Genre: Romance

Shipped by Angie Hockman | Book Review

Posted June 24, 2021 by Jana in Adult Fiction, Book Review / 2 Comments

Shipped by Angie Hockman
Published by Gallery Books on January 19, 2021
Genres: Contemporary Romance, Romance
Pages: 336
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher (Edelweiss)
Add to Goodreads
Buy on Amazon

Between taking night classes for her MBA and her demanding day job at a cruise line, marketing manager Henley Evans barely has time for herself, let alone family, friends, or dating. But when she’s shortlisted for the promotion of her dreams, all her sacrifices finally seem worth it.

The only problem? Graeme Crawford-Collins, the remote social media manager and the bane of her existence, is also up for the position. Although they’ve never met in person, their epic email battles are the stuff of office legend.

Their boss tasks each of them with drafting a proposal on how to boost bookings in the Galápagos—best proposal wins the promotion. There’s just one catch: they have to go on a company cruise to the Galápagos Islands...together. But when the two meet on the ship, Henley is shocked to discover that the real Graeme is nothing like she imagined. As they explore the Islands together, she soon finds the line between loathing and liking thinner than a postcard.

With her career dreams in her sights and a growing attraction to the competition, Henley begins questioning her life choices. Because what’s the point of working all the time if you never actually live?

Oh, Shipped. I wanted you to be so, so good… I love books set on cruises. I love cruising. It’s my favorite thing to do, and I miss it so much. I’ve gone on at least one cruise (but sometimes 3) every year since my first in 2005, and a cruise ship is my happy place. I was hoping Shipped would take me on an amazing cruise to the Galápagos islands, but I should have stayed in port…

I’m not in the mood for a normal review, so I’m going to list what I liked and what I didn’t like and call it a day.

What I Liked:

Travel! The Galápagos Islands would be such a cool place to visit, and these people get to explore and see wildlife and beautiful scenery! The excitement of traveling was there, and I felt it.
It’s low on the steam, sexy factor.
Henley’s sister, Walsh, comes along on the trip and I enjoyed her character. She added a lot of color to a pretty dull palette of characters.

What I Didn’t Like:

The romance was so, so lacking. I didn’t believe Henley and Graeme at all. I didn’t see any kind of emotional connection, and that’s essential for me in romance. I need the good stuff.
The whole “workplace romance” thing. Henley and Graeme are on the ship to work and compete against one another for a promotion by coming up with some marketing proposal to bring in my business. I don’t go on a cruise to work, so I don’t want my characters to either. lol.
The misunderstanding trope happens, and we all know that makes me stabby. Just! Communicate!
This is not The Hating Game + The Unhoneymooners. It’s just not. Those are two of my very favorite books ever, and it does Shipped a huge disservice to compare it to two books that are so, so much better.
I have nothing against ecotourism, but it came off as a bit overzealous.
Love is not the antidote to trauma. There are some deeper issues in this story surrounding abuse, and they are pushed under the rug. I’m not even sure why this was included, except to check off some box.
Has the author even… gone on a cruise? The heroine says, “we ascend the stairs to embark the vessel.” This is not grammatically correct. Embark is intransitive. You do not embark a ship. Nobody would ever say that. You just embark. A better choice would have been, “we ascend the stairs to board the vessel.” I really hope this was edited out before publication, because it had already happened twice by the time I hit 18%. And I’m sorry, but it’s not “cruise leader”. It’s “cruise director”. Nobody would ever say cruise leader.
I had a lot of problems with the writing and word choices in this book, and I thought “on each other like duct tape” was as bad as it would get. But then… The couple was interrupted getting busy. Someone knocked on the door, making Henley’s “nether-kitty yowl and hiss”. Pretty sure this book lost a star for that one sentence alone.

All in all, this was a HUGE disappointment for me. At least I got to go to the Galápagos Islands, which is not a common travel destination in contemporary romance. But really, I can recommend many books that take you on a dream vacation that are better than Shipped. I honestly can’t say I recommend this one.

Love & Olives by Jenna Evans Welch | Book Review

Posted June 17, 2021 by Jana in Book Review, Young Adult Fiction / 4 Comments

Love & Olives by Jenna Evans Welch
Series: Love & Gelato #3
Also in this series: Love & Gelato, Love & Luck
Published by Simon Pulse on November 10, 2020
Genres: Contemporary Romance, Romance
Pages: 506
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher (Edelweiss)
Add to Goodreads
Buy on Amazon

Santorini felt like an island holding its breath. As if it were keeping in a secret...

Liv Varanakis doesn’t like to think about her father much, which makes sense—he fled to Greece when she was only eight, leaving her with just a few painful memories of their shared love for the lost city of Atlantis. So when teenage Liv suddenly receives a postcard from her father, who explains that National Geographic is supporting a documentary about his theories on Atlantis—and asks if she will fly out to Greece and help—Liv is less than thrilled.

When she arrives in gorgeous Santorini, things are just as awkward as she'd imagined. There are so many questions, so many emotions that flood to the surface after seeing her father for the first time in years. Liv doesn’t want to get sucked back into her father's world. She also definitely doesn’t want Theo, her father’s charismatic so-called protégé, to witness her struggle.

Even so, she can't help but be charmed by everything Santorini has to offer—the beautiful sunsets, the turquoise water, the sun-drenched villages, and the delicious cuisine. But not everything on the Greek island is as perfect as it seems. Because as Liv slowly begins to discover, her father may not have invited her to Greece for Atlantis, but for something much more important.

I don’t read as much YA as I used to, but I loved Love & Gelato and Love & Luck (although, not as much as the first)! I was delighted to discover a third book was coming out in this series of companion novels, this one taking place in Santorini! I loved the idea of a girl reconnecting with her father who left her, and jetting off to Greece to help him film a documentary on the lost city of Atlantis. I love stories that take me to new places, especially beautiful ones that I would love to visit on my own. The awkward relationships between Liv and her dad is painfully cute. He doesn’t know what to do with a teen girl, and she doesn’t know how to have a dad. Things are bumpy and not at all easy, but I loved watching him try to figure it all out. Sweet father daughter relationships always melt my heart a little, and even though this dad abandoned his daughter without a word to go Atlantic hunting on the other side of the world, he’s ready to make amends and get to know her. He has fully owned his mistakes and wants a relationship.

My very favorite part of the book, though, is the setting. Jenna Evans Welch is so, so good at bringing readers to the location she has written about. The descriptions of the water and the sunsets and the night sky were just beautiful, not to mention the winding pathways of Santorini and the white buildings with the blue roofs (we even get to learn about why the building are all blue and white, which I found fascinating). I also loved the little tidbits of info about Atlantis and the theories surrounding it. I’ve always been very intrigued by the legend of Atlantis, so reading a book about people trying to find proof of its existence was so much fun for me. It’s such a compelling mystery, and I really enjoyed learning about it as Liv, her dad, and Theo went sightseeing and interviewing people about it as they filmed.

I loved Theo, Liv’s love interest and videographer for the documentary. He was funny and sweet and enjoyed being the go-between between Liv and her dad. I thought it was so sweet how he tried to help grow and foster a relationship between the two of them, counseling with them both when he could tell they needed it. There’s a lot of pain, regret, and more serious issues that weave themselves through the story, so Theo provided some comedic relief and a lighter side to contrast with the darker one. My biggest struggle with this book surrounded Liv’s father’s actual reason for asking her to fly out to help him. I won’t spoil anything but, upon discovering what that reason was, I found myself sad and melancholy as I read. I loved the scenery and the characters and the developing relationships between multiple duos of people, but there was this constant feeling of sadness in the pit of my stomach that made it a little harder for me to read. If things had been more upbeat, I would have flown through this. Even so, I’m glad I read it. Jenna Evans Welch writes great scenery and great characters, and it was fun to escape to Greece during a time when travel is pretty much impossible. I would love to see a forth book in this series in the future!

Uncharted by Adriana Anders | Book Review

Posted June 10, 2021 by Jana in Adult Fiction, Book Review / 3 Comments

Uncharted by Adriana Anders
Series: Survival Instincts #2
Published by Sourcebooks Casablanca on August 31, 2021
Genres: Romance, Romantic Suspense
Pages: 384
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher (Edelweiss)
Add to Goodreads
Buy on Amazon

Hotshot pilot Leo Eddowes is afraid of nothing and no one. So when she's asked to evacuate a man from the wilds of Alaska, she doesn't hesitate. But with enemies in close pursuit and the weather turning sour, what should have been a simple mission quickly shifts to disaster.

And there's only one way out.

When Elias Thorne disappeared, he was America's most wanted. Now he's spent more than a decade in one of the most remote places on earth, guarding a dangerous secret. Leo's arrival, quickly followed by a team of expert hunters, leaves him no choice but to join forces with her—and run. Neither is prepared for their reluctant partnership to flare into something as wild and untamed as the frozen world around them...but as desperately cold days melt into scorchingly hot nights, Leo and Elias must learn to dig deep, trust in each other, and forge a bond as strong as the forces of nature.

Stranded together in a frozen wilderness,
There's nowhere left to run...

I love romantic suspense, and I’m always on the hunt for another amazing one that’s not paranormal or erotica. Do you know how hard those are to come by? I absolutely adored the first book in this series, Whiteout, which ended on a cliffhanger. I was eager to get my hands on Uncharted for a resolution to that story… and there wasn’t. lol. There’s some info and some… movement? I’m not sure movement is the right word. It hasn’t been that long since I read Whiteout, but I struggled to remember some things and people that maybe would have helped me piece this story together a little better. Definitely don’t read this one without having read Whiteout first. You’ll be even more confused than I was, because something important happens in that story that they refer to in this one.

Anyway, moving on! I loved the setting. The Alaskan wilderness is always an amazing setting, but it’s particularly exciting in romantic suspense because it’s so treacherous and dangerous. I also loved the dog, Bo! I panic when dogs or cats (or any beloved pet, really) appears in a suspense novel because many, many authors decide that killing or torturing that pet would be a good idea for a plot point. I blacklist those authors. Animal abuse and deaths are a huge trigger for me. As soon as I got attached to Bo and began to fear for her safety, I wrote to Adriana Anders and begged her to tell me if I needed to stop reading this book. She wrote back within an hour and assured me that it was safe to continue. That email meant so, so much to me, and yes. She was right! I’m sorry if this is a spoiler for anyone reading this book, but I think it’s one worth mentioning. And that’s all I’ll say!

I LOVED Bo. She was so, so sweet and my favorite character in this book. She was the very best good girl in so many ways. Leo bugged me a bit with her stubbornness, but I grew to like her more as the book went on. Elias is a gruff and surly teddy bear, and I really liked him. There was less tension and suspense in this book, compared to Whiteout, which was a bit disappointing. The romance was sweet and well-balanced between two people who want to be tough alphas but are willing to be betas sometimes.

My biggest issue with this book was the dialogue, which I can only hope will be changed before publication. All the characters seem to hate speaking in complete or normal-sounding sentences. Here are some spoiler-free examples:

“Today we do the summit. Hopefully before the helicopter arrives.” He pointed straight up. “Hope not to break our necks in the process.”

That “hope not to…” sentence is weird. Like maybe “Let’s hope we don’t break our necks in the process.” just sounds better.

The ringing in her ears continued. Not a good sign.
“You walk?”
No. “Yes.”

What about “Can you walk?” It just feels better.

“You’re burning up.”
She huffed out a weird sound that felt like a laugh. “I mention I had a stomach thing? Food poisoning. I thought. Maybe it was a bug?”
“He paused, eyes wide. “Kidding me?”

Maybe… “Did I mention…” and “Are you kidding me?”

Then there’s a bunch of little sentences all throughout the story like these:

“Leo your real name?”
“Way you’re looking at me. I’ve gotten a lot of that.”
“Know you’re awake.”
“Time is it?”

I could excuse it if they came from one person. Maybe it’s a weird character quirk or something, but these kinds of sentences came from both Elias and Leo, as well as a secondary character or two. I could also excuse it if it happened only once in a while. It’s very common for people to speak like this on occasion. Like, “you ok?” is commonly used without the “are” at the beginning and nobody cares. But people do not talk like this allllll the time, almost every time they say something.

So often when Leo and Elias talk to each other, it’s back and forth with one- to three-word sentences. The dialogue is very short and choppy (this is not a quote, but explains my thoughts because this is how it felt: “You ok?” “Yes. You?” “Yes.” “Good.” “Let’s keep going.” “Ok.”). As evidenced in the examples above, there are frequently missing words, but there are also the bare minimum of words. Elias even sometimes only talks in grunts or other inaudible noises. The quality of the dialogue was so frustrating to me that I nearly DNFed multiple times, but I really really wanted to know what happened so that I can continue with this series (if there are more books coming. I haven’t seen an announcement yet.). I also really like the author and was so touched by her caring attitude towards me that I wanted to love every single thing about this book! She’s so nice, she deserves to have her book loved! And I almost, almost loved it. But the dialogue made me want to scream. It did improve a little in the last third or so of the book, which made it even more obvious to me that this kind of dialogue was not a character quirk. The dialogue wasn’t like this in Whiteout, so I don’t think this is just how the author writes. I keep trying to figure out why these choices were made for this book, and I can’t come up with an explanation.

Anyway, I’ve rambled on way too long about the dialogue. I’ve been purposely vague in most of my review because it’s easy to spoil thrillers. Overall, I’m hoping there’s more books in this series. As I mentioned before, I loved the first one. This one wasn’t as great for me (even though I did really enjoy parts of it), but I’m eager to read another one that wows me again!

Fluffy by Julia Kent | Mini Book Review

Posted June 3, 2021 by Jana in Adult Fiction, Book Review / 3 Comments

Fluffy by Julia Kent
Series: Do-Over #1
Published by Prosaic Press Inc. on April 30, 2019
Genres: Contemporary Romance, Romance, Romantic Comedy
Pages: 282
Format: eBook
Source: Purchased
Add to Goodreads
Buy on Amazon

It all started with the wrong Help Wanted ad. Of course it did.

I’m a professional fluffer. It’s NOT what you think. I stage homes for a living. Real estate agents love me, and my work stands on its own merits.

Sigh. Get your mind out of the gutter. Go ahead. Laugh. I’ll wait.

See? That’s the problem. My career has used the term “fluffer” for decades. I didn’t even know there was a more… lascivious definition of the term.

Until it was too late.

The ad for a “professional fluffer” on Craigslist seemed like divine intervention. My last unemployment check was in the bank. I was desperate. Rent was due. The ad said cash paid at the end of the day. The perfect job!

Staging homes means showing your best angle. The same principle applies in making a certain kind of movie. Turns out a “fluffer” doesn’t arrange decorative pillows on a couch.

They arrange other soft, round-ish objects.

The job isn’t hard. Er, I mean, it is — it’s about being hard. Or, well… helping other people to be hard.

Oh, man…

And that’s the other problem. A man. No, not one of the stars on the movie set. Will Lotham – my high school crush. The owner of the house where we’re filming. Illegally. In a vacation rental.

By the time the cops show up, what I thought was just a great house staging gig turned into a nightmare involving pictures of me with an undressed star, Will rescuing me from an arrest, and a humiliating lesson in my own naivete.

My job turned out to be so much harder than I expected. But you know what’s easier than I ever imagined?

Having all my dreams come true.

Ok, so… the synopsis of Fluffy really didn’t sound like it was going to be my kind of book. LOL. I mean, like the heroine, I had no idea what a fluffer was until one of my friends told me. I was worried Fluffy would be too much blushing for me, but this same friend told me that it really has nothing to do with fluffers and what fluffers do. The synopsis sounded funny otherwise (what a hilarious mistake to make!) and I’d seen some really great reviews, so I downloaded the free prequel novella (Little Miss Perfect), and thought I’d give this series a try! I was so sucked in by that novella that I read it in one sitting and immediately grabbed Fluffy to continue the story. I’m so glad I did, because this book was really, really fun!

Fluffy is hilarious. The texts between her and the guy who was hiring a fluffer on craigslist had me actually laughing, because I could see this happening to myself. Mallory is very smart and well put together, but she’s lacking in the street smarts. She shows up to the job, expecting to stage a home for some kind of film production and… walks into something that has her a bit mortified. Yes. It’s THAT kind of film. Her internal monologues were just so perfect! Mal’s childhood crush, Will, has been renting his family home out for various events and had no idea what was happening at his house until he showed up and found Mal. He shuts everything down and the police are called, and he saves Mal from even more embarrassment by vouching for her and confirming that there was no possible way she was lying about not knowing what she’d agreed to. It’s one of the most awkward and hilarious scenes I’ve ever read in romance, and set the stage for a very fun story. Mallory is still in desperate need of money, so she and Will enter into an agreement where, if she can sell his home, he will pay her a commission on the selling price. Flirting and feelings happen, and I just love these two together. Will is so dreamy and Mallory is just so sweet. They’re adorable together. Mallory’s two friends are also great, and they each get their own book in this series! I can’t wait to read it. I’m so excited I’ve discovered Julia Kent! I love her writing style and humor. Highly recommended!

The Duke and I by Julia Quinn | Book Review

Posted May 27, 2021 by Jana in Adult Fiction, Book Review / 4 Comments

The Duke and I by Julia Quinn
Series: Bridgertons #1
Also in this series: The Viscount Who Loved Me
Published by Avon on January 5, 2000
Genres: Historical Romance, Romance
Pages: 384
Format: eBook
Source: Purchased
Add to Goodreads
Buy on Amazon

In the ballrooms and drawing rooms of Regency London, rules abound. From their earliest days, children of aristocrats learn how to address an earl and curtsey before a prince—while other dictates of the ton are unspoken yet universally understood. A proper duke should be imperious and aloof. A young, marriageable lady should be amiable… but not too amiable.

Daphne Bridgerton has always failed at the latter. The fourth of eight siblings in her close-knit family, she has formed friendships with the most eligible young men in London. Everyone likes Daphne for her kindness and wit. But no one truly desires her. She is simply too deuced honest for that, too unwilling to play the romantic games that captivate gentlemen.

Amiability is not a characteristic shared by Simon Basset, Duke of Hastings. Recently returned to England from abroad, he intends to shun both marriage and society—just as his callous father shunned Simon throughout his painful childhood. Yet an encounter with his best friend’s sister offers another option. If Daphne agrees to a fake courtship, Simon can deter the mamas who parade their daughters before him. Daphne, meanwhile, will see her prospects and her reputation soar.

The plan works like a charm—at first. But amid the glittering, gossipy, cut-throat world of London’s elite, there is only one certainty: love ignores every rule...

Here’s the story of a true bookworm. I bought The Duke and I in 2013 and was so excited to read it. I kept looking at it and adding it to my seasonal TBRs and never getting to it. Apparently it took a Netflix series and all my friends talking about it to actually get me to prioritize it over everything else I’ve been reading lately. Oh well! I finally got to it, and that’s all the counts! For the most part, I really enjoyed this book. Except for one scene. As always, my main points are bolded.

1. I adore the Bridgerton family, and they were my favorite part of this book. I think this is the first book series I’ve read that has such strong family bonds (no, I did not read the Harry Potter books so I don’t know of these Weasleys everyone mentions when book families are discussed). Their sibling relationships are so warm and sweet. Daphne’s brothers are extremely protective, and I found it to be really heartwarming! Growing up, I always wanted an older brother to look out for me. I loved their meddling mother, Violet. She is a queen and runs that family like a well-oiled machine. I’m so, so excited that each sibling (and their names are alphabetical from oldest to youngest! I love it!) gets their own story, because I already feel so attached to some of these characters. And I seriously can’t wait to see what Violet does next.

2. I have a feeling this series is going to be very character-driven, which we all know is my favorite. I never ever get attached to, much less remember, secondary characters from historical or contemporary romance series. Maybe someone will feel familiar or I’ll recognize the name, but I can’t think of anyone noteworthy enough in one book that I remembered them later on when they became the hero/heroine of their own story.

3. I was not expecting the humor I got with The Duke and I, so that was a very pleasant surprise. It reads like a romantic comedy, with banter and disagreements between the love interests as well as Daphne and her siblings. I have been living for romantic comedies these days (well, this entire past 15 months really), and was delighted to discover I can switch things up from contemporary to historical and still get my fix.

4. Lady Whistledown’s gossip column is amazing. Each chapter begins with an excerpt from the latest issue of this anonymous woman’s musings and information about noteworthy members of society, and I practically giggled with each one. The sarcasm and little jokes and jabs were positively delightful. I’m assuming she remains a staple across the entire series, and I really want more information on who she is. What a fun mystery!

5. Simon and Daphne are very cute together, and I fell in love with them quickly They enter a fake dating agreement, which we all know is my favorite romance trope, but catch real feelings along the way. They have so much chemistry and their banter is wonderful. I loved their flirtations and discussions. However, they both have horrible communication skills. Miscommunication or lack of communication is a very common trope in the romance genre, and I never enjoy it because it requires too much of my own energy to push through it. I feel like if the author had allowed them to communicate properly and build trust and understanding, their relationship would have been much healthier and happier for the both of them. But then…

6. The author chose to write a scene that I really wish she had not chosen to write. What happens in this scene is rape, and it’s wrong no matter how you look at it. When a person rescinds their consent, no matter when it happens, anything further is rape. Daphne takes advantage of Simon during sex while he’s drunk, and does not allow him to stop participating when he clearly and emphatically wants to. His panic is real, and his pain and anguish is heartbreaking. The resolution and recovery seemed way too easy and unrealistic for such a blatant act of betrayal on Daphne’s part. I so wish their story had been written differently.

7. Julia Quinn’s writing is wonderful. I loved the dialogue, so many of the characters, and the humor. The text flows so freely and naturally and it’s honestly a joy to read.

I cannot wait to move on to the second book in the Bridgertons series, The Viscount Who Loved Me, for Anthony’s love story! Anthony is the oldest Bridgerton sibling, and I really love what I’ve seen of him so far (even though he’s got some anger issues and could loosen up a little). I’m excited to get to know him better and see what falling in love does to him.