Tag: book review

Spoiler Free Review: Family Lore by Elizabeth Acevedo

Title: Family Lore

Author: Elizabeth Acevedo

Pub. Date: August 1st 2023

Genre: Contemporary/Fiction/Latinx

Format: DRC

Publisher: Ecco

Pages: 371

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☆☆ARC PROVIDED BY PUBLISHER IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW☆☆

One of my MOST highly anticipated reads of 2023 by one of my all time favorite authors, I could not wait to get my hands on a copy! and since I’ve always listened to Acevedo’s books while reading along, I couldn’t break tradition. If you haven’t done so already, you should absolutely treat your ears to Acevedo’s narrative style and join the many readers who simply adore this author’s storytelling/voice. This is Acevedo’s first adult fiction debut and we follow the six women of the Marte family in past + present timelines between Santo Domingo and New York City. Sisters Flor, Matilde, Pastora, and Camila have gathered to organize a living wake for Flor. The Oldest of the sisters has always had a close relationship with death, experiencing premonitions at a very young age that predicted which family members were close to passing. After watching a documentary of a man having a living wake with his loved ones present, Flor decided she would have one for herself. This story is slow paced as we get to know the sisters and some of their offspring, cousins Ona and Yadi also have chapters of their own as they navigate their mother/aunts live funeral. 

There’s something comforting in reading one of Acevedo’s books and I believe it’s because family is always at their core. Also, as a Latina woman myself having grown up in a large family there is one universal truth and that is…everyone is deeply invested in everyone elses lives for better or worse. Matilde is dealing with a husband who is always having an affair and this time has taken his extra marital activities much further. Pastora is tired of seeing Matilde put up with her philandering husband and wants her to end her marriage. She’s also trying to get to the bottom of the reasoning behind Flor’s live wake. Camila is the youngest and most forgotten of the sisters and she’s grown tired of that. Flor’s daughter Ona is struggling with fertility issues and wanting more than anything to have a child with her husband. Pastora’s daughter Yadi has her world rocked when her boyfriend from her teenage years returns after having been in prison for some years. 

I found some of these women’s stories to be  more compelling than others but can appreciate what Acevedo set out to achieve. It was during the scenes that took place back in Santo Domingo where you can see where and why these ladies have unhealed generational trauma and wounds to heal. Although they’re all deeply woven with one another, six lives to follow can get chaotic and sometimes I found myself getting lost. I felt some women were better developed than others and this led to some blending in of voices and difficulty keeping the story lines straight. Even though we Know Camila is sick of being the forgotten one, I still felt she pretty much was forgotten in this story which seemed like a missed opportunity. If you enjoy reading slower paced stories with a strong focus on family dynamics paired with a unique storytelling voice, you can’t go wrong with Elizabeth Acevedo. 

Favorite POV’s: Matilde and Yadi

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Spoiler Free Review: An Island Princess Starts a Scandal by Adriana Herrera

Title: An Island Princess Starts a Scandal (Las Leonas #2)

Author:Spoiler Free Review: An Island Princess Starts a Scandal by Adriana Herrera

Pub. Date: May 30th 2023

Genre: Historical Romance/Latinx/LGBTQIA+

Format: DRC

Publisher: Harlequin Trade Publishing/Canary Street Press

Pages: 368

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☆☆ARC PROVIDED BY PUBLISHER IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW☆☆

First Impressions: Manuela + Corazón are on my shelf of forever loved characters! It’s going to be tough choosing a favorite Leona 🌈

I’ll start this review off by saying Adriana Herrera can do no wrong in this corner of the interwebz! I simply love this author to pieces! This time around we get introduced to Manuela who has to be hands down the liveliest character I’ve come across on the page. She’s so much fun and not even the fact that she is set to enter a loveless marriage to a wealthy business man in Venezuela can deter her from her last adventure in Paris. It’s 1889 and Paris is having its Exposition Universelle, Manuela who is also an artist plans a trip with her two Leona besties. Her mission is simple: to get into the naughtiest of troubles, preferably with a beautiful woman. Manuela is marrying because it’s what will continue to allow her family to live a life of luxury but her truth is that she is attracted to women. On her trip to Paris, Manuela meets the sexy and enigmatic Corazon Kempf Bristol the Duchess of Sundridge while visiting one of the pleasure clubs. Their attraction is instant but they walk away not knowing whether they’d meet again…

Corazon Kempf Bristol has spent some time in Paris making a name for herself as an intimidating yet well respected businesswoman amongst mostly white male counterparts.She has been keeping her name out of any scandalous headlines after a romantic affair that saw her exit London in a less than graceful manner. Determined to acquire a piece of land that would allow the completion of a railroad system, Cora arranges to meet with the owner of that land in hopes of convincing them to sell. When she discovers Manuela to be the owner and hears her proposal, she knows she’s headed for a world of trouble but it’s too late because Manuela has fully captivated her. Manuela wants Cora to give her a summer in Paris filled with passion and escapism in exchange for the sale of her land. Try as she might to resist Manuela’s flirtations and tempting invitations, she simply cannot.

I’m torn between Luz Alana Heith-Benzan from A Caribbean Heiress in Paris and our Leona in this story, Manuela del Carmen Caceres Galvan! I don’t think I can choose because I love them for very different reasons and that just speaks to how well crafted/developed Adriana Herrera writes her leading ladies. This was fun, flirty, steamy and also full of depth. Manuela thinks she’s committed to this life back in Venezuela and just needs to get one more adventure out of her system before getting married. She never once considered the possibility of living her truth and finding others who have pursued their passion and made a life for themselves. She creates paintings that up until this trip haven’t really received the praise they deserved. In a city where the rules are more lax, we see Manuela give into the deepest of her desires and allow herself to imagine what if…

If I could write an entire appreciation post for Corazon I would but I’d be here all day, that woman exudes confidence. She’s hot even when she’s trying to remain calm cool and collected. I think the harder she tries, the hotter she is SMH! Adriana Herrera is giving us the empowered female characters we need. While reading this book I felt all the warm familiar vibes you get when you have a full cast of characters that vibe off each other, a good time was had! It also doesn’t hurt that those steamy scenes were 10/10 perfection! Don’t think you can pick this one up in public and not get a case of blushed cheeks haha! I’m beyond ready for our next Leona, my curiosity is piqued and if it means more time with my faves making appearances then I’m all in. 

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Spoiler Free Review: The Haunting Of Alejandra by V. Castro

Title: The Haunting Of Alejandra

Author: V. Castro

Pub. Date: April 18th 2023

Genre: Historical Fiction/Horror/Retelling

Format: DRC

Publisher: Del Rey

Pages: 272 / 10hrs + 13 min 🎧

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☆☆ARC PROVIDED BY PUBLISHER IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW☆☆

When we meet Alejandra she is a wife and a mother living her days feeling invisible, under appreciated and unloved. She’s in a dark place and any moment of solace she comes across allows her the introspection that otherwise she doesn’t have time for. Mother to three children, Alejandra struggles with the feelings she’s having towards motherhood as a whole. Her third child was unexpected after a tubal ligation didn’t prevent her pregnancy.  She’s not exactly in a loving marriage, her husband dismisses her cries for help and feels she should be satisfied in the life he has provided her with. Her adoptive parents (father) were just as dismissive of her struggles with mental health while growing up, as her husband is now. No one seems to really understand or want to acknowledge that Alejandra is not ok and is struggling daily with some dark thoughts. Soon enough she starts seeing a woman crying  in ragged white gown, always catching glimpses as she leaves or enters a room. When her daughter mentions having seen the woman in white to a teacher, Alejandra is called in to discuss these dreams her child is having. This gives Alejandra the push she needs to seek therapy for herself.

In what feels like kismet, her therapist is also a Mexican Curandera and she knows all about the legend of La Llorona. As she begins to delve deeper into her family history, track down her biological mother and get in touch with her roots and spirituality, Alejandra discovers some truths. She is not alone in her struggles, the women in her lineage have all been haunted by La Llorona who is an angry vengeful mother who killed her own children. La Llorona has appeared to all of the women in her family and pushed them into dark places in an attempt to take them with her. This is one generational curse Alejandra will need help with breaking before she too has a tragic ending.

This was an audiobook read although I was also very lucky to have been granted a DRC from Del Rey. Immediately when I heard Alejandra’s voice narrated my first thoughts were this woman is tired. This woman is haunted. The bathtub scene in the first few pages where she’s just trying to get a few more minutes alone but her very young children need her and her husband is not trying to help was tough. Readers should really take care to look into content warnings, suicide ideation is prominent as is depression. This story is told in alternate timelines between present day Alejandra’s POV and one of her ancestors. Personally, I did find myself wanting to spend more time in the chapters told by her ancestor who was waging her own war against the patriarchy and reclaiming her body. These chapters have a different tone overall and gave me the break I needed from being in Alejandra’s main story line.

I appreciated how learning of her ancestors gave Alejandra the motivation to take the reigns in her own life. The road to this discovery however is heavy with the thoughts of a woman who is close to losing her mind. It was interesting to see the way V. Castro wove in themes of body autonomy or lack thereof for all of the women being haunted by La Llorona. I was expecting this story to lean in a bit more into the horror vibes tied to the Mexican folklore of La Llorona. We still get a healthy dose of the legendary woman in white but it’s definitely taken up a notch towards the end of the book. This could just be me since I do not watch horror movies AT ALL but do enjoy reading the genre, so I was surprised when I didn’t really find myself spooked whenever I was reading this story. I’d recommend The Haunting Of Alejandra to readers who enjoy psychological horror, motherhood explored, folklore, spirituality, and stories of breaking generational curses.

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Spoiler Free Review: Lone Women by Victor Lavalle

Title: Lone Women

Author: Victor Lavalle

Pub. Date: March 28th 2023

Genre: YA Fantasy/Paranormal

Format: eARC

Publisher: Random House/One World

Pages: 285

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☆☆ARC PROVIDED BY PUBLISHER IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW☆☆

This is turning out to be my year of reading dark atmospheric books in the Summer and so far I’m loving it. Victor Lavalle’s feminist tale of a woman traveling to Montana with nothing but an old steam trunk builds the tension and mystery from the very first page. We meet Adelaide Henry minutes before setting her house on fire with her parents in it. Immediately I’m thinking will she prove to be an unreliable narrator orrrrr did this really just happen? and what could possibly motivate her to do this?

The year is 1915 and the United States is offering homesteading opportunities to groups otherwise denied a chance to own home/land in order to develop the frontier. Adelaide finds and advertisement with an offer and begins her travels which lead her to an area in Montana with other single women. She was looking to keep a low profile after leaving her burning childhood home but what she found was others like her looking to keep their secrets buried. Adelaide’s steamer trunk is padlocked, we don’t know what’s in it. We just know that Adelaide is attached to whatever is in it and that if it were to get out, it would most likely spell trouble for whoever is around it. The mystery of the trunk paired with the opening pages make it hard to put this story down for too long.

WHAT’S IN THE TRUNK ADELAIDE?

Victor Lavalle’s books have always been on my radar so when the DRC widget showed up in my inbox, I was hyped up. That being said, I took some time to gather my thoughts for a review simply because I wanted to make sure I got the vibe right. Slow paced and atmospheric this tale will have you sitting in your thoughts and doubting whether you can trust our MC. I found myself going back and forth on Adelaide’s motives and just plain theorizing. I also had a chuckle or two over her desire to be left alone but also quietly enjoying the small group of women that like it or not are all in her business…this would 100% be me! c’mon cold Montana with its natural challenges couldn’t have been easy, it makes sense they’d want to look out for one another. That the group also included another black woman who helped her with her hair was truly a heartwarming moment. The importance of community specifically between women is a theme we see woven throughout. Our MC had that in her small childhood community amongst other black families, the sense of loss and disconnect is deeply conveyed.

Recommended for:

📜 Book Lovers who crave a Historical Fiction with horror in the mix

⚒️ Slow paced reads

📜 Character driven stories

⚒️ Atmosphere over plot

📜 Lastly, bad ass women holding it down and staking their claim on the land

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Spoiler Free Review: Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood

Title: Spoiler Free Review: Love, Theoretically

Author:Ali Hazelwood

Pub. Date: June 13th 2023

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Format: eARC + ALC

Publisher: Berkley Publishing Group

Pages: 389/12hrs  33 min

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☆☆ARC + AlC PROVIDED BY PUBLISHER, netgalley, and librofm IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW☆☆

*•.¸♡ “𝐇𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐲𝐛𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞? 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐲𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨 𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐝” ♡¸.•*

Theoretical Physicist Elsie Hannaway is an adjunct professor hoping to make tenure in order to pay her bills and get medical insurance. Her day job(s) don’t cut it despite what her family thinks and as a type 1 Diabetic, she doesn’t have the privilege of slumming it. Elsie and her quirky roommate Cece have joined a fake dating site which works for Elsie who is comfortable as a people pleaser. She learns her client and their situation in order to convert herself into whomever they need her to be at family functions, parties, or corporate events. This all changes when her favorite client’s older brother begins to suspect that something just isn’t right, he’s not buying their relationship and begins to press Elsie. The hate to love trope is activated and we see Jack Smith truly get under Elsie’s skin simply for seeing right through to her. Navigating family functions becomes a game of cat and mouse as they circle one another. Elsie tries to avoid getting caught not being able to answer questions about her client aka Jack’s younger brother. She’s sold everyone the story of her being a Librarian with no mention of what her career actually is but things take a turn and she soon sees herself exposed.

Elsie is about to begin an intense interview process for a highly coveted professor gig at MIT when she finds out that Jack Smith is on the committee in charge of hiring the candidate to fill the position. They are BOTH taken by surprise when they lay eyes on eachother and Jack now has more reason to believe his brother is dating someone he should not trust. Elsie who takes the privacy of her clients very seriously can’t speak freely so she decides to focus on impressing the rest of the board and getting the job.

I first started reading my DRC of this book when I decided to switch to the audiobook I downloaded as an ALC from Libro.FM, best decision I could’ve made! the narrator did their thing and I was fully engaged laughing, smiling and or grinning throughout the story. Having read all other books by Ali Hazelwood and thoroughly enjoyed them, I was really hoping this one didn’t follow the formula of its predecessors. Happy to report that certain things were scaled back a bit (obsessive ogling of male love interest’s body) and new themes were explored. Also, THIS is actually a hate-to-love! not a 5 second I thought I didn’t like you but really do love you type story. The first 32% of the book is cat & mouse and I enjoyed every minute of it. As a Diabetic myself, it was also cool to see it not being thrown around like a judgment call or joke. Our MC has type 1, she was born with it and brings to light the reality of just how expensive it is to be insulin resistant. On the academia front the author goes more in depth with the inner politics that have shaped STEM to be a field dominated by those who are cis white males. We see more women side characters in STEM who wish to see others also join the field and balance out the odds. I found the inner workings to be interesting, especially when the relationship between student and mentor is explored. The fact that not all mentors can be trusted drives home the point that the odds are def stacked high for the women interested in this field.

The ROMANCE my loves! steamy AF and fun! Jack is all about pleasing Elsie who has made a whole side hustle out of people pleasing. She doesn’t know how to be cared for and her frustration at not being able to figure out what Jack wants/needs is real. That last 30% of the book was LOTS of sexual tension and exploration, not for the faint of heart haha! I’ll say it here, Love Theoretically is better than Love On The Brain 🤷🏻‍♀️ and for those who love seeing their faves pop up in later books, I won’t say which couple but it is my fave duo who make an appearance! 💞

🔬🧪💞
*•.¸♡ ωнαт ι ℓσνє∂ ♡¸.•*
🧪Women in STEM
🔬Hate-to-Love that’s believable 🧪Diabetic female lead bringing awareness to the steep price tag on insulin/Glucometer
🔬ACE Representation from a side character
🔬Academic settings/inner politics of Academia
🧪discussion on post grad financial challenges
🔬Steamy slow burn romance/sex scenes

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Spoiler Free Review: Blood Debts by Terry J benton-Walker

Title: Blood Debts

Author: Terry J. Benton-Walker

Pub. Date: April 4th 2023

Genre: YA Fantasy/Paranormal

Format: eARC

Publisher: Tor Teen

Pages: 416

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☆☆ARC PROVIDED BY PUBLISHER IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW☆☆

New Orleans is where this story begins, the city is rife with tension between the magical and non-magical communities. We follow 16 year old twins Christina and Clementine in dual POV as they learn of their family’s painful history. Thirty years ago their grandmother was accused of murder, removed from the throne as queen and lynched alongside her husband, the twins grandfather. Flash forward to present day where Chris and Clem have recently lost their father leaving them to look after their sick mother. Or so they thought. When a voodoo doll is found under their mother’s bed, they realize they’re the target of the same magical council who dethroned their grandmother and a war for the throne is on the horizon. Told in dual POV this is a YA Fantasy centered around the Trudeau family and their generational magic. There are some mystery elements that play into the overall arc as we see Christina search for answers to her family’s tragic past and present day. Who is trying to kill their mother? did a spell Christina cast indirectly cause their father’s death? will Christina ever practice magic again? will the crown ever return to its rightful heir in the Trudeau family?

What I Loved? the strong presence of the twins elders, grief explored, necromancy, queer main character and side characters, and last but not least Clementine’s POV. I absolutely LOVED being in Clem’s mind who is loving, hopeful and has a strong desire to unite his family and help them get past their differences. This is a spoiler free review so I won’t go into detail but Clem’s story line definitely broke my heart and got me to shed some tears. It’s why I am absolutely picking up the follow-up Blood justice next Spring 2024. 

What I wanted? More of the city/setting, it’s New Orleans only because it’s stated but it’s not really shown. More of their mother’s POV, after all she is the rightful heir to the throne, lastly a slightly less morose Chris. She’s a force to be reckoned with and her powers are hinted at having the potential to be huge but she lives in perpetual guilt until about the last 10% of the book. That being said, I have a ton of respect for Christina who has her boundaries set firmly in place. Non-consent is discussed when magic is used for a love spell, seeing Chris firmly oppose this was one of those moments that stand-out and give you insight to her character. We also get introduced to a few side characters, some like the necromancer are very interesting. I’d love to see them explored more in the next book, especially because it was giving Frankenstein vibes and that is one my all time favorite classics. Given that the last 20% of the book was fast paced, violent and bloody…I predict Blood Justice will be delivered swiftly and mercilessly. High hopes from this Book Lover 🤞🏽

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Spoiler Free Review: Ana María AND The Fox (A Luna Sisters Novel)

Title: Ana Maria And The Fox

Author:Liana De La Rosa

Pub. Date: April 4th 2023

Genre: Contemporary Romance/Latinx

Format: eARC + audiobook

Publisher: Berkley

Pages: 352/10 hours + 43 minutes

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☆☆ARC provided by Publisher in exchange for an honest review☆☆

This Latinx Victorian era slow-burn Historical Romance follows Ana Maria Luna’s arrival in London alongside sisters Isabel and Gaby. The Heiress and her sisters have been shipped off by their father during the French occupation of Mexico to seek refuge with their uncle Arturo in London. Their domineering and controlling father has already arranged Ana Maria’s marriage upon her return but in the mean time gives them instructions to keep a very low profile and their family name/affiliation a secret. Uncle Arturo has other plans for the Luna sisters, he sees an opportunity to help Mexico by having them act as ambassadors. By winning over the British peoples love and admiration, Arturo hopes they can rally their support to oust the French from Mexico. For Ana and her sisters this is the first time they’ve experienced freedom from their father’s control. They all have a sense of duty to their mother country and are willing to socialize with politicians and the elite in hopes of gaining favor to their cause.

Gideon Fox is your classic grump at a distance, he’s a man of Parliament with an agenda of his own. He’s the son of a slave woman who has had to work very hard to get to where he is now in a society where the color of his skin marks him an outsider. Gideon however has one goal he is working very hard towards, securing the votes he needs to eliminate the Transatlantic slave trade. This is his life’s purpose and all is on track until he meets Ana Maria on the Ballroom floor. He’s not one to easily get distracted but there’s something undeniably intriguing about the oldest sister who isn’t afraid to speak her mind. She’s beautiful and alluring that even while trying to minimize their interactions he quickly realizes that there isn’t a room Ana Maria walks into where everyone isn’t instantly drawn to her including himself.

Book Lovers if a slow burn romance with a meaty historical subplot is your thing then Ana Maria and The Fox is here to deliver! Our leads are undeniably attracted to each other which we see when Ana slips up and compliments some body part or other while Gideon silently yearns for Ana every time he hears her laugh. I had myself a good giggle whenever Ana tried and failed to get her mind off how attractive Mr. Fox is, this is the type of girl you want in on your girls night! loved her! Our girl knows that she does NOT want to back home and be married off only to be treated like cattle. Ana seizes the opportunity to carve out a new life path for herself in London. Although the Luna sisters miss their homeland dearly, it isn’t safe for the to return while it’s under french occupation.

I thoroughly enjoyed Ana and Gideon’s story because of how well they complimented each other mentally. They each have Philanthropic mindsets and it was nice seeing how they listened to one another and truly supported each others cause. Above all they understood that neither would be sidetracked and neither wanted the other to put their goals to the side. This is a ship I can get behind! If you enjoyed Adriana Hererra’s A Caribbean Heiress In Paris, you may slo find yourself enjoying this Latinx Historical Romance. I’m looking forward to reading the other Luna sister’s story arcs, fellow book loving sister Isabel seems to be the next one *fingers crossed*

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Spoiler Free Review: Exes & O’s by Amy Lea

Title: Exes & O’s

Author: Amy Lea

Pub. Date: January 10th. 2023

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Format: eARC

Publisher: Berkley Books

Pages: 361

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☆☆ARC provided by Publisher in exchange for an honest review☆☆

In this friends to lovers story, we follow Tara Chen a “stage-five clinger” who has had her heart broken by ten different men but it hasn’t soured her to romance. Our girl is in search of the right one and that means kissing a few frogs. Tara is a Pediatric nurse, social media book influencer, lover of the romance genre in search of her own happily ever after. The idea to revisit her past exes in hopes of finding a missed opportunity takes off after she shares it with her followers. She is locked in and committed to going down that list despite the awkward encounters she sees coming. We see her move into a new apartment and meet the new roomie Trevor who isn’t attached to anyone and isn’t really trying to get into anything serious. He finds Tara’s experiment to be not quite a great idea but this firefighter who has NO problem keeping it casual with the ladies, is also her wingman. He’s also the only one Tara doesn’t seem to scare away with her optimistic approach to love and dating…if there was a fast forward option, our girl would definitely hit it if it meant meeting and falling for the one. Along the way he starts to see how great Tara really is and sparks begin to fly…

Too many times I’ve picked up a rom-com that’s somehow missing the comedy but this one had the right recipe, the balance was just a bit off. The whole premise of going back and calling these guys she’s broken up with sounds pretty awkward but she takes up the task with genuine hopes that one of them was a missed opportunity. Although we did get to meet two of the guys, these scenes felt rushed. I feel it would’ve added just the right amount of humor to the story if we had more time going through her list. Also, her ex fiancé is first class trash and any time he was on the page I cringed so hard for Tara SMH! 

I would’ve loved to have seen our male lead Trevor’s POV a bit more fleshed out. We spend a lot of time in Tara’s mind which made for an unbalanced attraction. While it’s true that Tara is very clingy which probably made her POV come through a bit stronger, I felt we only got to see Trevor’s feelings towards the very end. That being said, the friends to lovers trope is my favorite and reading a MC who is a member of her fictional book community was pretty dope. The opening scene alone with Tara riding the train while reading her romance novel and making eye contact with a cutie had me shaking my head with thoughts of BEEN THERE! Who can resist a steamy dust jacket?!? Haha! I will be continuing on with The Influencer books, Mel’s story arc “The Catch” is next and it’s already snagged a spot up on Goodreads!

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Spoiler Free Review: Two Wrongs Make A Right by Chloe Liese

Title: Two Wrongs Make A Right

Author: Chloe Liese

Pub. Date: November 22nd 2022

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Format: eARC

Publisher: Berkley Books

Pages: 326

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☆☆ARC provided by Publisher in exchange for an honest review☆☆

*•.¸♡ “𝙸 𝚗𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝙸 𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚜𝚘 𝚞𝚗𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝚖𝚎. 𝚃𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚋𝚎𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚜𝚘 𝚍𝚒𝚏𝚏𝚎𝚛𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚏𝚛𝚘𝚖 𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚖𝚊𝚔𝚎 𝚖𝚎 𝚏𝚎𝚎𝚕 𝚛𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝚊𝚝 𝚑𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚛𝚊𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚗 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚢 𝚔𝚒𝚗𝚍 𝚘𝚏 𝚠𝚛𝚘𝚗𝚐.” ♡¸.•*

 I love a good opposites attract romance but up until now I haven’t read anything that really gets the magnetic pull and irresistibility you feel when you meet your polar opposite. Bea is an artist who creates sensual cards for a stationary shop, she’s Pansexual, a twin, prone to accidents, a junk food lover, and an astrology loving Cancer. Jamie is a pediatrician, cat lover, health conscious, and non-astrology loving Capricorn. They’ve had a few run-ins that didn’t end so well but their meddling friends seem to think they’re perfect for each other. Bea and Jamie zone in on their schemes to make them date & are peeved by the intrusion. They hatch a plan to fake-date that includes a big break-up in hopes that it will dissuade their friends from ever playing cupid again. The thing is, they do connect in all the ways that matter. Bea is on the spectrum and Jamie has severe anxiety, they pick up on each other’s wants and needs very quickly. There’s a magnetic attraction and a desire to protect each other and create a safe space where they can speak their thoughts. Their dates are fun and different, from Chess matches to Sip & Paints they begin to fall hard. Soon it’s made very clear to them both that they’re not just pretending to like one another, they’re actually enjoying their dates.

I’ve heard the name Chloe Liese mentioned on every bookish platform I’m in and it’s always been high praise for delivering romance with neurodivergent rep. Having loved Helen Hoang’s Kiss Quotient series, I was on the hunt for more romance books with this representation. I kid you not my fellow book lovers, it was 1am and I had startled everyone in my home with my laughter within the first chapter of reading this book. The laugh out loud scenes were sudden and unexpected and as a fellow Capricorn I’d say it was the dry humor Jamie dished out lol. Jamie and Bea could square off any day and I’d grab a front row seat! the snark was on point. These characters are well fleshed out, it honestly felt like we’re getting to know them as they’re digging deep. There were times I wondered to myself why things were handled a certain way but understood the reasons as Bea and Jamie started to let each other in.

I LOVE Jamie, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t find flaws that contradicted the picture I had of him for the majority of the story. Without spoiling anything, I started to not love some of Jamie’s reactions or lack there-of to how a major side character was being treated, this is why I docked it half a star. Why only half a star? well because it could be argued that Jamie didn’t know the extent of how terrible a certain character was acting. Jamie is honestly the sweetest most thoughtful male MC I’ve read, he tunes into Bea’s love language very quickly. Bea on the other hand I instantly fell in love with! she’s quirky and artistic but also fiercely protective of her healing journey. Our girl went through some things and she is not about being rushed into anything, I loved seeing this on the page! Bea keeps the cutest little hedgehog in her room that I dare you not to make heart eyes over. We’re here for non-traditional pets haha! there are also a handful of side characters that really bring the friend circle to life. I’m anticipating Juliet’s story arc, she is Bea’s twin but also came across as three-dimensional and had me invested in her side-line story. In the meantime, I think I’ll join the Chloe Liese lovers & pick up the Bergman Brothers series 😉

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Spoiler Free Review: On The Hustle by Adriana Herrera

Title: On The Hustle

Author: Adriana Herrera

Pub. Date: October 11th 2022

Genre: Contemporary Romance/Latinx

Format: eARC

Publisher: Carina Press

Pages: 352

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☆☆ARC provided by Publisher in exchange for an honest review☆☆╮

𝗢𝗡 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗛𝗨𝗦𝗧𝗟𝗘 is the second book in the Dating In Dallas series by Latinx author Adriana Herrera and hands down my FAVORITE of Herrera’s books! Alba Duarte is a Dominican bisexual woman living in NYC, hard working and owner of a start-up she is passionate about. The only thing getting in her way is the 9 to 5 job she needs to walk away from, especially because working for the Olympian swimmer Theo Ganas is working her last nerve. The Dominican Greek adonis is particular about his coffee and his assistant. Alba doesn’t quite understand why she hasn’t walked away from her position, it’s not like Theo even acknowledges her existence other than when she’s late. On the side she has turned her love of books & fandoms into a business where she designs bedrooms inspired by them. When a visit to her BFF in Dallas Texas presents her with an opportunity to give her business some visibility & recognition, Alba knows it’s time to make some tough decisions. Life in NYC is tied to her family, the ones who depend on her almost like a crutch. Stepping out on her own could potentially lead to better helping them and a fresh new start that’ll put some much needed space between them. When a two week notice turns into an abrupt goodbye, a very determined Theo Ganas hops on a plane to Dallas to find Alba with an offer of his own.

When I say the HEAT was at an ALL time high! it’s because it consumed me! This book had it all and then some. The Dallas Crew who we met in Here To Stay is back and they’re dying for Alba to stay in Dallas, I LOVE this circle of friends and how supportive they are with one another. I really enjoyed hearing about their individual careers and how they give back to other communities in need. Theo acknowledging that his life is more than just gaining his father’s approval and then looking for ways to find his soul purpose was cool to see. Just like Alba not settling or watering down her vision/dream just for a dollar made me love her even more. Now as for the romance itself? Herrera gives us a grumpy/sunshine, forced proximity, workplace romance that is off the charts…Theo Ganas brought the heat! Alba didn’t stay behind making sure Theo knew that he was on her time. Both characters are well fleshed out making this romance easy to get behind and cheer on. One recurring thought I had all throughout was that this man sure does know how to love up on his woman! Adriana Hererra is an author to look out for if you’re looking for quality romance with queer representation. It’s easy for a New Yorker such as myself to look at Alba and see themselves, chances are if you’re a career woman living in any city…you are tired and a massage is in order! 😉

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