Reviews and Comments

After such a good experience with [b:Serendipity|61439347|Serendipity|Kris Bryant|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1657789771l/61439347.SY75.jpg|96972009], I decided to find another Bryant book to read. And then I remembered that I had Forever in my TBR from NetGalley. I'm a mood reader so sometimes it takes me a long time to be in the right mental space to read certain books. I stop and start books a lot...

Full disclosure: I've never watched any of the Bachelor/Bachelorette shows because I don't care for the idea of a bunch of people vying for the attention/affection of a single person in such a way. It makes me feel bad for the group of folks who are competing for that one person. And all of my bad feelings about those shows came out while reading Forever. But the relationship between Lauren and Savannah was a nice journey and made all the other stuff worth it. They had good chemistry and their interactions felt genuine and drew me in.

I almost forgot to mention that I nearly quit reading the book immediately because it's done in first person POV and I wasn't really feeling it. (mood reader, remember? Anything could set me off...) and while I do wish I had gotten more of Lauren's side of things, Savannah did a fine job. I'm glad I took a breath and kept on going.

I'm discovering with each of Bryant's books that she has a knack for capturing the essence of her characters. They feel real, the interact in realistic ways, and they make me want to get to know them and cheer for them. And miss them when I'm done with the story.

I'd go 3.5 if Goodreads allowed it but rounding up because I enjoyed Lauren and Savannah so much.

Big thanks to BSB and NetGalley for helping to feed my addiction.

Once I saw this was a mystery, I hesitated a bit before requesting it from NetGalley. I've read the first three books in the Hunter series and barely made it through [b:Angel Fire|22245090|Angel Fire (Hunter, #4)|Gerri Hill|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1434526311l/22245090.SY75.jpg|41619823] so I normally avoid anything other than Hill's stand-alone romances. I'm not sure what pushed me over the edge to click that "request" button, but I'm glad I did.

I love some broken characters (which says a lot about my early dating choices) and fell in love with both Haley and Carter. The mystery was pretty good, too. I feel like the romance was well balanced with the murdery goodness so I got enough of both to make me a satisfied reader.

I feel confident in recommending this one to all those Gerri Hill fans out there who enjoy either her mysteries or the romances.

Thanks to Bella and NetGalley - I appreciate the chance to read Timber Falls!

Oh how I loved this book. So much.

I was hopping from one romance to another trying to find something to grab my attention. I had just DNF'd two books - one at 35% - and was starting to get frustrated. Then I saw Beyond the Blue and remembered that it's an ARC that I'm clearly overdue for reviewing. So I tapped the cover and got into it. And didn't want to put it down.

Morgan and Mei are beautifully flawed characters who fit with each other and made me fall in love with them. There was just enough angst to keep the edge there for me and so much love that I found myself smiling regularly. I loved them together.

This was my first exposure to TJ O'Shea but I totally dug her writing style and voice. Really, really. I tend to keep my expectations pretty low when reading a new author (whether a debut book or just a new to me author) but there's no need for that with Ms. O'Shea. As soon as her next book comes out, I'm there for it.

Thanks go out to Bella Books and NetGalley for this great romance and for introducing me to a talented author!

I wanted to love this book so much. I mean, THREE DOGS?! And three RESCUE dogs?! I have two rescue dogs and a rescue cat - how could I not fall in love with this? The chemistry between Perry and Ming was pretty good, and there could have been lots of great interactions dealing with their differing views on dealing with the challenges of life, but that's not what happened.

One of my biggest pet peeves in wlw books - or any book, really - is angst or drama completely based on non-communication. And the way it was handled in this book was just too much for me to get over. It became unbelievable to me that the big secret had never been discussed and that ruined it for me. There were other aspects that bugged me but the not talking to each other was the biggest thing.

I've enjoyed other offerings from D. Jackson Leigh and I'll absolutely dive into the next book she writes but this one wasn't my cup of tea. I bounced back and forth between 2 and 3 stars but settled on 2 due to the level of frustration I felt while reading.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

So happy I took a chance on this new Vali book. I really did love it. I would give it 4.5 if I could but rounded up.

My joy with Ali Vali books over the years has been hit and miss so, while I usually grab galleys of her books when I see them, I always go into them with, well, not the highest expectations. Writer's Block was a definite hit. And it'll for sure go on my re-read pile and likely my funk reading list.

What I loved: the humor, the chemistry, the peripheral characters, and the journals. What I didn't love: the way the conflict between the protagonists was handled. I can't really say more without giving spoilers but I'm not a fan of lack of communication as conflict. But I loved everything else enough to just go with the flow.

Wyatt and Hayley were great together and I actually was a little sad when I finished the book because I had a fun time hanging out with everyone. I forgot to mention that this book is smoking hot with the sex scenes. this is one of those that you probably don't want to read in public. Lordy.

Big thanks to Bold Strokes and NetGalley for the ARC!

This. This is what I want in a romance novel. Characters with chemistry, humor, family, and angst that wasn't just an obvious plot point and something that shouldn't have been a problem for grown-ups who talk with each other.

It's no secret that Amanda Radley is one of my favorite romance authors and Reading Her is just one reason why I will grab her books as soon as I see them available. Of course, it's also no secret that I'm the worst ARC reader in the world since I regularly am running so far behind that there's nothing advanced about my reviews. But I am good for a "Hey! Did you miss this one when it came out? Read it now!" sort of review…

I'm not always a fan of age-gap romances because so much time is spent discussing how it can't work specifically due to the age difference. That wasn't the case in Reading Her. The issues were more class and occupation/education based. I liked that. These women felt well matched and complementary to each other. And the son, Hugo, wasn't an afterthought that sometimes happens with kids in romance novels. He was central to the story but never overshadowed what us readers are really there for - the romantic relationship. This one ticked all the boxes for me. I freaking loved this book and it will absolutely go on my reread/funk reading list.

Thanks to Bold Strokes and NetGalley for the chance to bask in the glow of a wonderfully done HEA.