elizabethgscott's Reviews (435)

Forget Me Not by Julie Soto is 4.5/5 stars! 

Ama Torres is an up and coming wedding planner working for the clients of her dreams but she’s working closely with a grumpy florist that also happens to be her ex-boyfriend. Ama loves weddings but has a thorny relationship with love and marriage- her mom has been married almost more times than she can count. Being forced to spend time with her ex is bringing up lots of big feelings and things turn complicated fast. 

I loved this book so much! Elliot and Ama love each other so deeply, even if they can’t always vocalize it. I SO enjoyed the wedding settings, the beautiful flower descriptions, and the thoughtful support Ama and Elliot gave to each other. Ama is the perfect sunshine to Elliot’s grump. I’m a sucker for a grumpy male character and Elliot delivers tenfold! I listened to the audiobook and DEVOURED IT! Callie Dalton and Teddy Hamilton give perfect performances. I will say that the first half of the book was a little slow but imo the back half picks up and totally makes up for the slow start. I can’t wait to read what Julie Soto puts out next! 
also— this cover is everything! I’m obsessed and need to buy more flowers stat!! 

-second chance romance 

-grumpy/sunshine 

-witty banter

-forced proximity 

-he falls first 

-care and comfort

-slow burn 

-dual pop

-spicy

The Trade by Ki Stephens is a standalone college sports romance out August 15, 2023

Jade Jennings needs a little excitement in her life, she’s used to boring “safe” guys and thinks she’s finally ready for a little more adventure. Jade is a student journalist and a genuine football fan hiding the fact that her brother is a popular NFL player. Her new roommate agrees to introduce her to some college athletes however, when Jade and West’s first meeting goes anything but right, he has some serious making up to do. Theo Westman-Cooke is a college football player in desperate need of improving his grades, he and Jade end up working together and that’s when West gets the bright idea to take Jade as his date to the football team’s annual Spring Banquet. The only issue is, players are expected to go home with each others date, a secret trade if you will, it’s tradition. 

The Trade is a fast paced college romance, Ki Stephens always delivers. I loved the banter and chemistry between Jade and West. I also really enjoyed the way Jade and West supported each other. They are both flawed but likable in a realistic way. I look forward to reading what Stephens puts out next. 

Thank you Ki Stephens for a copy of this eARC in exchange for my honest review. 

4.5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

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-college sports 

-she falls first/he falls harder 

-opposites attract 

-cocky mmc/independent fmc

If Only You by Chloe Liese is the 6th book in the Bergman Brothers series. It could be read as a stand alone but is best enjoyed in series order. This book follows the youngest Bergman sibling, Ziggy. She 22 years old, living on her own, playing on the national soccer team, and still her family treats her with kid gloves. Ziggy is smart and capable and wants to be seen as such. Sebastian Gauthier is a professional hockey player and friends with Ziggy’s older brother, Ren. Seb needs to rehab his reputation after a string of poor choices outside of the rink. His bad boy image needs a makeover or he might start losing sponsors. Ziggy devises a plan to force her family to look at her like the adult she is and to hopefully help Seb appear more responsible. She offers to become Seb’s “fake friend” meaning they pretend to be friends for the cameras only. He agrees but the fake part of the friendship doesn’t last long and that’s when things start to get interesting! 

I really enjoyed this book, it was fast paced and full of heart and humor. The Bergman series is one of my favorites and I can’t wait for Viggo’s story! Chloe is an exceptional author, she tells Ziggy and Sebastian’s story with so much warmth and understanding. Like many of her previous works, this story has positive neurodivergent representation that is articulated with great care. 

4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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-dual POV 

-brother’s best friend 

-fake friends to real friends 

-friends to lovers 

-slow burn 

-positive therapy representation 

-humor and heart 

-glimpses at the other Bergman siblings 

-sports romance (soccer and hockey) 

Trigger warnings are given in the content note at the start of the book. 

Happy Place by Emily Henry is a moving story of friendship, love, and second chances. Emily writes with a singular voice that is consistently witty and thought provoking. I have loved every book of hers I have read and this was no exception. 

Harriet and Wyn find themselves in quite the predicament, they’re with friends on their annual trip to Maine, only problem- they broke up 5 months ago and haven’t told anyone. Harriet is a surgical resident looking for an escape to her happy place, Maine, with her friends. She was planning on telling them about her split with Wyn but can’t bear the thought of breaking up the friend group. Shortly after she arrives, a stunned Wyn and Harriet learn this will be the last year at this cottage, it’s being sold. Well now they really don’t want to bring down the mood of this last hurrah.  It’s evident that the two have left things unsaid. Will they be able to keep their heartbreak hidden from the people that know them best? 

This is a beautiful and sometimes painful second chance romance. I will not lie, I cried several times but the ending was worth it. The found family and friendships in this novel are so special. And as always, Emily delivers with the best banter. I alternated between the audiobook and the physical book. Julia Whelan gives the five star performance we’ve all come to expect. 

Overall 5/5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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-dual timelines 

-second chance romance 

-found family 

-strong female friendships 

-forced proximity 

-only one bed 

-all the feels 

Echoes of You by Catherine Cowles is the second book in the Lost & Found series but can be read as a stand alone. 

Nash and Maddie have been best friends since they were 5 years old. Nash has always been Maddie’s fiercest protector so he knows something is wrong when Maddie suddenly decides to move back to their hometown without telling him. He quickly learns that she is running from her horrible ex fiancé and he’ll do anything to protect her. Nash and Maddie have always loved one another but is it the love friends share or something more? 

This is a fast paced, swoon worthy, friends to lovers romantic suspense! We get so many delicious tropes: 

Who did this to you? 

Only one bed 

Slow burn 

I listened to the audiobook and as usual, Jason Clarke and Erin Mallon deliver an excellent performance. I highly recommend the audiobook! 

5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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Check trigger warnings before reading. 

Fault Line by Ki Stephens is the second book in the Coastal University series but could be read as a stand alone. I loved Spring Tide, but I LOVE Fault Line! I’m not big on highlighting in my kindle, honestly I forget that’s a feature, but with FL I couldn’t stop highlighting, there are SO many great lines! Stephens writes realistic, flawed, and likable characters, oh! and top tier steam! 

Kaia Karras and Holden Becker are academic rivals, no one gets under Kaia’s skin quite like Holden. Holden loves sparring with Kaia, it gives him something else to focus on other than the pressures of hockey and family. They both are vying for the same mentorship with Dr. Khatri and find themselves spending more time together. Kaia holds herself to an impossible standard and lately that’s been causing her to lose sleep. She decides it’s time to try a new method to get some much needed rest, she wants to get laid. Holden and Kaia end up agreeing to a one night only, strictly transactional, relationship. Will they be able to stick to their agreement? 

Holden Becker is *chefs kiss* y’all! he’s been pining after our girl since freshman year- he remembers the color of the claw clip she wore freshman year! 🫠😍

He was so supportive of Kaia and understanding of her boundaries, the perfect book boyfriend! 

I loved how smart and capable Kaia is. Stephens wrote about Kaia’s anxiety and mental health struggles with care and in a way that didn’t portray her as weak. 

Read this book if you like: 

-college romance

-hot hockey players

-smart FMC

-academic rivals

-“let’s just get this out of our system” 

-top tier steam

-snarky banter 

-dual POV 

5/5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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Thank you to the author, Ki Stephens, for the eARC in exchange for my honest review. 

Collided is the second book in the Dirty Air series by Lauren Asher. This could be read as a standalone but is fun in series order. I listened to the audio and enjoyed Desiree Ketchum and Aiden Snow’s performances. 

Sophie Mitchell is the daughter of James Mitchell, the Bandini’s team principal. Sophie decides to spend the entire F1 season traveling with her dad and the Bandini team. She befriends Liam Zander, a bad boy McCoy F1 driver known for his speed and off the track antics. Liam finds a “F it” list Sophie created one night while drunk and offers to help her complete it. Of course lines get blurred and friendship turns into more. 

This was a fun and fast paced read. I enjoyed it but found the narrative that “Sophie’s not like other girls” a little repetitive, so I gave it 4/5 stars. I can’t wait to read the next in the series, Wrecked, I’ve heard so many great things! 

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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Check trigger warnings, a tough subject is covered at the start of the book. 

Meet Me at the Lake by Carley Fortune is a beautiful story of friendship, missed connections, grief, and second chances. This one has all the feels. Fern Brookbanks, a new college graduate, is all set to move back home to the Muskoka lakeside resort her mother owns and operates, that is until she meets Will Baxter. Will is a 22 year old artist Fern spends 24 amazing hours exploring Toronto with. Their lives are complicated but their connection is real so they decide to meet up one year from now at the lake. Nine years later Will finally meets up with Fern but not for the reasons you’d think. Fern has some big life decisions to make as she works through the grief of losing her mother. Will might be the only one who can help. 

This story had me hooked from the start, I wanted to know everything about their 24 hours together and what happened a year later that kept them from meeting! I devoured this book switching back and forth between the paperback and the audio. A.J. Bridel did a great job narrating the audiobook. I enjoyed this book but did find it heavy at times as several difficult subjects are discussed. Overall I loved the setting, the second chances, and the found family. 

4/5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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Practice Makes Perfect by Sarah Adams is the second book in the When I’m Rome series. However it could be read as a standalone. 

Will and Annie are too freaking cute! Bad boy Will and good girl Annie are open and honest, they communicate, and they are perfect! Read this if you like Audrey Hepburn references, adore flower shop owners, find tattooed bodyguards named Will hot, and are down for some educational fake dating! 

Annie Walker wants a husband and she wants to live as her authentic self. She feels stuck in a box she didn’t mean to put herself in. On a date from hell, she overhears the guy call her boring and she decides it’s time to brush up on her dating skills. Enter Will Griffin. Will is Annie’s soon to be sister-in-law’s bodyguard (see When in Rome, book #1) all he wants is to do his job and avoid attachments. However, he has a soft spot for Annie and he’s not sure why. He agrees to help Annie hone her dating skills but what do you know, along the way he learns that maybe having attachments aren’t so bad after all. Will and Annie both have a lot of things to work through and they do it all while being open and honest with each other. This was a fun and fast paced read, the perfect steamy, yet not steamy romance. Sarah’s books are closed door and she’s perfected the art of a hot closed door romance! Her books are full of all that glorious tension you’d find in an open door romance. I love this series and I can’t wait to read more from Rome, Kentucky! 

5/5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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-dual POV 

-fake dating 

-dating lessons 

-good girl/ bad boy 

-bodyguard 

-small town 

-care and comfort