Month: May 2022

Top Five Books I Was SO EXCITED to Get, but Still Haven’t Read

Posted May 16, 2022 by Jana in Top Ten Tuesday / 27 Comments

Welcome to another TTT! So, there’s this sickness I have that means that sometimes I will see a book or hear about a book and I simply MUST have it right then. So I make every effort to get an ARC or I enter all the giveaways or I buy it because the wait at the library is way too long, and then weeks/months/years go by and there it sits on my shelf. Unread. The book I had to have ASAP will then sit and mock me forever more. I think part of this has to do with the fact that I am a major mood reader. I have to be in the right mood for the right book or I will not enjoy it. Part of it also is probably the thrill of the hunt. If everyone is talking about a book and it’s highly anticipated and getting great early reviews, I must know what all the fuss is about and I must have that book too. Hype culture gets me a lot.

Anyway, I know I’m not the only person who does this so that’s where this week’s topic comes in to play! Today I’m sharing some of the books that sit unread, even though I moved Heaven and Earth to get them at the time. And, of course, my tastes in reading have changed significantly since I joined the online book community so I am only sharing the books I actually still want to read. Many have been weeded out and either deleted from my Kindle or donated through the years. I’m excited to see what you’re going to share this week, too!

1. Requiem by Lauren Oliver (acquired in December 2012)
I loved Delirium and Pandemonium, and my need for this final installment in the series was strong! I tried so hard to get an ARC of this, but was denied and had to preorder and WAIT FOREVER. I barely remember those first two books now, and I really don’t read YA anymore but my memories of these books are so strong that a part of me still really wants to read this one and finish the series. Also, apparently I own this book in Kindle, audio, and hardback so I sort of have to read one of them. LOL

2. Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins (acquired in August 2014)
My story with this one is pretty much the same as above. I tried to get an ARC so badly and was denied, so I pre-ordered it. Anna and the French Kiss was my gateway book to contemporary romance. Up to this point, I only read mystery, dystopia, and fantasy. I fell in love with Anna and the French Kiss, and the rest was history. I still want to read Isla, but I’m afraid I won’t love it now that I’ve moved away from YA.

3. Impulse by Vanessa Garden (acquired in August 2014)
Oh my gosh, this book. Ok, long story. I went through an underwater phase for a while, and I requested the first book in this series, Captivate, on Netgalley. It would appear that I was accidentally approved for it by Harlequin Teen Australia. I say accidentally because a few months later, when Impulse was put on Netgalley, I got a decline email from the same publisher saying they wanted to give it to me but couldn’t because I live in the USA. I figured ok, no big deal. I’ll preorder it. Well, my friends, it was not being published in the USA! And book #1 ended on a huge cliffhanger. There was no way I could just not ever read it. So I imported it from a site I’ve never even heard of and paid way too much money to get it. A few years later it was published in the USA and since I still haven’t read it all these years later, I really could have waited and paid the couple dollars to get it on Kindle. Which, truth be told, I did anyway. So basically, I have to read this or my entire past is meaningless.

4. A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas (acquired in September 2016)
ACOTAR and ACOWAR are two of my favorite books, and I was falling all over myself with want for this book. I preordered it in two formats, re-read both ACOTAR and ACOWAR in preparation, and then never read this.

5. Something Wilder by Christina Lauren (141 days ago)
Ok. I know this only came out today. But seriously, this is my most anticipated book of 2022. Christina Lauren is my FAVORITE. I received an ARC 141 days ago (a party ensued) and I have been SO EXCITED to read this! And I haven’t! This feels so wrong and I am ashamed. I blame Lisa Kleypas.

Which books did you just have to have, yet are still unread?

Enemies-To-Lovers is Getting Old, Said No One Ever by Amy Lea | Author Guest Post (+ Giveaway)

Posted May 11, 2022 by Jana in Giveaway, Guest Post / 13 Comments

I’m excited to welcome Amy Lea, author of Set on You, to the blog today! Set on You is officially out in the world as of yesterday, and I thought it would be fun to invite Amy to talk to us a little more about her book! She’s written up such a fun post on her favorite romance trope, and I think you’re going to really enjoy it. A special thanks goes out to Spark Point Studio, who is sponsoring a giveaway of Set on You for one of my readers! Read more about the book and enter to win below!

Whenever someone asks me what my favorite romance trope is, my first response is always: I LOVE THEM ALL. *grabby hands* Generally speaking, making decisions isn’t my strong suit. Trust, my husband is traumatized from years of asking me which restaurant I want to eat at. But if someone were to threaten to push me off a cliff or ban me from buying books for all of eternity, I’d cave and shout ENEMIES-TO-LOVERS.

My first traditionally published book, SET ON YOU is enemies-to-lovers. Why? Frankly, it’s my favorite to write. In fact, I have a difficult time NOT writing enemies to lovers. So far, I’ve only written one book that wasn’t enemies-to-lovers. While I love that secret book with all my heart, the entire time I was writing it, I craved the angst that comes with the hatred and the venomous insults.

“Hating someone feels disturbingly similar to being in love with them.”
– Lucy Hutton, The Hating Game by Sally Thorne

Why, may you ask? For me, it all comes down to a couple key, irresistible ingredients:

Banter

Some witty verbal sparring with an underlying layer of simmering, sexual tension is my catnip, particularly when it’s rooted in comedy (it can’t be too mean). I live for the scenes where characters viciously roast each other on spits, mostly because you learn a lot about a person when they’re heated. It allows the reader greater insight into who the character is, what drives them, their potential flaws, and what they may need to overcome by the end of the book.

In SET ON YOU, Crystal and Scott banter back and forth at the gym on numerous occasions. This banter illustrates a number of key things about Crystal in the opening chapters. In particular, we learn how passionate and dedicated she is to her job and her clients. We also get the hint that she may not be the uber-confident girl she presents herself to be. Through the banter, we also learn a little bit about Scott’s flirty, cocky, yet secret-softie personality, as well as his close relationship with his family.

Slow Burn Tension

Everyone has preferences when it comes to pacing in romance, but I’m personally partial to a slow burn. The push and pull before the payoff is electric and so worth the hundreds of pages to get there. Oftentimes, there’s something that brings the two enemies together in proximity initially. In SET ON YOU, Crystal and Scott share a gym where they both workout regularly. In addition, they also find out their grandparents are engaged. This familial aspect does two things – it forces proximity and it also raises the stakes when it comes to the risk of getting romantically involved.

Either way, the slow burn is the prime opportunity for the transition from hate to love. This section is often riddled with tiny hints of budding attraction, whether it’s physical or emotional. Sometimes it’s in a brief moment of understanding, a lingering gaze, a scorching accidental touch, or a common enemy/obstacle.

It’s especially wonderful when one or both characters are plagued with denial and internal strife over their conflicting feelings. The moment when they finally realize or admit the truth to themselves is so rewarding (extra claps for the sassy best friend or the wise elderly character who often knocks some sense into them).

Eruption

The first kiss or the first steamy scene is usually unexpected, yet wildly satisfying. My favorite is when there’s a slight roughness and lingering tension that comes through the physical act, reminding us of that fire that is fueling the passion. Oftentimes, these scenes aid in building that emotional bond between the characters, because they are finally allowing each other to see their vulnerable, naked (literally) selves.

First impressions aren’t always correct

One of the best things about enemies-to-lovers is that moment when the characters realize that they misjudged each other. That the other person is more than meets the eye. Character growth is often beautifully illustrated when they finally develop empathy and understanding for each other. Side note, my catnip is also when one or both parties secretly pine for the other, masking it in hate. ;)

The perfect match

More often than not, the two characters are not much different from one another than they may seem. In SET ON YOU, Crystal and Scott come to find that their initial dislike for each other is rooted in similarities, despite a reluctance to admit it. They wind up having a lot in common, including that they’re both uber-competitive and family-oriented.

Conversely, in other books, it’s also heartwarming when two polar opposite characters complete each other in complementary ways. Joining together with their differences can often make them an unstoppable power couple. This trope allows for endless character growth, which is often so satisfying for readers.

In all the romance books I’ve read (and I’ve read hundreds), I’ve yet to come across two enemies-to-lovers books that don’t put their own unique twists on the trope. There are endless ways to turn it upside down, sideways, and back without it feeling tired and overdone, which is why this dynamic trope has become such a timeless reader favorite.

Set On You by Amy Lea
Published by Berkley Books on May 10, 2022
Genres: Adult Fiction — Contemporary Romance, Romantic Comedy
Add to Goodreads • Buy from Amazon

A gym nemesis pushes a fitness influencer to the max in Amy Lea’s steamy debut romantic comedy.

Curvy fitness influencer Crystal Chen built her career shattering gym stereotypes and mostly ignoring the trolls. After her recent breakup, she has little stamina left for men, instead finding solace in the gym – her place of power and positivity.

Enter firefighter Scott Ritchie, the smug new gym patron who routinely steals her favorite squat rack. Sparks fly as these ultra-competitive foes battle for gym domination. But after a series of escalating jabs, the last thing they expect is to run into each other at their grandparents’ engagement party.

In the lead up to their grandparents’ wedding, Crystal discovers there’s a soft heart under Scott’s muscled exterior. Bonding over family, fitness, and cheesy pick-up lines, she just might have found her swolemate. But when a photo of them goes viral, savage internet trolls put their budding relationship to the ultimate test of strength.

About Amy Lea

Amy Lea is a Canadian bureaucrat by day and contemporary romance author by night (and weekends). She writes laugh out loud romantic comedies featuring strong heroines, witty banter, mid-2000s pop culture references, and happily ever afters.

When Amy is not writing, she can be found fan-girling over other romance books on Instagram (@amyleabooks), eating potato chips with reckless abandon, and snuggling with her husband and goldendoodle.

Her debut romantic comedy SET ON YOU is forthcoming from Berkley Romance at Penguin Random House in May 2022.

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Top Ten Books On My To-Read List Featuring Bookish Characters

Posted May 9, 2022 by Jana in Top Ten Tuesday / 30 Comments

Welcome to another TTT! This week’s topic is all about bookish characters. These characters can be readers, librarians, writers, authors, professors, etc. I love it when I come across bookish characters in books, and I’ve chosen to feature books I haven’t read yet!

1. Scotsman in the Stacks by Alana Oxford
We’ve got a librarian heroine and the sexy Scottish patron she meets at work one day.

2. Book Boyfriend by Claire Kingsley
This book features a self-proclaimed book addict and a man who may as well have fallen out of the pages of her favorite romance novel.

3. Blame It on the Brontës by Annie Sereno
Our heroine is an English professor and an authority on the novels of the Brontë sisters. He latest project (writing a biography of a reclusive author) takes her to her hometown where she reconnects with her ex in this third chance romance.

4. Meet Me in the Margins by Melissa Ferguson
She’s an editor at a publishing house who is secretly writing a romance novel in a hidden room of said publishing house, and he’s the mysterious man who finds her manuscript and keeps leaves his opinions written in the margins.

5. The Bookworm’s Guide to Dating by Emma Hart
A bookish introvert who just wants books for her birthday, but is instead forced into a matchmaking scenario by her brother’s best friend. He is determined to find her a boyfriend and teach her how to not be awkward, and I guess they will both hope they don’t end up falling for each other instead.

6. Love Your Life by Sophie Kinsella
After going through a breakup, she ditches her normal life for a writer’s retreat in coastal Italy so she can finish her novel! Writers at this retreat are not allowed to share their real names or any identifying info, but that doesn’t stop her from falling into a love affair with a handsome man.

7. Hearts on Hold by Charish Reid
She’s a professor and he’s a sexy, tattooed librarian at the library she’s trying to get her university to partner with.

8. Talk Bookish to Me by Kate Bromley
She’s a romance novelist struggling with some writer’s block while helping her best friend plan her wedding. He’s unexpectedly shown up as part of the wedding planning, he was her first love (aw), and he’s just the inspiration she needs for her next book.

9. The Romance Reader’s Guide to Life by Sharon Pywell
Just read the synopsis of this one, because it sounds too cool and I have no clue how to re-phrase it. LOL

10. Dancing at Midnight by Julia Quinn
I love a bluestocking heroine!

Which bookish characters did you feature this week?

Devil In Spring by Lisa Kleypas | Book Review

Posted May 5, 2022 by Jana in Adult Fiction, Book Review / 2 Comments

Devil In Spring by Lisa Kleypas | Book ReviewDevil In Spring by Lisa Kleypas
Series: The Ravenels #3
Also in this series: Cold-Hearted Rake, Marrying Winterborne, Hello Stranger, Devil's Daughter, Chasing Cassandra, Devil In Disguise
Published by Avon on February 21, 2017
Genres: Historical Romance, Romance
Pages: 288
Format: eBook
Source: Purchased
Add to Goodreads
Buy on Amazon

An eccentric wallflower.

Most debutantes dream of finding a husband. Lady Pandora Ravenel has different plans. The ambitious young beauty would much rather stay at home and plot out her new board game business than take part in the London Season. But one night at a glittering society ball, she’s ensnared in a scandal with a wickedly handsome stranger.

A cynical rake.

After years of evading marital traps with ease, Gabriel, Lord St. Vincent, has finally been caught-by a rebellious girl who couldn’t be less suitable. In fact, she wants nothing to do with him. But Gabriel finds the high-spirited Pandora irresistible. He’ll do whatever it takes to possess her, even if their marriage of convenience turns out to be the devil’s own bargain.

A perilous plot.

After succumbing to Gabriel’s skilled and sensuous persuasion, Pandora agrees to become his bride. But soon she discovers that her entrepreneurial endeavors have accidentally involved her in a dangerous conspiracy—and only her husband can keep her safe. As Gabriel protects her from their unknown adversaries, they realize their devil’s bargain may just turn out to be a match made in heaven . . .

Here I am with my 4th Kleypas book! Somehow I’ve turned this year into my Kleypas Reading Adventure, and I’ve been flying through both the Ravenels and the Wallflowers series! I’ve been chronicling it all on my blog, but am spacing the reviews out for some variety. lol. Don’t want you to get tired of me and all this historical romance! Last time I reviewed Devil In Winter, which is the third book in the Wallflowers series. I purposely traveled about 30 years back in time, before the Ravenels, so I could read about Sebastian St. Vincent’s and Evie’s love story. They are the parents of the hero in Devil In Spring, so I knew I had to read about them first. So now it’s back to the Ravenels for the romance between Gabriel St. Vincent and Pandora Ravenel! As always, my main points are bolded.

1. The meet-cute in this book is pretty hilarious, and sets us off on a very romantic and suspenseful journey. Pandora finds herself in a sticky situation while helping her friend avoid getting caught in an even stickier situation. She sneaks away from a fancy ball to find an earring that her friend lost during her secret rendezvous with a man. In the process of finding it, she gets stuck in a piece of furniture and Gabriel stumbles upon her and helps get her loose. But they are spotted, and just like that Evie’s reputation is ruined. Because any time a man and a woman are found alone together during this time period, surely that means that they’ve been getting hot and heavy and her womanly purity has been stolen from her. Gabriel offers to marry her on the spot, but that’s her worst nightmare. In an effort to try and convince her to become his bride, he invites her and her entire family to his family home on the beach so they can all get to know one another. 

2. Pandora bugged me a little bit in the previous Ravenels books. She seemed silly and immature, but I liked her so much more once I got to know her better in Devil In Spring. She’s ambitious and is not the least bit interested in doing the conventional marriage agreement. She’s been working hard on developing her board game company, and wants to be independent and run a successful business. Married women were not allowed to own businesses and make their own money during this time, so as soon as Gabriel and Pandora got married everything she had worked so hard for would become his. She would legally not be allowed to make any business decisions or spend her money as she saw fit. She had no interest in hiding behind her husband, having to ask him to act on her behalf. I completely understood how she felt, and was pulling for her all along. At the same time, though, her reputation has been ruined and not marrying Gabriel would tarnish her family’s reputation as well and her twin sister, Cassandra, might not be able to find a suitable husband because of it. So Pandora is very torn between following her own dreams and protecting her family. Oh, and she’s also kind of falling for Gabriel. Oops! 

So, she’s ambitious, honorable, caring towards her family, and wants to be happy. She’s also challenging societal norms. It’s so refreshing to see a character like this in historical romances. She’s got this sweet innocence about her, as all the Ravenel girls do, because she was so sheltered growing up. I have so enjoyed watching these girls learn and experience the world. Pandora really touched my heart.

3. Gabriel, much like his father, is a notorious rake. He has avoided marriage for years, and has a mistress who takes care of his needs. Now he’s been caught in a trap and wants to do the honorable thing. He does this begrudgingly at first, before being completely captivated by Pandora. Again, he’s just like his dad. All it takes is the right lady to have him changing his ways and falling all over himself for her. And oh my, what a caring and perfect man he is. He doesn’t push Pandora, but instead he wiggles his way under her skin. He endears her to him, rather than outright seducing her and I thought it was so sweet. 

4. Lisa Kleypas sure does know how to write romances that stick with you. The tender affection Gabriel and Pandora have for each other is heartwarming. Pandora is disabled after some trauma at the hands of the family she lived with before, and he takes such care to make sure she feels safe. She can’t dance, so he comes up with a way to dance with her. She can’t see in the dark, so he carries her. He fully supports her business endeavors, and pays the right people off so he can marry her without forcing her to say she will obey him in her marriage vows. He stands by her side no matter what, and falls so deeply and unconditionally in love with her. And he’s willing to wait for her to catch up to him. Wow, these romances just make me so happy!

5. I loved the springtime setting at Gabriel’s beach home! They go to the beach and collect shells, and spend time sitting outside in the sea breeze chatting and looking out at the water. It felt like a little vacation for me.

6. It was so fun to see a salt-and-peppered Gabriel St. Vincent again. And Evie is still so caring and sweet. It’s been around 30-35 years in their lifetime, but only a few minutes for me since I last saw them. They’ve had children and have gotten older, but they love to show us that they’re still the sprightly, and very much in love couple we saw in Devil In Winter. I also loved catching up with Devon and Kathleen and Winterborne and Helen. The Ravenels are such a wonderful family. Devon and Kathleen are Pandora’s guardians, and their views on marriage are so refreshing for the time period. They tell her time and time again that she doesn’t have to marry Gabriel if she doesn’t want to. Devon is the perfect father figure to her, and tells her he just wants her to be happy and to not worry about what anyone else things. Cassandra echoes the same sentiment, not caring at all about what Pandora’s reputation will do to hers. She just wants Pandora to be happy and end up with the life she wants. Oh, and we see Dr. Garret Gibson again, who is the doctor for Winterborne’s employees and advised Helen so much in Marrying Winterborne. I love Garrett, and think she’s the coolest.  I just really love all these characters, and they’re all so unique and have made such an impression on me that I’m remembering their individual stories and personalities from book to book, which I sometimes struggle with.

7. As I’m coming to expect, Lisa Kleypas gives us some danger and suspense in this book again and I loved it! While working on some business things, Pandora stumbles across something she shouldn’t have learned about and things get very dangerous for her. I was so intrigued that I couldn’t put the book down!

All in all, another glowing review from me for Lisa Kleypas! And Devil in Winter ends in a bit of a cliffhanger, with some ends that have not been quite tied up yet so of course I’ve already jumped into the next book: Hello Stranger. Garret gets her own romance, and I looooove where this book is going already. Stay tuned for my review in a couple of weeks!

One-Word Reviews for the Last 10 Books I Read

Posted May 2, 2022 by Jana in Top Ten Tuesday / 17 Comments

Welcome to another TTT! Today I’m sharing one-word reviews for my last ten reads. This might be tricky because I’m planning to not re-use words! It’s also tricky because I’ve been binging Lisa Kleypas and so… there’s not much else here. LOL. I’m sharing my most recent read first and going backwards chronologically. I’m going to challenge you to really leave your review at one word. No expounding on why you chose that word! It’s hard, I know! Thanks so much to Susan at Bloggin’ ’bout Books for submitting this fun topic idea through my form!

1. Chasing Cassandra by Lisa Kleypas
Swoonworthy.

2. Devil’s Daughter by Lisa Kleypas
Heartwarming.

3. Hello Stranger by Lisa Kleypas
Captivating.

4. Devil In Spring by Lisa Kleypas
Passionate.

5. A Brush With Love by Mazy Eddings
Exhausting.

6. Devil In Winter by Lisa Kleypas
Scintillating.

7. In a New York Minute by Kate Spencer
Slow.

8. Marrying Winterborne by Lisa Kleypas
Perfect.

9. Cold-Hearted Rake by Lisa Kleypas
Wonderful.

10. Enemies Abroad by R.S. Grey
Hilarious.

So… That’s a lot of Lisa Kleypas. lol. Have you read her books? Which one is your favorite?
Have you read any of these books at all? What word would you choose to describe them?