Author: Jen (Page 24 of 209)

I ♥ Paranormal, Dystopian, Romance, YA, NA & some Fantasy and Science Fiction. I ♥ not being able to knock that darn smirk off my face, crying my eyes out or feeling every emotion under the sun with characters. I ♥ cheesecake, wakeboarding, snowboarding, being a mommy & wife, dancing, singing and being a beach bum addict!
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BOOK REVIEW: This Spells Love by Kate Robb

December 18, 2023 / Jen / 6 Comments

This Spells Love by Kate Robb
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
A young woman tries to heal her heartbreak by casting a spell to erase her ex from her past, but she wakes up in an alternate reality where she’s lost more than she wished for in this witty, whimsical friends-to-lovers debut.

What if one little wish changed everything?

When Gemma gets dumped by her long-term boyfriend, she reacts the way any reasonable twenty-eight-year-old would: by getting drunk with her sister, kooky aunt, and best friend, Dax. After one too many margaritas, they decide to perform a love- cleansing spell, which promises to erase Gemma’s ex from her memory. They follow all the instructions, including a platonic kiss from Dax to seal the deal.

When Gemma wakes up, she realizes that this silly spell has worked. Not only does it seem that she never dated her ex, but the rest of her life is completely unrecognizable. The worst part: Dax has no idea who she is.

To reverse the spell and get back to her old life, Gemma must convince her once-best-friend-now-near-stranger to kiss her. But as she carries out her plans, she finds herself falling for him—hard. Soon, Gemma begins to wonder whether she even wants to go back to the way things once were. What if Dax was The One all along?

Review:

This Spells Love was an absolutely adorable, addictively fun, steamy friends to lovers romance! I loved the characters, the storyline kept me guessing, and this book captured my heart so effortlessly. Kate Robb is my favorite debut author of 2023, and I can’t wait to read whatever she releases next!

His voice is so firm. Assured. “Stuart was not the guy.”
“You have to say that because you’re my best friend.”
“No.” He looks up at me with a look I cannot decipher. “It’s because I’m your best friend that I shouldn’t say that.”

From that first page, I clicked with Gemma. Her voice made me smile and laugh. She was so easy to like, and I wanted to be friends with her. Her older sister Kiersten was hilarious and I loved how strong their relationship was. They were each other’s best friends. And their Aunt Livi rounded them out in a way that made my heart happy, I loved how strong their bond was with each other. With her best friend Dax in tow, the four of them did a spell which had Gemma waking up in alternate reality. Cleansing her ex from her life truly worked, and her new life was so exciting! Yet….. Dax who was her best friend in the entire world didn’t remember her. With one month counting down to get Dax her to kiss, and back to her old life, everything spiraled in ways Gemma could never imagine!

Logically, I should be over the moon right now. I am living the manifestation of my dream. But yesterday’s fleeting few moments with Dax have me longing for a life where nights like that were the norm and not the exception.
“I want my best friend back.”

I was completely obsessed with the ride this book took us on, while also having so much anxiety for Gemma. She had no clue what the last four years had been like in this realty. There were people who know her, who she sure didn’t know back! Yet thankfully she still had her aunt and sister in her life. Their love and support were beautiful. Yet she didn’t have her best friend Dax to lean on. And not have him even knowing her cut so deep. How was she supposed to get him to kiss her, let alone even hang out with her? It all seemed like so much! As we watch Gemma try her best to get to know Dax, my heart was sinking. She came across in a way that had me laughing out loud, but wouldn’t get her anywhere with Dax. And just when it felt like the planets would align and she could have a hint of relief, nope, something else would shake it all up. The angst in this book was so beautifully done!

And I . . . I don’t know how to feel. The tiny part of my brain not bogged down with beer is screaming, Think about the consequences. The rest of me has been lulled into a dreamy haze by the deepness of his voice and the smell of his damn lotion. Every cell of my body feel like it’s tuned to the highest frequency.
I stop walking.
To catch my breath. Or steady my mind. Or stop my body from vibrating. I don’t know.

Dax was someone I easily liked in her other reality, but in this one we got to see other sides of him. He was so easy to love, and was a sigh worthy book boyfriend! Dax was sweet, kind, charming and stepped in to help others without a second thought. And as he allowed himself to be around or talk with Gemma, my heart would soar with hope! So as they spent more time around each other, it felt like the beginnings of something more than friendship. Almost like there was some heat thrown in there. So while I was laughing, smiling and falling for Dax right along with Gemma, I got her hang up that this was her best friend. She wasn’t supposed to have those types of feelings for him! Or was she?

“If we stop this here. Could you be only my friend?”
Dax closes his eyes, and for a very long moments, I’m worried he’s going to say no. Finally, he opens them. “Yes, I can. But to be very transparent, I don’t want to.”
“I don’t want to either.” The words leave my mouth, and they are so achingly true that I hold my arms out, close my eyes, and I jump.

I loved watching Gemma succeed in this new life. I was so elated for her when she would have the most wonderful day. And when Gemma’s relationship with Dax seemed to go somewhere, I couldn’t be happier for her! Gemma and Dax together were hot, steamy and so seductive! I loved that even when everything could be going wrong around them, there was still this intense desire and chemistry between them that couldn’t be ignored. So as the days went by, it was so easy to get attached to this life. To want Gemma to make the choice to stay here. Yet there was so much going on that I can’t say that also left me wanting for her to go back to her old life. I wasn’t sure how Gemma would proceed. This Dax was everything she never knew she wanted, yet so much hang in the balance so going back felt oh so right too.

He smiles when he sees me.
And suddenly, I know. We are the same here. The universe could make us live a thousand different lifetimes, and we’ll always find a way to be there for each other.

Sacrifice, love, friendship, and thoughtfulness laced through the pages creating a beautiful, memorable story. This friends to lovers romance is one of my favorite reads for this year! And it’s also one that I will definitely be re-reading again and again. I loved this story, the characters were so real, and that ending wow I did not see that coming at all. It made me want to jump up and down and cheer at the top of my lungs. I loved it so much! So if you love adult romance, definitely put this one on your tbr! I can’t recommend it enough!

PS I love Frank!

*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book, provided by the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

BOOK REVIEWS: The Holiday Mix-Up by Ginny Baird, Twelve Days of Christmas by Debbie Macomber & The Santa Suit by Mary Kay Andrews

December 15, 2023 / Jen / 4 Comments

The Holiday Mix-Up by Ginny Baird
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
While You Were Sleeping meets The Wedding Date with a fun Puerto Rican holiday twist in NYT and USA Today bestselling author Ginny Baird's latest sweet romance, in which a diner waitress agrees to be her patron's fake date...only for him to land in a coma and her to be stuck playing his sweetheart with his family all week long.

Lonely-hearted waitress Katie Smith has nowhere to go for Christmas, and a huge crush on her gorgeous diner patron Juan Martinez. So when Juan asks Katie to pose as his girlfriend for holiday festivities at his family's winery, Katie leaps at the chance…that is, until an accident lands Juan in a coma right after giving his folks the "news." Katie knows she should tell the Martinezes the truth, but when they immediately embrace her, Katie is reluctant to let her fantasy of a family holiday go. And then there's Juan's brother, Mateo, whose smile tugs at her heartstrings just right―and who tells her perfect Juan might not be everything he seems.

Second son Mateo Martinez loves his brother, but Juan's plan to "rebrand and expand" Los Cielos Cellars has cost their family too much and put its entire tradition in jeopardy. Katie seems to understand, but she's still committed to Juan…even when Mateo starts to wish her gentle heart and beautiful smile were committed to him instead. With the winery at stake, secrets on all sides, and Juan due to wake up any day, can Katie and Mateo follow their hearts to a Christmas miracle, or will this mix-up ruin their chances?

Review:

The Holiday Mix-Up was an over the top heartwarming, but also awkward, Christmas romance. Katie went along with one of her restaurant patron’s wishes that she be his fake girlfriend for Christmas. She had been falling for him the last few months, yet moments later he ended up in an accident that left him in a coma. Katie found herself conflicted, but played along with the Martinez family that she was Juan’s girlfriend. So with picking out a Christmas tree, meals at their house, horse rides, to even trying on something that made me gasp, Katie quickly found herself wrapped up in the Martinez’s lives. I wasn’t sure if Katie was extremely lonely or if she was incapable of saying no? But regardless, the family’s antics were entertaining. And the more time she spent with them, Katie couldn’t deny she was falling for her fake boyfriend’s brother. I really enjoyed the beginning, while the latter half of this book seemed to stall for me. But still, it was so easy to listen to, was festive, and I’m going to try another book by this author.

Twelve Days of Christmas by Debbie Macomber
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
Friendly and bubbly, Julia Padden likes nearly everyone, but her standoffish neighbor, Cain Maddox, presents a particular challenge. No matter how hard she’s tried to be nice, Cain rudely rebuffs her at every turn, preferring to keep to himself. But when Julia catches Cain stealing her newspaper from the lobby of their apartment building, that’s the last straw. She’s going to break through Cain’s Scrooge-like exterior the only way she knows how: by killing him with kindness.

To track her progress, Julia starts a blog called The Twelve Days of Christmas. Her first attempts to humanize Cain are far from successful. Julia brings him homemade Christmas treats and the disagreeable grinch won’t even accept them. Meanwhile, Julie’s blog becomes an online sensation, as an astonishing number of people start following her adventures. Julia continues to find ways to express kindness and, little by little, chips away at Cain’s gruff façade to reveal the caring man underneath. Unbelievably, Julia feels herself falling for Cain—and she suspects that he may be falling for her as well. But as the popularity of her blog continues to grow, Julia must decide if telling Cain the truth about having chronicled their relationship to the rest of the world is worth risking their chance at love.

Review:

Twelve Days of Christmas was a grumpy sunshine holiday romance. This book made me laugh out loud at times. And I loved watching Julia try to bring out Cain’s kind side each day they got closer to Christmas. Yet I had a hiccup when she visited someone special in his life. I felt like that was a little backhanded with how she learned information about him. But regardless of that, this was a very cute, sweet and quick book to listen to. There was lots of Christmas cheer, cheesy goodness and an epilogue set in the future that will leave you smiling.

The Santa Suit by Mary Kay Andrews
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
When newly-divorced Ivy Perkins buys an old farmhouse sight unseen, she is definitely looking for a change in her life. The Four Roses, as the farmhouse is called, is a labor of love—but Ivy didn't bargain on just how much labor. The previous family left so much furniture and so much junk, that it's a full-time job sorting through all of it.

At the top of a closet, Ivy finds an old Santa suit—beautifully made and decades old. In the pocket of a suit she finds a note written in a childish hand: it's from a little girl who has one Christmas wish, and that is for her father to return home from the war. This discovery sets Ivy off on a mission. Who wrote the note? Did the man ever come home? What mysteries did the Rose family hold?

Ivy's quest brings her into the community, at a time when all she wanted to do was be left alone and nurse her wounds. But the magic of Christmas makes miracles happen, and Ivy just might find more than she ever thought possible: a welcoming town, a family reunited, a mystery solved, and a second chance at love.

Review:

This was an adorable small town romance. Ivy Perkins was so easy to like, and she had just bought a farm house to get her new start. Newly divorced and with only her dog, who was the cutest, I loved watching her settle into the small town. With a Christmas letter that added a little bit of holiday mystery, to making new friends, to even finding love, this book had all of it. Plus I was pleasantly urprised that everyone got a happy ending. The romance in this story was most definitely instalove, so I didn’t feel a strong connection between the two characters. But I always seem to struggle with that trope. So if you’re looking for a light and sweet heartwarming Christmas story, that is a Hallmark movie in a book, this may be it if you like instalove!

GRINCHY BOOK REVIEWS: One Day in December by Josie Silver & A Merry Little Meet Cute by Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone

December 13, 2023 / Jen / 2 Comments

One Day in December Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
Two people. Ten chances. One unforgettable love story.

Laurie is pretty sure love at first sight doesn’t exist anywhere but the movies. But then, through a misted-up bus window one snowy December day, she sees a man who she knows instantly is the one. Their eyes meet, there’s a moment of pure magic . . . and then her bus drives away.

Certain they’re fated to find each other again, Laurie spends a year scanning every bus stop and cafe in London for him. But she doesn’t find him, not when it matters anyway. Instead they “reunite” at a Christmas party, when her best friend, Sarah, giddily introduces her new boyfriend to Laurie. It’s Jack, the man from the bus. It would be.

What follows for Laurie, Sarah, and Jack is ten years of friendship, heartbreak, missed opportunities, roads not taken, and destinies reconsidered. One Day in December is a joyous, heartwarming, and immensely moving love story to escape into and a reminder that fate takes inexplicable turns along the route to happiness.

Review:

I DNFed this book at 27% because of cheating. She kissed her best friend’s boyfriend, or her best friend’s boyfriend kissed her…whatever, semantics. But regardless, they were both cheaters. What a horrible best friend and boyfriend. They probably do deserve each other in the end, but I was too upset to continue. On top of cheating, this story moved so slowly. And Laurie rambled at times. I felt like there could be a lot taken out of this story to move it along, such as not caring about her food specials or the exact science to it. So with a boring story and cheating characters, I happily DNFed this book! I won’t be reading anymore books by this author.

A Merry Little Meet Cute by Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone by Julie Murphy, Sierra Simone
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
Bee Hobbes (aka Bianca Von Honey) has a successful career as a plus-size adult film star. With a huge following and two supportive moms, Bee couldn’t ask for more. But when Bee’s favorite producer casts her to star in a Christmas movie he’s making for the squeaky-clean Hope Channel, Bee’s career is about to take a more family-friendly direction.

Forced to keep her work as Bianca under wraps, Bee quickly learns this is a task a lot easier said than done. Though it all becomes worthwhile when she discovers her co-star is none other than childhood crush Nolan Shaw, an ex-boy band member in desperate need of career rehab. Nolan’s promised his bulldog manager to keep it zipped up on set, and he will if it means he’ll be able to provide a more stable living situation for his sister and mom.

But things heat up quickly in Christmas Notch, Vermont, when Nolan recognizes his new co-star from her ClosedDoors account (oh yeah, he’s a member). Now Bee and Nolan are sneaking off for quickies on set, keeping their new relationship a secret from the Hope Channel’s execs. Things only get trickier when the reporter who torpedoed Nolan’s singing career comes snooping around—and takes an instant interest in mysterious newcomer Bee.

And if Bee and Nolan can’t keep their off-camera romance behind the scenes, then this merry little meet cute might end up on the cutting room floor.

Review:

I DNFed this book at 37% because I didn’t feel anything. For such a steamy story, I was beyond bored. The spicy moments didn’t contain any heat behind them. There wasn’t a meet cute that was memorable. For filming a Christmas movie in a Christmas perfect town, I didn’t feel any Christmas vibes. And while the characters were easy to listen to and help pass the time, I couldn’t ever find anything in me to care about them. I did love how sex positive this story was, but how many times can I listen to a man jerk off using gingerbread lotion yet again? LOL. On to the next Christmas audiobook…..

BOOK REVIEW: The Honeymoon Crashers (Unhoneymooners #1.5) by Christina Lauren

December 12, 2023 / Jen / 2 Comments

The Honeymoon Crashers (Unhoneymooners #1.5)
by Christina Lauren
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
A perfectionist maid of honor and a carefree, surfer-bro best man team up to plan a wedding and end up finding a spark of their own in the first audio original from author duo Christina Lauren, a full-cast sequel to their New York Times bestseller The Unhoneymooners.

Ami is determined to break the Torres family wedding curse. Her own disaster of a reception ended with all the guests getting food poisoning, and she left her cheating husband soon after. But even though she’s still processing her own divorce, Ami won’t let her twin sister Olive’s day be anything but perfect. Olive may think she wants a private ceremony in Maui, where she and her fiancé Ethan first fell in love, but Ami knows better and secretly flies the whole Torres family out to surprise the couple. Now she and her meticulously organized binder have less than two weeks to get everything together for the big day, thousands of miles from home.

Enter Brody, Ethan’s best man, who happens to be living in Maui and insists on helping with the preparations. His playfully elaborate schemes and happy-go-lucky attitude are the last thing Ami needs. When sparks start to fly, could it derail all her carefully laid plans?

Equal parts hilarious and swoon-worthy, this full-cast production is your ticket to the ultimate destination wedding, bringing to life both a captivating couple and an unforgettable family. The Honeymoon Crashers is Christina Lauren at their charming, hilarious best.

Review:

The Honeymoon Crashers was an opposites attract romance that was cute and fun, and had a little bit of steam. While I didn’t love it as much as the first, The Unhoneymooners, I enjoyed being back in this world. And while having a full cast was phenomenal to listen too, that also caused my issues too. The chapters where the narrators were doing their respective characters was perfect. But then when we would switch to a chapter that was only Brody talking, and he would do Ami’s voice. And then vice versa? That was a hard no. Each time that happened it was extremely jarring and pulled me out of the story. It made me not understand what the point was for the whole cast if they weren’t going to be used in every chapter? But besides that, it was a quick, cheesy, fun story.

BOOK REVIEW: The Woman in Me by Britney Spears

December 11, 2023 / Jen / 2 Comments

The Woman in Me by Britney Spears
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
The Woman in Me is a brave and astonishingly moving story about freedom, fame, motherhood, survival, faith, and hope.

In June 2021, the whole world was listening as Britney Spears spoke in open court. The impact of sharing her voice—her truth—was undeniable, and it changed the course of her life and the lives of countless others. The Woman in Me reveals for the first time her incredible journey—and the strength at the core of one of the greatest performers in pop music history.

Written with remarkable candor and humor, Spears’s groundbreaking book illuminates the enduring power of music and love—and the importance of a woman telling her own story, on her own terms, at last<The Woman in Me is a brave and astonishingly moving story about freedom, fame, motherhood, survival, faith, and hope.

In June 2021, the whole world was listening as Britney Spears spoke in open court. The impact of sharing her voice—her truth—was undeniable, and it changed the course of her life and the lives of countless others. The Woman in Me reveals for the first time her incredible journey—and the strength at the core of one of the greatest performers in pop music history.

Written with remarkable candor and humor, Spears’s groundbreaking book illuminates the enduring power of music and love—and the importance of a woman telling her own story, on her own terms, at last.

Review:

I usually don’t read nonfiction, but I have been a fan of Britney since the beginning, and I devoured this audiobook in no time at all! Britney’s stories made me feel all of the emotions. I cried for her. I hurt for her. I also felt so much anger. From all the way back to when she was a child, so many had done her wrong over the years. Where was the love and protection? It didn’t ever exist. Those in her life were just users. So watching time and again as she put her trust in others, and then that trust was blown up? Ugh it hurt each time. Mental health, sexism, betrayal, and hurt bled from the pages and left me wishing I could just give her the hugest hug ever!

“There have been so many times when I was scared to speak up because I was afraid somebody would think I was crazy. But I’ve learned that lesson now, the hard way. You have to speak the thing that you’re feeling, even if it scares you. You have to tell your story. You have to raise your voice.”

Let it be known that I never liked Justin Timberlake. I didn’t understand why others adored his music or him. He always came across as creepy to me. This book shined a solid light on how he wasn’t a golden boy. It definitely solidified my feelings towards him and left me with so much anger and sadness. Justin was just yet another one, in a long string of people in Britney’s life, who left her damaged and alone. The way the media treated her was horrific. Not only did they paint her as the naughty girl, but as the villain too. So I was glad that she talked about the interview with Dianne Sawyer. It was just another example where her family or management allowed her to be put in yet another situation that would leave her hurt and damaged. Dianne used Britney for her ratings all the while leaving another scar on her soul. And what we learned of her family? Oh my gosh. You hope that your blood will do what’s best for you. Will always have your back. But from the moment she was a tiny little girl, she was alone while listening to her mom scream while her dad was drunk. She was alone when her babies were taken from her when they were still a few months old. Even though she was taking care of her family financially, they still left her out continually and she was alone. So when Britney got to the part of her story where her family locked her up multiple times, especially that last time? My heart shattered. Who needs enemies when you have family like that.

“I was treated like a criminal and they made me think I deserved that. They made me forget my self-worth and my value. Of all the things they did, I will say the worst was to make me question my faith. I never had strict ideas about religion, I just knew there was something bigger than me. Under their control I stopped believing in God for awhile. But then when it came time to end the conservatorship I realized one thing: You can’t fuck with a woman who knows how to pray. Really pray. All I did was pray.”

I am shocked that Britney has remained quiet for so long. Her politeness and kindness seemed to overrule her ability to stand up for herself. To out others who hurt her. Or to show the world that she wasn’t the villain as the media painted her. It hurt so much. So I’m grateful that she finally found her voice. That she shared her story with the world. It was an emotional one to get through! And while I’m sure there is still so much she could tell us, not only did she give us a look into her past, but she also gave us insight into her now. I now get why she makes the Instagram videos that she does. Why she will sometimes jokingly talk in a British accent. It all makes sense after listening to this book. I’m hoping she can find peace after letting this all out, and that she can finally be the woman and mother she always has hoped she could be!

And this quote right here created so many meaningful conversations with friends…

“Think of how many male artists gambled all their money away; how many had substance abuse or mental health issues. No one tried to take away their control over their body and money. I didn’t deserve what my family did to me.”