thelovelylibrarylady's Reviews (1.1k)

Katherine Center is one of my favorite authors. Her romances make my heart swoon and The Bodyguard was no exception. Hannah and Jack, the love interests in this novel, were adorable and had a connection that felt so real! Seriously, when I finished this book, I had to remind myself they were fictional characters. This title is my second favorite novel of Center's and I will continue to recommend her writing to anyone who will listen to me. Go read this book and then all of her others. 
(PUB DATE: 07/19/2022)
(I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed above are my own.)

I always find myself intrigued with romantic matchmaking. As this is a central theme in The 24 Hour Dating Agency, I was super excited to read it! The three main characters, Tamara, Milo, and Charlie, were equally intriguing and Baker did a fantastic job making them come to life. The only issue with this is that I wanted more of each of their stories. I wasn't content with the alternating narrators/storylines. This book could have easily been a trilogy, with each book focusing on a single character's journey to find love. This is totally just a personal preference and does not dissuade me from picking up another title from this author in the future. 
(PUB DATE: 06/30/2022)
(I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed above are my own.)

I gave this title three stars because it entertained me and took my mind off the "real world". The writing style and plot were definitely not worthy of three stars, but I guess I have a soft spot for this piece of cheesy pirate erotica. I probably will not continue with this trilogy even though I enjoyed the escapism the first book gave me because it just isn't my favorite genre to read.

Here is my favorite quotation from Rescued by the Buccaneer which explores the extreme sexiness of a man with an eye patch. "She thought of his eyes and felt disappointment she could only gaze into the one brown eye the color of rich hazelnut. At the same time, the patch that covered his bad eye lent him a scandalous and mysterious appeal. It made him appear even more dangerous, and Frederica was surprised to find that it attracted her to him all the more".

I picked up this book to complete a prompt from the 2022 Popsugar Reading Challenge which was to read a Hugo Award-winning book. Since I am not a huge fan of the science fiction or fantasy genres, which the award recognizes, I decided to read this graphic novel which won best Graphic Story/Comic last year. It is an adaptation of Octavia Butler's novel of the same name and I can see why it is a Hugo Award winner. The illustrations are gorgeous and really helped me understand what was occurring in this abstract story. With that being said, I just wasn't a fan of the story it was based on at all. I have heard that the same adapter and illustrator duo are working on the sequel to this book, but I have no intention of reading it. If you enjoy Butler's writing and want to experience her story in a different format, I recommend checking this one out, otherwise, I do not recommend this title.

Never Been Kissed is basically To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, but instead of a Lara Jean, we have Wren, a queer college graduate with an affinity for all things related to film. And you know what? This story was so cute that I didn't even care that it resembled another book so closely. Wren, his love interest, Derrick, and other important characters were really well developed and so loveable that by the end of the story I was sad to have to say goodbye to them! If you are looking for a lighthearted, feel-good summer rom-com, this is the book for you.
(PUB DATE: AVAILABLE NOW)
(I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed above are my own.)

So I think I officially need to go on a tour of all the iconic buildings in New York where Davis sets her books. With The Dakota, The Chelsea Hotel, and The New York Public Library being just half of the destinations, I think this would be wicked fun. As you probably already know, I am obsessed with Davis' writing and The Lions of Fifth Avenue did not disappoint. The dual storylines were equally intriguing - which is a difficult feat, and I was heavily invested in the mystery of the missing books in both timelines. Add this title to your reading list, especially if you are a librarian or a fan of libraries! 

Rave, a graphic novel that focuses on questioning conservative religious teachings, especially those relating to the LGBTQIA+ community, was just an okay read. The illustrations were nice, but the story itself wasn't anything special. There are definitely better graphic novels out there that deal with similar topics and I would not recommend reading this title. 
(PUB DATE: AVAILABLE NOW)
(I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed above are my own.)

I went into this book completely blind and expected a lighthearted summer rom-com. I would like to make it very clear that while there are some lighthearted moments, this book focuses heavily on a woman's grief following her fiancee's suicide. Luckily, this is a topic that I am okay with reading about, but others may pick up this book purely based on its cute cover and not be able to handle the content. With that being said, I really enjoyed this novel. It wasn't what I was expecting, but I truly loved every moment of the story. Anna and Keane, the main characters, were so well developed that I forgot they weren't real people and the dialogue Doller wrote for them was just fantastic. I highly recommend reading this book if you are able to and I look forward to reading the next book in the Beck Sisters series. 

Wow. WOW. I don't even know how to write a review for this book, but I am going to try my best because I need to let people know just how amazing it is. I did read Oona Out Of Order last year, another book that Montimore wrote, but Acts of Violet is in another league entirely. The writing is outstanding, the storyline is captivating, and the characters are so well developed, that I truly cared about all the major players. I would not be surprised if Acts of Violet was my favorite fiction book of the year and I see it being a hit with readers from all backgrounds after its publication. 
(PUB DATE: 07/05/2022)
(I received an audio recording of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed above are my own.)

Once again, Sutanto does not disappoint. In this hilarious sequel, we get to revisit Meddy and her family, and if anything they have only gotten wilder. While I did not love it as much as the first book, Four Aunties and a Wedding was still pretty good! The over-the-top antics of the Aunties were definitely the focus of the story, but there were glimpses of romance between Meddy and her soon-to-be husband, Nathan. Don't go into this book thinking it is a romance because you will be disappointed - family dynamics and culture dominate the writing in both this title and its predecessor.