Giveaway Win; the third

 Just Some Stupid Love Story by Katelyn Doyle 

I received this copy as a giveaway price from Flatiron Books. I won this as part of a goodreads giveaway. My three least favorite tropes are: pregnancy, secret keeping, and age gap (in no particular order). However, second chance romance is definitely down in the bottom tier of tropes. Despite that I did enjoy this second chance romance. One reason why I liked it was because it was believable. They dated in high school and haven't seen each other since they broke up 15 years ago. They hook up at their reunion. Then struggle to make it work. Both have issues they have to work out before getting to their happy ending; he jumps into things too quickly, she is terrified of love and ruining things. They have failed relationships with other people while they work out their own issues. When they finally get together, she ruins it. But, because she writes rom-com movies for a living she knows that she is the one who needs to make the grand gesture to get him back; and she does in the form of the screenplay. Then, she shows up to talk to him and they have an adorably awkward interaction. This worked because it was real; it wasn't contrived or forced. The reunion worked because it was so applicable to the current times, and to my life because we are the same age. I really liked that they were older, in their 30s by the time they finally got their lives together. Very cute.

Dark Romance

 Hooked by Emily McIntire 

This was my first Emily McIntire and my first real foray into dark romance. (Twisted Love doesn't really count, even though it sort of counts). Anyway, this was dark and violent for a romance, but it wasn't done in a bad or unexpected way. And while James was definitely swoon worthy I would not want him in real life; despite the fact that his description is my kryptonite. So, James goes to live with his uncle after his parents die. And his uncle is terrible; physical, mentally, emotionally, and sexually abusive. Enter Ru. He catches James following him from his uncle's house and instead of getting mad he mentors him and becomes the only adult he can trust. Then James becomes an enforcer for Ru; his favorite method is using a hooked blade, hence his nickname. He kills his uncle and gets away with it because Ru has the feds on his payroll. Then he sets his sights on the man who killed his parents; Peter. Turns out Peter has a daughter, and she's hot. There is an age gap, but it's 5.5 years and she turns 21 not long after they meet so it's not that bad. But, Peter kidnaps and kills Ru when James is helping Wendy move her brother, Jonathan, into a new boarding school. James thinks Wendy was in on it and kidnaps her. Her father doesn't notice. He takes her to a fancy gala and rubs their relationship in Peter's face. But, during the gala he realizes that Wendy didn't know anything about his plans and when they get back to his boat he tells her and they make up. Jonathan calls and tells her that he's coming home for a visit and can she meet him at the house, only Tina, her father's "assistant" kidnaps her and takes her to her father. James finds out where they took her and he shows up. Turns out the guy that has been trying to move in on his territory wasn't Peter, it was Smee; the man that has been taking care of his boat who just so happens to be his cousin. He hates James for killing his father and he's going to kill him. Wendy wakes up, gets loose, and shoots Tina. Peter kills Smee because only he will get to kill James, and he's in bad shape since Smee stabbed him. Then, we find out that Peter hated Jonathan for the same reason he killed James' parents: his father got Peter's wife pregnant; Jonathan is James' half brother. He starts to go after James but Wendy shoots him. There is a funeral. She and James bring Jonathan home. They have at least two kids and are still happy 10 years later.  While it was dark and more violent that I am accustomed to in my romance novels, it was still enjoyable and I will be reading more in this series.

Giveaway Win; the sequel

 Under Your Spell by Laura Wood

I won this from a goodreads giveaway and received an unedited advance reader copy. Because of that, there was some typos, some duplicate sentences, and some formatting issues that I expect will/have been corrected before the final release. As for the story itself, it was adorable. I do not like secret keeping as a trope, but this was more mistaken identity than an intentional secret. And the reveal was hysterical. I love a plus size FMC, especially when her weight and size are not the only focus of the story but a small character detail. Clemmie was so relatable; her insecurities about her career specifically resonated with me, but her family dynamic, though unique, was lovely, and her daddy issues allowed for some real growth. Theo was spectacular. He falls first, and harder. And while he makes mistakes he learns from them, gives genuine and legitimate apologies when necessary, and is so supportive. I loved their dynamic. I would definitely read more from this author.

Arthurian Legend

 American King by Sierra Simone 

I know that Ash is the center of everything, but I do not like him. He is controlling in all things. He thinks he is putting all of himself out there for Embry, but he's not; he's withholding. And yet, I cried when he "died" because he sacrificed himself to save Embry. Let me back track a bit. Embry is going through with his run against Ash. He has to marry Abilene because it's his baby and she is blackmailing Ash via Greer. She holds on to the secret for two years and then releases it before the debates. Ash and Greer confront her and he tells her that no matter what she does, he will never love her. She can't handle that and drowns herself in the river. I was surprised at that. Ash wins one debate. Embry another. Ash has been working behind the scenes to help with the overthrow of the man that kidnapped Greer, and they are successful. Embry is a great father. Ash lets Lyr set the pace of their relationship when he learns that Ash is his father and his parents are siblings. Merlin tells Ash they are the reincarnated Merlin, Arthur, Guinevere, and Lancelot; Ash believes him because he has started having visions. Ash dies during the third debate, protecting Embry. Embry wins the presidency. The truth about their relationship comes out during the funeral and Embry is openly bisexual. He and Greer get married. Merlin gives them a house key for their honeymoon and the groundskeeper is Ash. He's alive. Embry and Greer, and the kids (she has one with Embry) use that house as their home when not at the White House. Embry only serves one term. The three of them live together, with Embry's son and Greer's two kids. Greer gets sick; Merlin tells them congrats and to buy double the clothes. That's where it ends. This book was a lot and writing this review a week later I'm still not sure if I liked it or not. It wrapped everything up nicely, but I'm just not sure how I feel/felt about it. 

Made for TV

 Grave Secrets by Kathy Reichs 

I listened to this audiobook and there were a lot of characters so listening made it hard to me to keep all of the characters straight in my head. It was fine, not great but not terrible. Like the previous books there were a lot of technical details. And like the previous books Brennan was in danger, but survived. Despite the fact that I had trouble keeping up with the characters, I think I will be continuing this series in audiobook format instead of physical book.

Giveaway Win

 Brynn and Sebastian Hate Each Other by Bethany Turner 

I won this from a goodreads giveaway. It was super cute. I like that the chapters changed perspectives but were also date and time stamped. Brynn became who she needed to be to not only survive her horrible childhood, but to progress in her career. That her animosity about her past almost ruined her career was sad, but it led to some real growth. She was relatable. Sebastian let his career impact all areas of his life so he left it behind and restarted in the quietest town he could find. When their paths cross, he the former intrepid reporter and her the entertainment host, they are quite antagonistic. Then they learn about each other. And start working together. And develop feelings. She rehabs her image. He returns to reporting after they are the first on the scene of an avalanche. But, aside from that, he returns on his terms. And the book ends with their engagement. It was adorable and I will be reading more from this author.

Final Book in the Series

 On the Way to the Wedding by Julia Quinn 

This was the final book in the Bridgerton series and it follows Gregory, the youngest boy and penultimate child. Like all of Julia Quinn's books it was cute and funny. However, it was not as strong as book 3 (Benedict's), book 7 (Hyacinth's) or book 5 (Eloise's). Gregory is 26 and has no idea what he wants to do with his life. He and Anthony have a Very Serious Conversation about it. Then, at the house party being thrown by Anthony and Kate he falls in love at first sight with Hermoine. She isn't impresses. Then he meets Lucinda, her best friend. They become friends because she likes him better than the man Hermoine has her eye on. And then Hermoine decides Gregory might not be so bad. But on the night of the ball Lucy's brother takes her for a walk and compromises her in the greenhouse. By this time, Gregory realizes that he didn't actually love her, he really loves Lucy. But, her brother showed up at the party to tell her that her sort of engagement is now official. They leave to go home. Gregory finds her in London and they talk. And more. He finds out who she is engaged to; great guy, but he's gay. Turns out this marriage is happening because her family is being blackmailed by his and he is going to need an heir and a wife who won't talk about him preferring men. Gregory shows up at the wedding, but she goes through with it. He shows up at the party and kidnaps her in her own house. Then he gets her brother and her new husband and tells them about the blackmail. Meanwhile, her horrible uncle has found her. Turns out he is the one the blackmail is about, not her father. Gregory, brother, and husband find the uncle holding her at gunpoint. Gregory is a notorious terrible shot, but both he and brother hit uncle, freeing Lucy. Then she tells husband that if he will agree to an annulment, since they haven't consummated the marriage, she will help him find a wife that with be suitable. He agrees. She and Gregory marry. The epilogue is her in childbirth with children eight and nine; twin girls. Then she starts bleeding and almost dies. This was a much more intense epilogue than we are accustomed to. But, she survives. This was a good end to the series.

Cute from Beginning to End

 The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna 

This was a very cute slow burn cozy fantasy. I normally do not like secret keeping as a plot device, but it worked here; mostly because we didn't know secrets were being kept until they were revealed. Mika is so wholesome and relatable. I like that she was determined to follow the rules that she has followed her whole life, until she was presented with the reality that keeping witches separate doesn't actually help anyone in the form of the girls she has been hired to tutor in magic. The entire cast of characters was adorable. I liked Jamie and how stoic and gruff he was. I'm glad that he showed up and tried to make amends when he hurt Mika. And that she still showed up for help with the lawyer situation. When that got out of hand she did was was right, not what was easy, and called her guardian, Primrose, to help. That call solved so many problems and even led to changes in how the society of witches operates. It was adorable from start to finish and I adored the ending.

I KNEW He Couldn't Be Trusted!

 A Torch Against the Night by Sabaa Tahir 

This picks up right where book 1 left off.  Elias is everything that is good in this world. But, he is still a killer. And he struggles with that throughout the book. Laia is strong when she is with Elias. But, once they get separated she starts to question herself, her decisions. Most of that is Keegan's fault. But, I jumped ahead. During their desperate escape, he runs into his mother who poisons him with a slow acting poison. It causes him seizures, and Laia gets him an elixir that keeps the seizures at bay, but doesn't stop him from a slow death. They meet with the tribes and he calls in his favor. His "mom" stages a riot which helps them escape. Then, he decided to go out on his own because he will not get there before he dies. So she is traveling with Keegan. And he is so shady. Turns out, Keegan isn't real. He's the Nightbringer. And he's been playing her to get her arm cuff. Which she willingly gives him because she loves him and she wants him to feel like he has family. And then he tells her the truth, and she gets into his mind and searches his memories to find answers. Then the Tribal leader that he calls in the favor from shows up, which is good because Elias has been captured and is in the prison, but they don't know that he found her brother. Now that Keegan is gone Laia can make her invisibility work and they use that to make a prison break. Also, Elias makes friends with one of the slaves, Tas, who helps with the prison break. Elias makes a deal with the Soul Catcher, who he has been visiting during his seizures; he will be her apprentice if she sends him back to his body so he can help Tas and Laia's brother escape. So now, he's dead but not dead. He reunites with Laia. They come clean with each other about everything. They kiss. Brother wakes up. The end. Meanwhile, Helene is now the royal assassin, but she is being hindered by Elias's mother who is still working with the Nightbringer. Hel stops her coup attempt, but it results in the Emperor killing her parents and one of her sisters because she did not bring him Elias.  This was full of action, adventure, high stakes, backstabbing, betrayal, death, and love. I am so excited for book 3.

Cute Title. Cute Book.

 Undercover Bromance by Lyssa Kay Adams 

I giggled, cackled, and kicked my feet through most of this book. I HATE secret keeping as a plot device, but since we actually didn't know what the secret was it wasn't as bad.  Mack is the ring leader of the bromance book club but he can't have a real relationship to save his life. He thinks it might be serious but she breaks up with him because he won't just be real. I liked how the relationship between Mack and Liv developed. They both had a common goal and it started as just that. Then, two people who don't know how to trust learn to trust each other. Liv was a bit self-righteous and I'm glad she got called out on that because she needed it. That they stopped hiding from themselves, each other, and their friends was great. That they were able to take down a serial sexual harrasser in the process was also great. I loved the way that the guys in the book club were there for Mack; it was good to see healthy male relationships. This was fun, funny, and full of character growth without being obnoxious. I cannot wait to read more from this series, and from this author in general. 

Side Character Becomes the Main Character

 The Sun and the Star by Rick Riordan 

Nico is the main character in this book, which frankly is overdue. It had all of the humor you come to expect from Rick Riordan, as well as the mythology, and adventure. Nico and Will are officially together and the have to go on a quest to save Bob the Titan. They travel through the underworld and have struggles. We meet Hiss-Majesty who is the best side character in a while and I will do anything for them. Will meets Persephone and gets some insight into Nico. The journey to Tartarus is fraught with peril, but they have help and are able to free Bob. He refers to them as his Sun and Stars and then never really explains that, so I didn't like that. Also, Nico is able to defeat Nyx through the power of growth. He also gets what he calls his Coco Puffs, which are physical manifestations of his fears, but he learns that just because he is darkness does not mean he is only darkness. He and Will grow together during this quest. Bob leaves them at Camp and journeys west because he can, because now he has a choice. Also, Mr. D was actually kind and helpful during this book, which was a huge change for him, but maybe he is growing too.  I love Bob and am glad we got to see him again. It was good that Nico finally got to take center stage and that we saw him come into his own. Another good addition to the Percy Jackson universe.

Cop Mystery

 Glory in Death by J.D. Robb 

It's been a while since I read book 1 so I forgot the characters; still don't really remember Roark or the relationship after finishing book 2. I knew the killer right away and was not surprised. I like that Eve started opening up to the psychologist about things other than mandated case stuff. I like that she and Roark were able to communicate; it wasn't pretty but it was better. I like the friendships that Eve showed during this book. The audiobook narrator was great and I will be listening to more of this series.

Dynasties Crumble

 American Prince by Sierra Simone 

This did not grab me as much as the first book, but it was still enjoyable. This book picks up immediately following the previous book. Embry is hard to like and hard to hate. He is dysfunctional and self-destructive. He is also loyal. Most of his actions are done out of loyalty. He is desperately in love with Ash but gives him up so he can have the future he deserves. Then, he meets a girl he really liked, Greer, and when he finds out that Ash is into her, he gives her up. Then he watches them get married. They decide that the three of them should make this work, and then she gets kidnapped. He leads the rescue, and they get her back. But, her kidnappers aren't done. They release a tape of Embry and Greer having sex, which they did, but the White House says is faked. They try to make things work, but then her cousin shows up and tells him and Morgan that she knows the truth; not only did Ash sleep with his sister, he had a baby with her. So, now Embry has to pretend to be dating the cousin, who was involved with the kidnapping, to keep his sister safe. Also, she drugged him and raped him and is pregnant; there's a good chance it's his so he is going to marry her. Then Greer's grandfather is killed; it is staged to look like revenge from when he was VP 30 years ago, but everyone knows that's not true. Ash isn't doing enough to deal with ending the threat to Greer and Embry calls him weak, then tells him he is resigning as VP. He also comes clean about everything, why he didn't marry him, how much he loves him, and he drops the baby bomb, which he has been hiding to protect Ash. Everything he does is for him. Ash never deserved him. And, Embry is going to run against him in the upcoming election. This sets us up nicely for the third book in the series. I am interested in seeing where this goes and how things get resolved.

First in a Spin-off Duology

 Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim 

This book takes place in the same universe as Spin the Dawn and Unravel the Dusk, but in a different country across the sea. It follows a princes, Shori, the youngest of the Kings seven children. She starts to realize that she has magic even though it has been removed from the kingdom. She runs away from her engagement ceremony. Then, she starts to mistrust her stepmother so she follows her. Turns out, her stepmother is actually a snake and as she is running away from her, her stepmother curses her and her brothers. She has a wooden bowl on her head and tells her that if she speaks her brothers will die. She then gets sent to the far reaches of the kingdom where she works as a kitchen girl until she can get enough money to buy a boat. A soldier shows up, she gets caught searching his room, and he takes pity on her, gives her some money, his dagger, and a token that will get her into the castle in the northern part of the kingdom; the same area her betrothed is from. She flees, finds her brothers, and they start working on a plan because they turn back human after the sun goes down. But, she gets captured and taken to the dungeon in the northern castle. She gets released and is made into a kitchen girl. Then the nice soldier shows up; turns out he is her betrothed and the prince of the castle. He gives her a room in the castle instead of the cellar. She befriends his little sister. She searches for the dragon she met, and who helped her after she stole from the Dragon King. She ends up saving the prince's life. The trusted friend of the family is super mean to her and I didn't trust her from the beginning. Turns out, I was right, and she was there trying to kill Shori. But, she, the prince, his army, and her brothers kill the mean girl and save Shori. She goes home to try to break the curse, but gets captured by a demon. Her stepmother saves her; she has been hiding her magic and protecting her this whole time. But, the rescue killed her. It also breaks the curse on her and her brothers. This was good, but not as engaging as Spin the Dawn. I will read the next book, but I am not desperate for it.

Final Book in the Series

 Beauty Tempts the Beast by Lorraine Heath 

This was probably the best book of this series, and the funnies. We finally learn what Beast's real name is: Benedict. And why he's called Beast: he is missing his right ear. His love is the daughter of a dishonored Duke; he was hanged for trying to kill the Queen and his children were stripped of their titles, kicked out of their house, and removed from the nobility. She takes a job working at Gilly's pub and that's where they meet. He makes sure she gets home safely when her brother doesn't show up to walk her home. They build a friendship, after a rough go, and she moves in to his building, not to be a hooker or his mistress but to teach the hookers skills so they could get non-hooker jobs. She also asks him to teach her to be a temptress, so she can find a good patron. They are very into each other, so the lessons are not necessarily going well but they are going very well. He takes her to Aiden's club to take down her ex-fiancee in cards. He takes her to Christmas Eve with his family, and it's snowing so badly that they have to stay the night. And then they get sexy. Also, Robin gets "adopted" and takes the Trewlove name. A few days later someone shows up at the brothel turned women's home, and it turns out it's his father. His parents are actually married, and wanted him, but his mother had to hide him to protect him. Another surprise, his father is a Duke, and Benedict has an honorary title of Earl. When she finds out she ends things with him because her name and reputation are too tarnished and will hurt him as he joins the aristocracy. His mother shows up to invite her to a ball and her ex tries to give her the cut, but Benedict stops him, yells at him, then has him thrown out before proposing very publicly. She says yes. The epilogue is 50 years in the future; his parents have since died but Mama Trewlove is still alive, and the kids are discovering that she has been having a relationship with the gardener for at least 20 years; they are shocked. We do not get any update on her brothers and the quest they are on to find out who else was working with their father to assassinate the Queen. This was a good ending for the series, and sets up a potential spin off series. I will probably not be reading any more from this author.

So. Slow.

 The Fairy Bargains of Prospect Hill by Rowenna Miller 

This book was incredibly slow. It took me months to read. I put it in my purse and read it when I was in waiting rooms and at appointments because the first 30ish pages were so slow. On top of that, the font was tiny, like 8pt, and the pages were thin so this was a big book. The blurb on the back was so promising, but it did not live up to it.  This family bargains with the fairies. Usually they only do small, simple bargains, like for a good harvest or to keep bugs away. But, the two daughters start getting bolder with their bargains. The older daughter starts doing so well with her bargains that she thinks she is getting the better of the fairy that she is consistently bargaining with. But, then things start to go poorly for her sister who just got married and moved away. So, she starts to get bolder. But, things aren't necessarily working as well as she wants. That leads the sister to have to bargain, because she was the one that made the initial bargain that led her to the bad marriage to begin with. Well, she makes a bargain that she doesn't understand which leads to Emily, her niece, her older sister's daughter, to be taken into fae. She travels into fae to try to get her back. When she gets in she meets a different fairy, one that has been ostracized and they make a bargain. Well, one thing about the fae is that their names have power and they don't tell anyone their name, but if you guess you can use it for one favor. So, she is not having any luck getting her niece back, but she does learn the name of the new fae, turns out it's a relative of hers, Violet, who exchanged herself so that her mother could have a new baby since she just had just lost a baby. So, she uses the favor to get Emily back, but she also secures a new patron for Violet so she can return to the fae fold. And then, she ends up moving away to Chicago while the rest of her family stay on the farm and they continue to make bargains, but only small ones because they all learned their lesson.  This had all of the elements of being good, but it took too long to get to the good parts. I will not be reading any more books by this author.