenching story that made me cry several times at multiple parts of the book. The characters are so genuine; they leap off the page, and their heartbreak is my heartbreak. You can’t help but root for Holly and Jack and Emma as the book progresses. I never wanted to stop reading. In fact, I stayed up way too late finishing the book because I needed to make sure everything turned out okay.

If you enjoy holiday romances and books that make you believe in fate, this book is definitely for you.

Review: Wolfsong

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Book Review

Wolfsong by TJ Klune

Release Date: July 4, 2023

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Thank you NetGalley and Tor books for the ARC. I am leaving this honest review voluntarily.

It’s candy canes and pinecones. And epic and awesome. And it’s everything you would expect from a TJ Klune book, except with a lot more angst and smut. Wolfsong is technically a back list title of Klunes, but Tor is re-releasing the series. If you haven’t read the series before, like me, this is the time.

Clocking in at nearly six hundred pages, don’t let the size of the book intimidate you – I read the book in two days. I could not put it down. I was enthralled. Told from the point of view of Ox, beginning when he is twelve years old, the book’s timeline spans a little over a decade.

At first it was hard to get into the book, but the minute Ox meets ten year old Joe on the dirt road outside his house on the day he turns sixteen, I was hooked. What follows is the slowest of slow-burns, and the most satisfying fantasy story about werewolves I’ve read.

As you would expect from a Klune book by now, the book is full of found family and unconditional love. The book has the squishy feelings his other books have, and you will be laughing and smiling and your heart will be bursting. Except, where this one differs is there are several events that will just rip out your heart and stomp on it. But they don’t hurt too bad, because this is Klune, so he’ll just add more found family and unconditional love to temper the blow.

This book made me laugh, it made me cry, it made my heart swell. If you’re a fan of Klune, you should definitely pick this up. If you’ve never read Klune before, you could also read it, but I suggest you also read all the rest of his books as well. Klune is a favorite author of mine, and he’s never let me down. I hope you will enjoy him too.