Source: Publisher (Netgalley)

Why I Didn’t Finish The Rule Book by Sarah Adams

Posted January 29, 2024 by Jana in Adult Fiction, Book Review / 2 Comments

Why I Didn’t Finish The Rule Book by Sarah AdamsThe Rule Book by Sarah Adams
Published by Dell on April 2, 2024
Genres: Contemporary Romance, Romance
Pages: 368
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher (Netgalley)
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Nora Mackenzie’s entire career lies in the hands of famous NFL tight end Derek Pender who also happens to be her extremely hot college ex-boyfriend. Nora didn’t end things as gracefully as she could have back then, and now it’s come back to haunt her. Derek is her first client as an official full-time sports agent and he’s holding a grudge.

Derek has set his sights on a little friendly revenge. If Nora Mackenzie, the first girl to ever break his heart, wants to be his agent, oh he’ll let her be his agent. The plan is make Nora’s life absolutely miserable. But if Derek knows anything about the woman he once loved—she won’t quit easily.

Instead of giving in, Nora starts a scheme of her own. But then a wild night in Vegas leads to Nora and Derek in bed the next morning married. With their rule book out the window, could this new relationship be the thing to save their careers?

I thought that surely I would love this one because it’s in the same world and has the same characters as The Cheat Sheet, but unfortunately I DNFed The Rule Book at 20% because I cannot stand these characters and the repetitive storytelling.

Nora’s quirkiness is obnoxious, annoying, and unbelievable. Instead of recognizing Derek’s feelings, she railroads over him with fake perkiness. She comes off as so immature and lacking in awareness. She’s also incredibly shallow, which is something I’ve noticed is a hallmark of this author’s books. I got so tired of reading the repetitive statements like: Derek is so huge. Derek is so big. Derek is so much bigger than he was in college. How can Derek’s t-shirt stretch enough to contain his muscles? Derek’s hugeness is stretching his shirt so much that I can see his tattoos through it. Is this man 8 feet tall and 700 pounds of pure muscle or something? Is Nora actually Thumbelina? His size is so overly discussed every time that they are in the same room together (and then later again when she reflects on their time together) that I’m picturing a comic book character like the Hulk.

Derek is very unlikable. I understand how much Nora hurt him. He’s allowed to be hurt, but he’s looking for revenge. He’s aiming to manipulate her and control her and then ruin her career because she broke up with him with no explanation. I just don’t understand how someone can act like this. Hulk is throwing a tantrum, and it’s hard to empathize with someone who is this hostile. He is so unbelievably rude and I can’t find anything good about his personality right now. Nora is just as manipulative in her own way, but not outright rude like this. She’s trying to be nice, even if it’s fake. But seriously, is she so downright clueless that she doesn’t realize how much she hurt him? Does she really not understand why he “hates” her? When I start trying to figure out which character sucks less that’s when I know I’ve got a problem. I hate these two individually and together.

The writing flows nicely and keeps you turning the pages, but maybe this author’s humor just isn’t my humor. Things that I can tell were written to be funny aren’t funny. And hopefully the repetition is edited out before the final printing. How many times is Nathan referred to as Nathan Donelson, quarterback of the Sharks? Not once is Nathan referred to as only his first name, even though anyone who is paying any attention will know who the book is referring to after reading his last name and who he is the first time. Nobody else in the book is referred to by their entire name and job title every time they’re talked about. Bree, from The Cheat Sheet, is “Bree, Nathan Donelson’s wife” multiple times. Perhaps this is done in an effort to help people who haven’t read The Cheat Sheet know what’s going on, but neither character is important enough in this book to need this kind of attention placed on them over all the other secondary characters. I also feel like I read way too many repetitive details about Nora’s and Derek’s shared past. I got tired of reading about both of them reflecting on their prior relationships. I got tired of reading the internal musings of these two after their meetings. I’d read about the actual meeting, then I’d read about Nora thinking about it and recounting things that happened, and then I’d read about Derek thinking about it and recounting things that happened. Then one of them would talk to someone about what happened, and before you know it I’ve basically read the same thing four times.

I’m so disappointed, because The Cheat Sheet is one of my favorite books ever (I re-read it each year) and I wanted a sequel so badly because the guys on Nathan’s team are amazing. I’m sure it’s overwhelming to write a follow-up to such a popular and well-loved book and I commend the author for trying, but this book is trying way too hard.


Hello Stranger by Katherine Center | Book Review

Posted January 25, 2024 by Jana in Adult Fiction, Book Review / 6 Comments

Hello Stranger by Katherine Center | Book ReviewHello Stranger by Katherine Center
Published by St Martin's Press on July 11, 2023
Genres: Contemporary Romance, Romance
Pages: 323
Format: Audiobook ARC
Source: Publisher (Netgalley)
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Love isn’t blind, it’s just a little blurry.

Sadie Montgomery never saw what was coming . . . Literally! One minute she’s celebrating the biggest achievement of her life—placing as a finalist in the North American Portrait Society competition—the next, she’s lying in a hospital bed diagnosed with a “probably temporary” condition known as face blindness. She can see, but every face she looks at is now a jumbled puzzle of disconnected features. Imagine trying to read a book upside down and in another language. This is Sadie’s new reality with every face she sees.

But, as she struggles to cope, hang on to her artistic dream, work through major family issues, and take care of her beloved dog, Peanut, she falls into—love? Lust? A temporary obsession to distract from the real problems in her life?—with not one man but two very different ones. The timing couldn’t be worse.

If only her life were a little more in focus, Sadie might be able to find her way. But perceiving anything clearly right now seems impossible. Even though there are things we can only find when we aren’t looking. And there are people who show up when we least expect them. And there are always, always other ways of seeing.

I’ve been wanting to read a Katherine Center book for a while now, and I finally had time to sit down with my Netgalley audio review copy and do it! Hello Stranger brought out a lot of conflicting opinions and emotions in me. At times I wanted to DNF, and at other times I couldn’t stop reading. I loved Sadie and I hated her. I went back and forth between being so invested and being so irritated at these characters. lol. Let’s see if I can make this review make sense!

Probably my biggest issue with this book was how self-absorbed and self-centered Sadie was. Face blindness is not something I’d heard of before I read this book, and it sounds scary and frustrating especially for someone who was not born with this condition. It sounds heartbreaking to go your entire life loving and appreciating faces, only to wake up from surgery and not be able to see them or recognize anyone anymore. And the author did a really good job of explaining what this is like. I empathized with Sadie and felt so bad for her, but then I quickly grew tired of the constant complaining and whining. This girl didn’t care about anyone or anything other than herself, and I can’t fathom that. I would feel so lonely going through something like this, and I would crave closeness with people. She refuses to tell anyone she’s face blind, which is her prerogative and not something she owes anyone, yet she also refuses to make adjustments to her social skills to try to compensate for this. She memorizes hairstyles, gaits, and clothing styles but she never asks anyone about themselves or shows genuine concern or interest in anyone she interacts with. It’s all about her. She goes through a bit of a love crisis, not knowing which man in her love triangle to commit to, and if she had showed either of them any real interest or gotten to know them on any sort of deep level it would have been so much easier for her. But instead, she focused only on herself and didn’t get to know either one of them well enough to actually know them.

This brings me to my next issue: communication. Nobody in this book can effectively communicate with one another. Assumptions are continually made. Judgments are made without knowing all the facts. Life is very confusing for multiple people in this book because they won’t ask questions and they won’t think critically about their interactions and use a little common sense to decipher them. Feelings are hurt, lives are ruined, and things happen that shouldn’t because there’s not one character, main or secondary, who can communicate. I stayed up past 5AM yesterday morning because I figured out something important very early on and got so irritated that these people couldn’t figure it out on their own that I couldn’t sleep until things were resolved. So I guess that’s a point in the author’s favor, but when a book is compulsively readable because the reader is furious is that still a good thing? LOL.

Another issue I had was this author’s writing style. It’s very repetitive, which I believe was made worse by how the narrator chose to read it. For example, and this is not a direct quote, let’s say that Sadie is thinking to herself and about her newfound hop. It would go something like this: “I have hope again. Hope that I can X. Hope that I can X. Hope that I will X. Hope that life will X.” And when the narrator reads these kinds of passages, she sounds like a robot. I would have much preferred “I have hope again, that I can X and X, that I will X, and that life will X.” The repetitive “Hope that..” over and over again really annoyed me and I found myself rolling my eyes. This same thing happens multiple times in the book, including the author’s note at the end, and I feel like it’s done in an effort to sound profound or sweeping, but I got very bogged down in all the extra words.

So… why did I continue if I had several really big issues with this story? Well, good question. I did almost DNF, but I really wanted to know how things were going to work out. I really loved Joe. He’s sweet and helpful and selfless, and I found him to be so endearing and patient. I loved Mr. and Mrs. Kim, who own the apartment building Sadie and Joe live in. I hated Sadie’s evil stepsister, Parker, who might be the worst villain I’ve ever read about who was not either a monster in fantasy novel or a serial killer in a thriller. Parker made me so mad, and the narrator made her voice so grating, that I wanted to throw things. At the same time, I really wanted to know how that relationship turned out. I wanted to know who Sadie ended up with, if she ever killed Parker, and if her dad ever grew a heart. Since this is a romance (although, there was no actual romance until about 40% and the bulk of the story felt like women’s fiction), we have to assume there will be a happy ending. So I wanted to know what that looked like for Sadie. Did her face blindness go away? I had many questions. This is such a unique storyline, and I was so intrigued (and ok, infuriated) that I couldn’t stop reading.

In the end, I’m glad I read this. The ending was really sweet, even though I knew exactly how it was going to go and we could have gotten there so much easier… but that clearly wasn’t the point. lol. This was not supposed to be an easy journey for me as the reader, just like it wasn’t supposed to be an easy journey for any of these characters. Nearly all of them are suffering in some way, and they all go through it. Some aspects of the story didn’t feel realistic at times, and some felt impossibly confusing just for the sake of making the story work, but it got me to read it. lol. I have only myself to blame for the emotional tsunami this author put me through because I could have quit! BUT. I didn’t. When I finished the story I was smiling. I was basking in the swoons and the sweetness and the pure relief that things were resolved and I’d be able to finally sleep. So there was good and there was bad, but one thing’s for sure: I will never forget this story.


Never Blow a Kiss by Lindsay Lovise | Book Review

Posted January 18, 2024 by Jana in Adult Fiction, Book Review / 0 Comments

Never Blow a Kiss by Lindsay Lovise | Book ReviewNever Blow a Kiss by Lindsay Lovise
Series: Secret Society of Governess Spies #1
Published by Forever on January 23, 2024
Genres: Historical Romance, Romance
Pages: 345
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher (Netgalley)
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In this delightfully witty Victorian romance, a governess spy running away from her past falls for an ex-soldier turned railroad magnate.

The utterly charming Emily Leverton has a dark past and is determined to leave it behind in her respectable new role as a governess. But when she is recruited by a secret network of governesses who spy on the ton, it may just be a way to redeem the dark secrets of her past. Straddling the worlds of the ton and the working class, as an ex-solider turned railroad magnate, Zach hunts killers for the Metropolitan Police by day and dutifully attends balls at night. In neither world has he met a woman with the brazenness to mock him. So when a saucy governess blows him a kiss he is determined to catch her, never expecting that when he does he will find an intelligent, quirky woman hiding more than her true name. As Zach peels back the layers of Emily’s lies, he falls for the street-wise woman who handles a dagger like a pro and kisses like a mistress. But when his affair with Emily intertwines with his hunt for a killer, he discovers Emily is hiding an explosive secret—one that could destroy them both.

Never Blow a Kiss is the kind of historical romance I love! Witty banter, spunky heroine, swoony hero, and maaaaajorly romantic. It’s also got an underlying mystery and suspense, which I love and rarely see in historical romance. Lisa Kleypas does this in some of her books and I LOVE these aspects of her stories, so I am always looking for more historical romance novels that incorporate mystery.

I loved Emily. What a heroine to root for! She’s had to fight against so much opposition and so many obstacles in her life to get herself to where she is today. She’s worked so hard to not be defined by her past and to climb out from under the pile of garbage dumped on her as a child. She’s strong, plucky, independent, smart, and very sweet. She’s so cute with children she’s hired to take care of. Zach is also on the outskirts of society, but is respected because of his money. He doesn’t have to work, but does because he wants to be useful. So he works for the Metropolitan Police. I loved his strong, protective ways, and I also loved that he let Emily shine on her own. He knows she can take care of herself and he values and cherishes every part of her and where she came from. The romance between the two of them happens very quickly, but it felt so believable and realistic. I loved their flirting and their gentle ribbing of one another. Zach calls her Noodles, and I think it’s the cutest pet name. They have such a playful relationship that is also deep and meaningful. When they open up to one another about their pasts and can empathize and offer comfort and support to one another I did a chef’s kiss in my mind. Oh, and did I mention that he falls first and is a total puddle around her? Perfection.

The serial killer plot line kept me so interested. A person the press calls the Evangelist is murdering prostitutes, and there are some intense, action-filled scenes sprinkled throughout the book related to this story. Zach and Emily are both working to catch this killer, although he doesn’t know how invested she actually is. When she’s recruited to this secret society of governess spies by a woman known only as The Dove, she’s instructed to pay attention to any talk that might lead to catching this killer. The Dove is an anonymous informant who has used the information her governesses send her to help the police solve crimes. I am so interested in who this woman is, and hope that we learn more about her in future books in this series. We also meet another governess named Frankie, who is extremely smart, and I am pretty positive she will be recruited and be the main character in the next book. I’m very excited about that possibility.

Lindsay Lovise’s writing is lovely! Her descriptions are rich and placed me right in the middle of those Mayfair streets. The steamy scenes were sultry and romantic without being too much. The light banter balanced out the darkness of the Evangelist, and I couldn’t stop reading once I got invested. The ending surprised me! I had no idea who the killed was! The author has set this up to be such a fun and exciting series and I can’t wait to see where it goes!


Almost Like Being in Love by Sariah Wilson | Book Review

Posted December 14, 2023 by Jana in Adult Fiction, Book Review / 0 Comments

Almost Like Being in Love by Sariah Wilson | Book ReviewAlmost Like Being in Love by Sariah Wilson
Published by Montlake Romance on November 14, 2023
Genres: Contemporary Romance, Holiday - Christmas, Romance, Time Travel
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher (Netgalley)
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A modern-day Ohio woman and a seventeenth-century Scottish laird fall in love at first sight in a magical holiday romance by Sariah Wilson, the bestselling author of The Chemistry of Love.

Maren Kelly and her friend Penny may be lost in the Scottish Highlands, yes. They may be caught in the blizzard of the century, sure. But despite their dire straits, Maren is going to honor her ailing mother’s wish for them to experience all the magic, mystery, and whimsy Scotland has to offer, even if she freezes to death trying. When they’re rescued by the dashing Duncan Campbell, who seems like he walked straight out of the seventeenth century, Maren is more than a wee bit bewildered.

Their shelter is Duncan’s castle in Highglen, a captivating village that feels somehow familiar…as does the laird himself. Brimming with holiday cheer and friendly, boisterous family members, Highglen is a safe haven in the frigid winter storm. Maybe it’s the carolers and the warm hearth—or Duncan’s comforting brogue and stolen kisses—but Maren feels as though she’s come home. And in Duncan, she may have found her long-awaited soulmate.

But is this a miracle that could last a lifetime?

Almost Like Being in Love is a sweet time travel romance, which I enjoyed quite a bit! It was such a fun book to curl up in bed with and read in the light of my Christmas tree. Maren and Penny get lost in a snowstorm one night and find themselves rescued by a seventeenth-century Scottish laird and brought to his castle. I was side-eyeing this concept a little until it’s revealed that this happens sometimes. A big storm comes to modern-day Scotland every few years, someone gets caught in it and is sent back in time to this castle, and there you have it. So these people at Highglen keep an eye out for people and help them and ask them for updates on what’s been going on in the world since the castle last appeared. Time is different for them, and it’s all kind of magical and interesting. I loved Highglen and the people who live there. I loved reading about their Christmas traditions and their relationships with one another. The romance between Maren and Duncan is sweet, but MAJORLY insta-lovey. Like, the biggest case of insta-love I’ve ever read. You have to just suspend your disbelief and also try to keep your eyes rolling from the melodramatic dialogue and declarations of love. It’s Christmas, so that’s much easier for me than during other times of the year. I thought the ending was really sweet, and I enjoyed learning about how time travel works in this world. Note that this story is all closed-door (just some kisses), which I particularly love in a Christmas story. If you’re looking for a quick, festive, sweet little treat of a book then this is definitely an option!


In the Weeds by B.K. Borison | Book Review

Posted August 18, 2023 by Jana in Adult Fiction, Book Review / 0 Comments

In the Weeds by B.K. Borison | Book ReviewIn the Weeds by B.K. Borison
Series: Lovelight #2
Published by Berkley on July 13, 2023
Genres: Contemporary Romance, Romance, Romantic Comedy
Pages: 334
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher (Netgalley)
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A grumpy farmer and a no-nonsense social media influencer have another chance at love in this charming romantic comedy.

Evelyn St. James isn’t the kind of woman you forget. Beckett Porter certainly hasn’t. One incredible weekend in Maine, and he’s officially a man distracted. He’s not unfamiliar with hot and heavy flings, but Evie wove some sort of magic over him during their tumble in the sheets. He can’t stop thinking about her laugh. Her hand pressed flat against his chest. Her smiling mouth at his neck.

So when she suddenly appears on his farm as part of a social media contest, he is…confused. He had no idea that the sweet and sexy woman he met at a bar is actually a global phenomenon. When Evie disappears again, Beckett resolves to finally move on.

But Evie, who has been feeling disconnected from her work and increasingly dissatisfied with life online, is trying to find her way back to something real. She returns to the last place she was Lovelight Farms and the tiny town of Inglewild. And it has absolutely nothing to do with the hot farmer she spent two incredible nights with.

*happy sigh* The Lovelight series is quickly becoming a cozy favorite of mine. I adored Lovelight Farms when I read it last Christmas, and In the Weeds is even better! Evie and Beckett get their second chance at love, and I enjoyed their journey. Readers met Evie in the first book, as she was the social media influencer who highlighted Lovelight Farms at Christmastime. It was mentioned at that time that she and Beckett had had a steamy night together recently, which made for an awkward surprise reunion when she showed up at the farm. Just like that night in the hotel room, she disappeared on Beckett without a word after she had enough info for her piece on Lovelight Farms. In the Weeds begins with a flashback to that fateful one-night stand, where readers get all the juicy details of what happened between the two of them.

Spring has sprung in Inglewild, and I loved seeing the flowers bloom and tagging along on planting days on the farm. I’m happy to report that Beckett’s adorable kittens are still babies who rule the farm and have Beckett whipped. I fell in love with this broody farmer in the first book. There’s just something about a man who loves to rescue animals, and I suggest you prepare to melt over a sweet little duckling in this book. I enjoyed getting to know Beckett more, and I loved Evie as well! Evie is experiencing some major burnout with her job and is feeling a little lost in her life. When her assistant asks her to name the last place she felt truly happy, Lovelight Farms immediately flashed across her mind. So, of course, she returns… not really knowing why. She and Beckett run into each other right when she arrives and finds out there’s no place in the entire town for her to stay and Beckett, being the gentleman that he is, offers her one of the spare rooms in his house. She moves into his house and back into his heart. There’s so many feelings between these two, my goodness. The romance in this story feels so real and raw. It is a very slow burn, dripping with angst and I loved it. They both have a lot to work through personally, as well as together. Their nights drinking tea together on his porch, their mornings skirting feelings around the kitchen, and their not-so-secret longing for one another was delicious. I just loved watching them work through their emotions and their feelings.

Inglewild is the most amazing town. The gossip phone tree, activated when anything interesting happens, made me giggle. The supporting characters, some of whom are instrumental in getting these two together, warmed my heart. Everyone is ready, willing, and eager to lend a helping hand whenever needed, whether it be to offer baking advice or help warm someone up who fell in a freezing lake. I loved seeing Stella and Luka again, as well as Layla. These three, plus Beckett, own Lovelight Farms together and I love this supportive found family of friends. If one of them is out stress digging in the fields in the middle of the night, the rest of them will climb out of bed and bring shovels and coffee to dig together in silence. If someone is camped out on the floor of their kitchen feeling sad, at least one of them is bound to show up and sit on the floor with them. The friendships in this series make my heart ache in the best possible way.

As with the first book, I love B.K. Borison’s writing. Her descriptions of the scenery and the goings on at the farm made me feel like I was there. She writes the best love stories and characters you’re sure to fall in love with. I’ve already read the next book in this series because I could not pull myself away from this cozy world she’s created. I’d like to stay here forever!