stephsbooktalk's Reviews (915)

Thank you so much to #partner Berkley for the free copy of the book!
Thank you to PRH Audio for the complimentary audiobook!

This book is out now!

I first read Bal Khabra's book Collide last year through Berkley and comparing the way that one was written to this one, you could see Khabra's growth! Collide felt like it was a debut book and I know it originally was an indie turned traditionally pub so I'm not sure how much was changed from the original format. But this one felt so much more polished!

Without knowing it, I read two romances simultaneously that started off with a the FMC bids on the MMC at a charity event and yet they both were done so differently and well done. Sage bids on Eli while working at a charity event which leds to them hanging out. Eli is smitten with Sage from the start.

I thought this was such a cute read! Sage had been through a lot and had to grow up quickly. She felt like she had to be the one to take care of her brother and put everything for him before she could focus on herself. Ballet was her life and her dream was to play the title role in Black Swan. When a fire at her apartment caused her to be displaced, sweet Eli was kind enough to let her stay with him. I love the found family feeling that came across on how his group of friends took her in.

Eli doesn't have the best reputation in the NHL and is painted as a playboy. But playing hockey is what he wants people to be talking about except he has yet to score a goal. Once him and Sage start seeing one another, his luck changes, There was an incident that caused him to be a little extra cautious in his love life. Eli is very very into Sage but doesn't allow himself to indulge. I thought that was an interesting choice by the author! Especially for someone who has written very spicy scenes in the prior book. But don't worry Eli could only resist for so long because he knew Sage was different than other women that had been in his life. I love how supportive he was of Sage and knew that she could achieve her dreams. And don't get me started on how sweet he was towards her brother!!

I paired my reading with the audiobook. Narrators Nia Serge and Aaron Shedlock both were fabulous as Sage & Elias. Both were new to me narrators and I would certainly listen to other audiobooks with them. Nia gave us the sass and vulnerability that is needed for Sage. Aaron's tone is deep and rich and just worked perfectly with his character.

Overall I thought this was a fun, quick romance and I recommend if you are looking for a romance buffer between heavy reads! You do not need to read Collide to understand this. Summer and Aiden do make appearances throughout the book.

Thank you so much to PRH Audio for the complimentary audio!

The FOMO took over me on this one! I just couldn't wait any longer to get to it. And boy did it take over my evenings! I was consumed with the storyline from the very beginning. The book takes us on a journey of Katarina Shaw's quest to become an Olympic figure skater with her long time friend Heath Rocha there by her side. We learn of their background and how cutthroat the competitive field of skating is.

This is classified as a romance but I would say its more fiction with a romance subplot. There was a lot that happens to Kat & Heath throughout the book and you can't help but root for them. I think Kat is an unlikeable character that you can't help but to be enamored with. She has such a drive and will do whatever she can to get that gold medal. But others are just as conniving as well.

What is cool about this book and audiobook is the mixed media woven through. They become side characters to the story of Kat & Heath. I love a full cast audio and this one is *chef's kiss*. I am a huge fan of Christine Lakin's narration and she was so good during the Kat centered chapters. Other narrators include: Louisa Zhu, Amy Landon, Elena Rey, Valerie Rose Lohman, Suzanne Toren, Graham Halstead, Julia Emelin, Eric Yang and Johnny Weir. Johnny Weir was the PERFECT person to voice the sassy Ellis Dean.

In the author's acknowledgements she mentioned about a film agent which to me sounds like this is potentially going to be adapted. Though I would love to see it on screen, I wonder if a limited series would be able to really build the characters personas and story arc. But we shall wait and see!

Mini Audiobook Review:  Thank you so much to Gallery for the gifted copy of the book!
Thank you so much to S&S Audio for the complimentary audio!

This book is out now!

There were parts of this book that I really liked and others I was just completely lost. It mostly was the past timeline where I was a little confused on. I loved the present timeline and seeing Natalie's journey in this new stage of her life. Natalie is recently divorced and takes a trip to France. And when she thought she was meeting new friends and they ended up being a let down (I won't spoil what all transpires).  She buys a book of letters by Barbe-Nicole and helps guide her in this new life.

As far as the past timeline goes, I will say it was cool with Barbe-Nicole and how she wanted to be a baddie champagne boss. And the fact that it was happening in the 1800s - so cool!  I thought maybe the timelines would somehow diverge but I don't think it ever did. I think if anything Barbe-Nicole's independence and resilience is what Natalie grew strength from. 

The audio was well done with having two female narrators Cassandra Campbell as Natalie and Jackie Sanders as Barbe-Nicole. I am fairly certain I have listened to Cassandra before but if I hadn't, I certainly would again! I thought she was great as Natalie. Jackie was equally as good with Barbe-Nicole. I do wonder if her French accent was real but if not, I thought it was a pretty good! 

I recommend this book if you are looking for something with dual timelines, about a woman starting over and of course France! 

Thank you SO much to Berkley Romance for an advance copy of this book!
Thank you so much to PRH Audio for the complimentary audio!

This book will be out Feb 4th.

WHEWWWWW It has been two days and I still am thinking about this book.
I am wanting to curl back up in bed and read it for the first time all over again. My brain just has been consumed with Scarlett and Lukas.

I have been a fan of Ali's work since The Love Hypothesis (also shout out to Dr. Adam and Dr. Olive for making cameos) so whenever she drops a book, I am there. Her adult books are exceptional BUT to me she soars into a different sphere with her New Adult books. Check & Mate was outstanding and now this one *chef's kiss*. I was highlighting quotes & different moments because I was SWOOONING. When I wasn't reading it, I was thinking about it. When I was reading a different book, my brain would wonder back to it.

I was a part of a buddy read for this book and when I started reading this, I was VERY nervous on the direction of how this book was going to go because of the whole "I'm attracted/hooking up with my friend's long term ex boyfriend." I knew Ali wouldn't let me down but I still was nervous on how that whole concept would transpire. Don't worry you get all the answers in regards to that while reading. I also was unsure how I felt about Lukas. He is a strong, quiet, very intimidating male character. He is a Swedish Olympic God who is into BDSM and what do you know our sweet, diver Scarlett also is into that. Which is why Pen made the suggestion that the two of them should be together. Lordy! Pen's loss is our treasure.

We don't know how Lukas was with Pen but the way he was with Scarlett. He wanted to give her the world. And while it wasn't always loud or necessarily that talkative, it was in his small gestures. He always would make sure she was okay and consented to the things they would do. One of my favorite moments is when they are in Amsterdam and they are hanging out on the balcony and we really get a peek into their private conversations and them connecting. I just smiled the whole time. I know the two MCs are young but a lot of time I was just screaming at the book because I wanted them to communicate how they were feeling. Lukas would dance around it "you don't know, do you?" and Scarlett wouldn't let herself feel those things because of her relationship with Pen (understandable). And in the moment on the balcony, he was able to verbalize it.

There was a lot that happened in this book besides the romance. You have Scarlett trying to get over the mental block of doing a dive that previously had caused her major injuries, female friendships and the competition of being a top level athlete trying to get into the Olympics. It just all was so good! Besides the relationship with Lukas, the other relationship that was prominent in this book was her relationship with Pen. I remember in the buddy read, a lot of us were just over Pen and her antics. It just seemed like she was always there. And one thing I didn't even think about it while reading until after was that there should have been more boundaries between Pen and Lukas. But once again I blame all this on their age. They are mature in some ways but also still immature in other ways.

I also want to thank Ali for finally giving us short chapters. Compared to the the adult books, I remember them being incredibly long chapters but these, I was tapping through. Ali's writing is very niche to STEM and being very smart. And there was STEM involved in this book but it wasn't an overwhelming amount which I loved. I was much more into the diving aspect of it.

I primarily read this book with my eyes BUT I did pair some of my reading with the audio. Ali's last book Love, Theoretically was the first time I ever did a duet narration and I wasn't sure how I felt about it. But this time around after listening to a few now, it was much more enjoyable. Once again Thérèse Plummer is back and I thought she did a great job with Scarlett and the narration. Ben Holtzmuller was our male narrator. I really liked his voice and I could listen to more of him.

To wrap this long review up, I just can't stress enough how much I loved this book! And I think it will be sitting in my brain for a long time.

PS - Did I buy a special edition cover of this book? Yes I did!

Thank you so much to Hambright PR for the complimentary copy of the book & ALC!

This book is out now!

I read my first book by Lauren Blakely last month and was obsessed so when the opportunity came to read this one, I jumped on it! This is a 3rd book in a series but was a standalone and I did not feel like I missed anything not reading the other books. Could it have added more to the side characters - probably. I was able to see Fable again after reading her love story in My Favorite Holidate.

Friends to lovers isn't my fave trope but in this I absolutely ADORED it! We learn in the prologue how gone Asher is for his best friend Maeve years prior to the current timeline of the book. "I fell in love with you ten years ago. And I fell in love with you all over again when you said, 'I do.'" And during the current time frame, Maeve spent the most money during a charity auction to go on a date with Asher. That date was a weekend in Vegas where they decide to get married for the trip and they would annul it when they returned home. Welllll that turned into much more than what either of them anticipated!

This is a book where throughout majority of it especially in the second half where I wanted to scream JUST TELL HER/HIM HOW YOU FEEL! But my gosh both Asher and Maeve were just so great together! Their friendship backbone made them being in a relationship make so much sense and made it so easy. Asher is a top tier book husband! He has a great career, he is hot, he is considerate, he is selfish, he always puts others before himself and so much more! Maeve was such a sweet person and a great addition to Asher's life. There was a moment in the later half where she really was the strength he needed.

I want to watch you melt. I want to hear you moan. Want to see you beg, crawl, fall apart."

I knew after reading Holidate that Lauren can write the hell out of a sex scene. And this one was no exception. She had such a way of crafting them falling in love throughout the book - in sexual and non sexual ways. The whole time I was smiling while reading this book. The carefulness that Asher was with Maeve - swoon! He knew they were delicate feelings involved and they both knew how complicated mixing their friendship with sex could be. And neither of them wanted to ruin their friendship. It just all was so beautifully done! One of my favorite things in hockey romances is the acknowledgement of the FMC from the MMC on the rink and of course Asher did this so deliciously!

I paired my reading with the audio. This was done in a duet narration and it was perfection. The narrators were Vanessa Edwin and Robert Hatchet. I was not familiar with Robert's narration previously but BOY OH BOY I absolutely loved his voice! I had listened to Vanessa previously and once again knocked it out of the park! And the banter between the characters made their duet just so so good!

I highly recommend if you love a friends to Vegas wedding to lovers and hockey!

Thank you so much to Berkley Romance for the free copy of this book & advance copy!
Thank you so much to PRH Audio for the complimentary ALC!

This book will be out January 28th, 2025.

I had heard early praise for this book and how excellent it was and I can attest that this WAS SUCH A GREAT TIME!

I know Heather is a debut author but my gosh did she nail the banter on her first try! As any romance reader knows, banter is so important to the storyline and to the romance itself. I just love the dynamic between Ada and Jack. Ada is coming off being in a 8 year relationship with a man who walked over her and I know she had such high hopes for reconciliation.

I know people are iffy on the whole insta love connection. I wouldn't say this is instalove but maybe more instalust at least on Jack's end. It's hard to imagine how much you truly get to know someone in a span of 4 days but for the sake of a romance book - it works! They had a connection right off the back and it wasn't even a sexual one (at first). I love the way that Heather allowed their character to grow in the span of those 4 days. Ada was not the same person at the start of her quest to get to Belfast and even at the end of the wedding. Jack was just the right person at the right time for Ada. He felt something for her right away and over the course of their trip was able to open up.

I really liked how Heather didn't give us the usual HEA because it definitely would have felt like a happy for now. And I say this vaguely to try not to spoil anything, but she gave them that time to grow and to be a better person. They each had things that they needed to work through and find themselves.

There were so many times I was kicking my feet while reading. I was just so gone for Jack and empathic to his story. I also felt for Ada because of knowing how hard it is to sustain a relationship that isn't just done. The resisting that they both did was so strong. One of my favorite moments was when they were hiding during the bachelor/bachelorette party and then overheard his friends talking.

I paired my reading with the audio and queen narrator Brittany Pressley was so good! I knew going into this that she would be perfect and it was. She was able to bring Ada to life and her voice for Jack was of course swoony.

Also THERE WAS KARAOKE!!!!! You know I'm a sucker for a karaoke moment!

If you are a fan of insta-lust, forced proximity, adventure through Europe - give this one a try!

4.5- Thank you so much to Celadon Books for the gifted copy of this book & having me apart of the Read Together event!
Thank you so much to MacMillan Audio for the complimentary audio!

This book will be out January 28th, 2025.

I feel like this book is going to be one that a lot of people will be talking about this winter. This book has so many layers and get more complex as the story goes on.

This story is told from 2 timelines as well as multiple point of views (3rd person). I was very invested in the past timeline of the relationship between Angie and Julian. I was curious how the book would merge the past and present timeline as that is the case in most books. I may have been in the minority of readers in this (need to review my fellow readers review) but I was rooting for Angie and Julian throughout the book. They were childhood friends turned high school sweethearts but the mix of trauma from a skiing incident followed by alcohol addiction, changed this couple. They grow within the pages and I can't say I agree with a lot of the decisions that were made by them as young adults as well as grown adults but that is what made them feel realistic. We are messy humans and sometimes we don't make the best decisions especially under stress.

Nora did not get a lot of page time. At least not as much as I would have liked. I would have love to have seen more of her before the shooting. More of her with her brother. I just would like to have more inside of her brain. Though there was a moment that was very telling into her logic as to why she did what she did.

I don't want to say the end was truly shocking but I was caught by surprised on how it all wrapped up. Clues were dropped so readers may be able to figure out some of the turns. It continues to make you think after you are finish and I know was left with questions.

I paired my reading with the audio and veteran narrator Thérèse Plummer was once again stellar! I am currently listening to another book and she's the narrator and I feel like her tone is completely different which goes to show how talented she is! She can alter her tone and vulnerability for such a serious book compared to the other.

It did not feel like a debut by the way the book was written. I am anxious to see what Kristin does in the future!

Thank you so much Avon for the advance copy of this!

This book will be out Feb 4th, 2025.

I have been such a big fan of Tessa since joining the Bookstagram community. Just like with any author, you have your hits and misses and Tessa is no exception. Those who I talked to about her books know that I was nervous about this one after reading The Au Pair Affair. I was not sure how I would feel about a future stepbrother & stepsister romance would play out. But leave it to Tessa to make me hooked the whole time.

Sig Gauthier was gone for Chloe Clifford the moment they met at the country club. And boy were they so into each other throughout the whole book. They knew they shouldn't have these feelings. Because when they thought something was going to happen between them their parents decided to go fall in love and announce they were getting married.

Sig really helped Chloe grow when she moved to Boston. I am not sure it was the best idea of his to pretty much provide her lifestyle (which was not cheap). But I am glad she did not take it for granted. I feel from my memory of the 2nd book when we were introduced to Chloe, that she became a different person between the two books? In Au Pair, she came off as a little bit of an airhead but in this one I did not get that impression at all. I love that Tessa made her a harp prodigy. It allowed her to have her own thing to focus on while Sig had his hockey. Chloe was focused on becoming the best and to get that first chair with the symphony while Sig was trying to figure out his future with the Bearcats.

Despite the forbidden romance of it all, we still get the flirting, the banter and of course the spice! Tessa is one of the queens of being able to do all three flawlessly. Sig wanted nothing more to be with Chloe and even begged his dad to break off his engagement so he could be with her. I am not a huge fan of when a man is possessive and I think he was a tad overboard for my liking even in a book. And she just kind of went with it because of her feelings for him. Like with removing a friendly Elton's number from her phone? Come on! BUT the whole dog park scene did plant the seed for the next book in the series.

This can be read as a standalone but I think you would have fun reading the other two. Fangirl Down will likely always be my favorite in this series but man oh man am I sure having fun with it!

Mini Audiobook Review: Thank you so much to Bibliolifestyle & Harper Perennial for the gifted copy of the book! 

I feel like I may get some hate on this but I thought this book was just okay! It wasn't horrible and kept me engaged but it just wasn't my favorite that I have read recently. I thought Eddie was charming as ever and the narrator who voiced him made him sound so incredible adorable!  He just seemed like such a good guy and you couldn't help but root for him. 

I almost paused the book for the time being because even with having the physical book next to me, I was thrown off by the format of the book. But I stuck with it once I got used to it then it got a little bit better. The author has three POVs of Eddie (present), Birdie (past) and occasionally Bella (present) and the chapters range from short one page to the standard length. 

I felt like the middle kind of lagged but the last 10% of the book was great! And I still enjoyed the book and would recommend it to people. If you are looking for a heartwarming quick read/listen - give this one a try! I am happy that I read it! 

Thank you so much to Hambright PR & Meghan Quinn for the complimentary ebook & ALC!

This is my first Meghan book and I can confidently say, it will not be my last.

This book is out now!

I was obsessed with this book from start to finish! This is a long book (460 pages, almost 14 hours long) but honestly it didn't feel like it. I thought the pacing was really good and that it read rather quickly.

This is 3rd in the Almond Bay series but honestly the way Quinn wrote this, it didn't feel like you needed to read the others. Now I'm sure the connection to the characters would be much stronger as the prior characters from the books do play a part of this one. But I felt like I could pick up what the prior books were about based on what was in this one. I absolutely loved the relationship they all had with one another! Ryland and his sisters are such a tight knit group which we learned really grew after the death of their sister Cassidy. Even the relationship with their partners was so fun to read on page. I love how close they are and how they are trying to give Mac the best life possible.

I really loved Gabby in this book! I thought she was a smart, strong and level headed FMC. She had goals and was determined to make them happen. Her and her brother Bennett went through a lot and she had to grow up quicker than others. She was able to stand up for herself when Ryland would act up. I have no clue if there is going to be a 4th book but if so I hope its with Bower so I can see more of Gabby and her relationship!

Ryland is a MMC where you wish you could hate him because of how grumpy he is but of course I love him. Ryland is such a teddy bear with a rough exterior. The moments with his niece Mac just made my heart melt. I have not lost a parent but I felt like Quinn handled the childhood questions from Mac surrounding her mom and her uncle so well! And I like how he allowed himself to get emotional at times. The conversation when she asked if he was her dad just broke my heart.

Gabby and Ryland together -gah! Their dynamic and banter *chef's kiss*. And the SPICE! I am not always a fan of a protective MMC but Ryland may be an exception. He was so protective of Gabby and his jealousy ended up being the catalyst for them finally getting together. There is a moment towards the later half of the book where Ryland takes matters into his own hands and ends up having an emotional reaction. Gabby knew what he would end up doing including pushing her away but she refused to let him. And I loved that Quinn didn't have her run away and make him realize the mistake and chase after her.

We did get a little bit of baseball! Would have love to have seen Ryland play baseball in some capacity other than coaching because why not. Like a charity baseball game where we could see both Gabby and Ryland play one another. I could totally see them lusting after one another in their uniform.

I did pair my reading in tandem with the audio. And man oh man. I have listened to some duet narration and it would feel unnatural. Not this one. Samantha Brentmoor and Sebastian York played off one another so well in their dialogue. I think their narration helped make this book so super quick and between them and the story itself, it just made the whole journey enjoyable.

Highly recommend if you are looking for a single uncle dad, baseballish, hookup to friends to lover romance!