Tag: Contemporary Romance (Page 24 of 90)

BOOK REVIEW: Beauty and the Baller (Strangers in Love #1) by Ilsa Madden-Mills

March 30, 2022 / Jen / 6 Comments

Beauty and the Baller was such a wonderful story! Check out my 4.5 Star Review below, enjoy ♥!

BOOK REVIEW: Beauty and the Baller (Strangers in Love #1) by Ilsa Madden-Mills

BOOK REVIEW: Beauty and the Baller (Strangers in Love #1) by Ilsa Madden-Mills

Beauty and the Baller (Strangers in Love #1)
by Ilsa Madden-Mills
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
An NFL quarterback turned small-town coach gets sacked by a Texas beauty queen in this swoony, passionate romance from Wall Street Journal bestselling author Ilsa Madden-Mills.

Gorgeous, talented, and brilliant, NFL quarterback Ronan Smith has the world in his hands. But after losing his career and his fiancée in a car accident, he falls into a pit of grief and bad choices. When a mysterious girl shows up to his party, he feels drawn to her and makes her his…for one night.

Former beauty queen Nova Morgan is on a mission. Scantily clad as a princess from a galaxy far, far away, she sneaks into a high-profile party to capture the attention of her favorite quarterback. But her hopes crash after an awful one-night stand.

Fast-forward two years. Broke and desperate, Nova returns home to Blue Belle, Texas, where, by a cosmic twist of fate, her broody neighbor is none other than Ronan, the shiny new football coach everyone adores. But he has no idea who she is.

The booster club keeps shoving women at Ronan to keep him in town. His solution? He proposes fake dating to Nova. But things heat up for real under these Friday-night lights when he realizes she’s the one who slipped away.

Has this jaded beauty found her forever baller, or will his past keep them apart?

Review:

I want to touch the stars, even if I get burned.

Beauty and the Baller was a sexy, swoony, angsty read! With a spunky cat, a lovable heroine and a sexy hero, this book was a lot of fun. Add in fake dating, small town charm and a wonderful HEA and this book was such a beautiful love story. If you like sexy, adult romance then you definitely need to check this one out!

“I like seeing you squirm,” she murmurs.
“Why?”
“Payback.” A slow blush works up from her neck to her face as she mutters something under her breath.
“What was that?”
She clears her throat. “Just . . . life has a funny sense of humor.”

Ronan Smith had a tragic past. His fiancé was killed in the car wreck that also killed his professional football career. While still struggling a year later, Ronan found himself having a one night stand with someone he actually felt a connection to. Too bad for Ronan, Nova Morgan saw it as a horrible and left before he woke up. I just want to say I screamed noooooo out loud over something that went down, so I got why Nova bailed afterwards….you’ll see lol. Two years later, fate had them both living in the same small town, neighbors and unable to escape one another at every turn.

I’m Ronan Smith and . . . I pause as clarity runs through my head. I want my life back, no matter what that may be.
Closing my eyes, I touch the ring around my neck.
Today is when everything changes.

Ronan was in Blue Belle Texas coaching their high school football team. With the small town scared that they could lose their coach, they went to unimaginable lengths to keep him. Especially their attempts to set him up with every single female. So when Nova re-entered his life, he didn’t remember her. He just knew that she wanted nothing to do with him, unlike everyone else. So when he proposed that they fake date, to solve both of their problems, I was so happy when she said yes! Yes Ronan had some growing to do, but I absolutely loved him. Jaded characters always sneak so easily into my heart. And when Ronan started to show us little bits of himself, I just knew he was so much more than meets the eye.

“Everything will be fine. We’re different flowers from the same garden, but we’re perfect together. Mama always said so.”

Nova was completely unique. She was someone who knew what she wanted and went after it, like dressing up in the past as a Star Wars character to win over Ronan for their one night stand. She loved telling us about the outfits she was wearing. She had so much sass. But her life completely flipped upside down when she gained custody of her high school aged sister, since her mother passed away. While trying her best to raise Sabine, Nova definitely had her hands full. This story was an emotional journey for Nova too, and Ronan helped play a big part of that. But Nova had no problems pushing Ronan’s buttons. And telling him when he was being a jerk, I actually clapped out loud in one scene lol.

I literally have no idea what I’ve gotten myself into. On the outside, I’m cool, but on the inside, I’m quivering with uncertainty.

The way the fake dating played out was so much fun! The touching. The kissing. Showing the town that they were together. And time and again they crossed that line of what was real and what was fake. Because Ronan and Nova definitely wanted to rip each other’s clothes off. The passion between them was so intense. And when things did develop between them, it was extremely sexy and hot! But Ronan was terrified to feel and he didn’t want to love. His past still haunted him. Except when he was around Nova, it was impossible not to feel. And for Nova, each time Ronan showed a true piece of himself to her, it was hard to keep him away from her heart. It didn’t matter that they didn’t want anything to happen, there was no stopping it!

My head tells me to keep the walls up around us, but the other side of me—my stupid, weak heart—clamors to tell him things.

This story was rounded out so well with some fabulous side characters. I’m looking at you Skeeter, Sabine and Sonia! And I loved the feel of the small town charm that was laced throughout this story. Plus not only did Nova and Ronan’s love story cause me to laugh so much, but I even shed a tear. Beauty and the Baller was a wonderful, adult romance that many will fall hard for!

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

About Ilsa Madden-Mills:

Wall Street Journal, New York Times and USA Today best-selling author Ilsa Madden-Mills is best known for her angsty new adult romances and romantic comedies.

Eight of her eleven novels have placed in the Amazon Top 10 Best-seller List: Dirty English #1; Fake Fiancée and I Dare You #2; I Bet You, Filthy English, and Very Bad Things #6; Boyfriend Bargain #8; The Last Guy, her collaboration with Tia Louise, #4.

A former high school English teacher, she adores all things Pride and Prejudice, and of course, Mr. Darcy is her ultimate hero.

She’s addicted to frothy coffee beverages, cheesy magnets, and any book featuring unicorns and sword-wielding females. Feel free to stalk her online.

Amazon I Instagram I Mailing List I Goodreads I Bookbub I Book+Main I Website

Join her Unicorn Girls Group on FB, the best way to keep up here.

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Twice Shy by Sarah Hogle

March 1, 2022 / Chelsea / 4 Comments

Twice Shy by Sarah Hogle
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
Can you find real love when you've always got your head in the clouds?

Maybell Parish has always been a dreamer and a hopeless romantic. But living in her own world has long been preferable to dealing with the disappointments of real life. So when Maybell inherits a charming house in the Smokies from her Great-Aunt Violet, she seizes the opportunity to make a fresh start.

Yet when she arrives, it seems her troubles have only just begun. Not only is the house falling apart around her, but she isn't the only inheritor: she has to share everything with Wesley Koehler, the groundskeeper who's as grouchy as he is gorgeous--and it turns out he has a very different vision for the property's future.

Convincing the taciturn Wesley to stop avoiding her and compromise is a task more formidable than the other dying wishes Great-Aunt Violet left behind. But when Maybell uncovers something unexpectedly sweet beneath Wesley's scowls, and as the two slowly begin to let their guard down, they might learn that sometimes the smallest steps outside one's comfort zone can lead to the greatest rewards.

It’s rough when you have a nature that begs you to avoid heartache at all costs but also makes you wear your heart on your sleeve.

When sifting through my to be read, deciding what to read, I definitely have a type. Call me old fashioned, but I like what I like, and not much else is going to make me happy. I look for the broody heroes-the most tortured, even. I pine for snarky enemies-lovers, tension radiating off every page. I soar through the witty and over-the-top banter, absorbing it into my cranium like some sort of demented sponge, all the while giggling ’Oh they are so into each other’. I am a creature of habit and I rarely deviate from my formulas, especially for romance. So, tension tension tension, thy name is Chelsea. But this-this was…not that.

He tries to silent-treatment me into giving up. It almost works, but my discomfort with long silences prompts me to react strangely and I throw both of us off by giving him a wink.
He stares at me, wide eyed, like I’ve grown another head. “What the hell was that?”
“A wink?”
“Winking is weird.”
“You’re weird.”
“That’s a bizarre thing to do, shutting your eye at someone.”
I shrug. “It can be kinda hot, I think.”

And can I tell you how happy I am that it wasn’t? Look, I am all for that battle of wits and superiority, the sometimes childish neglect of not realizing what’s in front of you (hellooooooo he has not left your side the entire book-boy’s INTO YOU), but there are some [very few] rare [very rare] occurrences where being happy just…makes me happy. And this…this is that book.

Not to be dramatic, but I would rather drink battery acid than be in the throes of a crush.

And I’m mad- SO mad – that we women (or whomever) can’t just enjoy happy go lucky books (I mean, maybe that’s just me that needs some drama?) that show us what a sweet man really can be like. I’ll admit I’m the biggest duck in the puddle here when I say that happiness throughout an entire book can be a snoozefest-I just need SOMETHING to keep me hanging onto their every moment together or word not said-it’s in my DNA to be a HUNDRED perCENT THAT bitch that needs the push and pull and-okay-surely that’s why this book has such a low rating. Because there is no way people are sleeping on Wesley and Maybell that way-no sir- because they are flawless. Literally-

-without a single flaw. Ya know, besides being perfect, naturally. BUT. All joking aside, I truly do not get the disconnect between Sarah Hogle and readers. Yes, YDEO is deemed popular (or so it seems, I don’t know) and yet it has a less than stellar rating on Goodreads (who even ARE you people?) and it’s rarely a book I hear mentioned. Now THIS masterpiece of fluff and marshmallows and rainbows

has an even lower rating. WTF? HOW? I get it-it’s so sweet, its saccharine.

(I literally picture this when I think of this book)

But like…Wesley? Did you even MEET him? And the beginning was fabulous. There was banter. He was broody. She was lonely and quirky and sweet without direction. Literally Grumpy/Sunshine gold. And-yes-it does get into perfect territory where he and she are just adorable together and there really isn’t question they won’t end up together, no real formulaic climax (I suppose) or question of how they can work something out, but there are real life issues expressed.

I’ve only ever wanted to be liked, and I’ve only ever wanted to be liked by absolutely everybody I come in contact with, however temporarily and inconsequentially. It’s my most dominant and simultaneously weakening driving force, which leads to my toning down various wants and needs in order to make myself digestible, easy to get along with. The essence of Maybell Parrish is painfully sensitive, and if you touched it, it would retract and try to surrender. For better or worse (and I’ve certainly tried to be anyone but myself), I am a wobbly white flag.

There are real life issues tackled. And there are real life issues that aren’t resolved (realistic) but acknowledged and led to believe they are an ongoing project. This book, while specially made with a purposefully head-in-the-clouds heroine, is realistic beyond belief and it’s so wonderfully mundane (YES I am making this a positive, get over it) I may call it transcendent for simply being.

From my position on the ground he’s about eight feet up, watching me with Oh, no written all over his face.
“There’s no escaping me,” I tell him. It comes out sounding disturbingly ominous.

Sarah Hogle has undoubtedly reached a level where she has become my favorite contemporary author to date. She is funny. She is always sarcastic-even sweet Maybell had Naomi vibes (thank, Jeebus). And all the characters are all just so…realistic.

Maybell Parrish doesn’t make waves. She doesn’t even make ripples.

They are not sex gods or relationship experts and they make mistakes time and again…but they are all the more relatable for it…and now, opening up one of Hogle’s books gives me inner peace and warmth that cannot be manufactured nor forced. She is my happy place.

My mind is a fanciful storybook that loves symbolism and parallels. It invents romantic notions, where there often aren’t any, in everyday life situations. It has led me to perceive many a man in a nobler light than he deserved, and it’s told me bad situations were meant to be as a coping mechanism to make them bearable.

If her first book was antagonistic and about getting back at a significant other, becoming even, this one was the exact opposite in that it was about doing everything you can to be equal and showing you care. But both, in the end, were about being accepted for who you are-all the good and ALL the bad, guards down-and being loved wholly for it, and isn’t that the most beautiful and amazing thing? Parallels, amirite?

I squint at my painting, straining to view it through someone else’s eyes. It isn’t recommended. I slip back behind my own eyes again and ponder the merits of paint-by-numbers wall hangings. Would that be considered cheating?

Being loved fully, always, teaching us to embrace our flaws and love ourselves for who we are and not who we think we should be. Speaking the truths we didn’t know we needed to hear, but changing us imperceptibly and for the better, life lessons learned masked by witty banter and laughs at the others’ expense. I think this woman may just be a genius. It’s about being seen…and even the most self-actualized of us can probably admit that’s our largest insecurity-not being seen for who we are beneath the surface. And-I’ll say it again-isn’t that the damndest thing…to have some author come out of nowhere and call you out like that. Couldn’t be me.

*PS- I relate so wholeheartedly to her heroines. Whether it’s too shy, too gullible, too snarky, the mean, snarky thoughts about a significant other (YDEO), I just love how I AM THESE GIRLS.

*PPS- THE POP CULTURE REFERENCES SPRINKLED THROUGHOUT. RIP ME.

*****

Y’all are sleeping on this wonderful amazing out – of – this – world chaotic author. I do NOT understand the low ratings.

RTC!!!!

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BOOK REVIEW: The Love Hypothesis (The Love Hypothesis #1) by Ali Hazelwood

February 1, 2022 / Chelsea / 4 Comments

The Love Hypothesis (The Love Hypothesis #1)
by Ali Hazelwood
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
As a third-year Ph.D. candidate, Olive Smith doesn't believe in lasting romantic relationships--but her best friend does, and that's what got her into this situation. Convincing Anh that Olive is dating and well on her way to a happily ever after was always going to take more than hand-wavy Jedi mind tricks: Scientists require proof. So, like any self-respecting biologist, Olive panics and kisses the first man she sees.

That man is none other than Adam Carlsen, a young hotshot professor--and well-known ass. Which is why Olive is positively floored when Stanford's reigning lab tyrant agrees to keep her charade a secret and be her fake boyfriend. But when a big science conference goes haywire, putting Olive's career on the Bunsen burner, Adam surprises her again with his unyielding support and even more unyielding... six-pack abs.

Suddenly their little experiment feels dangerously close to combustion. And Olive discovers that the only thing more complicated than a hypothesis on love is putting her own heart under the microscope.

Review:

His hand closed into a fist on the table, jaw clenched tight as he nodded. “Awesome. We could chat about how nice this place is—” “It’s appalling.” “—or the taste of the sushi—” “Foot.” “—or the best movie in the Fast and Furious franchise—” “Fast Five. Though I have a feeling you’re going to say—” “Tokyo Drift.” “Right.” He sighed.

No words can truly describe what I’m feeling right now. Surely they’re inadequate-or repetitive-since all I’ve done is gush about contemporaries for weeks now, but there’s something more, I fear, to be said that hasn’t before. I don’t quite know what it is, but in all the books I’ve read within the last month, they’ve all had such an intensely unique quality so embedded into them that you couldn’t possibly take away their ability to reach deep into your soul…if that is, in fact, what you were looking for. But no, The Love Hypothesis didn’t necessarily knock any of my other new discoveries out of top place, only…joined them. But I’d be lying if I said the word I was looking for wasn’t ‘special’. This book was special. And I think the damnedest thing is this-it’s special simply for coming into existence, and special because of the wonderful things it made me feel.

“Though, I’ve been thinking about this a lot.” He waited patiently for her to continue. “And I think that it would be best if we laid down some ground rules. Before starting.” “Ground rules?” “Yes. You know. What we are allowed and not allowed to do. What we can expect from this arrangement. I think that’s pretty standard protocol, before embarking on a fake-dating relationship.” He tilted his head. “Standard protocol?” “Yup.” “How many times have you done this?” “Zero. But I am familiar with the trope.” “The . . . what?” He blinked at her, confused.

Cut the melodrama and what you really have here is just a perfectly imperfect romance book that busted through my not-so-intact-at-the-moment crusty exterior. It really just slid into it’s place beside The Spanish Love Deception and You Deserve Each Other like it belonged and…that’s not wrong? It’s scarily accurate how happy this book made me. That’s not to say it didn’t have its flaws that did poke at me, but, in a way, they were so minute, so worthless a flaw that I really struggle to even bring them up.

“You put in expired contacts?” He sounded personally offended. “Just a little expired.” “What’s ‘a little’?” “I don’t know. A few years?” “What?” His consonants were sharp and precise. Crisp. Pleasant. “Only just a couple, I think.” “Just a couple of years?” “It’s okay. Expiration dates are for the weak.” A sharp sound—some kind of snort. “Expiration dates are so I don’t find you weeping in the corner of my bathroom.”

Did it perhaps have too many amazing tropes? Did the love interest fall right into the category of enemy turned ally turned friend turned ‘oh wait he is and was always into me’? Was Olive your typically dense about who the hero is into heroine?

Yes. The answer is all of the above. But here’s the kicker-where some may label these weaknesses, they are actually their strengths. (Yes, this whole paragraph was a love letter to Michael Scott.)

I like tried and true tropes. They are just….I’m sorry-if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. But, like, do it better? And did the author do them ‘better’? I don’t know, really, but what I DO know is that she did them well. And, I’m just going to say it here: I freaking LOVE the inexperienced heroine trope. SUE ME. I DO NOT CARE. When done right…that shit is

And here…it was just…okay: admission time. My weak little fantasy heart about burst every minute of every part of these last few books because of the-ahem-intimate scenes because I. DO NOT. READ. MANY. SEX SCENES. So. All these contemporaries I’m devouring at once (unintentional but I’ve leaned into it)? They are sending my libido into a spiral because she is not used to using the red hot sweaty emoji…and I have sent it to Arielle no less than…hmmm….30 times between these three top books I’ve read? I can’t even.

Like I said, I’m goo, and I’m a sucker for these tropes and I will clearly die on that hill, but-I digress-back to this particular….thing. This was done so well. So NOT cheesy. So NOT uncomfortable or weird or out of the park that not once did I kind of pause and think about how to digest that sentiment (lol) or that move, or that moment. It was perfect. It was adorable. It just totally made the book. It made me so giddy and so happy and gave me the most butterflies. And….this is the first time I’ve ever (in recent history, perhaps I did years ago) addressed sex in my review. I steer clear of that but this-It feels important, ya know? And, oddly, I hold it near and dear to my heart, clutched closely within my talons.

It was an even fancier hotel, and Olive rolled her eyes, wondering why people felt the need to waste thousands of dollars in lodgings for Adam Carlsen when he barely paid attention to his surroundings. They should just give him a cot and donate the money to worthy causes. Endangered whales. Psoriasis. Olive.

BUT. ANYWAY. Enough of writing about sex like a creep-Olive. Olive was that heroine that you find yourself so protective over. I’ve read quite a few contemps in this abomination of a binge and I’ve rolled my eyes a LOT at the naivety of these MCs. AS IF YOU COULD NOT TELL THESE MEN ARE IN LOVE WITH YOU- COME. ON. But Olive. She’s-again-special.

“Carlsen. Is he blackmailing you? Did he find out that you’re an aberration and pee in the shower?” “First of all, it’s time efficient.” Olive glared. “Second, I find it oddly flattering that you’d think Carlsen would go to these ridiculous lengths to get me to date him.” “Anyone would, Ol. Because you’re awesome.” Anh grimaced before adding, “Except when you’re peeing in the shower.”

She has this thing where she doesn’t process emotions, doesn’t really fall too deep, doesn’t…feel things. I don’t know. She’s been alone in the world, so she doesn’t want to cross any lines to lose the ones she DOES have in her life (excusing a few missteps, I’d say), and her social cues are okay at best. And instead of it annoying me when she assumes things and doesn’t quite get it-or understand-what’s going on, it’s endearing (to me), precious. You want her to see but…then again…you LIKE her NOT to see because you know that payoff will be, again…

SPOILER ALERT: It was. It was SO worth it. My lord.

He studied her for a few seconds. “Does that seem like a likely scenario to you?” “About as likely as me fake-dating you.” He nodded, as if conceding her point. “Okay. Black, I guess.” She snorted. “Figures.” “What’s wrong with black?” He frowned. “It’s not even a color. It’s no colors, technically.” “It’s better than vomit green.” “No, it isn’t.” “Of course it is.”

And then Adam-Dr. Carlsen. Can we just take a moment to appreciate all these special men Chelsea has decided to horde in her closet? There’s enough room, it’s a walk-in. I gave them each their own shelf for when I’m feeling low (tonight is one of those, I wonder who I’ll visit? (ADAM)). Joking (Not really). But Adam. Dear, sweet Adam. Man, what an ass. What an absolute ass to not care what people think of him. To not care they might judge him because he is dating a student. What a JERK to jump right on board to help Olive out, to always be there for her and to provide her with days worth of food because she really can’t afford it herself. Man. I just can’t. I can’t believe this asshole, always looking out for Olive. (See. See what I did there?)

“Adam? Are you okay?” He stared at her cup and took a step back. “The smell of that thing.” Olive inhaled deeply. Heaven. “You hate pumpkin spice latte?” He wrinkled his nose, moving even farther away. “Gross.” “How can you hate it? It’s the best thing your country has produced in the past century.” “Please, stand back. The stench.” “Hey. If I have to choose between you and pumpkin spice latte, maybe we should rethink our arrangement.” He eyed her cup like it contained radioactive waste. “Maybe we should.”

All jokes aside, Adam was that silent guy, the eat your feelings guy, the one who inevitably has unrequited love for a girl who doesn’t see him as anything other than the most highly acclaimed professor at her university and most notably known jerk and know-it-all. But you can see, always, what he is doing for her, how he is always there for her when she needs it, when she’s low-always encouraging her and her biggest support. And when she is breaking his heart with her words, I LOVED this author for highlighting those moments, letting us see the jaw clench (yesss), the shuttered eyes of disappointment (ohhh boy), and the swallows-oh those tortured male lead gulps of ‘I’ll take whatever you give me but damn if you’re not breaking my heart’ (mmmmmm OMGGGGG combusting). As you can see, I am not impartial and I am biased. Take of this review what you will.

“I wish you could see yourself the way I see you”

All this being said, I’ve only really gushed and only really talked about things in a super spazz manner (There is a reason I wait a couple days after finishing to write a more coherent review) and probably haven’t convinced you one way or another-your loss-other than deciding I’m off my rocker and you really now know I am certifiably crazy, you’ve confirmed this (though, to be fair, I’ve warned you many a time). But, I like to think that the happiest moments are what will drive a reader to WANT to try a book. When I see a quote I love from a book I don’t know, and I get those INSTANT butterflies…I know I’m in for, at minimum, at least that one epic moment that the quote was derived from. And, ya know, that’s really what reading is about. Yes, a couple things bothered me, and it took a while for me to decide I loved it…but when I did? It was magical. And I hope it’ll be magical for you, too.

“I’m starting to wonder if this is what being in love is. Being okay with ripping yourself to shreds, so the other person can stay whole.”

*****

Guys. Guys. My heart. My heart. I cannot form words. I cannot form sentences. I’m laying here in a pile of goo feels and I don’t WANT to be whole again. This book was so perfectly imperfect and just…all the best tropes. I want to cocoon myself in these feelings and never let go…but that’s not how it works and I’ll just have to find a way to hold onto this feeling for as long as possible.

For now? Rereading all my favorite parts. They include Adam, of course. And…well, it’s all the parts. I wana re read ALL the parts. Lord help me.

BOOK REVIEW: The Upside of Falling by Alex Light

November 12, 2019 / Cassie / 3 Comments

The Upside of Falling by Alex Light
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
It’s been years since seventeen-year-old Becca Hart believed in true love. But when her former best friend teases her for not having a boyfriend, Becca impulsively pretends she’s been secretly seeing someone.

Brett Wells has it all. Being captain of the football team and one of the most popular guys in school, he should have no problem finding someone to date, but he’s always been more focused on his future than who to bring to prom. When he overhears Becca’s lie, Brett decides to step in and be her mystery guy. It’s the perfect solution: he gets people off his back for not dating and she can keep up the ruse.

Acting like the perfect couple isn’t easy though, especially when you barely know the other person. But with Becca still picking up the pieces from when her world was blown apart years ago and Brett just barely holding his together now, they begin to realize they have more in common than they ever could have imagined. When the line between real and pretend begins to blur, they are forced to answer the question: is this fake romance the realest thing in either of their lives?

I mean, there’s a reason all books end right after the couple gets together. No one wants to keep reading long enough to see the happily ever after turn into an unhappily ever after. Right?

Thank you so much to Edelweiss, Harper TEEN and Alex Light for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Upside of Falling is an adorable book that plays with the fake relationship trope, which is easily one of my favorite tropes. So when I saw that there was a new book coming out with this front and center, I knew I had to have my hands on it. And once I had it, I read it in less than 24 hours haha. I couldn’t put it down.

TUoF centers on Becca Hart and Brett Wells. Becca loves to read romance books, but has never experienced true love in real life. She lives with her mother and helps with her local bakery. Becca doesn’t have too many close friends, especially since her former best friend found herself in the popular crowd and left Becca behind.

Brett Wells, meanwhile, seems to have everything going for him. He’s popular and captain of the football team. He’s smart and kind and his parents dote on him. However, he’s just focused on getting out of high school and securing a college scholarship to make his parents proud. He’s too busy to focus on normal high school things, like girlfriends, and has no problem with that.

That is, until one day when he hears Becca telling a lie about having a boyfriend, he decides to jump in and be that boyfriend. Becca is shocked but goes with it as well and the two come to an easy arrangement. Becca gets to have a popular boyfriend, while Brett gets his parents off his back about having a girlfriend without all the drama and commitment. What could go wrong?

“First you run away when I kiss you. Now you want to break up with me when we haven’t even been dating for a day. Way to break a guy’s heart, Hart.” He poked my leg. “See what I did there?”

I’ve never read To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before (sorry!) but I have seen the movie twice and there’s definitely some similarities in terms of them coming up with ground rules, assimilating between their worlds and the fact that both of them, not surprisingly, might begin to feel real feelings.

There’s a lot of wonderful themes in this book past teenagers falling in love for the first time, such as complicated friendships, how complicated relationships with parents can be and the feeling of rejection from those you care about.

If I had to provide any kind of constructive feedback, it mostly boils down to two things: It doesn’t bring anything particularly new to the genre and I wanted more from it. Don’t get me wrong, I adored this book, but I didn’t find anything, outside of maybe the complicated family dynamics, to be new and awe inspiring. I wish the trope had been twisted more, but I imagine that was not the author’s intent. And when I say more, I feel at 288 pages, it was a little light. I would have loved to see this be a little longer, so the relationship between Becca and Brett could have been more complex. It hit all the right notes, but I felt like it was skimming toward the top. I feel we could have gotten a little more in depth with these two and given the book a little more weight.

But overall, I adored this book. If you are looking for a fairly fluffy and happy YA romance, especially with the fake dating relationship trope, you won’t be disappointed. I certainly wasn’t.

The Upside of Falling is available February 18, 2020.

“I’m confused,” I said, “because one day we were strangers and then, bam, we were pretending to be in love. All these lines between what was real and what was fake started to blur and I can’t tell the two apart anymore.”

“Just because we were pretending doesn’t mean it wasn’t real.”

BOOK REVIEW & GIVEAWAY: Wrapped Up in You (Heartbreaker Bay #8) by Jill Shalvis

September 23, 2019 / Jen / 6 Comments

I absolutely adored this book! So check out my review below and enter in a fabulous giveaway to win a copy of the first book in this series! Enjoy!

BOOK REVIEW & GIVEAWAY: Wrapped Up in You (Heartbreaker Bay #8) by Jill Shalvis Wrapped Up in You (Heartbreaker Bay #8)
by Jill Shalvis
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

It’s love. Trust me.

After a lifetime on the move, Ivy Snow is an expert in all things temporary—schools, friends, and way too many Mr. Wrongs. Now that she owns a successful taco truck in San Francisco and an apartment to call home, Ivy’s reinvented life is on solid ground. And she’s guarded against anything that can rock it. Like the realities of a past she’s worked hard to cover up. And especially Kel O’Donnell. Too hot not to set off alarms, he screams temporary. If only his whispers weren’t so delightfully naughty and irresistible.

Kel, an Idaho sheriff and ranch owner, is on vacay, but Ivy’s a spicy reason to give his short-term plans a second thought. Best of all, she’s a tonic for his untrusting heart, burned once and still in repair. But when Ivy’s past intrudes on a perfect romance, Kel fears that everything she’s told him has been a perfect lie. Now, if only Ivy’s willing to share, Kel will fight for a true love story.

Review:

Wrapped up in You was a feel good story that ended with the most perfect epilogue. It was so emotional that I had tears in my eyes and you couldn’t knock the smile off my face! If you aren’t familiar with the Heartbreaker Bay Series, each book can easily be read as a standalone. Each one is about a different friend finding their happily ever after, but I definitely recommend going back and reading the previous books in this series! I heart them so much! So if you adore love stories that are complex and heartfelt, a group of friends you want to be a part of and a hero that’ll make you swoon hard, then pick this one up!

She’d been making up stories about her family since she’d been little, each different, each more exciting than the last, and all as far from the truth as she could possibly get. Because the truth wasn’t a story, it was a nightmare.

I loved Ivy Snow in the previous book Playing for Keeps, since she was Sadie’s best friend. Ivy was sassy, tough and always helped others. And I loved that she took care of herself and ran the local taco truck. But while growing up, Ivy had a hard life. She was wounded and damaged from her past. Even her closest friend Sadie didn’t truly know all there was about her. But from the moment Ivy met Kel, there were sparks between them and just his presence alone threatened to tear down her high walls.

“Okay, I’ll give this to you—you’re funny. And maybe also sexy as hell, but this isn’t happening, Cowboy.”
**He’d take sexy as hell any day of the week. “We’re just talking.”
“Uh-huh,” she said dryly.**

Kel O’Donnell was the cousin of Caleb, who was engaged to Ivy’s best friend. He was a cowboy from Idaho, who was on a two week leave from being a sheriff. I quickly fell for Kel, it was so effortless. He was a good guy who was protective of his friends and jumped right into situations to help others. But there was so much mystery surrounding this man. From why he was taking a leave to what was going on with his family that lived in SF. While we slowly started to learn about his past, I just wanted to hug and protect him, and never let him go.

**He hadn’t had much to smile about in a damn long time, but something about Ivy, hell, everything about Ivy made him feel . . . lighter.**

Kel and Ivy felt like two peas in a pod. They were both damaged by their pasts and jaded from family. Plus they both had huge walls around their hearts. But any time they were together, sparks flew and their banter made me smile and laugh. It all felt so natural, but at the same time magical. And while Ivy tried to put up a fight, to not let him get to her, I loved that she started to waiver when mystery and suspense took hold of her life. But he was supposed to head back home to Idaho after two weeks in San Francisco. And while Ivy had never put roots down, this was the first time she truly had a home and friends.

He stroked the pad of his thumb over her lower lip, kissed it again and then did what he didn’t want to do, what he was starting to realize he would never want to do—leave her.

Wrapped up in You was a complex love story that will pull at your heart. Ivy and Kel both made mistakes with each other and they had a very bumpy path. And while this was an emotional story, there was the banter, tentative friendship and heat between Kel and Ivy that rounded out this story perfectly. Plus their friends added so much lightness too. So yes, I absolutely adored this book and I can’t wait to read the next one in the Heartbreaker Bay Series!

Buy Links:

Read the First Chapter:

Read the First Chapter at https://www.jillshalvis.com/excerpts/wrapped-up-in-you

About Jill Shalvis:

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jill Shalvis writes warm, funny, sexy contemporary romances and women’s fiction. An Amazon, BN & iBooks bestseller, she’s also a two-time RITA winner and has more than 10 million copies of her books sold worldwide.

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