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Thank you to Berkley and Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own!
BEAUTIFUL STORY.
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I have continually enjoyed reading Cleeton’s historical fiction books. They take me into a time of history that I know little about and add a dash of romance that I appreciate. This was another solid combination of both.
There’s three points-of-view in this story (as in her previous). Sometimes I wish the novel as a whole was longer so that I could get more of each woman’s story. The backgrounds and nuances of each character are remarkedly different and it’s easy to get caught up in what’s happening.
This time period of Cuba trying to break away from Spain was really great to learn more about. I hope to research some more because I feel like this only skimmed some of the surface. I had no idea about the dominating world of journalism at the time and the truly terrible conditions Cubans were facing from Spain. One of my favorite parts of the historical fiction genre is the inspiration to further gain knowledge on the time period and people brought to life.
Not to mention, I always love the subtle romances that work their way into my heart. They aren’t generally a heavy part of the plot, but it gives some hope and angst to the book. It’s the best little touch that I think always fits well.
My only major complaint was the pacing. I would get into one story line then jump too quickly to a different one. Or things would be too slow for too long which had me begging for some more action segments. Besides this, a really beautiful novel. I look forward to continue reading Cleeton’s books!
Overall audience notes:
- Historical fiction
- Language: some
- Romance: kisses, closed door scenes
- Violence: battles, wars, physical altercations, gun violence, kidnappings, ship explosions
- Trigger/Content Warnings: being jailed without cause, reconcentration camps, losing loved ones, having to give up a child for a time (her child does come home eventually!), attempted sexual assault/rape, lewd remarks to women
BEAUTIFUL STORY.
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I have continually enjoyed reading Cleeton’s historical fiction books. They take me into a time of history that I know little about and add a dash of romance that I appreciate. This was another solid combination of both.
There’s three points-of-view in this story (as in her previous). Sometimes I wish the novel as a whole was longer so that I could get more of each woman’s story. The backgrounds and nuances of each character are remarkedly different and it’s easy to get caught up in what’s happening.
This time period of Cuba trying to break away from Spain was really great to learn more about. I hope to research some more because I feel like this only skimmed some of the surface. I had no idea about the dominating world of journalism at the time and the truly terrible conditions Cubans were facing from Spain. One of my favorite parts of the historical fiction genre is the inspiration to further gain knowledge on the time period and people brought to life.
Not to mention, I always love the subtle romances that work their way into my heart. They aren’t generally a heavy part of the plot, but it gives some hope and angst to the book. It’s the best little touch that I think always fits well.
My only major complaint was the pacing. I would get into one story line then jump too quickly to a different one. Or things would be too slow for too long which had me begging for some more action segments. Besides this, a really beautiful novel. I look forward to continue reading Cleeton’s books!
Overall audience notes:
- Historical fiction
- Language: some
- Romance: kisses, closed door scenes
- Violence: battles, wars, physical altercations, gun violence, kidnappings, ship explosions
- Trigger/Content Warnings: being jailed without cause, reconcentration camps, losing loved ones, having to give up a child for a time (her child does come home eventually!), attempted sexual assault/rape, lewd remarks to women
THE DOGS WERE CUTE.
This was a quick and sweet read! Lots of swoony moments and I was really feeling this trope! It was fun to get a movie star + normal girl read. I haven’t read many that I loved and this would definitely rank up there. It was well-paced and I wanted to keep reading it so that’s a positive.
I liked the initial premise of beaing a seat filler, because honestly, where can I sign up? A nice meet-cute and lots of good banter between the two main characters. I enjoyed all of the dogs that were in it and liked most of the plot. Sometimes very dramatic and over the top, yet I guess when a movie star is involved it can be expected?
Juilet’s character wasn’t always my favorite. She started off strong. Then I would feel like she came off childish and I would want to roll my eyes at her inner monologue. With the big conflict towards the end, I didn’t love how either party handled the situation. And that’s always something I look for in romances. How all of that is handled at the end.
I don’t have a lot to say because it was a simple read, but not necessarily memorable.
Overall audience notes:
- Contemporary romance
- Langauge: very little
- Romance: kisses/make-outs;
- Trigger/Content Warnings: a friend who had cancer (in remission), loss of a sibling, estranged parents, philemaphobia (fear of kissing)
ABSOLUTELY ADORED.
Ohhhhh my gosh this book was precious.
I loved the main characters. Kelsey exhibited a lot of growth throughout the novel. Even if I wanted to shake her a few times, she did have to come around on her own to what was happening in her life. I liked how fun Kelsey became and how she remembered her roots and what [and who] she loved. Cade was so dang sweet. My my was he a swoon worthy lead. An attractive baseball player turned cowboy? Yes please.
The only frustrating thing about this book was how long the fiance timeline played out. I was hoping it was going to fizzle (because it was clearly heading in that direction) quickly so there would be more Cade and Kelsey. I would have loved some more stellar kissing scenes and heat between them.
All of the farm life stuff was great! I feel like I learned a lot at the same time as I was enjoying the romance. Cade and Kelsey also played a lot of pranks on each other. I’ve read a handful of “prank war” books and it can be good or bad. I actually found this to be on the positive side. They were truly pranks that were ridiculous, but humorous. I didn’t feel a negative/mean energy to them and that helped the enjoyability of the moment.
Such a good, quick read about rekindling a childhood love and finding out where you want your path to go. The ending was incredibly sweet and I thought really wrapped up exactly where the romance needed to go.
Overall audience notes:
- Contemporary romance
- Language: very little
- Romance: kisses
- Trigger/Content Warnings: manipulative/gaslighting significant other, intense body shaming, restriction of food and unsafe dieting
CAN’T LOOK AWAY.
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No really.
Someone needs to tell me how this ends.
Oh wait.
I’ll just keep devouring these books in a day instead.
Yes. Yes, I did pick this up. BECAUSE I HAVE A SIDE. And we all know, in a love triangle scenario if our side doesn’t win it usually ruins the series for us. Time will tell if that’s the case for me here. I’m really hoping it isn’t because I will be devastated.
I do struggle a touch with the age of these characters and imagine them in my mind 19/20 rather than 16. The underage drinking/partying/etc. is a lot at times. I really am watching some teen reality show play out in front of me. It’s addicting. I can’t stop reading.
But I kinda love it for those exact reasons too. They’re some books that feel totally different and immersive from my usual preferences of romance/genre that really sink their claws into me. I love that I can’t put these down and want to know what happens next. I love the quick pace and back and forth characters. The angst and drama. It’s all here folks.
Overall audience notes:
- New adult contemporary romance
- Language: some strong throughout
- Romance: kisses / make-outs; a moderately detailed love scene
- Content warnings: underage drinking
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No really.
Someone needs to tell me how this ends.
Oh wait.
I’ll just keep devouring these books in a day instead.
Yes. Yes, I did pick this up. BECAUSE I HAVE A SIDE. And we all know, in a love triangle scenario if our side doesn’t win it usually ruins the series for us. Time will tell if that’s the case for me here. I’m really hoping it isn’t because I will be devastated.
I do struggle a touch with the age of these characters and imagine them in my mind 19/20 rather than 16. The underage drinking/partying/etc. is a lot at times. I really am watching some teen reality show play out in front of me. It’s addicting. I can’t stop reading.
But I kinda love it for those exact reasons too. They’re some books that feel totally different and immersive from my usual preferences of romance/genre that really sink their claws into me. I love that I can’t put these down and want to know what happens next. I love the quick pace and back and forth characters. The angst and drama. It’s all here folks.
Overall audience notes:
- New adult contemporary romance
- Language: some strong throughout
- Romance: kisses / make-outs; a moderately detailed love scene
- Content warnings: underage drinking
BEST OF THE SERIES [SO FAR].
I loooooooved this! Especially Thayden, who was hot dang precious. I love how he took the time and effort to show Delilah what kind of life she deserved. He’s very much the best part of this book. I couldn’t get enough of him. Thayden and Delilah’s chemistry was spot on. The banter was on fire and I love the way that steam is added without being steamy. It’s fantastic and now I’m even more hyped for the last two books of this series.
And by the title you can see it had one of my favorite tropes, fake fiance! I love how it played out. I didn’t realize until the end how short the timeline was, but that’s what was magical. The romance was choreographed beautifully and by the end I was begging for the actual marriage to happen.
The conflict was luckily not over the top. From what I could see coming I was hoping it wasn’t going to lead to some big roll-my-eyes miscommunication. Aaaand it didn’t. Which is fantastic. I’m grateful all parties knew what was a lie and it made me love Delilah and Thayden all the more.
These are quick, romantic reads. I love how easy they are to follow and getting everyone’s story.
Overall audience notes:
- Contemporary romance
- Language: very little
- Romance: kisses/make-outs; light innuendo
- Trigger/Content Warnings: manipulative parents
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.
LOVED THIS.
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I can break down this review really simply.
I have a hard time loving these tropes: friends to lovers, second chance, and books with flashback chapters.
People We Meet on Vacation made me love them ALL. It was written so beautifully and magnetically that I devoured this in a day. I didn’t want to put it down, I needed to know what happened. The story was a journey and gave me plenty of wanderlust about traveling.
I LOVE Alex and Poppy. Goodness gracious. Their chemistry leaped off the page into fireworks. From the get-go I knew I was in for this book. I love the opposites attract vibes and watching their love story play out over the flashbacks. It was expertly accomplished. I can’t say enough good things about how this story. I wish I could read it fresh again.
Need I mention some tropes I do love that were also included? ONE BED, slow burn and tension for days. The angst here was real. Alex was such a cinnamon roll. Poppy was vibrant and larger than life. I just love them. LOVE THEM. I found myself smiling and laughing at the banter and antics. How things were going utterly wrong in one way and perfectly right in another.
I like to mention in romances if that conflict we all know is coming took away from the story. This time? It didn’t take away at all. It fit into everything I learned about the characters over the book. It allowed for growth from both characters and learning what they truly wanted and needed from their own lives as their’s collided.
What a book. I love Emily Henry’s romances!
Overall audience notes:
- Contemporary romance
- Language: some
- Romance: kisses to brief open door
- Trigger/Content Warnings: depicitons of anxiety, loss of a parent, bullying
LOVED THIS.
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I can break down this review really simply.
I have a hard time loving these tropes: friends to lovers, second chance, and books with flashback chapters.
People We Meet on Vacation made me love them ALL. It was written so beautifully and magnetically that I devoured this in a day. I didn’t want to put it down, I needed to know what happened. The story was a journey and gave me plenty of wanderlust about traveling.
I LOVE Alex and Poppy. Goodness gracious. Their chemistry leaped off the page into fireworks. From the get-go I knew I was in for this book. I love the opposites attract vibes and watching their love story play out over the flashbacks. It was expertly accomplished. I can’t say enough good things about how this story. I wish I could read it fresh again.
Need I mention some tropes I do love that were also included? ONE BED, slow burn and tension for days. The angst here was real. Alex was such a cinnamon roll. Poppy was vibrant and larger than life. I just love them. LOVE THEM. I found myself smiling and laughing at the banter and antics. How things were going utterly wrong in one way and perfectly right in another.
I like to mention in romances if that conflict we all know is coming took away from the story. This time? It didn’t take away at all. It fit into everything I learned about the characters over the book. It allowed for growth from both characters and learning what they truly wanted and needed from their own lives as their’s collided.
What a book. I love Emily Henry’s romances!
Overall audience notes:
- Contemporary romance
- Language: some
- Romance: kisses to brief open door
- Trigger/Content Warnings: depicitons of anxiety, loss of a parent, bullying
MIXED THOUGHTS.
I know this is an unpopular opinion, buuuut it is what it is. I didn’t love this. Truly didn’t hate it either, just felt some disconnects.
What I did love was HENRY. He was one of my favorites. Him and Alex together were great. I loved anytime they got those precious soft and quiet moments where I could really feel the love between them. It was passionate and bold and had me absolutely cheering for them.
I struggled with the first half of the book because I thought it got hot and heavy too fast. Everytime Alex and Henry saw each other it was to run off to a closet and have sex. I wanted more burn and angst from them! That’s why I loved the second half more. More emotional connections and heartfelt conversations that swept me away.
Sometimes the political storyline really took me out of the book. Whenever it switched from the romance side of things I felt a detachment. Once again, this was somewhat remedied (at least on Henry’s end) in the second half of the book, but at that point it had become something majorly noticeable to me.
I absolutely LOVED the side characters (especially Alex’s Mom). They were funny, creative and so well written. I got a clear personality and intention from each of them and that really helped the entire story.
I liked how the ending wrapped up and the story at its heart was solid. I had a mixed bag of thoughts, but I’m glad I finally picked this one up.
Overall audience notes:
- NA Contemporary romance
- Language: very strong and often
- Romance: open and closed door scenes
- Trigger/Content Warnings: homophobia, implied sexual assault (in the past of a side character)
ENJOYABLE.
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I was (and always am) hesitant to read a side story/novella in the midst of the entire series. But after seeing some reviews, and loving Melissa as a character, I wanted to go ahead and read this where it fit into the story!
But no, you do not have to read this in order. It could be read anytime after book 8.
I loved seeing Melissa on this journey! It broke up the series well and gave me some new insight into Melissa and a few other characters. It was well written and the mystery still kept me on my toes. I love the lawyer she’s working with and loved seeing some more of Candace. Melissa has some really cool power combinations that I liked learning about too.
The super cute romance with Mack was just precious. It made me smile and really solidified their ship for me.
Overall audience notes:
- Paranormal cozy mystery side story
- Language: none
- Violence: murder
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I was (and always am) hesitant to read a side story/novella in the midst of the entire series. But after seeing some reviews, and loving Melissa as a character, I wanted to go ahead and read this where it fit into the story!
But no, you do not have to read this in order. It could be read anytime after book 8.
I loved seeing Melissa on this journey! It broke up the series well and gave me some new insight into Melissa and a few other characters. It was well written and the mystery still kept me on my toes. I love the lawyer she’s working with and loved seeing some more of Candace. Melissa has some really cool power combinations that I liked learning about too.
The super cute romance with Mack was just precious. It made me smile and really solidified their ship for me.
Overall audience notes:
- Paranormal cozy mystery side story
- Language: none
- Violence: murder
HIT HOME.
This made me want to relive some of my high school years and figure out some aspects of my life. I love how this was approached. Watching Avery find her passion and owning her truths to her family and friends really resonated. I have been deeply reminded why I love Kasie West’s books and the way she’s able to captivate and fill my cup.
Avery was a great teenage main character. Not over the top dramatic, but honest in her faults, and struggling to remember her strengths. I loved her character progression and how she took a chance on her summer to try new things.
Add in a sweet romance with Brooks and I was smitten. Teen, summer love! Oh how cute. I liked their relationship a lot too. From being honest with one another, and learning (and admitting) about communications issues felt true. This whole book was a warm summer hug.
I read it in a day and it was super cute and relatable to my soul.
Overall audience notes:
- YA Contemporary + Romance
- Language: none
- Romance: kisses
- Trigger/Content Warnings: a parent in a care home (unable to care for themselves after a stroke)
I’M CRYING.
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Oh, I have found another book to make me cry and hug it to my chest upon closing. I loved this one that much.
Nancy Wake is a flippin’ bada**. I loved the way she was portrayed in this historical fiction version of her life. It was magnificent. Her ability to stay brave and courageous in the face of such horrid evil.
I love the converging timelines and how this kept me on my toes. It’s some tiny word/big page writing, and yet I never felt like it dragged. Ever. The absolutely beautiful writing combined Nancy’s story with dialogue and descriptions of the French countryside. It was truly a new tale for historical fiction in the World War 2 sub-genre. I know it’s often said that there are too many WW2 books, but this one proved that all wrong.
Nancy’s romance with Henri was, EVERYTHING. Oh my goodness I love him so much. I was smitten with his love and devotion to Nancy (and hers with him). I love a beautiful portrayal of marriage. They never gave up on each other and I couldn’t help but cry at the ending of the war.
This is without a doubt one of my new favorites in historical fiction. I loved getting to read the author’s note at the ending about the real Nancy Wake and I want to learn more about her and her missions. What a powerful woman.
Overall audience notes:
- Historical Fiction [WW2]
- Language: some strong throughout (often in French)
- Romance: kisses; one fade out closed door scene
- Trigger/Content Warnings: this is a book about war; a lot of violence and murder; mentions of rape, horrendous war crimes (descriptive and intense)
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Oh, I have found another book to make me cry and hug it to my chest upon closing. I loved this one that much.
Nancy Wake is a flippin’ bada**. I loved the way she was portrayed in this historical fiction version of her life. It was magnificent. Her ability to stay brave and courageous in the face of such horrid evil.
I love the converging timelines and how this kept me on my toes. It’s some tiny word/big page writing, and yet I never felt like it dragged. Ever. The absolutely beautiful writing combined Nancy’s story with dialogue and descriptions of the French countryside. It was truly a new tale for historical fiction in the World War 2 sub-genre. I know it’s often said that there are too many WW2 books, but this one proved that all wrong.
Nancy’s romance with Henri was, EVERYTHING. Oh my goodness I love him so much. I was smitten with his love and devotion to Nancy (and hers with him). I love a beautiful portrayal of marriage. They never gave up on each other and I couldn’t help but cry at the ending of the war.
This is without a doubt one of my new favorites in historical fiction. I loved getting to read the author’s note at the ending about the real Nancy Wake and I want to learn more about her and her missions. What a powerful woman.
Overall audience notes:
- Historical Fiction [WW2]
- Language: some strong throughout (often in French)
- Romance: kisses; one fade out closed door scene
- Trigger/Content Warnings: this is a book about war; a lot of violence and murder; mentions of rape, horrendous war crimes (descriptive and intense)