#NuisanceEx

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reviewed When You Least Expect It by Haley Cass

Haley Cass: When You Least Expect It (Paperback, 2020, Haley Cass) 5 stars

Caroline Parker knows three things to be true. First, she is going to be Boston's …

reviewed One Simple Refrain by Nancy Ann Healy

Nancy Ann Healy, Xe Sands: One Simple Refrain (AudiobookFormat, 2021, Bumbling Bard) 5 stars

Dr. Jillian Byers only considered two careers: indie rock sensation or physician. Both dreams led …

reviewed Just as You Are by Camille Kellogg

Camille Kellogg, Bailey Carr: Just as You Are (AudiobookFormat, 2023, Random House) 3 stars

The only thing worse than hating your boss? Being attracted to her.

Liz Baker and …

Some good points, but chained to the awfulness that is P&P

3 stars

2¾⭐️/5

Kellogg has done a solid job updating the "place in society" theme to the queer community and gender presentation. Liz's narrative shows her struggles to find (and afford) clothes which match her gender identity. Some are too femme and she feels constrained, while others are too masc and like she's putting on a costume. Relatable!

Having said that, it’s still Pride & Prejudice. It’s still about people being mean to each other and not actually talking, let alone communicating. And, IMO, the big 80% drama in this one goes a direction I find exasperating, and sends exactly the wrong message to the reader, shaming the wrong people.

Tags: #BIPOC #Misunderstandings #NuisanceEx #Retelling #RichPoor #RivalsToLovers #SecretsAndBetrayal #SinglePOV #ThirdPersonPOV

reviewed From Fan to Forever by Tiana Warner

Tiana Warner: From Fan to Forever (Paperback, 2022, Ylva Publishing) 4 stars

An age-gap lesbian celebrity romance about how much you’d risk to have your dream. Talented …

A good romance arc, but the Hollywood stuff was not for me

4 stars

3¾⭐️/5

I know, I know, the Hollywood stuff was the entire point of the book. But I don’t connect with the “actors and their families give up their right to privacy” narrative, so it was a bit much for me.

Tags: #Celebrity #FirstQueerRelationship #NuisanceEx #PTSD #SinglePOV #ThirdPersonPOV

reviewed Undone by Bryce Oakley (Kaleidoscope Album, #1)

Kathleen Early, Bryce Oakley: Undone (AudiobookFormat, 2019, -) 4 stars

Billie Rush can’t stop writing pop songs. The kind of songs that her rock band, …

reviewed The Fiancée Farce by Alexandria Bellefleur

Lauren Sweet, Alexandria Bellefleur: The Fiancée Farce (AudiobookFormat, 2023, HarperAudio) 5 stars

Tansy Adams' greatest love is her family's bookstore, passed down from her late father. But …

Mostly positive, though a bit over the top

5 stars

4¼⭐️/5

For me, there’s a fine line when basing tension on self-confidence issues. Too little self-confidence plus too much drama means I’ll end up just rolling my eyes through the inevitable misunderstandings and scenes with two people talking but not actually communicating. Too much self-confidence and I’ll just end up rolling my eyes at how cheesy, entitled, and het it all feels. This story walks up to that line, and then Riverdances back and forth across it.

I very much appreciated the “what if suddenly someone was nice to you and had your back” themes. We definitely need more of those in romance.

Tags: #BiPanSexualMC #DualPOV #FakeRelationship #FamilyIssues #MarriageOfConvenience #MoneySolvesNothing #NuisanceEx #RichPoor #SecretShame #ThirdPersonPOV