bandherbooks's Reviews (3.65k)

Women's fic in a rom com wrapper, with the majority of the vast plot points focusing on Cara's nosy, annoying, and also sort of shitty and selfish friends and family. With tinges of Bridget Jones' Diary with a fish out of water romance (he's a rich, titled, and white English aristo), plus a sort of love triangle and SECRETS about Cara's past breakup with the former love of her life and her love interest's own secret he just "doesn't want to talk about," this all felt pieced together. The premise, "the second time we met" is completely resolved after the missed connection in the prologue and Chapter 1 when they've already reconnected. This is more of a let's try to make this work story with a late third act breakup versus a romance.

Ugh. Also, there's unfortunate Harry Potter references, and a whole thing with a friend's aspiring music career getting derailed by legal woes, and more. I was bored, sorry. This is not a b book, but I listened to it for work. The narrator was charming and did a great job on the voices, and may make the book for those who go through audio at a quick clip.

SPOILERS BELOW, stop here if you don't want to know.

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MY BIGGEST annoyance were the 'secrets' as we are in Cara's POV and she's determined to not discuss at all why she and her ex Nick broke up (and why she was so destroyed by it). It turns out SPOILER that he wanted her to faff off and roam the world, she wanted to settle down, and then she told him she had gotten pregnant and he left, after asking her to get an abortion (which she refused). and then she had a miscarriage, which left her with massive depression. She refused to tell anyone, and has lived with this while her family and friends get pushing her to get back with the ex.

Also, I'm sorry but a white man, THE LOVE INTEREST, telling Cara his secret is (a Black woman second gen immigrant) that his life is ALSO SO HARD because he had an accident that left him paralyzed for a few months, that upset him so he talked about ending his life because of it, didn't sit right with me.

Why these secrets? Overall the tone was silly and campy, and then these were like big, traumatic things that just felt off tonally.

Anyway, not for me. The writing was lovely. The pacing was poor and the topics were not for me.

probably more of a 3.5, but ended up being one I'm glad I finished. I would have DNF'ed this if I wasn't reviewing the audio for Library Journal as the start is quite slow, but once I hit the 40% mark it picked up a lot.

Single POV, featuring a gorilla expert and zookeeper who struggles with work life balance who develops feelings for TV star Kai, host of THE WILD SIDE, an animal education series much like The Crocodile Hunter. I felt this story skewed slight more into Lucy's personal journey, but overall I felt satisfied with the romance too. Kai is sexy as hell, and at first I thought Lucy was being quite mean to him for not great reasons at all (judgey judgey was a bear), but I appreciated she took ownership after some cringe-y moments and learning that she shouldn't make assumptions, just like others do about her.

I very much appreciated the mom issues developed in this story for both Lucy and Kai, and where those issues were left at the end (no magical fixes, big boundaries being set, some bridges tentatively being planned), and at first the gorilla stuff was a bit too much but I made it through!

Also, bravo to making Lucy a stalwart no-kids ever person, so much so her crappy ex was trying to convince her to change her mind so she got rid of him. yay! loved that.

This is again heavier than that sunny cover denotes, and I would love to see this developed for screen because it would work very well on it.

The narrator also did a great job with the voices, including Kai's sort of mixed bag South African/Aussie/British mix explained by his moving around constantly.

Glad i stuck this one out.

BIG content note - there is a really sad animal death (both in the past, discussed and a major part of the plot) so do take care if you are sensitive to that. it was really sad.

Amir wants to convince Monroe to attend his family's Thanksgiving—even though she previously attended on the arm of his uncle. Monroe is not interested in creating family drama, but Amir's dimples and the way he seems to want to make everything official makes his offer, and his sweet potato pie he swears he perfected, impossible to resist.

Starts with a bang, short, steamy, and fun. Grandma steals the show and I'm excited to read about the other Fiennes family men novelettes!

this was so charming and me actually laughing out loud, especially the part in monster resources with the VHS tape about "mate bonding at work." I was also delighted to find a spicy illustration tucked away in a sexy scene.

Khent really stole the show for me, despite not being in his POV at all. He's so uptight and buttoned up until he's mate bonded and can't help but EAT and PROTECT. He can write such professional emails but also eat you out like a champ. Amazing. Head canon is hipster hulk from the MCU.

I was so glad there was an epilogue, as love laugh lich by the same author ended so abruptly mid coitus at the end and it made me big mad.

Super fun read!

i lost my book, have now found it but i'll need to start over and i don't have time right now.

A voyeur explores her personal kink at a private play party, running into her boss's twin brother who she had a meet disaster with before starting to work at their company. They both think the other hates them, but turns out they have a lot of mutual lust and longing to work out, together.

I really enjoyed the aspects of BDSM/Play parties and learning more about the lifestyle, and how Kit is able to explore her things without pressure and with partners and friends who are willing to take the time to show her and let her watch. I also enjoyed that Nate was able to play with another partner while Kit watched (before Nate and Kit decided to finally hook up) and it was about jealousy at all. Lots of great, verbal consent and scene negotiation.

My quibble is when Nate and Kit finally do go to hookup, Kit starts hitting Nate out of frustration. I think it is supposed to be coded as cute, but I dislike that personally so much it soured me when they finally got to their very sexy scene in the mirror room.

This also felt a bit overlong, but overall a solid good time.

I was uncomfortable in the first few chapters, especially as Story is just 15 when we meet her and already obsessed with Nickel. She plays a dangerous game, trying to tempt him throughout her teens, and I was like eeeek I don't know if I can personally handle this, but in the end I'm glad I stuck it out because this book does so much interesting work.

Cate C Wells writes such excellent, grittily realistic romances that I'm never sure if I'm going to buy the HEA but somehow she always gets us there as readers. Nickel has some very scary and troubling anger problems, and I deeply appreciate the work he did before he and Story could find their HEA (with the hope they both continue to do the work after too).

Story is a sex worker, a stripper, and I also appreciated the no shame attitude that permeated the book about this, while also acknowledging the dangers the profession can have (and some jealousy issues but handled well). Plus, Story is a smart cookie, but not in a book smarts way, nor always in a life smarts way, but she does what she feels she needs to do. Nickel is also not a genius, and I find it refreshing to see characters like this; not everyone is a manic pixie brain you know?

Let me tell you, I do want Story's mom's story about how she fell in the love with the short, hairy, chubby jewish dentist who secretly fixes the motorcycle club members' teeth at his mansion (even though i detest dentists irl lmao). The author doesn't sugarcoat the trauma caused by Story's mother's backstory, but also allows grace and forgiveness without excusing it.

I dunno, I could say so much more, but I need to sit with my thinky thoughts. Please see Leigh Kramer's excellent review for both a full list of content notes (of which there are MANY) and just a great analysis of the text.

Eh this was really not for me. I don't feel she groveled enough to make up for not disclosing she was his childhood tormentor immediately and leading him on. From the "you've got mail" vibes to the creepy baby dolls and the haunted house, this wasn't a b book, but it did check off a bang in the night bingo square so I finished it.

If you adore haunted houses, bully romances, and You've Got Mail, give this one a go! Definitely a case of fine book, just not for me.

I read about five chapters, and it was fun but I put it down and never came back, so next.

First of all, Keir McRae. I'd also lie and say I was fake engaged to him while he had amnesia and then woo his memory back and let him 69 me and do some bum stuff too. he's a babe, no notes. flawless. for real the man keeps your little typed piece of paper in his pocket, foils stab wounds with his own personal bottle of special whisky, and edges you like a damn champ. Good for you Lady Merritt, you I also love to.

Here's the run though, this book is a mess. WAY too much time is spent with past Kleypas characters, the epilogue was just a complete throwaway, and as someone who enjoys Kleypas but isn't 'in a relationship' with her work, having all the devils and wallflowers return took completely away from the romance. I didn't care who Keir's father was, why he was getting chased/stabbed/blown up was whatever, and honestly I could have spent several more chapters with him and Merritt, where this story shone.

ALSO the set up was right there for Keir and Merritt to adopt a whole passel of feral Scottish kids, but instead we get a miracle, i thought i was barren, baby. ugh, tired, do not like that at all.

Otherwise, MJW is as always, flawless, and a meh Kleypas is still a whole lotta fun.

Only Chace Verity can make me believe that a love interest getting murdered and coming back as a zombie could be sweet, sexy, and so much fun. I loved the world building, the glimpses of characters from Verity's Satisfaction Demon books, and Kit & Vincent