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stephsbooktalk's Reviews (915)
Mini Audiobook Review: Ya'll I finally read a historical romance where I actually could following along with no issues!!! Granted the middle is a little foggy but for the most part I was able to understand it all. What a unique concept to do a Parent Trap retelling but have the daughters fall in love!
I love how we see the progression of them meeting and becoming friends during courting season. Gwen has done this a few times and has no desire to find a match whereas Beth is on her first season and is taking advice on how to court the men. Gwen though is sly and tries to "warn" her about the men. And it all changes when they realize that they really have feelings for each other. Once the seed was planted it was all they could think about. While this was all happening, they were trying to get their parents to realize they still had feelings for one another.
The audio was pretty good with two narrators & their voices were different enough that I could tell who was who when the POV changed. It was just a cute story with spice and two HEAs!
The next book will bring back Gwen & Beth but to help a friend who may have feelings for a same sex friend! Can't wait!
I love how we see the progression of them meeting and becoming friends during courting season. Gwen has done this a few times and has no desire to find a match whereas Beth is on her first season and is taking advice on how to court the men. Gwen though is sly and tries to "warn" her about the men. And it all changes when they realize that they really have feelings for each other. Once the seed was planted it was all they could think about. While this was all happening, they were trying to get their parents to realize they still had feelings for one another.
The audio was pretty good with two narrators & their voices were different enough that I could tell who was who when the POV changed. It was just a cute story with spice and two HEAs!
The next book will bring back Gwen & Beth but to help a friend who may have feelings for a same sex friend! Can't wait!
Mini Audiobook Review: This is my first Rebecca Serle book and all I know about her is that she writes sad books. I am not sure what her other books had been like but this one did not make me emotional like I was expecting it to. Could I see why people got emotional? Absolutely - there were some slightly heavy themes and just the romance of it all.
The thing no one ever wants to say about dating is this: It's hard to be real, sure. It's harder to let someone else be.
I was really invested in this story from the start. I love love love the concept of it and though it was a really unique story. There were some plot holes that I do wish were addressed. I thought the length of the book was perfect and I really liked the ending.
Queen Julia Whelan did the audio which made the listening experience very lovely and perhaps a reason why I was so engaged in the story and wanted to keep listening.
If you are looking for a romance without the spice, the swoon but with magical realism - check this out!
The thing no one ever wants to say about dating is this: It's hard to be real, sure. It's harder to let someone else be.
I was really invested in this story from the start. I love love love the concept of it and though it was a really unique story. There were some plot holes that I do wish were addressed. I thought the length of the book was perfect and I really liked the ending.
Queen Julia Whelan did the audio which made the listening experience very lovely and perhaps a reason why I was so engaged in the story and wanted to keep listening.
If you are looking for a romance without the spice, the swoon but with magical realism - check this out!
Thank you so much to Berkley Pub for the advance copy!
Thank you so much to PRH Audio for the complimentary audio!
This book will be out on April 30, 2024.
If you know me, you know I am a ride or die Mrs. Nash's Ashes fan and have been screaming about that book since I read it last spring.
I always praised Sarah any time I could and I read it multiple times. So I was SUPER excited to learn that she was releasing another book this spring and I was fortunate enough to get an advance copy.
"Oh, there are definitely going to be pics of you on the 'the Instagram' babe. A tattooed and bearded goat farmer? It's gonna be a virtual panty-dropping spree."
Did I thoroughly enjoy the book? YES
Am I going to read it 3xs like I did with her debut? Likely not - maybe once again
I love Sarah's writing and already knew I would be an instant fan after falling in love with her writing in her debut. So with this one it was no different. This was such a unique romance and I applaud her for doing something different!
What I loved about MNA was the banter between the FMC and MMC and while that wasn't strong in this book, we did have it between Gretchen and the friendly ghost she can see Everett. Everett was the absolute best!!! There was a moment where I texted a friend saying I was getting the movie "Ghost" vibe when Gretchen was trying to prove to Charlie that she could see & hear Everett and sure enough at the end of the book Sarah talks about part of the inspiration was taken from the movie.
I understand that Gretchen does not such good things conning people but she was truly trying to be better over the course of her time on the farm and I felt bad for her anytime Charlie just kept throwing it back at her that she was a fraud. Charlie was super grumpy but his personality came through more in the 2nd half of the book. There were small moments when Gretchen first arrived that you could see glimpses of what could be. One of my favorite scenes was when him and Gretchen went to the Tipsy's Lou and that is when things changed between them.
"Don't do that or I'm going to have to bend you over this table and take you right here."
"Well, then don't do that, or I'm going to have to let you."
Once they shared their first kiss, the touching, flirty talk and the pining for one another. I do wish we got to see his POV because I think that would have helped a lot of knowing how he was feeling about her from the start. I would have love to have seen them have more one on one time outside of their farm duties.
Gretchen and Everett's relationship was my favorite in the book. Their friendship was just so sweet to see and how they developed over a few weeks and worked together in to saving the farm. "Oh, thank god. I was dying. Get it? Dying? But I'm already dead?" I love his obsession with watching television and that would keep him occupied for hours. And the epilogue put me in my feels!
The audio came up to download from my friends at PRH Audio and I finished the last 130 pages with the audio just so I could hear the brilliant narration by Mara Wilson. She was phenomenal on Mrs. Nash's Ashes and I was excited to hear that she was going to narrate this one.
I will forever be a Sarah fan and cannot wait to see what she has planned next!!
This is a slow burn so if you are a fan of that trope, goats, redemption arcs & a friendly ghost - check this book out!!
Thank you so much to PRH Audio for the complimentary audio!
This book will be out on April 30, 2024.
If you know me, you know I am a ride or die Mrs. Nash's Ashes fan and have been screaming about that book since I read it last spring.
I always praised Sarah any time I could and I read it multiple times. So I was SUPER excited to learn that she was releasing another book this spring and I was fortunate enough to get an advance copy.
"Oh, there are definitely going to be pics of you on the 'the Instagram' babe. A tattooed and bearded goat farmer? It's gonna be a virtual panty-dropping spree."
Did I thoroughly enjoy the book? YES
Am I going to read it 3xs like I did with her debut? Likely not - maybe once again
I love Sarah's writing and already knew I would be an instant fan after falling in love with her writing in her debut. So with this one it was no different. This was such a unique romance and I applaud her for doing something different!
What I loved about MNA was the banter between the FMC and MMC and while that wasn't strong in this book, we did have it between Gretchen and the friendly ghost she can see Everett. Everett was the absolute best!!! There was a moment where I texted a friend saying I was getting the movie "Ghost" vibe when Gretchen was trying to prove to Charlie that she could see & hear Everett and sure enough at the end of the book Sarah talks about part of the inspiration was taken from the movie.
I understand that Gretchen does not such good things conning people but she was truly trying to be better over the course of her time on the farm and I felt bad for her anytime Charlie just kept throwing it back at her that she was a fraud. Charlie was super grumpy but his personality came through more in the 2nd half of the book. There were small moments when Gretchen first arrived that you could see glimpses of what could be. One of my favorite scenes was when him and Gretchen went to the Tipsy's Lou and that is when things changed between them.
"Don't do that or I'm going to have to bend you over this table and take you right here."
"Well, then don't do that, or I'm going to have to let you."
Once they shared their first kiss, the touching, flirty talk and the pining for one another. I do wish we got to see his POV because I think that would have helped a lot of knowing how he was feeling about her from the start. I would have love to have seen them have more one on one time outside of their farm duties.
Gretchen and Everett's relationship was my favorite in the book. Their friendship was just so sweet to see and how they developed over a few weeks and worked together in to saving the farm. "Oh, thank god. I was dying. Get it? Dying? But I'm already dead?" I love his obsession with watching television and that would keep him occupied for hours. And the epilogue put me in my feels!
The audio came up to download from my friends at PRH Audio and I finished the last 130 pages with the audio just so I could hear the brilliant narration by Mara Wilson. She was phenomenal on Mrs. Nash's Ashes and I was excited to hear that she was going to narrate this one.
I will forever be a Sarah fan and cannot wait to see what she has planned next!!
This is a slow burn so if you are a fan of that trope, goats, redemption arcs & a friendly ghost - check this book out!!
Thank you so much to @james_um_acker, @epicreads, @inkyardpress, and @storygramtours for the copy of the book & having me on this tour!!
This book is OUT NOW.
If you have not read James Acker’s debut - GO DO IT NOW.
It was one of my favorite books of 2023 and such a refreshing YA that is laugh out loud funny. And this one was just has refreshing & realistic. This did not make me belly laugh and pull at my heartstrings as much as the debut but it still was a fun read!
Throughout the book we see Phil and Jackson's friendship before, how it ended and see how they reenter in each other lives and the aftermath. They had such a love for one another before they could even label it as such and it just developed more.
Where I thought James really shined is the confusing, complicated feelings of being a teenager and figuring out themselves. And also how the process for coming out is never linear. Some are ready young and some will never be able to. There was a moment towards the end where Jackson says "I don't know why I can't say it. I don't know what the fuck is wrong with me. I have...I have such a good life. I have such nice parents. I know they love me. I know they'd love me no matter what. I know they probably know." and it just had hit me in the feels.
There were a lot of characters in this so that made it sometimes confusing as I occasionally would switch between the reading with my eyes and ears. I love that we got more of Ronny in this one as I do remember her from the first book. She is such a spitfire! And we even got a brief appearance by the lovable Sandro Miceli.
James just has this way of writing characters that give you such realistic characters and how complex teens and their feelings are. He writes about the pressures of being a teenager, how desperately you want to belong & be loved and the difficulties of family life. I also love that he continued the dual, 1st person POV in this book. I felt that the chapters were just the right amount length. I also love how he broke the book up into different sides of the mixtape and each POV had different songs (all gems).
I paired my reading with the audio (thank you hoopla!) and I adored the narrators Max Meyers and Lee Osorio. They also narrated Acker's debut and it makes me want to go back and reread via audio because I enjoyed them so much!
I pretty much will read whatever James write so I am looking forward to this next YA (though I am craving to see what he can do in the new adult/adult space).
If you are looking for a cast of characters centered around friendship & ultimate revenge against an ex - check this out!
This book is OUT NOW.
If you have not read James Acker’s debut - GO DO IT NOW.
It was one of my favorite books of 2023 and such a refreshing YA that is laugh out loud funny. And this one was just has refreshing & realistic. This did not make me belly laugh and pull at my heartstrings as much as the debut but it still was a fun read!
Throughout the book we see Phil and Jackson's friendship before, how it ended and see how they reenter in each other lives and the aftermath. They had such a love for one another before they could even label it as such and it just developed more.
Where I thought James really shined is the confusing, complicated feelings of being a teenager and figuring out themselves. And also how the process for coming out is never linear. Some are ready young and some will never be able to. There was a moment towards the end where Jackson says "I don't know why I can't say it. I don't know what the fuck is wrong with me. I have...I have such a good life. I have such nice parents. I know they love me. I know they'd love me no matter what. I know they probably know." and it just had hit me in the feels.
There were a lot of characters in this so that made it sometimes confusing as I occasionally would switch between the reading with my eyes and ears. I love that we got more of Ronny in this one as I do remember her from the first book. She is such a spitfire! And we even got a brief appearance by the lovable Sandro Miceli.
James just has this way of writing characters that give you such realistic characters and how complex teens and their feelings are. He writes about the pressures of being a teenager, how desperately you want to belong & be loved and the difficulties of family life. I also love that he continued the dual, 1st person POV in this book. I felt that the chapters were just the right amount length. I also love how he broke the book up into different sides of the mixtape and each POV had different songs (all gems).
I paired my reading with the audio (thank you hoopla!) and I adored the narrators Max Meyers and Lee Osorio. They also narrated Acker's debut and it makes me want to go back and reread via audio because I enjoyed them so much!
I pretty much will read whatever James write so I am looking forward to this next YA (though I am craving to see what he can do in the new adult/adult space).
If you are looking for a cast of characters centered around friendship & ultimate revenge against an ex - check this out!
Thank you so much to Macmillan for an advance copy!
Thank you so much to Macmillan Audio for the advance copy of this book!
Thank you so much to @turnthepagetours, @trishlundy, @henryholtbooks for a copy of the book!
What a stellar debut for Trish Lundy!
This book will be out on April 16th.
This book had everything you could want in a YA Thriller. There was a smidge of romance, complicated friendship and of course death.
There were a lot of characters in this which did find the beginning hard to keep track of but as you go on in the book it came easier to track.
Lauren herself has her own secrets which we got tidbits about throughout the book until the reveal happens. I felt bad for her at times as she made this big change from moving across the country, her mom is in this new relationship and is just trying to survive being a teenager. As a new student in the school, somehow Lauren gets wrapped up in trying to figure out the mystery of who killed a student at her school. And it all came back to a boy she met and started hooking up with because the rumor has it that, "Every girl the Crestmonts date winds up dead."
Majority of the characters were unreliable so that made the journey of the story very fun. I thought the pacing of the book was pretty good and kept moving. I don't want to give away all that happens in this book but I will say I was not completely surprised by the revelations at the end and I wish I could say why it didn't surprise me but what fun would that be!
I thought the narrators Helen Laser and Joshua Quinn did a great job with their characters! Helen was excellent as Lauren and brought her vulnerability and youthfulness to the character. Joshua Quinn had such a menacing tone which was perfect for his character.
I do recommend giving this one a read! It was an addicting story & I'm looking forward to reading the author's future work.
PS - As a Pennsylvanian who lives around 3 hours away from Penn State, I absolutely love that this took place in Happy Valley!
Thank you so much to Macmillan Audio for the advance copy of this book!
Thank you so much to @turnthepagetours, @trishlundy, @henryholtbooks for a copy of the book!
What a stellar debut for Trish Lundy!
This book will be out on April 16th.
This book had everything you could want in a YA Thriller. There was a smidge of romance, complicated friendship and of course death.
There were a lot of characters in this which did find the beginning hard to keep track of but as you go on in the book it came easier to track.
Lauren herself has her own secrets which we got tidbits about throughout the book until the reveal happens. I felt bad for her at times as she made this big change from moving across the country, her mom is in this new relationship and is just trying to survive being a teenager. As a new student in the school, somehow Lauren gets wrapped up in trying to figure out the mystery of who killed a student at her school. And it all came back to a boy she met and started hooking up with because the rumor has it that, "Every girl the Crestmonts date winds up dead."
Majority of the characters were unreliable so that made the journey of the story very fun. I thought the pacing of the book was pretty good and kept moving. I don't want to give away all that happens in this book but I will say I was not completely surprised by the revelations at the end and I wish I could say why it didn't surprise me but what fun would that be!
I thought the narrators Helen Laser and Joshua Quinn did a great job with their characters! Helen was excellent as Lauren and brought her vulnerability and youthfulness to the character. Joshua Quinn had such a menacing tone which was perfect for his character.
I do recommend giving this one a read! It was an addicting story & I'm looking forward to reading the author's future work.
PS - As a Pennsylvanian who lives around 3 hours away from Penn State, I absolutely love that this took place in Happy Valley!
Mini Audiobook Review: This book was right up my alley! It was such a quick listen. Some of the information about the tv shows was not new for me (only because I live and breath for pop culture) but I still enjoyed it. I never watched Dawson's Creek so that section was the most interesting for me. This did make me want to rewatch My So Called Life and I have been wanting to do a rewatch of Glee and this had me itching for that as well.
I think if you had an interest in any of these shows growing up or even as an adult, give this a read.
I didn't think each section took too long so if you are expecting an in depth look at each of these, don't count on it. It gave enough info on the creation, during and the end.
Plus having Christine Lakin do the narration was the perfect pairing!
**I do not rate Non Fiction books as it is based on real events and real experiences.**
I think if you had an interest in any of these shows growing up or even as an adult, give this a read.
I didn't think each section took too long so if you are expecting an in depth look at each of these, don't count on it. It gave enough info on the creation, during and the end.
Plus having Christine Lakin do the narration was the perfect pairing!
**I do not rate Non Fiction books as it is based on real events and real experiences.**
Thank you so much to the author for an advance copy of the book!
This book comes out April 12th.
I will be completely honest. I was very hesitant on reading this because I was not the biggest fan of Kelly's novellas. But I kept an open mind and I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS BOOK! And I am so bummed I have to wait now for the next book in the series.
"And Clarke, it better be my name you're screaming."
I just love the chemistry between Clarke and Soren. He was so head over heels for her and just wanted to do everything to please her. I know some people don't like the insta love but I loved it in this. Their banter and how we saw them grow as a couple in the bedroom and outside of the bedroom. There was a moment where he catches the ball in her lap during a game - SWOOOON. And I know that moment will live rent free in my mind. I just love how they both were so in tune with one another and knew when they needed that extra care. Even during a time when they were at odds, he noticed something was wrong and immediately went over to her calling her "baby" - SWOOOON
I will be thinking about this couple for some time and I know when I read the other books I will be looking forward to catching up with them. OH and there is a grand gesture that will just melt your heart.
Kelly did such a great job with the different stores & teams and I often wish they were real. Like who wouldn't want to go to a romance bookstore called Smutty Buddies.
I love all the side characters and I am so excited to see where the characters go book to book. Pink's personality really shown through in this and it is going to make for a fun second book!
If you are looking for a quick baseball romance with lots of spice that takes place in the PNW - give this a read!
PS - Love the shout out to the Lawrence band who I got to see when they opened for the Jonas Brothers last year!
Karaoke: sadly no
Swoon Meter: 10/10
This book comes out April 12th.
I will be completely honest. I was very hesitant on reading this because I was not the biggest fan of Kelly's novellas. But I kept an open mind and I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS BOOK! And I am so bummed I have to wait now for the next book in the series.
"And Clarke, it better be my name you're screaming."
I just love the chemistry between Clarke and Soren. He was so head over heels for her and just wanted to do everything to please her. I know some people don't like the insta love but I loved it in this. Their banter and how we saw them grow as a couple in the bedroom and outside of the bedroom. There was a moment where he catches the ball in her lap during a game - SWOOOON. And I know that moment will live rent free in my mind. I just love how they both were so in tune with one another and knew when they needed that extra care. Even during a time when they were at odds, he noticed something was wrong and immediately went over to her calling her "baby" - SWOOOON
I will be thinking about this couple for some time and I know when I read the other books I will be looking forward to catching up with them. OH and there is a grand gesture that will just melt your heart.
Kelly did such a great job with the different stores & teams and I often wish they were real. Like who wouldn't want to go to a romance bookstore called Smutty Buddies.
I love all the side characters and I am so excited to see where the characters go book to book. Pink's personality really shown through in this and it is going to make for a fun second book!
If you are looking for a quick baseball romance with lots of spice that takes place in the PNW - give this a read!
PS - Love the shout out to the Lawrence band who I got to see when they opened for the Jonas Brothers last year!
Karaoke: sadly no
Swoon Meter: 10/10
Reread 04/06-04/07: Thank you so much to PRH Audio for the complimentary audio!
Yes I am a nut and already re-read this. Being in the book community and having access to certain books, I can't help but take advantage of the opportunities that I get and this was one I had to use my advantages for.
This was just SO good the 2nd time around. I was in love with Daphne and Miles all over again. I actually felt like I related to Daphne A LOT. I've had a lot internal conflict with friendships lately and I felt like how Daphne felt about her relationship to her dad but replace him with friends and it me. This quote in particular hit me "Life isn't a competition, and neither is love but I'm still the loser."
Queen Julia Whelan once again knocked it out of the park once again! The vulnerability she brings to Daphne especially in the last quarter of the book was so good!
I can't wait for all the Emily fans to read this & for others to maybe be introduced to her through this.
Yes I am a nut and already re-read this. Being in the book community and having access to certain books, I can't help but take advantage of the opportunities that I get and this was one I had to use my advantages for.
This was just SO good the 2nd time around. I was in love with Daphne and Miles all over again. I actually felt like I related to Daphne A LOT. I've had a lot internal conflict with friendships lately and I felt like how Daphne felt about her relationship to her dad but replace him with friends and it me. This quote in particular hit me "Life isn't a competition, and neither is love but I'm still the loser."
Queen Julia Whelan once again knocked it out of the park once again! The vulnerability she brings to Daphne especially in the last quarter of the book was so good!
I can't wait for all the Emily fans to read this & for others to maybe be introduced to her through this.
Thank you so much to Avon for the complimentary copy of this book!
This book is out now!
I had put off reading this book because I just knew what kind of writing Kennedy does and I had to make sure I was ready for it. Knowing what I was put through in Before I Let Go, I was hesitant but we finally put the big girl pants on and read it!
"But there's nothing for him to save me from, because I've saved myself. He doesn't have to awaken me with a kiss. I'm wide awake, reborn, rebirthed through my own fire and pain and work and wisdom."
I feel like the quote above sums up the whole vibe of the book. I may even classify this as woman's fiction as oppose to a full fledge romance. Soledad was put through the WRINGER by her ex husband. Like I couldn't believe all the crap that her husband put her and their children through. This book is about the growth a woman re-finding herself and being a mom to her children. I love that even though she was clearly attracted to Judah but knew she was not ready to be in a relationship and held her guard until she was ready.
I love the female empowerment that came through between Soledad, her daughters, her sisters and her core girl friends. It is important to have those group of people to be in your corner and willing to move mountains for you. They were all so uplifting and figuring out how to get Soledad back on her feet.
Judah was put in such a weird position from the start but worked his way into Soledad's life little by little. He was such a dedicated father and his relationship with his ex wife was so special. I love seeing their relationship on page and even the dialogue with her husband came across so healthy. Their children are lucky to have them as much as they are lucky to have them as kids. He was so incredible patient with Sol and understood that she needed time and was worth the wait.
I read this one mostly by listening to the audio (thank you Libby) and I thought the story translated well to audio. Both narrators Ines del Castillo and Jakobi Diem were great as Soledad and Judah. I was partial to Ines's voice and inflection more. It made for easy listening.
I was anticipating this to be more emotional but perhaps I could not relate to this one as much as I could relate to Yasmen and Josiah's story. I think those who are starting their lives over and want to feel empowered will be able to connect with Soledad.
Either way solid storytelling from Kennedy & I'm excited for the next book in the series!
This book is out now!
I had put off reading this book because I just knew what kind of writing Kennedy does and I had to make sure I was ready for it. Knowing what I was put through in Before I Let Go, I was hesitant but we finally put the big girl pants on and read it!
"But there's nothing for him to save me from, because I've saved myself. He doesn't have to awaken me with a kiss. I'm wide awake, reborn, rebirthed through my own fire and pain and work and wisdom."
I feel like the quote above sums up the whole vibe of the book. I may even classify this as woman's fiction as oppose to a full fledge romance. Soledad was put through the WRINGER by her ex husband. Like I couldn't believe all the crap that her husband put her and their children through. This book is about the growth a woman re-finding herself and being a mom to her children. I love that even though she was clearly attracted to Judah but knew she was not ready to be in a relationship and held her guard until she was ready.
I love the female empowerment that came through between Soledad, her daughters, her sisters and her core girl friends. It is important to have those group of people to be in your corner and willing to move mountains for you. They were all so uplifting and figuring out how to get Soledad back on her feet.
Judah was put in such a weird position from the start but worked his way into Soledad's life little by little. He was such a dedicated father and his relationship with his ex wife was so special. I love seeing their relationship on page and even the dialogue with her husband came across so healthy. Their children are lucky to have them as much as they are lucky to have them as kids. He was so incredible patient with Sol and understood that she needed time and was worth the wait.
I read this one mostly by listening to the audio (thank you Libby) and I thought the story translated well to audio. Both narrators Ines del Castillo and Jakobi Diem were great as Soledad and Judah. I was partial to Ines's voice and inflection more. It made for easy listening.
I was anticipating this to be more emotional but perhaps I could not relate to this one as much as I could relate to Yasmen and Josiah's story. I think those who are starting their lives over and want to feel empowered will be able to connect with Soledad.
Either way solid storytelling from Kennedy & I'm excited for the next book in the series!
Thank you so much to The Dial Press/Random House for the advance copy of this book!
Thank you so much to PRH Audio for the complimentary audio!
This book will be out on April 9th.
"I don't want to quit."
"Everyone wants to quite sometimes."
"I don't."
Leading up to me reading this, the hype around it was so real and I just couldn't wait to finally dive in to read it for myself. It was really enjoyable!! And it had one thing that I miss when I read other sport romances books - the sport!!! I really love that the author incorporated a lot of the baseball games in the book. It makes it feel more believable and perhaps because in this case both of the love interests on the same team, that plays into their dynamics on and off the field.
I just loved all the relationships in this book. Everyone was such a close group and so accepting of each other. The author didn't avoid that being queer in sports was hard but simply didn't make it such a spectacle (which it shouldn't be). The players were just who they were and that was that. There was just such positive representation through the book - a star player who is married to a man, a woman manager, two dads, anxiety rep with a service animal.
I love seeing the relationship between Gene and Luis redevelop over the course of the season. I think having them be former friends/teammates played really well into their current relationship. The intimacy of when they first got together was so beautifully written and I like how KT describes how Luis makes Gene feel in that moment, "with Luis it feels like he has exactly the body he should because it knows how to move with Luis's. It has nothing to do with any of the mechanics and everything to do with Luis himself."
I paired my reading with the audio and I thought Shaan Dasani did a fabulous job with the characters. Plus it's always a great having someone who is transgender doing the narration. It goes without saying that the representation and their voices matter.
On a side note, I am glad that this book focus was on a minor league team as oppose to the professional league. My city has a huge minor league team and I try to go to a couple games in the summer and it's just amazing how many people will go to root for their local team (Go Fightin Phils!).
I was thinking back on my readings and I am ashamed to say that this was my first adult romance book that has a trans main character. I know I have read them in the YA space which now makes me want to explore more romances with a trans main character.
I am looking forward to seeing what KT will do in the future!! I am hoping for more sports theme books as he did such a great job at balancing sport and romance.
Check this book out if you love baseball, small towns & enemies to teammates to friends to lovers!
Thank you so much to PRH Audio for the complimentary audio!
This book will be out on April 9th.
"I don't want to quit."
"Everyone wants to quite sometimes."
"I don't."
Leading up to me reading this, the hype around it was so real and I just couldn't wait to finally dive in to read it for myself. It was really enjoyable!! And it had one thing that I miss when I read other sport romances books - the sport!!! I really love that the author incorporated a lot of the baseball games in the book. It makes it feel more believable and perhaps because in this case both of the love interests on the same team, that plays into their dynamics on and off the field.
I just loved all the relationships in this book. Everyone was such a close group and so accepting of each other. The author didn't avoid that being queer in sports was hard but simply didn't make it such a spectacle (which it shouldn't be). The players were just who they were and that was that. There was just such positive representation through the book - a star player who is married to a man, a woman manager, two dads, anxiety rep with a service animal.
I love seeing the relationship between Gene and Luis redevelop over the course of the season. I think having them be former friends/teammates played really well into their current relationship. The intimacy of when they first got together was so beautifully written and I like how KT describes how Luis makes Gene feel in that moment, "with Luis it feels like he has exactly the body he should because it knows how to move with Luis's. It has nothing to do with any of the mechanics and everything to do with Luis himself."
I paired my reading with the audio and I thought Shaan Dasani did a fabulous job with the characters. Plus it's always a great having someone who is transgender doing the narration. It goes without saying that the representation and their voices matter.
On a side note, I am glad that this book focus was on a minor league team as oppose to the professional league. My city has a huge minor league team and I try to go to a couple games in the summer and it's just amazing how many people will go to root for their local team (Go Fightin Phils!).
I was thinking back on my readings and I am ashamed to say that this was my first adult romance book that has a trans main character. I know I have read them in the YA space which now makes me want to explore more romances with a trans main character.
I am looking forward to seeing what KT will do in the future!! I am hoping for more sports theme books as he did such a great job at balancing sport and romance.
Check this book out if you love baseball, small towns & enemies to teammates to friends to lovers!