**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: http://bookbriefs.net**Forever Mine and Always Been Mine are the first two books in the Moreno Brothers series. They are both really great romances, with the first one being a little more on the sweet side and the second one being a little more on the saucy side. I think I enjoyed the first book, Forever Mine a little bit more but both were good. As you may have guessed the series follows the Moreno Brothers. Alex (from Always Been Mine) is much more intense, and he matched the tone of his story.

Forever Mine follows Sarah and Angel. Theirs is a story of sweet love. It had a first love kind of feel and is the perfect book for summer. On the other hand Always Been Mine follows Alex and Valerie. Theirs is a story of second chance love. They have a very volatile on again off again relationship that led to a more drama and angst filled story. I liked that though both books focused on the Moreno Brothers, they couldn't have been more different. You don't need to read them in order to understand them, but it would be good to see all of the characters. But if you are in the mood for something a little darker and sexier, start with book 2. If you are looking for sweet, go with Forever Mine- book 1. And if you just can't get enough the brothers, don't worry there are almost 10 books and novellas in their series, so these are great for binge reading.


This review was originally posted on Book Briefs

Dating Makes Perfect is a young adult standalone romantic comedy by Pintip Dunn. I loved this book so much. It is happiness personified. I dare you to read this book and not have a good time. I triple dog dare you. I loved this story and these characters so much! This is my favorite book so far by Pintip Dunn, and I have really enjoyed all of her books. I read this book in one sitting, and I breezed through all 400 pages of it. I simply could not put it down. If you are a fan of the fake dating trope and the enemies to more trope, then this is a romantic comedy that you need in your life!

In Dating Makes Perfect, we meet our main character Winnie, who is the youngest of three daughters. Her older sisters were never allowed to date in high school, but when they go away to college their mom suddenly expects them to come home engaged after their first semester of freshman year. And when they drop the bombshell that they are going to do lots and lots of dating for the foreseeable future and not get engaged for a very long time, Winnie's parents think their no dating plan has backfired. So they decide that Winnie will get all of her practice dating out of the way now, in high school so that when she goes off to college in a year, she will be ready to find a husband. The set up alone makes me laugh, but I am totally see it happening with the kind of parents Winnie has. And to make it better (or worse?) they get to decide who Winnie will practice date. And their first candidate is none other than her close family friend/arch nemesis Mat.

Winnie's mom sets up all the dates like famous scenes from various rom coms, which leads to even more hilarious moments, but the real gem of Dating Makes Perfect is Winnie and Mat. I absolutely loved their dynamic right from the start. I loved them as "enemies", I loved them as friends and I really loved them as something more. It is so easy to get swept up in this book because the characters are all so likable and relatable. Dating makes Perfect needs to be made into a movie ASAP. I think it will be perfect for fans of To All the Boys I've Loved Before and fans of romantic comedies in general. This is a fantastic novel. I loved, loved loved Dating Makes Perfect!

Roaring is a young adult paranormal romance set in 1920s America by author Lindsey Duga. Lindsey has written one of my all time favorite young adult standalone fantasy romance- Kiss of the Royal, so when I saw she had a new romance coming out featuring mythical creatures, I was so in! And I am so glad that I picked up Roaring, because this book was AWESOME! It has a really unique premise, wonderful kick butt characters, and a sizzlingly sweet romance that will make you swoon time and time again. I highly recommend this book to fans of fantasy and paranormal romances. Roaring is one of my favorite reads of 2020!

In Roaring we meet our two main characters, Eris and Colt. The book is told in dual narrative between the two of them, and I really loved that because it allowed me to not only get to know them but it also allowed me to get a sneak peek into their motivations and driving forces. Eris is possibly the last known Siren on earth, and though she doesn't quite know what that is, she does know that she is in hiding and that when she uses her voice, she can make people do things. So Eris doesn't talk. Think about that for a minute...she never talks. How lonely that must be for her. I felt all of those things when I met her because Lindsey Duga is a master character crafter and story teller. Her characters seem to come to life before my eyes as I am reading. I can feel their emotions like they are a tangible thing.

Our other main character is Colt, who is an agent for a government agency who tracks down monsters (or creatures). When he is sent to track down the last known Siren he expects a cruel and very dangerous monster. When he meets Eris he isn't sure what to think. What follows is a really fantastic adventure with plenty of secrets to unfold and romance to witness. I love Colt and Eris. They are both such strong characters. Eris is strong with her fierce bravery and Colt is strong psychically but also mentally, because he is not afraid to think for himself. The 1920s setting was the perfect backdrop for the story with themes of smuggling present. (but smuggling with a twist.) 

Roaring is a wonderful paranormal with a super strong romance woven in. I was rooting so hard for Eris and Colt, and I think you will too! If you are a fan of magical creatures, then I think you will love to meet all of the creatures (or monsters) present in Roaring. Lindsey Duga does a great job setting the stage for a story that is as enchanting as Eris' voice. I loved Roaring!

Paris Is Always a Good Idea is a romantic comedy by Jenn McKinlay. This book was certainly an adorable feel good read for me. I think it is perfect to read by the pool on a day that you really wish you could go on a romantic trip. This might just give you your Paris fix! I can also easily see this being made into a hallmark movie or a Netflix movie. It was really cute, and lots of fun to read.

In Paris Is Always a Good Idea we meet our main character Chelsea. Chelsea was on a year long trip abroad when she was younger that she had to cut short because her mother got very sick. She cut her trip short but ever since then her life has not been as carefree as it once was. Chelsea is now bogged down with some of the less glamorous realities of life, and when her dad announces his remarriage Chelsea decides to go back to Europe to see if she can recapture some of the romance and carefree love of life that she used to possess. I absolutely loved Chelsea. Paris Is Always a Good Idea is just as much as romance as it is a journey of self love and self discovery, and honestly both of those elements were equally satisfying for me.

When Chelsea when to Europe the first time around- she met three men, and she decides to pay each of them another visit this time. I loved meeting all the guys because I so excited to see what would become of each of them. While it was sometimes a little too convenient how it all worked out with running into them, it was fun nonetheless. And the book takes a different course than I was initially expecting, which I loved! I wouldn’t say I was surprised by the turn of events, but I really really loved it!

If you are a fan of romantic trips filled with laughs kisses and a wonderful self journey of discovery, then I think you need to check out Paris Is Always a Good Idea. You will really enjoy this sweet and fun story. I know I did. I can’t wait to read more books by Jenn MicKinlay.

3.5/5

The Mall is a young adult contemporary standalone by Megan McCafferty. The Mall is set in a New Jersey Mall in 1991. It takes place over the summer of our main characters senior year, and I knew this would be a nostalgic blast. And I was right. The Mall was so much fun to read! I loved taking a trip down memory lane of a world before smart phones and social media. Plus, all of the 90s pop culture references were fantastic to read.

In The Mall, we meet our main character Cassie who goes to work on her first day at her summer job to get dumped by her boyfriend. Cassie starts out the book having quarantined (ha! who can relate) for 6 weeks because she had mono, and she reemerges to find her whole world has changed while she was away. Determined to not let this ruin her summer, Cassie sets out to find a new job and still have a fun summer. The Mall was a ton of fun to read. It brought back all kinds of nostalgic feelings, and summer teenage angst vibes. I loved that this was part 90s pop culture reference and part coming of age story and one great big trip down memory lane.

I enjoyed getting to know Cassie on her quest to learn about herself, find some new friends (& maybe even a love interest!) and have her coveted great summer. There were times throughout the book that the overall plot progression felt a bit weak, but all in all this book was a blast to read, even if not a whole lot happened at times. This book felt like bottled good ole teenage fun and I enjoyed reading The Mall. It was cheesy and dramatic in the ways I wanted it to be. Overall, this book was a lot of fun!

Hunted by the Sky is the first book in a new young adult fantasy series, called The Wrath of Ambar, by Tanaz Bhathena. Hunted By the Sky was a breathtaking adventure filled with magic, romance, and wonderfully complex characters. I loved this book and I am already anxious to get my hands on the next book in the series. I need continue reading right now. I think Hunted by the Sky will appeal to longtime fans of fantasies, as well as fantasy readers that are feeling a bit of fantasy burn out, and feeling like all the books they read are the same. Hunted by the Sky is NOT the same. The world feels fresh and nuanced in a really wonderful way. I loved the world building just as much as I loved the characters, which is saying a lot coming from a character driven reader.

In Hunted by the Sky we meet our main character Gul. The book starts out with Gul witnessing the murder of her parents. The first line of the story is literally her father being killed. Pretty intense stuff. The king heard a prophecy long ago that a girl with a specific birthmark will bring about his demise, and ever since he has been disposing of any and all girls who have these birthmarks. Gul and her family have been on the run for most of her life. Because of this, Gul is determined to get revenge. Gul is a super strong and interesting main character, not only because she has been through so much, but because she grows in so many different ways throughout the story. At the start of our tale Gul is 13, and then the plot jumps forward a few years to her as a young adult. Gul also grows with her magic. I am not going to be too spoilery, but in the world of Hunted by the Sky magic wielders (magi) and non-magical (non-magi) have a stark divide, right down to which schools they can attend. For most of Gul’s life, she believes that she has no power, so watching her powers develop and watching her be trained in warrior magic was so satisfying to me. I can’t wait to see what is in store for our characters in the next book. I am hooked!

We also meet our other main character, Canvas who is caring for his sickly father. I loved Canvas and seeing his plot intertwine with Gul is what made me fall in love with this book. The two of them were total fire. Right from their very first scene in the market place together. View Spoiler » Another facet of Hunted by the Sky that I totally loved was the magic system. There are so many different kinds of magic in this world, and it was so interesting to me. It was almost like x-men mixed with mages/wizards in a way, where people are born with certain abilities but they also have to practice and hone their craft or abilities to get stronger. Some people can tell the truth, others have death magic and some have the ability to whisper to animals, among many others. I loved every time we encountered a new ability because it was so interesting to learn about them all.

Overall, whether you are a die-hard fan of classic fantasy, or if you have been a bit bummed out that all fantasy seems the same lately, Hunted by the Sky is a fantastic story that is sure to engage and thrill you. I think you will fall in love with the magic, characters and world. I know I did. Release book 2 asap please!

Side note: I fall into the die hard fan category, but I do know many people have told me that they are put off of fantasy at the moment because everything feels the same or “been-done-before”.

More Than Just a Pretty Face is a young adult contemporary romance by Syed M. Masood. More Than Just a Pretty Face was a fantastic journey of food, self discovery and two teens finding love in an unexpected place. This book was adorable. Be warned though...it made me really hungry! The main character in this story is a chef, and the way he talks about food basically had me salivating the whole time while I was reading. Other than his cooking talent, he is also a genuinely awesome guy, so that was pretty swoon-worthy as well.

In More Than Just a Pretty Face we meet out main character, Danyal. As I mentioned before Danyal is a chef, but beyond that he is seen as a very confident together teen at school. So much that he was nominated for a school Renaissance man competition, which is a competition for a well rounded guy that seemingly has it all- looks, brains and confidence. I thought Danyal was really intelligent, but he had his doubts because he has never considered himself "book smart" so to ace that part of the competition he enlists the help of Bisma to help with some of the more academic aspects of the competition.

Danyal has an ulterior motive for trying to win the competition. His longtime crush Kaval has a family that doesn't approve of Danyal and he thinks winning the competition will be prestige enough to win them all over. But if you are a true romance reader like I am, then you know what is really about to happen. Once Danyal and Bisma start hanging out that is when the real magic happens. And Magic it was! I loved seeing the two of them get to know each other, and moreover seeing the change in Danyal himself. Even though he portrays himself as a very confident individual, he really didn't have enough inner confidence and watching that bloom within him was really satisfying for me as a reader. Not to mention I love Danyal and Bisma together! Love love love them.

More Than Just a Pretty Face has a great romance, great cultural representation, fantastic food references and wonderfully developed characters. This book was a joy to read. I am so excited to read more books from Syed M. Masood! I love to see male main characters. I think we need more of that in young adult books! If you are a fan of great young adult romances with wonderful character development, More Than Just a Pretty Face is a book that I would whole heatedly recommend to you.

Waiting for Tom Hanks is a romantic comedy and is the first book in a series of interconnected standalone by the same name from author Kerry Winfrey. I read this book last year before it was releases and I never got around to reviewing it for some reason. When I received a copy of book two, I went back to look at my review of book one and found myself completely drawing a blank. I knew I read book one and I knew that I enjoyed it, but I couldn't pull any memorable emotions or scenes, so I decided to re-read the book before I read book two in the series. And I am so glad that I did! Waiting for Tom Hanks is an adorable  rom com featuring heartfelt characters that put a big smile on my face. 

In Waiting for Tom Hanks, we meet our main character Annie, who is a total romantic at heart, but who is so swept up in her idea of an adorable meet cute that she fails to see one playing out right in front of her eyes. Our romantic interest is none other than movie star Tom Hanks. No! Just kidding, but it is a movie heartthrob in his own right. Drew is a popular actor and is a total goof ball with a ton of confidence. I loved watching him clash with Annie. Their story had all the charm and smiles of a true rom com, and I can certainly see it play out on the small or big screen. There is a bit of Meg Ryan in You've Got Mail in Annie, which I loved. 

Annie and Drew each had their own annoyances that popped up time and time again, but overall I was totally charmed by them and their story. And moreover, I loved seeing some of the supporting characters again like Chloe, because I know book two is about her and Nick. And I have to say I am totally down for that pairing! I think I might even be more excited for their story than I was for Annie and Drew's. (I am reading books one and two back to back but I took a quick binge read break to write this review so I can keep my thoughts separate between the two). If you are a romantic comedy movie fanatic like I am, I think you would really enjoy all of the little movie references as you watch this rom com come to life. This book was a lot of fun. Now Bring on book two- Not Like the Movies!