Review: Soon by You by Dahlia Adler

Soon by You by Dahlia Adler
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Genre: Contemporary Romance 

ISBN: 9781250411884
Source: Publisher
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Audible

Arielle Becker is one hora away from a meltdown. After one too many bridesmaid gigs—complete with Spanx, heels, and hideous dresses—she’s officially over love and its overpriced trappings. Especially when they keep coming with the same smug, judgmental wedding singer.

Judah Klein is New York’s go-to Modern Orthodox wedding singer and most eligible bachelor. Years of failed setups have left him jaded, until repeated clashes with a fiery bridesmaid wake him right up. But when snarks turn to sparks, and fights turn to feelings, things get complicated.

Arielle is not a girl who settles down. And Judah is not a guy who hooks up. So why does walking away feel impossible?

Soon by You is a Modern Orthodox romcom whose premise had me hooked. Dahlia Adler wove themes of religion, community, and embracing your true self into this romance which I found incredibly appealing.

I liked that Ari was unabashedly herself and that didn’t conflict with her faith. What I didn’t love was the constant judgment Ari faces for embracing her sexuality. I understood why it was there but it felt like it overwhelmed the story at times and then didn’t feel fully resolved. Judah is a wildly popular wedding singer whose star is on the rise, but he’s still finding himself. He thinks he knows what he wants but then he and Ari clash at a wedding and he starts questioning his views on dating, marriage, and attraction. I liked that Judah was on the asexual spectrum but wanted to explore his character a bit more outside that.

There’s a lot of push-pull in Ari and Judah’s romance, mostly because of what others think about them. Judah is on a pedestal and Ari’s reputation is constantly being trashed. It felt a bit dragged out and repetitive at times, and the story slowed because of it. I wanted a bit more of them as people and the story focused a lot on sexual chemistry. Normally I’d be fine with that if the attraction sizzled on the page, but in this case it was just OK. Without the palpable tension, I felt like I was missing just a bit more depth from the main characters.

The Jewish representation in this book is excellent and Adler gives a great look at the dating and wedding scene in the Modern Orthodox community in New York. As someone who is Jewish (though not Orthodox) I felt like some of the supporting characters could be people I know (and that’s in ways both good and bad, which is a point in the book’s favor for realism). The star of the show for me was Judah’s brother, Akiva, who I’d gladly read a book about – to me he had more personality and was more interesting than either of the main characters. As for the rest of Judah and Ari’s friends, frenemies, and acquaintances, they ranged from pleasant to annoyingly judgmental and most of them didn’t make much of an impact.

Soon by You is a hard book for me to review because I wanted to love it – an Ashkenazi Modern Orthodox romance was a breath of fresh air. But the romance didn’t hook me like I wanted it to. The book did pick up steam in the latter half of the story but overall I ended up just liking it.



Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Read More

Review: The Austen Affair by Madeline Bell

The Austen Affair by Madeline Bell
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Genre: Time Travel Romance 

ISBN: 9781250373519
Release Date: September 16, 2025
Source: Publisher
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Audible

Tess Bright just scored her dream role starring in an adaptation of Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey. It's not just the role of a lifetime, but it’s also her last chance to prove herself as a serious actress (no easy feat after being fired from her last TV gig) and more importantly, it’s her opportunity to honor her mom, who was the biggest fan of Jane Austen ever. But one thing is standing in Tess’s way—well, one very tall, annoyingly handsome person, actually: Hugh Balfour.

A serious British method actor, Hugh wants nothing to do with Tess (whose Teen Choice Awards somehow don’t quite compare to his BAFTA nominations). Hugh is a type-A, no-nonsense, Royal Academy prodigy, whereas Tess is big-hearted, a little reckless, and admittedly, kind of a mess. But the film needs chemistry—and Tess’s career depends on it.

Sparks fly, but not in the way Tess hoped, when an electrical accident sends the two feuding co-stars back in time to Jane Austen’s era. 200 years in the past with only each other to rely on, Tess and Hugh need to ad-lib their way through the Regency period in order to make it back home, and hopefully not screw up history along the way. But if a certain someone looks particularly dashing in those 19th century breeches…well, Tess won’t be complaining.

Tess Bright hasn’t been herself since the death of her mother. Her career is on the edge of failure and scoring the lead in an adaptation of Northanger Abbey is both her last chance at being taken seriously as an actress and a way to honor her Jane Austen-loving mother. There’s just one problem: her co-star, Hugh Balfour. Hugh is her opposite in every way. His acting pedigree is stellar, he’s organized where she’s chaotic, stiff where she’s sunshiny, and he cannot be more clear in his dislike of her. But when an accident on set sends them both back in time, Tess and Hugh will have to stick together in order to find a way back home. Can it be long before these two opposites attract?

The Austen Affair is an utter delight! Madeline Bell pays homage to Austen while not trying to recreate her work in this incredibly charming story.

Tess is an endearing heroine who is messy but truly kind. Bell does a really good job of depicting someone struggling with grief, which Tess most certainly is. Her mother was her best friend, her center, and Tess hasn’t really moved on. Getting tossed into the past is like having her Janeite mother with her, in a way. Tess grabbed my heart with her bright nature that not even grief can subdue. She’s spirited and charming and an utter delight to read about. As for Hugh…well he’s no Henry Tilney. The method actor is unyielding and judgmental when we first meet him. He’s Type A and kind of rude to Tess, but when they are sent back in time they have no choice but to join forces. The longer they are forced to play a role, the more Hugh opens up and he is completely endearing when he does. Hugh is struggling with the declining health of his father, the grief inevitably coming for him as much as it had for Tess. He also has anxiety, isn’t the best at expressing his emotions (for all that he’s a great actor) and is a case of still waters that run deep. I absolutely loved seeing him open up to Tess, thrilled as the two learned they could trust and lean on each other.

Though grief is a theme in The Austen Affair, the book overall feels light on its feat and the pages fly by. Between Hugh’s research and method acting and Tess’s love of Austen, the two manage to do fairly well in the nineteenth century. I enjoyed their adventures, the spirited exchanges, and the love that developed between Tess and Hugh. Normally I can take or leave a time travel romance, but in this case with both Tess and Hugh traveling together, it absolutely worked for me. I cannot wait to read more of Bell’s work because she really nailed it with The Austen Affair. The Austen references worked, the writing felt smooth, the pacing was on-point, and the romance was just lovely.



FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Read More

Review: How to Help a Hungry Werewolf by Charlotte Stein

How to Help a Hungry Werewolf by Charlotte Stein
Series: The Sanctuary for Supernatural Creatures, Book 1
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Genre: Paranormal Romance 

ISBN: 9781250352330
Source: Publisher
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Audible

When Cassandra Camberwell returns to her hometown of Hollow Brook to clear out her late grandmother’s ramshackle old house, the last thing she expects is Seth Brubaker on her doorstep. Her former best friend was responsible for the worst moment of her high school life, and she can’t imagine he wants to do anything but torment her all over again.

Until she unearths the real reason this annoyingly gorgeous beast of a man keeps hanging around: he’s an actual werewolf, who’s certain she’s the witch that will ease his suffering. But Cassie just isn’t sure if she can trust him again. So Seth offers a pact: he’ll teach her all about her undiscovered magic, and she will brew the potions he needs. No feelings, no funny business, just a witch and a werewolf striking a deal.

Totally doable. Until they get hit with a do-or-die mating bond. And now the heat is rising, in between fights with formers bullies and encounters with talking raccoons. They just have to not give in. Unless giving in just might be the very thing they never knew they always wanted.

It has been over a decade since Cassie Camberwell has seen former best friend Seth Brubaker – not since he embarrassed her in front of everyone in town and sided with the bullies that had always tormented them. Now Cassie is back in Hollow Brook to handle her late grandmother’s home and who should appear but Seth. Seth who is in worse shape than Cassie had expected to ever see him in…and that’s before he transforms into a werewolf. A world of magic opens up before Cassie and she discovers she’s a witch…which is only the beginning of the possibilities and problems that lay ahead of her.

How to Help a Hungry Werewolf is billed as What We Do in the Shadows meets the feeling of Gilmore Girls and it’s neither of those. Charlotte Stein’s first Sanctuary for Supernatural Creatures book had a lot of potential but was an absolute miss for me.

Let’s start with our protagonists: Cassie and Seth. They are over a decade out of high school and honestly, this book would have been better if it was written as a young adult book because they still act like teenagers. They’re both immature and I think what was supposed to be humorous banter was just cringy and awkward. The romance was painfully awkward and full of so much back and forth that I put the book down numerous times. I’m not going keep going on about it, so suffice it to say I didn’t enjoy any aspect of the characters and their semi-development, nor did I enjoy the romance.

The supernatural world of How to Help a Hungry Werewolf is where the story had the most potential. The sentient appliances and Pod, Cassie’s raccoon familiar, were the highlight of the book. However, what should have been a wonderful world of magic and discovery felt inorganic and flat. There’s a way to write a main character who discovers they have innate abilities, to show that things come naturally to them in a way that feels organic. How Cassie’s magical abilities were described felt like lazy writing. It took me three months to read this book because I kept getting annoyed by the writing. Overall, I just could not bring myself to like anything about Cassie and Seth’s story (except, perhaps, Pod). The intended humor missed me by a mile, but your mileage may vary. How to Help a Hungry Werewolf simply isn’t the book for me and I won’t be continuing the series.



FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Read More

Review: Not Your Crush’s Cauldron by April Asher

Not Your Crush’s Cauldron by April Asher
Series: Supernatural Singles, Book 3
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Genre: Paranormal Romance 

ISBN: 9781250808035
Source: Publisher
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Audible

Olive Maxwell much prefers teaching about the Supernatural world to taking part in it and leaves the magical shenanigans to her two sisters. After assigning her college students a project designed to nudge them outside their comfort zones, Olive realizes she’s never once stepped a toe out of her own . . . and it’s about time that changed. Her first trip into the unknown? Moving in with her longtime crush and friend . . . tattooed, motorcycle-riding, and pleasantly pierced Baxter Donovan.

Bax Donovan, Guardian Angel not-so-extraordinaire, has acquired so many black marks on his record it looks like a Scantron test. He’s been given one last chance to keep his Guardian wings—a high-profile Assignment he knows all too well. Olive is usually as low-risk as it gets. Hell, she wrote the safety manual. But something landed her on the Guardian Angel Affairs radar, and he guesses it has something to do with the heart-pounding stunts she’s determined to check off her Dare I Docket list.

Keeping Olive out of trouble is about to be his toughest Assignment. He’s at real risk of shattering the only Guardian Angel code of conduct rule he’s yet to break: Don’t fall in love with your Assignment. And he isn’t so sure that’s a bad thing.

If love doesn’t play by the rules, why should they?

The youngest Maxwell triplet steps out of her comfort zone and into the light in Not Your Crush’s Cauldron. Staid professor Olive Maxwell would much rather be in a corner reading a book than doing something wild and crazy. Then she assigns her students a project about stepping outside their comfort zones and realizes she hasn’t ever put a toe out of hers. Determined to change that, Olive comes up with her own list…but never expected her new roommate to tag along.

Guardian Angel Bax Donovan has wanted Olive for years but has never mustered up the courage to express it. Then he finds himself with Olive as his latest assignment and he’s soon blasted out of his own comfort zone trying to keep up with the beautiful witch.

Friends-to-lovers is a wonderful trope and April Asher shows why in Olive and Bax’s sprightly romance. The attraction between Bax and Olive has been simmering for years but they just needed that push to act on it. I thoroughly enjoyed watching these two overcome their fears and do things to break out of the rut they’re in. Out of all the Supernatural Singles stories so far this one has the lowest stakes but it’s still engaging. Bax and Olive have an easy chemistry that makes their romance fun and entertaining. They’re both likeable protagonists who need a slight shove to come into their own and I really liked their journeys.

Not Your Crush’s Cauldron is the third book in the Supernatural Singles series and to fully enjoy it you should definitely read at least Not the Witch You Wed (the first book) before diving into this one. Olive’s sisters play strong supporting roles and Vi in particular continues on the path she started in her book. I really liked seeing more of the world Asher has created and though the last Maxwell triplet has now found her happily ever after, I hope that doesn’t spell the end of this series. All in all, Not Your Crush’s Cauldron is a magical romp with a bookish witch, a tattooed angel, and a sweet and spicy romance.



FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Read More

Review: Not Your Ex’s Hexes by April Asher

Not Your Ex’s Hexes by April Asher
Series: Supernatural Singles, Book 2
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Genre: Paranormal Romance 

ISBN: 9781250808011
Source: Publisher
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Audible

For her entire life, Rose Maxwell trained to become the next Prima on the Supernatural Council. Now that she’s stepped down, it’s time for this witch to focus on herself. And not think about her impulsive one-night stand with Damian Adams, a half-Demon Veterinarian who she can’t get out of her head. Neither of them is looking for a relationship. But when Rose is sentenced to community service at Damian’s animal sanctuary it becomes impossible for them to ignore their sparking attraction. A friends-with-benefits, no feelings, no strings arrangement works perfectly for them both.

After a sequence of dead-end jobs, it’s not until Rose tangos with two snarly demons that she thinks she’s finally found her path. However, this puts Damian back on the periphery of a world he thought he left behind. He doesn’t approve of Rose becoming a Hunter, but if there's one thing he's learned about the stubborn witch, it was telling her not to do something was one sure-fire way to make sure she did.

Working—and sleeping—together awakens feelings Damian never knew he had...and shouldn't have. Because thanks to his ex's hex, if he falls in love, he'll not only lose his heart—but his humanity.

Former Prima Apparent Rose Maxwell is at loose ends. No longer next line to run the Supernatural Council – a role she’s trained for her whole life – she’s determined to find what her new “thing” is. But after an equine rescue mission goes wrong, Rose ends up doing community service at an animal sanctuary run by none other than her super hot one-night stand. Damian Adams is grumpy, not in the least of which is due to a soul hex that could cause the half-demon side of him to take over should he ever fall in love. Now Rose is in his path, knocking his socks off at every turn. Neither can forget their previous encounter so what’s wrong with a little no-strings-attached fun while they work together? Nothing, except they’re clearly meant to be…

Not Your Ex’s Hexes is a sprightly and fun continuation of the Supernatural Singles series. Rose is powerful and smart, but she hasn’t yet found her place in the world after giving up the role she’s trained for. She finds it when working with Damian, however. Both rescuing animals and becoming a Hunter call to her. Damian has no issue with the former, but the latter nearly cost him everything back when he was a teenager and he doesn’t want to see Rose hurt – or worse. The two of them spar but respect each other’s strength. It was fun to see Rose find her gifts and I liked watching Damian open up and learn to find happiness again. The two of them have great chemistry and I enjoyed watching them work and play together.

The course of true love doesn’t run smooth when a hex is involved for one of the parties and I was interested to see how April Asher would make things work for our protagonists. The result is a satisfying end to the love story, but that’s all I’ll say about that. Along the way, Rose and Damian are aided by their family and friends (whether or not they want to be). I thoroughly enjoy the world Asher created with its witches, angels, demons, vampires, and more. I finished Not Your Ex’s Hexes ready to dive right into the next adventure featuring Rose’s sister Olive because I am absolutely charmed by the Supernatural Singles world.



FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Read More

Review: On the Plus Side by Jenny L. Howe

On the Plus Side by Jenny L. Howe
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Genre: Contemporary Romance 

ISBN: 9781250837882
Release Date: December 26, 2023
Source: Publisher
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Audible

Everly Winters is perfectly happy to navigate life like a good neutral paint color: appreciated but unnoticed. That’s why she’s still a receptionist instead of exploring a career in art, why she lurks but never posts on the forums for her favorite makeover show, On the Plus Side, and why she’s crushing so hard on her forever-unattainable co-worker. When no one notices you, they can’t reject you or insist you’re too much.

This plan is working perfectly until someone secretly nominates Everly for the next season of On the Plus Side. Overwhelmed by the show’s extremely extroverted hosts and how much time she’ll have to spend on screen, she finds comfort in a surprising friendship with the grumpy but kind cameraman, Logan. Soon Everly realizes that he’s someone she doesn’t mind being noticed by. In fact, she might even like it.

On the Plus Side is a story of being authentically yourself and finding love (self-love and romantic) along the way. Jenny L. Howe does an amazing job of representing a plus size heroine who loves herself but also struggles with her image. Everly is loud, bold, and an artist, but she’s repressed all three things for years. Content-ish to fade into the background, to modulate her voice, to work as a receptionist rather than go for a design job she wants, and secretly moon over a coworker, Everly is shocked to learn she’s been chosen to be on her favorite reality show, On the Plus Side. The show’s vibrant hosts are a whirlwind, pulling Everly outside her comfort zone and making her face what she’s hidden about herself. Also along for the ride is plaid-wearing cameraman Logan, who is better than any fantasy Everly had about her coworker.

I loved Everly’s journey. Her mother has pushed her to tame herself, to hide in the background, but Everly has a bold personality and style she wants to let shine. The reality show helps her reclaim herself and I loved that journey. I thoroughly enjoyed watching Everly show her art, to grow professionally as well as personally. As for the romance, she and Logan are an excellent pair. They have an easy chemistry and how can you not swoon over a guy who thinks you’re perfect just as you are?

On the Plus Side is a love story; self-love, romantic love, and the love between family, friends, and the community you build. I thoroughly enjoyed every bit of Everly’s journey and I’m very much looking forward to reading more of Howe’s work.



FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Read More

Review: Fake It Till You Bake It by Jamie Wesley

Fake It Till You Bake It by Jamie Wesley
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Genre: Contemporary Romance 

ISBN: 9781250801852
Release Date: June 21, 2022
Source: Publisher
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Audible

Jada Townsend-Matthews is the most reviled woman in America after turning down a proposal on a reality dating show. When she comes home to lick her wounds, Jada finds herself working at San Diego's newest cupcake bakery, Sugar Blitz, alongside the uptight owner and professional football player Donovan Dell.

When a reporter mistakenly believes Jada and Donovan are an item, they realize they can use the misunderstanding to their advantage to help the struggling bakery and rehabilitate Jada's image. Faking a relationship should be simple, but sometimes love is the most unexpected ingredient.

A fake romance between a football player/cupcake shop owner and a woman at a crossroads in her life turns real in Fake It Till You Bake It. It’s a romance with a lot of potential, but I struggled with rating this book because I wanted to like it a lot more than I did.

Donovan likes order and Jada’s arrival upends his carefully structured life. She’s the most reviled woman on social media after turning down a marriage proposal on a reality dating show. When she comes into his shop and insults his cupcakes, Donovan is irritated – but also incredibly attracted. Then her grandmother – the owner of the football team Donovan plays for – asks Donovan to give Jada a job and things only get more confusing. Cue a mixture of kitchen mishaps, fake dating, image rehabilitation, and finding love where you least expect it and you have a recipe for a delightful book. Jada is prickly at first, but a lot of that is armor against the censure of the world and those who should love her but have beaten down her self-esteem. Jada intrigued me because her attitude masks vulnerability and a fear of messing up and being judged. She comes into her own over the course of the story and I liked seeing her find her way planning events and becoming a part of Sugar Blitz. Her personal journey was the strongest plotline of this book and I was cheering for her to believe in herself and her abilities, to carve her own path and be able to overcome the haters and the parents who criticize her for being dyslexic and not following in their prestigious footsteps.

Where I struggled with Fake It Till You Bake It was the writing. Jamie Wesley had all the elements of an engaging story but as much as I wanted to fall into it I never did. Jada and Donovan are characters ripe with potential and though there’s a lot I enjoyed about Jada’s personal journey, Donovan’s kind of fell flat (also, he and his partners are professional football players and none of the work or training that goes into that is ever shown). The romance was also flat, lacking any zip or zing that would have kept me from putting down the book as often as I did. That being said, I really liked that Donovan supported and believed in Jada. They fit well; I just wanted some more sparks. The book isn’t bad, but it's slow-paced and never came alive. Add in a last-minute series of obstacles that felt more manufactured than organic and I finished the story feeling just OK about the read overall.



FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Read More

Review: Good Girl Complex by Elle Kennedy

Good Girl Complex by Elle Kennedy
Series: Avalon Bay, Book 1
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance 

ISBN: 9781250796738
Release Date: February 1, 2022
Source: Publisher
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Audible
Elle Kennedy Reading Order

She does everything right. So what could go wrong?

Mackenzie “Mac” Cabot is a people pleaser. Her demanding parents. Her prep school friends. Her long-time boyfriend. It’s exhausting, really, always following the rules. All she wants to do is focus on growing her internet business, but first she must get a college degree at her parents’ insistence. That means moving to the beachside town of Avalon Bay, a community made up of locals and the wealthy students of Garnet College.

Twenty-year-old Mac has had plenty of practice suppressing her wilder impulses, but when she meets local bad boy Cooper Hartley, that ability is suddenly tested. Cooper is rough around the edges. Raw. Candid. A threat to her ordered existence. Their friendship soon becomes the realest thing in her life.

Despite his disdain for the trust-fund kids he sees coming and going from his town, Cooper soon realizes Mac isn’t just another rich clone and falls for her. Hard. But as Mac finally starts feeling accepted by Cooper and his friends, the secret he’s been keeping from her threatens the only place she’s ever felt at home.

A rich college girl and a bad boy townie are a case of not-quite-opposites attract in Good Girl Complex. Elle Kennedy’s writing keeps this new adult romance flowing at a quick clip and kept me engaged, despite a plot that feels like it fell out of a teenage rom com from twenty-five years ago.

Mac is an independent twenty-year-old chafing at her parents’ restrictions. She’s already created a successful company and has no interest in going to college when she could be growing her empire. But her dad’s a congressman and her mom is all about appearances, so Mac caves into the pressure to attend Garnet College, where her perfect boyfriend also goes. Except Pres isn’t as perfect as he appears to be, as Cooper Hartley knows. Without spoiling the story, I’ll say that Cooper has it out for Pres, and with good reason. The problem is that Mac is his means of revenge, even though she has nothing to do with and no knowledge of her boyfriend’s behavior and is an independent person, not an extension of the man.

Cooper is from Avalon Bay and he’s used to the rich kids treating the townies like trash. He and his friends hate the “clones” as they call the Garnet students. But it’s clear to him pretty early on that Mac is nothing like the students who have looked down on him all his life. Yes, she’s ridiculously wealthy, but she’s smart, kind, and hardworking. Mac and Cooper have an easy chemistry that sucks you in and makes you want to forget the lies and the emotional cheating that are the rocky foundation their burgeoning relationship is built on. Despite my issues with the plot, I was rooting for these two because they’re engaging characters. Cooper is hardworking and we see enough of the injustice the clones dish out to understand his bias against him, plus there’s added childhood trauma to trigger more sympathy since his sex appeal wouldn’t be enough to balance out his initial revenge plot. There are a number of fun and sexy moments to Good Girl Complex that made me smile and sigh. I was satisfied by their romance even though I had serious issues with the beginning of it, and I do wish there had been an epilogue to show Mac and Cooper down the road.

Good Girl Complex is the first book in the Avalon Bay series but it’s only because I’ve been an Elle Kennedy fan for well over a decade that I’d consider picking up the next book in the series. I pretty much hated most of the supporting cast. Yes, they’re all young and have growing up to do, but there’s some definite meanness (a lot of it stemming from throwback plotlines that have not aged well) that turned me off. I have mixed feelings about Good Girl Complex overall. Kennedy’s writing sucked me in and Cooper and Mac were entertaining characters; I just couldn’t get on board with the basic premise and the supporting cast.



FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Read More

Review: Not the Witch You Wed by April Asher

Not the Witch You Wed by April Asher
Series: Supernatural Singles, Book 1
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Genre: Paranormal Romance 

ISBN: 9781250807991
Release Date: February 8, 2022
Source: Publisher
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Audible

Magic-less witch Violet Maxwell wants nothing to do with alpha wolf shifter Lincoln Thorne—the man who broke her fragile, teenage heart. But when the two of them are forced by arcane Supernatural Laws to find mates, Violet and Lincoln agree to fake-date their way to a fake-mating in order to conjure themselves some time.

The joke’s on them. When old feelings make a reappearance—along with Violet’s magic—they both realize there’s nothing fake about their feelings. But there are old secrets and looming threats that could snatch away their happily ever after, again. One thing’s for sure: magic doesn’t make dating and love any easier.

In Not the Witch You Wed, April Asher brings all the hilarity and sweet, sexy moments you love in a romantic-comedy—plus a fun dose of magic—to this spell-binding new series about being sexy, single, and supernatural in New York City.

Not the Witch You Wed is a delightful supernatural romp. April Asher introduces an interesting world of witches, shifters, demons, vampires, angels, and more and it was a whole lot of fun diving into it.

Violet Maxwell is the granddaughter of the current Prima and the eldest of a Magical Triad. By rights, Vi should be a super powerful witch; instead she’s a magicless witch known as the “Maxwell Dud.” Vi is happy with her life and there are definite perks to leaving the politics and society maneuvering of being the Prima Apparent to her sister. Except a run-in with Lincoln Thorne, Alpha wolf of the North American Pack, stirs something in her. Linc broke her heart when they were teens and she’s never forgiven him, but somehow his reappearance happens at the same time as her magic starts to make an appearance. When both of them run into a problem of arcane supernatural laws forcing them to find mates, Vi and Linc agree to put the past aside and fake date in order to buy time. Except there’s nothing fake about the feelings that never died between them…

Vi and Linc are fun, likeable protagonists who are easy to root for. Linc is noble, wanting to change shifter society to make it democratic, fighting to overturn arcane laws that take away people’s choices. He’s determined to do what’s right and I liked that about him a lot. Vi has also forged a path different from the one she was born into. But the sudden appearance of magic in her is causing chaos and she’s desperate to get a handle on it. She and Linc have instant chemistry when they’re reunited after years apart, but old wounds, secrets, and the con they’re pulling get in the way. I adored Linc and Vi together and wanted to see them get their happily ever after. They’re entertaining together and also really sweet with a nice dash of spice; it was easy to fall into their romance.

Vi and Linc are the heart of Not the Witch You Wed, but Asher introduces a world of supporting characters who not only flesh the story out but are interesting in their own right. I loved Vi’s relationship with her sisters, Rose and Olive, and ooh does Asher tease HEAs for them that have me eager for more Maxwell sister books. But I also loved Vi and Linc’s best friends and can’t wait to see more of them. Not the Witch You Wed is a zippy romance with magic, humor, heart, and a world I cannot wait to explore more.



FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Read More

Review: Not Your Average Hot Guy by Gwenda Bond

Not Your Average Hot Guy by Gwenda Bond
Series: Not Your Average Hot Guy, Book 1
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Genre: New Adult Paranormal Romance 

ISBN: 9781250771742
Source: Publisher
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Audible

A paranormal romantic comedy at the (possible) end of the world.

All Callie wanted was a quiet weekend with her best friend. She promised her mom she could handle running her family’s escape room business while her mom is out of town. Instead a Satanic cult shows up, claiming that the prop spell book in one of the rooms is the real deal, and they need it to summon the right hand of the devil. Naturally they take Callie and her friend, Mag, along with them. But when the summoning reveals a handsome demon in a leather jacket named Luke who offers to help Callie stop the cult from destroying the world, her night goes from weird to completely strange.

As the group tries to stay one step ahead of the cult, Callie finds herself drawn to the annoying (and annoyingly handsome) Luke. But what Callie doesn’t know is that Luke is none other than Luke Morningstar, Prince of Hell and son of the Devil himself. Callie never had time for love, and with the apocalypse coming closer, is there room for romance when all hell’s about to break loose?

Not Your Average Hot Guy is a fast and fun rom com set against the backdrop of the apocalypse. Gwenda Bond makes these two disparate things work better together than you might think, though overall I had mixed feelings about Callie and Luke’s first outing.

Callie has recently graduated from college and is back home helping her mom run their escape room business. She’s left in charge for the weekend when a Satanic cult shows up, steals a prop grimoire (which is actually the real thing), and summons the literal Prince of Hell. Luke Morningstar has been tasked with reaping the cult’s souls, but things go awry and suddenly he and Callie are teamed up and trying to stop the apocalypse. Callie and Luke are a lot of fun together. His seemingly laid-back attitude and her super trivia brain make an enjoyable pairing so I was ready to go along for the ride. The problem with them was twofold: (1) they both sounded the same so with the dual-POV it was sometimes hard to remember whose chapter I was in and (2) they both spoke and acted younger than they were supposed to be. Because of the former especially, the book fell slightly short of its premise, which was a pity.

Bond keeps Not Your Average Hot Guy hopping with all the action and I did really enjoy it even though we seemed to be moving from point to point in a way that didn’t feel wholly organic (and I can’t really say why without spoiling the story). Bond presents a lot of potentially interesting locations, both above and below, and I definitely wanted to explore them further. I struggled with putting a rating on this story because I had a lot of fun reading it, but I can’t be blinded to its flaws. At the end of the day, I found Not Your Average Hot Guy to be fast-paced, entertaining, and even with the missed opportunities there was a good amount of adventure to be had. I will absolutely be checking out Callie and Luke’s next book.



FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Read More

Review: One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston

One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Genre: Female/Female New Adult Contemporary Romance with Paranormal Elements 

ISBN: 9781250244499
Release Date: June 1, 2021
Source: Publisher
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Audible

For cynical twenty-three-year-old August, moving to New York City is supposed to prove her right: that things like magic and cinematic love stories don’t exist, and the only smart way to go through life is alone. She can’t imagine how waiting tables at a 24-hour pancake diner and moving in with too many weird roommates could possibly change that. And there’s certainly no chance of her subway commute being anything more than a daily trudge through boredom and electrical failures.

But then, there’s this gorgeous girl on the train.

Jane. Dazzling, charming, mysterious, impossible Jane. Jane with her rough edges and swoopy hair and soft smile, showing up in a leather jacket to save August’s day when she needed it most. August’s subway crush becomes the best part of her day, but pretty soon, she discovers there’s one big problem: Jane doesn’t just look like an old school punk rocker. She’s literally displaced in time from the 1970s, and August is going to have to use everything she tried to leave in her own past to help her. Maybe it’s time to start believing in some things, after all.

Romance, mystery, and finding family all come together in One Last Stop. Casey McQuiston’s sophomore novel brings a bit of magic to the New York City subway as August falls for a mysterious woman who has somehow slipped through time and is stuck on the Q line.

August comes to New York City looking for home. She’s a little lost, lonelier than she ever would admit, and somehow manages to find roommates who become family. Myla, Niko, and Wes, along with their neighbor, Isaiah, and the crew at the pancake place August works at become family and are my favorite parts of One Last Stop. From Myla’s blazing energy to Niko’s kind and knowing soul to Wes’s grumpy and scared heart to Isaiah’s patience and fabulous drag persona, everything about the people who become August’s family grabbed my heart. These folx came alive on the page and their vibrant personalities endeared them to me and made me miss them whenever they weren’t in a scene.

At the heart of One Last Stop are August and Jane. August has been a loner for so long it breaks your heart and I enjoyed watching her come into her own over the course of the story. Jane is a mystery I don’t want to spoil by delving into too deeply. She’s displaced in time, having somehow gotten stuck on the Q line since sometime in the 1970s. Jane is both porcupine and marshmallow. She will fight anyone who is bigoted or a bully but she also is tender at unexpected moments. The mystery of how she got stuck is just one of the many things you learn about her over the course of the story and I liked watching August peel back her layers. Their romance is solid, but for me it was one of the least interesting things about the book and I never felt truly invested. The chemistry just wasn’t there and I know McQuiston can deliver chemistry (Myla and Niko? Fantastic chemistry).

I’m torn on rating One Last Stop because there are a lot of things I like about it. McQuiston’s lyrical prose captured me at times and the love and support between August and the family she made grabbed my heart and didn’t let go. But the first half of the book was incredibly slow and if I hadn’t loved McQuiston’s debut novel so much I might not have stuck with this one. It did pick up in the second half but I still finished the story thinking I liked specific things about it a lot more than the book as a whole.



FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Read More

Review: A Sweet Mess by Jayci Lee

A Sweet Mess by Jayci Lee
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Genre: Contemporary Romance

ISBN: 9781250621108
Release Date: July 14, 2020
Source: Publisher
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Audible

Aubrey Choi has been content running her highly successful bakery Comfort Zone and with its first expansion taking up all of her time, dating has been the least of her priorities. Then a one-night-stand with gorgeous Korean hunk Landon Kim makes her want things she didn’t think she had time for. Too bad it turns out he’s a celebrity food critic whose scathing review of Comfort Zone goes viral and nearly destroys Aubrey’s business—and her fond memory of their night together.

Landon tries to clean up the mess he made by offering Aubrey a spot on the new celebrity cooking show he’s producing. She agrees to use this as a way to save her bakery and her reputation—no thanks to him—but vows to guard her heart. Now Aubrey and Landon find themselves sharing a villa in California wine country, which is a guaranteed recipe for disaster. For the next three weeks, baker and critic will tempt each other as they struggle to resist admitting that they have all the necessary ingredients for love.

When celebrity food critic Landon Kim is accidentally given a “Frankencake” that was custom made for a child with eclectic tastes, his review of the bakery it came from is less than kind. In fact, it nearly ruins Aubrey Choi's business right when she’s posed to expand. Landon has a policy of never reviewing a place twice, but when he learns of the mix-up wants to make an exception… Except he can’t because before his review came out Aubrey was his one-night stand. It’s a messy situation, but Landon tries to help by having Aubrey featured on a cooking show he’s producing. The problem is, once they’re in wine country they learn they’re sharing a villa. Aubrey and Landon need to keep things professional in order to keep their credibility. But close quarters and a fierce attraction have a way of wreaking havoc with even the best of intentions…

A Sweet Mess is aptly-titled (and I mean that in a good way). It’s a sweet but sometimes messy romance with two likeable characters.

Aubrey is a delightful heroine. She’s fun, independent, and a seriously talented baker. I loved watching her creations come to life (the food in this book is guaranteed to make anyone salivate) and even more I loved her determination to succeed. She’s been hurt in the past by her family but has struck out on her own and built a successful business from scratch, which I admired. Landon once dreamed of being a chef, but in putting his family first he had to give up what he wanted to help his mother and brother. Both Landon and Aubrey have good hearts, but they aren’t perfect, which was nice. And though their romance is “forbidden” because giving into their attraction would risk both of their professional reputations, their slide into love is fairly inevitable when they’re in such close quarters.

Where A Sweet Mess fell apart for me was in the last quarter of the book. The story took a turn and became a bit melodramatic and then syrupy sweet. It didn’t feel organic to the story and though the characters’ reactions weren’t wholly out of character, everything felt rushed and stilted. It’s such a disappointment because up until that point A Sweet Mess was a truly fun, fluffy read. Still, I enjoyed the book overall and I hope author Jayci Lee returns to the town of Weldon because I’d love to see Tara, Aubrey’s best friend, get a book of her own.


FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Read More

Review: Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Genre: Male/Male New Adult Contemporary Romance

ISBN: 9781250316776
Release Date: May 14, 2019
Source: Publisher
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Audible

What happens when America's First Son falls in love with the Prince of Wales?

When his mother became President, Alex Claremont-Diaz was promptly cast as the American equivalent of a young royal. Handsome, charismatic, genius—his image is pure millennial-marketing gold for the White House. There's only one problem: Alex has a beef with the actual prince, Henry, across the pond. And when the tabloids get hold of a photo involving an Alex-Henry altercation, U.S./British relations take a turn for the worse.

Heads of family, state, and other handlers devise a plan for damage control: staging a truce between the two rivals. What at first begins as a fake, Instragramable friendship grows deeper, and more dangerous, than either Alex or Henry could have imagined. Soon Alex finds himself hurtling into a secret romance with a surprisingly unstuffy Henry that could derail the campaign and upend two nations and begs the question: Can love save the world after all? Where do we find the courage, and the power, to be the people we are meant to be? And how can we learn to let our true colors shine through? Casey McQuiston's Red, White & Royal Blue proves: true love isn't always diplomatic.

You know those books that just make you happy you’ve read them? The kind with characters who grab your heart and a story that makes you smile days after you’ve finished reading it? Red, White & Royal Blue is one of those books for me. Casey McQuiston’s debut is bright, engaging, fun, sexy, and the deeper you fall into the story the more it touches your heart.

Alex is the son of the first female President of the United Sates and a California senator. He’s whip-smart, politically savvy, and can charm anyone. Anyone, that is, but the Prince of Wales. From the moment they met, Alex and Henry were oil and water. And when Alex’s irritation with the prince escalates into an altercation at a royal wedding, the two find themselves needing to do some transatlantic damage control. A fake friendship leads to a real one...that leads to something much more.

I’ll be honest: at first I wasn’t sure I’d like Alex. He was smart, charming, and I adored his relationship with his sister, June, and his best friend Nora, the granddaughter of the Vice President. But Alex was also a bit arrogant and had a beef with Henry, who I freely admit won me over from the start. However, by a third of the way in I was getting to know Alex and understand him better. Not only did I start to like him, but by the end of the book I completely loved him. He’s unbelievably funny, deeply loyal, caring, and his desire to fight for what’s right shines bright. He’s also the perfect match for Henry. Henry’s life has never been entirely his own and he’s been taught to guard his heart and hide a big part of who he is. The part of him that Alex originally sees isn’t the true man at all, but the polished, uncontroversial mask he wears as member of the royal family. I loved learning about Henry through Alex’s eyes and to see both young men come fully into their own over the course of their story.

As individuals, Alex and Henry are delightful heroes who are easy to become attached to. As a couple they are phenomenal. Their slide from dislike to friendship to lust to love is beautifully done and allows the love story to develop organically. Between the top-notch banter and Alex and Henry’s fantastic chemistry, I can’t count the number of times the two of them made me laugh or touched my heart. There are so many joyful, sweet, and sensual moments in Red, White & Royal Blue that I dare your heart not to melt.

It’s not an easy road to happily ever after; the reality of both Henry and Alex’s political situations means that love may not be enough to see them and their families through. A good portion of the romance is interwoven with Alex’s mother’s bid for reelection. I loved how Ms. McQuiston handled both and I found this storyline compelling. The America of Red, White & Royal Blue isn’t perfect (homophobia, racism, and sexism do still exist), but the chords of hope, optimism, and determination that run through this book were uplifting and made me tear up a time or two.

I truly loved Red, White & Royal Blue. Henry and Alex’s story was vibrant, emotional, and deeply compelling. The characters were quick on the draw and the banter alone could have made me enjoy this book. Add in a richly-drawn cast and a romance that made my heart sing and it’s clear why I could not help but fall in love with this story. I desperately hope we get books for Henry and Alex’s loved ones (Nora was a particular favorite of mine), but no matter what Casey McQuiston has in store for readers, I’ll be first in line to buy her work.


FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Read More

Review: The Spartan Way: Eat Better. Train Better. Think Better. Be Better. by Joe De Sena

The Spartan Way: Eat Better. Train Better. Think Better. Be Better. by Joe De Sena
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Genre: Non-Fiction

ISBN: 9781250153210
Source: Publisher
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Audible

Determined to yank 100 million people off their couch cushions to start living instead of being passive observers of life, Joe De Sena has one ultimate goal: to help improve everyone’s physical and emotional health by teaching them the tenets of Spartan living from ancient Greece: simple eating, smart training, mastering resilience, and an all-out commitment to achieving a goal.

Like Spartan training, living The Spartan Way requires endurance to reach your finish line, the goal that inspires and drives you to succeed no matter what obstacles are thrown in your path. De Sena believes you can gain that endurance in just thirty-six days by following the ten Spartan Core Virtues, timeless principles to help you embrace adversity and overcome any challenge, and making them a permanent part of your own personal core.

The Spartan Core Values include:

Self-Awareness―Know yourself
Commitment―Be dedicated
Passion―Discover your purpose
Discipline―Practice diligence
Prioritization―Put your house in order
Grit―Push your limits
Courage―Face your fears and your failures
Optimism―Look for the positives
Integrity―Act honestly
Wholeness―Live as a Spartan

De Sena turned this philosophy into a lifestyle―and so can you. With The Spartan Way, you’ll discover your true north, unleash the warrior within, and transform your life to 10X your maximum potential.

The Spartan Way is a helpful, no-nonsense resource for anyone looking to make a change. No matter what your goal, Joe De Sena’s Spartan philosophy is something you can apply to your life. I loved Mr. De Sena’s passion – it comes through strong in this book and his dedication and enthusiasm is infectious. Self-Awareness, commitment, passion, discipline, prioritization, grit, courage, optimism, integrity, and “wholeness” are not new values or ideas, but the way they are presented is what separates this book from the pack. It’s intense, honest, and straightforward, which I really appreciated. I will note that some of the examples Mr. De Sena uses in this book are a bit extreme and the sample sizes in the studies he cites are sometimes rather low, but the core principals are good. If you want a good kick in the butt and helpful, easy-to-digest advice that will serve you well, I recommend The Spartan Way.


FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Read More

Review: Unf*ck Your Habitat by Rachel Hoffman

Unf*ck Your Habitat: You’re Better Than Your Mess by Rachel Hoffman
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Genre: Non-Fiction

ISBN: 9781250102959
Release Date: January 3, 2017
Source: Publisher
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N

Finally, a housekeeping and organizational system developed for those of us who’d describe our current living situation as a “f*cking mess” that we’re desperate to fix. Unf*ck Your Habitat is for anyone who has been left behind by traditional aspirational systems. The ones that ignore single people with full-time jobs; people without kids but living with roommates; and people with mental illnesses or physical limitations. Most organizational books are aimed at traditional homemakers, DIYers, and people who seem to have unimaginable amounts of free time. They assume we all iron our sheets, have linen napkins to match our table runners, and can keep plants alive for longer than a week. Basically, they ignore most of us living here in the real world.

Interspersed with lists and challenges, this practical, no-nonsense advice relies on a 20/10 system (20 minutes of cleaning followed by a 10-minute break; no marathon cleaning allowed) to help you develop lifelong habits. It motivates you to embrace a new lifestyle in manageable sections so you can actually start applying the tactics as you progress. For everyone stuck between The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up and Adulting, this philosophy is decidedly more realistic than aspirational, but the goal is the same: not everyone will have a showcase of a home, but whatever your habitat, you deserve for it to bring you happiness, not stress.

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when I started Unf*ck Your Habitat. I’m someone who adores Marie Kondō’s The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up but finds it highly impractical for real life. The blurb (and, of course, title) for Unf*ck Your Habitat caught my eye, so I had to give it a try.

Rachel Hoffman has a friendly, no-nonsense writing style that makes her relatable from the start and is sure to set any reader at ease. What sets Unf*ck Your Habitat apart is that Ms. Hoffman recognizes that a large majority of people who are cleaning and organizing their space aren’t traditional homemakers. This book addresses a wide range of people, highlighting issues that arise for single people with full-time jobs, those with roommates, students in dorm rooms, people with mental illness or physical limitations, and so forth. I was impressed by the inclusiveness of this book first and foremost. Ms. Hoffman provides helpful tips for multiple situations and gives ideas on how to talk people should you require assistance. I have never before seen a cleaning/organizational book that addresses such a wide range of people who don’t live in the traditional homemaker model, and I really appreciated it.

Glossy magazine articles and idealized Pinterest home organization pins give the idea of a home that is just not attainable for most people. Ms. Hoffman’s 20/10 system (twenty minutes of cleaning and then a ten minute break) is modifiable for those who need it. Furthermore, her method of cleaning and organizing is one most people can adapt to their needs. In this book, there’s no shame in being overwhelmed and not knowing where to start. Ms. Hoffman’s tips and tricks keep you on-task and prevent you from getting worn out and giving up. All in all, I found Unf*ck Your Habitat to be an interesting, motivational, and – most importantly – practical book for a wide range of people interested in, well, unf*cking their home.


FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Read More