Category: Book Review

A Court This Cruel & Lovely by Stacia Stark | Book Review

Posted February 13, 2025 by Jana in Adult Fiction, Book Review / 0 Comments

A Court This Cruel & Lovely by Stacia Stark
Series: Kingdom of Lies #1
Narrator: Tim Paige, Meg Sylvan
Published by Dreamscape Media on October 24, 2023
Genres: Fantasy, Fantasy Romance, Romantasy
Pages: 562
Format: Audiobook ARC
Source: Publisher (Netgalley)
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For years, when I fell asleep, I dreamed of a man with blazing green eyes and a cruel smile.

The day I meet him, the ruthless mercenary leaves me for dead.

Just hours after humans are born, the gods take what little power we have. In return, they protect our borders from the vicious, merciless fae.

The humans who manage to keep their power are known as the corrupt.
And they are burned.

When my forbidden power is discovered, I’m forced to flee my tiny village and the life I adore.

To survive, I make a desperate bargain with the mercenary who abandoned me at my weakest.

Our deal is simple: I’ll help him and his mysterious friends sneak into the city. And he’ll help me learn to wield the strange, dark power I’ve always kept hidden. The power that may just be the key to my survival.

But the ruthless mercenary is hiding secrets of his own. Secrets that threaten the safety of everyone I love. Secrets that could tear this kingdom—and perhaps even this world—apart.

Please note: A Court This Cruel and Lovely is an NA/adult romantasy book with steam. While this series is slow burn, the chili pepper rating will increase for each book.

Last year I was needing something to quench my thirst for a Fourth Wing kind of story while waiting (a long time) for Onyx Storm to come out, so I explored many romantasy books looking for that feeling of being completely entranced by a book and unable to think about anything else. I also love ACOTAR, and I’d read that this gave off similar vibes so I gave it a go. Long story short, this is no ACOTAR. And can I sidebar for a second and talk about how much I hate how many books have given in to the “a court of whatever and whatever” trend? I feel like it tricks readers into thinking they’ve found THE book everyone is talking about. “What’s that ‘a court of…’ book my friend likes so much? Oh, it’s this one!” And then it’s not. lol. Similar title… also about fae… you get the picture. Anyway, I listened to this one because I love dual narration. I was crocheting, the narrators did a great job, and it was a thing to listen to that helped distract me during a hard thing I was going through personally. But it left many things to be desired, and I’m struggling to articulate my feelings in a way that makes sense. This is also one of my more negative reviews and the guilt is setting in a bit as I re-read this before scheduling it to go live soon. I hate writing negative reviews, but I feel obligated to do so since I received this for review from the publisher. So here are my honest thoughts.

To sum it up, this book didn’t feel unique to me. You’ve got the over-used tropes like fae versus human, enemies to lovers, found family, a feisty heroine who doesn’t know she’s magic, etc. These story elements cannot stand on their own existence, though. I feel like they were just there because that’s what people look for. I can tell that this book set out to check off a lot of boxes to please readers, but there was no strong framework, no intricate worldbuilding, and no details given that immersed me in the story. I can’t tell you what anyone looked like, what the world looked like, or anyone’s backstory or defining characteristics. The cookie cutter main characters were unremarkable and flat. The secondary characters were background props. I couldn’t help but feel like the desire to write a unique cast of memorable characters and a rich world… wasn’t there. It seemed more like the goal was to give me enough to remind me of characters I loved from another book and then fill in the blanks on my own with their traits and their personalities. I felt like I was supposed to patch the plot holes and supplement the information I was given with information from someone else’s fully developed world. That’s just, for lack of a softer word, lazy writing.

The spicy moments were uncomfortable for me, and the romance didn’t feel believable and all-consuming. The pacing was off, with a lot happening all at once and then nothing happening at all. The story really dragged in places, and the same things kept happening. There was a lot of telling and very little showing. The more I think about this book, the more confused I am as to why I finished it. I tend to abandon books when I’m feeling like this, especially when they’re this long. I was clearly engrossed in my crocheting and needed a distraction during a difficult time when I didn’t have the brain power to absorb something deeper. I was able to drift in and out and not miss anything, and I think that’s a big part of why I finished it. I also liked the soothing voices of the narrators. It was very easy to keep listening to it, and sometimes that’s what you need in a book. I wanted to love this so, so much, but I will unfortunately not be continuing with the series.

Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros | Book Review

Posted February 6, 2025 by Jana in Book Review / 1 Comment

Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros
Series: The Empyrean #3
Also in this series: Fourth Wing
Published by Red Tower Books on January 21, 2025
Pages: 779
Format: eBook
Source: Purchased
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After nearly eighteen months at Basgiath War College, Violet Sorrengail knows there’s no more time for lessons. No more time for uncertainty.

Because the battle has truly begun, and with enemies closing in from outside their walls and within their ranks, it’s impossible to know who to trust.

Now Violet must journey beyond the failing Aretian wards to seek allies from unfamiliar lands to stand with Navarre. The trip will test every bit of her wit, luck, and strength, but she will do anything to save what she loves—her dragons, her family, her home, and him.

Even if it means keeping a secret so big, it could destroy everything.

They need an army. They need power. They need magic. And they need the one thing only Violet can find—the truth.

But a storm is coming...and not everyone can survive its wrath.

AHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!! There. That’s the review. lol. Just kidding.

I reviewed Fourth Wing but not Iron Flame because I’ve been in a review slump for a while, but I’ve made it a goal to share my thoughts on everything I read this year so I’m going to write a little somethin’ somethin’ up for Onyx Storm even though my series review will have a gap… unless I re-read. Which I will do, so stay tuned someday. Anyway, this is essentially a stream of consciousness because these books fry my brain and I have no capacity to think. There will be spoilers for Fourth Wing and Iron Flame in this review, but I promise to not spoil specific and important details of Onyx Storm. However, I don’t know what you consider to be a spoiler so please read with caution if you haven’t yet read Onyx Storm.

Ok, here we go. A lot of this review is very “if you know you know” in an effort to not spoil anything. Here are my unfiltered thoughts.

I have a great memory, but I still prepared myself to read this book. I read detailed recaps of the previous two books so I would be READY. Guys, this book made me feel so stupid. So, so stupid. Who even are all these people? What is going on? I had to really stretch my memory, but I made it. I got it!
Then I remembered I had a very bad case of the flu (I’ve never been sicker in my life) when I read Iron Flame, so that explains everything.
SO EXCITED. I love the series, and the excitement I have felt over this release has been so much fun. I haven’t been so excited for a book release since the Twilight books came out.
I needed multiple days to process this book after finishing. I am not ok.
There are SO many people in Onyx Storm. There are like a million names that I can’t even begin to know how to accurately pronounce, and there are so many people to keep track of. SO MANY.
There are also so many places. I felt like I needed a notebook so I could keep notes on all the people and places I needed to remember.
The name “Theophanie” is most likely the stupidest name I’ve ever heard of. I wanted to throw things every time I read that name.
Violet keeps being Violet.
I have Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and saw so much of myself in Violet and her pain and her symptoms. I’m both inspired to push past my limitations and discouraged that there’s no way I could do the things she forces herself to do.
I loved learning more about Violet’s dad.
I loved learning more history of this world.
AND the world has expanded! We see so many more places in this book.
Our Shadow Daddy, Xaden, is even more Xaden in this book. Just when I thought he couldn’t be more Xaden, he became even MORE Xaden. And I love him.
Then there’s Dark Xaden, who is terrifying. The push and pull is intense.
The “touch her and die” trope is alive and well.
Can he please lean in a doorway and talk to me through his eyes and caress me with his shadows?
I loved learning about Xaden’s past.
Holy steam. The romance is sooooo hot and sexy and also tender and touching. That kind of unconditional love is what dreams are made of.
Ridoc is stupendous. I adore him. He must be protected by all means necessary.
Aaric. Also the best.
The comedic relief these two guys offer is flawless.
The Quest Squad has my entire heart.
But Mira? She bugged me this time. She’s like a completely different person. There’s overprotective and then there’s being a jerk.
I love the brother sister bond between Brennan and Violet.
Andarna is the most amazing petulant teenager. You can tell Tairn raised her.
I love Andarna’s search for answers about where she came from. We get to know her so much better.
Tairn is the grumpy grandpa cat everyone wants. I love him so, so much. He’s so snarky and sarcastic, but also protective and accommodating and sweet and caring and ahhhhhh. His one-liners fuel me.
Ok I just love all the dragons.
The gryphons and their riders have truly wormed their ways into my heart.
Venin boil my blood. I HATE them. And their wyvern.
Prepare to read the last 20% in one sitting because you won’t be able to stop. It’s just not possible.
The action. There is so, so much action. I was so stressed and worried and riveted and my eyes could not read as fast as my brain wanted me to. It’s all-consuming. The stress and anxiety!!!
I kid you not. I was in pain when I finished reading. Like physical pain from being tense for so long. lol. I think I was in a full-body clench for last 4 hours of the book.
WHAT!?!?! Worst. Cliffhanger. Ever. I’m not even sure I understand!
I am left with more questions than answers.
TELL ME WHAT HAPPENS NEXT.
And dear Rebecca Yarros, please don’t kill off my favorites in the next book.

TL;DR It’s AMAZING. Read it and the others. Prepare to go bonkers. Rebecca likes to throw her readers off a cliff and laugh at the end of her books. Actually… if you have any willpower, maybe wait until all the books are out. I am not ok!

Never Gamble Your Heart by Lindsay Lovise | Book Review

Posted January 30, 2025 by Jana in Adult Fiction, Book Review / 0 Comments

Never Gamble Your Heart by Lindsay Lovise
Series: Secret Society of Governess Spies #2
Also in this series: Never Blow a Kiss
Published by Forever on February 4, 2025
Genres: Historical Romance
Pages: 384
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher (Netgalley)
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To find her missing sister, an unconventional governess must infiltrate an infamous gambling den owned by a devilishly handsome rake.

Frankie Turner should be the perfect she’s genteelly born, impoverished, and owns a pair of ugly oversized spectacles. Now if only she didn’t have an alarming tendency to forget her charges while contemplating mathematics principles...

When Frankie’s impulsive younger sister goes missing, Frankie has no idea where to begin the search to find her. But when she discovers hasty marriages materializing between “troublemaking” women and men who don’t deserve them—she knows her sister is somehow involved. The only thread connecting the groomsmen is a membership to Rockford’s, an exclusive gambling hell owned by the devilish Jasper Jones. And it just so happens that Jasper has recently become the guardian of a sullen fifteen-year-old.

Jasper suspects his new governess has an ulterior motive for being in his household, but he can hardly find the time to uncover it when his life is in a constant uproar. First, Frankie teaches his niece how to count cards and then she tries to break into his study. When he finally learns Frankie’s true reason for being there, he agrees to help the brilliant mathematician find her missing sister, even if it means giving her a fake dowry and watching men trip over themselves in her presence. As he and Frankie work together to dismantle a nefarious scheme, Jasper realizes that for the first time in his life, he’s gambled his heart—and possibly lost it.

I loved the first book in this series, Never Blow a Kiss, so much that I’ve been eagerly waiting for this next book for over a year! I thought it would be the perfect book to start off my 2025 reading, and I really enjoyed it! The best part about this series is the mysteries that surround these governess spies. Each book features a different governess, who is under the direction of a mysterious and very connected woman referred to only as “The Dove”. These women go undercover as governesses in the homes of the members of the ton to solve crimes. They correspond with The Dove during their entire stay in these homes and eventually gain enough information so she can anonymously turn over dossiers to the police that help them close their cases. These women are strong and resourceful, and they push the boundaries of society. I always come away feeling proud and empowered. And, of course, each woman finds love while undercover. What a fun and unique concept for a historical romance series! I love historical romance and mystery, but my favorite is when they’re combined.

This book is about Frankie. She’s an odd spinster with a brain for mathematics, and her sister has gone missing. When The Dove approaches her and offers her the opportunity to help bring down a ring of men called the Dowry Thieves, Frankie strikes up a deal and requests that The Dove find her missing sister in exchange for her help. These Dowry Thieves orchestrate compromising situations that entrap women into marriage so they can gain control of their dowries, and Frankie knows her sister is somehow involved. Frankie is placed in the home of Jasper Jones, proprietor of the most lavish gambling hell in London: Rockford’s. The thieves have all been traced back to Rockford’s, and it’s Frankie’s job to figure out if he’s involved and what’s actually going on. Jasper just inherited the most hilarious and precocious 15-year-old niece and is desperately in need of help, so it works out perfectly. Frankie infiltrates his home and his heart, and I loved reading about her adventures.

Frankie is such a fun character. She was unable to find a match after being out for four Seasons, and has decided she doesn’t need a man anyway. She’s a brilliant mathematician, but is significantly undereducated in the ways of society. She’s awkward, brutally honest, and liberated. You can’t tell her what to do or silence her. She’s got very strong opinions, is extremely intelligent, and charmingly witty and flirtatious without realizing it. I just loved her. Jasper is a former fishmonger who worked his way to the top rather than being placed there at birth. He’s got a conscience and a strong moral fabric. He values women for their minds and sees them as equal to himself!! Be still my heart. He’s had a rough life and feels unlovable. Frankie feels the same way about herself. And rather than finding love in each other first, it’s Cecelia, the 15-year-old girl, who makes the both of them realize they are capable of loving and being loved in return. Cecelia is very observant and whip-smart. She pushes the both of them to follow their hearts, and she is the absolute sweetest. She says some of the most jaw-droppingly outrageous (for the time) things, and I smiled at her strength each time. I fell in love with her as quickly as Jasper and Frankie did. I love this found family, and was so pleasantly surprised by how sweet and tender their relationships are with each other. The romance is also very swoony and the spice had me fanning my face at times. I really loved some of the things Jasper says to Frankie, although I did feel the dialogue got pretty cheesy and had me rolling my eyes a time or two.

The mystery was exciting and intriguing. I never try too hard to suss out the resolution to a mystery like this because I enjoy the journey and I love to be surprised. I did figure this one out a page or two before the reveal, but I didn’t mind! It was all so much fun. I love The Dove, and cannot wait until the day the author tells us who she is. At the same time, I don’t want to find out because that will most likely end the series. I’d love to know more about her and her connections and how she came to be in this line of work. Give us a prequel for The Dove, please!! Just like the first book, this book ends with an epilogue that introduces the next governess. It’s like a mini cliffhanger to get you excited for the next one. And it has worked both times, because I am SO excited about the next book now! I highly recommend this book and the first one (although, this one can stand alone if you don’t mind some cameos from the characters in the previous book) if you’re looking for historical romance with some intrigue and a story driven by more than just romance! It’s still incredibly romantic, but there’s murder too! The perfect combination!

Under Loch and Key by Lana Ferguson | Book Review

Posted January 23, 2025 by Jana in Adult Fiction, Book Review / 8 Comments

Under Loch and Key by Lana Ferguson
Narrator: Flint Park, Samantha Summers
Published by Berkley on December 3, 2024
Genres: Contemporary Romance, Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Romantic Comedy
Pages: 416
Format: Audiobook, eARC
Source: Publisher (Netgalley)
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A woman discovers that not all monsters are her enemy—the opposite, in fact—in this new paranormal romance by Lana Ferguson, author of The Fake Mate.

Keyanna “Key” MacKay is used to secrets. Raised by a single father who never divulged his past, it’s only after his death that she finds herself thrust into the world he’d always refused to speak of. With just a childhood bedtime story about a monster that saved her father’s life and the name of her estranged grandmother to go off of, Key has no idea what she’ll find in Scotland. But repeating her father’s mistakes and being rescued by a gorgeous, angry Scotsman—who thinks she’s an idiot—is definitely the last thing she expects.

Lachlan Greer has his own secrets to keep, especially from the bonnie lass he pulls to safety from the slippery shore—a lass with captivating eyes and the last name he’s been taught not to trust. He’s looking for answers as well, and Key’s presence on the grounds they both now occupy presents a real problem. It’s even more troublesome when he gets a front row seat to the lukewarm welcome Key receives from her family; the strange powers she begins to develop; and the fierce determination she brings to every obstacle in her path. Things he shouldn’t care about, and someone he definitely doesn’t find wildly attractive.

When their secrets collide, it becomes clear that Lachlan could hold the answers Keyanna is after—and that she might also be the key to uncovering his. Up against time, mystery, and a centuries old curse, they’ll quickly discover that magic might not only be in fairy tales, and that love can be a real loch-mess.

I love cryptids, but I really love the Loch Ness Monster. Nessie is my favorite legend, and one of my biggest bucket list items is to go sit on the shores of Loch Ness for a few weeks and try to spot her myself. This is the first romance I’ve ever seen that centers on Nessie, so I was very excited to read it! The blurb is pretty vague, so as not to spoil anything, so I will also be vague! We meet Keyanna, still mourning the loss of her father. He had never shared much about his growing up years with her, and they never went to Scotland together to visit her family. His dying wish was for her to return and spread his ashes at Loch Ness. While there, she meets her grandparents and other extended family. She doesn’t get the warmest welcome from her grandma, but the rest of her family quickly embraces her. She also meets Lachlan, who works on her family’s property even though he hates the entire family. Their meeting is cold, but there’s also a small spark of intrigue. As he and Key get to know one another better, secrets are revealed on both sides and feelings grow.

The book starts off really strong, but the middle two thirds of this book really dragged for me. I was very intrigued by the mystery, the dangerous loch, the family secrets, the magic, and folklore, but I’m not going to lie… this was a slog to get through at times. We spend a lot of time in both characters’ heads while they sift through their feelings, worries, concerns, etc. It got quite repetitive, because their thoughts mirrored each others’. I really loved Lachlan. He’s a grumpy cinnamon roll, who has been very hurt in the past and is alone in this world. He doesn’t know where his future will take him. He’s very loyal and sweet and his ability to love deeply tugged at my heartstrings because of all the heartbreak he’s endured. Key was meh for me. She came off as both very smart and very dumb at times. She pretends to be humble, which is a pet peeve of mine. But I liked them together, and I was pulling for them the entire way through. I also liked Key’s cute grandpa and her grandma grew on me by the end.

The romance didn’t do it for me, and it’s kind of hard to explain. I think it’s a combination of the audio and the kind of romance this is. The blurb doesn’t specifically call this book a monster romance even though, in hindsight, the cover and blurb hint at it very heavily. Still, though, the monster romance genre is different than a romance with humans who are not fully human. I guess I was expecting the same kind of situation as a vampire or werewolf romance. But I avoid “monster romance”. It’s just not my thing, and I didn’t realize that’s what I was getting with this one. Many monster romances I read about have some spicy elements that I don’t find appealing. The spice level in this book is not what I expect from books with covers that look like this one. The scenes are much longer (some of them are 20+ minutes long in the audiobook), more intense, more detailed, and contain word choices that made me uncomfortable. Perhaps listening to the audiobook magnified everything. The audio is done in a true duet style. Lachlan and Key narrate their own chapters, but the narrators also read all the lines of dialogue for the character they’re portraying. It sounds like a movie. I love when books are done like this, but not necessarily during spicy scenes. I felt like I was sitting in the bedroom while these two go it on. I ended up fast forwarding through all the spicy scenes, which helped me really enjoy the rest of the story.

I actually wish there was no romance in this at all and that Key and Lachlan were just friends who maybe fell in love in an epilogue or something. Their relationship is what I would consider to be “forbidden”, but it’s also insta-love and I had a hard time wrapping my head around how they were able to open up and trust each other so quickly when history shows them that they shouldn’t have. I would have preferred a stronger focus on the lore, history, magic system, mystery, etc. I love medieval folklore and magic and really enjoyed learning the history of two dueling Scottish families and how their history has continued to spread mystery throughout this area of Scotland up to the present day. I loved the parts where someone discovered something important or a revelation was made. There’s some suspense and searching and I loved all of that. I loved the descriptions of Scotland and the loch and I loved exploring a medieval castle. I loved Nessie. But then, circling back to the issue of pacing, things dragged a lot in between the parts I loved. The major climax happened with an hour still left in the book and I remember wondering what they heck they were going to do with with last hour. This book was extremely long and it wasn’t necessary. I wish everything had been tightened up more so momentum wasn’t lost. I will also note that there’s more swearing in this book than I’m used to, and found it to be distracting.

Bottom line, there were parts of this I really loved and parts that I skipped entirely. I wish I had been more aware of what I was getting into with this book (although, it’s Nessie so I’m sure I would have read it anyway), but I made it work for me by skipping the parts I wasn’t interested in and ended up really enjoying the story I got as a result. I even got emotional at times because of some sweet family moments and some swoony things Lachlan said. I don’t think I’ll be reading more books by this author, though, because the storytelling didn’t work for me.

Audio notes: Flint Park is a dream. I went to look for more audiobooks he’s read, and this is the only one! I could listen to him forever. He’s got the most delicious Scottish accent, and he reads with such emotion. He can sound so tender, but then he’s also got this rough growly voice that made me shiver. He did such an amazing job. Samantha Summers was not my favorite. She’d try to sound flirty and squeaky and was overly perky. And when Keyanna got mad or emotional, Samantha’s over-the-top crying voice or yelling voice grated on me. The final hour and a half also seemed to have some production issues with sound getting very loud and very quiet. I kept having to adjust my volume every few minutes.

The Christmas You Found Me by Sarah Morgenthaler | Book Review

Posted December 5, 2024 by Jana in Adult Fiction, Book Review / 6 Comments

The Christmas You Found Me by Sarah Morgenthaler
Series: Heart of the Wilderness #1
Published by Sourcebooks Casablanca on September 24, 2024
Genres: Contemporary Romance, Holiday - Christmas
Pages: 304
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher (Edelweiss)
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Sarah Morgenthaler is back with a heart-mending contemporary romance featuring a single dad you'll fall for; a satisfying slow burn love affair; found family you'll root for; small town holiday magic; and all the quirky animals and snowy rustic scenes your heart desires.

Sienna Naples's family has taken care of their wild Idaho land for generations and Sienna can't imagine any other life. But at Christmastime, with her parents gone and her painful marriage finally over, it's full of memories...and incredibly lonely. Until a tall, handsome stranger and a little girl walk into her life and suddenly the holidays are alive again.

When single father Guy Maple shows up as the result of an ad meant to be a joke, the handsome Montana construction worker isn't joking. Money is tight this Christmas, and Guy's four-year-old daughter Emma has stage-five chronic kidney disease. She needs a kidney transplant, but if Guy can't prove that he can afford Emma's anti-rejection medications, his daughter isn't going to stay on the transplant list. Guy's willing to do anything, including marrying a stranger, to keep her safe. It's an impulsive marriage of convenience, and Sienna knows this isn't real, no matter how much she adores Emma, how well Guy fits in to the ranching life—or how much light and laughter is coming into their lives as a result. But the more time she spends with her new family, the more she fears losing the fragile, feisty little girl and the kind, devoted, hard-working, incredibly attractive man who is her husband—but is it only in name?

Ok. I’m going to be completely honest here and say that I was terrified of this book. I read that synopsis and quickly realized that this book was going to be different than the light-hearted rom-coms Sarah has published before. And honestly, if Sarah Morgenthaler had not been the person to write it I might have decided to skip it because I do not do sad and heavy, especially at Christmas. But I love her and her books and have followed her closely since her debut, The Tourist Attraction, which I adored. I knew I had to give this book a try, so I dove right on in this past summer (also out of character for me, as I save my Christmas reads for the last two months of the year). I am so, so glad I did. I’m sitting here now almost 4 months later, wrapped up in my Christmas blanket, and writing this review by the glow of my Christmas lights. As always, my main points are bolded.

1. You read correctly. It has, in fact, been 4 months since I finished this book and it feels like yesterday. I so vividly remember this story and how I felt while reading it, and that’s really saying something! I read a lot of books each year, and very few stick with me in such detail longer than several days. Usually I move on and become fully engrossed in my next read. The details blur and fade, and I feel a sense of fondness but can’t recall character names or many details. Sienna, Guy, and Emma wiggled their ways into my heart, and I still remember my journey with them today. That’s the sign of a truly amazing story and a truly amazing author.

2. Even though this book has the potential to rip your heart out, there’s so much of Sarah’s trademark humor and sweet moments. The Christmas You Found Me is a true romance, so I’m not spoiling anything by saying it ends with a very happy ever after. Do not be afraid to read this book. The journey of having a sick child is beautifully told and you might need some tissues (maybe don’t read the last 15% in public or at work), but it’s not the heartbreaking kind of cry. It’s the emotions of the characters and watching them navigate and process hard things. I also giggled a lot, swooned, and smiled so much. I panicked and worried and wanted to throw the book in the freezer (IYKYK), but I decided to trust the journey and trust Sarah and I’m so happy I did! I stayed up way too late and thought about it every second I wasn’t reading it. And I loved the ending. So go for it! You have the seal of approval from the person who avoids crying at all costs and is also one of the easiest criers on the planet. This is worth it, and you’ll be ok. You’ll feel everything!

3. The dog is fine. Don’t worry about him. I was stressed, because his old age is discussed so much, so I wanted to put this in here.

4. Sienna has a heart of gold. I would love to be friends with this woman. Her selflessness and courage and willingness to help two total strangers was inspiring to read about. She makes the most impulsive decision ever and it ends up being the best decision of her life. Maybe I need to take more leaps of faith!

5. Guy. Oh my goodness, this man has my heart. What he wouldn’t do for his little girl. He’s the best girl dad I’ve ever read about. He knows the ins and outs of Emma’s health issues and how to keep her as healthy as is possible, considering her rapidly failing kidneys. He works so hard and still has time to care about the people in his life that he loves. I can’t imagine living with the level of stress he’s had to endure, and I love that his trials in life haven’t made him bitter and closed off. He’s got so much love to give and finds joy everywhere he can.

6. Emma, Guy’s four-year-old daughter, is so cute. I usually don’t like reading romances with kids who play a large role in the story, but I fell in love with Emma. Chronic health issues make you grow up quickly, and she’s got this maturity and grasp of things someone her age should never have to understand. Her bond with Sienna’s dog is the cutest thing ever.

7. I love marriage of convenience stories, but this one hit harder for me because of the reason for the marriage. It’s not to gain an inheritance or mend a bad reputation or get meddling matchmaker family members off the characters’ backs. It’s because Emma needs medical insurance so she get life-saving treatment and surgery. Guy and Sienna’s meet-cute that sets everything in motion is so, so cute. lol. And awkward and cringey, but so heartwarming and wonderful. I loved how quickly they grew close, how deeply they felt for one another, and how healthily they worked through challenges together. They leaned on one another when they needed to, opened up when it was hard but right, and quickly formed the most amazing care team for Emma. When Emma is awake, it’s go, go, go. They prepare her bland food, Sienna takes care of her all day while Guy is at work, they take her to doctor appointments, they stress over her together, and they have family dinner before tucking her in. It’s nap times and night times when Guy and Sienna can talk and actually get to know each other. They have some very deep and touching conversations about their individual lives and the new life they’re sharing together. There are some incredibly romantic and swoony moments, although everything fades to black. There’s no on-page spice.

8. The struggles and tough times all felt very real, but not too heavy. Emma’s health plays a critical role throughout the story, but it’s not the focal point. Sienna’s former relationship is also discussed, as is Guy’s. Some other obstacles get in the way, but overall there’s a lot of hope and positivity. Forgiveness, rolling with the punches, resiliency, healing from the past, and being grateful for what you have. I felt uplifted and contemplative. Guy, Sienna, and Emma make the sweetest found family. They really knit themselves together, and I loved that so much.

9. There’s also so much light and fun. There are some really wonderful secondary characters, major Christmas vibes, the cutest old man of a dog, beautiful mountain scenes, sexy pull-ups and nighttime workouts, secret cookies, snow, quirky animals, arts and crafts, a party, and more.

All in all, I loved this. I pushed myself a little out of my comfort zone since I usually avoid books involving chronic health issues (hello, I’m a spoonie and like to escape my own health), but this book did it so right. I would have loved to have someone remind me that this is a romance and it follows the traditional romance formula, but I read this so early that nobody could do that. And I was on pins and needles for most of the book. lol. So I am that friend for you. This is wholeheartedly a romance, and it’s one of the most tender and heartwarming ones I’ve read in a long time. Sarah’s writing is amazing. She really knows how to touch your heart and make you feel. The Christmas You Found Me is going to stick with me for a very long time, I think.