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1.07k reviews by:
bookrecsbyjess
funny
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Thank you to the author for the ARC of The Escape Plan by Katie Bailey. All opinions are my own.
The Escape Plan is a romcom with some slightly magical elements. It follows an Irish musician as he visits Serendipity Springs, the place where his late grandma lived for a short time. While there, he connects with his neighbor, and they end up exploring the history behind his grandma’s time there.
Beckett was such a great character. I loved how charming, flirty, and thoughtful he was. I wish I could hear him sing in real life because he was described so well that he felt real. I also loved how easily he got to know the people of Serendipity Springs and then his neighbor Keeley.
I absolutely loved the friendship built between Beckett and Keeley. Their nighttime chats on the fire escape were some of my favorite moments.
Since this book was part of the Only Magic in the Building series, it did have some magical aspects such as the meddling apartment building. I liked that it wasn’t a huge focus in the story, and I liked how the building played a part in pairing up Beckett and Keeley.
I thought the conflict seemed realistic, and I liked that it didn’t take too long to resolve.
Overall, I would recommend this book! It was sweet and charming, and I loved the writing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Death, Terminal illness, Alcohol
Minor: Cursing
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
What it’s about:
The parents of Tom and Cassandra have decided to arrange a marriage between them. Neither wants to be forced to marry a stranger, but they never suspected that they’d actually met before and had a not so meet cute.
What I thought:
I really enjoyed this story. The chemistry between Cassandra and Tom was great, and I enjoyed how well Tom fit in with Cassandra’s family. The emotional depth of this story was great, and I liked how the author discussed grief through these characters.
⚠️ grief, pregnancy, death of a sibling (past), bad working conditions, sickness, fire, & death of a parent
🌶️ just kisses
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy
Moderate: Child death, Terminal illness
Minor: Racism, Fire/Fire injury
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Loveable characters:
Yes
What it’s about:
Finlay and Vero are supposedly going on a girls trip to New Jersey. They’re really trying to track down a loan shark and a missing friend. While it was supposed to be just the two of them, they find themselves surrounded by their friends, family, and some unwanted visitors.
What I thought:
This was yet another fun story. I liked the change in setting and how sneaky Finlay and Vero had to be in order to solve their mystery. I also liked the family and romance aspects of the story.
🎧 Audiobook Thoughts: I loved this narrator and how well she differentiated the different characters’ voices.
⚠️ death, swearing, kidnapping, & strip club scene
🌶️ fade to black
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder
Moderate: Cursing, Violence, Kidnapping
Minor: Sexual content
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
What it’s about:
Louisa accepts the help of her late’s mother’s friend to find her a husband. Paul’s mother has gathered with her friends to secretly find matches for her son and the other young people in the area. When Paul discovers that his mother intends to match him with Louisa, he tries to thwart her plans with the help of his friends.
What I thought:
I loved this sweet romance. The characters grew a lot throughout this story. Both characters had issues they had to overcome, and I liked seeing them work through them. This book also made me laugh out loud.
⚠️ parent death (past), child abuse (past), gaslighting, grief, & unwanted advances
🌶️ just kisses
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Child abuse, Death of parent, Gaslighting
Minor: Sexual harassment
adventurous
funny
Loveable characters:
Yes
What it's about:
After her sorority sisters blame Vero for a crime she didn't commit, she drops out of school and runs to stay with her cousin. Needing a job, she starts working at a bank as a custodian. When she finds out someone is stealing money
from the bank, she decides to solve the crime in hopes of getting a raise.
What I thought:
I loved learning more about
Vero's backstory. Her mystery was so fun to try and figure out. I also loved the tension between her and her former boyfriend.
🎧 Audiobook Thoughts: I enjoyed this narrator a lot and thought she fit well with Vero’s character.
⚠️ violence & swearing
🌶️ a little more than kissing
emotional
funny
inspiring
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the ALC and to St. Martin’s Press for the ARC of The Love Haters by Katherine Center. All opinions are my own.
The Love Haters follows two people that have issues but are such lovable characters. Katie, while good at her job, had such a poor view of her own body. It was beautiful to see others lift her up about her appearance, but I especially liked how she lifted herself up. Hutch was such an amazing character, but he didn’t seem to see himself the way others saw him. Not only did he literally rescue people for a living, but he also was just such a kind person overall and made sure others were taken care of.
One of my favorite aspects of this story was Hutch’s dog. He was such a sweetheart, and I loved his interactions with Katie and Hutch. I also appreciated the story behind Hutch rescuing him.
While the conflict bothered me a bit, I liked that it wasn’t super drawn out. I also liked that the characters were quick to forgive.
I listened to the audiobook, and I loved Patti Murin as a narrator. She did a great job with her inflection and overall tone. I would recommend this format if you like audiobooks.
Overall, I just really loved this story. It was sweet, and I loved the character growth. I’d recommend this book!
Content Warnings
Minor: Terminal illness, Car accident, Death of parent
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Thank you to Bethany House Publishers for the ARC of A Wager with the Matchmaker by Jody Hedlund. All opinions are my own.
I’ve yet to find a Jody Hedlund book I didn’t like, and this book was no different. I just really appreciate the way that this author writes romances with so much longing while also still keeping them closed door.
A Wager with the Matchmaker is book three in A Shanahan Match series. It can be read as a standalone, but I would recommend reading the books in order for the best experience. The first two books in the series follow two of the Shanahan daughters, but this third book follows their brother.
As with the other books in this series, I really appreciated Bellamy, who is the matchmaker. His parts always make me laugh, and I can’t wait until he gets his own story. In this book, he makes a wager with Kiernan Shanahan, a wealthy businessman who’s trying to live up to his father’s successes. Bellamy also makes a wager with Alannah Darragh, a maid that’s trying to hide from a dangerous man that’s determined to marry her. Both wagers are different, but they are ultimately that Bellamy will be able to find each one a match within a couple months’ time.
The character growth in this story was excellent. Kiernan starts off his search for a bride thinking he knows everything he wants in a future wife, but by the end, he realizes what’s really important in a spouse. Alannah, starts off determined to not get married anytime soon but is instead just wanting to have a good job that will allow her to save money to one day return to Ireland. Her world changes when things become more dangerous, and when she realizes that getting married is something that she might actually want sooner rather than later.
The sweetness of these characters and their romance really made me love this story. I loved their connection to each other with books, and I appreciated how they became friends before they ever became more. I also liked that they were both willing to sacrifice things to have the chance to be with each other.
There are some Christian faith elements throughout the story that I appreciated. It was cool to see these characters, especially Alannah, grow in their faith.
Overall, I would recommend this book if you want a sweet romance with some danger and depth.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Blood, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, Classism
Minor: Child death, Death of parent
lighthearted
medium-paced
Thank you to the author for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
What it's about:
Professional football player Stone
Walker has liked Emerson King for years. The problem is that she is his ex-best friend's sister. When she moves in across from him and is struggling to get her singing career to take off, he decides to step in as her fake boyfriend.
What I thought:
The first half of this book was really good. I enjoyed seeing Stone and Emerson getting to know each other again. The second half felt rushed, and I didn't like how the conflict played out.
⚠️ swearing & toxic childhood environment (abuse & alcoholism)
🌶️ just kisses
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Cursing
Minor: Alcoholism
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Loveable characters:
Yes
What it's about:
Finlay finds herself having to search for someone that the Russian mob is looking for. The problem is that they could be a police officer. When Vero and Finlay are invited to a citizen's police academy, it makes for the perfect place to search for their suspect.
What I thought:
This was such a fun book! I liked not knowing who I could trust. The romance was so cute in this story. I also liked some of the hilarious moments with her kids. I'm also curious about Vero's backstory now.
🎧 Audiobook Thoughts: great narrator with a range of unique voices for the different characters. I would recommend!
⚠️ violence, blood, swearing, & death
🌶️ fade to black
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cursing, Gore, Sexual content, Murder
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
What it's about:
Finlay Donovan learns that someone is out to get her ex-husband, and she must try to figure out who it is and put a stop to their plans before it's too late. She's also balancing being a single mom and a dating life.
What I thought:
This was another fun mystery. I liked how this story helped resolve some issues between Finlay and her ex-husband. I also enjoyed the romance aspect a lot in this story. I'm also interested to learn more about Vero after this story.
🎧 Audiobook Thoughts: loved this narrator and all her voices! I’d recommend this format.
⚠️ swearing, gore, blood, & death
🌶️ fade to black
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cursing, Gore, Sexual content, Blood, Murder