Author: Christina Lauren (Page 1 of 4)

BOOK REVIEW: (The Improbable Meet-Cute #1) by Christina Lauren & Worst Wingman Ever (The Improbable Meet-Cute #2) by Abby Jimenez

February 9, 2024 / Jen / 3 Comments

The Exception to the Rule (The Improbable Meet-Cute #1)
by Christina Lauren
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
On February 14, an accidental email to a stranger opens the door to an unexpected relationship in a captivating short story by the New York Times bestselling authors of The Unhoneymooners.

One typo, and a boy and girl connect by chance. Wishing each other a happy Valentine’s Day isn’t the end. In fact, it becomes a friendly annual tradition—with rules: no pics, no real names, nothing too personal. As years pass, the rules for their email “dates” are breaking, and they’re sharing more than they imagined—including the urge to ask…what if we actually met?

Christina Lauren’s The Exception to the Rule is part of The Improbable Meet-Cute, irresistibly romantic stories about finding love when and where you least expect it. They can be read or listened to in one sitting. Let’s make a date of it.

Review:

The Exception to the Rule was a friends to lovers, epistolary romance that was beyond adorable! By accident, they started emailing each other in 2014. And continued to send an email wishing the other a Happy Valentines Day every year. And each year that followed, I loved their little happy messages to each other. And the rules of secrecy they played by. Yet as the years went by, real life started to slip in. They would tell each other things they struggled with or what had shattered their hearts. If they were dating someone. To just sharing things that made the other person smile. I loved watching a true friendship form!

“Too soon?” he asks, breath minty, his lips only an inch from mine.
“I don’t normally kiss before the first date,” I tell him. “But you’re the exception to the rule.”

Yet I am so beyond glad I listened to this in audio format. Since we spent over half of this book in email format, I was so glad I didn’t have to pay close attention to who was emailing who. I could just listen if it was a male or female voice. And when they finally met in person, I was dying! Kindness, thoughtfulness, heart and what-ifs filled the pages! I loved how that unfolded. Plus we were given an epilogue that made my heart soar. This novella was so much fun and I’m so glad I listened to this story!

Worst Wingman Ever (The Improbable Meet-Cute #2)
by Abby Jimenez
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
They’re falling in love, yet they’ve never met. Maybe fate can intervene in a heartwarming “what-if” short story about new beginnings by the New York Times bestselling author of Yours Truly.

Holly is dealing with the impending death of her grandmother and still reeling from a bad breakup. One bright spot: a Valentine’s Day card on Holly’s windshield—even if it wasn’t meant for her. An amusing mistake soon turns into a lovely exchange of anonymous notes, little acts of kindness, and a growing affection between two strangers. What happens when one of them has to say goodbye?

Abby Jimenez’s Worst Wingman Ever is part of The Improbable Meet-Cute, irresistibly romantic stories about finding love when and where you least expect it. They can be read or listened to in one sitting. Let’s make a date of it.

Review:

Worst Wingman Ever was an adult, epistolary romance that will tug at your heart. For a novella, this story was so full of life. It’ll make you smile, laugh and I even shed a few tears. I found myself smiling long after that last page, and now I’m excited to binge all of Abby Jimenez’s previous books!

Time is such a precious thing. How you spend it, how you waste it. And it becomes even more valuable as the hourglass runs out, because you will never get more of it. I see it every day. The panic as the last grains of sand fall.

Holly was a hospice nurse whose current job was taking care of her grandma, as she slowly passed. In the midst of her heart shattering each day, she found a funny Valentine’s card on her vehicle. Even though it wasn’t meant for her, it led to her exchanging notes with a stranger. And acts of kindness too that will make your heart soar.

That’s the thing about kindness. You never know how big the ripple is. How one little selfless gesture can make all the difference for the person who receives it.

I loved Holly’s family so much! Her sister Jillian was so kind, positive and made me laugh! And she tied into the first book, The Exception to the Rule. I loved that little easter egg! Plus I adored her mom and aunt too. So thank goodness for these women, because we desperately needed laughter when we were with Holly. Watching her grandma slowly fade away hurt my heart. I felt like I was there with my Grandma and Grandpa all over again, holding their hands during their final moments. So I cried my eyes out. Holly and her families’ pain felt so real to me.

She took my spot in the elevator, and I was still facing her, trying to get my puppy to move in the direction we were going, when her eyes dropped to my tool belt. “Red,” she said, almost to herself. Then the doors closed and she was gone.

This story alternated between Holly and John, and it was so easy to fall in love with John’s huge heart. He was kind, thoughtful, generous and I loved how he helped Jillian out, even though he didn’t know who she was. His rescue also solidified what an amazing man he was! So when we learned about his jaded past, I just wanted to hug him. He desperately needed some happiness in his life too, just like Holly!

“Take responsibility for your own unhappiness.
If you don’t love your life, change it.”

There were so many fun moments within these pages. The red power tools had me screaming. The reason behind a name was so freaking adorable. And when they met in person I gobbled up every single moment they had together. This story was the perfect mix of emotional and heartwarming, and is my favorite so far in this group of novellas!

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 True Love Experiment by Christina Lauren

July 6, 2023 / Jen / 2 Comments

The True Love Experiment by Christina Lauren
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
Felicity “Fizzy” Chen is lost. Sure, she’s got an incredible career as a beloved romance novelist with a slew of bestsellers under her belt, but when she’s asked to give a commencement address, it hits her: she hasn’t been practicing what she’s preached.

Fizzy hasn’t ever really been in love. Lust? Definitely. But that swoon-worthy, can’t-stop-thinking-about-him, all-encompassing feeling? Nope. Nothing. What happens when the optimism she’s spent her career encouraging in readers starts to feel like a lie?

Connor Prince, documentary filmmaker and single father, loves his work but when his profit-minded boss orders him to create a reality TV show, putting his job on the line, Connor is out of his element. Desperate to find his romantic lead, a chance run-in with an exasperated Fizzy offers Connor the perfect solution. What if he could show the queen of romance herself falling head-over-heels for all the world to see? Fizzy gives him a hard pass—unless he agrees to her list of demands. When he says yes, and production on The True Love Experiment begins, Connor wonders if that perfect match will ever be in the cue cards for him, too.

Review:

With a fun and flirty vibe, The True Love Experiment was so easy to devour! This story took place one year after The Soulmate Equation, and I definitely recommend reading that book first! There were so many easter eggs for feelings! This time around, a company was using the dating technology within a tv show. And watchers got to determine who would progress to the next level. Connor was in charge of the show and I loved that he knew he needed Fizzy to be the leading lady. So when Fizzy, an author, threw out that the males had to be tropey oh my heart exploded. I couldn’t wait to see how it all unfolded!

The world seems intent on beating us down, and I don’t remember the last time I was genuinely happy.

Fizzy was so different then I perceived her in The Soulmate Equation. She came across as bubbly, happy and fun in the previous book and in listening to her thoughts in this story she was cynical, jaded and could be harsh on men. She was stuck in a writing block, didn’t know if true love was for her and hadn’t had sex in a year. My heart hurt for her. But I struggled connecting with her at first. She could be so harsh and was quick to judge Connor without blinking an eye. She had no problems assuming and painting others as a villain. I was so thankful when I got to page 58 because then I finally saw the Fizzy I had fallen in love with! She started to mess with Connor and I loved that her playful ways were coming out! And I love that her friends were horrified when they learned that her first impression of him was soooo wrong *cheers for Connor!*. While Fizzy wasn’t one my favorite Christina Lauren character, I was so happy to see that she grew in leaps and bounds. And I loved her by the end of this story!

You’re going to be setting her up with other men. The reminder crashes into the forefront of my thoughts, and I blink away.

I loved Conor within those first few pages. I loved that he would agree to her outlandish terms! I loved how he had such an open and honest relationship with his ex, the mother of his daughter. That warmed my heart how he could confide and talk to her. She was such an amazing best friend for him. And I loved how they co-parented their daughter. Connor was sexy, good hearted, kind and loyal. The company Connor worked for was making a major pivot from socially conscious programming to reality television. And Connor was in charge. I was happy to know that he wasn’t aware of who Fizzy’s true match was, so I kept trying to guess as the pages unfolded. But at the same point, I was wondering how Connor would match up with her since there was a definite spark between them. And as Connor was in the background during the shoots, Fizzy couldn’t ignore him. She was pulled to him, as strongly as he was pulled to her!

I know what love looks like— and I’ve written it so many times— but I’ve never felt it myself.

I loved watching Connor and Fizzy form a true friendship as the story progressed. It was so effortless, once they got past their beginning hiccups. And we got to alternate this story between the two of them! Yet Fizzy wanted more. And I loved seeing how Connor wasn’t capable of compartmentalizing his feelings like Fizzy. He knew he couldn’t get his heart invested. So with Connor being the voice of reason, I wondered how long that would last haha. Because lines were crossed. And they both made not the best life decisions. Especially with contracts dictating behavior ack. So while their times were hot, they were also a recipe for disaster. And I kept waiting for it all to blow up in their faces. I loved them together, but it left a bad taste in my mouth that she wasn’t being in good faith for the show.

“This is a plot twist I should have expected,” I grumble.

So while I had so much fun devouring this story, I still had my hiccups. I struggled with Fizzy’s behavior at times, I didn’t like an aspect of Connor’s past, and their struggle later in the book just showed me that they could both be dumb at times *shrugs*. But things have a way of working out the way it should, and I loved the ending of this story! If you’re looking for a beach read and don’t have some of my issues, then this book is definitely will be it!

The sneakiest of thoughts escapes, unguarded: As great as these Heroes are, none are him.

BOOK REVIEW: Twice in a Blue Moon by Christina Lauren

May 23, 2023 / Jen / 6 Comments

Twice in a Blue Moon by Christina Lauren
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
Sam Brandis was Tate Jones’s first: Her first love. Her first everything. Including her first heartbreak.

During a whirlwind two-week vacation abroad, Sam and Tate fell for each other in only the way that first loves do: sharing all of their hopes, dreams, and deepest secrets along the way. Sam was the first, and only, person that Tate—the long-lost daughter of one of the world’s biggest film stars—ever revealed her identity to. So when it became clear her trust was misplaced, her world shattered for good.

Fourteen years later, Tate, now an up-and-coming actress, only thinks about her first love every once in a blue moon. When she steps onto the set of her first big break, he’s the last person she expects to see. Yet here Sam is, the same charming, confident man she knew, but even more alluring than she remembered. Forced to confront the man who betrayed her, Tate must ask herself if it’s possible to do the wrong thing for the right reason… and whether “once in a lifetime” can come around twice.

Review:

Twice in a Blue Moon was an enchanting tale of second chances. With beautiful scenery, characters that were easy to love and a story-line that was hard to put down, this story was so much fun! The only thing it was missing was either an epilogue or a few more chapters. Things moved pretty fast towards the end of this story, and I desperately needed to have more. That’s the only thing that prevented this from being 5 Stars.

Sam kissed me one more time and then hesitated. His cheeks flushed just before he admitted, “I think I’m falling in love with you. Is that crazy?”
Biting my lips was the only way to hold in my elated scream. Finally, I managed, “No. It isn’t crazy. Because, me too.”

Tate met Sam when they were both vacationing in Europe with their grandparents. I loved Sam and his grandpa right away! They were warm, kind and they felt like people you had known your whole life. I loved watching how Tate and Sam easily formed their friendship. They bonded over their similarities, like not being able to do things in life that were their passion. And it wasn’t long before they would confess everything to each other. And when there were touches, kisses and watching what felt like first love unfold, it was butterfly inducing! Their moments together in London felt magical. And I was excited for what could be when they got back to the states, even though there was so much distance between them. The first 100 plus pages of this story, I fell in love with them. Only to have the rug pulled beneath Tate and the readers’ feet. She was betrayed, and her life would never be the same.

It was only two weeks of my life, a long time ago, but I loved him. I remember the feeling; it’s still the only time I’ve ever felt it.

Tate was the daughter of one of the most famous actors and her identity had been given away. Her life had been a whirlwind since she got back from London. Now she was an actress, and was to be the star of a movie that was supposed to skyrocket her career even further. The script was beautiful, the role was life changing and there was something about the storyline that spoke to her. Yet when Tate arrived on set in Northern California, north of where she grew up, Sam was there. All of her feelings rushed back to her. Consuming her. And threatened the potential for her to nail this job. It was impossible not to be nervous with Sam and Tate around each other again. I didn’t know where they could go. But I was secretly hoping they could fix what destroyed them in the past. Or at least get answers so Tate could move on.

Charlie steps in front of me, blocking my view. I am so busted. “Why are we staring at Satan?”
“I wasn’t.”
“You were. Are you feeling nice things, Tate Jones?”
“I wasn’t— I just…” I lean to the side to peek again. “Is he crying?”
She doesn’t even turn around. “We don’t care if it cries. We aren’t even sure it has feelings, remember?”
“I remember,” I say dutifully, straightening and grinning at her.

I loved Tate! She could be so black and white, and harsh. But it made sense, her whole life had been taken away from her. She wasn’t able to hide anymore. So I got her anger and hurt towards Sam. I got her nerves over whether this would affect her ability to work. She never seemed to have solid footing. Especially with Sam back in the picture. And Sam? Well, I had already fallen in love with him when he was 21. And as an adult, I desperately wanted to watch him redeem himself. For there to be such a solid answer for why he did what he did. Or that we put the clues together wrong. So anytime he was around Sam, it was hard to ignore the electricity between them. What they had built in a few weeks couldn’t be ignored all of these years later. So I struggled with my feelings right along with Tate.

I shove him once and he stumbles back, landing against the side of the truck. My hands come to the front of his shirt, pulling the cotton into my fists, and I want to tear it off, dig my hands into the skin underneath and pull his heart free.

The other characters filled in the story perfectly. Tate’s dad, sigh. Even though I didn’t like him, it got to the point where it was impossible to separate my feelings from Tate. When she wanted to find that connection with her dad, I wanted that for her too. Probably my favorite side character was Charlie, her best friend. I adored her! Ohhh and Nick her co-worker and main lead in the movie. He helped Tate so much, he was impossible not to love! I wish he got his own story. And the setting felt like its own character. I grew up not that far from where parts of this story took place. So hearing about Guerneville, where I went to camp and drove through countless times, to The Coddingtown Mall I would frequent with friends and my mom, to even the area the movie was north of Point Arena, wow that one knocked the wind out of me because that area holds such a special place from my late teens to early 20s. So this story was so vivid! I felt like I was walking back through those locations and it made my heart so happy!

“Can you believe me, though?” he asks quietly. “That the worst thing I ever did was for the best reason I ever had?”

I loved how we not only got first love in a NA setting, but an Adult second chance romance too. It was very similar in that vein to Love and Other Words, which is one of my favorite books by them! So if you’re wanting a romance story that will make you fall in love. Have characters that are so easy to click with. And a storyline that makes it so easy to binge, definitely add this one to your tbr. Just make sure you’re okay with not getting a peak into the future, because that was my only hang-up!

BOOK REVIEW: Dating You/Hating You by Christina Lauren

March 6, 2023 / Jen / 6 Comments

Dating You/Hating You by Christina Lauren
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
Everyone knows that all’s fair in love and war. But these two will learn that sabotage is a dish best served naked.

A sexy, compulsively readable romantic comedy that dives headlong into the thrill and doubt of modern love, Dating You/Hating You by New York Times bestselling author Christina Lauren is the story of what two high-powered agents will—and won’t—do to get everything they ever wanted.

Despite the odds against them from an embarrassing meet-awkward at a mutual friend’s Halloween party, Carter and Evie immediately hit it off. Even the realization that they’re both high-powered agents at competing firms in Hollywood isn’t enough to squash the fire.

But when their two agencies merge—causing the pair to vie for the same position—all bets are off. What could have been a beautiful, blossoming romance turns into an all-out war of sabotage. Carter and Evie are both thirtysomething professionals—so why can’t they act like it?

Can Carter stop trying to please everyone and see how their mutual boss is really playing the game? Can Evie put aside her competitive nature long enough to figure out what she really wants in life? Can their actor clients just be something close to human? Whether these two Hollywood love/hatebirds get the storybook Hollywood ending, or just a dramedy of epic proportions, you get to enjoy Christina Lauren’s heartfelt, hilarious story of romance in the modern world.

Review:

Dating You / Hating You was a hilarious adult, enemies to lovers romance. Evie and Carter had the most adorable meet cute at a Halloween Party. It seemed like they were destined to be together, even if their friends may have had a hand in setting them up. And while they had similar jobs, at competing companies, they hit it off so easily. It was as if they could be friends or more without even trying. They were both quirky and complimented each other so well. So while they started the beginning of something, everything changed the moment their companies merged together. Evie and Carted were now competing for the same job, and only one of them could keep it.

I hate how funny he is, and I hate how much I want him to keep touching me. I hate this entire situation.

Evie cracked me up time and again with her honest thoughts. She worked in such a cut throat field, and I hated so many around her. Yet she loved her job and thrived at what she was doing. Carter was the first thing she seemed nervous about. She was finally going on a date, and with someone she liked. So when she learned she’d be competing for her job, against Carter, she tried to be nice. And helpful. But after a few mistakes by Carter, all bets were off. And Evie had NO problems playing dirty!

It feels like we’re standing on the deck of the Titanic as it goes down, saying, It’s gonna bob back up any second now.

Carter was adorkably cute and so kind. I loved his compliments. I loved how he paid attention. I loved how honest he was. And that he even called Evie, Evil! But his family life was something else. His brother was a famous photographer who was a jerk. And his parents, wow, I don’t even have words. But Carter loved his job and LA. This was his home and he wanted to keep his job. So while he had good intentions, sometimes things came off as sooooo wrong. While I was on Evie’s side a few times, it felt like the line was drawn deep in the sand between them. But through it all, he always seemed to be thinking of Evie.

This whole situation would be about a million times easier if I didn’t want to kiss him as much as I want to shove him.

When Carter and Evie worked together, it was so effortless. They truly made a formable team. Yet Evie and now Carter’s boss, Brad, seemed to remind them time and again that they were competing for the same job. So it was impossible for there not to be at war. They didn’t play nice and the games they played on each other were HILARIOUS! I was laughing so hard quite a few times that I had tears falling down my face. Yet I kept hoping that they would fall in love and get a happily ever after!

“I liked you,” he whispers.
An ache worms itself between my ribs when he says this, and my response comes out more raw than I’d planned: “I liked you, too.”
He stares at me, unblinking. “Evie—”
“I’m just glad I figured out who you really are before we got in too deep.”

Dating You / Hating You could easily be made into a romantic comedy movie! Between their texts, practical pranks and games they played against each other, this book was so funny! And the friendships they had with Daryl, Amelia, Carter and Stephanie rounded out this story so well! This story was such a fun enemies to lovers romance and another book I enjoyed by Christina Lauren!