A Love Song for Ricki Wilde is the type of story that you won’t be able to stop reading once you pick it up. Ricki Wilde has always marched to the beat of her own drum and never quite fit in with her family’s expectations. When she decides to start a flower shop independently, there’s no limit to the amount of problems she’ll encounter. But what she doesn’t expect is to meet a mysterious man in a garden who will change her world completely. 

A Love Song for Ricki Wilde is a scorching romance, a time-travel story, and filled with lovable characters. I sometimes struggle with time travel stories, but Tia Williams absolutely nailed it. The dialogue is funny and poignant. Along with Ricki’s story, Williams weaves in the story of Ezra and the one-of-a-kind Ms. Della. Ezra’s story is sweepingly romantic and tinged with musical elegance. 

Ricki is the type of character who you wish you could meet for coffee and hang out with. I also loved Tuesday and Ms. Della! I loved how Ms. Della had her adventurous list of things she wanted to do before she died. The side characters of Tuesday, Ricki’s family, and more all felt so distinct and real. I can’t wait to see what Tia Williams writes next! Readers who are looking for romance, time-travel stories, and a deep sense of connection to lovable characters will love this book. 

Thank you to Tia Williams, Grand Central Publishing, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review. 

How I Met My Soul Mate is my new favorite romance manga! Yuuki is looking for love, but despairing of ever finding it when she finally meets Iori. While she is initially intimidated by him, Yuuki and Iori manage to connect again after a bad first impression. Are they destined for friendship or something more? 

I loved Iori!! After a negative first impression, he goes out of his way to make things right and get to know Yuuki. Yuuki has a lot of relatable feelings about being in your twenties and feeling like an adult in some ways and not others. Yuuki and Iori have excellent chemistry and they’re definitely the couple that I ship. I was internally shrieking about the potential love triangle and can’t wait to see how it plays out in volume two. Readers who are looking for a sweet and contemporary romance manga should check this out. 

Thank you to Anashin, Kodansha Comics, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review. 

The Ruined was a highly anticipated read for me, but unfortunately it didn’t deliver. I really liked these characters and Ahdieh’s beautiful world-building. I always love how many sensory details she includes and the romantic tension.

However, the conclusion felt rushed and

I disliked Arjun and Jae’s fate. It was abrupt and there wasn't enough time to process the turbulent ending. I think if there was more time after the explosive final scenes, I would have felt more satisfied with the conclusion. I really enjoyed Arjun and Pippa’s story, but it got tossed by the wayside in this book because there were so many other threads to wrap up.

While this wasn’t the conclusion I was hoping for, I will definitely check out whatever Renée Ahdieh writes next. 

Fisher and his niece Indy move to a small town in Oregon after escaping drama in New York. Spunes (not to be confused with Forks) is a small town where everyone knows everything about each other. Sage lives near the house that Fisher and Indy are renting for the summer. A high school teacher, Sage grows flowers and tends to a small animal menagerie in the summer. Sage helps Fisher when he can’t track down Indy and an alliance is struck when they realize fake dating could benefit them both. Fisher is only in town until the end of the summer, so can Sage and Fisher make a (fake) relationship work or will they have to be content with savoring their summer? 
 
I absolutely loved Sage and her small menagerie of animals. While Sage has been told that she’s too nice, she resents this because it implies a lack of agency. I loved how Sage had confidence in herself and her choices. Fisher and Sage are the epitome of a grump/sunshine couple, with strong Hallmark themes. Sage and Indy also develop a great relationship; Sage helps give her purpose and grounds her. There’s a strong Gilmore Girls vibe- this is a small town (with town meetings!) where everyone is in each other's business but they always want the best for each other. 

I thought Sage’s internal dialogue was hilarious and it quite literally made me laugh out loud. Sage and Fisher make a lot of excellent jokes about Hallmark movies, despite some strong parallels to their meeting and relationship. I appreciated the mental health rep and portrayal of complicated grief. Readers who enjoy grump/sunshine, fake dating, and small town romances will love this book. Savor It is a cozy, warm romance with an excellent heroine. Looking forward to more stories from Tarah DeWitt! 

Thank you to Tarah DeWitt, St. Martin’s Griffin, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.