I really need to start a shelf of books with "peace" by Taylor Swift vibes because YES!

I LOVE THIS BOOK! I really hated how much internalized shame there was around female pleasure and sexuality.  Like a different level than the "purity culture" most historical romances have. But then when she entered her reputation era it hit that much harder!!!

I might like this one better than the first?

IDK, but definitely have a favorite Eloisa James series now!!!

I picked this up because Eloisa James made a reel about this book being on Review Geek's "10 Best Historical Romance Novels of All Time" list (linked below), so naturally I picked it up.  Eloisa James historical fiction books have been hit or miss with me, so I was excited to know a good one to grab. (Although Lizzie & Dante, the contemporary novel she published as Mary Bly is sooooooo good and I won't shut up about it.)

Anyway it was a rough start... I was listening and thinking how is this on that list? It's not just not good, it's bad.  Well I swear the first half and the second half were DIFFERENT BOOKS! It's on me for jumping in to the middle of the series, but it was hard to understand who the main characters even were and what their existing relationship was.  But then you get it.  They're not friends.  BUT BOY DID I FALL HARDER THAN PARTH DID FOR LAVINIA!

last night I didn't take my earbuds out until I finished it, and I really wanted to read Leather and Lark or watch Castle. I loved the characters and DEFINITELY need to listen to the next one because the Jeremy & Betsy angst was angsting and I loved the premise that they set up in the last chapter.

Not my favorite book, but definitely lives up to the hype and I understand how it could make a top ten of all time list (edited by someone else).  All I'll say is if you're not feeling it in the beginning, continue on because boy did it take a turn.

I just loved how self-aware Lavinia was of her needs in a husband.  And that she flipped the switch of "he's going to think I'm ridiculous no matter what so I'm just going to be myself and he can buzz off" which then made him fall even more and grown to UNDERSTAND and love and respect the parts of her she hid behind as frivolities in the past.  UGH

https://www.thereviewgeek.com/10books-historicalromancenovels/

I have been wanting golf books for a long time now, and here I have been blessed with two in one year.  While this was not the steamy, hot, tear-your-glove-off romance I'd been manifesting (I can thank [author:Tessa Bailey|6953499] granting that wish with [book:Fangirl Down|150343880]), this did have some on-the-course romance while diving deeper into the lifestyle of amateur golfers.

Beth's quest for her daughter, and now grand-daughter was interesting and I was rooting for them throughout, but it just wasn't really my jam. It's a bit of a downer in how true-to-life it is.  Beth is not over her ex-husband, she has a thin relationship with her son because of how he became second fiddle to her search for her runaway daughter in his youth, her new beau can't commit because of his own family commitments to his son, and it's just bleh.

I didn't need a cheesy happily ever after for an extremely complicated web of characters, but I would have loved for Beth to have been able to move on with Barry and for Sky's father to get a little more appreciation.  I think he was the real hero of this story and he's just treated like trash.

I don't really know how I feel about this book, but I did love the golf elements.  I could see this being expanded into a really strong family drama film or series.

Thank you NetGalley and CamCat Books for the free audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

 I loved the plus size rep and the insecurities and experiences our FMC had. I loved the big hunky football player falling first and falling HARD for our curvy & nerdy librarian. Mainly I really enjoyed Gabriella Gamez's voice. Her sense of humor and bookish references were on point. (and her spicy scenes were HOTTOGO)

However the story was not my favorite thing. A lot of the drama and conflicts felt overly dramatic, juvenile, and unrealistic. A lot of drama, descriptions, and internal monologues were stretched out and repetitive to the point that I put this book down multiple times (it took me 4 months to finish it). (the first third I plowed through like cotton candy - I eat cotton candy really fast).

While this did not end up being my favorite book, I am excited to read the next book from Gabriella Gomez. I mean she had me falling for a blond man. Theo really scratched that itch of "I'm looking for a man in love with my body, who is tall, buys me books"

thank you NetGalley and Forever Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. 

 A HOT NEW BOMBSHELL ENTERS THE VILLA, AND TICKS ALL MY BOXES ;)

-HE FALLS FIRST
-LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT (nice way of saying insta love)
-BI REP
- NEURODIVERGENT MMC
-FAKE DATING (DUH)
-CURVY & CONFIDENT FMC
-SPANISH VILLA HOLIDAY
-MILLIONAIRE FOOTBALLER MMC
-TOO MANY "AGAPE MOU"S TO COUNT
-UNFILTERED & UNINHIBITED SPICY SCENES

Not my favorite story, but per usual Talia knocks my socks off!!

thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the audiobook galley in exchange for an honest review 

 By the end of the book I was ON BOARD! But the first half was kind of painful for me. It's not because it's bad, it's just not my genre. If you like mama-drama and the college admissions antics at a cut-throat private school, you'll love this! Honestly, it just disgusted me.

But it was fun and most of the second half I did not want to stop! 

It was VERRRRRRY cheesy.  I don't want to get sucked in just to hate on it.  This is not for me.  I also thought it was going to have an Asian American element, but it does not.  I also found out it's closed door.

I loved the characters and the premise (and the steamy chemistry between K and L)!  But I wish there had been a little more development on the main characters and their relationship. I liked the few tender and vulnerable moments we got to see between them, but needed more to be convinced it was the intense "love" story we rooted for in the end.

While some of the contestants, bachelor nation references, and storylines had me rolling my eyes, they were spot on and I think some readers will love them!  I found it most frustrating that the big third act conflict came from such an obvious manipulation that the Lauryn (I'm not sure of the spelling because I listened to the audiobook) character should have seen through.  It was out of character to buy into the shit stirring.

It pushed me into the deep rabbit hole that is the now-openly-queer bachelor nation contestants (and I'm not bad about it).

I recommend if you're looking for a fun and steamy NA sapphic romance and love reality dating shows.  But I think if you're not looking for that specifically, this could be a bit of a miss.  I had to constantly remind myself how young the girls were.

Thank you NetGalley for the audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review.

"...and she felt a thrill shoot up her spine at his admission.  He'd wanted this.  He'd wanted her.  The day they met at Gallows' Gate. Her! Undesirable, unlovable Persephone who had paled in comparison to the lovely Venus her entire life.  That she felt any surprise at all, made her realize how often her mind refused to accept the simple truth, 'Persephone Honeyfield had never been one to attract affection.'  What a terrible belief to hold on to, and what a difficult belief to shake."

I really enjoyed this audiobook.  It's a marriage of convenience with two outcast main characters, what's not to love?!  Parts felt a little formulaic and forced (which is not bad! I love the formula!!!), but it just didn't stand out that much, or took me out of the story I guess.  I think the author wanted to make this "big scary secret" for Aiden and it just didn't hit, but it'd be harder to go darker without shifting the tone.  It was a solid Hades/Persephone re-imagining, but like meh? idk.

thank you Netgalley for the audiobook galley in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a delightful surprise of a book!  It has the witty bibliophiles of Emily Henry with a little extra cheese factor, but it grows to a more squeal-worthy happily ever after.

I really enjoyed the "book about publishing a book" element because it really dove into the nitty gritty of becoming a debut author without getting bogged down in the weeds.  (I saved some of the resources mentioned.) And the low-res MFA program with delightful small-town characters was a nice balance to the main characters' NYC everyday lives.

Neither character was perfect and I loved that. There were times when each of them handled situations less than ideally, but the way they continued on and remained themselves gave it a genuine feel in an otherwise storybook love story.

thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the audiobook galley in exchange for an honest review.