a_stylish_bookworm's Reviews (1.53k)

I went in looking for a fun rom com and this felt more like a fiction with some romance. The story is told all in Bryony's POV and her inner dialogue, I wished we had Jack's POV. 

From her perspective, I don't know why she would want to date him. He seemed arrogant and manipulative. 

I did enjoy Bryony's dedication to her grandmother's ESL school and the people that were in the school. 

Karissa Vacker did a great job with the voices to bring the characters to life. 

Thank you to the publisher for a copy of the audiobook.

This series has been so fun and I have been wanting to get Sig and Chloe's story since the first book. I am also a sucker for forbidden romance and this one fits the bill. 

I love Sig and Chloe's meet cute and their slow burn. I did have some issues with Chloe and how clueless she was. I get that she was pampered and sheltered but it felt over the top. 

The story is fun and I liked how Bailey resolved their conflict. I do wish there was more interaction with Chloe's friends as they did in the other books. 

Callie Dalton, Teddy Hamilton both did a great job with the narration. 

Thank you @avonbooks @libro.fm for a copy of this.

This was an entertaining thriller with Maya, a reality star, married to a prominent family, the Sterling. The family all go into lockdown mode as the heiress, Arianna, is murdered and she names Maya as the successor to the wealth. 

The story is told in Maya and Arianna's POV. The story is set in the sprawling Sterling estate in England and we are introduced to other Sterling family members who wants to know why Maya and how do they get back what is theirs. 

Lots of secrets are revealed and the estate's creates an ominous backdrop to the story. You really have to suspend your belief for the twist but it was entertaining. Parts of the story drag a little for me and I felt that Colin, Maya's husband was so nondescript and wanted him to take a bigger role. I did enjoy Maya as a character who was complex and flawed. 

Thank you @bookmarked for a copy of the book.

I totally read this out of order and started with this book. Though, I was not confused by the characters at all, I will for sure go back and read their stories. 

We have Ollie and Briar who were each other's first love. Something happens and Ollie ghosts Briar. 15 years later, a chance encounter and amnesia brings them back together. Briar thinks she is engaged to Ollie and he plays along.

We get to see younger Ollie and Briar and what led to their heartbreak. I really enjoyed the friendships and text exchanges between Ollie and his friends. 

I also enjoyed the complex relationship between Ollie and his brother Seb. I am hoping we get Seb's story next. 

Christian Fox and Andi Arndt did a great job with narration and bringing all the emotions to life. 

Thank you @dreamscape_media @netgalley for a copy of the audiobook.

Thank you @prhaudio @berkleyromance for a copy of this. 

I love Sleepless in Seattle and when it's marketed as inspired by it, I had to read it. Like SIS, this story has Grayson, Lucie's daughter, calling into a radio station's romance hotline. The call goes viral and Lucie joins Aiden on the show. 

I love how their slow burn and tension as Lucie tries to find love. Aiden is so swoon worthy and my heart melted when he keeps a note of about Lucie. 

The found family of the story makes this story so good. I love that Grayson's dad is so invested in having Lucie find love too. 

E.J. Bingham and Hathaway Lee's narration was perfection with bringing the humor and tension to life.

The premise of this story caught my interest with a couple that never married, goes to Palm Springs and Grant disappears. 

We have Kim and Grant who has been together for 30 years and have twins girls that lives in Palm Springs for a change at Kim's gay ex husband's home. Kim is at crossroads on their relationship and questions their future.

The story is told in present during Grant'a search and rescue and the days leading up to his missing. I enjoyed seeing the before and their time in Palm Springs and all the characters that brought so much charm to the story. 

The mystery of Grant was a good focal point but this story is so much more. I thought the Karissa Vacker and Graham Halstead did a great job with narration. 

Thank you @stmartinspress @macmillan.audio for a copy of this book.

Books told in a different POV is a tough one for me. I loved the Flock series and had to read this in Dom's POV. There was a lot of repetition from the series which is what I don't like about a different POV with the same timeline. 

I did love seeing the caring side of him and his internal conflicts. Even though I knew what was going to happen to him, it still broke my heart. 

It was great to hear the narration of Joe Arden and Maxine Mitchell again, it was like homecoming to the series.

I love Rachel Reid and how she writes complex characters which is present in this second chance romance of hockey players. 

Adam and Riley were former hockey teammates moved on from each other. Adam decides to reappear in Riley's life during Riley's father's funeral service. I thought it was very selfish of Adam to try and rekindle old feelings out of the blue when Riley is hurting. 

Adam was a tough character for me to like. He needed to do more to prove his love for Riley. His reason for not coming out sounded very selfish. 

I started warning up to Adam a bit more on the second half of the story. 

I thought Greg Boudreaux did a great job with the narration and bringing these two characters to life. 

Thank you @harlequin_audio and publisher for a copy of the book.

This was a cute second chance romance between Rachel and Danny who gets reconnected during a class reunion. A lot of the story happens one night (the reunion) and there was a lot of situations that delayed their arrival to it. 

I through the flash back to the IM on AOL chats was really cute. The was marketed as frenemies to lovers but I didn't get the enemies vibe at all. I thought Rachel acted a little bit immature at times for someone her age. I do wish that we got a little bit of Danny's POV. 

Natalie Naudus did a good job with the narration. 

Thank you @avonbooks @harperaudio for a copy of the audiobook.

Thank you @thedialpress @prhaudio for a copy of the audiobook. 

This book picks right where book 1 ended so you must read it in order. Diana goes to Paris and reconnects with her first love, Jasper. This book continues to be messy with Diana's journey with her relationship with Oliver, her ex husband, her in laws (who she works for), her art and now Jasper. 

I am so vested in Diana's journey and appreciate how Diana and Oliver puts their daughter first. They are amazing parents despite the divorce. 

I hate that this of course ended with another major cliffhanger and I can't wait for the final book.

Beth Hicks did such a great job with the narration and pacing and got me hooked on Diana's situation.