Book Review of Anything But Love by Abigail Strom

August 4, 2016September 8, 2020 Olivia Chanel1 Comment

Anything but Love by Abigail Strom

Publication Date: July 12, 2016.

Publisher: Montlake Romance.

Genres: Adult, Contemporary and Romance.

Rating:

Selling points: Good backstory, sexy couple, and magical Bermuda.

Purchase here: Amazon | The Book Depository

Synopsis: Socialite Jessica Bullock can’t catch a break. After a lifetime of chasing perfection, hoping to please her parents, all her hard work is set to pay off. But on her wedding day, her fiancé leaves her high and dry. Humiliated, she finds her calm, cool facade beginning to crumble…until an unexpected wedding guest, her childhood best friend and crush, offers to help her pick up the pieces.

Never in his wildest dreams would Ben Taggart have imagined he’d be escorting Jessica on her honeymoon to Bermuda. Although they haven’t seen each other in years, he can’t leave her to fall apart. Agreeing to keep things platonic, they vow to make the most of their spontaneous vacation—until an unplanned kiss sparks a powerful passion.

They tell themselves that what happens in Bermuda will stay in Bermuda. But when old secrets are revealed and new feelings ignite, will Ben and Jessica be able to leave their romance behind?

Thank you, Montlake Romance, for my advanced review copy of Anything but Love. I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review; this does not affect my opinion. Any quotes mentioned below are taken from the ARC and are subject to change upon publication.

Anything but Love is an amazing story that’s both cute and sexy. It’s about Jessica and Ben, who used to be best friends and then became enemies in high school. Ben never got to know why that was and what made Jessica turned her back on him.

“One was a memory of Jessica from Junior High, when the two of them had still been friends. The other was a memory from high school, when they’d been enemies.”

Book Review of Roller Girl by Vanessa North

August 3, 2016September 8, 2020 Olivia Chanel1 Comment

Roller Girl by Vanessa North

Publication Date: July 23, 2016.

Publisher: Riptide Publishing.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Sports, and LGBT.

Rating:

Selling points: Female empowerment, amazing f/f ship, and derby.

Purchase here: Amazon | The Book Depository

Synopsis: Recently divorced Tina Durham is trying to be self-sufficient, but her personal-training career is floundering, her closest friends are swept up in new relationships, and her washing machine has just flooded her kitchen. It’s enough to make a girl cry.

Instead, she calls a plumbing service, and Joanne “Joe Mama” Delario comes to the rescue. Joe is sweet, funny, and good at fixing things. She also sees something special in Tina and invites her to try out for the roller derby team she coaches.

Derby offers Tina an outlet for her frustrations, a chance to excel, and the female friendships she’s never had before. And as Tina starts to thrive at the derby, the tension between her and Joe cranks up. Despite their player/coach relationship, they give in to their mutual attraction. Sex in secret is hot, but Tina can’t help but want more.

With work still on the rocks and her relationship in the closet, Tina is forced to reevaluate her life. Can she be content with a secret lover? Or with being dependent on someone else again? It’s time for Tina to tackle her fears, both on and off the track.

Thank you Riptide Publishing for my advanced review copy of Roller Girl. I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review; this does not affect my opinion. Any quotes mentioned below are taken from the ARC and are subject to change upon publication.

Roller Girl is a story with heart. It’s a story that’ll make you smile and feel all warm and fluffy inside. What I love the most about this book is how well done it is, this lesbian romance is about so much more than just love (which all in itself is absolutely amazing). Roller Girl is about companionship, friendship, and women supporting other women.

ARC Review of Crazy, Stupid, Fauxmance by Shellee Roberts

April 18, 2016September 8, 2020 Olivia Chanel2 Comments

Crazy, Stupid, Fauxmance by Shellee Roberts

Publication Date: April 18, 2016.

Publisher: Entangled: Crush.

Genres: Young Adult, Romance, and Contemporary.

Rating:

Selling points: Strong and vulnerable main character, fake dating, charming scenes.

Purchase here: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Synopsis: Disclaimer: This Entangled Teen Crush book contains a kickass heroine, a boy so hot he’ll make you shiver, and a falling-in-love story fit for the big screen. You’ll want to settle in and have the popcorn ready.

After Mariely Hinojosa and Cabot Wheeler both break up with their significant others at the same party, Mariely sees a way to get even with both of their exes. Everyone knows that the best way to get over a breakup is a hookup—a fake hookup, that is. Three weeks, all fun, no strings, and definitely no heartbreak at the end.

But somewhere between the sweet hand-holding and melt-your-mind kisses, their fake relationship starts to feel less like an act and more like the real thing…but Mariely’s a free-spirited girl from the other side of the tracks, and Cabot’s the hot trust-fund guy from the Hills.

They’d never work for real…

Thank you Entangled Publishing for my advanced review copy of Crazy, Stupid, Fauxmance. I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review; this does not affect my opinion. Any quotes mentioned below are taken from the ARC and are subject to change upon publication.

One (fake) hookup with a totally hot guy, no strings, all fun, here I come.

Crazy, Stupid, Fauxmance is a young adult contemporary romance featuring Mariely Hinojosa and Cabot Wheeler. After a boathouse party, two breakups and heartbreak both Mariely and Cabot are the talks of their artistic high school Austin NextGen Academy. The solution to their problem is a hookup, a fake one, a fauxmance.

I enjoyed reading Crazy, Stupid, Fauxmance by Shellee Roberts. It’s charming, witty and funny. It’s a perfect example of a good young adult novel. There are a lot of clichés in this book, but that is not necessarily a bad thing. Actually, it’s what I really like. It has the typical fake dating trope where the characters slowly but surely start to fall in love with each other and the lines between what is fake and what is real, start to get blurry. It’s a delight to read about how Mariely and Cabot navigate through this journey and see what it is that makes them believe the other is still faking their feelings when they are so clearly not.

Book Review of Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys

April 8, 2016September 8, 2020 Olivia ChanelLeave a comment

Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys

Publication Date: February 2, 2016.

Publisher: Philomel Books.

Genres: Young Adult, Historical Fiction, World War II, and Survival.

Rating:

Selling points: Remarkable characters, important and relevant story, a book that will stay with you once you finish it.

Purchase here: Amazon | The Book Depository

Synopsis: Winter, 1945. Four teenagers. Four secrets.

Each one born of a different homeland; each one hunted, and haunted, by tragedy, lies…and war.

As thousands of desperate refugees flock to the coast in the midst of a Soviet advance, four paths converge, vying for passage aboard the Wilhelm Gustloff, a ship that promises safety and freedom.

Yet not all promises can be kept.

Inspired by the single greatest tragedy in maritime history, bestselling and award-winning author Ruta Sepetys (Between Shades of Gray) lifts the veil on a shockingly little-known casualty of World War II. An illuminating and life-affirming tale of heart and hope.

Salt to the Sea is a remarkable book, one I will recommend to friends and family for years to come. The story is about four teenagers who meet on the run searching for an escape from the brutality of World War II. They are all haunted by the horror, tragedy, lies, and secrets that follow them and the war they are all in the middle of.

These four characters – Joana, Florian, Emilia, and Alfred – are all hunted by their own secrets, and their very first line in their own chapters tells us what torments them the most. It gives you an insight to how burdened a young man or woman could be because of the choices, mistakes, and sacrifices they made because of the horrible circumstances brought to them by evil men and war.