*Grabby Hands* Release & Review - The Kissing Quotient by Helen Hoang

Image and blurb from Goodreads

Title: The Kissing Quotient
Author: Helen Hoang
Publication Date: June 5th, 2018

Publisher: Berkley
Category/Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance

A heartwarming and refreshing debut novel that proves one thing: there's not enough data in the world to predict what will make your heart tick.

Stella Lane thinks math is the only thing that unites the universe. She comes up with algorithms to predict customer purchases--a job that has given her more money than she knows what to do with, and way less experience in the dating department than the average thirty-year-old.

It doesn't help that Stella has Asperger's and French kissing reminds her of a shark getting its teeth cleaned by pilot fish. Her conclusion: she needs lots of practice--with a professional. Which is why she hires escort Michael Phan. The Vietnamese and Swedish stunner can't afford to turn down Stella's offer, and agrees to help her check off all the boxes on her lesson plan--from foreplay to more-than-missionary position...

Before long, Stella not only learns to appreciate his kisses, but to crave all the other things he's making her feel. Soon, their no-nonsense partnership starts making a strange kind of sense. And the pattern that emerges will convince Stella that love is the best kind of logic...

Goodreads

Buy Link: Amazon

4.5 “Worth the Wait” Stars

I've been waiting for this release for what feels like FOREVER, and I've been so obsessed with the idea of reading it that I told myself I wouldn't finish it in one day. I would prolong the experience because you only get to read a good book for the first time once. And because I'd been dying of jealousy of all the people who got to read this before release. I'll tell you, it was torture to watch my Goodread friends gush about this when it felt like June 5th would never get here.

Well, I could hardly believe when the day came. And I can hardly believe I was strong enough to stop reading that first night so I could save some chapters for the next day. But I did it! And to no one's surprise, I loved every second of it.

This book is amazing.

Again, this is another example of good representation kicking ass and taking no names. The voice was so authentic, you couldn't help but fall for Stella. She made me feel for her when she struggled and cheer with her when her journey came full circle. It was such an amazing and honest take on what life can be like for a woman on the autism spectrum, and that's because the author put some of her experience there, too. It was an emotional and satisfying read in every aspect.

Though Stella was the real star of the story, Michael didn't fall far behind. I'm always, always here for a good escort romance, and I'm happy to see this book join Mister Romance by Leisa Rayven on the list of must-read stories with this theme. And it's all thanks to Michael.

Michael, who's a hot  half-Vietnamese, half-Swedish sweatheart who happens to be excellent at sex and caring and romantic and patient and all the good things that make perfect man perfect. Sure he had flaws and bagagge, but who cares when he's all of the things I just described? I can't blame Stella for falling so hard for the guy she was paying to teach her to be confident in bed. I would've fallen for him, too.

The romance is a little less slow burn than I normally like, but it was still filled with so many sweet and heartwarming moments that I couldn't complain. It was also hot AF. The sexy scenes?

There was drama, there was diversity, there were family members that stole my heart (in fact, both mothers made me smile and laugh and hold to hold them every time they appeared), and there was a lot of swooning involved in reading this story.

In the end, all I can is that this book was well worth the wait.

Release & Review - The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory

Title: The Wedding Date

Author: Jasmine Guillory
Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance

Release Date: January 30th, 2018
Publisher: Berkley

A groomsman and his last-minute guest are about to discover if a fake date can go the distance in a fun and flirty debut novel.

Agreeing to go to a wedding with a guy she gets stuck with in an elevator is something Alexa Monroe wouldn't normally do. But there's something about Drew Nichols that's too hard to resist.

On the eve of his ex's wedding festivities, Drew is minus a plus one. Until a power outage strands him with the perfect candidate for a fake girlfriend...

After Alexa and Drew have more fun than they ever thought possible, Drew has to fly back to Los Angeles and his job as a pediatric surgeon, and Alexa heads home to Berkeley, where she's the mayor's chief of staff. Too bad they can't stop thinking about the other... 

They're just two high-powered professionals on a collision course toward the long distance dating disaster of the century--or closing the gap between what they think they need and what they truly want...

Goodreads

Buy Link: Amazon

3.5 “Fake Dating” Stars

I was expecting a little more from The Wedding Date, but I ended up enjoying it by the end.

The plot here is pretty simple--after getting stuck in an elevator with Drew, a hot doctor from Los Angeles, Berkley’s mayor's chief of staff Alexa agrees to be his fake date at his ex-girlfriend’s wedding. Of course they fall in love after that, but lack of communication, physical distance and other problems keep them apart until their happy ending.

As you can see, the premise is pretty similar from lots of other books out there, but that didn’t exactly bother me since The Wedding Date made up for the lack of “oh, this is new” premise with compelling characters, interracial relationship (Alexa is black and Drew is white) and a narrative that felt authentic when it came to the female main character’s POV.

The thing I liked the most about this story was that both Drew and Alexa had fulfilling professional careers. I especially loved seeing Alexa as a powerful and important figure as the mayor’s chief of staff (baby Olivia Pope, anyone?). She was great at her job and she developed an important program for kids in need that I wished we could see more in real life. Her relationship with her sister (and her sister’s story overall) made for great moments, too.

 There’s also a compelling, sensitive and smart take on racial prejudice and privilege, with Drew opening his eyes to things he couldn’t see before he met Alexa. The way Alexa faced people’s prejudice was also pretty amazing.

There was a little bit of drama and angst because of Drew’s past when it came to women and relationships, but I felt most of their problems could’ve been solved with a little talking. For two extremely smart people, they lacked skills when it came to communication.

The book was filled with cute scenes, though. Drew and Alexa had their moments and they had chemistry. It wasn’t as strong as I normally liked, but it was there. Overall, this was a good debut.

  

*If you liked this review (or not), if you read the book (or not), come say hello and leave your comments bellow.

*Grabby Hands* Release & Review - Baby Maker (It Take Two #1) by P. Dangelico

Image and blurb from Goodreads

Title: Baby Maker
(It Take Two #1)

Author: P. Dangelico

Category/Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance

Publication Date: February 20th, 2018

Stella Donovan’s biological clock is a ticking time bomb.

The successful financial manager has spent her adult life building a career and neglecting her personal life. Problem is, she doesn’t believe in marriage. Not after watching her mother be treated like garbage by her father. Nope, marriage is not for her. All she wants is a baby. All she needs is a man to agree to her terms.

Dane Wylder, recently retired NFL tight end and future Hall of Famer, wants a baby.

Naturally, marriage is off the table. He’s not the marrying type. Women are great––as long as they’re trying to get into his bed and not his heart. But after years of living only for himself, he’s ready to be a father.

Sparks fly when a successful financial manager and a legendary football player enter into a legal agreement to have a kid together. They planned on everything––they just didn’t plan on each other. 

Goodreads

4 “Have a baby with me” Stars

ARC via NetGalley

Thank you!!!

After reading three books by P. Dangelico, I can absolutely say I'm a fan and I need more.

Baby Maker brings the same SLOOOOW burn, awesome main characters and sizzling chemistry that made me fall in love with her other books, so it's no surprise I read this in one day and loved it.

One thing I can always count on when it comes to P. Dangelico's romances are strong female characters. All her MC's are independent women who face their problems head on and make the men know they're the bosses.

In this case, the boss is Stella Donovan, a successful financial manager who despises the idea of marriage, but is more than ready to have a baby. She doesn't want a husband, but she wants her kids to have a present father, so she's looking into the idea of co-parenting (a concept I wasn't familiar with) and looking for the perfect candidate. Easier said than done, but Stella isn't willing to give up.

Enter retired NFL player, Dane Wylder, a man who wants the same thing as Stella: a child, but no wife. They seem perfect for each other. Except Stella pretty much hates his guts--and it's all his fault. But just like Stella, Dane isn't willing to give up on his mission to prove that he's the perfect candidate to make a baby with her.

If you're familiar with this author's work, you know what follows: despise turns into companionship that turns into friendship that turns into mutual attraction that turns into flames that finally turns into romance. Slow, slow and slow, and exactly how I like it. And when it happens.... You guys!!! The begging got me like nothing else did.

"Kiss me back...please kiss me back".

I also have to give extra points for all the scenes with characters from her previous books. I love Ethan Freaking Vaughn, so I'm always happy to see my baby. Cam and Calvin also made an appearance, since Stella's mom is Calvin's trusted housekeeper.

So, what I'm saying is: Go read this book. Go read Baby Maker, Wrecking Ball and Sledgehammer. Go read whatever P. Dangelico wrote before those books, and keep an eye on what she'll write next. You can thank me later.

*If you liked this review (or not), if you read the book (or not), come say hello and leave your comments bellow.

Release & Review - The Heartbreak Cure by Amanda Ashby

Image and blurb from Goodreads

Title: The Heartbreak Cure
Author: Amanda Ashby

Category/Genre: Young Adult Contemporary Romance
Publication Date: December 4th, 2017
Publisher: Entangled Teen (Crush)

How to get over a heartbreak:

Step one: Eat your body weight in brownies.

Step two: Throw yourself into your dreams of becoming a famous writer. 

Step three: Beg your (hottie) ex-neighbor to act as your fake boyfriend. 

Step four: Skip step three unless you’re ready for some serious fallout.

After being dumped and humiliated over the summer, Cat Turner does what any sane girl would do. She asks bad boy Alex Locke to be her fake boyfriend and show the world (and her editor at the school newspaper) that she's fine. Problem is, the more time she spends with Alex, the more she risks getting her heart broken. For real this time. 

Disclaimer: This Entangled Teen Crush book contains a swoony bad boy who will melt your heart, brownies, and witty banter. One, two, or all three might prove addictive

Goodreads

Buy Link: Amazon

3.5 “Bad Boys, Dark Pasts and Kissing” Stars

ARC via NetGalley.

Thank you, Entangled Teen!

Another win when it comes to Entangled Crush.

While The Heartbreak Cure was just as cute and sweet as most of the YA romances published by Entangled Crush, it stood out to me because it did a great job building relationships that made me feel aside from the romance.

Using a mix of friends to lovers + fake relationship + bad boy tropes, the romance was swoony from start to finish, especially because I learned early on Alex had a thing for Cat. I'm all for the "boy secretly likes girl" thing, and it worked really well here. But, yeah, like I said, I'd come to expect adorable romance arcs from this publisher, and while I'm super happy this wasn't an exception, I'm also glad we also got to see good family and frienship bonds.

The relationships between Cat and her mother and Cat and her best friend brought a  much needed lighteness to the story, which balanced well Alex's much heavier side. Cat's mom was pretty awesome, and I truly enjoyed seeing those two being respecteful and having a healthy mother-daughter relationship. As to Cat and her best friend, there was no unecessary drama or girl hate, which YAY!!!! Those two seemed to really enjoy each other's company, and I loved how her friend was the sassy one while Cat was a little shy and more reserved.

While Cat's arc was more focused on the romance and her passion for writing, I thought Alex had the biggest and heavier arc. Poor guy had a dark past that dragged him down and made me feel like he was unworthy of love, which broke my heart. Alex was a great guy: honest, hard-working, respectful, so he deserved to let go of those ghosts and be happy. I loved how he got to that happy point by noticing that he wasn't alone (and in truth hadn't been for a while). His relationship with his boss, his grandmother and with Cat were huge influnces and helped him underestand that there were more than enough people in his life that believed in him and saw the good in him.

The Heartbeat Cure was a little heavier on the internal and emotional arc side of things, but it was still a cute and fun read. 

*If you liked this review (or not), if you read the book (or not), come say hello and leave your comments bellow.

*Grabby Hands* Release & Review - Roomies by Christina Lauren

Image and blurb from Goodreads

Title: Roomies
Author: Christina Lauren
Category/Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance
Publication Date: December 5th, 2017

Publisher: Gallery Books

Marriages of convenience are so…inconvenient.

Rescued by Calvin McLoughlin from a would-be subway attacker, Holland Bakker pays the brilliant musician back by pulling some of her errand-girl strings and getting him an audition with a big-time musical director. When the tryout goes better than even Holland could have imagined, Calvin is set for a great entry into Broadway—until he admits his student visa has expired and he’s in the country illegally.

Holland impulsively offers to wed the Irishman to keep him in New York, her growing infatuation a secret only to him. As their relationship evolves from awkward roommates to besotted lovers, Calvin becomes the darling of Broadway. In the middle of the theatrics and the acting-not-acting, what will it take for Holland and Calvin to realise that they both stopped pretending a long time ago? 

Goodreads

Buy Link: Amazon

4 “Shipping the fake married couple” Stars

ARC via NetGalley

Thank you, Gallery Books!!!

Dude, this was SOOOOOO good! Roomies is hands down my favorite Christina Lauren’s book, and one of my favorite contemporary romance reads of the year.

I’m a sucker for a good fake relationship/marry for a visa trope, and this is probably one of the best stories about that trope I’ve read in a long time. I loved so many things about Holland and Calvin’s love story.

First, I loved Calvin. The whole sexy musician/cute Irish accent thing was doing it for me. Big time. I think I pretty much swooned every time he said something Holland perceived as Irish-y, which was almost all the time and that was fine with me. The fact that Calvin played his guitar as if he was making love to his music didn’t hurt his case, either. I think I had a crush on him as big as the one Holland did even before I got to know him well. And then he turned out to be respectful, adorable and funny, and I was a goner. Come play for me, Calvin!

I also really, really liked Holland. I was more than pleased with the single POV here and that’s because Holland was such an entertaining character to follow. She had a great sense of humor without being over the top, and her struggles felt authentic. Like Holland, I’ve looked at my life and wondered what I was doing, felt disappointed in myself for my lack of focus and/or motivation, wondered if I was ever going to achieve my dreams. Holland’s going through that phase, and I liked how her struggle was portrayed in realistic, non-overdramatic way.

The fact that I like both Holland and Calvin made it only easier to ship them as a couple. And I shipped them hard.

“My phone lights up with a single text: And I despite every night I go to sleep without you.”

The whole let’s going to get fake married so you can get a visa and do what you love while I help the people I loved worked really well here because: 1) Calvin and Holland had good chemistry from the start; 2) Like Holland, the pretending to be flirting and in love got my feelings all mixed up in a great way; 3) they both had great motivations to get into this deal.

Holland’s relationship with her uncles was one of my favorite things about this book. I LOVED so many of their scenes together, and they were not only adorable and cute, but also funny AF. The table/birthday scene was hilarious. In fact, this book made me laugh quite a lot.

Calvin and Holland’s passion for music, writing and Broadway also played a huge part in this story, and it all felt cohesive. I don’t know as much about Broadway as I wish I did, but I always seem to enjoy books centered in this world. Roomies was no exception.

As you can see, this book truly worked for me. Having said that, there were a few things I wished had been different, mainly the Lulu subplot (felt a little like girl on girl hate with the jealousy thing), the breakup (I couldn’t fully get behind Holland there, because I thought she overreacted a bit) and the “almost fade to black” sexy scenes (with all that tension building, I expected more).

Those things aside, I’m super, super thankful I got my hands on an early copy of this book and I can’t wait for everyone to read it and love it as well.

*If you liked this review (or not), if you read the book (or not), come say hello and leave your comments bellow.

*Grabby Hands* Blog Tour & Review - Just Friends by Tiffany Pitcock

Title: Just Friends
Author: Tiffany Pitcock
Publication Date: August 1st 2017
Age Category/Genre: Young Adult Contemporary Romance 
Publisher: Swoon Reads

A new spin on the classic smart-girl-and-bad-boy setup, this witty contemporary romance shows how easily a friendship – even one built on an elaborate lie – can become so much more.

Jenny meets Chance for the very first time when she is assigned as his partner in their Junior Oral Communications class. But after they rescue a doomed assignment with one clever lie, the whole school is suddenly convinced that Little-Miss-Really-Likes-Having-A’s and the most scandalous heartbreaker in school have been best friends forever. It’s amazing how quickly a lie can grow―especially when you really, really want it to be the truth.

With Jenny, Chance can live the normal life he’s always kind of wanted. And with Chance, Jenny can have the exciting teen experiences that TV shows and movies have always promised. Through it all, they hold on to the fact that they are “just friends.” But that might be the biggest lie of all.

Debut author Tiffany Pitcock delivers a spot-on depiction of first love and the high school rumor mill in Just Friends, chosen by readers like you for Macmillan’s young adult imprint Swoon Reads.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

4 “Fake Best Friends” Stars

ARC provided by the author

Thank you!!!

Adorable. Abso-freaking-lutely adorable.

I think I first heard of Just Friends last year, and ever since I saw the cover and read the premise, I’ve been dying to get my hands on this book. I’m more than happy to announce it was worth the wait.

Other than enemies to lovers, best friends to lovers is my favorite romance trope ever. Be it in YA, NA or Adult, I’m always intrigued when a book promises that kind of romance. This one was ever more special because it had a twist to it.

Jenny and Chance aren’t the childhood best friends everyone believes them to be. After they’re paired up for a school assignment, they end up making up a story on the spot about how they’ve known each other since they were kids and have been best friends since then. The whole thing requires a little suspension of disbelief because everyone else around them buys the story without question, but it’s handled in such an adorable and cute way that I didn’t mind buying into the story as well.

The thing between Jenny and Chance’s friendship is that it won me over from moment one, even though I knew it was fake. Or maybe because of that. I adored how they made up super fun and brilliant stories about their shared fake past. I ended up going with it because I wanted it to be true so badly. I wanted them to have that past because they needed it. Both Jenny and Chance were going through difficult times in their lives, and that friendship (fake or not) was exactly what they needed to get through tough times. Also, have I already said how adorable the whole thing was?

I was pretty much smiling the entire time I read this. My heart was full and I was swooning hard. That’s exactly what I want when reading YA Contemporary Romance.

Now, I have to say I liked Jenny, but she and I had a few problems here and there. I wasn’t a fan of some of her choices (especially one involving Drake—I mean, none of her choices involving Drake actually pleased me, but there was one in particular that almost made me stop reading).

Now, Chance was a different experience altogether. I LOVED him. Absolutely loved him. His vibe, his heartbreak, the way he cared about Jenny, the way he stepped back when he feared losing her, the way he was still there whenever she needed him. Everything. I simply can’t recall anything about Chance I didn’t like.

Chase and Jenny together were adorable, adorable, adorable, and left me wanting more. That final scene with them making up stories about the future was just too much for my poor heart.

Just Friends gave me more than I expected it to in terms of feelings, and the way it added a spin to one of my favorite tropes only made the whole thing a thousand times better. It was so, so worth the wait.

23. Writer. Reader. Sarcastic.

I was born and raised in Arkansas, which isn’t terribly exciting. I’ve wanted to be a writer for as long as I can remember. I used to sit in class and write stories in my notebooks, thinking that everyone did. It turns out, everyone didn’t. I love writing because it means I’m putting my thoughts, feelings, and soul out there for someone else to read – for someone else to feel. The fact that someone can read my words, and empathize with my characters – characters that wouldn’t exist with out me, that I created from my mind – is such a wonderful concept to me. I could happily write for the rest of my life as long as there was one person out there who was affected by my words.

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*Grabby Hands* Review - The Wall of Winnipeg and Me by Mariana Zapata

Image and blurb from Goodreads

Title: The Wall of Winnipeg and Me

Author: Mariana Zapata

Age Category/Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance

Publication Date: February 28th, 2016

 

Vanessa Mazur knows she's doing the right thing. She shouldn't feel bad for quitting. Being an assistant/housekeeper/fairy godmother to the top defensive end in the National Football Organization was always supposed to be temporary. She has plans and none of them include washing extra-large underwear longer than necessary.

But when Aiden Graves shows up at her door wanting her to come back, she's beyond shocked.

For two years, the man known as The Wall of Winnipeg couldn't find it in him to tell her good morning or congratulate her on her birthday. Now? He's asking for the unthinkable.

What do you say to the man who is used to getting everything he wants? 

Goodreads

Buy Links: Amazon

4.5 "OMG slow burn" Stars

I'm going to keep my review of this book short. There are only a few things you need to know about this: 

1) You need to read it.

2) It is fabulous

3) It was 5 am and my eyes were burning when I finished this, but I simply couldn't stop;

4) Slowest slow burn of all times, but it GAVE ME LIFE.

5) Amazing heroine

6) Quiet and loner hero

 7) No insta love

8) Enemies to fake relationship to friendship to lovers

9) It is that fabulous

10) Why aren't you reading it yet?

Don't be like me. Don't wait forever to read this brilliant book. Go get it now. That's all I have to say. I'm in love.

*If you liked this review (or not), if you read the book (or not), come say hello and leave your comments bellow.