🌟 3/5

This book had me HOOKED for the first half… and then it completely lost the plot.

We start with a disastrous Tinder date ➡️ insane car make out session ➡️ three years of mutual ghosting with longing stares across the apps. The chemistry? 🔥 The premise? A girl obsessed with meet cutes who thinks app dating can’t be real love? Relatable. Perfect setup.

But then… 

The entire theme of chasing a meet cute? Abandoned halfway through. The third act conflict? 😬 Unforgivable. Like, your boyfriend slept with your sister and didn’t tell you level of unforgivable.

Plus, insta success as a literary agent? Inst -love with no depth? Major believability issues.

✨ What worked:
✅ Addictive, smooth writing
✅ Modern without being cringey
✅ Solid premise and strong opening

🚫 What didn’t:
❌ Premise dropped halfway through
❌ MMC’s betrayal glossed over
❌ Superficial romance + unrealistic career plot

Final verdict? Half a four star book, half a two star one… So I’m giving it three stars and a mild side eye.

Would I read Kasie West again? Maybe. But not if I’m in the mood for emotional payoff.

Thank you to NetGalley, Kasie West, and Saturday Books/St. Martin’s Press for the eARC of this book.

Sweet Heat is a masterpiece of second chance romance, and I really enjoyed it. It’s on another level. I think it’s safe to say we have a new reigning queen of romantic contemporary fiction.

This is technically a sequel to Honey & Spice, but I do think it is great on its own and not neccesary to read the first one. You can start here. I do recommend reading the first book though! It is just as good. Kiki and Malakai are such great characters, and you'll need to go back to see how it all began, which sort of starts in the first book. Their chemistry is plapable, and evident from book into book two.

Second chance romance is not exactly one of my favorite tropes because it is truly hard to do it justice. It has to be believable, especially in the wake of a previous break up and finding their way back to each other, but I think Babalola handles it with the grace, heat, and humor of a seasoned pro.

Kiki and Malakai are a couple I really rooted for. There is so much tension, so many longing glances, and so many moments where you think they will but they don't. Their breakup doesn’t feel contrived; it feels real. When they come back together, it's from growth and healing and that made it so satisfying. The dual timeline works so well in this book because we see what they were like in the past and the present, and we get to see their history and their full journey, which I loved.

But this book is more than a romance. It’s about growing into yourself. About family, friendship, identity, ambition, and navigating love when you’re still figuring out who you are. Kiki is sharp, funny, and full of vulnerability. Her fears, her fire, her insecurities are all so achingly human. And Malakai? He’s the perfect match: steady, sincere, hot as hell.

Also, the spice was so well done. It is so much more than just your typical scenes; it is growth and love and healing and actually adds so much to the story. These are scenes I think the author excelled at and it really enhanced the story.

Babalola’s prose is perfection; it is funny, poetic, grounded in culture and emotion. The themes of Black identity, sisterhood, and finding your path are woven in with elegance and heart. There are moments of joy and heartbreak, laughter and longing, and through it all, a romance that will stay with me for a long time.

Thank you to NetGalley, Bolu Babalola, and William Morrow for the eARC of this book.

Love Walked In is a warm and wonderful love letter to romance readers and book lovers alike. From its dreamy London setting to the charming indie bookstore backdrop, this story swept me up like the perfect cozy read on a rainy day.

Mari has my dream job where she revives struggling indie bookstores and her latest assignment brings her across the pond to save a historic shop in London. But there’s a catch: she has to work alongside Leo, the grumpy and resistant British manager who wants nothing to do with her help. Cue the delicious tension, snappy banter, and a whole lot of mutual pining.

This book shines with some of my favorite tropes: enemies to lovers, forced proximity, grumpy/sunshine, and a dual POV that gives readers insight into both Mari’s guarded optimism and Leo’s emotional walls. The slow burn here is intentional and satisfying, building real chemistry that feels earned. I especially loved the little moments, like when Mari gets sick and Leo steps in to care for her, or when their shared love for books softens their edges.

The London setting was the cherry on top. Sarah Chamberlain painted the city with so much charm and coziness, I was tempted to book a flight and hunt down my own Ross & Co. to get lost in. The supporting cast of booksellers added heart and humor, building a believable found family around the romance. It felt like a Hallmark romance and I really enjoyed that. 

This one hit all the right notes. It was so sweet, swoony, and a little steamy, with just enough emotional depth to make it stick with you. Highly recommend to fans of Emily Henry, Evie Dunmore, or anyone who believes the best love stories are found between the pages of a good book.

Read this if you love:

Enemies to lovers
Close proximity
Grumpy x Sunshine
Dual POV
Bookish romances
A cozy HEA

Thank you to NetGalley, Sarah Chamberlain, and St. Martin’s Press for the eARC of this book.

I don’t usually go wild for boss/employee romances or best friend’s dad tropes, but Dean? Dean had me hooked from the very beginning.

After being kicked out by his toxic roommates for wearing skirts and heels, Avery finds himself with nowhere to go, until Dean, his boss and best friend’s father, steps in and offers him a place to stay. It’s meant to be temporary. It’s meant to be platonic. But Dean has had an unexplored, smoldering attraction to Avery from the start, and living under the same roof makes it impossible to ignore.

This book is heartfelt, spicy, and full of charm. I especially loved the beginning, when Avery is all fluttery crush and Dean is the clueless but kind alpha mechanic who definitely isn’t straight like he thinks he is. Watching Dean’s gentle bisexual awakening unfold was both sweet and sexy, and I appreciated that Cora Rose didn’t overload it with angst. It felt natural, honest, and easy to root for.

Avery was such a highlight for me. He’s resilient, confident in who he is, and full of humor and heart. His inner strength, despite all he’s been through, made him shine. And Dean? Dean is soft and gruff all at once, incredibly caring, and unexpectedly tender. Their chemistry is off the charts, and the banter? Gold.

I also really appreciated how their relationship was built on years of mutual respect and trust because it gave their romance a solid foundation and made the eventual slow burn payoff that much sweeter. Forced proximity definitely delivered here.

While the story is mainly character driven (with a soft plot focused on healing and self-acceptance), the cameos from other characters in the Unexpected series were fun, though I can see how they might feel like filler for readers jumping in out of order. Still, Bane stole the show (as always), and now I need his book ASAP.

One of my favorite parts? Dean hiring Avery just because he smelled nice and could handle mouthy coworkers, that moment made me laugh so hard. And let’s be honest, Avery can cook for me any day.

This book is tender, affirming, and spicy in all the right places. Dean and Avery’s story is a beautiful reminder that love doesn’t always look the way we expect, but when it fits, it fits.

A must read for fans of found family, self-discovery, and a deliciously forbidden slow burn.

Thank you to Cora Rose and The Author Agency for the eARC of this book.

I don’t usually gravitate toward thrillers, but The Gallery Assistant totally pulled me in. I was invited to check this one out, and I’m so glad I gave it a shot. It was a fast paced, twisty mystery that kept me hooked the whole way through.

The story follows Chloe, a gallery assistant in New York City, who wakes up with a foggy memory after a party. She brushes it off, until the NYPD shows up at work asking questions, and she finds out the gallery’s rising star artist was murdered. From there, we’re taken on a tense ride as Chloe tries to piece together what happened, all while navigating the high pressure art world and dealing with her own personal struggles.

What really stood out to me was the setting. Having the mystery unfold in the NYC art scene made everything feel extra stylish and eerie. I loved how the artwork itself became part of the mystery, with hidden messages and clues woven into the pieces. More of that in thrillers, please!

Another big highlight: the way Kate Belli explored Chloe’s PTSD from 9/11. This book is set just a couple months after the attacks, and that trauma is a big part of Chloe’s character. It’s not something I see talked about often in fiction, especially in thrillers, and I appreciated how it added depth and realism. The timing of the story, which is pre smartphone but post 9/11, was a smart choice too. It made Chloe feel more isolated and made the mystery feel that much more urgent.

Overall, I loved the pacing (no slow spots!), the unreliable memory angle, and the ever present sense of tension. The art world backdrop was the perfect setting for a murder mystery, and I was kept guessing the whole time. This was my first book by Kate Belli, but definitely not my last.

If you’re into art, NYC settings, a bit of psychological suspense, and stories where you’re constantly questioning who to trust, then this one is for you.

Thank you to NetGalley, Kate Belli, and Atria for the eARC of this book.

 

Let’s get one thing straight: this is NOT a romance novel, and I am beyond tired of pretending Emily Henry’s recent works belong in that genre. Great Big Beautiful Life is clearly women’s fiction, and the mislabeling only sets up the wrong expectations, especially for readers like me who went in hoping for the kind of electric chemistry and emotional payoff that Beach Read and Book Lovers delivered so beautifully.

Unfortunately, this book just did not hit the mark.

Marketed as a sweeping, dazzling story with dual protagonists competing to tell the life story of a reclusive, larger than life woman, this novel instead gives us a bland, meandering tale that tries to emulate the interview style storytelling of Taylor Jenkins Reid’s Daisy Jones & The Six, but falls short in both style and substance. The prose is fine (even good, maybe even great), but beautiful writing can’t compensate for a lackluster plot and underdeveloped emotional stakes.

The “story within a story” structure had potential, but Margaret’s narrative is drawn out and dull, lacking the intrigue or twisty momentum that could’ve made this exciting. And where was the romance? The supposed slow burn tension between Alice and Hayden is practically non existent. We’re told there’s a spark, but it never ignites. There’s zero chemistry, and what could’ve been a compelling dynamic ends up as flat background noise.

The focus is so heavily skewed toward Margaret that Alice and Hayden feel like props rather than fully realized characters. There’s no emotional journey, no satisfying arc, just a lot of literary posturing with little payoff. I finished the book feeling like I’d been promised an epic, tangled tale of love, ambition, and truth telling, and instead got a tepid character study that didn’t know what it wanted to be.

To say I’m disappointed would be an understatement. Emily Henry is capable of greatness; Beach Read and Book Lovers are masterclasses in modern romance. But this? This felt like a detour into a genre she doesn’t quite command yet. I’ll keep holding onto the gems she’s already given us, but Great Big Beautiful Life is one I’ll be quick to forget.

I wanted to love The Scandal of the Season. Truly. A Regency romantic comedy with a rebellious FMC and a rake in need of redemption? That’s basically a must for me, a huge fan of Bridgerton and other historical romance television shows. But unfortunately, this one felt like a glittery mess of good intentions and awkward execution.

We’re following Sophie Fairfax this time, the younger sister of book one’s FMC. She’s smart, fiery, and determined not to be married off like some bartering chip. Naturally, she ends up in a scandalous situation with Dominic, Lord Rotherby, who is the infamous rake everyone warns her about. Cue tension, banter, and longing glances. Sounds great in theory, but in reality? It didn’t land.

The tone shift from book one is wild. We go from a sweet, proper story to opening with a brothel scene. Yup. A Regency rom com kicking off in a brothel, but without the payoff or heat to justify it. The rest of the book swings back into pretty tame territory, so it just ends up feeling out of place, like the book doesn’t quite know what it wants to be.

Also… the French. So. Much. French. I get that it’s supposed to be cute or add flair, but at some point, I felt like I needed Duolingo to keep up. Add to that a heaping dose of Regency slang, with some of it charming, some of it so obscure it made me feel like I was reading a historical fever dream, and it all became a bit much.

The biggest issue, though, was the lack of chemistry. Sophie and Dominic go from strangers to somehow being into each other without any real buildup. Their dynamic had potential (hello, enemies to lovers!), but it moved way to quickly before I was even invested. I didn’t feel the slow burn or tension, and it was more like a spark that fizzled out before it even lit the fuse.

Honestly, it felt like a first draft that needed a bit more polish and a lot more editing. The plot meandered, the dialogue overwhelmed the narrative, and the emotional beats missed their mark. I wanted witty, romantic chaos; I got disjointed pacing and a romance I didn’t buy into.

If it hadn’t been an ARC, I probably would’ve DNFd. But hey, I appreciate the chance to read it early. Thank you to HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter, NetGalley, and Michelle Kenney for the eARC of this book.

Friends with Benefits by Marisa Kanter is a deeply emotional, sometimes frustrating, but ultimately touching story about love, friendship, chronic illness, and the ways we show up for the people we care about.

Let’s start with what worked: the representation of chronic illness in this book was both realistic and impactful. Evie’s struggles with her health were portrayed with honesty and sensitivity, adding a weighty, real world urgency to what might otherwise be a lighthearted rom com premise. I really appreciated how the author didn’t shy away from showing the complexities of navigating a broken healthcare system. I have navigated said system and it can truly be awful, so I appreciated her highlighting this.

Theo was easily the best part of this book for me. His quiet yearning for Evie, the way he supported her, his kind, grounded energy; yes to all of it. We love men who yearn, and Theo delivered. He was the emotional anchor of the story, even when I wanted to shake both characters and scream “JUST TALK TO EACH OTHER!” The miscommunication trope was strong in this one, and it wore on me a bit too much. I love slow burns, but this veered into maddening territory at times.

Evie, on the other hand, was a mixed bag. I wanted to root for her, and I did at times, but her inner monologue often felt chaotic, self-absorbed, and exhausting. She had potential, as her her job as a Foley artist was a fresh, unique angle, but her choices and lack of growth made her tough to connect with emotionally.

The Disneyland setting was a total win for me though! The little references (even if they flubbed the Gatorade vs. Powerade and Mickey’s actual height 😅) added a layer of nostalgia and charm. I especially loved how the park became a symbol of tradition and comfort for Theo and Evie.

That said, the religious themes caught me off guard. As someone who is agnostic, I wasn’t personally bothered, but I do wish there had been some kind of heads up about how much religion would be woven into the narrative. It’s an element that could really impact someone’s reading experience, especially if they’re not expecting it.

Ultimately, this book had a great premise of friends to lovers, marriage of convenience, childhood dance partners turned adults who clearly love each other, but it was weighed down by too many subplots, a heavy dose of miscommunication, and a main character I struggled to root for. I wanted to love it more than I did.

Thank you to NetGalley, Marisa Kanter, and Celadon Books for the eARC of this book. 

Destination Weddings and Other Disasters was such a sweet, satisfying surprise. It was a perfect palate cleanser after a couple of recent disappointments that I have had. M.C. Vaughan delivers a light, heartwarming enemies to lovers romance with a tropical twist and just enough spice to keep things interesting.

Julia and Carson are soon to be step siblings who share a messy high school past, where Carson was (in typical teenage boy fashion) an absolute jerk. Fast forward to adulthood, and fate throws them together to plan their parents' destination wedding in stunning Belize. What I loved most was how grounded this story felt despite the breezy, vacation like setting. Both leads work in similar industries like hospitality and event planning, and their dynamic felt like a genuine partnership. Neither character’s success eclipsed the other’s, which made their slow burn reconnection really worth the payoff.

Carson’s growth was particularly refreshing. He didn’t excuse or minimize his past behavior, but he owned it, apologized sincerely, and let Julia decide how and when to forgive. And she didn’t rush into it either. That element of emotional maturity made the romance even more rewarding.

I’ve never been to Belize but M.C. Vaughan painted such a vivid, immersive picture and now I really want to go. From the cuisine and music to the natural beauty and cultural nuances, it felt like a love letter to the country. You could tell the author either has deep personal experience or did some seriously thoughtful research, which I appreciate. Her details were spot on and sometimes, authors throw this stuff in but then it doesn’t sound right or come off right because they didn’t actually know about the country or its culture.

All in all, this book was exactly what I needed. It was fun, flirty, and full of charm. If you’re into enemies to lovers with heart, destination weddings, and a splash of tropical spice, this one’s for you.

Thank you to NetGalley, M.C. Vaughan, Harlequin for the eARC of this book.

Oh, how I love a good fake marriage romance and this one was everything. Meghan Quinn once again delivers a hilarious, feel good rom com full of funny banter, heart tugging moments, and slow burn tension that builds until it combusts in the most delicious way.

Sloane and Hudson were pure rom com magic. Sloane, Hudson’s executive assistant and his best friend’s little sister, is charming, quirky, and confident, a sunshine badass FMC with the most endearing nervous rambling and humor. Hudson starts off as the definition of grumpy billionaire businessman, focused solely on success and shutting everyone else out. But watching his walls slowly come down, thanks to Sloane’s light and laughter, was everything. He was protective, fiercely loyal, and surprisingly soft once he let himself feel.

The setup was so good. Hudson volunteers Sloane as a stand in bridesmaid to impress a potential client, and before they know it, they’re entering into a fake marriage to help each other out; he gets business access, and she gets a down payment on her dream home. What could go wrong? Everything. And it’s hilarious and heartfelt every step of the way. 

Tropes I adored:

Marriage of Convenience
Workplace Romance
Brother’s Best Friend
Age Gap
Slow Burn
Forced Proximity
Grumpy x Sunshine
Found Family
One Bed 
Billionaire Romance
Touch Her and Die vibes

From the witty banter to the genuine emotional growth, this book had me hooked from the very first chapter. I laughed out loud (seriously, giggles, snorts, and grinning pretty much the whole time), swooned hard, and I just couldn’t stop reading.

This book is exactly what you need if you’re looking for a romance that’s spicy, smart, and filled with heart. Meghan Quinn is the queen of contemporary rom coms, and Bridesmaid by Chance just proves it all over again. I loved this series!