dermkat's Reviews (2.11k)

Oof, this one is sad. It's also sweet and has great flirty banter as the couple who gets married for convenience 24 hours after meeting (his four year old has chronic kidney disease and needs better insurance to qualify for a transplant) get to know each other and eventually fall in love. It's set around Christmas on a ranch in the wilderness in Idaho (lots of horses, cattle, dogs, etc) and the kid is adorable a lot of the time (and when she's not, hello she's four and feels awful, it's expected and realistic). But the FMC had a bitter ex-husband to contend with, and her dad is in long term care with advanced dementia. It's a lot, and I cried for the last few chapters, but there is also hope (and a wee bit of God talk because the author is a Christian who I later learned went through her own atrocities including loss of her son and more recently her husband right after her previous book was released; but it isn't preachy, the MMC talks about how he prays for things mostly and they talk about believing in and being angry at God once). It's definitely fade to black as far as steam (making out with the clear intention for more is on page), but it fit the book so it didn't feel like anything was missing. Overall, I think I'm glad I read it, but even though I knew the little girl was chronically ill and really sick, I feel like I went into it unprepared to get rocked emotionally like I did.
CW (spoiler): the kid gets worse as the story goes on and is close to dying but a kidney comes in at the last moment. But the FMC's dad does have a stroke and die at the end. 

I couldn't remember where I'd first heard about this book a s figured I must have just found it scrolling a through NetGalley, but upon finishing it and reading the acknowledgments I'm pretty sure I have Courtney Kae's influence to thank! And I do thank her because I LOVED this book! I am not someone who highlights things as I read unless they really get me, and sometimes not even then, but from the jump the humor, wit, sarcasm, and scattered mind of the FMC Sawyer had me enamored, and I ended up with 15 different spots highlighted (scroll for a few faves). Erin Connor, you officially have another big fan, and I both commend and thank you for what you've achieved with your debut (and really look forward to anything else you might gift us with in the future).

Sawyer is a romance author, three books in but now with major writers block and past her deadline. She meets Mason in an elevator (hello meet-cute) and they have what is supposed to be a one night stand. Then they meet again and end up working through a list of cheesy romance moments, meant to ruin them to cure Mason (a decently famous actor, which she doesn't know to start) of being overly romantic and falling for the wrong people, while inspiring her to write. 

I appreciated how there was so much life and story left once they both finally admit their feelings, because the build up to that could have meant the rest of the book was clear sailing and it wasn't (in a good way that was necessary for the characters). 

The statement that this is a love letter to romcoms is so accurate, and I laughed, internally squealed, and sent my sister many of the references to beloved pop culture and literature love stories. I loved it, and it was only very narrowly beat out for fave of the month.

Thanks to Forever for the arc!
Release date: Jan 14/25

This was so lovely! I loved being back in Starlight Grove, the small coastal town with its quirky cast of characters, it's Gilmore Girls/Stars Hollow style festivals and overall vibes, and a new pack to get to know. Ivy is an omega, friends with Olive from book one, and a teacher who is working hard to make the most of what she has to work with (low funding, overworked, wants the best for her kids). During a snowstorm, fellow teacher Rome (alpha) and his bonded partner James (beta) follow her to the school to make sure she's safe (they already are drawn to her) and then get their neighbor Logan (an electrician and alpha) to come help with the power because she's worried about her class fishtank. But she has a heat spike (her first ever) and the three help her through it. They eventually start courting her and the story is so sweet, with all of them learning how to be a pack, figuring out how to lean on one another and accept support, especially Ivy. We get the spice expected in an Omegaverse romance, including some MM since James and Rome were already a couple. We also get just the warmest, coziest feeling, perfect for a winter storm, including some Christmas scenes. Logan may be my fave new alpha character because of his adorable mix of awkward and aggressiveness. Also, I am always here for plus size rep and we don't get it with dudes very often, so to see him grow to accept his insecurities when it's clear that Ivy loves him and his body was wonderful.
And maybe most importantly, Felix the meddling cat is back in action! Looking forward to book three about Lucy from Emelia Emerson whenever it's released.
Thank you to Eliana for this arc. Release date: Dec 13/24.

I liked this short story about Mira's best friends Vivian and Frankie, who we met in Make Room for Love. This is a prequel to the novel and is their origin story as a couple. Best friends to lovers, some invited forced proximity / only one bed (aka one has nowhere to stay and the other offers to host her), a little spice, and a full arc. For how much we got to know them in the other story (not a huge amount), this felt like an adequate and satisfying story about them. 

This was so great! An extended epilogue (novella) all from Alex's point of view this time. I enjoyed their story from Jill's POV but the reader in me who loved dual POV was thrilled to get the next bit of heir life (with just a touch of overlap from the first two books) with him as the focus. Could already tell he was an absolute gonner for her before but now being in his head? My word, book boyfriend material indeed. He cares so much about her, helping to mitigate and relieve her anxiety , which we saw more of because her parents are back. We also got some satisfying closure on something from her past. The spice was great as usual, and the little preview for Nick's book has me even more excited for whenever that comes out next year! 

I'm not sure where I saw this book recommended, but the premise was two women(strangers) become roommates, one's a butch lesbian and the other is a trans woman. Also, it had to do with unions somehow and my library is doing rotating strikes right now so it felt aptly timed. I borrowed it from KU and I think if I'd gone in with big expectations I might have felt disappointment because nothing wowed me BUT there also wasn't anything wrong with it so I was fine. It showed their lives, their individual struggles with family, as children of immigrants (one is Chinese American and the other is Indian and Jewish), and if you're looking for something really dramatic or high paced, this isn't it but I still enjoyed it. They've got insecurities and things they're dealing with but both admire the other. There's a bit of a queer awakening as well and I thought that was well done. If you want just a cozy, women with real problems and real joys living their lives (and some decent spice), I think this could be a good one to try. I don't feel strongly enough that I'd go searching for more by the author immediately (pretty sure this is their debut anyways) but I wouldn't be opposed to reading more from them some day. 

This is one of Jewell's earlier books that I hadn't read yet. I tend to enjoy her newer thrillers to her older family dramas, but I really liked this one! Melody Browne is in her 30s, and the son she had at 15 is about to turn 18. Aside from her son, nothing in her life changes because she has always been plagued by the fact that she has no memories before waking up after the fire that destroyed her family's home when she was nine and this causes her to doubt herself and her mind all the time. Realizing she is in a rut, she decides to go on a date for the first time in forever and when they're attending a hypnotist show she goes on stage and then passes out. After that night she starts to get flashes of what seem like memories of herself as a little girl, things she's previously never known before and don't match up with that she's been told about her childhood. She decides to start searching out the places and people she sees in her memories to try and discover what really happened to her back then. Even though it was in no means a thriller, I think I enjoyed the solve a mystery vibe of this one.

This was everything I wanted it to be! A holiday novella, set in the Kingman universe, that gives us a back story for an established couple we met as side characters, and includes a fake engagement and a rescue goose with a penchant for matchmaking and theft? Yep, it has it all! Mac is a new agent with only one client, his best friend Tommy (side character with his own story woven in, also enjoyable). Sarah Jayne is an aspiring plus size model who loves her body, originally from Germany and trying to make it in LA. They have a ridiculous meet cute at Oktoberfest. Like with the short story I just read, it was fun to see characters we've met in the series but ten+ years earlier. If you like this series you'll like this one, their connection is immediate and the way they fall for each other is very sweet. 

I've been wanting to read this Kingman family origin story, aka a short story about dad Bridger and late mom April first meeting. She's a plus size model turned failed agent, he's the league's grumpiet professional football player with a huge dog named Bear. He is so unlike the dad we meet later, the juxtaposition really makes it hit home what knowing and loving her did for him. They're both big and sexy,and get snowed in together finding ways to stay warm. I enjoyed it, so thank you to the author for providing it free to readers subscribed to her newsletter!

Frik, I just love Ruby Barrett's books! This is her first self pubbed book and I feel like some authors might struggle with that since a whole other side of things is now up to you to handle/make happen, but I could tell it was so carefully and thoughtfully done. More accurately, even without the backing of a big publisher, I couldn't tell the difference because her characters were still so strong, her writing just as clear, funny, and emotional. Well done!! 
Nick and Jasmine end up fake dating to help each other out but she thinks he's someone else when they first meet and he doesn't know that until partway through her event but his event is later so he selfishly doesn't want to tell her. She's obsessed with trying to be someone else's version of perfect rather than being herself, and he is so himself it's made him the black sheep of his family and everything she thinks she doesn't want. But their chemistry is explosive, even when their lies blow up, and eventually they both figure out what they need to do to be happy. I loved it! Also, let's keep the trend of hot redhead women going because I'm here for it. Also also, I don't know if this is the plan at all, but I'd love to see Jazz's sister Jade get her own book, as she is all sorts of chaotic and fascinating and I want to know more.