Goodreads
Author: Jenn McKinlay
Publisher: Berkley Books
Publication date: July 21, 2020
Format: eARC from publisher (thank you!)
My rating:
Buy It: Indigo.ca | Amazon.com | The Book Depository | Google Books

It's been seven years since Chelsea Martin embarked on her yearlong post-college European adventure. Since then, she's lost her mother to cancer and watched her sister marry twice, while Chelsea's thrown herself into work, becoming one of the most talented fundraisers for the American Cancer Coalition, and with the exception of one annoyingly competent coworker, Jason Knightley, her status as most talented fundraiser is unquestioned.
When her introverted mathematician father announces he's getting remarried, Chelsea is forced to acknowledge that her life stopped after her mother died, and that the last time she can remember being happy, in love, or enjoying her life was on her gap year. Inspired to retrace her steps--to find Colin in Ireland, Jean Claude in France, and Marcelino in Italy--Chelsea hopes that one of these three men who stole her heart so many years ago, can help her find it again.
From the start of her journey nothing goes as planned, but as Chelsea reconnects with her old self, she also finds love in the very last place she expected.

Review: PARIS IS ALWAYS A GOOD IDEA

Paris is Always a Good Idea is a solid, compelling story about a woman who has buried her grief so far that she’s afraid to love – or to let her family love – again.

I picked up Paris is Always a Good Idea because I love me a European trip, and I love an office romance. This one didn’t disappoint on either – it gave me the nostalgia for my own backpacking tour through Europe, but what I didn’t expect was how much of an emotional wallop it packed.

Chelsea Martin is a workaholic, a planner who is an executive at a cancer charity. She lost her mother in her 20s to cancer, and has been buried in her work ever since. So when her father tells her that he’s getting married to a woman he only just met, it hurts because Chelsea has not only never dealt with her grief, but she’s also extremely practical.

The long and short of it? Chelsea’s family wants her to try to lighten up and find the happier person she was before the loss of her mom. For Chelsea, that was her gap year backpacking trip around Europe, where she met and fell in love with three guys. So she decides to retrace that journey. Only problem? Her biggest rival at the charity, Jason Knightley, has been given her work, and her boss wants them to work together to get a major donor to deliver on a gift.

A few things really worked with Paris is Always a Good Idea. The first was the banter between Chelsea and Jason, which was witty and funny, but also thoughtful and a bit esoteric. Right away, you could see that they really did have oil-and-water personalities.

Chelsea is a planner, a workhorse, and by the book, while Jason is a dreamer, an ideas guy, who doesn’t always bother with the details. You *know* that this is both a workplace disaster, and an explosive combo that will lead to chemistry. And author Jenn McKinlay recognizes that, too, which is why she quickly takes Chelsea and Jason out of their element, out of their workplace, so that they can see more than just what’s in the office. And it works.

It also helps that Chelsea is way more hilarious, uncertain, and prone to crazy situations in Europe. This is a rom-com, so there were some zany things that happened that occasionally took me out of the story.

But for me, the thing that made this book resonate was the emotional thread of the story, which is really about a woman who has spent years in grieving and doesn’t know how to get back to the carefree person she was at 22.

There are moments in the book where it almost feels like self-help, but the words also really hit with me. I haven’t experienced a tragedy quite like Chelsea’s loss of her mom, but even in my lesser challenges and traumas, what McKinlay writes about holding on and letting go, applies. I was surprised by how much I felt for Chelsea.

The Final Word:

Overall, Paris is Always a Good Idea could have used a few more steamy scenes. – it’s very light on the sex. I would characterize it as sweet, as opposed to fan-yourself-hot – but I enjoyed it a lot. If you’ve read Happiness for Beginners, and you liked the tone of that book, you might like this one as well.

—–

PARIS IS ALWAYS A GOOD IDEA is out in bookstores next week, July 21st. Will you be reading it? Do you like self-help style romances? Let me know in the comments!

The post Paris is Always A Good Idea by Jenn McKinlay | Review appeared first on Mostly YA Lit.

Goodreads
Author: Abby Jimenez
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Publication date: June 11, 2019
Source: eARC from publisher (thank you!)
My rating:
Buy It: Indigo.ca | Amazon.com

Fall in love with this hilarious and heartwarming romantic comedy that USA Today bestselling author LJ Shen calls "an absolute treat."Kristen Peterson doesn't do drama, will fight to the death for her friends, and has no room in her life for guys who just don't get her. She's also keeping a big secret: facing a medically necessary procedure that will make it impossible for her to have children.Planning her best friend's wedding is bittersweet for Kristen -- especially when she meets the best man, Josh Copeland. He's funny, sexy, never offended by her mile-wide streak of sarcasm, and always one chicken enchilada ahead of her hangry. Even her dog, Stuntman Mike, adores him. The only catch: Josh wants a big family someday. Kristen knows he'd be better off with someone else, but as their attraction grows, it's harder and harder to keep him at arm's length.The Friend Zone will have you laughing one moment and grabbing for tissues the next as it tackles the realities of infertility and loss with wit, heart, and a lot of sass."Your next favorite romantic comedy...The Friend Zone is that rare beach read with tons of heart that will make you laugh and cry in equal parts." ---PopSugarGood Housekeeping Best New Books for Summer 2019PopSugar Best Books of Summer 2019Women's Health Best Romance Novels of 2019Bookish Must Read Romance Summer 2019SheReads Most Anticipated Romance Books of 2019Women.com Most Highly Anticipated Books for Summer Bookstr Ultimate Summer 2019 Reading GuidePublishers Weekly Starred ReviewBooklist Starred Review

Review: The Friend Zone by Abby Jimenez

Loved this unique story of self-discovery, love at all costs, and friendship.

The Friend Zone by Abby Jimenez surprised me in the best way possible. Going into the book, I was initially super annoyed by heroine Kristin Peterson’s brashness and her prejudices against anything “cultured.” As a foodie, art and film lover myself, I found myself a little irritated (especially since Kristin and hero Josh’s favorite director is one of my own, Quentin Tarantino – who totally makes arthouse movies!). It didn’t help that hero Joshua Copeland is a hunting fiend and a gun owner. Like, SO not my cup of tea.

But my initial reservations about this book were completely swept away as I got more into the story, which sees Kristin and Josh as the maid of honor and best man to their best friends and forced together. Kristin hides a lot of her feelings behind sarcasm and insults, and she’s a perfect foil for her softer, more emotional bff Sloan. Kristin is also a major joker, who sends Potato Parcels (long story) to her best friend for fun, and owns a business selling silly and funny merchandise for tiny dogs like her own, Stuntman Mike.

Joshua has just moved to L.A. after a breakup with a girl because she didn’t want kids, and as he says it, he wants a whole baseball team. Josh and his bff Brandon served in the Marines together, and now Brandon works as a firefighter, while Josh is the medic who drives the fire truck. As luck would have it, Josh is in need of some fast cash, and Kristin is looking for a new carpenter to build the custom, tiny dog staircases that she sells.

Even though their initial meeting is pretty rough, Josh is super into Kristin’s tough-girl exterior, sarcasm, and her constant need for food. And even though Kristin has a long-distance boyfriend in the Marines who’s coming home soon, she can’t help but notice how well she and Josh get along and how much they’re attracted to each other.

For me, this story didn’t ratchet up until about 20% in, when Kristin reveals some of her issues and the real reason why she can’t be with Josh: she doesn’t think she can have kids. She’s had terrible, debilitating periods all her life, and her uterus is full of fibroids (benign tumors) that will probably make it hard for her to conceive or carry a child. She knows how important this is to Josh, so for her sake and his, she tries to steer clear.There’s a lot more to this story than that – but honestly, this book has to be experienced to really get it.

As someone who a) didn’t know if she wanted kids and b) was with a guy who was absolutely sure he wanted them, WOW did I know how Kristin felt. And then there was the infertility. Even if it didn’t happen the same way for me, I know from personal experience how devastating that diagnosis is, and for someone like Kristin, who clearly really wants kids, it’s so painful to deal with on top of her insane periods. This isn’t the crux of the story at all, but it’s the driver of Kristin’s actions, and it makes the conflict in The Friend Zone so realistic. This isn’t your usual rom-com where the people are getting in the way of themselves. This is the real deal: a real issue that couples every day have to deal with. I felt so much of this story.

Aside from that, the chemistry between Kristin and Josh ratchets up so nicely, and the romantic bits are super swoony. This is how love should feel – both when you’re in it, and when you’re reading about it.

And the secondary characters are fantastic. This is SUCH a friendship book, you guys – both for Sloan and Kristin, and for Josh and Brandon. These people will do anything for each other. They take care of and feed each other. They’re sources of comfort for their friends. You will want to hug your friends and family after this book, because the friendship and hurt is REAL in this book. And author Jimenez isn’t afraid to dial up the pain. There are some devastating moments in this book, and how the characters deal with them is just…A+++++.

If I have qualms, they are just that this book could have used a few more steamy scenes. But other than that, this is one of the most solid rom-coms I’ve read in awhile. The characters are unique and multi-faceted. The story is authentic and honest. And if you don’t come out with a giant crush on book boyfriend Josh, you’re basically not into romance. I can’t wait for the next installment of this series. I’m definitely a fan.

Goodreads
Author: Sarina Bowen
Find the author: Website, Blog, Facebook, Goodreads, Amazon, Instagram, Pinterest
Also by this author: , The Fifteenth Minute, The Year We Fell Down, The Year We Hid Away, Blonde Date, The Understatement of the Year, The Shameless Hour, The Fifteenth Minute, Rookie Move, Hard Hitter, Bittersweet, Steadfast, Keepsake (True North, #3), Him, Us, Untitled, Hard Hitter, Good Boy, Keepsake (True North, #3), Goodbye Paradise, Pipe Dreams, Stay (WAGs, #2), Pipe Dreams, Temporary, Man Hands (Man Hands, #1), Man Card, Brooklynaire (Brooklyn Bruisers #4), Speakeasy, The Accidentals, Overnight Sensation, Top Secret
Series: , Brooklyn Bruisers #6
Also in this series: Rookie Move, Hard Hitter
Publisher: Tuxbury Publishing LLC
Publication date: June 25, 2019
Source: Author's publicist (thank you!)
Format: eARC
My rating:
Buy It: Indigo.ca | Amazon.com

Sometimes lady luck shakes your hand, and sometimes she smacks your face. Sometimes she does both on the same day.

Three years ago I met the most amazing girl in the world. We were both down on our luck. Then I got that call—the one that tells you to get your buns on a plane to go meet your destiny.

But the girl was left behind. I didn’t have her phone number, and she didn’t know my real name.

While I became a professional hockey player, she became a superstar, with platinum records and legions of fans. And a slick, music producer boyfriend who treated her badly.

But fate wasn’t done with us yet. When Delilah turns up at a hockey game, I can’t resist making contact. The internet swoons when I ask her out on a date.

She might not remember me. But her jerkface ex does. He’ll do anything to keep us apart.

Good thing athletes never give up. This time I’m playing for keeps.

More information at SarinaBowen.com

Review: Superfan by Sarina Bowen

Sarina Bowen’s Brooklyn (*Bruisers) series is so addictive that I basically need to read every ARC as soon as it hits my Kindle, and Superfan is no different.

Silas Kelly is the back-up goalie for the Brooklyn Bruisers, a really nice guy who’s had to work for everything he has. He’s been having a great season with the Bruisers after choking in the big leagues the first time. In his personal life, though, he’s been flying solo for a long time, because he can’t seem to get over the possibility of a girl he once knew. A girl who he met when she was a struggling musician and he was in the dumps after being rejected from the NHL after being a second-draft pick. A girl who is now Delilah Spark, the biggest singer-songwriter in the world.

Silas is known among the Bruisers now as Delilah’s biggest fan, constantly listening to her music, but never going to see her. But fate seems to be giving them a second chance when Delilah ends up at a hockey game and Silas and his friends end up tweeting with her.

What follows is a whirlwind romance that springs from the very natural chemistry between Delilah and Silas. Because Delilah has never forgotten Silas either, and now that she’s finally rid of her toxic ex-boyfriend and label manager Brett Ferris (but still her label manager), she can see just how well they fit together. But Brett continues to torment Delilah professionally, and Silas has his own beef with Brett since they went to high school together. And aside from that, Silas and Delilah need to overcome logistics and figure out what really matters: their careers or the possibility of more between them.

Superfan was a really, really fast read. I feel like it was very short, and to be honest, the overarching story seemed to lack a little bit of conflict. Silas and Delilah are so good with each other that it was enjoyable to be with them while to fell into a romance together, but I didn’t feel as much tension as I usually do in Sarina Bowen novels. They’re both super likeable, super kind, and really fun together. It’s hard not to get sucked into their love story, especially since Silas is, like, the best, most honest and sincere guy ever. Superfan really gets away with a lot because these two are so likeable.

The biggest issue that Silas and Delilah need to overcome is her ex-boyfriend and his terrible treatment of Delilah, both personally and professionally. To say any more would already be too much in the way of spoilers, but let’s just say, he was definitely not a three-dimensional villain – the guy was scum and it was pretty obvious right away what was going to happen.

That said, if the book is predictable, it was still really enjoyable, not only because of the characters, but because of the huge cast of secondary characters who we’ve met in previous books. Silas is very much a friend guy and as such, we get a LOT of crossover with the Trevis, Jason Castro and Heidi Pepper, and Rebecca Rowley. I really don’t want to spoil anything but there’s a wedding in this book and I’m SO glad we get to see it! There are also some hints of things to come that Brooklyn Bruisers fans will eat up.

Superfan almost feels like a fan-service book because of its likeable characters and the appearance of so many secondary characters. For me, it’s one of the lighter and faster reads in the Brooklyn Bruisers series, and as such, it wasn’t my favorite. But don’t get me wrong: you will eat up this romance and Silas as fast as you possibly can. It’s a book crack book for sure.

Goodreads
Author: Christina Lauren
Also by this author: Dating You / Hating You
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Publication date: May 14, 2019
Source: ARC gifted by Chapters Indigo (thank you!)
My rating:
Buy It: Indigo.ca | Amazon.com

THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER!

Starred reviews from Kirkus Reviews * Publishers Weekly * Library Journal

Named a “Must-Read” by TODAY, Us Weekly, Bustle, BuzzFeed, Goodreads, Entertainment Weekly, Publishers Weekly, Southern Living, Book Riot, Woman’s Day, The Toronto Star, and more!

For two sworn enemies, anything can happen during the Hawaiian trip of a lifetime—maybe even love—in this romantic comedy from the New York Times bestselling authors of Roomies.

Olive Torres is used to being the unlucky twin: from inexplicable mishaps to a recent layoff, her life seems to be almost comically jinxed. By contrast, her sister Ami is an eternal champion . . . she even managed to finance her entire wedding by winning a slew of contests. Unfortunately for Olive, the only thing worse than constant bad luck is having to spend the wedding day with the best man (and her nemesis), Ethan Thomas.

Olive braces herself for wedding hell, determined to put on a brave face, but when the entire wedding party gets food poisoning, the only people who aren’t affected are Olive and Ethan. Suddenly there’s a free honeymoon up for grabs, and Olive will be damned if Ethan gets to enjoy paradise solo.

Agreeing to a temporary truce, the pair head for Maui. After all, ten days of bliss is worth having to assume the role of loving newlyweds, right? But the weird thing is . . . Olive doesn’t mind playing pretend. In fact, the more she pretends to be the luckiest woman alive, the more it feels like she might be.

With Christina Lauren’s “uniquely hilarious and touching voice” (Entertainment Weekly), The Unhoneymooners is a romance for anyone who has ever felt unlucky in love.

Review: The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren

The Unhoneymooners is an unputdownable, hate-to-love, faux relationship romance from fan favorites Christina Lauren.

Between twins Olive and Ami Torres, Olive is definitely the unlucky twin. She’s the one who always gets caught in the rain without an umbrella, has birds poop on her, and infamously, got stuck in a Claw machine when she was eight. So Olive’s outlook on life is a little bit wary. That includes her sister’s marriage to Dale Thomas, who is a bit fratty. But she knows he makes Ami happy, so as Olive gets ready for the wedding, she also gets ready to deal with her nemesis, Ethan, Dale’s older brother. The mutual dislike between Ethan and Olive stems from way back and there’s totally a Pride and Prejudice thing going on.

Of course, it happens that the entire wedding (including the guests) gets food poisoning except for Olive and Ethan. So Ami and Dale beg them to take their non-refundable honeymoon to Hawaii. The catch? They have to pretend to be in love…and pretend to be married. And, of course, in a rom-com like this, they end up running into not only Olive’s future boss, but also Ethan’s ex-girlfriend (and her new boyfriend). It’s basically a comedy of errors from beginning to end, but one thing becomes clear after awhile: they’re not just pretending to like one another.

This is my second Christina Lauren book and I enjoyed it so much! It’s the perfect beach read – it’s light and sparkles with humour and romance, but it also has some really beautiful passages that made my heart sing. The banter between Olive and Ethan literally made me snort out loud at points, and I’ll be honest, the best part was watching them spar while they fell for each other.

I loved the twin relationship and the way that Olive changes and grows throughout the book. She really starts off thinking of herself as the unfortunate sister, and it takes a lot to change herself into someone who doesn’t just let things happen to her.

There is a point in this book when I really, really disliked Ethan. However, I feel like CLo saved the book from becoming a hot mess because of how strong the family aspects were. Those of you who read my Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating review know that I was deeply frustrated by the ending. This is not the case here: the ending was perfect and had me smiling the whole way through. A definite summer winner.

Goodreads
Author: Tessa Dare
Find the author: Website, Facebook, Amazon, Instagram
Also by this author: , Romancing the Duke (Castles Ever After, #1), Say Yes to the Marquess, When a Scot Ties the Knot, Do You Want to Start a Scandal, A Night to Surrender, A Night to Surrender, Once Upon a Winter's Eve (Spindle Cove, #1.5)
Publisher: Harper Collins
Publication date: March 27, 2012
Source: Purchased from Amazon.com
Format: eBook
My rating:
Buy It: Indigo.ca | Amazon.com | Google Books

Unexpected lovers find themselves together in Spindle Cove with A Week to be Wicked—the second book in Tessa Dare’s utterly delectable historical romance series. This Regency Era delight finds a restless British lord desperate to escape the quaint and too quiet small seaside resort he’s trapped in…and he gets much more than he expected when he eagerly agrees to escort a beautiful, brilliant, socially awkward lady scientist to Scotland. Concerning Tessa Dare and her irresistible romances, bestselling author Julia Quinn is spot on when she says, “Prepare to fall in love!” And anyone who loves the novels of Lisa Kleypas, Christina Dodd, and Liz Carlyle is going to adore having A Week to be Wicked.

Review: A Week To Be Wicked by Tessa Dare

Obsessed. A Week To Be Wicked should be called Colin and Min’s Excellent (and Steamy) Adventures, because it’s basically the historical version of a roadtrip romance, full of shenanigans and bawdy tales and a hate-to-love romance that really soars.

Minerva Highwood is dying to get to Scotland to present a paper at the Royal Geological Society of Edinburgh. She elects Colin Sandhurst, as her escort so that he won’t marry her prettier sister Diana, but also because she knows he needs money and she can get it for him if she presents. Colin is both intrigued and aghast, knowing Min will be ruined if she goes with him alone. But Min doesn’t care – she’s willing to trade her reputation to get her scientific discovery out there. So together, they start the journey, with little to their name but a small amount of money and a plaster cast of a giant lizard’s foot.

This is easily one of my favorite Tessa Dare books ever – I fell HARD for Minerva Highwood, the awkward society girl turned geologist, and Colin Sandhurst, Lord Payne, noted rake, and that happy-faced dude who charms everyone around him, but can’t let anyone get to know him.

A Week to Be Wicked is a classic hate-to-love that quickly turns heated as Colin instructs Min in the pleasures of her body, and they both slowly fall for each other. It’s also a classic, hilarious road trip, with a county fair, fake princes, kidnappings, and lots and lots of intimate moments in bed.

Honestly, I can barely write a review of this one – I started it ages ago and put it down because I loved the preceding two Spindle Cove stories so much that I knew I needed to give this its due. I’m SO GLAD I DID. This was everything a romance should be – swoony, sexy, funny, and full of moments where characters discover themselves and become stronger for it. Colin has a serious way with words, and I highlighted so many of his monologues to Min. It really stands head-and-shoulders above a lot of other romances I’ve read because the story flows both naturally and unexpectedly, and the characters just soar.

If you’re into romance of any kind, A Week to Be Wicked should be on your reading list. If you’ve never read historical romance, this might be a great place to start, because it’s a surprisingly modern tale for a Regency romance. Just get ready to have heart-eyes forever. I’ve already re-read it once, and this one is going up as one of my favorite romances EVER.

Goodreads
Author: Tessa Dare
Find the author: Website, Facebook, Amazon, Instagram
Also by this author: , Romancing the Duke (Castles Ever After, #1), Say Yes to the Marquess, When a Scot Ties the Knot, Do You Want to Start a Scandal, A Night to Surrender, A Night to Surrender, Once Upon a Winter's Eve (Spindle Cove, #1.5)
Publisher: Harper Collins
Publication date: August 28, 2012
Source: Purchased from Amazon.com
Format: eBook
My rating:
Buy It: Indigo.ca | Amazon.com | Google Books

Spindle Cove, nestled in a peaceful corner of Regency Era England, has long been known as “Spinster Cove,” due to its preponderance of unwed ladies of “delicate constitutions”—and that’s the fictional setting for a delightful historical romance series by USA Today bestselling author Tessa Dare. In A Lady by Midnight, a young woman searching for her family finds love unexpectedly with a handsome colonel—but the secrets of her heritage threaten to disrupt their romance…and their upcoming nuptials. Concerning the heart-soaring romantic fiction of Ms. Tessa Dare, fans of Lisa Kleypas and Eloisa James would do well to heed Julia Quinn’s admonitions and “prepare to fall in love!”

Review: A Lady by Midnight by Tessa Dare

I couldn’t resist picking up A Lady by Midnight after I absolutely adored and devoured A Week to Be Wicked. In some of the alternating chapters of A Week to Be Wicked, Dare develops Spindle Cove music teacher Kate Taylor and her relationship (or lack thereof) with Corporal Thorne of the Spindle Cove militia. So obviously, I was really eager to pick up this book.

A Lady by Midnight was a super-fast read. It’s a lot different from A Week To Be Wicked, because the characters are both from very, very humble backgrounds and have had to make it in the world with only their wits and a lot of luck.

Kate Taylor has spent her life trying to find out the circumstances of her parentage. Kate was left at a girls’ boarding school when she was about four years old, and was  a ward of the school until very recently, when she moved to Spindle Cove to teach music. She has no real recollection of her family, except for someone telling her to “Be brave, my Katie.” So at the beginning of the book, we see her trying to get more information from her old headmistress, and being humiliated and thrown out because the old lady thinks Kate isn’t ashamed enough of her circumstances, or of the heart-shaped port-wine stain on her head.

Meanwhile, Corporal Thorne seems to know something of Kate’s upbringing, but he’s not sharing. He’s deeply attracted to Kate, and also very protective. When the Gramercy family comes into Spindle Cove claiming that Kate could be related to them, he’s very suspicious and convinces her to accept his proposal so that he can protect her. But their attraction is hard to ignore.

I liked, but didn’t love this romance because as strong as Kate is, Thorne is very much in the mold of the silent, brooding, mysterious bad boy. Frankly, I’m not into those. I was frustrated by his reticence, even though it came from a very understandable place. So much of his story was essentially Kate saving him (and him saving her), and again…the Woman Who Changes A Man’s Essential Nature is another trope that I find unbelievable. I did enjoy the Gramercys and their fun family banter, and Spindle Cove was a delight as always, but wow, did this one not quite land after A Week to Be Wicked.

That said, I think Tessa Dare’s writing is as wonderful as ever. The story just wasn’t as well-wrought as the one in A Week to Be Wicked, and that’s probably where it suffered for me. Still very enjoyable, and if you’re into dark, brooding men, this will probably totally be your book.

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Are you into the romance genre? Have you read any of these? What books are you looking forward to reading this summer in the romance department? 

Recently in Romance is Mostly YA Lit’s mini-review feature for all of you who like the X-rated books! 

The post The Friend Zone, Superfan, The Unhoneymooners & More! | Recently in Romance appeared first on Mostly YA Lit.

Goodreads
Author: Sandhya Menon
Find the author: Website, Blog, Goodreads, Instagram, Pinterest
Also by this author: When Dimple Met Rishi, From Twinkle, with Love
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Publication date: May 14, 2019
Source: ARC from Simon & Schuster Canada (thank you!)
My rating:
Buy It: Indigo.ca | Amazon.com | The Book Depository | iBooks | Google Books | Audible

“Adorable, joyous.” —BuzzFeed

“I’m head-over-heels for this charming, funny, romantic, life-affirming book.” —Becky Albertalli, New York Times bestselling author of Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda and Leah on the Offbeat

The irresistible companion novel to the New York Times bestseller When Dimple Met Rishi, which follows Rishi’s brother, Ashish, and a confident, self-proclaimed fat athlete named Sweetie as they both discover what love means to them.

Ashish Patel didn’t know love could be so…sucky. After being dumped by his ex-girlfriend, his mojo goes AWOL. Even worse, his parents are annoyingly, smugly confident they could find him a better match. So, in a moment of weakness, Ash challenges them to set him up.

The Patels insist that Ashish date an Indian-American girl—under contract. Per subclause 1(a), he’ll be taking his date on “fun” excursions like visiting the Hindu temple and his eccentric Gita Auntie. Kill him now. How is this ever going to work?

Sweetie Nair is many things: a formidable track athlete who can outrun most people in California, a loyal friend, a shower-singing champion. Oh, and she’s also fat. To Sweetie’s traditional parents, this last detail is the kiss of death.

Sweetie loves her parents, but she’s so tired of being told she’s lacking because she’s fat. She decides it’s time to kick off the Sassy Sweetie Project, where she’ll show the world (and herself) what she’s really made of.

Ashish and Sweetie both have something to prove. But with each date they realize there’s an unexpected magic growing between them. Can they find their true selves without losing each other?

REVIEW: There’s Something About Sweetie by Sandhya Menon

A really cute diverse love story with a great message. Sweetie Nair is a fat, high school track star who is a fierce feminist. She’s also a dutiful daughter and super into her Indian culture. Sweetie spends most of her time dealing with her mother’s issues with how she should lose weight, but her confidence shines through the years of fat-shaming.

Ashish Patel is dealing with heartbreak. After being dumped by his on-and-off college girlfriend Celia, he’s got no mojo left. He’s worried he’ll never gain back his confidence with basketball, girls, or, well, anything. On the advice of a friend, Ashish dares his parents to arrange a girlfriend for him – after all, it worked for his brother Rishi and his girlfriend Dimple, right? But Sweetie’s mom says no because she feels that Sweetie’s fatness isn’t up to Ashish’s handsome, thin level (even though the Patels don’t care).

Sweetie decides to take matters into her own hands and invites Ashish out. The catch? In order to date, the Patels insist that they have to dictate the terms of the first four dates that Ashish and Sweetie have together. And some of the dates include, like, a temple visit! Ashish is horrified, but Sweetie goes along with it. And what starts as a sort of arrangement becomes a secret relationship where they both learn and grow together.

Sandhya Menon is one of the only authors out there who can make me believe in an insta-love story, and this one is no different. I did think this one was maybe a bit too fast for my liking – the attraction is immediate, sure, but so is the crazy amount of interest on both of their parts. But Sweetie and Ashish are SO cute together, and their wonder and awe at their first love is so intoxicating that it’s hard not to root for them. The body positive message and the way this book portrays filial piety is also super great. Ashish and Sweetie also both have awesome, realistic squads of friends, and that was really fun to read, too.

The Final Word:

There’s Something About Sweetie is the ultimate in feel-good, fluffy books (it might have been a touch TOO fluffy for me). A perfect summer beach read, and a good read for younger teens and people who don’t mind insta-love.

Goodreads
Author: Mason Deaver
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Publication date: May 14, 2019
Source: ARC gifted by Chapters Indigo (thank you!)
My rating:
Buy It: Indigo.ca | Amazon.com | The Book Depository | iBooks | Google Books | Audible

"Heartfelt, romantic, and quietly groundbreaking. This book will save lives." -- Becky Albertalli, New York Times bestselling author of Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda

It's just three words: I am nonbinary. But that's all it takes to change everything.

When Ben De Backer comes out to their parents as nonbinary, they're thrown out of their house and forced to move in with their estranged older sister, Hannah, and her husband, Thomas, whom Ben has never even met. Struggling with an anxiety disorder compounded by their parents' rejection, they come out only to Hannah, Thomas, and their therapist and try to keep a low profile in a new school.

But Ben's attempts to survive the last half of senior year unnoticed are thwarted when Nathan Allan, a funny and charismatic student, decides to take Ben under his wing. As Ben and Nathan's friendship grows, their feelings for each other begin to change, and what started as a disastrous turn of events looks like it might just be a chance to start a happier new life.

At turns heartbreaking and joyous, I Wish You All the Best is both a celebration of life, friendship, and love, and a shining example of hope in the face of adversity.

Review: I Wish You All the Best by Mason Deaver

I’m sure I’m in the minority for this rating, but frankly, I Wish You All the Best by Mason Deaver just wasn’t that compelling a read for me. Yes, it’s one of the first books about a non-binary character written by a non-binary author. The rep is good. Ben’s coming out and subsequent fall-out feel realistic and, at turns, heart-wrenching.

But here’s the thing: Ben is probably the most normal, boring character you could ever imagine. Like, they’re just THERE. They go through the motions of everything at school, at therapy, with their friends and family. And it just never felt very interesting to me. It’s almost as if the author was trying to show that a non-binary kid is just like any other boring teenager, and to me, that’s, well, kind of boring. The saving grace of this book was Nathan, Ben’s newest friend at school, who livens up each moment he’s in.

I think the issue is that a coming-out story, to me, is not enough to make a compelling book. It’s interesting as PART of a story, but it’s not enough to make a book really sing. The fact that Ben is non-binary is interesting, but to me, it shouldn’t be the most important or defining thing about the character. There needs to be more of a trajectory for the story to move. Best example of this is Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda, where, yes, the main character’s gayness was a huge part of the story, but it wasn’t what drove the action or the plot. In I Wish You All the Best, all of the action is driven by Ben’s decision on whether or whether not to come out. Because of that, the story felt like it was just going through the motions from beat to beat.

The Final Word:

Do I think it’s important that I Wish You All the Best exists? Yes. Do I think that teens will learn more about being queer from it, and how misgendering and pronoun use matters? Absolutely. But do I feel like I cared about the characters? Not really. In the end, this is a book about a kid who is struggling, who continues to work and struggle and represent themselves, who is lucky to have a sister and friends who take care of them, and who gets a little happier in the end. It’s an okay book. But I hope that it’s just the beginning of books about non-binary characters written by non-binary authors.

Goodreads
Author: Sarah Van Name
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Publication date: May 7, 2019
Source: Netgalley
Format: eARC from publisher (thank you!)
My rating:
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Sarah Dessen meets Morgan Matson in the perfect summer debut about learning to say goodbye—or finding a reason to stay.

Caroline is counting the days until September, when she'll turn seventeen and she and her older boyfriend, Jake, will run away together. She doesn't feel connected to anyone at home now that she has him, and she can't wait to see the world with the most important person in her life. So with just a few more months until freedom, she spends her summer working at the local aquarium gift shop and dreaming of the fall.

Then she meets Georgia, a counselor at the aquarium's camp, and Caroline's world changes. Through pizza lunches, trips to amusement parks, and midnight talks, Georgia begins to show Caroline there's more to life than being with Jake.

The stronger Georgia and Caroline's bond grows, the more uneasy Caroline becomes about her plans to leave. When summer comes to a close, she'll have to say goodbye to someone...but who is she willing to lose?

Review: The Goodbye Summer by Sarah Van Name

The Goodbye Summer is book about a toxic relationship, a great friendship, and the bitter sweetness of summer.

This is one of those books that gets that fleeting freedom and heavy weight of summer equally right. The atmosphere of the book alternates between the weight of sixteen year old Caroline’s decision to run away with her older boyfriend Jake at the end of the summer (without finishing high school), leaving her slightly oppressive parents behind; and the lightness of Caroline finding her first best friend Georgia – a soulmate who makes life at her aquarium gift shop job easier. The best part of this book is how smoothly it transitions between those two worlds. Caroline is swept away by how sexy and happy Jake makes her feel at first. And then the pivot to how honest and real her friendship with Georgia becomes is also very real.

The problem with this book, for me, was that it was not a fun summer read. I think I was expecting something lighter given the cover of the book. It was really hard for me to watch this toxic relationship develop and continue. So much of Caroline got swallowed by Jake and his manipulative nature. I think it’s important for books to show how easily a man can take advantage of a young girl. But I also think that the book let Jake off the hook too easily.

[View post to see spoiler]

Did I think The Goodbye Summer was well-written? Yes. The writing was lyrical and gorgeous occasionally.  That’s what saved the book for me. The characters were decent, but I didn’t fall in love with them.

The Final Word:

The Goodbye Summer is a decent summer library book if you’re looking for something a bit weighty. It’s not going to set the world on fire, but if you’re interested in darker, older YA that deals with toxic relationships, this might be for you.

There’s Something About Sweetie, I Wish You All the Best, and The Goodbye Summer are out in bookstores now. Have you read any of them? What are your favorite diverse reads? Fluffy reads? Hard-to-read-but-glad-you-read-them books? Hit the comments and let me know your thoughts. 

The post There’s Something About Sweetie, I Wish You All the Best & The Goodbye Summer | Quick Thoughts on New Releases appeared first on Mostly YA Lit.

Goodreads
Author: Casey McQuiston
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Publication date: May 14, 2019
Source: ARC gifted by Chapters Indigo (thank you!), Netgalley
My rating:
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A PopSugar Must-Read Book of 2019!What happens when America's First Son falls in love with the Prince of Wales?

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

Heads of family, state, and other handlers devise a plan for damage control: staging a truce between the two rivals. What at first begins as a fake, Instragramable friendship grows deeper, and more dangerous, than either Alex or Henry could have imagined. Soon Alex finds himself hurtling into a secret romance with a surprisingly unstuffy Henry that could derail the campaign and upend two nations and begs the question: Can love save the world after all? Where do we find the courage, and the power, to be the people we are meant to be? And how can we learn to let our true colors shine through? Casey McQuiston's Red, White & Royal Blue proves: true love isn't always diplomatic. "I took this with me wherever I went and stole every second I had to read! Absorbing, hilarious, tender, sexy—this book had everything I crave. I’m jealous of all the readers out there who still get to experience Red, White & Royal Blue for the first time!" - Christina Lauren, New York Times bestselling author of Love and Other Words and Roomies

"Red, White & Royal Blue is outrageously fun. It is romantic, sexy, witty, and thrilling. I loved every second." - Taylor Jenkins Reid, New York Times bestselling author of Daisy Jones & The Six

Review: Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

Red, White & Royal Blue is the year’s best romance, an intoxicating and beautifully written tale about love between the First Son and the Prince of Wales, finding and accepting your sexuality, and the politics of doing the right thing. It’s an absolute triumph of writing, angst, shippy-ness, and inspiration.

Alex Claremont-Diaz is the son of US President Ellen Claremont, a biracial, wise-ass of a guy who has grand political ambitions of his own and the smarts and leadership to make it happen. He’s just finishing university at Georgetown as his mother is gearing up for a re-election campaign for a second term. Oh yeah, and he’s also handsome and charming. Alex has it going on

The only thing that irks him? Smug Prince Henry of England, second grandson to the Queen. Alex can’t stand the idea of him and the whole monarchy. And Alex knows the feeling is mutual.

This mutual dislike isn’t an issue until the Claremonts end up at the royal wedding of Henry’s brother, and Alex and Henry end up arguing and causing the destruction of an enormous wedding cake. To make amends, both Alex and Henry agree to play up their friendship with some photo ops together. And Alex quickly discovers that there’s a lot more to Henry than just what he’s read in the media. The real Henry is thoughtful, funny, caring, and deeply broken. Oh, and he’s also gay and very, very  interested in Alex.

But…Alex thought he was straight. And he thought he wanted to be buried in work and to become a politician immediately. As Alex and Henry try to figure each other out, they also start to question who and what they want – and how much they’re willing to put on the line to get it.

Red, White & Royal Blue is my favourite book of this year. I’ve already read it twice, and it’s only May. But let me tell you that ALL THE HYPE IS TRUE. This book effervesces with the buoyancy of first love, pulsates with the energy of a rally, and soars on its author’s understanding of politics, media, and how it feels to be queer in America. Every word that Casey McQuiston writes is this book is thoughtfully wrought, and the result is that Red, White & Royal Blue just makes you FEEL. You can feel how much McQuiston cares about each and every character, and how much she put into making this book work.

This book is basically the gay version The Royal We mashed up with what we hoped the 2016 US election could have been.

I couldn’t write a proper review of this book, so here is a list for you:

Ten Reasons Red, White and Royal Blue Should Be Your Next Read:

1. The glorious, multi-faceted characters. From Alex and Henry and their personal journeys to become who they want to be and love each other, to June, Alex’s sister who wants to be more than a political daughter, to Nora, their best friend who is queer and brilliant at statistics, to Pez, Henry’s wild philanthropist best friend, to Bea, Henry’s younger sister who understands him better than anyone and is a recovering addict…my God, these people live and breathe and are so real. And we haven’t even gotten to the formidable adults. These are people who really make things happen.
2. The incredible bisexual and gay rep. I’m not bi, but I feel like I really understood, for the first time, what it means to be bi after reading Alex’s thoughts and his struggle to reconcile his identity. Equally, there are a few moments in this books where I really understood how much it can hurt someone to be closeted, unable to show their true identity to the world.
3. The portrayal of grief. This part of Red, White & Royal Blue was just stunning and heartwrenching. Henry lost his father when he was young and the effect on him is explored so gently, embedded so well into his character, that I cried.
4. The emails and texts between Alex and Henry. Oh. My. God. These letters will make you burst into flame, they’re so hopeful and idealistic and sexy. And there are quotes. Hamilton quotes. Vita Sackville-West quotes. Citations from people in history. McQuiston was basically serving gravy to my English lit major heart.
5. The Mexican rep. I say “rep”, but it’s really just there, in Alex and June, and it’s so much a part of their identity. You see it in the way Alex connects with his mentor, Senator Rafael Luna, and in the way that he and June interact with their father…I just loved how it’s both a non-issue, and at the same time, it’s ever present whenever Alex thinks about the fact that he’s the first ever half-Mexican First Son.
6. All the sexy parts. Red, White & Royal Blue is not as graphic as some new adult romance, but people, this is definitely new adult. The scenes between Alex and Henry are really hot but also really poignant and tasteful.
7. The inside baseball locations. The White House and the various palaces that Henry inhabits in are places people only dream of living. I loved getting a little in through McQuiston’s lush descriptions.
8. The political savvy. If you are a West Wing fan, this book is for you. So much policy and even a few scandals!
9. The idealism. This is a book where people are trying to change the world, and the last third of it had me alternately crying my face off and inspired to do the work and take on evil in the world. It’s so powerful.
10. Alex and Henry. I mean, it’s the center of the book, so if you don’t love their romance, you won’t love the book, but these two just banter so damn well together that you want to squeeze the stuffing out of them. They are the reason the term “cinnamon rolls” was coined.

The Final Word

Have I fangirled enough for you? Red, White & Royal Blue is just everything. It made my weeks and days brighter while reading, it made me stay up too late, it made me laugh and snicker, it made me ache and cry. I feel like it has a little something for everyone. It’s way more than just a fluffy new adult male/male romance. It’s a book that is trying to open minds and hearts in the most honest way possible. Buy it now, give it to friends, get a Claremont 2020 t-shirt (proceeds go to The Trevor Project for LGBTQ teens!), and for God’s sake, please fangirl with me in the comments!

—–

RED, WHITE, AND ROYAL BLUE by Casey McQuiston is out in bookstores now! Have I convinced you to read it immediately? Are you into royal romances like I am? Or political books? If you’ve read it already, what was your favourite part? Let me know in the comments!

The post A Must Read! Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston | 5-Star Review appeared first on Mostly YA Lit.

Goodreads
Author: Helen Hoang
Publisher: Penguin
Publication date: May 7, 2019
Format: ARC
My rating:
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From the critically acclaimed author of The Kiss Quotient comes a romantic novel about love that crosses international borders and all boundaries of the heart...

Khai Diep has no feelings. Well, he feels irritation when people move his things or contentment when ledgers balance down to the penny, but not big, important emotions—like grief. And love. He thinks he's defective. His family knows better—that his autism means he just processes emotions differently. When he steadfastly avoids relationships, his mother takes matters into her own hands and returns to Vietnam to find him the perfect bride.

As a mixed-race girl living in the slums of Ho Chi Minh City, Esme Tran has always felt out of place. When the opportunity arises to come to America and meet a potential husband, she can't turn it down, thinking this could be the break her family needs. Seducing Khai, however, doesn't go as planned. Esme's lessons in love seem to be working...but only on herself. She's hopelessly smitten with a man who's convinced he can never return her affection.

With Esme's time in the United States dwindling, Khai is forced to understand he's been wrong all along. And there's more than one way to love.

Review: The Bride Test by Helen Hoang

Unputdownable like her first novel The Kiss Quotient, Helen Hoang is doing some of the best, most diverse, intersectional work in romance that I’ve seen. The Bride Test features Khai Diep, the autistic cousin of Michael from The Kiss Quotient. Ever since he was young, Khai has known that his feelings work differently from others. He’s stone hearted, emotionless, and doesn’t feel like he can love. This is exacerbated by the fact that his best friend died when he was a kid and he didn’t have an external reaction like people normally do. People wondered why he was so cold, and he’s convinced himself that he doesn’t know how to love because of it. As a result, he’s never had any female companionship in his life….until now.

Khai’s mother is worried about him, so she devises a plan: go to Vietnam, find a girl who will suit Khai, and bring her back to live with Khai. She meets My, a janitor/cleaner in the hotel where she’s interviewing potential wives. She can’t find one suitable, but she quickly comes to like My’s spunk. My, for her part, is a mixed (American-Vietnamese) girl who has never known her father. She has a baby daughter, a mom, and a grandmother that she takes care of with her very small salary – and the potential of making a better life for them in America has her agreeing to try with Khai.

While the arrangement seems totally outdated and wacky to Khai, he can’t say no to his mother, so he agrees to meet My, to live with her for a few months and to treat her like a fiancée. If he doesn’t fall in love, My goes home and no harm is done. But if he does, his mother expects a wedding.

What follows is a love story that is uplifting and hopeful. Khai and My’s first impressions are promising, but there’s a lot to overcome. Cultural barriers, class and poverty issues, and Khai’s autism are all challenges, but My (or Esme, as she’s renamed herself) is up to the challenge, fueled by her desire for more for her daughter and her gut feeling that Khai is good and safe.

Esme believes that she’s in a lower class than Khai, with his great education. Khai doesn’t really get a lot of Esme’s interests in food or taking care of his house, and he’s used to living alone with a routine. But Esme is such a strong, fierce character, someone who keeps getting up after every failure. She tackles learning English, being a newcomer, working in Khai’s mother’s restaurant, and taking care of Khai and his house with so much bravery and grace. It’s not hard to see why Khai takes to her, and why he’s willing to try to let her into his world.

For his part, Khai is in deep almost before he even realizes it. Not only is he deeply attracted to Esme, but her consideration for him has him opening up more than he ever has. Even through their initial physical issues (Khai has problems with soft touch, and his lack of experience and misunderstanding of social cues make for some awkward encounters), the two of them have so much respect for each other that it actually makes for a very honest love story.

This is a book that is about so much more than just the romance. It’s less sexy than The Kiss Quotient, and for good reason. While it is a romance, The Bride Test is really about Esme’s struggle to find her way in America, to work through culture shock and immigration issues, to make a better life for herself and her family. Even though Khai and Esme get equal weight in the story, with alternating POVs, I was so struck by Esme’s journey that Khai’s story almost seemed secondary. And it was right for this story.

The Final Word:

If I’m being honest, I loved the sexiness of The Kiss Quotient, and the concept of that book more than I did The Bride Test. But I also recognize that these are two different books with different goals. The Bride Test is a book about rising above your station, doing the work, and making the hard choices for love and family. It’s an extraordinary narrative of courage that is diverse and intersectional and fearless. Highly enjoyable and recommended for people who like tamer romances about characters overcoming adversity.

Goodreads
Author: Sarina Bowen, Elle Kennedy
Also by this author: , The Fifteenth Minute, The Year We Fell Down, The Year We Hid Away, Blonde Date, The Understatement of the Year, The Shameless Hour, The Fifteenth Minute, Rookie Move, Hard Hitter, Bittersweet, Steadfast, Keepsake (True North, #3), Him, Us, Untitled, Hard Hitter, Good Boy, Keepsake (True North, #3), Goodbye Paradise, Pipe Dreams, Stay (WAGs, #2), Pipe Dreams, Temporary, Man Hands (Man Hands, #1), Man Card, Brooklynaire (Brooklyn Bruisers #4), Speakeasy, The Accidentals, Overnight Sensation, Superfan (Brooklyn, #3), The Deal, The Deal
Publication date: May 7, 2019
Source: Author's publicist (thank you!)
Format: eARC
My rating:
Buy It: Indigo.ca | Amazon.com | iBooks

Bestselling authors Sarina Bowen & Elle Kennedy return with their first Male / Male romance in 3 years.

LobsterShorts, 21

Jock. Secretly a science geek. Hot AF.

LobsterShorts: So. Here goes. For her birthday, my girlfriend wants…a threesome.

SinnerThree: Then you’ve come to the right hookup app.

LobsterShorts: Have you done this sort of thing before? With another guy?

SinnerThree: All the time. I’m an equal opportunity player. You?

LobsterShorts: [crickets!]

 

SinnerThree, 21

Finance major. Secretly a male dancer. Hot AF. 

SinnerThree: Well, I’m down if you are. My life is kind of a mess right now. School, work, family stress. Oh, and I live next door to the most annoying dude in the world. I need the distraction. Are you sure you want this?

LobsterShorts: I might want it a little more than I’m willing to admit.

SinnerThree: Hey, nothing wrong with pushing your boundaries...

LobsterShorts: Tell that to my control-freak father. Anyway. What if this threesome is awkward?

SinnerThree: Then it’s awkward. It’s not like we’ll ever have to see each other again. Right? Just promise you won’t fall in love with me.

LobsterShorts: Now wouldn’t that be life-changing...

Q&A about Top Secret:

Q: Have we met these characters before in another book?

A: No! These guys are brand new, and we can’t wait for you to meet them.

Q: Is this story MM? Or is it a MMF / MFM / menage?

A: This book is MM.

Q: Is this a love triangle story?

A: Not really. You’ll see.

Review: Top Secret by Sarina Bowen & Elle Kennedy

Top Secret by Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy kept me up way too late for two nights. The first male/male romance in several years for these two authors, this book did not disappoint with feels, sexytimes, and fulsome characters with a lot of backstory. Trust me when I say that if you like m/m, you will love this story.

Keaton Hayworth III (yes, for real) is a frat boy with a lot to live up to. He’s the legacy of two presidents of his fraternity, Alpha Delt, and the son of a large pharmaceutical company owner. He’s also the longtime boyfriend of a girl who wants – surprise!- a threesome for her upcoming birthday. Keaton is up for anything so he places an ad on Kink, a Tinder-like website for hookups, and meets “SinnerThree”, a guy who has done quite a few threesomes and isn’t afraid to help.

Little does Keaton know that his nemesis, Luke Bailey, also an Alpha Delt member and also running for president, is the one who ends up answering his ad. Luke is no stranger to hookups – he’s a townie from a broken home, so he doesn’t like strings. He’s bi and interested, and what starts as assisting “Lobstershorts” with trying to figure out what he wants from a threesome ends up with them spilling more of their souls to each other than they thought.

Along the way, Keaton and Luke will have to deal with Keaton’s legacy, Luke’s financial troubles in trying to balance work, school and money, and a whole wack of other things.

This sounds like a downer of a story, but it’s not. It just feels honest to two university dudes who are trying to deal with their own issues. I loved how naturally their backstories unfolded – both with each other on the app, and in real life. Both Luke and Keaton are dealing with enormous pressure, and frankly, they kinda hate each other at first. It’s unsurprising, because Keaton is pretty privileged, even if he is a nice guy, and it’s hard for Luke, who comes from very little, to see past that. Luke has had to battle for a lot in life, so he’s got a mouth and a real chip on his shoulder. Nevertheless, sparks fly when they talk, and it feels true to a bunch of horny guys exploring their sexuality.

Honestly, I don’t have much to say other than that. Top Secret is an addictive new adult read with just enough angst and sexiness that ratchets up with each chapter. I loved how far the characters needed to travel to even meet halfway, and how much they grew from their relationship. The secondary characters were interesting and necessary. Top Secret needs to be experienced with the least amount of knowledge going in – it’s tight and fun and emotional and I really liked it. Highly recommended if you like Sarina and Elle’s other work, or if you like any m/m.

Goodreads
Author: Sonali Dev
Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication date: May 7, 2019
Source: Edelweiss
Format: eARC from publisher (thank you!)
My rating:
Buy It: Indigo.ca | Amazon.com | The Book Depository | iBooks

Award-winning author Sonali Dev launches a new series about the Rajes, an immigrant Indian family descended from royalty, who have built their lives in San Francisco...

It is a truth universally acknowledged that only in an overachieving Indian American family can a genius daughter be considered a black sheep.

Dr. Trisha Raje is San Francisco’s most acclaimed neurosurgeon. But that’s not enough for the Rajes, her influential immigrant family who’s achieved power by making its own non-negotiable rules:

·       Never trust an outsider

·       Never do anything to jeopardize your brother’s political aspirations

·       And never, ever, defy your family

Trisha is guilty of breaking all three rules. But now she has a chance to redeem herself. So long as she doesn’t repeat old mistakes.

Up-and-coming chef DJ Caine has known people like Trisha before, people who judge him by his rough beginnings and place pedigree above character. He needs the lucrative job the Rajes offer, but he values his pride too much to indulge Trisha’s arrogance. And then he discovers that she’s the only surgeon who can save his sister’s life.

As the two clash, their assumptions crumble like the spun sugar on one of DJ’s stunning desserts. But before a future can be savored there’s a past to be reckoned with...

A family trying to build home in a new land.

A man who has never felt at home anywhere.

And a choice to be made between the two.

 

Review: Pride, Prejudice & Other Flavors by Sonali Dev

Pride, Prejudice and Other Flavors started off quite slow for me, but then quickly had me eating out of its Austen-obsessed hand. It’s a gender-flipped version of Pride & Prejudice, with Dr Trisha Raje from the celebrated, rich family whose pride gets the better of her, and DJ Caine as the poor British chef who can’t see past his own prejudice against the Rajes.

Both the main characters have a bit of Elizabeth and Darcy in them. Trisha is a genius neurosurgeon who is doing breakthrough research that could save DJ’s sister’s life. However, it’s very clear right from the get-go that she’s basically a social disaster – she’s focused so much of her life on her career that she’s awkward and can’t deal with social situations, she rarely eats, and she tends to come off pretty brash. She’s also been ostracised from her large Indian family because of a past misjudgment with, yes, a Wickham. Now, on the cusp of her brother Yash becoming governor of California, she’s back in her family’s life…and as a result, in DJ’s as well.

DJ only has one sister, Emma, who is a talented artist who has a brain tumour that is all but inoperable. Of course, Trisha is the one who is treating her, and she has a solution, but it’s one that is dealing a blow to him and Emma, so he’s already a bit prejudiced against Trisha. At the same time, he needs to ingratiate himself to the Raje family because, as a private chef, he needs their business. Luckily, DJ is an absolutely phenomenal chef, and a genuinely nice person. He will do anything and everything for his sister, including leave his position in Paris at a Michelin-starred restaurant so that he can be there for Emma.

The initial meeting between DJ and Trisha is as much of a disaster as you can expect, and honestly, I couldn’t see how these two would ever get to the point of romance. But you know what? I felt the same way the first time I ever read the original P&P as well, and Sonali Dev did an amazing job bringing us there.

What I loved about this book is that it didn’t shy away from class politics or the very real issue of DJ being a black man in America and Trisha’s own ignorance of her own privilege. Those were definitely huge issues that Dev had to bridge, and she did it deftly and sensitively without losing the thread of the characters or their motivations. There are layers and multitudes to both Trisha’s and DJ’s histories, from Trisha’s Indian royal family coming to America and working their way up to become an influential political family, to DJ’s own upbringing as a poor kid in London who got in with the wrong crowd for a short time. These are fully fleshed out, complicated characters.

I also loved how amazingly Dev described the work that Trisha did, and the food that DJ cooked. Both characters are obsessed with their work, but in a good way. This was a true marriage of, as Robert Frost says, “avocation with vocation”, and I was so here for it. The food descriptions were SO scrumptious.

While I definitely got a slow start on Pride, Prejudice and Other Flavors, it quickly drew me in. There’s just so much in it, and Dev handles all the storylines deftly, from Trisha and DJ’s attraction, to Trisha’s sister’s issues with her husband, to the cultural nuances, filial piety and professional duty. It took a lot to bring all of the characters to natural conclusions, but it worked. And the more I think about Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors, the more I liked it. This is definitely a book that makes you work for it’s conclusions, but it earns them. Recommended for people who like full family dramas and a lot of angst.

Goodreads
Author: Beth O'Leary
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Publication date: May 28, 2019
Source: Raincoast Books
Format: eARC from publisher (thank you!)
My rating:
Buy It: Indigo.ca | Amazon.com | The Book Depository | iBooks

What if your roommate is your soul mate? A joyful, quirky romantic comedy, Beth O'Leary's The Flatshare is a feel-good novel about finding love in the most unexpected of ways.

Tiffy and Leon share an apartment. Tiffy and Leon have never met.

After a bad breakup, Tiffy Moore needs a place to live. Fast. And cheap. But the apartments in her budget have her wondering if astonishingly colored mold on the walls counts as art.

Desperation makes her open minded, so she answers an ad for a flatshare. Leon, a night shift worker, will take the apartment during the day, and Tiffy can have it nights and weekends. He’ll only ever be there when she’s at the office. In fact, they’ll never even have to meet.

Tiffy and Leon start writing each other notes – first about what day is garbage day, and politely establishing what leftovers are up for grabs, and the evergreen question of whether the toilet seat should stay up or down. Even though they are opposites, they soon become friends. And then maybe more.

But falling in love with your roommate is probably a terrible idea...especially if you've never met.

Review: The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary

The Flatshare had an addictive concept and an equally addictive way of drawing you into the lives of its protagonists.

Tiffy Moore is a crafty, eclectic assistant book editor for DIY books who is coming off a really bad relationship. She’s been staying in a flat that her ex owns, but after he comes in and surprises her with the woman he left her for, Tiffy knows she has to get out. Cash-strapped and desperate, she answers an ad for a flat share – literally a bed share. The deal? She will get the flat from 6pm to 9am on weekdays and weekends, and her “flatmate” will get the place during the day. This includes sharing a bed since there’s only space for one. Even though this seems incredibly intimate, Tiffy decides to go for it since the place is so centrally located and cheap.

Her flatmate, Leon Twomey, is a palliative care nurse who works evenings and spends his weekends with his girlfriend. He’s also desperate for extra cash to help pay for lawyer fees for his brother, who’s in prison. His girlfriend Kay is initially miffed about the flatmate situation but agrees to it as long as she gets to meet and assess Tiffy, and they are never in the place at the same time.

This all works out dandily at first – Tiffy and Leon end up getting to know each other through Post-It notes left throughout the house and shared leftovers. It’s cute and sweet, and as a reader, you can’t help but be pulled into their quirky lives. Tiffy has amazingly supportive friends (Mo the counselor and Gerty the lawyer are both super memorable) and a job that encourages her to be a bit wacky. Meanwhile Leon is just the sort of stalwart support that his youngest and oldest patients need, and he ends up helping them even outside of work. They’re opposites, but you can really tell how the two of them complement each other.

The Flatshare also deals greatly with the issue of gaslighting and emotional abuse. I won’t go into details on this as I think it unfolds really well in the story – it’s a great firsthand look at how strong women can be weakened by manipulative jerks. I really appreciated this part of the book.

It’s not all sadness, though. There are a lot of zany moments in this book, between the random things that Leon and Tiffy say to each other, and the weirdness of Tiffy’s work with a crochet expert. I enjoyed this one, it’s a super fast read, but ultimately it didn’t completely wow me with the writing. I think I needed a little bit more from Leon in the end.

Recommended for people who loved Christina Lauren’s Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating – I feel like the characters are really similar.

Goodreads
Author: Lucy Parker
Find the author: Website, Amazon
Also by this author: Act Like It, Act Like It, Pretty Face
Publisher: Carina Press
Publication date: April 22, 2019
Source: Netgalley
Format: eARC from publisher (thank you!)
My rating:
Buy It: Indigo.ca | Amazon.com | The Book Depository | iBooks

“The London Celebrities series—some of the wittiest, smartest dialogue to come down the romance pike in years.”—Kirkus Reviews

In which experienced West End actress Freddy Carlton takes on an Austen-inspired play, a scandal at a country estate, an enthusiastic search for a passion outside of acting…and the (some people might say icy*) heart of London’s most feared theater critic.

*if those people were being nice

Freddy Carlton knows she should be focusing on her lines for The Austen Playbook, a live-action TV event where viewers choose the outcome of each scene, but her concentration’s been blown. The palatial estate housing the endeavor is now run by the rude (brilliant) critic who’s consistently slammed her performances of late. James “Griff” Ford-Griffin has a penchant for sarcasm, a majestic nose and all the sensitivity of a sledgehammer.

She can’t take her eyes off him.

Griff can hardly focus with a contagious joy fairy flitting about near him, especially when Freddy looks at him like that. His only concern right now should be on shutting down his younger brother’s well-intentioned (disastrous) schemes—or at the very least on the production (not this one) that might save his family home from the banks.

Instead all he can think of is soft skin and vibrant curls.

As he’s reluctantly dragged into her quest to rediscover her passion for the stage and Freddy is drawn into his research on a legendary theater star, the adage about appearances being deceiving proves abundantly true. It’s the unlikely start of something enormous…but a single revelation about the past could derail it all.

Don’t miss the London Celebrities series by Lucy Parker! Order your copy of Act Like It, Pretty Face & Making Up today!

This book is approximately 99,000 words

One-click with confidence. This title is part of the Carina Press Romance Promise: all the romance you’re looking for with an HEA/HFN. It’s a promise!

Review: The Austen Playbook by Lucy Parker

I’ve been looking forward to The Austen Playbook, the fourth book in Lucy Parker’s London Celebrities series, for ages. This one features actress Frederica Carlton, who has done an admirable job in a lot of serious dramas and made a name for herself – but the lighthearted Freddy is tired of being in stuff that her dad deems worthy. She misses doing fun musicals and lighter comedic roles – but she feels she owes it to her legacy West End family to continue doing serious drama. This is exacerbated by the fact that Freddy’s grandmother has written one of the most celebrated serious dramas in England, and Freddy’s guilt that an accident that she was involved in caused her father’s acting career to end prematurely.

Meanwhile, J. Ford-Griffin or “Griff”, is a theatre critic whose family is spending way beyond their means. He’s trying to save the family estate, Highbrook, where Freddy’s grandmother famously wrote her celebrated play. To do so, Griff’s brother Charlie hatches a plan to have The Austen Playbook, an interactive play, put on and broadcast from Highbrook’s theatre. Of course, this brings Freddy into Griff’s home and they’re both surprised and delighted by their feelings towards each other.

Normally, I adore Lucy Parker’s romances and eat them up like candy. But The Austen Playbook left me baffled with its insta-love between Freddy and Griff. It felt like hate-to-love, but immediately transitioned into love, and it happened so fast I basically had whiplash. I even went back and reread the beginning to see if I saw the natural progression of when the characters’ feelings changed and…nope.

Because of that insta-love, I felt like I was off-balance and confused by a lot of the characters’ actions. The relationship was very quickly intense and seemed sort of lost in the drama between Freddy and her father, her sister’s relationship, Griff’s family income woes, the actual show being rehearsed, and oh yeah, there’s a scandal in there, too. Like, whoa. There was way, WAY too much going on in this book, and it left me feeling like there was lack of character development and just not invested in the characters. I feel like this needed a major edit, a lot less drama, and a lot more in the way of romance. I’m sad to say I was disappointed by this one. I will still be reading Lucy Parker’s next book, because I still like her writing, but MAN. I needed more from this one and it didn’t deliver.

—–

Guys. THE BRIDE TEST by Helen Hoang, PRIDE, PREJUDICE & OTHER FLAVORS by Sonali Dev, and TOP SECRET by Sarina Bowen & Elle Kennedy are out today! THE FLATSHARE by Beth O’Leary and THE AUSTEN PLAYBOOK by Lucy Parker are both out in bookstores now. Which ones are you dying to read? What have you read recently that’s amazing in the romance genre? Who are your favorite authors – give me recs! 

Recently in Romance is Mostly YA Lit’s mini-review feature for all of you who like the X-rated books! 

The post All The New Romance Reviews! The Bride Test // Top Secret // Pride, Prejudice & Other Flavors // The Flatshare // The Austen Playbook appeared first on Mostly YA Lit.

Goodreads
Author: Jenn Bennett
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Publication date: April 16, 2019
Source: ARC from Simon & Schuster Canada (thank you!)
My rating:
Buy It: Indigo.ca | Amazon.com | The Book Depository | iBooks

After an awkward first encounter, Birdie and Daniel are forced to work together in a Seattle hotel where a famous author leads a mysterious and secluded life in this romantic contemporary novel from the author of Alex, Approximately.

Mystery-book aficionado Birdie Lindberg has an overactive imagination. Raised in isolation and homeschooled by strict grandparents, she’s cultivated a whimsical fantasy life in which she plays the heroic detective and every stranger is a suspect. But her solitary world expands when she takes a job the summer before college, working the graveyard shift at a historic Seattle hotel.

In her new job, Birdie hopes to blossom from introverted dreamer to brave pioneer, and gregarious Daniel Aoki volunteers to be her guide. The hotel’s charismatic young van driver shares the same nocturnal shift and patronizes the waterfront Moonlight Diner where she waits for the early morning ferry after work. Daniel also shares her appetite for intrigue, and he’s stumbled upon a real-life mystery: a famous reclusive writer—never before seen in public—might be secretly meeting someone at the hotel.

To uncover the writer’s puzzling identity, Birdie must come out of her shell…discovering that most confounding mystery of all may be her growing feelings for the elusive riddle that is Daniel.

Review: Serious Moonlight by Jenn Bennett

Serious Moonlight was a very cute romance with a lot of hidden depths from the wonderful Jenn Bennett. This is my second Jenn Bennett book – the first was Alex, Approximately, which I absolutely loved. Compared to that book, this one was enjoyable, but a bit scattered.

Birdie Lindberg is a sheltered 17 year old who is obsessed with mysteries and who is dealing with a lot of complex feelings about her family. Her mother passed away ten years ago, she’s lived with her grandparents ever since, and they had a lot of rules – mainly her grandmother, who home-schooled her and basically forbade her to have friends, date, or really, see anyone other than her godmother, the flamboyant artist Mona.

Now, her grandmother has passed away as well, and Birdie has completed high school. She’s starting her first job at the Cascadia, a vintage boutique hotel in downtown Seattle, and is both excited and terrified to break free. This is all exacerbated by an encounter she had with a stranger at her favorite cafe, the Moonlight Diner. In her excitement over possibly getting a job, she opened up to a cute boy, and they ended up sleeping together in his car – and then Birdie ran away.

So imagine Birdie’s surprise when it turns out they’re working together at the Cascadia, and she has to face up to her possible feelings for Daniel. It’s especially important since Daniel has uncovered a mystery at the Cascadia – one that he’s invited Birdie to help him solve – and she can’t resist his charm or the lure of the case.

I enjoyed Serious Moonlight a lot. The writing was compelling, the setting of Seattle was captivating, and Jenn has a way of bringing in her vintage sensibilities to her characters without them seeming old. Between Birdie’s obsession with cozy mysteries, her flower in her hair to emulate Billie Holiday, her godmother’s costume-y style, and Daniel’s love of magic, there’s just a real feeling of an old curiosity shop in this book. I loved the style of the book, and the writing and dialogue really reflected this cute, old-timey vibe. Birdie lives in an old house on Bainbridge Island, which is a ferry ride across to Seattle, and that ferry also adds to the quaintness of the book. It’s all very twee and sweet and you think this is just going to be an adorable book, but both characters are hiding a lot.

What was missing in this book was a tighter throughline. There are individual pieces that really worked, like Birdie’s grief and complex feelings for her family, and her slow burn attraction to Daniel. Without a doubt, the best part of this book was the relationship between Daniel and Birdie, and the honest, sex-positive conversations they have. I also loved Birdie’s relationship with her godmother – it was very Gilmore Girls-ish, and I liked how much Mona was both a guardian and a friend to her.

Meanwhile, Daniel is sort of half manic pixie dream boy (he’s ALWAYS available), and half really complex character with his own issues of grief, loss, and finding himself. His family life is also really interesting. Taken as pieces, the book is good, but somehow, they weren’t quite tied together right. One thing didn’t seem to flow into another. I couldn’t tell whether I was reading a book about sex positivity, about mysteries, or about grief. I think Jenn Bennett was trying to pull off a misdirection with the layers of the actual mystery covering up the true issue – the characters trying to understand each other – but it never felt like it went far enough. The themes just seemed muddy.

I think the main issue with this book is that Birdie’s sexual escapades with Daniel in his car – happens off-camera. We don’t get to see it happen at all, and we can’t picture it of the shy, awkward Birdie. The book never really shows us how Birdie managed to bring herself to sleep with Daniel, and you don’t expect it of the respectful Daniel, who is all about consent and patiently waiting for Birdie. It’s completely out of character and we’re left questioning how it even happened. And it’s what’s holding Birdie back for at least half the book!

That said, it’s hard to say I didn’t enjoy Serious Moonlight. I did. I definitely fell for Birdie and Daniel, and even though I’m not super into mysteries, the characters were full of depth, and I appreciated that this was a YA contemporary with a really unique style. Is it my favorite Jenn Bennett? Nope, but that’s not to say it’s not worth reading. A library read for sure.

Goodreads
Author: Erin Hahn
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Publication date: April 2, 2019
Source: Netgalley
Format: eARC from publisher (thank you!)
My rating:
Buy It: Indigo.ca | The Book Depository | iBooks | Google Books

"If you’re still obsessing over A Star Is Born (because, same) you’ll love this new romance novel by Erin Hahn." - Cosmopolitan

Annie Mathers is America’s sweetheart and heir to a country music legacy full of all the things her Gran warned her about. Superstar Clay Coolidge is most definitely going to end up one of those things.

But unfortunately for Clay, if he can’t convince Annie to join his summer tour, his music label is going to drop him. That’s what happens when your bad boy image turns into bad boy reality. Annie has been avoiding the spotlight after her parents’ tragic death, except on her skyrocketing YouTube channel. Clay’s label wants to land Annie, and Clay has to make it happen.

Swayed by Clay’s undeniable charm and good looks, Annie and her band agree to join the tour. From the start fans want them to be more than just tour mates, and Annie and Clay can’t help but wonder if the fans are right. But if there’s one part of fame Annie wants nothing to do with, it’s a high-profile relationship. She had a front row seat to her parents’ volatile marriage and isn’t interested in repeating history. If only she could convince her heart that Clay, with his painful past and head over heels inducing tenor, isn’t worth the risk.

Erin Hahn’s thrilling debut, You’d Be Mine, asks: can the right song and the perfect summer on the road make two broken hearts whole?

"Witty and charming, with an off-the-charts, irresistible blend of romance, humor, and characters who steal your heart from page one. Erin Hahn is an author to watch." - Karen M. McManus, New York Times bestselling author of One of Us Is Lying

Review: You’d Be Mine by Erin Hahn

I wanted to like You’d Be Mine so much more than I did. It has a lot to like about it – compulsively readable prose, a group of characters that are both fun and take care of each other, and the perfect concept – a country music tour with a headliner who’s a cocky charmer and a opening band with country royalty who has real, raw talent. I really did like Clay and Annie together and I enjoyed the cute moments of this book, from their best friends getting together, to the camaraderie they create on tour.

I think the issue is that You’d Be Mine is YA that reads like a New Adult book – full of angst and dark emotion – but you never get the payoff of an NA with the romance. I wanted it to go a lot further than it did physically, and I also wanted the romance to feel as intense and passionate as the rest of the book does with its themes of abandonment, death, and grief. It just…never really rang as true with the romance as it did with the grief, and that’s where it failed. But for a quick, addictive read, it was enjoyable and full of country music call outs. A decent summer book for people looking for the intensity of new adult without the sexuality of it.

Goodreads
Author: Justin A. Reynolds
Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication date: March 5, 2019
Source: ARC from Harper Collins Canada (thank you!)
My rating:
Buy It: Indigo.ca | Amazon.com | The Book Depository | iBooks

“One of the best love stories I’ve ever read.” —Angie Thomas, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Hate U Give

“Read this one, reread it, and then hug it to your chest.”  —Becky Albertalli, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda

Debut author Justin A. Reynolds delivers a hilarious and heartfelt novel about the choices we make, the people we choose, and the moments that make a life worth reliving. Perfect for fans of Nicola Yoon and John Green.

When Jack and Kate meet at a party, bonding until sunrise over their mutual love of Froot Loops and their favorite flicks, Jack knows he’s falling—hard. Soon she’s meeting his best friends, Jillian and Franny, and Kate wins them over as easily as she did Jack.

But then Kate dies. And their story should end there.

Yet Kate’s death sends Jack back to the beginning, the moment they first meet, and Kate’s there again. Healthy, happy, and charming as ever. Jack isn’t sure if he’s losing his mind.

Still, if he has a chance to prevent Kate’s death, he’ll take it. Even if that means believing in time travel. However, Jack will learn that his actions are not without consequences. And when one choice turns deadly for someone else close to him, he has to figure out what he’s willing to do to save the people he loves.

Review: Opposite of Always by Justin A Reynolds

Opposite of Always BADLY needed an edit. It’s a time travel romance featuring Jack, a chronic nice guy who never really wins – but did win when he got to date Kate. Except that Kate is sick and dies. And then Jack goes back in time to when they first met and it all starts over again, Groundhog-Day style.

Wow, was this one long. Every time I thought Opposite of Always was ending, we got another iteration. I was this close to not finishing. But apparently I’m a glutton for punishment because I kind of liked the characters, even though the situations got more and more intolerable with each iteration. Kate and Jack were cute together, even though Jack made some pretty silly mistakes. I also really liked Jack’s friends and his parents. Seriously, this book gets an extra star for somehow having decent characters, strong diverse rep, and yet…I just didn’t care by the fourth iteration. I skimmed the last two iterations and almost threw the book across the room at the final one, the one that was supposed to make me see how it all turns out…and then, for me, the author just basically phoned it in.

I don’t want to give anything else away, but this is definitely a library read if you choose to read it – and get ready for a very, very long ride.

Serious Moonlight by Jenn Bennett, You’d Be Mine by Erin Hahn, and Opposite of Always by Justin A. Reynolds are out in bookstores now. Have you guys read any of these recent releases? Thoughts? Good/bad/indifferent? Always dying to hear other opinions and chat!

The post Serious Moonlight, You’d Be Mine, and Opposite of Always | Quick Thoughts on New Releases appeared first on Mostly YA Lit.

Goodreads
Author: Lizzy Mason
Publisher: Soho Press
Publication date: February 19, 2019
Source: Edelweiss
Format: eARC

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

The Art of Losing is a compelling debut that explores issues of addiction, sisterhood, and loss.

On one terrible night, 17-year-old Harley Langston's life changes forever. At a party she discovers her boyfriend, Mike, hooking up with her younger sister, Audrey. Furious, she abandons them both. When Mike drunkenly attempts to drive Audrey home, he crashes and Audrey ends up in a coma. Now Harley is left with guilt, grief, pain and the undeniable truth that her now ex-boyfriend has a drinking problem. So it's a surprise that she finds herself reconnecting with Raf, a neighbor and childhood friend who's recently out of rehab and still wrestling with his own demons. At first Harley doesn't want to get too close to him. But as her sister slowly recovers, Harley begins to see a path forward with Raf's help that she never would have believed possible--one guided by honesty, forgiveness, and redemption.

Review: The Art of Losing by Lizzy Mason

A moving novel about finding yourself in the midst of failure and tragedy, and the consequences of addiction and alcohol, The Art of Losing stars Harley Langston, a 17-year old who is super close with her sister Audrey. On the night of a party at her best friend’s place, Harley catches Audrey with her boyfriend Mike and races out of the house. Later that night, Mike drives Audrey home – drunk – and ends up crashing. Mike walks away with a few scratches and court-mandated rehab, but Audrey lies in a coma.

Furious but guilt-ridden, Harley has to deal with her own feelings that she failed her little sister in leaving her there, but also keeping the secret of Audrey and Mike’s betrayal. Meanwhile, Harley finds herself alone and lost in a world where her mom and dad are always at Audrey’s side. She doesn’t have anything to do but sit and watch rom-coms with Audrey and hope she wakes up. One night, she finds herself falling back into conversation with Raf Juarez, her former childhood friend and crush, and a recovering alcoholic. Raf gives her insights into her own strength and Harley begins to look at him in a new light. But how can she get together with someone who has the same issues as Mike? And how can she look for happiness when Audrey is fighting for her life?

This was one of those reads that was compelling from the first, but dragged as it went on. I feel like I didn’t get how Harley really ended up with Mike or how she ended up losing so much of herself. And similarly, I didn’t see real reasons for Harley not to be with Raf (other than his recovery, which he assured her he could deal with). I think this book was trying to do too much – there were a lot of factors in play that didn’t fully get resolved, like how Harley’s mom was overprotective, Harley’s dad was a bit prejudiced against Raf, Harley herself treated Audrey badly. It felt a bit messy – but maybe that’s what debut author Lizzy Mason wanted, though – something messy to go along with the chaos in Harley’s life. I did enjoy the romance between Raf and Harley, and I thought the writing was solid.

The Final Word:

Told in flashbacks to various times before the accident, and Harley’s life now, I appreciated that The Art of Losing discussed addiction and teenage drinking without being preachy or judgmental. But I felt like there was too much going on in this book, and as such, none of the threads felt fully explored or resolved by the end of the book. Nevertheless, The Art of Losing is a promising, heartfelt debut.

Goodreads
Author: Sara Biren
Publisher: Abrams
Publication date: March 12, 2019
Source: ARC from Manda Group (thank you!)

I received this book for free from ARC from Manda Group (thank you!) in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Holland Delviss wants to be known for her talent as a hockey player, not a hockey player who happens to be a girl. But when her school team is selected to be featured and televised as part of HockeyFest, her status as the only girl on the boys’ team makes her the lead story. Not everyone is thrilled with Holland’s new fame, but there’s one person who fiercely supports her, and it’s the last person she expects (and definitely the last person she should be falling for): her bossy team captain, Wes.  

Review: Cold Day in the Sun by Sara Biren

I’m a sucker for hockey romances, so when Manda Group offered up this YA love story about a girl who plays hockey on a boys’ high school team and falls in love with the captain…I was in.

Holland Delviss has always played hockey on boys’ teams, with three brothers and a dad who are super into hockey. Now, as a junior, she’s finally on the varsity team, with teammates and a coach who respect her. But Minnesota’s annual HockeyFest is coming up and Holland’s little town of Halcyon Lake is one of five towns who could be part of the televised game, with recruiters watching. And since Holland’s status is the big draw of the team, she’s on the hook to help the team get votes. This pressure, added to the fact that Holland’s captain, Wes, is on her back, is a lot for Holland to bear. But she’s surprised when outside the rink, Wes starts to provide a lot more support than just a teammate.

But Holland doesn’t date teammates. She doesn’t want to be seen as a gimmick, or taking advantage of her girl in a guy’s world status. But can she resist Wes’ pull?

Cold Day in the Sun was a super fast, addictive read for me. Sara Biren’s writing is loose and natural, and I loved how much it fit the sort of tough girl attitude of Holland. The romance between Holland and Wes was also very natural, and sweet, although I was pretty frustrated with it, since it felt like Holland was holding back because of her own arbitrary rules. Yes, there would be fallout from dating the captain, but this was much more about Holland coming to terms with her own feelings of needing to prove herself. I almost wished the book was more swoony, but at the end of the day, this was definitely a story about Holland, and not just Holland and Wes. Still, there are definitely cute moments. I just wanted them to go further (maybe because I usually read new adult/sexy hockey romance books! I wanted more kissing!).

A couple of things I really enjoyed: Holland has the goal of becoming a music editor at a magazine, and she writes a blog about her interest in grunge and glam metal. It was cute that we got to see a few posts about that, especially since her love of music is what gets her to see Wes differently.

I also loved that no one treated Holland like she was a tomboy throughout the book. There are definitely moments where Holland calls people out for being sexist, but not once does anyone act like she’s not girly because she plays sports with guys.

It was both a refreshing and interesting take on the situation, because in Holland’s town, there’s also a girls’ team and it’s very clearly a town where hockey dominates. So why wouldn’t Holland join the girls’ team, you ask? Partly because she’s always played with the boys, but the fact is, she’s also a stronger player than the girls and many of the guys. The book acknowledges that the boys’ team is probably more aggressive and faster, but it never belittles the girls team.

The Final Word:

Cold Day in the Sun is a unique character-driven, angsty hockey romance with a lot of heart. It deals well and sensitively with a female on a boys’ hockey team and sensitively addresses gender issues. I could have used more romance, but I enjoyed this one a lot.

Goodreads
Author: Faith Erin Hicks
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Publication date: February 12, 2019
Source: Raincoast Books (thank you!)
Format: eARC

I received this book for free from Raincoast Books (thank you!) in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

A sweet, funny contemporary teen romance for the inner geek in all of us from graphic novelist Faith Erin Hicks.

Miriam's family should be rich. After all, her grandfather was the co-creator of smash-hit comics series The TomorrowMen. But he sold his rights to the series to his co-creator in the 1960s for practically nothing, and now that's what Miriam has: practically nothing. And practically nothing to look forward to either-how can she afford college when her family can barely keep a roof above their heads? As if she didn't have enough to worry about, Miriam's life gets much more complicated when a cute boy shows up in town . . . and turns out to be the grandson of the man who defrauded Miriam's grandfather, and heir to the TomorrowMen fortune.

In her endearing debut novel, cartoonist Faith Erin Hicks pens a sensitive and funny Romeo and Juliet tale about modern romance, geek royalty, and what it takes to heal the long-festering scars of the past (Spoiler Alert: love).

Review: Comics Will Break Your Heart by Faith Erin Hicks

Comics Will Break Your Heart is an unusual YA that discusses issues of comic book creation, inheritance, small-town poverty, and class issues. Miriam is the granddaughter of Micah Kendrick, the co-creator and illustrator of the Tomorrow Men, a huge, classic comic. Unfortunately, Micah sold the rights to the Tomorrow Men to the other co-creator, Joseph Warrick, for a mere pittance. Miriam’s grandfather spent his life trying to get the rights back – or at least some fair payment for his creation. As a result, though, Miriam and her family are fairly poor, and living in the same small Nova Scotia town where the Tomorrow Men started.

Weldon Warrick is the grandson of Joseph Warrick, and heir to Warrick Studios, the publisher of the Tomorrow Men. Weldon is rich, but acts out a lot, and ends up sent to live with his aunt and uncle in Nova Scotia for the summer, while his father sets about making the Tomorrow Men movie happen. When Weldon and Miriam meet, there’s an immediate spark, but when they find out more about each other, there’s also a wariness. Can they get past the sins of the past to be together?

The best part about this book is how alive and honest it was about this family feud over comic book rights – and how that resentment and fight trickled down to Miriam and Weldon, the two protagonists caught in a Romeo and Juliet situation. I completely understood Mir’s resentment and bitterness, Weldon’s guilt, and how much they had to get past just to fight for a beginning together. Like a comic book, I also liked how this book focused on so many other aspects of Miriam’s life as well, like her slowly changing friendship dynamics, and the class and overtly struggles in small town Canada. Weldon’s family dynamics were a bit more typical for YA but done well. The romance was cute, but maybe a bit too young for my liking. And for the life of me, I couldn’t quite get into Mir and Weldon’s headspaces enough. I wanted to be there, but it felt like we were only scratching the surface of who they were.

The Final Word:

Comics Will Break Your Heart was a good book that got me thinking a lot about the commercialization of art, but I wish it had gotten me more invested with the characters. Still, it was a unique book that dealt with issues I’ve not seen a lot of in YA – class and poverty, and how they shape a teen’s future. A very solid YA debut for comic book writer and artist Faith Erin Hicks.

The Art of Losing and Comics Will Break Your Heart are out in bookstores now.  Cold Day in the Sun will be out next week. Have you read any of these or are you excited about them? What gets you to pick up a contemporary YA romance – is it issues or characters or tropes? Let me know in the comments!

The post The Art of Losing, Cold Day in the Sun & Comics Will Break Your Heart | New Release Reviews appeared first on Mostly YA Lit.

Goodreads
Author: Jeff Zentner
Find the author: Website, Facebook, Goodreads, Instagram
Also by this author: The Serpent King, Goodbye Days
Publisher: Crown Books for Young Readers
Publication date: February 26, 2019
Source: Chapters Indigo
Format: ARC
My rating:
Buy It: Indigo.ca | Amazon.com | The Book Depository | iBooks | Google Books

A contemporary novel about two best friends who must make tough decisions about their futures--and the TV show they host--in their senior year of high school.

Every Friday night, best friends Delia and Josie become Rayne Ravenscroft and Delilah Darkwood, hosts of the campy creature feature show Midnite Matinee on the local cable station TV Six.

But with the end of senior year quickly approaching, the girls face tough decisions about their futures. Josie has been dreading graduation, as she tries to decide whether to leave for a big university and chase her dream career in mainstream TV. And Lawson, one of the show's guest performers, a talented MMA fighter with weaknesses for pancakes, fantasy novels, and Josie, is making her tough decision even harder.

Scary movies are the last connection Delia has to her dad, who abandoned the family years ago. If Midnite Matinee becomes a hit, maybe he'll see it and want to be a part of her life again. And maybe Josie will stay with the show instead of leaving her behind, too.

As the tug-of-war between growing up and growing apart tests the bonds of their friendship, Josie and Delia start to realize that an uncertain future can be both monstrous...and momentous.

Review: Rayne & Delilah’s Midnite Matinee by Jeff Zentner

Note: I received this advanced reader’s copy free from Indigo Teen for review, but I promise, that in no way influenced my review! Thoughts and opinions are my own. 

Quirky trivia-filled humour and perfect teen voices keep Rayne & Delilah’s Midnite Matinee by King of Tears Jeff Zentner from being too melancholy.

Josie and Delia are best friends who are so close that people often mistake them for sisters. Brought together by a mutual friend who moved (Jesmyn from Goodbye Days), Josie has the goal of being on television, while Delia wants to create something that will showcase her love of horror movies so that she can, secretly, reach her father who abandoned her. Together, the two of them host a public access creature feature show called Rayne & Delilah’s Midnite Matinee, where they invite people to watch little known, B-horror movies, and have segments at commercial breaks with them reading letters, dancing with a dog, and generally doing zany things. The show is distributed to a few different locations and while it’s not wildly popular, they have a following.

But high school is almost over and Josie is trying to decide whether to go away for university, even as Delia is begging her to stay in their hometown of Jackson, Tennessee to continue the show. Josie’s parents are supportive of her going into television, but they want her to take an internship with the Food Network, which would mean going away to school. To complicate matters, Josie ends up meeting and getting involved with Lawson, a local MMA fighter who is planning to stay in Jackson. To convince Josie to stay in Jackson, Delia wants to get the show noticed – and she decides the best way to do that is to convince Josie to go with her to ShiverCon, a horror convention in Florida, where they can meet Jack Devine, a famous horror movie host, and try to get seen by more people.

That’s just a bare plot description. What it doesn’t show is just how right Jeff Zentner gets the friendship and voices of Josie and Delia. And yes, it’s surprising for a man to be able to do this so well, but he really captures the loyalty and love and way of speaking between two best friends. Friends so in sync, they finish each other’s jokes. Friends so strong they will yell at gross men and defend each other against the world. And friends so supportive that they will take on the weight of each other’s dreams and fail so that the other person knows they tried.

Zentner’s dialogue and characterization are distinct for both Delia and Josie – you see how they love, support and get one another, but you also see how they differ from each other. Josie is definitely the funnier one, quicker with the wit and one-liner. But she’s also more wary and harder on the world around her. Delia is zanier, with a weirder view of the world, and she’s a lot more vulnerable, maybe because the bulk of the story has her searching for her father, trying to write him an email over and over, trying to understand why he left and why she feels like the adult in her relationship with her mother who sometimes decides not to take her anti-depressants.

For me, Josie’s storyline was very much influenced by how much I adored Lawson, her love interest. Their scenes together just sang with the freshness of finding your person and being able to banter together. She is definitely the levity in this not quite comedy, and the romance is SO adorable.

But it’s Delia’s story that left me heart-wrung and teary. Zentner may have called this a comedy, but he was lying. Delia’s circumstances, from her own mediocrity and the knowledge that she’s not going away to school, to her sometimes-poverty, to her attempts to understand her father’s abandonment, just worked their way into my heart and made me want to hug her. The climax of her story (I won’t spoil it) had me bereft for days.

This is a book for people who love to sink into characters, who don’t mind zig-zagging with a meandering plot and zany twists, and who appreciate the weird in every situation and like to imagine situations where the wacky can – and always does – happen. The journey that Josie and Delia go through in this novel is equal parts emotional and earnest, weird and hilarious. Zentner perfectly encapsulates that feeling of inevitability and looming change of the final semester of high school – of losing something as precious as a daily relationship, but also something as simple as what’s familiar in your life. I can’t do justice to the beautiful way that these characters live, breathe, and stay in your heart. This one is a must-read.

The Final Word:

Rayne and Delilah’s Midnite Matinee is a story about friendship, unexpected love, chasing your dreams, realizing they might not be what you need, and accepting and embracing your future. Like all of Zentner’s work, it is full of feels and poignancy, beautiful writing and circularity, and great wisdom about what makes us human. And if you’re a fan of good endings – and I am – this one had my heart lifting like a hot-air balloon. It really worked and made me smile.

—–

RAYNE & DELILAH’S MIDNITE MATINEE by Jeff Zentner comes out on Feb 26 (tomorrow!). Will you be reading it? Have you read Zentner’s other two EXCELLENT novels, The Serpent King and Goodbye Days? What super-emotional reads have gotten you lately? Let me know in the comments!

The post Rayne & Delilah’s Midnite Matinee by Jeff Zentner | Review appeared first on Mostly YA Lit.

Read on for my thoughts!

Goodreads
Author: Sally Thorne
Find the author: Facebook
Also by this author: The Hating Game
Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication date: January 29, 2019
Source: ARC from Harper Collins Canada (thank you!)
My rating:
Buy It: Indigo.ca | Amazon.com | The Book Depository | iBooks | Google Books | Audible

Readers and critics alike raved over USA Today bestselling author Sally Thorne’s smash hit debut novel, The Hating Game—which sold in over 20 countries. Now she’s back with an unforgettable romantic comedy about a twin sister and brother struggling over an inheritance—and the sexy best friend who comes between them. This next hilarious romance includes a special PS section with two Happily Ever Afters—one for this novel featuring Darcy and Tom and the other, an epilogue featuring fan favorites Lucy Hutton and Josh Templeman from The Hating Game!

Crush (n.): a strong and often short-lived infatuation, particularly for someone beyond your reach…

Darcy Barrett has undertaken a global survey of men. She’s travelled the world, and can categorically say that no one measures up to Tom Valeska, whose only flaw is that Darcy’s twin brother Jamie saw him first and claimed him forever as his best friend. Despite Darcy’s best efforts, Tom’s off limits and loyal to her brother, 99%. That’s the problem with finding her dream man at age eight and peaking in her photography career at age twenty—ever since, she’s had to learn to settle for good enough.

When Darcy and Jamie inherit a tumble-down cottage from their grandmother, they’re left with strict instructions to bring it back to its former glory and sell the property. Darcy plans to be in an aisle seat halfway across the ocean as soon as the renovations start, but before she can cut and run, she finds a familiar face on her porch: house-flipper extraordinaire Tom’s arrived, he’s bearing power tools, and he’s single for the first time in almost a decade.

Suddenly Darcy’s considering sticking around to make sure her twin doesn’t ruin the cottage’s inherent magic with his penchant for grey and chrome. She’s definitely not staying because of her new business partner’s tight t-shirts, or that perfect face that's inspiring her to pick up her camera again. Soon sparks are flying—and it’s not the faulty wiring. It turns out one percent of Tom’s heart might not be enough for Darcy anymore. This time around, she’s switching things up. She’s going to make Tom Valeska 99 percent hers.

Review: 99 Percent Mine by Sally Thorne

A solid sophomore effort by Sally Thorne, author of the smash hit romance The Hating Game, 99 Percent Mine has similarly well-defined characters, weird metaphors, and the same intensity of Thorne’s first work.

Darcy Barrett is a bartender whose life is a mess. She’s a former wedding photographer whose life crashed and burned when she discovered that her perfect man, family friend Tom Valeska, got engaged. Tom is Darcy’s twin Jamie’s best friend, and she feels that the two of them know way too much about her. In particular, they know about the fact that she has a very weak heart, capable of making her out of breath and incapacitated too soon. Darcy’s always felt a little like people treat her with too much fragility, which is probably why she’s developed such a tough skin.

When Darcy and Jamie’s beloved grandmother Loretta dies, she leaves the two of them her house, with demands that they renovate it but keep it in the family. The house is a mess, but luckily, Tom is a construction-worker-turned-contractor with a new business. Jamie hires Tom to flip the place into a cool, modern sell, but Darcy wants to  keep the essence of her grandmother. As a result, Darcy refuses to leave the site and decides to live in the small shed in the back while helping with the reno. Meanwhile, Tom is also living on site in a tent and really stressed out about his new business and doing right by Darcy and Jamie.

I’ll be honest, I can’t review this book without comparing it to The Hating Game, which is one of my favorite books EVER. What I love about Sally Thorne’s work is how much her characters push each other to the breaking point – and how much she uses metaphors and similes that are weird and out there to describe that intensity. She has a very literary take on commercial romance – her plots and settings underscore a lot of what’s happening in the characters lives.

For instance, 99 Percent Mine is about a renovation of a crumbling house – but one that means a great deal to Darcy. Similarly, Darcy herself is crumbling under a vat of bad decisions and running away. With the construction going on, Darcy is forced to stay – not only to oversee the renovation, but also to deal with the foundations and ramifications of her choices. And of course, there’s Tom – who is a fixer-upper with more than just his hands. He’s always been someone who helps the Barrett twins out of trouble. There’s a lot of playing with metaphor and simile in both the way the characters talk to one another, and the way that things are described. It’s definitely a unique and resonant approach to romance.

I also love how Thorne understands how passion and love mix and make people do crazy things. Darcy and Tom clash in just the right ways. There’s an amazing push-and-pull between them. From the very first moment when they see each other again after YEARS of being apart, there’s a familiarity, a joking, and a tension that just sizzles. There’s a lot of cat-and-mouse circling in both of her books, but more in 99 Percent Mine, where Thorne ratchets up the tension so minutely and skillfully that you’re hanging on for dear life when she finally lets her characters consummate their passion.

Darcy and Tom are far more normal than the characters in The Hating Game, and their story is a little bit less unique – but it’s no less well-defined! Darcy’s tough girl attitude and the way she approaches life is both frustratingly destructive and captivatingly honest. How many of us have made dumb decisions because of love and vulnerability? How many of us spent our 20s tripping from place to place, looking for something to call home? You can’t help but feel for her, empathize with her candy and wine benders, and also want to bonk her on the side of her head.

Meanwhile, Tom’s dealing with learning how to be a boss, how to be a business owner, and how to face up to feelings for Darcy he’s been trying to ignore and tamp down for years. If I’m being honest, for me, Tom just couldn’t measure up as much to The Hating Game’s Josh. Darcy calls him “the perfect man” – and it’s kind of true. He’s a really great guy, kind and generous, strong and sensitive. While I enjoyed him with Darcy, I think I just found him a little bit too typical – he’s pretty much what you expect in a slow-burn romance.

I also really enjoyed the secondary characters in this book. Jamie, Darcy’s twin, is the exact kind of jackass that you want him to be – charming but cold. Truly, Darcy’s underwear designer friend is so fun and caring that you want a happily ever after for her, too. And even though you don’t see her as a character, Loretta, Darcy’s grandmother, plays a huge role in her life and in how Darcy acts and reacts.

For me, 99 Percent Mine wasn’t as strong as The Hating Game. I think what I loved about The Hating Game was just how weird the characters were. It was just a matter of preference – I loved the office romance of The Hating Game, and I loved the quirkiness of the characters. Still, I really, really enjoyed and raced through 99 Percent Mine. It’s a fast, intense read that I highly recommend.

The Final Word:

I read 99 Percent Mine in a day and a half and barely slept – and when I slept, all I dreamt about was Darcy and Tom. I really, really enjoyed it, and I think readers who loved the intensity, incredible description, and quirky characters of The Hating Game will also adore Darcy and Tom’s house-flipping slow-burn romance. Darcy and Tom had me riveted from moment one, and they didn’t let up until I was finished.

*****

Goodreads
Author: Sarina Bowen
Find the author: Website, Blog, Facebook, Goodreads, Amazon, Instagram, Pinterest
Also by this author: , The Fifteenth Minute, The Year We Fell Down, The Year We Hid Away, Blonde Date, The Understatement of the Year, The Shameless Hour, The Fifteenth Minute, Rookie Move, Hard Hitter, Bittersweet, Steadfast, Keepsake (True North, #3), Him, Us, Untitled, Hard Hitter, Good Boy, Keepsake (True North, #3), Goodbye Paradise, Pipe Dreams, Stay (WAGs, #2), Pipe Dreams, Temporary, Man Hands (Man Hands, #1), Man Card, Brooklynaire (Brooklyn Bruisers #4), Speakeasy, The Accidentals, Top Secret, Superfan (Brooklyn, #3)
Series: Brooklyn Bruisers #5
Also in this series: Rookie Move, Hard Hitter
Publisher: Tuxbury Publishing LLC
Publication date: January 22, 2019
Source: Author's publicist (thank you!)
Format: eARC
My rating:
Buy It: Amazon.com | iBooks | Google Books | Audible

Everyone knows the girl is off limits. But it's so good to be bad.

There’s this girl... 

Heidi and I have been trading hungry looks all year, and everything she does makes me smile. But I don't do girlfriends, and I certainly can't get involved with the league commissioner's daughter. I need shots on goal, not a hookup and a widely misunderstood paparazzi photo.

Can I resist her, though? The way she teases me should be a game penalty for interference with my libido. 

There’s this guy…

Jason wants me, but he won’t admit it. That man looks at me the way a hockey player eyes the lunch buffet after practice—and I love it. 

But when victory is finally within my grasp, I blow it and humiliate myself. Even then I can’t even avoid him—as the team intern, I’m in constant view of his hard body and cocky smile. 

I need another chance. Jason Castro is about to learn the true meaning of an overnight sensation. 

Review: Overnight Sensation by Sarina Bowen

Overnight Sensation is the story of star hockey player and ladies’ man Jason Castro – and how he ends up with the league commissioner’s daughter and team intern, Heidi Jo Pepper. It’s the fifth installment in Sarina Bowen’s excellent Brooklyn Bruisers hockey romance series – and one of the best.

Jason had a great last season with the Brooklyn Bruisers, scoring a ton and making his name. But this season, he’s been moved to right wing instead of left, and he’s out of his depth. Also rankling him? He can’t seem to get the team intern, Heidi Jo Pepper, out of his mind. He’s a one-and-done kind of guy, so this long-time crush is surprising him. But after a paparazzi photo makes it seem like Jason’s been with Heidi, her father forbids him to date her. No problem, right?

Meanwhile, Heidi Jo Pepper, the league commissioner’s daughter, is in a transition phase in her life. She’s dropped out of college and realizing how hard it is to be broke after being a rich girl her whole life. Now that her father realizes she’s not going back to school – he assigns her every manual labour and odd job in the Bruisers organization to try to convince her to finish college. But Heidi Jo isn’t about quitting (usually). She’s also resourceful and sassy, and she’ll get what she wants – and that includes convincing a certain defenseman that she means what she says when she says she’s okay with casual sex.

I really got it bad for Heidi and Jason – Overnight Sensation surprised me with it’s chemistry and depth. There was something so natural about the way Heidi and Jason responded to each other. The slow-burn story made you work for the relationship like the characters did, and I felt every little milestone and hiccup.

What I loved about this romance, though, is that it never felt forced. It didn’t shove plot devices in the way in order to create challenges for the characters. Their feelings and actions evolved naturally out of the circumstances, from Heidi not being able to afford an apartment (and living with Jason and his roommate Silas), to her turning her odd jobs with the team into an opportunity to report back to the team owner. It was such an inspiring read in a lot of ways, because this plucky 21 year old never stops fighting for herself and for the female characters in the series.

And speaking of fighters, Jason is also fighting, but in a different kind of way. He has PTSD after a death in his life several years ago, and he still hasn’t dealt with it. I loved how many facets of him we got to see in this book – from the fun-loving toastmaker (he quotes Dickens!) to the sweet lover to the goal-chasing player. You get a lot of his personality and I really enjoyed it.

And of course, as this is a Sarina Bowen novel, there are a lot of little cameos from some of our favorites from previous novels, as well as some new secondary characters (Silas!) who made it into my heart. I also love how much we got of the Brooklyn Bruisers as an organization – how many jobs and people it takes to run the franchise.

The Final Word:

Overnight Sensation hit all the right notes for me – from a natural, easy romance, to strong and plucky characters, to swoons. This is one romance you don’t want to miss – and yes, you can totally read it as a standalone, too! Pick it up immediately!

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99 Percent Mine comes out on Jan 29, 2019 and Overnight Sensation comes out on Jan 22, 2019. Are they on your to be read list? Have you read books by Sarina Bowen and Sally Thorne before? (If not, you are SERIOUSLY MISSING OUT). Are you into the romance genre? What have you read recently? 

Recently in Romance is Mostly YA Lit’s mini-review feature for all of you who like the X-rated books! 

The post Two Contemporary Romances To Read Immediately: 99 Percent Mine by Sally Thorne & Overnight Sensation by Sarina Bowen appeared first on Mostly YA Lit.

2019 YEAR OF THE ASIAN READING CHALLENGE

I just heard about the Year of the Asian Reading Challenge and I’m absolutely delighted to see it out there. In the past few years, I’ve been trying to read more diversely, and as an Asian-Canadian, I get really excited to read books that represent me!

Because I’m pretty short on reading time, my plan is to go for the low end of the challenge – 1-10 books. I’m definitely hoping to at least get to five Asian books this year.

Here are a few key Asian titles I’m looking forward to diving into this year – let me know if you know of other Asian books that you read and loved – I’m really looking for recs for this one. Click on the covers for more information about each book!

2019 Contemporary Romance Reading Challenge

The Contemporary Romance Reading Challenge is one I do every year, because it aligns with my reading interests and goals. I’ve never bothered to count how many books I end up reading in this category, but I’m sure it’s, like, 80 percent of my reading. It’s also hosted by my blogger pal Andi @ Andi’s ABCs so this one is a no-brainer.

This year, I’m going to be a bit more mindful about how many I read for this challenge. I’ll probably try for at least 30 books, which is the Grand Slam level. Here are a few I’m looking forward to (and guess what, 4 out of 5 of the books above count for this challenge, too!). Click on the covers for more information about each book!

Are you doing any reading challenges this year? What kinds of books are making your list? How do you read or choose books mindfully? And how do you keep up with your challenges? Let me know in the comments!

The post On Reading Mindfully: What Kinds of Books Are You Reading This Year? | 2019 Reading Challenges appeared first on Mostly YA Lit.