Thank you to the author and publisher for the gifted copy.

A STRONG STORY.

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First and foremost I loved the deaf/hard of hearing rep so much. I felt like I learned a lot and appreciated seeing this heavily present in the book. It’s a theme throughout and there was a copious amount of knowledge gained.

The relationship between Sophie and August was sweet. They went from strangers to lovers well and I liked the times the spent together and the little nudges of getting to know each other and feel seen within their own personal trials. I was highly frustrated by the third act because it involved one of my least favorite third act tropes, but I digress. These two had a tender and beautiful romance I loved seeing blossom.

The side plot with Sophie’s brother Jasper never felt complete or fully woven in. I don’t know how to put my finger on it that something was missing from this nefarious side quest and I needed something different from him.

All of the audiobook and ASL learning content was amazing though. I loved those aspects and they really carried the journey in this story. A bit preachy here and there for my usual preferences in reading a Christian romance but I think this will still resonate with a lot of people and hopefully bring some peace while reading this beautiful book.

Overall audience notes:
- Christian Contemporary Romance
- Language: none
- Romance: kisses
- Violence: moderate
- Content Warnings: loss of parents (recounted), mentions of spousal abuse (brief), grief depictions, panic attack on page 

 IN LOVE.

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I’m so glad I jumped into this book quickly after finishing book one. I am in love with this series and can’t wait for more books. They are quirky and humorous while also tackling some heavy conversations and topics. I find the balance fitting and it continually draws me into the story wondering where the next turn will happen.

And we got a second romance in this one y’all!! Two new characters to fall in love with as they fell in love with each other. I adored this pairing. I loved seeing the conflicts and resolutions that arose as characters grew and changed with all the things they were learning on this expedition.

It’s got just a touch of magic that I think has been woven well into the historical elements. The audiobook is awesome and I’m still smitten with the original couple (Ellie and Adam) too.

Overall audience notes:
- Historical Fantasy Romance
- Language: low
- Romance: closed door
- Violence: moderate 

 Thank you to the publisher for an eARC from Netgalley.

YUP. I’M CRYING.

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Why do Abby Jimenez books hit so hard every time????? I am an emotional wreck after this one.

As someone who did long distance for a year, I felt the roller coaster of emotions and situations that come up when you can’t be physically present. It’s tough and seeing Samantha and Xavier work through that was really something. They wanted their relationship so deeply that they almost sacrificed too much and I loved seeing them communicate the hard things and find balance and peace.

The care giving aspects (to Samantha’s mom who has dementia) hit on so many levels. The raw and often desolate waves of situations and feelings that come out you when every day feels one step closer to permanently cracking. It’s trauma heavy but I think worked well in the story (I don’t qualify this as a rom-com, there’s some humor but it is settled around heavy themes).

AND HANK??? BLESS THAT MAN.

I binged this faster than I could blink and you could catch me crying in my reading chair waiting for those final moments to come together at last.

Overall audience notes:
- Contemporary romance
- Language: mild
- Romance: 1-2 brief open door
- Violence: moderate
- Content warnings: taking care of a loved one with advanced dementia, abusive parents (recounted and some on page depiction), mentions of animal abuse and neglect 

 LEGIT SURPRISED.

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I have read three previous Savannah Scott books and I have not loved any of them. Something has just never clicked with the writing and yet I found myself determined to read every book in the series leaving me worried about picking this one up.

BUT. I will say, this is the best book I’ve read of hers. If you’ve been wanting to try her books, start here (all of these books can be read as standalones).

I really adored Logan. He was such a sweet heart and had some Mr. Darcy vibes I could get behind. I liked his gentle nature and his passion too. He really looked out for others and had genuine self reflection. I didn’t mind Olivia either. I do think she was a bit childish at times about things that happened years ago, but I suppose it all worked out well enough.

There were still a few plot/writing quirks that didn’t sit well with me. And the third act based around miscommunication had me hitting my head against a wall. I am grateful that this was more of a win than anything else though.

Overall audience notes:
- Contemporary Romance + Magical Realism
- Language: none
- Romance: kisses 

 Thank you Wednesday Books for the gifted copy.

BETTER AS A STANDALONE.

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And I rarely say that, but I mean it this time.

I had a hard time getting through this one because it felt very much the same as book one. Clara goes back into the woods, meets some fairytales that have gone awry, figures out who the bad guy is (who is obvious from the start) and saves the day. Which was practically what happened the first time.

There was also a forced issue in the romance. I think it was trying to add tension, yet it didn’t come across as such. I wanted to love them and that never happened.

It was overall just a dry read. I don’t have much to say because I hardly felt anything while reading other than I was ready to be finished with this book.

Overall audience notes:
- YA Fantasy
- Language: low
- Romance: closed door
- Violence: moderate 

Full review to come!

 3.5 stars

Thank you to Get Underlined for the gifted copy and PRH Audio for the gifted audiobook.

I HAVE SOME THOUGHTS.

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Let me tell y’all what I loved most about this book…any time Rafi and Zia were on the page together. Off the charts chemistry, incredible banter, and the best kind of heated interactions. I loved loved loved them so much. Their time together continually saved this book for me.

Now for what bugged me, the side quests and most of the rest of the plot. The themes were kind of shoved down my throat rather than woven in and it felt like the only thing anyone could talk about. And all of the Frankenstein commentary was boring.

There were some good scenes scattered throughout I enjoyed about friendships and family connections and following what makes you happy. I did love all of the painting and music composition aspects.

This was my first book by this author (I haven’t read the first book in this series and had no issues. This can easily be read as a standalone), and I’m unsure if I’ll pick up another?

Overall audience notes:
- YA Historical Romance
- Language: low
- Romance: kisses 

 4.25 stars

Thank you to the author for an eARC.

A GOOD STARTER.

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I’ve continually enjoyed S.M. Gaither’s books over the years and this was no exception. I love the complicated world building that’s filled with so many layers that weave throughout that make this book feel epic. I loved the concepts brought up in WBFD and how that connected to the magic system. It led to some big reveals and I’m excited to see those unfold in future books.

I don’t know that I would call this enemies to lovers though. There wasn’t enough animosity for me to believe it, but I did think that Aleksander and Nova had solid chemistry. I would have loved even more on page time with them. By the end I was much more invested in their relationship and what the fallout is going to be in the sequel. And I just really enjoyed both characters on their own too (there were some Aleksander POV chapters and I am here for them all!!).

Brutal cliffhanger alert (my fav). S.M. Gaither doesn’t miss.

Overall audience notes:
- Fantasy romance
- Language: moderate
- Romance: 4-5 open door
- Violence: high 

Full review to come!!

 Thank you to You Hade Me at HEA for the gifted copy.

3.5 stars

I WAS SORT OF CHARMED?

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This was my first book by this author and I think I’d pick up another? There were plenty of good and solid moments throughout and I liked a lot of the base themes. There is a glaring issue though.

I don’t think I’d classify this as cheating because the “relationship” Graham was in wasn’t a true romantic situation (which is mentioned in the synopsis), but I do wish there had been less sneaking around and Graham had come clean sooner. It didn’t give it a good forbidden angle, just a frustrating one.

The chemistry between Graham and Ali was great though. I really loved them together and I thought the one night stand trope worked well enough for me (and I usually don’t enjoy that one). The setting was charming with a historic hotel and all of the wedding/event planning. I liked that there were many Graham and Ali proximity moments because I truly got to see their relationship unfold. They played off of each other well.

Overall audience notes:
- Contemporary Romance
- Language: mild – moderate
- Romance: open door